Out of near infinity you have chosen me Helloo readers! welcome back to those returning, and hope this is to your standards to those joining in. The last chapter I've always felt a bit… iffy about but I wasn't sure what I felt was either missing or needed so if you felt the same I don't blame you. Apparently some of my line breaking was undone and thus shit was highly compressed, hopefully that's fixed the point the issue was discovered in my backlog of chapters lined up with the development of a stupid habit due to the function of apps like discord. I often brainstorm ideas using an odd method where I and a friend sorta "roleplay" out the scene. So I ended up developing a habit of holding [shift] when clicking [enter] which messed up the whole chapter's pacing. If it's not fixed I'll try and figure something out, anyways onto reviews!
Fencer29: well this part I've just answered and yeah lets hope it's fixed glad you find the story interesting thought. Indeed Heaven canceller was not one they counted on… but no they just mistaken him for a frog fey… or assumed he had to be one.
Whwsms: hmm I swear that's a reference I know… pinball. Yep Misaka and Itsuwa were in no way gonna let Touma get injured if they could stop it.. and possibly even stop him from having fun time too, heh. Heaven Canceller is the True MVP of the Toaru franchise we can all accept that. Oh there's more to it than that, if you notice they mention recognizing Touma, now why would they recognize him if they only knew of the Imagine breaker? Hey Index explained her reasoning… be it convoluted and only to hide her jealousy. And yes you're about to learn exactly who he is now. His name was revealed last chap but now his identity shall be revealed.
Now let this tale of an infinity commence once more.
Chapter 16 The man who would rule the Celts
A little ways outside academy city near the western border A man stood with shoulder length blond hair, pale white skin, storm blue eyes and a broad build. He gazed at a Sword that's design would be recognizable to any. Next to him a girl of around 10 wearing a blue-white dress with silver brooches. She shared some physical traits with the man including his hair and eyes. But her hair was long reaching to her elbows. She held a silver branch with white blossoms growing from it and was leaning against a building wall pouting.
"Hey, papa?" she asked looking up at the man.
"Yes Meab?" the man spoke calmly but did not look at the girl.
"When you get rid of the Imagine Breaker will I be able to have all the fey pets I want?" the girl spoke hopefully as she tugged gently on the man's clothes.
The man smiled slightly "Yes you can, and you can have any fey as a pet. It's the least they owe me" He then looked up to the sky. "The night after tomorrow is when we move, on the night of the new moon to invoke one of the oldest forms of myth for battle, the moonless night raid." He then glared forward "and then oh Fey of Tír nAill I shall get my reward that I've earned for all I've done for you."
Index tilted her head at the name "Ainmire Anlon? Huh so that's the guy who's been leading you all astray?"
Galistic nodded "oh and he's not just any ol bastard right sis?"
"No he is not sister he's the current fey chosen. The one meant to aid us in times of need, a hero of sorts." Baobhan Sith confirmed
Muireann's eyes widened "Then the silver branch Maeb had?" Both Baobhan Sith and Galistic's faces turned grim but they chose not to speak.
"The Silver apple branch, an item given to Bran Mac Fbail to allow him travel to the fey realm. It's given to the chosen ones destined to be hero's of the fey" Index explained as she narrowed her eyes. "So how did he get it?"
Galistic shrugged "no clue all we know is that he has it and gave it to his Daughter Maeb but it was likely given to him."
Muireann then shook her head "wait how do you know he's the fey chosen one? How did you find this out?"
Baobhan Sith turned to Muireann "Because the fey chosen one isn't someone you just forget, I don't blame you for not knowing Muireann after all you weren't born in the fey realm or phase."
Touma's eyes twitched at the mention of 'phase' "wait the fey phase? What are you saying?"
Galistic sighed and laughed slightly "none of us actually belong here but were brought here by supposedly coincidental means"
Baobhan leaned back against the wall. "Of course due to the way our appearance worked we had no clue that we were out of place merely acting as we should. we heard a couple of arrogant men at a bar in the night talking about desiring a woman's company. So my sisters and I decided to mess with them. The ones who would fall for our charms despite having women they supposedly loved were punished, and the one who could flee till the sun rose was left alone."
she glanced at Touma "Before we even came to Academy City I had a glimpse of you though at the time I had no clue you were the Imagine Breaker, I saw you go by chasing after that fake Scottsman Mathers."
Touma blinked "wait you saw that?"
Galistic snickered "she's not the only one, I did too I think so did the other two, we had so planned to mess with you when we saw you on that horse's back chatting it up with two women."
Othinus narrowed her eye in suspicion "really? I didn't see you, though I wasn't exactly paying attention."
Baobhan spoke again "we weren't exactly out in the open, of course once we came here and saw you we learned quickly you weren't what we thought."
"So that's why you spoke as if you knew him" Index exclaimed, understanding dawning on her face.
Muireann then glared "why wouldn't you tell me you knew him?"
Boobhan sighed and put her fingers to her forehead "Because we didn't know we knew him until we saw him, and you know how that ended."
Othinus snickered as she rolled her eye "well that also explains why he wouldn't recognize you. You girls just had him as your target and only spied him from a distance in a very compromising set up where he was seemingly messing with two maiden's hearts."
"Yep" confirmed Galistic
Index then asked "wait, you knew he was talking to Othinus?"
Baobhan nodded "well we thought she was just a fellow fey like us. And in a sense she is, just not in the way we thought. Which also kept us from realizing we were out of place"
Muireann was shaking nervously and worried "So, are you saying that I don't belong?"
Galstic shook her head "nah Muir-gal you may be a fey like us but you were born in this world you belong here"
Index then recalled something else about the two and asked "Wait, the myths about Baobhan tend to include four women, you two mentioned sisters and not sister. Where are the Other two?" she felt suspicious of the two.
Galistic looked down upset "We, we're not sure we haven't seen them since before Ainmire found us, we got separated and I half suspect the bastard killed the other two or worse."
Baobhan looked away, holding her mouth clearly upset as well at the thought.
"That bastard" everyone turned to see Touma, his face marred with rage. His anger was palpable and understandable "He targeted you all when you were vulnerable, lied to you to use you against me, sent you to your very real deaths. Used you for his own goals without your consent" He looked up gritting his teeth, his fists shaking, "I don't care what he thinks, who he is, or what the hell his plans are. I'm gonna punch him so hard he'll beg to be forgiven! And If he has any sort of twisted idea about some righteous battle? I'll beat that into the ground and smear mud on it. Cause If your Ideals require you to treat others like disposable then it's nothing but dirt!"
Touma took a breath and then turned two the two sisters. "So how did you learn that this Meab is his daughter?"
The two nodded and Baobhan Sith recounted how they found out. "Me and My sister here were wandering around some alleyways looking for some dumb delinquites to mess around with before we went to attack you at your hospital. So we were hanging around district 10 due to It's reputation." she looked over to Galistic.
"So while we were hanging around the two of us heard some voices including the familiar childlike squeaking glee from Meab. So we decided to check it out" Galistic smiled for a moment before her face grew serious. "We must have been coming up on the end of their conversation or something cause It was her squeak of glee that attracted us and we only heard her say. 'Really papa Anlon?' before we could see them"
Baohban Sith shook her head. "And when we saw who It was we hid sure we didn't know he was an ass at the time, but he was the chosen one for the fey so we were kinda nervous." she shen frowned in displeasure "Then we heard him say 'Yes daughter, now I must talk to Eislyn and prepare for the next phase.' before he left"
Galistic then nodded "which is what made us suspicious, Maeb had no parents she said that herself. And why would she for any reason need to hide her father being Anlon if he was her father? Unless he was doing something he didn't want us to learn of."
Othinus crossed her legs as she sat next to Touma's head "you're good, that is indeed a likely possibility" she then frowned "But it's also possible he knew you were listening, and wanted you to find out"
Muireann looked at Othinus confused "why would he do that? He'd be making us his enemies, wouldn't that put a wrench in his plans and get him killed?"
Othinus shook her head "Not if he's already planned it out and is confident enough in his own strength and from what you've explained, he may be both."
Index then looked up after thinking "did you see what he was wearing? Any weapons or similar?"
Baobhan and Galistic shook their heads and Baobhan said "Only one and we're positive he has more"
Index got up "Every detail counts, what was it."
Galistic nodded "very well, he had a sheath with a replica of only the most recognizable sword in britain myths Excalibur, and I doubt that's his more powerful one." she smiled nervously
The room went Silent even Touma, sure he only knew that name from games and VN's but if what he recalled of phases is correct. That just means It's at least as powerful as it is in those, and likely more so If Gungnir was any example
Othinus sighed "This may actually prove an issue, even if it's just a replica Excalibur it will still have immense power as it's drawing upon Caladbolg which could cut mountains in half and you're saying that isn't even his most powerful one." Othinus glanced at Touma, clearly worried.
Index took a breath "well no use worrying about it right now, right Othinus?"
Othinus smiled and laughed "no use indeed you glutton of a nun" she smirked at Index
"Oi! I'm not a glutton! I have a healthy appetite you're the ones who eat so little i'm shocked you don't starve" she shouted in embarrassment.
Othinus and Touma both stared at her with dead eyes causing index to feel unsure.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Index said slightly upset
"Index… your appetite is beyond human" Touma said looking at her unemotionally.
Othinus joined in "It really isn't, I suspect you're actually a black hole with how much you eat, and I don't care to find out. The average girl of your age should only need around 2,200 calories a day to survive. You eat at least 100,000"
Index stumbled back as if a bullet had hit her "...wha? N-nooo" she cried and fell to her knees "I'm a glutton" she sniffed as she bawled
Muireann Conan, Galistic, Baobhan Sith, Kamijou Touma, and Othinus all began to laugh making Index irritated
"Whats so funny!? I.. I am a glutton I've committed a deadly sin, why is that funny?" Index cried out.
Touma shook his head "No, It's your reaction Index, and Even if you are a glutton. I wouldn't have you change that I like you the way you are. You wouldn't be you if you suddenly stopped eating the way you did." he looked at her with a soft kind smile.
That smile was the one she loved to see and made her heart skip a beat "Really Touma?" Index was a bit hesitant as he did just call her a glutton so she was worried he was lying.
"Of course why would I lie?" he spoke without hesitation and tilted his head in confusion and it once again made Index's heart skip.
"Am I forgiven?" Index asked unsure of why she just needed to hear him speak again with those compassionate words
Touma grinned "Now and always, I don't know who I'd be if you never dropped into my life."
whether intentionally or not his words caused Index to feel a flood of warmth and happiness as she did indeed drop into his life, all the way back in last august. Touma couldn't remember physically but maybe some part of him felt they were the right words 'what is this feeling?' Index questioned herself, but deep down she likely knew the answer but was too worried to face it. "Thank you Touma" she said and she looked up.
Touma then stretched "Well Index if what you told me is correct, Tomorrow should be easter right? When I get out of the hospital, let's celebrate it for you." he smiled at her.
"Human, why must you celebrate a christian holiday?" asked Othinus, obviously annoyed. She was Odin after all so someone celebrating a holiday relating to a forign religion's god was offensive to her.
"Well cause Index's a nun and It's only polite to her, If you have a norse holiday you'd like me to celebrate with you just ask." he smiled at the little god causing Othinus to become nervous and flick her hair.
"Careful human, I might just take you up on that offer" she said slyly.
Index had about enough of their flirting "Okay anyways, how about we tell Touma what we did when we left Othinus" she said smiling stiffly.
Othinus raised her eyebrow "I don't mind he's gonna need to know, but don't go changing the subject just because your jealous"
Muirean perked up "So, did you beat Eislyn?" she said
Galistic and Baobhan also raised an eyebrow and took note.
Othinus shook her head "No, she got away"
Muireann looked distraught "How? I mean i'm not surprised but what did she do?"
Index looked side to side and then to Othinus pleading.
Othinus saw her eyes and thought a moment. "You know what? Let's take this outside a moment"
Touma spoke up in objection "oi, oi don't leave me out of this"
Othinus glared at him "We won't but You still need rest and well, if you heard what we're about to say, You'd go running off and get yourself killed." when Touma went to open his mouth she interrupted "And if you even think of leaving this bed, I'll tell Heaven Canceler to assign a few nurses to pin you to that bed until you've gotten better" which caused him to shut up.
they left the room into the hall where Itsuwa and Misaka were groggily getting up, Othinus told Heaven Canceller who was standing outside of Touma's room to make sure he didn't try to leave bed.
After explaining the situation to Misaka and Itsuwa. Index Othinus, Itsuwa, and Misaka recounted their fight with Celt Eislyn the Leanan Sidhe. Misaka shivering at the end when they recalled her escape.
"She, what?" Muireann's face was covered in shock along with Galistic and Baobhan.
"I knew she could feed off of AIM, but" Baobhan said slowly
"This makes her just about one a the most dangerous people in this city right now." Galistic said gritting her teeth.
Muireann took a breath "You might want to have the Amakusas call for reinforcements for real this time."
Itsuwa nodded "I think It's about time the Priestess join the fight"
