Hello, everyone! Now that Mikoto and Touma got some downtime together, it's time to get into NT8.

Nightfang123: Thanks! Othinus and Touma's interactions with each other will be interesting to write.

xellos540: No worries, I hope things get better soon. The movie name is from canon, though the plot was never really described. Well, in this fic, Mikoto realized her feelings earlier, but she can look back and see that their scene together on the bridge was when she really started to fall for him. I guess Index wasn't totally satisfied, but she could at least tolerate the situation. Index is sleeping in the bed, like usual, while the couple sleeps in a futon on the floor. Yeah, I'm pretty sure Mikoto would be able to dry clothes like that, since she used microwaves to cool down the air in NT16. Unfortunately, nothing more could happen because of Index's presence.

SuddenBetrayal: Well, that's a pretty good guess, and you'll see if you're correct at the start of this new chapter. I'm glad you've been enjoying the story.

Steinfield: Thanks, I did want this to be a very fluffy chapter before the next big fight.

Stryper88: Hmm, maybe Mikoto does also like horror movies, but I don't remember her saying that in Dream Ranker. Yeah, they are pretty horny, though it's not really Index's fault, since they knew she would be there. Maybe they could've gotten away with shower sex, but Index was already suspicious. That would be a funny thing for Mikoto to blurt out to her friends. As for nightmares, given what's coming up, Touma is probably more likely to have them in the near future. Yeah, more breast massaging could have been a good thing to include, but there'll be more opportunities later. I am looking forward to writing Shokuhou's reaction, and Mikoto getting revenge for all the bullying Shokuhou has put her through. I don't want to just copy and paste the light novel scenes, so I'll at least reword them. Mikoto and Touma will definitely talk about what is about to happen to him in NT9. That fanfic's idea was really cool, but I think a regular conversation would also work between them, and I don't want to steal their idea. I'm glad you like how I make changes to the fights, they're sometimes a bit tricky to write properly, so it's good that it comes out well.

Blankow: Yeah, it's been some time since their last date. Their relationship is hard for Index, but she's slowly learning to accept it. Mikoto will probably have to book a hotel room any time they want to have sex.

MarauderPrime12: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

DarkMatter69: Hmm, billions of years of getting mentally and physically tortured doesn't sound like a date to me, and I don't think there were many happy moments for Touma during that time. But who knows, perhaps KaMikoto, as well as every fictional and real relationship, are all ultimately wastes of time and space when compared to the romance of eternal torment.

Shwae: Yeah, that's a pretty good prediction. You'll see if you were correct at the beginning of this chapter.

Clearwing Yuta: Thanks, and Shokuhou will probably find out in NT11 or soon afterwards.

ToMyMaster: Yeah, I can write the build up scenes, but I can't actually write out the sex scenes in detail. I'm glad you enjoyed the bathroom scene.

Aminadab Brulle: The shopping scene, which is in this chapter, will be pretty crazy indeed.

rubengalihalexis: Shokuhou will probably be mad about the situation, though she may not need to read Kuroko's mind to find out. The Railgang's reactions would be funny, though they already know that Mikoto and Touma have done it. Index did feel sad about it, but she is learning to accept it. Hmm, Touma's class meeting the Railgang could make for an interesting scene, and Tsuchimikado and Aogami may indeed be jealous of Touma knowing even more girls.

dragonghoul9707: I won't get to the Coronzon arc for a while, but white Aleister officially died at the end of that arc, his death was actually faked. Frenda is still dead, and she never came back to life. Othinus will be impressive when she appears again, and Mikoto will be supporting Touma as his partner. The Kamijou faction won't really be that much different in this fic, it's just a loose collection of individuals who are all connected to Touma, but it's not a formal organization or alliance. I'm not sure what you're saying regarding Stiyl in Chapter 20. Shokuhou did inadvertently erase Touma's ability to form memories of her, but he only forgot about Ayu and Seria after the memory loss he suffered while saving Index. I don't think I'll have Touma regain his memories of those events before it happens in canon, but whenever he finds out, Mikoto would definitely comfort him. I think I'll show Kinuhata during the St. Germain arc, she's definitely an interesting character. I don't think she's met Touma, but maybe Hamazura told her about him. Oh, if you're talking about the Kamijou Arc in NT22R, I'm definitely going to cover that. I actually have really big plans for that arc, including plenty of KaMikoto moments. I didn't know there were YouTube videos with readings of the light novels. Yeah, in my fic Mikoto helps him in the School Garden, even if that problem turned out to be fake. And he did help solve the incident centered on Fremea. The Othinus arc is coming up, and it will be very impactful.

LordChorizoCosmico: I'm glad my story provides something for you to look forward to, and I hope things get less stressful for you soon. Yeah, this date gave the couple a good opportunity to relax between fights. You're probably right that they'd both enjoy action movies. But for their first movie date, Mikoto wanted to see her favorite movie, and Touma was happy to oblige, and they both identified with it. The progression of their relationship has been quite incredible. Some magicians do have ridiculous names, but this name was still pretty ridiculous in comparison. Their umbrella sharing scene was quite cute and romantic, and Touma was able to be the one in a happy couple this time. They are getting more comfortable with acting like a couple in public. Of course Touma's misfortune got them soaked, but he was able to protect his girlfriend at least a little bit. Index was pretty docile in that scene, since she's started to accept their relationship. The two of them were pretty perverted in the bathroom, and Index does have to deal with the fact that they're sexually active. Hmm, that's an interesting point, I don't think Touma is ever mentioned as having scars, so it's probably due to his amazing doctor. They did manage to restrain themselves, though it was probably quite difficult. Touma also restrained himself from doing anything weird with Mikoto's underwear. Index does indeed understand that Mikoto makes Touma happy, which is why she's reluctantly accepting their relationship. I don't know if she can talk to a lot of other people, but she can at least talk to Mikoto more now. Mikoto wearing and smelling Touma's shirt was a cute scene, all that's left is for her to steal it for herself. Tsuchimikado barely avoided her wrath for now, it seems. The two of them went as far as they could in the futon with Index present, but they will get some more nights alone together later in the future. Fortunately, Index was trying to sleep and didn't hear or see anything, but it would have been awkward if she realized what was going on. Yeah, it's a little sad that Mikoto doesn't have many friends at Tokiwadai, but she has a few very close friends, which I think is good enough. I did repeat the toothbrush scene from Hawaii, but I figured it would be a nice way for them to think back to their trip. Given what's about to happen, Mikoto will probably be the one needing to comfort Touma after a nightmare. I also really like writing the slice-of-life chapters, so I'm really glad you enjoyed it.

Bashleyz: Thanks! I'm happy you're enjoying the story.

EExpandDong: Wow, that's awesome! I'm really glad that you enjoyed the story. You're right about there not being very many KaMikoto lemon fanfics, but unfortunately, I don't think I'd be able to write sex scenes that well.

The following morning, Touma was the first one to wake up from his slumber. As expected, his girlfriend was still nuzzled against him. He adoringly smiled as he gazed at her cute sleeping face, and he brushed her silky hair with his fingers. But then he felt a strange sensation, and he wondered, "What's this heavy weight on top of me?"

When he looked up to see what was pressing down on his body, he went into a panic. There were two girls sleeping on top of him and Mikoto, apparently having broken into his dorm room to do so. They were Birdway and Lessar, and while Touma guessed that they had come to get him involved in the next fight against GREMLIN, he couldn't think of any good reason why they were specifically sleeping on top of him and Mikoto. The one saving grace was that they were on top of the blanket, rather than under it. But this situation could still lead to a very dangerous outcome. Even if Mikoto were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, Index and the two girls themselves would likely not, given his misfortune.

Touma took a deep breath and decided the best course of action would be to get his girlfriend's help. He leaned towards her ear and whispered, "Hey, Biri-Biri! Wake up!"

Mikoto squirmed a little against him and softly moaned in her sleep, "Mmm, Touma, s-stop. We can't do this now, we're in class." Her fingers kneaded his chest as she said this.

The boy blushed furiously, realizing that she was having a perverted dream about him fondling her while they were somehow in the same class together. This distracted him, and for a few seconds he imagined sitting right next to Mikoto in the same chair in class and sneaking a hand up her skirt while the teacher and their classmates weren't looking.

But he quickly remembered that those two intruders were still sleeping on top of them, and that they could awake at any moment. Touma whispered a little more loudly to the girl sleeping in his arms, "Mikoto, we aren't in class, you're just dreaming, You really need to wake up. Wake up, please, I'm in great danger!"

Mikoto groaned and slowly started opening her eyes, to the boy's relief. As she gained her bearings, she smiled at her boyfriend's handsome face and said, "Good morning Touma." She was initially confused at his tense expression, but she soon realized the problem, "Why is there something heavy on top of me?" She then looked up, and her eyes widened as she saw Birdway and Lessar sleeping above them.

Touma made sure to keep his right hand against the girl's head and nervously whispered, "I swear, I don't know anything about this or why they're there! Could you help me get them off of us?" He was worried that they might attack him after getting a misunderstanding when they woke up, but he hoped Mikoto could help him prevent that situation.

Mikoto also didn't know what was going on, but she trusted her boyfriend. She narrowed her eyes at the two intruding girls, assuring, "I'll take care of it." Even though Birdway had recently fought against Touma during the Ichihanaran festival, Mikoto guessed that she came to Touma to drag him into the next fight against GREMLIN. And she figured that the perverted Lessar was the one who came up with the idea to sleep on top of her and Touma.

Mikoto was very annoyed that those girls had ruined her chances of a pleasant morning with Touma. So she bonked both of them on their heads and exclaimed, "Hey, get up!"

Birdway seemed to stir, but she groggily said, "Ugh, quiet down, do you have any idea what time it is?"

Lessar made a similar comment, "I'm really jetlagged, so tired."

Touma was still very fearful, despite them not immediately screaming and attacking him. He nervously rambled, "You're not fooling me with that. You want me to let my guard down so you can launch a sneak attack at the back of my head!"

Mikoto glanced over at him and wondered, "Why does he have such a specific prediction about this kind of situation?"

Birdway, still with her eyes closed, sleepily replied, "I don't care what you think. Just let me sleep, or I'll kill you."

Lessar also added, "Ugh, as long as it's over my clothes, you can touch my breasts, so just let me sleep!" The two girl's voices were more reminiscent of a hangover than sleep deprivation.

Upon hearing that comment, Mikoto got pissed off and her patience ran out. She raised her hands under the blanket and pushed both Birdway and Lessar off the futon, causing them to roughly land on the floor and wake up. Birdway rubbed her eyes and replied in an annoyed tone, "Was that really necessary?"

Touma and Mikoto sat up on the futon, knowing that sleeping in wasn't an option. Mikoto put her hands on her hips and angrily replied, "Of course, what the hell were you two doing? Even if you had to break in here to get in touch with Touma, you didn't need to fall asleep on top of us!"

Lessar then grumbled, "Wow, you're such a spoilsport. It's not like we even got into bed with him. We were separated by the blanket!"

The boy just sighed in relief, since it seemed that they wouldn't attack him after all. But he celebrated a little too early, since Index had just woken up and was growling at him. She bared her teeth and angrily said, "So, sleeping with one girl in your bed isn't enough for you, Touma? It seems like I have to punish you again!" She then jumped from the bed and over the table, aiming for Touma's head.

Touma panicked and frantically thought, "Damn it, I forgot about Index, the final boss!" He closed his eyes and braced himself.

Fortunately for him, Mikoto came to his rescue, using her arm to block Index's strike and push her onto the table. Sparks flew from Mikoto's head as she growled, "This isn't Touma's fault, Index."

Those words and Mikoto blocking her attack seemed to get through to Index, who then said, "Oh, okay then. Touma, I'm hungry, make me breakfast!"

The boy was rather annoyed that she so quickly moved from attacking him to making demands of him, but this was a relatively preferable outcome. So Touma stood up and headed into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for himself and the four girls.

After about 10 minutes, Touma returned to the living room and served everyone with toast, warm milk, and a salad. Mikoto gave him a warm smile and said, "Thanks, Touma!" It wasn't a lot of food, but she didn't mind. She would gladly eat any food prepared by him.

Some of the other girls were less happy with the meal. Lessar sleepily dipped her bread in the warm milk before eating it, perhaps trying to fall back asleep. After having taken a mysterious phone call, Birdway had a dissatisfied expression on her face as she looked at the food, muttering, "I travelled all the way to Japan, so why can't I have white rice and miso soup?"

Meanwhile, Index had placed her salad between her two pieces of bread and had scarfed down the whole thing, polishing off her milk afterwards. She then complained, "Touma, I finished this in 15 seconds, so it doesn't count as a meal! I want some ham and eggs too!"

Touma sharply fired back, "No, you need to eat a healthy and balanced diet! If you took the time to eat your food, you'd actually feel full."

Index narrowed her eyes at him and threatened, "If you don't make me ham and eggs, I'll just eat Sphinx's food. You don't want him to starve, right?" The calico cat growled and unsheathed its claws as its food was threatened.

Mikoto sighed and stood up, announcing, "It's fine Touma, I'll make her some ham and eggs." It was a simple enough breakfast dish, so she figured she could make it, even though she was still new to cooking. And it would allow her boyfriend to have a break.

Touma smiled at her and replied, "Thanks, Biri-Biri." He watched her as she went into the kitchen, admiring the view of her in his clothes. He then turned to Birdway and Lessar, asking, "So, why are you guys here? Is it something to do with GREMLIN?"

Lessar was in the middle of falling asleep at the kotatsu, muttering, "We in New Light played rock paper scissors, and I won the right to come here. Floris almost cried when I beat her in the final match."

Touma groaned, "I don't care about those details, I want to know why you came to see me. And don't just fall back asleep!" But his words fell on deaf ears, and Lessar slumped down on the table.

Birdway finally explained, "An Anti-GREMLIN Alliance is forming. The United States, the UK and its Anglican Church, Russia and its Orthodox Church. There's also the Catholic Church, along with the Vatican, Italy, and France."

The boy then asked, "Okay, so what does this have to do with me? Where do I come in?" A part of him wanted to object to being dragged in, but he had already pledged to fight against GREMLIN anyway.

Birdway continued, "The alliance is making an all-out effort to find GREMLIN's headquarters, so that it can launch a unified attack against it. GREMLIN is strong on an individual level, but the fact that they're keeping their base hidden means they likely can't stand up to the might of entire nations."

The boy thought back to the one-sided fight against Othinus in Baggage City and wondered, "But if you're planning to attack them directly, can you really fight against that Magic God?"

Birdway said in an entirely unconcerned tone, "It's true that we're up against a Magic God who's putting together that powerful spiritual item known as Gungnir. Defeating them with any normal effort will be difficult, but we have an ace up our sleeve that can resolve the fight much more quickly."

From the kitchen, Mikoto narrowed her eyes and guessed, "You mean Touma."

Birdway glanced over at her and replied, "Don't worry, we're not just going to throw him in front of Othinus. He'd just die instantly that way. But we can send him in at the critical moment, like when that spear is on the verge of being completed. And he can survive that kind of fight."

Touma didn't want to just let GREMLIN attack wherever they wanted in the world. But he objected, "Just to be clear, I could never defeat someone like Othinus. I already soundly lost to Lightning God Thor, and I might have even lost to Marian Slingeleyer if she had seriously drawn out Dainsleif. Honestly, I've never had a clean win against them, so do you really want to leave it to my hands?"

Birdway countered, "But you could still say you survived against those monstrous opponents. You don't need to place your objective too high, all that matters is we have a chance."

Mikoto frowned as she realized what was happening. They didn't expect her boyfriend to fight particularly well. All their hopes were in his right hand, in Imagine Breaker. To them, Touma was merely a precision weapon that would be guided to the correct location at the correct time by professionals, where he would strike against the precise target.

Touma then asked, "So where exactly will you be taking me?"

Birdway replied, "The alliance is searching the world for the exact location, which could be anywhere. We don't know if GREMLIN has a name for this place, but I and the rest of the alliance are calling it Sargasso, the ship graveyard."

The boy skeptically asked, "And how are we supposed to get there in time if we don't even know where it is?"

In response, Birdway smirked and answered, "I spoke to one of the board members I was able to access. A supersonic passenger plane has been prepared for us, so it'll take only a few hours to reach Sargasso, no matter where in the world it's located."

At this point, Mikoto finished her cooking. She thus returned to the living room, placing a plate of ham and eggs in front of Index, who immediately began eating after saying, "Thank you, Mikoto!"

Mikoto sighed and said, "I suppose we can take the bus to District 23 to get to the airport." She wished the fight didn't have to be so soon, but there was no choice now.

Touma then objected, "Hold on, my attendance at school is already bad. At least let me go to class until you need me, I want to at least be there for roll call this morning!"

Birdway crossed her arms pompously and replied, "You can do that if you like, but I need to make sure you're available at any moment, so I'd have to come with you to school. Is that okay?"

The boy frantically objected, "Of course not, how do you think my class would react if I brought in a random girl with me?"

Mikoto then suggested, "Let's just all go directly to District 23 after getting ready." They still needed to change into their regular clothes. Mikoto would have to wear her clothes from the previous day, but at least they had been washed.

Touma looked at her with a dismayed expression and exclaimed, "But my attendance! Wait, Mikoto, don't you need to go to school too?"

The girl gave him a smirk and told him, "Unlike you, my school trusts me. I don't have any problems with attendance, so I can skip a few days and be fine."

The boy sighed and rubbed his head, "Trust, huh? Yeah, I don't have any of that." After a pause, he said, "Fine, I guess I have no choice but to miss another day. At this rate, I'll get held back for sure."

Mikoto felt bad for him, having to constantly miss school to save the day and then getting punished for it. But all she could do was support him in his efforts and hope things would eventually turn out for the best.

A little later, all of them were now at the airport in District 23. Even though the airport was very strict about who could visit, there were still plenty of people around, and they looked around at the people from different countries.

Touma asked, "Now that we're here, what do we do? Do we get on that supersonic plane?" They were going to travel to wherever GREMLIN's base was, so he figured they'd want to get on as quickly as possible.

Birdway shook her head and replied, "Nothing for now. We're waiting for our chartered plane, but we don't have to check in or go through security. Instead, we'll use the crew exit and take an electronic cart to the plane. We also have the highest priority for takeoff, so we won't have to wait for other planes."

Mikoto's eyes widened, and she said in an amazed tone, "I can't believe that! Academy City is full of advanced scientific information and technology. Some planes ignored the standard procedures during World War 3, but that kind of special treatment could be used to smuggle proprietary technology out of the city."

Birdway then explained, "Yes, and the danger now is enough to warrant that risk. This potential conflict could be as large as that war, or even larger, so there's no time to worry about those trivial issues."

At this point, Lessar cut in, "Well, that just means we have some free time, right? While we're here, I'd like to go to that mall over there and get a sexy swimsuit!"

Mikoto looked over at her boyfriend and sighed, "She's always like this, isn't she?" She mused to herself, "After all it was probably her idea for them to sleep on top of us."

Touma shrugged and answered, "I guess so." He really hoped that she wouldn't cause any trouble, but he had a sneaking suspicion that she would.

Trying to explain herself, Lessar then said, "Listen, we at New Light are working with the Anglican and Catholic Churches right now. But once this conflict is over, they'll want to take care of the thorn in both their sides, especially while they still know where we are."

Birdway listened to the other girl's explanation and calmly agreed, "Yes, you have a point. A resort in the Southern Hemisphere should be a good place to hide until the situation calms down."

Lessar then protested, "Wait, that was my vacation plan! If you come along, you'll just lure them to both of us!"

As they argued, Touma, Mikoto, and Index were forced to follow them towards the shopping mall. The boy reluctantly decided to ask, "So do you know which specific store you want to go to?"

Lessar immediately replied, "50% Less Skin Covered!"

Touma groaned, already not liking where this was going. He objected, "Are you really going to blend in with a swimsuit from there?"

Birdway scoffed at him, "You fool, we're going to an international resort, so we'd stand out even more if we didn't wear skimpy swimsuits!"

The boy then tried a different tactic, suggesting, "Hold on, why don't we go to a more normal store instead, like Tropical Bright Girl?"

Birdway shot that idea down, "No, that store is for prudes."

Touma then turned to his girlfriend and pleaded, "Mikoto, can you help me out here? With my misfortune, I don't think anything good will come out of going to a store called 50% Less Skin Covered."

Mikoto put a hand on her hip and replied, "Well, this doesn't directly have anything to do with me, since I don't really need a new swimsuit. But I also don't like the thought of you seeing other girls in those kinds of swimsuits, so sure, I'll support you here."

The boy then wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a quick squeeze, exclaiming, "Thanks, Biri-Biri!" After releasing the girl, he then turned to Index and asked, "What about you, Index? Between 50% Less Skin Covered and Tropical Bright Girl, you would choose the latter, right?"

Index told him, "I don't know what either of them is."

The boy then used an argument that was sure to work with her, "But tropical sounds delicious, right?"

Indeed, Index excitedly nodded and replied, "You're right! I agree with Touma!"

Mikoto grinned at how easily he'd manipulated Index, saying, "Good job, Touma!"

With an upbeat expression, Touma turned back to the other two girls and exclaimed, "Ha! Now we have 3 votes to 2 for going to Tropical Bright Girl. Birdway, Lessar, you have been defeated!"

However, Birdway wouldn't give up that easily. She pulled out her phone and said, "You haven't won yet! You haven't said who could vote, and I can gather as many reinforcements as I need with a single phone call! Don't underestimate the personnel network of one of the world's greatest magic cabals!"

Touma hadn't expected this strategy, and he stammered, "What? I-if you can do that, then I can-"

Birdway interrupted him, "What, are you going to contact all your friends and classmates? You still wouldn't stand a chance against our members spread all around the world! You were a fool to challenge a magic cabal boss to a democratic vote!"

Mikoto muttered so only Touma could hear, "Well, I might be able to get all my sisters to vote on our side, but she might actually have access to over ten thousand people."

Meanwhile, Birdway sent an email on her phone to her associates, and responses flew in within a few seconds, showing just how tight she held the reins over them. But when she glanced down at her screen, she saw an email from Mark Space which read, "We don't have time for this nonsense."

Touma saw that Birdway was trembling and frozen, so he announced, "Okay, it's settled! We're going to Tropical Bright Girl!" He then realized something else and added, "Come to think of it, there's no reason for me to go in the store, I can just wait outside." After all, if he did go with them, there would likely be some sort of accident where he saw something he wasn't supposed to.

But this was a step too far for Birdway, exclaimed, "I already told you we have to stick together at all times, so that we can get in that supersonic plane as quickly as possible!"

In response, Touma could only mutter, "Such misfortune!"

Mikoto saw his distraught expression and decided to do something to cheer him up. She walked up and locked arms with him, softly telling him, "It's okay, Touma, you'll be fine. I'll come in with you and I'll even look at some swimsuits myself! Maybe I'll go swimming at that new indoor pool in District 6."

The boy smiled at his girlfriend and said, "Thanks, Mikoto." He happily walked arm-in-arm with her into the swimsuit store.

Once they were inside, Lessar immediately looked around in excitement, and said, "Wow, they actually have a full selection of micro bikinis! Ooh, is this a ribbon swimsuit that uses silicon material to stick directly to your skin? This is unexpected, but I think I can actually enjoy myself here!"

Touma held his head in his free hand and said in disbelief, "Are you kidding me? If this is a normal swimsuit store, what kinds cover 50% less skin than these?"

Birdway then walked up to the boy while carrying a hangar with a swimsuit, and asked him, "I found this cow-print slingshot, but I think the animal symbolism is a little too far. As a guy, what would you think if you saw me wearing this?"

The boy felt his girlfriend's grip on him tighten a bit. He looked away and shook his head, replying, "Nope, I'm not falling into that trap!" He had wanted to blurt out something about it being a self-deprecating joke, but he wisely decided to keep it to himself.

Birdway sighed and returned the hangar to the rack, and then continued looking for a suitable swimsuit.

Mikoto then let go of her boyfriend's arm and informed him, "Okay, those swimsuits over there look normal, so I'll go check them out."

The boy waved at her and said, "All right, have fun!" That just left him with Index, who also wasn't interested in buying a swimsuit. Touma turned to her and said, "It's a relief that you stay the same no matter where you are, Index."

Index nodded, "I don't see how they can care so much about swimsuits when it's so cold. But more importantly, Touma, when will all the delicious food I smell around here be served? There are so many cafes and bread shops!"

Touma sighed and replied, "Sorry, Index, but I can't afford to just buy you all those different types of food. You'll have to pick just one place and one type of food."

Index crossed her arms and sighed, "Fine, Touma."

A little later, Mikoto returned to the two of them, carrying a hanger with a swimsuit. She held it up, and Touma could see that it was a sporty pink one-piece, which seemed like a streamlined design. She said to him, "I think I'll buy this one. What do you think?"

Touma examined it for a few moments and replied, "It seems similar to your school swimsuit, don't you think? I know you're more modest than those other two, but isn't it a bit too modest?"

Mikoto replied while pointing at the swimsuit, "You really don't have any fashion sense, do you Touma? Look, this part and this part here are completely different! And of course I chose a modest swimsuit, I want one for swimming around people other than you!"

Touma watched with his amusement as his girlfriend frantically gestured towards the swimsuit during her explanation. Suddenly, the piece of cloth in Mikoto's hand started peeling off from just below the chest down to the bottom of the abdomen. This turned it into a two-piece bikini.

Both of them looked at the deceptive garment with open mouths for a few seconds. Touma then smirked and asked in a teasing tone, "So, are you still going to buy it, Mikoto? Or are you going to brush and frantically put it back?"

Mikoto refused to be beaten back by his teasing, so she grinned back at him and replied, "Oh, so now you're interested in it, huh? Sure, you already saw me in a two-piece anyway, so I'll still get it. It's actually nice to have both a modest and a more revealing version all in one, so I can use it in both situations." She then leaned in even closer to him and softly asked, "Want me to try it on for you?"

Touma's cheeks reddened, and he considered it for a moment. But then, he shook his head, "Not now. With those other girls around, I don't want to be anywhere near the dressing rooms. How about you show me some other time?"

Mikoto laughed and said, "All right, I will!" She then started walking towards the checkout counter to buy the swimsuit, and Touma followed her, eager to distance himself from Lessar and Birdway.

But Touma wouldn't make it there just yet. A hand roughly grabbed him by the back of his neck, and he was pulled backwards into an area not covered by the security cameras. When he regained his bearings, he exclaimed, "What? There was a wall right here, so how did I go through it?"

He quickly saw that his attacker was Lessar, who said to him, "Don't struggle so much, or the others will find us."

As she said this, Mikoto walked in with an annoyed expression, having followed them. With sparks coming out of her head, she crossed her arms and asked Lessar, "Why the hell did you drag my boyfriend here?"

With her tail wriggling around, Lessar grinned at the other girl and answered, "Relax! I just want him to pick out my swimsuit!" She then held up two swimsuit hangars and told the boy, "Okay, the choices are this sexy black wired bikini, and this sexy white skeleton one-piece!"

Touma looked away from her and replied, "I don't even know what those specialized names mean! Biri-Biri, can you help me out here?"

Mikoto felt a little conflicted. On one hand, she didn't like the idea of her boyfriend choosing a swimsuit for another girl, and she felt the urge to punch Lessar in the face. But the more devious side of her wanted to see how he would respond. That side of her won out, so she replied with a somewhat malicious grin, "No, it's fine, go ahead and choose! I'm curious about what you'll say."

Touma trembled in fear at her response, thinking to himself, "Damn it, isn't a girlfriend supposed to be against exactly this sort of thing?" He reluctantly looked up at the two options, unable to decide between them.

Lessar began explaining, "Okay, this black one is almost entirely made out of wires. The bottom part is just an open triangular frame, but there's a piece of triangular cloth in the opposite direction to cover up the most important bit."

The boy sighed, "So basically, it's a deadly weapon. Got it!" He still couldn't believe that this relatively tame swimsuit store had something like that.

Lessar then continued, "The skeleton one is essentially a normal one-piece, similar to the school swimsuits Japanese girls wear."

The boy excitedly replied, "Oh, so that's a normal option! In that case-"

But Lessar shattered his hopes, adding, "But when it gets wet, it becomes perfectly see-through! Of course, the crotch is made up of a different fabric, so that area remains hidden. But it'll just look like some air happened to get inside, preventing it from touching the skin."

Touma couldn't take it anymore. He dropped down to the ground and buried his face in his knees, groaning. Meanwhile, Mikoto winced at her boyfriend's broken state, thinking to herself, "That went way too far! I shouldn't have let this happen at all!" All she could do now was pat his back to provide some comfort.

Lessar then made her final attack, saying, "There's also a third option. Wearing the wired bikini over the skeleton one-piece would give a cocktail of sexy swimsuits! So, which option will you choose?"

The boy trembled, knowing that picking any of the options would be suicide. He desperately searched his mind for a way to get out of this situation. Just like in deadly fights against powerful magicians and espers, Touma's brain became much stronger in this dangerous situation. An idea came to him as he remembered Lessar's third option of combining the swimsuits. His eyes widened, and he realized, "Wait, there's a fourth option!"

He stood up with a determined expression and began, "Lessar, I've made my choice!" Lessar looked up at him in confusion, and Mikoto looked at him with raised eyebrows, eager to see what he'd just come up with. Touma then proceeded to grab the hangar with the wired bikini.

Lessar asked him, "Huh? You want me to wear the wired bikini?" She said this with hesitation, sensing that there was more to the story.

Touma then grabbed the other hangar out of her hand and continued, "No! You put the wired bikini on first and then put on the skeleton one-piece over it! Like you said, if there's air or any other kind of gap between the cloth and skin, the skeleton one-piece won't be see-through. Therefore, if you wear the wired bikini underneath it, it'll just look like you're wearing a black swimsuit underneath a white one. The exposure will be no different from a normal bikini, and there will be no eroticism left!"

It was now Lessar's turn to drop to the ground in shock, as if she'd been struck by a bolt of lightning. She trembled and exclaimed in disbelief, "I give you the two sexiest swimsuits I could find, and you find a way to escape without a hint of sexiness? How much of an expert are you?"

Touma placed his hands on his hips and announced victoriously, "Ha ha ha! Finally, this time, I won't let myself get defeated by a misunderstanding! Watch in frightened awe as I come up with an answer no one expected and stand on a brand new stage!"

Mikoto giggled at his display, very impressed at his resourcefulness and quick thinking. She began clapping for him, saying, "Good job, Touma!" She then leaned in and quickly kissed him on the lips.

The boy felt on top of the world. He'd successfully dealt with a dangerous dilemma and had been rewarded by his girlfriend as a result. But then, the curtain was drawn to the side, and Birdway and Index appeared with blank expressions on their faces.

Index just said in a disappointed tone, "Touma."

Birdway said in a similar tone, "I know everybody has their own tastes, but that's going a bit too far."

Touma was confused by their reactions. But then he looked around and examined the situation. A girl was on her knees after he had forcibly grabbed two swimsuits out of her hands, and he'd just shouted about coming up with an unexpected answer and standing on a new stage. His eyes widened as he deduced just what misunderstanding he's just caused. He frantically waved the two swimsuits around and exclaimed, "Wait! I didn't take these from Lessar because I want to wear them! That misunderstanding is way too ridiculous!"

His words fell on deaf ears. Index and Birdway just turned around and walked away from him. Touma buried his face in his hands and groaned, "Nooo!"

Mikoto felt really bad for him, even if she found the situation hilarious. She approached him and pulled him into a hug from behind, resting her head on his shoulder. As she felt him lean back against her, she said soothingly in his ear, "It's okay, Touma."

Touma gave her a small smile, replying, "Thanks, Mikoto." He still felt distraught that his apparent victory had suddenly slipped from his grasp, but his girlfriend's comforting hold cheered him up a little. They stayed like that for a few moments, and then they headed towards the checkout counter so Mikoto could purchase her swimsuit.

After that unfortunate misunderstanding, Birdway and Lessar had decided to not buy swimsuits after all, and Mikoto had asked hers to be delivered to her dorm, since she didn't want to carry it with her into battle.

Then, the group had run into Kumokawa Maria, who Touma had met back in Baggage City. She had apparently come to the airport to do some practical foreign language learning. Touma had thought that this was pretty intense for a middle schooler, but Mikoto had told him about an exercise she regularly did at Tokiwadai, where she and other students would each speak a different foreign language and have conversations with each other like that. This had only made the boy feel distraught at being the oldest of the group, yet the only monolingual one.

After learning that they were going to confront GREMLIN, Maria had insisted on coming with them so she could possibly see her old teacher Kihara Kagun again. He was supposed to have died in Baggage City, but he'd been somehow revived by GREMLIN to be used for their own purposes. Birdway had agreed to let her join, since they only needed to get Touma out of Academy City anyway.

As a result, they were now all in the supersonic place that Birdway had arranged for. The plane accelerated down the runway and took off. When Touma looked at the scenery from the window, he could tell that they were already outside of Academy City, and above another part of Tokyo. He figured that they may reach Tokyo Bay before the plane even achieved its top speed.

But that ended up being too naive. They all heard a great roar, and when they looked outside, there was a giant dragon just outside, flying alongside the plane. It didn't breathe fire, but it did use its wing to cleanly slice the plane in half. As a result, all of its occupants were mercilessly thrown out into the open air. While the plane hadn't reached its proper altitude, they were still 300 meters up in the air, and they now fell down towards the center of Tokyo.