Author's note: as mentioned before, Shokuhou Misaki's powers here will be largely guesswork. I'm working it with the Rule of Cool, Rule of Drama and probably some other reasons, so please don't mind if it doesn't quite fit canon.

I'm placing Touma's meeting with Misaki at past Vol8 but before Vol9 for reasons I will reveal in later chapters. Don't expect this fic to fit the exact dates of the novels, just the general course of events.

Chapter 1 - Contact

Just another day in Kamijou Touma's life.

School have just ended for him, and he's currently on his way home to drop off his bags and prepare to go shopping. Nothing too out of the ordinary in his day so far, what with the below-average grades that just landed him into another remedial teaching session with Komoe-Sensei and he had to stay in school way after all other students have left. Something which Touma is thankful for, despite the extra work.

An abnormal day would be something like having his dorm set on fire or a magician coming out of nowhere trying to take his life. Or more likely as the cause of his misfortune, some girl he has never met before shows up and makes his life miserable. Normally through no fault of her own, of course.

Speaking of which…

"Hey there! So you're Kamijou Touma?" An absurdly cheerful and feminine voice called out to him.

Touma turned and saw a long-haired girl dressed in Tokiwadai Middle School's uniform approaching him. Unlike Mikoto however, her socks looks to have lace around the edges and she wears a pair of elbow-length gloves with the same lace pattern on them. With her is a handbag that even at first glance it looked like something that would accompany a person with great wealth.

For some reason, Touma have a bad feeling about this. And it isn't because she's wearing a Tokiwadai uniform like other crazy people such as Mikoto or Shirai either.

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Shokuhou Misaki gave the boy in front of her a calculated look as she stopped a few metres away from him. He's slightly taller than her, with a somewhat tired look on his face. Apart from his distinctive black spiky hair, everything else makes him appear to be a normal high school student: white shirt, black pants, and a normal flat black school bag you'd see on just about every other student. Sure, he has another shirt under the white one and his shoes probably isn't something that follows school regulations (or that his school probably just have more relaxed rules on such matters), but that just paints him as a indifferent slacker you'd also commonly see in lesser schools.

With all the rumours around on how supposedly Mikoto's boyfriend is someone equal to the Railgun in ability, he sure doesn't look like it. Guess this just goes to show rumours can't be trusted at all.

"Can I help you?" The boy in front of her inquired. With her own ability Misaki also 'heard' the thought that the boy was too polite to state outright: Another girl from Tokiwadai? Please, don't let this end in trouble…

Misaki had to suppress an amused laugh from escaping. Really now, when people hear 'Tokiwadai' do they think of 'violent middle school girls that bring trouble'? Just what has Mikoto been doing outside the School Gardens? The Railgun's violent tendencies to shock things that annoyed her if she's stressed probably occurs more than Misaki had thought.

"Yes, I do believe you can help me." Misaki smiled winningly. "Tell me, what do you think of Misaka Mikoto?"

"Huh?" What is she on about?

"I'll make it simple: What comes to your mind when you think of the girl called Misaka Mikoto?"

If you ask someone not to imagine a pink elephant in the middle of the room, then inevitably they will think of a pink elephant in the middle of the room. Why bother waste time and wait for a response when you can just pick out the relevant thought from the other person? By priming someone with the things you are interested about also made searching through their mind much easier.

And, true to form, many things rose to the surface of the mind from that sentence:

Mikoto's appearance,

Her tendencies to get annoyed and lightning starts to spark around her,

And how she acts around people she knows, at least from what he has seen. The Railgun's interactions with many people filled Misaki's mind, from Shirai Kuroko, to some girl named Index, to himself, to Mikoto's younger sister…

Wait.

"A younger sister?" The Queen of Tokiwadai said in a surprised voice, before realising half a second later she accidently said that out loud. One of the boy's eyebrows shot up questioningly, not quite sure what Misaki is talking about.

Misaki decided to make this quick before he figures out she's a mind reader of sorts. Too bad for him, he never received any training to keep other people from reading his thoughts, judging from how easily she is reading him. And her outburst earlier managed to bring up all sorts of interesting images that started flashing in his mind rapidly one after another.

Like the first time he saw Mikoto and her 'sister' meeting at a park, and his own meeting with a girl that looked exactly the same not long afterwards. Following from that is a image of the younger sister picking up a black cat with him, visiting a book shop and later…

Misaki ripped her own power out of his mind immediately in a mixture of shock and horror.

Just what kind of sick person can imagine another person being killed in such a manner that there's not just a pool of blood left flowing from a corpse, but the walls of the alleyway is stained red to eye level? And the stench of blood, the state of the corpse… there's no way that could have been true. Shokuhou Misaki didn't want to believe something like that could happen in reality. Maybe it's like those cases where false memories are created after enough suggestion is given to a person, where the phenomenon called 'imagination inflation' has occurred? She has read about those cases in her studies…

Having said that, the fact it took a sick mind to imagine another person dying like that needs to be repeated. Even more if the person who died in such a horrific manner is his supposed girlfriend, something Misaki doesn't quite believe right now.

"What in the world are…?" Misaki said in a whisper. The boy who is the cause of her current turmoil merely blinked and tilted his head in confusion, not seeing her reasoning behind her words.

Misaki didn't hate Misaka Mikoto in any way, only regarded the other Level 5 as someone to pick on in the best of days and in other times ignored as she wasn't worth seeking out normally while she herself have more important things to do. That doesn't mean Misaki would be willing to leave Mikoto to a psychopath that have sick fantasies about someone he knows.

Misaki closed the distance between them, taking off the glove on her right arm as she did so. The boy took a step back as she approached, surprised by Misaki's sudden initiative to get closer.

Thank goodness there aren't many other people around at this time.

"Excuse me." Misaki said, before raising her arm and placing her palm onto the boy's face lightly. She plans to find out exactly what this 'Kamijou Touma' is like, and if he really is dangerous she will wipe his mind to the point of tabula rasa and leave him to rot in a hospital for the rest of his life. Better than having him act on his sick fantasies and drag Mikoto down with him, nobody deserves that.

The gloves worn by Shokuhou Misaki are more than just a fashion statement. It prevents skin to skin contact with other people to an extent, which for the Queen of Tokiwadai meant she can gather a lot of memory from her subject doing it this way compared to going through the medium of air. The researchers haven't found out whether it's due to less distance for the AIM field that her power travels through to work, or if it has something to do with the target's bioelectricity being accessible from skin to skin contact.

Either way, Misaki was not prepared to what she is starting to see.

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It started simple enough.

Something Kamijou Touma sees as a normal day in his school. Arguing with his two friends about something like 'bunny girls', whatever that is and then get beaten down by a big-chested classmate for getting her involved in their conversation. The teacher for his class seems to be a girl with pink hair, but looked like a primary school student more than a teacher respected by her class.

The scene changes, and Misaki saw Touma in his own dorm room, accompanied by a nun in white clothing that had designs that probably suited a porcelain cup than clergy clothing. Her name is Index Librorum Prohibitum, of the Anglican Church and for some reason is chomping down on his head while he begged for mercy. A calico cat is huddled in the corner, its own animal instinct telling the poor animal it is better to not get involved.

Misaki doesn't quite know what to think of events so far. Both shows a ultimately harmless person, albeit one that is associated with weird people or just have crazy delusions himself – she's not quite willing to rule out these being false memories just yet, as implausible as some these characters appear to be.

The next memory is something a bit more normal: him hanging out with Misaka Mikoto at a park looking at the sunset. The Railgun talked about hating the blimp that flies across Academy City, how people shouldn't be told what to do by machines. All of a sudden Mikoto left him behind, while he gazed confusedly at her back as she walked away.

Then the events start to change dramatically.

-][-

A blonde boy is in a fist fight with Kamijou Touma, with the black-haired boy's father lying face down on the floor, helpless to do anything. Misaki recognised the blonde as one of the boys Kamijou was discussing bunny girls with in his class, and while she thought of the blonde as a delinquent with his dress sense she did not expect the ruthless and efficient way of dismantling his opponent. Kamijou fought to protect his family, fought for an end that doesn't require anyone's life to be sacrificed. And even when faced with his friend he charged in without doubt.

Only when Kamijou lay immobilised on the floor did the blonde revealed whose life he was going to take.

Faced only with choices that demanded a life be sacrificed, the blonde chose to end his own instead of eliminating Kamijou's father. Within seconds light filled the room and blood ran from the blonde's eyes and mouth in response. As the light left through the room heading for a place unknown to her the blonde boy collapsed into a pool of his own blood, scarcely inches from his fallen friend.

-][-

Kamijou Touma's head is placed on Misaka Mikoto's lap. Not because of any romantic reasons, but because he was almost killed by the Railgun's multiple lightning attacks as he tried to stop her forfeiting her life. Mikoto's tears fell upon the boy's face, her voice shaking unlike someone called the 'Ace of Tokidawai' as she asked why he is going this far for her.

Her voice was that of a small, helpless girl left in the Darkness shivering in fear.

Shokuhou Misaki looked on at the two, no quite knowing what to think of this scene. Kamijou only smiled lightly at Mikoto's voice, as if satisfied they're still alive together. The boy left, promising to defeat Accelerator and asked Mikoto to stay behind.

-][-

Something isn't right, Misaki thought.

Many more events have passed, and most were amazing deeds. Standing up to Accelerator without being ripped apart from the first blow, and eventually defeated the Number One; forcing a attack from the 11th dimension to collapse onto itself using his right hand anchored in the 3rd dimension, while herself and Shirai Kuroko watched in stunned disbelief; a giant fist of concrete and debris threatened to blow away his friends, but he arrived just in time to turn the giant responsible back to rubble.

Many of those memories were just flickers, incomplete scenes taken out of context. Every incident she has laid eyes on was missing some part that led to the conflict, vital pieces of information that would have allowed her to follow them up later if she wished to. It's understandable, seeing information about many of those incidents are to do other people, and not about the boy which she is focusing on right now. In all those memories she was looking on from the 3rd person's point of view.

This time however, she's watching from Kamijou Touma's viewpoint.

"Explode from the inside out, magician of runes!"

With Aureolus' declaration Stiyl's body swelled like a balloon instantly. Immediately afterwards he exploded: blood, flesh, bones and intestines are splattered across the circular ceiling of the room. The entire room is like an observatory for a human's internal organs, or a piece of art made by a magician's flesh and blood.

"…!" Misaki wanted to physically retch, but found herself unable to as her consciousness is currently inside of Kamijou Touma.

The scariest thing is all the veins are still connected, and the internal organs unharmed. Like a map of underground trains, the blood sent from the bared heart travels through the long veins into the other organs before once again returning to the heart.

The crimson-haired priest is still alive, even in this state of being taken apart. Some cards fell out of what's left of his clothing and scattered like cherry blossoms in spring, but Misaki is too busy feeling disgusted to care about details.

This isn't real, this isn't real, this isn't real… Misaki thought in blank shock.

Right now Misaki is contemplating to just wipe this boy's mind and leave, him being Mikoto's boyfriend or not be damned. After experiencing something like that, no, like all of the things Misaki have seen so far she felt she is probably doing him a favour by making it he'll never have to experiencing things like that ever again – either really living through them like he attracts trouble by his very existence, or being assaulted by these images in the realm of dreams and imagination. Misaki wouldn't feel surprised if the boy has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from all the blood and violence he has gone through.

However, any action she currently is contemplating was suddenly erased, along with the right arm of Kamijou Touma being taken off by a sword launched by a medieval pistol. Misaki's jaw dropped as she saw the arm fly away into the air, and blood gushing out from the stump left behind. The boy felt no pain, but Misaki can't be sure if that's because this is just a memory or he really is that crazy.

Any doubts she has about the authenticity of these events are soon dispelled by what came next. Something like a switch being activated occurred sounded out dangerously close to her, inside the boy's mind, and then the boy did something no one present had thought he'd do:

He laughed.

He laughed, and the green haired enemy he faced took a step backwards involuntarily.

It is not a laugh driven by pain or extreme shock.

It is a laugh of someone that completely believed victory is within his grasp.

His face is bloodied, and he even licked off the blood around his lips like he enjoyed its taste - Misaki shuddered as if she felt him doing that. The green-haired man in front of him fired again and again, but nothing seemed to harm Kamijou. The boy walked towards the man, the blood pumped out from his bleeding stump started to warp and change along with the expression of horror the man wears.

"Oi."

The boy said, as he stopped directly in front of the cowering green-haired man.

"You didn't really think that by cutting off my right arm you have sealed off my Imagine Breaker, did you?"

With that, something formed beneath the blood flowing out of the boy's wound.

It was not a human arm. Or even an arm at all.

It was a Dragon's head.

About 2 metres in length, hideous and brutal, this ethereal head was only visible because of the blood covering it. The boy flexed this apparition as if it is an extension of his own body, and the jaw of the Dragon filled with dagger-sharp teeth started to open.

As if he's declaring that this is the true form of his power.

Misaki almost missed it, but the red-haired priest was slowly being patched back together, and it felt like the entire aura of the room is being replaced by another. That all took a back seat to what's running through her mind at that moment:

The Dragon's head that was calmly glaring at the man gibbering in terror in front of the boy had just then turned its sight away, and towards her as if it felt there's a interloper inside its master.

N-no way…! This is only a memory…!

Misaki wants to just terminate the connection she has with Kamijou Touma that instant, but she knew somehow it won't be that simple.

Not taking into account she's currently frozen like prey caught by a snake's glare, this apparition felt like it would devour her like it was about to devour the green-haired enemy that opposed its master, and connected or not it would find her and feast upon her soul even if she escapes. Faced with such power that shook her very being, Misaki can no longer question the authenticity of the events she had witnessed or the fact Kamijou Touma is in every way Misaka Mikoto's equal in power.

No, calling Mikoto as someone equal to this would be an insult to Kamijou. Misaki doubted that even Accelerator could defeat this should the two of them face head on once more.

Please… Misaki begged, someone, ANYONE to forgive her intrusion and rescue her as the Dragon's head started to grow an elongated neck behind it and slowly turned to move into a position where it can reach its target.

Save me...

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Crack!

With a shock, Misaki returned to reality. Her hand is still placed upon Kamijou Touma's face, but that was now tenderly covered with his right hand.

"Are you alright? You spaced out for a few seconds there." The boy… no, the young man asked her. After everything he has been through so far, calling him a 'boy' didn't seem right.

"Y-yes…" Misaki gulped. Her eyes shifted around and found it has indeed been no more than a few more seconds since she initiated contact. The sky seemed to be the same shade, and what few people she can see around them didn't seem to have moved much, if at all. Guess her foray into his mind lasted shorter than she thought, although when she does that the person shouldn't be conscious enough to stop the intrusion.

"Are you a mind reader of some sort?" His question jolted Misaki's attention back to the young man. Her hand is gently, but firmly taken off his face and he slightly tightened his grip on her hand. Not hard enough to hurt, but securely held to emphasize the point she will not be leaving without answering his questions.

However, Misaki realised she had already given herself away when she flinched at his question. This was not how she planned for things to go – ambush him suddenly, get everything she wants to know about his relationship with Mikoto, then leave and wipe his memory of being approached by her. Then using the information she gathered she can then plot the next move against Mikoto, depending on what she found to adjust the plan accordingly.

The plan certainly did not include being forced into a position where he would be the one asking questions.

Misaki glanced around, hoping to find someone she can use to interrupt his interrogation and escape while he's distracted, only to find that's not an option. For some reason her powers aren't working. Normally it would be easy to reach out to another mind in the area and turn that person into a puppet of her will, but now it felt like she has no power at all. Every other mind is closed to her, and she doesn't dare to venture into Kamijou's mind again in fear of counterattacks.

A part of Misaki wondered if this is what Mikoto felt when she fought him in the past – feeling absolutely powerless as your own ability is negated, being reduced to nothing but a normal schoolgirl; while your foe is someone that hasn't yet even begun to show his true strength and can probably crush you without trying.

A greater part of her however was too busy worrying if an invisible dragon would devour her if she did not answer his questions truthfully. Even with a harmless look on him for all she knows it could be a façade put up to deceive others. She herself does that all the time after all.

"Yes, you could say that…" Misaki said, not able to look him directly in the eye.

"So who sent you? What did you wanted to know? And is this related to Index in any way?"

"Index?" Misaki returned her gaze towards him. "What does she has to do with this?"

"… So you're not from 'Outside' at least, or working with a magician after her…" Kamijou muttered to himself before continuing in a different direction. "Then is this related to the 'Experiment'? I was told Anti-Skill would have taken care of the fall-out when they ordered me to leave the city that time…"

"'Experiment'? What are you on about?" Misaki is starting to wonder if she is in way over her head, almost nothing he is saying made sense to her. Agents from 'Outside' Academy City after him or that Index girl? An unspecified 'Experiment' of some kind? She almost wished she had seen more of his mind, if it meant knowing those crucial pieces of information that would help her answer him.

Kamijou narrowed his eyes slightly at Misaki to see if she actually didn't know what he's talking about, and she started to tremble. Touma just wanted to find out if incidents from the past would come back to haunt him once more, like how recently Mikoto dealt with Tree Diagram's core being retrieved and afraid of the Sisters being sent to their death once more. He's really hoping something like that won't happen and this is just a minor issue of mistaken identity or something unimportant.

On the other hand, after seeing many things the young man in front of her is capable of, it's no wonder than Misaki is nervous. Is she going to be eliminated, her 'disappearance' something that makes the headlines but afterwards becoming a mystery never resolved? Her knees gave out from under her and she started to lose her balance.

"Kya!"

"What the-!"

Swiftly Touma tried to pull her back up to a standing position before she falls onto the floor, but he misjudged on how frail Misaki is turning out to be after her shock and used too much strength. The Queen of Tokiwadai ended up being embraced in Touma's arms, her face scantly inches from his.

"Um… sorry about this." Touma apologised, looking sheepish. Misaki on the other hand just hoped with all her strength nobody else saw something that inelegant like falling coming from her, along with all her previous hopes of getting out of this with both mind and body intact and unharmed.

Unfortunately for her then while she won't suffer from any harm to her person, 'someone' is bound to see her falling into Kamijou Touma's arms considering his luck. That 'someone' that Misaki would not like to have met under these kinds of circumstances is pretty much a given too.

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Mikoto was wandering around District 7 alone, as Kuroko was still hospitalised from her fight with Musujime Awaki. Apparently Uiharu is doing work for Judgment and Saten is busy studying, which left Mikoto to find other things to do.

Let's see… the new manga won't arrive for another day or two, so I can't just go to the convenience store to kill time… How about the arcade then?

Having said that, she decided to move on to her next destination. If someone was to say to her she's just wandering around on the off chance she'd be able to meet 'that idiot', she'd deny it fervently. It's just because she felt slightly guilty for slapping him back at the hospital and wanted a chance to apologise, that's all.

So when she did see Kamijou Touma at a rather deserted road presumably on his way back to his dormitory, a smile graced her face before it was suddenly replaced by a frown.

What's she doing here?

Shokuhou Misaki, the 'Queen of Tokiwadai'. With her ability 'Mental Out' that's capable of manipulating just about any psychological aspect of a person, it's not surprising Mikoto instantly is suspicious of some kind of trick going on. Especially when she's approaching 'that idiot' that she was going to see too.

The frown deepened as Mikoto saw Misaki getting closer to Touma with a smile on her face, and a frown on his. That frown turned into anger as Mikoto saw Misaki took off the glove and placed it onto his face, and while Mikoto wanted to charged in and stop what Misaki is doing immediately she barely made a few steps before she skidded to a halt.

That IDIOT actually fell under the Queen's ability when Mikoto herself can't even scratch him unless he let himself be hurt! Mikoto watched slack-jawed as Touma slowly and intimately (from her point of view) placed his own hand onto Misaki's, the crack resulting being mistaken with her own metaphorical lightning shock as her worldview was shaken.

If it weren't for an important matter at hand she might appreciate the irony of a electromaster being stunned by lightning of any kind.

The shock only increased further when it looked like he pulled Misaki into an embrace and is now looking into her eyes while their faces approaching each other…

"WHAT the HELL do you think you're doing!" Mikoto yelled red-faced as she threw a lightning bolt towards them, not quite sure who she wanted to blast more at that time.

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When the cackle of lightning began to spark in his vicinity Touma acted on reflex. He turned and placed his right hand onto the path of the incoming lightning strike, while his left arm is placed protectively around Misaki's waist and held her closer within the area safe from supernatural attacks. While that successively stopped the attack, Touma's move to protect who Mikoto saw as the manipulator only incensed her further and cemented the fact he's under her influence.

"… Misaka? Why did you attack me this time?" Touma's voice was one of long suffering. Judging from when she tried to zap him with a near fatal (to any normal person anyway) attack at the 'first' time he met her by the broken vending machine, this is supposed to be a common occurrence. Mikoto however was glaring at the girl in his arms and holding on to him tightly.

"You…" Misaka hissed in a way Touma have never heard her done so before. "Get away from him right now!"

"Can't do that." Some calm returned to Misaki's voice, at least enough to mask her nervousness from before, and she appreciates the distraction right now. The 'Queen' won't let herself be seen at anything less than perfection, not if she can help it. Having Touma watched her broken down made her gave up maintaining a image in front of him, but no way in hell she's going to have the same thing happen in front of Misaka. "He's the one that grabbed onto me and held me close, after all."

Touma looked sharply down at Misaki, and finally noticing how closely she's pressed to him with their arms holding onto each other. "Ah, sorry!" Touma apologised before releasing her. "Are you alright now? I didn't mean to hold on to you like that so rudely…" He looked at the long haired beauty and is ready to assist her once more if she stumbles, any embarrassment in him from their earlier contact sidelined by his concern. His own comments are conditioned by how his actions are somehow interpreted by girls as perverted and tries to avoid physical retaliation.

"I'm fine, really." Misaki waved offhandedly while putting her glove back onto her arm. "I should be the one thanking you for saving me from being barbecued by Misaka there."

"Don't try to blame this on me." Mikoto growled. "Just what have you done to him?"

"Ara ara, what makes you think I can do anything to him?" Misaki retorted with a smile on her face, one hand flicking her hair back behind her in a casual air. "You of all people should know abilities don't work on him right? Something about 'the only person you can feel confident going all out on'?"

"So you two know each other?" Touma asked them while putting his right hand up to his head and in an attempt to massage away his headache. He should have guessed this would end up be trouble, and no surprise it's related to Mikoto.

"Yes, you could say that." Misaki continued with a smile. Good, he seems to be distracted from my actions earlier…

"Don't take it the wrong way, I might be acquainted with her but she's not my friend." Mikoto grounded out. "And you didn't answer my earlier question: what did you do to him? Did you hack into his mind and changed a few things?" It's the only reason why that idiot would get intimate with someone in broad daylight she could think off. Something like that should be done in public.

… and she goes and bring the topic back up. Drat. Misaki's mood soured immediately but didn't let it show on her face.

"Like she said, my right hand's ability prevented her from doing anything." Touma said in a tired voice. He had enough of dealing with troublesome girls for one day, and he still needs to go home and cook for Index. "No lasting harm was done to my head… I think. I'd like to know why she came after me and what she found out though."

"I was trying to find out if you were really Misaka's boyfriend. It's just a bit of harmless gossip gathering, I wasn't trying to harm you." Misaki quickly added.

"Boyfriend? Why did you think I was-" Touma's mind went back to the fake 'date' on August 31st. "Never mind, I can guess why. But really, I'm not into little girls like Misaka here; I'd at least go for people that I won't be accused of being a lolicon if I get into a relationship…"

"Oh?" Misaki's smile widened. "Yes, Mikoto's…" Misaki looked pointedly at Mikoto's chest. "… 'size' does seem to be a bit of a issue, doesn't it?"

When Misaki said that she did not emphasize her words with a slight, imperceptible push of her chest. That was just Mikoto's imagination. No way would the 'Queen of Tokiwadai' do something like attack a sensitive issue a maiden cares deeply about.

That didn't stop Mikoto having a vein started popping on her forehead and gnashing her teeth in frustration. The only reason why she hasn't started bombarding the two of them with electricity was not wanting to cause too much damage that'll attract attention, and that some other people showed up.

"Yo Kami-yan~! So how did you like the extra time spent alone with Komoe Sensei huh- Wait what is going on here nyaa!" A male voice called out to the three of them, and they looked at the origin of the voice.

Two high school students wearing the typical white-shirt-and-black-pants combo arrived, although that doesn't make them any less distinctive. One of them has blue hair and piercings in his ear, but it was the other guy that made Misaki thought she saw a ghost.

Blonde hair. Sunglasses. Gold jewellery around his neck and he wore something that looked like a Hawaiian shirt over the top of his white one.

He's someone that should have died already as he fought Kamijou Touma, if all those blood meant anything.

"Wow. So not satisfied with one girl from Tokiwadai Kami-yan now have TWO of them? And a bishoujo too!" The one with blue hair exclaimed.

"Aogami…" Touma sorely wanted to yell 'it's not like that!', but knows he'll just been ignored by his blue-haired friend. Or worse, be taken as confirmation of his guess.

"Damn it Kami-yan! Even with a collection of a nun, a miko, a loli teacher that's legal jailbait you're after ANOTHER girl?" The blonde one wailed. "At least go for one that'll bring more diversity to your harem! You already have a middle school student… though considering her build I suppose she might count as 'younger than she looks', that's new I think…" He trailed off, seemingly deep in thought.

"Or she could be a cosplayer borrowing a middle school uniform…" Aogami countered. "Think of all the things Kami-yan will be able to experience! I mean, the possibilities include a cheerleader outfit, a nurse outfit, goth-loli style clothes…"

Now it's Touma's turn to have a vein pop on his head and gnashing his teeth. He REALLY needs to break some illusions right now, it seemed.

"Both of you. On my mark start running as far as you can from here. And don't read their minds, you won't like what you'll find in theirs." Touma added as an afterthought to Misaki.

Misaki nodded mutely, looking over at the two classmates of his partly in confusion, partly in horror and partly glad she has almost no clue what they're talking about. Those two are now arguing about something like cat ears, sailor uniforms and a school swimsuit being put together? Certainly, Touma and the friends he have are dangerous people. In more than one sense it seemed.

"Wait, you're just going to let her leave after she attacked you?" Mikoto asked incredulously.

"You're acquainted with her right? I can always ask you to find her later for me to continue our conversation, this is more important right now. Just run away when I say so." Touma didn't think Misaki will reveal any of his secrets, if she had obtained any at all in the few seconds she touched his face. Besides, he didn't think Misaki really meant to endanger him like she said.

"Wait, you're leaving me with this trigger happy electromaster?" Misaki asked, finally paying full attention to Touma and Mikoto's whispered words. "You do realise she just attacked us out of nowhere, right?"

"Mikoto's a lot of things, but she's not a killer." Touma told Misaki seriously. Mikoto thought back to how he withstood her attacks on that bridge before going off to face Accelerator and blushed furiously. "Worse she will do is try to give you a few zaps but nothing too serious."

I'm supposed to be happy that she'll only zap me a few times? Misaki thought but didn't say it aloud, as Touma's face became more bleak by the second as he listened to the comments being made about him.

"Now go." Touma said, before charging into the two guys ahead of him and giving a battlecry of "I'm going to destroy that illusion of yours, you maniacs!"

As Touma and his two friends fought each other with the zeal of heroes facing the root of all evil, Mikoto said "come on" and began to drag Misaki away. She wants to say a few choice words to Mental Out for trying to abuse her ability in a more deserted place.

Someone really should have told Shokuhou Misaki that Touma's fight with Aogami Pierce and Tsuchikado Motoharu is normal, however; it might have given her some mistaken ideas about the kind of man Kamijou Touma really is.

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*End Chapter 1*

Author's notes: Aureolus Izzard's Ars Magna can influence Touma's head before it was negated, meaning Imagine Breaker doesn't reach the mind – at least without physical contact at this level. Don't say Misaki reading Touma's mind in this chapter is impossible.

And yeah, I kinda liberally based my Stiyl scene almost straight from Index Vol2. That's not yet translated on Bakatsuki. One, this is because I'm lazy, and two this is because the novels can be quite graphic while at the same time effective in terms of impact the words give people. It's a point I might want to bring up again later on in my story, hence the 'M' rating.

A shame, really, that some of the earlier Volumes aren't translated into English. Vol2 and 3 is impressive even compared to the anime in my opinion, and while lacking the epicness of later fights more than made up for it by the sheer emotion present.

Well, that's all from me for now, see you all next chapter.