Out of the frying pan, into the fire, the chains of the devourer are unleashed. How shall our hero's stop Index? We'll who knows we'll see eventually If it wasn't clear enough welcome to another chap of LoCG readers. And without much further to do, onto… reviews!
Whwsms:{She's a Great devourer for a reason, and yeah… after rereading the between the lines of NT17 I gawked and was like. 'Your telling me I need to have Index's little spar with the MG's wipe out the fucking solar system!?' Depending on how Kamachi spins it, we might learn Index can become an MG. Then again he has a habit of not wanting to break status quo.
I mean, I made it pretty clear what the BoD is planning, like Shutaura said… something really stupid. Nuking Index ain't gonna have much effect by this point.}
Fencer29:{Oh he absolutely is, but Muireann doesn't exactly know that.. she doesn't know him. And absolutely agreed Kanzaki's a saint in both mind and body for putting up with their shit.
The classic, government idiots do stupid shit and make things worse… yeah that's kinda what I was thinking there. Oh Absolutely but hey… he's still a child, not exactly used to the world of adults.}
5had01Hand:{Yeah she may have been wielding some magic… but she is still an absolute amateur. And honestly you'd think people would think about how their lingo sound to Touma. And indeed allies fighting each other is likely the worst thing that could happen right now
Accel is a sun so this lines up just fine
Yep, that's what I was going for here, Index acting almost cat-like as she hunts the MG's down/ And no… she really didn't take that comparison kindly
Sometimes words aren't enough, he could say that and she could say she doesn't care. So long as he's safe, the scary thing about love. Is that it's selfish, it's beautifully selfish, taken a certain way. You could want to protect some you love even if they grow to hate you. So long as they are alive and healthy.}
Now then, this chapter It's a bit more experimental, not sure how well it'll be received. But It should be fun any questions are free to be asked. Remember constructive criticism is both encouraged and desired. And on that note, let this tale of an infinity commence once more!
Chapter 36
Confusion in the Library
Index floated there in the inner ring of the 'New World's' solar-system. She was a little interested in the mechanics that allowed the whole thing to reconstitute the way it was. But she had more important things to do.
She glanced over to the 'New World's' newly reformed earth and bent the space between her and it. In a span of a breath and a moment, she found herself on earth once more.
"Touma's safe, and I can keep my world going for now." Index said as she skipped along the roads of the New-world Hong Kong where she found herself. "But I need to also protect Touma's world for him. I won't let him get hurt or fight anymore."
She landed on her left heel and giggled as she rotated. Space distorted slightly as time dilated.
And once more, she vanished.
…
Night had fallen on Academy city, Kamijou opened his eyes as he lay in his bed (read bathtub).
'Okay, I need to be quiet, don't want to interrupt Index's sleep' Kamijou thought as he slowly snuck out of the bathroom.
Glancing over at the bed he saw Index sleeping. Her chest rising and falling slightly.
Smiling to himself, Kamijou left the dorm room. It wasn't until he had reached the sidewalk outside the dorm complex that he let himself relax. "Now then" he narrowed his eyes as he looked towards his destination. "Lets see whats been interfering with my misfortune"
Making his way to the hospital Kamijou wanted to test a few things. But he knew perfectly well that trying to invoke it. Would be met with negative results.
Yes
Kamijou wanted to see if his misfortune was truly being interfered with.
Taking a shortcut by using an alleyway, Kamijou came out near a construction site. It appeared that there was a massive esper battle here at one point. Craters in the ground, building scorched and in ruins. Whatever happened here Kamijou wasn't sure. He was pretty sure however it was worse before he left for England. Meaning it happened before world war three.
He walked through a particularly damaged building. He was about to get to the road on the other side when his foot caught on a pile of rebar. He stumbled forward and grabbed a steel beam holding up the structure above. The sound of snapping was heard as he slammed into the support frame. It was a loud metallic noise that caused his face to pale.
I-beams, and scaffolding fell from the air above and Kamijou braced to get hit. But for some odd reason the way in which they fell. Caused them to knock each other out of the way of Kamijou.
A resounding crash was heard, when Kamijou opened his eyes. He found himself in the only spot where the debris didn't fall.
That was wrong, that was unnatural. That supported his theory. His misfortune that normally caused him bodily harm was being interfered with, but how?
As he wandered his way to the hospital he pondered that thought. He must have not been paying attention because he slammed face first into a lamppost. The impact, somehow caused the casing around the lightbulb above his head to dislodge.
Immediately throwing his hands up Kamijou braced for the cold sharp impact of glass shattering and cutting him. However once again he heard it clang against the metal pole and shatter behind him.
"Okay, thats… odd..." Kamijou muttered before continuing on.
He continued to make his way to the hospital using alleyways. He had to hide from the odd Anti-skill patrol every so often. But overall he made good progress, that is until.
"Ow!, um sorry!" Kamijou shouted instinctively as he bumped into someone.
"Huh?... You!?" shouted a male voice causing Kamijou to look up.
"Ah… hey um how about we just forget what happened and call it even okay?" Kamijou smiled sheepishly at the familiar delinquents.
"Like hell! Get him boys!" shouted the leader. Kamijou of course bolted. But there was still something he wanted to try. So he stayed within shouting range of them.
"Come on guys! Don't you have better things to do? Like really! I can't be that high on your priorities list!" He shouted back at them as he ducked past a thrown fireball.
"Fuck you! You know how many times you've ruined our chance to pick up a girl!?" one shouted as a glob of water turned to a sharp shard of ice in his hands.
"Oh come on! You guys! Those girls clearly had no interest! If you want them to like you, stop trying to force yourselves on them. Their people, not objects, they have feelings! Try appealing to that, find a girl who strikes your fancy. And talk to them, like a person! Without the damn group!" Kamijou attempted to reason as he dodged the ice-shard.
"Shut the hell up you dick!" another delinquent shouted back as expected.
"Welp! I tried!" Shouted Kamijou as he ducked through an alleyway to escape their pursuit.
It didn't take too long to shake off his pursuers. He was fairly skilled at it after all, so he decided to turn around. Thinking about the incident as he did so.
'That happened like it should have, what's different? Why is it that those other guys, trick and his gang. Were reasonable with me, but these guys weren't? I used the same methods here and there to reason with them.' Kamijou thought to himself as he attempted to head back towards the hospital. While avoiding the path that got him to run into the delinquents.
Kamijou was walking along the sidewalk when he tripped over a can that had been lying on the ground. He stumbled and fell towards the road. A Truck's headlights filled his vision and Kamijou covered his face. Bracing for impact he clenched his teeth, but.
The impact never came, instead the truck screeched and swerved out of the way as a tire popped. It came to a halt just a little ways away from Kamijou as he slammed into the asphalt.
"Gh!" Kamijou Grunted as he got up and rushed over to the truck. "Hey! Are you alright?" he asked the driver.
"Y-yeah… thanks kid, the hell? I just had these tires replaced" The middle-aged man in the driver's seat said. "Ain't it past curfew kid? You should be in bed".
"Ah- Well This Kamijou-san had something very important to do. So I had to stay up." Kamijou responded, it wasn't technically wrong.
"Hm? Guess your judgement then, okay. Um could you contact Anti-skill for me then? I'm gonna need my truck towed" The truck driver asked.
"Uh-s-sure!" Kamijou responded as he wandered a little ways away and took out his phone to call Antiskil. Talking quietly enough so the driver couldn't hear him he told the anti-skill officer of the issue before hanging up and returning to the driver.
"Okay their on their way, If you're alright here I'd like to get back to what I was doing." Kamijou said as he made sure to help the man out of his truck.
"Yeah, I'm good, wouldn't want to get in the way of your important work. So go on ahead" The truck driver smiled as Kamijou nodded.
"Thanks" Kamijou responded before leaving.
After the driver left his sight. Kamijou put his finger to his chin thinking. 'That was way too convenient. A tire blowout, just as he was about to hit me? That's too lucky, once is an accident, twice is a coincidence. Three times, is on purpose.' Kamijout looked up at the building in front of him. His destination, district 7 hospital. 'Let's see just what's been messing with my misfortune'.
He entered the front, the hospital, while not completely empty, was closed. So the receptionist wasn't there. Sneaking his way through the hospital he made his way to the room he woke up in.
Opening the door he looked around and found.
Nothing, nothing looked off, nothing felt out of place.
And that meant everything was wrong.
Kamijou was about to walk in when a voice came from behind him.
"It's rare to see you here when you aren't injured. Don't tell me, do you actually come for the nurses, Kamijou Touma?" The frog faced doctor asked.
"Ahhhhh! Don't do that! You nearly scared this Kamijou-san to death doctor! And no! Who would bring themselves to the brink of death just to see some nurses?" Kamijou shouted.
To be fair, not many people could blame him. In the dark of the hall, the way the moonlight illuminated the Frog-faced doctor's face. Gave him quite the scary appearance.
"I apologize I had no such intention I wouldn't want to accidentally kill one of my patients." he grinned slightly at Kamijou's reaction. "Shame, I thought you may have come around, something happen?" he asked.
Kamijou shut his hospital door as he looked at the doctor. "I'm not sure how to describe it. But, you know of my… reputation right?" Kamijou asked.
The frog faced doctor looked at him with a confused expression. "Which one?" he asked.
Kamijou deadpanned slightly "your kidding, you know theres only one"
The frog face doctor only grinned amused. "Really? I'm pretty sure you have a reputation for not only misfortune. But of winning the hearts of every girl you meet. Getting dragged into almost ever major event in the world. So you'll need to specify which reputation you mean."
Kamijou's face twitched in annoyance. "Um doctor-san, you haven't been hanging out with Tsuchimikado and Aogami have you?" he asked in exasperation.
"No" the frog faced doctor responded.
Sighing exasperated, Kamijou answered the doctor. "One, this Kamijou-san doesn't have a harem despite what those idiots say. Second, I was referring to my misfortune." he glanced at the frog faced doctor hopefully.
Nodding the frog faced doctor spoke. "Ah that one, what about it?" he asked.
Touma nervously glanced to the side. "I've been some odd lucky breaks recently"
The doctor thought for a moment. "For most people I'd think you were crazy, but for you? I assume there is a reason you can't accept it?"
Kamijou nodded "If I'm being this lucky, there is definitely something bad going on." he said.
The doctor paused for a moment, then nodded "why don't you tell this to your nun friend? I came over here because she was waiting in the empty entrance room" he asked. But his sudden change in behavior did not go unnoticed by Kamijou.
"What? Index is here?" Kamijou asked nervously.
"Indeed, she was very worried, asked me if you were brought in. You had disappeared from your dorm room after all." He responded.
"Oh.. okay I'll go see her then" Kamijou responded but an odd feeling filled his being. Something was off. 'How did she know? She doesn't wake up until I cook breakfast. So how did she know I was gone? This is way too convenient' He gradually made his way to the entrance.
Sure enough Index was waiting there in the dark entry hall. The moonlight illuminated her in a sinister way.
"Touma! You're okay!" She said and ran over. "I woke up to use the bathroom but you disappeared from the dorm!" hugging him. Index nuzzled her face in his chest as he stroked her head.
"No no- I'm fine Index, just wanted to check something" he said.
Index looked up at him with her purple eyes. " But Touma, there wouldn't be anything for you to see here." she then tilted her head as she gazed at him with her green eyes. "Why would you be here?"
Something about her tone almost felt. Interrogatory, but.. She was… right. There wouldn't be anything here, would there?
Kamijou shrugged, something still felt off but he could think about it later.
Returning to the dorm, Index grabbed Kamijou's hand before he went into the bathroom.
"Touma" she started nervously.
"Yes Index?" Kamijou asked, tilting his head slightly.
Index blushed slightly before continuing. "Could you sleep with me tonight?" She asked.
Kamijou snickered, "What? Having nightmares Index?" he shook his head. "Sorry, but there is a reason I sleep in the bathroom"
Index pouted her purple eyes looking like a puppy's who was denied a treat. "Please Touma? I promise I won't wake up and bite you out of embarrassment."
Kamijou wanted to retort, but… he couldn't, he couldn't say no to her right now. He wanted her happy, and if she wanted him to sleep in the bed with her. He'd oblige so he sighed "Alright Index, but if you wake up and bite me. I won't be making you that beef dish you've been asking for."
Index's face lit up as her green eyes glittered. And she dragged him over to the bed which he hadn't slept in since he lost his memories. "Alright Touma!" she said as he settled in.
As he drifted off to sleep Index smiled softly, an armored serpent wrapped around the world. Protectively, she whispered to him "You, are my world, Touma, I won't let anyone take you away."
...
Muireann felt her chest scream in icy pain, the proof that Kamijou Touma was alive. She looked at Tsuchimikado as she felt her chest freeze.
Misaka heard her question and immediately her face became that of hope. "Y-yeah! Where is that idiot!? No way would he be killed so easily. Ahah… hahah..." She seemed unstable, Like she'd break at any moment. Muireann could tell, she was in denial. She actually thought Kamijou was dead. Unlike her, Misaka had no proof of Kamijou's survival.
Tsuchimikado grit his teeth as he looked down. "Muireann, I'm afraid he-"
Misaka shouted, interrupting him. "No he isn't! No way that idiot is dead!" She desperately glared at Tsuchimikado to stop him.
Muireann shook her head, "if… If Kamijou-sama truly was dead" she then glared. "Then I'd be a frozen hunk of living flesh" causing silence to fall.
Tsuchimikado looked confused and Stiyl narrowed his eyes. But it was Kanzaki who asked the question they were thinking. "Why would that be?"
Muireann laughed slightly "Because I placed a binding pact on myself." she said, getting a collective gasp from the magic side. The freezing in her chest beginning to ease up a little
"Then that means" Itsuwa looked hopeful
"That Idiot's alive! I knew it!" Misaka's eyes no longer held desperate denial.
"Heh, just like the boss to somehow come back from the dead" Hamazura smiled.
"He may be an idiot but his survival skills are ridiculous," Agnese smiled.
"I wonder if it's misfortune that keeps him from dying." Shutaura and Arisa wondered.
"Guess I best inform The chairman then" Tsuchimikado stated.
Stiyl sighed "But then she does bring up a good point." He looked up.
"Indeed, where is Kamijou Touma if he's truly Alive?" Kanzaki's voice was relieved but she still held worry in her tone.
"Don't worry, Touma's safe!" The voice came from just behind them and their blood all turned cold.
Turning their heads they saw the god eater. The great devourer, It smiled softly as it looked at them. Those vibrant purple eyes scanned past them until they fell onto Stiyl. At which point the holder of those eyes frowned. "Stiyl, is it true you tried to Kill Touma?" The Devourer asked.
Stiyl Magnus's face paled near white. "Wh-what makes you think I'd harm such a valuable asset?" Asked the flame magician, to the nigh omnipotent star eater.
Those eyes went cold "Asset? Not only do you lie to me Stiyl, but you called Touma an asset!?" The world shook for a moment as that being's eyes rose.
"I, I would never lie to you I-index!" Stiyl choked out but the thing that was once Index merely glared.
"You lied again, Othinus saw you do it Stiyl, I know you tried to murder Touma. Touma's my everything, my world! Without Touma." It then looked down as the earth shuddered. "There is no point in the world at all."
The Library of consumed gods rose it's head. It's cold purple eyes of cosmic understanding enraged. "So Stiyl, I'm gonna have to ask you to disappear. You're a threat to Touma's world" And she rose her hand.
A glowing green stake of light pierced Index's chest and she froze. "Quick! Over here! That won't hold her long!" shouted a red haired man.
"Fiamma of the right!?" Stiyl shouted angrily at the man as they all rushed out.
"Fiamma? You mean the Fiamma!?" Muireann looked at the man and felt anger in her. "The one who started world war three?" The man who took her parents away from her.
"Thats the one young Selki, now if you want to live. Get over here! Ollerus!?" Shouted Fiamma?
"The half god too!?" Celt said in shock as she Headed towards Fiamma.
"So it would seem ay sis?" Galistic noted.
"Indeed as it would seem dear sister" Baobhan Sith responded
"I have no clue what's going on, but you seem to super have a plan." Kinuhata shouted as she leapt over to Fiamma.
"I don't care who he is, but I don't want to be near that thing unprepared!" Mugino rolled out of the way as she made her way to Fiamma.
"That man has an odd energy around him" Takitsubo muttered.
After they had all gotten around Fiamma they heard Index shout in anger. "Stiyllllll! I won't let you get away for trying to murder Toumaaaaa!" The stake of light vanished and she began to turn.
"Anytime now Ollerus!" Fiamma shouted.
Ollerus looked up from the circle he had drawn. "Hliðskjálf" he muttered. And light spilled from the circle and enveloped them.
Now, normally Ollerus used Hliðskjálf in a way it wasn't intended. Resulting in an unexplainable phenomenon. However if one used it correctly with proper preparations they could draw upon it's true power.
Hliðskjálf was the throne of Odin, one which Ollerus had taken. It was said that Odin could see all the nine realms while sitting upon it. But if one took that in another way the following became apparent.
The true power of Hliðskjálf was one which allowed it's user to access all the nine realms. In layman's terms, It could allow one to travel between phases. By drawing upon the leylines Ollerus was able to create a spell that used Hliðskjálf to 'phase hop'. The only way they could escape the now god Index.
The first thing Muireann noticed, was that her chest stopped hurting. Opening her eyes she found herself In a beautiful throne-room. Outside an immense golden city spanned the distance. An immense wall encircling it. The sky was a beautiful starry sky and she could see an immense tree's canopy stretch across the sky.
Stiyl stumbled and fell to his knees as he cried. "Did the Imagine breaker really mean that much to her!?" he asked himself, gritting his teeth.
"Where are we!?" Yomikawa asked, confused.
"How did we get here!?" Itsuwa asked in shock.
"Where the did Tsuchimikado disappear to!?" Kanzaki said, bringing everyone but Stiyl's attention to the missing spy.
Ollerus leaned against the throne in the center of the room. It seemed less a physical object and more a metaphysical item. "If you are referring to the blond haired boy with sun-glasses. He had run off towards the center of the city. To answer your question anti-skill woman, we are in Asgard" He then collapsed coughing blood. "I guess trying to use magic was a bad idea. Silvia is gonna hate me"
"Damn it! You need to rest. You're our only way back you know" Fiamma stated while catching Ollerus. "Can any of you cast healing magic?" He asked
"I'll do it, but you two need to do some explaining." Kanzaki said as she headed over.
"Why did you just take us?! What about the rest of the Amakusas?, the Agnese forces? And Anti-skill" Tatemiya shouted.
Fiamma sighed "Because Index's focus was on Stiyl, To be honest, we only needed to take him. But with you all here we can start strategizing." he said as Kanzaki preformed a healing spell on Ollerus.
"What do you mean we're in Asgard though!?" Muireann asked as she glared at Fiamma. If it wasn't because of the situation, she was sure she'd have picked a fight with him.
"I mean what I said, this is Asgard. Home of the norse gods I'll explain later first, you should all take a small break" Ollerus managed to get out. "You'll need it"
"Screw that! We don't have that kind of Time!" Mugino shouted angrily.
"Maybe we do." Galistic said with a look of understanding.
"Hah?" Mugino said, annoyed.
Celt shrugged as she sat down. "In some cases, in phase's like this one. Time flows a bit differently. I suspect the half god knows this due to being the one to get us here."
Ollerus nodded as he was healed, almost everyone listening intently. "Indeed, time will be flowing much faster here. That means that while hours may pass here, only a minute or so could pass there. However, we don't have forever, look around you."
Following his advice Muireann and everyone else looked around. The room was a fairly large throne room. Two very familiar looking statues were placed at the entrance to the room. Which caught Yomikawa Aiho's attention who had given up on questioning the oddities of the day.
"Why are there two statues of that terrorist?" she asked.
"I wonder" Ollerus smiled "But that's not what I was referring to"
Yomikawa nodded and looked out one of the windows. Suddenly Mugino spoke "It's too fucking quite, a city this large should be bustling with life."
"Asgard is the home of the Asier, being quiet is the opposite of what it should be" Celt noted.
Kanzaki wandered to a window and her eyes widened. "Oh, that does not look good" drawing everyone's attention to the windows.
Off in the distance Muireann could see the wall that encircled Asgard slowly seeming to disintegrate. In fact, parts of the city and the tree Yigdrassil, seemed to be crumbling and fading.
"Soo we are super sitting in a crumbling city." Kinuhata said.
"Whats doing that?" Shutaura and Arisa asked.
"No… it's more than the city" Itsuwa muttered shaking.
"Asgard's an entire phase" Kanzaki noted.
"Could someone explain What a 'phase' Is?" Hamazura asked.
Mugino raised an eyebrow "I would like to know what you're talking about."
Galistic spoke while looking at the fading city in horror. "Phases, they are things like, asgard, the nine realms of norse mythology. Tir-nall of Celtic, the shinto-underworld. The other worlds of mythology."
Baobhan nodded "In essence, they are other universes that are layered onto your own as part of it."
Celt rolled her eyes "Their over-complicating it, Think of the world like a canvas or photoshop. Each phase is a layer of paint, or a layer of photoshop. The canvas being the 'pure world'. Each phase can be as large as the universe or as small as a microbe. But they each act as their own realities with their own laws. Esper's personal realities are a perfect example of this."
Galistic snickered slightly "No, that's overcomplicating it Celt."
Misaka shook slightly as she spoke "So, your saying, that it's so quiet, not because the city is crumbling but because."
"The entire phase is crumbling" Muireann shook. But how!? Why?
Fiamma pointed to the statues "I think the answer is the same as to why those statues look like that."
Agnese gawked in shock "Your kidding!? You mean to tell me that Othinus wasn't just a person using the name?"
A look of dawning realization came across Kanzaki's face "Othinus, was Odin!? But how does that relate to the state of Asgard?"
Muireann felt herself go cold for a moment. "Because… Index ate her…." she realized
Misaka spoke up confused "Huh? When? I didn't see her, I thought she died. I mean I get that idiot kept some weird doll of her around but that wasn't her right? Just some weird Academy tech."
Fiamma rolled his eyes "You really are ignorant to magic, she was a god. And then turned into a fairy. That 'doll' was none other than the Othinus" causing Misaka to close her mouth and the room to call silent.
The silence was broken by the sad laughter of Stiyl. "So, he meant so much to her Index's willing to consume entire realities to protect him." He collapsed to his knees in shame as he held his legs. Like a child who's best friend has said they hated him. "Where does that leave me". A second silence followed as people felt pity on Stiyl.
Eventually Ollerus spoke. "Ironic really, I accused Othinus of stealing being a magic god from me. Never realizing I was the real thief. But yes, The Index is slowly absorbing this phase. And then the other norse phases as well. But that's why she can't follow us as well."
Muireann thought she understood. It's not like you could stir soup you ate. You can't just walk into your own stomach.
Celt then breathed a sigh "Well if we're gonna strategize we shouldn't leave the spy out. Luckily for us I'm quite experienced in inter-phase communication." She smugly smiled.
Baobhan's eyes lit up for a moment "oh could you be referring to that spell? Celt-dear?"
Celt nodded "Indeed I am, Give me a minute or so to set up a spell to link to him and we can begin our strategy meeting. Also," she looked at the sulking Stiyl. "Can someone give that magician some therapy?" before going off to set up the communication spell.
After a minute or so in which Kanzaki comforted Stiyl. Celt informed them the communication spell was done. And a familiar voice entered Muireann's ears.
"I was worried I wouldn't get to hear you all again Nyah!" Tsuchimikado said.
"Tsuchimikado where are you!?" Kanzaki demanded.
"With our mutual friend the board chairman." responded the spy.
'Chairman… that means' Muireann thought before a cold harsh voice came through.
"I understand the damn hero is alive and that nun of yours has gone out of control." The Accelerator stated. "So, let's change the gameboard and its rules. Before those idiots in the board make an enemy out of her"
