Hello, everyone! It's time for Touma to experience the hell that is the Omega World. I'd like to thank a certain discord user who thought up what Othinus would say to Touma in this chapter, regarding his relationship with Mikoto.
Toa Solaric: Yeah, I posted the past couple of chapters rather quickly, though it is easier to write more when you're just modifying existing scenes from the light novel.
Dragonghoul9707: I think Mikoto's father would be open to Touma being his daughter's girlfriend, but they will probably have to at least meet each other first. Yes, Touma will feel broken from the perfect world, and the Will of the Misaka Network will have to snap him out of it.
Shwae: Yeah, NT9 is great, and the final part of NT is pretty good as well, so you should read it when you get the chance. Touma will probably have to explain to Mikoto why he decided to defend Othinus, but I'd say a calm conversation should make this go mostly smoothly.
Guest10032: It's easier to write a longer chapter when it's based on light novel scenes. Yeah, I am trying to minimize the harem/fanservice scenes with other girls, though I left in some of those scenes from NT8 because they were especially funny. The Beta World's Mikoto inviting "Touma" to a hotel is indeed foreshadowing. I did think about whether to include Mikoto in the Alpha World, but since she and Index weren't in the canon Alpha World, despite being very important to Touma, I figured there was a reason they weren't present, and it may have been hinted by Othinus saying that no one saw the real him in that world. Mikoto, Index, and Tsuchimikado, who also didn't appear in the Alpha World, know about Touma's heroic life, while the people who did appear, Fukiyose, Aogami, and his parents, do not. There were some world leaders who denounced him, like President Katze and Queen Elizard, who should know about his heroics, but maybe they were politically pressured into denouncing him. I don't know for sure if this is why certain people appeared while others didn't, but this is partly why I didn't include Mikoto in my version of the Alpha World. And it did also mean that we wouldn't see two Mikotos with different personalities in the same chapter. It is indeed time for the Omega World, and yes, Will will probably have somewhat different lines here, due to Touma's relationship with Mikoto and the Sisters being different.
Stryper88: This arc is very intense indeed. I'm glad you enjoyed my depictions of those scenes. I figured Othinus would definitely show Touma scenes of his girlfriend with another guy to torment him, though I didn't want to go into explicit detail, so that's how the scene ended up being that way.
rubengalihalexis: Yeah, it is a bit easier to write a lot when you're just altering scenes from the light novel, but it still was quite a bit of work. I will try to be careful not to overwork myself.
LordChorizoCosmico: I'm doing well, and I hope you are too. Yes, both NT9 and the subsequent NT10 are some of the most important arcs for Touma's character. The black word was indeed really scary, especially if you're all alone, though I guess it still had gravity to distinguish between up and down. Touma was stuck in denial for a while, since what he saw was completely detached from any normal sense of reality. It is painful to see him fall apart, but it only makes it that much more satisfying when he gets himself together and succeeds in the end. Touma has used the things beyond Imagine Breaker a few times, but he probably still had quite a lot to learn about Imagine Breaker itself. The Alpha World was hard to believe for me too. Perhaps one key hint is that, other than political leaders who may have been pressured into it, everyone who denounced Touma in that world didn't personally witness his heroics, so it would perhaps be easier for Othinus to change their viewpoint. Whereas for people like Mikoto and Index, that would be harder, which may be why they didn't appear in the canon Alpha World. That's just speculation on my part, though. I do agree that Fukiyose is too harsh on Touma at times, but it is definitely still disturbing for Touma to experience his friends and teacher trying to kill him. The Beta World definitely triggered Touma's identity crisis, but it seems that he was able to overcome it, at least for the moment. But he still has to face perhaps the hardest challenge, the Omega World.
Vegitta: Yeah, I did cut, shorten, and summarize some scenes, but I did try to write about the Alpha and Beta Worlds in detail. The Omega World will indeed be painful for Touma, and he will see that scene of Mikoto and Accelerator happily coexisting, with all the Sisters alive. But he will have the Will of the Misaka Network to help him out.
veryhappy: Thanks! And yeah, Touma will have to go through a lot more suffering, but he will eventually make it through in the end.
MC91: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!
thegamersport7: Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far!
Blankow: Yeah, NT9 was very depressing to reread, but it is nice to see just how strong of a person Touma is.
veryhappy: I'm glad you're enjoying my story, but please be patient. I try to update about once a week, and I have managed to do that so far.
xellos540: Yeah, this arc has a lot of points made by Othinus and Touma that you can argue against. I wanted to put this at the beginning, so thanks for spotting those typos, I fixed them in the most recent update. I guess the only choice for Imagine Breaker if Touma dies in the black world is to go into Othinus. The Russian Orthodox Church was only Touma's ally for the fight against GREMLIN, but it's still harsh to see them denouncing Touma. Othinus on a scooter is a funny scene, and it sort of comes up again in GT4. Yeah, Kamachi's narration style is like that sometimes, and I guess some people like reading that style more than others. For the Alpha world, Othinus does argue that Touma's canon actions could already be seen as evil from a certain viewpoint, and she gave everyone in the Alpha world that viewpoint. You can definitely argue against this, but Othinus's point was that Touma could already be considered evil from the start. Hmm, how much Othinus knows is a good question, since I don't know if she can directly read Touma's mind. But since she's a god, she probably knows almost all the details of his past, even events he's forgotten. Maybe Komoe knew that only Touma would be misfortune enough to end up in that situation. Yeah, the Beta world is confusing, even with the quotes around Touma's name, until you see that reveal. Touma did have imposter syndrome with his memory loss, but I think he's mainly gotten over it by now. Othinus's argument does affect him somewhat, but he doesn't take long to recover from it, and Will will also partially debunk it in this chapter. Othinus is definitely not trying to remain objective in her arguments, and you do make a good point about the two factions. Touma probably doesn't feel "worshipped," though he might know that people do admire him, at least. Hmm, I guess both Othinus and the imposter took everything from Touma, though it's ultimately Othinus's fault. Touma does gain those bonds, but it wasn't something he was looking to gain when joining the fight. Yes, Othinus is the only one to make Touma suffer so much that he at first wanted to give up, but then was convinced to be selfish and save himself. It was a trick question, and fortunately, Touma saw through it. Touma does have some self-doubt, but he also doesn't let it weigh him down too much. I think this is where phases are first explained, but I'm not totally sure. I think Othinus did indeed destroy the whole universe, though I'm not sure exactly how Magic Gods work in terms of consuming mana, but maybe she has near-infinite mana. I think Silver Star is Aleister. That's an interesting comparison between Touma and Shokuhou, though his situation is much more dire.
Touma once again woke up not knowing what was going on. He'd gotten used to this feeling, and his heart had been torn to pieces during those countless torturous worlds. He instinctively wanted to rebuild his heart, but he didn't know how many pieces there were.
The boy saw that he was sitting on a bench in a park, which was currently filled with sunlight. He knew that this place was a cruel creation by Othinus, who would watch down from above as it, like the ones before it, denied his existence and made him feel helpless. Anywhere that initially seemed peaceful would quickly show destruction in the end, and his soul would be battered by the sight of himself and the people he knew screaming and sinking into pools of blood. In addition to physically torturing him directly, Othinus had also placed him in countless worlds where Mikoto, Index, and his other friends and acquaintances, died brutally, with him being completely powerless to save them.
As a result, Touma defensively tensed up, realizing that he couldn't just sit there and wait for that change to occur. He resolved, "I'll make the first move! Luckily, I've been able to keep my memories this entire time, so that gives me the chance to figure out a way to resist Othinus's infinite power. No matter what happens to me, I'll save them and return everyone to normal!"
Othinus would strike again soon. He was never made to wait endlessly for her move, since she would likely tire of the wait as well. He needed to figure out the Magic God's habits and dispositions, so that he could potentially find an elusive weakness in her power. With this resolve, the boy began to spring up from the park bench.
But before he could stand up, he heard a voice, "...llis." It seemed to be speaking English, so Touma couldn't understand the details, but he could make out a name. Touma had heard a complete stranger being called "Kamijou Touma," so he figured he could overcome whatever name this turned out to be.
But then he heard the full name, "Wait up, Ellis!" When he turned to the speaker, he saw Sherry Cromwell. Touma recalled, "Wasn't Ellis the name of her golem? And didn't she name it after a close friend of hers who'd died a long time ago?" He looked blankly at the boy and girl as they ran off, having no idea what to make of the sight.
Touma then heard another voice, perhaps speaking French or Italian, and saw a family of two parents and a child, having a picnic in the park. He recognized Agnese Sanctis as the child, and he asked himself quizzically, "Did she ever mention her parents?"
The boy's eyes widened as he started to realize what was going on, "It can't be!" He slowly felt a large shadow fall over him from behind, but his eyes remained glued to various scenes in front of him.
Vento of the Front walked while holding hands with her younger brother. Terra of the Left was alive again, drinking iced coffee with the other members of God's Right Seat. Oriana Thomson didn't work as a magical courier, and instead smiled with some children and old women. Kumokawa Maria was speaking with Kihara Kagun. Over and over, he saw people who should have been dead, living happily with the people who had previously mourned them.
Standing behind him, Othinus said words that stabbed into his heart, "Reject it. If you insist that changing the world is evil, then reject this twisted world without any suffering, crime, or broken hearts."
Touma felt her lean towards him as she whispered in his ear. He said nothing, because he had no rebuttal against her. She thus continued, "Destroying this world is easy. Either kill me or destroy the lance I use to control my power. I doubt a human like you could accomplish either, but at least it's worth trying. You will fail, and you won't be able to take anything from me, but you might create a bit of static. That would be enough to shatter this makeshift world created with an incomplete phase, destroying one of the worlds you believe to be incredibly distorted."
Othinus was holding her lance within reach of his right hand. It was the tool that allowed her to bring great changes to the world while ignoring the wishes of the people involved. He could destroy it right now. She urged him on, "Hurry. You believe that it's wrong to twist the world towards bliss, and that it's right to return it to normal. You're probably right, so show it with your actions, and carry out your idea of justice."
Before now, Othinus had repeatedly destroyed the world, brought people to ruin, and shown Touma countless hellish and agonizing worlds. He had thus assumed that she was an absolute evil, and so he'd been supported by the hope of returning everything to normal.
But this time was different. She told him, "I said this before, but the world doesn't really need you specifically. Even without you, their dangers were avoided. Things might have changed a bit, but life continues on for everyone. You saved them in one way, I saved them in another. That's all. In this world, I resolved those unreasonable incidents in your place. This isn't an issue of good and evil, and there's no point arguing who's right. It's merely an issue of the options available and the results achieved. Those two factors differ greatly between us, and it affects everyone's lives."
Touma, feeling very small, finally said with trembling lips, "Then, what have I been doing all this time?"
Othinus simply answered, "You did well for a mere human. But don't forget that I'm a god. I can save people in ways you cannot."
The boy protested, "But that isn't fair. Ellis was already dead by the time I met Sherry. It happened twenty years ago, and I wasn't even born then. There was no way I could've saved him."
Othinus agreed, "Then you did nothing wrong."
Touma continued, "It's the same with Oriana and Agnese. There had to have been tragedies I didn't even know about. How am I supposed to save people from those things?"
The Magic God said in a tone that sounded sympathetic, "No one is blaming you." But that wasn't quite true, because Touma was blaming himself.
At this moment, a soccer ball rolled up to Touma's feet. He looked over and saw Index approaching him, saying, "My ball."
On hearing her voice, Touma instinctively picked up the ball. Behind Index, he saw Stiyl, Kanzaki, and a number of priests and nuns he didn't recognize. Although he had lost his memories of those events, Touma realized that this was a world where they hadn't failed and hadn't had their role stolen by him.
Index looked at him and asked, "What's wrong, does your stomach hurt?" From her question, he guessed that he had a strange expression on his face.
Touma wondered if anything would happen if he touched her head with his right hand. Or would nothing change at all? His hand trembled for a bit, but he eventually formed a smile and clenched his right fist in his lap, saying, "No, it's nothing, I'm fine."
He watched Index jog away and rejoin her group. What Touma felt seeing this was what Stiyl and Kanzaki must have felt every time Index returned home with him. Touma wondered if he had truly saved anyone by forcing that sense of loss on others. With this, his eyes started to get watery.
The next scene really shocked Touma, even though he should've expected it. A paper airplane flew in front of him and Othinus, and he saw Last Order chase it, followed closely by some of the other Misaka Sisters. Touma looked in the direction from which the paper airplane had been thrown, and saw Mikoto and Accelerator looking happily at the scene. In this world, every single Sister was alive, so there wasn't any reason those two Level 5's couldn't get along happily.
At this point, Touma had to work harder to hold back his tears. He tried defending himself, "But it was impossible for me to save all of them! I only found out about the situation when over ten thousand Sisters had already died!"
But then, he shook his head and countered his previous argument, "No, that's no excuse. I failed to save Misaka 10031. And if I'd found out about it sooner, I could've saved the ones that died. It's my fault for just accepting the situation after saving that one single Sister in front of me." He knew that Mikoto had felt guilty about 50 of her sisters dying, from Misaka 9982 to Misaka 10031, while she'd failed to stop the experiment despite her best efforts. But with this perfect possibility laid out in front of him by Othinus, he could not help but go farther and blame himself for not stopping the experiment at the very start.
Othinus let him stew in his thoughts for a bit and said, "If you stop blaming yourself, everyone else will accept it."
Touma asked, "Then what did my choices accomplish?" The correct answer was right in front of him. It was an unreasonable method that required cheating and turning back time, but he couldn't think of a better method. He continued, "Did my choices accelerate some tragedies and cause unnecessary deaths? Did I make someone suffer or destroy someone's chance at love? I was satisfied and thought I'd saved them, so what does that make me?"
Was changing the world like this truly evil? Was returning it to normal truly good? Could he really still argue that after seeing such a wonderful world? Othinus had protected the smiles that he had been unable to, so was she in the right? Was this actually a benevolent form of government, rather than world domination?
While Touma busied himself with these depressing thoughts, he saw Mikoto approach a nearby vending machine. He was a little surprised to see her actually pay for her drink, but perhaps it was because it was a different vending machine, and because she wanted to look good in front of her sisters.
Mikoto opened the can and began drinking from it, while walking towards the bench Touma was sitting on. He was very scared about the prospect of having to talk to this version of her that Othinus had created.
The girl sat down beside him on the bench. Mikoto looked at him with concern and asked, "Are you okay?" Even though Touma was a stranger to this Mikoto, she could still tell that he was trying to keep himself from tearing up.
Touma used his arm to wipe his eyes, before smiling at her and saying, "Yes, I'm fine." It did feel a little nice to see her again, but he knew that this feeling wouldn't last long. Since she wasn't his girlfriend here, he couldn't hold her hand, hug her, or kiss her. But at least he could enjoy her company and the sweet scent of her hair for a little bit.
Mikoto could tell that he was lying, but she didn't want to pry, since he was a complete stranger to her. Her eyes widened as she saw the colorful ring on his left hand. In an attempt to cheer him up, she pointed at it and exclaimed, "Wow, that's a really nice ring! Where did you get it?"
Touma tensed up as she brought up something he really didn't look forward to talking about. He slowly raised his left hand and rotated the ring with his fingers. With a longing smile, he replied, "It was actually a gift from my girlfriend." He thought about his Mikoto's matching ring, and when he looked over at the girl next to him, he saw that she didn't have a ring on her left hand.
Mikoto gave him a cheerful smile and replied, "Oh, that's a really sweet gift! Is she also an Electromaster, by any chance? It looks like a titanium ring that's been colored using electrolysis."
The boy chuckled at the irony of her asking that question. While still playing with his ring, he answered, "Yeah, she is an Electromaster. She's really sweet, and she saved my life multiple times."
Mikoto patted his shoulder a few times and replied, "That's awesome! You must be really lucky to have such a great girlfriend!"
Touma looked down at his lap, shutting his eyes to prevent himself from crying. She didn't know just how much pain she'd caused his heart with that friendly comment. He could barely take it anymore. Having to talk to an alternate version of his girlfriend, who was living a happier life in this world, was hard enough, But the irony of her calling him lucky while he had gone through enough pain and suffering to last countless lifetimes was much too cruel to be amusing.
The girl could see that he was very distraught, and said in an apologetic tone, "I'm sorry, was it something I said?" She wondered if something bad had happened to his girlfriend.
Taking a few moments to compose himself, Touma looked back up at her and replied, "Don't apologize. It's just...it's just been a while since I last saw my girlfriend." When he saw her look at him with a sympathetic expression, he held up his hands and said, "Oh, she didn't die or disappear. I just haven't been able to meet up with her lately, and I really miss her."
Mikoto said in a soothing tone, "I get it. I'd feel the same way if I couldn't see my boyfriend for a long time for whatever reason."
Touma bit his lip at that revelation, but quickly realized, "Of course she has a boyfriend, this is the happiest world for her, after all." Knowing that he couldn't take this much longer, he said, "Yeah. Um, thank you for listening to me, I really appreciate it! But if you don't mind, I think I'd like to be alone for a bit."
The girl nodded and stood up from the bench, having finished her drink. She gently rubbed his shoulder and said, "All right, I hope you'll be able to see her soon."
The boy forced a smile and replied, "Me too." Mikoto then walked away, disposing of her empty can and rejoining her sisters.
Once Mikoto was gone, Othinus began speaking to him again, "So you see, even your girlfriend is happier in this world. All of her sisters are alive, and she has a loving boyfriend. All of her suffering has been erased. And that brings up something else."
Touma didn't like where this conversation was going, but he repeated, "Something else?"
Othinus continued, "I'm sure you know this already, even if you've never openly thought too much about it. But Misaka Mikoto only started to fall in love with you because you saved her and her sisters from those two cruel Level 6 Shift experiments. To put it more simply, she only fell in love with you because you saved her from her suffering. But in order to have saved her, there had to have been something to save her from. In other words, the entire foundation of your relationship is built on Misaka Mikoto's pain and suffering. Pain and suffering that have left permanent mental scars on her."
The boy felt a chill down his spine. He had no way to refute her argument, and he couldn't even think of anything to say in response. Even though he and Mikoto had had plenty of casual interactions outside of dangerous incidents, he couldn't deny that him saving her and her sisters those two times had had a major impact on her feelings for him. Touma knew this didn't mean that her love for him was false, but Othinus's point had an implication that he couldn't bring himself to think about.
But Othinus had no issues bringing it up, and she continued twisting the knife further, "But as you just saw, things are much different here. All twenty thousand plus Sisters are alive and well, and they were never used to forcibly shift Misaka Mikoto to Level 6. I removed those scars that permanently weighed down on her. Therefore, this is the happiest that she could possibly be. And if she never suffered, there would've been nothing for you to save her from. She would've had no particular reason to fall in love with you, and you would serve no real purpose in her life. Do you understand what that means? It means that you have no place in Misaka Mikoto's happiest life."
Her conclusion completely crushed Touma's heart, and sapped away his remaining will. Othinus was absolutely right. If Mikoto hadn't suffered so much, he would have likely just ended up being a friend or a close acquaintance to her at best. And this wasn't just hypothetical speculation, because the proof was right in front of him, in this wonderful world that Othinus had created.
Othinus once again placed her lance near his right arm, telling him, "So, go ahead and destroy the lance. If you do, maybe you can return back to your original world. You can get Misaka Mikoto back as your lover. But understand the choice you would make. You would kill those 10,031 sisters of hers all over again, destroy her happiness, and restore all of her pain and suffering. And you would demonstrate that you're happy with her being scarred for life, just so long as you can get your slimy hands back on her again. I wonder, would she even still love you if she knew you made that choice?"
Touma slumped down on the bench with each verbal blow. Othinus finally asked, "So, what will it be? Will you protect this world, or will you destroy it?"
The dam finally broke, and tears started falling down Touma's face. Othinus was absolutely right. Mikoto was clearly much happier here, and if he destroyed that happiness for his own selfish reasons, not only would she hate him, but he would also hate himself.
He trembled and shouted, "What do you want me to do then? Even if I don't do anything, you've already shown that you can and have saved the world! So what do you want from me? What is there left for me to do in this utterly perfect world?"
Othinus answered in a carefree tone, "It's quite simple. Like you said, this world is perfect. Everything is protected based on the assumption that Kamijou Touma does not exist. But if you think about it in reverse, it means that your mere presence here will cause a malfunction in this world, and eventually cause it to collapse. I don't know if it'll happen one second from now or one month from now, but it will happen. It will happen the instant the world remembers that you are still here."
She paused and gave him a glance before giving him her order, "Bring an end to your life. There is no other way to protect this world."
Those words entered Touma's ears, but his brain took a while to fully process them. She ignored this and continued, "I could kill you myself, but I'm sure you realize the problem with that. You have a way of somehow surviving dangerous situations brought about by external factors. Constantly being able to escape death may actually be your greatest misfortune. In any case, I have a 99% chance of being able to kill you, but if you want to bring that up to a certain 100%, it would be faster for you to do it yourself. That would be the most wholesome option for the world."
Touma then heard multiple objects fall from the sky. In front of him on the ground, he saw a piece of thick rope formed into a noose, a knife, a charcoal grill, a handgun, some detergent, a car, pills, a thick plastic bag, a broken hair dryer, a silver sake cup, a sword in a wooden scabbard, a filled gas can, and some clothes with heavy rocks as weights. It was both a comical and a surreal scene.
Othinus finally said, "If you are prepared to bear the weight of your choice, you can still battle me and destroy the lance. But if not, then you must end your own life, and you can go ahead and choose your preferred method."
Touma then slowly turned towards her, but she had already vanished. He was left all alone, with the enormous weight of that happy and perfect world bearing down on his shoulders.
Touma couldn't stand up from the bench, or even move. But even if he could move, there was nothing he could actually do. After seeing such happiness and such a perfect solution, he couldn't build up the courage to charge in towards everyone else's misfortune.
He may have saved people in the past, but if he could have travelled back in time, he might have been able to save even more people. It sounded like a pipe dream, but Othinus had actually done it. It may have been by cheating, and it may have been beyond what any human could do, but it was clear whose solution was more correct.
By this point, all the people who had gathered in the park were now gone. Even so, those images were still burned into the boy's mind. What possible reason could there be to fight Othinus to destroy those scenes?
He wanted to return everything to normal. He wanted to go back to his original world, he wanted to reunite with his Mikoto, and he wanted to return to his everyday life.
But he was the only one who wanted that. And if he had to weigh the entire world against himself, he'd always known which to prioritize. Othinus called herself a god, and her results matched that arrogance. If that god created all these people's smiles and protected this completely peaceful world, then what must the person who opposed her be called?
Touma covered his face with his hands and said, "Yes, if anyone should be called evil, it's me." Since he understood this, he could not move. For no matter what he did, he would trample on everyone's lives. At most, he could feel like he saved them, but that self-satisfaction would destroy the balance of this world. He couldn't do that, because it would be undeniably evil. If he saw someone else trying to do the same thing, he wouldn't hesitate to punch them. And there was no way to justify treating himself as an exception.
The boy realized that this is how it felt to have his heart break after being tortured by a countless number of worlds. Othinus had told him that his mere presence would eventually cause destruction. She could create a new world yet again, but the smiles of Mikoto, Index, and everyone else he knew would still be destroyed. Not to mention the futures of those billions of people he didn't know. There was no greater happiness than this, so any change would be negative, and his only role could be to mess up a good thing.
Thus, he came to the "correct" answer. He said, "I get it, Othinus. I'll go and find somewhere to die." He slowly stood up from the bench and began walking away.
As he aimlessly wandered the streets, he wondered, "How should I kill myself?" This would determine where exactly he'd go. Othinus had been right on the mark: he'd become so used to experiencing misfortune that no normal trouble would kill him, whether or not he was trying to die. If he chose his method poorly, he would survive and thus damage this perfect world. He needed a method which gave no room for survival, and he would have to act as quickly as possible, no matter how much he trembled and had second thoughts.
Touma looked at his surroundings and saw that this place was similar to Academy City, but with some differences, probably due to the changes that made this world perfect. Most noticeably, there were no walls around the city.
Touma saw the people who had previously been in the park, as well as some others, who were experiencing happiness in their own small worlds.
He saw a group of four girls sitting around a table inside a restaurant. It was the four original members of ITEM, Mugino, Kinuhata, Takitsubo, as well as Frenda. Touma then saw Hamazura, Fremea, as well as two guys apparently called Komaba and Hanzou, join them in the restaurant. Although he had no intention of entering the building, the smell of food stimulated Touma's hunger, though this only made him feel disgusted at himself for having such a pointless urge.
Nevertheless, since he still had his phone and wallet in his pockets, he headed towards a food truck on the opposite side of the road, which seemed to be selling hot dogs. He stood in line behind a few nuns he recognized, Angelene, Lucia, Orsola, and Lidvia. Even though the price was ridiculous, he still bought a hot dog, along with a soda, since this would be his last meal.
While Touma received this food, a few Aztec magicians walked by, Etzali, Xochitl, and Tochitl. Touma sat on a guardrail to eat his food. The hot dog and the presence of Etzali reminded him about his original fake date with Mikoto, where she'd also bought a ridiculously expensive hot dog for him. While fiddling with his ring, Touma thought back on his relationship with her, fondly remembering all the time they'd spent together. Those fake dates and other times casually spent together even before their relationship. The bench by the vending machine where she'd confessed to him and kissed him for the very first time. All of their fun dates, both out in Academy City and in his dorm room. Those wonderful nights and days they'd spent together in Hawaii, where she gave him a ring she'd electrically painted and where they'd made love for the first and only time. All of the battles they'd fought together. And finally, that last night he'd spent with her in his dorm room, and the following morning of fun before they'd all gone to Sargasso to confront Othinus.
But in any case, Mikoto was now much happier in this world than she could ever be with him in the original world. Just like Othinus had said, it would be pure evil for Touma to destroy her happiness just for his own selfish desires. She was probably better off with another boy anyway, one who didn't benefit from her own suffering and one who wouldn't bring her pain and misfortune by constantly dragging her into fights.
He sighed and thought to himself, "I guess it was nice to talk to Biri-Biri one last time. I just wished I could've hugged her one last time."
As the boy glumly ate his last meal, he saw and heard some people on a nearby pedestrian bridge. Kumokawa Maria and Kihara Kagun. His senpai Kumokawa Seria and a blonde Tokiwadai girl he didn't recognize. Two more Kiharas. The other members of GREMLIN, Thor, Marian Slingeneyer, and Mjolnir.
Touma finished his meal and threw away his trash, walking through the city once more. By watching all those people living peacefully, he was, in a way, eliminating his regrets. He saw Index, holding Sphinx, excitedly run towards Kanzaki and Stiyl, telling them to let her eat as much as she wanted. Index ran past Touma without even sparing a glance, but that was okay. She had a much better life now.
He saw Last Order, several Misaka Sisters, and Misaka Worst, walking together with Accelerator and two scientists apparently named Yoshikawa and Amai, according to their name tags. He then saw Mikoto's friends, Kuroko, Saten, and Uiharu, and his heart panged when he heard them talk about Mikoto sneaking off to a hotel with her boyfriend.
But in any case, by observing all the people enjoying the festival, Touma grew more convinced of his coming action. He understood that their smiles were not just numbers on a document, but had real weight and meaning. And thus, he continued walking along the river, away from the cheerful voices and decorative lights, towards a large building. That would be his final destination.
Walking slowly, he entered the building and rode the elevator to the roof. It was quick and silent, but it still took Touma over a minute to reach the top. The building was over 300 meters tall, so if he fell from it, there would be no saving him. Once the doors opened, Touma stepped out and sighed, "Yeah, this should do it."
The sky was gold, and the wind refreshed Touma's heart. He slowly crossed the roof to the edge. This area must not have been normally open to the public, since it has no fence to keep people from falling. With the scenery unobstructed, Touma could see the joy all around him. This truly was the happiest world. He didn't hear the harsh sounds of Anti-Skill sirens or ambulances, since this world likely didn't need them. He muttered, "This is the best possible spot to kill myself, Othinus. I couldn't make something like this on my own."
He had desperately fought to resolve many incidents in the past. But what had happened afterwards? He hadn't aimed for some lofty goal like saving the human race, but could he still be satisfied with the results? Othinus and GREMLIN had caused a lot of violence in the world, but if this perfect world was the ultimate result, he could not argue against it. Even if Othinus didn't care about those people, and even if they were being manipulated, they were all still happy, and they wouldn't care about how their happiness had been achieved.
For a while, Touma stared at the world in front of him. He still felt a slight hesitation and fear towards the act of jumping, even after he'd made the effort to numb those feelings. The fact that he still felt them made him feel pathetic, since no one would gain from him fighting what he needed to do.
With his heart having been scraped away bit by bit, all that remained was that despicable desire to live. He had said so much about rescuing people, but that puny desire was what was hidden within his core. That was why the Magic God had easily seen right through him, and why she was disappointed in him. It wasn't just Othinus who'd left him with no place in this world. Why would anyone make a place for someone like him in the first place? But that would all end soon.
Touma closed his eyes. Since the roof had no fence or railing, he only needed to step forward, and it would be all over. An unnecessary piece had been mixed in with a puzzle that could never be completed as is, so he would take the path off that table. His heart trembled at the thought of annihilation, but after forcibly rejecting his desires, all that remained was to disappear from this world.
With his heart frozen and numb, he took the first step. Then the second step, towards the result that everyone would want. He took the third step, growing more used to the action.
There was no fourth step to take. But even so, he would keep his eyes closed and move his foot forward again. This would be the end, there wouldn't be any miracles or coincidences, no way that he'd somehow be saved. Othinus had rejected that concept. And thus, he would die. Not to take some journey to a better place. He would simply be annihilated.
With that, he took that final step, and began to fall.
But something happened just before he actually fell. Suddenly, a girl shouted angrily at him from behind, "Aah /return! I was just going to sit back and watch, but this is going too far, damn it /return!"
Before Touma could react, he was dropkicked in the back, and by the time he opened his eyes, he had already flown forward, with the cityscape spread out below him.
The girl then yelled out towards him, "H-huh /escape? Wait /return! I was only trying to stop your suicide with a light smack, so why did I end up pulling the final trigger /escape?"
Touma heard her while being flipped upside-down. Somehow, he was not dead despite falling from the high-rise building. The girl realized why, "What's this /escape? Oh, you're caught on the window-washing gondola /return. Thank goodness /return. I though it was all over before I had the chance to begin /return."
The girl who peered down at him from the roof looked very familiar. She was wearing a Tokiwadai winter uniform, had short brown hair, and was wearing military goggles on her forehead. Of course, it wasn't Mikoto. It had to be one of her sisters, and Touma guessed in a confused tone, "10032-chan?" She wasn't wearing the heart-shaped necklace, but since that had been a gift from him, it wasn't surprising that it was missing in this world.
She used her arms to make an X, and replied, "Wrong /return! You made this mistake back then too, when you first met two of the Sisters /return. The one you saved was Misaka 10032 /return. And the other… /return."
Touma finished, "Misaka 10031." He felt his vision twist around. Saying that name and speaking with her made him once again realize what a great deed Othinus had done. He muttered, "The sister I just barely missed saving."
The girl replied, "That's right /return. But /backspace, I'm technically just borrowing her body, so you don't need to blame yourself for this /return. Still /backspace, we all form a single large will together, so anything I say is the same as hearing it from her /return."
Touma thought for a bit about what could be going on. As a possibility entered his mind, he said, "Wait a second. Do you mean…?" The Sisters formed a large network, and she'd just said that they also formed a large will together.
She bowed her head and confirmed his suspicion, "This is the first time you've actually met me, but you've done a lot for my physical terminals /return. I am indeed the large will created by the whole of the Misaka Network. Nice to meet you /return!"
Both Touma and the Will of the Misaka Network were now in the empty room that should have been the boy's student dorm. She had taken him there after telling him, "This shining sky that's all about appearances isn't like you. Let's go somewhere much more Kamijou Touma-like /return."
Touma was sitting on the floor, while Will sat on the bed. She explained how she was here in the world that Othinus had created, "It seems Othinus has free control over the life and death of humans, but I think she has two distinct pieces of software, one for the living and one for the dead /return. Like a heavenly world and a human world /escape? Or like heaven and hell /escape? It might be based on a religious concept I don't really understand /return. But I'm a single organic system created from 20,000 units, you know /escape? Or 20,001 units if you want to be precise /return. There's also the Third Season unit, but she's more like someone who hacked in, so I don't really count her /return. Anyway, the network that forms me consists of both Misakas that are still alive and Misakas that have died /return. In other words, I'm alive while dead and dead while alive /return.
The boy remained silent while listening to her, so she continued, "If you look at the entire system of 20,000, about half of the cluster has been taken out, but it's not like an apple being sliced in half /return. It's more complex than that, and it's all mixed together like Schrodinger's cat /return. I'm in a strange state that no normal human can reach even while having a near-death experience /return. This means I'm not really part of the living or part of the dead /return. And Othinus only has software to handle those two cases, so I slipped through the cracks /return."
She waited for him to respond, but when he continued staring blankly at her, she said in an annoyed tone, "Hey, are you even listening /escape? Please don't think you'll be praised as a good listener if you just sit there silently /return. Because it has the opposite effect /return. You need to try dragging the conversation out of me /return."
Touma was having a hard time keeping up with what she was saying. The empty space that was his dorm room, which didn't contain any trace of Index or Sphinx, also symbolized his current mental state. Underscoring this, the golden light entering through the window would be replaced by complete darkness before long.
The boy finally spoke, "If I had to guess, I'd say the software that manipulates the living and the dead is based on the Einherjar spell. That spell was only able to move dead bodies without them rotting, like with Kihara Kagun, but she must have perfected it with her lance."
Will replied, "Hmm, I'm not too good with magic or the occult /return. By the way, this isn't an English textbook, so could you stop only responding to direct questions /escape? You're talking to an actual girl here /return!"
There were now two foreign elements in Othinus's perfect world. Her calculations could never have accounted for this. But Touma couldn't simply rejoice, because he couldn't decide whether he should. So he just asked, "Why are you here?"
The girl replied with a teasing smile, "You were being very spineless, so I came to knock some sense into you /return. Back when that Lightning God Thor came by, he really pissed me off, and I wanted to challenge him to a lightning competition /return. But now I kind of understand how he felt /return. There are times when you just feel like punching someone /return."
Touma knew she was teasing him, but she had already kicked him in the back, and he wanted to avoid another fight like his one with Thor. He thought to himself, "What was up with that fight anyway? I want to punch him for letting his obsession with fighting get in the way of what mattered."
But then he realized that it didn't matter anymore. Thor had already found happiness in this world, so there was no point digging up the past, particularly because Thor might not even remember it. This was a world full of happiness, and it rejected everything Touma had done.
Nevertheless, Will nonchalantly asked him, "So what will you do now /escape?"
Touma couldn't figure out what she meant, and replied, "What?" The stage was already perfectly set, and he was blocked at every turn. What was there left for him to do?
Will continued, "Let's start with this /return. You think the best and only thing you could do in this world is to bring your own life to an end /return. But didn't you make a promise to Big Sister to protect your own life /escape? Wouldn't you be breaking that promise by killing yourself /escape?"
The boy was initially surprised that she knew about that promise, but he then recalled that he'd made that promise to Mikoto in front of Misaka 10777, back in Russia. He looked down and fiddled with his ring, while showing a sad smile. He replied, "I did promise her that, didn't I? But...I think it would be wrong for me to use that as an excuse to save myself and trample on this world's happiness. That promise was an extension of my promise to protect Mikoto's world. But here, I'm no longer a part of her world, so that promise is moot now. In fact, it's just the opposite! My presence in this world will destroy Mikoto's happiness. And so, the only way to keep my promise to protect her world...is to kill myself." He'd never expected that this kind of situation could happen, but Touma saw no choice but to follow his original promise, which his promise to protect himself had merely been a corollary to.
Will covered her face with one hand and groaned, "Of course, I should've expected that sort of reasoning /return." She then uncovered her face and leaned forward, saying as if speaking to a child, "Let's try this again /return. This is seemingly a perfect world of nothing but happiness /escape? But /backspace, are you sure there is not a single contradiction in this world that Othinus has created /escape? I wouldn't be so sure /return. An amateur high school boy like you struggled the best you could and managed to survive this far /return. If you put your mind to it, you could manage something /return. In fact, my very presence here is something /return."
But the boy protested, "Wait a minute, why would I try to turn this around? It doesn't matter whether I can do something. Turning the situation around won't accomplish anything. It'll cause everything to collapse, so why should I fight?"
Will tilted her head and said, "Hmm, I thought talking about what you can do would lead you to a more positive line of thinking /return. How about this /escape? Did you really not realize this would happen eventually as soon as Othinus gained god-like powers /escape? Dictators are still human, so they'll want to make their home as pleasant as possible /return. And that's what she did /return. She removed all tragedy from her surroundings, removed all conflict, removed all failure, and removed all objections /return. However /backspace, is there perhaps a kindness that also had to be completely eliminated in this world of happiness /escape?"
Touma muttered, "I understand. After seeing the battles in Hawaii, Baggage City, and Tokyo, I understand that Othinus doesn't worry about the people around her. She didn't create this new world out of concern for them. She didn't do away with tragedy because it was making people sad, but only because it was an eyesore. She corrected all of humanity's problems as if burying tragedy out of sight. I get that much."
The girl gently said, "But /escape?"
The boy continued, "But that still saved everyone, even people I couldn't have! This world has no blood, tears, death, crime, debt, or broken hearts. After seeing all that, can I really say it's right to return everything to normal? That would be evil! It would be right, but still evil! I'd be robbing all these people of their smiles and lives just to take back my own place in the world!"
Will didn't try to avoid the issue using ideals. She asked, "Perhaps, but let me ask you something /return. Were you ever fighting because it was the right thing to do /escape? Were you ever punching people because they were evil /escape?"
The boy hesitated to answer, so she continued with a smile, "Of course not /return. You could've done that, but you didn't /return. You never used that card when it would've helped, so it makes no sense to let it crush you the instant it becomes a problem /return. If those were the rules you played by, you don't need to suddenly change them now /return. Whether something is good or evil means nothing when it comes to what you'll entrust your life to /return."
Touma protested, "But that reasoning will only save me." And he did not deserve to be saved, not with what it would cost.
Will lightly retorted without hesitation, "Don't lie /return. You've already caught on, haven't you /escape? Othinus actually cheated, she cheated in one boring way /return. And I'm not talking about her leaving you alone unsaved /return. She made one extremely simple change to everyone she's set up to look saved /return."
The boy didn't say anything, so she continued, "If you were too stupid to realize this, you probably wouldn't have lived as long /return. Subconsciously, you started hoping that Othinus was right /return. That's why you're trying so hard to overlook a certain point that you had to have already noticed /return. I won't tell you the answer /return. After all, I've already given it to you without saying a word /return."
There was indeed one small aspect that had felt wrong about that scene in the park. But what did that matter? The happy results still existed in reality, so that aspect didn't change the score.
Will addressed his silent thoughts, "It does mean something /return. Even if it doesn't change the results before your eyes, its presence or absence completely changes the situation, so it does have meaning /return. To put it another way, why are you hesitating to say it /escape? If Othinus truly created a perfect world, nothing you say should create any cracks in it /return. If putting it into words would create a crack, and eventually cause this entire world to come crumbling down, then it's not really an ideal world in the first place /return. It's just that this one trick to make it look ideal is preventing you from judging it properly /return."
Touma frowned and retorted, "That isn't true." Index had really been smiling, with Stiyl and Kanzaki not having lost her. The Sisters had all been alive and smiling, and Accelerator and Mikoto had been washed of their sins. And everyone else had been smiling as well. The source of their happiness may have been twisted, and someone who knew the before and after may have found it strange, but their smiles could not be called false. Touma doubted he could create a greater amount of happiness, and the scene wasn't something that he could selfishly destroy. He repeated, "That's isn't true. Othinus accomplished it perfectly. This isn't some strange illusion, she truly did save everyone. She did what I could not."
Will readily replied, "Then prove it /return. If this is truly a perfect world, and nothing anyone does can cause a single crack in it, then prove it /return."
On hearing her words, Touma closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands. It was now evening, and day had turned to night. The boy slowly inhaled and said out loud, "They don't remember the original world."
Yes, it was a very simple issue. Mikoto, Index, the Sisters, Accelerator, and everyone else had accepted the current scene as normal. Normally, they would've been deeply moved by the scene, and they might well have embraced each other with tears in their eyes. And yet, they had acted like they knew nothing other than this. They hadn't known just how precious and valuable their experiences were.
But Touma questioned, "What does that matter? No matter what they think, they were still saved. And this doesn't fall in the category of being tricked, even if they don't have their original memories."
Will replied in exasperation, "What are you talking about /escape? It changes everything /return! Othinus was afraid /return. But not that people would find it strange to have dead people alive in front of them /return. After all, having someone you care about alive is better than having them dead, so while they might question it, they wouldn't reject it /return. If an unreasonable situation is working in your favor, you tend to think it's okay to accept it /return. Until it shows its negative side, that is /return."
The boy said, "Then…"
Will continued, "There is one major negative side here /return." She pointed directly at Touma's face and said, "If everyone remembered the original world, everyone who was saved here would be unable to accept losing you /return. That's what Othinus feared /return. It's not all positive, so once they knew about this obvious negative side, some of them might reject this perfect world /return. That was why Othinus cheated in such a boring way /return."
Touma had trouble realizing the true meaning of what she'd just said. Will smiled in amusement at him not understanding something so simple. She told him, "You're thinking about protecting everyone's smiles by casting aside your place in this world /return. But there are quite a few people who would not like losing you /return. To be honest, I'm one of them, and Big Sister is definitely another /return. And I'm sure it's true of many others as well /return."
She was not just being idealistic. Othinus and GREMLIN had always kept in mind the slight strengths that ordinary people had. The end of World War 3 had proved that people could get along, despite a hopeless situation.
The girl then elaborated, "Just imagine each of those people being told about the conditions /return. Everyone who's been lost can be brought back, but you will be lost in exchange /return. They wouldn't all easily accept those terms /return. Some people might carefully weigh the two options and worry their way to a decision, while others might just reject the salvation hanging before their eyes /return. Othinus feared that /return. She was absolutely terrified of everyone banding together to save you, so she hid that fact /return. By hiding your situation from them, she made sure they wouldn't think beyond the happiness they had /return. To be blunt, that wasn't fair, and she cheated /return."
Just because people were in an extreme situation didn't mean they'd make an extreme decision. When presented with the unconditional return of lost lives, anyone would praise Othinus. But what if a clear sacrifice were needed in exchange? What if they were told to exile Kamijou Touma, or to tear him from limb to limb? Would they accept that and live on in their happy worlds, without experiencing any sorrow?
Will concluded, "If they knew their happiness was created by killing an innocent boy, their hearts would have broken /return. In the past, you stood up to countless unreasonable situations regardless of good or evil, because your heart broke at other people's suffering /return. It was something you never accepted, so why would you happily force that feeling onto someone else /escape? That doesn't make sense /return."
Touma didn't completely know how much weight his existence held in other people's hearts. After seeing everyone smiling happily in a world without him, he'd honestly assumed that it was not much weight at all. Even Mikoto, who had loved him in the original world and who had at least taken the time to talk to him in this world, was still happily living without him, and even had another boyfriend. Just like Othinus had said, Mikoto's love for him had stemmed from her original suffering, and it would be evil for him to kill those 10,031 Sisters and return Mikoto's trauma just in order to regain her as his girlfriend.
In the end, no matter how far he went and how much he accomplished, he was still a normal high school boy, and there were likely tons of people in the world who could do what he did and even better.
The girl, seemingly reading his thoughts, said to him, "It doesn't matter that someone else could've also done those things /return. It may have been a coincidence that you were there, and anyone else might have made the same choice if they were there /return. If someone else had saved them, they might indeed have ended up surrounding someone else /return. But in that time and place, you were the one who recklessly charged in and saved them /return. Even if anyone could have done it, you were the one who actually did it /return. And everyone is thankful /return. Especially Big Sister /return. And their feelings are not meaningless just because it could've been someone else."
Touma could not move, so Will slowly continued, "If they all knew, then they would definitely save you in the end /return. They might cry their eyes out over their precious people, but they would all rush to save you /return. If they knew you would be crushed by this world's smiles, they would cast it all aside to join you, just like you have done all this time /return. And Big Sister would definitely lead the way /return. Othinus has made you believe that saving her from her suffering makes you unworthy of her love, but I bet she would strongly disagree /return."
She continued explaining, "And so Othinus took away that option /return. She changed the settings so you couldn't receive your positive just desserts /returns. That doesn't make sense, and it's not right /right. If it's okay to just change what people think, then she could've just made everyone happy with a world full of corpses instead of bringing those people back to life /return. That's how low a level she's cheating on /return."
The boy didn't reject Will's words. Instead, he thought about them carefully. But he concluded in a mutter, "That just makes it even worse."
Will asked in a confused tone, "What /escape?"
Touma explained in a desperate tone, "If this were a truly perfect world that can't be cracked no matter what, it might be okay to try doing something, since I'd know it would fail. But if there is this contradiction, then I can't use it as a foothold for breaking through! They might decide to reject their own happiness, and I can't let them do that!"
While kicking her feet back and forth, Will tried to think of a way to get through to him. She mused, "Hmm, maybe you're being so stubborn about this because it has to do with other people's lives /return. So let's think about this more simply /return. Let's set aside the confusing stuff like morality and the consequences for those human lives /return."
She got down from the bed and kneeled in front of Touma on the floor. Will leaned her forehead against his, and he felt comforted by that warm contact for an instant. But then she spoke to him in a challenging tone, asking, "Does it really not bother you that Othinus just appeared out of nowhere and stole everything you had built up /escape?"
It was a very simple question. But that was why it stabbed into Touma's heart without anything to soften the blow. He remained silent for a while. By this point, the sun had already set, and stars were now twinkling in the sky. That was how long he froze up for.
Finally, Touma, with tears spilling from his eyes, moved his trembling lips and spoke, "It bothers me."
"Of course it bothers me. Of course it bothers me! What was I doing all that time? I didn't want some huge sum of money and I didn't want to make my own kingdom with a ridiculous amount of power. I just wanted to wake up in my dorm, make food for Index, hang out with my friends at school, and spend some quality time with Mikoto whenever I could. I just wanted that normal life back. So why do I have to be treated like an absolute evil? That's ridiculous. Othinus saved every last one of the six billion people on earth, just to make me suffer. There's something seriously wrong with her sense of scale! Why the hell do I have to go through all this? What was I calling misfortune? I had always managed to slip past all that, and used every trick I had to reach a compromise. I had managed to strike a nice balance! But she destroyed it all. Of course it bothers me! Even if it's meaningless and no one else cares who it is as long as they're saved, it still bothers me! I coughed up blood and shed tears to somehow make my way along that path, but Othinus easily did it like it was just a game! She stole everything from me! She stole everything I had, even the path I walked down, and she did it so skillfully that I feel stupid complaining about it! What the hell was that? If she could do that, why didn't she save everyone in the first place? If that was an option, why didn't she use it more seriously? And I doubt it will even last that long. Once Othinus gets bored, she'll just destroy this world too. If she can easily create something, she'll have no problem with destroying it. But I can't create anything better than this. It doesn't matter what complaints I make, when she can give everyone a smile with a wave of that lance. And this isn't someone else deciding that it doesn't matter. It's me! Me! She showed me it doesn't matter if I oppose her! It's all a deception created to corner me, but it doesn't matter to me if it's all fake! It's almost like a game to her, but the smiles she's given Mikoto, Index, and the others are something I could never give them even after a century of hard work. I couldn't do it without inventing a time machine, but she did it without even trying. Am I supposed to stand up to that? Why did someone like her have to appear in front of me? If she was going to do this, couldn't she do it on the other side of the planet? No, why couldn't she create this paradise on the moon or Mars and be happy there? She could leave all the people here alone and create a new human race on a desert planet she made livable! I don't want to fight anymore. I don't want to oppose a monster like that. I was never fighting because I wanted to. It's just that I always saw someone holding back tears in some horribly painful situation. Even if they cried and cried, no one would have complained, yet they put up with it anyway. But I couldn't allow it to go on, so I clenched my fist like an idiot, charged in, and somehow resolved the incident. I didn't do it to be thanked. I didn't do it because I wanted anything in return. But overcoming those things increased the number of people around me. I began to think those connections with people had some kind of meaning! And this is where it got me. I had everything taken from me. As you said, someone might rush over for my sake if they knew. They might cast everything aside and join me even if it meant making an enemy of this entire world run by Othinus. But that doesn't matter! It never mattered. That tiny illusion is not worth abandoning this miraculous situation where lost lives have returned. I wanted to have fun with everyone some more. I never bothered to realize how comfortable my position was. If nothing had happened yet and Othinus suggested bringing back all those lost lives, I would probably have rejected it based on some random ideal or another. I would say their deaths had meaning or that you can't toy with people's lives so easily! But she's already done it. To 'return things to normal' now would be no different from killing those unknowing and smiling people with my own hands! No matter how many excuses I make, that fact wouldn't change. A decision that I make would kill every last one of them! There's…there's nothing I can do. What good is it to take away this world without crime, suffering, or broken hearts? Even if I defeated Othinus, returned everything to normal, and justly slaughtered everyone who shouldn't be alive, would I really return to the world I picture in my head? How would I ever face the people who are living their normal lives, ignorant of what had happened? Could I really just smile? Could I really smile like an ignorant fool when I really knew the truth? Like hell I could! Nothing would remain for me either way. Whether I defeat Othinus or not and whether I live or die, I can't return to normal! No matter what happens and no matter how this ends, there is no way for me to succeed. Even if I don't fail in whatever I choose to do, I will still have complaints and it will all fall apart in the end. In that case, there's no reason to fight! Why should I destroy this miraculous situation? If every path leads to destruction, why not just accept Othinus's victory? Why not let the number of people saved decide it? Who saved more people, me or Othinus? The answer is obviously Othinus! I knew from the beginning I couldn't hold a candle to what she did! What else can I do? After…after everything she's done, there's nowhere left for me to go!"
The Will of the Misaka Network listened quietly to him, and accepted the many words that gushed from Touma's heart. It was certainly not a beautiful thing. In fact, it was certainly an ugly thing. But still, she said, "Honestly, I'm a bit relieved /return. If you had still responded like a perfect saint after everything I said to you, there would've been nothing more I could do. I would've been forced to conclude that I was wrong about how humans work and would've given up /return."
Touma, after getting all that off this chest, asked, "Then what are you telling me to do? The situation isn't going to change no matter how much I shout or rage. I can't outdo Othinus. If I destroyed everything here and returned to the original world like nothing had happened, the weight of my sins would crush my heart. I could never face Mikoto, Index, or the others. There's no point in doing that."
Will readily admitted, "Probably /return. After all, this was done by a god /return. As someone on the Science Side, I don't fully understand, but she's probably entered a territory far beyond my own /return. My processing power is nothing to laugh at, but I doubt we could come up with a better solution even if we had a nice brainstorming session right here /return."
The boy started to say something, but Will cut him off, "But /backspace, let's take a step back /return." With a slightly irritated expression, she said what she'd been waiting to say this entire time, "Why do you feel the need to unconditionally place yourself below everyone else /escape?"
Touma stared blankly at her, unable to understand what she meant. The girl rubbed her finger against her temple and continued, "There's nothing wrong with deciding to prioritize yourself, just this once /return. If you think you should rescue everyone equally, and hold out your hand to anyone suffering in an unreasonable situation, then you should save yourself as well as others /return. There isn't a single thing wrong with that /return. Call it conceited if you like, but it still isn't something to look down on /return."
As the boy continued listening to and processing her words, Will added, "That's how you've always lived /return. That plan to create a Level 6 by killing 20,000 clones could potentially have been justified as somehow being for the greater good /return. But /backspace, you'd never have allowed someone to just weigh the numbers against each other /return. And you surely know about some actions that weren't justified in the grand scheme of things, but which still saved a few lives and hearts /return. That's not the issue /return."
Touma was afraid to accept Will's opinion, because if he did, he would have to let go of the miraculous situation in this world. He replied, "Yes, but if I returned to the normal world like that, I would be destroyed. I'd never be able to stand forcing a smile in front of Mikoto and everyone else who wouldn't know about this world."
Will then said, "Perhaps, but that just means you don't have to hide it /return. Who says returning to the original world means you can't reveal that you didn't save everyone /escape? That's just you not wanting to disappoint them, isn't that right /escape?"
Hearing this option, the boy smiled a bit and said, "They'd kill me, there's no way they would ever forgive me."
The girl casually replied, "Then tell them everything and apologize /return. That's what you've done all this time, right /escape? When great tragedies built hatred in your enemies' hearts, you solved it all, one by one /return. You brought an end to an entire war like that, so you can return everything to normal no matter how bad it gets /return. In fact, doing that would be a lot more like you than putting on a false smile, being afraid of angering them, and ultimately wearing yourself down on the inside /return."
Touma sat motionlessly on the floor, thinking about this world where everything was saved, and yet which still bore its fangs towards him. He looked up at the girl and asked, "Is that really okay? Can I really oppose this dazzling world with nothing more than that?"
Will immediately answered with a smile, "Yes, you can /return. If there's truly no way to return to the original world with everything back to normal, then why not destroy it all and build those relations back up from the beginning /escape? Relationships don't always improve, they can sometimes decline /return. But /backspace, it's still a victory if it all works out in the end /return. Let's keep it at that /return."
She then assured him, "Also, since I'm the one who urged you on, I'll stick with you if they get mad at you /return. Even if they treat you like an evil demon king, we can start out as just the two of us and work to slowly rebuild your circle of friends and your relationship with Big Sister /return. In fact, I bet she won't take too long to forgive you, if you explain everything to her /return. Even if she doesn't, we can still try /return. It won't be easy, and it'll leave a lot of scars, but it'll all work out in the end /return. And I will stick with you until it does /return."
Touma couldn't see into the future. Choosing to be destroyed might be the most overwhelmingly correct decision in the history of the world, and he might be the worst evil for fighting against it for his own stubborn hopes and desires. But he hung his head down and quietly admitted, "I want to...it may be selfish and it may not make anyone else happy, but I want to go back." He might be called evil for this, and they may be horribly wretched, pathetic, and worthless, but those were the true feelings of that normal high school boy.
Will narrowed her eyes as she took it all in. He simply could not abandon that desire, even knowing it would bring misfortune onto others. But she didn't think this was a bad thing. She had been sulking up until this point, but she was pleased that he still acted like a normal human would.
She thus shrugged and concluded, "That settles it /return. Go on and surprise that god who got too carried away with her perfect victory /return."
Touma finally stood up and focused on the door leading out of the dorm room. He replied, "Yeah. It's time to fight that god and bring this all to an end." He then walked out of the room, and the last thing Will heard from him was the sound of the door opening and closing.
After watching the boy's back as he left, Will was now completely alone in that room. She muttered to herself, "Honestly, you don't make this easy /return." Her hair started to glow white, as if coming apart at the ends. She was only borrowing Misaka 10031's body, and something seemed to be peeling away from that body.
Will had actually had a much easier and faster way to motivate Touma to fight. She was a thought entity that was created in part from over 10,000 dead clones. By saving all of those Sisters, Othinus had greatly twisted Will's form. As things stood, she wouldn't be erased, but she would change into something else, as the data became overwritten.
Thus, she had only needed to say, "Please save me before this world crushes me." But she told herself, "It would've been all over if I had said that /return."
That would have likely been enough for the boy to clench his right fist. No matter how many enemies it would've made, he would've willingly accepted the burden of all those sins to save her. She could have even lessened the burden on Touma's heart by telling him what those dead Sisters had been thinking and feeling in their final moments. On top of that, her data included the voices of Mikoto and other people he knew well, so she could've recorded those voices onto a phone or computer in order to stimulate his emotions. If he became angry that those voices from the original world were being treated as false, then he would've easily regained his will to fight.
But Will had deliberately refused to use those methods. As something resembling white flower petals peeled away from her body, she thought, "If he had to rely on me here, he would certainly crumble eventually at some point in the future /return. He needs to stand firm here, without me spoiling him /return."
Before long, Will would be blotted out. And as someone who had indirectly experienced death over ten thousand times, she could tell that what was happening to her felt much more repulsive than simply dying.
She asked herself, "Now, what should I do /escape?" She was about to say goodbye to this world, so she needed to decide on her final words. She decided, "I won't say I'll see you in the next world /return.
Instead, Will smiled and said, "See you in the original world, Kamijou-chan /return."
The Magic God Othinus now stood in the schoolyard of Touma's school. Since this world had been created to crush him, this was one of the most important locations in it.
Of course, she noticed the presence of the boy who shouldn't have been there. She venomously spat out, "I went out of my way to provide you with a last meal before your execution, so what's with that look? You've mistaken your position here and lost your way when you should have died. Aren't you even a little ashamed that you're still breathing?"
As she said this, she glanced at Touma, who was entering this symbol of the everyday life he wanted to protect. She then quietly asked, "So what has gotten into you now?"
The boy simply replied, "Something you wouldn't know about." That was all it took. Othinus now knew that he'd somehow avoided being crushed by everyone's happiness, so there was no point in using the smiles of Mikoto, Index, and the others as hostages any longer.
Instead, she held out her hand horizontally, and Gungnir appeared once again within it. It was the symbol she used to control her massive power as a Magic God. She narrowed her eye and said, "I'm sick of trying to crush a fool with the world. If you won't break, then I'll kill you. I might achieve more stable control if I transfer Imagine Breaker to a more fragile container and break that." With that, their final battle was about to begin.
Touma clenched his right fist and stood against that Magic God. Just like always, he would fight to save someone holding back tears while suffering through an unbearably painful situation. But perhaps for the very first time, that person would be himself.