PAINTED PRISON CHRONICLES
CHAPTER 9
AMAZORA II
Hi again! Okay, firstly, this chapter is like 1 and 3/4 of regular length. But for a good reason, as it is important moment, with many elements of the plotline that will be expanded on and possibly wrapped up in the future. I really didn't want to split it, as it would only lead to confusion. So I shall try to be concise this time and elaborate more on other occasion.
We reach second round for the sister's chapters. This time Amazora takes the spotlight yet again, and while the chapter focuses on a lot, lot of other characters, Amazora's themes and struggles peremeate throughout. Thanks to her, the action and world will finally start to take true colours. This chapter was a supreme fun to work with, so much going on, both with romance, comedy, and action. There are some major events I will hope you will enjoy, and some interesting characters that will make appearance. But I let you see and judge for yourselves.
As it was asked about the length of the story, I can honestly say that in plans it was supposed to have +/- 24 chapters (with prologue). But it can of course change over the time of actually writing it. Also, I noticed a lot attention directed at my planned Touma x Rimea fanfic, which I kindly thank you for, even if it's only a project. I can only reveal that this story would be more concise than this, I will experiment with the certain literary forms, and it will also contain elements of wholesome friendship and understanding in addition to romance.
Besides this story, I do have a few ideas. For example, besides Gokusai sisters, I wanted write something with Touma x Mugino, but right when I desired it, many fanfics like that started to appear, so I decided to wait a little. I also want to have a Touma x Birdway story (I sincerly love Leivinia's character and her bond with Touma), I also wanted to direct attention to Kongou and, from newest characters, Hanatsuyu Youen and wholesome/touching fic with Helcalia.
There were also many comments about Ayu. Well, you might be pleased to know that yes, I do plan something big for her and did not forget her. In addition to fleshing out secondary characters that fit the plot, bringing back Biohacker gang is certainly a good priority. Touma x Ayu is one of the most psychologically interesting relationships, but also the one I need to prepare for in writing. You will see soon, as Ayu will be mentioned in just a moment.
Now, to the Q&As:
Agent Nine: I thank you for all the wonderful praise I received for you. I truly cannot be more grateful. As for introduction of Stiyl's apprentices, I would lie if I said I am not interested. We shall see how they may fit into the plot, though I can't promise anything.
Elementalgaming30: I wasn't kidding about secondary characters? Wait till you read this extended chapter. And it's just good to have Junko around, we need more of Junko + Touma + Gunha trio (maybe with Misaki?). I also have a nice song for Niang-Niang, it will probably appear in next chapter. I am glad you enjoy the world building. It's just as important as personalities of the characters.
Spoopygost: I can definitely agree on Nephthys part being the highlight of the chapter. And oh yeah... I can definitely see Magic Goddesses joining Touma's harem.
Veni Scripsi Vici: Thank you for your kindness and support.
Alpha rn: You yeah, Ayu will have a relevant role.
BlueJack22: About security, he has certain reasons ;) Read on!
Majin Othinus: I will probably start to publish Touma x Rimea story when this one will be nearing it's end, as I want to give my attention to this one first. So probably in a half a year or so.
Tastiera: There is something in this comparison with KNT, yet I cannot verify your deductions just yet ;)
5had0wHand: It seems Kaibi is growing on people thanks to this fanfic and that's great. Also, one look at Nephthys reminds me of summer too, not to mention entire pool scene ;)
FinFangFoom100: I do plan to make some more of a male bonding in some form, it will be a comedy blast.
Onilink500: You do have good taste, I think that Nephthys needs more attention as well. As for Rimea fanfic, your reasoning is not bad at all ;)
Mr. X: To be honest, she could think that with Junko, if we assume she would up for a harem ending.
Without further delay, enjoy!
(SOMEWHERE IN THE SKY)
A plane was flying across the heavens.
Among the various packages, a tiny ex-Magic God hidden in small suitcase shivered slightly from cold. She then wrapped herself in clothing to keep herself warm
"Fear not human. I am coming back to you... I hope this works"
(MEANWHILE)
What was it like to had an older brother?
Quite recently Gokusai Amazora, 11 years old, would not be able to say anything about it.
But after recent turn of events, things changed ever so slightly.
For the first time, she was really excited to plan for the future. Because ever since Kamijou Touma came around, she had an older guy to spoil her.
It would be a lie to say she did not use it to her advantage. No, Amazora was a capricious and mischievous little lady, and she found herself giggling just thinking about how to wrap Touma around her finger.
However... slowly but steadily, the girl found herself having certain thoughts. Namely, the thought of displeasing Kamijou or making him go away became increasingly sad for her.
Amazora tried and discarded many toys in the past. She was not exactly compassionate in every regard. But Kamijou was different. Why?
"Owie... that's too much thinking..." the girl threw herself onto her bed, dismissing the debate within her mind. She then grinned and started to kick her feet, while hugging a pillow to her face
"Heh heh heh... what to do, what to do... I will get onii-chan to get me stuffed plushie, then eat oysters, go to the shooting range, eat oysters, visit petting zoo... all the cute and deadly things, my favourites... heh heh heh... and then I will reward him for being my big brother..."
Gokusai Amazora was merely a small girl, but she had her own ideas of how to act on her feelings. Those ideas were sometimes somewhat bizarre for her age. Then again... it sufficed to look at her sisters to get the concept where those ideas came from.
Gokusai sisters were on the run, changing affiliations and loyalties. It was no wonder that Amazora's process of psychological growth was a little specific.
However, even if her less-then innocent gattling gun killer side, she acted exactly like most girls of her age in a certain area.
Still grinning, small girl started to roll from one side of the bed to the other, as if she tried to became living pancake rolled into a tasty dish.
Yes, Gokusai Amazora, in her own strange way, felt her first real crush bud within her. Albeit she was too young to truly assess her feelings, she felt giddy and she liked it.
But before she could daydream another scenarios of being spoiled rotten, her pink phone received a message.
She looked at it. And...
A scream echoed throughout the apartment.
Touma, who was preparing breakfast, almost dropped the plates.
"W-Was that Amazora-san? Did something happen?"
Meanwhile, Hasako sleepily jumped out of the futon spread in the living room, assuming something that looked like a karate pose.
"Ish thish di... end of the worrrrld?..." she slurred half-consciously.
After that, she tripped by stepping on her own long hair (which was usually kept in a higher ponytail to prevent the accidents like that one from happening), falling flat onto her face.
"Amazora... why are you so loud?" Kaibi cringed, combing her hair in the bathroom.
Rikuri just snored in her bed. She was usually a heavy sleeper and it would take more than one scream to wake her up.
The scream turned into a wailing, and soon after, Amazora, with her eyes filled with tears, ran into the kitchen and embraced Touma
"Onii-chaaaaaaan!"
"W-What?! What is happening?!"
"I-It's horrible! It's a disaster!" small Gokusai cried out, slowly raising a hand with a phone still firm in her grasp.
It took a moment for Touma to read the message on display.
"School... Ability... Festival. Compete using your esper power... bring your family and friends... emm... Amazora-san... what exactly is so scary here?"
"Onii-chan, I can't do it!" the girl cried on "I can't do the power in the way they want me."
"W-What? I can't follow..."
"Allow me. I kind of get what Amazora is trying to say here" Kaibi appeared in the door, looking at two of them "You see, her school, and not only hers for that matter, organizes the tournaments in which people compete showing their prowess in esper powers. Except..."
Touma looked confusingly as Kaibi bit her lip in that short pause.
"Except?"
"Look... we three are a bit of a... well, strange cases. It's probably genetic, although environment could play some part in it too. You see, Rikuri nee-san has a different sort of problem, but although Amazora and myself manifested abilities, quite powerful at that, they were a little bit too... sublime"
"Huh?"
"Oh for crying out loud, I know you are a level 0 and all, but don't make this any harder than it should be. Okay, you never noticed how my Measure Heart or Amazora's telekinetic support are quite specialized? Well guess what, they are. That in itself is not bad. The problem is... that we suck at the basics. Well, I used too, I got a bit better. Usually, when ability is derived from main type or family of abilities, it is easier to get a grasp of a broader concept. For us it's the opposite. Amazora can create precise invisible supports for great weight and redirect it into the ground, but it's unable to move any object on her own, not even a little bit."
"And that's a problem?"
"For the organizers and teachers, apparently yes. It is expected that you know the basics of your power type. Otherwise..."
Then Touma understood. Amazora was worried that she would fail and compromise herself in the eyes of her friends. From what he saw, she was not the person to seek being the center of attention at any cost, but at the same time, struggled to find meaningful connections besides her dark side jobs.
Touma looked at the small girl, that had tears threatening to overflow pinkish-violet eyes.
"Don't worry Amazora-san. I will help you with this. I promise."
Gattling gun user sniffed and looked at Touma, who lowered himself to her eye level with a smile.
"You... will help me, onii-chan?! But you are a level 0!"
"O-Okay, but that does not mean I am useless. I hate to see you cry, so I will try my hardest to help you succeed. I don't go back on my word"
Amazora dried her eyes and smiled lightly.
"All righty! I will get my equations."
Touma shivered slightly, but he chuckled sheepishly.
"That's right, with great amount of endurance and determination, nothing can stop us from advancing."
(1 HOUR LATER)
"I said I wasn't useless but... BUT!..."
Both Touma's and Amazora's heads were laying on the table, in the pools of tears. Between them, there were papers covered with mathematical symbols and equations.
"Why don't I understand a damn thing? I am almost 5 years older and ahead!" Touma tried his best to hide his devastation upon his striking inability in understanding esper powers from mathematical point of view. He was failing rather miserably.
Kaibi sighed, holding the bridge of her nose with her eyes closed.
"This isn't going to work"
Hasako was sitting by Touma's side and with befitting innocence, she was trying to comfort him by stroking his spiky hair and whispering softly 'yoshi, yoshi'.
While that was charming gesture from her side, Touma could not sulk over his own lack of competence. His focus had to be on Amazora first.
Sure, he could defend himself by saying that Imagine Breaker never required calculations and he had it since birth, but doing so would not get Amazora closer to her goal.
"Kaibi-san, couldn't you teach her? Or Rikuri-san?"
"That would not be such a good idea. Rikuri lacks the calculations needed to actually manifest her power and my own calculations are vastly different. I probably could do it, but it would take great amount of time and I would not trust advices from myself regarding a power that is so different from mine."
Touma slowly nodded and raised up, putting his hands together in contemplation.
"Hmm, it might get a little bit tricky, but I do have someone that I can ask for advice. I wanted to have this talk anyway".
Hasako grabbed his sleeve as he carried on to the apartment's door.
"Will you allow me to accompany you?" she asked warmly. Touma smiled back at her.
"Go ahead. I am sure she will be glad to have you there"
Kaibi's eye twitched
'She? Did he mean that annoying smartass? And when in hell did those two grew so close?' she grumbled inwardly, looking at misfortunate boy and miko girl. She would come with them, but she had other responsibilities to attend to.
Rikuri, who just walked into the living room while rubbing her eyes sleepily, was once again witness to hidden-yet-not-so-subtle dismay displayed by pouting Kaibi.
'She is soooooooo cuuuute!'
(FEW MINUTES LATER)
Leaving the sisters behind for the time being, Touma and Hasako walked together to Certain High School. Well, that was Touma's destination while Hasako decided to walk with him.
Touma found himself staring silently at the girl known as Beginning Child. Although he still didn't know a great deal about her, he knew he became quite fond of her. Maybe because she was such a diverse individual in terms of personality.
For example, she was very beautiful for her age (both apparent and the real one) and type of her looks felt like a delicate flower in that exact moment of blooming. But she could become much more fierce and intimidating if someone dared to make her use her ability. She was very kind and emotional, but also brave and stoic if needed. She was an ojou-sama, using most polite form of watakushi, but was never stuck up on decorum.
She was charming yet clumsy, wise yet clueless, comforting yet lost, old yet young. Her inner self seemed to glimmer and shift just like climates and environments she had in her grasp.
It made her tricky, to say the least. But also very interesting as a human being.
"Are you worried about something?" she said in her soft voice while walking by his side. Her long hair, now tied in a high ponytail that spread like branches, swayed slightly as she walked. For some reason, she wore sunglasses and apparently experimented with modern fashion.
"A little, yes." Touma admitted, after a moment of silence, trying to sound calm and composed. Hasako was easily worried and he would like to avoid troubling her "But it's not anything that can't be fixed... at least I hope"
"There is something else besides Amazora-chan's problem, isn't it?"
"You are getting good at this. Fine... yes, there is something else. But I don't want to talk about this here. It's something important, that was going around my head for quite a while and I don't intend to run away from it. That's why I am calling her now"
He took out his phone and called a number.
It was answered after less than one signal.
"Hmm~... that was a surprise. It's been ages since you called me"
"Hi Kumokawa-senpai. Look, I have something really important to talk about, so I thought... can I eat lunch with you?"
There was a strange sound from the other end of the line, that sound like something between choking and gasping.
"Y-Yes. I mean, I would love that, my cute kouhai" Kumokawa's voice returned, although with a twinge of new energy within it.
"Oh, and I will also bring Hasako with me. I am sure she will be happy to spend time with you during daylight" Mr. Innocent himself, Kamijou Touma, added afterwards.
Silence, and then a long sigh followed.
"You always do this, you know... fine, I don't really mind. Both of you, come to the rooftop at noon".
Afterwards, their shared friend ended the call, just in time for them to reach the entrance to the school.
"I don't really have a reason to go in, do I?" Hasako said to Touma, before raising a hand with a smile "I will just go for a walk and then return at our lunch with Seria-san"
"Are you sure? You can wait here if you want" Touma said in a concerned tone.
She shook her head.
"I don't like being center of attention if I can avoid it. I would have to explain myself for being absent from school classes, and it would create unnecessary commotion. When I will be ready, I would love to meet everyone though."
"Will you be alright?"
Hasako took Touma's hand and gave it a slight squeeze.
"I am happy that you honour our promise and want to keep an eye on me. But I assure you, I will be fine. We will meet at noon. So don't worry, if anything happens, I have more than enough power to defend myself"
She looked at him, and then quickly pecked him on a cheek before turning around and matching away.
"W-Wha... you did that again! You keep rising some flags, and I don't know why!"
"Oh, that? That's just how people in my old town used to say "see you later"" Hasako said before disappearing.
Dense as a brick boy that was Kamijou Touma scratched his head.
"If it's just a goodbye custom, that explains it... wow, japanese countryside must have been really different back in those days..."
That being said, the quick kiss left pleasant feeling on his cheek.
What he didn't know is that this was far from end of surprises this day had to offer.
(10 MINUTES LATER)
Kamijou, covered in sweat and panting heavily, fell onto his chair.
"God damn it... seriously, why those things happen to me? I was literally just about to go in!"
Fukiyose turned around and scanned him with a smirk on her face.
"So, what excuse do you have now for almost being late?"
Touma mumbled something under his breath.
"What was that?"
"I said I got stuck in automatic door... and had to fight 10 minutes before they released me"
Tsuchimikado, who was sitting nearby, started to howl with laughter. Even Fukiyose was visibly trying to stop herself from joining in.
Touma slumped his head onto the desk, far too tried to argue with them. That is, until he felt something touching his head.
"U-Umm, Kamijou... I wondered if you were thirsty... because you were so tired..."
It was Himegami, handing him a bottle of water.
Touma's eyes lit up.
"Thank you, Himegami. You are a life saver!"
As he was drinking, small blush appeared on Himegami's face. Indirect kiss was an indirect kiss and she would celebrate, no matter how small the progress was.
In the edge of his awareness, Touma realized that Komoe entered the class and was saying something. He had to yet focus his attention, but he heard bits of words:
"Student... afar...temporary... exchange... welcome..."
His eyes moved in the direction of the entrance.
What, or rather who he saw there, made him release a big stream of water from his mouth straight onto Himegami's face. His eyes widened and he rose up, thinking that he was hallucinating.
The now wet Himegami was also in shock, although for very different reason.
'This is not an indirect kiss... it's as if Kamijou-san kissed me over entire face... or li...licked it... aaaaah...'
She promptly passed out on her chair. Fukiyose quickly got to her side.
"Aisa?! Aisa, what's got into you? Oi Kamijou, what is your-"
"Ekhm!" Komoe coughed, diverting Fukiyose's, and the rest of the class's, attention. And they immediately calmed down
By Komoe's side stood a very beautiful girl who they've never seen before. She had silvery-white hair, chocolate brown skin, and mesmerizing heterochromic eyes, one blue and one golden.
Yes. Almost all people did not know her.
The girl appeared younger than usual, and wore a foreign looking white uniform alongside dark miniskirt and stockings, but there was no way he did not recognize her..
Sweat covered Kamijou's face. He put a trembling finger forward.
"Ne...Ne...Nenenenenenenene..."
"As I was saying" Komoe continued, giving Touma a somewhat confused look" This is our temporary student from abroad, who specializes in esper power research in University of Cairo. She applied to an exchange program to study characteristic of esper biology and thanks to fantastic grades, she was allowed entrance to the City. Would you introduce yourself?"
The girl's eyes moved over the class, stopping at Touma. Her lips stretched onto sensual smile. She took the chalk and wrote a string of katakana on the blackboard:
ネベナ ヘットリ
"It's very nice to meet all of you" she spoke in perfect japanese, although with a small trace of exotic accent" I do have some connections in Japan, so I use japanese name here. I am Nebena Hettori. But friends call me... Nephthys."
"Oh, how interesting. If I am not mistaken, there was a goddess like this in Ancient Egypt" Komoe, although she was a teacher in the city of science, knew some cultural trivia that eluded majority of its residents "So, the nickname is just like that goddess?"
Magic God Nephthys walked to still shocked Kamijou Touma and took a sit. He could swear that it was not empty a second ago, but the "new student" apparently had very clear desires on the matter.
"Yes. Exactly like that goddess" she answered sweetly.
(AFTER A LESSON...)
Sometimes people were saying that in moments of greater importance in life, they felt as if the god was watching besides their shoulder.
Except in Kamijou Touma's case, that was reality.
In the end, he had to accept that Magic Goddess Nephthys was not only attending his class, but practically leaning on him throughout the lesson.
Touma's heart was on the verge of failure because of two things.
One, there was a sexy and very distracting female by his side.
Second, the weight of the stares from the entire class was almost unbearable.
Because, of course, Nephthys responded to the question that was bound to arise ever since she not so subtly taken the seat next to Touma. She explained that she knew him and they met abroad. That did it.
After the lesson, the girls swarmed like angry hornets and were sending glares at both Touma and Nephthys, but mainly at the latter. Meanwhile the pure malice directed at Touma from boys side was actually quite terrifying. Aogami was quietly and consequently putting together something that resembled the straw vodoo doll and Touma was actually quite grateful that Imagine Breaker prevented him from being a subject to remote curses.
It took a moment, but he and Nephthys finally managed to get out, with Touma dragging the goddess away. She already started to receive amazing deal of attention.
"Okay, what's this all about?! Why are you here?!" Touma said to egyptian deity in the remote corner of the corridor.
"Are you disappointed? I told you I am to keep closer eye on you" Nephthys nonchalantly brushed her silver locks away "It's so easy to manipulate human perception, expectation and minds, that getting here to stay for a while was a piece of cake. Well, your Board Chairman is another story... but enough about that. What do you think about my uniform? I usually dislike modern clothing, but I thought that it was time to expand my horizons"
Touma, still cautiously, responded:
"It does suit you, all of it. Look... I am sorry, I know you said you will be around, it's just... I didn't expect that... you are not gonna tell me your real objective with me and my hand, right?"
She put finger to her lips.
"Lady has her secrets and goddesses have infinite secrets. Don't worry, this time you won't get a love letter on the roof"
"Please, let's not go back on that part... so, how's the school life?"
"Oh, fascinating. Seeing how humans go around solving problems never stops to be precious and amusing for me."
"That makes me think... is Niang-Niang here as well?!"
The brown skinned woman shook her head.
"She passed on school life and took on the scouting of the city. She is around somewhere, messing around as usual"
They stopped by a indoor vending machine and got themselves cool drinks. A relative peace ensued until...
"You know..." Touma did not realize that the goddess got really close to his ear "if you touch my clothes with Imagine Breaker, they will disappear."
Touma's face heated up and he coughed
"H-How is that information relevant... y-you are messing with me, right? Anyway, what's with Nebena Hettori?"
"Isn't it genius? You see, during some ancient ceremonies, the other name for Nephthys was Nebet-Het. So I simply made it into a japanese sounding name. Well, I have something to attend to before break ends. Oh, there was someone looking for you as well."
Touma suddenly clutched his head
"Lunch with Kumokawa-senpai! I-I am sorry Nephthys-san, I really have to run."
"Don't worry, don't worry. We will have occasions to chat further" she waved her hand as Touma dashed around the corner.
She then assumed serious face, turning sharply around on her heels.
"Now then... let's have a talk..."
(ON THE ROOF)
Kumokawa Seria really outdid herself with bento making. She truly was on another level comparing to other high schoolers.
Touma, Kumokawa, and recently arrived Hasako were sitting together on the blanket while enjoying delicious treats.
"Did you have a good walk?" Touma asked Beginning Child.
Hasako hesitated. She was not sure if she should tell Touma about strange encounter she had during her stroll.
(HOUR EARLIER)
Kankyougami Hasako was enjoying the fresh air and warm sun on her skin. She smiled as she inhaled and exhaled through her nose, and bathed into the deep relaxation on focusing solely on the walking and sights around her.
Walking around town during that hour was not the safest option, because one could get caught and be accused of slacking off but she was nevertheless deeply grateful for the opportunity to explore town. When she was around over 5 decades prior, the City was still developing, even if it was already looking advanced by the standards of 1940s and 1950s. Now, it was vibrant and captivating. It still scared her a little, but slowly and steadily, she found herself enjoying more and more of the modern world.
Besides, there were many people around, mostly older students. In fact, Hasako went straight into the flood of people coming out of some college. Her dislike of large crowds led her into stepping to the side. And then she saw the small girl.
Usually there would be nothing wrong with that, however this girl stood out. Her clothing was some foreign dress with long sleeves that Hasako never seen before. Secondly, it was hard to focus to look at her. People around the girl seemed to part and walk around her. Hasako could have sworn that the girl was not casting any shadow as well.
Something told her that the small girl was unnoticed by everyone else, but allowed herself to be seen by her specifically.
Suddenly, the girl was right in front of her, even though she couldn't move that fast. Hasako took a step back, touching glass-encased DNA samples on her neck...
The small girl flapped her hands and took out a map. She spoke few words, presumably in mandarin, pointing to something on the map.
Hasako relaxed a little. It was just a tourist, albeit a strange looking one. She had black hair, intensely green eyes, and, what was most peculiar, skin so pale that Hasako would describe it as purple if not knowing that no living human can possibly have skin like that.
Apologetically, the first esper explained to the girl that she herself was still learning her way in town.
However, when she turned around, she heard the girl speak in perfect japanese
"So you are Aleister's precious first sample? I did not know what to expect, but you are intriguing, love the esthetic to be honest. Hmm, and this ability of yours... represents extending will of one to the macrocosmos of environment... did that idiot tried to work around Power of The World?... there are lots of aspects and layers to this, yes..."
"What? Who are-"
Hasako turned around, but did not see the girl, as the wind carried a voice
"As the cornerstone to the Science Side, we will be watching you with great interest as well."
(PRESENT)
Hasako did not know what to think of that strange encounter. In the end, she did not tell Touma about it. Little did she know that Touma was in fact acquainted with Magic Goddess that appeared before her.
"I got a little bit lost when I tried to go back. Then I met someone who showed me the way and I think we became friends" she explained to Touma.
That was the truth. After the peculiar encounter, she was shocked and could not find her way back... until she stumbled upon a friendly girl who showed her the way.
"She was such a nice girl. You have to meet her!"
"Ekhm!" Kumokawa put down her teacup" Don't want to interrupt you, but I think that you summoned me for something else than just my presence"
Touma straightened up, looking raven-haired girl in the eyes
"Senpai, can you tell me about Mitsuari Ayu?"
Kumokawa was not shocked, or if she was, she did not show it.
"What exactly do you ask for?"
"I know we've been together during our adventure over 1,5 year ago. But I am sure that there is some other parts of the story that I did not know. Please, tell me about her. It's very important."
Kumokawa uncrossed her legs, and took another sip of tea. Touma did not realize it, but the girl was aware of his memory loss. However, she decided to take time and allow Touma to explain the situation when he will be ready. For now, she needed to support him. Even though she wanted to be alone and realize some of her plans! Because, for goodness sake, when she prepared bento, he disappeared from school. When she wanted to come over, his dorm exploded. She leaned for a kiss, flowerpot knocked him down. When she fell into his arms, he slipped as well. When-
His voice snapped her out of her internal rant.
"Senpai... are you angry that I mentioned her? Your hand is trembling"
"Ugh... the insensitivity! Who invites a girl to talk about another girl, honestly!"
"I did not quite hear you"
"No matter. So, I think I have an idea where this is going. So I am going to humour you. When we were involved in Biohacker incident, you saved her and I found the two of you. Then we battled the dragon, and later on she got attacked. We had this intense motorcycle scene during which you screamed like a little girl, and then you battled some psycho sisters in burning garage..."
Touma gulped, not really wanting to reveal just yet that those "psycho sisters" live with him under one roof.
"You won. But things got complicated when they kidnapped her, because we had to fight off malaria and later, we and those sisters faced miko-chan here"
Hasako was not involved in the conversation because, to be quite honest, she did not really interact with Ayu all that long, but now she flinched slightly.
"Then we lost contact with her. But you are not asking for that, are you? You want to know the depth, don't you?"
Touma stared at Kumokawa with serious face. Her face became more melancholic, as she pulled out a phone and, after a quick search, showed Kamijou a photo.
It was taken in front of some sort of cafe, and showed a guy with spiky hair who was discussing something with a girl with fluffy hair in a burgundy hue, who tried to get in a piggyback position. Nearby, a girl with a uniform showing her navel was trying to slide in between the two and it was obvious she knew that the photo was being taken. Maybe she did it with some secret camera.
Touma looked as if in trance. He looked at the people on the photo.
The boy with spiky hair, although he had no recollection of that time, was obviously him. The black haired beauty, even if younger, was Kumokawa. Which meant that the girl trying to climb on his back was...
The girl he was looking for. Mitsuari Ayu.
"Senpai... do you miss that time?"
Kumokawa tilted her head, looking at the photo of the trio.
"That time was... intriguing. You two were such a chaotic pair. I initially tagged along simply because I wanted to investigate the case Mitsuari was involved in. But in some moment, I started to think... that I would like for it to last longer, the three of us together. Even her. When we met her, Mitsauri Ayu was snobbish and spoiled, but she did have a good heart. Albeit it was irritating and arrogant, she developed such warm feelings for you. You were her anchor to happiness."
"W-What? Me?"
"Boy, to understand that girl, for whatever reason, you must know that she put a lot of emotions into bond with you. She paid the price for it, but she did not change her mind. I... actually admire her a bit for that."
Silence reigned for a moment.
"Please tell me... everything that happened to make her so... broken. When I was saving... that person... in district 21, she was there. But she was supposedly kind-hearted girl. What... what happened to her?"
"Do you really want to know? If you ever meet her, you can ask her"
"When the time comes, I may. But for now, I need to know what created that darkness. I must know"
Kumokawa took a strand of her hair into her fingers and twirled it in contemplation.
"Hmm... you could ask that blond cow about some parts of the story, but to think you chose me...heh heh... fine! I will tell you all I learned from my research..."
And so, Kumokawa Seria talked and Kamijou Touma, alongside Hasako, listened on.
About Mitsuari Ayu's involvement in IDEAL lab and her tragic departure from that facility.
About her being ostracized, ridiculed and always compared to Mental Out. About her misfortune and her connection with Touma.
About anguish that caused her to almost take her own life and about fatal twist of events that made Touma not arrive on time.
About vengeance so toxic that it made the kind girl lose her right mind and attack Shokuhou Misaki. All from the desire to be saved. From help that never came.
When the busty upperclassman finished, both Touma and Hasako looked pale.
"That's all from me. Some of that was inferred so it still needs to be verified" Kumokawa added.
Touma clenched his fist, as his arm trembled.
Mitsuari Ayu... he could not even begin to find his thoughts.
How could he allow this suffering to go on for so long? This girl and her misfortune, it all cried for help. And what did he do? Absolutely nothing.
Was memory loss an excuse? Yes, but how much time passed since then?
According to Kumokawa, Ayu was in shadow of bad fate and terrible treatment from Academy City's scientists and some of her peers. She was gradually losing her faith in herself, in her abilities, in everything. And he supposedly was the first person in a long time to acknowledge her worth. No, he was sure, even without memories, that this was the case. Because he would still do that in a heartbeat.
To give hope and then take it away, even if through some accident? How cruel was that?
What was she feeling, being all alone again? What was she experiencing when she thought all was taken from her?
"SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!" he slammed his fist into the surface of the roof patio. He did not care about the pain. His heart hurt too much for that.
Kumokawa chose that moment to speak.
"The past is the past, and there was a lot of wrong going on between Ayu-san and that... ugh... arrogant brat that calls herself a queen. You probably could do some things better as well. What you can do now, however, is completely different story. You did not ask me for details just because you wanted to sulk, right? For Kamijou Touma I know, there is only one option."
Touma bit his lip, raised to his feet, and stretched his arm, with fist clenched, to the sky.
"I am going to find Mitsuari Ayu. And this time, I will do everything to save her heart, properly!"
"That's right, I never doubted that "Kumokawa said, with slight inflection of pride" Although, this may be hard. She was incarcerated, but that's all I know. Besides, we are talking about someone with shattered ego and worth"
"That does not matter. I will whatever it takes to bring her back to us"
Kumokawa looked at Hasako
"Are you crying? Why? You didn't really know her"
Hasako dried her eyes and replied quietly to Kumokawa's question.
"I know that I don't have good reasons, but... from what I heard from you, Ayu-san was the one to actually wake me up, right? This new life I got... I owe it to all three of you. Kamijou-san believed in me and was my light when I was blinded by rage, you offered me a chance to grow and control my power to never hurt others. But without Ayu-san, I wouldn't awake at all. So I want to thank her when I meet her, with all my heart."
Kumokawa also got up, as the school bell chimed.
"So it's a deal back. I also have a reason to speak with her again. So let's all do our best to bring this crybaby back to us."
"Oh, senpai, that reminds me. Do you know someone proficient in using telekinesis?"
(15 MINUTES EARLIER, IN FEMALE BATHROOM)
Nephthys walked into the bathroom and faced the mirror.
"Let's talk. I know you are watching me, so let's get this over with"
The surface of the mirror shimmered slightly and after a moment there was a serious, pale face instead of her own reflection, staring straight at her.
"Hello, Accelerator. Or should I say, Board Chairman. Quite interesting for Aleister to leave you this spot. Do you also use hidden cameras to peep on girls like that old pervert?"
"No, I... that's a good point, why the fuck is the camera in the... don't change the subject! Look, contrary to what you might think, I am quite busy, and I think you also have better things to do. Tell me, why are you in my city?"
"I am sure you already heard it through this amazing system of yours."
"As if I believe you. Your presence here is trouble."
"Let's turn this question around. Why did you let us in? I am aware that you have us under observation. Did you spread the feeling of loose security only to control your enemies?"
Accelerator's lips stretched in a cold smile.
"Let's call it a social experiment. There are some means of control and thinking ahead that can be quite effective when you have a good pawn that acts as a medium to control the various outcomes"
"Is this about Imagine Breaker? You allow some people with connection to him to come in ?"
"While it pisses me off that it's always about the hero, yes, you are right. I am observing those connections and letting him do the work"
"You trust him that much? You think he can change someone like me or others, no many how different of a reason is thrown at him?"
"I am using everything I have at my disposal, even him. He is naive as hell, but extremely efficient and honest. Besides, I may be locked up, but I can still destroy you in more ways and in more places that you can imagine. Aleister left more toys than I anticipated and I invested in them if you got any ideas in that pretty head of yours"
"I am surprised. I thought you wanted to completely cut off this connection"
"That guy was a bastard, but he was a genius bastard. After all... he created me, among others"
The goddess and strongest esper were clashing gazes with each other through the surface of the glass.
"Looks like you don't want to reveal all your secrets either. You must have your own reasons too" Nephthys said with suspicion. Accelerator let out a bark of laughter.
"You can say that. Anyway, stick with the hero and do all those magical stuff in regard to his hand, I don't really care what. Just don't piss me off and cause damage to the city. He is like your visa, remember."
"I don't know if you are arrogant or plainly rude"
"I fought with you. I think I know where your line of responsibility lies."
"Don't assume you can say anything about me, human." the lamps in the bathroom flickered, and water in the pipes bubbled ominously " You are few millennia too young for that."
However, Accelerator just yawned.
"It's quality, not quantity, that counts, you grandma. Some people live more in 20 years that others do in 80. "
"GRANDMA?! That silver and white hair was always like that!" Nephthys roared, but Accelerator's image disappeared, leaving her alone in the bathroom. It's been a while since someone irritated her so much.
"Good grief" she huffed, exiting back to the corridor" He might deny it as he wants, but with those remarks, he really is Aleister's kid."
(FEW HOURS LATER, IN GOKUSAI + KAMIJOU APARTAMENT)
Kaibi and Rikuri returned from their schools. Amazora took a day off to study, but honestly, looked even more miserable than before. Touma knew why. By this point, it was obvious to him that in addition to the mathematical formulas, Amazora needed the practical approach. Even if she was now hitting her head on the notebook, it was still admirable that she tried to learn everything herself.
Kaibi was, to be quite frank, not very pleased with the fact that Touma was not successful in locating help for Amazora. She yelled at him, saying something about level 0s having absolutely zero intelligence, and stormed off to her room.
"What's got into her?" Touma asked Rikuri. The oldest sister sighed.
"Please, have patience with her. My dear sister is an overachiever, especially when it comes to the problems of those she cares about. She would probably like to help Amazora as fast as she can, but she is still searching, so she got frustrated. Don't take this to yourself, she will come back to apologize"
"..."
"E-Eventually. It may take a moment, you know how prideful she is.
(2 HOURS LATER)
Night time came and Kamijou was laying in bed, thinking about various things that happened to him throughout the day, when he felt the tugging on his covers.
"Onii-chan... are you asleep?"
"You repeated this question 4 times already, so I guess I would be awake even if I fell asleep before" Touma said jokingly "It's pretty obvious that you had a hard day. If you want, you can fall asleep here. I won't bite."
Amazora nodded, before slowly making her way and snuggling into Touma.
In a rather awkward position, Touma decided to simply rub the girl's head.
"Onii-chan... are there moments when you were scared?"
Touma was silently staring at the ceiling, before answering.
"Many times. I was worried about others, about the future, about not being able to help... lot of things actually. Why do you ask? Are you scared of something?"
The girl hugged him a little tighter
"I don't want for my sisters to disappear. And I don't want to be a freak. I don't want onii-chan to hate me too"
"Me? Why would I hate you?"
"I don't really know... but what if I do something awful and onii-chan will hate me for good... girls in my school already don't like me..."
Amazora mentioned it before. Although it would be hard to guess from her boisterous and cheerful self, she struggled with loneliness and feeling of not fitting in, caused by her choice of hobbies. Most of the time, she dealt with it by defying the situation and rebelling against it. But she apparently still cared enough to want to make good impression and gain some friends.
"That can't be 100% true. What about the guys? I am sure someone appreciates you"
Little girl shifted by his side.
"Emm, some of them did want to eat lunch with me... but none ever invited me to hang out with them..."
Touma facepalmed.
'So the guys find her cute and the girls get jealous? I am sure that there are deeper reasons behind their actions, like uncertainty towards Amazora's interest in shooting, but man, primary school reality is merciless!'
"You told me that I don't need to change anything, that I can still be proud of my baby. But what if I stay a freak forever?"
Touma looked down to find pair of shining puppy dog eyes directed at him.
He smiled, and spoke gently to the girl
"Amazora, I don't want to say you shouldn't change at all. The important point is that it is you who should decide when and what to change, not others. You are still young, but as for me, you don't have to change anything at all".
"R-Really?"
"Yes, I will accept you no matter how many times you fall down. If you don't bring harm to others, I will support your endeavours. I may not understand some of them and I might make mistakes too, so we should both have patience for each other. But I won't reject you."
"Uhm..." the girl listened on, however a muffled sound escaped from her throat.
"Listen, the fear and worry in themselves are not bad things. They indicate you might need to change something. But don't change yourself based on the fear. You should use it to find your dreams and act on them. Even if you don't know what to do, just be yourself. In the long run, it will give you opportunity to find your own way."
They stayed down, listening to the distant sounds of the city at night.
"Onii-chan... if I stay as I am, will I make lot of friends?"
Touma felt sadness at what he was about to say but carried on with determination.
"There is no certainty when it comes to that, I am sorry. Other people have their own dreams, circumstances, and insecurities. Some may not like you, some may move on, but some may stay for long. Everyone has something that attracts or repels them. Figuring out what it is, that's an entirely different story. Being alone or being popular... it depends on many things"
Amazora went silent. Touma was not entirely sure how she reacted, so he slowly asked another question
"Why do you actually want to be popular? You seem very determined to gain attention"
Amazora suddenly shifted and hugged him in a starfish style, resting on his chest, the same way she did when he found her in his bed together with Rikuri.
"Oi... what are you..."
"I am not as... popular and skilled as Kai nee-chan... or as smart and sexy as Riku nee-chan... and if I don't make it work, I will never be..." she stopped, and Touma was almost certain he saw tear on her cheek.
That was it. Touma had no great experience in sibling dynamics, but he did know that younger siblings often tried to emulate older ones. Amazora respected and loved her sisters. She probably could not help comparing herself to them. And she was worried. Her sisters were gifted in many areas, and Amazora was determined to be equal to them. Touma did not know the full story of sister's past, but that dark side trio had each other through good and bad. Each had their own worries and wanted to support the other two however she could.
"Amazora... you want to make your sisters happy. And you know what would make them happy? You being you. They wouldn't want anything else. Besides, this would not work because you are not them. You can never be them. And that's fantastic!"
"But you understood so many people that you fought."
"That's different, I wasn't trying to become them, just find something to make them realize the next step. It should always come from you. Don't try to be well-connected because Kaibi-san is so. Don't try to be a prodigy because Rikuri-san is a genius. Step by step, follow your own desires to figure out who you are. It's great that you want to make them proud. But do it in Amazora way."
"Amazora... way?"
"You are still learning what it means to be yourself. Well, I think no one ever finds out entirely. But wouldn't it be fun to try? When you accept yourself, you open up to others. And if you are still worried about friends, I think that girl, Yume-san, really wanted to be one for you. And then of course, I am still here. I am here if you want to talk again or do something together. I am not sure if I will be a very big help but I can try."
"Onii-chan... were you lonely too? You sound like you know a lot about these things"
Touma was not sure what to say. He looked to the distant lights behind the window.
"When I was little, people did not like my power and I... was not really popular. For a long time, people avoided me because of something I had since birth."
Amazora's small hands tightened their hold. Even if she was little, she felt sadness from those experiences, although Touma himself could not actually recall them. She had her sisters, while for the longest of time, Kamijou was alone against misfortune.
"Mumumumu! Onii-chan is a hypocrite. He shall promise Amazora that she can help him as well!"
"But..."
"Promise! I will use my cuteness to heal your heart!"
"Were you visiting maid caffe or something?!"
Touma finally promised that if he felt sad, he will let "Amazora magic" (whatever that was) do the work.
Little blond made a sound of content.
"Will I...really be enough?"
"Absolutely" Touma was certain of that part "You will always be enough. And the thing that there will never be someone like you may sound scary, but honestly, I would not want any other Amazora than the one I see now"
He was met with relaxed, purring-like sound. Amazora fell asleep. She must have been quite tired already.
After some struggle, he left her in his bed and decided to sleep on the living room's couch.
He was in for surprise in form of Kaibi who waited for him outside the door.
"Emm, I guess you heard that. Do you also want to sleep in my bedroom because you have life problems?..."
A swift kick was the answer for that question.
"Well, I do want to say something..." Kaibi carried on, as Touma clutched his leg in pain "Look... I am sorry I lashed out at you earlier on. I lost my cool and was really frustrated. I know that you tried to find her help just as much as me, even though you have no obligation to do so. So... sorry"
"Ah, that. Don't sweat it, I forgot about it already." Touma said, straightening up.
"There is one more thing. What you just said to Amazora... I want to truly thank you. I... am not good in this kind of talk, even with the expertise I have with my ability. Although it hurts my pride as an older sister, I am glad that it was you who told her that. And as an apology... emm... you see..."
Kaibi looked around, as if she suspected someone might see them, took a deep breath, and spread her arms wide.
Touma grew confused. This confusion only grew when the girl stepped closer and closed the embrace around him.
"Emm... Kaibi-san..."
"What is it?"
"Exactly. What... are you doing..."
"Are you really that dense?" Measure Heart mumbled, facing away from him "I am hugging you"
"Y-Yeah, I can see that, but why..."
"Oh, just shut up and hug back, you moron!"
And thus, Kamijou did shut up and hugged Gokusai Kaibi with no further comments.
If Touma could see her cheeks, he might have noticed that they were red from embarrassment.
(IN THE MORNING)
When they ate breakfast, Kamijou got a call from Hasako, who stayed at Kumokawa's place for previous night, regarding the meeting she had with her new friend.
"SHE SAID THAT WE CAN MEET AT SEVENTH MIST SHOPPING CENTER!"
Touma almost got deaf from the scream that came out of the phone.
"Agh... senpai... I think I explained this to you. The thing about the phones is that you don't have to yell at them for other person to hear. I know that we are big distance away, but I can hear you just fine. You don't have to speak so loudly for the phone to work"
"Oh... right! Modern technology is amazing, isn't it?"
Well, Touma couldn't argue with Hasako's point of view. She still remembered old, dialing phones made of bakelit.
And so, he set out to Seventh Mist, with the hopes that he would also encounter some solution to Amazora's problem and find her a suitable tutor. He got to the mall with no problem
Finding Hasako also did not take him all that long. She was a characteristic person, even with her efforts to blend in.
However, the person standing next to her seemed to recognize him, and started to smile. After a while, he recognized her as well.
She was a slim girl with black hair, blue eyes that looked almost green in certain light, and sporting a wide, cheerful grin. She looked as if she emanated healthy vitality and optimism with her mere presence.
"Wait a second... Saten-san?!"
"Kamijou-san!"
Saten ran forward and stopped right before him.
"You are the friend Hasako told me about?" they both said at the same time.
"Well, I am glad she considers me a friend." Saten said sheepishly "She was lost, so I helped her out, we started talking, and it just went good".
Touma laughed while putting hand to his brow
"Now it makes total sense. Misaka told me once that you have an amazing talent in befriending almost anyone in an instant. How are you doing?"
"I am fine, thanks" Saten's smile got even brighter "This is a nice surprise and it's good to see you are okay as well, Kamijou-san. Were you up to something interesting?"
"E-Emm... yeah... the usual I guess... my life doesn't get boring, that's for sure! And you?"
"Oh, you wouldn't believe how many urban legends I am tracking down right now! People might call it crazy, but I know I can make a living with this if I put my mind into it. The excitement is real! I am so close, as if one of those legends stood just beside me"
'It does literally stand beside you' Touma thought, looking at Hasako. He could not even imagine what would be Saten's reaction if she knew that her new friend is the original esper with one of the most overpowered abilities in City's history.
"But honestly, if you are her new friend, I can rest assured. Hasako, this girl is one of the friendliest and most hospitable people you will find in this City"
"Oh, stop, you will make me blush" Saten cupped her face in her hands
"Just... don't drag her into anything weird, okay?"
"I-I don't want to hear that from you! From what Misaka-san told us, you... Hasako-chan, are you alright?"
Speaking of Hasako... she was now pouting.
"You know each other?! I wanted to introduce you and now it's all ruined" Beginning Child could not hide her disappointment.
Saten and Touma looked at each other.
"Well, me and Saten-san don't know each other all that much. We only met once in person and we have a shared friend that told us stories about one another." Touma explained.
"Although after some time we got each other's phone numbers and talked a little bit, getting to know one another just a little more. I do admit that as a level 0s we just sort of get some things quite well. But if it will make you feel better, I also invited someone else who both of you don't know"
And right on cue, they saw a small girl running towards them. She had an identical school uniform to Saten, had a shortly cut hair, and a headband with flowers. She carried a computer bag on her person.
"I am sorry for being late. We had a case of bad security breach and... I... was needed" she was panting heavily, but managed to bow before Hasako and Touma "My name is Uiharu Kazari, nice to meet you"
"Uiharu" Saten stood by her friend's side and pointed to the boy and the girl in front of them "This is Kankyougami Hasako, my new friend. She said she was in the City a long time ago but had to leave for some additional research. Now she is trying to readjust back. Oh, and this... this is Kamijou Touma"
Uiharu's lips formed an "o".
"You are Kamijou Touma? I know you know all of my friends. Misaka-san and even Shirai-san mentioned you many times, but I just could not meet you, and it was getting quite annoying to be the one left out. It's great to finally see you in person. Though..."
Touma raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah?"
"I-I thought... from what Misaka and Shirai told me... you were supposed to be some kind of hero who braces through every villain and fight..."
"N-No, I am just a normal high school-"
"... so I thought you would be scarier. Like, more buff and stuff."
Saten started to laugh, holding her own stomach
"Heh Heh Heh... she thought you were Rambo or something... heh heh heh..."
Uiharu blushed and bowed again.
"L-Let's forget about that. Kamijou-san, I hope we can be friends"
Kamijou smiled and also reincorporated the bow.
"I would like that very much, Uiharu-san. Saten-san mentioned that you quite the talented informatic"
"W-Well, I do try my best..." petite Judgement member seemed pleased with the compliment.
While Uiharu exchanged greetings with Hasako, Saten asked Touma
"So what do we do now?"
"Well, I was thinking about going to some caffe. I know the one with good parfaits..."
"Wait" Uiharu's ear almost visibly twitched" You know good places for sweets? And Hasako-san is an ojou-sama? This is the start of the beautiful friendship!"
(SOME TIME LATER)
In the end, they ended up enjoying parfaits. Hasako never had one before, so Uiharu went all the way in explaining her the wonders of sugary goodness.
Touma chatted with both Sakugawa girls. As Saten said, they shared a similar mental wavelength and discussed many mundane things such as their dorms, supermarket prices, their hobbies, and what were they planning for close future. As much as Touma was preoccupied with other things, he had to admit that speaking with Saten relaxed him a lot.
Uiharu had a lot of questions for both Touma and Hasako. Even though she was a bit disappointed that Hasako did not go to Tokiwadai, she was absolutely enchanted with how much miko girl knew about traditional etiquette. She also asked Touma about his school, relationship with Misaka-san, and how he met Hasako (to the point that his brain started to hurt because of all the cover stories he had to create for certain events). Nevertheless, he found the small hacker very sympathetic.
Finally, he asked Saten and Uiharu a question that was one of the reasons for coming here:
"Saten-san, Uiharu-san, do you know someone with a good telekinesis ability? I need a tutor for my friend"
Both girls thought for a little bit.
"Well, there is a guy who has telekinesis in our class, but I doubt he would be on a level to independently instruct someone. I know a lot of people but no one has this ability" Saten finally answered.
"Same here. No one comes to mind." Uiharu said apologetically "I am sorry Kamijou-san"
"No, that's okay" Touma sighed in defeat "I will keep on searching."
"You know..." Saten added, deep in thought" I am surprised that with all your misfortunate accidents, you didn't meet someone like that. Or that you don't know someone with a bigger reach of influence who can help you"
Touma listened, and suddenly, realization hit him.
Influence... past experiences... wow, how could he be that blind?
The key to the problem was in his past encounters. It was right under his nose!
"I got an idea! Saten-san, you are a genius!"
"I-I am?"
"Sorry, can you go along with Hasako? I need to do something important right now! I will explain later"
After hurried goodbyes, Kamijou exited the building and called a certain number.
"Connect with Board Chairman. Authorization Code: Hero/000."
After a moment, a familiar voice answered.
"It's been a while, hero. Although you probably are in some shit again, aren't you?"
"Accelerator... how are you?"
"Why the fuck are you calling emergency number? If this is about one of your girls, I swear..."
"W-Wait just a minute. This is an emergency. I-I mean, not a City threatening emergency or something. But I can't just leave her cry-"
"I am hanging up right now..."
"Wait... there is more. Actually, there is something I want to discuss with you and I would like to ask you to authorize it".
He then told Accelerator the plan that formed in his head. He heard an angry sigh from the other end.
"You ask a lot, third string. Do you have any idea how much work went into Handcuffs? If this thing you ask for fails, it will fall apart. And it will be your fault. Oh, and mine, since I am the only one that can authorize this!"
"I will do everything to make this work. Call this a resocialization project, or something. I am certain that they can be brought back to light... just like I did for you"
There was heavy silence.
"Are you certain that you can stop someone like this if something goes wrong?"
"I will do everything I can."
"Tch... fine, in the name of your actions for this damn city, I will authorize this project of yours... just now that if person participating in it causes damage and harms civilians without provocation or reason for defence... you will be the one responsible. Financially."
"Y-You... really pulled out the big guns, huh?"
"Heh, it's amusing to see you sweat in terror."
"W-Wait, you can see me? Oh yeah, hidden cameras and stuff. Oh damn it, fine, I accept the risk."
"Hmm, then I will be counting on you to follow through. Who are we talking about?"
Touma said a certain name.
(MEANWHILE, IN DISTRICT 10 PRISON)
Within the prison meant for adults, there was some cases of special individuals that spent their sentences there, even if they were still kids.
This place was filled with violence, corruption, and all forms of injustice. It was filled with all kinds of criminals. Among them, there was a girl who was currently writing something down on the floor of her cell.
She was one of the many targets of Operation Handcuffs. She and other minor criminals lived in a wing of prison especially opened for them. There were quite plenty of them, and all of them had certain peculiarities, but the one that was currently in focus stood out in a few ways.
Firstly, she was taken and locked away without much of a resistance. That alone made her a target of severe bullying, especially from the side of adult residents of the prison.
Secondly, she always ate in solitude. That pissed some of the senior prisoners and the girl was frequently ending with her head in the plate.
Thirdly, she was calm about it. Even if she glared at other from time to time, there was a focused fire within her eyes.
She also spent time writing equations. Equations after equations. On paper, napkins, even on walls and ceilings of her cell. She kept contemplating something, but usually shook her head in disappointment. She looked as if she was searching for something, but it kept eluding her.
She suffered through her time in the establishment, and the only people relatively nice to her were her inmates, 4 other girls from dark side. But even they did not know what was troubling the girl or what was she searching for.
The jailers were somewhat suspicious of girl's quirks and equations she wrote. But they allowed it, since the prison was well equipped in anti-esper countermeasures.
Now, guards showed up to find the girl grinning happily on the floor, looking at the fragment of the wall with complex string of formulas.
"I found... I did it! I can finally show it to him when I get out!"
"Excuse me, miss" the warden spoke up" we have important news for you..."
Behind his back, a female guard spoke to her colleague
"Phew, it's nice that we will have her off our case. To think she is such a strange girl because of cho-"
"Ssssh!" the other guard shushed her "Last time she heard that word, she trashed the entire caffeteria. We don't want her to destroy something on the way out!"
"... you are hereby released" the warden continued" and can leave the prison under specific conditions. It will be explained shortly when we get ready to send you off, but for now..."
Girl's eyes widened when she heard the explanation. She slowly, but surely smiled when she heard who got her a pass for freedom.
(MEANWHILE)
Touma was getting nervous. In mere two hours, he was to pick up the girl who will be a perfect tutor for Amazora's needs.
He realized that it was a risky move. But in truth, he also needed this for his personal benefit besides helping Amazora. He needed to practice.
The main reason Touma took so long with confronting the case of Mitsuari Ayu was because he was scared. He too was scared to face her after everything that happened, and Ayu was not the only one who struggled to go to what it used to be. So for now, he would like to practice with someone else.
Nephthys was bathing in popularity. Apparently, her charm won some of the girls over, although it worked only when she wasn't with Touma. Touma heard a questions about her beauty products, bandages she wore as stockings, and few other stuff.
But the best attraction that egyptian deity was going to give him, alongside with a headache, was just about to come around.
"Kaamiijouuuuuu-san! Help me!"
Now, the brown skinned woman (looking like a well-endowed teen) was crying, showing him a piece of paper.
"I don't know how to fill this thing" she wailed, looking incredibly alluring while doing so (at least in Touma's honest, hormone-fueled mind)
As she was supposedly an exchange student, Komoe passed Nephthys a form for her to write down her data, that would be temporarily registered in the school's databank. And this was when the problem started, as one look at the paper got Kamijou wide eyed.
"Kamijou-san, in the part for age there are only 3 blocks, one digit per block. I exceed it for sure"
"H-How long have you been around, actually?"
"Honestly, I have no idea. Before that stupid Aleister wrecked it, we lived in a dimension of blackness, with no concepts of duration and distance. Tell me, how do you measure years when there is no sun or a planet to measure with?"
"F-Fair point... about your power level... did you seriously write down "infinity" in your power level?!"
"Ow, I am sowwy, don't pull my cheek! Oh, I know, we Magic Gods are supposed to be the equivalent of your level 6!"
"Don't write down level 6 or level 5! There are only 7 of level 5s, at least for now, and someone would be considered mental if they just started calling themselves like that. As for ability... you wrote down "every ability"?! Oh god... I know, you said you have water powers... put down Hydro Hand, I don't care anymore... parents names? "
"I don't think that I can fit names of all of the slaves that formed me in that pyramid"
"... ... ... ... I will just put an "orphan" then... ... ..."
Nephthys stifled a giggle.
"You are enjoying this, aren't you?"
"No~, no way~..."
(SOME TIME LATER)
After the biggest fabrication in Academy City's history, Kamijou arrived at district 10.
He was wandering around, as he arrived a lot before appointed time, trying to locate the prison.
And that's when he had an encounter that escalated every possible type of misfortune.
He collided with a girl on the corner of one of the many alleys that formed infamous district 10, home to Academy City's prison and cemetery.
The girl was tall and slender, looking like a model, especially with the fashionable coat she was wearing. She had very mature body for a teen, tea coloured hair and similarly coloured eyes. Eyes that were staring coldly as the coffee, which spilt during their collision, was now staining her dress. She was also carrying a rose, and that alone got Touma thinking, but he did not time to dwell on that any longer.
"Watch where you're going, you dumb motherfu-"
"I am sorry, let me just-"
They both froze. The girl narrowed her eyes.
"Wait a second... you look familiar..."
"Yeah" Touma also said, taking a step back" I think I saw you somwhe-"
Then, the realization struck. And it didn't make him feel safer in any way at all.
"You were in Dianoid when St. Germain attacked. You are Hamazura's friend... that crazy girl who shoots lasers!"
Mugino Shizuri smiled in a very stiff way.
"You know, I am so angry right now for the second part of that sentence, that I want to cut your balls off right here and there. But if I did that, what would I hear from Kinuhata and Hamazura? They would nag about it and I'm sick of that! I won't give them this satisfaction"
"Sooo... you won't attack me?" Touma asked, taking yet another step backwards.
A green beam tore through the space, making him freeze on the spot.
"Oh, I didn't say that" Mugino walked closer to him, with an orb of green energy above the shoulder "You see, Hamazura said quite a few things about you. He holds you in a great esteem. He also said that you encountered level 5s like me before... and survived that, as I can see with my own eyes..."
'Damn you Hamazura, why did you tell...'
Touma started to get angry at his friend, before he realized that the girl before him could shoot energy beams that would probably be able to cut even diamonds given enough time.
'Okay, I forgive you under those circumstances...'
Kamijou and Mugino were facing each other in silence, until the girl spoke again
"Kamijou, to be honest, I don't really have anything against you per se... I don't know you yet. However, you have a lot of stories going on for you and it made me... curious, for empirical verification... because a did some research in this aspect alone and you encountered all of them... but not me."
Her eyes were showing a hunger of battle that Touma seen many times before. He did not like where this was going. Was she pissed that he ignored her amongst level 5s? She was a dangerous type, damn it! What was that, yandere simulator?
"Fight me, Kamijou. Let me see your spirit and show me your worth. Then I may consider becoming your ally. Fail and I will crush you without hesitation, I don't care what Hamazura and the rest say"
Touma stared at her, trying to somehow get out of such situation. Even though it held a vastly different emotional valence, this relationship was similar to one he had with Saten. No actual interactions and information gathered through a shared friend.
He did not know much about Mugino, but he was sure she was the type to not quit until she got what she wanted. He hoped that he could talk with her and get to know her, even if it was dangerous. This was Hamazura's friend after all. But maybe he could avoid figh-
"Oh, and if you deny me, you will pay for washing that coat"
"Okay, let's go into the place where no one gets hurt..."
(LATER..)
It was going well... until it wasn't.
They moved to the west, near the small river between districts 10 and 2, which later fell into the bigger one, that flowed through district 7. Come to think of it, what was with rivers and girls challenging him to fights?
Their fighting styles were not matched. Kamijou was close contact brawler, and Mugino fought from the distance. Her beams were challenging, and the amount of dodging and circling around that he had to go through was enormous. But he was making progress, until he finally grasped her wrist, negating her power
"Again!" the girl demanded.
She shot and threw everything her power could give her. And yet...
"Again!"
She could not hit him. The ground was molten and scorched, they both panted like crazy, but Kamijou Touma stood unharmed. He blocked her beams, which kept her shocked and filled with some sort of frantic awe. He did not falter. And kept winning...
"Again!"
She had no way of knowing, but he avoided planetary sized attacks and divine lances that exceeded concepts of numbers, space, and time.
"ARRRRRGH?! WHAT IN THE SHIT IS THIS?!"
"Mugino-san, it's been a 5th time already. You will hurt yourself-"
"Don't you dare... pity me. I am Meltdown-"
And then, she tumbled down.
"Told you. Listen, I know you are the type that keeps fighting until she wins. Trust me, I know people like that. But can we please stop? I have an appointment and-"
She did not like that. She slapped his hand away.
"Don't mock me, you piece of shiiiiiiiiiiiit!"
And so, the chase ensued. Which in turn led to yet another encounter.
"AAAH?! Who are you and waaaaah?!"
A girl was standing near the riverside and Touma swept her of her feet before running onto the nearby alley.
"W-Wha... put me down! Put me down this instance, you commoner!"
Kamijou stopped, and listened on. The sound of his pursuer were getting distant.
The girl he carried in princess carry had black hair, wore a Tokiwadai uniform, and had a prominent forehead. In the free hand she was holding a fan. She seemed to have a developing, yet already very attractive body Also, she seemed displeased with the way he saved her.
"That's it. You tested great Kongou Mitsuko's patience to its limit. Be blasted away!"
However, Touma anticipated it and took hold of her wrist with his right hand, which caused her to awkwardly pat his chest with no power activating.
"W-What... but my ejection point..."
"Oi, if you finished checking my muscles..."
"I wasn't... I didn't..." the proud girl stuttered.
"Then listen! There is a crazy esper after me! You have to go away, now... wait, what are you even doing here?!"
The girl who called herself Kongou looked awkwardly to the side.
"I was planning on meeting my friends in district 4..."
"That's 3 districts to the north."
"..."
"You just got lost, didn't you?! How terrible is your sense of direction?!"
"Huh?! How dare you! I am-
"I. FOUND YOU!"
In one swift jump, Kamijou pulled Kongou behind himself just as the blast of green hit his right hand.
When Kongou looked again, she saw a tall girl shooting a beam of light and Kamijou shielding her with his entire body, and somehow blocking the deadly beam. Even if it scorched his hand, he made the shielded area with great care so Kongou wouldn't get hit.
She saw it. She felt it.
Mitsuko Kongou was a proud girl who came from a rich family. She boasted about her status, power, and many other things. But she was also a kind girl who wanted to have friends and get affection in return. Her heart was often touched even if she said some haughty things.
In that moment, she knew she was saved.
But what happened afterwards, was a little bit above the usual program of salvation.
Kongou knew fairy tales. Many girls knew them. And in her eyes, Mugino became a violent dragon, Touma a brave knight with a magical shield, and she, Kongou Mitsuko, was of course a beautiful princess.
Kongou did not know many guys, as was the case with many Tokiwadai girls. She had no way of knowing that Touma would act like this if anyone was in danger. So her mind gravely exaggerated the situation
"Quick! Run for it... Kongou-san... was it?"
Kamijou shook Kongou who snapped out of her shojou manga fantasy.
"I thank you, but there is no need! I was repulsed by your common looks, but you clearly fell in love with me and risked your life for me. It was fate that we met. I, Kongou Mitsuko, shall protect my darling with all of my power! For I am the greatest of all and I shall be the one protecting him!"
Kamijou tried to process everything that was happening. Even Mugino looked confused
"WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FU-"
There was no way to rationalize it. No matter how hard you tried.
Affection came in many forms. And the proud Kongou Mitsuko was just struck with so called love at the first sight. Later, after her emotional surge, she would proudly try to convince herself if such a love really came to be. But for now, she was awestruck.
"You uncouth brute of a girl! Eat this!" she screamed as she attacked from behind Touma's back
Of course, this wasn't a good idea, because the blast of the wind pushed Touma, who didn't manage to evade it, right onto Mugino.
And...
Kamijou felt something on his lips. It was warm, soft, and sweet tasting.
Then he was kicked in the stomach with such a force that he fell backwards, and almost vomited.
Mugino rose up, and touched her lips. If she was beast-like before, now she turned into a nuclear reactor.
"You... you... scuuuuuuuum!"
Yes. In that chaotic fashion, Kamijou got his 3rd kiss on the lips.
It seemed Mugino was now furious beyond reason. Touma took Kongou by the arms and looked at her, while still observing Mugino at the edge of his vision.
"Kongou-san, I would never forgive myself if something happened to you. I promise, I will talk to you and we will be able to do something normal, in regular circumstances. Now go, please!"
Kongou bit her lip, but rose up, looking at him worriedly.
"Okay... I will keep you to it. Otherwise, I shall bring my wrath upon you, commoner. I offer my thanks for you-"
"That's lovely, now go!"
Albeit hesitant, Kongou started to run. Later she will realize that she didn't ask for Kamijou's name. The two came from completely different worlds and although that relationship would not be exactly like a traditional fairy tale, this feeling remained in Kongou's heart and filled it with warmth. Even when she rationalized it, it remained like a warm glow.
Meanwhile, Kamijou's Imagine Breaker clashed with enormous beam and this time, the power was so strong that he had to deflect it. He felt pain and he realized that the beam dislocated his arm.
Mugino towered above him.
"I honestly did not want to kill you... but I will make you pay for what happened just now.."
But as she said that, something peculiar happened.
Mugino was suddenly thrown to the side, as if she was hit by an invisible truck.
Then Touma felt someone lifting him to his feet.
"Honestly, you were supposed to be waiting for me... I had to search the entire district for you... hmm, sorry I took so long though..."
The girl who saved him wore a pink top that ended showing her well-shaped belly, short jeans, and tennis boots. She had slender arms and legs, chestnut eyes and long blond hair, which was actually a wig by Touma's knowledge.
She smiled at him
"Long time no see. It's good that you survived that after I saw you in a hospital."
Touma smiled at her. He never knew her real name, but he recognized her.
"Glad to see you again as well, Santa girl-san"
She was the girl he released.
The strongest telekinesis user, Maidono Hoshimi.
"Don't... interrupt our fight..." Mugino got up. Touma had to admit, she had amazing endurance.
Maidono turned around
"Oh, it's Mugino-senpai. I never actually met you, but I was a big fan when I was a dark sider. Can I get your autograph?"
She was met with dead silence.
Maidono sighed and raised her index finger. One of the heavy containers with trash was lifted as if it didn't weigh anything at all.
"Then I am sorry, but you are interrupting my reunion. I will have to make you leave."
However, the container was split in two in mid-flight.
"You brat, I don't care if you are a telekinesis user, I will still fry you-"
"Guess it is the hard way then. I wanted to make it easier for you"
"Who the hell you are to think you can defeat a level 5?"
Mugino started walking towards Maidono, but the blond pointed her index finger at older girl.
Meltdowner suddenly froze in place, not moving a millimeter.
"What..." she muttered, her body stiff and motionless." What did you... I can't move..."
"You see, if it was any other level 5, I would be in trouble. But you just happen to have a disadvantage when it comes to my power. My ability can't lift anything that is a living organism. I don't know why exactly, I think the energy emitted by organic cells prevents my "grasp" to form. But then again, Mugino-senpai...this wonderful body of yours is partially inorganic after a certain incident, isn't it? That means..."
Mugino shot a glance down, and then back up, realization dawning in her eyes.
Maidono's index finger moved higher with a motion of a wrist and Mugino's artifcial arm shot up, clearly without any of her will behind it, with Meltdowner's body forming a half of a letter "T"
The metal prosthetic twisted alongside Maidono's gesture, to the point that no arm should. Even though Mugino bit her lip, a groan escaped her throat and eyes clouded with pain.
"Maidono, that's enough, you are hurting her!" Touma interrupted.
The girl stopped and spoke back:
"As you wish. I will ask her to leave us alone now."
Mugino's eyes widened when her feet left the earth. She was held in the air by mechanical parts of her body (mainly arm and other parts of one side of her once burnt skin), as Maidono positioned her in the direction of the river.
"Damn you... I will roast you alive... Kamijou... I am not leaving him now!"
"Yes, you are" Maidono said calmly, and made a gesture similar to jabbing a finger into something.
"YOU BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITCCCCCCCCCCCCCC..." Mugino roared when she was forcibly repelled with great speed straight over the river. The velocity turned her into a human equivalent of skipping stone before she fell into the water.
(15 MINUTES LATER)
They were returning to Touma's apartment after an operation which got his arm back to its sockets.
"She won't be happy. Mugino-san, I mean..."
"Well, she will eventually get over it." Maidono said blankly, as if she did not believe it herself.
They were walking side by side, and only now did Touma could really take a good look at her. When they first met, she wore a Santa costume. It was strange to see her in regular clothes. Not that she was looking bad in them though.
"How have you been?" Touma spoke to the girl.
Maidono mused a little at the question
"Well, as you know, I was in prison. Even if not everyone liked me, it was not a total waste. You see..."
She tightened her hold on his arm, as she supported him in walking.
"Remember that conversation when we last saw each other? I know that you had things to protect, I had my own complex... it didn't go so well. But when it went down like it did, and also what you told me during our encounter in the hospital... I just couldn't stop thinking about you..."
Touma looked at her, and she realized what she just said.
"W-W-Wait, let me elaborate. It's just... fighting you made me realize that there is a way for someone who lost something to carry on with his head high. After all, you lost your memories. My loss seemed, well... petty after that..."
"Yeah, and how is your... problem?" Touma made a gesture as if pinching something between his index finger and thumb.
Maidono's smile fell a little.
"It's... not changing, even a bit. I got a little... carried away, when someone pointed that out during lunch... it sucks for me, but that's not my point. You remember that part when I said that I finally found someone to serve?"
"Yeah, I think so. What about it?"
"That person is you. And it was what kept me going through all my time in prison. You inspired me. You made me realize that I should have kept going regardless of my loss. I would lie if I said that being a dark sider didn't bring me excitement. But I thought that maybe, just maybe, I can gain this euphoria while doing something worthwhile. When I spoke with you that last time, your will to keep me from straying down the path of light only confirmed my suspicion. You are without a doubt the most bizarre person I've ever seen. But even so, you know... emm..."
She lowered her head and twirled her index fingers along one another in a rather shy display. The nearby trashcans and motorcycles shook slightly.
"Honestly, when I saw you walk away, I felt frustrated. And it only grew when I got into prison. After a while, I realized I missed you. Weird, given that we were basically strangers, but yeah. I really wanted to see you again. I didn't wish to just discard what you gave me. I may still be a criminal, but you gave me hope, however small it was. You were my actual motivation to live through prison reality. So I hope you will show me the way that was supposed to help me."
"Maidono..." Touma was taken aback. He did not know he impacted her that much.
"Of course, I don't expect that you will just forgive me. I tried to crush you between buildings, after all. But I will try to make it up to you. I will try to see the way you do things in and learn from it. So my offer still stands. I will become your far-reaching hands and serve you as your support!"
Touma smiled at that.
"I am happy for such a troubles... I mean, helpful offer. But you don't need to treat me like this"
"You were gonna say troublesome! Hmph! Also, can I call you Master Touma?"
"No"
"Touma-dono, then"
"No, that's super embarrassing."
"I guess..."
"You make me sound like some superhero!"
"Well, yeah. You survived my attacks like a fricking Terminator"
Touma stopped and put a hand on top of Maidono's head.
"Let's not dwell on the past. We met again, and it's something already. I too thought about what I could to help you. And thanks to recent events, I can give you something that will help you find yourself in the world of light"
The girl was surprised at the gesture, but did not shake his hand away.
Touma told her about his situation and Amazora's troubles. He did not hide away the fact that he was now sharing a dorm. If Maidono was to help, it would be better to give her the whole picture.
"That's a peculiar request, but I will accept it if it helps you as well. Me, as a teacher? Hmm, not quite bad. Not to brag, but I am finest there is in telekinesis..."
She smiled at Touma and gave him a thumb up
"I will be in your care then. I can't wait."
"I look forward to see what future has in store for us as well"
The made a high five in the rays of lowering sun.
"By the way, you still have that wig, huh?"
The not-so-actually-blond girl blinked and laughed
"Oh, yeah, I do. I was arrested in it, and it was returned when they released me, so I kind of have it on now. Hmm, are you curious about my real looks?"
"I would lie if I said I wasn't. Oh, also, Maidono Hoshimi isn't your real name, right? How should I call you?"
The level 4 pondered at that, and shrugged with a smile.
"You are right, I have a different name. But I will reveal it in time, when I truly make myself useful to you. Also, even if Maidono Hoshimi is the identity tainted with darkness, it can serve me as a reminder. And if it's something that links you and me... then I will hold onto it. Call me Maidono. Or... H-Ho... Hoshimi, that's fine too..."
"Hmm, hoshi... hoshi... then "Starlight" as diminutive..."
Maidono blushed a little.
"O-Oi, don't think of pet names, I didn't sign up for this"
After a moment, she added:
"You know... this was the first time I was trusted with such a big thing. I am talking about your memory loss. You also didn't ridicule my chopstick problem. I wanted to say this for a long time... thank you so much."
(10 MINUTES LATER)
As they entered the building, they more or less managed got each other acquainted with events in their lives. Touma made a somewhat abridged version of his adventures, while Maidono recalled prison reality and her inmate friends.
"Did you say Hanatsuyu? "Touma asked with interest" So Youen is okay? Thank god, I was worried about her as well."
Maidono sighed.
"Well, she would certainly be glad. I am almost certain I heard her say "Kamijou" in her sleep in a rather... interesting voice. She also named a rat she was allowed to keep as a pet after you."
"That's... nice, I think. She is a peculiar girl, I give you that. I am actually indebted to her... and she also... y-you know, never mind.
Besides being a small villain manipulating pests and vermin, Hanatsuyu Youen was Touma's 2nd kiss on the lips. Even if it happened in alternative world, it still felt like a real one to him. Now to think about, his 1st kiss, that tasted like a sock and ended up poisoning him, was with a malevolent sadodere sorceress, 2nd was with a 10 year old criminal and would probably lead him to being questioned by Anti-Skill, and 3rd was with a sexy, but crazy level 5 esper who would like to cut him to pieces for it. 3 time's a charm? Screw this!
As they entered the apartment, they found 3 sisters turning around to them while sitting on the couch.
New chapter in Maidono Hoshimi's life was about to begin.
(LATER...)
Long story short, introductions were made.
Kamijou introduced Maidono as an ex-dark sider who once fought with him, pretty much like the sisters, and who was now in resocialization program that could be fulfilled in teaching Amazora.
Rikuri politely greeted the newcomer. Kaibi, however, remained sceptical, and demanded a demonstration. Touma deemed it reasonable. However, Measure Heart also had less pragmatic thoughts on her mind.
'That girl's proportions are like a golden ratio. Look at that belly! Those arms and legs seem almost too perfect. And not a gram of unnecessary lipids!'
She did not even know why she was so irritated at that.
Maidono followed through with the demonstration, and Kaibi's sceptical scowl slowly changed into wide eyed shock, when after spoons, table, and flowerpots, the cars parked down below and street signs followed in rising from the ground. Touma only stopped Maidono when she aimed her finger at the building in front of their own. He would like to avoid her ripping it off the ground, as he could possibly be blamed for unnecessary damage.
"So, how did the two of you meet each other?" Rikuri asked Touma and Maidono.
"Oh, I kind of threw a skyscraper or two at him, but we are good now" came the answer from the girl.
Rikuri tilted her head with unsure eyes, not certain of what she just heard.
Meanwhile, Maidono looked at Amazora and winked at her
"You must be my new... ekhm, and first... apprentice. Kamijou told me some pretty good things about you. Let's do this again. I am Maidono Hoshimi. I am level 4, but I have level 5 output of power. My maximum lifting limit is 100 000 tons. I can also fuse and severe inanimate objects, manipulate them remotely, and create tremors in the earth itself. "
"HOW MANY TONS?!" Kaibi actually screamed out in shock.
Kamijou understood her outburst. After all, 100 000 tons was weight of a giant cargo battleship, for a example.
Maidono's face could not be more smug.
"Oh, and there is one more thing. When I was in prison, I endlessly thought of a way I could perfect my ability. And I finally did it! I figured out something that will be the revolution of everything there is to know about telekinesis. I must show it to you, Kamijou. It's a-"
"LET'S GO!" Amazora could not contain her excitement "I want to lift cars like Maido nee-san... no, Maido sensei!"
"B-But... wait... ugh, fine, I guess there is no time to waste..." Maidono followed Amazora, but turned to Touma" Wait for this, Kamijou. I saved my first time for you!"
And with that, she disappeared on the balcony.
Kaibi and Rikuri's heads turned to Kamijou with the looks of utter and cold disgust.
"She talked about her ability. A-BI-LI-TY!" Touma yelled in terror.
'Maidono-san, phrasing! You are gonna get me killed!'
(MEANWHILE...)
Hamazura Shiage rowed cheerfully through the waters of Academy City's river. By his side, hidden under a small umbrella, was his girlfriend, Takitsubo Rikou.
"You were right, a date on the river is amazing" he said to Takitsubo. Girl smiled softly and let her hand intertwine with his.
Hamazura was beyond happy. The river was calm, the afternoon sun was shining, Takitsubo looked very beautiful, he had a day off, Takitsubo looked super cute, he felt calm and relaxed... did he already mention how amazing Takitsubo looked?
Nothing could ruin this wonderful moment. He leaned for a kiss...
And this was when a female hand grabbed the side of their boat from the outside.
"HOLYFRICKINGSHIT!" Hamazura screamed in rather unmanly voice. The boat wobbled dangerously, but finally, a young woman crawled over and fell onboard.
She was covered in mud and river plants. She was sticky and dirty. She even had a fish stuck in her voluminous hair, which was now wet, like all of her clothes. But most importantly... she seemed familiar...
"Mugi...no?!" Hamazura finally asked.
The girl coughed up some water and spoke:
"That... that little..."
What followed was the stream of vulgarisms so awful and obscene that Hamazura could only conclude that the wet and miserable woman from the river was in fact level 5, Mugino Shizuri.
She actually blacked out for a moment when she fell onto the water and drifted here before spotting familiar couple on the boat.
"Hello Mugino" Takitsubo remained in her usual phlegmatic self" Did you also decide to practice free floating on water, like me? It is really pleasant experience"
Mugino's nostrils flared and her eye twitched in anger. She raised a fist into the sky
"That girl... she will pay for this... and also..."
She touched her lips once again, and blush of frustration and fury dusted her cheeks
"You did not see the last of me, Kamijou Touma!"
'Oh, I see now. I don't know how but that kind of explains everything' Hamazura thought.
(3 DAYS LATER)
And so, the days passed by.
Amazora was busy all the time, besides the times to sleep, eat, and go to the toilet. Maidono assessed her abilities, and proceeded to train her, warning the procedure will be intense.
The telekinesis user rented a smaller apartment, right next door, so she didn't have to travel far. She also ate breakfasts and dinners with them. After a short while, her presence became a normal occurrence.
Everything proceeded smoothly. Well, besides the moment Kaibi put out the chopsticks for everyone as they were getting ready to eat. Maidono's pupils shrunk to small dots, and she spent almost half an hour crying in the toilet. Kamijou took this opportunity to educate the sisters on poor Maidono's complex regarding certain eating tool.
And then there was a meeting of Maidono and Hasako, which surprised both of them. The girls had rather different personalities, but both stuck with Touma for their own reasons, so they exchanged pleasantries. Yet Touma could not help but compare this meeting to the two colossal tsunami waves clashing with each other. He was amazed that the building did not start to shake from that much power in one place.
Finally, the fateful day came. Amazora took the earlier bus to get ready in school, while the rest of the group gathered to go out.
Kaibi and Rikuri got a day off to support Amazora, while Touma managed to get out with promise of yet another make up class. Hasako dressed into her finest clothing, and Maidono held custom made signs with "GO AMAZORA!" written on them. She also found time to somehow made similar T-Shirts for everyone.
"I take that you came to like our little gremlin" Touma whispered to a girl.
"She is a handful, I give you that. But also talented. It's been amazing to teach someone eager to learn" Maidono admitted.
"Everyone, the bus is departing!" Rikuri waved to them. Because of her big bust, visible letters on her shirt looked more like "GOA ZORA"
"Kamijou, I got to show you my perfected technique. With it, I can get us there faster than-"
"Not now, you can show me later! We have to make it!"
"Hmph, I couldn't show you for past 3 days. You will see, it's something special..."
(FINALLY...)
Amazora exhaled slowly. And with the following inhale, the signal for start was given.
She dashed forward, uncertainty leaving in the face of determination.
She ran and ran, and ran, until finally reaching the middle point. Then she concentrated...
And the frisbee, placed specifically for the competition, slowly rose up. With all of her might, she threw it, before resuming the race.
She was put through many competitions, but she was not afraid anymore. Better or worse, she braced through them all. Not to mention, she was leading the race for certain moments.
Under strict supervision of Maidono, she learned how to refine her telekinetic grasp. And while she still had long way to go, there was one thing she was very good at: blunt bursts of telekinetic power. It worked like shockwaves and it allowed her to move herself by repulsion of the very air she touched.
But all of the technicalities were not on Amazora's mind when, tired yet grinning, she found finish line in her sight. She took in the view of people that came to support her.
Touma and Rikuri were yelling words of encouragement with all of their strength. Kaibi was the most collected, holding the transparent in the air, however her face was filled with pride. Maidono used her powers to manipulate a few Amazora-supporting items, while jumping wildly up and down in excitement. Hasako clapped her hands and cheered on the girl as well, even if her gentle voice was largely lost in the noise of the crowd. Besides them, but not to Amazora's knowledge, some other powerful forces, few of them not human, also watched this small competition.
Amazora did not even know when tears appeared in her eyes. But when she crossed the finish line and crowd roared in applause, she knew one thing.
That feeling she felt earlier on in her heart... was attachment. The warm bond that she wanted to always have.
And when she thrown herself into the arms of Touma and her sisters, she knew that she was truly happy.
(LATER)
Ultimately, Amazora got 3rd place, which did not bothered her so much, because apparently it matched her status as 3rd sister.
She was swarmed with people who wanted to talk to her, and soon, Touma and the others lost sight of her.
After some time, the school emptied almost completely.
As Touma was coming back from the bathroom, he heard a voice:
"That was very nice show. I really like that girl now"
Touma jumped when he realized Magic Goddess Niang-Niang was standing right next to him
"You were watching?"
"Yes, I was. You humans have the fascinating ability to find meaning in even smallest things. Most of them won't say it, but we Magic Gods envy that in mortals. Your short lives motivate you to strive for your dreams, not matter how futile they might be."
"Yeah, yeah, mock us all of you want"
"Imagine Breaker, I am anything but mocking" Niang-Niang answered sternly" Picture a being who can do anything. When you imagine yourself in space with no limits, there is no telling if one is rising... or falling. That uncertainty is something we have to live with through all the eons of time"
She looked around at the empty football field.
"That girl... Amazora, was it?... reminds me a lot of myself, when I was younger. That energy, fire in her arms... love for weapons... secrets hidden in the heart and will to sacrifice it all for family..."
"Niang-Niang, where are you going with this?"
"You will see. For now, you have company"
She then disappeared without a sound.
Touma looked at the running group of people. Among them, besides Kaibi, Rikuri, Maidono, and Hasako, was yet another girl. Touma realized he met her before.
"Yume Asashima-san? What are you doing here?"
The girl was frightened and had tears in her eyes.
"Kamijou-san, Amazora-san... she is in trouble! Atsuki-san... she lured her to the roof and is fighting with her!"
In next moment, Touma and Kaibi was on their way to the uppermost level of the building. And then...
"You cheated! You had to cheat! I refuse to accept this! You tricked everyone"
"I didn't cheat, so deal with it, ASSuki!"
"GOKUSAI!"
They witnessed two girls struggling in a proper catfight. Atsuki, notorious rival of Amazora, who apparently could not deal calmly with her high score on the race, wanted to give the youngest Gokusai the piece of her mind.
Touma did not know what exactly happened between Atsuki and Amazora in the past, and he was sure that Amazora provoked the furious girl in more ways than one, but it was time to stop this.
"Hey, get away from my sister!" Kaibi shouted, preparing to karate chop the hostile girl's nape.
And then, a chain of events happened very fast.
Atsuki pulled Amazora's hair, which caused the girl to scream and put her hand forward. Then, a burst of pressure launched Atsuki flying straight into Touma's arms, momentarily blacking out. But the recoil of that telekinetic burst also send Amazora backwards... straight over the barrier of the roof.
Kaibi and Touma, who dropped Atsuki a second earlier, both pounced forward, their mouths opening and arms reaching forward. Yet they were far too late, as the small girl's body sailed over the railing and disappeared.
"AMAZORAAAAA!" Kaibi cried out in utter terror.
Touma bit his lip in sickening feeling of despair...
And then...
Something shot up from the ground. It was like a blur, moving in a straight trajectory. Then it slowed down, and ascended higher, until it was on their eye level.
Touma's mind stopped functioning. His jaw went slack. It was the same with Kaibi, who did not even registered that her sister was just rescued. They could just stared wide eyed.
"I told you... it was something special. It took many months of sweat and tears... but I discovered the ultimate technique of freedom..."
He understood. This truly was changing everything. The sight in front of his eyes left him in wonder and awe.
"Leonardo Da Vinci once wrote: 'Once you have taken flight, you'll decide. Gaze towards the sky, you'll know that, this is where your heart will feel at home'. So, I decided... this power...
Blond wig slowly fell to the ground. Amazora blinked and stared at the person who caught her.
She had short hair, dark brown in colour, almost going black, that seemed to form small, luscious, spike-like curls, even if it was kept in a bobcut. But the chestnut eyes and characteristic smile indicated only one person.
"... this power will serve you, Kamijou"
Maidono Hoshimi, with Amazora in her arms, was hovering in mid-air, 4 floors above the ground, with no additional physical support. She was floating in the empty space and remained so even after putting Amazora back to safety.
Her feet weren't touching the ground. She even flew higher which emphasized it.
From ground level, Rikuri and Hasako also sported utterly shocked expressions.
Because they just witnessed something thought impossible.
Maidono Hoshimi, the dramatic esper with chopstick complex, reached free flight, all in hopes to be of use to one boy.
The girl actually got a little bit shy with the amount of attention
"Heh, told you it was something special. Let's meet up in front of our apartment. I am gonna go to skyscraper level, to make sure no one will see me"
With that, she soared higher, and after a few moments, disappeared in the distance.
(HALF AN HOUR LATER)
Once they hurried back to their home, they found Maidono back on the ground. Each and every one of them bombarded her with questions, as they all headed back inside.
"How are you not a level 5?! Right now, you are a level 5 in everything but a title!" Rikuri exclaimed passionately.
"Well, you see-"
"You can fly?!" even Kaibi was emotional beyond herself "This is huge! I mean, no esper ever flew since the creation of Academy City, besides Accelerator and Kaki... I mean, number 2. This kind of power..."
"It's technically called levitation, but-"
"Yeah, I think Misaka and Gunha can put something together to move in the air. But to be able to fly so freely... this is incredible!" Touma put a hand to his head as he thought about what he just saw.
"Well, I am on a low-fat diet that is supposed to help me with that. It would be better if my bones were hollow but-"
"Maido-sensei, we must tell everyone! You are super awesome!" Amazora shouted with stars in her eyes.
"EVERYONE, SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME!" Maidono yelled out.
When everyone calmed down, she smiled and shook her head.
"This power is not as free as you think." she whispered" While yes, it allows me to move through 3 dimensions without restrictions and fly freely with decent speed, it has some serious limits. You know how Accelerator got injured and has time limited ability? My case is similar. Based on simulations and tests I conducted, I have only 10 minutes of free flight, 15 if I am willing to risk straining myself. After that time, my powers will shut down and I will plummet to death if I don't land earlier. Additionally, my lifting powers are greatly reduced, and I have to "cool off" for one hour, before being able to fly again. It is a very strenuous power for the mind. Also, take a look at my hand..."
Touma never noticed it before but Maidono had 2 small watches on her left wrist. One looked like an old-school altitude counter one saw in planes, the other was a timer showing numbers that were now returning to the number "15:00". Touma guessed that they were somehow connected to Maidono's AIM or nervous system, one of them showing altitude, the other time in which she engaged in flight.
"It's logical that there is also a limit of how high I can fly. I... never tested it before. This was my first actual experience and I... ekhm, crash landed here before you arrived. As you said, it's a great power, but could you please not talk about it? This time I got lucky, and practically no one was around. This is my trump card and if anyone knew about its limits, it would be rather bad. Also, you know how science in this city truly works. I don't want to be taken away and experimented on."
Touma, Hasako, and the sisters nodded. They all promised to keep it a secret.
Touma could only wonder in shock in what crazy things this revelation could throw him next.
(ELSEWHERE...)
As much as Maidono tried to keep it a secret, at least 2 people noticed her incredible stunt.
"Hmm, interesting, very interesting, so that's how it is" Accelerator grinned to the screen in his prison cell "That chopstick girl is smarter than she looks... I didn't expect anyone besides me to figure this out... guess hero really is a motivator, huh? I can alter vectors of gravity or affect the air around me to fly, but her method is just as creative, I have to admit."
"I don't get it, master" Qliphoth sported a confused expression" I am not expert in esper powers, but I thought telekinesis can't affect living beings. So how she manages to levitate her own body?"
Accelerator's pale hand reached for a can of coffee.
"She doesn't levitate her body. She forces her own AIM field to inverse and loop itself, condensing it, so it radiates equal amounts of pressure in every direction, and this pushes her body upwards. It's like when you're trying to grab something oily from both sides, and it slips upwards from your hands. Simply put, she is forcing the source of her power to lift itself up, and her body following it is more of a side effect. By manipulating the amount and directionality of pressure she emits with this inversed AIM field, she controls directions and altitude of her flight. Still... even if it's not on my level, this is a great amount of mental work and calculations to do. Good job in snatching someone like that, hero"
At the same time, certain magician with a body stolen from a demon laughed to heart's content.
"Finally, and to think that it came around in this form! The greatest freedom, freedom of flight, was obtained through usage of my thelema! Magical flight is easy to intercept, but the esper flight exceeded those rules! Hah hah hah, St. Peter's spell my ass! This power, born from determination given by Imagine Breaker, shall be the beginning of a new understanding. Magic Side, you can all suc-"
Then she looked down her body, and sighed.
"Tch, I keep forgetting I don't have it anymore..."
Night was falling on the Academy City after yet another crazy day.
But it was merely a medium stage for all the wonders that were about to come.
[There you have it! A bit of short notes before moving on.
I wanted so badly to utilize Maidono in some fashion, especially after reading the hospital scene. Add to that the fact that I love a good, table-turning power up, and we have her (almost) free flight. I thought if anyone could do it, it would be her. I knew this would be a risky move, so I ensured that she had concise limits.
If you want to share my creative drive when I wrote about Maidono's flight, I recommend listening to "Flight of Freedom" by Epic Score, and "Sogno di Volare/Dream of Flight" by Christopher Tin (absolutely majestic song). Some of the inspiration for the image of Maidono's ability to fly was Zaheer from Legend of Kora and amazing visuals from his fights in Venom of The Red Lotus.
Maidono directly references the song "Sogno di Volare", which in turn references Leonardo Da Vinci's notes.
Maidono vs Mugino was a reference to all the times when Wolverine faced Magneto.
Kongou's reaction and her "love at first sight" were reference to Boa Hancock's lovesick attitude towards Luffy, which are contrasted with her haughtiness in interactions with others. I thought it would be interesing take if Kongou, who is similar visually to younger Hancock, went with similar route with Touma, balancing between romantic feelings and pride]
