"This entire situation is your fault, you know." The blonde-haired girl, Tsushima, said for the umpteenth time.
"Yes, I know that." Tatemiya groaned, palming his face. "Do you have to repeat it so many times?!"
"I feel the need to."
"Just…just be quiet, please."
The girl smirked at adding onto the headache that the Substitute Supreme Pontiff was surely feeling.
After being verbally and physically shredded at by the Saint who had gained feline-like features, all of the perpetrators were in the infirmary, wondering on how to fix the situation.
"Why can't we just ask that Imagine Breaker to dispel it?" Asked one of the people nursing the more serious wounds, curious as to why nobody had suggested that solution yet. However, he had not been involved in the ritual.
"We made the spell with that in mind. It won't be dispelled that easily." Saiji sighed, knowing that the question would come up.
"How would it bypass that game-breaking right hand?" Another person inquired.
"That's what we had the most trouble with. The spell was done in a week, but adding in the parts that would stop the Imagine Breaker took up to a month."
"So what do we do?!"
"For one, we cannot reveal this to the higher-ups, you dumbass! Especially the Archbishop! Do you know what she would do?!"
The magicians stopped arguing for a moment and shuddered simultaneously. They did not know.
That was what made the implication of Laura Stuart figuring out all the more terrifying.
"We need to do something."
"Yes, we do. That's why what we need to is-" Tatemiya stopped talking as he suddenly got a new idea. His eyes narrowed, bringing his hand up to stroke his chin.
"What? Why is he doing that?"
"It's his thinking face."
"It's stupid, that's what it is."
"Just let him have that delusion of thinking he looks cool. What we need is something to fix the problem, so it doesn't need to be cool. I don't want any more claw marks, damnit!"
"I can hear you!" The Substitute Supreme Pontiff shouted at them. "Anyway, I found something to tide us over until the spell wears off."
"What is it?" Tsushima raised an eyebrow.
"It's…" The idea he suggested was counterproductive to the original goal of what the spell was supposed to do.
But everybody agreed to it anyway. They didn't have anything else.
One plane ride later, the Amakusa entered Academy City with one internal destination in mind.
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"Are you sure this will work?"
"No." Saiji answered, and raised his hand to knock on the door. "But do we have any other choice?"
A few minutes later, the owner of the dorm room opened the door. "I told you, Tsuchimikado, I don't want to go to a maid café toda-
"…" Kamijou Touma quieted as he realized who knocked.
"Kamijou Touma! We need your help!" Tatemiya, followed by all of the other Amakusa, bent over into a dogeza bow.
"Eh? Fine, just come on in before someone sees you." The boy sighed.
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"What kind of magical problem will Kamijou-san have to face this time?" The spiky-haired boy grumbled.
"We need you to take someone in and hide them for a little while." Tatemiya wrung his hands nervously.
Touma's face fell. "I already have enough problems taking care of that walking black hole called Index and you want me to hide a possible refugee in this tiny apartment?!"
"We can take Index off your hands while you take care of our 'refugee'...if you accept that is." The magician knew well enough about the troubles that the Imagine Breaker faced with feeding the girl.
"Really? Well, that's- Wait a minute. How big is your problem if you're bribing with this?" Kamijou scowled with his eyes narrowed.
"O-oh? Whatever are you speaking of?" The Substitute Supreme Pontiff began to sweat.
Say what one would of the Level 0 high-school, but he had been sharp enough to survive through all of the biggest problems that the Magic Side had been inflicted with in the recent months. If the boy didn't have his wit, he would've become just another casualty in the secret violence of the frequent battles.
"You know exactly what I'm speaking of! Spill it! This misfortunate Kamijou-san doesn't like being manipulate-!".
"A cat."
"Huh?" The bravado went out of Touma's words as he was answered. "I-I'm sorry could you repeat that?"
"A cat. As in, the furry, adorable whiskered animals that go 'nya nya' without a care for the world. Can you do it?"
"…You'll take care of Index?" Kamijou countered.
"We'll take care of Index." Saiji said.
The boy narrowed his eyes and thought on it. What did he have to lose? He was already breaking enough rules with the walking library and her pet cat, Sphinx. If anything, taking on the Amakusa's task would lessen the burden on his budget and food supply.
"Fine. Index is over with a friend of hers next door, so you can tell her there." Kamijou said.
"Alright, it's settled." Tatemiya grinned and turned his head towards the others, who had been silent the entire time. "Bring her in, guys."
The magicians nodded, heading out to bring in the 'cat'.
"So, the cat's a she? Just so you know, I'm not completely fine with thi-" He turned towards the door and became silent at who was there.
"P-Pleased to meetcha, nyan~." Kanzaki Kaori winked nervously with her hands curled into cutesy paws, popping her curvy hip to the side.
Kamijou's eyes widened and his jaw slowly descended. His head tilted back to Tatemiya with a creak. The man grinned mischievously, signaling that it was his idea for the Saint to do that.
"A cat's fine." Touma said stoically, a trail of blood leaking from his nose.
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Author's Note: I didn't think I'd make a continuation for that cat snip, but whatever.
This was partially to show that, yes, I'm still alive and kicking. But I've been experiencing writer's block and the school year just started up, so yeah…
I will, however, try to update To Ascend. It may not be today or tomorrow, but hey, I haven't abandoned it. I already have plenty of ideas for the next chapter, so there's that. I updated this to try and flex my writing ability again.
Also, have you all heard NT11's summary? My main fic has descended even further into AU territory with this news. But we finally get something about Kamijou's pre-amnesia self!
Not much to chat about, so I'll be off – Loopsey.