Fictions Mentioned:

Episode 22

OP Song:

Adele - Skyfall (Lyric Video)

Insert Song: Start

The Master of the Mystic End Credits (Audio Only) from Doctor Strange

"Meow."

Sphynx, everyone's favorite calico cat, was seen just sitting on a wooden table nearby and observing the one person with that he had a connection to in the most intimate ways possible, one that surpasses time and space. Othinus, Hanyu Furude, and Misaki Shokuhou (511) were sitting on their chairs as they watch the two, master and student, begin with their mystical arts training.

Dr. Strange was floating in mid-air just a few meters above the ground, with two of his legs crossed as if he were like the monks of Tibet doing their regular meditation stance, showing the expression of a professor ready to begin his lesson. Index was merely sitting on the ground and looking at Dr. Strange with the respectful look of a student in training.

"Now Index, the first thing that I would like for you to learn is a simple back to the basics. We all have to start with the basics for most of the time, a little review or a refreshing of the mind wouldn't hurt one bit, and it would relate to what I would discuss later on, and of course, I am more than referring to our private audience, one of them who would no doubt may need to take mental notes of our discussion as I am sure that she would find it rather useful."

Dr. Strange was in fact referring to Shokuhou (511) who was simply sitting down and watching the master and student. Now granted, if it were any other time before this, Misaki Shokuhou (511) would never have believed in such things as magic, and the supernatural works of which that could not be explained on the basis of scientific methods and inquiry as much as she and everyone else in her Academy City were more than aware of.

Like with any supernatural phenomenon, Shokuhou (511) thinks within the limits of her own worldview in light of her turbulent upbringing, on how everything can or would be explained by science. The power of espers and what their capabilities lay untold were a living proof of such a view. How else can one explain such a thing? When there is a phenomenon, there would always be a scientific explanation.

However...

Everything that had just happened defied the laws of common sense. Parallel worlds, being a shaky theory at best and a thing of fiction at worst, were quite real based on personal experience alone. The fact that an alternate version of her Prince (Prime) existed, and already having met him before when he was young which includes the shaky possibility of time travel as well, and the addition of her alternate counterpart (Prime), the alternate counterparts of people that she knew like Misaka (Prime), and other differences that she never even thought possible before.

And then...

There was of course the Scarlet King. The classified mental file that her prime counterpart had shared with her through their brief mental connection was something that she couldn't just forget even if she tried too. In fact, it could even bring her nightmares that she may never be rid of. Then again, she was warned before seeking such knowledge in the first place so this was part of her to blame for it.

The file spoke of the devil, the real Devil, the real Satan, not a myth nor legend, not the result of a psychological collective of beliefs, not a mere fantasy, not even close. He was the real honest-to-god deal, and He was the main enemy that overshadows everything that has been going wrong since the highway incident, and perhaps what lay beyond the universe. He was locked away from the Multiverse precisely because He was too dangerous. His full power, when one get's down to it, is something that terrified Shokuhou (511). He was bigger...in every single sense of the word. A terrible dark god that was the living personification of every evil and champions the concept of atheism which does not believe in a god or gods, because through the absence of a belief which is a paradox, it is a sharp conceptual weapon that he uses to great effect. For the mere concept of nothingness was his specialty of choice, it was His Law to command and His to see fit.

The idea(s) of the Scarlet King and what surrounded Him shook her, shaking everything that she thinks she knew and believed. It was like someone from high above was more than amused at the pitiful little worms that thought that their idea of reality was everything there is. Some part of her, if she wasn't imagining it, felt like laughing at the sheer absurdity and lost in such madness of fits.

And of course, the main reason why Touma Kamijou (Prime) had to undergo the Test as the DARKNESS would not show mercy or compassion, devoid of such things.

And that would be one of the main reasons why Shokuhou (511) would agree to attend this lecture. She needed to know. She needed to understand what she was truly up against. She was in a completely different world, both in a physical and mental sense. Her point of view no longer matters as other points of view would clash and would crush her to mere oblivion.

Now, since the light and darkness are made known to her, she could not help but maintain her paranoia of everything around her that wasn't even remotely connected to her Prince, and even with that, it may not be able to comfort her as it should. The threat that everyone, including her, now face is a being that is pure evil, cold as ice, calculating to the point of incomprehensibility, and patient in getting what He wants. He has no need for rushing things, for time is quite a novelty if not a mere triviality to such a being like Him.

She listens to everything that is being discussed. Anything at all. If only for a piece of general knowledge to be attained that would make her survive the coming storm. She had a very good feeling that the highway incident and the children of Touma Kamijou from different worlds coming here was not the only thing that is going to happen. There was a sense of trepidation about what to actually expect. An elusive Enemy that plans from every side. Despite being locked away, the Scarlet King uses chess pieces on the chessboard like a professional chessmaster.

The Multiverse equals the chessboard. Almost everyone was the pieces. Locked in a cosmic battle between good and evil. This was now a cosmic game of life and death. Anyone can die, even her. Everything is fair game because things are not as they used to be.

As of now, Dr. Strange. like a magician that had mastered his craft well, provides not only adequate explanations but also elaborate demonstrations, using his magic to conjure up appropriate hovering pictures and symbols and magic circles that would allow for Shokuhou (511) to follow their discussion without getting bogged down by the technical terminologies. A picture speaks a thousand words after all and Dr. Strange has mastered this intricate and sophisticated magic spell known as The Picture of a Thousand Words with its ultimate expression being to apply the very old concept of the adage that bespeaks multiple languages that meant complex and sometimes multiple ideas that can be conveyed by a single still image, which in turn conveys its meaning or essence more effectively than a mere verbal description that may take hours or more to comprehend for the person not well versed in such things. But this isn't even the only thing that comes to mind when it comes to this spell as their are many applications of it by virtue of this concept alone. Needless to say, it is very versatile and adaptable.

"As with any field requiring study and practice, it is essential to start with the theoretical before transitioning into the practical. As contradictory as it may seem to sound, magic—like any science—must be studied to be understood. And more importantly, it must be studied to be controlled. For in relation to your universe, magic is a unique and complex system of arts, disciplines, and traditions that are firmly grounded in laws and knowledge that are wholly unknown to the public and beyond the grasp of the normal human sciences and perception, which sought to manipulate and distort certain aspects of reality. The system was created and developed by those without talent for the supernatural, in this case, those who do not have the natural power of the gemstone espers, or in the case of modern times, the artificial power of modern espers of the city of science that you would know as Academy City, and allow themselves to catch up to those with talent. Of course, you are more than aware of the various differences between the two primarily known—but necessarily only—broad categories of magic such as Imitative Magic and Infection Magic, but for the sake of the ones listening, I shall explain further."

"Imitative Magic, otherwise known as Idol Theory to you, and what I know to be Sympathetic Magic, is the term used to refer to the phenomenon wherein an imitation of a whole or parts of a subject, the source, gains properties and attributes that are inherent to that source. It is used as a basic explanation of how magicians draw their power, and how they can wield it to their liking. Say if you were to build a small statue of a god, said statue would receive a fraction of the power of said god because it is made in its likeness; a shaman wearing animal skin can become that animal; the symbol of the cross, one used in churches or one that can be worn around the neck or other examples, can replicate the True Cross where the Son of God had been crucified. One needs to be mindful however that they are not perfect and are at best duplicates that possess a small fraction of the power of the original, although the percentage is incredibly small, even less than 0.000000000001% of the original's. If I were to be applying a scientific terminology to it, I would use the concept of solar panels. The imitations—the solar panels—receive a fraction of the energy of the real thing—the sun—produces. It also works in reverse, like for voodoo dolls: what you do to the reproduction of the person affects said person. To summarize this category of magic, I would take the popular modern paraphrase 'As Above, So Below' from the Emerald Tablet to summarize this category of magic, meaning that something similar to something else can produce the same results or do the same things, just because of their similarity, to of course varying degrees of success or failure."

"Infection Magic on the other hand is a term used to refer to the phenomenon wherein objects such as hairs, fingernails, or other parts of the body such as the eyes can be used to keep in contact with something else which keeps a bit of its propriety, much like how relics of saints have a bit of their power in them even long after they had passed away. One form of this magic is an offensive type, one that would remotely attack the target by destroying a piece of one's target by using a special method, say using an eyeball of the target to initiate the spell without any complex rituals and conditions pre-required which would have been required for the regular spell. To summarize this category of magic, I will draw a parallel example from the Law of Contagion that this magic applies, meaning that once two people or objects have been in contact a magical link persists between them unless or until a formal cleansing, consecration, exorcism, or other act of banishing breaks the non-material bond. It is in fact because of this law that governs the principle of this magic that most magicians in your universe use religions, mythologies, and folklore to base their magic on because it's simple to use what already exists than to create something from scratch, hence why many tend to join denominations or sects or religions or cabals or other magic groups."

"Now that we have discussed these two basic categories, we can move on to another topic which is the process of which various energy sources that magicians tend to use to power their magic. This overall concept of magical energy is largely more controversial and debatable as different denominations and schools of thought have their own theories on the idea itself and how it precisely works in conjunction with a human's life force, namely the soul. Now, there are a flood of different theories as to the definition of the soul, one of the main ones being developed from Greek Philosophy, but one would need to think of the energy flowing through the human body as crude oil, and then with that, it would be necessary to refine it into gasoline before attempting to use magic."

"One simple method is to use certain breathing techniques. But that is just one example of controlling one's body. It can also be meditation, warming-up exercises, or fasting. Basically, you just have to manipulate bodily functions such as the flow of blood and the rhythm of the organs to bring them to the values you want. Now of course, most of the internal organs cannot be consciously controlled. Forcing a change into them is what allows one to refine that normally unreachable energy. However, the internal organs function automatically because the alternative is dangerous. It's the same reason that a computer's system files are hidden by default. If someone without the proper knowledge were to mess with them, there is a danger of it coming back to bite them in the most potent of ways. In fact, referencing a time of your universe's past, it would be heavily mistaken for a divine punishment or curse. Once you have the magic power needed to use magic, you just have to manipulate that power into the form that matches your wishes. There are many different types of vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles, boats, and airplanes, but they all still spin turbines using explosive power. If you want to cross the ocean, you first need to think about what kind of vehicle you need, and you need to create the most suitable fuel by refining crude oil."

At this point, Dr. Strange smiled.

"And now we get to the good part. From the context that has been given, it is time for you, Index, to be able to harness that crude oil and match it to your wishes and sensibilities."

Now, Dr. Strange flicked both of his hands as orange-lined tangible constructs were being formed, being conjured in various unique shapes and patterns.

"Now, I can divulge to you, Index, how I usually conjure up my magic. For in my native cosmos and reality, the system of magic that magicians and sorcerers like myself practice has more to do with the natural ability to utilize certain universal energies and extra-dimensional forces whose nature is beyond the scope of the technologically-oriented science of all known sentient races. Spells and phrases are often used to simulate other powers, such as reality warping, mind control, and elemental attacks. In this case, there are three main categorical types of harnessing these types of magical forces."

Dr. Strange raised one right index finger and close the rest.

"The first are the Personal Energies: energy that is derived from the sorcerer's lifeforce. They are the mental and spiritual powers that magicians and sorcerers develop for themselves, and it comes with many abilities such as psionic energy, chi manipulation, astral projection, thought-casting, and many others. However..."

Dr. Strange would add an intoned warning for Index to heed carefully.

"Constant use of one's personal energies can prove to be fatal if not handled properly. Therefore, it is necessary for mystics and sorcerers to learn to harness external energies through meditation techniques and trained willpower so that we may use magic without posing any unnecessary harm unto ourselves or even unto others, just as if oil were to either catch fire and spread out more than intended or the oil was to dry up from its natural resource. Of course, you are quite an exemption to this rule due to your natural-born affinity and gifts, Index, but still, one would not hurt to be cautious all the same. And now, we would need to move on to the second type of harnessing magical energy."

Dr. Strange raised one right middle finger alongside the index finger.

"The Ambient Magical Energy of the Universe, or Universal Energies: these are the energies that flow all around the world and around ourselves. Even at this very moment, our bodies are surrounded by an infinite amount of pure energy that one need only grasp in order to use, and this is the more common type of energy for us magicians and sorcerers to harness in cases of practical and safety measures."

Dr. Strange reached out and clenched his left hand on thin air as if grasping the hem of a fabric...and pulled. It was barely visible to the eyes of Shokuhou (511) who was watching closely at the demonstration, but she still managed to make out a thin sheet of light that became more apparent as Dr. Strange balled the energy up into the sphere. Dr. Strange inspected the glowing globe he had whisked into existence and promptly let it go, watching the entranced face of Index, the inquiring face of Shokuhou (511), Hanyu clapping her hands as if seeing a very good magic show, and the solemn, smiling face of Othinus, all with a smile as the globe dissolved into a multitude of fading white specks.

Dr. Strange would begin to raise one right ring finger alongside the index and middle fingers, sporting a deathly serious expression.

"And last but never the least, there is the Extradimensional Magical Energy, or Dimensional Energies: these are the energies gained through the tapping of extra-dimensional energy drawn from other planes of existence throughout the Multiverse and by invoking entities or objects of power existing in mystical dimensions, with different physical and magical laws, tangential to our own. Unlike the first two, the entities invoked generally have a say in how or if the power is used. And it is this one that requires the utmost prudence and necessary precautions. Otherwise, terrible consequences can occur, for not all magic is for free, and even some of them always have a price to pay, even at a very high cost. I should know that better than anyone in light of my years of tenure as Sorcerer Supreme. And now, it is about time that I teach you to how to make use of the first and second."

In that very moment, there was a small silver mystical ring with an emerald jewel color on top that would be conjured and hovering in mid-air. Then, Dr. Strange gently pushes it toward Index's location for her to grab it and examine it personally.

She examines and notices the properties with a curious expression. An emerald jewel that seem to glow a bit brighter when she touched it with her right hand, appeared to be attracted to her. There was also a phrase in Latin found on the ring: "Primum non nocere."

"What is this, Master Strange?" she asked.

"That would be a Sling Ring, Index, one of the more special ones that I took the liberty of creating for quite some time for your personal use," Dr. Strange explained.

"A Sling Ring?" Index asked.

"It is a device that would act as your guide in your training. With it, it can act as a natural aid to help you conjure up magical spells without any form of worry."

Dr. Strange begins to weave his hands through the air and conjure up lines of dazzling energy from the tips of his fingers. The energy began taking shape as Dr. Strange talked, linking and chaining into an intricate mandala.

"We as the Sorcerer Supremes, the masters of our craft, harness energy drawn from the universe and from other dimensions of the Multiverse, to cast spells and manifest them into existence, to conjure shields and weapons to our aid; to make magic!"

He flicked his hands towards Index, and the mandala that he constructed so beautifully, rumbled as its energy would turn into little butterflies that flew straight to Index as they and the wind breezed gently upon her delicate face, making her softly laugh as she felt a warm tickling sensation.

Othinus smiled, both happy and sad in a solemn fashion, due to the intimate knowledge and experience that she had with Index, one from experiences of the pure unadulterated timeline, one she still had memories of. She knew Index, knew her story, knew her experiences, and everything else about her. And she was an old friend that she had missed deeply, and an old friend that she had once lost.

Even now, Othinus still wondered as to how would they go back in a sense to when things used to be, a time when they had a very close bond in light of their numerous adventures and experiences. As of now, four twinkling stars are complete and intertwined: herself, Index, Misaka, and Shokuhou. However, there are still other people that they, and of course, Touma Kamijou, have yet to meet. Some of them good, some of them bad, and some of them are a complicated lot hard to pin down. And the events that came with them were something that was unforgettable to the former Magic God.

Nevertheless, Othinus was determined about one thing which burns with resolve.

She will not lose her family again!

Dr. Strange smiled, noting how just of a quick study and learner his new apprentice was.

The first point: It related to the two-hour challenge where only Index stood remaining on a platform. All with her emerald-colored shields up that have the words written in Koine Greek. She stands tall as she blazes through every fiery opponent that materialized into thin air with ease. For they were flaming beings conjured up with orange flaming faces. This was for the sake of honing her physical and mental capabilities. What she had learned then and what she had learned now.

But it wasn't just the circles from her delicate fingertips that she conjured and fired blizzards of calculated energy strikes. She was also making use of Spell Intercept, the ability to use Notarikon codes to hijack the spell to variable degrees, and to put it to good effect.

The second point: Well, there was this instance...

"...!"

Shokuhou (511) paled in sight, with mouth open, of what appeared to be a giant black spectral dog, the size of whom was as large as the shelves, with yellow benevolent eyes, that Index is gently petting with a smile. The dog was wagging its tail slightly and making a soft, pleasing noise. Sphynx was also right beside Index, looking at the black dog without any fear. Dr. Strange was also right beside Index, examining the dog with narrowed eyes and a hand to his chin. Othinus and Hanyu were simply amused at the scene before them.

Index had summoned a special type of creature from an entirely unconnected dimension, the Black Dog of Somerset, a guardian black dog, whose primary but not the only task was to guide travellers at night onto the right path or protecting them from danger. From that moment forward, Index had gained a new pet and protector in the form of the Black of Somerset, to whom she would call Gubbio, named after the legendary wolf of the same name.

The third point: Dr. Strange and Index were simply hovering together in mid-air, just near enough on the ground, and doing meditation breathing techniques that allow them to concentrate and collect their thoughts. In the meantime, Othinus had already prepared lunch and was offering it to Hanyu and Shokuhou (511) who took them with grateful and polite responses, chewing the food. Sphynx was simply on the ground, drinking the milk in the bowl that he had been given by Othinus.

"How is the lecture on magic that had been discussed so far, Shokuhou-san?" Othinus suddenly asked as she was sitting next to the aforementioned latter.

"Eh? Umm...It was rather informative in a way," Shokuhou (511) said, slightly surprised when Othinus started talking to her.

Othinus' expression grew empathetic, speaking. "You may be thinking of a few ways of how magic could restore the memories of that man from your universe, correct?"

"...Y-Yes," Shokuhou (511) said with a soft voice after hesitating, her eyes lowering.

Othinus sighed. "And to think that I have to deal with that conundrum again in some shape or form..."

"Eh? What do you mean?" Shokuhou (511) showed a curious expression.

"Oh...pay no heed to this fool of a woman," Othinus decided to drop the subject, deeming it quite a risk to reveal future events that she had experienced. There were still things that no one really needed to know. At least not yet, and it is these things that Othinus had prepared accordingly for several years before the modern era of the 2000s.

While Index was meditating...

"...Ah," her eyes opened as she remembers something. And it was one that made her scrunch her eyebrows.

She remembered an image of a person she was acquainted with long ago.

"What is it, Index?" Dr. Strange, opening his eyes, noticed his student looking rather concerned and concentrating on something.

"...I'm...I'm slowly remembering something...No, someone," Index said. It grabbed Othinus' attention and she looks immediately in Index's direction. The same can be said for Hanyu and for Shokuhou (511) who had stopped eating.

"Can you describe this person?" Dr. Strange asked.

"He was...He was someone that had been my protector and partner once in the past. Quite a kind and troubled soul deep down, an individual who has dedicated his study of magic to saving lives. I used to help him a lot because I hold the grimoires that would help and assist him in his research...He...He didn't take it well when he found out that I was suffering from memory loss for so many years," Index's eyes grew saddened as she touches her heart with both of her hands.

"Does this person have a name?" Dr. Strange asked.

"...I-"

Beep. Beep. Beep.

But before Index could answer, there was a beeping sound that was coming from Othinus' pockets. The latter took notice and immediately picked up the phone from her pocket, and pressed a button after seeing the caller's name on the screen.

"Yes?" Othinus asked.

"...Um, Fensalir-san, there appear to be two people in strange clothing that are asking for Index-san," Saten said, looking rather bewildered.

Insert Song: End

ED Song:

Terminator Salvation - Break The Silence (Soundtrack)

12 Core Members:

Dr. Stephen Strange - A: Benedict Cumberbatch

Main Heroine Characters:

Index Librorum Prohibitorum - VA: Yuka Iguchi

Othinus - VA: Asami Seto