A/N: Hello everyone, we've finally made it to where Touma is, yay! I'll say it here now that there's going to be spoilers for NT21 so beware. Also, because of the ambiguity for why Touma is here and the early draft of the fic means it can adapt to future canon content for the Toaru side of things because damn NT22 you crazy. The only thing I can say to those who are confused about where this is in the timeline, don't think too hard on it. I am being very bold about this.

Moving on to review responses:

M1nhTre37: You flatter me. But if I'm honest, I do have rough drafts of things and how they play out, but the most troubling is character interactions and the middle of the story. You give me too much credit. When the time comes for me to have some helpers along the way, I hope they treat me well.

ShadowDeath01: I will reveal their names in due time.

WilliamZO: Ah yes, Kamachi's obsession with blondes is unprecedented. Now, what could the moon even be used for? If you think this is crazy then you're in for a ride. As for my favorite artist, They're all good, but the one with the edge is Futa (nabezoko). As for Rinnosuke's personality... it'll be him in canon mixed with Futa's, and when shit gets real, he turns full Satou Yuuki. And no, I don't have a hard update schedule, unfortunately.

Guest: No one's dead.

Guest: I don't know how it was comfy but hey, power to you.

Disclaimer: To Aru Majutsu No Index belongs to Kazuma Kamachi and Touhou Project belongs to ZUN. I don't own either of these properties.

Chapter 1: First night in Gensokyo I

"Make yourself at home. The racket is behind the door and there's a towel to the shelf on the left."

"Yeah, thanks for inviting me." Touma says gratefully.

Rinnosuke beckoned Touma inside his store, the two having arrived from under the rain. They situated themselves, eager to escape the rain, the downpour outside still noisy as ever.

Dropping off the rain cloak given to him by Rinnosuke on the hanger, he then went to grab the towel he was told. Drying himself off, he hung it over his shoulders and took note of the front room of the store he entered being lit by the lamp on the counter. From the small glimpse he gotten outside, the sign outside hanging above the door was apparently signed with 'Kourindou,' the name he figured.

From his position, he looked to see the aisles filled to the brim with plethoras of antique goods ranging from old china, pots, tea sets, cassette players, old-modeled TVs, game consoles, furniture, and other materials. And they were all placed neat and tidy where each position served a purpose. The network of goods created a sort of harmony where nothing was without meaning and showcased the greatest quality they had to offer. He traced his fingers across the shelf and found a complete absence of dust.

They say a room can tell you everything about the occupant, and he was impressed to find what he saw. The owner put a lot of care into his store and guessed that business was bustling, flowing with cash under this treasure trove.

Touma completely misunderstood everything about this store.

Picking from where he left off, there he saw a counter directly across from the door. To the left of the counter is a pathway to a hall on the left and complete darkness on the right. From a glance, there was a giant jar to the right of the counter. The shelves across from him had a lot of silverware, vintage bottles of alcohol and interchangeable parts he assumed an automobile.

The otherwise pristine and glamorous shop was ruined a little by the rustling of critters he can feel on his skin. Rats unfortunately he thought.

Deciding to sniff the air a few times he found-

(What's that sweet smell?)

His thoughts got interrupted when the bespectacled man called to him from the counter, seeming to be ready for discussion.

"Seeing that you've made yourself comfortable, where do you like to begin?"

"Huh? Oh, well... introductions please."

Touma had stepped to a position in front of the man, opting to talk with him face-to-face instead of across the room.

"Ah yes, how rude of me. My name is Morichika Rinnosuke, feel free to use my given name as you please."

"Kamijou Touma, nice to meet you Rinnosuke-san." The two nodded with each other and traded a handshake. "Then, moving on if you don't mind, where am I?"

"You are in Gensokyo currently. A wonderland in the East where creatures of humanity's superstition reside alongside humans. Where those that are forgotten are remembered here, the common sense around this land is nothing like that of the Outside World since yokai and humans living together is the norm."

"Yokai? You mean like those monsters we waved off as legends and folklore to scare children from skipping their bedtime and put in handheld toys they love to play?" Touma answered with a straight face. Clearly, his views of youkai leaned amongst those of modern times.

"Usami-san wasn't lying with the old stories losing their appeal...no... maybe that's for the best." Rinnosuke looked to be frowning and not at the same time, the last line he muttered quietly. "Anyways, they are the very same. And as you can expect many don't have a lot of reservations when dining in human flesh."

"They eat humans!?"

Rinnosuke had expected a yelp of understandable terror, but what he found was the boy being purely surprised and not terror-stricken then the usual he had gotten before. If the knowledge of a more dominant species above humans were to be heard from the latter, then they obviously would question themselves into having an existential crisis. But that was off the mark with concerns to this boy before him.

What kind of messed up life did this boy live?

Touma too was surprised by his own subdued reaction. Now he was never someone who was cynical and desensitized enough not to care or have no problems with what he heard; he simply shoved that particular fact as another usual constant in his life. Such misfortune he thought to himself. But what was the cause that attributed to his current attitude?

He recalled back to the summer of August eight, the day right after he lost his memories.

Did it happen when he lied to Index about his memory loss? He didn't think so.

Was it because of the fire thrown at his face during his first meeting with Stiyl? No that couldn't be.

Did it have to do with that schoolgirl in the Misawa Cram School who he saved and watched her turn into a goop of gold by the hands of the Aureolus Dummy that forced him to strangle the dummy to the edge of death and let go to keep his humanity? Maybe, he didn't know.

Or was it that time he bore witness of the Gregorian Chant destroying a single building, causing a chain reaction for others to fall and time seemingly rewinding before they were ever destroyed? It didn't sound too bad to him.

Could it have to do with how Stiyl got ripped apart into a human planetarium from the almighty power of Aureolus? He still couldn't believe a fourteen-year-old could grow to the height of 200cm.

Or maybe it really had to do with his arm getting sliced apart from his shoulder and laughing it off during the adrenaline, stepping towards Aureolus menacingly while licking his lips to taste his own blood? Ok, he had to admit, that was pretty wild.

Touma stopped putting deep thoughts into it and chalked everything up as a really bad day, feeling a sigh and some tears in the depths of his mind.

"Not all of them. Those who don't are mostly the ones who are really ancient and have adapted to being remarkably polite with the humans at the village. There are some exceptions too. The ones who do however mostly comprise of low-level youkai, the strong are rather picky eaters."

"There's a human village in these parts?"

"Yes, around east from here."

"They aren't in any danger from the youkai are they!?"

He smacked his hands on the counter with a fire in his eye and determination in his voice and face.

Raising an eyebrow, Rinnosuke thought Touma to be a bit strange. The boy before him, while he wouldn't say, didn't have any problems in learning of youkai eating humans, he gave a more forceful reaction in concerns with people he never even met or seen before than compared to his own well-being.

"Relax Kamijou-kun. They aren't defenseless and have the means to defend themselves. We also have a system everybody must play by here. The Spell Card System. It's implemented in order to give weak yokai and humans a chance to win in conflicts by making fights equal and prevent bloodshed. It would be very undesirable if a yokai were to use their full power and indirectly destroy this land. It's also outlawed for youkai to feed on the humans here."

Rinnosuke informed considerately, aiming to alleviate the boy's worries.

"Oh... that's good." Touma reeled back with a relieved sigh. Then he had dawned to a realization. "But do the Spell Card System extend to people like me?"

"How sharp. Though I hate to tell you this, they don't. Outsiders like you who accidentally wander into these lands are a rare delicacy."

"Then I'm guessing my clothes are a red alert on a free meal..."

He lowered his head to look at his white hoodie he was currently wearing, completely at odds with the fashion of this land he speculated. His position in Gensokyo was growing more and more unpromising the more revelations he discovered.

"Yes, those will be a problem in keeping your identity as an outsider secret for sure." Rinnosuke rubbed his chin and gave a thoughtful gaze at Touma. "Give me a few days to tailor some set of clothes for you, so the natives don't find out."

"W-wow, really? To have you do so much me for after we just met..."

Touma looked up to meet with the shopkeeper's gaze, expressing a grateful smile.

"Call it an investment instead."

Touma nodded away on that note until his smile dropped in a panic.

Rinnosuke just implied that he would be staying a few days in these lands.

"This is bad! This is really bad! I don't have time to be in a place like this!"

"If you're that desperate to escape from here, then I recommend you seek the Hakurei Shrine. There's a shrine maiden who can send you back to your world. Among the youkai roaming around the shrine is someone who deals in outsiders that come and go in Gensokyo. She too should be able to create a path for you."

"Then I'm going to have to get there as soon as possible! But running into a yokai is a possibility, no, considering my misfortune it's guaranteed!"

Touma hung his head in admittance with the reminder the song and dance that is his life. A dark miasma permeated from him that sent the temperature of the room spiraling down forty degrees.

"W-well I'm sure it won't be so bad." Rinnosuke held his hands up to console the pessimistic boy in front of him, sweating from his shift in mood. "There is another option you can take. For your sake, you can stay here under my shop and wait for the Miko. She sometimes drops by for shoplifting."

He admitted the state of his own store lacking in dignity when it comes to robbers as if it were an expected affair.

(Rinnosuke-san... you've got it rough.)

Touma could only give the man a look of pity. The shopkeeper being aware of the intentions behind it hung his head dejectedly with a gloom.

"Can't you take me there yourself?"

"I would, but the circumstances outside here I expect everything to be out of order, and that's putting it lightly." He picked himself up afterward and eyed Touma accusingly, making him flinch with a step back.

"Urgh..."

"There might also be the possibility she headed out from the shrine in a reckless abandon to solve this incident." From that, Touma turned a bit nervous for the fate of the Miko which Rinnosuke noticed. "Don't worry about her too much. She has prior experience in solving incidents."

Touma stood there evaluating his options available. He didn't have many to go by with so little information, so he brought up Rinnosuke's offer.

"Are you sure about having me over to live under the same roof? I don't want to impose any more on you than I already did."

"I don't mind. Frankly, I could use some of your help for my business."

Accepting that response, Touma grinned and placed a clenched fist to his chest to indicate his willingness to cooperate.

"Alright! Whatever it is you need you can count on this Kamijou-san!"

"Then I look forward to our future arrangement. But forgetting that, it's time to depart to bed; you look ready to tip over any minute now."

He was right, Touma had exhaustion washed all over his face, and his footing was tilting slightly being evident.

"Ah ha ha ha ha..."

Touma let out one weak self-deprecated laugh. His mood plummeted again now that he remembered everything before he arrived in this land. He hadn't eaten and slept for days; it was a wonder as too how he can even stand with his health as it is. He truly did live a life filled with misfortune. From the corners of his eyes came a flood after having the time to really think for how he was treated the past week.

For one, he had to skip dinner when Kamisato ruined his night on December third.

Then came the heatwave and elements invading Academy City lasting for three days.

Then he had to make himself scarce by running from the Kamisato Faction for two days.

Then after that, he only had the time to rest for a flat five seconds before Tsuchimikado barged into his dorm for protection against the superintendent of Academy City.

Then out came Aiwass and later the demon Corozon, he joined forces with Aleister to put an end to the demon's reign of terror, but not before getting molested by the man.

Then after a few trips across countries including Egypt, he bore witness to Aleister's invasion of England.

Then he got tortured by Stiyl.

Then he got his pants stolen by Orsola.

Then he got really horny.

And a lot more had happened then.

Rinnosuke took in the sight of the boy kneeling down to his feet, hugging his legs and pouring his tears into them. He had no idea what to make of this with how uncomfortable the mood turned to. So he shifted his focus away and tapped open his Ipad to check the time.

"From the looks of it, it's already midnight."

"You've got a working Ipad?"

Touma had returned from the depression he fell into like it didn't just happen to point out the very modern item amongst the vintage items surrounding them.

"Nice isn't it? To think the Outside World has compressed a great library inside a miniature pocket dimension to carry it whenever they're on the go. Fascinating how the world has progressed." Rinnosuke rubbed his chin, lighting the room up with the stars in his eyes and smile.

"Umm... sure. Yeah, let's go with that." Not having the energy to clarify his misjudgment of the item, Touma sighed and waved off the man as an eccentric.

(Come to think of it... did he ever implied himself to be a youkai or human? Those gold eyes of his are definitely inhumane...and what reason would he have of helping me?)

"Um... Rinnosuke-san, those eyes of yours..."

Touma nervously pointed out with sweat trickling down his brows. His danger senses didn't signal anything hostile on the man, but it wouldn't hurt to be on the safe side.

"You're wondering whether I'm human or not." He earned a nervous nod and audible gulp in return. Sighing, Rinnosuke pushed his glasses up involuntarily. "Youkai or human... which am I?" Even he seemed to question himself as to what he really was. Touma tilted his head to the side in confusion, letting a bit of rain drop to the floor. Noticing that man's demeanor and body language had shifted lightly. "To answer your question, I am half-youkai. Both human and fantasy run in my blood, and those like me don't eat humans." Rinnosuke raised his head to look at Touma directly and reassured him there was no immediate danger from himself.

After hearing it the shopkeeper's words, Touma visibly relaxed his guarded posture; only, he wasn't allowed to just yet.

"Excuse me, is anybody home?"

(!)

(! From that voice... Izayoi-san?)

A knock on the door grabbed their attention with the muffled voice behind it. Touma snapped his head behind him to the door but returned them over when Rinnosuke held his arm and whispered to him.

"Kamijou-kun, step back behind the counter while I go and open the door. I'll handle it since drawing suspicion to you won't be favorable for you and me." Rinnosuke gathered Touma's attention and motioned him to follow his directions.

Touma had hesitated somewhat.

From what he could infer by Rinnosuke's words, he could be using him by the way it was unfavorable to the man if he was discovered.

But after deliberating in the short time between them when their gazes met, he saw it beneath those inhumane golden eyes reflecting the honest will and intentions to protect him.

Trusting the man with his life on the line he nodded.

The two synchronized the noise their feet produced to hide Touma's as they made their way to the opposite sides of the room. Touma had hidden his presence by kneeling under the counter while Rinnosuke leaned his body to the door and peered out a small window he let up by the pulling the curtains slightly.

What met his eye was an elegantly combed hair of silver with a maid headband and two green braids done beautifully. It was a woman's graceful face with blue eyes, almost doll-like outside the pouring rain. From his view, her height is to be 165cm tall. He twisted the doorknob open to get a full view of his current prospect outside the store. The supposed Izayoi-san wore a dark-blue and white maid uniform with a white apron and short sleeves. Below her are black stockings covering her legs completely and red shoes. The maid in question full name is Sakuya Izayoi.

She was holding an umbrella to avoid getting soaked by the rain of misery outside the door.

"To what do I owe the pleasure this late, Izayoi-san?" Rinnosuke greets the woman with his regular treatment of potential customers.

"Greetings shopkeeper, I hope I'm not intruding anything important." A polite and customary reply was what he got out of the woman.

"You do know that business hours are currently closed yes? Especially with how you-know-what had transpired earlier this night."

"Would you look at that, I've arrived at the perfect hour. It's nothing different than from your usual business hours." The unreadable face of hers curved into a sarcastic smirk.

"Gah..." He felt a stab to the heart and clutched it when hearing it from Sakuya. He composed himself back up straight and looked down on her with his imposing height. "Whatever, what is it that you need from Kourindou?"

"Before getting to business, don't you have to let the customers in? It's a bit embarrassing to discuss a transaction by the door." Sakuya glared at him with one eye open. "Almost as if you were trying to hide something."

"Hoh? How rude of me. If you can handle what I've got, then please, right this way."

He moved to the side to create room for her to enter through the door, beckoning her in with courtesy.

"A word of advice from me. Instead of saying "it's closed right now' it is more appropriate to say 'it's always closed' for business."

Snarking that out of the way with her smirk in place earned the ire of the shopkeeper. She knew that he would never leave one of his few precious customers dissatisfied. Despite having no talent as a merchant, he knew that the customer was god.

She folded her umbrella as she took a step inside to be met with something stunning.

When she saw the inside of the store, she gasped. Everywhere she looked, high-quality placement of the wares expressed dignity and integrity in the atmosphere. Everything was clean without a speck of dust and grime blemishing the contents. The room was oppressive for her as if to challenge her title as Chief Maid of the Scarlet Mansion.

"Like it?" By her side, she turned her head to see the smug visage of the shopkeeper. His crossed arms and back leaning against the wall was clearly a sign of provocation. 'Can you do this?' Is what he silently implied.

The maid narrowed her eyes at him when she lost her gloating advantage. He probably felt benevolent earlier to spare her from witnessing this piece of art.

(Since when did he get so impudent?)

The two settled themselves inside where Rinnosuke sat behind the counter in his chair and Sakuya in front of him.

"Now explain to me what you're looking for." Rinnosuke asked with his full attention on her.

"Before I get to that matter, did you find yourself in possession of anything suspicious earlier?" Sakuya asks elusively, her features turning back to being unreadable so as to gauge out the reaction he was about to respond with.

"Now that's a very vague thing to ask you know." He says in confusion.

She was back to smirking at him again with renewed zest. "Then you weren't invited after all. Thought as much, though it isn't very much surprising." She says, relishing the ignorance he was displaying.

"What are you talking about?" He asks inquisitively.

Sakuya pulled something out of her apron and handed it to him. It was a white shikigami.

Reading what was written on it, Rinnosuke narrowed his eyes in thought.

"Isn't this a trap set up by her?" He asks casually.

Sakuya puffed her chest in pride. "The mistress realized that too, but she wouldn't run from a challenge by that gap hag. That daringness is what separates her from the other so-called nobility in Gensokyo."

"So you were sent here by the mistress for something." Rinnosuke figured out the purpose for why the maid had traveled to his store during the night, and under the stifling atmosphere, the dragons left behind.

"That's right. The mistress after being goaded by the little mistress had decided to send me in a search for a vehicle befitting her magnificence."

Sakuya decided to give the man the full story.

"Hum hmm hm hm~"

A blonde little girl giggled, seated by the dinner table in a giant room.

The giant room accommodated a size well enough to fit hundreds to people. It was dainty in the colors of red on the carpet and walls, hanging from the ceiling a chandelier. The room was isolated, having no windows to speak of.

"Should I bring my doll? Or maybe danmaku will be more fun instead?." Flandre muttered merrily, fiddling her index fingers.

"Oi, why are you shivering on the spot Flan?"

A gracious, but childish voice, equal to Flandre's called to her. It was a girl the same height as she is sitting at the front of the table in an immaculate throne.

It was the mistress of the Scarlet Mansion, Remilia Scarlet and older sister to Flandre Scarlet.

Red eyes, short-light-blue hair, pink mob cap with a red ribbon with white stripes near the rim, light-pink dress with red ribbons on the sleeves, large red ribbon around the waist, and black bat-like wings with a wingspan wider than her height.

It was an image of a nightcrawler, that brings terror by the name vampire.

She is the owner of the mansion and the mistress before the inhabitants who live and work here.

By her side catering to her is the chief maid, Sakuya.

"Ah!? N-nothing really important!" The little sister sputtered out in a mess with her wings jingling in the room.

Remilia was right, Flandre had been shivering on her seat when she came into the room uninvited instead of being in her basement like she was supposed to. Nothing really seemed to lit the fuse on her emotional outbreaks, so Remilia let her stay for dinner in the room rather than having Sakuya bring it to her basement.

Signaled by the mistress, Sakuya went to get the little mistress a velvet tart and placed the dish before her.

But Flandre never picked her spoon. She kept her head swaying to the sides with her eyes closed as she muttered incoherently.

"Nothing? It's rare for me to see you so stressed out and not destroy something over nothing." She says ponderously.

It really surprised Remilia who raised an eyebrow.

Noticing her sister's curiosity, she nervously tried to change the topic. "H-hmph! I guess you really never had it in you. The power to see fate you boasted about." Flandre remarked, smirking with her eyebrows taunting at her older sister.

That ticked her off.

Clasping her fingers together and closing her eyes, Remilia addresses her little sister. "Want to say that a little more closely?" She said sweetly with an equally sweet smile.

Sparks crackled between them.

"Mistress," Sakuya standing at the side interrupted, "Patchouli-sama has recovered enough from her asthma and is prepared to depart."

Turning her head away, Remilia responds. "Excellent. We'll be there shortly." She replies, lightly smiling pleasantly.

"Eh? What were you discussing just now?" Flandre asked, tilting her head on her seat.

It was Sakuya who answered by holding up a piece of origami paper.

"Oooh~, that's pretty."

"We've been invited by the gap hag to an emergency party at the Hakurei Shrine." Remilia told her patiently.

(Onee-sama and everyone is going out soon? Gasp! Could this be it!? The opportunity I need to leave the mansion!?)

With a spurt of excitement, Flandre asked her sister while shaking her fists up and down.

"Hey, Onee-sama! Why didn't you invite me sooner in the first place!?"

"That never crossed my mind before." She replied back like it was the most obvious choice of words to pick from.

"Tch." Flandre clicked her tongue. Feeling very annoyed by her sister's nonchalant attitude to dismiss her. "How come?"

Remilia brought her teacup to her sipping it and hummed. "Mn, is this the usual red tea Sakuya?" She received a nod by the maid.

Now Flandre got angry from her big sister's attitude when she ignored her.

"Answer me!"

"You should stay here until I find someone who can manage you." Remilia ever so calmly told her to be patient by promising her there will be someone to look after her.

She obviously wasn't satisfied by that promise that never came to be since the fake moon incident. Flandre pouted indignantly and retorted in her head that she already has a manager.

(Hmph! I already have someone who I can't break! He's just someone I haven't seen yet...)

"Why are you so mean!? You know your little sister is finally excited about something for a long time!" Flandre half-pleaded and half lashed out to her sister on the throne. She even grabbed her mob cap and threw it to the ground to accentuate her dissatisfaction.

"And if I let you out, the only fate that I see is ruin and destruction!" Remilia raised her voice and rebuked her hotly, bringing down the teacup a bit stronger without breaking it.

"Hmph. I bet you're just pretending to be seeing things again like you always do!" Flandre fired back unwaveringly, touching upon her sister's weakest sore spot she could never prove.

Remilia's face contorted in anger with a vein popping up. She completely lost her cool now that she jumped from her throne and slammed her hands on the dinner table making the silverware jump and producing banging noise when they landed back down out of their initial positions.

"Say that again, I dare you!"

"What, Huh!? You wanna fight!?"

The two at odds crawled on the table and slapped and hit each other, arguing back and forth creating a mess on the table with the table cloth gaining wrinkles and the plates falling onto the floor with a clang.

Off to the side, Sakuya watched the proceeding fit between children with a twitch of her left eye and a tired sigh. She ever rarely seen her mistress interact with the little mistress and almost every time they got into an argument. It was a good time to step in, she thought.

"Mistress." Sakuya stepped forward and interrupted the two's tussle with the both of them whipping their heads to her.

If a man with questionable tastes were here, he'd loudly say score from the sight of the two noble mistresses' bodies under a compromising position with their clothes disorganized. Flandre was on top of Remilia and holding her right arm by the wrist using her own right hand and pulling her sister's dress by the shoulder with her left. Remilia had her right hand pulling Flandre's side ponytail and her left foot pushing her stomach.

The Kami-yan disease has wormed its way to the Scarlet Mansion without the presence of Touma. It never lost its proper function after all this time.

"Look. Our appointed time is approaching soon and you mustn't look any less sharp and polished than during your best. It is you who will lead everybody to solve this incident at the Hakurei Shrine meeting and there is no better way than to win by showering them in your courageousness and charisma." Sakuya reported passionately behind her unreadable face. She gave her honest opinion in hopes that her mistress will resolve herself up to do her born-duty as a leader.

"...You're right Sakuya; this isn't the time to be playing games." Remilia got up on her feet wriggling out of Flandre's loose grip. Dusting herself from her disheveled look, she addressed her maid with her hands to her hip and a smile. "Everyone will need a leader to guide them under the besiegement of the dragons. Since we allowed time for everybody to gather at the shrine I can lead them under my command and not waste time waiting for the rest."

"Hah. Don't tell me you're going to be there with Sakuya carrying you by the throne are you?" Flandre hooted under Remilia; her head looked away to hide her smirk.

"What's wrong with that?" Remilia crossed her arms feeling fed up by Flandre's attitude right before the time to embark on her grand crusade to rule Gensokyo.

"Everybody knows a real sophisticated lady has an equally sophisticated vehicle to assure everybody the grand status they uphold." Flandre held an arm and turned her head to give Remilia a side glance, her smirk never losing its touch.

"You've made a good point tonight Flan." Remilia concurred admittedly, scrunching up in thought with the thought of abandoning the throne approach. "Hmm. Ooh! How about we arrive there using our rocket ship!?"

Sakuya's face didn't show it beneath her elegant demeanor, but her eyes lost some luster in disapproval. And Flandre scoffed in amusement from her sister's thought process on how that would ever be a good idea.

"N-no? It's not a good idea?"

Remilia sniffed a little, a tiny bit of wetness from the corners of her eye.

"It's a good option for consideration mistress, but if I were to give my opinion, a vehicle that can highlight your face is a lot more preferable."

"And there you have it."

"I see. I see now." Rinnosuke nodded understandingly. His mouth twitched a little, and that made the maid glare at him.

"Now that I've made myself clear, you don't happen to have a vehicle overflowing with charisma do you?" She half-asked and half-challenged the man who prides himself selling goods from the Outside World.

"A vehicle, huh...?" He squeezed his face in concentration.

"Yes, it will be needed to make an impression of high class, something that will outshine everybody at the party, not that the mistress can't already outshine them by her own." Sakuya explained in a flat tone, feeling a bit of doubt the shopkeeper held an item that can measure to the mistress. "I'll make it easy for you, it doesn't have to be a coach or anything, as long as the mistress can ride around it..."

"Come to think of it, I did acquire an item befitting your description that will fulfill that purpose." He let out with confidence. He had a vehicle in mind and it's function being the perfect match for a noble lady.

"Then I shall take it. Hurry up and bring it out why don't you?"

"Then if you'll excuse me." Rinnosuke sat up from his chair and strode his way to the back storage room.

Touma who had been listening on the conversation the entire time waited with bated breath. He and the maid were the only two left in the room, and the tension in the air was palpable. He covered his mouth with his hands to quiet his breathing.

After an excruciating amount of time passed, Rinnosuke came out from the left of the room with a 'vehicle.' One that made Touma's eyes widen.

"This here is a vintage carriage of mahogany wood. The seat is made out of weaves that haven't lost its conditioning one bit. The wheels are fully operating without the hindrance of any road or pavement. And there comes an enclosable shutter on the top that prevents sunlight from harming the skin of the rider. Its size is appropriate for your mistress. But that's not all; whoever rides this carriage is the sovereign of all new-born life. None can ignore the rider for they must pay tribute without exception."

Rinnosuke bargained her using his silver tongue as she became more impressed the longer he drawled out.

She traced her hand across the handlebars and played with the shutters and wheels. By her expression, she was convinced of the quality and satisfied from the work it can produce.

"How much will this be?" She pulled out her purse and counted the money on hand.

"Since your mistress is having an important party to attend to I won't put too much weight on it." He held out three fingers to her to indicate the cost.

"Very well then, have a good day shopkeeper."

And with that Sakuya left the money on the counter, put her hand on the carriage and disappeared from the spot.

Touma meanwhile had witnessed the air turning gray during the time the maid left the money and went off with the carriage.

(W-what!? What was that!? Rinnosuke-san didn't appear to be moving at all when that happened! Only me and she did... don't tell me?)

As unbelievable as it sounded, Touma could only come to a ridiculous conclusion of the power that maid wielded. But at this point in his life, it wasn't the most surprising thing to him.

"You can come out now Kamijou-kun."

And so Touma did. He stood upright from behind the counter and stared at Rinnosuke like he was an idiot.

Whatever power the women had was secondary to his real concern, no, it might have just enhanced it.

"I can't tell whether or not you're an insane conman or perhaps the most glorious bastard I've seen."

"? What do you mean by that?"

"You sold her a carriage for babies!"

Touma detected a slight shuddering from the jar at the corner of the room.

"... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... oh."

A/N: And that wraps up this chapter. This is just the calm before the storm comes. I have to ask though, how well did I portray Touma in your eyes?

Please review and point out any spelling and grammar mistakes; they are very much appreciated!