I'm sorry for the really long delay. Everything that could happen in real like to delay my writing occurred. It definitely wasn't because of WoW Classic. Definitely not. Other stuff was the main cause. Then all my betas just disappeared from discord without a word and that delayed everything another couple weeks. The good thing is I started working on other stories while waiting for this to get done, so hopefully I be updating a couple times soon on some other works. I'm wrapping plot up before the big events. The arc coming up is going to be 'The Longest Weekend' so that should give you an idea. Well, I've kept people waiting for too long so let's get the comments out of the way and then to the story. Thank you for all my readers who made it this far and have been patient.
(Have some new volunteers for betaing, so I'm sorry if this chapter is a little rougher.)
D. : Probably not. Just because she doesn't like someone, doesn't mean she has to kill them. If they interfere with her plans, she would be more inclined. The deal must never see the light of day. The world can't take it.
ARandomFanfictionAuthor: There's going to be a World War. Probably won't focus on the harem unless someone kidnaps him.
Unbreakable Dark Yuri Eberwein: It's kind of interesting to try to see things from other perspectives. While the church sees an action by God as right, someone else could see it as wrong. That's all I really did. Tweak perspective a little when I wrote that. Eve, Othinus, and Snuggle-chan had a talk already. Touma's going to have to do a lot of punching.
: I need 110%.
Grendel3130: Well, it's not like people can't bring back the dead. I kind of have plans for her being taken out though.
Anti-Mage 29: Huh. Yeah, that sounds right. I have a feeling you aren't a big fan of Jason. Too many magic gods can cause issues for plot. I had to get rid of someone. Plus, as an OC, she was easier to get rid of.
RedK-1234: (That's not because I happen to know a bit about them. It's just her preference.) Hmm, there would have to be a reason. Why would Eve betray him? The Academy City war will be the start of the downfall for everyone. When Academy City's security fails, it lets the other groups run free.
Touman: Immortally is a curse. Never wish for it. An extended life would be great, but at some point you would grow tired of it. So many stories dictate that.
BlueJack22: The life of a teenager. World is always going to hell and you grow through surviving puberty.
The crack shipping guy: About time Touma got punched. He wasn't living his life correctly. Who knows? Half the time Eve's random teasing are just for fun. Poor SIlverFang. Just disappeared without a word.
ReyKingKaiser: Silently sips my drink while laughing. If Aogami is indeed the number 6, it makes sense.
The Wolf Paladin: Canon Touma would try to find a way to remove her curse. Or try to teacher her theirs still reasons to live. Eve sure tells the truth a lot. It's nice of her. Low level ability users are easier to beat than higher ones. Though, the fact that they are grouping together foreshadows how the next few chapters are going to go. You're getting close, but it's a little off.
Guest: Not yet at least. There's a chance he will still have to face a magic god who won't pull punches. Yeah. You bring up a good point. Time to put him through hell.
general ironox: Such misfortune.
vampireharry the 2: Thanks. Huh, weren't you just vampireharry for a while?
mervinr170: Aogami can't have a normal relationship.
Primo104: Not sure I'm going to deal with mathers and Coronzon. I developed this story before they were released. Aiwass has showed up and Eve knows about True Gremlin.
Aminadab Brulle: I'm not positive, but I think you are a fan of Jason and want him to win? Pretty sure that's what you want. I agree. He's pretty great. Church of Skirt Flipping shall come into play some day. With the second uprising triggering distracting Anti-Skill and destroying parts of the city, what will Othinus do? "Kami the Harem King delivered the touch of his Bisexual Fist to A Certain Esper-Magician Hybrid." This line made me laugh soooo much. I think they were referring to a serious one because the original one was just for him being an idiot.
SoulReaver267: Not yet, but soon. Accelerator's a guy, of course he's going to notice. I get drunk and do things and deal with the aftermath when I'm sober. I don't remember killing Kaori. It was probably a plot device. Poor Kazari. It was just a little tentacle.
Herox100: Seems reasonable. Touma Kamijou gets a stipend and Kami gets a different one. Maybe Jason invested it in condoms for Touma later.
Master Knight Trolling: Touma may have to settle WWIII. Adam was probably the best person to fight him. He knew how to defeat Touma because he faced heroes before.
Mr. X: 1) Only Ruiko Saten is important. Everyone else is just there. 2) It's getting close. 3) He's around and we keep trying to get him to pick up writing again.
GunsAndMagic: I try. When I started writing this, I promised myself I would make a long entertaining story with plot that I would finish. There have been times I've stalled, but I keep pushing forward. When you enjoy something, it tends to be easy. You can't have good plot without problems or dark conflicts.
Rajarshi Sarkar: About time. It won't fall to outside influences, but from a civil war inside. Touma gets angry plenty, but he never lets it consume him. Just because he's upset at someone, doesn't mean he would enjoy hurting them. Soon, Jason's identity will be revealed. I know who will find out first and there will be a fun fight. Accelerator speaks bad of Touma too, except when he has to. I'm not a professional. Some plots I may have decided not to do for others or may have just forgotten. Some are still in the works.
Agent Nine: When I started, it was originally supposed to be used for comic relief. However, over time, it just seemed like something kids their age would try. It opens up new comedic opportunities and closes others. It's also a good plot device. Again, they could decide the harem doesn't work and he goes with another girl. Soon the story is going to be pure action, so you should be happy.
Sora: I will do something to trigger that character development. I just don't want to copy and paste from the LNs. Eve would be watching it like a movie.
Sergio644: Obviously Eve and Adam will be reincarnated one last time as his kids. (Heh, this was actually an idea I considered at one point.) Poor Snuggle-chan. She will be missed.
Generation Zero: I feel people are reading a little too much into Eve and Pierce's date. It had a small purpose and I wasn't necessarily planning to make it a huge deal. (Mostly for comedy.) Everyone likes orbital base lasers. It's a guy thing, like drills. The girl who dumped him was a character created by SilverFang and a few people recognized her. It was part of the fun and the way that character reacts normally. Actually, Pierce is one of the most honest people it seems. He doesn't hide who he is and seems to be honest about his intentions and likes.
I wanted to have a nice group date before we got back to all the action. Things are just going downhill from here for our heroes. Accelerator development has always been one of my favorite things to write. His words aren't important, but his actions and thoughts. Touma… he's been thrown into the deep end without a life vest. Learn to swim or drown. One or the other.
That debate was an interesting scene to write. I simply tried to look at it from the other side. Different perspectives on the same event can very drastically. However, as the LNs have said, Magic Gods created the myths of other gods. Othinus made the legend of Odin. You seemed to have touched on something important. God's Judgment affected a Saint, who is supposed to resemble the Son of God. What does that really mean?
Aiwass actually appeared twice. I'm sure he's going to show up at least once more. Corazon won't make an appearance. I developed this story before she was revealed. For now, Aleister has a lot of good counters toward magic users, including angels. Maybe even the Anti-AIM wavelength used against Cain. I'm sure Aleister has some defenses to use against angels. Heh, no idea what happened to Sogiita, probably off training.
The Academy City war is about to start again. The Parameter list is going to destabilize the entire city. The city did say hard work would allow people to advance, then they find out they can't. Othinus and Eve will be ready. The Longest Weekend is coming up.
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.
"Not so fun to be on the receiving end, is it?" Jason commented as he, Accelerator, and Motoharu watched Touma rub the bruise on his cheek.
"Maybe next time you shouldn't try to steal someone's girlfriend." Motoharu added, completely serious.
"You know that didn't happen!" Touma protested.
"That's not what we were told." Accelerator replied, looking amused.
Pierce had wasted no time in running off to tell the others about Touma trying to get Eve to join his harem. Naturally, no one really believed him. There was no way he would do anything with Eve after all that's happened.
But pretending for entertainment value?
They would never pass it up.
"So what did happen?" Bayloupe asked the other girls.
"Eve just told Aogami-san a lie and got him to overreact." Misaki replied. Despite her light tone, she was glaring at Pierce. While he was technically a victim of Eve's prank, he had punched her boyfriend. If he wasn't Touma's friend, he would have been punished severely.
"Reaction was about what we expected." Mikoto added with a sigh and rubbed her forehead with her hand. "We know they tend to hit each other a lot. Boys are so stupid."
"Didn't you use to try to electrocute people if they bothered you?" Misaki asked lightly.
"T-that was completely different."
"A punch strong enough to leave a bruise did seem like a little bit of an overreaction." Kazari pointed out.
"For them, I think it was pretty normal." Kuroko replied.
"What happened to Hamazura-san and Takitsubo-san?" Ruiko asked, looking around. "Everyone else is here."
"They had to leave early," Saiai answered. "Hamazura was super vague about it, but he probably wants to get Takitsubo alone."
Several of the girls flushed slightly.
"It was a fun trip though," Maika said. "I don't normally get a chance to go out with my brother. Our schedules are usually pretty different."
"It was kind of nice," Kazari admitted. "With my new job, school, and part-time Judgment duties, I don't have a lot of free time anymore."
"She gets back to the dorm and passes out half the time," Ruiko agreed. "It's become an issue."
"Is it because she's not getting her homework done?" Mikoto asked.
"She's not getting it done soon enough so I can copy it."
"Saten-san!" Kazari cried out.
"Of course." Kuroko sighed.
"I'm sometimes glad Tokiwadai doesn't give us homework." Misaki whispered to Mikoto.
"I don't know," Mikoto mused. "It seems interesting enough sometimes."
"It's not." Assured Ruiko.
"You're just never satisfied, are you Kami-yan?" Pierce said. "Why would Eve joke around with joining your harem if you didn't mention it?"
"Good question." Jason agreed, earning a glare from Touma.
"From the fact that the damn hero seems to have girls around him constantly, it seems likely." Accelerator added.
"Lies and slander!" Touma protested.
"Imagine if he started trying to steal Accelerator or Kagere's girls, we would have a civil war." Motoharu stated.
"Pssh." Accelerator rolled his eyes. "I had to deal with a bunch of losers gawking and trying to start up a conversation with them all day. If you assholes start that shit now, I'm bailing."
"Careful, or Kami-yan will steal them away from you." Pierce warned.
"Not likely." Saiai scoffed.
"It's not like a simple compliment is going to make me fall for someone." Bayloupe muttered, rolling her eyes.
"You sure?" Jason asked, scooting towards her. "Because that's a very, very nice shirt."
Everyone just stared at him.
"I…Why have I never seen you before?" Bayloupe pretended to swoon dramatically with the back of her hand on her forehead. "Take me back to your place."
"That's it. I'm leaving." Accelerator turned and marched toward the exit. He wasn't going to go far. He just needed to be away from the idiots around him. Saiai and Bayloupe would be perfectly willing to help plan what to do with Eve.
"That's my cue." Saiai rushed after him.
"Maybe I laid it on a little thick," Bayloupe muttered to herself before turning to the others. "Nice seeing you all again."
"Nice to see you too, Bayloupe." Mikoto replied. Most of the other girls said goodbye to Bayloupe too, but Kuroko walked over to Jason.
And promptly smacked him in the back of the head.
"Idiot."
"Worth it." He replied.
"I feel like I may have done something bad." Eve muttered, pretending to be a meek new girl.
You think? All the girls except Maika thought.
"Come on," Pierce said to Eve, holding out his arm. "Let's go enjoy the rest of the evening."
"Such a gentleman." Eve giggled before giving everyone a small wave. "It was nice to meet you all again. I do expect I'll see you all again really soon."
Her words sent a shiver down their spines.
Pierce didn't notice, as he was too focused on the girl hanging onto his arm.
"Assholes," Touma muttered to the guys next to him. "We should have been focusing on Eve, not you having fun at my expense."
"She wasn't doing anything and you know what the city told me." Jason grumbled. "If we started trouble, they might have given the order to isolate the level 5s. Disregarding Accelerator and Mugino's violent reaction to that news, you wouldn't want to lose Misaka-san and Shokuhou-san right after you finally decided to date them officially."
"No." Touma relented. "I suppose not."
He felt a weight as Misaki hugged him from behind.
"See, I knew you would appreciate this." She told him.
"This is too sweet for me," Motoharu declared. "I'm going to take Maika home. I'll see you guys at school tomorrow."
"Bye!" Maika said to everyone. "It was fun. Let's do this again sometime."
"So are we really not going to do anything about Eve?" Mikoto asked.
"Hmm…" Jason rubbed his chin. "About the only thing I could do is spy on her. Though, I'm sure the city is watching me to make sure I'm not trying to antagonize her. Plus, I doubt sneaking up on her is even possible."
"What would happen if the city catches you?" Kazari asked.
"I'll probably be stuck in a lab working on something boring." Jason answered with a casual shrug. "Wouldn't be able to come to class and I doubt you would see me much."
"Then don't do that," Kuroko told him and grabbed his arm. "You can think of a better plan, right?"
"Depends who's monitoring me in all honesty."
A certain dog would cut him off at every opportunity.
When the two remaining groups were out of the aquarium, Misaki nudged Touma in the side.
"I have some news on Eve," Touma suddenly said, causing Jason, Kuroko, and Kazari to turn to him. "We," he gestured to his group, "ran into Eve and Aogami alone and I managed to talk to her. She seemed… willing to share some information. I don't know if she's telling the truth or not, but I wanted to pass on the information. I couldn't do that with Aogami and Maika there. Whoever sees Accelerator next can relay this information and I plan to tell Tsuchimikado next time I see him."
He had to explain a little bit more backstory, including about Julunggul's appearance, though he deliberately skipped over the part of what she oversaw. Misaki and Mikoto knew about her now, but the others didn't. Then he went on to explain about Eve's conversation, including God's Judgment being used. The issue was about who it was used on.
"You're telling us," Jason repeated. "That a magic god followed you into Academy City for fun and was destroyed either by Eve or someone else?"
"Pretty much," Touma said, making a fist with his right hand. "Eve implied the attack was used on Kanzaki instead of Julunggul. There's only one person who would know more and I'm planning to visit her tonight." He gritted his teeth. "Carissa's forces were supposed to be on the scene."
"So you think that she covered up Kanzaki-san's disappearance?" Kuroko asked. "Could she have done that to avoid a panic?"
"That or research Eve's power." Jason added.
"I'm going with you," Mikoto declared suddenly, staring at Touma.
"Huh, why?" He asked.
"First, I'm tired of getting all this information second hand. I want to hear it straight from her. Also, I don't trust her. She's shown to be conniving and I want to make sure she's not trying anything."
"Would you be able to recognize her plan?" Misaki asked, slightly amused. "I think I would be better suited to detecting them. If Misaka is going, I'm going too."
"You two don't have—"
"No arguing." Mikoto told him, sparking a little as she slammed her hand over his mouth. "Not this time. We are going." Touma stared into her determined eyes and slowly nodded. "Good." She removed her hand.
"And that's how you be aggressive with him besides shooting electricity at him." Misaki complimented.
"I'm that bad, aren't I?"
"Not as much anymore." Mikoto assured him.
"I suppose I could try to see if the city has any information that I didn't hear about," Jason mused. "Let's say Kanzaki-san was hit by God's Judgment. The question then becomes, "who killed a magic god?" I don't know anyone capable of that. Even if she was weakened as you said, she should still have the power to escape."
"Do you need help?" Kazari asked.
"I think the only help you could offer would be if you hacked Academy City's database and that would lead to you getting arrested," Jason replied, putting an arm around her waist. "Try to avoid that."
"I-I wouldn't get caught." Kazari stammered and everyone around her snickered. That was probably true, but the fact she said that out loud showed she had been changed from her normally quiet self.
"I think we are a bad influence on you." Kuroko stated.
"Oh, you are." Kazari told her and they both laughed.
"I think I might just be a burden if I go with you," Ruiko muttered and glanced at the ground as she rubbed it with her foot. "So I'll probably just head back to the dorm."
Touma wasn't sure how to respond to that. Ruiko was no doubt the most normal out of everyone there. While her ability had increased over time, there was no questioning that her power wasn't high enough to deal with someone like Eve or Carissa. He didn't want to tell her that because he did consider her an important friend and one valuable to their group. Putting those feelings into words was an entirely different matter.
Help came as both Mikoto and Misaki nudged him in the side. While they could have given a pep talk to Ruiko, it was obvious Touma would be more effective for her. Growing bold from those two's push, Touma stepped up to her and wrapped his arms around her in a hug.
"A-Ah!" Ruiko squeaked in surprise. "W-what are you doing?"
"Listen," Touma whispered to her. "We all have things we are good at. Just because someone can't do anything, doesn't mean they are useless in any way. I promise to let you know what happened, but you know what the princess is like. If things get heated, there could be some fireworks."
"I know," Ruiko muttered as her head laid against his chest. "I'll keep working on getting stronger so I can be the one to help you."
"You did that once back in England." Touma reminded her quietly.
"Mmm." She murmured happily.
"I get the next hug," Misaki huffed to Mikoto.
"Uh-huh."
"He's gotten a lot smoother with girls than when we first met." Jason commented to the others.
"Well, he's been spending a lot more time with them," Kazari pointed out. "It's not as awkward."
"As long as he doesn't shove his foot in his mouth," Kuroko added. "Shokuhou-san seems to be good with translating what he really means and Onee-sama gives him a moment to explain now."
"Not shocking him immediately?" Jason asked.
"Now he actually has to deserve it." Kazari had to stifle a giggle at Kuroko's words.
Their conversation jolted Touma and Ruiko out of their own little world as they broke the hug. Both of them looked slightly embarrassed. Misaki giggled and Mikoto bit the corner of her lip.
"Er… well." Touma rubbed the back of his head.
"Should we go see the princess now?" Misaki suggested. All lightness disappeared from her tone. There was a time to joke and have fun, and then there was a time to be serious.
"Yeah." Touma agreed. "I need to know if she really was hiding the fact Kanzaki was attacked from us."
This was one of those times.
"We will back you up the entire time," Mikoto said. "I may not know her as well as you do, but she's helped us out plenty of times before."
Touma took a deep breath.
"This isn't going to be easy."
"Nothing ever is." Mikoto and Misaki said in unison.
"I'm going to go back with Saten-san," Kazari informed Jason and Kuroko. "Let me know if you find out anything or need my help."
"Okay," Jason replied and kissed her on the cheek. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"Pretty sure that's the opposite of not getting in trouble." Kuroko pointed out, causing Jason to grin.
"I'll make sure Saten-san doesn't get into trouble." Kazari promised.
"Hey!" Said girl protested and then grinned. "Punishment time!" She reached down and flipped Kazari's skirt.
"Saten-ssssaaaannn!" She started wailing at Ruiko as her friend laughed.
"Good luck," Jason said to Touma. "Let us know how bad it goes."
"You mean well?" Touma asked and received a raised eyebrow in return. "No, I know. The best we can hope for is unwilling compliance."
"I don't know," Misaki mused. "I'm pretty good at persuasion."
"Way too good if you ask me." Mikoto muttered, which only increased Misaki's amusement.
"I'll let you know what we discover," Touma said to Jason while grabbing Mikoto and Misaki's shoulders. "Come on, you two. If we don't hurry, you two might not be able to make curfew."
"That… would be bad." Mikoto admitted and then her face grew stony. "I want to talk to the princess too. Keeping something like this from us… what is she thinking?"
"Probably something along the lines of natural security," Kuroko answered. "Anti-Skill does something similar whenever they don't want to tell Judgment anything."
"Well, she's going to tell us whether she wants to or not." Touma growled and turned around. Mikoto and Misaki looked at each other worriedly before following him.
"We… should get going too." Ruiko finally found her voice when those three were out of earshot.
"O…Okay." Kazari agreed.
"I feel like things are just starting to get hectic." Jason sighed into his hand once Kazari and Ruiko had gone.
Kuroko patted him on the back.
"Thanks." He muttered.
"Make sure whatever free time you do scrape together goes to Uiharu and me." Kuroko told him. As Jason turned to her, she hugged him. "We had to go through our own troubles, so don't take that away."
"That's…are you grabbing my butt?"
"Girlfriend privilege."
"Isn't the boy supposed to grab the butt?"
"Then why don't you?" She grinned at him before teleporting in the distance. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."
With one final wave before teleporting again, the street was quiet. Jason turned and headed toward the center of Academy City. He had a few things he needed to take care of that night, along with getting a report from Noukan. Two things were bothering him. The first is the device Noukan used to kill that female magic god. She had been completely outside of his prediction and without assistance, he would have been a goner.
So the A.A.A. plans we found was for that? The city actually designed a weapon capable of killing a magic god? It has to be that missing piece in the plans. There's a connection of some kind that's missing. At least we have all the materials needed at our disposal. Dark Matter is really useful. Then there's what Touma said Eve told him.
Eve had nearly given away his identity.
What the hell is her game? I worked so hard to blame Ricane for everything. Now they will be on the lookout for another spy. Why couldn't she have just taken credit for taking down Kanzaki? It's like she wanted to blow my cover. Damn it. Maybe she gains something from that. I just have to hold off a little longer. Once she gets that wing, I don't need to stay here. Everything is in place.
After all, he still had the urn.
"Why do I have to travel all over the city?" Shizuri muttered angrily to her phone, as she sat on a bus heading to another district. "Dressed up like this too. I feel like I'm trying to interview for an office meeting."
She might have looked out of place most of the time. Instead of one of her fashionable outfits, she was wearing a black pencil skirt suit with a white under wrap over her chest to make the outfit modest. She was also wearing heels. Anyone who saw her would think she was going to a job or interview. Normally, this would be really annoying and her tastes in clothes would usually steer clear from this design. There was one reason why she was dressed like this.
"As I explained before," FERRET answered patiently, using a wireless earplug to communicate to Shizuri. "This next district contains mostly businesses and apartments designed for business class. If you don't want to be noticed immediately, you need to blend in. When the time comes to scan the Dianoid, feel free to dress in your normal provocative sense."
"Provocative my ass."
Shizuri dressed fashionable, not like a slut.
The important bit of information FERRET provided was the scanning. Without that, she would have destroyed that artificial piece of crap.
Scanning, or more precisely, recording and documenting of magical signatures: FERRET had the capability of detecting nearby mana signatures. Any magician who could use magic would be detected. Of course, concealment spells would make detecting mana more difficult, but FERRET was an interesting thing Shizuri found out. Even using concealment left traces of mana that would normally be too weak for other magicians to detect. Not the same for FERRET. This AI could scan the air for even the slightest traces of recent activity. A large hideout hidden with magic would be detected from over a block away. When Shizuri found this out, she knew what they had to do.
Start looking for Eve's base.
Eve may pop in and out of view constantly, but Shizuri was sure she was in the city for two reasons. The first reason was that her objective was here. That alone would normally be enough to suspect her staying here. She could hardly steal the wing from the other side of the world. The other reason was the amount of times she kept appearing before them. She wanted them to do something and Shizuri was sure there was something she was missing that would lead her to the answer. If they kept being reactive, they might never find out what.
FERRET appearing on her phone was the only tool Shizuri had that Eve might not be aware of.
She still didn't trust the AI. It had worked for Ricane who had caused her some headaches, along with sending out the Parameter List. It was pretty astonishing how much FERRET would tell her to keep operating. Self-preservation really did exist in that machine. Its ability to hack into even Academy City's top security actually impressed Shizuri. The city boasted about having the highest grade of cybersecurity and with the number of people trying to breach from other countries, it was a bold claim that had been proven time and time again.
"So I have to walk around here for a while?" Shizuri clarified. "Just like before?"
"I had you walk among your friends' residences beforehand to be able to filter out their mana signatures," FERRET answered. "I will be able to detect any mana traces belonging to other magicians."
"But not who they are without visual identification. Also, they aren't friends. We just have a similar goal of finding Eve."
"My databanks were lost when you decided to run wild in the lab."
"Eh." Shizuri shrugged. "Shit happens."
The first thing FERRET had Shizuri do was visit the other residences of known magicians. She stopped by Accelerator's, Touma's, and Jason's so that FERRET could identify the magical signatures of their residents. Funny enough, she found out one of Touma's classmates, Motoharu was a magician. Ex-magician now because of the ability curriculum, but that was important information she wasn't informed of. Now, they were going out hunting new magicians. If they were harmless, Shizuri wasn't going to waste time with them. Only threats were going to be dealt with.
"Two signatures detected! Three o'clock."
FERRET's voice reverberated through her earpiece.
Shizuri immediately slowed down and veered in that direction. The trick was not to act suspicious. That meant no being overly eager or trying to hide and spy on people. You had to act like you belonged. It wasn't late yet and plenty of people were leaving work or grabbing dinner. She had plenty of time to investigate. It turned out the signatures were coming from a small restaurant that Shizuri walked into. Looking around, no one immediately looked out of place. It would have been impossible for her to tell if someone was a magician or not.
That's why she needed FERRET.
"Booth in the corner."
Shizuri's eyes traveled to where FERRET mentioned and saw two males, around her age. Both were rather unassuming. They were the typical type she would normally never even acknowledge existed. Instead, this time, she ordered a drink and sat down two places over. The place wasn't busy, but she didn't want to draw attention. This way she was close enough to overhear if she concentrated, but far enough away to remain unnoticed.
"So?" Shizuri mumbled. "Enemies or not?"
"I highly doubt they belong to Eve," FERRET responded. "Their magical signature is not refined enough to be considered experienced. However, they could be pawns who are being used."
"True." Shizuri admitted.
Her eyes darted toward the two boys and she focused on their words.
"…find her?"
"She isn't hiding so we just have to follow the rumors."
"Doesn't the city just kick us out if they find us? It took all our skills just to slip in."
"They can't detect our illusions. We just have to avoid crowds and we can pinpoint her location."
Shizuri sipped her drink as she listened.
Could they be referring to Eve? Talking about such things without code is stupid though. Obviously these two are amateurs. The city's going to find them soon enough if they keep this up.
"So this girl is supposed to be the next Saint, right?"
"I heard she purified a Saint controlled by a powerful necromancer. Who else could do so?"
"Yeah… but could those reports be wrong?"
"Why do you say that now?"
"Right before we entered, someone said they saw her flipping skirts. That doesn't seem saintly."
"Might be a ritual we don't know about." The guy shrugged. "I'm not about to question every action of a Saint. Our goal is just to find her and shake her hand. Touching a Saint is supposed to bring you great luck."
"If it doesn't we just leave and no one is the wiser?"
"Yep. No need in trying to get the science side mad at us."
Shizuri quickly finished her drink, threw some money on the table, and left the restaurant. It took all her control not to storm out. Once she was away from other people, she could finally vent.
"What a fucking waste of time!" She growled. "Can't you scan better so we can ignore these losers? The garbage they were spewing was a dead giveaway they have no idea what's going on."
"My sensors are limited in your phone," FERRET shot back. "Unless you were to develop a more powerful device I could inhabit, we are both stuck with that is available. Demanding something I cannot provide is a waste of time and there is no benefit."
"I…ah…Grr!" Shizuri kicked the side of the building. She hated admitting it, but FERRET was right. There was no way she was going to give that machine a new body though. Far too dangerous in case it tried to betray her. "Let's just get back to work before I decide to smash you against the sidewalk."
"We both know you won't do that. I provide a service you require."
A vein in Shizuri's temple throbbed.
Time passed slowly. Shizuri had to walk along the base of every building, including slipping into alleyways. Eve's group had shown they can create portals, so the odds they were using an actual apartment was miniscule. They most likely chose a vacant location and just up an entranceway there. The closer Shizuri could get, the higher chance FERRET could detect it. Besides a few guys trying to hit on her, she had been left relatively alone. There were only a couple broken fingers and no one died because of it.
Touma would be proud of her.
"Stop."
FERRET suddenly spoke in a serious tone.
"Find another useless magician?" Shizuri asked.
"There's a mana trail nearby. It's faint and was disguised, but the intensity is impossible to hide completely."
"Intensity?" Shizuri's eyes lit up. "So it's not a normal magician then?"
"No… but I warn you, Mugino. Be careful." FERRET's image on the screen was not smiling. "There is something off about this."
"Might be a trap then," Shizuri muttered. "They want to see if we can track them." She looked around. "Can you show me the trail on a map?"
"Certainly."
Her phone swapped from FERRET's face to a mini-map of the city. A red trail continued from near her location, but eventually stopped. That range was the limit of FERRET's sensors. It wasn't very long though, only about fifty meters.
"We follow it, but not directly. I'm taking the scenic route. If anyone spots me, it will look like I'm doing other things."
"Excellent plan," FERRET agreed. "I will keep a lookout and notify you if anything approaches."
Already more useful than Frenda, Shizuri thought.
She moved in the direction FERRET indicated, but made sure to stop by windows of a couple shops and restaurants she passed. If anyone noticed her, they would just see a young businesswoman shopping. Her guard was never let down, even with FERRET watching. About fifteen minutes later, she stood by a building next to a larger apartment building where FERRET detected the magician at.
"Let's see," Shizuri mused. "Should I go in the front or try to get a better vantage point?"
"Going through the front would be suicidal and a strategy far below someone of your caliber," FERRET told her. "For suggesting that, I must reevaluate your intelligence."
"I was being sarcastic you piece of junk." Shizuri snapped. "Tell me, can you at least tell which floor the magician is on?"
"Fourth, south side."
"Then we find a building overlooking that side instead." Shizuri walked down an alleyway and turned on the street behind the apartment building. "There's a complex still open. Should be easy enough to go in. There's no security."
Shizuri's prediction had been right. It was late enough that most people were gone and because she looked professional, no one bothered to stop her. She took the stairs to the roof and then leaned up against the ledge overlooking the magician's base.
"There's a light on." Shizuri stated.
"No sign of any spells being cast, but there is a defensive ward around the glass," FERRET informed her. "Odds of it absorbing a normal attack of yours, 90%. Odds of it absorbing one of your charged attacks, 15%."
"One day I'm going to double-check the math and see if you aren't trying to just bullshit me."
"The math would take you hours to compute a single problem."
"Getting reeeaaalll close to being dropped into the street." Shizuri dangled her phone off the ledge.
"Warning!" FERRET suddenly alerted loudly and Shizuri flinched as the volume increased exponentially. "Retreat immediately or risk certain destruction."
"What the fuck!" Shizuri nearly grabbed the earpiece to yank it off.
"Magician has been identified," FERRET told her in a rushed voice. "Odds of death should you encounter him, 100%."
"Are you going to tell me you piece of-…?"
"Elder Vampire Cain has been identified. This is definitely Eve's hideout."
"She's staying in the Dianoid?" Mikoto asked and then shook her head. "Never mind. That makes perfect sense."
"Tax dollars at work," Misaki added. "You remember which floor she's on, right?"
"Yeah, hard to forget." Touma's hand clenched. "Besides, the knights will be pretty noticeable when we get close." He bit the corner of his lip. "I hope they let us through."
"I doubt that will be a problem," Misaki stated and patted him on the back. "Even if they didn't expect you, the fact you showed up is enough for them to know something happened. If the princess heard they turned you away, heads would roll."
"Literally." Mikoto muttered.
"Thanks for the backup," Touma told them. "If I was by myself, I wouldn't be able to tell if she's hiding something."
"I'll do my best," assured Misaki. "However, she knows how to be diplomatic. Most likely she will answer our questions exactly without giving anything else away."
"Great." Mikoto facepalmed. "One of you is enough."
"You know you love me." Misaki teased, reaching over and intertwining her arm around Mikoto's arm.
"You've…grown on me." Mikoto groaned back. She made no attempt to disengage herself though.
Touma slapped his face as he gazed up at the diamond-like building.
This is going to be fun, he thought. Hello, Carissa. You kept something from me, didn't you? No… she would just laugh at me if I tried that. Maybe I should be on the attack? Carissa! You didn't tell me what happened to Kanzaki! We're supposed to be on the same side?! That might be better, but if she goes on the defensive, we wouldn't get any information… hah. Carissa? On the defensive? Never happens. She would just counter. Damn. I guess it's the old standby. Make it up as I go.
"You coming?" Mikoto called over her shoulder and jolted Touma back to his senses. She and Misaki had just about reached the front doors. "Or do you need another couple of minutes to compose yourself?"
"I'm good." Touma quickly made his way to them. "I… know what I'm going to say."
Misaki raised an eyebrow but was kind enough not to say anything.
"Uh-huh."
Mikoto decided to be blunt.
Normally every time Touma enter the Dianoid, he was reminded how different his world was compared to the wealthy. This time, he barely noticed the extravagant decoration and shops. A couple people glanced at him as he led Mikoto and Misaki to the top floors. He was wearing casual clothes rather than a suit, so he was sure to draw some attention. Shops would probably try to avoid letting him in if he was here to shop. With a clear purpose in mind, none of this got to him today.
Carissa was going to tell him what happened to Kaori.
One way or another.
No one spoke in the elevator. The closer they drew to Carissa's residence, the tenser the atmosphere became. The girls knew anything they said would just be a distraction and they really couldn't bring themselves to joke around with something so serious on the horizon. Touma's mind was focused completely on Carissa and how to get her to tell him. He concluded she wasn't going to unless backed into a corner. It was a good thing Misaki was coming along. Otherwise, she would just toy with him and nothing would come from the meeting.
The elevator opened onto the floor and they were immediately greeted by four foreign men in suits. Touma had enough to experience to know who they were. They were Carissa's knights without their armor. It was a shame Zach wasn't among them. Things could have gone smoother.
"Authorized personnel only…" One of them started to say and trailed off when he saw who it was. "I wasn't informed you would be visiting today, Mr. Kamijou."
"Mr.?" Mikoto whispered. If the situation hadn't been so serious, she would have laughed.
"An emergency came up and I need to speak with Car-… the princess about Eve." Touma answered.
The nodded to one of the others, who immediately rushed down the hall.
"We will let her know you're here," the man said. "It's up to her if she will see you."
"We are going to see her." Touma's tone was like steel. "We would just prefer it willingly."
"Is that a threat?" One of the others guys asked, shifting nervously.
"No," Misaki answered instead and put a hand on Touma's shoulder. "A promise."
"Do you understand who you-…"
The guy was cut off as Mikoto held out a hand and sparks started to flare up.
"Enough!" The first man cut off his companion. "Your opinion doesn't matter here. The princess has the final say." The second man kept silent, but if looks could kill, someone was sure to be dead.
It didn't take long for the other knight to return and give them his report.
"We are to bring him to her immediately! His companions can wait here."
"Uh…no." Mikoto denied flatly. "We are coming along too."
"I'm afraid I have to agree with her," Misaki added a little more diplomatically. "We were there when Eve appeared and can give our own insights." She paused. "And I'm sure you understand we have reservations about leaving him alone with the princess due to… past behavior."
"How dare you be so disrespectful?" It seems the knight had finally had enough and reached for something on his belt. Almost immediately, the first knight delivered a karate chop to the back of his head. A dull thud followed as the unconscious body hit the ground.
"It seems allowing a couple newer recruits was a misjudgment." The knight in charge sighed. "He's technically right. If you were anyone else, that kind of disrespect would have you thrown out instantly. Because it's you…" He looked at the other two knights. "I'll take full responsibility. Let them go."
"Yes, sir!" The other knights replied.
"This way." The knight who had just returned gestured to Touma's group.
"Sorry about this," Touma muttered as he passed the knight in charge. "It's just an emergency."
"The ones who have met you did warn us." He replied quietly.
Touma never had an opportunity to respond. The knight passed him and went about waking up his fallen comrade. Instead of waiting time, Touma and the girls followed the knight down the hallway. None of them spoke until they stood in front of a door.
"I have brought Mr. Kamijou and his companions!" The knight declared.
"Let them in."
Touma couldn't help noticing Carissa's voice sounded exasperated. Like she resigned herself to something unpleasant. He figured she understood they were coming to see her over a problem. Knowing her, this was just another one on a long list of them.
The door opened and they walked in.
Carissa was sitting in a chair, her hand on her cheek with her arm propping her head up.
"You may leave," Carissa told the knight, who saluted and shut the door. Her eyes traveled over each one of them in turn. "You may be seated."
"Thank you." Touma said and sat down. Mikoto and Misaki sat in chairs on either side.
"I'm pretty sure I stated for your friends to wait outside." Carissa started off.
"That's wasn't going to happen." Mikoto immediately responded.
"The reason we came along," Misaki said, sounding much more diplomatic than Mikoto. "Was because we were both there when Touma here met her and we can give our insights on the matter."
"Her?" The way Carissa's lips curled slightly indicated it wasn't really a question.
"Eve." Touma answered flatly. "She contacted us by going through one of my classmates."
"Ah." Carissa eyed him closely. "A clever strategy on her part. Using an unrelated civilian as a shield against any retaliation."
"Clever?" Touma gaped at her. "You mean cowardly."
"There are few, if any rules to warfare," Carissa told him. "The winner is the one that is right." She raised an eyebrow. "If Eve wins and alters the course of humanity, we may all believe at some point God was evil." She paused. "What did she tell you that was serious enough to warrant this late-night intrusion?"
"You've kept something from me." Touma accused.
Carissa raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? You have to be more specific than that. I keep a great many things from you." His expression must have betrayed his disbelief because she chuckled and continued. "You can't think I, a princess and high ranking military officer, tells you, a high school student, every secret I am privy too. There is a lot of information I can't and won't share with someone outside the military unless absolutely necessary."
"What Touma is referring to is that Eve told us something we wish to confirm." Misaki interjected. "We should always take what our enemy's say with a grain of salt, should we not?"
"I see why he brought you along," Carissa commented. "You understand the subtle art of wordplay."
"I have had practice." Misaki confirmed.
"Then why are you here?" Carissa continued, turning toward Mikoto.
"I'm here in case you try something," Mikoto stated firmly. "You understand if I still don't trust you fully. First England, then Australia? You tend to swoop in and bring him into dangerous situations."
Carissa smirked at her.
"A love-struck puppy following her master?" Carissa asked. Mikoto's face flushed in embarrassment and anger.
"Enough!" Touma said loudly and Carissa turned her attention back to her. "I'm not going to beat around the bush. I'm not good at that. Just tell me this."
He paused.
"What happened to Kanzaki?"
Carissa's amused expression flickered for a moment. That was the only reaction she gave, but even Touma could tell it happened. For a brief moment, it had darkened. That meant only one thing.
"It really did." He slumped in his chair. 'Eve was telling the truth."
"What all did she tell you?" Carissa asked, her tone deadly serious.
"That God's Judgment was used against Kanzaki, not Julunggul." Touma's eyes narrowed. "You knew, didn't you?" He accused. "Yesterday when we met and talked about this. You knew and didn't tell me."
"I did not see the reason to tell you at that time." Carissa stated unabashed.
"No reason?!" Touma thundered. "The fact a friend of mine, someone who was in the city to help us, was attacked by Eve's partner and you don't think that's important enough to tell me?!"
"Touma," Misaki whispered. "You need to calm down."
"If I had told you, what would you have done?" Carissa questioned. "Would you have run forward and magically find Eve's hideout? Would you have sworn a blood oath to avenge her? All that would happen is you would worry and then interfere with your normal routine. That would accomplish nothing except cause you unnecessary stress."
"Don't try to make it sound like you were being noble!" Mikoto cried out. "It was just you not trusting us. You want to keep everything to yourself!"
"Partially," Carissa admitted. Once again, unabashed. "It helps avoid situations like this."
"What…what kind of stupid reasoning is that?!" Touma demanded. "You know what Eve is capable of. You know what kind of tricks she pulls. If we don't have all the facts, all she's going to do is play us against each other."
Carissa's face did not betray her thoughts.
"You seem to forget yourself," she finally stated. "The information you and your friends have been provided was from necessity. While we have no choice but to work with Academy City, understand we do not work for them. There are many secrets we hold that if given freely, could result in our enemies learning them. While I feel you three," she gestured to them, "will not betray our trust willingly, accidents happen. Some information is kept secret for a reason."
"What reason could you have for keeping Kanzaki's death a secret?" Touma demanded. "Isn't a Saint important for you guys?"
"Oh." It dawned on Misaki from his words. "It's precisely because of a Saint you kept this a secret."
"Huh?" Mikoto and Touma rounded on her.
"Very good." Carissa gave her a brief nod. "It's exactly as you say. A Saint is a rare and special existence for magicians. They are people who have some resemblance to the Son of God and are blessed with strength that is rarely without equal. Now, assume that it gets out to the magical community as a whole that a small group of magicians have the power to defeat Saints. What do you think would happen?"
"Wouldn't they… get angry and try to stop them?" Touma guessed and the corners of Carissa's lips twitched.
"Some might."
"While others might want to join her," Misaki added.
"Because they think Eve would share her power with them?" Mikoto asked and Misaki nodded. "The same thing happened here recently with a drug that could increase abilities. Even with the risk of death, people still used it."
"Power is tempting to even the most steadfast individuals. Few can withstand the temptation if it is dangled in front of them." Her eyes traveled to Touma again. "There are… some exceptions of course."
Touma felt the back of his neck grow warm, but he couldn't afford to get embarrassed here.
"Even so, you could have told us," Touma stated firmly, trying hard to keep his emotions in check. "Kanzaki isn't just a friend of ours. She's close with Index too. With her perfect memory, she won't forget Kanzaki existed. She's been around more often because she's helping against Eve. People will notice her disappearance. At the very least you could have warned us. What would happen if we needed her and didn't know? We could have wasted time trying to contact her while Eve is out completing her plan. You can't just pretend a death never happened."
"It never happened." Carissa replied and Touma was left momentarily speechless. The girls too. Mikoto was the first to speak up.
"That's not funny! It's completely disrespectful!"
"You seem to be misunderstanding something," Carissa said simply. "I believe you are under the impression the Saint Kaori Kanzaki is dead."
A silence fell over the room.
"What?" Touma finally asked.
"God's Judgment is a powerful force of divine mana," Carissa explained. "However, a Saint is similar to the Son of God, someone who should be used to such."
"Are you saying she's alive?" Mikoto asked anxiously.
"Possibly."
"What does that mean?" Mikoto demanded angrily, not liking the word games Carissa was playing.
Misaki picked up the not so subtle undertones easily enough.
"Is she in a coma or something?" She asked. "Possibly sustaining life-threatening injuries of a non-physical type?"
"Close," Carissa conceded. "Would you care to take a look?"
"Can we?" Touma gaped at her. "Didn't you just give us an entire speel about keeping secrets?"
"From someone like the leader of the Dawn-Colored Sunlight, certainly." Carissa didn't look the least bit ashamed. "You three did bring up a point. If we can't work together, there is little reason for me to be here. Your past deeds proved I can trust you. However, you must understand before we go on, I will not give national secrets unless it's absolutely necessary. There are defensive spells our enemies would love to decipher."
"She's here?" Mikoto asked. "I would have thought she would be in a hospital or something. I've seen magicians use healing spells on people on the verge of death. Are her injuries that bad?"
"It's… less about injuries and more her condition." Carissa stood up. "It will be easier to show you. " Her eyes fell onto Touma. "You may recognize her state."
"What do you mean?" Touma asked, but she didn't answer.
He glanced at Mikoto and Misaki, who both shrugged. Carissa was heading out of the room and the three of them bounded to their feet to follow. They entered the hallway and followed it further down. A quick glance over his shoulder told him the knights were still guarding the elevator. The one who didn't seem to like them gave him a glare, but luckily nothing else came of it. However, because he wasn't looking where he was going, he bumped into Mikoto, who had stopped suddenly.
"Watch it." She hissed.
Carissa was standing in front of a blank wall.
Until she pressed her hand against it and a door appeared.
"Hidden room," Misaki mused. "Magical barrier or just an illusion?"
"A little of both." Carissa answered and opened the door. She pushed them in and the moment she stepped inside, the door closed behind her.
Touma's mouth fell open in shock.
Mikoto's and Misaki's expression wasn't too far behind his
The room wasn't very cluttered, though it appeared larger on the inside than the space in the wall should have permitted. There was no windows and the lights were dim. Candles hung on chains along the walls and there were several tables with books, scattered papers, and pens. In the middle of the room was a table with a dark cloth draped over it, almost like a makeshift altar. None of this was unusual. It would have passed off as a non-magical, though unusual, room. No, what drew everyone's attention was the thing resting on the table in the middle.
A white humanoid statue made of a material that resembled a combination of stone and plastic laid there. Facial features were there, but they didn't seem to resemble anyone. The body was smooth and Touma could tell it was female due to the chest mounds. Long wavy material acted as hair. On the surface, weaving intricate designs over the entire body, were silver veins. It was oddly familiar.
Just like in Australia…
"Look familiar?" Carissa asked.
"It's… the same," Touma muttered. "Lucifer's body… in Australia… looked exactly the same."
"The lines are only silver," Carissa corrected him. 'We believe they may represent mana within the individual, while gold can represent Telesma. It was the reason Lucifer's body had them. This, of course, is only speculation as of now."
"Is she alive?" Mikoto asked, stepping forward to get a better look. She didn't want to get too close though, as something was off with the statute.
"We have no idea," Carissa admitted. "I have several people working on this night and day to discover what exactly happened. The body in Australia came to life, partially. It was interrupted before it got far. She might be savable if we can figure out how to de-petrify her. All of our results so far show no living signs."
"Could you use your hand to negate the magic?" Misaki asked.
"I have no idea." He shrugged and turned to Carissa. "What do you think?"
"Remember what happened when you touched the statue in Australia?"
"Oh… right." Touma rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. When he touched the crystal in the middle of Lucifer's body, it had completely disappeared. "But, she doesn't have a crystal." Touma noticed.
"Do you want to risk it?" Carissa asked coldly. "If it doesn't work, you could destroy the body and we will have no leads to work from. Any chance of bringing her back would be lost. Anything to learn from this will be lost. Again, do you want to risk it?"
Touma shook his head slowly.
"I thought so."
"Anything to learn?" Misaki asked, picking up some interesting information from Carissa. "What do you mean by that?"
"Even if we are unable to bring her back, that is a possibility you need to accept." Carissa changed tons for a moment as she saw Touma open his mouth. "As much as you hate it, we are at war with Eve's group. People will die. It's not fair, it's not nice, but it will happen. We know Eve is in possession of God's Judgment and if we can learn how to protect our forces from it by studying the body, we will."
"Ugh, I hate the way she phrases this, but I think she's right," Mikoto admitted. "Kanzaki-san would want to make sure, even if she fell, others would be saved. I only knew her a short time, but I know she would be the first to volunteer herself to protect people."
"I know… but… damn it!" Touma hit the wall. "I hate this. Every time we think we get close, something happens. Eve's toying with us every day. Now one of my friends may be dead…" Misaki patted him on the back to console him. She really couldn't say anything right now. All of that was true.
"All this power we have, yet we can't do anything." Mikoto muttered darkly.
"You begin to understand while you all have unique skills, the world is a vast place." Carissa looked pleased at their understanding. "There will always be someone stronger, which is why we constantly improve ourselves. Learn from your mistakes so you don't make them again."
"Fine." Touma looked up and took a deep breath. "I'm learning from your mistake of not telling us everything." Carissa scowled at him. "Eve told us something today I think you should know. I know, I know, take it with a grain of salt, but I want your opinion on this. She told us someone else used God's Judgment, not her."
Silence followed his pronouncement.
"I don't suppose she gave any more information on who?" Carissa asked.
"She mentioned she had several Greek heroes at her command." Mikoto recalled.
"Hmm." Carissa mused. "That doesn't narrow it down much. Greek Mythology has a quite extensive listing of possible heroes and villains."
"It's possible she's lying," Misaki interjected. "In the worst-case situation, she can create someone capable of using Judgment with her magic. If that's the case, she could target multiple people at once. However, she hasn't shown yet that she can summon multiple creations of that level at once. If she could, I would have expected that in England."
"You're on the right track, but don't assume what she showed us then was what she was fully capable of," Carissa warned, a little scathingly. "However, let's consider how things would change if she was the one who used Judgment, creates an individual who can use Judgment, or if one of her subordinates does."
She leaned against the wall as she talked. To Touma, it was almost as if she was prepared to lecture a bunch of children.
"First, the most likely situation is that Eve is the one who used it." Carissa continued, holding up a finger. "Her knowledge and magical abilities are leagues above normal magicians. IF she is truly the first Eve, then she has direct interaction with God. Facing her directly means we have to have a strategy to counter that."
"There is a limit to how much my hand can negate," Touma muttered. "I doubt I could block an attack like that."
"So the only solution is to decode what happened to Kanzaki-san in order to stop that attack," Mikoto continued. "If you can't find a way, then you would have to accept sacrifices."
"Exactly." Carissa nodded. "Now you're beginning to understand how much I am required to strategize. I see all sides available and figure out which one has the greatest chance of success. War is not easy. Every move generals make, it factors in the expected loss of life."
"I thought there would be a way to negotiate with her," Touma said suddenly. "That she didn't seem to be beyond reach. I thought Adam would be the one who would be hardest to convince. Yet every time Eve gets involved, people are hurt. Even when she says she tries to avoid killing people, it doesn't stop her. I can't tell what she's thinking. She seems to tell us the truth, but always adds a twist we can't see."
"It makes it harder to pinpoint the details of her plans," Carissa explained. "Still, you can't trust her, boy. The second you do, she can manipulate you with one well-placed lie."
"Talkative people slip up at some point," Misaki added. "We may get clues she didn't mean to give."
"Like her saying someone else cast God's Judgment?" Touma asked.
"…No." Misaki shook her head. "I think she meant to tell us that for some reason."
"Why?" Mikoto asked incredulously. "We wouldn't have been looking for her ally in the city, just her. If she had remained quiet, we could have been settled with that Dr. Ricane guy being captured."
"It's pretty simple, girl." The corners of Carissa's lips curled. "She's planning to betray them and wants us to do the dirty work?"
Touma and Mikoto stared at her, but Misaki looked thoughtful.
"That makes sense," she said. "She doesn't seem to go back on deals, so maybe it's something with the wording. Like how stories with genies usually backfire."
"But…but… this guy can cast God's Judgement?" Mikoto stammered. "Wouldn't they be way too valuable to lose?"
"It seems like Eve really only has the end goal in mind," Touma said, a bitter taste in his mouth. "Though," he turned to Misaki. "You mentioned Arthur respected her."
"He did. It was only the order he was given was what he despised."
"Juliet was different," Mikoto said. "She wanted to fight. Her obsession drove her insane and Eve took advantage of her broken state. Cain… he just had revenge on his mind. Somehow, Eve is gathering so many different types of people together. How though?"
"Manipulation." That was an easy question for Misaki to answer. "The final goal is there. She most likely told them they could be saved or their problems solved by joining her and killing God. People who have hit low points in their lives are really susceptible. All Eve would have to say is God caused their problems and many will join her willingly for revenge. Fallen… the name really suits her group."
"It's just like Skill-Out here," Touma groaned. "They don't understand we all try to live our lives as best we can. Blaming others isn't going to help themselves." He rubbed his head. "So we need a plan to deal with this unknown person who may or may not exist that could have the power to use Judgment."
"It will not take a new strategy," Carissa corrected him.
"Huh? Why?"
"Once we figure out how to stop it, the caster won't matter. It will work on both them and Eve. The biggest unknown is if it can be blocked and if it can, what it requires. If we can only protect a small force and Eve can create casters to attack multiple locations, it won't do us much good. No, our biggest concern now is to study the remains here and figure out if it can be reversed."
"So you are planning to save her?" Touma told her. "I knew you weren't heartless, even if you try to act like it."
"Watch your tongue!" Carissa snapped and glared at Mikoto and Misaki, who both quickly stifled their laughter. "The reason I'm helping is because it's in our best interest. Not only would it protect my men from Eve's attacks, but we might be able to bring back one of our trump cards. Eve wanted to get rid of her for a reason, so if it's possible that she's still alive, I will bring her back if nothing else then to spite her."
"Sure." Mikoto mumbled and avoided eye contact as Carissa's gaze bore into her.
"Well, regardless of your reason, thank you." Touma bowed to her and Carissa's expression softened a little before she looked away and huffed.
"Well, I told you what I know now and you told me about Eve's accomplice. Our business is concluded. You three can leave."
"Okay… just, please let me know if you need my help or if Kanzaki can be cured." Touma told her. "I'll be over as fast as I can."
"Pssh, like England needs the help of a teenager." Carissa rolled her eyes.
"Just a couple," Mikoto told her and countered off on her fingers. "England, Australia, what's next?"
"For you to get out." Carissa growled.
"Knock it off," Touma muttered and Mikoto grinned at him.
"She deserved it." Mikoto replied, exiting the room first. Touma followed her, but Misaki stayed behind.
"What do you want?" Carissa asked, noticing her behavior.
"I wanted to know if you truly wish to form a relationship with Touma like your mother wants," Misaki told her. "Your attitude… has changed quite a bit and I detected instances of fondness when you talk to him. What you told us today, you never would have normally."
"You're reading too much into things."
"That's a relief." Misaki managed a small smile. "Because, you may not be aware of us this, the three of us have agreed to a polygamous relationship and so far we are quite happy with it."
Carissa stiffened ever so slightly.
"Well, I just wanted to let you know so you can pass it on to your mother." Misaki waved her fingers in a goodbye fashion.
"Unless you consummate your union, it's all just child's play."
Carissa's words caused Misaki to freeze, her hand on the door frame.
"Well, you know…" She slowly looked over her shoulder. Her gaze was a little fierce. "That can change in a single night."
She left before Carissa could respond.
"Fine, Misaka will answer the door."
"Don't act like it's the end of the world," Aiho called to Worst.
"Why doesn't Tou-san have to do it?"
"Because he and his girlfriend are snuggling in the living room!" Kikyou called back.
"Like hell we are!" Accelerator roared and they could hear Bayloupe chuckle. The two of them had returned not too long ago and were watching the news. If Last Order wasn't watching anime or playing games, they normally chose to periodically watch it to keep an eye on current events. "Don't give her anymore ammo."
"Misaka will get a picture of the two of you doing it for blackmail purposes!" Worst promised, before opening the door. "Whatever you are selling, we don't want any."
"I'm here to see the asshole, bring him out."
"Hey, Tou-san!" Worst called over her shoulder. "The call girl you ordered is here." Worst glanced back at the girl standing outside the apartment. "You into business girls? Is that your kink? You're such a pervert."
"What the hell are you blabbing about this time?" Accelerator demanded and finally stood up. When he came into view, he stopped and looked a little surprised. "What's the fourth… fifth rate doing here?"
Shizuri's teeth ground for a moment.
"I'm here because you fucked up!" She growled.
Worst looked like Christmas had come early and backed up, but remained close enough to listen.
"What the hell are you blabbing about?" Accelerator demanded.
"Someone…" Shizuri's eyes fell on Worst. "Privately. Bring your girlfriend along too."
"Tsk." Accelerator clicked his tongue impatiently. The fact Shizuri wanted him to bring Bayloupe along told him all he needed to know. Even if it ignored him, he wasn't going to miss this opportunity. Especially after that shit Eve just pulled. "Oi, Bayloupe! We're stepping out."
"Alright!" Bayloupe called back. It took only a moment for her to grab her shoes. Shizuri stepped back and let her out the door.
"Enjoy your threesome." Worst said and gave them a cheerful wave.
Accelerator slammed the door behind him.
"So what is so important you actually showed up at my house?" Accelerator demanded when the three of them were a respectful distance away.
"When Eve's generals attacked us, you fought someone named Cain, right?" Shizuri asked him, ignoring his question.
"Yeah, what of it? He's dead."
Shizuri smirked.
"Oh, he's very much alive."
Accelerator's eyes widened ever so slightly at her words.
"Are you serious?" Bayloupe asked suddenly. "Cain, as in the vampire Cain? You saw him personally? Are you sure you aren't mistaken?"
"Thought you might say that. If you didn't ask that at least, I would have thought less of your intelligence." Shizuri held up her phone with a picture of the man. "This him?"
There was no mistake.
"How…" Bayloupe turned toward Accelerator. "You killed him right? You were absolutely sure?"
"He literally turned to ash," Accelerator replied. "There was nothing left." His eyes narrowed. "Does this bastard have something like that Pride Mark? That bastard could regenerate from being torn into pieces."
"Or… and this may validate our worst fears… Eve can create Cain with her magic." Bayloupe pointed out.
"Fuck!" Accelerator growled.
"Fuck indeed."
"Where did you find him!?" Accelerator rounded on Shizuri. "I doubt you two fought as you are alive."
A vein twitched in her forehead.
"I discovered Eve's base," Shizuri told them and then quickly clarified herself at their expression. "At least, their old base. They abandoned it the moment I started reconnaissance."
"How did you find it?" Bayloupe looked impressed. "I've been planting runes for days trying to find them.
So those were all those weak runes interfering with FERRET's scanning, Shizuri thought before answering. "Accidentally. They were moving and got careless. I recognized Eve." This was all lies, but there was no way she was telling them about FERRET's existence. There was a chance Eve had them bugged somehow. "Then before I could set up a spot to monitor them, they finished packing up and left."
"Makes sense." Bayloupe nodded. "I bet they change locations to vacant apartments so even if someone does find them, they won't get much information. With us and Academy City trying to find her, her movement should be limited."
"Doesn't stop that bitch from appearing whenever she damn well pleases." Accelerator spat out.
"In a way, that's better for us," Bayloupe reminded him. "If she holes up somewhere, we may never locate her. Moving around carries a lot more risks."
"Yep," Shizuri agreed. "It's how I found her." Her gaze grew cold as it moved from Bayloupe to Accelerator. "I came over here to tell you that if you start a job, fucking finish it. We don't need someone like him still alive."
"Fuck you." Accelerator made a rude gesture. "Eve just made a clone. I'll kill him again if needed."
"Yeah, well, big words coming from a string bean." Shizuri turned around and began to walk away. "I'll keep you updated so you can go in and swing your dick around the next time we face them."
"Maybe if you could do something by yourself, I wouldn't have to." Accelerator retorted. Shizuri replied by flicking him off. Once she was out of sight, Accelerator kicked a light pole angrily. "I thought that bastard would be dead. Shit!"
"We did consider it a possibility." Bayloupe said and patted him on the shoulder. "Since we still haven't seen multiple copies of him, there's still the possibility of good news in that she can only make a limited number of him."
"Yeah, but that one guy is a royal pain in the ass."
"And if he appears, I'll rely on you to beat him."
"Pssh. Always pushing something onto me."
"I can push more onto you if you want?" Bayloupe teased, and leaned on his back.
"Get off." Accelerator immediately pushed her away. "Don't you dare act like one of those lovesick brats the damn hero has."
"Heh, couldn't resist." She elbowed him in the side. "I couldn't help notice you eyeing her business suit. Something you want to tell me?"
"No, and I swear if you start sounding like Worst…"
"Who's fault is that?" Bayloupe raised an eyebrow. "I've been cooped up watching her and Last Order whenever I'm not out looking for Eve's group."
Accelerator opened his mouth and then shut it. Technically, everything she said was true. He had been kind of relying on Bayloupe a lot on watching Worst and Last Order, preventing them from getting in too much trouble. That was part of the reason he took her along on this group date. Besides looking like an ass in front of the other guys. Since Bayloupe wasn't a student, it wasn't like she could join his school during the day.
"…Sorry." He grumbled.
With his back turned, he didn't notice the shock on Bayloupe's face. He rarely, if ever, apologized. That was so unexpected, it caught her off guard. Thinking fast, she knew her next words would have a powerful impact. She didn't really want to change him though and decided to just brush it off. However, she would make sure he knew she appreciated it.
"Thank you." She stated calmly. "I do understand we have been busy with more pressing matters."
"Whatever." Accelerator muttered.
The two of them walked silently back to their apartment. When they drew near, Accelerator felt something. Like an itch indicating something was wrong. Not seeing anyone near him, he slowly reached up to his neck just in case, scratching to hide his movement. Bayloupe didn't seem to sense anything and Accelerator figured he was just being paranoid. Entering the apartment, they saw Worst, Aiho, and Kikyou sitting in the living room.
"So, Accelerator, Bayloupe, we need to talk." Aiho stated seriously.
"About?" Accelerator asked, confused.
"We gave you the birds and bees talk for a reason," Kikyou stated. "It was to make sure this didn't happen."
"Huh?" Out of the corner of his eyes, Accelerator saw Bayloupe looking equally confused.
"Misaka told them about how you knocked that girl up!" Worst cried out.
"What the hell?!" Accelerator and Bayloupe shouted.
Before Accelerator could say anything else, he felt his connection to the network vanish and he collapsed. As he fell, Last Order glared at him from the hallway.
Touma was lost in thought the entire trip back to his apartment. After seeing Kaori in that state, he truly began to understand what was at stake. He hated the fact that people were being hurt. Everyone else knew that death was a possibility and part of him did too. He just tried to keep it under wraps while he continued to fight. Misaki easily figured out how he was feeling because she seemed to be willing to stay with him a little longer, even risking curfew. With everything that was going on, he didn't want his girlfriends to get in any more trouble and made sure they went back home.
"Girlfriends… heh." Touma chuckled as he climbed the stairs to his apartment. The elevator was out of service. Just his luck. "Who would have thought that would ever happen?"
The trip did give him a little more time to organize his thoughts before getting involved in his roommates' shenanigans. As much as he hated it, Carissa made some good points. Who was he, a normal high school student, to demand country secrets? The fact Carissa gave them any information was pretty surprising. It was almost like she was slowly bringing him into her world. Still, his mind kept turning back to Kaori's condition.
There was a chance she was alive. Even if it was slim, there was hope. Touma also knew that even if she couldn't be saved, if Carissa was able to learn how to protect her men from God's Judgment, Kaori would be satisfied. She was just that selfless. He actually admired that part of her. She was willing to go off by herself to protect others. In a way, they were similar. The Amakusa were upset when she did that according to Itsuwa and they worked hard to be able to stand by her. While he always tried to do things himself, when he had friends that were more than happy to assist him.
Maybe Mikoto and Misaki were right all along. We can do more as a group than anyone can individually.
Sadly, Eve seemed to know that lesson too and had many powerful soldiers at her disposal.
Touma sighed and slapped his face with his hands before entering his apartment. He didn't want to seem all depressed and bring the room down. The others needed to know and he was sure Leivinia would throttle him if she found out he was hiding things. The second he stepped inside, he stopped. Something was causing the hairs on his neck stand up. It only took a second to see why.
Lessar was standing in front of a large poster with a pie chart.
Index, Itsuwa, Leivinia, and Hyouka were sitting on the couch opposite of her.
Touma couldn't make out the title of the chart from his position, but Lessar was waving a familiar packet of papers. It looked just like the packet his friends showed him on guys' night. He could feel his face pale as the blood rushed away. Slowly, the girls turned around, except Lessar, who waved eagerly. Index had a dark aura that seemed to swallow even light.
Touma slowly stepped backwards and shut the door.
I should have burned that. Such misfortune.
Jason entered his apartment to find a surprise guest laying on his couch reading manga.
"What were you doing?!" He demanded. "Are you trying to blow my cover?"
"Nah," Eve replied nonchalantly, flipping a page. "It was a small truth to get them involved in the bigger picture. The set up you want is complicated. Besides, you covered your tracks."
"Yeah, I covered my tracks by making them think everything was Ricane's fault!" Jason facepalmed. "Now they will start looking for another spy. I'm intertwined far enough in their little circle so most won't even consider me, but Mugino and Accelerator are the suspicious type. They will start putting the pieces together."
"That's because you spend too much time with them," Eve stated, sounding almost bored. "While I understand the pleasure of hanging out with weird people, you need to work on your little projects for me."
"Well, I figured out what that weapon Noukan used," Jason told her. "Plus, I have the schematics. There's one piece I'm missing that seems to be a combination of science and magic. Almost medical in nature, but that's not my forte."
"Aleister was always good at that." Eve nodded and set down her book. "I guess I should take the heat off you as an apology. What would happen if you hid from the public eye for a while?"
"Huh? I suppose as long as I could still work for the city, they wouldn't care." Jason shrugged. "I don't think I can just disappear from school for a few days without something big happening. Then there will be a lot of questions. Even more if I get caught."
"What if you were attacked and had to go into hiding?" Eve asked.
"That… might work. Noukan would just stick me in a lab to do work for a while."
"Perfect." Eve sat up. "Here, catch."
Jason reacted instinctively as she tossed over an oval-shaped metal device. His eyes widened as he saw what it was. Eve laughed when his eyes narrowed at her. His shadow already wrapped around himself. He tossed the device like it was a hot potato.
Eve had given him a grenade with a pulled pin.
The explosion shattered all the glass windows.
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.
Fuck you Dark!
Hah, I beat you SF. Now he will have to post something witty.
HC: This is the bullshit I have to deal with when SF is away. Dark's going senile.
DB: Sent this to him before he disappeared. He started to review at least.
HC: Now I wish he never left.