A/N: Itsuwa's eyes are purple. The anime messed them up by making them golden, but still, she's awesome regardless.
Any mentions of video games or consoles are parodies, and therefore, I purposely misspell them.
Into the Darkness
Chapter Five: Fiamma Appears!
"Why are you so quick to carry out your plans? Have you no patience?"
"I'm sorry Acqua, but this is all for the good of England. You see, we have yet to obtain the Index Librorum Prohibitorum or Sasha Kruezhev so I have no need for that boy as of yet. However, it would make the most sense to keep him close by. As an ally? Maybe not, but that prospect does have its benefits."
"Will we be collecting his right hand?"
"In due time, yes. I'd advise you not to go after the boy, as he probably remembers your face. Instead, I'll go collect him and see if I can sever his ties with Academy City. After that, we can bomb them to hell and back."
"I wish you weren't so quick to dismiss the Pope's opinions. After all, you were the one who convinced him that Academy City is our enemy."
"Acqua… you know better than anyone else that the battlefield is a place where there are only allies and enemies. It doesn't matter how we reach that point, but the results we get. That is what God's Right Seat strives for. Our goal is to unite the world, and if the Pope can't see that, then it would be better off if we don't listen to him at all."
"…"
It was early in the morning when a loud booming sound erupted from the sky. One of Academy City's stealth planes soared through the air, causing the clouds to part away from the plane's path. Despite being able to reach a speed of 7000km/h, the plane wasn't even close to breaking the sound barrier. It mainly cruised along the clear blue atmosphere, gazing at the land below.
Avignon.
Inside the stealth plane resided both a pilot and a co-pilot who sat in the cockpit. Two other occupants stood near an open latch, the wind cascading by their faces. The two of them had parachuting harnesses fastened to their bodies, as well as a reserve in case the first had failed. A spiky haired teenager peered over the edge, observing the vast amount of green and blue that filled his eyes.
"Uh… Tsuchimikado? How high are we at the moment?" The boy asked.
"About 14000 feet nya~" Tsuchimikado replied as he tapped the backpack that Touma wore. The boy looked over his shoulder in cynicism. The blond haired man walked besides Touma. "Our main objective is the Document of Constantine which is somewhere in Avignon. Its power is to make Catholics believe anything the Pope says. The Pope claimed Academy City as an enemy of the Roman Catholic Church after the assault a few weeks earlier. The reason they're holding these protests is to persuade other nations into severing ties with Academy City, maybe even going to war with us."
"So you want me to destroy the Document of Constantine with Imagine Breaker right?" Touma alluded as he brandished his right hand.
"Yeah. I'd love to fill you in with the rest of the details, but it looks like we have to get off nya~" Tsuchimikado remarked as he saw a huge ruffle of trees below him. They were planning on dropping in an obscure location, one that could not be easily traced. "You already know how to parachute right Kami-yan?"
"Yeah."
"Then you wouldn't mind if I did this?" The blond then kicked Touma's back, sending him sprawling out the plane. Touma was thrown into a panic, and as he fell, he could see Tsuchimikado giving him the hugest jackass smile he had ever seen in his life.
"You bastard! I swear, I'll kill you for this!" Touma shouted even though his voice wasn't audible. Tsuchimikado later jumped out as well, falling several feet away from Touma.
Touma hadn't ever parachuted in his life. As he fell, he felt a rush of adrenaline course through him. He descended closer and closer towards the ground which spanned several miles. He could see the Calvet Museum, the river that led to Villeneuve les Avignon, and Palais des Papes. Somehow, he managed to recall the history lessons he had learned from his teacher, but seeing it in person was truly more interesting than reading it from a textbook.
The boy felt that it was time to release his parachute and so he grabbed onto the chute and pulled it towards his face.
Nothing happened.
Was it malfunctioning? Touma frantically released the chute and pulled again even harder. The same result happened. Touma grabbed the chute from his reserve and pulled tightly. Luckily, this one had yielded to him and allowed him to float along the currents. Unfortunately, the lines of his parachute were forced to wrap around his neck because of his late release, causing him to choke. His fingers tried to pry the tangled lines off his throat, but to no avail. He could see Tsuchimikado land somewhere off in the distance. His vision started to fade.
He then blacked out.
Shiage and the other Anti-Skill members were being dropped off at a LZ near the outskirts of Avignon. The young man had his riot gear all attended for, which made him look more like a soldier than a teenager. His eyes slanted when he saw several other Anti-Skill personnel talking rather loudly and obnoxiously. He hadn't been able to get on the same helicopter as Tsuzuri and Yomikawa, so he was stuck with these strangers for the time being.
The numerous Boeing CH-47 helicopters hovered several miles away from Fort Saint-André, where a massive accumulation of trees covered their descent. The loading ramp at the end of the fuselage opened up with soldiers spilling out in the dozens. Shiage sighed, grabbed his equipment, and moved out. The helicopters later retreated off into the distance, leaving a little more than a hundred soldiers in its wake.
"C'mon Hamazura, get a move on!" One of the soldiers shouted. Shiage felt a swift kick to his backside which caused him to stumble forward. Shiage reluctantly followed the other soldiers as they advanced towards Avignon.
They were sent there as peacekeeping troops to suppress the riot. Inside the chambers of their guns were nonlethal rubber bullets. They all wore protective helmets, riot shields, tasers, batons, etc. Still, Shiage felt unbearably nervous as they traversed the ground. Why did they have to send such a large force?
Anti-Skill was given a chance to develop stronger ties with France, and therefore their government allowed Academy City to halt the riot. It made sense that Academy City would jump on this opportunity. For years now, they suffered hostility from other nations due to their advanced technology and isolation. This was a chance for them to get out there and develop a stronger relationship with other countries.
Frankly, Shiage didn't give a damn.
Touma eyes shot open. He immediately doubled over and coughed up all the water that filled his lungs. The liquid was mixed with his own spit and vomit, pouring out onto the gravel beneath him. After he managed to gain his composure, he looked to the side and saw a river, the same one he had seen from above earlier. His black school uniform was drenched and clung onto his skin like a tattoo. The temperature wasn't as cold as Japan, but that meant nothing considering it was almost winter. The spiky haired teen examined his surroundings and his eyes met a pair of familiar purple ones.
"Oh… Itsuwa…?" Touma asked. He could remember he met her once before, when he went to Italy. The boy noticed that she too was drenched, most likely from rescuing him. His eyes gazed at her purple shirt, which started to become transparent. In his mind, he just said: "Purple bra."
"Are you okay?" The purple haired girl asked in concern. Touma quickly moved his head so that he didn't appear suspicious.
"Y-Yeah." Touma stammered. Itsuwa rummaged through her bag and pulled out a towel which she offered to Touma. He took it and began to wipe his hair dry. "W-What are you doing here? If you're here, does that mean that the Amakusa Catholics are here too?"
"We're here because of the riots that are breaking throughout France." Itsuwa replied timidly. She glanced around back and forth. "M-Maybe we should go someplace safer…"
"Are you sure you want to go? I mean… you're pretty wet." Touma stated. Itsuwa realized what the boy had meant.
"Y-You can go on ahead. I'll catch up with you soon." She mumbled shyly. Touma shrugged and went on with his way. The boy looked over his shoulder for a second and saw Itsuwa dart towards the trees with her bag.
Touma walked along the streets of Avignon, mostly admiring the architecture. This place was vastly different from Academy City. Avignon looked so… medieval and majestic. The buildings looked to be made out of stone, reaching up into the sky. He felt so out of place. It felt like he was playing one of those Assassin games for his Polystation again.
Itsuwa later managed to find Touma. The boy tried to mask his blush when he saw that she was wearing a very skimpy small shirt that reached up to her navel and hugged her skin like glue. The ends of the shirt were tied together, conveniently concealing her chest, which Touma realized, had no bra. He could see her cleavage, and he desperately wished he was better at hiding his gaze.
The two later walked into a nearby café, noticing the several other inhabitants glaring at them. The two looked very out of place. The boy was dripping with water, and was clearly not from this area, and the girl was gathering a lot of attention due to her sparse clothing, which was not her fault at all. They couldn't speak French either, which further complicated things. Out of the corner of his eye, Touma saw Tsuchimikado in the corner, drinking what he had believed to be an espresso coffee.
"You traitor!" Touma declared in Japanese, making sure that only his companion could hear him. "I almost freaking died out there! How can you look at me with those innocent eyes after knowing what you did?"
"Aw, c'mon Kami-yan." Tsuchimikado argued as he took a sip of his drink. "You survived didn't you? I just didn't want you backing out nya~"
"I wasn't going to anyway. Besides, Itsuwa's going to be helping us." Touma stated as he turned to the girl. "You guys are here for the Document too right?"
"Yeah. There's a magical link in between Avignon and the Vatican that enables the Document of Constantine to work." She whispered. "A long time ago, the popes resided in Palais des Papes up until the French Revolution. Since the Document needs a magical link from here to the Vatican, that would mean that the Document of Constantine resides in Palais des Papes."
No sooner did Itsuwa finish her sentence when a man came bolting towards Touma, attempting to strike him with a large cup. Touma quickly maneuvered his head out of reach and then spun around, grabbing the man's arm and using his momentum to flip him over his shoulder and onto the table. The table broke underneath the man's weight, causing Touma to wince as he saw the man crumple in pain.
The entire café started to surround Touma, and only him. The black haired boy shrunk into a small corner as he watched Itsuwa and Tsuchimikado edge out from the other side.
"W-Why are they going after me and not you guys?" Touma shouted at his two other friends.
"Nya… I guess they must've seen you as you dropped down from your parachute. Bad timing Kami-yan."
Itsuwa grabbed Touma by the arm and pushed past through the large mob that had gathered. As they bustled out of the café, they saw Tsuchimikado run in the opposite direction. Touma and Itsuwa ran into a small alleyway and hid in the shadows. They watched as the large mob of people rush past them.
"What is that idiot doing?" Touma muttered as he contemplated on Tsuchimikado's actions.
"We should probably head over to Palais des Papes soon." Itsuwa remarked as she scanned the area.
"What about Saiji and the others? Are they also coming with us?"
"No, they're gathering info about the Document and the riots. It'd be dangerous to try and regroup with them from here."
"Then let's get going." Touma said.
The two ran down the streets of Avignon, making sure to remain unsuspicious if at all possible. Touma and Itsuwa sprinted for a long time before the boy had to come to a halt. He wasn't tired, as he had ran away from many thugs over the course of his stay in Academy City. His stomach on the other hand, growled loudly in hunger.
"Are you okay?" Itsuwa asked as she turned to the teen.
"Yeah… I'm used to being hungry for a long while now…" Touma scoffed as he remembered Index frequently eating all of his reserves. "Do you have a map or something? We could get lost."
"Uh, yeah I do actually." Itsuwa replied as she fumbled with her bag. Seconds later, she pulled out a large piece of paper detailing all of Avignon's landmarks and geographical features. Touma grabbed the map and scanned it feverishly. He froze when he couldn't understand a word of it. Keep in mind, he couldn't read French, nor did he have an understanding of the Latin alphabet.
"Can you read it Itsuwa?" Touma asked as he handed it back to her.
"N-No… I was hoping you could."
"Well… we are officially screwed." Touma stated bluntly as he grabbed a fistful of his hair in irritation. "I guess we have to search any building that looks even remotely like a landmark."
That's just what they did.
Shiage wasn't enjoying his current job at all.
He and many other fellow soldiers stood in front of the mob that was chasing Touma earlier, trying to get them to calm down. In the crowd were some protesters who were against Academy City's forces. Some of them even used violence such as throwing rocks or trying to push past. Shiage grimaced as he felt a stray pebble smack against his visor.
"Yomikawa… this has to be the most freaking boring thing I have ever done." Shiage cursed as he tried to restrain himself from actually making use of his gear. The woman beside him shrugged.
"Well, it could be worse." Yomikawa replied. "It beats being in Academy City by a long shot."
"What do you mean? Academy City's much safer right?"
"Unfortunately, that isn't true. While it looks like that on the front, it's much worse in reality. Sure, we have gangs and such, but they're also mercenary groups, illegal organizations, and stuff like that. In fact, one of my jobs is to make sure none of these ever goes public. I make sure to suppress these groups so we don't have any more acts of violence."
Shiage was about to speak until he saw several tear gas grenades fly over his head. The tear gas grenades landed several feet away from the crowd but the effects were still there. A whitish gas rose into the air, causing those without proper protection to cough, cry, and sneeze. The crowd then dispersed, with some of the affected collapsing into a crumpled heap. Shiage stood there, not knowing whether he was staring in amazement or pure horror. A small beep came from Yomikawa's earpiece.
"We have confirmation on the whereabouts of the Document. All units please move towards coordinates 43.95 N, 4.81 E."
Yomikawa looked at her watch which also doubled as a GPS, compass, and tracking device. She punched in the numbers, and waited for the location to appear.
"Are we going somewhere again?" Shiage mumbled.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you this earlier, but we aren't here just for peacekeeping." Yomikawa asserted. "This is for Academy City's best interest, so make sure you do everything I tell you to okay?"
Shiage contemplated for a moment. It wasn't like he was in any position to disagree.
"Alright."
After about an hour of searching, the two came upon the Calvet Museum which was mainly empty. Touma wrapped his fist with a towel from Itsuwa's bag and smashed the window with a swift punch. Touma quickly brushed away the stray pieces of glass shards that hung on the edge of the frame before he leaped inside, helping Itsuwa along the way.
The girl speedily went into the center of the building and drew a large magic circle with a piece of chalk. Touma stood on the side in confusion.
"What are you doing?"
"We might be a fair bit away from the Document. If the Document of Constantine remains active for any longer, something bad might happen." Itsuwa replied as she continued drawing the circle. She rummaged through her bag once again. Touma began to wonder just how much stuff she keeps in there. "I'm going to disrupt the mana flow."
"Can't I just… you know, touch it?" Touma asked as if it were the obvious thing to do.
"I know you can disrupt magic with your right hand, but it doesn't work on everything. If you could disrupt any form of supernatural or divine properties, that would mean you could negate the ley lines of this planet. You'd be able to destroy the objects that keep this world in balance. Since that isn't the case, that would mean your power is limited to only certain types of magic."
Touma stood there contemplating what Itsuwa just said. If what she said was true, how come a being like Misha would've been killed if he had touched her? His face became red when he saw Itsuwa pull out an extra set of panties. Itsuwa had placed her slippers, a water bottle, the map, and her panties in a unique fashion around the magic circle. The magic circle began to glow, much to Touma's amazement.
All of a sudden, the wall to the museum exploded, sending chunks of stone flying around the room. Touma lunged forward and pushed Itsuwa out of the way the moment a large guillotine blade came crashing down. Touma whipped out Imagine Breaker and met the blade head on, punching it with a burst of strength. The pure white blade shattered into tiny pieces, dissolving like flour.
Touma was taken aback when he saw a figure emerge from the smoke. The man that stood opposite of him had spiky green hair and a distorted face to match. The man looked to be more than twice Touma's age, with wrinkles and other blemishes creeping onto his face. The flour that had dissipated rose into the air and formed into a blade once again, going towards the green haired man.
"Who the hell are you?" Touma growled as he stood between the man and Itsuwa.
"My name is Terra of the Left, part of God's Right Seat." The man stated as he readied his blade once again. "Why don't you two entertain me for a while?"
Touma ducked as he felt the wind pass by the tip of his hair. The blade was swung a mere inch away from his skull, thankfully saving his life. The blade elongated and was thrust downwards, forcing Touma to roll out of the way. The blade sliced through the brick walls and dented the concrete like they were butter. Touma sat there wide eyed as he saw Terra withdraw his weapon, looking at him pitifully.
"I was expecting more from you. Why are you holding back? Are you scared of showing your true power?" The man remarked as he slashed at Touma. Itsuwa quickly brought out her spear and used her version of Nanasen, entangling Terra within seven wires that were as hard as steel. The tip of Terra's sword was right in front of Touma's face, shaking as Terra struggled to move himself from the shackles that bind him.
"How come it isn't cutting you?" Itsuwa yelled as she pulled on the wires to strengthen their lethality.
"Foolish girl. Your attacks are futile." Terra stated as the wires broke apart like pieces of string. He then sliced at the air, causing the wind to part as a huge gash of air came rushing towards Itsuwa. The girl braced herself, stumbling backwards and slamming into a pillar. Blood began to drip from her head and the other wounds she had endured.
"Get away from her!" Touma shouted as he lunged at the green haired man. Terra look to his side and grabbed him by the collar. Touma tried to release Terra's grip but it was soon cut short when he saw the blade being plunged into his stomach.
Touma was expecting a surge of pain and blood. That never happened.
Instead, the spiky haired teen was flung away like a ragdoll, sliding across the tiled floor. Touma clutched his stomach in pain, but noticed that there wasn't a wound.
"Besides being able to manipulate flour, I have a unique ability that allows me to change the hierarchy of any object." Terra declared as he stalked up towards the downed boy. "Execution of Light.The hierarchy of an object is similar to the Great chain of being. By changing where the object exists on the Great chain of being, I can alter its power. For example, flour itself is not strong enough to cut stone, but by changing the hierarchy, I can make it so."
"You bastard…" Touma groaned as he tried to stand. All the air in his lungs was drained out.
"I purposely made it so that my blade would not cut your skin. Do you see the extent of my power? Yet still you try to fight even though you know it's useless. How is it that Vento of the Front could've ever lost you? You, who isn't even willing to use his true power!"
Terra was about to strike with his finishing blow when a bullet pierced the air. Terra watched as the slab of metal came towards him and smirked. The bullet hit Terra's face and bounced off harmlessly. Touma looked up and saw a blond haired man walk towards him.
"Nya~ Kami-yan. Looks like you landed yourself in some more trouble huh?" Tsuchimikado commented as he grabbed Touma by the arm and helped him onto his feet. "Sorry I'm so late, but it was hard to chase off that mob that seems to love you guys so much."
"Damn it… You just had to pick the most inconvenient times don't you?" Touma joked lightly as he pushed away from Tsuchimikado. "Itsuwa and I will go get the Document. You think you can handle this guy?"
"Sure… but I bet I'll waste several lives in the process. No biggie though." Tsuchimikado replied. Touma turned around and grabbed Itsuwa, wrapping her arm around his neck and helping her up. She was conscious, but still, Touma cringed when he saw blood begin to seep onto his clothing.
"Will you be alright?" Touma whispered to her as they began to move away from the battle.
"Yeah… I think I-" A loud bang caused the two of them to wince as a loud ringing noise filled their ears. The entire wall behind them crumbled into tiny pieces as several large robots draped in protective armor came storming through. Touma and Itsuwa fell to the floor as another explosion went off right above them. After Touma's ears began to function properly, he could hear Tsuchimikado howl at them.
"These guys are AIs who are sent to capture or kill anyone going after the Document! Academy City wants it too, so make sure you get there before them!" The blond shouted from the distance. Touma silently nodded and he heaved Itsuwa out of the museum.
Meanwhile, Terra looked at the dozens of HsPS-15 automated AIs that stood in front of him. In their hands were Gatling rifles filled with rubber bullets. It seemed that Academy City would prefer to take them in alive, but if they were dead, that wouldn't pose much of a problem either. Tsuchimikado readied himself as the guns revved up. In moments, an entire stream of bullets swarmed the two. Tsuchimikado ducked for cover and hid behind a downed pillar, while Terra jumped along the debris, hopping out of the collapsed ceiling from above.
"Guess I'm stuck here for a while. Make sure you get the job done Kami-yan." Tsuchimikado muttered, his voice almost inaudible from the sound of gunfire. He pulled the hammer on his gun and prepared himself for battle.
Touma and Itsuwa stood outside, trying to get to the Document as fast as they could. They had little idea where it was, but considering that they saw a mass of Anti-Skill soldiers converging near a large palace, they deemed that it was their destination.
As they approached, both Touma and Itsuwa hid in a small bush that was several meters away, watching as Anti-Skill barricaded the area. The front gate was covered, and the entire perimeter was guarded by soldiers who looked less then friendly. It seemed like they weren't willing to go within Palais des Papes until they had the entire place firmly secured. Touma bit his lip in anxiety.
"Any bright ideas?" Itsuwa asked.
"I got one. Just follow my lead."
The Anti-Skill member who stood near one of the entrances became alerted when he saw Touma and Itsuwa come into view casually.
"O-Oh hey." Touma stammered. Itsuwa looked a little uneasy. "My name is Touma Kamijou and I'm part of Anti-Skill. Mind letting us through?"
"I'm sorry, but no one is allowed to enter, regardless of whether or not you're a part of Anti-Skill."
"B-But you see… Aw well, I guess it can't be helped." Touma shrugged. He swung his fist towards the man's face, shattering his visor and sending him sprawling onto the ground. Touma grabbed the man by the legs and motioned Itsuwa towards him. "C'mon, it's hard to carry this guy by myself."
The two disposed of the person by tossing him into the bushes. Itsuwa looked less than pleased.
"That was your plan?"
"Well I didn't see you coming up with anything better." Touma retorted softly.
As the two entered the palace, Touma took out his phone and dialed Misaka's phone number.
"Hello?"
"It's me, Touma."
"O-Oh…" Touma could hear here begin to stutter. Maybe she was still angry about the little event from earlier. "W-What do you want?"
"Is there anything on the news about Academy City going to Avignon?"
"Well…" Misaka began. The boy sighed when he heard the sound of Magical Girl Kanamin playing in the background. Turns out Index and Misaka had similar taste.
"Anything at all?"
"It's being covered by all news stations. Apparently there's a cult group working to create a weapon, and the French government asked Academy City to intervene. Why do you-"
A blade of flour came towards Touma, causing him to let go of the phone on instinct to use Imagine Breaker. He dispelled the attack, but his phone crashed onto the ground, shattering the screen. Touma, thinking that the phone was dead, immediately turned to face his enemy.
"You again? Don't you ever leave us alone?" Touma shouted. The boy froze when he saw that Terra held a document in his hands. "Is that-"
"Yes, the Document of Constantine. I can't use it, but that doesn't mean that we can't find someone who does." Terra replied as he pointed his guillotine blade at Touma and Itsuwa. "Though there's no point in me telling you anymore. This is where you die."
The blade suddenly detonated, causing pieces of shrapnel to fly through the air at high speeds. Touma tried to raise his Imagine Breaker to defend, but he was too slow. Fearing that Touma would get injured, Itsuwa pushed him out of the way and used her spear to try and deflect the small pieces of debris. She then threw her spear at Terra, and watched as her weapon graze the man's skin, drawing blood. Through this maneuver, several pieces of shrapnel went through and stabbed Itsuwa in the stomach. She tried to stay on her feet, but fatigue began to encroach her.
"You're nothing but a hindrance girl." Terra scowled as the flour wrapped around his hand, forming into a blade once more. He wiped the blood off of his neck. "Why don't you run off now, and leave this to the real fighters?"
"You can say that, but I already found out your weakness." Itsuwa mentioned. Terra looked surprised.
"Hmph, you're more trouble than you're worth." Terra remarked. In one swift movement, he appeared in front of Itsuwa and struck her, pushing her to the side. Itsuwa flew through the air, landing several feet away from Touma. The boy gritted his teeth in anger.
"You son of a bitch!" Touma barked as he lunged at Terra. The man retaliated by kicking the boy in the stomach, and throwing him aside. Touma crashed into the wall, hearing his back crack against the stone.
"I'm disappointed. If you had just used your full power, your true power, you would've been able to protect her. Don't tell me you don't know how."
"…"
"How is it that you could have forgotten? Or could it be… that you lost your memory?"
"Fuck you!" Touma screamed as he swiped at Terra. His attack was useless as Terra sidestepped and brought his elbow to Touma's skull. Touma felt his head hit the ground, blood beginning to ooze onto the floor.
"That's it isn't it?" Terra affirmed gleefully as he kicked Touma's body away like a toy. "Tell me, how and when did you lose your memory? Perhaps I'll get some information after I torture that girl over there… What about your family? It doesn't matter much anyway. As I said before, this is where you will perish!"
Touma watched as the guillotine blade came swinging by his head. Touma wasn't willing to use Imagine Breaker unless it was absolutely necessary. This man had good knowledge of his power, so he was reluctant to fall back on it. Touma opted to dodge the attack, watching as the blade sliced through the thick wall effortlessly. The bottom half of the palace caved in, allowing Touma more room to move. He fell backwards onto the steps leading up to the palace which conveniently helped him avoid another strike from Terra.
Touma knew it was too dangerous to fight in the palace because of the close proximity of Itsuwa, and so he chose to fight outside. The Anti-Skill members that stood outside stared in shock as they watched Terra whip his blade, effectively stabbing the entire barricade in one attack. He swung his sword once again, changing the hierarchy to be above vehicles, and sliced through the armored trucks like nothing. Touma grimaced as he felt blood splatter onto his face.
The boy thought of his options for a moment. This man was able to survive being shot by a bullet, but was injured by Itsuwa's spear. He could adjust the hierarchy of an object, but if that was completely true, why was it that Terra didn't make himself above metal? Unless… he could only manipulate the hierarchy one at a time!
Touma was tired of playing defensive and so he rushed at his enemy. Terra attempted to swing his blade near Touma's head, expecting the boy to try and negate it with Imagine Breaker, leaving him open for another attack. However, Touma didn't even flinch when he felt the blade slice through his cheek. The boy raised his right hand and punched the man with such intensity that Terra felt his entire body shake. Touma's hand scraped the Document of Constantine, causing it to disintegrate within Terra's hold.
Several feet away, a brown haired boy looked through the scope of his sniper rifle. He rested on the roof of the building opposite of the palace, watching as Touma fought Terra outside the building. Shiage's finger danced around the trigger of the Savage 110 BA, his breaths becoming ragged.
The boy was by himself with no spotter to do the calculations for him. He had left Tsuzuri and Yomikawa, and acquired one of the only weapons that contained real bullets. The wind was erratic, most likely due to the time of the year. Shiage cursed as he tried to compensate not only for bullet drop but also for atmospheric conditions. Touma was fighting Terra in such close proximity that even if he managed to properly calibrate his shot, there was a possibility that by the time the bullet reaches its target, Terra would have moved, or even worse, Touma would have been in the way.
"Damn it… can't you just leave things to me for once?" Shiage muttered as he waited for his opportunity.
Touma had no sympathy for a person who was willing to kill.
He was absolutely bloodlusted when they threaten his family and friends.
Terra strengthened his guillotine blade, enlarging it and making it thicker and heavier. He veered the blade towards Touma's body with enough strength to cleave a man in half. The boy raised his right arm in reprisal, negating the blade easily. Touma immediately withdrew his arm and delivered another jab with Imagine Breaker that disfigured Terra's face. The older man stumbled backwards, giving Touma enough time to move in and distribute his famous Imagine Breaker Ultimate Uppercut move. Terra was thrown into the air, landing on the ground in defeat.
Touma was wheezing after all was said and done. His cheek started to leak copious amounts of red liquid that landed on the pavement in a gruesome mess. His clothes were all stained and covered in dust. Touma slowly approached his adversary, his eyes burning with hatred.
"What is Imagine Breaker?" Touma roared as he clenched his right hand. "Tell me goddamn it!"
"You want to know?" Terra coughed. He could barely manage to speak. "Your power is-"
Touma had to turn away when an HsB-02 flew over their heads, using a technique called Earth Blade. The bomber accelerated the iron sand left in the vacuum to over eight thousand degrees Celsius, burning everything in its path. It just so happened that its target was Terra. Touma watched as a huge stream of molten fire separated the two, leaving a trail of ash from where Terra once stood. All of this was too much for Touma. He had lost it.
He had lost his only lead.
"TERRAAAAAAAA!" Touma screamed in vain.
Shiage could hear Touma's loud cry from far away. The boy focused his attention on the green haired man, whom he saw fleeing in the distance. Over three thousand meters. If anything, bullet drop will be immense and compensating was practically impossible. Even with Academy City's latest ammunition and attachments… at this distance, the chance of the bullet actually doing anything was slim to none.
He decided to take the shot anyway. For Touma's sake.
Shiage zoomed in with his telescopic sight, making sure to account for wind speed and direction as best he could. At this range, even his advanced telescopic sight couldn't do the calculations for him. The boy manually adjusted his scope so that he would aim several hundred millimeters above his target. He remembered how Touma had taken his shot earlier, and mimicked his example. Shiage felt the wind blow against his hair from the right, and he made sure to compensate by aiming right as well.
Shiage clamped his finger around the trigger. Terra was getting farther and farther away. He had to take the shot.
And he did.
The slant range of the bullet was off course, but the trajectory was right on its mark. The projectile went flying through the air, making a curve before coming into contact with Terra's leg. Shiage could see the man topple over, unable to continue moving. Shiage quickly put his hand over to his earpiece.
"Yomikawa. Get over here. I've caught one." He stated. He didn't wait for a reply. He looked over to where Touma once stood, but he was gone. In a panic, Shiage quickly climbed down the small sets of ladders that hung on the side of the building. Once he reached the ground, he ran over to where Touma and Terra fought, taking care as to avoid the slain Anti-Skill soldiers that piled on top of each other.
"Where the hell did he go?"
Touma awoke to find himself inside a small housing. He took a firm look at his surroundings, still lightheaded from his earlier fight with Terra. Wait…
Terra! Where was he?
As Touma Kamijou tried to figure out where he was, he was stumped when he realized he was no longer in Avignon. He wasn't even in France anymore. It was nightfall, but there was no way he could've been transported out in this short amount of time. He was currently in what looked to be a small shack in the outskirts of some unknown city.
Touma paused when he saw a red haired man wearing a red suit. He was tall and of a skinny build, but he still looked quite powerful nonetheless. He had this disturbing smile and a calm demeanor that just shook Touma to the bone. He stood up from his chair and walked over to Touma, who backed away slightly.
"Hello Touma Kamijou." The red haired man smiled. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is-"
The man outstretched his hand, offering it to Touma. Touma raised his right hand and hesitated when he saw Fiamma's face. For some reason, he felt he couldn't trust him. When the boy shook his hand, he could've sworn he saw a bird like claw appear behind the man as if it were a mirage.
"Fiamma of the Right."
To be continued…
A/N: Yes, Touma does scream TERRA in the novels. [テッラアアアあああああッ！] I'm seriously not making this up.