italics - thoughts

Bold - Emphasis

Italics Bold - Magic names or titles

"normal" - speech

" underlined bold " - Mental transmissions

Underlined - Flashback

{Bold}- Magic spells or abilities

Disclaimer:I do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index nor its characters. All rights belong to Kazuma Kamachi. Except for my own characters that I create

Chapter 16:Troubles arising

"Misaka-san!"

"Hmm?" Mikoto turned around. A familiar face met hers. "Ah, Kongou-san. How may I help you?"

"Ah, there is no need, Misaka-san." Kongou bowed her head slightly, fan out. "I do appreciate your offer to help. However, thta is not what I wished to speak to you about."

"What did you want to talk about then?" Mikoto looked intrigued. Well, not as if I have anything to do right now.

"Go-hon." Kongou coughed from behind her fan, a faint blush hidden behind-

...wait, a faint blush?

"Misaka-san," She began nervously. "Congratulations on getting a boyfriend!" Kongou bowed her head, her blush still on her face.

...what?

Making sure no one was around, she used her ability to hide from the inquisitive gazes, sticking to walls and buildings, before she managed to make her way to her room. Entering through the window quietly, she closed it and drew the curtains, preventing others from looking into the room.

"Kuro-" Turning, Mikoto began to speak to her roommate, only to stop herself halfway.

"Onee-sama!" Kuroko was sniffling her sheets. Rather loudly, in fact. "Oh, Onee-sama! Your scent, your scent is so *mmf*, so nice! Its so intoxicating! Ah, Onee-sama-"

"Kuroko!" Mikoto roared out, unleashing several lightning strikes on her perverted roommate.

"Ahh! Onee-sama's whip of love!" Kuroko writhed on the bed, further entangling herself in the sheets, before she stopped. "...Onee-sama's whip of love?"

She quickly jumped out of the bed, a few sheets still entangled onto her body. That was when she saw Mikoto's standing form. "Ah, Onee-sama!"

With the familiar sound of teleportation, Kuroko teleported herself into the arms of the brown-haired girl, momentarily surprising the esper. "Ah-"

"Onee-sama!" Kuroko hugged her roommate tightly. "Are you okay? Everyone has been talking about some rumor about you having some sort of relationship with that, that TRIGOLDYTE!"

"I'm fine Kuroko..." Mikoto smiled to reassure her friend, but on the inside, she was very nervous. Unfortunately Kuroko, I am in a relationship with Touma... Realizing her thoughts, her eyes widen in surprise as she struggled to contain her emotions. Ahh! When did I start to think of that Idiot with his first name!? Her red face started to emit a bit of steam. I- i mean, thinking about a person and speaking that person's first name is very different, right? Especially, if you are trying to drive a point, right? Right? Her eyes started to swim about the place. Ah, what do I- Kuroko's softly muttered, words, as well her actions, brought her back to the present.

Your scent" As Kuroko snuffled Mikoto nosily, she also slipped underneath Mikoto's guard, bringing her hands to her chest. "Ah, Onee-sama's scent and still budding breasts are the-"

Pow!*

"(Ano na...)You..." Mikoto growled out, her hand still sparking. "Control yourself, Kuroko!"

"That hurt, Onee-sama..." Pouting and slightly teary-eyed, Kuroko rubbed the top of her head. A small bump could be seen from where Mikoto struck the girl. "I was just expressing my love for you, Onee-sama!"

"What sort of person expresses their love for another by rubbing their breasts!?"

"My love transcends all boundaries of age and gender, Onee-sama!" Kuroko cheerfully exclaimed in response to Mikoto's tsukomi.

Sighing, Mikoto sat down on her bed. "...Did you hear about the rumors?"

That quickly dampened Kuroko's mood. "...Yes, Onee-sama." A dark cloud passed over Kuroko's face. "And we shall see who it is that has been tarnishing your reputation, Onee-sama!" The dark cloud disappeared when she saw Mikoto's face. "...Onee-sama?"

"But, that is the truth, Kuroko." Exclaiming out loud, Mikoto lay on her bed. "I'm w-with that I-idiot," Mikoto still blushed, although it was not as heavily as in the past. "and I like him. I really do. It's just...I'm not ready yet...for our relationship to go...public."

"Onee-sama..." Kuroko sat beside the lying form of her roommate. "Why are you so worried?"

"-Eh?"

"That ape is someone I despise, yes." Kuroko sighed. "But, he makes you happy, Onee-sama. You may not have noticed, but whenever you go after that ape, you always come back with a small smile on your face."

"...I do?"

"You do." Kuroko confirmed. "Besides, Onee-sama, if you were not ready for this, you would have not asked that ape to be your boyfriend so suddenly."

"I didn't know what I was thinking back then." Mikoto gave a small laugh. "I just...did not want to lose him."

"Then keep him close, Onee-sama." Kuroko offered a solution. "Keep him close, and don't let go."

"Thank you Kuroko." Mikoto sniffed a little. "But, wouldn't you be happy if I was not the girlfriend of Touma?"

"That may be true Onee-sama," Kuroko showed a dark look when Touma's name was mentioned, but it passed very quickly. "But, if you get your heart broken by him, I would be able to swoop in to soothe your broken heart, and then we-"

"Hai, STOP!(english)" Mikoto covered Kuroko's mouth, preventing her speaking anymore. "You were being a good friend just now. Don't spoil this nice mood we have right now with your perverted antics." Mikoto smiled. "...You do know that you will ALWAYS be my best friend, right?"

"Of course, Onee-sama." Kuroko leaned into Mikoto's side.

Mikoto do the same.

They stayed in this position for a few more minutes, enjoying the silence in the room.

*Knock knock*

"Hmm?" Kuroko raised her head. "Who is that?"

"I'll hide in the bathroom." Mikoto hurriedly moved to the aforementioned room. "If it is some girls asking about my relationship with K-kamijou, just say I went to take a walk around the campus to throw them off."

"Sure thing Onee-sama." Kuroko smiled reassuringly. "These girls will not disturb any more of our alone time more than necessary!"

Kuroko walked over to the door. Making sure Mikoto had already shifted to the toilet, she composed herself, before she opened the door, revealing-

A familiar face, framed with brown hair, her glasses glinting in the light.

"D-dorm Su-supervisor." Kuroko stuttered in fear.

"Hello Shirai-san." Fixing her glasses, the dorm manager's glasses glinted under the lights, making her look very sinister to the pig-tailed girl. "Is your roommate around?"

"A-ah!" Kuroko fumbled with her words. The aura he dorm-manager was emitting was making her even more nervous than she was! "O-onee-sama w-went for a walk around the c-campus. S-she said that it would help clear her mind. S-she was thinking a-about some t-things."

"Some things?" The dorm manger questioned. "Like, perhaps, these rumors about having boyfriend?" Kuroko gulped quietly. Something the dorm supervisor did not miss. "Speaking of," She leaned down, forcing Kuroko to meet her face to face. "You would not happen to know who this boyfriend of hers is, would you?"

"N-no!" Kuroko almost shrieked in fear. "I-I don not know anything about t-the ape!"

"I see..." The dorm manager straightened up. "Then, if you would excuse me."

"T-thank you..." Kuroko closed the door-

*Thunk*

"Hii!" Kuroko gave a short but slightly muffled scream, when she saw the dorm manager's foot stopping the door from closing.

"Ah, I meant that you should allow me to come in." Exerting a little more force, the dorm manager forced the door open, pushing Kuroko's small body into the wall.

Stepping inside, she closed the door behind her with an audible clack. "Misaka-san, I know you are here."

Nothing happened at first. Then, the door to the toilet creaked open.

"Do-dorm supervisor." Poking her head out, Mikoto spoke in a nervous tone. "W-what are you doing here?"

"Am I not supposed to do surprise inspections?" Raising an eyebrow, she looked around the small room.

"N-no, of course not!" Mikoto stepped out of the bathroom. "You are doing what you are supposed to."

"Indeed." She surveyed the room one more time, before she nodded her head. "Now then, I believe we have something to discuss."

"W-what is it, Dorm Supervisor?"

"It is about your boyfriend." Mikoto felt like her heart would stop. "Normally, I would be against such relationships. After all, this would reflect badly on the school." Her glasses glinted as she fixed them.

"Y-yes, dorm supervisor." Mikoto bowed her head, then she raised them. "Wait...normally?"

"I believe I said that." The dorm supervisor nodded. "Normally, we would prohibit such relationships. But, since I have met the boy in question, and that the rumors are just that, rumors, there is no reason for any punishments."

"Then-"

"Just be sure to keep to the curfew, Misaka-san. I would overlook you having a relationship with Kamijou Touma." The dorm supervisor gave a rare smile. "The boy is really one of a kind. You would be hard pressed to find someone like him."

"Y-yes, dorm supervisor!" Mikoto hurriedly bowed.

"Oh, and if you do go on dates...please remember to NOT wear the school uniform, and to hide your face." The dorm supervisor added. "If there is no evidence, then there would be no punishment. But!" A menacing aura was emitted from the dorm supervisor. "If there is any evidence...you know the consequences, yes?" As a demonstration, she grabbed the still dazed Kuroko, and did her signature move.

*Crack!*

"Hii!" Mikoto gave a small shriek as she saw her roommate slump to the floor, out cold.

"Understood?"

"Y-yes, dorm supervisor!" Mikoto nearly shouted out, bowing at a 90 degree angle.

"Good." The aura disappeared quickly. "Enjoy the rest of the day. And please, try not to cause more disturbances, Misaka-san. You may be a Level 5, but that does not mean you would be able to escape from my punishments."

With a dull noise, the door was shut, leaving a still twitching Kuroko and a shaking Mikoto alone.

After Kuroko came too, they decided to pay someone a visit.

Making use of Kuroko's abilities, as well as Misaka's personal sonar(Which was mainly used to detect a certain Idiot, now a certain boyfriend), they reached the room they wanted to knocking on it, they came face to face with-

"Ara?" Familiar blonde hair and starry eyes met the gaze of brown ones. "Misaka-san, what brings you here?"

"Don't play with me Shokuhou." Mikoto growled out. Beside her, Kuroko nervously looked left and right, keeping a look out for any student coming their way. "You were the one who had put me in this mess."

"...?"

*Bichin*

Mikoto felt a few veins pop when she saw Misaki's face. "You-"

"Ah!" Misaki's eyes widened, as if she had just thought of the reason. Although, it looked authentic, Mikoto knew that she was playing around. This had happened before, after all. "Might you perhaps, be talking about those pictures being spread online?"

"You still deny it?" Mikoto felt her anger reach her peak. "I don't know what sort of history you have with that Idiot, but-"

"I'm sorry, Misaka-san." Misaki cut Mikoto off mid-sentence. "Please, come in first. I would rather do this before a horde of people come in. It is not a tourist attraction, after all."

"Why you..." Mikoto knew that Misaki was doing this to mock her. She did, making this choice even harder for her.

If she did as Misaki asked, and accused Misaki of something, she could reply with something along the lines of 'Oh, Misaka-san, how could you? Even after I invited you in out of consideration for your public image in mind' , or 'Misaka-san, your delusions and false accusations have no basis! How shameless of you! Even though we are both from the same prestigious school, you are act so...I am so hurt by this accusation! How will the school think?'

...Yeah, after thinking about this, Mikoto is getting more angry, especially since Misaki was speaking the truth.

"...Fine." Mikoto bowed her head slightly. "Sorry for intruding."

"Please, come in." Misaki did not allow a hint of emotion to show on her face as she opened the door wider, allowing Mikoto and Kuroko to pass through.

..

..

..

A few moments later, a small group of students swarmed the area that Mikoto and Kuroko had been in.

"Where is she?"

"Maybe in one of these rooms?"

"Are you sure they were here?"

"My ability was right! Don't it could not have been wrong! I am sure I saw her here earlier!"

"...Are you sure you saw her, and not her sister?"

"Eh? Misaka-san has a sister?"

"Eh?"

"...Huh? Was that not known? Misaka has a younger sister. Although they look similar enough to be twins."

"Hmm...Then, maybe I saw wrongly then."

"Alright, since you were wrong...let us go to her room again. Perhaps Shirai-san would know where Misaka-san has gone."

""Let's go!""

"...That was close." Mikoto breathed a sight of relief as she heard, as well as sensed, the group of around 15 students get further and further away from Misaki's room.

"My, my, Misaksa-san." A voice spoke up. "You seem to be inn quiet a bit of trouble there."

"Oh, be quiet Shokuhou." Mikoto snapped back. "In the first pla-" She promptly shut her mouth, cutting off her next words.

"Hmm?" Misaki gave a coy smile. "What were you about to say, Misaka-san?" Out of the corner of her eye, Mikoto could see Misaki's eyes twinkling(No pun intended.)

Dang it! Mikoto ground her teeth in frustration. If circumstances were different, I would not have accepted Shokuhou's offer! But since nearly 90% of Tokiwadai is looking for me...Grr, if only I had proof that Shokuhou did this...

But still... Mikoto took a look around the room she was in. Shokuhou's room is much more...tame, then I thought it was.

It was true, actually. If one thought of a level 5, they would think that they would spend a lot of their money to make their place as fancy as possible. Mikoto was one of the few who were out of that curve, seeing as she was one who worked hard for her powers, and having been one of the lower levels at one point in time, she would rather use her powers to save people, then to flaunt it. And, as such, she would save most of her money she got.

...Although she spent most of them on Gekota-themed products...

Anyway, Misaki's room was very simple, actually. There was a simple desk, and a large closet. The bed was also very simple too. Despite it being a canopy-type bed, its drapings were a simple, yet elegant, white lace with some gold accents. Which begged the question...

"Shokuhou," Mikoto began. "Where's your roommate?"

"Ah, her." Misaki gave a small smile. "I simply asked the dorm managers to sleep alone. There are quite a number of empty rooms, after all."

"So you used your powers to do so?" Mikoto shook her head. "Honestly, you-"

"How rude!" As if she had read her mind, Misaki huffed. "I simply just persuaded them. I did not abuse my powers at all, Misaka-san. Although," Misaki gave a wave of her hand. "enough about me. What brings you here, Misaka-san?"

"...I'm pretty sure you already know, Shokuhou." Mikoto crossed her arms. "After all, you did just hear those girls, earlier."

"Ah, but Misaka-san." Misaki gave a coy smile. "They did not give the reason for searching for you, did they?"

"..."

"..."

"..Fine," Mikoto sighed. "Tell me. Do you know who spread that picture of me? Or rather, was it you?" Mikoto said the last bit in a firmer tone.

"..."

"..."

"..."

A beat passed.

Then two.

The two girls (and pervert) looked at each other, neither backing down. Kuroko, sitting at the sidelines, looked between the two alternately at regular intervals as they had their stare-down.

Finally, Misaki sighed. "Unfortunately, I did not spread that picture of you, Misaka-san. Nor do I know who did so."

"And why should I believe you?"

"This concerns my Prince, after all." Misaki's eyes hardened ever so slightly. "Despite my...reservations, about you having a relationship with him, I can see that I should not intrude on a fellow maiden's love. I would never do anything that would put him at an inconvenience. And, this incident would certainly put him in a bind, to say the least. Honestly," Misaki huffed. "my Prince's trouble-attracting ability is as high as ever."

"...I have been meaning to ask, but..." Mikoto looked down, before she asked Misaki. "What is your relationship with Kamijou?"

Misaki frowned, although Mikoto could not see it, seeing as she was looking down.

Is it okay? Misaki pondered to herself. Misaka-san would ask me this sooner or later. This is something that I know. I just did not expect her to ask right now.

Misaki knew that with her current actions(hanging around Touma often, excessive body contact), Mikoto would begin to think bad about Misaki.

That is, at first.

But, after a while, she would consider the possibility that her actions were not to irritate her, but rather, as her way of showing affection. Sure, there was the possibility that she was playing the long game, but, this new possibility would pop up, no matter what. And, that possibility was her showing her affection for Touma. Just like a certain person.

I predicted Misaka-san would have asked me this in a couple of months, but to think that this event would push her asking me this forwards... Misaki sighed heavily in her heart. Well, now that it has come to this, how should I respond?

On one hand, Misaki could just deflect the question, as she usually did whenever a question was too uncomfortable for her to answer, or if she felt that it was too personal. She would misdirect a person's actions by subtly influencing their mind to think of something else. And, if they focused on that new subject for a long enough period of time, they would momentarily forget their first objective.

This is a skill that was borne out of many, many interactions with the first person she could not use her abilities on before reaching a Level 5. Kamijou Touma

Through many interactions with the boy, she managed to gain an innate ability to subtly manipulate a person's thoughts via looking at a person's micro-expressions, behavioral analysis of said person, and their minute actions. So, she managed to get a new trump card to use in mental combat. One that did not need the use of her esper ability. That being said, she would still use her ability whenever she wished, as it was more convenient.

On the other hand, she could tell Mikoto about her past with Touma. It would be thought to be a lie, at first But, with some digging, and evidence she had lying about in her room, she would be able to prove that she was telling the truth.

These were the two options she had. They sounded simple enough, of course. But, that was not considering the potential consequences of her actions.

If she did the first option: Deflect the question, she would have to explain her relationship with Touma at a later date. And, who knows when she would corner Misaki? She could do it in the streets, somewhere secluded, or out in public? Granted, she could easily wipe the minds of those involved, but with Touma now semi-back in her life, that would be even harder for her to do.

Then, there was option two: Answer it honestly.

If she did so, there was the chance of her past with Touma being leaked out. It would be by accident, of course. She believed that Mikoto's friends were not that sort of people. But then, there would be numerous rumors about her her Prince, and Mikoto. She did not mind the rumors about Mikoto, but the ones about her, and more importantly, her Prince, were the ones she was more worried about.

See, she has the power to wipe minds. That in itself is very convenient when she wants to manipulate truths and facts. But then, what about rumors?

That is where she would quite a bit of difficulty. Rumors are neither truth, nor were they lies. Rumors are borne from the twisting of events or truths. So, something as simple as 'Person A dropped a pipe in the dead of the night. A person died the next day from old age', can become something as exaggerated as 'Beware the pipe dropper! When you are walking at night, and hear pipes being dropped, do not turn around to look! Otherwise, a person close to you will drop dead by morning!'.

...Yeah, so if they heard about Touma's past with Misaki, and him being Mikoto's boyfriend now, some unsavory rumors about him, Mikoto and Misaki can be brought to life.

Which leads to the question. To tell? Or not to tell?

"So, what is your connection to the idi-, I mean, Kamijou, Shokuhou-san?" Mikoto asked Misaki this again, this time, looking at the busty blonde in question.

She had felt worried at first when she asked the question, but after a bit, she realized that there was no need for her to be so worried. After all, it was not as if she had done something wrong! Not at all!

...But she still felt nervous. Who wouldn't be?

What if Shokuhou has some sort of connection to that Idiot? Mikoto felt like she had a hundred thoughts flowing into her mind at that moment. What if that was why Shokuhou seems so intent on being so...petty, towards me? Because I unknowingly took her place as someone who was close to the Idiot. It would make quite a number of things make sense, especially the ones where she somehow always seems to be there whenever I see the Idiot. And if that was the case... Mikoto's mind connected the dots. Does this mean that...

...she loves him too?

Misaki made up her mind.

"Alright, Misaka-san." Misaki's words cause both girls curently in the room to turn their attention towards her. "I'll answer your question."

"So? What is your answer?"

"Now, now," Misaki giggled, twirling her remote in hand. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see both girls eye the remote in her hand, Kuroko nervously, and Mikoto with apprehension.

*Pii*

With a sharp sound, the remote sounded. A quick look told Mikoto that Kuroko's eyes to have stars in them.

"...You won't say anything?"

"I expected that, actually." Mikoto sighed out. "After all, what you are about to say is very private. That is, IF you want to say it right now."

"I expected your anger at having your friends being controlled by me to have shot up though~"

"I am mad," A few sparks were let off from her hair and arms, indicating her current state of emotion. "But, I can understand if you want to keep this secret known to as few people as possible."

"Quite a good deduction you have there, Misaka-san!" Misaki cheerfully said as she dropped down onto the bed. Mikoto took her place opposite her, taking a seat at the desk instead. "I thought you were a person who did not use her brains much, but your deduction ability surprised me~"

More veins bulged out on her forehead. "Are you done?"

"Aww..." Misaki frowned. "I thought I would be able to get you to leave my room just now by making you lose your reasoning and rampage with your abilities for a bit, but it seems that you anger-holding ability is greater than I thought."

"Thanks." Mikoto humorlessly replied. "It is thanks to dealing with a certain former magic goddess."

Back in the small one-room apartment that was Touma's home, said one-eyed magic goddess gave a grunt.

"Othinus?" Index stopped her reading for a bit, peering over the edge of her magazine to look at the corner of the room, where a doll house rested. "What's wrong?"

"Someone seems to be talking about me behind mine back, nun." Came the disgruntled reply from the doll house. "I would have sneezed, but it seems my constitution turned it into a stab of pain instead."

"That's interesting." Index peered down from the edge of the bed, placing down the magazine she was reading. If one looked closely, they could see the faint words about improving ones...cleaning skills? "What did it feel like?"

"I felt the need to sneeze, but it turned from an itch into a sudden jolt of pain in...a particular area." Othinus explained, before she shouted. "Now, get this damned beast off of my front porch! At this rate, I would lose my lunch as well!"

"I see..." Misaki shrugged. "Well, I suppose I will tell you about the reason that I know my Prince."

"And another thing." Mikoto's eyes narrowed. "Why do you call Kamijou 'Prince'? "

"All in due time, Misaka-san." Misaki smiled. "Now, it started two years ago, along the banks of a river..."

Meanwhile, in another location...

"Such Misfortune!"

"""Death to the Kami-yan Disease!"""

Touma was busy trying to escape his classmates(Coincidentally, all of them were male.) during break. As soon as the bell had rung, he had leapt out of his seat and dashed out of the door, his experience with espers and magicians giving him the slight edge needed to escape the classroom.

His cell phone rang in his pocket. Without spaing it a glance, he picked it up. "Hello?"

"Ah, Kami-yan~" A familiar voice sounded out from the phone. "Why did you run out like that? Aogami and I were so surprised!"

"You know as well as I do why!" Touma shouted into his phone, taking a left. "With all those death stares aimed at me, even the teachers did not teach as much as they would have on a regular day!"

"And, how do you know that?"

"Half the time, when a student was called out to answer a question, the students would direct their death stare at the teacher, causing them to get shivers up their spine!"

"But, how do you know that?" Tsumkiado's voice contained mirth in it as he spoke.

"Cause every time they got those shivers, they would jump, like, five feet into the air!"

Touma took another right, heading down the stairs.

..

What was this chaos that we had just stumbled into?

Well, this was because of the photo that had been released yesterday. Because a few classes were curious as to why there was a witch hunt the previous day(Their shouts, yells and death cries managed to frighten a passing by student into unconsciousness, with foam at the mouth. For reference, she was outside the school.), they decided to take a peak at some of the phones of their friends in the class.

Which resulted in them knowing about Touma getting a girlfriend.

This then led to the other classes discussing with Touma's class about Touma's new status. Which then led to some more...intense discussions. One conversation led to the next, and the next, and the next. One thing led to the next, and the next, and the next, until the flames of jealousy finally reached its peak, causing his classmates, who had finally calmed down, to become even more jealous then before, plus some extra boys and girls from other classes.

This witch hunt for the individual known as Kamijou Touma lasted until the end of class.

Timeskip, after school, 4pm

"Jeez," Touma rubbed the back of his neck. "Thank god that Fukiyose was there. She managed to stop them from coming after me for now. Although," He winced, touching his slightly bruised arm briefly. "Did she have to do a German Suplex on me to get them to stop?"

Touma was thankful that Fukiyose was there to help stop the mob that was after his blood. Truly, he was. And, it seemed that thanks to her, the 'Iron Wall girl', everyone managed to return to their senses. Although, he REALLY wished tht it had been less harmful on his body.

Granted, that only happened after he had stumbled into her chest, but what was he supposed to do? Allow the cat that had somehow managed to get into the class be stepped on by him? Even if he did that and just stepped on the tail for a split second, Index would bite his head off!

I really wish Index would stop biting my head that hard. Touma unconsciously brought his hand up to the back of his scalp. If she did that any more, I would end up having to go to the hospital, no, STAY in the hospital, for irreparable brain and skull damage!

Just as he was thinking of that, he suddenly bumped into something rather hard... and soft.

"Eh?"

"Ah!?" A familiar voice shouted out.

"Hmm?" Touma looked down, seeing a familiar lock of pink hair. "Sequenzia-san?"

"Ah, Kamijou." Shutaura brushed the lock of hair from her eyes. "How have you been?"

"You know, the usual misfortune." Touma sighed, before he looked back at the highly-trained operative across him. "How about you?"

"Things...are not that great right now." Shutaura admitted. "It's a bit of a long story, so-"

*Doon!*

The sharp sound of shattering glass and bricks being destroyed interrupted the two . A few students screamed as a large vehicle burst through a storefront, before it raced off, a trail of blood, bricks and shattered glass being left behind it.

"Black Crow unit!" Shutaura went to work immediately. "Do you have a visual?"

"-"

"Units 1 to 3, follow the vehicle. 6, you remain on standby. The rest of you, I need you here." Shutaura commanded through her comm, before she looked at Touma. "Sorry, can we catch up later?"

"Yeah." Touma nodded. "It looks like your hands are full. But, can I help? I have some experience in first aid. And, judging by the blood earlier, it would be safe to assume that there are people injured."

"...No." Shutaura's answer came swiftly and decisively. "Although the both of us know how good your first-aid is, seeing as you often get injured, you can't help right now. Not until we get a better understanding of the situation. But, if you can help, I'll be the first one to ask you for it."

"...Okay." Touma could understand why Shutaura did it. Technically, he was an ordinary school boy. A civilian. He had no place in a possible crime scene.

...Having said that, he just realized that that excuse about him being an 'ordinary, average schoolboy' was getting way too old, and become less and less true. After all, what sort of ordinary school boy has to settle incidents that have a clear impact on the world?

In a place not too far away from him, a certain boy sneezed.

"You okay?"

"...Yeah." The boy responded, sniffling a little. "Someone must be talking about me."

A few hours later...

*knock knock*

"Touma, Touma." Index turned to look at Touma, momentarily pausing in her eating of one one of his creations(cheese toast, with leftover batter coating ham and bacon) "Who is that?"

"Didn't I tell you, Index?" Touma placed down his pen, walking towards the door. "A friend is coming."

"Ah, come in Shutaura-san." Touma opened the door, allowing the girl into his apartment. "And...!?"

"Hi Touma-kun!" A very familiar pinkette waved her hand from behind the black haired beauty standing in-front of him. "It's been a while seeing me like this, right?"

"How?" Touma rubbed his eyes to confirm he was not hallucinating. Yep, still there. "Didn't the both of you combine into one person?"

""I'll explain this inside." Shutaura butted in. "People might find out that a retired idol is here after all. With your luck."

"Come on, don't make it out to be all of my fault." Touma groaned, but he stood to the side, allowing both girls to come in.

"Ah, Arisa!" Index ran over to the former idol in excitement. "How are you two separate people again?"

"I guess we forgot to tell you." Shutaura looked around the small apartment, before she sat down. "After the both of us fused, it was very confusing for the both of us. I had her consciousness in me, even though I was the one that came first. We managed to find a way to make it work, but in the beginning, it was very troublesome and embarrassing."

"It was, wasn't it." Arisa nodded sagely. "Everyone would look at you as if you had gone crazy at times."

"Don't make it look as if it was all my fault!" Shutaura blushed. "Besides, YOU were the one who kept asking me what the guns and mechs were, and how they worked, even though you had access to my memories!"

"Mou~" Arisa pouted. "We did not know that at that time, did we? Besides, it all worked out in the end, right?"

"For you, maybe." Shutaura grumbled. "I still get weird looks every now and then."

"Isn't that because of that lock of pink hair, and how you have kept the front of your bangs rather short, as compared to your usual long bangs?"

"..."

"So...how did you become...like this?" Touma gestured to them. "And, it seems that you two are two separate people, although you are actually one person."

"Well, Shutaura and I were having a small fight with each other." Arisa began explaining. "She wanted to wear her usual black skintight suit, while I wanted to wear something more comfy and cute."

"I still refuse to wear something with pink."

"Even though you have a dyed lock of pink hair at your fringe?"

"...it's to allow me to have a peace of mind..."

"Anyway," Arisa chirped, ignoring Shutaura's pout. "since we were both having a fight, the both of us wanted to separate from each other. And the result," she spread her arms. "we managed to separate into two people again!"

"So, how did your consciousness survive, Arisa-san?" Touma asked. It was actually something that had been on his mind ever since they had parted ways. Although he knew the true nature of Arisa being a part of Shutaura, he still had a nagging question at the back of his mind: Did Arisa and Shutaura fuse and become one, new person with both their memories and experiences? Did she remain as Shutaura, but with some of Arisa's personality traits and her memories? If so, what happened to the 'person' known as 'Arisa Meigo'? It was all a mystery for Touma. "I thought you would have been..."

"Killed? Lost?" Arisa giggled a little at Touma's expression. "I'm sorry, but it's not as morbid at that. When the both of us accepted that we were actually one person, a part of us intuitively knew that neither of us would be lost. Think of it as split personalities. Or, two souls in one body."

"...I can follow that, I guess?" Touma rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not too sure of the details that you just said, but I get the gist of it. And so, what about your acting with each other?"

"Oh, you mean how we are acting around each other, even though we are the same person?" Touma nodded his head. "Well, we think of each other as more of twins, or sisters, really. It is easier to think of each other as family, instead of thinking that we are the same person. If not, there is a high chance we would go crazy with identity crisis. 'Who are we? What is our names? Who is Shutaura Sequenzia and who is Arisa Meigo?'. These sorts of question did cross our mind at one point, but we are past that."

"That is really troublesome, then. Your day-to-day activities, I mean." Touma turned his attention back to the stove. "Oh, do you want anything to eat? I'm making some rice and eggs, with a side of asian curry."

"Oh, make some for the both of us." Shutaura told Touma. "Although I know that your cooking is fantastic thanks to Arisa's memories, it is not really the same as experiencing it yourself."

"Oh, my cooking is just average, Sequenzia-san." Touma told Shutaura as he started to mix the curry paste and coconut milk mixture. "It's not THAT good."

"We beg to differ, Touma." Shutaura smiled. "And please, call me Shutaura."

"Why? We aren't that close."

"I have Arisa's memories." Shutaura tapped her forehead, although Touma could not see it from his position. "So, I know everything that happened through her memories. Including that time. Speaking of, " Touma heard a sharp sound which sent a shiver up his spine.

Shutaura had drawn one of the many disks she kept on her person. "Next time you do something like that again to either of us, I will cut off that part. Are we clear?"

"YES MA'AM!" Touma involuntarily shuddered when he heard Shutaura's tone.(And, he spoke in clear English too, which is something he would be proud of, had he not been just threatened with castration.)

"Good." Shutaura slid her disk back into her bag. "We will tell you more about some things later, after dinner."

"I forgot that you came by to tell me about that thing." Touma went to work, dicing some onions, potatoes, and chicken before adding it into the small pot of curry, before he started to fry some omelettes. "So, after dinner?"

"After dinner." Shutaura confirmed. She watched her counterpart play with the calico cat(Sphynx had purred rather happily when he saw Arisa's face), before she added "Please hurry. The both of us have not eaten for the day."

"Yes, yes, this Kamijou-san will work faster."

Fast forwards to an hour later...

"My goodness..." Shutaura groaned. Or rather, moaned. "How is THIS the cooking of an 'average high school boy'? It's good enough to be served in high-class restaurants! And, what's more, it was made with bargain goods!"

"Right?" Arisa agreed. "And, this is not even my first time eating, yet I still act the same way every time I eat his food!"

"It's not THAT good, is it?" Touma asked, putting the past spoonful of rice into his mouth. "I mean, this taste's rather average for me. Right, Othinus?"

"..."

"W-why are you just looking at me like that? I-it's not as if I raised a death flag, right? Right?"

"Human, just shut up. You are making yourself look more like a fool." Othinus told the misfortunate boy, before she looked back at Arisa and Shutaura. "I must say, this is the first time I am seeing this type of case. A miracle taken form...although I knew of you when I recreated the world, I did not expect our paths to meet."

"It's the same for us." Shutaura said. "We did not expect to meet with the one who had become the first-ever world terrorist. You would make the history books for sure."

"I am already a part of history, girl." Othinnus scoffed. "Being known by my true name is a breath of fresh air actually. Since everyone has been regarding the names 'Odin' or 'Ollerus' as my name."

"Play nice, Othinus." Touma nudged the former magic god with his finger, before he turned to Shutaura. "So, about that incident earlier..."

"Ah, yes," Shutaura took a sip of water from her cup. "I did promise you that, didn't I."

"I need your help to protect someone. She goes by the name Akikawa Mie."

In a deserted part of Academy city...

"Ha...ha...ha..."

Heavy panting could be heard echoing in the small alleyway. A female figure was running through the dirty alleyway, a bag clutched in her hand.

Got to get away! Got to hide! The girl kept looking behind her, expecting the small group she had encountered a few days back to try and get her once more.

"Haa...haa..." She slipped into the back door of a building, quietly closing the door behind her. She glanced down at her bag. I hope help comes soon...

It had been an ordinary day for Mie a few days ago. In fact, if one had asked her what she thought she was going to do that day, she would have probably responded with the likes of "Get back home and have some ice cream after doing my homework." or "Chat with my friends after dinner.".

Never would she have thought that she would be hiding from killers and thieves in the coming days.

When she was on the way back home shopping with her friends, she only had thoughts of snoozing on the couch when she got back.

Then, a beat later, she found herself sprawled on the floor, bruises on her arms and legs. ...Eh?

After that, when she returned back, she would find that her father had taken the liquid diamonds her mother had been working on. Apparently, the vault he had been working on got shot through, crushed, and encased in a mixture of mud, concrete and asphalt. So, he had it stored in another vault, outside of Academy city.

Trouble came knocking that very same night.

Her parents ended up being severely injured, and had to be hospitalized.

Mie was entrusted with the data that her mother had for her liquid diamond project, as well as the digital blueprints for the many vaults her father had. All of that data was in the data pack she held in her bag right now.

"Akikawa Mie's father works as he vault builder and planner, while her mother is the head of a project that creates liquid diamond." Shutaura explained to Touma. "A few days back, her family was attacked by an unknown group for the knowledge on how to create the liquid diamond."

"Are they okay?" Touma asked worriedly.

"They are fine." Arisa assured Touma. Shutaura followed up after the pinkette. "And, it from the reports we got from the doctors, eyewitnesses, and the security footage we have, we are most probably dealing with a buoyancy manipulator, a hydro hand user, and most probably an aerohand user."

"...most probably?"

"Here, look at the footage." Shutaura pulled up a flash drive, attaching it to a tablet that Arisa took out. "Thanks Arisa."

"Just make it quick." Arisa stretched her arms. "Otherwise, I might actually stay here."

"Alright. Here." Touma took the tablet, his eyes already on the footage. Pointedly ignoring the last few words he had just heard.

At first, it showed an apartment room. There was a teenage girl, around his age, and a single man. That must be Akikawa Mie and her father. There was nothing out of the ordinary. It switched to outside. Same thing.

Then, his eye caught a silver of movement.

That was all the warning he got before the cameras were smashed by ball of liquid.

Heart racing, he quickly changed the video feed.

The door, made of reinforced carbon and wood, was smashed to bits as well. He could see some distinct patterns in the air, before the door burst against a wall, smashing into pieces. So, that would be the traces from the aerohand user?

"St-stay away!" In the footage, the man stood in-front of his daughter, shielding her from the intruders. "W-what do you want?"

"Many things." The voice that came through was distorted. Maybe a voice modifier? "But, we desire data. Specifically, about the work your wife has been doing."

"O-okay..." The man complied, walking out the room.

"I'll fast forward the footage." Shutaura leaned over to tap the video. "To sum it up, after this, Akikawa Mie's father downloaded the contents of both his vault plans and his wife's project data onto two data banks. But, Akikiawa Mie decided to get out of the area with the data. As for the father..." She tapped the screen, changing the video to another one. "You can see what we derived our suspicions from in this video."

"Damn it!" "Your daughter is a crazy one. But, that is no matter. Ah, and as thanks for doing that."

*Gr-ack*

"Graaahhhhh!"

Even though he could not see the action, his body and subconscious mind still remembered the action.

And the pain that came with the snapping of a bone.

These inhuman and painful sounds continued for a good five minutes, before it finally stopped.

Then, he saw it.

Three figures were pushing box-like items. But, instead of pushing them against the floor, they were-

"Are they...floating?"

"We suspect that the hydro hand user is floating the computer hard drive and laptops," Shutaura explained from the side as Touma watched the procession of items flow out of the door. "while the buoyancy manipulator is making the items light enough to float on water, and the aerohand user can use her ability to keep the water from entering inside."

"...but you don't think that this is the work of espers."

"Correct." Shutaura nodded. "We believe it is magic. And by we, I mean me and Arisa, since the Black Crow squad does not know about magic yet."

"Yet?"

"Never mind what I just said." Shutaura cleared her throat. "So, are you going to help us or not?"

"Is that a question?" Touma could not help but sigh. "If you tell me this much, if I do not help, then it would be a betrayal, wouldn't it?"

AN

This ending feels like a mix between lukewarm and a cliffhanger. What is your take on this? Please review on what your take to this ending is. I really want to know.

Also, my next update is most likely not going to come out anytime soon. I am trying out a new format for my stories, so sorry! In the meantime, enjoy this chapter...I guess?

Anime is life, review, and comment! Stay safe out there!