Quick announcement: "chappies", as I've become fond of calling them (again; thanks, 321jaz) aren't going to be slowing down; but they are going to be decreasing, slightly, in their wordiness. To adjust, or, more accurately, play around with my own prose is my goal, along with endgame goal of continually improving as an artist dabbling in this craft. I hope the same enjoyment can be found in these slightly shortened "chappies".

As always, if an issue has arisen due to this, feel free to contact me via FanFiction's private messaging system, and, hopefully, any issues can be solved as quickly, and as efficiently as possible.

Not-so-quick thing: a big thanks to everyone who has followed, or favorited, and to those who've done both, all the same! It's great to have you all on board, and I hope each one of you enjoy being along for the ride, as much as I'm enjoying operating it.

Thanks, 321jaz, for favoriting and following!

Thanks, CD DC, for favoriting and following!

Thanks, Chaotic Hero, for favoriting and following!

Thanks, Generation Zero, for favoriting!

Thanks, Kobi-Baidoo for favoriting!

Thanks, Majin Othinus, for favoriting!

Thanks, ShadowLucas15, for favoriting and following!

Thanks, The SENDER and the TRAVELER for favoriting and following!

Thanks, Azeroth5 for favoriting and five!

Thanks, Joao-Elias09 for favoriting and following!

Thanks, Demonstrous for following!

Thanks, Meaningless Us3rname for following!

Thanks, migdude10 for following!

Thanks, Casuar, for following!

As we always do around this time, let's jump into response time, shall we? It's always great to see what you lovely people have to say!

321jaz: you've successfully claimed first dibs, indeed! This is the second story whose 'review virginity' you've taken. Unfortunately, I don't even have an early copy of NT17 for myself; if I had two, you'd certainly get one! A shame, I know. I guess that we'll just have to make do, won't we?

Thanks for the conglaturation, friend! It's very much appreciated. As am I. Truth be told, I don't know what direction this piece's narrative is going to take. I do have matters planned, to an extent, but I've found that a narrative can easily deviate from my plans over time. At this rate, I'm pretty much as along for the ride as you are. I hope you enjoy reading chappies of a Certain Broken Testament as much as I'm sure I'll enjoy writing them!

"Robot" might not be the right word. Kamijou Touma is certainly changed, but whether he's man, machine, or something more than either is an unknown variable. I can promise that more information regarding the change in Kamijou Touma will be revealed, as the events of the narrative progress.

An explanation certainly is in order. It's a matter of waiting for the right situation to present itself, so that an explanation can be delivered without the need of an obvious info dump. I, too, can admit that I'll be missing fairy Othinus. As with all things, there's reasoning behind this.

It's certainly going to be quite the adventure for our hero, and for Othinus as well, who's apparently a classmate of his.

I concur! Canada is little more than a snow-covered wasteland, with pretend bacon, and, as you mentioned, invincible moose that will charge you without a second thought, should you look at them the wrong way.

As always, it's great to know that I'm able to continuously gain your approval! I hope to be able to do so through subsequent chappies!

Guest: admittedly, it wasn't what I had in mind, either; but these things happen. The "horror" genre will be warranted, though, I promise.

I have to ask, is there really a difference? I suppose I should explain myself, in any event; I personally prefer the noun "nanorobots" as opposed to "nanobots". "Nanomachines" had been my first choice, but, that one didn't strike the same mental cord that "nanorobots" did. Strangeness everywhere!

Objection! I have an explanation for this. You, and the other great folks who spotted this out are completely correct. However, I wanted "AU" to mean more than an indicator that events, here, will play out differently than they would, or will (timelines are extremely confusing) in Kamachi's prime canon. Othinus' referring to Touma as "Imagine Breaker", rather than "human", is a quirk within a changed universe.

That's going to change.

I'd argue otherwise, but, opinions are opinions, and we're all entitled to our own. No opinion is incorrect!

A change of ratings might end up being necessary, but, for the time being, I don't particularly see such a thing being completely necessary. It depends on what direction this piece's narrative takes, and, what direction Kamijou Touma's character travels in.

We do, but, I feel more comfortable pasting it as an introductory paragraph in the pieces I'm writing, here. I can't stress enough that I have absolutely nothing to do with this wonderful series; this is merely a piece of fan work. I don't feel like I can state this heavily enough.

As always, I hope to continue to have your input, friend.

Whwsms: that's a good thing, I suppose! All of the aforementioned pieces of media are excellent, especially the Twilight Zone!

That's great to hear! I hope to continue to stir your interest, friend. You're completely correct; there is, indeed, only one way to find out what in the world happened to our hero. You'll just have to read on, as always.

Joao-elia09: thanks for reviewing, friend! While Google Translate is hardly the best tool, it gets the job done well enough, evidently. It's great to have you along for the ride!

Toumakamijou298: thank you for your review! I actually have a reason for doing this, as mentioned previously, in my response to Guest's review; Othinus' referring to Touma as "Imagine Breaker", rather than "human", is a quirk in a universe changed. I hope to have your continued input, or, alternatively, your continued readership, friend!

Meaningless Us3rname: Thank you for your review, friend! I'm glad said twist has interested you; that means I'm doing my job correctly, which, of course, is a good thing. Keep hope alive; the Possibilities are Infinite.

I need to stop making that joke.

While the previous chapter served the purpose of setting up some, but nowhere near all of the details involving the alternate universe in which the events of this piece take place, the current chapter will also serve a purpose, one just as, if not even more important than the purpose of the chapter previous. This chapter marks the beginning of the Spring-heeled Jack Arc. Would you like to find out more, my lovely readers? You'll have to do just that; read on.

Othinus had closed the metallic door to the laundry room behind her. The knob produced a soft 'click', as the former Magic God unhanded it, and allowed it to twist back into its original position, internally. Passing through the dorm's laundry room, Othinus entered the bathroom, and, like the door previous, she closed it. Unlike the previous door, however, Othinus then locked the bathroom door behind her. Between her left hand's index, and middle fingers, the small, triangular lock, placed on the center of the door's inner knob was turned to the right, producing a soft 'click'.

From the back of the bathroom's door, the former Magic God grasped at, and pulled a towel down towards her, from a rack, which had been affixed to the door's surface. The towel slithered, rather than falling, as if it was a living thing, rather than an inanimate object created solely for the purpose of bringing dryness to a select object.

For a moment, discomfort swirled around, in Othinus' lower body. She felt sick, as if she was about to suddenly vomit at any moment. There was none present, no bubbling bile within her throat; but Othinus certainly felt like it could rise, at any time, and take her by surprise. The former Magic God's forehead began to sweat, slightly, as an unfamiliar coolness swept over her. It was that time again.

She breathed, deeply, as she raised her right hand, wrapped in the towel, towards the right side of her face. As if a recorded message was being played back in her mind, Othinus could nearly hear the soft, almost musical voice of Heaven Canceler. She could hear it, and, yet, she couldn't hear it, like that frog-faced doctor was standing right behind her, not as physical existence, but as some sort of ethereal, incorporeal being.

"To avoid damage, use a soft base, such as a hand towel, when you insert, or remove your prosthesis. It's very important that you keep it in the best possible condition. It is made only of glass, and will shatter if dropped, or handled improperly."

Othinus' stomach churned yet again, as, from the limestone surface of the bathroom's counter, Othinus retrieved a small suction cup, with a soft, squeezable handle, to which it was attached. It couldn't have been any longer than one of her pinkie fingers. The former Magic God raised the tan-colored thing to her false right eye, and, as gently as her shaking hand could manage, she placed the surface of the suction cup against the prosthesis, which sat in her right eye socket.

It never got any easier; Othinus doubted that it ever would. Temporarily placing the towel she'd retrieved onto the counter's surface, Othinus lifted her right eyelid, upwards, as gently as she could possibly manage. Fiddling with the suction cup's handle, Othinus slowly, but surely, managed to remove the prosthesis; either of her right eyelids immediately closed, hiding the empty, fleshy socket from view, even if was only her own. Yet another chill ran down her spine. She'd removed her own eye, just like that. Plop. It was out; was it ever going to get any easier? The frog-faced doctor had seemed to think so. Othinus silently hoped that he was right.

Othinus wrapped the towel around the entirety of her right hand. As if it was a bandage, of some sort. Cupping the prosthesis in the palm of her right hand, which was protected by the towel, Othinus turned the bathroom's sink's "H" tap to the right. Beneath a stream of warm water, the former Magic God allowed her false, right eye to soak.

Some minutes passed; it could've been three, or it could've been eight. Othinus lost count, after her mind had suddenly started drifting, at one point. Turning the "H" tap to the left, and, therefore halting the stream of warm water, Othinus rubbed her left hand's index finger over the surface of the nearby bar of soap. Running the tip of her finger, gently, over the prosthesis, Othinus covered it, completely, in soap.

Othinus left the prosthesis to sit on the soft, protective surface of the towel, for a while, before she rinsed it, and then inserted it back into its socket, cringing all the while. With her right eye's upper eyelid raised, Othinus could see the disgusting-looking, pink-colored flesh beneath, in her reflection; it made her squirm. The former Magic God felt like she had thousands of tiny, writhing little insects just beneath her skin.

Othinus then moved her form, slowly, and cautiously, trying to become used to the uncontrollable vibrations her legs produced, towards the bathroom's bathtub, which, at one point not so long ago had served as Kamijou Touma's makeshift bed. Lowering herself downwards, and subsequently falling to her knees, Othinus didn't even bother trying to halt the smile that her lips were curling into.

As she reached across the white, porcelain tub, reaching towards the crimson-colored bottle of shampoo that sat in the rightmost corner, against the sterile, tiled walling that surrounded the bathtub, a scene played out in Othinus' mind's eye.

"Index?! I didn't mean to! Come on! You know I didn't mean to!"

"Touma! Your excuses are weak! I always get changed at this time, in here! You must be cleansed of your sins, even if you don't consciously know of them! They're still present! You can't be given special treatment, Touma!"

"Index?! INDEX?! NOOOOOOO! Not my arm! OOOOWWWWW! SUCH! MISFORTUNE!"

Squeezing the bottle, whose lid had been clicked open, a small, round-shaped spurt of orange-colored gel dripped, downwards, from the bottle's lid, and into the palm of her opened left hand. Othinus' smile's strength weakened, and, slowly, she began to feel it fading into a grin. Though she couldn't have been aware of it, the former Magic God was blushing.

She turned the silver-colored, rightmost tap, which was mounted a few inches above the bathtub's silver-colored, and partially-rusted spout. With her available right hand, Othinus turned the left, a few inches towards the counter. Hot water, and cooler water mixed together, forming the perfect lukewarm temperature. Othinus gently lowered her head towards the spout, and, allowing the water to run over her long, golden hair, her cheeks continued to glow bright pink.

Othinus remembered the events following that 'incident', one of many; though it'd happened weeks prior, the former Magic God felt as if it'd happened only the day prior.

"Hiding from the nun, Imagine Breaker? If nothing else, you're a skilled survivalist. Have you considered signing up as a participant in that television program, "Survivapocalypse"?

"Heh. Thanks. Y-yeah, Othi-chan. I think she enjoys biting me. She's got to know that, by now, this is my misfortune's fault, not mine! Argh, whatever. It's not a big deal, right? It could always be a lot worse. What's new with you, Othi-chan?"

Othinus ran either of her hands over her head, their fingers, and their thumbs passing, gently, over her scalp, massaging it, and ensuring that shampoo reached into every section. Occasionally, her nails would slide over individual strands of her hair, causing shivers to run up, and down her spine. Her shoulders would shake, and her lips would quiver.

"Don't just brush it off like that. The nun treats you poorly."

"Othi-chan?"

"Hush, now. Shh. No more flapping those human gums of yours, Imagine Breaker. Get out of the tub, and come to me. Don't be afraid, now… this is hardly a new experience for either of us. I'll treat you properly. Kiss this body's lips, for a while, would you?"

Othinus forcibly snapped herself out of the recollection of that wonderful night, with a shake of her head; clumps of orange-colored suds, as well as droplets of water flew outwards, due to the action performed by the former Magic God's neck. The images that'd formed in her mind were anything but wholesome, and, in the present, of all times, the former Magic God needed to have her wits about her.

Some time passed, and Othinus eventually managed to wash her hair, while avoiding the creation of a mess, which she then would've had to clean up. The former Magic God rose, bending her knees inwards, and stretching her arms, upwards, and outwards, producing a soft moan as she did so. Her naval was exposed, as her top was forcibly pulled upwards.

Firstly, she dried her sopping, dripping hair, by repeatedly assaulting it with the towel. She gently tugged its strands through either side of the towel's surfaces, large strands having the remnants of clumps of shampoo, and their overall wetness removed.

Othinus cleared away the wetness from her hair's fringe, and from its bangs, before she moved to the bathroom's mirror. Looking at herself, Othinus pointed either of her hands' index fingers outwards, away from her, and winked. The former Magic God produced a soft "click" sound with her tongue, before her arms fell back to her sides, and she produced a soft sigh.

"I'm too old for this."

The former Magic God stepped out of the bathroom, for some few moments. From a nearby laundry hamper, Othinus grasped onto four unique articles of clothing.

The first was a pair of simplistic, but lacy undergarments, consisting of a bra, and panties. Secondly, the upper, and lower halves of the uniform worn by female students of the educational facility Othinus, had, through a series of absurd circumstances come to attend, despite being aged beyond countable numbers. Thirdly, and finally, clasped in Othinus' closed right hand, a pair of knee-high socks, white, in coloration, matching her uniform's trim were present.

Forcing herself, quite impatiently back into the bathroom, closing, and then locking the door once again behind her, Othinus swiftly changed out of her pajamas, neatly folding the upper, and lower halves of the outfit, carefully, and then setting them upon the closed toilet seat.

For a few moments, the former Magic God, Othinus, looked down at her nude form. The thought of having Kamijou Touma, her "jailer", even in his present form touch the flesh and blood form she inhabited quickly passed her mind by, and left her with an odd, tingling sensation in her lower stomach, which quickly rose, climbing up her back, and rolling over either of her shoulders.

Changing into her uniform had warmed her up. Othinus, once again, looked down at herself. Dark blue, with white trimming, the uniform's upper half was baggy, and fell, loosely, from her figure. The uniform's lower half consisted of a knee-length skirt. With the likes of "BLAU" about, Othinus knew she needed all the protection she could get, from prying eyes.

Slipping a sock of her either of her feet, Othinus collected her folded sleepwear, and exited the dorm's bathroom, flicking the lightswitch off, and leaving the door partway open. The former Magic God placed her folded sleepwear into the nearest laundry hamper, and quickly grabbed onto the right strap of a small, green-colored purse, on her way out of the laundry room.

There, Othinus found Kamijou Touma, his legs folded beneath him, as he sat, patiently, before the table, opposite the little nun with the silver hair. Index sat, with her legs beneath her posterior, and her hands raised above the table's surface.

On the table's surface, numerous slices of pizza were set, wrapped rather haphazardly in a series of sheets of plastic wrap.

In either of the little nun's hands was half of a large, multi-layered submarine sandwich. Filled with meat, and shredded lettuce, Index appeared to be perpetually chewing off hunks of the sandwich. With each bite, mustard, and what looked like mayonnaise flowed freely, dripping down onto the table's surface, and pooling there.

"Ywour hwair smwells gwood; is thwat cwitrus?!" Index rambled, semi-incoherently; bits of bread, shredded lettuce, and small chunks of meat flew from the nun's mouth, as she spoke. Calling Touma's reaction subdued would've been an overstatement. He didn't even seem to care, as bits of ejected foodstuffs fell upon the table's surface. Some even struck him head-on, hitting him in the face. Still, Kamijou Touma didn't seem to be perturbed in the slightest.

Othinus, not having any better ideas, in the moment, set herself between Index and Kamijou Touma, whose left knee she placed her right hand's palm on. Softly, Othinus squeezed, as if to non-verbally say, "I'm here."

If anyone was eventually going to discover, and then subsequently understand what fate had befallen Kamijou Touma, Othinus knew that it was going to be her, and her alone. If Kamijou Touma would open up to anyone, eventually, Othinus knew that it was going to be her, and, more than likely, her alone. She'd spent enough time with the formerly pointed-haired fool to know him even better than he even knew himself.

"This scent is indeed that of the citrus-scented hair-cleansing solution," Othinus stated. Index proceeded to voraciously consume what remained of the submarine sandwich, like a starved dog that'd been thrown a chunk of salty, red meat. Rubbing her stomach contently, the little nun leaned back, and then laid herself out over the surface of the floor, her arms spreading outwards, as if she was about to start making snow angels with any snow.

"Index, you should probably get up. You'll get a stomach ache if you lay down after eating. Give it forty-five minutes, or so."

Index sprung up, nodding sagely. "You're right, Touma! I didn't even think of that."

The little nun leaned forward, pouting slightly, as she began to rest either of her elbows against the surface of the table. Touma cast his eyes' vision in her direction, and shifted his position, so that he faced her. Index's irises looked, deeply, into Kamijou Touma's own; and for a moment, she saw what Othinus had seen. Beneath the surfaces of his eyes, deep within them, there was something inherently wrong, and completely incorrect. Index didn't quite know how to internally rationalize such a feeling.

Except that was a lie, that Index attempted to brainwash herself into believing was true; she did know how to rationalize the feeling. She knew all too well how to do so. She wanted to feel as if it was something foreign, and unknown, something that she could never explain; but Index couldn't hide from herself, and what she knew to be all too true. Index felt fear, when she looked into the eyes of Kamijou Touma, the sort of fear a prey animal would feel when caught in the vision of a predator.

Index tried to force herself out of the fear that she wanted to believe, more than anything, to be utterly unfounded. "Tou-ma. What's wrong with you? You should tell me, or I'll make you tell me. I'm trained in the arts of compelling those who hold secrets to spill them, and the truth!" Index stated, almost proudly.

Touma simply reached across the table, and patted the little nun's left hand, with his own left. Index has awkwardly jumped, slightly, as his arm had reached across. His pats were gentle, and affectionate. For a few moments, his fingers locked around the nun's smaller hand, before he pulled his own away. "It's all going to be okay, Index. I'm going to be fine; I am fine. I've just got some things I need to do, private business, and, eventually, everything will be okay for sure. Don't even worry about me. I'm here, right? I'm right here in front of you! Obviously, nothing happened to me. It's me, Touma, Index."

The little nun looked to the former Magic God, who continued to sit quietly between her "jailer" and the nun he "kept". Othinus shrugged her shoulders. Clasping her hands, and allowing them to fall, gently into her lap, the being beyond countable years, outwardly resembling a young woman smiled, thinly, in the nun's direction.

"You'd do well to listen to him, nun. If he says he's fine, he's fine; the Imagine Breaker's always been one to shoulder many a burden by himself. If he chooses to do so, then, that's his right. We can only advise, and support. Attempting to do otherwise would be little better than standing before a wall, and furiously punching it, hoping to knock it over. Then again, there are those who can do just that, in this City of Science. Perhaps, that was a poor comparison."

Othinus wished that she could more easily practice what she preached. Internally, she just wanted to sit the fool of a human down, and kiss his stupid, perfect lips, until he was ready to tell her everything. She wanted to take him into the bathroom, while the nun was preoccupied, and Understand him again.

Even if they were cold, even if they had an odd, coppery taste about them, that didn't change the former Magic God's overwhelming desire to become physical with her Understander, who was drifting away from her too quickly for her own liking. She wanted to become close, again; Othinus was coming to understand that there were few better ways to become close than through physical interactions.

Touma cast his vision's gaze to the small, electronic alarm clock. "7:56 AM", it silently proclaimed. He rose, effortlessly, his legs exerting not even a single ounce of effort. His motions were fluid, and anything but mechanical; Othinus had seen what she'd seen, however. That arm, that semi-patched limb had been hideously robotic, like something out of the Eliminator series of films.

Othinus tried to picture Kamijou Touma standing tall, clad in a trench coat, a pair of grubby jeans and work boots, cold-faced, with a pair of tinted sunglasses obscuring his eyes. It didn't fit Othinus' mental image of Touma, and, she assumed that it would fit the actual Touma even less.

Touma temporarily vanished, entering the dorm's kitchen, and ducking beneath the hollowed-out, square-shaped vantage point in the wall, separating the kitchen from the living quarters.

There was that dreaded sound again. Zeeee. Nunununuuu.

A series of banging noises, which sounded to both Othinus and Index like pots and pans being crashed together had wrung out, over the odd, mechanical humming. Kamijou Touma, after some few moments emerged from the kitchen, his sock-clad feet suddenly clad in a pair of dark-colored trainers.

Unless he'd been hiding them in the dorm's kitchen, for whatever reason, Othinus knew she had reason to be concerned. Just what was Kamijou Touma? What was he even capable of?

"Ready whenever you are, "Olivia-chan". The sooner we get to class, the better. Last thing I need is Komoe-sensei getting all emotional. It's apparently the funniest thing in the world to everyone else, so, I guess that's a plus."

"Is it?" Othinus inquired. She rose, and, widening the distance between herself and the table, the former Magic God made her way to the door, which lead out of the dorm room, where Touma stood, with his arms folded across his chest.

Othinus slipped a simple, leather flat over either of her sock-clad feet, before she offered the little nun a wave. Index enthusiastically waved back, before she began to move towards the bed. Lunging into the sheets, Index exclaimed, "Sphynx! It's time to come out! Come on!"

"It is." Touma pried the door open, and held it, offering Othinus the chance to walk through the entranceway before he did. Silently, she accepted her "jailer's" offer, and stepped out.

Kamijou Touma wasn't far behind. The auto-lock system of his dorm's door produced a soft, electronic beep, once the door closed shut. Index would be secure.

If she wasn't, Kamijou Touma would tear Academy City apart himself. He had reason to believe he'd have all the time in the world to accomplish such a goal. He also had good reason to believe that there was little that could possibly stop him.

The hallway could only be described with a term such as narrow, or even, with a term such as claustrophobic. Choosing not to risk taking the elevator, the pair, "man" and former Magic God chose to take the stairwell, instead. Their walk towards it wasn't a particularly long one; while narrow, the hallway wasn't long. The hallway opposite them wasn't any larger, or any more impressive.

If the telltale thumps of an aggressive musical beat, generated from within the dorm situated directly next to Touma's own hadn't been polluting the hallway around Othinus and Touma, it would've been utterly silent. Othinus responded to the unwanted auditory stimuli by rolling her left eye, obviously unimpressed with the display.

The stairwell, accessed through a metallic, reinforced door, which, to Othinus' gratefulness, didn't cause her "jailer" to experience any physical "glitches", was darkened. While synthetic, golden light had bathed the hallway in its warm, positive glow, the stairwell beyond possessed no such lightning.

The former Magic God made her move. Othinus unzipped her bag's central pouch, and produced a small, palm-sized smartphone. Fiddling with it, for some moments, the former Magic God managed to unlock the device, and enable its 'torch' function.

From the back of the phone, flowing forth from a small indent in the device's backplate, which was positioned below the device's external camera, a wide ray of synthetic, bright light surged, illuminating at least a portion of the floor beneath their feet. Using this beam as a means of visually identifying what was around her, Othinus and Kamijou Touma began to descent the spiraling set of stairs.

Kamijou Touma had no trouble seeing in the darkness; he needed no external source of illumination. Without requiring any sort of command, once darkness had descended upon him, a simplistic HUD appeared, within the confines of his vision. Expanding outwards, and bordering his vision, the HUD brought with it the ability to see in sightless, darkened depths. Sources of heat, such as Othinus, were displayed in bright, pinkish red, while sources of coldness, such as the walls, the floor, the ceilings, as well as the stairwell's individual steps were displayed in bright blue.

Kamijou Touma's own form was colored bright blue, when he peered down at himself. Such was hardly a surprise, in the present.

For some minutes, the two quietly made their way downwards, traversing the darkened, narrow, stairwell. It spiralled, downwards, twisting and turning like the stairwell of some great manor-home. Occasionally, the two would step down onto a platform, which would lead to the next spiralling staircase.

At one point, Othinus had eventually wrapped her right arm around Touma's own left. He didn't object; he had no reason to. Touma had felt the former Magic God's form shutter, likely instinctually, upon touching his cold, outer form.

"Comfort," an influx of data suggested. Kamijou Touma went along, complacently, with what the soundless, sightless influx mentioned, taking its word on the matter. Touma gently pulled the being who was so desperately trying to again become his Understander closely towards him, as if to physically say "come closer", like he was giving her permission, even if she didn't need to ask.

Eventually, the darkness had passed, and the stairwell had been left behind. Stepping down from the final step, and back onto solid, tiled ground, Touma reached outwards, and grasped onto the metallic handle of the door, constructed of the same substance. With an effortless, nonchalant tug, Touma pulled the door open, and held it open for Othinus, who temporarily detached herself from him, as to accept his polite, and obviously thoughtful offer. She produced a thin, but warm and genuine smile.

The former Magic God felt a surge of positivity, and thankfulness travel throughout her; at least Kamijou Touma was still that polite person she remembered. Even if it was only a shred remaining of the person she loved so dearly, the one person who Understood her, a shred was a shred, and Othinus was going to treasure it.

Kamijou Touma stepped out from the stairwell after his "prisoner" did, allowing the door to shut, slowly behind him, producing a soft, electronic beep as its automatic lock system was engaged.

The lobby of the boy's dormitory, in which two females were dwelling within the room of a single male occupant, unbeknownst to most of the dormitory's population was a figurative breath of fresh air; only one among the duo could inhale the air, and only one needed to. Even for Kamijou Touma, the one who needed no such resources, the lobby's openness could be appreciated.

Evidently, Kamijou Touma and the former Magic God had made the correct decision; the closed, metallic doors, which lead into the elevator shaft were barred, taped off. Strands of crossed, orange, and black-colored caution tape had been wound from one side, and to the other, forming an intricate web of tangled tape. "OUT OF ORDER sorry for the inconvenience", a small, paper sign read. Taped between either door, and hanging, slightly lopsided, the sign had obviously been placed rather quickly.

Apparently, one of the duo's fellow occupants wasn't too pleased with this. Scribbled onto the closed, metallic doors, likely with a black marker of some type, given the coloration of the text, was a message of hate. It had been scribbled only a few inches away from the sign itself.

"FUCK U ASSHOLE". Kamijou Touma wasn't impressed with the display of immaturity; Othinus' offended-looking facial expression suggested that she wasn't all too pleased, either. She almost looked to be personally insulted.

Touma craned his neck in Othinus' direction, and raised an eyebrow. "Something the matter, Olivia-chan? Have to get myself back into the swing of this… don't want to accidentally end up calling you Othinus, or even Othi-chan, right."

Othinus nodded her head in agreement. Taking Kamijou Touma's cold left hand in her own right, she took the first steps in their walk. Touma didn't see a reason to disagree, or resist; no incoming data suggested that such a step needed to be taken, either; and so, he walked at her side, not behind her, but as an equal, not as a complacent weakling.

"Actually, yes. There's no need for such foul language. It's unbecoming of your… our species," Othinus stated. "Forgive me. It seems that I, too, am still adjusting to some changes of my own."

Kamijou Touma moved through the refreshingly spacious lobby, at Othinus' side; the two passed by several large soda-dispensing machines, which were placed along the wall. The former Magic God took a moment to offer Touma the same courtesy that he'd offered her; with her available arm, Othinus pushed the doorway open, and held it, allowing for Touma to pass beneath the entranceway.

Again, Touma didn't seem to experience any sort of "glitch", as he'd previously described it, despite both the entranceway, and the door itself being constructed of some thick, cold metallic substance. Othinus began to spare a second to contemplate the mechanics of these "glitches".

But she was quickly removed from her own internalizations. In fact, Othinus was barely aware of what was happening around her.

From her side, Kamijou Touma had suddenly broken into a sharp run, outwards, to her left; towards the road, where a young man had stepped out. The aloof young man in question had taken but a few steps away from the safety of the walkway. The second of two trainers had left the light brown, cobbled bricks that made up the walkway. He was obviously consumed by his own thoughts, and by the images displayed on the tempered glass touchscreen of his large, almost brick-like smartphone, which was cupped in the palms of his hands. The young man hadn't noticed the swiftly-approaching vehicle, a small, silver minivan, which was swiftly rushing towards him; but Kamijou Touma had.

Zeeee. Nunununuuu.

Othinus' left pupil shrank, as the eye's lids widened. Her right eyelids did the same. Kamijou Touma had leapt into the air; mid-leap, his form began to come apart. For a split second, the briefest of fleeting moments, the former Magic God had seen something that both horrified her, and brought up from her heart of hearts the deepest sympathy.

"Kamijou Touma's" physical form had changed. He'd become completely grey, in coloration, possessing a head whose face more resembled the limited facial features of a skull, rather than a face complete with skin, and with muscles beneath. Within such a short timespan, Othinus had been given no real means to create an accurate mental sketch. She'd seen grey, and a face that wasn't quite a face. That much, Othinus was sure of.

Splitting, in two halves, billions of nearly-microscopic nanorobots surged outwards, arcing, moving to collide with the rushing vehicle head-on, at speeds beyond Othinus' human comprehension. Like two individual, crashing rivers, Kamijou Touma literally flowed.

Zeeee. Nunununuuu.

He'd reformed, suddenly, both halves converging, to form a functional superorganism. A series of flowing, plasma-like arcs rushed across the grey, inhuman thing; the thing became Kamijou Touma once again, and, the arcs faded into nonexistence. With an effortless strike of his palm, Touma sent the young man flying, towards the safety of the walkway. His glasses, with their square frames had fallen from the young man's face, and onto the asphalt that made up the roadway. Click, click, click. Their impact with the asphalt rang out, though, its sounds were overshadowed by the loud, obnoxious honking of the minivan.

Before Othinus was even given the chance to rush towards her "jailer", or even to release a gasp of panic, the vehicle struck Kamijou Touma head-on.

In fact, that's exactly what Kamijou Touma had wanted. It would be a proper test of his abilities. If he could withstand the impact of a motorized vehicle, rushing directly at him at over sixty miles per hour, it would confirm more than one of his suspicions.

Touma had responded to the situation by effectively rendering the relevant issue a non-issue. He'd been sent flying, some twenty meters down the road. Like a Frisbee, Kamijou Touma had travelled, before he struck the asphalt, and rolled another ten meters. His arms, and his legs had twisted over one another, and continuously slapped against the asphalt until his rolling form came to a stop.

As if nothing at all had happened, Kamijou Touma rose. No blood leaked from his form, though there were craters present on his body's surfaces, as well as dents present on his outer form. A cluster of nanorobots responded to the issue by swiftly taking regenerative measures. Holes on the outer surface of his body closed, and dents were forced outwards; all the while, his form produced that dreadful, mechanical humming.

Whilst Touma walked, casually, towards the direction of Othinus, who was running, as quickly as she could manage towards her "jailer", a chunk of Touma's face, which had been missing, suddenly became present again. Nanorobots surged from the asphalt, and collected within the crater, filling it; plasma-like arcs of some type of energy rolled over the filled wound, turning grey, metallic "skin" into proper skin.

The individual behind the wheel, an overweight, unattractive looking fellow who must've been in his late sixties, or early seventies, had hobbled out from the vehicle. Upon his short, plump legs, the man waddled, his slacks stretching, and practically ripping apart at their seams as he did so. His sweater-vest was obviously too small for his great, protruding gut.

"Uho! Uho, uho! Gosh, gosh, GOSH! How're ya doin'? You're up? Good! How're ya feeling, boy? Everything tight down in there, everywhere? Augh! I do hope you're alright!"

Against the brick surface of a nearby structure, the aloof young man leaned; his upper chest sank, and expanded, as he panted. From his forehead, and down, along the bridge of his nose, sweat dripped. He'd apparently retrieved his glasses. He looked like a wreck. His school uniform, while physically unharmed, was plastered with sweat; its underarms were particularly drenched.

"I'm fine," Touma stated. Stepping up onto the walkway, Othinus, without thinking, threw herself against him. Despite the force, Kamijou Touma didn't even budge. Around his back, the former Magic God's own arms were wrapped. She felt a cold arm wrap around either of her shoulders. Silently, and internally, she questioned everything and anything she'd seen, in the few seconds that'd transpired, before her, in which she'd been little more than an onlooker. What, even, had happened?

"No harm done, but, next time, everyone involved might not be this lucky. For them, there won't be a next time, if you're not careful. Where would that leave you? You don't look like a killer, to me. Why the hurry?"

The overweight man, as quickly as he could manage, began to hobble back into his vehicle. "Late for work! No time! Sorry, boy! Glad you're alright!"

At the fellow's command, his minivan drove off; he'd forgotten to even pull his driver's side door shut. It hung loosely, opened wide, for a few moments, before he finally managed to shut it; even then, it hadn't been closed properly.

"I'm good, Olivia-chan. I didn't even feel it," Touma remarked. Othinus still hadn't let go. That had partially been a lie; though Touma, indeed, hadn't felt any pained sensations, a series of influxes of data had informed him that he had, indeed, been struck; "hurt", the data had suggested. Touma hadn't agreed, and, therefore, nothing was experienced.

Kamijou Touma felt himself begin to grin; "good", incoming data suggested. He agreed. This was very, very good. By denying pain, Touma rejected the data associated with it, and from it, he could disconnect himself. The rotting old men would be in awe, and he'd be able to bait them just a little while longer.

Touma looked towards the wall, where the aloof young man had been standing; no longer was he present. Where he'd been standing, previously, a vaguely back-shaped blot of wetness remained behind; the young man's back must've been sweating profusely. He must've taken off, somewhere. Touma could only guess, and Othinus couldn't have cared any less.

Reluctantly, the former Magic God parted from her "jailer". Taking his left hand into her own, Othinus produced a soft sigh, and motioned to the north; Touma understood. That was the direction in which the two would have to travel, to reach campus.

"Imagine Breaker, what was that? You… came apart, like a swarm of locusts. What has this place done to you?"

"Othinu- Olivia-chan… can you please keep your voice down?" Touma inquired. A command had wanted to emerge, but, he was in no position to command anyone. Othinus was her own person; she could do as she pleased, regardless of what he wanted. Touma knew he'd do well to remember that.

"Enough people are already gawking. We don't need any more attention. Neither of us, you know that. I'm not sure what it is, okay? I mean that. I'm not keeping that from you. I honestly don't know; your best guess is about as good as my own.

"I can make it happen by 'willing' it, but, I've only been able to do it twice before. I saw everything times a million. Not like a fly's compound eyes, but, I saw millions of the same street. Understand?"

Othinus couldn't have been any more confused. An unfamiliar sensation, an uncomfortable throbbing began to form in the front of her head. The former Magic God cringed. "Will you tell me more soon, Imagine Breaker? Sooner than later? I wish to Understand you, again."

Touma's answer surprised the former Magic God. Though grateful, Othinus wasn't sure as to what had changed.

"Yeah. Tomorrow, alright? I'm going to be busy, tonight. That idiot spy, Tsuchimikado will take care of you two. I'll tell you, and, I guess I'll tell Index, too. You've seen enough as it is; nothing much to keep from you, now. I guess it doesn't matter whether you involve yourself with me anymore or not, either. I'm not soft and vulnerable, like I was before. I can protect you, and your beautiful smile; and I can protect Index, and that smile of hers, now, better than I ever could before."

Othinus went quiet.

"Offer comfort," incoming data suggested.

"Othi-ch… Olivia-chan," Touma remarked, with a familiar, welcomed softness, "it's okay. I promise it's okay. Just hang in there; I'd tell you, right here, and right now, but… there're things I have to deal with, and people that I have to deal with. Loose lips, right."

Touma leaned inwards, and a thinly-smiling Othinus turned to face him.

"Olivia-chan, everything's going to be fine. Make today a good one, and let those worries just fall off your shoulders, and to the ground. Leave them there. Just leave them behind."

An influx of data, like always, as it seemed, had the answer Kamijou Touma needed. He hardly even had to rely on his own decision-making abilities. "Distract".

Touma stepped in front of Othinus, and leaned forwards, like he was beckoning her. His arms hung, downwards, limply. Touma tilted his head to one side, and produced a soft chuckle. "Climb on, Olivia-chan. There's something I want to try out, and, I'm not leaving you to walk alone. Trust me?"

"I do," Othinus stated, without hesitation. "But, first, answer a question? What is it, exactly, that you're planning on trying, Imagine Breaker?"

"You'll see."

Passersby couldn't help but observe, curiously; who was this foreign girl, and why was she clambering up onto the back of a young man? It certainly wasn't a sight witnessed on a daily basis; it wasn't even witnessed on a weekly, or monthly basis. This was entirely out of the ordinary, despite the action itself being rather mundane.

One observer was more interested than her fellow passersby, however. She knew this young man, from a time not so long ago. She could've sworn that his hair has been spikier, back then; in the present, it was flattened, and almost feathery.

If anything, it made him even more attractive. The spikiness presented him with a level of goofiness. With his hair flattened, the young man seemed more mature, and considerably tougher-looking.

The intrigued observer's presence in Academy City's seventh school district was something of an anomaly, in and of itself. She was, in fact, there on business. Her hair was dark red, like the color of blood, bound and styled into two long, thin twintails, which reached down to her buttocks.

Clad in the high school uniform of Kirigoka Girls' Academy, her blue-colored top was buttoned up, exposing only a few inches of cleavage. Her pleated skirt, of the same coloration, was accented by a pair of white, thigh high stockings. On her feet, she wore a pair of simple, dark-colored loafers.

Walking amongst the crowds of irate, and aloof students herding themselves towards their respective educational facilities, Musujime Awaki's eyelids narrowed, as she sized the boy up. Perhaps boy wasn't the proper word; man, was more like it. Even from thirty or forty meters away, Awaki could practically feel the intense, alpha male aura he exuded.

Then, he was gone. Musujime Awaki watched on, curiously, as the boy, who was more like a man, with the golden-haired young woman upon his back bolted in the direction opposite of her. His legs moved far quicker than the legs of any 'normal' human should've been able to. Beneath him, asphalt shattered, and broke, unable to cope with the apparently extreme pressure.

That certainly explained how he'd managed to do what he'd done, previously; he was obviously some sort of high-level esper. Without even needing to build up momentum, he'd become a blur, leaving only dust and a trail of broken asphalt in his wake. Passersby were even more riled up, at the sight of that feat. Smartphones were produced, photographs and videos were taken. Awaki couldn't even be bothered to engage in the socialite-like behavior.

For a moment, Musujime Awaki stopped. The crowds passed around her, and, over her, the great, towering structures of Academy City's seventh school district, tall, some milky-colored, some silver-colored, and others both milky and silver, in coloration cast down their shadows, which seemed to sway from side to side, as large, fluffy clouds would occasionally dull the golden, natural light of the sun.

With a shrug, Awaki walked back in the direction of the boys' dormitory, from where she'd emerged some ten minutes prior. Tsuchimikado Motoharu had more questions to answer. She hadn't walked for long, however; after a few simple, casual steps, she'd suddenly vanished, as she broke into a leaping sprint.

By the time Kamijou Touma skidded to a halt, it was all but too late. Othinus' proclamations, and her attempts at gaining the attention of her "jailer" had been for naught. Having been travelling at well over one hundred and fifty miles per hour, the whistling, screeching air around the duo had been more than enough to obscure her vocalizations.

With his attention focused on the roadways in front of, and to either of his sides, Kamijou Touma had been unable to read the former Magic God's lips.

"I-Imagine… B-Breaker. Imagine Breaker. You… you are aware that you've torn up miles of roadway, correct? You're also aware that you were likely captured on camera, correct? Finally, you're aware that you must be one of the most foolish humans on the face of this world, correct?"

Kamijou Touma craned his neck to the side; he looked onwards, examining the long, winding trail of shattered asphalt, torn chunks of concrete that'd been ripped from the roadway, and the long, broken metallic beams which had been physically lifted from beneath the roadway itself.

All around the duo, passersby were recording videos, or snapping pictures with their smartphones; not of the duo, but, rather, of the destruction Touma had inadvertently created.

Kamijou Touma took a moment to produce his own smartphone; unlocking the device, he proceeded to observe the time displayed on the device's tempered glass touchscreen. "8:10 AM", the digits, and the two alphabetical characters that followed read.

"We got here early, by about twenty minutes. City's got plenty of money to throw around. Might as well be on fixing the roadways. That's productive, at least, and doesn't involve stabbing little girls with syringes."

"Excuse me?" Othinus inquired, climbing down from her "jailer's" back.

"Long story, Olivia-chan. Explain it to you a little better tomorrow," Touma remarked, reassuringly. He placed his right hand upon Othinus' corresponding shoulder, and squeezed, tightly, and comfortingly. "There's a lot of dark shit that goes on in this place; we both know that. You always have; it just becomes a lot more personal when you see it so often."

Apparently, "tomorrow" held a lot of things. Othinus shrugged her shoulders, as she took the left hand of her "jailer" into her own right.

"Maybe we should find one of those cherry blossom trees," Touma spoke, producing a chuckle. The attempt at lightening the mood wasn't lost upon Othinus, whose lips couldn't help but curl, upwards, into a thin, but warm smile.

Past the grassy knolls, and along the cobbled, brick pathway the two walked. From between some individual bricks, grass sprouted, reaching up towards the sky. Though trees dotted the knolls on either side of the path, they weren't, in fact, cherry blossom trees; instead, they were old oaks.

Walking, silently, along the cobbled path, Kamijou Touma, and the former Magic God closed the distance between themselves, and the metallic staircase, which lead up to the large, milky-colored, reinforced front doors of the middle-high school, which, in the wake of their own high school's complete and utter annihilation, had become something of a home away from home.

Othinus, as "Olivia", quickly, but reluctantly released her "relative's" hand. Almost immediately, the former Magic God, subconsciously taking on the role of "Kamijou Touma's relative hailing from Denmark" wanted her "relative's" hand back in her own. Even if it was cold to the touch, freezing, even, it brought her comfort unrivalled.

Neither party was aware of the inconspicuous, dark-haired girl who was sitting upon a wooden bench, situated beneath one of the great old oaks. With her right leg crossed over her left, she'd casually produced her phone, once her eyes had fallen on Kamijou Touma, and Olivia, the foreign girl. The text massage she was typing up, as her fingers clicked against her smartphone's tempered glass touchscreen, however, was far less casual in nature. It was an alert, a message of utmost importance.

"Senpai? Hes here. He's alright! You don't want to miss your chance this time."