This is the 3rd chapter of the story. After the events of world war 3, many people assumed that Kamijou Touma was dead, buried in the depths of the ocean. However, in a city towards the southwest coast of Japan, located miles away from Academy city, a spiky-haired youth wakes up in a hospital.

Infinity 5 was relatively small compared to Academy city. While the latter had 23 or more districts, "I-5", as the inhabitants called it had 19. All 19 districts were split into different areas and each section held buildings, schools and basic recreational centers that were used by the students living in I-5. It was in the 10th district of Infinity 5, that the hospitals and medical facilities were located.

In that 10th district, a large hospital loomed over the smaller infrastructures scattered around it. A small lake sat beside the hospital, spreading its tranquility and beauty to the surrounding landscape. It was the newest building that had been established, as part of the city's desire for improvement and progress.

The contractors of the hospital had been hired from Academy city and they had proceeded to build a hub that exceeded all expectations. The higher ups of Infinity 5 had close ties with the head of Academy city, so it was natural for them to want to catch up to their partners in business.

It was here, in this hospital that a certain 16 year-old boy rose to consciousness and opened his eyes for the first time in weeks.

Kamijou Touma opened his eyes. He was lying in a dark room, where the only light source was coming from a window that had it's curtains drawn over it. Touma slowly turned his head to the right. He saw a door that was located near a small bathroom. Feeling his strength returning to him, Touma heaved himself up and sat down on bed he had been lying on. He was in what looked like a hospital room. Touma scratched his head, feeling a throbbing numbness at the back of his skull.

"How long have I been asleep?", he thought to himself.

Touma looked at himself. He was dressed in what looked like a hospital gown that patients wore. His right leg was wrapped in a bandage and his head was covered in some sort of bandage wrap.

"What the crap happened to me?", he thought, as the memories came flooding back to him.

The war in Russia and his fight with "Fiamma of the Right." Him defeating Fiamma and pushing him into an escape pod while the "Star of Bethlehem" collapsed. However, it wasn't only that. Touma also remembered the events that took place before he plunged into the Arctic Ocean. He remembered Misaka Mikoto on a Vtol, trying to rescue him, and her horrified expressions when she realized that all her powers as a level 5 esper could not save him from certain death. On top of that, the person he was most worried about was Index. How was she? Did she survive? Had she managed to escape the trance she was in when she was under Fiamma's control?

All these thoughts and emotions piled up on Touma like a tsunami, bringing forth waves of emotions that swept through him.

Touma bowed his head and whispered to himself with self-realization,

"Everybody thinks I am dead."

For the first time in his life, Kamijou Touma felt truly alone. Even if he was here, in this strange room, living and breathing, how was he going to face those whom he had left behind? How was Komoe-sensei going to react? Or his parents as a matter of fact, once they learned that their son was dead, swallowed by a merciless grave that left no survivors.

Yet, within Kamijou's heart, a strange feeling erupted.

"I am still alive," he thought, as he looked up at the hospital wall in front of him.

"The fact that I am alive means that I was successful in saving the people I wanted to protect," whispered Touma, as he clenched the blanket that covered his chest.

Feeling glad, he mustered a smile. Finally, with newfound confidence, he looked around the ward. This room strangely reminded him where he usually resided in whenever he was injured. In that hospital, a certain frog-faced doctor would nurse him back to health.

This brought forth the questions. Was he in Academy city, or somewhere else? To his memories, he had sunk in the Arctic Ocean, so it was plausible to assume that he was in a foreign hospital.

However, his doubts were washed away as the hospital ward room door swung open and a female nurse wearing a blue uniform walked in.

"Oh hello! You are awake!", exclaimed the nurse in Japanese delightfully, as she walked across Touma's bed to the other side of the room.

Touma's eyes followed her as she drew the curtains apart, letting in streaks of golden light that bathed the entire room with warmth and comfort. Looking from his bed, Touma quickly realized that he wasn't in Academy city anymore. As light flooded into the room, Touma caught a good look of his residence though the window.

The tall skyscrapers that usually surrounded the hospital were replaced by a light, blue sky that signaled the afternoon hour. It was nearly 1 pm and the sun was at its peak, bathing the landscape in yellow light. Touma could see a small lake with a garden beside it. As far as his eyes could make out, there were patients walking on the pathways aligning the lake, feeding the ducks or sitting down on the park benches.

Touma turned towards the nurse and asked,

"Um…. excuse me, but where am I?"

The nurse, whose hair was tied back in a bundle, replied, a smile painted across her face,

"You are in Infinity 5! A research facility just like Academy city! We are a research branch that specializes in Esper development."

Touma touched the back of his head,

"But...how did I get back to Japan from the Arctic ocean?", he asked.

As far as he knew, his last memory was that of him being in the arms of a rescue diver who assured him to leave things to his team. However, Kamijou had passed out before he could inquire any further.

The nurse looked at Touma and smiled,

"My, my, I'm sure you have a lot of questions to ask. It's okay. You don't have to worry. Inazuma-san will answer all of your questions later. He is in his office right now."

Touma listened on and thought, "Who is this Inazuma-san?"

The nurse continued, "Inazuma-san was worried when you did not regain consciousness after we found you, but that's okay now. I'll tell him that you just woke up."

The nurse picked up a card and handed it to Touma.

"This is for you. Inazuma-san felt that since you were so far from home, he decided to give you a personal card to make you feel welcomed."

'He also gave you this," motioned the nurse, as she pointed towards a basket of fruits that lay beside Touma's bed.

Touma picked up the card and read the message,

" Dear Touma,

Do get well! We are waiting for you!

Cheers,

Takada Inazuma"

Touma absorbed the information.

"He must be my Doctor," he realized, as he placed the card on the table. The nurse looked at him and flashed him a grin.

"Well then. I will be going now. Rest a bit longer. Inazuma-san will come to see you very soon. He can't tend to you right now so I am here on his behalf. See you later Kamijou-kun."

Finally, the nurse bowed her head and left the room, leaving Touma alone.

Touma's eyes gazed at her as she exited and shut the door behind her. Touma sighed,

"Such misfortune," he said, as he looked at his injured leg.

He could still wriggle his toes, but could not move his full leg yet. After all, he had survived drowning in a fortress that crashed straight into the freezing waters of the Arctic Ocean and had come out fairly intact. He was thankful that the only misfortune he suffered was an injured right leg.

Touma sighed once again and gestured to himself.

"I guess, all I can do is wait."

He reached for a remote control lying on the patient table and turned on the television. Unfortunately, the television screen refused to obey the commands of the remote. Touma frantically switched channels, but each change was met with static that filled the screen. Touma looked at his right hand and sighed. The Imagine Breaker was working, which meant that he was going to continue facing misfortune at every turn.

Realizing his fate, Touma knew that he was stuck in a room with no entertaiment to watch. His right leg was injured which meant that he could not move freely. On top of that, he did not know when his Doctor was going to pay him a visit.

Kamijou popped himself back on the bed and sighed loudly,

"Such misfortune."

His thoughts wandered to a certain sister and a level 5 that resided more than a few miles away.

Meanwhile, in Academy city, in a certain windowless building,

A tall, windowless building rose out from the center of Academy city. This building had been built to withstand a nuclear attack, as well as radiation from outer space. It was in this strange place that a certain human being resided. Held alive by the cables and tubes that were linked to his tank, the creature floated upside down. If one were to come face to face with him, they would describe him as an adult. However, they would also attribute him with a man who looked like a child, a man who looked like a women, or a saint who was a criminal.

Indeed, Aleister Crowley was all of the above. He wore a surgeon's suit and was hanging onto his life from the support of machines, which kept his consciousness alive. A month had passed ever since World War 3 ended, with the destruction of the flying fortress, the "Star of Bethlehem." He had disposed of "Fiamma of the right," destroying his body and sending him into an obsolete existence. The right hand seat of God would not be a problem ever again. Here he was, the hidden monarch of Academy city, plotting his next move.

The center of his thoughts was a certain spike-haired boy called Kamijou Touma. Ever since the boy escaped to Russia, he had dispatched his security forces to retrieve the Imagine breaker at all costs, without any luck. Now, he had lost the most precious trump card needed in case things escalated from bad to worst. The boy was thought to be dead, swallowed up by the Arctic Ocean. The Anglican, Russian and Roman Catholic churches had launched their own rescue missions into the Arctic Ocean to save the boy but they too were held back by the fact that no one could have survived in sea waters at temperatures of 2 degrees.

Aleister closed his eyes. The man, who planned everything that went on in not just Academy city, but the whole world, sighed. He rarely gave off any emotions, the fact being that his personality was devoid of almost all human feelings. However, he had not counted on the supposed death of the Imagine breaker that was Academy city's possession. Opening his eyes, his attention was caught by a beeping sound being emitted from one of the screens that was propped up in front of him.

The screen contained a map of all 50 Esper developmental programs going on around the world. A red signal beeped from Academy city's location. Aleister put the call through. A voice sounded through the system that relayed all exterior communications through the building. An old, familiar voice spoke,

"Aleister? It's me," announced the Heaven Cancellor, his voice radiating throughout the entire room.

Aleister replied in a soft, melodious voice that revealed the eternal existence and youth he represented.

"Yes my old friend, what is it?"

The Heaven Cancellor spoke, "I just received a call from Infinity 5, and they have some interesting news for us."

Aleister looked at the screen with curiosity. Infinity 5 was a much less advanced research city compared to Academy city and they rarely called for anything; accept for help in improving their own infrastructures. In fact, Infinity 5 boosted only level 0 to 3 Espers, with the exception of one level 4 esper that they had recently developed. What could be so important that they had decided to call him personally?

Aleister replied, "What does an inferior city like them have to offer us?"

Like the man he was, Aleister never had time for small fries that were miles behind Academy city in terms of Esper development. He was only listening to what they had to say because the Heaven Cancellor himself had appealed directly to him.

Heaven Cancellor replied, "It seems that Infinity 5 has secured the Imagine Breaker."

Aleister paused in silence. How did a branch city like I-5 succeed where he had failed? Could it be that he had miscalculated the fact that other cities were aware of the Imagine Breaker's power and that they too wanted it for themselves. Infinity 5 was one such city. The fact that they had beaten the magic side to Kamijou Touma meant that his plans to re-capture the Imagine Breaker had failed. All he could do right now, was to negotiate and find out their plans.

Aleister did have the sisters of the Misaka network stationed in all 50 research cities, to protect invaluable gemstones from certain sinister organizations all around the world. He could utilize them and succeed in re-acquiring Kamijou Touma.

"I want to see this play out," he thought to himself, as he turned to the screen.

"What are their terms?", asked Aleister

Heaven Cancellor replied, "Actually, they have no terms. One of the boards of directors is requesting to meet with you face to face. It seems that they have no intentions of keeping Touma."

Aleister continued to listen, soaking in the information being presented to him.

Heaven Cancellor continued, "He will be arriving in Academy city on Friday. Should I change the appointment?"

Aleister replied, "No, put him through. I want to hear what he has to say. Securing the Imagine Breaker is top on our agenda right now."

Heaven Cancellor paused. Aleister could detect a hint of change in his tone and possibly, his emotions.

"What's wrong?" he asked, unaware of the doctor's mood.

The doctor replied, "I thought you would like to know who is coming to see you on Friday."

Aleister frowned, "Who is it?"

The voice on the system chuckled and replied "Well, well, isn't it our old friend, Takada Inazuma."

Aleister's eyes widened slightly. Takada Inazuma? So that was where that man was. He had taken residence in a lesser known research city and established himself there.

"My, my, would you look at that? He hasn't changed one bit. He is certainly a man who likes to make flashy entrances," exclaimed Aleister, relishing the meeting on Friday.

Heaven Cancellor spoke for the last and final time," Well, I just thought you should know. I will tell him that you are willing to meet him."

With that, Heaven Cancellor cut the call and the conversation ended. Floating in his tank, Aleister Crowley, the magician who had become the head of the science side, frowned slightly and muttered silently,

"Inazuma you bastard, What are you planning…...?"

This is the end of chapter 3. Please stay-tuned for chapter 4.