And here we are with another original.

There are a number of things I want to say about this one, but this one is going to leaning towards the light hearted stuff instead of questions of darkness and the nature of killing people that last chapter was about. I don't want to spoil too much but I hope you can look forward to this chapter and come to enjoy it all the same.

Before we begin though, here is the Q & A:

whwsms: Glad to get your approval of the chapter!

craytherlay: I have to agree with you and Rails (as you can tell); I just don't think Mugino is the type of person who would develop the hots for anyone. Even her connection with Hamazura isn't built on romantic undertones either.

5queso: I've read bits and pieces of Darkness Within and I have to say that I've been enjoying it! But yeah, there are so many ways to walk through a Mugino and Touma relationship so I'm glad you enjoyed the one that I gave you.

BlueJack22: Will Touma ever get a break…?

Observadorcha: Muchas gracias por las amables palabras. ¿Sobre qué exactamente querías que escribiera un capítulo?

xellos540: I think the point of last chapter was that even though Touma saves Frenda he doesn't necessarily affect all of ITEM as a result but only Mugino as an individual which is why ITEM is still is the darkness. You know when lasers go "Pew Pew"; that's basically what Touma thinks of Mugino!

fencer29: Hamazura plot armour is really the strongest in the series…

O Sonho: I'm all for this as a request, but what would the chapter even be about?!

Purifies Miracles: I tend to have BTL separate from ACUL0 unless I call out chapters that are directly linked to my other story so last chapter was entirely separate from ACUL0.

FacelessBraniac: Holy crap, this is an AMAZING idea! I'm all for doing this idea as long as you're OK with waiting for me to get to it!

Red Glasses: I get the feeling that your writing prompt 1 would be really heavy for some characters who thought he was dead and humorous for others who didn't really care. As such, writing prompt 1 would be either really depressing or just a normal slice of life one-shot, right!? I have no idea about the second one though…

And the thanks to you, the reader. There is a lot you have to go through when it comes to my works and yet, here you are. For this alone, I really want you to know I am in your debt. Thank you. It might be small but as a result of my gratitude, here is this chapter!

I hope you do with it what you always do:

Enjoy.

Mr Question Mark.

A New Roommate. Not_Invisible_Anymore.

It was rare that Himegami Aisa felt she was the centre of attention.

Being the girl who was satisfied with staying in the shadows, it was rather tragic that had become the place she could not escape. Despite wanting to bathe in the light of attention every now and then, it seemed she would always be overshadowed or disregarded by other events that came her way.

Then again, maybe the reason why Himegami had always stuck to the shadows was because of how the attention given to her was one that usually ended up with people dying.

Vampires.

The term itself was one glorified in the world of fiction and make believe. The idea there were blood suckers out there who would feast on human flesh had both its good and bad sides; the bad being obvious in so many stories and the good also being obvious in stories in the same manner. Keeping an eye on both was always important when trying to understand those creatures, but for those that felt they knew vampire lore in and out, Himegami always felt the need to say something to them.

What did those people truly know about the beings called vampires? They had lost themselves in the world of fantasy and felt that what they had in their head, being nothing more than stories, meant they knew those creatures better than anyone.

By reading up on stories, they apparently knew how vampires thought, lived and did things better than those creatures themselves.

For those with the arrogance to think that, Himegami wanted to say so many things to them. There were so many things she wanted to say to those pretenders, however, knowing that saying anything would give her the wrong type of attention, she kept her mouth shut.

But in doing, she hid her identity as the person who knew vampires most of all.

After all, no matter what anyone else said, when you were on the verge of death, chances were you would reveal yourself to the person killing you better than any story could capture.

No matter what type of image had been built up around those fantasy creatures and what image others had of them, Himegami Aisa was the girl who knew better than anyone the type of creatures vampires truly were. She had been the one to kill so many of them, using her power and disposition as Deep Blood, so she knew them better than anyone else.

Yet, it was because she knew them better than anyone else that she had wanted to stay in the shadows as much as she could.

She did not know vampires well because she wanted to. It was not because she could reach out and touch and soothe their hearts that she had come to know those creatures. Instead, their blood rested on her stained hands and as the greatest murderer of them, she had come to know the existence to the species she had the ability to rid the world of.

Not many people could be known as genocide incarnate.

And because of it, Himegami had chosen to hide herself. She had chosen to live in the shadows because of how terrible and ashamed she had been of the type of existence she had lived, one that endlessly destroyed and killed when she had never wanted to have blood on her hands in the first place.

What type of existence was she when she was nothing but a killer? Reality and fiction alike deemed those who murdered others, especially mass murderers and the cause of genocide such as her, as being people who did not deserve to live, who deserved to have things happen to them that did not consider their human rights.

Was it because of those things that Himegami had accepted her reality as someone who was better off dead and did not have the chance to live and be accepted?

The girl who could do nothing but kill did not know, but her isolation had been because she had not wanted to kill anymore. For once, even if it was small, she had wanted to be the cause of someone's salvation instead of taking something from them that would never return.

There had been a man who had given her the chance. There had been a man who had told her he could save her by allowing her to save someone else.

And in turn, Himegami Aisa had followed that man even when things had gotten dark and even when that man had felt on the edge of despair. But in his despair, he had turned against Himegami, the girl who had so desperately wanted to turn her hands into ones that grabbed instead of killed. He had turned against her and done to her what she had done to so many.

And in a way, when that happened, despite having met him before, it was in that moment that Himegami Aisa had met a boy.

A boy who had simply gotten angry at the fact the man had turned his fangs against her. Despite knowing nothing about Himegami, he had gotten angry at her for her sake and her sake alone despite the type of existence she was and the life she had led up until then.

In truth, if there was anything Himegami had aspired to be when she was surrounded by death, the simple fact someone could get angry at someone else for taking a life instead of thinking it was entirely normal given their disposition or for whatever reason had been blinding to her. If there was anyone she had aspired to be in the torture that her life had become, it was the type of person who would get angry for others and feel pain for others when they did.

That man had been defeated by that boy.

So now that Himegami Aisa had met the person she had aspired to be, the person who had saved her despite knowing nothing about her, what now?

The story of Himegami Aisa had yet to end.

The time she had spent in the shadows because she had feared herself and the things she could do with her power was at an end and it was finally time to face the light and everything it had to offer.

She was not going to hide anymore and now she had met the person she wanted to be, she had the chance to move forward in her life, embracing the second chance he had given her and the life ahead of her.

That was the resolve of Deep Blood, Himegami Aisa, the girl who did not want to have to kill anymore.

"Where am I going to sleep?"

Naturally though, even if she was to move forward, she still needed basic necessities. It was true you did not know the value of things until they were gone, but even then, understanding the importance of things such as clothing, housing and hygiene facilities where one could at least have a bath was something anybody could do.

So, in the face of the desperate challenge in front of her, Himegami felt she needed to ask the very basic question that indicated what she currently lacked.

"On the bed of course." came the answer cheerfully.

"…It seems there is someone already sleeping there. A-Am I supposed to sleep…with…?"

"N-No! What kind of monster do you think I am!? And I'm more surprised you can manage to say that with a straight face, Himegami. Are you the type of person who can watch a horror movie and not even scream?"

The answer that came to her was just a testament to the fact that Himegami was forcing down the blush on her face so hard she wanted to scream. The words that had come out of her mouth had been so embarrassing she had wanted to die and she turned to the person who had spoken with the same dead pan stare as always (but was clenching a fist by her side so hard she was using the pain to prevent herself from letting her embarrassment form on her face).

Why had she had that idea in the first place?

She and this person in front of her had just met, so there was no way there was going to be the event where they would have the share a bed together. I-If this was moving into the light after staying in the shadows for so long, then Himegami truly found it to be fearsome.

Trembling within her heart, which had taken so much damage from the thought that had popped into her head and how she had voiced it (the amount of courage needed to do that would have made her Level up for sure), she managed to force words from her shaking lips.

"Then where am I supposed to sleep, Kamijou-kun? Y-You are the one who suggested this in the first place so you have the obligation to take responsibility for your careless words."

"Wh-What!? What is the flag hidden within those words!? I realise this is summer vacation and this is the time where everything happens in shounen manga and rom-coms, but this Kamijou-san isn't going to suddenly have an event like that with his misfortune! And besides, don't use words that are so misleading, you idiot! The one you have to be looking to for that 'responsibility' is not me, but that one over there!"

The boy who spoke thrust a finger towards the girl lying on the bed. She wore a pure white habit with golden threads that made her look like a tea cup. Lazily, she rose her head from the bed while wiping her eyes and yawned without a care in the world.

"Huh? But Touma, you said I have to follow your rules and that this was your household. Are you saying those words meant nothing!? And that the quota you set on me for the amount of food I could eat was just a lie?!" The girl, who was a foreign nun, sat up energetically with a flash in her eyes. The boy on the other hand grabbed his head and ruffled his spiky hair in frustration.

"You didn't even listen to that quota in the first place, Index! And are you basically telling me that despite you and your Walking Church 'taking' Himegami in, the one who has to deal with it in the end is me!? Such misfortune!"

Himegami stared at the exchange with some interest. However, given it was summer vacation and the temperature was sweltering, the miko outfit she was wearing made up of white and red (which fit her oddly well) made her feel more uncomfortable than anything else. She desired so much for a cool drink and to sit down but the moment she had entered this apartment, she knew there was something she had to address before she had those basic necessities.

Yes.

After all, this was to be her new home.

A lot had happened since she had accepted the hand and believed in the words of the alchemist Aureolus Izzard.

But in the aftermath of that, she had been taken underneath the wing of the girl Aureolus had wanted to save and the boy who had saved her when Aureolus had turned against her. The girl, who had seen the plight Himegami was in now she had nowhere to go after Aureolus had been defeated, had decided to take her into her care, to give her a place to stay until Himegami could sort her own life out and decide where she wanted to go from here.

And as a result, if there was anyone who was going to be there from the beginning when Himegami decided to step out of the shadows and into the light, it would be that duo of Index and Kamijou Touma.

And it was this place where the two of them lived that Himegami would start her journey into the world ahead of her, this place where she was to live for the time being as she sorted things out.

Even if she currently had no idea where she was to sleep.

Himegami stared at the small student dorm, unable to find the words for what she was seeing and how small it was. She had expected something a bit bigger given her own time in Academy City, particularly in the dorms of Kirigaoka Girls' Academy, so seeing the small apartment was a genuine shock to Deep Blood.

She was supposed to stay here? She had her doubts this dorm could even support both Index and Kamijou, let alone another person.

And speaking of which…

Himegami felt her face burn a bit redder as she stared at the fact there was only one bed. Although she was the new person in this dorm, having no idea of the usual 'standard' for the two of them brought forth to her imagination more and more things she would rather not think about. Trying her best to control her trembling, she gulped and tried her best to direct her attention to the problem at hand which had nor been solved.

"U-Um… Although the issue of where I sleep I would like answered, where exactly do you sleep, Kamijou-kun?"

"Huh?" Kamijou asked, although the fact he had not answered immediately made Himegami's heart race through her chest.

She had known what staying with this boy given he was living in a student dorm would mean, but at the same time, the fact of the matter was that she had not yet had the answer to the vital question she had asked.

No matter what had happened and what Kamijou had done for her, he was still a healthy high school boy! Meaning there was there was the very serious possibility that the type of life Himegami would live right now where she stayed with this spiky haired boy was one that she was not prepared for after having just stepped out of the shadows!

Kamijou on the other hand, not understanding the subtle things happening within Himegami's heart tilted his head and pointed while answering.

"I sleep in the bathroom."

"…I'm assuming I misheard that, so I'll give you another chance to say it again."

"Please, no! Saying it twice makes me realise just how pitiful a thing it is! I'm barely getting used to it myself and the last few days have been a hell where I have gotten little sleep!"

Kamijou suddenly burst into tears, the boy grabbing Himegami by the shoulders and shaking her back and forth. There was something weird about the imagery of a high school boy shaking a miko who had a dead pan expression on, so it was lucky for that boy to be doing this in his student dorm where there were few misunderstandings to be raised. Still, the new arrival into the Kamijou Residence felt herself frown all the same while staring at the room she was going to be staying in.

Judging by the reaction of Kamijou, he was serious about sleeping in the bathroom. While that in itself raised a number of questions, Himegami looked to the side and at the nun lying on the bed with a question in her eyes.

"Then does that mean I'm going to be sleeping with…?"

"Yep! You're going to be with me, Aisa! I hope I don't sleep restlessly and that we can get along!"

Index sat up on the bed with a smile on her face, the miko staring at her for a small while before realising something in the words Kamijou had said earlier. Given he had expected Index to take care of Himegami and Index had expected Kamijou to do the same, the lack of planning in this was obvious.

Still, even though that was the case, that spiky haired boy had accepted Himegami was staying with them despite it being nothing but trouble for him in the long run.

Himegami turned her head to the side and stared at the spiky haired boy who sighed at Index's comment, turning back to her with a small smile on his face.

"It might not mean much, but this is your home now. No matter what happens and no matter how hectic things get for you, you can always come back here if you ever leave. But for now, I'm in your care Himegami."

The way the boy smiled at Himegami seemed genuine, as if there were no lies hidden within. Within it, there was no discomfort or the realisation this was going to be an annoyance; instead, only the depths of a warm smile that wanted to extend out kindness and the chance for Himegami to feel at home here.

So many times, Himegami had been unable to do that.

So many times, she had been unable to live out the type of normal life she had wanted because of her ability and what it attracted.

But now, it was not the case and Himegami truly had the chance to live out the type of life she had the right to live from the very start.

No vampires were going to come after her anymore.

One of the gifts Himegami had received upon agreeing to stay here was the small cross that now hung around her neck. Index had explained things to her and although Himegami did not understand the terms such as Walking Church, the basic understanding she had of the cross on her neck was that it had the ability to seal her powers.

That was all she needed to know.

There was going to be no more death surrounding her anymore. She had the chance to live out a normal life now she was freed from the chains of herself. Himegami Aisa had finally managed to break free of the shadows that bound her and given herself the chance to walk in the world she had seen from afar for so long.

Now she had broken free from those chains, the first thing she had come across was not the thought that she was a burden. Of course, Himegami had had numerous fears when it came to her breaking free of her shell: was she going to be a problem, did the people she was going to be staying with going to have ulterior motives around her ability or would those creatures with sharp fangs once more unwittingly send everything around her crumbling down?

Himegami had felt and thought many things in her fragile heart when it came to the decision to step out of the shadows.

But seeing the response and the kindness of the two people in front of her, how they were accepting her for who she was without once holding back, was more than Himegami ever needed to know and ever needed to see.

There were so many things that she wanted to say to these two for the opportunities they had given her. They had given her the life she had so wanted to live and the amount of words that would sum up what she was feeling were so extensive, but at the same time, Himegami found they would not come out.

Was there anything major to say in the face of this kindness which had given her this chance she had longed for?

Himegami felt there was only one thing she had to say, something she had barely said in the long time she had cursed herself for being who she was.

They were small words that barely meant anything to anyone, but to that girl now, they held the weight of the world.

Himegami Aisa felt the edges of her lip curl up. She was not one to smile openly like Index and Kamijou would, but it was that small action that held numerous types of powers within it as she spoke the words she had longed to say for so long.

"And I am in your care as well, Kamijou-kun. Index-san. I…I'm home."

They were simple words.

But merely saying them was the first step forward on the long journey and path Himegami Aisa finally had the chance to walk.

"I've just realised this –

"Yes?"

"But you haven't prepared for me at all, have you?"

"D-Don't act so smug about it even though you're right! How about I chop your right arm off and then have someone thrust into your dorm you were never expecting! Sure, I'm more than willing to help you out, but throw this Kamijou-san a bone here and help me make this work!

Kamijou let out that yell as he slammed a hand against the door of the bathroom, a piece of paper within it. There were words on it that held great meaning for the people within that dorm room. Himegami and Index stood in front of it, the former holding the calico cat called Sphynx that had also become a new resident within this dorm room.

"This is a vital time for all of us! In order to prepare for the oncoming storm, it is important that we lay down the proper rules for this household!" Kamijou declared fully as he looked around, searching for something to stick the piece of paper on the door of the bathroom.

Himegami frowned a little bit at that. Since this was his dorm room, shouldn't he know the location of everything within it? Maybe Index had moved stuff around but that was the only possible explanation for why Kamijou was having difficult finding what he was looking for that Himegami could come up with.

"Touma? What are you even talking about?"

"The great Himegami-sama has made this Kamijou-san realise we are severely lacking in rules in this dormitory! The quota being Number One! Breaking any of these rules means the death penalty, you understand?!" Kamijou yelled that out but the rush of words being thrown at the nun meant her eyes were spinning. The miko, being someone with a surprising amount of common sense, held the girl nun in her arms but focused intently.

E-Even if she was not paying attention because she had been made the centre of attention in part, this had happened because of her! So, as the person at the centre of this chaos, she had the obligation to listen!

"Kamijou-kun. If you could explain what these rules are about?" asked Himegami plainly. It might have been her ability to get right to the point that made her so boring in a number of ways, but as the jack of all trades and having to deal with difficult people left, right and centre, it seemed Kamijou took Himegami's response as being a direction from an angel.

"Yes! Index, Himegami, the both of you need to understand that under this roof, there are two girls and a guy. Do you know what that means?!'

Himegami, of course, felt her face burn a little bit red at that. Naturally, as a girl with a lot of common sense, she understood exactly what those words implied and what two girls and a guy living underneath one roof could possibly mean. She had had thoughts about it ever since walking into this dorm room, and as the quiet girl she was, leaving things to her imagination had not helped things either.

Himegami nodded silently, unable to say anything lest she reveal she had been thinking the exact things Kamijou likely had.

On the other hand, whether it be because of her age or the fact she had not been exposed to this type of thing before, Index only tilted her head.

"…There's going to be more food in the house?"

"Why is it always food with you, Index?" Kamijou stared at her with a dead pan stare before shaking his head. "You're not wrong, but there are more important things to worry about."

"Such as…?"

"Where are we going to keep our clothes." Himegami was the one who answered. The moment she gave the answer, both she and Kamijou's faces went a bit red, however, Deep Blood continued to speak all the same. "We are both girls, Index-san. Meaning it is our responsibility as girls to make sure the various…things particular to our gender are kept away from the lecherous eyes of any perverts."

"Did you not hear me when I said there was only one guy underneath this roof?! Although I'm sure you don't mean it, the fact that what you said can only apply to one person hurts!"

Once again, Kamijou was brought to tears far more easily than anyone thought, however, the explanation from the fellow girl clearly put things into perspective for the ignorant Index. She stared at Kamijou before stepping behind Himegami, using her as a shield to protect her from Kamijou. Himegami was unsure whether that was a sign of trust in that Index had faith in Himegami to protect her or distrust in that she was willing to throw Himegami under the bus first if Kamijou was indeed a pervert.

"Touma… Don't tell me all those times when you were doing the washing you were…"

"I-I'm innocent! Those times were just accidents but now that Himegami has entered the fray, I realise the more misfortune opportunities that have opened up to me are ones I want to deal with before they get out of hand!"

"Kamijou-kun, I'm not really sure what to think about the fact you just admitted to handling Index-san's clothing in the wash…"

Even Himegami, now she realised just how much danger she was in, covered her chest with her hands. Given she was wearing a miko outfit, was it possible she was not wearing any underwear? Those types of questions were a problem like Schrödinger's Cat in that the solution could not be known until observed so the question of Himegami's underwear was in a state of existing and not existing at the same time.

"T-This is why we need rules! Rules to protect us before the society we know it becomes a wasteland where the morals of today have been thrown to the wind!"

"Kamijou-kun, even if there is the risk of you seeing our underwear and other things we need as girls," said Himegami with the same dead pan tone. "Are you sure putting it like that is overreacting a bit?"

"H-Hahahahahahaha! This poor girl thinks she knows this Kamijou-san's misfortune and can predict it! Hahahahahaha!"

Kamijou was laughing for a rather pitiful reason and it was honestly pretty scary. Index hid behind Himegami a bit more, but the sensible girl only ignored the idiot and his ramblings, waving a hand in the air to get the boy to continue with what he was saying. Again, the way she so easily pushed past things such as this to get to the heart of the problem was a part of her charm but also meant there were few occasions where she let things that would have otherwise surprised her get to her.

As a result, getting a reaction out of Himegami was pretty hard in itself and made her the type of character who seemed like she would be perfect in the type of apocalypse Kamijou was describing. Unfortunately, that was not exactly the trait for a heroine and with this part of her personality, her stealth skills and her ability to kill vampires, it was questionable whether Himegami was in the right series from the start.

Still, with the calm words of a girl who wanted to know what was happening right now, Himegami spoke.

"So? Our clothing being one thing, what else are a part of these rules we are going to follow?"

"…The way you can just switch over from one thing to another is a magnificent ability, Himegami." Kamijou clearly had more to say, but he sniffled, wiping his nose and held up the sheet of paper in front of him given he could not find something to hold it up with. "B-But, as you said, there is more that we need to talk about when comes to the house rules. Obviously another big one is the timetable needed for the bath!"

Kamijou slammed a hand against the door of the bathroom.

"With two girls here and one guy, this is a major bridge we need to cross! Even if this is summer vacation where anything can happen, I'm not going to be the one suffering for you two idiots not locking the door or anything like that!"

"…If that ever becomes an issue, then isn't it a problem if you don't knock first?"

"Th-That may be the case," Kamijou took another blow from the common sense of Himegami but decided to keep on talking to prevent his pride from being damaged any more than necessary. "But at the same time, without these rules, nothing is going to be solved! For my peace of mind, there needs to be a timetable for this! Understand?!"

There was something to be said for the pure hearted nature of the boy who was desperately trying to avoid situations that would clearly come back to bite him (in both a figurative and literal way) but the fact he was thinking about this in the first place suggested his heart was in the right place.

Even if the expression he was making suggested he was more desperate than anyone to make sure there was a system in place that would act as a safety for him.

Himegami stared at Index who was hiding behind her. The troubled face she was making as she looked at Kamijou suggested she was not used to this sort of thing. Although there was a lot to be said for the fact she was so used to living with Kamijou already (there was a story about that, Himegami was sure), given Himegami was now living with them, the need to be a bit more careful was an obvious one.

Still, the common sense girl clearly understood the necessity behind it, even if she felt a bit bad for Index who was now having to adjust to a schedule she did not have to before given she could have had a bath whenever without really having to follow a strict timetable.

"So, all we have to do is fill out some timetable, Touma?" Yet, even though she was facing something she was not used to, the need to adjust was clear. After all, if she did not then Himegami could not stay here and the consideration Index was having for her new roommate was obvious. Himegami's lips curled up slightly as a result in thanks but she turned back to Kamijou who had stared speaking again.

"Yes! It might seem like a big deal, but this is going to help us all out a lot when it comes to the future of Himegami staying here."

Himegami saw, on closer inspection, that the sheet of paper in front of her had numerous empty slots set out like a spreadsheet's cells waiting to be filled. On the far left column were numerous times that had 15 minute intervals between them, although it seemed that if you wrote your name over two cells over two time periods, you could clearly extend out the bath time allocated to you.

"You girls can choose first; I'm flexible over when I can go in and – "

"I want to go in whenever Aisa goes in!" Index said cheerily without any pause of hesitation, Kamijou and Himegami staring at her in surprise. "Since we're going to be roommates, having the proper time to bond is going to be important so we can get to know each other better."

"Can't you do that in person and right now? Why does it have to be an unnecessary bath scene!? Do all the limiters and social awkwardness remove themselves when you take off your clothes, Index?!" Kamijou seemed rather exasperated although Himegami responded by raising a hand.

"I don't mind either way."

"A-Am I the strange one for thinking that's weird!?" Kamijou seemed to underestimate the power of conversation that could be raised when one took their clothes off, but if he did it here, he really would be a pervert so he had no one to share these inner feelings with. He trembled but gave the sheet of paper to Himegami all the same to fill out to her heart's content.

Himegami stared at it for a moment before raising her head, more common sense questions within her mind.

"Are these all the rules so far? We haven't sorted out the clothing issue. Where are Index-san and I going to keep our clothes and other items? Not to mention there are other things to be considered as well; toiletries and the like. What are you going to do about them?"

"…How did Aureolus deal with that?"

"He gave me my own room in the Misawa Cram School."

"Does this mean we're going to have to sort things out when it come to the wardrobe and the sink so we can make way for your stuff!? It was never this difficult with Index!"

Index pouted at that given Kamijou was suggesting she was not a girl, but Himegami rose her hand again.

"I think that is more because Index-san has learned to hide things from you in the time of you living together. When there are two people involved though, it becomes a lot more difficult. Especially when they are girls." Himegami handed the piece of paper back to Kamijou with a sigh. "Clearly, there is going to be a lot to talk about that is going to require a bit more than a timetable on a sheet of paper. Do you know where your pens are? Because these 'rules' are going to take a bit of time to get down."

Kamijou stared at the common sense girl in awe at how calmly she was taking this, however, soon his face turned bright red. His eyes went wide and he stared at his hands, finding them shaking while Himegami watched his change with a look of surprise on her face.

"K-Kamijou-kun?"

"I-I'm living with two girls… What has my life become?!"

"Are you only really questioning this now?! Wasn't that clear when you were making these rules in the first place?!"

Himegami let herself loose as she yelled that out, Kamijou clearly having been so caught up in things he had lost sight of what he had been doing this entire time. Now that it was questioned, the look of shock on his face was clear. To it, Himegami sighed as she walked over to the table, patting to a spot next to her so that Kamijou, with his face still red, could sit next to her and they could discuss what the rules for the new household were going to be.

All the same, there was the smallest of the curling of her lips as she spoke to Kamijou who was trying his best not to focus with the nice smell coming from the miko uniform next to him.

What had happened was not exciting, memorable or noteworthy to any degree.

But it was the first steps Himegami had taken into the new world ahead of her.

So she was sure that while anyone would forget this, she would not.

This was her life now, being set by her own rules.

Which meant she was not going to hold back whatsoever.

All so she could ensure she didn't have to be satisfied sticking to the shadows anymore.

She had done so much and killed so many she was not sure what 'living' meant to her. She was not sure what it would take to ensure she could have the chance to see the light in front of her for what it was. Was there a right answer to that sort of question?

She did not know.

But this was the first step Himegami Aisa had taken on this journey.

And in her heart, she knew that was definitely her right answer as she faced it with a smile.

And there we have it!

So, what did you think?

In a different way to everything else I have written, this did not have a point or a message. It was just slice of life that did not lead up to another scene, or contribute in any large part to some larger story. In this sense, it was sort of hard given that BTL and ACUL0 contribute to something a bit bigger on occasion in that I try and tell a story or focus a bit more on various other things I want to focus on so trying to challenge myself with a 'small but meaningless' story like this is a big challenge for me and surprisingly hard!

It was barely mentioned in OT 2 but Himegami does in fact stay with Touma and Index for a while before moving over to Komoe's by OT 3, so I really wanted to craft a story with the slice of life setting where Himegami, who is always invisible, has the chance to take the stage as the small focus in her own way. It was sort of tragic that her focus became a story where it was meaningless but at the same time, I wanted to use it as a way to give a sense of relaxation for the character and the sense that even though a lot happens in the series, there are moments where you can turn off your brain because there is nothing to really think about.

For this alone, I'm not going to go into the type of thought processes I usually go into. This was not a story about questioning but rather acceptance as Himegami (sort of?) became a character by choosing and walking a path where she can accept where she is the focus. If you felt yourself smiling at any point during this story and felt that it was merely good because of that, then I definitely think that is the type of reaction I was hoping for. There were no major incidents, perversion or anything like that, just a story where a girl who is finally breaking out of her shell starting that process.

As long as you enjoyed that and smiled warmly at it, then there is nothing more that I have to say.

And as always,
Review if you please.

And I'll see you when I see you and I won't if I don't.

Maybe this chapter was hard because it was Himegami focused? For a character who has been in the story since OT 2, there is a lot we don't know about her…