At long last, I'm finally getting to an arc that is going to be tons of fun to right. Relationships are building, enemies are moving, Touma is going to be a temporary student at Tokiwadai… wait what? Yep, this chapter is going to have the mighty Kami attending the prestigious school because of his classmates. What sort of shenanigans will occur in the sacred grounds? Haven't seen Eve or Aleister for ages, but you know they are moving around behind the scene. Still, Carissa and Shizuri's meeting last chapter was fun to right. There's no way that conversation will come back to bite Touma in the butt. I'm sure those two women no longer feel any hostilities toward each other. Once Touma reaches Tokiwadai, I'm hoping to expand a bit of Mitsuko Kongou's personality. She's not the most used character in the Index fanfiction world.

Thanks again to SilverFang88 for helping out beta reading. It's tough for him sometimes because he loses all motivation if a chapter doesn't have Touma x Mugino.

Inacio: Probably not. Well controlling the signals is one thing, but actually moving them at high speeds could cause wear and tear on her muscles. Human body has limiters for a reason.

Twain apprentice: Timeline is kind of screwed up, so that's hard to say for sure.

anand891996: You are one of the few people who seem to be rooting for Misaki.

wildarms13: Accelerator had the harem for a while. Jason just got a second girl. Harem has to be 3+ girls. Debating how all the other girls will learn of Carissa's offer. Shizuri won't tell, Touma won't tell, so it has to be Carissa. I don't plan to have Jason have any other girls. The Kuroko thing kind of happened and I just rolled with it.

Jujudude: Ah, the big reveal. It's planned out and will not be pretty. It's not that Accelerator doesn't notice, he just doesn't want to deal with it. He sees how annoying it is for Touma to deal with many girls. He was hoping Bayloupe pretending to be a girlfriend would keep others away. Well… Touma has a new bachelor's pad. Ruiko Saten needs more love. She's the most normal girl. Snek is not going to be a harem girl, her job is just to set it up.

Tsun: Saten isn't out of the running yet. All of her meetings with Touma are pretty nice, they just keep getting interrupted; a magician turning people to stone, princess being attacked, and roommates coming back at wrong time. Well, if Carissa wins, Touma could establish the Royal Harem. Frenda needs to do something, yeah. Trying to come up with the right moment.

mervinr170: Oh, it's going to lead to some powerful character development. I just don't see them being shipped together in this story.

general ironox: He will survive. The question is will the school become a brothel.

amirread97: Once Jason's full plan is revealed, every step will make a lot more sense. Two Yandere's should never meet. It always results with blood being shed.

st german: Touma has like 10,000 girls. He's way ahead.

Acpeters: Maybe if I get more main characters involve, LOCKDOWN can do something more. You seem to be confused. Nothing is easy, FOR TOUMA. Everything else involving others can be easy. It's a running joke that the quiet ones have the weirdest fantasies. Plot be damned, Accelerator's going on a date. I can assure you, when they find out no one will see it coming. It's to allow maximum effect. Who would have thought Kazari would be the biggest blocker for Touma?

botman69: Touma has had a harem for ages. Jason has two, not even a harem.

Guest: Yeah, there is a lot involved and I'm hoping it works out. Do badass Touma moments involve shoving his foot into his mouth? That's bound to happen a lot in the next few chapters. Motoharu and Pierce will be jealous and start another fight, Accelerator won't care, and Touma can try to push off some of his ridicule onto him.

Phoenix 7.49: That's pretty much what the conversation will be like, if Touma would just accept his harem. I don't think Kazari would send out messages to everyone because it would put Ruiko in a tough spot. Everyone else is going to find out in the most bizarre way and it is planned out.

X-KT: Thanks, that means a lot.

Kami: Ruiko is one of Touma's most normal girls. Probably never for the other girl.

Guest: Putting Ferrets responses to your questions at the end of the chapter. 1) School uniform with a mask and cape? Copy the number 7? 2) At least three of those are going to be encountered, plus others who you did not mention.

Salishious: I'll think about the specifics when the time comes. A simple he saved her from a terrorist attack while her suitor was in England and they spent time together. A relationship naturally formed and she decided to visit him in Japan. No idea if his identity will be exposed to the masses, but certain specific girls will know. I was debating having Villian throw her name in, but that might be over kill. She likes Aqua. Level 5s will definitely fight. Eve can do a lot of things if it furthers her plans. Eww, Thor x Touma is horrible. Suzuki's power is for someone else. You have trespassed into forbidden territory with that realization.

Agent Nine: Gasp! Changing your mind about best girl? Your dedication is only so great?

Generation Zero: Ricane doesn't take risks. He would never be there in person with a machine or clone will do. The AAA will become a key plot point later on, but it will take a lot of time to perfect it. Remember, they just have a prototype so they have to figure it all out. This will make them a target if it gets out. Jason's good at keeping people from exchanging information. If everyone talked with each other about what he was doing, things wouldn't be nearly so calm. Ricane's tech is going to either blow up in his face, cause problems in Academy City, or be stolen by someone. As for Carissa, she doesn't give up easy. If she wants something, she will get it. I love inserting Ruiko in because it's nice to have a normal girl. Kazari can keep a secret… kind of. Not from Ruiko of course. Light hearted? Nah. Chaos!

Syko-Soldier: I was implying he said it kind of sarcastically. Most organizations aren't made up of friends, they are made up of people for a purpose. They needed each other to do things. He knows Jason's true nature, so he knows when Jason is acting. Who knows? Clones are a thing for a reason. If Jason did not enslave him, what guarantee would Jason have he wouldn't get attacked or betrayed once he recovered.

Sergio644: That's what his friends have been saying for ages! He needs to accept something few men could ever hope to enjoy. Carissa and Shizuri could torture him… together! Share tips and methods.

FrodoFighter: Ricane's research would be valuable to Academy City. Why would they want to waste all of it if they could store it for future use? First, official harem? Does that mean the guy admits he has one? Kazari's judgment training involves putting the task at hand first over emotional reunions. You also make it sound creepy with Kazari holding a piece of the number 2. Rensa would be a perfect person to show up soon, wouldn't she? Boys and their high powered weaponry. What are we going to do with them? Hey, the best lies have truth sprinkled in. Jason has it down pat. 80 meters is a pretty big jump and if you do it consecutively, it's going to throw your perspective off constantly. "Imaginary dick-measuring contest," huh? It's pretty accurate so I can't deny it. Ruiko got her wish at last and he visited her dorm. It was only natural a misunderstanding would have occurred. Luckily, Kazari showed up to prevent things from going too far. "Handholding, what a pervert." Yep, Ruiko and Touma are quite the perverts. Your imagination of the other members of the dorm are spot on. Floor is only clean because Kazari keeps it that way. "Don't be a playboy and get no one pregnant and you are going to be alright." You are asking for a lot. Careful, your lewdness is showing. "Uiharu, the best wingman a girl could wish for." Her timing was off a little.

Disclaimer: Random people do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index or any of the characters. Reading this story may cause you to burst out in laughter or start yelling at fictional characters. This may cause nearby people to assume you have gone crazy. Please read responsibly.

Touma did not remain at Ruiko's dorm much longer once they finished explaining the situation to Kazari.

Unlike a lot of his other friends, Kazari was more than willing to listen to the pair's explanation; even if her face was bright red for the first half. Touma wasn't sure, but he kept thinking he saw the two girls share some kind of knowing look and Ruiko kept avoiding eye contact with him. When they finished, Touma noted the time and apologized for having to leave, even if he was a little relieved. He had stayed long enough to achieve his primary goal of hiding from Shizuri and Carissa. Staying any longer could end up with Ruiko and Kazari getting involved in this mess; which he didn't want. Still, it had been nice to spend a couple hours hanging out with a friend doing normal things.

Although, for the life of him, he couldn't understand why Kazari kept fidgeting like she wanted to say something.

By the time Touma found himself at the airport, he had chalked it up to being something between the two roommates. It looked like Kazari was about to burst from holding something in and there was relief when he had decided to leave. Besides, he had one thing he had to do before going home.

His mother was supposed to leave tonight and he wanted to see her off. She had told him he didn't have to come, but that didn't change the fact that he planned to show up. There were too many people for him to find her at the airport, so he pulled out his phone and gave her a call. To his surprise, the familiar ringtone echoed relatively close by and he turned to see Shiina talking to another woman and rummaging through her purse. He should have recognized the other person before calling out.

"Mom!" Shiina turned around and beamed as he approached.

"Touma-kun," Shiina replied. "This is a pleasant surprise. I remember telling you that you didn't have to see me off."

"I wanted to."

"Aww," the woman Shiina was talking to cooed. Touma glanced at her and saw Misuzu, Mikoto's mom. "You raised a perfect gentleman, Shiina."

"It's nice to see you too, Misaka-san," Touma greeted her politely.

"You never stop being adorable!" Misuzu exclaimed and hugged him. Shiina laughed lightly at Touma's surprised expression.

"Now, now, Misuzu," Shiina reprimanded mildly. "You're embarrassing him."

"I can't help it. He's adorable!" Misuzu rubbed her face against his.

"Mother!" The sharp familiar voice of Mikoto interrupted them and Misuzu finally let him go. "W-what are you doing?" She then saw who her mother was borderline sexually harassing. "Y-you're here? I didn't know you were coming." Mikoto blinked and turned to her mom. "And why were you assaulting him?!"

"I can't resist hugging cute younger boys," Misuzu replied unabashed. "You have good taste, Mikoto."

"S-stop e-embarrassing us!" Mikoto stuttered. "And act your age!"

"I'm still young," Misuzu huffed. "And I can have a little fun once in a while. He doesn't seem to mind."

"Uhh…" Touma wasn't sure how to respond to this and Mikoto was glaring at him for being indecisive.

"Oh, my, that's enough teasing," Shiina declared and then turned to Mikoto. "Thank you for checking on the flight schedule for us."

"It was my pleasure," Mikoto replied back politely. "Everything seems to be on schedule and they are about to begin boarding."

"We should get going then," Shiina said to Misuzu, who nodded back in agreement. Shiina turned to Touma and gave him a hug. "Take care, Touma-kun. Don't forget to eat well and work hard at school. I'll visit again next time I'm able to."

"I will," Touma replied, returning the hug. "Bye, mom. Just… please give me some warning next time."

"Of course."

"I'm going to miss you too, Mikoto," Misuzu said and hugged her daughter. "Make sure you call and keep me up to date on everything."

"I promise," Mikoto responded, but rolled her eyes. "If you can be serious for once."

"Don't let them hear us," Misuzu whispered suddenly. "But you have a lot more competition than I realized. So let mama help you out how she can."

"Within limits," Mikoto muttered back. Misuzu chuckled and then winked at Shiina.

"Touma-kun," Shiina said suddenly. "Do walk Mikoto-san back to her dorm tonight, would you?"

"Huh?" Touma responded to the surprise request.

"Oh, my." Shiina put her hand on her cheek. "You can't possibly let a young girl walk back home at night alone, could you?" Her eyes bore into him and he gulped.

"Of course not," Touma answered instantly. "I'd be glad to."

It's not like she needs protection, he thought.

It's not like I need protection, Mikoto thought, but she wasn't going to protest such a convenient way of spending alone time with Touma.

"Such a gentleman," Misuzu declared and clapped her hands together. "Looks like Shiina and I need to board, so you two run along. Thanks for seeing us off." Shiina also waved and the two of them grabbed their carry-on bags. They made sure their children were out of ear shot after another exchange of goodbyes, before changing the topic of their conversation. "Mikoto really has her work cut out for her."

"If only my son noticed her feelings earlier." Shiina sounded slightly disappointed. "Things would have been a lot less complicated."

"At least he's not jumping at the chance to play around with multiple girls' feelings," Misuzu said. "From what you told me about your talk with him and what I see, he would normally never think about seeing multiple girls at once."

"I raised him to treat women right," Shiina replied. "Though I think his father's traits were passed on a little too strongly."

"Assuming he doesn't go for Shokuhou-san's strategy, that was her name right?" Shiina nodded and Misuzu continued. "What about the princess?"

"Princess Carissa seemed to be serious," Shiina answered. "But the choice is up to him. If he does decide, he needs to understand the trials that await him on such a path."

"Mikoto needs to be more proactive," Misuzu sighed. "But she's so shy and her tsundere tendencies tend to overshadow her desires. The fact she can even talk to him normally is a miracle. Progress has been made." She rubbed her chin. "The princess… after our meeting with her yesterday, I don't think she's the kind to back down even if Touma-san says no."

"Then she will answer to me," Shiina stated firmly and a dark aura flared up for an instant around her.

"So I talked to Kongou-san today," Mikoto said to Touma, as the two of them walked together. "She actually approached me with some questions about tomorrow." Touma shivered at this.

"I think my brain is blocking out the visit tomorrow." he replied.

"Huh? Why?"

"Are you seriously asking me that?" Mikoto blinked once at his question before it sunk in.

"Ah, right. I guess I'm used to seeing you and your friends that the novelty of interacting with guys isn't there anymore." Mikoto said apologetically. "The others… well… they will be on their best behavior. No one is as bad as say… Kuroko."

"That's a relief." Touma actually felt better. "Still, even when we invaded the high school, I was with the others. I'm going to be alone in the School Garden. With my luck, something is bound to happen."

"I'll help however I can," Mikoto reassured him. "Kongou-san's in my classes so I'll be nearby." A vein throbbed in her forehead for a moment before continuing. "And I'm sure Shokuhou-san is going to do something to help out too. Our classes have joint PE, so you will see her at least once… twice because I know she's going to show up at lunch."

"So… eh… what did Kongou-san actually ask about?" Touma asked.

"Well…" Mikoto paused for a moment. Mitsuko had confided with her that she was nervous in escorting Touma around, who she only knew as Kami. She put up a brave front in front of others, but there was a limit to her interactions with boys her own age. There was one guy she kind of liked and part of the reason she entered the raffle was to obtain more experience in talking to a guy in a safe environment. Too many males outside of the school grounds were too rude and selfish for her liking. "She's a little nervous because of your reputation as Kami."

"Great," Touma moaned. "Your entire school thinks I'm some kind of player."

"Isn't that the whole point of the Kami persona?" Mikoto asked and Touma had to concede to that point. "I know better, so relax. Kongou-san obviously knows you know Shokuhou and me, so she came by and asked for some advice; along with a little information about you. I'm sure she's going to act fine around you. She has a guy she likes anyways."

"That's good," Touma sighed in relief. "The last thing I need is for someone else to think I'm trying to flirt with them." He turned to look at her directly. "Er, how much attention should I expect? Please be honest."

Mikoto hesitated for a moment.

That was all the answer he needed.

"Tomorrow is going to be a nightmare," Touma moaned.

"I didn't say anything!" Mikoto protested and the two of them laughed. They continued for a bit before Touma had to ask the question he needed to ask.

"I heard from Ruiko you and her talked… about the Sisters." Touma told Mikoto. At his words, she froze in place and turned toward him.

"So… you... heard about that," Mikoto murmured, embarrassed. "Did she… er… tell you everything?"

"You didn't tell her about all of them," Touma stated, trying desperately not to sound accusatory. "Imouto is just your sister who happens to be a lower level than you and couldn't join Tokiwadai?"

"Pretty much," Mikoto confirmed.

"Can I ask-…?"

"Because I was scared!" Mikoto interrupted. Her voice was a combination of nervousness and anger. "If I told her the truth, everything would change. She wouldn't trust Accelerator or the city anymore, Uiharu-san would try to find out more or advise we tell Anti-Skill about it. Kuroko would probably pity me when she found out. Everything would change. I couldn't tell them… I couldn't do that to them. It's better they don't find….eep!"

Her words were caught in her throat when Touma gave her a hug.

"It's okay," Touma reassured her. "I understand why you did it and I'm not mad at you. I wanted to tell her the truth too when she met Imouto, but I couldn't." Mikoto sniffed and he gently patted her head. "It's okay," he said again. "You know, we will have to introduce Uiharu-san to her at some point. Ruiko is going to tell her, so you might as well introduce Shirai-san with them."

"I kind of told Kuroko I was an only child," Mikoto mumbled into his chest. She didn't push off of him for a couple reasons. One, she was tearing up a bit. Two, her face was bright red in embarrassment. Lastly, she really enjoyed the position and didn't want to move.

That is going to make things more complicated, Touma thought and tried to figure out what to do. It all comes down to if Shirai-san remembers Mikoto told her that… which I bet she does. He patted her on the back for a moment before carrying on with the conversation.

"We can think of something later, I'll go with whatever you decide." Touma reassured her. "For now, let's get you back to your dorm. You have a big day of protecting me tomorrow," Mikoto chuckled at that. "And your dorm manager won't be happy if you are out so late, right?"

"I have permission," Mikoto responded, but she finally pushed herself off him. Her emotions were under control now, mostly. "But you're right. I should be getting back." She turned to him and blushed. "Thanks."

"Anytime." They took the bus most of the way in silence before Mikoto's dorm came into view. "Let's separate here. It will probably look suspicious if you're with a guy this late."

"Good idea," Mikoto agreed. "I would prefer if another rumor about me did not occur." I should thank him for going out of his way to walk me back. Her face flushed and she stalled a second too long. Touma had already disappeared before Mikoto could try anything. Dang it, she thought and made her way into the dorm. "Maybe next time," she muttered.

"Next time?" A voice asked and Mikoto froze. "What do you mean by that?" Mikoto slowly turned around the face her doom.

The dorm manager stood behind her with her arms crossed.

"Hello!" Mikoto squeaked.

"I could have sworn when you filled out the form to be out late," she stated. "You were supposed to see your mother off at the airport. Yet, when you returned, a young man was accompanying you. To make things more suspicious, he left before you drew close to the dorms. Care to explain?"

Can I steal Touma's catch phrase this time? Mikoto thought in horror.

It took Mikoto a lot longer to get away from the dorm manger than she would have liked, but she finally made it back to her room. She managed to explain what happened and the dorm manager could not prove otherwise, so she was released. When Mikoto opened the door to her room, she was met with an unusual sight. Kuroko was fussing with a box under her bed. Upon the door closing behind Mikoto, Kuroko's head shot up and she shoved the box under her bed.

"Onee-sama!" Kuroko greeted. "You're back awfully late, aren't you?"

"My mother's plane was one of the last ones." Mikoto explained. "I didn't get to choose when it would arrive." Her eyes fell on the box partially hidden under the bed. "What's in there?"

"Nothing!" Kuroko replied. Her response was far too quick and Mikoto grew suspicious.

"Uh huh," Mikoto mumbled skeptically. Her gaze turned to her bed to see some of her missing clothes laying on it. "Kuroko… why is my underwear out?" A couple sparks flew flickered into existence around her.

"They got mixed in with mine," Kuroko protested, though her cheeks flushed ever so slightly. "I was just returning them. You said you didn't like me going through your clothes without permission!"

"And you just now started listening?" asked Mikoto in astonishment. Calm down, this is a good thing. Her eyes again fell onto the box, which Kuroko was trying to discreetly push further under the bed. "Show me that box, Kuroko."

"I told you!" Kuroko protested. "It's nothing!"

Mikoto didn't believe her for an instant.

So she dived for the box and Kuroko couldn't react fast enough to fully prevent Mikoto from reaching it. The resulting collision caused it to burst open and a couple pieces of clothes fell out. This was what Mikoto expected. Kuroko had gotten better recently, but Mikoto had figured she was returning some of her stolen articles of clothing as a distraction. There wasn't much inside of it, as only two things fell out. One was a t-shirt, which Mikoto never remembered owning. It also looked too big for her or Kuroko. After a brief moment of confusion, her eyes turned to the second piece lying on the floor.

It was a pair of men's boxers.

"Kuroko…?" Mikoto asked slowly and Kuroko responded by teleporting the boxers back into the box. "What are those?"

"Er…hehehe?" Kuroko laughed nervously.

Bluish-white light could be seen coming out of their window followed by a cry of pain.

"This can't be the place," Touma muttered to himself, as he stared at the high rise complex.

After parting ways with Mikoto at her dorm, he realized a couple blocks away that he didn't know where this new dorm Kaori mentioned was located. Without anything to go on, he pulled out his phone to contact her. To his surprise, there was a message he had missed on his phone. Suspiciously it only had an address, a room number, and a code. The sender was unknown, but was listed as his benefactor. He really shouldn't have trusted it, but he was too tired to really argue with random strangers. When he entered the building, the receptionist looked at him for a moment. Touma passed her and took the elevator up to the ninth floor. He walked down the hallway, scanning the name plates mounted on the doors, until he found his.

Guess this is it, he thought. It had to be his room.

The name plate even said, Touma Kamijou.

Touma pressed the code he had been given into the keypad and the door popped open. Automatically, he stepped inside and glanced around. The living room was spacious and had a large couch, glass table, and several sofa chairs facing a large TV. To the right was the kitchen, full of high end appliances and a door. To the left, an open door revealed a large bedroom. Another door led to a bathroom. He didn't get much chance to thoroughly examine his surroundings, as a couple people caught his eyes immediately.

"Touma!" Index cried out and turned around on the couch. "You're finally back."

"Takes more than a few bruises to keep me down," Touma told her as she bounded toward him. "I have so many questions." He glanced over at the other person on the couch, who had turned around to smile at him. "Itsuwa! I heard you were okay, but I wanted to actually make sure since Thor had indicated he had…"

"He only knocked me out," Itsuwa reassured him. "Index woke me up and told me about your battle. Thank you for fighting for me." Her cheeks turned scarlet and she looked at the ground in front of Touma.

"I'm just glad you're safe," Touma told her. "So… who set all this up? I only heard about this place today."

"You… don't know?" Itsuwa asked, wide-eyed.

"She said she knows you," Index added, also slightly confused. She ran over to the closed door next to the kitchen and pounded on it with her fist. "Hey, Touma's back!"

"Lover Boy is?" The familiar voice of Lessar replied and the door opened to reveal the girl. "About time you got back. Did it take long to escape from the princess?"

"More than you could ever know," Touma moaned and she laughed.

"Nice!" Lessar gave him a thumbs up. "I was just checking out the dungeon. It's all set up for use now." She closed the door and headed over to him.

"Wait…what?!" Touma figured he heard wrong.

"The sex dungeon," Lessar whispered. "It's all set up. Index can't go in there yet until we are given the okay. She's not ready to see it yet."

"I know you are messing with me," Touma muttered and walked over to the door. He opened it, took one look inside, and slammed the door shut. "I'm boarding up this room next chance I get." Lessar laughed and Itsuwa's face grew redder.

"Sorry," she muttered. "I couldn't do anything to prevent it. She's much stronger than I am."

"I agreed with it completely," Lessar let him know. "And gave a few ideas."

"They won't let me see it," Index huffed and crossed her arms in irritation. "I've seen dungeons before."

"Index," Touma told her seriously. "Never go in there. I'm going to find the person who set this place up and-…"

"And what?" A familiar voice asked, and the woman step out of the bed room. Touma froze in fright at the mere sound of her voice. "After helping out your friendss? Thiss iss the thankss I get?"

Julunggul walked toward him, a sadistic smile on her face. Her scale outfit was as revealing as ever.

"J-Julunggul," Touma stuttered. "Were you the one who rescued Itsuwa?"

"She was!" Index confirmed. "And she brought us to this amazing place. There's so much more room, a huge TV, and the bed is gigantic!" Index smiled at Julunggul. "She's so nice too and we talked a lot!" Itsuwa flinched at this and Touma's warning alarms in his head went off.

"I was surprised, when I arrived and found out you actually met a magic god." Lessar raised her hand in a high five, but Touma ignored it. Lessar shrugged and continued. "You and the princess never mentioned meeting her in Australia, so it was kind of a shock." She glanced over at Julunggul. "Still, she has to be one of the coolest gods, not that I met any."

"I like her enthussiassm too," Julunggul announced. "A couple hundred yearss ago, sshe might have been able to be a priesstesss of mine." Lessar looked pleased with herself.

"You rescued Index and Itsuwa from Thor and Marian," Touma said, choosing to ignore Julunggul's last few words. "So thank you. I really mean it." Julunggul seemed pleased as his sincerity. "But I have to ask," he gestured to the room. "How did you get this place?" His face paled slightly. "Please tell me you didn't force anyone out."

"I would never do anything sso barbaric," Julunggul denied and pretended to be hurt. "I bought thiss sspace legally." Touma opened his mouth, but she continued before he could ask the question she knew was coming. "There are a lot of abandoned gold and jewelss littering Ausstralia, you know? I ssimply gave the greedy men up top enough to avoid them assking questionss. You are free to live here without worry." She leaned forward and whispered into Touma's ear. "I think they expected me to bring young boyss here and have my way with them; the nerve."

"Isn't that pretty close to what's happening?" Touma asked, trying to pass it off as a joke.

"I am not going to do anything," Julunggul whispered back. "You are."

Touma gulped.

"If you acquired this place for him and us," Itsuwa spoke up. "Why is there only one bedroom? I supposed someone could use the couch. At the very least, no one will have to be stuck in the bathroom." Touma smiled in thanks at her and she returned the smile.

"Nonssensse." Julunggul dismissed her worries. "I acquired a large bed for that very reasson. Humanss are ssocial creaturess and need to be together."

"You can't be seri-…" Touma moaned, but was drowned out by the others.

"Awesome!" Lessar cheered and bolted toward the bedroom. "Hah, it's huge and I love the decoration."

"This is great, Touma!" Index cheered. "We couldn't sleep together before because the bed was too small, right? Isn't that what you told me before?" Touma mentally berated himself for not telling her a better lie. She didn't really understand that boys and girls can't sleep in the same bed without explaining what kind of things make it inappropriate. That conversation would end with him being bitten by an embarrassed nun. "Come on!" Index continued and pulled his arm. "Let's check it out!"

Touma couldn't do anything but agree as Index pulled him after her. At least Itsuwa was with him and she patted him on the back to console him. His mouth fell open when he saw the room.

Julunggul dressed it up similar to a love hotel.

The majority of the bedroom was varying shades of red. A window gave them a good overview of a nearby park, which was probably supposed to be romantic. The bed was indeed much bigger than his old one. It was one of those giant stereotypical heart shape beds. The thing was it was much larger than a two person one. Eight people would easily sleep on it without much trouble. The rest of the furniture was at least somewhat normal. There was a desk and chair to work at, along with a laptop. Drawers for clothing, which Touma assumed there was some extras for him in there. Julunggul didn't seem to do things half-assed. He turned to Itsuwa and wordlessly mothed his issues with the arrangements, while Lessar and Index checked out the room and bounced on the bed.

"Her position as a fertility goddess shows," Itsuwa answered quietly, her face glowing brightly. "And unfortunately, she set her eyes on you."

"Such misfortune," Touma moaned.

"For now, I doubt we have any option available to us except to go along with her whims," Itsuwa continued. "It looks like she's just trying to set up scenarios for you to… umm… you know." Her face turned crimson and she averted her eyes.

"I know," Touma whispered to save her the embarrassment from saying it out loud. "She… uh… told me. I've been trying to ignore her teasing."

"Index won't try anything," Itsuwa reassured him. "Sure, she wants to sleep in the same bed as you, but she just believes that's what close people do. Lessar probably won't try anything at night with her and me there."

"As much as Lessar likes to make those types of jokes," Touma muttered back. "She doesn't really go that far. She probably just likes to embarrass me." He looked at her. "And I trust you, Itsuwa, so I hope you can trust that I won't try anything."

"I do trust you," Itsuwa replied immediately and then muttered extremely softly. "I wouldn't mind if you did."

"Sorry, I missed that."

"Nothing!" Itsuwa couldn't maintain any sort of eye contact. Touma stared at her in confusion, but Julunggul's ear twitched and she grinned.

"It'ss late and you all should be going to bed," Julunggul said, throwing her arms over their shoulders. "I take it you both know already, but I'll tell you just in casse." Her eyes flashed. "If anyone sleepss outsside of that bed without a good reasson, they will be punisshed." Her grin sent shivers down Touma and Itsuwa's spine. "Have fun!" She turned around and walked away from the bedroom.

"You aren't staying?" Index called out.

"I have a few other thingss to do!" Julunggul called back. "And I would hate to intrude."

"Best magic god ever!" Lessar declared.

Touma was surprised he got any sleep that night.

He expected Lessar to do something, anything. To his surprise, after making a few jokes about him having a bunch of cute girls in bed with him, she fell asleep. Almost immediately, Index followed suit, but snuggled up against Touma's arm before dozing off. The person he was worried about the most was Itsuwa, who seemed to be just as embarrassed as he was about the situation. Being part of the Amakusa must have made her a little more accommodating around people though, because she fell asleep on her own side of the bed. To his surprise, Itsuwa liked to cuddle and halfway through the night, he found himself with Itsuwa pressed against his other side.

How he got to sleep in that position was beyond him.

The next thing he knew his phone was vibrating in his pocket telling him to get up.

Huh, Itsuwa's already awake? Touma thought to himself, noticing the bed was missing one of the previous night's occupants. Index was still hugging his arm, a smile on her face. He carefully slipped his arm out of her grasp and slowly made his way off the bed to avoid waking her and Lessar. Lessar was sprawled out on her side of the bed and didn't look like she was going to wake up anytime soon. At least I don't have to deal with her antics this morning. He had been right the night before and grabbed his clothes from the drawers before sneaking off into the bathroom. When he approached the kitchen area, he came across a pleasant sight.

Itsuwa was preparing breakfast while wearing an apron.

"Morning!" she greeted him brightly.

"Mornin'…" Touma couldn't stifle a yawn. "I hope last night wasn't too awkward."

"No," Itsuwa denied. "I had no problems and the bed was comfortable."

She quickly turned away from him, not wanting to mention when she woke up, she had been snuggling next to him. If he had woken up, he would have noticed her chest pressed against his body. She was glad she woke up early to start preparing breakfast for the others.

"I'm sorry I never got to mention Julunggul followed me to Academy City," Touma apologized. "She actually met you three before, but made you forget. With her power, it's not like I can just tell others about her."

"I understand," Itsuwa said and put a plate out for him. "Magic gods are… fickle to say the least. She's decided you are her next target and all you can do is put up with her until she gets bored. Though… there's something off about her. I never met a magic god before, but they are supposed to wield almost limitless power. Her power is vast, but I can still see the end of it; it's not limitless."

"Ah!" Touma gasped. "That's because her shard got fractured!"

"Shard?" Touma quickly explained a bit about what he knew about her power. "That makes sense then. The shard allows her to connect to the rainbow snake that is prevalent in nearly all religions. Without her shard, she's a segment, cut off from the rest. The shard, in essence, is what makes her a magic god." She stared thoughtfully into the distance for a moment. "As she's not at full power, we might actually be able to defeat her if we take proper measures. I'm sure Index would know something."

"Let's not be hasty," Touma said quickly. "For now, she really hasn't done anything bad. She was being used by Adam in Australia. Now she's mostly just teasing me, which a lot of people do. That's not something worth attacking her over."

Someone mistreating you is more than enough of a reason, Itsuwa thought, but didn't voice it.

"And she did save you and Index after I lost to Thor." Touma added and held up his hand. "Carissa patched up my wrist, but I have to keep this splint on for another day or so. Long sleeves hide it well enough. No one should notice unless they look closely."

"I would help heal you if I could," Itsuwa apologized, a depressed look appearing on her face. "But it's over your hand and you know…"

"…It won't work," Touma finished. "I know, but I'm pretty sturdy. It will be as good as new in no time." He grinned at her and she laughed.

"Well," Itsuwa continued hesitantly. "If you don't want us to try to act against Julunggul, I'll let the others know. Just… be careful."

"I'm pretty sure I have a lot of bigger problems than her." Touma laughed and Itsuwa stared at him like he had gone mad. "She's not here, right?"

"She disappeared last night and I haven't seen her since."

"She does come and go as she pleases," Touma admitted. "I can never tell if she's nearby." His phone started ringing and he glanced at the ID. "One sec, Itsuwa." She nodded in understanding as he answered the phone. "Tsuchimikado, this had better be important."

"Kami-yan!" came Motoharu's cheerful voice. "I figured you would forget. You know what you have to do today?"

"I know, I know," Touma growled. "I have to report to Tokiwadai for the day with the Kami thing you bastards set up." He quickly tried to finish his breakfast.

"Naturally," Motoharu agreed and laughed. "But did you ever think how you would get there or where your Kami outfit is, or where you are supposed to meet and all that?"

Touma froze midbite.

"I take it by your silence you realized your predicament." Motoharu continued, his laughter still permeating his words.

"I suppose you have all the details, right?"

"Of course."

"How?" Touma asked, knowing he would regret the answer.

"Kagere got the information from the school." Motoharu explained. "Since he's the only one the city knows that can contact you, he passed it to me. So, here is the deal. You have to get to Tokiwadai's main gate an hour before classes start. It will avoid the main student body and give the faculty enough time to go over the rules. They probably want to tell you not to add all the girls there to your harem. Which we know is impossible for it not to happen."

"Shut up!" Touma snapped. "And give me the important info!"

"Is something wrong?" Itsuwa asked concern. Touma shook his head and mouthed his friend was being stupid. She nodded in understanding and went back to her duties.

"I'm on my way to pick you up," Motoharu replied. "We took a small amount of the money from the lottery to rent a limo for you. Our class agreed Kami should at least travel in comfort." He laughed again. "And don't worry about missing today and drawing suspicion to yourself. We have that covered."

"And how do you have it covered?" Touma dreaded the answer.

"Where's the fun if I just told you?"

"Great," Touma moaned. "Oh, my dorm… er…"

"Blew up?" Motoharu filled in for him.

"Yeah," Touma confirmed. "How did you know?"

"I live right next to you."

"…Right." Touma felt like an idiot. "Do you know where-…?"

"Yep!" Motoharu interrupted. "I'll be there in five."

"How do you know where I live?!"

"It's my job to know things," Motoharu answered with another laugh. He hung up and Touma sighed in frustration.

"Tsuchimikado is coming over to give me a ride," Touma informed Itsuwa. "He'll be here in a few minutes."

"Okay." Itsuwa grabbed his empty plate and put it in the sink. "Do you need a lunch?"

"No, I'll be good today. Thanks for offering, though."

"Have a good day and be careful. Eve is still out there." Touma silently agreed. Eve had been quiet for too long. For someone like her it meant she was waiting for something. When whatever that was occurred, things would spiral out of control.

He met Motoharu outside of the building.

There was no way Touma was going to let him see his current living arrangements.

"I like the new apartment," Motoharu commented, as Touma jumped into the limo before anyone could see. "How did you pull that off?"

"Thought it was your job to know things?" Touma asked mockingly.

"Touché." Motoharu passed over a box to Touma. "It's your Kami disguise with a few modifications. It's similar to our school uniform, but there's a cape with the kanji for Kami on the back. Your mask has a sliding mouth section that will let you eat, just be careful not to talk without it, as your voice won't be disguised. Hair dye is in there too, we had like four different ones left. Also PE clothes if you need them, they are in the bag."

"You guys really have everything," Touma commented, impressed.

"We don't want you to have all the luck," Motoharu laughed. "Especially since we can't be there. Having all the girls fall for Kami and not Kami-yan is a lot more entertaining. Though, we can laugh at your harem if the disguise fails. Guess that's all up to your luck!"

The way he accented that last word caused Touma to flick him off.

"Who's driving us anyway?" Touma asked, as he began to dye his hair dark brown. "They won't tell anyone they picked me up, right?"

"I'm sure they can keep a secret," Motoharu replied and snickered. Touma frowned, but figured asking anything else would cause him to learn something he was better off not knowing. Touma finished changing and saw the wall of the School Garden in the distance. "You have to check in at the main entrance," Motoharu explained. "After that, they are supposed explain the rules you are expected to follow, etc."

"I still hate you all for doing this," Touma muttered angrily.

"Lies, you love us." Motoharu scooted over next to him and threw his arm over his shoulders. "You have the entire sacred garden to yourself. Girls as far as the eye can see. You, a famous male level 5, have them all to yourself. But you have several other level 5s at your beck and call, so I suppose you've already been claimed."

"Shut up," Touma growled. "Things between us… are complicated to say the least and your attitude makes things worse."

"Oh?" Motoharu raised an eyebrow. "Something happened. Come on, man. Spill it."

"Not right now," Touma muttered. "I have to concentrate on surviving the day." Motoharu rubbed his chin and grinned.

"So Shokuhou-san finally confronted you about a harem?"

"W-what?!" Touma gasped out in confusion. "How did you…!? Who told you…!?"

"No one told me," Motoharu answered, his smile widening. "I was just probing for information."

"Then why did you mention her specifically!?"

"Because she's the only one who would possibly see the harem as an option," Motoharu explained simply. He sounded like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "And the only one clever enough to set a harem into action from her end." He shrugged. "There really are no other good options. Someone like Misaka-san would want a monogamous relationship."

"Mhmm." Touma refused to confirm any of Motoharu's suspicions. The problem was he pretty much discovered the situation in its entirety.

"If that's the case," Motoharu continued and Touma turned to him. His tone had grown unusually serious. "Clear your schedule tomorrow, man. We are going to have a guys' night. I'll let the others know."

"This is just an excuse to mock me about a harem, isn't it?"

"We will do that regardless," Motoharu laughed. "But it's time you started hanging out with guys for a bit. Spending too much time with only girls isn't good for you." Touma stared at him. "It will be fun. You can even invite people from outside the class, as long as they're guys."

"Fine," Touma conceded. "I actually know someone who might want to come. I'll ask him tonight."

"You won't regret this, Kami-yan," Motoharu assured him, which only made Touma regret everything. The limo began to slow down and stopped in front of the School Garden's gate. "Have fun and make sure to live up to the legend of Kami."

"You mean the legend you guys invented?!"

"Yep! Make us proud. I'll be sure to tell the class how excited you were to show off your skills to the ojou-samas."

"You damn liar!" Touma yelled and punched Motoharu in the face, knocking him into the car door. He didn't look angry at the surprise blow, merely amused. His laughter followed Touma as he exited the vehicle. The second he slammed the door behind him, the limo took off, leaving him all alone.

Maybe today won't be so bad, Touma thought, trying to keep his spirits up. He threw his school bag over one shoulder and took a deep breath. As he approached the gates, he noticed two girls in uniform staring at him while on their phones. They weren't even being subtle about it. He only had to hear two words to make him regret coming.

"He's here!"

"Great," Touma muttered. He gave them a small wave to be polite and regretted it immediately. One of them squealed and the other looked like she was about to faint. That was a mistake. Mikoto wasn't kidding when she said most of the girls here don't interact with boys. He needed to avoid staying out in the open for too long. Especially since more students were sure to begin arriving as the start of school drew closer. The female guards at the gate stopped him.

"Hello," Touma greeted them, trying to sound like he was supposed to be there. "I was told to check in here."

"We know," the one closest to him said. "We are contacting the principal of Tokiwadai. You are supposed to talk with her first before we can allow you into the school." She eyed him carefully. "I don't know what kind of strings you pulled to actually get the city and Tokiwadai to agree to this, but be warned. There are rules you are expected to follow and there will be no second chances if you break them. Put one toe out of line and you will be kicked out, even if you are a level 5." Touma nodded.

"I knew there would be," Touma told her. "This whole thing was set up by my friends anyways. I had no say in it." She raised an eyebrow and Touma relaxed when he saw her serious face soften ever so slightly.

"Follow me," she ordered. "We have a waiting room for you." She eyed the street. "You draw too much attention." Touma looked over his shoulder and saw four more girls staring at him with various degrees of excitement on their faces.

"Thanks," Touma told her gratefully and was led into a small room in the back of the check-in station. It was probably used as a break room, judging by the TV and coffee maker. He took a seat as the guard left. He didn't have to wait long, only a few minutes at most, before the door opened and a woman stepped in.

"Thank you for arriving early," She greeted him. Touma stood up and shook her hand to be polite, something she seemed to appreciate. The woman was probably in her mid-forties, with short brown hair and glasses. "My name is Mizuki Unabara, principal of Tokiwadai Middle school."

"Kami," Touma replied. "Please, disregard any other titles you have heard about me." He dared to glance at the woman's face to see what she thought of him. There was curiosity and interest in her eyes. To his relief, she didn't appear hostile. His words, in fact, seemed to cause her to look at him slightly sympathetic.

Unabara… Unabara, I know I've heard that name before.

"I do know your alias," Mizuki told him and he flinched. "From your tone, it sounds like it was forcefully given to you. Am I correct?" He swiftly nodded his head in agreement. "Well, that alleviates a few of my concerns. I hope you do understand I still have several things to go over with you?"

"I figured as much," Touma confirmed. "Rules, expectations, those kinds of things, right?"

"Precisely." She handed him a packet and he opened it to see a list of rules. "As you are no doubt aware, Tokiwadai is one of the most prestigious institutions in the world; open solely to young women. Our entrance policy is strict and only a few individuals have the honor and privilege to walk through our halls. The School Garden that surrounds Tokiwadai and four other educational institutions are restricted. So only those students belonging to them and certain individuals who are allowed a guest pass may enter. Boys are normally forbidden."

She looked up at him when she said the last line.

Touma gulped.

The woman wasn't necessary scary like so many other people who tried to kill Touma. She just had a kind of pressure certain educators possessed that showed she could maintain order. Her face still held a measure of kindness that told Touma that she truly cared for her students. This entire conversation was for their protection. It was not to make him uncomfortable or accusatory in any way.

"You are a special exception," Mizuki continued. "Not counting male Anti-Skill officers during an emergency. As such, there are certain… concerns our board has on allowing a high school male into our prestigious institution. Many of the young ladies who are attending have had limited interactions with males your age and we want to prevent any incidents that could affect them or our reputation."

"Of course," Touma said quickly. "I really don't want to cause any problems. My class was the one who set this up and they didn't tell me until the last minute."

"I'm glad you see things our way," Mizuki told him and gave a small smile. "One of the reasons we actually allowed this is because of that issue, interestingly enough."

"Huh?"

"It gives our students a chance to interact with a young man such as yourself," Mizuki explained. "Your level 5 status is only a bonus to help you win over a few people. Academy City was rather insistent you be allowed to visit, but it wouldn't be the first time an incident had been caused for us to refuse entry to someone." She glanced down at the folder in front of her. "Mitsuko Kongou won your class's raffle and it would be rude on our part to deny her the prize. However, some precautions have been put into place and I am going to give you a run through before escorting you to my school."

I hope I can remember all of this, Touma thought to himself, as he skimmed through the rules. A lot of them were very specific and incredibly strict. Being even a second late into class could cause demerits.

"First," Mizuki continued. "In order to ensure nothing… unfortunate happens to our student, another student will be accompanying the both of you. She is in the same classes as Kongou-san, so her schedule and learning will not be impacted." Touma nodded, glad no one was going to be too inconvenienced because of him. "She was chosen because of her abilities in case something does happen, which after meeting you, I do not believe anything will."

"Of course it won't!" Touma declared, a little more forcefully than intended. Mizuki didn't seem to be irritated because of him. To him, it felt like she was now just reading off a list of required regulations.

"You will accompany Kongou-san to all of her classes and are expected to dine with her during the lunch period. After school, you will have one hour passage to stay within the school grounds. You will be expected to leave the premises before then." Mizuki was definitely just reading off the paper now. "You will be allowed access to one of the teachers' bathrooms marked on your map. It is a single one with a lock. You will also change there for PE and it will be one of the few times you are allowed to be away from Kongou-san. I know you expect this, but any inappropriate behavior, physical or verbal, will not be tolerated. Any such actions deemed inappropriate will be met with swift retributions, least of which will be immediate expulsion from the premises. Depending on the severity of the action itself, the notification of Anti-Skill is also a possibility. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal." Touma gulped under her stare.

"Naturally," Mizuki added, as she stood up. "Some of the rules were designed specifically for young ladies, so they will not apply to you. I also cannot reasonably expect you to memorize every single rule and regulation we have. There will be some leeway, but not much. As long as you act like a proper gentleman like you have thus far, I do not foresee any problems."

"I'll do my best, ma'am," Touma replied. "But I'm… from a normal high school, so this might be a little much."

"I think you will do fine," Mizuki reassured him. "Our students are all well-behaved and none of them would do anything rude to a guest." The thought of Mikoto electrifying him in the streets so many months ago passed through Touma's mind for an instant. "I will warn you, all of our educators are aware of your visit and will most likely allow our students to ask a few questions. It will help prevent crowding in the halls or at lunch, you understand?"

"Makes sense," Touma admitted.

"Please follow me and do not wander off. We want to make sure there are no misunderstandings while we pass through the gardens." Touma nodded and stood up, before following Mizuki out the back. While making sure to stay near his escort, he had the opportunity to admire the lands boys were forbidden from entering.

The roads were reddish sett and cobblestoned and the streets tessellated in strange designs. There were showering fountains in their open squares, with wrought metal lamps around them that would no doubt be lit at night. The buildings were brick and mortar; some had balconies and different styles of roofing that blended in with the surroundings. With how nice everything looked, Touma was a little surprised at how narrow the streets were. It was almost like the designers focused on aesthetics rather than practicality. Narrow roads allowed him to observe everyone they passed clearly.

That meant they could observe him just as easily.

Girls stared at him as he passed; some of them wearing Tokiwadai uniforms, but there were girls from the other schools too. Because the principal was escorting him none of them approached, though it looked like some wanted to. Others were stealthily taking pictures or calling their friends. He felt like an animal on display to them. To try to distract himself, he pretended to scan the packet of rules and regulations he had received. This seemed to work and he was sure the principal checked on him periodically. At last, the school came into view. He closed the packet and rounded the gates into Tokiwadai's actual grounds.

"Welcome, Kami-sama!"

Touma stopped in his tracks, mouth agape under his mask.

The path leading into the school building had uniformed Tokiwadai girls lined up on both sides. There were easily forty plus of them, who all greeted him simultaneously. He had not expected this. However, the principal didn't seem surprised and waved to the students as she passed.

"Good morning, ma'am," the girls chanted and bowed as she passed. Afraid to be left behind, he followed her closely. The girls greeted him again as he passed, keeping the appearance of their welcoming and sophisticated ojou-sama image intact. Though, he occasionally caught glimpses of a couple of them staring.

I can't believe they did that.

I bet you believe they did that purely to meet you, an amused female voice echoed in his head out of nowhere.

Misaki?!

Touma looked around to locate his friend. He saw several blonde girls, but none of them were her. Surprisingly, he recognized a couple of the girls who tended to hang around Misaki. Their names escaped him though.

I can't hear you because this is only a message. Second floor, third window to the right. Touma glanced up as saw a familiar blonde figure. I knew you wouldn't be a fan of this greeting, but it's how we typically greet famous guests. Try to bear with it for now. I plan to visit you later, so that's something to look forward to. Touma couldn't help but smile a little.

Trying to make me feel better about being here, he thought to himself and chuckled under his mask. There are at least a couple familiar faces to look forward to at least. As long as Kongou-san doesn't recognize me, I think I can get through today. Hopefully…

Touma was relieved when he and the principal actually entered the school and left the girls behind them. He heard the doors open as they walked down the halls and some of the girls began to file in orderly. It was easy to tell they were taught manners, unlike his school. They passed a few girls who greeted the principal respectfully, but most of them could only stare as he passed. It once again made him feel self-conscious. They only stopped briefly for the principal to talk to an elderly woman, who appeared to be a teacher, and they at last reached her office.

"They are waiting inside," Mizuki informed him. "We will go over what is expected in front of all three of you one more time before class begins." Touma nodded in agreement as she pushed open to the door to reveal Mitsuko sitting at a table.

To his surprise, Mikoto was sitting next to her.

"Good morning," the two girls greeted them. Touma and the principal sat across from them.

"Kami," Mizuki introduced him. "This is Mitsuko Kongou, our student who won your class's raffle."

"It is a pleasure to meet you in person," Mitsuko stated and Touma was a little surprised. She didn't sound quite as arrogant as she did the first time he met her. He knew she was a nice girl once you got to know her. She was just a little prideful.

"And I believe you know Mikoto Misaka," Mizuki continued and gestured to Mikoto, who gave Touma a small wave and an awkward smile. "She was kind enough to volunteer as assistance to help where necessary. As a fellow level 5, we hoped it would set you more at ease." Mikoto kept a passive expression, but Touma could tell her eyes were twinkling slightly. She was laughing internally.

Very funny, Touma thought. At least she's willing to stay nearby to help out. Touma then realized something. The principal gave me a different reason for Mikoto's presence. They wanted a level 5 to act as a guard in case I tried something, because of all those stupid rumors and my friends setting me up. Mikoto couldn't be told that. They are just using her status as level 5 to keep her nearby. I guess that makes sense. She wouldn't have appreciated being used like that.

"It's good to see you again, Misaka." Touma briefly considered calling her by her first name, but decided against it. Being too overly familiar might cause some questions. She raised her eyebrow slightly at his choice in name, but didn't seem upset. Guess that was okay. He turned to Mitsuko. "It's nice to meet you too, Kongou-san. Congratulations on winning the raffle."

"Of course," Mitsuko replied and laughed. "It was only natural my luck would allow me to emerge victorious. Many people were relying on me." Mikoto had to resist rolling her eyes.

"I gathered the three of you in my office to go over, one last time, what is to be expected," Mizuki explained to the table. "And to stress the importance of this occasion. Kami-san is the first male to be allowed admittance to Tokiwadai, even if it is only temporary. As such, he will be carefully monitored by staff, for safety reasons. I had the opportunity to talk with him earlier and he seems like a fine young gentleman. However, we must keep even the appearance of anything inappropriate from occurring. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," Mitsuko and Mikoto chanted in unison.

"To appease the board," Mizuki continued. "He must be accompanied at all times by at least one of you, preferably both. Other than that, while I would like classes to remain as close to normal as possible, I do understand many of our students will have questions for our celebrity. There is still time until homeroom, take the opportunity to show him around. Should you have any questions on if something is allowed, please talk to any of the staff. They have all been briefed on the rules of the contest."

"Thank you," Mitsuko replied and smiled at her. The three of them stood up, said goodbye to the principal and left her office. "So Kami-san, you should be proud that great Mitsuko Kongou is showing you around the school. Let's not delay. There is a lot to see."

"Yes, Kongou-san," Touma said, resigned. Mikoto was holding a hand over her mouth and trying not to laugh.

They spent ten to fifteen minutes exploring the school, with Mitsuko showing him around to the major areas; cafeteria, classrooms, gym, and science labs. As the time passed more and more students were appearing in the hallways. He tried to ignore their stares and simply returned their greetings. He couldn't help but notice Mikoto was getting a fair number of glances too and her smile seemed to be fixed.

"So, Kami-san," Mitsuko asked near the end of the tour. "What do you think of our school thus far?"

"I'm impressed," Touma answered honestly. "The equipment, the decoration, are leagues above mine."

"Such a reaction is only fitting," Mitsuko added. "Tokiwadai is one of the top schools in the world since its founding."

"I don't think he's really interested our schools history," Mikoto volunteered and turned to Touma. "Is there something you wish to know?"

"Well," Touma said and thought about it. If this is Kongou-san's first time meeting me, I should be polite and ask about her. "Your school is nice and all, but how about tell me about yourself? Misaka and I know each other from us both being level 5s. I don't know anything about you." Mitsuko's eyes widened for an instant.

"Right," she agreed hesitantly and her face flushed for an instance. Touma didn't notice Mikoto's expression darken ever so slightly. "Of course you would want to know about me. I'm sure you heard of the Kongou family. Our aviation business is known all over the world. We even work on Power Suits within Academy City. I'm their daughter and future heir to the business. Let's see, what else? Oh, I transferred to Tokiwadai around half a year ago and currently a level 4, Aero Hand. Misaka-san and I have been friends shortly after I came here. We met through Shirai-san. Do you know her?"

"She and I have… met," Touma admitted and rubbed the back of his head. "She's rather excitable." The memory of Kuroko kicking him in the head numerous times flashed through his mind.

"That's putting it lightly," Mikoto mumbled, aware of what he was thinking.

"She can be a little argumentative," Mitsuko agreed. "But once you get passed that, she's a loyal friend. Her fashion sense is pretty daring."

"Right," Touma agreed. Mikoto only shook her head.

"Oh, Kami-san," Mitsuko said to Touma. "I have a favor to ask you, if you would be so kind."

"Sure," Touma replied. "I'm pretty much at your disposal today."

"Such a gentleman," Mitsuko said and beamed at him. She pulled out her fan and partially covered her face. "Two of my friends were interested in meeting you. Would you care to meet them?"

"I don't see why not," Touma told her. "I would be honored to meet them."

"Such a gentleman," Mikoto said with a smirk and elbowed him in the side. She leaned next to him and whispered a warning into his ear. "Kongou-san doesn't have a lot of experience around boys, her friends have even less; be careful." Touma nodded in response.

"I'll let them know," Mitsuko said and pulled out her phone. "We only have a short time before class and we can't be late."

"I would feel terrible if I got you two in trouble," Touma muttered and Mikoto beamed at him.

"You don't have to worry," Mitsuko reassured him. "I have an impeccable sense of timing and there is no way we will be late."

Like your sense of direction? Touma thought, remembering their trip to the Dianoid. The mean thought made him feel slightly guilty. Everyone had something they were bad at, directions were just hers. A surprisingly short while later, two girls approached them and waved to Mitsuko. They stopped a little further away from the three of them and looked rather apprehensive.

"I would like to introduce you to my friends," Mitsuko said to Touma and gestured to the girls in turn. "This is Kinuho Wannai," the girl with short wavy light-brown hair smiled at him and shifted nervously, "And this is Maaya Awatsuki." The girl with dark-bluish hair smiled and gave him a small wave. Being a man, Touma's eyes traveled down thirty degrees for a moment and then snapped back up. Thanks to his mask, Mikoto didn't see.

"It's nice to meet you," Touma told them, trying to act friendly. They seemed a little nervous around his presence. It was just like the other girls. They stared, but would not approach. "I'm Kami and… you should probably ignore all the rumors and titles people have stuck on me. Most of those were made by my classmates back at my school." He figured it wouldn't hurt to try to let the girls at Tokiwadai know he wasn't some kind of deviant.

"The pleasure is ours," Maaya said and shook his hand. "Kongou-san has been looking forward to meeting you, if you didn't know. She has been talking about it all week."

"Awatsuki," Mitsuko hissed and then straightened up. "Our entire school was looking forward to your arrival. It was a chance to interact with a notable gentleman from outside the School Garden."

"I can assure you I'm not that special," Touma told them and all the girls laughed, especially Mikoto.

"Nonsense," she said. "Your power can even negate my Railgun."

"Really!?" Maaya and Kinuho asked in shock. Kongou had even turned toward him in amazement.

"It was kind of an accident we found out," Touma mumbled and glanced over at Mikoto. She was trying to hold back her laughter and seemed to be amused at the attention he was receiving. That's when it hit him.

She's enjoying passing the attention of being a level 5 onto me.

"So," Kinuho asked and Touma turned toward her. "Are you following Kongou-sama around all day?"

"Yeah," Touma confirmed. "I can't leave her side. I'm actually kind of glad she won. She's been really nice and helpful since I arrived." Kinuho and Maaya shared a look of excitement and Mitsuko's face flushed. Mikoto face palmed at Touma's words.

Think before you say stuff like that, idiot! Their naivety is leagues above what you could imagine.

"I-it's the duty of p-people in my position to help out when possible," Mitsuko stammered, while trying to keep up her regal demeanor. Her fan had risen up another inch or so, so only her eyes were visible. Maaya noticed out of the corner of her eye and her smile widened.

"We should get going, Wannai," Maaya said to her friend. "We don't want to be late to class."

"I agree," Kinuho said and then smiled at Touma. This time, her smile was a lot more sincere and most of the nervousness was gone from it. "It was nice meeting you, Kami-sama. Oh, I feel you should keep in mind Kongou-san has a boyfriend."

She waved goodbye and left as Mitsuko tried to say something, but no words came out.

"Boyfriend?" Mikoto asked her, in a combination of amusement and interest.

"He's not really," Mitsuko mumbled, her face scarlet. "He's a gentleman I met and happened to enjoy his company. I haven't spoken with him in ages."

"Why not?" Mikoto prodded.

"Can you keep a secret, Kami?" Mitsuko asked.

"I promise anything you say I won't reveal without permission," Touma assured her and Mikoto nodded approvingly.

"Thank you," Mitsuko whispered to him. "The thing is… well… my friends you met look up to me, so I may have exaggerated my experience with gentleman our age. It's just they will be disappointed if they found out. When I saw this raffle, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to get to know a boy and it might help me get closer to this other gentleman." Mikoto knew the first half, but the boyfriend information was different. "I just didn't know who to ask for help. Shirai-san is younger than me and I've seen her with her boyfriend."

"Ah, yeah." Touma remember hearing from Mikoto that there was a rumor about Jason and Kuroko being a thing. He was so busy focusing on Mitsuko, he missed Mikoto's fidgeting at the last few words. "Well, I don't know how much help I can be. What I can promise is to try to answer any questions you have as best I could. Will that help?"

"That would be perfect," Mitsuko told him and smiled. "Thank you. If you ever need anything, let me know. Mitsuko Kongou always repays her debts."

"We should get to class," Mikoto suggested. "We still have time, but I think it's better we get settled in before the bell."

"Good idea," Mitsuko agreed. "I'm not sure of the seating arrangements, but there should be an available desk."

"Hopefully your classmates will not make a big deal about me," Touma said optimistically. Mitsuko raised an eyebrow, while Mikoto just stared at him.

That's not a good sign, he thought, as the three of them headed to the class. A large number of girls were watching him as they drew near and Touma felt his nervousness rise again.

"I was thinking," Mitsuko said to Touma. "You aren't what I expected."

"How so?"

"You are a lot more… down to earth? That's a good way to put it. It's a lot like Misaka-san. I kind of expected you to be more assertive with all the things we hear about you."

"There is a long and complicated reason for all of that." Touma sighed and Mikoto giggled softly from behind him. "I can assure you, those rumors do not describe me at all."

"I see that now," Mitsuko agreed. "And I wanted to apologize for thinking it. I should know by now not to judge a book from its cover."

"You're apologizing?" Touma asked in surprise.

"I'm not so shallow that I can't apologize when I'm wrong," Mitsuko huffed. "Nor am I above thanking people for assistance."

"Sorry, that's not what I meant," Touma amended quickly. "What I meant was there was no reason to. Anyone would think that after hearing those rumors. I couldn't even tell you thought those things and you seemed to treat me like a normal guest."

"You're pretty mature, you know that?" Mitsuko asked him.

"Ah, anyone who has seen me with my friends would disagree." He and Mitsuko laughed.

Mikoto walked behind them, her face darkening. A twinge of jealousy flowed through her as she listened to them talk like old friends. Touma had the ability to attract girls for some reason and it seemed to have already infatuated Mitsuko.

At least they can't talk in class, Mikoto thought and then felt guilty. Mitsuko was just being nice to a guest most of Tokiwadai thought was a level 5. If she wasn't doing at least this much, it would be rude based on their school's standards. She shook her head and vowed to avoid acting depressed. It wasn't like Touma was ever going to stop being her friend. It was almost as unlikely he would just immediately fall for Mitsuko. When did I become such a jealous person? I should be happy he's not stuck up like some kind of display for the rest of the girls.

It was like the universe could read her mind and prepared the moment the three of them entered the classroom.

The fact Kami had arrived was known to every girl in Tokiwadai. Mikoto's and Mitsuko's classmates had an advantage, as they would receive the opportunity to meet him in class, rather than trying to muster the courage and walk up to him directly. Thus, when the three of them entered the classroom, every other girl and the teacher had already arrived and were seated. As Mikoto and Mitsuko took their seats, their teacher gestured for Touma to approach before she spoke to him privately for a moment. During this time, every other pair of eyes in the classroom remained locked onto them. Touma eventually wound up standing in front of everyone. Mikoto guessed he was sweating profusely under his mask.

She wasn't wrong.

"I would like to thank everyone for arriving early to greet our guest," Their teacher spoke to the class. "I'm sure many of you have questions for our… celebrity, and he has kindly agreed to answer them for you. Please remember your status as students of Tokiwadai, but be free to ask anything you wish. Kami-san," She then turned to Touma. "Why don't you introduce yourself first?"

How did it come to this? Touma thought to himself in dismay. He could feel all eyes boring into him. The girls all had excited and expectant looks on their faces. To them, he was a level 5, one of the strongest ability users in Academy City and someone to look up to. Only he and Mikoto knew it was all an act. His eyes naturally fell on her in the back and she inconspicuously gave him a thumbs up for encouragement. Mitsuko to the front left of her gave him a nod and smiled at him. Touma coughed to clear his throat and addressed the class.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Kami-sama," the class chanted back. The sudden response and the sama honorific threw him for a loop for a second before he was able to continue.

"As you all know, my name is Kami, recently made the eighth level 5," Touma lied to everyone. I'm glad Mikoto finds this so funny, he thought, eyeing her in the back. "Thank you for having me today. A little about myself… I attend A Certain High School, I'm sixteen, and my ability is Negation." The last thing wasn't a full lie. Negation was his power, it just wasn't an ability. "Er….I'm pretty normal besides my status, so I'm not sure what to say. I guess I'll take questions now?"

The last thing he expected was for several of the girls to raise their hands. A little taken aback, he chose a girl with short black hair first.

"You were the first registered individual with the power of negation," The girl stated. "Usually, there are multiple people with the same or at least similar abilities. Are you aware of anyone else with an ability similar to yours?"

That was an easy question for him to answer.

"Not that I know of," Touma replied truthfully. "My AIM field was rather difficult for Academy City to detect due to my ability, which caused me to be labeled a level 0 for a long time."

"So does that mean you always were a level 5 or did your power continue to develop during the Power Curriculum," the girl added on curiously.

"I actually don't know that for sure," Touma admitted. Not counting the memory lost, he had always had this power. "There was no way of knowing how powerful my ability was until they discovered it."

A couple of the girls nodded and a few begun to whisper. Touma pointed to another girl with dark brown hair and glasses.

"Do you have any types of food you like or dislike?" she asked.

"I don't really dislike anything," Touma answered. "I was never a picky eater. As for my favorite…" He rubbed his chin for a moment. "I'm kind of partial to simple Japanese dishes, like Miso Chicken." Whispering intensified and the teacher frowned. Apparently, this was looked down upon, but the situation was a little unique for them, so she let it pass. "How about… you?" He pointed toward a girl further in the back.

"Around a month ago," The girl said, nervousness creeping into her voice. "I saw on live TV… that… you… were… dating Misaka-sama and the Queen." The words came faster near the end, as she tried to get rid of it. Mikoto's ears picked up, but she couldn't really do anything as many of the girls were looking between her and Touma. Mitsuko tapped her fan against her palm and raised an eyebrow at Touma.

I should have known someone would ask that, Touma realized.

"That… wasn't my proudest moment, I admit," he relented. "It was a combination of my friends wanting me to say it and the company encouraging it for ratings. It was my first televised interview as Kami and I was pretty nervous, so I followed the lead of others. After that interview, I made sure to apologize sincerely to both of them."

Mikoto nodded in confirmation as the girls glanced over at her. He was relieved she was helping, even in just a small way.

What he didn't realize at the time was his words had a powerful impact on the girls. His admittance that he wasn't perfect lowered the walls the girls had put up around themselves, consciously or subconsciously, at meeting a famous young man. Without meaning too, he had caused all the girls to become more comfortable around him. The nervousness and tension was all but gone as the girls realized that even a level 5 could be a normal person like them.

"How long have you known Misaka-sama then?" Another girl with her hand raised asked.

"Almost a year?" Touma guessed mentally counting back the months. "And I actually met Shokuhou not that long ago."

The girl nodded and seemed pleased he answered her follow-up question. Touma was beginning to relax a little bit now. The questions weren't nearly as bad as he dreaded they would be.

He should have known better.

"Kami-sama," A small girl Touma called on piped up nervously. She was probably one of the smallest girls in the class, though her face was pretty cute. "It may be imprudent for me to ask this... but... um... doyouhappentobeseeinganyone?"

Touma froze as the atmosphere changed in an instant. Chatter that had previous had only been an occasional whisper or giggle was now solid side conversations.

"How bold!"

"I was also curious."

"Do you believe he has had many partners?"

"If you are, would it happen to be with the Accelerator gentleman?"

That last question snapped Touma back to reality. The urge to vomit welled up inside of him.

"No!" Touma said a little more forcefully than intended and the girls quieted down immediately. His eyes fell on Mikoto for a second. She was covering her mouth with both hands to avoid bursting out laughing. "Especially to that last question. I am not currently seeing anyone and why would you ever think I was in a relationship with Accelerator?!"

"Well," the girl, who had asked the question spoke up, completely embarrassed. "When several of us visited your stall, we saw some rather exquisite paintings of you two. We thought, at the time, another class knew about a relationship that we did not. I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions and I hope I didn't offend you in anyway."

"Not offended, no," Touma replied and calmed down a bit. "That just surprised me." He breathed a sigh of relief. "Any other questions?" He pointed to another girl with long red hair.

"D-do you happen to have a preference for a particular type of lady?" She inquired with a small stutter.

Don't say Dorm Manager Onee-san! Don't say Dorm Manager Onee-san! Don't say Dorm Manager Onee-san! Touma's brain screamed internally. Lie! Lie! Lie!

"Little sister-types," Touma answered and then his words were filtered through his brain.

That came out completely wrong! Why brain?! Why must you do this to me?! Such misfooortuunneee!

That silence in the classroom was palpable.

"So you prefer girls who are younger than you?" the girl asked, sounding confused. "I apologize for not knowing the current language."

"Yes!" Touma declared, latching onto a way out. "That's right. I prefer younger girls. Sorry, I forgot things are different here for a moment."

The silence in the room grew, if possible, even more intense.

Every girl in the room's face flushed varying shades of red. Mikoto had been holding back her laughter, but even she had grown quiet. The words Touma spoke even began to penetrate his thick skull. His ears started burning, as he realized what he just said in front of a class of middle school girls. The teacher in front of the class actually sat up straight and her face grew stern. Nothing said had been out of line so far, but the direction was not going in a way she or Touma wanted. Things could have ended there without issue; but that small girl, who asked if he had been seeing anyone, took advantage of the silence.

"Would you be willing to start a relationship with someone like me?"

The atmosphere instantly changed again.

This time, for the worse.

The temperature in the room dropped several degrees as countless eyes fell upon the poor girl.

Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish I ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.

The last part is an indication as to what Touma can expect during his day in Tokiwadai. It's not even first period and things are getting out of control. The day is only going to get better. Got to love discord where we bounce ideas around. Even a stupid idea could evolve into something amazing.

Deleted Scene:

Girl: Kami-sama, it is true that you... h-h-held the hands of every female level 5?

Kami: Ah… yes?

Girl: I-Is it truly indecent to hold hands in public?

Kami Straight Faced: Yes. Some would even consider it to be lewd.

Classroom: …

Kami: Okay, just about everyone would consider it lewd.

Kami: But daring! It proves that you have pluck and are willing to cross that line drawn in the sand!

SF to Guest: Hello, Dark informed me about the questions you had so I'll go ahead and answer them here...at the very bottom...like some dog being kept under the porch. Yeah, I'm not good enough for a spot at the top of the chapter. (Fuck you Dark)

Anyways, your questions: 1) Yup, that's what I'm here for; or at least do so to the best of my abilities. 2) Thaaat might be a bit of a stretch for me. I mean, this is a loooong story and going through every chapter would be a task in itself. Not to mention the fact that I have my own projects to work on. Which, by the way, segways into your last question. 3) I have the full intention of returning to ACWOD. The problem is that, since I started Love Life, it has been holding a greater degree of my interest. The different tone it has makes it more enjoyable for me to write. But once I reach a certain point in that story, rest assured, you will see some updates from Darkness.

And that wraps up those questions. Sorry I never responded to you specifically, but I don't do these segments in my stories; though I do answer reviewers via PMs. So I hope this clears things up for you. In any case, take care, and thank you for continuing to show your support for both Dark and myself in our respected stories.

DB: We doubt him in discord about him restarting Darkness.