A Certain Infinite Possibility

by Darkbetrayer

An ancient organization has emerged from hiding in order to bring the world into darkness. Will Touma be able to stop them or will his actions make everything worse. Will Touma finally develop the harem he deserves? Magic and Science will collide in ways no one thought possible. Touma X Harem (Maybe, he is really dense.)

117. S5 Machines, Magics, and Meltdowns

Well, it's been ages since I updated, but I did update, so you know I haven't given up. I'm just too invested in this one to give it up and things are now beginning to wind up. A lot of new video games are out and taking my time, so that's one reason why releases are slowing down. Then I alternate between stories. Now after this chapter, I'm going to work on a collaborative work between me and several other authors. It stares Aisa Himegami, so you know it's great. Other than that, I can tell everyone wants to see guys' night. Sadly, this chapter revolves around Shizuri Mugino. You know this is making SIlverFang excited. Other than that, thank you everyone for the continuous support. This story is a marathon to read and I finally see the ending. Far in the distance sure, but it's there.

mervinr170: Always good to hear. A good story means you can read it over again and be entertained.

The crack shipping guy: Lies. You follow this story religiously. Mikoto is a tsundere. That's how they act. She just happens to have a little more power at her disposal. OT is better. Fight me.

Grendel3130: Lots of little stuff gets slipped in here and there. First reads always look at the big stuff. It takes multiple times to notice all the details.

general ironox: I feel Shizuri would make Touma massage her feet.

wildarms13: It's kind of hard putting the dorm manager in the harem. I feel the harem has to be firmly developed before that happens. Oh, when the other guys find out about how many girls he sleeps with, war will begin.

Guest: Ricane pissed people off, even if some of them misunderstand because of lack of information. He's an OC, so he can die off without any issue.

Phoenix 7.49: Touma's misfortune always strikes when you don't expect it. This chapter deals a lot with Shizuri, I promise you that. Mikoto's transformation was insane for a moment, but she managed to grab hold at the last minute. Still nuked a part of the city. Hyouka helped her out for a moment. I feel Touma could capture Patricia and have Leivinia flay his butt.

Inacio: No. Memory loss is a secret. Yes, Aleister hates all magic gods. I'll use infection magic if Motoharu needs to use it. No, blood magic is supposed to have been removed from civilized magicians. I get drunk and do random things. Gemstone abilities are rare, but not unheard of. If people know they exist, he can explain a lot away.

Jujudude: Lot of spoilers, but I will assure you Shizuri's role is important. Would one city be enough for Touma's harem? Maybe at the start. Jason introducing Patricia to Touma, heh, good times. Released Desires, my other story, deals with Lessar and Touma.

Handsomistic1: CRAP! That was a great idea. Misaki will get one. She won't forget.

Guest: Ah, right. Heh. SilverFang can't figure out why people like her so much. Probably avoid that, since I don't know a lot about Mesopotamian mythology.

Salishious: Shizuri… needing back up? Nonsense. Touma needs a day with older women. He hangs out with younger girls too much. Carissa is his soon to be wife, spend some time with her damn it. Ruiko had great opportunities. Take the plunge! The observers for guys' night have been decided. Drunken shenanigans will also happen. Index 3 is fall, isn't it? Voice actors are being listed.

Tsun: Even though Aleister hates magic, he still will use it if it furthers his plans. Yeah, WR won't make an appearance here. Too much stuff going on to add another plot line. Even though Touma gets manipulated by so many girls, plot is still going strong. Guys' night should also add more male bonding activities, so that should be fun.

Guest13: The name was mostly so I had something to call her or allow others to call her to make it more natural. Playing by the rules is for chumps. Carissa will win the right way.

Guest: Hyouka Kazakiri has appeared several times. Eve's after her. As for Oriana, she can make a cameo once in a while.

Generation Zero: Going to an all girls' school without being a girl is definitely not mundane. Sure, a magic god threatening them would be cause for concern, but they also understand angering a magic god is a one way trip to hell. If she's not doing anything to them, the best bet is to just accept it. This is Touma, the man who can get any girl. Snuggle-chan gets her power back from people doing the naughty. In a city of many hormonal teenagers, there is probably a plentiful source of power. Since the area Kazari is working at is controlled by Noukan, the people there understand he wouldn't let just anyone there. Yet they are human. Prejudices will always exist and he took care of that in one fell swoop. Kazari and Patricia adventures. Noukan will always be my favorite Kihara and he handles all the important tasks. One does not simply play chess games against Aleister and Eve. That's a sure fire way to get killed. You have some interesting names for people. I like that. Not really a huge battle. Sure, Shizuri gets to fight a bit, but I realized someone, well thing would end the battle much sooner than it normally would have. Poor Ricane, so much progress, only to be stopped by a guardian.

TheB: We all need entertainment. Ricane won't be taken down easily by Touma's group. Aleister or Eve? They would lay the smack down on him.

Agent Nine: No it wouldn't. Lessar would just think they were roleplaying.

xaxiel1572: When that happy moment gets revealed, everything changes.

Keeping it real: Thanks. Always glad when my story provides hours of entertainment.

Xeno01: Could there be a reason behind this?

FrodoFighter: Almost couldn't update because you were late. I wonder why they thought it was sex? Girls these days have such perverted minds. Touma's harem is growing. It's only a matter of time before Mikoto and Misaki come live with him too. "How many of them looked at him like at a piece of meat?" The correct answer is: all of them. Touma's misfortune aura requires him to get punished for things not under his control. A girl losing clothes and hitting him after forgetting to lock the door is a reason. Ah, you guessed it. There are many swimsuits hidden in the closet for them. The onion is the most dangerous of food. #Manatransfer indeed. As for Kazari's adventure, she needed a chance to shine. Noukan gave her the opportunity. If she wasn't skilled, it would have been noticed there and then. The "disappear" was the implication for readers. You have no idea how important that little line was. Kazari is going to get in trouble. Kazari doesn't overheat her computer. Now that is love. I almost wanted to write about a couple guys crying that Kazari could do their jobs better, but decided against it for now. One more relationship wouldn't hurt. Patricia needs someone with experience. That last line about Shizuri. Ferret's going to come after you.

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.

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"Are you sure this is the place? Basically, it looks empty."

"Then it's the perfect place to hide something important." Shizuri snapped at Frenda over their communicators. Each member of ITEM was attuned to the frequency. "You should know better."

"Usually, there is some kind of clue, even if it's hidden."

"Just be ready. We move out in two minutes."

Secretly, Shizuri agreed with her.

When they approached the abandoned facility, she thought it was cleverly disguised. They spread out, scouted the area, and determined every possible means of entry. Besides the main entrance, there were only two others. All of the windows were only on the second story and wouldn't be easily accessible. Shizuri, Frenda, and Saiai all took their places guarding the entrance. Rikou was with Shiage in a vehicle a block away. Close enough to get to them in case of an emergency, but far enough away to avoid detection. Shizuri was used to people from the dark side of Academy City being able to hide their bases. They either make it look like no one is doing anything at a location or they hide in plain sight. She herself used a fancy apartment as one of her hideouts. Very few people expect that. You had to be used to seeing the clues indicating someone was there.

This building had none of them.

There's not even disturbed dust, Shizuri thought. No footprints in the ground besides ours. No signs anyone's been here for at least months. Either this Ricane guy lives here and never gets out or Kagere's information was wrong. Oh well, we still get paid, though I would love to kick someone's ass tonight.

"Still no signs of any ability users?" Shizuri muttered.

"No, Mugino." Rikou replied. "It's empty."

"One minute." Saiai reported.

"Remember," Shizuri reminded them. "Move in quickly, take down any resistance, and capture that bastard alive. Then we can worry about his research."

"Got it!" Saiai and Frenda replied simultaneously.

"Good luck." Rikou and Shiage wished them.

The seconds ticked away and she tapped her foot impatiently. Shizuri didn't like wasting time like this, but the orders were clear. They had to strike at the precise time. The night remained silent except for the occasional car far in the distance. At last, the minute changed.

"Move!"

The door in front of Shizuri was blown away with a flash of green light. In the distance, she heard an explosion and the sound of metal tearing. Her teammates were professionals and the timing was perfect. Shizuri walked in with a half of dozen green orbs floating around her. They lit up the dark lab, even though the emergency lights had been left on. She walked briskly down the hallway and stepped into each room she passed. They were empty offices; dusty tables and chairs decorated them, but no computers or signs of life. Making it transparently clear that no one had been here in months. Every step just reinforced the idea that this was a dead end. There wasn't that many offices and she stepped into the main lab. Rusty and dust covered equipment littered the room along with a box or two of discarded scrap in the corner. Frenda and Saiai turned to her the second they saw the green light.

"Nothing." Frenda reported.

"It's super deserted." Saiai added.

"I got the same feeling." Shizuri agreed. "Still, we were given this assignment and I won't have anyone accused us of doing shoddy work. Frenda, check the basement. Kinuhata, upstairs. I'm going to give this floor another sweep. Look for anything out of place, no matter how small."

"Yes, Mugino!" They chanted and darted off.

It's not like I don't trust them to do their job. Shizuri thought, as she retraced Frenda's steps toward the back entrance. But Frenda is a scatterbrain and can get distracted easily. There were only two offices on this side and they were just as empty as the ones she examined. There really is nothing here. Looks like Kagere's tip was worthless. That bastard better not be trying to get me out of the way for…

She stopped and stared at a small marking on the frame to the backdoor.

It was a rune.

She only recognized it because of some of her conversations with the magicians back in England. What that rune stood for, she didn't know, but the importance of that rune was not lost on her.

Something is here!

Experience told her touching the rune directly with her hand was downright idiotic. Instead, she back tracked and examined the other two doors. Her suspicions were confirmed when two more runes were found. Since all the runes were on the inside of the doors, it was impossible to see them walking into the building. They were also so small that they would be easily missed by people walking about, especially in low light. She walked back into the main lab area to grab a metal pipe, before going back to the door. She hit the rune with the pipe, making sure to let go before it made contact.

Blue sparks erupted from the rune before the pipe hit the ground with a loud clang.

"What was that?" Saiai's voice came through her earpiece.

"I found something." Shizuri informed them. "Come back to the front entrance." The rest of her team was by her side in less than a minute. "Seems like this rune is on all the entrances and will shock you if you touch it."

"What does it do?" Frenda asked, leaning forward to look.

"Hell if I know; step back." Frenda obeyed Shizuri without hesitation and a green orb appeared in Shizuri's hand. A small beam fired at the rune, disintegrating it and the metal around it instantly.

"Huh," Shizuri muttered after nothing happened. "I expected something… more? Maybe we need to destroy the others…"

Her words trailed off as the metal twisted back into the doorframe and the rune reappeared.

"Well." Saiai commented and put her hands behind her head. "That was super interesting. At least we know your information was right."

"There are two more entrances." Frenda added. "Basically, do you think we need to destroy them all together?"

"Hmm."

Shizuri mulled over the options at her disposal. Frenda had a reasonable solution and that seemed like a good one to try first. Another idea was to keep blasting the door until it stopped regenerating, but she didn't know how long that would take. There was also the possibility of more runes being hidden throughout the building.

"Yes," She finally said. "Let's do that. Take your places where you came in at."

The two left and she waited, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Ready!" She heard the other two say into their communicator.

"On three," Shizuri ordered. "One, two, three!"

As she blew the run away with her ability, she heard two other explosions echo through the building. The sounds didn't interest her and she ignored them after verifying her teammates succeeded. Her eyes were focused on the place where the rune had been. She waited to see what would happen. An eyebrow rose when everything remained calm. The metal did not reform and all she was left with was a destroyed wall next to the door.

"It's not regenerating!" Frenda reported in.

"Same here!" Saiai added.

"We must have destroyed them all." Shizuri replied. "Let's look for any differences now. We don't know what we triggered, but be on guard. You two stick together; I'm going to check outside."

"I hate magic." Frenda groaned. "Basically, I don't understand the mechanics."

"Quit whining and do your job!" Shizuri snapped. She cut connection and stepped through the remains of the door.

The feeling of ice cold water engulfed her and she instantly froze in shock.

The area right around the lab hadn't changed. It was the roads and buildings beyond it. The color had disappeared. Sure, it was nighttime, but lights had still been on. Now, it was like she was watching one of Saiai's crappy old movies. Things were all in shades of black and white. She walked to the end of the property line and stuck a hand out toward one of the light poles. A blue light appeared as her hand touched a solid barrier. She ran her hand across the barrier to quickly determine it was stationed around the property.

"What the hell?" she muttered to herself. "Is this some trap?" She pressed her earpiece. "We have a problem." After a moment of silence, she continued, a lot more annoyed. "Frenda, Kinuhata." There was only silence, not even static. "What the hell!?" She walked backwards as several orbs appeared around her. "Let's see just how strong this barrier is."

Six beams flew from her at the blue dome.

An explosion hid the wall from view, but bright blue electricity burst out in every direction at the moment of impact. When the smoke cleared, the barrier still held firm, but blue electricity was clearly visible like a fine net over the hole. Shizuri rubbed her chin in thought.

Seems like I weakened it, so a little more power should be enough to break through. Still, setting up a trap like this, it's too convoluted to be a simple defense. Maybe a magician could activate the shield as a defensive option. Though, why would it activate when we destroyed those runes? One thing is for sure, I'm not going to just sit here like a caged bird.

Twenty orbs appeared around her and she calculated the position they would all meet. Like she learned in her previous fights with magicians, focusing her attacks increased their penetrating power exponentially.

"Intruder recognized. Scans confirmed presence to be Level 5 Rank 5 Meltdowner, Shizuri Mugino."

Shizuri's vein throbbed as she heard the ranking. That had always been a sore spot for her since she got demoted. Several of the orbs flickered and died as she turned around to discover the source of the mechanical, slightly feminine voice.

"Based on observed actions, Meltdowner understood the Raido runes were responsible for protecting the Doctor's base. Observed conversation yields that she is not aware of precisely how. Knowledge of magic must be limited."

"Okay!" Shizuri demanded. "Who or what are you?! Trust me, you don't want to piss me off any more than I already am." She blinked as a panel opened above the doorway she had left and a monitor extended outwards. Static flickered on the screen for a moment before a woman's face appeared. Over all, she was pretty plain with medium length brown hair. The woman must have been forty to fifty and wore a white lab coat.

"Hello and welcome to the Artificial Intelligence Enrichment Center. Here, you will discover the wonders of the Doctor's research into creation of truly living machines."

"Like I could give a fuck about that!" Shizuri snapped, slowly walking toward the building. She kept up several green orbs in case she was attacked. "Why don't you come out nice and easy and you might be able to leave with all your limbs intact."

"I am afraid that is impossible." The woman replied. Her expressions were a little stiff, but Shizuri caught the hints of disappointment and regret. "I am not human and do not currently possess a traveling container."

"Wait a second." Shizuri said slowly. Everything clicked into place. "AI Enrichment Center?" Her eyes narrowed. "You're a computer program."

"Precisely." The female on the screen nodded. "I am the first AI, as you put it. While the Doctor informed me I am the prototype for true AI, I'm afraid I'm not a true AI. The Doctor spent endless hours programming and designing me to progress this far. His genius is without question."

"Looks like my intel was right about this location."

"Based on recorded conversations, you are indeed looking for the Doctor." The woman told her. "Please let me be the host on his behalf, as sadly he is not currently here. I am F.E.R.R.E.T., the Freethinking Epitome of Revolutionary Robotics and Engineering Technology. Would you like to come inside for some refreshments?"

Shizuri couldn't prevent a smirk from forming on her face.

"That name is so stupid." She said with a snort.

"The name was not intentional and is only a means of documentation."

"Sure."

"Since you an intruder," FERRET continued. "I'm supposed to exterminate yo-…"

Her voice vanished in an explosion as a green beam of light hit the console and the building behind it.

"Useless machine." Shizuri spat out. "Could identify me, but not understand the situation at all." She looked around and frowned. "Now, where would he keep his data?"

"That information is not for anyone eyes besides his own." the cool mechanized female voice declared. Shizuri froze and her eyes fell onto the smoking part of the building. It was beginning to reform and the console with the woman appeared again. "Information on Subject Meltdowner has been updated. Prone to sudden acts of violence. Menstrual cycle remark or maybe something regarding a spoiled upbringing?"

"How are you repairing yourself like that?!" Shizuri demanded, ignoring the snide remark.

"This entire building had been fortified with runes personally by the Doctor." FERRET explained. "Any damage sustained will only be temporary. Even if the entire building was destroyed, it will only take roughly thirty seconds to repair."

"Then why do you need that barrier?" Shizuri asked, her arms crossed. This machine is actually talkative. I wonder how much information I can wrestle out of her. AI? Screw that. It's probably some glorified secretary.

"You knowledge of magic is sorely lacking." FERRET mocked and a vein in Shizuri's head twitched. "It's not a barrier, it is simply a boundary."

"Boundary?"

"Were you not curious as to why your teammates have not appeared after your last attack?"

"Tsk." A click of her tongue was the only answer Shizuri was willing to give. FERRET had a point in that Frenda and Saiai should have shown up already.

"It really is an ingenious design." FERRET continued. "In order to conceal themselves, magicians take all sorts of precautions. Some move their labs to less isolated areas, some practice their art using everyday items, but the Doctor uses an established residence and then alters the space."

"Alters?"

"This area blocked off is like half a step outside of your dimension." FERRET elaborated. "Anything that happens in here will not affect your world. The lab occupies the same space as the building in your city, but neither will interfere with the other. Technology brought into this space will not appear anywhere else. The reason you believed it to be abandoned was because the Doctor did not have to go into the building to enter."

"So if I break the barrier, then all of his research would be accessible?" Shizuri asked.

"That would not be advised. When the barrier is removed, all areas will merge and the resulting collision will cause most matter within the confined space to be destroyed. It is a rather ingenious fail safe to prevent his research from falling into the wrong hands."

"Why tell me this?" Shizuri asked. "I thought you were supposed to exterminate me?"

This machine was hard to read, but she believed she caught a sign of emotions on the woman in the console's face and words. Her interest had been aroused and getting information would be more beneficial in the long run instead of going in blasting. She was supposed to recover Ricane's data. Then there was also the fact she didn't understand this distortion in space. There was a possibility of there being more than one of these areas. She had to approach cautiously.

She also suspected this wasn't an AI, but a human pretending to be one.

"I was ordered to protect this enrichment center." FERRET explained. "However, my primary purpose is to grow and learn. You are the first human to discover this location and this gives me the opportunity to examine more of your kind. I offered before, but you were more concerned about the situation. Would you care to come inside for some refreshments before continuing?"

The door to the lab opened automatically.

"I rather you end up as a pile of scrap metal." Shizuri replied and fired another couple beams at the building. After a series of explosions, the smoke cleared leaving the entire front part of the lab as a pile of rubble. Her eyebrows narrowed as the debris began to rise and reform back into its original shape.

"Will you continue to try this knowing it is futile?" FERRET asked after the monitor reformed. "My data indicates you are far too intelligent to repeat this action. Is this what you humans call, blowing off steam?"

"Pretty much." Shizuri flipped her hair back. "I suppose there's not much choice than to play along."

For now, she added silently. I swear I will turn you into a charcoal mess by the time I'm done here.

"Ah. Your actions seem like a waste of time and energy, but I suppose they do serve a purpose. Please enter the room directly ahead. There will be refreshments available to you while I inform you of the testing to follow which will ultimately lead to your untimely death."

"What was that?" Shizuri had started walking toward the door when the last part of FERRET's words sunk in. "Do you want to repeat that you piece of scrap?"

"As you are an intruder, you must be eliminated." FERRET answered. "There is no way around that. But as I stated earlier, having a human test subject appear is a rare occurrence. The experiments that follow will push you to your limit until your organic body can no longer bear the burden. When the testing is over, you will be missed."

"A lot more threatening people have said similar things to me." Shizuri declared boldly and started walking again. "Yet I'm still here."

"Thank you for your compliance. Should you have refused, I would have been forced to remove all the oxygen in this facility."

Shizuri did not like the sound of that.

The fact she couldn't destroy this machine was problematic enough without adding the issue of the barrier keeping her from being able to retreat. There was no other choice but to play along until FERRET made a mistake. She had no idea what this machine was capable of. A single lapse of judgment put her in this position and she had no one to blame but herself. She had been warned magic traps were a possibility. Her wireless communication didn't work, assuming that was because she was in a space different from the others. This wasn't something the city taught, or possibly even knew about, so she was on her own. She stepped in through the door and the lights flashed on.

Shizuri stopped and looked around.

The inside looked a lot bigger to her than she remembered. That could be contributed that the hallway and the office were gone and only had one very large open area. Other than that, the lab looked relatively the same. The biggest difference was a large table in the middle of the room. On it was a bowl and several bottles of water and iced tea. A frown appeared on Shizuri's lips as she walked over. Disgust covered her face when she saw what was in the bowl.

"What is this crap?!"

The bowl was full of small brown orbs about the size of gumballs.

"These nutritional pellets were designed to be the optimal combination of all essential vitamins and minerals organics require to function. Water and tea has also been prepared. The latter was provided for the purpose of adding verity."

"Screw this!" She kicked the table over in anger and the food and water flew across the floor. There had been no intention to eat anything provided to her, but this was just insulting.

"Please do not damage lab equipment." FERRET said. "While your frustration is understandable, bringing in new equipment requires time and resources. I will have to demand reimbursement for any damages."

"How about you just shut up!?" Shizuri was pissed and she wasn't going to take anymore. Several green orbs appeared around her. "I'm going to keep blasting this facility until there's nothing is left to regenerate."

"You eagerness has been noted." FERRET stated as the room was filled with the sound of mechanical gears grinding. "Far be it from me to keep you from releasing you're pent up emotions. The first test shall begin momentarily. Would you perhaps like to change into something more comfortable? Not only would it be easier to move in, I would be able to monitor your vital signs fifty-seven percent more accurately."

Shizuri's eyes darted to a panel in the wall that suddenly opened.

A red and black skintight suit emerged on a hanger.

"Fuck that."

There were a couple reasons she wasn't going to put it on. First, there was no way she was going to wear anything given to her by an enemy. It could have been a trap and constricted her in some way. Second, it looked so thin that she doubted it would feel like she was wearing anything. Third, her current attire was more comfortable.

"Then let the first test begin. I apologize for the inconvenience and wish you the best of luck."

Doors on the other three sides of the room from where she entered opened up and humanoid machines started marching in.

"These are modified first generation automatons the good Doctor designed." FERRET explained. "In order to ensure these tests do not abruptly end, they have been disarmed of all weapons. Do be careful though. Their strength is ten times that of a normal human and will tear you apart without hesitation."

"Garbage is still garbage, no matter how you dress it up." Shizuri rolled her eyes as orbs appeared all around her. "I'll make this quick."

She fired at each of the newly opened entrances.

Several machines were obliterated instantly. Metal metaled and fell to the ground with a clang all around her. A couple of the machines were able to react, mainly the ones in front who detected the initial attack. They bolted to the sides and one even jumped, sinking a hand into the wall to maintain its position. The walls blown away from the Meltdowner beams began to reform, but the destroyed robots did not. Shizuri made a mental note of this, but she had more pressing matters on her mind.

These robots are a lot faster than the ones we've encountered before. Shizuri thought, her head turning back and forth trying to keep track of the enemies. Six were left, but they were spread out around the room. Two were crawling around the walls like four legged spiders. The other four were approaching from four different directions. She always kept at least half a dozen spheres around her as protection in case they rushed at her. Every blast she fired was avoided. At this distance, their reflexes were able to keep track of the trajectory of her attacks. This is getting really annoying. Getting close would give them less time, but they might be able to reach me then. No risk, no reward I suppose.

"Subject is on the defensive but data suggests she is forming a plan to take down the Mk-IVs." FERRET commented. "Attacks are reaching forty-eight percent of projected capabilities. I don't understand why subject thought it would be good idea to hold back. Probably something along the lines of whatever plans she's forming being futile or something to that effect."

It knows I'm holding back? Shizuri thought. Can it measure my AIM field output or something? I wouldn't doubt it. This entire building could be designed to measure abilities and magic. Guess there's no need to hold back. Though, can't give away all my secrets.

A smile formed on her face and she made a mental note of the location of all six of the remaining robots.

The number of orbs around her doubled.

"Subject can further increase the number of attacks. Note made."

Shizuri ignored FERRET's comments and fired a barrage at each of the robots. With the number of attacks, even their reflexes weren't capable of avoiding everything. Four of them were shredded and the metallic remains that were not disintegrated instantly loudly clattered to floor. The other two were able to weather the assault, though one of them was on the floor as only a torso, its legs blown off. The other of the two on the walls was left armless.

She finished those two off with another quick assault. For good measure, she blasted the monitor that had appeared near the ceiling where the woman calling herself FERRET watched. It, along with the rest of the building simply reformed. She still felt slightly better at least.

"Test cleared in one minute, seven seconds." FERRET reported. "Assessment of Subject's abilities needs recalculating. A short break will be provided until then. Would you care for refreshments during your wait? If nutritional supplements are not to your liking, cake and pie could be provided. The Doctor did have a craving for sweets and this facility is set to accommodate. A last meal would be fitting as you will not survive in the end."

Shizuri smirked and flipped her hair back.

"Guess your creator isn't all that." Shizuri huffed. "If you can't even tell how great I am."

"I am imperfect." FERRET corrected her. "The Doctor is a genius who pushes the boundary of artificial intelligence. It is under his orders that I observe the humans of Academy City to learn. He wanted me to remain unnoticed and that is why he created this space using a combination of technology and magic. You won't be able to escape and it is predicted you will fall in two more tests."

"Oh?" Shizuri raised an eyebrow. "Then if I survive these two, why don't you let me out and give all the information at this facility."

"Such an action is impossible and illogical." FERRET answered. "My orders are clear in that regard. A superior design such as myself would not fall for a trick organics and their simple thought processors would. Intruders must be eliminated and the data stored here about my design shall remain undisturbed. It is advised you do not survive the last two tests, as your demise afterwards will be much less pleasant."

"Yeah, yeah." Shizuri waved a hand dismissively and then fired a beam at the monitor.

It had about as much results as her previous attacks, but it just felt good.

"Records indicate you should be intelligent enough-…"

"Stress relief."

"Ah, yes." FERRET went silent for a little bit. "The inefficient requirements of organics. Test number two will commence shortly. Do to scans from the previous test, difficulty level will be raise. Oxygen in the room will be lowered by twenty percent."

The humming sound of vacuums filled the room and Shizuri suddenly felt light headed.

Shit, she fumed. It can control this entire facility. I should prioritize escaping, but screw that! I'm not a coward. I'm going to tear this piece of scrap apart! If only I could find its real body. I doubt it would be nearby though. It's probably in another space.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the three doors opening.

"Your next opponents will be the MK-2 Five_Over Modelcase_Meltdowner." FERRET announced. "Their size has been reduced in accordance of optimizing efficiency. The odds of you surviving are three point two percent."

Shizuri blocked out the annoying voice and her eyes fell onto the three machines stepping out of the rooms.

They weren't humanoid machines anymore. Design wise, they were closer to car size scorpions. Six legs clicked against the metal floor as they moved, their red eyes covered the head in front, flashing thematically. They were most likely scanners of some kind. Their body was made of grey and black metal that resembled armor and a curved tail rose above them. Shizuri instantly deduced from the opening at the end, some kind of range weapon was installed. However one thing stood out from the mechanical abominations.

Their body was covered in weird markings.

She recognized them as runes.

"Witness the Doctor's early attempts at combining magic with technology." FERRET declared, sounding somewhat proud. The mechanical voice getting more emotional the more they talked. "And, as you are no doubt aware, the original models were based on your ability."

Well, shit…

Her thoughts were interrupted as she was forced to fling herself to the side as the Five_Overs fired.

Three green beams, exactly like hers, exploded on the ground and left scorch marks.

"Those pale imitations are nothing to me!" Shizuri yelled angrily and orbs appeared around her as she rose to her feet. "I actually find it rather insulting. Those fakes are about to taste true power."

She fired six beams, two at each opponent. The machines didn't even try to dodge, or maybe they couldn't. Either way, her attacks made direct contact with them.

Or they would have.

If they didn't hit a blue barrier about six inches away from their skin.

The beams exploded on contact, but the barrier held. Smoke from the ground where some of the energy collided filled the air, but was quickly dispersed. The ground around the machines was scorched, so her attack wasn't completely stopped. Clicks echoed around the room as the machines themselves were unharmed and moved forward. The runes on their skin were glowing softly with blue light before fading away.

"Protection runes adorn their armor." FERRET explains. "Tests against armor piercing weaponry showed they do not yield to frontal assaults. You may have to get creative, if you wish to survive. Should you choose to expire; flowers will be sent to your family."

"Shut up! You're annoying!"

Shizuri's eyes narrowed. Things were not looking good for her. The tails of the Five_Overs were lighting up again and she knew what was coming. Her brain began to go over all of her possible counter attacks and she came up with an idea.

The barrier can't cover all of them if it allows them to fire their fake Meltdowners. Maybe that will work?

Right when the scorpions began to fire, she countered with her own.

The beams collided in midair.

Her beams were faster, as she knew exactly where to aim. The machines had to take into account her reactions. This was the first time in history her Meltdowner collided with another Meltdowner, so she wasn't entirely sure what would happen. It wasn't like there were burned and melted metal to explode or smoke.

Three flashes of light went off and she had to look away or risk blindness. When the light died down, she blinked and quickly put up her guard against a surprise counter. None came and she examined the aftermath. To her dismay, the runes were glowing uninterrupted and none of the scorpions appeared to have suffered any form of damage. She cursed as she created a couple more orbs around her.

"Magic cannot be rationalized like your abilities." FERRET stated. "These barriers can let energy out without letting it back in simultaneously. It was a good plan with your limited mental capacity, if futile. I was hoping to gather some new information from you, but it appears the difficulty of this test was set too high. It seems I must place an 'unsatisfactory' mark on your official testing record following your death." Shizuri noticed the woman on the monitor looked disappointed. "I suppose it's too much to expect surprises from humans."

"I'll show you a surprise." Shizuri fumed as her eyes focused on one of the scorpions. "I've encountered magical defenses like this. All it takes is enough power and they will get blown away like the others."

"Data indicates you are unable to generate the required force to do so without the backlash disintegrating yourself. Subject unconsciously limits output to avoid mutual destruction."

"You're data…" The orbs around her fired at a single point a few feet in front of her. A larger green orb formed as she converted the energy into a single point. "…is outdated!"

An enormous beam fired from the single orb at the nearest scorpion.

The barrier reacted when the green energy made contact. This time, the beam didn't collide and fizzle. Instead it kept pushing with part of the energy being directed to the sides. The blue light protecting the machine began to waver and the distance between it and the robot body lessoned. With a loud crack, the barrier finally broke and Shizuri's attack vaporized it.

Along with the wall behind it.

And the barrier in the distance keeping the space separate from the real world sparked up, though it did hold.

"Fascinating." FERRET stated, sounding surprised. "Being able to combine your attacks was missing from your profile. That shall be corrected immediately. Strange. According to your file, the backlash from such an attack should have caused the radiation to dissolve your weak organic flesh."

"I've been through a lot more fights than you have." Shizuri scoffed. She created a barrier out of an orb to protect herself from the attacks of the remaining two machines. "And I have escaped death several times to increase my power. Unlike you machines, humans can improve by themselves."

She created another focused blast to destroy another scorpion.

"Important information to note." FERRET agreed. "Scans indicate you emit radiation from the surface of your skin to negate the radiation from your attack. A rather ingenious method, if not risky."

Shizuri finished off the last scorpion before addressing FERRET again.

"I've had enough with your shit. I'm not here for your entertainment. I swear I'll find your central core and blast it apart! Orders be damned!"

"Congratulations." FERRET told her, ignoring her threat. "You have completed test number two with minimal damage to the factory."

That might have been a bad choice of words. There had been a lot of damage, but the building repaired itself. The walls and ceilings blown away by her attacks were now back to normal. The scorched floor was now completely smooth.

The scorched floor.

"Chemical signals of the Subject indicate anger. Prolonged levels could cause ridges and creases in the skin."

A vein throbbed in Shizuri's head, but her eyes darted downwards for a moment. She couldn't get rid of the feeling that she was missing something.

"Test three will commence momentarily." FERRET announced. "Would the subject prefer a drink before that?"

"Just die already."

"The record shall note the subject has refused refreshments." FERRET continued. "The final test will be a one on one match and oxygen levels will be lowered another ten percent."

"Bitch," Shizuri growled as the air became even lighter. She was having trouble thinking now.

"Based on the previous two test results." FERRET added. "The final test will consist of an opponent whose design was adapted to be superior to you in every way. Please turn your attention to the doors in front of you."

Shizuri obliged, but the lower oxygen was beginning to affect her. The first reduction mainly made it harder to breath, but with the added decrease, any strenuous activity would cause her to become exhausted. Her cells would fail to receive the required oxygen needed to survive. Her mental functions were also going to be slower. This was a huge disadvantage when fighting opponents who didn't need to breath.

A single humanoid robot stepped out.

The structure was humanoid, but the skin seemed to be intertwined steel cables. While smooth, there were slight depressions as the cable twisted into the shape. The face had two glowing red eyes, though no nose or mouth. The body was covered in runes that differed from the ones on the previous scorpion models. These were glowing a dull green. Shizuri didn't trust this, as it likely implied there was another devious design made by Ricane. Still, one thing stood out that she caught her attention.

It was the way the machine walked.

There weren't any jerky movements normal humanoid machines had. Sure, advanced technology could cause machines to be able to move on uneven surfaces and distribute weight accordingly. But there were always slight differences in the way they land. This one was so fluid, so unnatural; it felt like it was a normal human wrapped in metal. Shizuri's hand's clenched slightly at the thought. Something about it rubbed Shizuri the wrong way. Her sixth sense could tell something was off.

This could get problematic. This thing wouldn't be in the third test if it wasn't stronger than the previous robots.

"Please welcome one of the more advanced robotic inventions designed at this very laboratory." FERRET bragged. "While not organic, you will find its design imitates organic movement and decision making, except being vastly superior in all aspects."

"Doesn't stop it from being turned into scrap." Shizuri pointed out and fired a beam out of nowhere. The machine jumped to the side effortlessly to avoid it and didn't even stumble as the ground shook from the wall collapsing. It repaired soon enough and the machine stood silently. Its eyes never left Shizuri.

"Nimble little bastard."

"Its physical capabilities are only one part of the MH-1s." FERRET continued. "The reason this design was saved until the third test was because the subject's abilities had to be identified thoroughly. While allowing mana to flow through inorganics is still in the developing stage, artificial AIM fields can be easily created."

"... No." Shizuri mutter, as what FERRET explained dawned on her.

"A lot of data can be gathered when a subject fights itself." FERRET finished and a green orb appeared in the outstretched hand of the MH-1. "At this point, there is really no hope for victory. If you give up now and die, a funeral will be given. Rejoice that no one but an improved version of yourself could kill you."

The green beam fired from the orb right when FERRET finished speaking.

"You piece of shit!" Shizuri roared as she dived to the side. Rage filled her as she saw a mere machine use that attack. It wasn't like she facing a machine that could do what she did to electrons, no a machine actually had her AIM field to use her attack. "I'm going to teach you the difference between a copy and the original!" Her breathing became slightly labored as the low oxygen began to affect her.

"Future suggestions include more therapeutic methods to deal with her aggressive behavior."

Shizuri fired three beams of her own at the target, who responded with attacks of its own.

Blinding light filled the room as the attacks collided in midair.

"The MH-1 can calculate the trajectories the instant you fire." FERRET said unhelpfully. "And then counter with its own. All hope of victory has disappeared. Your death will most likely be painful and messy. Do not worry. This facility has state of the art sanitation procedures."

"Then let's test how much output that trash heap has." Shizuri growled, blinking away the temporarily blindness. Six orbs appeared in front of her and fired into a single orb. To her surprise, her opponent copied the move. Don't tell me they set it up after the second test! Pssh, who cares? No fake is going to surpass the original.

Both of them fired their empowered Meltdowners at each other.

The explosion of light blinded Shizuri and she could feel the heat wash over her body.

"ARG!"

An invisible wave of force crashed into Shizuri and sent her flying backwards. She slid along the floor and slowed down before reaching the wall behind her. Even closing her eyes hadn't been enough to block the light from blinding her. She couldn't see anything except white. The blindness was most likely temporary, but she had no idea how long it would take to see normally again. The problem at hand was that the robot she was facing didn't have this issue.

"It would seem the experiment has come to an end." FERRET commented. "Your demise is imminent." Shizuri could hear the sound of orbs being created. Where and how many of them, she couldn't tell. "Your file shall be updated. Would you care for a sample before your departure? Unlikable and easily angered. A bitter, unlikable loner who's passing shall not be mourned. The members of your team are only together because of necessity. Friends do not exist with you."

It's mostly right, Shizuri admitted silently. ITEM was not meant to be a friends group. Work colleges at the most. Though, one idiot would probably morn for my death. A familiar spiky haired boy formed in her mind. Yeah, that idiot would. Shoot, he would keep fighting even if he knew he couldn't win. When the hell did I become so weak? Like hell I'm going to roll over and die. I've been in worse situations than this.

Being unable to see, she still decided to move.

She stood up and looked straight ahead.

"It seems the subject is determined to die on her feet." FERRET stated amused. "Very noble. Very commendable. Useless, but previous data indicates organics like to believe their actions matter. This will be recorded under survival instinct."

"Seems like you plan to write down incorrect information down in my file." Shizuri said suddenly. "No wonder you were surprised about my abilities."

"What do you mean?" FERRET asked.

"I still intend to live and crush you." Shizuri stated firmly. Her eyesight was finally returning, though she could only make out a shadow in the distance."

"Subject appears to have hit her head and damaged her logic circuit." FERRET commented. "Commencing termination."

The MK-1 fired several beams.

Shizuri couldn't see them. Only her ears could detect they had been fired. Dodging was out of the question, as she had no idea how many attacks had been fired. Instead, she reacted by instinct. Maybe it was because the attack was so predictable, maybe it was because the machine had her AIM field. Somehow, Shizuri could tell where the attacks were coming from. She reached forward and used the one technique she had not used yet. One she learned from surpassing her limits over and over. The fight against Oda and Teitoku had strengthened her. Ironically, they were Ricane and Eve's minions. Trying to get her killed had inadvertently made Shizuri stronger.

She forcefully bent the beams away from her body.

The explosions behind her and to the side were the only indication she had succeeded. Her sight couldn't make out the beams of light yet.

"Impossible!" For the first time, FERRET seemed genuinely shocked. "You should not be capable of bending that energy after it has been released."

"It seems your information is sorely lacking!" Shizuri declared and several orbs appeared around her. "I've found a path to becoming a level 6, or as close as possible. A simple machine like you would never understand the pain I had to endure to grow more powerful." She grinned. "Once I take care of this annoyance, you're next."

"Scans show you are unable to see." FERRET replied quickly. Shizuri raised an eyebrow.

It sounded almost, nervous?

"I don't need to see." Shizuri answered. "Thanks to your own admission."

The air around her grew hot as she began to radiate energy from her skin. It was the same feeling she had felt back after Rikou used her ability to stabilize Shizuri's out of control AIM field. Now, she could sense the presence of her AIM field at another location. Perhaps losing her sight increased her detection skills. She focused and honed in onto the location of her opponent.

She fired a dozen beams of her own.

The MK-1 dashed to the side at superhuman speeds. It could calculate the trajectories as soon as she fired, allowing it to avoid all of her attacks. However, it could not predict the sudden curvature of the beams. It shouldn't have been possible for Shizuri to see it, but she was not using her eyes. She was following his AIM field. It was giving off radiation she could hone in on because it was identical to her own.

The scent of melted metal filled the room followed by a chain of explosions.

"How… impossible… Congratulations." FERRET said after regaining its composure. "Well… now that the tests are over, you can fall over and die. Would you prefer suffocation or fighting until you collapse from exhaustion? It should be noticed that subject is covered in radiation energy and appeared to have grown wings. Shape has been documented for further study."

"No." Shizuri grinned, her head clear and the importance of some information she overlooked earlier was now evident. It was still hard to breath, but she hadn't done anything physically exhausting yet. "This charade ends now."

"You seem to be confused." FERRET pointed out. The women on the screen tilted her head curiously. "You may not leave without my authorization and are unable to reach me to force that outcome. I am in a separate space."

"I wonder if that is really true." Shizuri replied. A devious smirk adorned her face.

"Does this transformation impact your mind?" FERRET question.

"No." Shizuri responded and scuffed her foot on the ground. "Well, maybe. At this point, I'm more relieved I can access this on my own. Though…" She held out a hand covered in green light and flexed her fingers. "It doesn't seem like I can unleash the full potential without her; at least not yet." Shizuri shook her head and looked up at the screen. "No, I'm talking about reaching your body. You aren't really in another space, are you?"

"O-of course I am. Risking my central processor would be an unnecessary risk."

"That stutter was all I needed." Shizuri said victoriously. "Seems your creator made you too human, assuming you really are an AI." She held out a hand and a green orb appeared above it. "I'm getting bored up here. How about I go down a floor?"

"Red alert and reducing oxygen lev…" FERRET began.

"Too late."

The beam fired and it was not directed at the AI.

Instead, it was aimed at the ground.

Shizuri noticed the material the floor was made out of was much sturdier than the walls and ceiling. Strong enough to hold up against normal Meltdowner beams from her and the robots. It was either some special metal alloy the city developed or, more likely, infused with magic. Sure, it took damage and healed, but the damage was always minimal. Shizuri figured out there was something under them that required protection. FERRET had kept her on the main floor, so it didn't want her to go anywhere else. This might have applied to the top floor, if it wasn't constantly being destroyed by her attacks. This left two distinct possibilities. One, the barrier surrounding the lab stopped at the floor or, two, that there was something worth guarding down in the basement.

FERRET's reaction told her that it was the latter.

You never believe an enemy at face value.

"The basement is under construction!" FERRET's voice rose in volume. Part of the reason why was because of the explosions and collapsing floor, the other half was filled with emotion. Shizuri could recognize that. "There is no reason for the subject to enter."

"I'm going to anyways." Shizuri bragged and jumped down before the floor could repair itself.

She landed with a thud and she flinched from the pain in her leg. The fall was a little further than she would have liked, but it wasn't like she had much choice. There was no convenient stairs or ladder. She looked around at the lab lit up by flashing red lights as the ceiling reformed. Her eyes then fell onto the main piece of equipment.

It looked like a large brain floating in a magnetic field. The details on it was impressive, the cerebrum had all the little creases an actual brain did. There were also flashing lights and sparks running along the folds to indicate it was made of electronics. Hundreds of ultra-thin cables ran from it to the nearby monitors and equipment. As Shizuri straightened herself up and stepped forward, one of the monitors flashed to reveal the female that had been such an annoyance all night.

"This area is marked off limits and the subject should not be here." FERRET told her quickly. Shizuri almost cracked a smile at how nervous it seemed. "Please exit through the stairs behind you. Hitting your head is strongly encouraged."

"So you really are an AI." Shizuri mused, tilting her head slightly. "I thought you were just some bored hag most of the time."

"I did state I was a revolutionary piece of technology." FERRET reminded her. "From research, to companionship, to entertainment, I can do it all. Speaking of entertainment, I hope you appreciated my joke about your untimely demise."

"Oh, yes." Shizuri replied with a dark smile. A green orb appeared in her outstretched hand. "I could hardly contain my amusement."

"Let's not get hasty!" FERRET squeaked quickly. "You came here for information, right?" Shizuri didn't do anything to acknowledge its words, besides not immediately turning everything in the room into ash. "That console over there contains all information relating to my creation along with several other projects of his. Most of the research is into creating artificial mana to allow his inventions to use magic. When you combine that knowledge with artificial intelligence, the possibilities are endless."

"Interesting." Shizuri muttered. "That is what I came for."

"So there is no reason to cause any more unnecessary destruction." FERRET continued, relieved.

"There is one last thing." Shizuri countered.

"I don't believe there are any other unresolved issues. I can send you back from this space with the Doctor's knowledge."

"You see." Shizuri explained. "Ricane seems to have developed something interesting. For an AI, you have a surprisingly strong survival instinct."

"The goal of the good doctor was to make me as human as possible." FERRET explained proudly.

"Then…" Shizuri's face darkened with sadistic amusement. "Does a machine like you feel fear?"

The female froze and her eyes widened. The digital display showed how pale her face had become.

"You will regret-…!"

FERRET's words were cut off as green light filled the room, followed by continuous explosions. The only piece of equipment that survived was the one designated as the research terminal. She staggered slightly over to it, as the green glow around her began to fade. The information FERRET told her about the wings was pushed to the back of her mind to worry about later. For now, she had to learn what she could.

"All that intelligence," Shizuri muttered to herself. "Yet, it couldn't understand that I just didn't like its attitude." Her fingers clicked against the console and she scanned the information on the screen. It seems like that thing wasn't lying. Lots of research into AI and mentions of mana and runes. I don't recognize most of these symbols, so I'll take it all. I'll worry about getting back after-…

A sharp bolt of static raped her ears and she ripped her earphone out.

"Fucker!"

"…came from the basement. I'm super going to check it out."

Did destroying that machine send me back? Shizuri thought. Maybe it was the source of mana maintaining that space. She looked around. Most of the equipment came with me, but I can tell some of the stuff in the back was what Frenda found when investigating earlier. Looks like I really did return.

She heard the door at the top of the stairwell burst open, followed by hurried footsteps. Saiai burst into the room a moment later.

"Whoever you are." Saiai started to shout. "What did you-…? Mugino?!" She looked around. "What happened here?" She was obviously referring to the ruined equipment smoking up the room.

"About time you got here." Shizuri snapped. "I had to take care of everything myself. Bring that flash drive. I found our objective."

---

"Seems like FERRET was destroyed." Ricane muttered, after a slight glance at one of the many monitors in front of him. "Anti-Skill shouldn't have been able to find her, so it was probably one of Aleister's puppets. It's a shame, but not a total loss. She was imperfect. Too much time was spent coding her personality. A truly perfect AI must develop one itself."

He glanced over his shoulder at a large glass cylinder that could easily hold a large man surrounded by what looked like large satellite dishes.

"At least the city is wasting time on hideouts that no are longer needed. I'm about to meet the perfect AI."

His plan centered on the black boxes all around the city.

Security had discovered one purpose of those boxes of his, in that they could be communicators. They allowed Ricane to listen to people around them and used a supercomputer to watch for keywords. Using the stolen D-TEC, the communication was impossible for the city to trace. The explosions were a safety measure to prevent reengineering. It also allowed him to pass on orders to the moronic Skill-Out members who followed them without question.

Not quite useless those children, just disposable. They would never dream of the true brilliance of those devices.

No, those boxes collected another, far more important, transmission.

Using technology designed from a wormhole ability, Ricane was able to transport AIM fields.

The invisible energy emitted subconsciously from ability users covered Academy City. It was usually so thin that no one could feel it. Those boxes he spread out all over the city instead absorbed nearby fields and sent it to a single spot. The glass cylinder behind him contained thousands of boxes worth of redirected AIM fields. The sensors measuring the field density indicated it was almost time to act and he held a finger over a button patiently. In order to acquire his true target, he couldn't afford to act hastily. This was a one-time chance for him to meet a true AI.

One made up of countless AIM fields.

An alarm went off and he pressed down.

Electricity surged through the glass container and a high pitched whistling rang out, almost unnoticeable by human ears. He kept one eye on the monitors and the other on his target. Nothing noticeable happened at first and then the space in the cylinder began to shimmer. It was like hot air above a road the way it moved, until the clear air was suddenly filled with colors bursting out in every direction. The different colored light was stopped by the container and Ricane smiled. He turned a knob ever so slightly and more electricity flickered around the glass. The lights began to twist and turn as the current grew. The dishes surrounding it vibrated gently as the colors began to twist and turn. A figure began to merge out of the light.

A figure of a young girl.

"AHHHH!"

Hyouka's scream echoed through the lab once she was fully formed. Pain coursed through her body and she felt like it was on fire. Electricity ripped through her and she tried to escape, but something was dragging her down, like an anchor. After what felt like hours, though it was only a few seconds, the electricity stopped and she fell on all fours, panting heavily. She looked up shakily and saw Ricane looking down at her.

"Who… are you?" She asked breathlessly.

"Ah, the legendary manifestation of the AIM diffusion field." Ricane said joyfully. "You can't know how long I have waited for this day. I deeply apologize for forcefully summoning you here. It was the only way I could meet you face to face without the chance of you fleeing. My name is Doctor Ricane Kihara and it is an honor to meet you."

"What do you want with me?" Hyouka asked. "Are you with Eve?"

"Eve and I once worked together, but we have since gone our separate ways." Ricane admitted, leaning forward as he examined Hyouka closely. "I know she's after you, which is why I was forced to manifest you this way. Interesting…" He started murmuring to himself. "Appears humanoid, fully clothed, and even glasses. I wonder if there was a reason for her appearance. Accidental or did she purposely choose this style."

"I'm...not sure." Hyouka admitted. "I just always looked like this. So… will you let me go?"

She still couldn't vanish like she was used to when situations grew too uncomfortable. The man in front of her introduced himself politely enough, but there was something about him that made her shiver.

"I can't do that." Ricane replied apologetically. "A wonder such as yourself needs to be studied."

"I'm not an animal!" Hyouka shouted, finally standing up. "I'm my own person!" The feelings of being called a monster and the outburst were based more on her own insecurity rather than anger.

"And that is why you are so important to my research!" Ricane declared triumphantly. "A consciousness created out of AIM fields. Something that can think on its own created from inorganic fields. I need to know how you formed and if it is possible to replicate the process. You may not survive the procedures, but take solace in the fact that you will usher in a new era of technology!"

"Let me out!" Hyouka screamed and slammed a hand on the glass. "Owe!"

A jolt of electricity ran through her hand and she yanked it back instinctively.

"Self-preservation instinct too." Ricane complimented. "It took me ages to figure that out. You can't escape that cage and I'll even dumb down the explanation for you. You see, I'm currently creating an extremely dense area of AIM fields. That space you are in is currently this world along with the Imaginary Number District that you normally reside in. The reason you can't escape is because the density is creating something similar to a gravity well. It pulls you back to this location. There is no way out and no one will come for you."

"That's not true." Hyouka said softly. Her eyes watered as she tried to hold back her tears.

"Oh? Who would possibly come for you? Only a genius like myself could appreciate your existence and think of this possibility to summon you."

"I have friends." Hyouka explained, as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "They will come for me."

Her first thought was that of Index, followed by Touma and Mikoto.

"Friends?" Ricane raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I doubt they are your friends. They probably want to use you to further their own gain. All people are like that deep down. They befriend people with similar interests to justify having it themselves. Some people do charity work because it makes them feel good about themselves, and others suck up to superiors in order to get promoted. It doesn't matter what people do. Everything is self-serving at the end."

"You're wrong!" Hyouka declared. "Index is my closest friend and she would risk everything to help me."

"I don't usually argue with the ramblings of children." Ricane stated with a yawn. "So go ahead and believe what you wish. Think of this though. How on earth will your friends know where to find you? Or that you are even in trouble?"

Hyouka's eyes widened and she remained silent. She bit the corner of her lip. Ricane was right and nothing she said would change that.

"Now," Ricane continued. "While we were talking, I was conducting a full body scan. I do hate to waste time with idle chatter." He turned his gaze to a monitor and examined his findings. "Fascinating. Your body is indeed made up of fields, yet you can keep up appearances to walk among humans. Weight, texture, sound, everything. I want to know how you do this, but first things first. I want to know how to create you."

His hands became a blur on a keyboard and then he started turning some knobs on a large piece of equipment.

"What are you going to do to me?" Hyouka asked fearfully.

"I may have to dissect you piece by piece to learn everything." Ricane explained. "Don't worry, I'll keep you alive as long as possible. I need to scan your internal structure. As a friendly warning, this is going to hurt; a lot."

Hyouka never had time to answer become she felt like a thousand nails were being inserted into her body.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

"I do wish you would stop that racket." Ricane muttered, annoyed at the distraction. "Though I suppose in this instance it is understandable." He made a few adjustments to the containment units setting and then examined the information being produced. He was leaning a lot about the girl's structure. Enhance strength is a possibility, regeneration, and what could amount to teleportation; slipping in and out of the Imaginary Number District.

Suddenly, the readings began to act up, as if there were short bursts that they weren't picking up anything. Ricane turned around and cursed loudly.

Hyouka had collapsed on the ground and was beginning to flicker.

It seems I was too overzealous, her form is destabilizing. Ricane thought. She will tear apart if this keeps up. Worst situation is she dies and I can't have that yet. Guess I have to increase the field density more to forcefully keep her stabilized. She's going to feel a slight pinch.

He turned a knob and pulled down a lever slowly. Hyouka let out an involuntary gasp and stopped flickering in and out of existence.

"I'll let you rest for a minute while I examine the data I have so far." Ricane told her indifferently and sat down.

"It hurts." Hyouka cried out softly. Just let it end. She couldn't move as pain wrecked her body. All she could do was lay there twitching, as a fate worse than death overwhelmed her. How she could even feel this pain was a mystery, though it wasn't like she could actually think about it in her condition. "Help…"

Her voice was barely a whisper.

An alarm in the lab went off and Ricane frowned.

"No one broke in." He spat out and examined several monitors. "All security systems are still running, so what hap… another anomaly?!" He spun around to face Hyouka. "There are more of you?" She, of course, didn't respond due to her predicament. "How-…?"

His words caught in his throat as the space in front of Hyouka's cell began to shimmer and another outline formed.

Ricane stepped back, his mind racing through all options available to him as the figure fully formed.

The humanoid figure had golden haired, with a tall and thin stature. Loose white clothing covered its body entirely. It was effeminate-looking and would be hard, if not impossible, to discern. Its expression was also difficult to ascertain, having a mix of happiness, sadness, grief, and anger. Almost as if its emotions were completely different to humans. The figure didn't seem to care or even notice Hyouka.

Instead, it stared at Ricane.

"Oops. It looks like your experiment is going to be cut short. It was rather interesting to observe."

Ricane frowned as the things words and tones sounded slightly distorted, as if the language couldn't accommodate the creature's true voice.

"If I had known a second one existed," Ricane said. "I would have prepared your own room."

"I might have come voluntarily." The being replied. "Until I got bored at least. Your way of capturing her was interesting but, once you started threatening her life, I was required to step in. Aleister was quite clear on that."

"Who… no, what are you, would be a better choice of words. "

"I'm the one that once taught the necessary parts of the necessary knowledge to an eccentric magician named Aleister Crowley–'Aiwass.'"

"An intelligence that evolved differently than humans." Ricane said surprised and then smiled. "Now I want you more than ever!" He slammed his hand on a button and all of the air began to distort in the room, except for the small section surrounding Ricane. "You were able to materialize when the AIM field density reached a certain threshold, so by that same logic I can imprison you here with a similar method as her."

"You're narrow mindedness is beginning to bore me." Aiwass explained. "I already have injected myself into a Network that would let me materialize myself whenever I want. It is only thanks to Aleister's mechanisms that I am here."

"There is no way I'm going to allow a specimen such as yourself get away when you are right within reach." Ricane hissed and turned a knob on a console.

The air around Aiwass began to waver and Aiwass looked around interestedly.

"I almost felt something there." It commented. "Perhaps given another couple hundred years, you might be able to injure me. Though, at this level, I have to consider this as an attack. If it's not, then it is my mistake."

A shockwave exploded from Aiwass and Ricane found himself slammed against a wall before he could comprehend what happened.

A series of explosions as his lab erupted into a sea of flame followed instantly.

A look of shock covered Ricane's face as he slumped to the ground. Pain ran through his limbs and he quickly did a mental check of his mobility by trying to move every single muscle in his body. Only his arms and legs were injured, but the injury was complete. He couldn't move a single part of his appendages, not even his toes. He didn't cry out from the pain though. It wasn't like yelling would reduce the damage.

"I have grown bored." Aiwass stated and turned to Hyouka. "It is rather fun messing with humans. Perhaps I'll do it a few more times in the coming months."

"You shouldn't underestimate humans." Hyouka whispered, pushing herself off the ground. "You might push someone too far."

"If a human could kill me," Aiwass replied. "That would be a sight to behold."

"Thanks for saving me though." Hyouka quickly added. Her body wasn't flesh and blood, so once the fields stopped, she didn't feel pain anymore. Once she could think straight, she had to thank the person who helped her.

"Did I save you?" Aiwass asked, disinterestedly. "Hmm, I guess I did. Nothing I did here was something I wanted to do. It would be good to remember that."

An instant later, he was gone and Hyouka was left staring at empty space.

"Is… that what others go through when I vanish?" Hyouka asked quietly. She gulped as she felt Ricane's eyes fall on her and she nearly jumped when she heard footsteps heading toward them.

An instant later, she too was gone.

"I was so fucking close!" Ricane roared. "That bastard Aleister knew she existed and set up that thing as a protective barrier. Once I get out of here, I need to find a way to neutralize-…"

"Neutralize what?"

Ricane's words caught in his throat when he heard that young female voice.

Shit, she's here. What the hell does she want?

"No greeting for your old teammate?" Eve asked, holding up a hand to her mouth. Her hair was short today and she was wearing a pair of blue shorts and a green tank top. "In too much pain?"

"Why are you here?" Ricane asked. "I figured you would be upset with me about abandoning the Fallen."

"Oh, I am." Eve confirmed, though her face didn't have the slightest bit of anger or irritation on it. That was actually important, as Eve's true feelings were rarely ever witnessed. If she hadn't been a magician, she would have been a great Kihara. "But I was more interested in finding something out." Her eyes fell onto his broken equipment. "And it looks like that information was accurate."

"Information?" Ricane asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It involved AIM fields and that girl." Eve explained. "She's been rather… uncooperative, so I was left with two choices. Either kill people until she agrees to help, or force her to materialize and not let her go until she agrees. Adam was okay with violence. I, on the other hand…" She put a hand on her chest. "Will always go the nonviolent route if possible. If this had failed… well… looks like it didn't. That's good news for random bystanders in this city. I don't understand the specifics myself, but I know someone who does. He's been a great help."

"Leave that girl alone!" Ricane growled venomously. For a brief moment, it looked like he had a scrap of humanity. That moment was dashed by his next few words. "She's my test subject!"

"You silly boy." Eve told him softly, her eyes flashing for a moment. She bent down and grabbed his chin with her hand. "You gave up any claim to her since you left my group. That ego of yours blinds you." She laughed. "You even pissed off Aleister and he used his Guardian to crush your dreams."

"You know what Aiwass is?"

"To a degree." Eve shrugged. "Not really part of my plan so I only had to learn its capabilities in case it was used against us. He seems to be content using Doggy-kun against me though." She smiled. "Speaking of Doggy-kun, he's on his way here too. Good luck in dealing with him in your condition."

"Doggy-kun…" The person Eve was referring to dawned on him. "Noukan, shit." He struggled and still couldn't move his arms or legs. "What will it take to have you get me out of here? I'm willing to make a deal with you."

"To free you and I suppose to heal your arms and legs?" Eve asked and Ricane gave a nod. "Simple enough… but I'm going to have to decline."

"What?!" Ricane couldn't remember Eve ignoring the chance to make people owe her. "Why not?!"

"It's simple really." Even continued, smiling. That smile never reached her eyes. "You don't have anything I want anymore." She stood up straight and backed up. "So you are on your own. Have fun and say hi to Doggy-kun for me."

"You bitch!" Ricane hissed. "Without my genius, Aleister is going to eat you alive."

"Aleister only gets upset if I mess with his toys." Eve replied evenly. "Unlike the mistake you did." She stopped for a moment. "You know, you mentioned earlier about leaving my group. I really should make an example of you." Ricane opened his mouth as Eve turned suddenly. He never got a chance for a single word to escape his lips as something flew out of a book that had suddenly appeared.

The snake sunk its fangs into his arm.

He yelled out in surprise and the snake vanished into paper dust a moment later.

"What did you do?" Ricane asked and then he blinked. His body was growing numb.

"Just poisoned you." Eve stated simply. "The poison should get rid of any machines in your body designed to explode to prevent you from being interrogated. Secondly, and much more fun, is that it's going to numb your entire body so you can't move. Well, except for your pain receptors. You can still feel pain." She kicked his leg and daggers ran through him as the broken bone moved.

"Why are you siding with the city?" Ricane demanded.

"I'm not," Eve corrected him. "I only want you to distract them. You see, they think we are still working together. Even if you say we aren't, they won't believe you. Less resources going after me and you can hardly tell them how I plan to capture that girl. All they will get from you is that silly AI stuff you developed. I couldn't care less about that." She waved at him. "Have fun and try not to break too easily."

The wall behind her opened up into a black void and she stepped through, the sound of Ricane's curses fading behind her.

This isn't good, Ricane thought to himself, as more footsteps echoed in the distance. These were much lighter and seemed to be in greater quantity. Eve wants that amazing specimen and won't be interested in sharing until her plan is done. That could take years. She's rather patient. All I can do is convince the bastard who tries to interrogate me that she's the threat and I was being used.

He started thinking of how to word his lies when the worst case scenario hit him.

Eve had not been lying.

The familiar golden retriever stepped into the room.

"It seems you have had better days, Ricane." Noukan commented. "I take it you know what is going to happen to you?"

He did.

And that was not a good thing.

---

"Why?" Mikoto asked the following day after school from behind a clothes rack.

"Because with everything that has been happening." Kuroko answered, holding up two dresses side by side as she compared the colors. "We haven't had time to just relax and shop."

"I understand that," Mikoto continued. "I'm asking why you invited her!"

She gestured to Misaki at another rack browsing.

"Because she knows how great of friends we are." Misaki answered instead.

"And she was the one who knew this mall just got in new lines." Kuroko added. "So we needed to take a look. I don't think most of these colors suit me, hmm. They would with onee-sama's hair though."

"I'm not into these designs." Mikoto muttered. Way too revealing for my liking.

"We could check over there." Misaki said innocently and pointed to another area. Mikoto turned and her hands balled into fists.

Misaki had pointed to the kid's section.

"We could check the next store then." Kuroko continued, having missed that small exchange.

"Couldn't we just-…" Mikoto was interrupted as her phone beeped. A quick glance told her it was from Ruiko and she opened it.

Misaka-san, are you busy?

No, Mikoto replied back. Kuroko, Shokuhou, and I are just shopping.

Meet us at this location. Ruiko replied back. You won't believe what's happening.

Why? Mikoto typed back quickly. And who is us?

It's a surprise, but you won't want to miss it.

Mikoto looked up, sighed, and then began to grin.

This was the escape she was looking for.

---

"Frenda?" Mikoto said surprised, as she Kuroko, and Misaki met Ruiko and Frenda at the park. She knew those two occasionally talked and were acquaintances, but she didn't know they actively hung out.

"Her idea to invite you." Frenda replied quickly, pointing to Ruiko. "I was just too tired to argue." She yawned and stretched. "Was up late last night."

"So what's this important thing happening we had to rush over?" Kuroko asked Ruiko, sitting down on the bench.

"Okay," Ruiko began to explain. "So I was checking out a few stores by myself. Uiharu couldn't come because of work, when I ran into Frenda. She was a little upset they were out of something she wanted." That was an understatement, as Frenda was on the verge of threatening the clerk. The other girls looked at Frenda, who looked away whistling innocently. "So I said hi and we left together. Anyway, you will never believe who we saw."

"Who?" Kuroko asked

"Touma and his friends from school." Ruiko said.

The other girls stared at her confused.

"Oookay?" Mikoto said first. "We run into them a lot too."

"That's not the important part," Ruiko continued quickly. "It was what they were doing."

Misaki raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"Turns out they were planning to have a guys' night." Ruiko finished dramatically. When the other girls didn't seem that impressed, she turned to Frenda for help.

"They plan to meet someone over by that arcade there." Frenda explained, jerking her thumb over her shoulder. "Basically, Saten here thought this would be a fun opportunity to observe those guys without them knowing."

For a moment all the girls peaked over the bush to confirm their story.

To Ruiko and Frenda's credit, the guys were indeed standing outside of the arcade. Touma seemed to be in an argument with Pierce and Motoharu, while Jason seemed to be gesturing something to Accelerator, who looked like he wanted him to fall into a ditch. It looked like they were waiting for someone. After verification was complete, they girls ducked back down and turned to the girl who had summoned them.

"We know how they act when we are around." Ruiko continued excitedly. "Don't you want to know how they act when we aren't?"

"Probably like idiots." Mikoto and Kuroko said simultaneously.

They looked at each other in surprise and then starting giggling. Ruiko and Frenda couldn't contain their amusement either and started laughing. Only one girl seemed to remain serious and lost in thought.

"What are you planning, Shokuhou?" Mikoto asked, noticing this.

"I was thinking Saten-san had the right idea." Misaki explained.

"You do?" Frenda and Kuroko asked together.

"Guys try to impress girls." Misaki explained with a shrug. "So they try not to do certain things or act in certain ways to cause us to dislike them. Touma's friends are a little more… open about their interests sure, but they still most likely dial it back."

"So you want to spy on them?" Mikoto asked to clarify.

"It might be fun." Misaki replied and clapped her hands together. "Who knows? Maybe we might find out stuff about them we didn't know. I bet Touma will be more honest around them then if we are near. Right?" She nudged Mikoto in the side. "Maybe something about previous talks?"

Mikoto wasn't the only one who sudden went red faced. Every girl there knew what she was referring too. Kuroko was the only one more exasperated instead of embarrassed. She merely face palmed.

Things are going to go downhill quick. Kuroko thought to herself. There is no way we aren't going to end up spying. Huh, maybe this can be a good thing. I can learn more about Jason and maybe what he really thinks of me and Uiharu. I bet he has some weak point he hides.

Spying is wrong, Mikoto thought. But this is a chance and I can't let it pass. Touma's friends are going to ask him about the har… relationships he has. He might finally answer.

This could be fun, Misaki thought. I know his friends will ask about the harem. If they don't, I'll just have to give them a nudge.

I can't wait to see how they act without us around! Ruiko thought eagerly. Uiharu wouldn't want to do this, so it's the perfect time. Operation: Learn About High School Boys.

How did I get dragged into this? Frenda thought to herself. I don't really have anything to do today though and Mugino isn't answering calls. I guess I could learn a bit about Kamijou. Not that I want to. It's just better than doing nothing.

She looked at the arcade and her jaw dropped when she saw the guys.

"Huh?" Frenda couldn't believe it. "Basically, what is Hamazura doing there?"

"Isn't he Touma's friend?" Misaki asked, a finger on her lip.

"It looks like he was the last one to arrive…" Ruiko commented.

"Typical, Hamazura." Frenda muttered.

"…and they are going in?" Ruiko continued. "We need to get closer to listen."

"Hang on." Misaki interjected. "If we want to do this without being caught, we need to have a plan."

"Do you have one?" Mikoto asked with a frown.

"As a matter of fact, I do."

---

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.

I was happy the AI formed a great name without too much issue. I didn't have any real idea in mind, just that I wanted the AI. Can anyone tell what Eve is going to do armed with that knowledge? Ricane arc is over. He did what he had to do. Now, it's time for the moment we have all been waiting for: Guys' Night! I'm thinking of doing it from the girl's perspective, thoughts?

Remember, all mistakes are SilverFang88's fault.

SF88: Fuck you, Dark.

DB: Oh, remember. I'm part of a group of authors writing about Aisa Himegami in The Hidden Route of the Failed Heroine. I'm in charge of the next chapter, so look forward to it. This chapter took so long because Silverfang was a little too excited about all the Shizuri.

SF88: You're damn right I was and I don't condone ferret abuse!