i Out of a near infinity once again you have chosen me, hello again readers who are returning and welcome to those who are just joining if any. As you can see im posting again, yaaaay.. or booo depending on your view, though if you didn't like the story why would you read it? The last chapter was one I was more proud of as I had fun playing with the idea of 'Creative energy' and how AIM could be interpreted as it. Celt herself was fun to write as well, and then playing with Misaka's trauma was something I felt would fit in. Anyways onto the reviews
Guest #2: ah yes the spacing, that is something I'm working on and people who are helping me will make changes to prior chapters over time to fix that. Hopefully the later chaps will be better in that regard but you'll need to remember I got an immense backlog.
Whwsms: Yes this was a fun thing to try and interpret as what is creative energy but the world in which one creates themselves. Celt is a scarily powerful entity in that regard as her power to feed off of creative energy gives her the capability to manipulate AIM and as for that hair thing, I'm pretty sure it said it merely covered their face, but as for who it is? Your gonna find out, very, very soon.
Im honestly kinda shocked people don't ask more questions about how and why I give the fey certain capabilities. I really thought I'd get more questions of that vein, remember constructive criticism is not only wanted but encouraged. But no matter, let this tale of an Infinity commence once again.
Chapter 15 Return to base a temptress's dress
Index, Misaka, Othinus , Itsuwa and the Amakusas headed back towards the hospital distraught by their defeat, Misaka shaken and suffering trauma, Index gritting her teeth once again feeling useless. Itsuwa and the Amakusas shared the same look of disgust at themselves for once again failing to do their mission exactly the same way that they failed to protect Touma from Acqua. Othinus was the only one who seemed to not be affected badly.
"There's no use dwelling on what happened, you all are merely human, you'll fail and make mistakes." The former God who inspired the myths of Odin based on what Index had found out spoke calmly saying what they all knew but needed to hear. "You just need to learn from them and grow, even I myself have room to grow." she spoke with the wisdom that her identity implied and focused on the future.
Tatemiya shook his head and spoke "You're right, we must move on and grow. It doesn't make the failure any less painful though."
Itsuwa stared at the ground, her face shadowed by her hair as she walked "I failed again, I failed again." she repeated it like a mantra "I swore I wouldn't fail him again and yet look at me, I must protect him, I must keep him safe I can't fail again."
Othinus glared at both of them "Of course it won't be less painful, and you will always fail again. But don't let that control you, that human would hate it if you got yourselves killed because you didn't back out in time for fear of failure."
Itsuwa went silent, Misaka began to perk up and Tatemiya sighed "very well, anyways we should hurry back who knows what happened while we were gone."
Othinus and Index nodded and they continued their way back to the hospital
They had reached an area near the hospital when they saw it. A fight had broken out between Muireann and a few fey who had tried to approach the hospital. She was surrounded by what appeared to be three small human-like creatures of undetermined gender that had some reptilian-esque features including a lizard-like tail. They kept leaping at Muireann with small knives shouting something before she kicked them away.
Seeing them Index realized what they were "Those are Hobyah's dangerous things that aren't always fully described but they like to eat human adults and kidnap the children they however are terrified of dogs!" she shouted as they got close, the three Hobyah's took notice along with Muireann who used their moment of distraction to knock one out of the way using her dagger's handle and duck out of their circle.
"We need to hurry" Muriean seemed in great agony and panicked "while you were gone a group of my old comrades came including these Hobyahs-" she ducked and backhanded one of the Hobyah's as they leapt at her. "Three brags, Baobhan Sith, and Galistig! They were after Kamijou-sama!" she stumbled and one of the Hobyahs tried to take advantage leaping at her with a knife aimed at her back before Tatemiya jumped in and slammed into it throwing it into a second Hobyah who seemed to have been dragging a bag while heading towards a still slightly dazed Misaka It shrieked as it's comrade slammed into it
"Index! we have things covered here, you Muireann, Itsuwa and Misaka head to the hospital to stop the others!" Tatemiya shouted, smiling. "Take Tsushima, Nomozaki and Kouyagi with you!"
Index nodded and began to head towards the hospital.
Muireann began to follow but one of the Hobyah's shouted at her "Traitor! Hobyah! You fell for their lies!"
Another Hobyah shouted "Darn it! the hell was Boabhan, and Galistig thinking just leaving us here!?"
The third Hobyah shrieked in anger and threw one of their knives at Muireann as she ran, missing her.
Muireann's face was strained not in anger but regret and she shouted back as she followed Index and her group. "We were all fooled! By the bloody bastard who lied about Kamijou-sama in the first place you fucking idiots!" The Hobyahs were now surrounded by the Amakusas and thus unable to pursue them, allowing Index, Othinus, Itsuwa, Misaka, Muireann, Tsushima, Nomozaki, and Kouyagi to continue forward.
As they got closer the parking lot almost in sight Kouyagi a young boy around 12 wearing a casual white sleeveless shirt covering a orange long sleeve shirt and topped by a red jacket turned to Index "So miss Index-neechan can you tell us what we're about to face?"
Index felt oddly proud at being called an older sister and puffed up her chest as they ran. "Brags shouldn't be much of a Issue beyond their shape-shifting abilities they take a few forms including a horse, a calf with a white handkerchief and naked headless men… oddly. Like Hobyah's their fairly weak. The real Issue will be Baobhan Sith and Galistic who's with her. Baobhan is a dangerous fey a beautiful woman who'll seduce people she plans to eat, Galistig is similar as temptresses but has goat legs that she hides wearing long clothing, she drinks the blood of males, but is dualistic in nature as she is also a guardian spirit of cattle. Both however are compared to the Jewdio-chirstian Succubi!"
Muireann nodded at Index and said "yes when they found me I tried to convince them that we were tricked, and they were having none of it Madam Baobhan and Miss Galistic left me to the Hobyah siblings, Eithne, Enid and Drust but not before Baobhan whispered in my hear that she and Galistic were gonna drain Kamijou-sama dry and eat him!" Muireann was panicked but also appeared flustered.
Nomozaki then spoke up "Me and Kouyagi will deal with the Brags, I don't think we're prepared to deal with the other two, you girls think you can deal with them." he then looked to them and suddenly paled
Misaka's face was dark and sparks were flying off of her and she was smiling oddly. Itsuwa's face was similarly shadowed; she had her spear out and appeared to be sharpening it while running a cold chill ran down both Nomozaki and Kouyagi's backs.
"Oh yes, We can deal with them oh we definitely will, no one is gonna be seducing that Idiot" Misaka spoke as if she was plotting to torture someone.
"Indeed I won't be allowing them to lay a single of their fingers on Kamijou-san I'll cut them off first" Itsuwa's words were sadistic but they were spoken with glee.
Index blinked and said "Yeah I'm more worried about Baobhan and Galastic now"
Muireann was silent and observed "Hmm so he likes more assertive girls who'll force him to do their bidding? I'll have to check later, I swore it was just dorm managers." she was mumbling under her breath
Othinus sighed from Index's shoulder "And then stop them from doing anything to that Human afterwards." Index nodded in approval.
Kouyagi nervously spoke "r-right well good luck then" as they came into view of the entrance.
The hospital's entrance was open and there were multiple bodies on the ground, all male unconscious. Index found it odd that they were only unconscious and not dry. Guarding the entrance were three calves with white handkerchiefs around their necks. Brags, upon seeing the group all three changed into a humanoid form of a headless male but oddly instead of being naked all three wore white suits and charged at them.
Kouyagi and Nomozaki leapt in front of them and blocked them off "Go, Go before those two fey reach him!" shouted Nomozaki as he ducked under a brag's fist.
Index, Othinus, and Muireann nodded before following after Misaka and Itsuwa who had already charged in before heading in Index turned and shouted to Kouyagi ad Nomozaki "Be careful, that white suit likely incorporates the myth of the uncle of the dame of Sir Cuthbert they'll likely get 'lucky shots' on you." before charging into the hospital
Index rushed down the hall heading towards Touma's room. The receptionist was unconscious; every nurse was too. She caught up to Muireann, Misaka, Itsuwa and Tsushimia as they were charging down the hall. They reached the entrance to Touma's room and swung the door open and inside they found.
"I really don't know who you ladies are… um but I'm not hungry so you don't need to feed me those apple slices, why are you two giggling!?"
There was Touma sitting in his hospital bed with two girls sitting on either side. One girl had beautiful long black hair and wore a green flowing dress which hid her feet, she had grey eyes and pale skin. The other girl had long blond hair and grey skin with teal eyes. She wore a green t-shirt and dark green jeans. Both were scottish in appearance and were holding plates with apple slices on them trying to feed the spiky haired highschool boy who appeared panicked as they both had sadistic smiles and were giggling.
Index, Othinus, Misaka, Itsuwa, and Muireann all stumbled and slammed into the wall like a cartoon at the complete and utter disparity of the scene outside, and the scene in here.
Muireann was the first to speak "WHAT!? But, I thought you two were gonna suck him dry!"
Touma seeing the girls enter panicked even more "I swear you guys this isn't how it looks I was sitting here when these two came in an-mmmph!" but he couldn't finish as the girl in the dress, Boabhan stuffed an apple slice in his mouth.
"Oh please Muireann dear we just couldn't help but tease you. You were so cute when you were panicked, but who would have thought he had even more cute girls hounding after him?" she spoke, her soft voice like a song.
Upon hearing her Muireann stumbled then fell onto her hands and knees face red in embarrassment. "You.. you mean it was all a misunderstanding?" she said trembling sheepishly
The girl in casual clothing with grey skin, Galistic got off the bed and an odd clop sound was heard when she landed, she then smirked and said "Really sis? Ya flirting now? Well either way we had to see the guy who could cause Muireann to be so flustered when she spoke about him, Who'd have thought we'd recognize em? And really you're too pure Muireann the fact you took that as us wanting his blood is just proof of how pure you are." her voice was more accent heavy and had a punk feel to it.
Othinus just facepalmed "What was she supposed to think when you attacked her then left everyone unconscious I will admit it was odd you left them alive, especially the males. But if you weren't planning on harming him why are they all knocked out?"
Baobhan tilted her head "well when they saw us with a group of Calves they wouldn't let us in. Said we were suspicious so we decided to force our way in. No way we were gonna let them stop us." she giggled and poked Touma's cheek who would looking in utter fear at Index
Gailistic then spoke next while patting Touma's head "And well we didn't exactly want the Brags to find out we had changed our minds. We trusted Muireann to handle the Hobyahs herself but we were hoping to be able to go back to base in order to gather any new info when the Imagine Breaker turned out to be not such a bad guy. But based on the fact you guys are here I assume that's no longer possible"
Misaka's face grew and she began sparking with an unsettling smile. Itsuwa was getting up and looking at the two with a renewed look of madness. "Wait, so by suck him dry and eat him you meant" before she and Misaka both suddenly fell down unconscious.
Othinus crawled off of Itsuwa having been the one to knock her and Misaka unconscious before she could do anything crazy, when she got there and what she did to knock them out, Index didn't know. "Yes yes the two were making a Innuendo but I can see you two haven't actually gone through with it yet." she said eyes narrowing
The two looked at each other nervously "well you see" said Galistic rubbing her head sheepishly
Baobhan Sith was looking diagonally downwards to avoid everyone's gaze. "At first we were planning on just teasing him, upon seeing him and who he was we took it a little too far. He shouted saying he didn't need two more Lessars, then we got grabbed and thrown out of the room by a weird frog fey guy who's apparently the doctor here."
Galistic continued "He said that there was no way he was gonna allow us to do that to one of his patients and that we need to take the relationship slow. And as it turns out, Imagine Breaker has bad experience with girls that just demand sex from him."
"Soo after calming down, we decided to just get to know him." Baobhan finished
Index, and Muireann both spit in shock at how casual Galistic said that word and Muireann began speaking fast "S-s-sex!? you do realize ya' should wait fo' marriage before doing you go'in doin that aight!?" Murieann's voice started to fall back into her scottish accent due to her embarrassment.
Baobhan responded to Muireann "why do you think we decided to get to know him first? He might not end up being our type" she squeezed Touma's arm to her chest
Galistic then said "But I don't think we need to worry bout that sis, he's shaping up to be our type perfectly. Thank Bres he's immune to charms"
Index felt anger and some other feeling well up within her, her chest ached. They wanted Touma 'Her' Touma!? But Touma was just sitting there and letting them have their way? Had he fought back she'd have turned her anger to them, but he didn't. So he needed to be reminded of what the consequences for the sin of Lust were. "Toumaaaaaaaaaa!" she shouted as she threw herself at Touma, jaws opened wide.
Touma saw her and said "Such misfortune" before the jaws of judgement clamped down on his head.
After dealing out Touma's punishment for his act of Lust. Tsushimia was sent to inform the rest of the Amakusas of the situation as Othinus continued to question the two blood sucking fey. "So how did Muireann manage to convince you that we had no intentions to kill you. And Why did you have the Hobyah's attack her?"
Galistic spoke first both her and her supposed sister Baobhan now standing against the wall while Index and Othinus took their usual seats. Misaka and Itsuwa had been moved outside to a bench as they were both unconscious.
"We had our suspicions before coming here, but It was really because Muireann herself was convinced." Galistic smiled as she looked to Muireann
Boahban shrugged "We trust Muireann one, and two we both knew perfectly well that Muireann wouldn't be fooled by a lie so easily."
"Meaning considering her one track mind, Imagine Breaker did something so out there It couldn't have been faked." Galistic reasoned "We've known Muireann long enough to figure that out."
Baobhan nodded "As for why we still had the Hobyah's attack her? It was to keep a cover in case we needed it. We trusted that Muireann could either defeat them or escape we brought the Brags and left them outside to 'keep anyone from interfering' so that we could negotiate with Imagine Breaker"
Galistic then looked away embarrassed "we just weren't exactly expecting him to be so damn irresistible. That we went too far with our initial teasing, and then forgot to get to the negotiations because of said teasin"
Baobhan reddened slightly as her eyes darted around "Well yes we did get a bit heated now didn't we sister? Darn phases modified things." she took a breath and composed herself. "We were planning on causing a bit of damage on our way out to make it seem like a fight had broken out, then causing injuries on ourselves before running back to the brags and saying to retreat, claiming that Kamijou had a bodyguard left behind and a powerful one at that. As it wouldn't be too much of a stretch, the church was debating sending their saint last our Informant told us."
Index didn't miss how Boahban referred to Touma without a honorific but It didn't matter at the moment. "Kanzaki may be coming?" she said excitedly
Othinus smiled at the two fey while raising her one eye's brow. "Clever I will admit thats well thought out, and because you'd have told Touma of your intentions. When Muireann and other came, he could inform them that you two were on our side. While at the same time the Hobyah's and Brags are none the wiser to your plans. It's a shame we ruined that for you, I'd have loved to see how that plan would pan out."
Muireann pouted and sat on a chair next to Touma's bed. "I don't appreciate you two using me as a prop in your coverup."
Baobhan and Galistic shrugged before the latter spoke "Sorry Muir-gal, If we could have warned you while being sure that the Brags and Hobyahs wouldn't hear we would have."
Baobhan then spoke "anyways, even if we won't be able to gather new intel for you, We did learn something of note before we were sent here. And It's what gave us our doubts to begin with, that the Maiden Meab Euan Is actually the Daughter of our Informant"
Galistic then spoke disgust on her face "A right Pompous bastard called Ainmire Anlon. Mighty Lord's Great Champion"
