A/N: Tsun: Since volumes 14 and 15 of the novels happens congruently (at least, I think they do considering Touma isn't even in the 15th), the story takes places after Shiage fights Mugino but before Touma fights Terra. Rikou's true power still isn't revealed as of yet, and Touma's secret will play an important part later on.

Into the Darkness

Chapter Four: Social Convention

"I have to say, you got screwed up pretty bad."

"Is that so? It doesn't feel like it."

Touma was seated in his hospital bed, wearing a familiar green patient gown. Beside him were Shiage and Rikou wearing their winter attire, supposedly because the weather was getting even worse and soon snowfall would arrive. Rikou had in her hands a small box of cookies that she bought from the department store and silently handed it to Touma. Touma smiled back and took the food from her, placing it on the side.

"The doctors said that you would've been here for at least several days because of the carbon monoxide poisoning, but it looks like they were wrong. Geez, are you made of steel or something?" Shiage remarked.

"I wish." Touma replied as he gazed out the window. His mind drifted elsewhere. "It's Sunday so I suppose that there's no school…"

"What? Looking forward to teaching again?"

"No… Unlike you, I'm both a student and a teacher." Touma explained. "I still have to go to complete assignments and study on my own time. I actually have to take night school now! Can you believe that?"

"Since you're looking so energetic, why don't you come with me and Rikou?" Shiage proposed gruffly. He didn't seem too fond of the idea, but it seemed like Rikou convinced him. "After all, you kind of saved us, so you can think of this as our payment. That way, I don't owe you any favors."

"I'm afraid you two can't do that." Yomikawa said as she slid Touma's door open. Shiage froze in fear as he saw the blue haired woman approach him and Rikou. Yomikawa wore her blue Anti-Skill outfit, which Touma had trouble getting accustomed to.

"You're not here to arrest me for 'obstructing your work' are you?" Shiage meekly asked as he edged away from the woman.

"No… you two did a brave thing going against orders." Yomikawa declared. "No innocent casualties were reported and you captured the culprit much faster than I expected. He now resides in the Anti-Skill youth detention center. We've crosschecked his ability multiple times with the wounds that the soldiers received, and they don't match. Those soldiers suffered multiple lacerations and internal hemorrhaging, something I don't think he's capable of doing. I guess he just came by and stole the van on impulse."

"Well, the news about no casualties sounds pretty good." Touma mumbled as he tried to forget his encounter with the other teen.

"That kid that you captured, he seems kind of… different."

"Crazy you mean."

"Well, I wouldn't use such a strong word. We've checked into his past and it turns out that you two went to the same school a little more than two years ago. Do you mind filling me in?"

"… I don't-" Touma was interrupted by Yomikawa. He was glad too, because he didn't know how to answer that question.

"Don't worry, you don't need to. I did enough research and discovered that Hibiki Yuuma was a child error. He stayed in an orphanage that could barely provide for him. He was constantly malnourished and mistreated. He later left and took up odd jobs here and there in order to pay for his tuition. While at school, he would get excellent marks in most subjects despite being a level zero. However, he was notorious for breaking into people's lockers, stealing their money, and basically beating them up."

Touma didn't know how to reply.

"He grew to resent espers because of their superior abilities. He made a distinction when targeting people. There were several people he didn't go after. One of them was you Kamijou. It wasn't because you were a level zero, like him at the time. He went after anybody who he felt wronged him in some way. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say he was your friend.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up there." Touma shouted excessively. "Are we talking about the same guy? This guy told me just yesterday that he hated me. He tried to kill me!"

"You don't remember? I'm just telling you what you should already know." Yomikawa asserted. Touma went quiet after that. "Anyways, it isn't my business to interfere with your past. Hibiki will remain the detention center for some time. Hopefully, it'll mellow him out."

"Doubt it."

"The reason I came here wasn't to tell you about that kid, but because your teacher, Komoe, wants me to check up on you. She wanted to see if you were doing well enough to go to night school." Yomikawa mentioned as she examined the box of cookies that Touma had left on the side. Touma's stomach suddenly started churning in hunger. "Just because you're involved in Anti-Skill, doesn't mean that you can't work for your grades."

"I knew accepting that offer seemed too good to be true…" Touma moaned out loud. "Fukou da."

"Oh and Shiage, since you're here as well, I need to speak to you about something." The woman mentioned.

"What is it?" Shiage touchily griped. The three other occupants of the room later left, leaving Touma to his thoughts. The spiky haired boy rested his head on his pillow, sleeping peacefully for the first time in a long while.

It was evening by the time Touma forced himself to go to school. The sun had already set, and the entire area was lit up by blue neon lights. Night school was hosted at his high school, much to his convenience, and so he followed the path he would usually take in the morning. Strangely enough, he didn't feel sore from the fight he had earlier. He had healed completely within a matter of hours. Strange.

He had left Index in Aisa's care as he was unable to properly care for her. He was gone so often that people would wonder if he actually existed anymore. He had gotten a call from Tsuchimikado, who told him about all the rumors floating around about him. Some of them were like: "Maybe one of the girls found him cheating and then beat him to death" or "Maybe he tried picking up some girl and met her boyfriend." or "Nice boat."

Did they really think of him that poorly?

Touma trekked his feet along the floor and pushed open the door to his classroom, which was also conveniently being used as the room for night school. He looked around and saw his teacher Komoe, some random students, and…

"Fukiyose?"

"Oh… Kamijou." She stated with little surprise. She had her arms crossed underneath her humongous breasts, almost as if she emphasized their size. Though, Touma will never point that out. Never. "I knew you'd eventually land yourself here."

"W-What are you doing here?" Touma stammered as he tried to pry his gaze off of her assets.

"I wanted an extra credit."

"… That's it? That's your reason for taking extra classes?"

"I just don't want my grades to suffer like yours." She stated plainly. Touma groaned and took the seat beside her, slamming his head to his desk. He could see the girl had her bag filled to the brim with health products that looked like something you'd see on one of those television channels. He didn't say anything. That was his answer to Fukiyose.

"Well it's nice to see you again Kamijou-chan!" Komoe contended as she began writing on the chalkboard. Amusingly enough, she grabbed a stool and stood on it as she reached for the board. Touma sighed as he turned to Seiri, who was glaring at him intensely.

"If you're going to ask, all those rumors are false. Also, the 'Nice boat!' thing wasn't funny. At all." Touma defended.

"I wasn't going to ask that, though, it's good to know that you didn't soil the purity of any girl just yet."

"Well I'm glad you have such a high opinion of me." Touma sarcastically grumbled.

"I was just wondering what you do in Anti-Skill. I'm afraid that your irresponsible behavior will rub off on the more hardworking soldiers. That'd be pretty bad wouldn't it?"

"It sucks really. I had to go through this hellish training for three days, and then I get sent out on a whim to go fights these rouge espers. The food's decent and I earn enough to support my roommate, but you would not believe the crap I go through. Then, when all is said and done, I'm forced to work as a teacher!"

"A teacher? You mean teaching students? In a class?" Seiri asked.

"Yeah. They just had to choose Tokiwadai of all places."

"Tokiwadai? They sent you to a school filled only with girls? What were they thinking?"

"Hey, what's with that look? I don't understand why anytime somebody mentions a girl, they give me that stare. What did I do wrong? I'm not some kind of huge monster that goes around abducting young maidens and then forcing them to be my wife and have my children!"

"Are you really that dense, or are you just putting up this charade to get me to lower my guard? Well it's not going to work." Seiri replied as she opened up her textbook, digging her face into it. Touma clasped his face with his hands in utter humiliation, smothering himself within the contents of his notebook.

"I knew this would be a bad idea…" Touma sulked as he planted his face towards his desk.

When night school was over and the small number of students left the area, Touma headed out the front entrance. He shivered as he felt the cold breeze swoop by him, brushing off several of the leaves that barely hung onto their branches. He wore his normal school uniform which was one of the many mistakes he made today. As he walked towards the exit, he saw Seiri just standing outside the gates, looking off into the moonless sky.

"Uh, do you want me to walk you home?" Touma suggested as he walked up to the girl. Seiri looked at him with doubtful eyes.

"If you think this is going to work like one of your dating sims, where you walk me home and I'm supposed to go 'Thank you Kamijou! I needed that!' then you are more delusional than I thought." She stated as she turned away from the boy. "Unfortunately for you, no flags will be raised tonight."

"You know… for somebody who dislikes me with such passion, you sure have a good knowledge of dating sims." Touma mentioned as he started to walk away. "Well, I guess I'll just leave-"

"I said that it isn't going to work like a dating sim. I didn't say you weren't walking me home." Seiri quickly retorted. Touma heaved a sigh and approached the black haired girl from behind. They didn't say anything, leaving Touma to just follow the girl wherever she went.

Academy City was still a bustling place even at night. Since it was so advanced technologically, lights were basically plastered all over the area without fear of wasting electricity. Bars and casinos were open at this time, and the arcade seemed to be as lively as ever. Still, wandering around during this time of day was something Touma didn't want to do very often. He often had the misfortune of bumping into several gangs, which usually ended with him being chased around the entire district.

Touma made a hushed moan as he felt the cold air once again swoop by his body. The young teen's eyes observed as the wind accidentally picked up a bit of Seiri's skirt. Touma was behind her, his eyeballs fixated at the contents of her undergarments which were clearly visible. He had seen those before, just like the time she threw a fastball at him and basically flashed him her skirt.

"What are you looking at?" The girl mumbled in a dark voice as she turned on the boy. Touma told himself to avert his gaze, but his body fought back, telling him that he needed this. How sexually deprived was this boy?

"I… Uh… I'm sorry Fukiyose!" Touma apologized as he quickly bowed his head in mortification. The girl gave a small scowl before she carried on. Touma followed her in shame.

"Where's your dormitory?" Touma asked.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well since we go to the same school, obviously our dormitories have to be close to one another."

"I've lived on the second floor of the girl's side for more than a year now. Are you saying that you've never seen me?"

"The moment I say anything, is the moment you twist it around and make it sound like I did something bad. So no thanks."

They walked the rest of the way in moderate silence. Regrettably for the two of them, they just happened to stumble upon what looked to be a gang of delinquents who stood off to the side, waiting for their prey. Touma immediately glowered at this sight. Just when he thought that he could go by without having to fight, it turns out fate had other plans for him.

The thugs took notice of the two teens and surrounded them. Seiri subconsciously inched closer to Touma, though he didn't notice. Touma glanced around, counting at least seven muggers. He gritted his teeth in frustration as he made sure to protect Seiri. These delinquents never learn do they?

"Hey girly." One of the delinquents spoke. "Why don't you ditch this loser and come with us?"

"Yeah. You could do much better than that scrawny punk." Another thug spoke.

"You guys are seriously starting to piss me off." Touma muttered as he grabbed Seiri by the arm and led her through the crowd. A man blocked his path, causing Touma's blood to boil. He didn't have time for this.

"Where are you going with her?" The man asked in a taunting manner as he approached the spiky haired boy in an attempt to intimidate him. Touma sighed and clenched his fist, preparing for the inevitable brawl.

One second was all it took to knock that man unconscious. The delinquent flew backwards and landed on his face, sliding across the asphalt. Touma however, stood there in shock. He wasn't the one who threw the punch. The elegant Fukiyose did.

"If there's one thing I can't stand more than irresponsible people, it's perverts like you." Seiri stated as she withdrew her arm. She cracked her knuckles menacingly as she watched the rest of the thugs scramble around in fear. Touma watched as the whole legion of delinquents dashed away in terror from the girl.

"Wow… that was unexpected." Touma mumbled. He watched as Seiri reached into her pocket, pulling out a small carton of milk. Touma noted that the milk she was drinking must've supplied her with super powers.

"We're going to Avignon?"

"Yes, we'll be going there to suppress the riots that have suddenly appeared all throughout France. This is a part of Academy City's attempt to build strong ties with other nations." Yomikawa remarked. "You know how Anti-Skill had a little weapon demonstration earlier this week? That was to show off what we are capable of."

Shiage and Yomikawa stood inside Anti-Skill headquarters as they discussed their upcoming mission. Shiage had already walked Rikou home, making sure that he kept her company whenever he could. At the moment, Shiage was busy eating several plates of food in the cafeteria. Yomikawa looked at him with uneasy as she saw him eat through her wallet like butter. Do all teenagers have huge appetites? Then again, they hadn't eaten in a long time.

"If I'm going, what about Rikou?" Shiage inquired with his mouth full of food.

"Rikou will be taken care of by Kikyou Yoshikawa, a scientist, so you don't have to worry about whether or not she's safe."

"By suppressing these riots… we won't be carrying guns will we?" Shiage asked.

"Of course we will. We're not going to use them I hope, but we have other means of calming down the rioting. Remember how I told you that with my training, I could send you out into a warzone within a day? You're not going to be fighting anybody, and I feel that the training you've got is sufficient enough to partake."

"So why is it that you had to tell me and not Kamijou?" Shiage said.

"He isn't coming with us. One of the directors told me that the general superintendent would not allow Kamijou to go." Yomikawa argued. "They claimed that him going to Avignon would put too much stress on him and would only be detrimental to his performance. That doesn't make any sense, considering that earlier today he looked perfectly fine."

"Oh…" Shiage muttered. "So I guess it's just you, me, and Tsuzuri right?"

"Right." Yomikawa mentioned. "I didn't want to tell Kamijou because I know he's going to come, regardless of what the superintendent wants. I just don't want to risk any of us getting in trouble for something that could have been prevented."

"Damn that guy... He always gets off easy." Shiage muttered to himself. He didn't know how wrong he was.

Touma and Seiri continued walking down towards their dormitories after the little encounter with the wannabe rebels. The boy looked over at Seiri with a bit of amazement. He had always known she could be quite aggressive, such as the multiple times where he, Tsuchimikado, and Aogami all suffered by her hand. He had never seen her actually beat up another person. Well, 'beat up' wasn't the correct phrase. She completely wrecked that guy.

"I haven't seen you a lot since Daihaseisai." Seiri said all of a sudden. "I was just wondering what you were up to. You know, whether you were keeping up with your studies. After all, I dislike people who just give up, and that includes your studies too."

"My studies are going just fine…" Touma replied submissively. "How's school now that you're stuck with Tsuchimikado and Aogami?"

"Well the two of them act pretty much the same as always, but Tsuchimikado seems a bit quieter. That teacher, Oyafune, seems to enjoy your absence. I bet it's because she doesn't get to sentence the four of us to some sort punishment. I guess now that you're gone, the idiot trio is all split up huh?"

"You don't sound too happy about that. Maybe you miss manhandling the three of us."

"Are you kidding? At least I don't have to go and pick weeds anymore." Seiri replied as she lightly punched Touma on the arm. "No, it's just that without you around, there's nobody to scold who'll actually listen."

"… I only go to Tokiwadai every other day as a substitute. I'll be in class sometimes, so I'm sure you'll have many more chances to get Oyafune angry."

"Tell me… do you know why Anti-Skill picked you?" Seiri questioned as she tried changing the subject. "I mean, there are probably a thousand more suitable kids out there."

"All Yomikawa told me was that there was a way to save my failing grades, which you should know, isn't for the lack of trying. It's weird though. I tried protesting at first, but she was so persistent. She offered to keep me away from any dangerous events and even offered me a part of her salary."

The two reached a huge complex that was split into two sides. Touma had never realized that Seiri had lived so close by, but then again, many things seemed to slip by his head.

"It was good to see you again." Seiri said. "I was starting to think those rumors of you dying were true for a few days now."

"Well, I do have my fair share of near death experiences." Touma mumbled. The girl never realized the merit of his statement.

The two said their goodbyes, leaving Touma to go climb up the many flights of stairs that led to his floor. He felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket, and flipped it open only to see UNKNOWN plastered in large letters on his screen. He answered the call and placed it near his ear.

"Touma Kamijou?" A feminine voice called from the speaker.

"Yes… Who is this?"

"Do you know the teacher Oyafune, who works at your school? I am her mother, and I am also one of the twelve directors of Academy City. Before you hang up, here me out. You have heard of the riots in Avignon am I correct?"

"Yeah."

"The Roman Catholic Church is protesting against Academy City following the aftermath of their small assault a few weeks back. However, there is a supernatural force behind these protests, forcing them to act against Academy City. They are being manipulated by a secret magical organization known as God's Right Seat."

"God's Right Seat?"

"Yes. This group was originally formed as an 'intelligence organization'. Later on, it evolved into something much larger in scope. The members of this association all hold high positions of power and were the direct cause of the attack by the magicians earlier. Do you see where I'm going with this? If these people aren't stopped, then Academy City will go to war. Only you, with Imagine Breaker, can help solve this conflict. I have already contacted your commanding officer, and you are excused from Anti-Skill work until then. Please, go to Avignon and end this crisis."

Touma was about to respond with a lengthy rebuttal on how he already had such a large workload before he heard the sound of a gunshot ring through his ears. He could hear a thud coming from the other end of the phone, causing him to choke in horror.

"Hello? Are you there? Answer me!"

"Oh, hey Kami-yan." The voice of Tsuchimikado came through. Touma was far from relieved. "What's up?"

"What was that? Did you shoot her?"

"She told me to Kami-yan. Academy City was basically using her daughter as a tool to coerce her to work with them. Academy City wants a war. Had she continued, millions of lives will be forfeited all over the globe, and had she refused, her daughter would have been the price to pay."

"… Then what do I do now?"

"The two of us will be going to Avignon. We're going to retrieve something called the Document of Constantine. It is an artifact which is being used by God's Right Seat in order to fuel the protests." Tsuchimikado commented. Touma could here the sound of a gun being holstered in the background. "Looks like it'll be just like old times Kami-yan. Get some rest, because we're leaving tomorrow."

With that said, the line went dead.