Chapter 2

To Protect one's own

Muireann Conan leapt forward towards Touma ,her two steel daggers brandished to strike as the two Barguests that she came with Targeted Tsuchimikado and Aogami. Touma was prepared to move to use his right hand to block one of the blades thinking they were supernatural due to how them brushing against the girl seemed to hurt her. But his instincts cried out screaming that something was wrong, however it was too late, he was already well within the steel blades paths. 'Well, Guess this is it' Touma thought as the blades closed in. However before they could reach him a familiar spear with three prongs knocked the steel daggers and Muirean back.

"I will not allow you to lay a single finger on Kamijou-san!" shouted a familiar girl, wearing casual clothing with a pink shirt, jeans wielding a spear.

"Itsuwa! Where did you come from!" Touma shouted.

"Damn it Kamiyan! You got yourself a busty cute girl as a bodyguard!" growled Aogami as he knocked a desk into the Barguest targeting him causing it to jump back to avoid any contact with possible iron or steel.

"The hell are you talking about Aogami!?" shouted Touma as Muireann got up and brandished her blades once more, fury in her eyes. A small head popped out of Touma's pocket and looked at the girl

"Well this is surprising, she's a Selkie" said the figure her one green eye narrowing as she observed Muireann "Human those daggers she wields are in no way supernatural, but for her that may be way worse as they hold attributes similar to Cold Iron both it's original metaphorical interpretation and the cold smithing modern interpretation caused by popular media"

Touma nodded as he put his guard up "Thanks for the info Othinus" he smiled

"He's Got a Fairy Too!?" shouted Aogami slightly enraged as he swung a chair at the Barguest targeting him knocking it into the one targeting Tsuchimikado who pushed a second desk into the both of them knocking them both over in a tangled mess with iron screw heads touching them as they both howled in agony.

"Yeah, sorry to break it to you Aogami, but I've known for a while" remarked tsuchimikado before looking up and saying. "Shit! Komoe's out cold near the entrance. Aogami we need to get her out of here!"

Now despite them being called the 'Delta force' or 'Idiot Trio' Aogami, Tsuchimikado, and Kamijou were far from stupid, in fact they were only called that due to Academy city's intelligence average being set so high. In reality the three of them were smarter than your average outside world highschool students. One only needed to look at how Touma could predict the flightpath of a supersonic bomber in World War Three accurately enough to mimic a mock up bombing to scare off a group of russian magicians. Or how Hamazura Shiage a academy city highschool dropout former skill out level 0 who has enough technical knowledge and skill to steal an entire ATM using heavy machinery without setting off it's alarm or tracking beacon.

Having established that we can now see why they could pull off the feats they were about to do. Having Itsuwa now blocking her path the Selkie known as Muireann Conan gestured her hand and what appeared to be the exact same tree branch from before swung down from above smashing through the roof of the building towards Itsuwa forcing her to dodge to the side however leaving a path open for Muireann to attack Touma

As she charged forth to attack, Touma heard Aogami moving behind him and held out his hand in which Aogami placed a flat edged metal tipped ruler used for measuring. Before throwing a small pair of scissors at the girl "While I don't discriminate against Girls" began Aogami "I'm definitely not gonna stand by and let one kill my friend when he's done nothing to deserve it!" he then ducked just as Tsuchimikado leapt up behind him and threw a chair at her Touma ducked to the side and Threw the Ruler at her and the three of them then leapt back and scattered just as the Two Barguests broke free from their restraints and launched themselves at the trio.

Muireann, and the Two Barguests all slammed into each other at the same time as the chair and ruler Touma and Tsuchi threw. The three supernatural fey all screamed in agony as they got hit by the iron projectiles. Aogami, Tsuchimikado and Touma then moved back and Touma looked to his two friends

"Aogami, Tsuchimikado. Take Komoe and get her to a safe place, I can handle it from here." he told them and the two nodded

"Kami-yan as much as I normally would love to fight alongside you, you do indeed seem like you got this, Now don't go getting yourself killed. And as much as i'm gonna be jealous when you inevitably charm that Selkie girl it's much better than getting killed" Aogami started with a smile and for a split moment Touma swore he saw a glint in his eyes even though they were closed

"Kamin-yah! You better give her a cold hard Smack in the face for hurting Komoe!" said Tsuchimikado before leaning forward and whispering in Touma's ear. "The Two headless ones should get destroyed the moment they come into contact with Imagine Breaker, I'm not sure about the tree branch or the Selkie though, but I suspect the tree is a grindylow," before him and Aogami turned and left taking the unconscious Komoe with them.

Touma then turned towards the tangled Trio Itsuwa landed next to him and glared as the three got off each other and stumbled to their feet, the room shook as a large treelike creature moved into view of the destroyed wall.

Othinus spoke from her position in Touma's pocket "He's right, It is indeed agrindylow. Oi you Amakusas girl with the spear!" Othinus then directed her words to Itsuwa

"Y-Yes! What do you want, Othinus." Itsuwa stammered a moment but glared at Othinus.

Othinus nodded in approval and continued as the four Fey began to prepare for an attack, the two Barguests both changing into their large wolf forms, the grindylow using it's large branch like arms to cover the area they were standing in. And finally Muireann picking up her steel daggers once more and brandishing them as she crouched to charge. "I suspect that the Barguests and the grindylow are here to distract you while the Selkie finishes off the Human."

Itsuwa gritted her teeth but couldn't say anything as the attack had already begun.

The grindylow's arms swung down and sideways centered on Itsuwa, the Barguests leapt from the left and right also centered on Itsuwa, while the Selkie, Muireann moved towards Touma hoping to split him from Itsuwa. She succeeded as Touma leapt to the right in a tumble avoiding both the Barguest and the grindylow's arm. And Itsuwa Ducked to the left swinging her blade Upward nicking the grindylow and carving the stomach of a Barguest.

Othinus jumped from Touma's pocket and by grabbing onto his sleeve swung herself into a sitting position on his right shoulder just as Muireann got in close and swung her blades at Touma one from the upper right, and the other stabbing towards his left chest.

Touma twisted his body towards the right while swinging his fist towards her right arm Othinus using a similar method as a doctor does when testing your joints with a metal hammer kicked his right shoulder in a way that caused a instinctual muscle tension changing the trajectory of his fist and thus correcting it so that it hit the Selkie's wrist rather than the dagger.

Upon seeing Touma's fist close in on her, the Selkie's eyes widened in objective terror as her left dagger missed passing over Touma's chest as he had twisted perpendicular to her arm. She dropped the second dagger and moved her hand out of his right fists way. But such was a mistake as it instead moved her face in it's direct path.

A dull thud was heard as the Selkie was thrown back and smacked into the arm of the grindylow throwing off it's aim causing it to instead hit the final Barguest. The Selkie roared in agony screaming and clawing at her face which other than a bruise appeared to be fine.

"That is infinitely Worse than any cold iron!" she shrieked her eyes red and hatred boiling in her eyes. She stumbled trying to get her bearings

Now under most circumstances Imagine Breaker completely negates all supernatural, good or bad. It however doesn't affect Fey the same way. After all if it did Othinus would have ceased to exist the moment it touched her 15cm form. With Fey like Barguests it would instantly kill them due to them being supernatural in the same sense Kazakiri Hyouka is. But with Selkies, It merely burns worse than cold Iron, if touching the correct spot it would kill them, but due to the Nature of fey like Selkies it is harder for it to kill them as Selkies can indeed be born of human parents and thus Imagine breaker would only destroy the part of them that has a affinity with water like seals.

Touma looked at her shocked, he didn't expect Imagine Breaker to hurt her like it did. Now he was hesitant as she renewed her attack with savage fury, the grindylow even without the aid of the Barguests fending off Itsuwa. Instead of using Imagine breaker however. Touma continued to dodge her attacks as she shouted at him

"This THIS is why you must die Imagine Breaker, You and that Grimoire library! The two of you have been killing all supernatural creatures, fey, demons, gods and more!. Me and my people, my friends, family, all of Fey kind will NOT fall to your hand!" She took a wide swing, nicking Touma's cheek as he tilted his head to the side and twisting his body to the left to dodge her other dagger. But he listened to her, her agonizing cries of suffering and pain and it hurt. He wanted to relieve her of her pain. But knew he had to endure to have even the slightest chance.

Muireann leapt up and swung her daggers down as Touma doged to the side and back turning his back towards a wall as she continued to shout. "We first began to worry after your name came up on our radar at the end of World War three!" she took a breath as she stabbed her daggers forward one to the upper right and the other the lower middle. Touma lept towards the left, lifting his left leg and twisting out of the way of both. "We didn't however feel too threatened until the beginning of December when all the Magic Gods just ceased to exist!" She Threw one dagger while charging forward and holding the next to strike at Touma's throat when he ducked or lept out of the way. He however instead sidestepped and used his foot to knock a mop into a standing position causing her dagger to miss. "And then there was the Crowely Hazards and R&C Occults after those we couldn't stand by. You were on a mission, you and that library. And we'd all die because of it!" her eyes were red with tears as she went to attack him. Touma used a binder and a chair to avoid the next to strikes as she used the motion of pullin the one dagger out of the wall to swing both at him. He then backed up and looked her in the eyes.

"You got it out of your system yet?" he asked. And when she roared and charged at him in response he went back on the defensive. "From what I see this is all a big misunderstanding. You don't know me, and you don't know the reasons behind my actions. So naturally you'd feel threatened." he ducked and tilted his body avoiding her next few striked, Othinus now sitting in his pocket noticing she was not needed at the moment. "But did you and your fellow fey ever think to ask what I was doing?" he spun on his heel knocking a chair into Muireann's way causing her to stumble missing both her strikes.

Muireann glared at him in anger and shouted back as she leaped off a desk swinging both blades into an opposing downward slash. "There was no way for us to trust you'd tell the truth!" Touma leapt forward instead of back and pulled another mop up causing both her slashes to avoid him while rolling to the side to avoid her own body slamming into his

"Then if you don't trust me." Touma said "I'll let you attack!" he stopped moving, placing his hands on a desk with his back facing her. "If you feel I'm a threat, attack me. If I don't fight back, you'll know if I wanted to hurt you or your kind". He then used a bit of string from the desk he was at to wrap his wrists together and tie them to the desk.

Itsuwa looked from her position in shock "Kamijou-san are you Crazy!" she shouted prepared to leap in to protect him but the grindylow's arms swung down above her forcing her to use her spear to defend herself, pinning her in place.

Othinus glanced at Touma and sighed saying "Are you sure about this Human?" and when Touma glanced at her she sighed knowing the look in his eyes "You know if this gets you killed im gonna destroy the world right?" he smiled at her and she went silent.

Muireann stumbled back in shock. Here was their enemy showing their back to her plain as day, perfectly willing to die, she tried to see if his eyes held any deceit as he looked back at her. But could find none, he was perfectly willing to let her strike him if it meant proving he had no intention to harm her. She raised both her daggers and slowly stepped forward. "This isn't right, this isn't how I was told you were." she said as she closed in.

"How I was and what I am doesn't matter," Touma said softly smiling with his back exposed. "But I can tell by your eyes. You're kind, you feared for those around you and fought to protect them."

"Not what I mean." Muireann was now right behind him both daggers raised. She looked at Touma who's eyes were staring directly at her. She could sense no hostility in those deep blue eyes, only calm regret like he was accepting what she was about to do. She raised her weapons to strike but hesitated 'Is this truly right? He's nothing like I was told' before she could decide however she found herself knocked to the side flying straight into a wall, a burning sensation on her side.

Standing next to Touma placing Index down was Tatemiya and most of the Amakusas, except the ones that Tatemiya had sent after the fey tamer maiden earlier including Tsushimia. He wiped a bit of magnetic paint off of the but off his flamberg and glared at the Selkie, a crash came from the side as Itsuwa got out of the hold the grindylow had her in. The grindylow stumbles back and moves closer to Muireann.

"Touma! Are you alright, It looked like she had you there!" Index shouted, checking Touma's body for injuries as he tried to push her off.

"No need to worry Kamijou-kun we got your back and we won't fail again like with Acqua" said Tatemiya as the Amakusas readied for a attack.

Muireann shook herself and glared renewed hatred at Touma but stepped back and said "We shall retreat for now" before leaping onto the grindylow's arm. Before the Amakusas to react the grindylow leaped backwards, it's plant-like fibers acting like muscles in a similar way to the plant/animal-like creatures St. Germain made during their attack on the Dianoid. Because of the strength of it's plant based muscles and its size the grindylow kicked up a fair breeze as it flead towards the river near the iron bridge. The last they saw before the two disappeared was a few cars and vehicles being launched into the air as the grindylow charged towards the body of water.