Memories are a Fragile Thing (To be Remade)

by shadriver

AU. Things never seem to go Kamijou Touma's way. He's a Child Error who just barely manages to scrap by with the allowance Academy City provides all those in his position. Everything starts to change as he meets up with a friend from his time in the orphanage and he's exposed to parts of Academy City that he thought he left behind, as well as a world completely out of fantasy.

5. Magic-Is-Real?

Author's Note: Personally, I liked both Stiyl and Kanzaki's fight in the Index Arc so I hope I did them justice here.

FoxOnPie: Mmm, yes. Things will change. More than you'd think but less than you'd hope, I suppose. Though… was it really? I've yet to see Gurren Lagann so it was completely accidental. ^^;

Agent Nine: Indeed!

Guest: I do that for repetitions sake. I don't know why but it annoys me when the same word is used multiple times, even when it's names. That's disregarding the incredibly common words, of course, otherwise I doubt I'd be able to write at all.

Engelmohr2004: I can ensure that he won't. It would defeat the purpose of his backstory having more bearing on his interactions with people. Also, due to that, it'd be a lot harder to hide.

Aznereth: I wouldn't say that but thank you for the compliment regardless! Though this is but a piece of Touma's backstory. Admittedly, this is probably the part that'll come up the most though, since it's the most traumatizing. As I stated above, Touma will be keeping his memories. Or at least, I have no plans of having him lose them as of now.

Damienus1019: Thanks! You know, now that I lot of people have brought it up, I've been thinking about a setting where Touma's backstory matters enough that his memory loss actually affects him, yet he can still keep it a secret. I don't know if I'll actually do anything with that, I won't in this story I'm afraid, but we'll see.

ZidanReign & a certain reading fan: Thank you!

/Scene: Opening Phase: 「Daze」

Chapter 5: Magicians

Location: School District 7; Kamijou Touma's Dorm

Date: July 16th

"Who is…?"

"Hello there, boy. I'm Stiyl Magnus. But you can call me Fortis931." The priest smirked a grim smile; Index quickly turned around. "It's something like 'I prove why my name is the strongest here,' right?"

"Touma! You need to run!" Index yelled, ignoring the Magician for now. "He's one of the people after me!"

"Oh, I see." His tone and expression darkened, the priest was actually impressed by the aura of seriousness he gave off. "No need to worry, Index. I'll handle this once and for all."

"Touma…" She looked at him hard. "I can't let you."

"If the boy has a death wish, let me grant it." Stiyl spoke up. "After all, I've already given my Magic name. There was no escaping anyway."

"Magic name?" Touma spread his legs and brought his fist to around his chest, prepared to use his right hand at any moment.

"Ah, right, you Espers are unfamiliar with our terms. Forgive me." He smirked again. "Apparently, we, Magicians, shouldn't say our names when we use Magic. It's an old tradition I don't understand but basically, our Magic names are more like murderer's nicknames."

"I see." Kamijou repeated. He gripped his right fist and dashed forward, passing by Index.

"Touma!"

"As if something like that matters!" Instead of using his usual right, he started with his left, perhaps as a sort of test. However, the priest merely sidestepped the blow. Going a few more feet, Kamijou turned around and faced Stiyl again.

"A punch? I thought Espers could do more impressive things than that." He mocked him but Touma shrugged.

"I'm just a Level 0."

"Pitiful." Stiyl pulled out his cigarette and tossed it over the banister, "flames." The lit part of the thrown item burst into flames and then flowed above the Fire Magicians into a pillar.

"Index!" Touma spoke up as he went into a stance, putting both his fists up. "Get out of here. As it is, you're going to get in the way." As if humoring him, Stiyl did not attack just yet.

"B-But Touma, he's a Magician. Even if you used your right hand…"

"Go." His tone was firm, a lot different from the lazy, unlucky boy that was there not ten minutes before.

"…Please don't die!" Tears began to form but she nodded anyway and ran not for the elevator but the stairs. It looked like Touma was right to teach her a little fire safety.

"A useless final effort." Stiyl spoke up eventually. "It won't be that hard to find her after I dispose of you."

"If you think you can chase people around and decide their fates at your whim…" Touma began. "Then I'll have to destroy that illusion of yours."

"We'll see, Esper." The Magician swung his hand, the sword of fire following. "The gift of pain for the giant!" The instant the sword touched anything, it exploded and engulfed the rest of the floor like an erupting volcano. Of course, none of that matters as the fire all vanished an instant later as a shattering sound rang out.

"Like I said." Stiyl froze. "I'm not going anywhere." Kamijou Touma stood firm, right hand outstretched.

"Tch." Regaining his composure, the Magician swung his arm again, another sword of flames shooting towards Touma but the result was the same. Outstretching his right hand, the flames instantly vanished. "Could he be using Magic…? Impossible. If that were the case, he wouldn't have had Index run."

Yes, that's how dangerous the Grimoires were. Should a Magician use the books, they could rewrite the rules of the world. 1+1 could equal 3, the dead could be revived, and nothing would be off limits. They would become a Magic God; one who mastered Magic to the point of entering God's domain.

The 103,000 Grimoires were on an entirely different level from a nuclear bomb.

Though, Stiyl could also not feel any Magical power emanating from the boy so he wasn't a Magician. He couldn't use the Grimoires.

"Who are you…?" He found himself asking aloud. And then he remembered how the Magical signal from Index's Walking Church had disappeared. Yes, that's right, it just vanished. As if it was destroyed. Could this boy have done that too?

His question was answered with a fist, which sent him rolling along the cold floor.

"No one important. Just Kamijou Touma, the Level 0." Was Kamijou's response. Stiyl wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth as he stood back up, making a complex face at the Level 0 Imagine Breaker. Though he did not know why, the boy in front of him seemed more like a creature that merely took the shape of a human.

"One of the five great elements from which the world is constructed." The Magician began chanting and Kamijou rushed towards him again. "The great flame of the beginning. It is a light of blessing that raises life and a light of judgment that punishes evil."

"No you don't!"

"It is overflowing with calm blessings and with freezing misfortune that destroys cold darkness. Its name is fire and its role is the sword. Be manifested and become the power that eats into my body!" Touma stopped, only a few feet in front of the Magician, and he did not know why. His body had acted on its own, as if by instinct.

Of course, this turned out for the best as a great mass of flames erupted in front of Stiyl, forming the shape of a man with a black, ooze like center. The door handles, the face plates, they started to melt. If Touma had continued forward, or should someone walk out at this inopportune time, they would have surely died. "The witch-hunting pope, Innocentius. It's meaning… kill thy enemy." The condescending smirk had returned to the Magician's face. Innocentius charged forward but Touma did not waver.

"Out of the way." He swung his hand dismissively, dispersing the giant humanoid flame and looked down Stiyl again. His smirk had not vanished and a sudden roar behind him attracted his attention. Turning his head, he caught sight of a reforming Innocentius. "Wha-? How?" He would get no answer as the beast raised up its hand and, in a burst of fire, a large cross materialized. The fiery giant aimed its weapon directly at Kamijou's head, who brought up Imagine Breaker instinctively in an attempt to dispel the creature. He was shocked again when it had no effect. No, that wasn't correct, the creature was definitely being annihilated but it simply revived afterwards, the rate of revival being perhaps a tenth of a second. Kamijou was stuck.

"Ash to ash…" The priest held up his hands as fire gathered there once again. "Dust to dust…" Kamijou couldn't move, not yet, and he could only look back as the attack was prepared. "…Squeamish Bloody Rood!" Both flaming swords shot out of his hands, barreling for Innocentius. The swords made contact with the flame god and exploded. "And that's all she wrote." He muttered only to freeze once more as he heard the now familiar sound of something shattering. The smoke caused by the fiery explosion parted as Touma ran out, Stiyl couldn't move. At the last possible moment, he had removed his hand and let the flaming blades hit Innocentius. As soon as the explosion began, he stuck out his hand out again and negated it. If he was off by even a second, the fiery ball would've consumed him.

"I-Innocentius!" Stiyl cried out as the giant began to reform again but it was too late, he met Kamijou's fist again. Already tired out from summoning Innocentius, and his previous punch, he did not get back up. Touma sighed as the flame god roared and dispersed, for good this time, since its master was out of commission. The smoke blew around in the wind and eventually, the fire alarm went off.

"Perfect timing…" He murmured underneath his breath and glanced around at the still lingering fire and melted pieces of what once a dorm floor. "I should probably get out of here before Anti-Skill and the firefighters show up."

/Scene:

Location: School District 7; Outside Kamijou Touma's Dorm

Misaka Mikoto stood among the crowd as they watched the dormitory fire rage on, though the fire fighters were making progress. Most of the crowd was worried about the students inside, or what caused the fire in the first place but Mikoto was too busy wondering if that was the floor that that idiot lived on.

"Onee-sama! My Onee-sama!" She turned her head behind her as Shirai Kuroko ran up to her and grabbed her arm. "I didn't expect to find you here… Going out for some night fun before the weekend's over, eh?" She teased.

"Honestly, Kuroko…" She closed her eyes and recomposed herself. "How could you possibly expect me to be having some night fun right now?"

"Very simple, Onee-sama." She responded, factually. "There's absolutely no reason for you to be this far away from the dorm. Most shops are out in the opposite direction." Mikoto's eyes widened in realization before she settled on an annoyed look.

"I-I simply had something to do." There was no way she was here to converse with that idiot. Nope, none at all. "You, on the other hand… What are you doing here?" She asked before noticing the green armband on her kohai's arm. "Don't tell me…"

"Yes, I'm here on Judgment work." Kuroko turned her attention to the burning building. "The cause of this fire is Esper related, apparently."

"An Esper, huh…? Knowing that idiot, he probably got in a fight with whoever it was." She voiced her thoughts, absentmindedly.

"Eh? Would you happen to mean Kamijou-san, Onee-sama?" Kuroko asked, knowing full well that he was the only one Mikoto would address in such a way.

"Oh, yeah." She blushed slightly since she hadn't realized she was talking aloud. "He lives in this building."

"Oh!" The grip on Misaka's arm tightened. "That makes me finding you here seem all the more like a scandal."

"G-Get those thoughts out of your head!" The Level 4 was on the verge of being shocked. "I had something to do, like I said, and just happened to see the fire." The Teleporter didn't seem like she bought it.

"In any case, we should contact Kamijou-san to see if he's okay."

"Yeah. I'll give him a call."

"And you even have his phone number?" She frowned, though it was obviously playful. "Kuroko might just get jealous at this rate." Zap!

/Scene:

Location: School District 7

Touma put his hand against a wall as he caught his breath, having been running since he left his dormitory.

"Whew…" He looked at his right hand and clenched it again. "So that was Magic, huh…?" He sighed. And then his phone rang. He quickly took it out of his pocket and answered it. "Hello?"

"Touma!" Index yelled so loudly that Touma actually had to move the phone from his ear. "Are you alright?"

"I think I've gone deaf." He joked but immediately knew that Index wouldn't leave him alone until she got an actual answer. "I'm fine. Magician's down. Where are you?"

"You actually…" She murmured so quietly that he almost didn't hear her. "I'm at Ruiko's dorm. I… I didn't know where else to go."

"It's fine." He assured her. "I'll be right there."

"Okay. Be careful, we don't know if there are other Magicians around."

"Heh. I should telling you that." He smiled. "See you in a bit."

"Okay." He hung up and began walking, about return his phone to its rightful place but it rung again.

"Oi, Index, I just said I'd be there in a bit." Annoyance was evident in his tone.

"Index? Do you even check your caller ID before you answer your phone, idiot."

"A-Ah, Misaka." Sufficiently embarrassed, he held the phone with both hands. "This is such a rare event. What do you need?"

"Your dorm's on fire." He paused.

"How did she find out so quickly?"

"Kamijou?"

"You're kidding!?" He put on his best shocked voice. "Such misfortune! I bet all my homework went up in flames too!"

"Which floor do you live on?"

"The seventh."

"Wow that really is unlucky." He could hear the astonishment in her voice. "It seems like the fire is concentrated there."

"Ah! Don't call this Kamijou-san just to tell him bad news!"

"Would you rather you came back to the surprise?"

"…Point taken."

"Eh? Hey, Kuroko, stop!" "Let me see the phone, Onee-sama!" "A-At least give me a minute!"

"Misaka…?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Kamijou-san!"

"Oh, hey, Shirai."

"Has there been any unusual activity or suspicious characters around your dormitory lately?"

"Mmm, not that I know of." He heard her sigh. "Sorry."

"Forget about it, Kamijou-san. This kind of thing will probably be taken out of Judgment's hands anyway."

"Wait, you don't think that it was just an oven fire accident or something like that?"

"No, this was definitely an Esper. The flames are at their strongest outside the rooms and multiple eye witnesses saw, and reported, what appeared to be a fight on that floor." She explained to him and Kamijou paled. Someone might be able to recognize him.

"I see. Well, thanks for the heads up." He managed a smile, though neither of them could see it. "Goodnight, you two."

"Goodnight, Kamijou-san." He hung up.

/Scene:

Location: School District 7; Saten Ruiko's Dorm

He was met with a hug as soon as Ruiko opened the door, from both Index and the aforementioned Level 0, but he was too surprised to actually return it.

"Jeez, Touma-kun. I was so worried." Ruiko said once she pulled away, though Index remained. "Index just showed up here with tears in her eyes, saying how you'd gotten into a fight to protect her and I just didn't know what to think."

"You should know me better than that." He smiled and even pat Index's head. "It'll take more than a Magician to take me out." He told them both as Ruiko nodded.

"I'm sorry for doubting you."

"M-Me too…" Index finally muttered as she let him go. "B-But don't ask me to run away again! Next time, I want to help! You don't know how Magic works."

"Eh, I did just fine this time." He thought about it for a moment. "Then again, really, I just punched the guy a couple times." Both girls were silent.

"…I…" Index was speechless. "Explain it, please." And so, Touma did. He told them of the blazing swords he threw at Kamijou; he told them of the smugness behind each of his actions and he told them of the fiery beast that the Magician had crafted and how he had barely avoided it to strike him.

"Incredible…" Index mumbled before shaking her head violently. "Still. You can't expect to just punch your way through everything. My 103,000 Grimoires can help."

"I'll keep it in mind." She frowned at that answer but Touma continued. "I think we have a more important issue at hand."

"Hm?" Ruiko tilted her head.

"My dorm's on fire."

"Eeeh!" They both screamed.

"Yeah…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sure Index can stay here, right?" Ruiko nodded. "Then that just leaves me…"

"Ah, why don't you ask one of your classmates?" Touma paled. There were only two people he would even think about asking such a favor from. Tsuchimikado was his neighbor and it was likely that his room was totaled as well, sudden worry over where he and Maika were going to stay arose but faded as he thought of his second option.

Aogami Pierce (Touma still refused to believe that was his actual name). He didn't live in the male student dorms, no, he lived in an apartment above a bakery, it was rumored that he did it because he liked the maid's uniforms. That was all fine and dandy, however, and not what worried Kamijou. He had never seem what Aogami's room looked like, though he could imagine and he did not like what he saw. To have to stay there for multiple days…

"Touma…? Is something wrong…?" Index eyed him strangely.

"N-Nothing." He silently muttered as he pulled out his phone and found the pervert's contact information. He answered almost instantly

"Kami-yan? You never call me, what's up?"

"Ah, um, Aogami-san…"

"Oooh, honorifics? What do you need? In another 'misfortunate' situation?" He could hear Pierce's grin over the phone. "Or do you need a place to stay?"

"Eh!? How'd you know!?"

"Our favorite sis-con sergeant's already staying over." So that's where Tsuchimikado was.

"Oh. …You wouldn't happen to have room for a third, huh?"

"Of course, of course, there's always room for Kami-yan." Aogami snickered. "It'll be like a sleep-over. We'll gossip about which girls are still available for me and Tsuchimikado. So basically the girls that haven't gotten the Kami-yan disease, as few as they are."

"There's no such thing as the- Never mind." He gave a sigh of defeat. "Text me your address, I'll be there when I can."

"Sure thing. Hurry over, Kami-yan~" He hung up after that.

"…I've got a place. It's better than nothing." He said the last part quietly so they couldn't hear him. "If anything weird starts happening, you guys should call me right away, no matter the time."

"Yeah, I will." Ruiko gave a deep sigh.

"What's wrong, Ruiko?"

"It's just that… I feel kind of useless, you know?"

"Huh?"

"Well, you have Imagine Breaker. Misaka-san and Shirai-san are both incredibly powerful Espers, even Uiharu's a member of Judgment and a real computer genius." She looked down. "Compared to me who can't do anything. If those Magicians attacked, I wouldn't even be able to protect Index. I don't even… really believe in Magic. Am I really the best person to leave her with…?"

"I wouldn't bring her to Aogami's house if my life depended on it." He deadpanned.

"Touma, I'm being serious here…"

"Right, sorry." Collecting his thoughts, he found that he didn't really know what to say to her.

"Ruiko… Just because you don't have a power doesn't make you useless." Index spoke up for him. "Look at me, I have all the knowledge in the world yet I can't use Magic."

"Index is right." Her train of thought led Touma in the place he needed to go. "You need to focus on what you can do as opposed to what you can't."

"But what can I do?"

"I… I don't know," he honestly said, sheepishly. "But that's for you to find out, right?" He put a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "And I know that you will because you're you. And I believe in you."

"Touma-kun, Index…" She brought her head up and smiled. "Thanks. You're both great friends." Touma's face darkened and he let go of her shoulder, suddenly. "Touma-kun?"

"I should probably get going." He hastily said. "I'll be back after school, tomorrow." Before either of them could say anything more, he walked out the door, closing it behind him.

"You're both great friends." He replayed her sentence in his head and chuckled darkly. "How can you call me that when I can't even tell you about your parents…?"

/Scene:

"Is there something wrong with Touma?" Index asked as she stared at the closed door.

"I think so." She crossed her arms. "Maybe it had something to do with the Magician? Or not being here?" She wasn't really considering those as ideas herself but she could think of nothing else.

"Maybe."

"Well, I was actually about to go to sleep. I've got school in the morning, you know."

"Oh, yes, yes. I'll probably sleep too then." Ruiko smiled at the silver haired girl.

"You don't have to if you don't want to. Just don't make too much noise, okay?"

"No, no." Shaking her head and waving her hands, Index looked a lot younger than she already did. "Today has been very tiring."

"Okay!" She gave the casually dressed nun a thumbs up. "And remember, I'm a girl too so if you want to talk about things you couldn't talk to Touma about, let me know!"

"W-What?" She blushed. "R-Ruiko, what are you talking about?"

Sticking out her tongue, Ruiko giggled, "I don't know."

"Focus on what you can do instead of what you can't."

"But what if I can make myself learn how to do things I can't now." Ruiko wondered as she remembered that download link she saw on one of her rumor websites, a link that apparently held Level Upper.

/Scene:

Location: School District 7; Grandeur Bakery

"Kami-yan! Come in, come in!" Aogami Pierce welcomed the unlucky boy into the bakery and directed him to staircase that was usually off limits to the customers since it led to the apartments above. Touma mentally braced himself for the horrors that were surely kept within the confines of this room and when he opened the door… he was largely disappointed, in a sad, twisted way. The room was pretty plain, not that much different from his dorm honestly. It was definitely bigger though.

"What?" He couldn't help but say.

"I know the feeling. I expected something more than this too, nyah." Tsuchimikado snickered from one of the corners.

"I used to have tons of posters but they made me take it down after one of the inspections. Apparently, it wasn't within their code of conduct." Aogami grumbled as he walked in and took a seat on his bed. "Don't worry about uniforms and the like, I've got plenty. We're all close enough in size, right?"

Touma shrugged, as did Tsuchimikado.

"But let's forget about that! I'm more curious about your love life, Kami-yan. There have been a lot of things going around about you, you know?

"There has?" He wanted to sound curious but he ended up annoyed. "That's funny because there's nothing to talk about!"

"On the contrary, I heard you were building a harem of middle schoolers." Motoharu grinned. "You even had two Tokiwadai students, nyah."

"Middle schoolers!? Tokiwadai!?" Aogami marveled. "I didn't know Kami-yan had tastes like that! He obviously appreciates the superior ojou girls! Take that, Tsuchimikado!"

"Nyah, I still say the normal, generic type of girl is the best."

"Ug, your tastes really do leave a lot to be desired."

"They're a classic, Aogami!" He argued. "Besides, they typically have low self-confidence since they're so run of the mil. You get to help them through their insecurities! It's a classic love story setup!"

They started going back and forth, comparing tastes and occasionally asking for Touma's opinion on things.

Touma openly groaned as he realized tonight, and perhaps the next several nights, were going to be a lot longer than they had any right to be.

/Scene:

Location: School District 7; A Certain High School

Date: July 17th

"Now class, as I'm sure you all heard, one of the dormitory's caught fire yesterday." Komoe-sensei opened class with that the next day. "As things are, they need to be completely redone. They might even leave the floor vacant the rest of the year." Several groans were heard from various dorm neighbors of Touma's.

"However, we will be relocating you to a different complex within the week. It's also important to note that most of your items were capable of being recovered, despite the damage to the room." Kamijou smiled at that. Looks like things weren't so bad after a- "Well, most of them. I'm sorry, Kamijou-chan, but everything in your room was completely unsalvageable."

"Such misfortune!" He screamed internally as his face hit his desk. Even his other classmates looked at him with pitying expressions. "The next time I see that Magician, I swear…"

"W-Well, as it is, I'm excusing you from doing the homework that was due."

"Thanks, Sensei." He said without picking up his head.

/Scene:

Location: School District 7; Uiharu Kazari's Dorm

Date: July 18th

"So this is the girl you were telling me about…?" Uiharu sat at the opposite end of her small table from Ruiko, though she was more interested in the foreigner that sat adjacent to her.

"Yes! Her name's Index."

"Hello." Index smiled at Uiharu, who returned it.

"Uiharu Kazari, it's nice to meet you." She brought a finger to her chin. "Huh? I've never heard Index be used as a name before. Maybe it's a foreign thing?" For some reason, the air in the room tensed.

"Yes, yes, absolutely! Index is in no way, shape or form a strange or fake name in the slightest, isn't that right, Uiharu?" Ruiko's eyes pleaded with Kazari to just say 'yes' and so she did. "But why did you call me here, Uiharu?"

"Right, um, you see…" Her face turned red as she thought it over. "It's about Kamijou-sama…"

"Uiharu, your face is super red right now." She chuckled but then, suddenly, got serious. "Wait, don't tell me… You don't have a crush on him, do you!?" She exclaimed.

"Ah…!" Index matched her surprise.

"No, no, no, no!" She shook her head quickly. "Nothing like that, gosh, Saten-san…"

"Oh." She blushed out of embarrassment a bit. "Then what's the problem?"

"Well, I'm not really sure how to say this. I've been really trying my best to avoid Kamijou-sama for a while now."

"Huh? Why?"

"Well, he saved me from that Graviton Bombing. I was thinking of a proper way to thank him." She smiled but immediately frowned afterwards. "No, that's not it." She thought about whether to tell Ruiko about what she'd found when she searched for Touma on the internet. Saten might already know but if she didn't, she wouldn't want to be the one to tell her first. "Do you… know about when he was a kid?"

"Oh…" Ruiko's expression faded to one of remembrance, perhaps sadness too. "You know about that stuff?"

"Yeah. I-I looked him up after we first met him."

"Huh? What happened to Touma?" Index spoke up, completely confused.

"When Touma was a kid, before he came to Academy City, a lot of things happened to him." Saten began as she went through a rundown of the events in Touma's life. From the stabbing to the TV show to his parent's deaths. Index was silent the whole time, absorbing that information.

"Wow… I wouldn't have guessed…" She murmured. "Touma…"

"I know. He's usually so happy." She smiled. "But that's what I like about him."

"Ah, so you're the one with a crush on him?" Uiharu teased.

"No, of course not." She was quick to defend. "We're friends, you know? I didn't mean like like…" She ran a hand through her hair. "But I still don't understand your problem, Uiharu." The petite, flower headed girl jumped as she remembered the reason they got on this subject in the first place.

"I just… I don't know how to talk to him knowing about it."

"Oh, I see." Ruiko nodded. "Just forget about it. If it doesn't bother Touma, it shouldn't bother you. The same goes for you, Index. I can see you thinking over there."

"A-Ah! I wasn't thinking about that though." Index waved her hands in front of her face.

"Oh, sorry then." She smiled.

"Thanks, Saten-san. Next chance I get, I'm going to thank him." She nodded confidently.

Location: School District 7; Grandeur Bakery; Aogami Pierce's Apartment

"Hey, Kami-yan, what's the answer to number 4?"

"I'm pretty sure it's B." Touma replied, annoying because this is how their conversation had been going since they'd returned to Aogami's place and started doing their homework. Kamijou also got the impression that the two other members of the Delta Force were only doing the homework because he was there to get the answers from.

"Thanks~! What about 5?"

"A." Of course, they'd be surprised to learn that he had just been saying random letters for the past 5 minutes. He couldn't help but grin mischievously.

And he couldn't help but cry when they somehow got higher marks on it than he did.

/Scene:

Location: School District 7; Outside A Certain High School

Date: July 19th

It was somewhat of a joke that they were finally given the address and keys to their new apartments on the last day of school. Though, he was happy that he didn't need supplementary lessons this year, he and Motoharu were neighbors again so he guessed that they assigned it based on the spots the students were in before. He supposed the first order of business was getting Index so she could join him, it was technically her new apartment too. He took out his phone and dialed Ruiko's number just to check if they were in her dorm or not. The sun was just about to start setting so he assumed that they would be, the streets got extra rowdy after dark.

"Hello, Touma-kun."

"Hey, Ruiko. I finally got the stuff for my new dorm." He shoved his other hand into his pocket. "Where are you and Index?" He knew the street that she told him, it seemed like they were heading for a bunch of mini-malls.

"Huh?"

"What's wrong?"

"I just noticed something weird is all. The streets are pretty empty." Empty? That was definitely weird. School had just let out for the semester and that street was typically crowded regardless. "T-Touma!"

"Hm?"

"I-I think- M-Magician!"

"What? A Magician? God- Today of all times!" He was running now. "Run, Ruiko. I'll be there when I can." He could hear Index yell 'Ruiko, move!' before the line went dead.

/Scene:

He could feel that there was something wrong as he neared the street. Cars became less common, as did people. It was as if there was something telling them to not go in that direction. It was eerily silent once he'd past the last of the bystanders, he hoped that it was a good thing. No noise meant no fights, which meant that either the fighting was already over or hadn't begun yet.

"Ruiko!" He yelled. Even if it hadn't started yet, it would be a good idea to draw attention to himself. Of course, it was immediately after this that a strange sound filled the air. It was the sound of something being demolished, though not on a large scale. Turning, he headed in the direction of the noise and stopped at the scene before him.

Both Ruiko and Index were passed out, on the ground, their backs bloodied and their shirts torn. Along the ground were several slash marks, Kamijou counted seven. He walked over to them, strangely calm, until he saw the wounds. Both of their backs were sliced horizontally but it looked like Index's wound was much worse, perhaps she had pushed Ruiko almost out of range. Ruiko's cut wasn't shallow but it wasn't exactly life threatening either but Index's wound went deeper, exposing muscle and what appeared to be bone. It almost made Touma lose his lunch. If only his anger wasn't overcoming his feeling of nausea.

"Ah, you are the boy, right? Kamijou Touma. The One Who Purifies God and Exorcises the Devil. An excellent true name." A woman spook up, standing several meters ahead of Touma and his two, unconscious friends. Her voice was emotionless, though one could still not describe it as cold. She was wearing a white T-shirt that was tied up on her abdomen, which emphasized her breasts, and blue jeans that had one leg cut off. As opposed to the Flame Magician, her clothes were not that different from the norm. That was disregarding the two meter nodachi strapped to her side like a gun holster.

"Who are you?" His feet wanted to take a step back but he refused to let them.

"Kanzaki Kaori. I'd prefer not to give my other name."

"Your… Magic name?"

"Correct." She looked at the two girls. "I also apologize for their injuries. I did not intend to hit them." Though she was apologizing, her voice still lacked any emotion.

"Bullshit." He muttered back.

"It doesn't matter if you believe me or not." She put her hand on her sheathed blade. "I have only one goal. To secure the girl without mentioning my Magic name." This woman… she gave off a completely different feeling from Stiyl. With him, he had an air of confidence and dominance around him but Touma had felt such things before. And it was because he felt it before that he believed he could win.

But her… It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. Even though they were only looking at each other, Kamijou felt completely outclassed here. It sent a chill down his spine.

"And if I refuse?" He asked despite his apparent fear.

"Then I have no choice." In an instant, she was in front of Touma. His eyes widened as her leg was sent into his side, sending him spiraling towards the other end of the street. "I will retrieve her afterwards." She took a look behind her, at Index, then looked back at Touma. "I would prefer we not get her involved, if you really wish to do this."

Touma nodded as he staggered back up. "Incredible…" He clenched his right hand. "That's a good idea." He looked up at her and got into his stance. It didn't matter if he was outclassed or not. Not only had she hunted Index, she'd injured both her and Ruiko. He wouldn't let her get away with this. But there was a thought nagging him. He had to finish this quickly, otherwise they would bleed out. Their wounds were not small.

Her arms looked far too slender and weak to hold the blade as she pulled it into position. She began to unsheathe it and in an instant, the air above Touma's head was sliced apart. He blinked at the sudden attack, it was too fast. When his eyes opened again, Kanzaki's sword had returned to its place in her scabbard. He hadn't even been able to see the blade. He heard something break behind him and slam into the ground, though he would not turn around to look, that would expose him to an attack. They were already too quick for him to see. Should he be caught off guard as well…? It'd be over in an instant. No, even if he had been on his guard, it would be over. He was only standing because she missed on purpose, he knew that. He grit his teeth.

"Please stop this." Her tone did not change. "Ignoring my warnings will only lead to death. I only wish to secure the girl." There was no hesitation. Nothing seemed to imply that what she had just done was a remarkable feet.

"I have no reason to surrender to you." He dashed forward, he wasn't going down without at least trying.

"I'll ask as much as it takes." With a click, she drew her blade again. In a flash, asphalt, streetlights, the trees lining the street, were all sliced apart. A decently sized piece of asphalt slammed into Touma's right shoulder as he ran, instantly knocking him back. He held his shoulder as he looked around him.

One, two, three… seven. A grand total of seven slash marks laid on the ground. Just like the marks that were near Index and Ruiko. He heard the click of the nodachi being returned to its sheath.

"I want to secure the girl without stating my Magic name." She stated again. Kamijou was frustrated. That was seven slashes, seven attacks that he could not see. Anyone of them could've cut him in two and he wouldn't have even known until he hit the ground.

He couldn't see one slash but she'd made seven.

No, he only heard the sword be sheathed once. This had to be Magic. He still had a chance.

But he had to wonder. This woman who seemed so emotionless. Why had she not killed him already? Stiyl had no problem when he attacked. Why did she deliberately avoid killing him?

That being said, with her speed, she could easily grab Index and leave. Touma would be able to do nothing.

But she did neither of these things. Why?

Did she want to break his spirit?

Was this just a game to her?

"The speed of the Nanasen attack that my Shichiten Shichitou puts together is enough to kill you seven times over in the period of time known as an instant. People refer to this as an instant kill. Calling this a certain kill would not be far from the truth."

Touma stood up, still holding his right shoulder, and glared at the woman. "I'm not surrendering Index." He clenched his right fist so hard that it might break. Since this was Magic, all he had to do was touch it.

"Keep dreaming." She spoke, as if reading his thoughts. "Stiyl told me about your hand, that it can negate Magic for some reason. But that cannot save you here."

"I can't negate what I can't touch." He finished for her.

"So you aren't completely idiotic. Good." She silently grabbed the handle of her blade again. "Perhaps I can get through to you this time. I wish to secure the girl without giving my Magic name."

No, he could do this.

He could touch her slashes.

He could negate them.

He dashed forward.

"I don't know what drives you so much." She responded and began to unsheathe her sword.

"The attack in preparation is not Magical in nature." They both heard a voice and Touma instantly stopped. "It is a style typically utilized by Magicians with low Magical strength and became popularized in 18th century. To trick the opponent into believing that which is not Magical is Magical." The voice was even more emotionless than Kanzaki's, this voice could be described as cold and mechanical. But even with that, Touma could recognize it.

"Index…?" He blinked.

"Yes. I am the Grimoire library belonging to Necessarius, the 0th Parish of the Anglican Church. My proper name is Index Librorum Prohibitorum but that can be abbreviated to Index."

Kanzaki merely turned around to look at the now mechanical sounding library, with what could be called a frown on her face.

She hadn't been using Magic at all.

It was all a trap to make him think she was, and get caught in her attack.

But then what was it…?

He didn't have time to think as he dashed for Kanzaki again. He swung at her with his right fist but she simply tilted her head to avoid it. And kneed Kamijou in the stomach. He could taste blood as it sent him back several feet. He clutched his stomach as he struggled to say, "A-Are you not even a Magician?"

"I told you, Stiyl told me about your abilities."

He clenched his fist again.

"Do not think I am disguising a lack of ability behind a cheap trick. My wires." She told him and things seemed to click in place. He never saw her draw her sword because she never actually did. She was using the motion as a way to hide her manipulating wires.

He cursed at the difference in power between them.

"Beyond my Nanasen is the true Yuisen." He wanted to pick himself up but he was struggling. "Also I have yet to give my Magic name."

He stood up again, wobbling.

"Please do not make me give it, boy." She bit her lip. "I don't want to ever again."

"…As if I can give up." Ruiko and Index were still bleeding.

"What was that? I can't hear you?"

"Shut up, you damn robot!" He dashed at her again. A meaningless effort as the Shichiten Shichitou's scabbard struck him in the side of the face. He hit the ground, his shoulder crying in pain from repeated torture. He would've cried in pain as well if he didn't notice her foot coming down.

He rolled quickly, avoiding it.

"Nanasen."

Even though he knew it was useless, he held up his right hand. The attack, and the resulting rubble, tore into it and the rest of his body. He was not sliced to pieces as he should've been. Kanzaki held back and his body was only slashed viciously. For the first time, Touma could see the wires but only because they were red from his blood. That was it, he could no longer get back up.

Kanzaki walked to him.

"Surely that is enough." Though her voice was as emotionless as ever, her face betrayed it and displayed a look of pity, no, sadness. "Lasting even 30 seconds against one of the top ten Magicians in London is no small feat. She would not blame you if you gave in after this. There is no reason to go this far."

But that's when he realized that she wouldn't blame him.

And that gave him the strength to stand.

"Like hell there isn't." Kanzaki was shocked, so shocked that she took a step backwards. "Index is scared for her life. She's always been running, she's told me, she's always been so scared. Did you know that she can't sleep alone? Even in her sleep, she'll curl up next to me and stay there like she's afraid I'll leave by the morning if she doesn't." He should've been embarrassed saying this but he wasn't. Kanzaki took another step back. "You know how wrong this is. I can tell. You could've killed me a hundred, no, a thousand times over and taken her already. You don't want this. Why?"

He hated this situation.

He hated that he couldn't protect everything with the power that he held.

He hated how powerless he was compared to this woman.

He hated how she chased a girl around with the power that made him powerless.

"I…"

He hadn't noticed but with those sentences, he'd backed her into a corner.

"I don't want to do this." Emotion raged into her voice, the shock almost caused Touma to lose consciousness. It was so sad, so desperate. "I am from Necessarius of the Anglican Church, the same as Index. She is my colleague… and my precious friend."

Again, his consciousness almost flashed before his eyes.

"What…?"

"Do you honestly think a girl with no Magical power would be able to avoid us for so long?" Her voice was pained and almost weak, he almost couldn't recognize her as the woman who just destroyed him.

"…" Touma was speechless. If he remembered right, Index had been running away from them the whole year. Yet he, with the power to negate any supernatural force, hadn't lasted a week.

"She's a genius, yes. Being able to read and memorize a Grimoire, much less 103,000, is something no normal person can live through. But it is because of that that the higher ups do not treat her as normal. They are afraid of her. Everyone is."

"That doesn't excuse them from treating her like she's not a human." He countered. "Hunting her down like this…"

"That's true." Kanzaki admitted. "But her current specs are not like a normal humans."

"…?"

"Over 85% of Index's brain is consumed by the Grimoires. The remaining 15% is all she has left."

Touma questioned that, it didn't sound like it made much sense but there was something he wanted to know more.

"But… That doesn't explain why Index is running." He bit his lip. "She said she was being chased by a Magic Cabal after her 103,000 Grimoires."

With a bit of hesitation, Kanzaki said, "she was not lying to you. She doesn't remember anything. Not that we are from Necessarius, nor the reason she is being chased. She simply used her knowledge to fill the gaps. It is only natural for the holder of 103,000 Grimoires to assume that the Magicians chasing her are after the books."

"But how did she forget? She has perfect memory!" He wanted to shout but it didn't come out like one.

"She didn't forget. Technically, I erased them."

"What? Why!?"

"…We had to…" She paused. "She would've died if we didn't."

Kamijou's breath caught in his throat and he nearly fell over.

"Like I said, 85% of her brain is taken up by the memories of the 103,000 Grimoires." Kanzaki's shoulders trembled slightly. "She only has the remaining 15% to use like normal. If she continues to amass memories like a normal person, her brain will quickly burst. That's why we have to erase them every year."

"…That's bullshit…" Touma said after letting it sit in. Kanzaki's eyes widened.

"She isn't close enough to the cutoff point, is she!? You haven't seen her suffer when her brain gets too full! She gets a fever and cries! And yet, you can do nothing but erase that which gave her happiness!" She was about to start beating him again but he interrupted her.

"The brain doesn't work like that."

"What…?"

"Who told you that?" He took a step forward.

"The Church."

"The Church that's afraid of her. The one that wants to keep her in check?" He took another step. Kanzaki took one back.

"That's not…" She stuttered.

"I don't believe this one bit." He took another step. "You shouldn't either. This isn't true." Her fists tightened, it looked as if tears were beginning to gather in her eyes. This lie… This was why all of this was happening?

"What do you know!? Do you have any idea how it felt to hunt her down!? To become her enemies even though we loved her with all our hearts!?" She was in front of him again, her blade's scabbard impacting his stomach. Touma coughed out blood as he fell on his back. "Do we know how we felt as we saw her with you!? How we had to sully our own feelings to become that precious comrade's enemy!"

"But why?" He whispered. "Why did you become her enemies?"

"…We tried. Everything we could… We made new memories each time. We made new memories each time. We spent spring trying, we spent summer trying, we spent fall trying, and we spent winter trying! We promised to make memories so she would never forget and we made journals and photo album." She muttered. "But it didn't make a difference. We showed he and she would just apologize. No matter who you were to her, everything was set back to zero."

He could sympathize, he really could. Saying good bye to Index like that must've been worse than death, but to do it multiple times?

But it would be worse for Index, who was forced to go through it and then forget, only to unintentionally go down the same path again. "How long has this been happening," Touma couldn't help but wonder. But that was why they became her enemies. If she didn't have precious memories, losing them would matter less.

They did this to protect her.

But in the end, that didn't excuse what they put her through.

"To hell with that!" He screamed. "The only ones protected through this method are you! Index has gone through so much pain so that you two don't have to say goodbye. Do you seriously think I'll accept that!?"

"How dare you-! Do you know what I and Stiyl went through!? We didn't want to but we had to!" She yelled back, beating him with her sheath. His arms, his legs, his chest. "What else could we have done!?"

"I'm not sure." He grabbed a hold of her sheath somehow. "But this wasn't the way. It wasn't." Using strength from somewhere, he was not sure where, he used it as a crutch and picked himself up. "By giving her pleasant memories, better memories then the previous year, you would erase that fear of losing them." His words sounded overly idealistic, even to himself, but he didn't care.

"Do you honestly intend to continue fighting like that?" Kaori was legitimately confused. "Even if you did somehow defeat me, the entire Necessarius Church would be after you."

"I don't care. I would face the entire Church if I had to." He looked at her with piercing eyes. "And you should too."

"What?"

"Why do you have this power? To protect your comrades, right!" Kanzaki let go of her sheath, leaving it solely to Touma to lean on. "Why are you acting so powerless!? Why are you accepting the lies that Church gave you! There is a way better than this, even if I don't know what it is, that I can assure you!" She wanted to slam her sheath into him again, she really did but… what if he was telling the truth? Surely someone from the city of science, Academy City, would know. She clenched her fist and before Touma could get another word in, she was gone. As was her sheath. Even in the end, he couldn't keep up with her speed. He hit the ground again.

But it wasn't over. He struggled back to his feet and over to Index and Ruiko. He could not take Index to a hospital, she wasn't in Academy City legally. If he did, everything they worked for would be gone. It was too late for a hospital to help anyway.

But he could get Ruiko there, she had time. He dialed the hospital and told them where to find her then shut off his phone and pocketed it as he picked Index up and put her on his back. He staggered, and he hated leaving Ruiko behind like this, but he didn't know what else to do.

"Hey…" He said aloud.

"Warning: Chapter 2, Verse 6. The loss of the life force known as mana due to blood loss has exceeded a certain amount, so John's Pen is being forcibly awoken. …If the current situation persists, my body will lose the bare minimum of necessary life force and expire in about 25 minutes according to the international standard minute defined by the clock tower in London. It would be best if we acquired someone capable of constructing the necessary healing Spell." The cold voice from before spoke. He refused to address it as Index, even in his head.

"Wait, please. Can you lead the spell if I take you to someone?"

"I could."

"Then bear with until then."

He recalled the fact that Espers could not use magic, their bodies would fail. There were few students in Academy City that were not Espers but no teacher was an Esper. And there was only one teacher he trusted enough with this.

By the time he made it to Komoe's apartment building, no matter how many times he saw it, he felt it really clashed with her twelve year old appearance though he would never tell her that, the sky had darkened a considerable amount.

"Komoe-sensei! It's Kamijou!" He yelled to get her attention, though it was weak and raspy, as he rang the doorbell. He'd kicked her door one too many times in the past, he could feel the pain just from thinking about it. Or was that from Kanzaki's strikes?

"Ah! Kamijou-chan, I'll be right there!" She called then opened the door moments later. "Kamijou! What happened to Index-chan? And you're injured too!"

"I'll explain in a minute." He walked in, even now she always got nervous and tried to stop him from entering her home. It never worked. Thinking about it that way, wasn't he technically entering a home without permission. "Sensei, you've really got to clean up sometime…" He muttered as he sat Index down on one of the few clean spots he could find, he flopped down immediately afterward. Her room was covered with beer cans, depleted cigarettes and cigarette holders and just miscellaneous papers.

She puffed out her cheeks. "I wasn't expecting visitors today, Kamijo-Oh!" She nearly screamed as she actually caught sight of Index's wound. "W-What? Kamijou-chan!"

"Index, I need you to explain to Sensei how to use the spell." He spoke as he picked himself back up.

"Understood." Index, herself, sat up as well. Her eyes so void and her voice so cold that she barely seemed human; she also seemed to not care that her wound still bleeding.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"There is not. The best option would be for you to leave." He winced at that remark but understood it. He turned to Tsukuyomi.

"Sensei, I'm going to keep this quick. I need you to speak to her and do exactly what she says, I'm going to find a payphone and get an ambulance, okay?"

"Uh, o-okay, Kamijou-chan but I have a phone he-" She didn't get to finish as he walked out of the door and closed it. She frowned but then turned to face Index.

Touma stood outside Komoe's door for a moment before falling down and laying his head against the door, careful not to make a noise. He pulled out his cellphone and sent Ruiko a text, explaining what had happened, and where they were, for when she woke up. With that last task accomplished, he closed his eyes and finally allowed himself to pass out.

/Scene:

Location: School District 7; Komoe's Apartment

Komoe stared down at Touma's unconscious figure on her futon, she had nowhere else to put him. After that very strange occurrence with Index and that angel, she would ask the foreigner about that when she woke up, she stepped outside for some fresh air and had been utterly shocked to see Touma laying out in front of her door. It had taken a lot to pull him inside but she managed. She also found it strange that the Index, who she'd set up a blanket for an hour before, had somehow moved over into the futon with Kamijou. Though she was mostly jealous.

She shook her head furiously, trying her best to get that feeling out her head. "I'm his teacher. These thoughts are entirely inappropriate!" She reminded herself in her head. Her cheeks were darker than her hair and they only got worse as Index snuggled closer to him.

Taking a chance, and throwing caution to the wind, she quietly crawled over the unconscious boy and settled down. She slightly giggled at his warmth and got close, eventually closer her eyes.

This was her house, her rules, after all.

It wasn't like anyone would know anyway.

She was sure she would wake up before both of them.

No one had to know about this.

Though, unbeknownst to her or anyone really, Aogami Pierce suddenly had the urge to kill Touma.

/Scene:

Location: School District 7; Hospital

Date: July 20th

"S-Saten-san, what happened!?" Uiharu Kazari sat on a chair near Saten Ruiko's bedside. The latter wore a normal hospital robe but it had various bandages wrapped around her underneath.

"I got caught up in a fight, no real biggie." She tried to play it off.

"No real biggie! You're seriously hurt!" Her friend cried.

"Come on, Uiharu. That frog faced doctor said I'd be okay." Ruiko pat Kazari's shoulder. "I'll be up and out in no time."

"Can you promise me you won't be this careless again?"

"Of course!" She nodded. "I think I need a little more rest though."

"Ah, right." Uiharu stood up. "I'll visit you again tomorrow, okay?"

"Alright." They smiled at each other before Uiharu left the room, closing the door behind her. Ruiko sank down into her bed and grabbed her phone from the bedside table. She looked over the message Touma sent her again.

-Kamijou Touma

We're okay! At Tsukuyomi-sensei's house. Get better soon.

She felt utterly useless. As usual. She hadn't even seen whatever attack hit her, and Index had pushed her out of the way too.

She looked at the small, lucky charm that she had attached to her phone by a string. It brought back a strange memory, one from before she came to Academy City. It wasn't strange in the fact that the events were weird, or that the actual event differed. It was weird in the fact that she could not picture her mother's face at all. She always shrugged it off, however, since she knew her mom's face now but it bothered her a lot as a kid.

"Here, a good luck charm."

"That's so unscientific!"

"Just because you can't explain something doesn't mean it's not real." She smiled then. She couldn't see her face but Ruiko could tell. "Just keep that with you, okay? One day, we'll meet again and you can return it to me, okay?"

"Okay."

"Promise?"

"Promise." And then she had left her there. At the wall of Academy City with no one but herself. It was an hour before the guard found her.

Ruiko always wondered why she'd given it to her before she left. Even then, she was useless. That's why they dropped her off at Academy City. They didn't have room for her in their family. Not then, anyway.

If only she had an ability… Then she wouldn't be so powerless; she wouldn't need to rely on people like this. She could hold her own and protect people with her own power. She cycled through the items on her phone and stopped at the entry titled 'Level Upper.' She took her earplugs off the table stand and connected them to the phone then put them in her ears and let it play.

She'd be useful.

/Scene:

Location: School District 7; Family Restaurant

Shirai Kuroko and Misaka Mikoto were meeting with one Kiyama Harumi, the woman who they hoped to get to help them solve the Level Upper case. Also known on Academy City's rumor boards under the title of 'Stripper Lady.'

"Level Upper, huh?" She took a sip of her drink. "What kind of system is that?"

"We aren't sure yet…" Kuroko admitted.

"But you guys think that it might be related to the students going comatose?" She wanted to confirm. "Is that your line of reasoning?"

"Yes."

"So why are you asking me about this?"

"There's a high chance that augmenting Esper powers involves a brain interference system of some sort." Kuroko explained. "That's why, if we found Level Upper, I was hoping a specialist like yourself would help us analyze it."

"I feel like I should be asking you this." She replied, honestly. "This interests me, as a brain physiologist." She turned her head to look out of the window. "By the way, this has been bothering me for a while but is that your friend?"

Mikoto and Kuroko both turned their hands and saw a waving Uiharu, though how long she was waving was anyone's guess.

Naturally, they invited her in. She was a member of Judgment too.

"Wow, a brain specialist?" She marveled after they explained the situation to her. "Could it be that there's something wrong with Shirai-san's brain?" She asked only to have Kuroko grind her knuckles into her head.

"We were asking about Level Upper, actually." She said, dryly.

"Kuroko was saying that they'd be bringing people who possess Level Upper into protective custody." Mikoto finished with a sip of her drink.

"Huh? Why?" She tilted her head to the side.

"As it is, we believe it may have something to do with the students who have fallen comatose but it's still under review." Kuroko crossed her arms. "But there's also the possibility that the user could suffer other side effects that we haven't seen yet." With a sigh and a look of annoyance, she also said, "and it's become clear that they have a tendency to commit crimes."

"Hm. I wouldn't use a few Espers actions to speak for them all but I can see where you're coming from…" Uiharu admitted.

"Ah!" Kiyama silently yelled, causing the other three girls to look at her. She'd spilled her drink. "It's a good thing it only got on my stockings…" She murmured as she got up and began taking them off, to the horror of Kazari and Mikoto, whose faces reddened greatly.

"I thought I told you not to strip in public!" Kuroko was quick to teleport out of the box seat and next to Kiyama.

"But I don't think there are any guys who'd be turned on by a curve less body like mine…"

"People have different tastes!" She yelled. "And even barring men, some women have twisted passions too! And let me remind you that the only naked body my Onee-sama needs to see if my own!"

"Kuroko!"

"Ah, yes, my Onee-sama?" She asked, sweetly, fully aware of her mistake. Of course, being aware of it wouldn't stop her from being zapped.

/Scene:

"Thank you for taking time out of your schedule to speak with us." Kuroko bowed.

"The pleasure's mine. It reminded me of my time as an instructor." She smiled at the three. "It was fun."

"You were a teacher?"

"A long time ago." And with a wave, she walked away from them.

"How do I put this…?" Kuroko began once she was out of ear shot. "She feels like a kind of weird person."

"Weirder than you?" Uiharu asked with an innocent smile on her face, which only got a frown and a groan from Shirai.

"We should head back to the office."

"It's not much but we should compile the data we have." Kazari added.

"Which means we'll be heading back to the branch now. I'll see you back at the dorms, Onee-sama~" Kuroko smiled as Mikoto nodded.

/Scene: Ending Phase: 「Oración」

Author's Note: If you hadn't noticed already, Kuroko's a bit 'turned down' from how she is in the anime. It's a little more like her depiction in the Light Novels, I think. Either way, I can assure you that her affections for her Onee-sama still remain.

Stiyl and Kanzaki's fights aren't all that changed from how they occurred in canon, I was actually looking at them for references sake, but I can assure you that future fight scenes will be a lot more different. This was basically a test to see how well I can handle serious fight scenes and I think it went rather well.

In other news, I think this size has become the norm. Aaaaah how did this happen!?