And so we continue into the Deep Blood arc, what could await everyone now that an unknown has entered the fray, time will tell if all will work out.
Index/Fate belong to Kamachi and Nasu respectively.
Chapter 11: Chaos and Paranoia
Stiyl told everyone that many more knights must have been involved in this after discovering the body, that they were wiped out in the scuffle with Aurelos, the prep school was a battlefield, which disturbed most of the group.
"Kamijou, does anyone else in the building seem disturbed by the corpse?" Uiharu asked.
"Not at all, in fact it seems like no even knows the three of us are here." Touma responded.
"It seems the alchemist has manipulated the space around and inside the school and split it into two separate sections, we are on the same plain as them but where we can see them they can't see us." Tamamo analyzed.
"You're correct in that department fox, it's like a coin, heads and tails, we're in the same space but there is a barrier separating us, they can't see anyone on the tails side, but while we can see them, we can't interact with them anyway." Stiyl added.
"Perhaps Imagine Breaker can dispel it." Saten suggested.
"Don't even try the spell is maintained by a core located elsewhere. There's a reason you can hide behind this barrier as well. Regardless the death of this knight gives us all the more reason to fight." Stiyl explained.
"He's right, I can sense it, it's up at the top floor of the building." Tamamo deduced.
"Well it's good that we're heading up there anyway." Stiyl mumbled quietly as he trudged ahead.
Misawa Prep School:
Silence followed after that as Stiyl took point while Touma and Tamamo walked side by side following behind.
"Tama?" Touma said quiet enough that Stiyl couldn't hear.
"Yes, what's wrong?" Tamamo asked with concern.
"Would you laugh at me if I told you I'm feeling afraid?"
"No, I could never laugh at you for that, it's natural to feel fear and a lot of times it can save your life, certain situations just can't be confronted directly, especially not alone, it's ok to to feel scared, the fact that you're forging ahead still is what shows true bravery."
Touma smiled as his face tinted red, unconsciously his hand laced around Tamamo's who quickly accepted it, the two holding hands as they continued to walk, Stiyl eventually noticed and huffed.
"There's a time and place to be all lovey dovey and now sure as hell ain't the time."
"Shirai says you're an ass." Touma said feeling embarrassed about the lovey dovey comment.
"Tch!!"
They walked up a couple of flights of stairs and continued up the same pattern.
Kamijou Residence:
The girls were getting bored watching the same video feed over again, Saten looked ready to fall asleep when a chill ran up her spine.
"Saten are you ok?" Index asked worried.
The other girls turned around hearing that question from Index.
"Guys, call me crazy but I feel like something is watching me." Saten said shakily.
That brought alarm to everyone in the room, Index, Misaka and Shirai immediately panned about the dorm room checking the bathroom, the closet, even under the bed, they also checked the cabinets for potential cameras.
"Hey, is everything ok on your end Uiharu?" Touma spoke.
"It seems we have a bit of a situation here, something spooked Saten, and she believes she's being watched."
"Hold on what! Your not serious right?" Touma asked concerned.
"Everyone else is already checking around the room for cameras or a potential intruder." Uiharu responded.
"This is not good, I can understand more if someone is after Index, but why Saten?" Tamamo asked.
"No time to ponder just make sure to keep your guard up at all times, don't let anyone near Index, or even that Saten girl." Stiyl ordered.
It was another hour of watching the trio walk up stairwells, they were bored but much more alert, Saten even had her bat drawn as she stayed close to Index, the feeling of constantly having someone's eyes on her never leaving, she started to grow paranoid little by little.
"Hey Kamijou ask Stiyl why you're even taking the stairs." Shirai suggested.
Touma complied and got the same explanation as before with the students, that no one on the tails side could interact with anything on the heads side, that includes elevator buttons. They could follow a student into one but they would be taking chances with whatever floor they get, and Touma's luck dictates they have a slim chance of getting the right one.
"Are there any alternative routes, say an escalator?" Touma asked.
"I'm sorry but no." Uiharu lamented.
"Rotten luck." Touma cursed.
"This barrier is a pain in the ass, Tamamo isn't there something you can do?" Misaka asked hopeful.
"Unfortunately despite my territory creation it seems as though this spell is causing heavy interference, so I can't really do anything."
"You think cellphone signals can get through, if my equipment can still work why not a phone." Touma suggested.
"Why don't you give it a try." Stiyl responded sarcastically.
Tamamo took out her newly bought phone and dialed a number, it answered and revealed the recipient to be Index.
"Hello." Index Answered.
"Index, I'm glad you answered, is everything ok?"
"We're fine Tamamo, though Saten seems to be pale." Index responded with worry.
"Let me talk to her sweetheart."
Index handed Saten the phone which she took with a shaky free hand.
"Hello?"
"Saten, how are you holding up?"
"I can't shake this foreboding feeling, it's making me crazy!" Saten shouted.
"Calm down, deep breaths, just stay close to the others and you'll be just fine." Tamamo calmly instructed the panicking girl.
"Ok, ok, I'll do it…*breathes heavily*…ok I feel a little better."
"That's good, keep doing that ok? Please hand the phone back to Index."
Saten did as told and gave Index her phone back.
"Hello?"
"Index, I need you to keep Saten calm ok, if she starts panicking make sure she takes deep breaths and just talk to her to keep her mind from falling to paranoia, can you do that?" Tamamo asked.
"On it!" Index responded.
Misawa Prep School:
"Besides the one girl all of you seem awfully relaxed." Stiyl replied
"That a problem?" Touma responded.
"We're in the middle of enemy territory and you're going out the way to comfort someone way out of the line of fire, also I still don't understand why you seem to treat Index as if she was your own 'daughter' despite not knowing her as long as those of us in the church fox." Stiyl explained.
"And the church has done a WONDERFUL job for Index's growth, I'm willing to take it upon myself to be the maternal figure she needs to grow up true, especially with jerks like you pining for her." Tamamo sniped.
"How many times do I have to explain, our relationship isn't like that!" Stiyl snapped.
"You may be right, besides isn't that Kanzaki girl you're side bitch?"
"Just wait till I tell her you said that!!"
"Ass fire!!"
"WET DOG SMELL!!!"
"ENOUGH, BOTH OF YOU!!!!!"
They halted their argument upon hearing Touma yell, a pissed off look on his face.
"You're both acting like children, can't you see we may be dealing with a potential two front situation!! And Tamamo your much more mature than this, don't let Stiyl get under your skin again got that?" He said sternly.
Both recipients of Touma's scolding were silent unable to find words.
"We're wasting time, lets move already." Stiyl growled out.
"Sorry for raising my voice at you Tama, but we can't have a wedge drive this group to chaos, I hope you understand."
Tamamo looked at him with an understanding expression, then it turned into a flirty smile as she went to his ear.
"Your sexy when assertive, seeing you angry got me feeling hot." She whispered embarrassing Touma in the process, especially since she meant it.
Kamijou Residence:
Twilight came as the girls were still watching the video feed, Index had been making sure Saten kept calm, so far she wasn't as panicking but still felt shook up. They watched as the trio made their way to a cafeteria, all was normal as students walked, talked and ate but it all went south when all the students stopped abruptly, they started working in sync.
"That doesn't seem good." Shirai wheezed.
Misawa Prep School:
The students all began chanting at the same time and orbs of light appeared before them emerging from their foreheads which made their way to the intruders.
"Ok you two love birds you're up!!" Stiyl replied as he ran.
"Damn coward!" Tamamo yelled.
Touma and her both ran after him.
"Why are you two running, your right hand was strong enough to protect you from Dragon's Breath boy, and your partner is a witch, yet you're showing them your backs?!!" Stiyl shouted confused.
"Says the guy who bolted first, even if I up and dispel the orbs more are coming out in droves!" Tamamo defended.
"Uiharu, cross reference us an escape route from our position to the security feeds and find us a clear path!" Touma communicated.
"I'm on it!"
After a bit of silence Uiharu finally found clear path ways and trusted the trio to make the necessary turns at her guidance.
"What exactly was that earlier?" Touma asked.
"A Gregorian Choir."
"And what is it exactly?!" Tamamo Pressed.
"Take the next hallway to your right!!" Uiharu instructed and they did so.
"I'll summarize, essentially it is a big spell formed from the voices of 3,333 monks in a holy shrine."
"Can a bunch of people saying nonsense actually hurt us?"
"Left turn at five meters!!"
"It definitely can but it doesn't work unless everyone is chanting at the exact same time. We have to find whatever is keeping them synchronized!!"
"Take the stairwell and head down two floors!!"
They took the route but before making the second flight of stairs they found waves of light orbs below.
"Uiharu we need a new escape route fast!" Touma panicked.
"I'm working on it!"
Plans were disrupted when Stiyl threw Touma down the stairs to the shock of everyone.
"What was that for?! Touma shouted in anger.
"Sorry, you drew the short straw." Stiyl said uncaringly.
He was about to go but didn't get far when he felt a heavy blow to the side of his face sending him into a wall courtesy of a furious Tamamo who grabbed him by the robes.
"Last time was your only warning bug!! Now I'm gonna burn your ballsack off and feed it to Pickles you HEARTLESS FUCK!!!"
"YOU FUCKING BITCH, YOUR AN ABOMINATION TO GOD!!!" Stiyl roared.
He head butted Tamamo sending her reeling back as she held her nose which began to bleed. She looked at her own blood in her hands before switching her focus to Stiyl, her eyes going feral as she brought forth her spear and charged him.
"RAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!"
Touma POV:
Touma could hardly do anything but yell for them to stop when he saw them fighting and disappeared up the stairwell, he couldn't blame Tamamo for starting it, she just wanted to protect him.
He was going to interfere when he caught sight of a girl who was chanting surrounded by orbs of light, an orb formed from her own head as cuts appeared on her body, he begged her to stop but it was no use, she was under control. However she eventually stopped and fell to the floor, luckily Touma caught her.
"Kamijou!!" Shirai yelled.
He looked over to see a wave of light orbs coming his way, they got close to hitting before they stopped immediately. Touma and the girls were confused initially especially when the orbs fell to the ground disappearing, he then looked over to the top of the stairwell and his eyes went wide, a girl in a shrine maiden outfit stood before him which he recognized.
"Its you." He breathed out.
"Hey Kamijou, doesn't she look like the girl in the picture?" Uiharu asked.
Kamijou Residence:
Saten was in the bathroom washing her face with warm water, her paranoia worsened despite Index's attempts to keep her calm. Meanwhile outside the dorm building the vampire made his way to the electrical circuitry and busted it cutting power to the building before bursting into smoke and going into the vents.
The girls were shocked by the sudden black out.
"What happened!!" Misaka shouted.
"I can't see anything!!" Shirai added.
"The system is down I can't communicate with Kamijou anymore!!" Uiharu panicked.
"Saten is still in the bathroom!!" Index warned.
Saten began to have panic attacks when the lights went dead, she couldn't see anything. When she faced the mirror she saw a pair of blood red eyes staring back at her in place of her reflection.
"AAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!"
She burst out of the bathroom to the shock of the other girls and ran for the front door.
"Saten!!" They all shouted and chased her.
Upon making it to the balcony she ran right into a pale figure, she only glimpses him once before darkness enveloped her.
Misawa Prep School:
"We're all done, for now at least." Himegami said as she closed the first aid kit.
She looked over to see a panicked Kamijou tapping his communication equipment.
"Uiharu, Misaka!! Please respond, Shirai! Index! Come on! Saten!" Nothing.
"God damnit!! Of all the ROTTEN LUCK!!!" Touma yelled in frustration as he threw his equipment off.
"What happened?" Himegami asked.
"Lost communication with my friends, they might be in trouble, even worse Tamamo is trying to kill Stiyl, he may be an utter asshole but I wouldn't wish him harm, this mission is falling apart!!"
"That does sound like trouble, might I ask what your mission is?"
"We came to rescue you, and stop the alchemist running this show." Touma explained.
"I see."
"You did a good job with her, do you have medical training?" Touma questions as he looked over the injured girl.
"No, I was able to patch her up easily because I am a magician." Himegami stated.
"You're a magician?"
"If you want proof I can show you."
Himegami reached into her robes, trying to pull something out from the fold of her top.
"Hey hold on a sec what are you doing!" Touma snapped as his face tinted red.
He looked away embarrassed, Himegami seemed to have no sense of shame, that and she was an attractive girl, not Tamamo level beautiful, scratch that, Tamamo was her own kind of beauty, Himegami was by normal human standards.
"Here, this is my magic wand." Himegami said presenting the item in question.
"Um, that's a police baton!!"
"The latest model." Himegami replied as she swung it around causing it to spark with electricity.
"Put it away!"
Once Himegami did so she spoke once again.
"If you really intend to bust me out then you'll be disappointed, I must stay."
"Why!!"
Himegami explained that Aurelos Izzad's takeover of the school eliminated the science cult in charge, as for why she stays under his care, she explained how vampires are more similar to humans, they laugh, love, sing and make sacrifices for the good of others. Her blood has a sweet aroma to it which attracts them, but upon biting her kills them every time without exception.
Since Academy city is the hub of supernatural activity, she came here in hopes to find someone who can understand her power, and rid it from her, but sadly no solution was found, she just didn't want to cause more death, that she would kill herself before taking another life.
Touma looked at her sympathetically, he couldn't help but think he may have known a story with a similar element of not wanting to kill somewhere, perhaps before his memory loss, Tamamo suddenly flashed into his mind, but why? As he pondered he hoped she was ok and not caught up in trouble cause of her current fight with Stiyl.
Saten POV:
Saten felt dizzy, a slight headache causing discomfort, where was she? Once the blurs in her eyes cleared she saw she was tied to a chair in a massive basement, the last thing she recalled was running out of the dorm room and running into a pale red eyed man before blacking out.
"So you're awake." She heard a voice say.
She looked in its direction to see the same figure she ran into, he approached as she began to panic, he looked closely at her as if inspecting something.
"You truly look much like her." The pale man said.
"Huh?"
Academy City Streets:
Meanwhile just a little ways away from the chaos at Misawa a person walked the empty streets of the area, it was a woman who looked around 14 years of age, had striking green eyes, and blonde hair tied in a bun, she wore a chest plate over a blue gown dress and wore armored arm bands, she was something akin to a knight, with the aura of royalty.In her hand was a sword hidden by magic air.
"So this is where you hide, you unholy beast." She said.
Before she walked further, she saw multiple explosions go off in the upper floors of the building.
"What in the Lady of the Lake?!"
"The explosions stopped for a moment, then one more went off, a big one, and something flew out of the building towards her direction landing with a hard impact.
The woman ran to the impact zone and looked in to see a person, someone she recognized from the Moon Cell and grand orders.
"She's here too!?"
AN: well it looks like new developments have arisen, and the whole operation is a fiasco, what can they do to salvage the situation, and it seems a new player has entered the field, I think we all know this is gonna get crazy.
Next Chapter: Two Fronts, The King of Knights Arrives
See you soon!