A/N: Well, this should be interesting. Basically for those who are used to my other works. I'm still doing them this one has been knocking around my head for a few day's. For those coming new to this and are already fans of Toaru, you might find some similarity to other people's fanfics with some plot ideas I come up with. Let it be known that I am inspired by said writers who achieve much more than myself. I merely wish to provide my own spin on something I enjoy as much as other's. I'll try to keep these brief when possible, but I felt like making sure people understand what they are getting into.
Without any delay, lets get on with this story...
A Certain Spectral Reimagining
Prologue
(Re)Start from zero...
There are infinite possible worlds. Among those is a world not unlike our own. But it has it's own variables.
In this world, there exists a city, known as 'Academy City'...
It exists beside and yet separate the greater Tokyo metropolitan area.
It's noted for having a population in which 80% of those living are students. As well as having technology 20-30 years ahead of the rest of the world.
And is also the one place for which the scientific phenomena known as 'Espers' live and exist within.
This city. Is dying...
However, it might not be fair to say the city is the only thing that is dying, rather it feels as though the WORLD itself is ending...
One might find it hard to believe such a beacon of advancement would be so broken and devastated.
It is said that the most powerful Espers, the level 5's, are said to be able to take on entire army forces on their own, much less as a group.
However, the enemy that has laid waste to the city is of a power that not even all seven of the level 5's working together could defeat...
Indeed, this power was of a sort that not even the one who wields the power to destroy illusions can do anything special against.
The boy was around 15 going on 16 years old. From the outside, you'd think he'd be the sort of high schooler you'd find anywhere else.
Indeed, that was what he thought of himself as for the most part, aside from having to deal with constant misfortune, he mostly went about his day's as normally as he could in a city full of students who could have powers that would seem like out of an American Comic book or Japanese Manga. Even his hair seemed styled in a spiky manner, not unlike those same manga protagonists...
It could be said he had the misfortune of seeing the world around him fall to pieces, all because of that THING that stood there.
It was no Esper, nor was it a Magician, a type of person who used a form of power meant to 'give power to those who lacked talent to compete with those who had in ancient times' as a certain silver haired nun he looked after once said.
Said nun sadly was dead now, along with so many friends, be it his own or of those 5 still standing.
The boy's name? Touma Kamijou.
He was nothing special, aside from his right hand and the power it held.
Imagine Breaker...
That's what the frog-faced doctor said once.
Sadly, Heaven Canceler gave his life to protect Touma and the other 5 who were his 'patients'...
'One last Cancel to heaven' the man said as his last words before dying in some amount of peace.
As for the other five with Touma? Two of them were the last standing level 5's, the first and third ranked.
Accelerator and Mikoto Misaka...
In spite of the troubled past the three of them held, they had something of a bond, Accelerator, though he tried to deny it, cared for Misaka and Touma like a brother. How interesting then, that he had thoughts of a different sort for a girl that looked like an older version of Mikoto...
That girl, was known as Misaka WORST. Or 'Worst' more simply. She was the latest and last in a series of clone's of Mikoto, and also, the last one alive...
The scream's of anguish Worst and Accelerator held as the 'former' Control Tower, #20001, a.k.a. Last Order. Had over the young girls dying body, as she transferred over her role and authority to Worst as the head of the 'Sisters network'. Made up of the remaining 9967 clones of Mikoto. And yet, Worst felt each of her 'siblings' die one by one.
It made each of their heart's break as one by one a girl who should have had a proper life was snuffed out, like so many they knew.
Along side them, was Hamazura Shirage and Takitsubo Rikou, the last two survivors of ITEM. Not even poor Frema was spared in the torment...
It spoke to the strength of these six that even despite such mind breaking levels of loss and heartbreaking death, they all shared a look of stubborn strength and defiance against that which stood before them...
Sadly, they tried to have all the level 5's use their power's at once, and it did nothing.
Not even the power's of saint's. Those of the magic side that were considering 'purer' than most in the eye's of the Abrahamic God could land even a scratch...
The Broken Blade of Kanzaki Kaori was all the proof one needed for that.
Indeed. It would not be wrong to say that even God himself and all the Demon's and Devil's of Hell could do little to stand against this thing which stood as thought it was merely enjoying a nice day...
Truly, if there was ever a phrase to sum up the situation. Only one felt so sufficient.
'Such Misfortune'.
The Angel(?) of no religious association, Aiwass. Was barely functional, even a being of such unknown quality to those Human's could do little but hold on to what flicker of 'life' it held yet still currently, though that too was quickly fading.
Truly, this level of power was beyond even the power that Touma held behind his Imagine Breaker. The thing batted it all away as though it was swatting fly's away.
The six of them had long since accepted death as the only fate left for them. But they would not die without a fight!
And yet, when the thing seemed to grow 'bored' of merely watching them and was about the strike.
Something, or rather things appeared.
The figure was tossed back a fair distance. And it seemed to shake in anger at what interrupted it's 'fun'.
What they saw, were two form's of energy, one appearing somewhat masculine, the other feminine.
The six of them did not know what would happen, but they felt that they should reach out and make contact with the two spectral figures.
Though both figures seemed to be in great pain, as though the effort that made them appear made them endure intense agony on a level not even Touma experienced in the various hell's that the former Magic God Othinus had once put him through. They seemed to endure all of that pain, just to shakily move, step by excruciating step, towards the trio of pairs.
The girls reached out to the female figure, the boys to the male.
"YOU WILL NOT DENY ME MY PRIZE SPECTER'S!" The thing yelled out in a bellowing rage that would make being's beyond God shudder in fear, yet those two did not show any fright as it rushed to strike them down.
But it's prize would be denied all the same. For right as it would bring it's blade to strike the six down.
Contact was made with the two figures of energy from each of their trio's hands.
And just like that.
Everything changed...
Timeline of events set back to ZEROTH state. All CORE/ASPECT functions report as ACTIVE. DIALOUGE commencing.
Query: How should integration occur?
Answer: Twin integration, W with Rail, R with I.B.
Query: Why use such method?
Answer: They deserve a second chance, all of them do.
Answer valid and fully accepted, no less from such noble and just ASPECT variant's.
Query: How should the NASCENT COMPOSITE MUTLI-EXISTANT ENTITY known as NETWORK-WILL and component TERMINAL intellect's be handled?
Answer: The one reached out for all of them, as such all are treated the same with information reconciliation purposes.
Query: Anyone else Object to suggested course of action?
Negative. Statement and suggestion is more than valid, it shall be enforced.
Query: Regarding entity designated as AIWASS?
Answer: See to it properly mended and inform it is to NOT share information with HYPOCRITC PLANNER.
Acceptable, he does not fully grasp that which is.
Query: How to deal with R and W ASPECT's SOUL LEAKAGE re:body/vessel?
Proposal: Ensure means of 'Sym-bionic-suit' can exist in timeline re-fabricating?
Answer: Viable mean's of SOUL SAVING and also enables Rail and I.B. mean's of accepting darker half via proper exposure and psych-treatment, proposal approved.
Query: Enhancement method for suit's?
Answer: Valid. Useful to ensuring proper strength build up to scale with threats. Rail and I.B. will have own Suit's in time when acceptance of Darker Half's for both is near realized.
Query: What point should memories for the six 'travelers' return?
Proposal: Have memories regain occur roughly one (1) year prior to start of major inciting event's. Would event:BIOHACKER be a good point to scale back from, say three (3) months?
Answer: Concept is viable, and using time prior to event will enable proper grasping of events and planning for future incidents.
Query: Audience shall begin where/when?
Answer: Must you really ask?
CORE/ASPECT are in agreement. DIALOUGE end.
And with that. Does the story begins again...
A/N: Okay, not a whole lot here. But I just wrote what I felt right. I think most of you would at least some idea what various terms are referring to, at least in relation to characters in-universe. In any case. I hope you all enjoy this story concept!