At long last, this chapter is done. For several days I had no desire to write and just wanted to play video games for most of my free time, when I wasn't hanging out with my friends. Once I actually got into the swing of things, the chapter came out pretty smoothly. Things are beginning to heat up. From all the comments, it seems like people really enjoyed the death of two characters. Yes, I've killed people before, but they were always OCs. Not someone we all were invested in. Now, a main character is gone along with a popular OC. Some of you don't believe she's really gone. She may not be. I know which route I'm going, but if the story dictates something different in the future that actually works, I will go with that. I changed a lot of things because of flashes of insight during random chapters that just makes everything work so much better. Anyways, enough boring prattling. Let's move to the comments real fast. Also, thank you to everyone who has stuck it out this long.

anand891996: Pretty sure I killed her off.

general ironox: We all do.

Slimeboi: No, no. You fall on your knees, raise your hands to the heavens, and scream: wwwwhhhhhyyyyy?!

Tsun: Nah, no different dimensions.

The crack shipping guy: Maderfole is a writing machine when he gets going. God's Judgment is great. Hate is now justified. Before, he was just a good guy. Consequences are his actions are slowly being revealed. Gods don't intervene immediately. They like to wait and make a dramatic appearance. No one likes terrible girl Thor. Maderfole based it at a certain point. He had no idea where I was going. So it's a possible alternative future for ACIP.

Chris: Not to get overly religious, but God has tortured several good people in the bible. Touma will find out one day.

Guest: Even the best plans can fail with one mistake.

botman69420: I never lie.

Guest: Of course I don't want to kill people off willy-nilly. It's got to be believable.

Syko-Soldier963: Ten years later, she comes back the same age and Touma's a full adult man. Heh, she would love to see that. FERRET will have a few parts to play in some future chapters. Yep, this chapter is going to start exploring that. Could be either or. It's hard to tell a body double without close examination.

Dragonmaster1296: You aren't the only one who wants that.

The Wolf Paladin: I killed a lot of OC's but this is the first member of the main cast. Mikoto wasn't going to die that easily obviously. I have the perfect world for this when it gets to that stage. He's been punched a couple times, but not the Imagine Breaker Punch. Parameter list is against everything the city promised the students. The rift between high levels and low levels will grow wider. Satan is going to be important here for sure. Index is going to be hard to get to go along with it. Haven't figured out how that's going to play out yet.

Deep Sea Diver Man: WR won't make an appearance, but he will get what he deserves.

Inacio: Bring it on.

BlueJack22 chapter: That scene was pretty emotional. It had impact and that made the scene more memorable.

Handsomistic1: Lots of possible outcomes there. You think you control things, but someone else is always pulling the strings.

Guest: It kind of is. The light novels go into that a lot.

Mr. X: No one saw it coming. At the very least they refused to believe it. Powerful beings will all class eventually. Heh, a lot of people are demanding I bring At least Kaori back.

Ddraig99: But dead people are supposed to stay dead.

StriekDragoon: Everyone will find out eventually.

xaxiel1572: Many people are in the same mind.

Sergio644: Noukan doesn't make mistakes.

ReyKingKaiser: Sometimes the unpopular things give the biggest impact.

Lordrednight: People are complaining, but they are engaged because of that chapter.

aGuestfromGreece45: Aleister and Noukan are pretty good at wiping out Magic Gods.

Guest13: Everything will blow up in the end. They are walking into unknown territory.

ShatterTheIllusion: Bring it on. Shatter my illusions… if you can!

A certain guest: That's one of the biggest arguments about why it was developed in the first place. People are different. Not everyone gets the same benefits doing the same stuff. Exactly. The city went with the easiest people to become level 5. This is going to diminish their accomplishments in the eyes of others. Mikoto is definitely going to be thinking along those lines. Resources are always a limiting factor. If you could raise 7 people to level 5 with the same amount of money as raising 1 person that high, what would you do? It will take time, but once the purpose of the list is revealed, things will boil over. Kuroko is the only one of the main cast who knows because of Jason. It's going to be interesting how she tries to reassure Mikoto that she worked hard for her level. Aleister has plans we can't begin to imagine.

SoulReaver267: Unceremonious? She was crucified and killed using a divine artifact. I'll take that bet. Ending: God just left the world to do other things. Give me my $10.

Anon: There were reasons. One, Kaori was well-known. She also didn't get a lot of key roles so the story could move without her. Yet she was strong enough to be a threat so Eve would want her removed. Touma wouldn't want anyone he knows to get hurt. Julunggul's letter was more for her than Touma.

Kamijou Touma: Mission accomplished.

Fireblight: If the main cast isn't at risk, there's no tension.

Chroma: Heh, you think?

Salishious: Never said the plot point was reverted. Anti-climactic? It was super climactic. A Saint was crucified with a divine artifact.

CD DC: But Carissa is alive and well.

Guest: Thank you. People have died though, just not MCs. They have all been OCs. Realism. That's a good way to put it.

Agent Nine: Thought it was going to be obvious for a while.

Anonymous7: Funny enough, the AAA is not something I made up. It's canon in the light novels. Aleister will allow some magicians into the city to deal with issues, but not if they cause them. Aleister's past is great and adding a few glimpses is fun. I want to avoid spoiling a lot from the light novels here, but here's a quick rundown. Aleister doesn't try to strike at people around Touma. In fact, one of the safest spots in Academy City is near him. Julunggul was around him most of the time. Aleister waited until she was away from him and struck him down. Also, Leivinia is really skilled and has infiltrated Academy City in the novels too. Aleister usually won't get involved unless someone is a threat to his plans. As Leivinia, the church, and England are after Eve, he's letting people stick around a little longer. LOCK-DOWN consists of three people right now. (I could add nameless peons I suppose.) One of which just recovered. They will do more now but Jason's also a double agent, something Aleister is no doubt aware of. He wants something Jason is working on and overlooks stuff until it's done.

linkjames24: All planned from the beginning.

mervinr170: Heh. Poor, Touma.

Nguyen Thanh Long: Nah. Kazari might move to Touma's harem, but Kuroko wouldn't.

Aminadab Brulle: Holy crap! You have gone so much into details there. I linked some of it on discord for a few friends to take a look, but wow. I can't really respond to something that long in these short comments, so feel free to PM me if you want to chat.

Anti-Mage 29: You're hate only makes me stronger.

Generation Zero: I hinted earlier she was the target. If I'm going to take down an epic character, I must use an even more epic character. But Jason didn't kill anyone. It was Noukan and God. He was just there. A device that can kill magic gods, even weakened ones, is not something to be left alone. There's three more big events that need to occur, one which center's around Othinus. As for the final battle with Lucifer and God, that is already planned out. You're one of the few to point out the riots. That is going to cause more problems for Aleister than a few magicians running around his city and people over look this. Jason isn't infallible and has left clues, which someone is going to discover soon enough.

Savaris: Touma can't have older women in his harem it seems. No, he's pretty much showed off all his items and skills. I suppose he could learn new magic, but most magicians could do that. To be fair, he didn't kill anyone. God and Noukan did. Just pointing that out. The best part is when Touma and the others find out what Jason is doing. Things get interesting then. FERRET was a great AI and deserves to be around a little longer.

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.

"Yo, Kami-yan! I see you decided to join us today." Motoharu waved to Touma the second he entered the school grounds.

"Why wouldn't I?" Touma asked, walking away from the front door to join his friends near the school wall. There was still plenty of time until class started.

"Figured you would be hungover and not want to get up." Pierce pointed to a figure sitting on the ground against the wall. Touma leaned over to see that it was Jason. He looked slightly green and was holding a plastic bag. "I'm surprised he even got here in his condition."

"We left him unconscious on the river bank," Accelerator added. "Not sure how he got back to his apartment."

"Bastards," Jason mumbled. "I hoped one of you helped me get back… uhp!" He made a weird sound and covered his mouth.

"He came back from yesterday worse off than all of us," Motoharu commented, pretending to be sympathetic with his smirk at odds against his words. "I have to wonder how he even got up."

"Should have stayed in bed." Jason buried his head in his lap and refused to budge.

"Huh." Touma stretched. "I feel fine. I must not have drunk that much."

"Really?" Motoharu and Pierce stared at him before turning to Accelerator.

"It was either come here with a headache or deal with Worst knowing about yesterday," Accelerator huffed, crossing his arms. "Turns out that brat was spying on us."

"Aww, poor Accelerator." Peirce received a death glare. "Get a chance to talk to Bayloupe yet about tomorrow?"

"She agreed." The corner of his lips curled slightly. "Didn't really expect her not too."

"I know who I'm bringing," Motoharu bragged. "But it's going to be a surprise." He tapped Jason's side with his foot and received a thumbs up back for his troubles. The others reasoned he must have texted Kazari and Uiharu this morning. Motoharu's eyes fell on Touma. "What about you, Kami-yan? Get a chance to invite a dozen members of your harem?"

Touma's eyes narrowed.

"I'm pretty sure I told you I had to talk to Misaki and Mikoto first," Touma replied, keeping his voice even. The last thing he needed was to rise to their taunts. "I messaged them on the way here and we are going to meet tonight and discuss this situation." He pointed a finger to Motoharu. "If they agree, I need you guys to act like normal human beings. Please."

Motoharu nodded and Pierce looked thoughtful.

"We told you before," Pierce explained. "We made fun of you because of how dense you were. Now that you finally grew up and became a man, we'll let you handle it your way. We promise to be on our best behavior. Until next week, then all bets are off." He grinned. "Besides, I have a date too. Suck it, Kami-yan."

"That's as good as I can expect, isn't it?" Touma asked.

"You're lucky to get this much." Motoharu pointed out.

"True."

"I promise nothing," Accelerator added. "I'm going to mock the third rate when she shows up."

"Do you have…? Actually…" Touma paused and Accelerator raised an eyebrow. "She would probably be okay with that. If you were nice, it would worry her."

Motoharu and Pierce laughed loudly at that and Accelerator snorted.

"What are you going to do with your house guests?" Motoharu asked. "I doubt you can talk to Misaka-san and Shokuhou-san with the others around."

Touma sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"It took a combination of bribing, pleading, hiding part of the truth, and owing a favor to someone to get the apartment to myself." He shivered. "The last one might have been a mistake, but she was very adamant about staying back tonight."

"Impressive." Pierce complimented.

"You got played." Accelerator said bluntly.

"For him it's impressive." Motoharu amended.

"You all suck." Touma stated annoyed.

"Run." Jason warned.

"Huh?"

Touma turned to clarify but everyone else jumped back immediately. By the time Touma realized what was happening, Jason opened his mouth, leaned forward, and tossed his breakfast all over Touma's shoes.

"Hahaha!" Pierce, Motoharu, and Accelerator burst out laughing as Touma sighed.

"Such misfortune."

"What's the occasion?" Marian asked, leaning against the wall of their hideout wearing her normal overalls

A fourteen year old girl with an eyepatch and wavy blonde hair turned slightly to gaze at her for a moment, before turning her attention back to the bottle of wine in front of her. She had just poured herself a glass and was swirling it around absentmindedly. Regardless of where she went, she never really seemed to change her appearance. Dressed in a revealing outfit, a low-cut neckline that went down below her navel, and a cape, the girl at least took off her hat and had it sitting down next to her.

"Just sending a friend off," Othinus answered. "She underestimated Aleister and paid the price."

"Then why haven't I changed back!" A feminine voice called out from the other end of the lair.

"I told you what she did," Othinus replied evenly. "Your form doesn't concern me. If you want to fix it, you know what has to be done."

"Fine," The blonde haired girl wearing yellow and black tight-fitting shirt and pants huffed. "I'll take care of it myself."

"Enjoy," Marian told her, smirking.

"Screw you too."

Othinus ignored them and held up the glass of wine in silence.

That morning incident was how Touma found himself late to class, out back behind the school, washing his shoes and socks at the outside faucets.

"He should have just stayed home to begin with." Touma muttered, wringing out one of the socks and trying to change its status from sopping mess to merely damp. His shoes were laying out in the sun drying. Because he had hurried, most of the vomit washed right off. It was the bit that soaked into his socks was the problem. He considered just going the rest of the day without them. Finding out how hard it was to get them clear and dried, that option looked considerably more appealing. The only silver lining was his friends promised to let Komoe know what happened. Jason had decided to go home and take the day off in the end.

"Why am I not surprised to find you out here?" A slightly condescending feminine voice sounding close to his age asked.

It was slightly familiar, but Touma couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Just another day for this unlucky Touma Kamijou," He replied, without turning around. Sighing, he hung up his socks on the side of the faucet and planned to come back at lunch. He slipped on his damp shoes and turned around to face the girl.

Upon doing so, a moment of pause fell upon him as his mind tried to wrap itself around who this person was.

"Sorry, but do I know you? You look familiar…"

His words trailed off as the girl smirked as his eyes widened in recognition.

The blonde haired girl around his age standing before him had an aura of confidence and somewhat regal appearance. Her hair was tied up and she was wearing a low cut red long sleeve top with matching skirt. She was also wearing a pair of heels, but they weren't too high to make walking a little more comfortable. None of that was really what tipped him off. No, it was her face. The smug look of satisfaction in those blue eyes filled Touma with a combination of fear and respect. He took a step back and rubbed his eyes as if refusing to believe what he was seeing.

"I must be suffering from heatstroke or alcohol poisoning," Touma muttered. "There is no way you are her."

"Oh?" The girl leaned forward, still smirking. "And who do you think I am? I'm glad to see you at least subconsciously know who you are dealing with. I'll even ignore your admission of underage drinking as a favor."

"How… why… what…?" Touma spluttered words out but couldn't get a cohesive question out.

"Such a way with words. Why my mother thinks you would fit into high society is beyond me."

"C-Carissa!?" Touma finally spluttered, ignoring the sarcasm. "What happened to you?"

"I finally found a day to myself and wanted to look around the city," Carissa explained. Yes, it was Carissa, second princess of England, looking like a sixteen year old high school student. "That could hardly happen as a princess. The crowds that I would draw simply would not do. Not today at least."

"And you came here?" Touma asked, dumbfounded.

Carissa's eyes seem to glow with mirth.

"I needed a guide. Think of this as our first date, suitor."

"Sensei, we may have a problem."

Noukan looked up from his chair. The computer consoles moves to the side as Yuiitsu walked in holding a tablet. The concern on her face caused him some pause. She was normally cheerful in even the most extreme situations. Whatever problem required her to come see him, had to be great. She set down tablet down on the table in front of him, propping it up and sliding the screen. His eyes scanned the information before him and he took a puff from his cigar.

"This is unusual." Noukan agreed.

"I'm having the security division look into it," Yuiitsu explained. "We only caught this because of the recent upgrades. Uiharu-san really needs to be thanked for her contribution. At this time, I'm not entirely sure what exactly is happening. It appears pockets of random bits of information are swarming over all networks in Academy City. The packets of data are so small, it's impossible to decipher them without some kind of map."

Noukan remained silent as he stared at the data. Numbers meant very little if you didn't know how to arrange them. They needed a decoder to determine what the data was for. Deleting all the data wasn't a viable option. Data transferred between computers every microsecond in thousands of computers within Academy City. Trying to delete all the random packets of information would take a long time and prevent them from finding out what the information was for or who set it up. There was also the risk of deleting something unrelated, setting back work he or others under him need.

"Monitor this," he finally said. "Have the security team find a way to identify the source. If needed, they may take whatever actions needed to resolve this."

"Should I call in the others?" Yuiitsu asked.

"If it's necessary. I have a bad feeling about this. I don't usually go with something unscientific like gut instinct, but between good and bad, ignoring this feeling would be bad."

"Although most of a cell's DNA is contained in the cell nucleus, the mitochondrion has its own independent genome," Komoe explained to the class, pointing with to the diagram.

Accelerator tuned her out and glanced out the window.

The hero had the right idea.

Again, he was debating why he kept coming to class. Touma was just supposed to be late due to Jason spewing his guts all over his shoes. That alone was worth coming in today. If Touma wanted to skip class, that was no skin off Accelerator's back. There were several reasons he could think of for leaving. He couldn't get the shoes clean, he was kidnapped by one of his over obsessed girls, someone was being kidnapped, or he was being chased by a magician. Regardless of which outcome it was, it didn't involve him. Well, it shouldn't have. There was one downside when Touma and Jason skipped class.

Motoharu and Pierce didn't have anyone else to bother.

So they turned to him.

"How many girls do you think Kami-yan is with?" Motoharu whispered from behind his book.

"Don't care." Accelerator huffed back.

"Come on," Pierce pressed on. "Want to make a bet?"

Pierce had been especially annoying today. Most of his conversations tended to rub in the fact he got an older girl to agree to go on a date with him. Naturally, the rest of the class didn't believe him, even with Motoharu's assurance. They turned to Accelerator for verification, since Touma and Jason couldn't give it. He enjoyed denying everything.

Now Pierce just kept bothering him as revenge.

"No, fuck off."

"Accelerator must miss his best friend." Motoharu explained to Pierce, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I'm going to kill both-…!"

"Accelerator?!" Komoe called from the front, causing him to grow silent. "Do you need me to repeat something?"

"No." Accelerator answered. He could feel his face flush slightly in a combination of embarrassment and rage. However, it looked like Seiri noticed why he had his outburst. She opened her mouth to tell Komoe what really happened, but never had the chance.

The door to the class burst open with a loud crash.

"Is he here?!" A girl with long blonde hair demanded. She wore yellow and black tight-fitting shirt and pants. It was obvious she wasn't a student.

"Is who here?" Komoe asked, picking herself up after jumping and falling over in surprise. "And you do know it's considered polite to knock when class is in session?"

The girl rolled her eyes.

"I'm looking for a guy named Touma Kamijou." She answered.

"Kamijou!" The class chanted, causing the girl to step back with an incredulous look on her face.

"This is his class," Komoe confirmed. "But he's not here today. I can pass him a message if you want."

"Damn it!" The girl gritted her teeth and made a fist.

"Kami-yan got another girl to his harem!" Motoharu called out to a chorus of laughter.

"That bastard is laying with a different girl every night!" Pierce thundered.

"You two need to shut up and stop being Neanderthals!" Seiri yelled at them.

"I wouldn't need to be here if he did," The girl growled. "I need to get him laid!"

The laughter died away instantly.

Everyone was staring at her with their mouths agape in stunned silence, even Komoe.

"Guess I have to drag him back myself," The girl continued, turning to leave. "This is such a pain."

The class remained in their stunned stupor as the door slammed shut behind the intruder. It wasn't until a single word was uttered that everyone seemed to snap back into reality. To this day, no one knew who said the word. The timing, their choice, the inflection in their tone was perfect. This person would have made history with just that one single word.

"Finally."

The entire school shook from their classes shouting a moment after.

"You know there are probably better things to do on your day off." Touma suggested, as he and Carissa walked down the street away from his school. A couple people passed and none of them spared more than a quick glance.

Carissa ignored him.

"It's going to be pretty boring," Touma continued. "It's a Wednesday and normally I would be in class. There's nothing really planned-"

"That's the point." Carissa cut him off with a quick rebuke. Her stern eyes fell on him and the words caught in his throat. Even disguised as a sixteen year old girl, she was still a princess. Her calm and demanding demeanor didn't change. Arguing with her wouldn't yield any results. "I wasn't interested in anything extravagant today."

"Really?" Touma couldn't believe his ears. Carissa always stood out among her sisters. She was prideful, annoyed he didn't know history enough to realize who she was when they first met, and dressed much gaudier than her sisters. Everything she did tended to imply she liked standing out.

What was so different today?

"Do you doubt me?" Carissa asked. Her tone was passive, but Touma understood what those words really meant.

"It's not that." The best thing was to explain himself, without accidentally insulting her. "You just… don't seem like the person to go off and… well… do nothing. Not with so much going on; like Eve still being out there…"

"Do you remember some of the conversations we had in the past about how I do not have free time?" Carissa questioned, still not answering him and merely countering him with a question.

"Yeah." Touma answered with a nod. It wasn't like he couldn't remember them all word for word.

"Weren't you the one who suggested I need a break now and then?"

"Yes… but…?"

"And is Eve attacking right now?" Carissa pressed on.

"No… but-"

"While the official story is my presence here is to strengthen ties with Academy City," Carissa continued unperturbed. "Yesterday I witnessed an impressive display of some of the newer power suit models. They reminded me a lot of our enhanced knight armor. Magic and science seems to have a lot more similarities than either side cares to admit."

Touma could not help but notice she seemed to be smiling slightly.

"What sort of demonstration did they do?" Touma asked. He was actually interested in this. One, it wasn't a threat to him and his friends. Two, this seemed like a normal display to show off some of Academy City's technological breakthroughs.

"The usual." Carissa's tone betrayed a tiny bit of boredom. "They started off with pretty much the basics. Then moved to showing off the level of physical strength the suits could achieve, their mobility, and different attachments that could be used for military and civilian purposes." As she continued, her tone grew a little brighter. "Being able to carry large scale military weapons like a basic rifle is going to change the future of warfare. Imagine the time it would save avoiding having to make soldiers go through years of magical training."

Touma gulped.

"For defensive purposes, right?" He asked hesitantly.

Carissa's heard turned slightly and her gaze fell on him directly.

"Relax." The corners of her lips twitched at his expression. "I have no desire to stage another incident. I was not lying during the interview a few days ago. Continuing to improve the military is an ongoing struggle. Other countries do the same. If you show weakness, you risk your country and civilians suffer for this. A strong military presence is a powerful deterrent for many. Not everyone, mind you, but many." She must have noticed his walk became rather stiff, because she added a little bit more. "My homeland is important to me. These power suits do have uses besides warfare, I'm just being pragmatic. The world isn't always kind. There are people out there who will jump at the chance to get what they want at the cost of others."

"You mentioned that before," Touma muttered. "That doesn't mean I have to like it or turn away when I see injustice."

The corners of Carissa's mouth twitched again.

"Enough about work related topics," Carissa interjected. "This is one of my few days off a year and I plan to enjoy it."

"Doing…?" Touma asked.

"Doing things my position doesn't afford me the luxury of doing." Carissa answered. "Let's start with you showing me around the city. I want to see it from your point of view."

"And you couldn't call or message me in advance?"

"This way was more fun."

"…Fine. Next time… please call first."

"Presumptuous of you to think there will be a next time. Most people never get the opportunity to have a one-on-one audience with a princess once, let alone the number of times you have." She smirked at him. "You even have my personal number."

"T-that was because of your mother!" Touma protested.

"She really approves of you for some reason." Carissa commented lightly, amused at his expression.

"You didn't help!" Touma accused. "That announcement on Monday, what you told Mugino that one time. I can't tell if you are serious or just getting revenge on me for interfering with your plans in England."

"So I was thinking you could show me some of the areas you spend most of your time at," Carissa said, changing the subject. "I got a glimpse of your school before finding you-…"

"Don't change the subject!"

"I have to admit," Carissa continued, as if he never interrupted. "It's a lot more… ordinary than I was expecting."

"What were you expecting?" Touma parroted, his posture deflating after he had given up on pursuing the previous issue.

"Oh, I don't know…" Carissa trailed off absentmindedly. "Something… more?"

Little did Touma know, Carissa was here for multiple reasons. Yes, the excuse about taking a break from her duties was true. Even professionals get tired of their jobs. A little bit of mundane activity would do her some good. Walking around in the fresh air without worrying about men coming up to her requesting her opinion on military tactics was… refreshing. There was no doubt she would get tired of it eventually and wish to go back. Until then, she would enjoy her well-deserved break, away from the watchful eye of her mother and Rimea. Her older sister never did forgive her for the coup.

The second reason was a little more important.

This boy, Touma Kamijou, had been involved with the magic side multiple times. He found the Index Librorum Prohibitorum and somehow protected her from not only one of the Anglican Church's most accomplish Witch Hunters, but also one of the twenty people who could claim the title of a Saint. Then there was the time in Rome where he and his friends encountered Eve for the first time. On his trip to England, he had run into her and helped fight off more of Eve's puppets. The boy then played an intricate part in her defeat and England's raid in Australia.

Usually, this many events happening to one person would change them. Yet Touma's eyes didn't seem to change. His attitude didn't seem to change. His life back in Academy City didn't seem to change.

How was he forged into someone capable of doing all that and continue a normal school life?

Carissa wanted answers before going any further.

The purpose of this trip was to get some insight into his normal life. It was why she went through great lengths to develop a magical spell capable of de-aging herself without being negated from a single touch. The last thing she needed was an accidental blunder, something that she heard happens frequently around him, to cause hysteria when a princess shows up out of nowhere. The knights would keep watch and prevent anyone noticing her absence for a single day. That was all the time she had for now. There was an event she needed to attend that night. It was why she wasn't going to waste time debating with him.

"You're going to be disappointed." Touma warned.

"That's up for me to decide," Carissa countered. "Besides, every time I've encountered you, I have yet to grow bored."

"I'm not getting out of this, am I?"

"Again, your powers of observation are astounding."

"Fine, where too first?" Touma had given up trying to argue against her. He had never been good saying no to forward girls. Seiri, Mikoto, Shizuri, all of them had bossed him around more than once. He usually just went along with them because it was easier.

"Hmm." Carissa tapped her cheek. "How about showing me your living accommodations? Students live in dorms, but yours was set on fire. Was it not? I recall you mentioning that."

"It was," Touma confirmed. "But now… er… might not be the best time."

"Why not?" Carissa's eyes narrowed.

"The apartment I live in now is… kind of cramped." He diverted eye contact. "The accommodations weren't what I expected at the time and it was set up by someone else."

"Oh? It wasn't your friend?" Her interest grew.

Touma shook his head.

"Julunggul."

That name caused Carissa to freeze.

"What?" Her voice dropped in volume and had a definite icy tone to it.

"She followed me here." Touma explained. His shoulder was suddenly caught in a vice grip as she grabbed him.

"Tell… me… everything."

So he did.

He told her everything he knew up to that point. Why she followed him, the games she played trying to get him to have sexual intercourse with others, setting up the apartment, and saving them from Thor. Everything he could remember he told Carissa. It wasn't like he wanted to keep it a secret. Julunggul was always watching and listening in on him, so he couldn't tell others about her. The only others that knew were Index and the girls staying in the apartment. Index avoided mentioning her after the fight with Thor because of that.

Carissa crossed her arms and looked irritated at being left out of the loop, but remained silent as he finished.

"…then last night Birdway mentioned the spell God's Judgment was used on someone. With Julunggul suddenly gone, we think Eve might have used it on her. Would that work on a magic god?"

"I don't know,' Carissa admitted. "A weakened one? Yeah, I could see that." She mentally cussed at the knights for letting Leivinia get more information than she needed. The Dawn-Colored Sunlight wasn't a trustworthy organization. "We did examine the scene of last night's incident." Carissa admitted that piece of information at last. There was no point in hiding it. "There were no sign of any activity from Julunggul or even Eve. We found a few traces of the target, but it takes time to identify. There won't be any new information for a day or two."

This was a lie.

There was enough information to know who the target had been.

It wasn't pretty.

"Is that why you are taking the day off now?" Touma asked. "Before things get too chaotic?

"Yes." Carissa sighed and looked at him. "It's going to be a headache for sure."

Touma began to understand how badly she needed a break. After the coup, Elizard probably had her daughter doing all sorts of work to repay her debt. This trip to Academy City might have been a way to give Carissa a break, yet still be considered an important diplomatic mission. There was bound to be a few free days she could avoid doing anything and just relax.

"Even if the apartment isn't a good place to go to, I can show you around some of the spots I visit a lot. Places my friends and I hang out, the mall, stuff like that. I can't guarantee it will be anything extravagant. It's just… normal stuff for us to do."

"That's fine," Carissa assured him. "I could use some mundane activity as a change of pace."

Touma tried to be a good host. He brought her to the dorms where he once lived. The repairs to his old apartment were still in progress and quite noticeable. Carissa offhandedly commented the bathrooms at Buckingham Palace dwarfed his dorm room. He really couldn't disagree since it was probably true. Still, being a school day was somewhat lucky for Touma. His friends would have a field day if they saw him showing a girl around the city. Maybe not as much anymore, but they would definitely say they were going to tell Mikoto or someone else that he was cheating on them. Thinking hard, there was only one other spot she might be interested in seeing.

He took her to the mall.

Not the fancy one mind you, a normal one where normal students did a lot of shopping for sales.

"This place is rather small." Carissa scoffed, following him in.

"Do you think every student can afford to shop somewhere like the Dianoid?" Touma asked. "That place is for the wealthy and famous. You can afford those outrageous prices, but most of us have to settle with ordinary stores."

"At the least there is quite a variety." Carissa commented, looking around.

"You really don't get out much, do you?" Touma quickly regretted his words as she elbowed him in the side. "Ow, why?!"

"Did you think when I was young I wouldn't have enjoyed going out like this?" Carissa demanded. "As royalty, everywhere you go is heavily scrutinized. There was no way I could go to somewhere commoners shopped at. Most of my clothes are custom made by tailors." She glanced down at her outfit. "After the spell, I had one of the female knights buy some clothes that would blend in."

Her gaze narrowed at him.

"They're fine," Touma reassured her. Part of him was afraid if he said anything else either he or the unfortunate soul who bought the clothes would be fired out of a cannon. Besides, they did suit her. " And I guess that makes sense. Famous people get targeted by everyone."

"Only a couple attempts on my life that I can recall," Carissa continued. "Rimea had a few more when she was young. It's why she doesn't trust anyone. That Cabal was wiped out though when I was around three, so I don't remember them much. Villian grew up without a single incident. Well… I guess until mine. It's why she always trusts people to a naïve degree."

While she was talking, her eyes kept darting to some of the clothing stores. This didn't go unnoticed by Touma, because she kept stalling in some of her responses. This behavior was unusual, as Carissa usually diverted her attention to the most important thing at the time. There was only one explanation Touma could think of. If he was wrong, it could backfire in his face.

"Want to take a look in some of the stores?" Touma asked. "I don't really need anything, but you could see what kind of fashion is popular in Academy City. Most students wear uniforms, so I doubt you would see much just walking around during the day."

Carissa paused and her footsteps faltered ever so slightly. Not enough for most people to notice.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt," She finally admitted. "I only recall seeing your friends in England and they all had vastly different tastes."

"Yeah, they do."

Touma let her decide and Carissa led him into a store that focused on different types of dresses. The one thing he could count on her, unlike a few other people, was she wouldn't lead him into an underwear store. Probably. He hoped that was the case. That would be awkward. As Carissa browsed the racks, Touma stood back, feeling sorry for one the employees who tried to help her.

"I'm perfectly fine looking by myself," Carissa snapped. "If I require your assistance, I will ask for it. Now go away."

"Yes, ma'am."

"You didn't have to chase her away." Touma told her.

"I'm probably not going to buy anything and would just be wasting her time," Carissa huffed. "She can go do something more important. I'm not the princess today, just a normal girl."

Pretty sure normal is a stretch there. Touma thought.

"I don't recognize any of these brands," Carissa muttered, more to herself. "Some of the designs aren't terrible, but the material is lacking. Mass produced products seem to use lower quality in order to cut costs."

Regardless of what she said, she still held up a few dresses in front of a mirror. This wasn't the first time Touma was dragged after a girl going shopping for clothes. Shizuri and her friends forced him to be a baggage boy for them once. At least this time he wouldn't have to carry anything if Carissa really wasn't planning to make any purchases. Touma did notice something after they moved to another clothing store.

Carissa's eyes were shining slightly.

Maybe she never got the opportunity to shop like this, Touma thought. Free from any kind of scrutiny or onlookers. She can just be herself. Not that he never really believed she lowered her guard, but she looked like she was having a little bit of fun. Never thought I would see this side of her. Not after England and Australia.

He decided not to comment on it. For fear of invoking something he shouldn't.

Time passed far faster than either of them came to realize. Before they knew it, two hours had already come and gone. The only thing that worried him was a bad feeling he got. It was the kind of feeling that his friends had learned something detrimental to his health or sanity. There was no clue as to what it was yet and he was forced to push it to the back of his mind for now.

"I think I've seen what this mall has to offer." Carissa finally said.

"Like anything?" Touma asked.

"There were some designs I might have to have duplicated back home," Carissa admitted. "Still, nothing I was interested in purchasing at this time."

"Don't think the designers would like that." Touma pointed out conversationally.

"Tough for them. They should just make a more durable product." Her eyes darted around to a few other shops.

"Want a smoothie?" Touma asked, glancing at a store he and Index had visited a few times. The morning was dragging along and following Carissa around was tiring. He got thirty. Carissa looked at him and he continued. "They're pretty good. A friend of mine really likes them."

Carissa didn't say anything and shrugged, but went along with him.

"What can I get you two?" The man at the counter asked.

"Raspberry." Carissa answered.

"Melon." Touma said.

"Coming right up."

Almost by the time the man pressed the buttons of his computer, the machines behind him began to grind and two smoothies popped out in around ten seconds. It was Academy City's technology working at its finest. Touma pulled out his wallet and passed over the yen, along with a piece of paper. Once paid, he took his smoothie and joined Carissa, who was watching him with a raised eyebrow.

"A coupon?" She asked. "That's not how men normally show off to a woman."

"This Kamijou isn't wealthy enough to afford delicious smoothies every day," Touma countered, as they took a seat at one of the tables. "I have to wait until a sale."

"You're that poor?" Carissa's face was unreadable.

"If it wasn't for my parents sending me money every month, I would probably starve." Touma sighed. "I'm in school full time and have no part time job. So I really don't have much disposable income."

"I was informed the city pays for your housing and provides a stipend for necessities." Carissa said. "Added to what your parents send, rich wouldn't be the right word, but your financial situation should be stable."

"You try feeding the bottomless black hole that is Index," Touma countered. He shook his head for a moment and sipped his smoothie. "It's complicated. Though, since the church sent Itsuwa to guard us, they have been providing money for food and supplies. It's taken a big load off my back. My friends help too, but I don't want them to think, or have it even look like I'm taking advantage of them."

"What's so complicated then?" Carissa pushed, sipping her own smoothie.

"The reason we get the stipend is because our abilities help the city with research," Touma explained. "The stronger an ability, the more data can be gathered. As a reward, higher levels get larger stipends. Mikoto, Accelerator, Misaki, and Mugino-" Carissa's lips tightened at the last name. "-are level 5s, the highest level. They get the largest incomes."

"That makes sense." Carissa agreed with a nod. So the powers they displayed were not a true representation of the city's abilities. It was mentioned only a small number reach four and only a handful reaches 5.

"Because of my hand," Touma continued and held up his right hand automatically. "My ability can't be unlocked. It suppressed any power I may possess. The city registers me as a level 0 and because of that my stipend is at the very bottom. To make ends meet, I have to use as many coupons as I can. Only buy the necessities. Stuff like that. Plus my luck always makes me lose any money I come into contact with. I can't count the number of times the ATMs eat my card."

Carissa pondered this for a moment before speaking.

"Why not accept money from your friends then?" Carissa asked. "You all are willing to fight life and death battles together. What's a little money to help each get by?"

"It doesn't sit right with me," Touma answered or at least tried to. "It's one thing if an emergency happens or something. If they started giving me money every month it would feel like our relationship is being bought. I can survive on the income I currently have, even if I have to make some sacrifices. A gift now and then? I would accept that. Being able to do something nice for someone is just something we should do, you know?" He sighed. "Some people said I'm being stupid and should just accept the gifts, but my pride won't allow it. I'm told I can be pretty stubborn sometimes."

"I've noticed that." Carissa stared at him impassively.

"Then there are some people who I should never owe money too." Touma subconsciously shuddered at the thought of owing Lessar money.

"Heh." Carissa actually laughed at that. "I wouldn't make you do anything… too bad." Touma didn't bother to correct her assumption, but added her to his list of women he should never owe money to.

"So it doesn't matter who it is," Touma continued. "Unless there was an emergency, I wouldn't accept it."

"Any amount?" Carissa clarified.

"Any amount," Touma repeated. "I don't want to owe anyone and I try to make good on any debt I owe. How can a student with no job pay back money when he can barely afford his own expenses?" His eyes bore into hers and then he shrugged. "My life is hectic enough without running around doing favors for people I owe money to."

Carissa didn't say anything and her eyebrows narrowed slightly.

"What?"

"I'm learning more about you than I thought I would," Carissa said. "I'm surprised someone in your position could afford to be picky about his income."

"Hahaha," Touma laughed sarcastically. "Very funn-… ahhh!"

He flung his hands into the air wildly as the back legs of his chair snapped. The weight of his entire body fell backwards without any hint of a warning. His smoothie flew into the air due to his arm jerking upwards. As luck would have it, the smoothie slowly rotated in midair, before landing on his head, top first.

Touma found himself lying on the floor, covered in the remains of his smoothie.

"Such misfortune." He mumbled to himself as several onlookers started laughing.

"Sir!" Touma and Carissa glanced over as an employee ran over to see if he was hurt. "All you okay?"

"I'm fine," Touma reassured the woman. "I was almost finished anyways."

"Don't just stand there," Carissa ordered. Her commanding tone caused the woman to stiffen up. "Get him a towel."

"R-right. Right away!"

She bolted away and Touma took the opportunity to push himself off the ground. A short time later, she returned with a large towel, which Touma immediately used to clean himself off. His hair cleaned off easily enough, but his shirt was going to smell all day. The woman bowed profusely and apologized over and over, no matter how many times Touma assured her it was okay.

Carissa wasn't as accommodating.

"You're lucky he is so forgiving," she said coldly. "If that had happened to me, I would be the new owner of this store so fast your head would spin."

The employee paled under her glare, apologized for what seemed like the tenth time, and made a hasty retreat.

"You didn't have to be so harsh," Touma scolded. "It wasn't her fault."

"No, but as an employee, she should have been monitoring the condition of the establishment's equipment. If you had made a fuss, you probably could have gotten free smoothies for a year."

"This kind of thing happens to me all the time. My hand negates my luck. It takes a bit, but you get used to it." Touma then frowned at her suggestion. "Also, I would never take advantage of someone like that. It would be like extortion." He sighed. "I know what it's like to be on the receiving end of something bad. Way too many times. I don't wish that sort of thing on anyone. There is no way I would ever blame something bad happening on someone else. Nor will I take advantage of them."

Carissa raised an eyebrow.

The part about his hand negating luck wasn't new. He had told one of her knights about it and he passed it on to her. There was also plenty of passing references to his luck. It wasn't like she could test it to see if that was true. No, it was him refusing to take advantage of the situation he found himself in. Neither money, nor power, nor position appealed to him. He was more or less incorruptible on a blackmail level, aside from extorting the lives of his friends or innocents. A definite oddity to someone from her upbringing. People would usually be willing to do anything to climb even a single step. Her eyes focused on something when Touma walked over to a trash can.

He seemed a little depressed looking at the empty cup.

Willing to stick to his ideals at the cost of his own happiness. She mulled this over in silence until he returned and sat down on a new chair.

"Anything else you want to see while we are here?" He asked her.

"Actually, yes." Something occurred to her and she wanted to see it. "Hand over your wallet."

"…What?"

"Hand… over… your… wallet. Don't make me repeat myself."

"W-why?" Touma stammered.

"I want to see it, that's all you need to know. Are you afraid I'm going to steal you money?"

That last sentence was a challenge. They both knew she wouldn't do something like that. It was beneath her. Plus, she was already wealthy.

"Of course not!" Touma reached into his pocket for his wallet. "That was just the last thing I expected to hear from you. It was… unexpected."

"I'm full of surprises," Carissa huffed absentmindedly, taking it from him. "Here, I'm full and you spilled yours." She pushed her half full cup toward him and started to browse the contents of his wallet. Feeling his eyes on her, she looked up and scowled. "If you say anything stupid like an indirect kiss, you will regret it. We aren't five."

"I wasn't going to!" Touma protested.

If he didn't think about it before, he definitely thought about it now. With her eyes on him, there wasn't a lot he could do without acting guilty. His hand reached out and pulled the cup to him, watching Carissa rummage through his wallet. It wasn't like he had a lot in there. He had a couple thousand yen left, his student ID, debit card for the ATM, and a bunch of coupons that were going to expire soon.

She's probably laughing at them, He thought. Royalty would never understand the struggle of us poor high school students. So much stuff we want but can't afford. He smirked at the thought of Mikoto, Misaki, and Shizuri. At least they can afford the stuff they like. Girls like to look nice. He sipped the drink in his hand before he realized what he was doing. His eyes darted nervously to Carissa, who still wasn't looking at him.

Touma was a little off base in his assumptions. Yes, Carissa counted the amount of coupons he had, but she also took note of his methodical organization of them. The ones with the earliest due dates were in front and all dates were clearly marked. Sometimes people using coupons should be the target of ridicule, depending on the situation.

This was not one of those times.

Carissa was of a military mindset. She had been since she could remember. Talking to Touma and learning of his financial situation here made her realize he wasn't cheap… he was frugal. The items he was buying were rice, vegetables, and eggs rather than junk food. He was going after food like he had to carry every pound of it on his back for a long march. Preferring the stuff that gives good energy and nutrients for low cost and low mass. Coupons were simply his way of maximizing his buying power with limited resources.

In a way it was similar to how she ran her military unit, at least when it came to food.

She had seen a lot of Touma's determination and combat ability out in the field. You tended to observe someone's true nature in life or death situations or when they get pushed to a breaking point. People acted differently in that situation than they normally did in their day to day life. Touma didn't seem like that. In fact, he seemed like the same person who she locked away in a room back in England and the person who was under in command in Australia.

As a soldier, you're taught to keep your stuff neat, including folding your clothes properly... even your underwear. It trains attention to detail into you, so that when you're handling more important things, you don't overlook steps and take things for granted. The boy in front of her had this to the extreme. He managed to gather details from little hints in her words and actions to figure out her plans in England. He reasoned Adam wouldn't risk killing him in Australia, breaking his siege against their base and allowing them to progress forward. She couldn't understand how a single high school buy could have this skill to the degree he had.

Things were finally making sense.

It's a literal survival skill for him. With his luck, he had to pay attention. He had to get the little details right. Resources were scarce for him and he had to make every cent count. He couldn't expect special windfalls due to his hand, assuming it was true. Carissa reasoned it had to be, as he had no reason to lie about that. This wasn't even factoring Index who was reported to be a black hole when food was involved. His clothes seemed to be in usable condition. Not dirty at least nor full of holes. His body was fit, so he was getting the necessary nutritional intake.

This takes self-discipline and self-control. Not something to take for granted. Especially in a high schooler. She would have to see his room sometime, but expected it to be organized and clean.

Carissa had these traits beaten into her. All military experts did. Touma on the other hand was a civilian. This wasn't something he should possess, yet he did. Some might take this skill for granted or overlook it entirely. Not her, she understood the kind of life one had to live to achieve this. That sort of drive and discipline, coupled with his idealism, would push him through the darkest of times.

Touma had something else that most people didn't have. When their views were tested to an extreme, they typically broke under that sort of pressure. Touma was not one of those people. His morals and ideals were set in stone. His personal beliefs and the extremes in which he goes to ensure that everyone comes out smiling in the end of everything was a testament to something critical. He does not yield, waver, or break under pressure if someone who needs saving is on the line. That degree of tenacity is something that you just do not find very often. You can't teach that sort of thing. He could resist even the strongest temptations.

And Carissa… privately, found it kind of hot.

Seriously, if it wasn't for the age difference, she wouldn't have pushed back against her mother for so long.

You could push his beliefs to the breaking point and he would not yield. Carissa mused silently. She was accomplishing her goal at least. Her eyes fell onto one coupon in particular and she smiled.

"What's so funny?" Touma asked wearily.

"Oh, I know what I want to do now." She held up a coupon. "Half off all movie tickets during a weekday? Were you planning to skip school?"

"No!" Touma denied. "I never know when a situation might come up and kept it as a just in case."

"Back up plan, huh?" Carissa muttered, amused. "Okay, no sense in letting this go to waste. That's what we are going to do next."

"Really?" Touma gawked at her. "I thought you wanted to tour the city."

Carissa dismissed his words with a wave of her hand.

"I changed my mind," She informed him. "I want to see a movie. Besides, that's a typical date setting, is it not?" She stood up before waiting for him to answer.

"Well… yes… but this isn't really a date, right?" Touma called after her retreating back. She didn't answer and merely gestured for him to follow. Sighing, he made his way after her, tossing the now empty cup into the trash as he passed. The movie would take a couple hours.

Because their phones were turned off, they weren't notified of the weird file sent to every available computer and mobile device at precisely noon.

With that one weird girl bursting into their class and saying she wanted to take Touma's virginity, you would think nothing else would happen to the rest of his class that day. Especially with him absent.

That wasn't the case.

Lunch had just started and the classroom was about a quarter full. Accelerator had just started digging into his lunch, a bento Last Order pushed on him that day. He had a feeling Bayloupe helped to make sure it wasn't poisoned. It was just another perk of having her around. Being talked into inviting her out was something she really deserved, even if he wouldn't admit something so embarrassing out loud. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was edible. That was enough. Pierce was eating some bread and talking with his mouth full. Accelerator had him tuned out long ago.

His phone beeped and buzzed, letting him know he had a message.

As he pulled it out of his pocket, he frowned. Everyone he could see also simultaneously received a message. His eyes fell back to his phone and opened the message from the anonymous source. He actually expected a virus and the suspicious file downloaded onto his phone only confirmed that. Debating for a moment, he opened it, trusting his antivirus software could handle it. The file was large and he was surprised it managed to get placed on his phone that fast. The only thing he had was a title name for the folder.

Parameter List.

Having no idea what this was, he opened it and discovered more folders with a list of names. Skimming through it, one particular name caught his attention.

Accelerator.

Curiosity now truly aroused, the file was opened immediately. There were a lot of charts, graphs, and other files. This 'Parameter List' wasn't so much a list, but information of some kind. The question was: what was the information for? Out of curiosity, he backpedaled and checked the names for his classmates. They were all there along with similar files. Whatever this information was about, it had been used on all of the students.

Was the city hacked and someone decided to send confidential information? Accelerator thought. Someone at the top is getting fired.

A few of his classmates were talking about the file they received, realizing it had been sent to multiple people. Most just put it away and were continuing their precious conversation. The two idiots across from him were arguing something about the important difference between certain types of animal girls. Important being a relative word there.

Deciding not to get involved with them, Accelerator focused on the leaked information.

There were all sorts of measurements, predicted growth charts, and a variety of other information. The strange thing was that the information was old. The few dates he found were from years ago. There had to be a reason for this. Some of the data was familiar and he remembered seeing some of these charts when he was younger. His intelligence and near perfect memory could recall a great many things. He could memorize complex formulas and graphs almost instantly. Stuff from when he was a kid and didn't pay attention too? That took a little bit of time to remember.

His eyes widened when he finally did.

This is AIM field measurements after my ability was unlocked, He realized. They mentioned data showed I could reach level 5. If that's the case…

All the information suddenly made sense.

There were cost estimates, material lists, time frames in this file. To test his theory, he examined a couple other names he was familiar with. Mikoto, Misaki, Shizuri, namely the other level 5s. The information varied slightly, but the end result seemed to match. He then examined Motoharu, Pierce, and Seiri from his class. The data and information indicated there potential capped much earlier. The costs also appeared to start becoming extravagant at one point, indicating any further experimentation was pointless.

He put the phone away and stared up as most of the class began filing back into the room. His attention been so focused on the data that the lunch break already ended. He had barely touched his food. The actual information about his potential as a level 5 didn't really concern him. He already knew that. Besides, it wasn't like the title of the strongest mattered that much to him anymore. There was only a little girl who needed to see him as the strongest.

No, what was on his mind now was what the city was going to do about this knowledge being released.

Academy City always preached anyone could become a high level with enough hard work. That was the premise of the entire experiment involving ability users. This Parameter List seemed to contradict that assumption. Accelerator deciphered the list easily enough and no one else was as smart as him. Still it was only a matter of time before others began to realize what this list was. Once someone found that out, the information would spread to the entire city like a wildfire. Groups like Skill-Out consisting of level 0s were sure to not take the news well.

Things are going to get hectic.

Kuroko was just leaving her class to meet up with Mikoto for lunch, when her phone buzzed. This wouldn't have been a strange occurrence on its own, but she noticed all the girls around her reaching for theirs too. Maybe one or two, sure. That could be brushed off as a coincidence. Twenty? There was something more. It could be an alert sent by the school. The moment Kuroko read the title, her eyes widened in horror.

Parameter List.

How…?! She remembered her conversation with Jason about that list. This is bad. What's going to happen when everyone finds out?

Delaying her meetup with Mikoto, she dialed Jason frantically.

His phone went straight to voicemail.

"What is going on?" The woman at the front of the class demanded, right before they were about to be released for lunch.

Kazari and Ruiko shared a look as every student in their class received a message on their phone simultaneously. Surprisingly, the teacher received one too. Curiosity prevailing over the topic at hand, nearly everyone was looking at their phone and discussing what was received. Neither Kazari nor Ruiko had any idea what this information was for but they, like so many others, found their names on one of the folders. The information didn't make any sense to them. Everyone else seemed equally confused. No one wanted to give up on the mysterious data though. Whoever sent this to everyone in their class, probably the school at least, had to have had a reason.

Kazari's thoughts on the subject were interrupted by another message.

Hello, Uiharu-san. Sorry to have to call you into work during a school day, but there has been an emergency. Security has been hacked and private information has been released without consent. We need all available personnel to resolve this crisis. Your school has been notified. Please make you way to your office immediately. Thank you, Yuiitsu.

"What's wrong?" Ruiko whispered. "You're all pale."

"This information was hacked," Kazari muttered back, making sure no one else heard her. "I'm being called in to help prevent any more leaks."

"Moving up in the world?" Ruiko gave her an encouraging smile. "Good luck."

Kazari nodded and raised her hand to grab the teacher's attention.

Touma wasn't sure what movie Carissa would choose.

Logic dictated she would choose some kind of action movie. Revolving around military performing some kind of operation seemed likely. There was a small voice in the back of his mind pointing out this was just like some manga he borrowed from his friends. Carissa might want to see a romance comedy because under her cold persona, she was a romantic. Touma actually considered how amusing that would be if that turned out to be the case. It wasn't like he was going to tell her that or even laugh at her. He would like to live a long happy life.

When they got to the theater, Touma found out how very far his guess was.

"Do I want to know how you got tickets for this movie?" Touma asked, after Carissa paid for their tickets with his coupon and money. "Pretty sure we aren't old enough… well, appear old enough."

"I glared at him until he gave in."

Ridiculous as that sounded, Touma did not question the validity of this answer at all,

He just rolled with it.

"A scary movie… Really?"

"Oh? What kind of movies did you think I watched?" Carissa raised an eyebrow and there was a hint of amusement on her face.

"Action movies?" Touma decided not to go with his second guess. Carissa's light hearted laugh told him he was safe for now.

"None of them have any real impact after the things I've seen," She explained. "The best you can hope for is that the special effects are up to snuff. I figured I would watch something I haven't seen. Villian was always such a scaredy-cat and couldn't stand even a little bit of horror. Rimea was just a bore and only watched documentaries."

"Do you want to get any refreshments?" Touma asked, trying to change the subject away from her sisters. The last thing he needed was for her to go on ranting about them. He believed she would eventually reconcile with them if a spark didn't ignite.

Carissa didn't answer and merely walked toward the counter. Touma followed and, to his surprise, she pushed him aside and paid for their popcorn and drinks. When he opened his mouth, a death glare caused all his words to get caught in his throat. They took their seats in silence as they waited for the feature to begin. Being a school day, the theater was empty except for them.

Touma enjoyed the movie. Sure, it was one of those cheesy jump scare horror flicks, but there was some plot involved. Some murderer was terrorizing a town and couldn't be stopped. He was a nutcase who believed he was sacrificing evil people to the devil. His definition included even the smallest infraction, like littering. Symbols carved into his body disfigured him to add impact. He liked to jump out and surprise his victims in the middle of the night.

Carissa kept muttering under her breath and, in all honesty, they were more entertaining than the plot.

"Why doesn't she run? He's dragging a giant chainsaw."

"Cowering in a corner? No wonder she died."

"He was at point blank and you missed!"

Her commentary made the movie more of a comedy than it should have been.

"Who ever made that movie should be shot," Carissa stated firmly the moment they left the theater.

"Come on," Touma protested. "It wasn't that bad."

"I have seen piles of trash more interesting than that," Carissa refuted and then her face softened. "Still, I can't remember the last time I've done something frivolous like that. It was… relaxing."

"You can't work all the time," Touma reminded her. "I tol… mentioned that before. You eventually burn out and make mistakes you normally wouldn't."

"Mmm." Carissa just made a noncommittal hum.

Neither of them were hungry after snacking on a large tub of popcorn and the day was still early. It was only around one in the afternoon. School hadn't even been let out yet. They eventually went back to what they had been doing before. Touma showing her all the spots he and people he knew hung out at. He doubted Carissa really was interested in places like the arcade, but he did his best to show her what a typical high school student did.

District 6 was the recreational district and they spent a good part of the time there. It included all the places students liked to hang out at and have fun, including the amusement park and pools. There were also plenty of research centers they passed where higher levels had regular checkups. Touma, being a level 0, never went to a private one and merely had the regular school-designated ones.

It took up a good part of the day. In all honesty, Touma expected Carissa to complain at some point. Demand to take a taxi or something. Instead she was content with just walking with him. Occasionally asking a question about something or to clarify an explanation. If he asked her a question, he got a lot of teasing responses, much like what happened when he was at her residence in the Dianoid. As the day went on, there was one question he wanted to ask, but kept putting it off.

Why was she really here?

Carissa was the type of girl who never did anything without reason. Sure, she said it was because she had a day off, but there were probably a ton of different things she could do that didn't require all this preparation. Developing magic that could de-age her, adding the difficulty of making it so his hand couldn't negate it, couldn't have been an easy task. She had to get something out of it. At the very least her country. It couldn't be she just wanted to spend time with him.

Could it?

He shook his head and that action drew her attention.

"What are you doing?"

"Clearing my mind."

"Distracted? I suppose that's to be expected when you are accompanied by me." Carissa smirked at him.

"That's kind of the reason." Touma admitted absentmindedly.

The suddenness of this confession actually caused Carissa's footsteps to falter.

This was of course a misunderstanding on both of their parts. Carissa had subtlety implied he was distracted by her looks. The joke had gone over his head because he wasn't concentrating. The fact was the distraction did involve Carissa. It was just her actions rather than appearance. Both of them were confused at the other's reaction, but before either of them could continue, someone else interrupted.

"Look at what we have here. A couple skipping school?"

The awkward atmosphere changed instantly.

Touma turned to see a group of five guys a year or two older than him hanging out at an entrance to an alleyway. Two had cigarettes in their hands which was against Academy City's policies. Smoking was only for adults and restricted to certain places. Since they were all wearing leather jackets, they had to be part of some gang, or at the very least they considered themselves one. Academy City was eighty percent students so there were quite a few delinquents. Those that simple didn't like studying or, more commonly, those that got fed up with being unable to advance in the curriculum and dropped out.

"How about you leave this loser and come hang out with a real man?" This comment came from the larger guy in the back with a Mohawk. He must have thought it made him look cool.

If looks could kill, the glare Carissa was giving would have disintegrated the man on the spot.

He didn't seem to get the message.

"Come on, hot stuff," he continued. "Ditch this loser and hang out with me. I'll show you a time you'll never forget."

Touma's face paled. Not at the thought of losing to Carissa to this guy. It wasn't like they were really dating. No, he was concerned for the guy's wellbeing. This wasn't going to end well if he kept pushing. He glanced over at Carissa, expecting a sharp reply, only to discover her expression relaxed. She was even smiling.

The smile was dark and twisted.

This scared him more than when she was swinging Curtana Original at him.

"Oh?" Carissa raised an eyebrow skeptically and stepped forward. "You seem strong, but are you sure you can handle me?"

"Babe, I'll show you a world you never knew existed."

"That sounds entertaining," Carissa mused, sliding closer. The guy grinned and threw his arm over her shoulder.

"I knew you would see it my way," he said, as his friends whooped in celebration. The guy's eyes then zoomed onto Touma. "Leave if you know what's good for you. This girl's way out of your league."

"Err…" Touma wasn't sure what was happening. There was no way Carissa would go with some random thug off the street. Much less someone dressed from the seventies.

"Didn't you hear him?" Carissa interjected. "He says he can handle me." Her smirk widened slightly and Touma had a bad feeling.

"More than a loser like you ever could," the guy added smugly, sliding his arm down Carissa's back and his hand reaching certain areas.

That was a mistake.

There was a loud crack.

"Ahhh!" The guy screamed in pain as he clutched his wrist. His hand was bent in an odd angle. "That crazy bitch broke my hand!" He fell to his knees in pain.

"You said you could handle me," Carissa pointed out mildly. "Seems you were full of hot air. You can leave my presence unless you all want the same treatment."

The guys were no longer laughing. The boss, still clutching his hand, raised his eyes and his face was contorted with hatred.

"Don't just stand there! Teach them a lesson!"

The guys nodded and regained their senses. It was quite a shock to them. Their boss seemed to be hitting on an attractive girl, taking her away from a boring and plain looking guy, to kneeling with a broken hand. It took a few seconds to process all that. Now that everything sunk in, they rose as one and surrounded Touma and Carissa.

"Why did you go along with them!?" Touma demanded.

"Wanted to see what you would do," Carissa answered. "Well, until he tried to get handsy. No one touches me without permission."

"You're going to pay for that, bitch." One of the guys growled at her, cracking her knuckles.

"No," Carissa replied, a finger on her cheek. "I don't think I will." One of the thugs reached over to grab her shoulder.

Big mistake.

In a sudden twisting motion, the guy was on the ground. There had been a sickening pop and his arm laid limply at his side.

Carissa had dislocated it.

"Bitch!"

One of the other thugs pulled his fist back, but Touma was already moving. He brought his own up and made contact directly into the guy's face. The force of the blow lifted the thug slightly into the air before flying backwards. Not wasting a moment, Touma reached over, grabbed Carissa's wrist, and pulled her after him. He could hear her laughing but went along with him without resistance. The thugs didn't chase them, preferring to check up on their leader.

Once they were safely away, Touma rounded on Carissa.

"Why did you do that?!" He demanded.

"I wanted to see what you would do," Carissa answered. "It wasn't like anything was going to happen, until he tried to grope me that is."

"So you broke his wrist?"

"Sexual assault is a very serious crime."

"You could have just ignored him and left." Touma pointed out.

"I don't take that kind of disrespect and let it pass," Carissa replied with a sniff. "You should know that better than anyone. Shouldn't those brats be in school anyways?"

"There are a fair number of delinquents who skip school," Touma explained.

"Like you?" Carissa hummed in amusement.

"Y-you're the one who forced me!" Touma protested. "I don't try to skip school unless I'm in the hospital or halfway across the world trying to save someone."

"It's easy to come up with excuses to skip school," Carissa mocked.

"…I can't win with you, can I?"

"That's not entirely the case." Touma glanced up in surprise. Her expression still indicated amusement, but there was something more to her smirk. "You have surprised me, in a positive way."

"Thanks?"

"Not many people can say that." Carissa continued. "The biggest surprise is that you can talk so easily to me like this. Ignoring simple manners, you're using familiar speech."

"Ah!" Touma just realized he was doing that. "You look like someone my age now, so it just came out."

"So you're uncomfortable around me when I'm older?" Carissa's seemed to be measuring his reaction with her stare.

"W-what?! No. It's just when someone's older, you're supposed to treat them with respect. That's not even counting your position. I'm just a high school student and you're a princess. I should be bowing or something, right?"

"Only during the original meeting," Carissa corrected him. "After that, it's just formal speech. Something you still have failed to do…" Her eyes never left his face and he grinned sheepishly. "…but I have overlooked that after everything you have done." She checked her phone and sent a short message. "However, when in the public eye you need to address me with respect during certain occasions. Understand?"

"Y-yes." Her words then sunk in. "Wait, what occasions?"

Carissa shrugged as a black limo pulled by them.

"You'll see," She told him mysteriously. "My ride's here though and I must be going. My schedule will be a nightmare if I'm gone much longer. I can only be out of the public eye for so long."

"Er… should I expect to see you again before you leave Japan?"

The question was innocent enough. After nearly having a heart attack when she showed up at his school, a little warning would be nice. If he could have at least a few hours' notice, that would be enough for him.

He really should have chosen his words better.

"Going to miss me?" Carissa teased. "Most people wouldn't get any alone time with me, much less a date."

"I-I just want to be able to plan something if you are." Touma countered, trying to not let her know she was getting to him. "Walking around like this is hardly something befitting a princess."

"True." She placed a finger on her cheek, as she stood outside the limo. "It wasn't unpleasant though. I will take your request under advisement and try to give you notice. That way you can at least procure a suit for when you go out with me."

"Out with you?" Touma repeated as he gaped at her.

"I'm not one to let someone else dictate every date," Carissa explained. "So next one will be my choice."

"W-what do you mean by date?!" That made of been implied by her early on, but Touma was sure it was just her way of messing with him.

"Oh?" Carissa looked at him like she wasn't sure if he was being serious or not. "I thought I was pretty upfront with you about that."

"Nope, not falling for it." Touma shook his head. He had been on the receiving end one too many times. There was no way this was real. "This is your way of getting back at me. I know you don't mean this. Your mom may be willing to consider this, but there is no way you would want someone like me."

Carissa scowled.

Little known fact, she hated other people telling her what she wanted.

Seriously, it annoyed her.

If she had been herself, this next part would never have happened. They were in the middle of a street, relatively separated from the nearest onlooker, and only the driver would really see anything. There was an action she had at her disposal that would not only convey feelings but also display dominance. Carissa was ready to do both. She stepped over to him, grabbed his shoulder, and pulled him toward her.

Her lips landed on his.

Touma struggled for a moment, his eyes stuck in an expression of shock until Carissa broke contact. He stared at her, his mouth hanging partially open as his brain desperately tried to process what happened. Carissa laughed internally as she slipped into the limo, preferring to open it herself than waiting for the chauffeur. Before the doors closed, she left him with a parting message.

"Make sure to let your friends know their position."

The door closed automatically and her chauffeur sped off.

Once they were a block away, he spoke.

"Did you see what you had to see?"

"That… and more." Carissa crossed her arms. "He's more complicated than I gave him credit for, yet he's still a child in many ways. My mother was right. He really is the best candidate. His discipline and resourcefulness surpasses most of the men under my command. Given a few years, I don't doubt he could easily make a name for himself in England's military."

"Will he follow you willingly or will you drag him with you?"

"Force will not work here." Carissa glanced out the window. "No, it will take more than that. Right now, I showed a side of myself I don't really like others to see. He should realize that. It will fester within him and his curiosity will grow. There is a chance he will reach out to me. If not… then I will drag him into my world. I need to get him in limelight without things getting problematic."

"Did you tell him about last night?"

"He already knew," Carissa muttered back. "I shouldn't be surprised really. He always gets involved in things he really doesn't need to." A finger tapped on her leg. "I didn't tell him everything and merely mentioned it would take time to analyze. He provided me with information I was unaware of, though he wasn't involved in what occurred at ground zero."

"Shouldn't he be aware of the situation?" The chauffeur asked. "His hand might be essential to discovering what exactly happened to the Saint."

"There is also a very real possibility of his hand erasing all magical traces." Carissa countered. "Until we are absolutely sure that's required, he will remain ignorant. The second he finds out is the moment he will force his way into everything. The Saint is important to him and the Index Librorum Prohibitorum. Besides, it's not like anyone would recognize what became of her." She sighed. "Someone who can use God's Judgment, huh? I want to say it's Eve… however my instincts says otherwise."

"You never explained why you think so."

"Eve wouldn't remove her traces from the crime scene," Carissa explained. "This person… did so in a way we can't pin them down. Someone that is much more methodical and that's worrisome. Eve will slip up at some point and that is when we strike."

"Should I let the Queen know about your decision with the boy then?" The chauffeur never did turn around, but his eyes flickered to the rearview mirror.

"…Yes." That one word took a lot more effort than she would have liked. Admitting this would mean her mother was right. Her mouth felt like she had just sucked on a lemon. "Also schedule a free evening a day or two before I have to leave Japan."

"Yes, ma'am. Any specific reservations?"

"I swear if I hear any rumors about what I'm planning…" Carissa let the threat hang open. An active imagination would keep him in line.

"Of course. I serve you first."

It took a few more minutes for Touma to regain his senses.

What is haaaaappppeeennniiiinnnngggg!

He received a kiss from one of the last people he ever expected. It came out of nowhere. Shizuri did it once like that, but it was designed to antagonize Mikoto and Misaki. Still, the strong willed princess who never really showed any kind of romantic tendencies did so. This didn't make sense to him. The Queen was the only who tried to force him on her daughter. He was sure it would blow over at some point. Not get more complicated. Carissa was the kind of woman who should never have fallen for a random high school boy.

I will never understand women.

This was probably the closest he ever came to knowing how the world worked.

This was something he should have considered, but there was another pressing matter. School would be ending soon and that meant Mikoto and Misaki would be heading to his place. If Itsuwa and Leivinia managed to keep their end of the deal, the apartment should be empty. That meant the three of them could talk in private. Touma wasn't sure what all this talk would entail.

The only thing he was sure of was how awkward it would be.

How do you even start that conversation? He thought to himself, as his feet made their way automatically back home. Hey, Misaki! Hey, Mikoto! You know that harem plan you had? Let's do it! He laughed sarcastically. Like it will be that easy. The only upside is Misaki seems to understand how weird this is for me and Mikoto. She will be patient… hopefully. He glanced up at the sky. Should I prepare something for them? Dinner? Just a snack? Drinks? What kind of welcome is best for 'Let's make a harem' talk.

He kept considering options the entire walk back.

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. Remember, all mistakes are SilverFang's fault.

Chapter is a little shorter than previous ones because it was a good stopping point. Next chapter will really go into details about the talk and possibly future of a harem. As you know, or should know, Harems don't just happen. (Like so many other stories.) There are issues that need to be worked out.

SF88: Fuck you Dark, get Mugino back in the limelight you filthy cuck.

DB: No, she dies next.