Fictions Mentioned:

Episode 25

OP Song:

Adele - Skyfall (Lyric Video)

Insert Song: Start

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

From inside the flower shop, there were Kazari Uiharu and Ruiko Saten, wearing florist attire who were making awkward and hesitant expressions as they glance at each other, standing just near the counter.

"...Um, are you both sure that you two wouldn't like to sit down?" Saten asked, concerned.

"That won't be necessary," the young woman spoke with a polite, direct-to-the-point tone. That young woman was Kaori Kanzaki. She and Stiyl Magnus were content to wait while standing just near the counter. For the sake of common courtesy and the fact that they were in a flower shop, Stiyl opted to refrain from his usual smoking habit in order not to cause an unnecessary ruckus.

The two members of Necessarius were curious about what Index had been doing here in a simple flower shop. Actually, that's what they all thought to be a flower shop at first. The Board Chairman just pointed them in the right direction where they would find Index at this time. And when they got to the flower shop, they were completely taken off guard at just how much of an impenetrable fortress this place truly was. Just a few meters away, they can already tell that this place is heavily warded with the finest anti-magical defenses that could rival St. George's Cathedral. It meant that defenses are fully operational. The flow of mana in this place was subtle but intense and central, well enough that an experienced Saint like Kanzaki can detect it, feeling as if it were multiple pipelines flowing from many countless directions all converging in one single point.

It actually made them a bit hesitant to actually enter this place. But then, they saw a few ordinary people just walking through the place without a care in the world, not knowing what they just walked into, and were buying flowers from the shop. Nothing odd was happening. It was daily business as usual for the shop and there were young teenagers wearing florist outfits helping the customers with picking out which flower of their choosing.

Walking into this place felt like...felt like walking into the belly of the beast without being aware of it, at least, that's what Kanzaki and Stiyl felt when they tried to enter. Nothing really happened to them and all they felt when coming here was a light breeze, like they were more than welcome to come here...just so long as they don't cause any form of trouble of course.

From what they can look around, there were no traces of any spiritual items in the vicinity, no sign of any visible magic circles, no sign of any wardings, nothing. It was as if this place was just ordinary, with the warding if it existed integrated as part of the building itself. One can get a dim sense that...this building seems to feel like a sentient creature.

"...Um, would like some cookies while waiting for Index-san? I baked them myself, although Rena-chan still thinks that she can really use improvement as the original recipe comes from someone I respect, I wonder, I wonder?" Rena Ryugu, showing a bright and accommodating smile, was offering a plate of cookies for the two visitors.

The two magicians looked at both the woman and the cookies. There was nothing detecting any kind of poison, nor can they detect any ill intent upon the person who was offering them cookies. They can feel a kind of sharp contrast between what they can feel about this apartment and what the residents of this place were like. Like it was a growing divide that only they can detect for the present moment.

Kanzaki, hesitant at first, took a bite of the cookie, slowly assessing it first. Her eyes widened, looking at the cookie with interest before glancing at Stiyl who noticed the former's expression. It tasted...a lot better than Kanzaki expected. Oat flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, baking soda, cornstarch, baking powder, maple syrup, dark chocolate chips, mini vegan marshmallows, and almond milk. She can taste the blend of flavors, and she enjoyed them.

"Stiyl, you have to try this!" she would encourage her companion who was raising an eyebrow at the former's excitement.

"No, no, I'm not hungry at the moment, help yourself if you have to, Kanzaki," Stiyl said casually, waving his right hand.

"Well, that's quite a shame, I'd rather not that the cookies be wasted after all in light of personal income, but I suppose that can't be helped."

"...!"

Both Kanzaki and Stiyl had shivers run down their spine when a woman's voice echoed in their ears. Just by the voice, they can tell that they were in the presence of a very dangerous predator. It was a type of feeling that made even the most dangerous human on earth or even the most powerful saint look utterly tame in comparison. The presence itself was very subtle, and a mere fraction of her power was felt in spades for about ten seconds at minimum before receding.

They slowly turn to the right and found someone leaning on the nearby wall with arms crossed. Her expression was an accommodating smile, but it was one that made both magicians cautious. From just one glance, they can already tell that, despite ordinary appearances to the contrary, this woman was very dangerous. It was a woman who appeared to look to be about twenty years old. She had long, wavy blond hair, her right eye was covered with an eyepatch while her left right eye had a slit-like iris. She wore high quality, stylish grey apron, and gloves.

Kanzaki instinctively touch the scabbard of her sword but didn't pull the sword itself off of its sheath. Stiyl didn't too anything, but his eyes narrowed. He felt drops of sweat can threaten to come out of his brow. From his mere experience of hunting magicians, there were none that equaled this woman. With just a mere fraction of her presence, one can already tell that one is dealing with a very dangerous magician...Was she even a magician? Both magicians thought to themselves.

"If you two want to meet with Index Librorum Prohibitorum, then you two should follow me," the woman said before lowering her arms and was about to make a walk before turning with a side glance. "Oh, and if you don't know who I am, then I suppose that I should introduce myself. My name is Frida Fensalir, and this is my flower shop. I do hope that you can enjoy the stay for the time being."

Then, she walked ahead. The two magicians, glancing at each other, followed her, leaving Uiharu, Saten, Rena, Shion, and Mion to look at them from behind as they leave the front of the shop and headed toward the library.

"...Well, as expected of Fensalir-san, she knows how to handle a pair of magicians just by nothing but words," Mion smiled with slight amusement. "Keiichi should probably have a thing or two to learn from her if he wants to keep his 'Magician of Words' title."

They didn't know what they were getting themselves into. To their surprise, as they walk down the stairs of what they thought of as a basement, it was actually a very large library. The grand architecture reminded one of the Library of Congress, seeing all of the statues and bookshelves surrounding the area.

While they walked, Othinus started a conversation that brought their attention.

"If I were to may ask, considering that the Board Chairman probably sent you my way, I can assume that there is an important matter that needed to be discussed?"

"...Yes," Kanzaki muttered hesitantly, glancing at Stiyl. She supposes that considering the woman knows the Board Chairman of this city of science, then it was alright to give the general details while leaving a few things out. "The truth of the matter is that originally speaking, we were hoping to take Index back with us due to a possible threat that is in the city. However, the Board Chairman highly recommended the assistance of Captain Nippon for the task at hand in order to find this possible threat."

"...I see," Othinus simply left it that. But... "However, there's something that you left out. Certain memories perhaps?"

"...!" both magicians flinched for a moment before composing themselves. Does the woman know about that as well? Then again, they thought, she did know the Board Chairman so perhaps she is aware of the general situation. Stiyl answered. "Yes, it is imperative that we check up on her and perform the memory erasure as soon as possible in consideration of the fact that it needs to be done at least one per year-"

But Othinus cut him off. "And that wouldn't be necessary."

"..." both magicians were shocked and troubled, stopping their tracks, which Othinus noticed as she too stopped walking. "...What do...you mean...?" Stiyl asked slowly.

"It is better if you were to ask the nun for yourself," Othinus said ominously, with her left eye narrowed as if speaking 'Do not misunderstand what I say'.

Kanzaki and Stiyl found themselves in a very spacious room. Meow, they heard the sound of a cat that was sitting on the table. They look and see a blonde woman wearing a winter school uniform of a prestigious school seated just nearby the cat, looking through all of the written down notes that she had from her notepad. The blonde woman noticed them as she glances in their direction, curious. The woman, Frida Fensalir, was taking a step back and walked a few meters away towards two individuals. They look and see...

"...!"

They stopped in their tracks as they held their breath. They see...a young woman standing tall with a confident posture. She had pure white skin, silk-like silver hair, whose emerald eyes were one of...recognition?! Impossible?! She wears the clothes of a nun, but they looked rather unorthodox, for instead of jet black, it was pure white. It looked a bit like a long dress that reaches her ankles and there was a one-piece hood over her head. All of the important points of the outfit had embroideries made of golden thread that had been sewn in. But there was something else...Was that...sadness? For what? And why was she looking at the two like that?

Standing right beside her was a man who looked refined and sophisticated. A man that looks to be in his mid-thirties, with combed well-kept hair with grey sides and a meticulously trimmed goatee, wearing yellow gloves, a blue tunic robe that is worn all over the body, and a scarlet red cape connected to his back, along with a strange eye-like artifact that is worn around his neck. The woman with the eye patch nodded at the man while the man nodded back.

They couldn't help but remain on guard as they saw this man whose analytical and sharp cold blue-grey eyes stared down at them along with an undecipherable expression, as if deep in thought. Those eyes that appeared to stare back at their eyes as if looking deep into their soul.

The man looks at the young woman, giving him a supporting hand on the left shoulder. The young woman looks at the man with a hesitant and worried expression, while the man gave her a confident and supporting nod, along with a subtle but kind smile. The magicians didn't know why, but they felt like they were seeing a secret conversation taking place. They didn't know what, but the subtle expressions were more than enough for them to notice that these two appeared to be close in a sense.

Who was this man? They never saw him with this young woman before, the woman named Index Librorum Prohibitorum.

As if giving the go-signal and letting the young woman handle the encounter, the man let his hand go.

Index would begin to look straight at Kanzaki and Stiyl. She breathes a heavy sigh before taking the first step. Little by little, she walks towards them with a determined expression. It gives a certain level of edge to the situation as they didn't know what to make of this. The magicians all felt time stop in a sense as they see their old friend walking towards them. Just a few meters, of every single step, brought trepidation and concern upon the faces of Stiyl and Kanzaki.

She stops and turns her delicate face towards them. And...she slowly formed a sad smile...

"...Hello...It's been a while, Stiyl, Kaori," Index spoke their names. But that...

"...!"

That only made them shocked and concerned. How? How did Index know their names? How did they know who they were? Was the expression that they saw accurate? But that was impossible, they thought. They've erased every memory and experience that they had with Index from within Index's mind in order to prevent her from dying. So how did she know them?

"...I remember," the words that came out of her mouth made the both of them still. To further clarify. "Or rather to be more precise, I remember a few bits and pieces. It's still a work in progress as far as I'm concerned. But I...remember enough for the time being. I can't rush into it as it's the doctor's orders after all." Index said the last part with light-hearted humor as if her supposed condition weren't that big of a deal.

Kanzaki was now trembling. She takes a few steps back. She didn't know what to do in this situation. Based on just the emerald eyes, Index wasn't lying. She was telling the truth. She does remember, if only a fraction of the experiences that they had made together.

"Of course, I remember all of the times when I was with Stiyl, being escorted by him as we went from library after library, gaining and accumulating the knowledge of all of the 103,000 grimoires on my head. I remember the times when you, Kaori, were discussing to me about what your homeland, Japan, was like. Although I suppose that in spite of my memory loss, the knowledge of the country still remained with me. I also remember the times when you once told me of your former Amakusa Church. And Stiyl, I remember you to be quite the chain smoker. I wonder...do you still do that even after all this time?"

She keeps speaking to the two in familiar terms. But that wasn't possible, the two magicians all thought. Index was supposed to have lost all memories of the two. She wasn't supposed to remember them. She wasn't. But why? Why was she speaking to them in this way?

There were tears...for the first time threatening to come out of the two magicians. That smile that made them realize that their friend knows them, and remembers them. Kanzaki made the first move, lowering her guard for what amounted to the first time in...ages she thought. She knelt down and grab both Index's shoulders.

"...Index," Kanzaki quivered, her eyes threatening to leak. "You...You remember us...? But how...?"

Index confirmed with a nod. Her head made a sideway glance toward the man who was with Fensalir. "I had a little help...one that I couldn't do on my own. He's a doctor you see-"

"A doctor?" Kanzaki scrunched her eyebrows out of concern while Stiyl gave a suspicious eyebrow at the man due to their preconceived suspicions on anything science-side related.

"A doctor with the full professional capacity and expertise in both fields of magic and science," Index clarified with a tone of authority and reassurance, one that left no argument. While her expression was serious, it was still sober. "He was the one who slowly help me regain my memories of you two. It's...a work in progress as I said. But...I remember enough." She smiled. "At least you two haven't changed much...well, aside from the years and troubles that had passed. Although I still disapprove of your smoking habit, Stiyl." She said the last part with a half-serious, half-joking tone.

Kanzaki and Stiyl were having their eyes threatening to leak with tears. This was impossible, they thought. And yet, this is truly happening.

"And if I may," the man being referred to as 'doctor' was walking towards them. Actually, did it appear to look like walking? It looked like that he had just magically teleported himself from one location to another in no time. It surprised the magicians, but the magicians noticed the beaming, respectful smile of their friend and comrade. "Perhaps I would introduce myself to the friends of my student." The man said the last part with a gentleman smile.

"("Student?")" Kanzaki and Stiyl thought, looking to Index who nodded in reassurance as if saying 'you can trust this man'.

"I am Doctor Stephen Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts and Sorcerer Supreme, and also, Index's physician and teacher. And I believe that we need to have a deep discussion regarding a certain peculiarity involving an alchemist that you are currently hunting at the moment, a man in connection with the past of my student," Dr. Strange introduced himself, glancing at Index with concern.

"...Yes," Index's eyes were lowered in sadness before turning towards her comrades. "This is about Aureolus Izzard, isn't it?"

"...!" the two magicians were surprised. "You remember him as well," Kanzaki asked, concerned.

"Bits and pieces, similar to the rest of you," Index smiled as she nodded. "It has been far too long...And if we're going to talk about my situation, Aureolus would need to be addressed. I sense something terrible had happened to him while I was lost in the fog of my own memories."

"..." Kanzaki and Stiyl worry as to what they could tell about Izzard to Index. They knew that Index was close to the man back in the day, but how can they tell her directly to the face that he may not be the same man she knew him long ago.

Then, all of a sudden...

"...!"

A mystical yellowish portal was conjured forth. From there, two young men, Keiichi Maebara and Satoshi Hojo, wearing male gardening uniforms and making slightly annoyed expressions, were carrying what appeared to be an unconscious shrine maiden. The shrine maiden was a young girl with long straight black hair and her eyes were closed, showing a sign of unconsciousness. The sight of the girl made Kanzaki and Stiyl shocked as they immediately recognized the person that is being carried over.

"What the...Deep Blood?" Kanzaki muttered in shock.

"Well now, I may seem to have interrupted a little reunion here," there was a man with both hands in his pocket. There was an amused and exasperated smirk on his face. He was quite a handsome British man, with brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a white button-down shirt, black trousers, red colored consciously-loosened necktie, beige trenchcoat, and black shoes.

The moment the man step through, the portal closed automatically. Index and Shokuhou (511) were blinking their eyes in surprise. Othinus...sighed and pinched her one eye, recognizing the man with an air of exasperation. Dr. Strange gave a slightly annoyed but not surprised look at his colleague.

"...Constantine," Dr. Strange said with an annoyed expression in reference to the sudden surprise of bringing the shrine maiden here.

"Now, before any of you lot, especially you Strange, complain about what I just did by bringing the girl here and the potential risk of that amateur alchemist coming here to take her back by force, I wouldn't worry about the bloke for the time being..." John Constantine raised his hands in mocking surrender before giving an amused smirk. "Since he may have a bit of a...fire problem going around back at home base."

"You burn down Misawa Cram School, didn't you?" Dr. Strange made a deadpan tone.

"Yeah, pretty much, and Judgment would probably take care of the bills for that," Constantine nodded. "And the best part, the alchemist wouldn't know who did it. He'll be constantly running around in circles trying to find the girl. Oh, and don't worry about the students there, I managed to get them all out without anyone noticing a thing."

"And that's just like you to plan things ahead...which leads us to our next problem," Dr. Strange said with a sigh, glancing contritely at Index who notices her master's expression. "Index, I believe that it's time we meet my other friends back in my world, and you're coming with me. This will be yet another lesson that I would like to teach for you today, and that would be how to travel between the Worlds of the Multiverse."

"Oh bloody hell," Constantine made a smirk. "You're going to call them all in, aren't you?"

"That's right," Dr. Strange smiled, and glancing to his left, he sees Othinus smiling with a knowing expression. He said. "It is about time that I call upon the Midnight Suns."

Insert Song: End

ED Song:

Terminator Salvation - Break The Silence (Soundtrack)

12 Core Members:

Doctor Stephen Strange - A: Benedict Cumberbatch

John Constantine - A: Matt Ryan

Main Heroine Characters:

Index Librorum Prohibitorum - VA: Yuka Iguchi

Othinus - VA: Asami Seto

New Characters:

Aisa Himegami - VA: Mamiko Noto