Craytherlay:[Hello readers, sorry for the delay in chapter uploads, miscommunications and overall bad vibes between writer and editor kinda held this one back a few months. Not to mention we've been working on an entirely new fic on the side, one I've been teasing for a while. Between that, a general lack of motivation, and well… issues that I'd rather not discuss on account of finger pointing. Lets just say it's been much, muuuuch too long since I've released a chapter remake you know? Anyways let's move onto the reviews shall we?

Mr?:{ well… this is a very veeeeryyyy long review soo this is gonna take time especially considering you are actually comparing both chaps 1 and two to their originals.

True, granted I should probably have done that, but I'm kinda impatient and my old stuff was so bad I couldn't leave it like that. It would have been a dishonor to leave my fic in that state without properly refining the old chapters at the very least. But I do agree, and I hope my new fic will also scratch that itch for something unique once I release it. But most remakes aren't meant to exactly do something 'new' per say but rather expand the original story. Which is what im trying to do… however… a sorta oneshot story about Devourer Index interfering with the past would be as very neat idea. Maybe something I can use for like… a bad end story if people ever want it you know? Sadly im sorry to say, as cool as such an idea would be… it wasn't my intent this time round. But… I will keep it in mind in the future, you never know when I'll take advantage of that idea.

AUTO CORREEEEEEECT! I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!

Indeed, the elements are the same, but I expanded alot upon the original concept so certain aspects became more noticeable and intense. OG readers of course know the context to the scene and will definitely enjoy the improvement but may notice a few… changes. Rails and I dragged it out a bit, focusing on Index's despair while also hinting at what it is she's about to do.

Scenes like this one are ones me and Rails decided to do more of in the remake, they are important to the themes after all. The original kinda lacked a bit on the wholesome Kamijou-household dynamic, which we plan to fix. So getting this scene right was paramount as it establishes the status quo including where in the timeline we are. That includes of course, changes to that timeline, like how because Anna never got involved in GT5, Touma didn't get to meet alice or the transcendents.

That moment also allowed me to show the baseline that is Othi and Index, Touma's understander and foundation. I'd argue Othinus's aggressive attitude towards Anna is perfectly in character. Othinus may be Touma's understander but she still shows that she doesn't always agree with him. And she's not the type to pull her punches with people she dislikes, which Anna would absolutely be by this point. And of course I'd bring up a yandere… gotta have that foreshadowing baby!

Combining the prelude, prologue and chap one was always the plan for the remakes when I first thought of them. It was one of the biggest flaws that I made the three separate and this allows them to be a longer chap, but also a better chap. I do appreciate that you notice the change to the scenes where Index runs into Mika. That entire section was massively expanded upon, and establishing the 'AC normal' is another important thing.

Small details tend to always be the most important as they are what make a scene feel alive. I mean… it's AC, and It's not like I didn't have her ask… it was a family restaurant after all. And considering im not the only one who's made scenes like that… it doesn't seem to be a unfamiliar concept. But yes… truly AC is corrupt and run by degenerates XD.

To be fair… it's Uiharu… but, shocked that I didn't notice that, but damn you prefer the OG judgment explanation? Shocking. The Amakusas of course are masters of blending in…. However that doesn't really work against perfect memory. So I decided to take advantage of that by mentioning the same character description every so often. That way the reader might notice it, and deduce them as the same people Index saw earlier.

Indeed an entirely new scene using what I learned from my years of writing this fic. I decided to go with the method I used back in the 'in the library' sections of the OG fic for Touma forgetting Misaki. As from his PoV thats really how it'd look, she's basically a doctor who silence to him, forgotten the moment he looks away. Of course the tree was a obvious bit of foreshadowing for the moment where the Grindylow tears through the window.

It only makes sense that Index would grow afraid for Touma in this situation, so I once again. Expanded upon the original scene to add more emotion into it, emphasize Index's concern and worry for Touma. Because this story was ultimately about Index as an individual getting that caring side to the forefront was paramount. Because she does care for him, she worries, and wishes to stand beside him and support him. The fans tend to ignore that however due to the fact the biting gag is all they seem to remember.

Adding extra details is always an important thing to consider in a rewrite, especially like this one. So im glad you noticed the effort I put in to the revamped version of scenes, especially how different they can be. Yeah one of the flaws of the original was things happening just cause the plot demanded it.

Now.. as for the ghost rider reference… bruh I had ta, I just had ta make that joke, I mean GR is inspired by the Dullahan. Who…. literally is the taxidriver for the dead… so why not have him get punked? He's not actually ghost rider. I've always been told battle scenes are my strong point, so having an early action scene like that one was a good move. And you are right, it can be a double edged sword… but thats where placement comes in like you noted.

To be fair, the mention of Yanderes was in fact in the original… long before I realized where the story would end up. This time however, I just embraced the deltaforced chaos and maximized it, cause well… not many times we'll see it after. To be fair… isn't self awareness kinda inevitable with rewrites like this? Honestly It is only natural for Mikoto to become the new ironwall girl. Though, could have sworn I had it mentioned that Aogami and Tsuchi purposefully flubbed their grades, was that only in the original?

Ahahah! Yes… the Fetish king hath spoken, and all must attend, glad you loved it. One of me and rails's fav parts of the revamped chapter one, especially with everyone including the girls joining in. Ah… Himegami… right… Gonna need a reasonable explanation for that. Sadly I couldn't think of a good way to keep the Arisa reference in… I will do it though, it's important.

Glad you liked the tree branches swaying on a windless day, it wasn't exactly foreshadowing, but it gave credence to Touma's 'precog'. Muireann's entrance was something me and rails devoted a lot of focus to this time. Now that we know how important she is, her entrance needed to convey that. Also XD scottish being Kansai, guess I know how Aogami is actually trying to sound like.

And now we've finally gotten to your views on the second chap.

Technically I still have him 'surrender', but there was more to it this time, but im glad you liked the change. It honestly made more sense for Mikoto to stick around, I just didn't know what to do with her in the original. This time I was able to figure out what to do and was able to keep her in the scene rather than get her dragged out of the class.

I honestly always felt that Kamachi could put more into certain scenes. He tends to fail to capitalize on interesting concepts and even character details. Like… not once has he used Othinus's nature as a war god to it's fullest potential. Of course, Kamachi seems to not really have 'talking is a free action' as much as most. So convos don't tend to happen mid fight unless two characters are actively debating.

To be fair on Mikoto, theres not much she really can do in a confined space. It's less nerfing her, and more, showing that just attacking the tree ain't gonna really do much for her. I'm glad you loved the expanded deltaforce teamup, honestly it was too short in the original. And yeah… they are totally gonna be more concern about continuing their argument than the fact they are dealing with literal fey trying to kill one of their bros XD. Can you really blame mikoto for hating Magic? Like really it's pretty bullshit. Dude Othinus is a western god… of course she can bring up bro-code.

To explain Othinus's emotional reaction, I mean… she was a god, she's gonna be offended by the claims Muireann is making. Especially considering she's using it as justification for killing her understander. Also… it was more subdued, it was more of a quiet growl than a shout, she only got more heated when discussing Touma getting killed.

I did decide to drag out the moment where Touma drops his guard to earn Muireann's trust. It felt important to emphasize the conflict she was feeling which was lacking in the original. Honestly thought I had delivered pretty well on the emotion… what did I miss? Glad it still worked though. Having her waver gives more credence to the idea that she isn't actually that bad a person.

Like I said… Kamachi fails to capitalize on Othi, like there are so many ways she could kill you at that size. Yet Kamachi acts like she's helpless and unable to fight when... no… she just has a easier time targeting your vitals.

Was it weak? I thought it was actually too much in the original, here I decided to lean in more to exasperation. I am happy you enjoyed the fact I expanded upon the fight scene so much, it is my strongsuit.

The extra Muireann scene seemed right, she became so important to the original fic that moments like this are necessary. It establishes her a more than a one off character which is important yo expand upon her as an individual. Especially when addressing the reason she's trying to kill Touma to begin with. She's trying to protect the people she considers family, so of course she'd suddenly be worried if she gets told the person who she was told to kill was innocent.

Also damn 2 hrs to find all those details… you are dedicated.}

tommthecommie:{I forget if I fixed that, or if there ever was this typo to begin with.}

Joshua:{It's a grave threat to humanity, of course they must analyze it even in dire straights. Touma has said Aogami was someone he considered tough and Tsuchi is a spy… is it any wonder they are a monster of a team. Heh, well Muireann's perspective is basically a version of the one Othinus described Alpha world having. Othinus is one of the most underutilized characters by Kamachi in this regard. It's like he's never been cut by a glass shard, or stepped on a nail, or even been stung by a bee. Small things are scary dude, and Othinus isn't even that small by comparison, she could use a scalpel to cut your major arteries. Honestly I'm glad I used Misaka in this chap, it was something I should have done originally but didn't, now how. Here it actually makes the fight feel more alive, and make more sense… while also establishing the fey as a legit threat. Back when I originally wrote this, I didn't fully have a grasp on Muireann as a character. Now… I know what kind of adorable sea doggo of a girl she is and can apply her kind nature to the early chaps. To be fair… she was speaking to an individual, burning the world is too impersonal… she'd commit genocide first… and then burn the world. And thank you… Muireann does seem to be a fave among many.}]

Dragonrails:[ Hey Readers I bet alot of you thought you never see an update or assumed we said screw it. I can assure you that wasn't the reason, as Cray mentioned a few things did happen to hinder the update process, but mainly because I had a close death in the family, it was actually the first death of someone close to me personally, so you have to forgive me for the lack of update. Anyways I hope you all like this remake I'll be honest a few parts of this chapter really made me want to bring out some emotions especially with Index and Mikoto as you read, me and Cray already got some plans for the next chapter so all I can say is to enjoy the chapter and be sure to let us know your thoughts on it.

Mr?:{ you aren't wrong about the original, I've mentioned to Cray a few times that the original was more or less a dumpster fire of writing, but luckily in a remake Cray has been given the chance to redeem himself at least, while the original chapter had its moments I'm hoping with my help the remake leaves a better impression, i'll admit even I had stop for a moment as I read a freaking big wall of text and wonder why? It made my eyes hurt like hell most times. I've even had to remind Cray that doc length and site length are two different things.

I'm glad to see that you like how the characters react and respond to each other, I wanted to try and make it feel natural instead of making it feel forced, I feel like Cray has done a better job on thinking how someone should react and respond correctly, I thought Cray adding that new scene was a good way of letting people know that this is indeed a remake so it won't be a complete rewrite of the original, so I hope you and the other readers will look forward to reading some changes.

Cray is good with battle scenes, so I'm glad to see that you enjoyed it, when he first wrote the original i told him that it felt like it was rushed and all over the place, so I like that in this remake he took his time and made it better, I myself had a better visual of it in my head then I had the original. As for Othinus we spent awhile on thinking of her emotional responses we didn't want to make her too Out of character so we tried to find a good balance, but that's the beauty of fiction we can change a bit without trying to make a big change out of characters.

I'm honored that you took the time to leave such a big review and mentioned some big parts as well of small its always good to see someone paying close attention to details.

Joshua:{ I'm glad you liked the fight scene with the Delta force, honestly i can tell you Cray and I had alot of talks when it came to that scene, the talking as well as the teamwork I was honestly hoping the reader's would get a laugh out of it. Having Mikoto lose to a tree would only happen in Toaru, and having Othinus be useful in the fight was something I thought about at first seeing as she's usually hidden why not make use of her. I'm glad that we had Muireann mention some of Touma's exploits you're not wrong someone would probably think of him as a freak of nature or a badass.

Also I agree with you about having Othinus threaten to destroy their species, I imagined a full sized Othinus just standing on their bodies as the flames of destruction are behind her!}]

Once again, sorry for the delay on this chapter, I hope it's worth the wait, and remember. Constructive criticism is both desired and encouraged, with that out of the way.

Let this tale of an infinity, commence once more.


Chapter 3

A mythical conspiracy?

It had been a few minutes since Muireann and the fey attacked Touma's class, and Anti-Skill was currently investigating. The Amakusas had vanished shortly before their arrival so as not to get caught, taking Index with them so she wouldn't be questioned. Touma was sitting in the teachers office with Yomikawa as each of the students were questioned. It would be very difficult to hide the truth this time, everyone had seen the fey and heard what they were after.

Yomikawa leaned back in her chair, one of her fellow Antiskill officers beside her taking notes. She had her face pulled taught with a look of concern on her face as she gazed at Touma. Looking to the officer beside her for confirmation they nodded and Yomikawa gave a long sigh.

"So… Kamijou-chan… your classmates all say the same thing, the Scottish girl and her weird headless friends were after you jan. Do you have anything to add? Or, does that about sum up what happened." Her gaze was soft, worried as she leaned forward, "because I know you've been involved in a larger world. And I can't just stand by as you get put in danger because of it jan, so if you know anything… tell us."

Touma glanced into his pocket where Othinus was hidden and sighed, "it was a misunderstanding. She and her friends were just defending themselves from what they were told was a threat. They aren't bad people, this Kamijou-san can tell okay? He spoke to them. And you guys won't make things better, so just… stay out of it… there are people already handling it."

Yomikawa's eyes narrowed, "I wouldn't call letting a walking tree break through a classroom window, 'handling it'. They got way too close and destroyed a huge portion of the school… again. We aren't going to leave this to people who can't prevent these… fey as they called themselves, from attacking our students jan." She stood up and looked to her partner, "we need to keep an eye on him. I will not allow another student to be killed if I can help it alright?"

"Got it ma'am, if he's a target a security detail shouldn't be a problem" said the officer as he gave a small bow and exited the room. Yomikawa turned back to Touma, and gave a sigh before crossing her arms.

"OK he's gone, Kamijou Touma I know there's something you Aogami and Tsuchimikado are not telling me so spill it kid. You don't expect me to believe that you and your friends took on these "fey" jan. Even with the help of a level 5 electromaster who happened to be in the same room, do you?" said Yomikawa as her eyes narrowed in on the high school boy causing Touma to look away in shame.

He had not overlooked the fact she had only said Aogami and Tsuchimikado were hiding it. Which meant Mikoto had not, sighing he rubbed his head, "so… Misaka-san told you. Yes… we had help… people this Kamijou-san knows and trusts… it's not the first time they've helped him. But you have to trust them, they know what they're doing, but you… you don't."

Yomikawa crossed her arms and glared, "do we now? And why would you say that?"

"Because you haven't in the past, Yomikawa-san… remember last september? The golem? Vento, that woman in yellow with the piercings? World war Three? Ichinanharansai? You've never handled things like this, handcuffs, the whole fiasco with the nicholas coins?" Touma gazed into Yomikawa's eyes with steely determination as the PE teacher sighed.

"Great… those things again," Her hand went to her head as she closed her eyes. "I… don't want another handcuffs jan. But you can't expect me to sit by and do nothing Kamijou-chan, not when kids are in danger jan. Just tell me what's going on okay?" placing her hand on Touma's shoulder she gazed back into his eyes gently.

Touma looked away, sighing, "sorry, but that's not even something this Kamijou-san is allowed to talk about. Not like he could explain it to you even if he was allowed, besides…"he scratched the back of his neck. "Not like you'd believe him if he could explain it properly to begin with."

Yomikawa placed a hand against her forehead and sighed, "and what makes you think that jan? I've seen a lot of crazy things, Kamijou-chan, a girl who can raise the dead. A fleshy abomination taking over a building and eating my fellow Anti-skill members. Whatever it is these 'fey' really are, I can't help you if you don't let me in on what's going on jan."

"Even if he did, and was allowed to tell you sensei, you wouldn't be of any help to this Kamijou-san. He's only been able to deal with it cause he was guided hand in hand into this other side of the world. He had experts explaining the details to him, but more importantly, he had an advantage that allowed him to get far enough that he could handle it. You guys… don't have the experience, and without some… luck or similar, you'd be unprepared even if it was explained to you. This Kamijou-san may know how a car is driven, but he can't actually drive one." The boy gave a shameful sigh, unable to meet his teacher's eyes as he sat across from her.

His PE teacher went to speak, but the door opened at that moment, her partner from earlier entering. "Um… miss Yomikawa, I've… run into an issue with that security detail you wanted for Kamijou." He gave a confused look, "it… appears he already has one? Requested by the board chairman himself. And that even had he not the situation is out of our jurisdiction, meaning it'd be illegal for us to interfere in the first place"

Yomikawa's eyes widened slightly and she swore under her breath, "damn it… what the hell is that kid thinking." She took a deep breath and sighed, "fine… you can go Kamijou, I won't press you any further. You seem confident enough… but I do have one question," Touma paused from getting up and looked at her. "You think you can talk her down?" she asked with a knowing smile.

"Muireann-chan is a good girl… I know I can get through to her," Touma flashed a smile before heading out of the office. "That was way to close for this Kamijou-san… he couldn't imagine what would happen if they found out you were with him." He glanced over at his shoulder where Othinus had just perched herself.

"I wasn't worried, I'm officially required by international law to stay by your side, human." She smirked, "if they have a problem with it, then they can take it up with the UN who gave me this sentence. But besides that," she leaned against his head giving a small smile, "when we've dealt with this whole, fey issue. I think a reward is long overdue, you should go treat yourself with something to eat. Maybe you can get that moronic spy 'friend' of yours to pay the bill, it's the least he can do for the trouble he's caused." Othinus gave a light chuckle as Touma shook his head, "actually, we should ask for compensation. Maybe get the anglicans to start paying your hospital bills, they are responsible for 90% of all your injuries."

"Othi-chan, that sounds like a death flag to this Kamijou-san, what brought this up? What? You two weeks from retirement? Gonna propose to this Kamijou-san after the war?" He began to rub the former god's head with a big grin on his face, "you know this Kamijou-san's got abysmal luck. Not only would Tsuchimikado not pay the bill, he'd probably gas this Kamijou-san and then ship him off to africa."

Othinus laughed and pushed his finger off her head, "true, true Human, he probably would. Maybe we should ask his sister instead then, I'm sure she'd love to give you a break, maybe even pay for the whole meal. Using her brother's money of course," she gave a sly grin that caused Touma to facepalm.

"Tsuchimikado would kill me for that Othi-chan, you'd do well not to underestimate the sis-con sergeant's obsession with his adopted sister. He's a scary man when it involves his sister, and you know it," he shivered remembering what happened when Aleister threatened Maika's life. "Besides, this Kamijou-san would rather make some homemade potato fries, he knows you and Index-san love them."

"... that… would be satisfactory human," Othinus closed her eye with a smile, "I would enjoy that. Still, I wonder if you'll have to deal with another freeloader, I can't imagine those fey being treated well by the anglicans. At least one of them would want your protection," Othinus sat down, crossing her arms and legs.

Touma gave a deadpan stare, "this Kamijou-san has his hands full as it is with you Index-san and Sphinx. He doesn't need another freeloader to waste resources and cause him problems. Especially some supernatural entity he has to avoid touching at all costs," he sighed, exasperated.

Othinus rolled her eye, "human had I not been reduced to a fairy, you know I'd help with the housework. At the very least I'd keep Index from eating all the food before the end of the week, so cut me some slack."

"Othi-chan, when you suddenly become normal sized and begin doing housework, then you can talk. Right now, you're just a freeloading former god turned fairy who this Kamijou-san has to protect from stray dogs." He gave her a small passive aggressive glare before smiling, "at least they aren't wolves right?"

"Not funny human! That was a very traumatic experience for me, you know! And don't go bringing my Nephew into this!" Othinus jabbed her hand into Touma's ear and began messing with his ear tube. "I'll curse you for that, you know!"she snapped blushing as Touma laughed.

"Hey, stop that Othi-chan, this Kamijou-san gives! He won't bring up that incident again!" He grimaced a little as Othinus pulled her hand away, "still… how much of the myths are true? I know you brought up… uh…. The talking head and mead guy… but do Fenrir the big snake and half dead girl exist too?"

Othinus raised an eyebrow as she sat down again, "well… in some fashion they do yes. I wasn't exactly gonna be boring with my power now was I? So yes they do exist in some fashion, many in their mythological contexts as well. Kivasir was always eager to help people and overly curious, which was what got his blood drained and turned into mead. Mimir was a right bastard who liked making quips and bragging about his intelligence, but he was a fun bastard. Jourmungandr is a bit larger than a planet to say the least, Fenrir was an overly excitable wolf. And Hel… yeah we tend to avoid talking about how desperate she can be," Othinus sighed.

Touma snickered a bit, "Hel, um… thats the half dead girl right? So what? She like Izanagi from this Kamijou-san's home? I think there was an anime that depicted her as pretty desperate for attention," he glanced to Othinus who was deadpanning. "O-oh… um… was he wrong? Sorry, I didn't mean to offend-" he began but Othinus interrupted.

"More like she's as desperate as that bitch in heat - that hangs around the Railgun. If she thinks you'll give her attention and affection, she'll try to get you trapped in the underworld. Honestly sometimes I worry she interacts with the olympians," she shook her head before it perked up. "Speaking of the Railgun, seems like she's waiting for you at the entrance human, we'll continue our discussion later."

"Oi! Idiot!" Mikoto's voice cut through his thoughts, "you didn't tell her did you?" The electromaster crossed her arms as Touma turned to her, "Yomikawa-sensei. You didn't tell her about Magic did you?" she asked. "What happens if those… fey attack again idiot? We barely fought them off last time, you really think those Amakusa guys are gonna be able to fend them off without help? Face it, you need all the protection you can get, so why the hell do you think it's a good idea to leave Yomikawa-sensei in the dark?"

Touma looked around and groaned, "because Misaka-san, that'd just complicate things. Even if he explained it, they wouldn't be able to fight against it without an expert. And then they'd just get in the way and be more people Tatemiya and the guys have to worry about. It took you months, nearly a year before you even accepted it was magic Misaka-san. Do you really think that it'll be any easier for Anti-skill who's already been trained to fight espers who only have one ability?"

Mikoto glared in irritation, "so what? Just gonna leave them in the dark so they are useless next time Idiot? If you told them now, it means they can start learning so they'll be able to help when it comes up again. I mean that's what happened with me remember?" she pointed at herself, "you kept refusing to explain anything. And that meant I had no idea how to deal with the situation when I encountered it."

"And start a global arms race for the occult? No thank you railgun," Othinus narrowed her eye and crossed her arms. "I'd rather my human not get tangled up in such a cold war, there is a reason why magic is kept secret from the public. If that information was put out in the open, every single military group in the world would be trying to get my human to side with them. The amount of influence he has on its own is enough to justify kidnapping him. And add in imagine breaker, if that happened, the human would be in the most danger out of anyone." She gave scoff, "besides you really think anyone would believe him? took a Kihara and a thirty minute magic lesson from Index before you finally accepted it. So imagine how Anti-skill would react if my understander tried to tell them about magic. Yes the mortal Yomikawa likely would be open minded enough, but a majority would laugh him off."

"Could you keep that weird doll of yours under control idiot! She's really getting on my nerves. Really can't believe you'd have one made of that terrorist," Mikoto sighed, holding her forehead. "This doesn't change the fact you're leaving them vulnerable, what if one of these… fey, attack them? They can't defend themselves if they don't know what they are dealing with."

"Misaka-san… that would only be an issue if the fey had a reason to attack them, and they don't. They are after this Kamijou-san, meaning if anything, telling Anti-skill would just put them in needless danger. They'ed try to strike first, forcing Muireann-chan and her friends to defend themselves. And… this Kamijou-san wouldn't want their blood to be on his hands." Touma sighed with a pained look, "he's just glad that someone's trying to keep them out of it."

Leaning back Mikoto rolled her eyes, "oh please idiot, they can handle themselves. You're the one who needs protection, which is all the more reason to tell them so they can help." She jabbed a finger at him, "what happens if you need medical attention? Magic can't heal you. And without someone who knows first aid, you'll risk dying," the esper pointed out crossing her arms.

Othinus scoffed a bit, "and what? You think he hasn't before railgun? My human's no stranger to death. In fact he's very intimately familiar with her cold embrace," the cold glare from her eye caused Mikoto to shiver. "The same thing applies to anyone, healing isn't quick. You can't get a medical spell done in the heat of battle when it really matters. So anti-skill would only end up being another burden for the others to worry about. Do you really think that Antiskil or even judgment could handle one of those Barguests if they ran into one? Even if you told them of their weakness to iron and the fact they are death parchents. Without an intimate understanding of what they are, you might as well be sending them to their deaths. Just how naive are you thinking that all it takes to deal with a magical threat is a short explanation and some encouragement? The whole world could not defeat me at my full power even when they worked together, because they knew nothing of what I was. Had my human not convinced me to give up my power and turn myself in, you wouldn't even exist right now. What makes you think Antiskill will be any different? Even you were completely hopeless when your signature railgun was batted away by High Priest. Despite the fact his power as a magic god had been stripped away from him by Aleister," she glared at Mikoto with an exasperated expression.

The usage of the word 'burden' had caused Mikoto to suddenly stiffen, "b-burden?" she asked quietly. "Like me? You still think I'm not strong enough? Not good enough to stand by your side, idiot?" She gave a shaky glare as her voice quivered, "I can help too you know! I have, so why can't Anti-skill help? If there's something they don't understand, explain it, if there's a misconception they've made, correct it! So, what if they don't know what a, a, a flipping Selkie or, barguest is. You have that nun, have her explain it to them so that Anti-Skill does know what they're dealing with! It's not that hard is it?"

Whether or not she realized it, Othinus had struck at Mikoto's biggest insecurity with that one word. It had been the same phrase used to describe her by another magic god, months ago when Touma and her had fought side by side. It had been that phrase which led Mikoto to give into the temptation of the AAA. The fear of being a burden to Touma and those around her continued to haunt Mikoto even despite all she had overcome.

"Knowing and Understanding are two very different things, Railgun," Othinus snapped angrily. "It doesn't matter how much you know about something if you can't apply that knowledge on the field. Even if we told them and they believed us, they still wouldn't understand what we said until it was too late. If that's too complicated for your prideful arrogant mind, here's a simple analogy Railgun. It's like going into a boss battle knowing that it has an instant kill attack, but not being able to recognize the attack's telegraph before it hits."

"O-Othi-chan! Could you try to be nicer to Misaka-san? She's just trying to help," Touma stammered a bit at the former god. "Wh-what Othinus means to say Misaka-san, is that this Kamijou-san can't explain it for them. And even if he could give a properly detailed explanation, not only does he not have the time for it. But it wouldn't actually prepare them to deal with the issue, meaning they could get seriously hurt." The boy tried his best to salvage the situation by giving his own take, but Mikoto wasn't buying it.

"Whatever, I don't even know why I worried about you idiot, you'll probably end up in the hospital by tonight anyways." Her face was pulled into a pained grimace as she paused just near the exit. "I'll just go check on Í˙ø˚¨˙ø¨while you go do whatever," she said a name Touma couldn't quite hear before stepping out of sight.

"What was that about?" Touma muttered to himself, "well… we should probably meet up with Tatemiya-san and them Othi-chan. They were gonna explain the situation to this Kamijou-san," he moved to his locker and began getting his things. "We can fill biri-biri in later if she wants," pulling his bag over his shoulder, he headed to the exit.

Othinus rolled her eyes, "indeed…" she scoffed, "she talks about telling others the truth. Yet that foolish mortal still thinks I'm some kind of doll, how ironic" sighing she crossed her legs and leaned against him. "Lets not keep them waiting human, I'm sure the nun is anxious to know you're still okay."


Index paced around the entrance to the district 21 nature park, a look of nervous concern covering her face. Touma was late to their meeting with the other Amakusas and she was getting worried about his well-being. What if he was attacked on the way here? What if he was lost and needed directions? What if he was cornered by fey about to die while she was stuck here? Her heart pounded loudly in her chest as those anxious thoughts conjured horrific images in her mind.

"Index, Index! Calm down, you're going to burn a hole in the pavement with how you're pacing." Tatemiya chuckled, shaking his head, "I'm sure Kamijou Touma is fine, just a little late like usual. Probably ran into a group of delinquents and got chased around for a few minutes, you know?"

"But what if he's not!" Index suddenly turned pouting, "what if one of the fey found him and attacked? Like one of the Unseelie, or death parchents, Touma can't handle one of them without help! Othinus is too small and if they snuck up on him it'll be too late, how can you be so sure he's fine?"

Tsushimia, the blond almost french looking woman with blue eyes sighed as she leaned against a tree. "Because he has an escort, you didn't think we'd leave him without someone to watch over him did you? Itsuwa is with him right now and I doubt those fey want to take any unnecessary risks."

Tatemiya nodded, "exactly, they may be dangerous but they care deeply about each other that much is obvious. They came here to stop a threat to their kind, no way they'll just throw away their lives like that. Especially after we so readily handled their forces, still can't believe the Dulahan was so…" he trailed off.

"Well, as Index said, he's a Taxi driver, not a soldier, he probably doesn't do much fighting. Speaking of our prisoners, are they doing well? I imagine it wasn't easy to contain them considering." Tsushimia crossed her arms with a calm gaze glancing towards Index.

The silver haired nun sighed, "they're fine, confused actually, I checked and double checked their binds. They won't be escaping from their spell circle so easily, it's based on the same logic used to bind demons. Supernatural entities can't escape the circle of their own free will," she flopped to her rear on the soft grass. "I'm still worried, that Selkie… what if she comes back, what if she doesn't give Touma a chance to fight back? To talk to her?"

"I'm sure that won't happen, Index, this is the same boy who talked down Fiamma of the right. If they meet again… I assure you, Touma will get her to realize he's not a threat," Tatemiya placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Just be patient, he'll be here," he smiled softly before stepping away and looking around.

The sound of footsteps approaching caught Index's attention and her head perked up as she looked towards the source. Her eyes lit up as she leapt to her feet and ran over tackling the boy who had just shown up causing him to cry out in shock.

"Touma, Touma! I was so worried about you!" Index sad rubbing her face into Touma's chest as they lay splayed on the ground. "You're not hurt? You didn't get attacked did you? No new injuries?" she asked, trying to find any extra bruises or cuts on his exposed skin.

"Oi! Nun! Off my Understander you're making him uncomfortable," Othinus said, kicking Index's forehead. "We're fine okay? I suspect the escort of Amakusas hidden around the area likely deterred any attempts to attack. That alongside the Amakusa girl there," she gestured with her head towards Itsuwa who blushed.

"I-I was just doing as I was told, n-nothing more!" the nervous spear wielding girl squeaked as she backed away. "H-here Kamijou-san, a towel if you need to wipe off any dirt," she held out a warm wet towel to Touma's confusion.

"Um… thanks Itsuwa, but it's really not necessary," Touma said, frowning as he took the towel. "I mean… this Kamijou-san definitely appreciates the gesture, any highschool boy would. But, it's really nothing, it actually kinda worries me, you alright?" he tilted his head and got up. "You don't think you need to prove yourself do you? And you don't owe me anything either."

Itsuwa's eyes widened and she looked away, "n-no perfectly fine, thank you for asking Kamijou-san."

Tatemiya clicked his tongue and sighed, "damn it Itsuwa… we're all rooting for you, just seal the deal already." He muttered under his breath as a few other Amakusas nodded in the background before he cleared his throat. "Right, we're all here, so why don't we head further in so we can discuss the current situation?"

Touma shrugged as he helped Index up, "um… alright, this Kamijou-san is kinda lost anyways. So he'll take any help he can get, but… um… where are the others? Feels like a lot of you guys are missing," he pointed out.

"Good eye Kamijou Touma, we thought it best to check on your dorm and fortify it a bit," Tatemiya began as they headed into the park. "Putting up spells and barriers around the area so we don't have to keep meeting in places like this. It may be dangerous but it's familiar territory for you which gives us a greater advantage in the long run. Don't worry, it won't disrupt any of your usual activities, we are experts in secrecy after all."

"Oh thank god, this Kamijou-san really didn't want to have to explain who the weirdly dressed people placing charms and things are." Touma let out a sigh of relief as he flopped onto a bench, Index seating herself beside him. "So uh… who exactly are these fey?" he asked, a bit confused as he relaxed.

Index gave a small pout seeing how he used the towel Itsuwa gave him to wipe his brow. She got that Itsuwa did stuff for him, cooked for him and even tried to tend to his injuries. But she was the one who was always there for him, she knew him since he lost his memories over half a year ago. She was always there at the start and end of his day, waiting for him to wake up whenever he got hurt.

Even Othinus only came in half way through and she at least had the argument of knowing Touma much longer due to the phases. But that shouldn't have somehow made Index's value in Touma's heart any less, so why didn't he treat her like he should? Wasn't her fault that the microwave would blow up despite her following the directions to the letter. Wasn't her fault that 'cleaner' fluid wasn't proper cleaner fluid, wasn' her fault the stove lit on fire every time she tried to use it.

If she was doing something wrong… why… why wouldn't he tell her? Why didn't he teach her. He was a great cook, why not teach her how to properly use the kitchen so he didn't have to make her food? She wouldn't learn if he didn't let her, so why did he always treat her like… like… like a…

Like a fragile child?

Tatemiya's voice cut through her thoughts as he answered Touma's question, "we don't know too much about them. What we do know is they've been around a while the Anglicans first spotted them a few years back. They weren't exactly a threat per say, so they merely kept an eye on them rather than interfere. It wasn't the first time they encountered a fey, but that experience told them that it was better to keep watch rather than strike first. Over time more and more began showing up, be it coincidence or purposeful summoning. What worried the anglicans was how oddly well organized they were, often staying out of public view. It was obvious they had a leader as even the more unruly unseelie-fey seemed to be oddly well behaved. Yet they were never able to properly identify them until recently when they began to move shortly after World war Three."

Touma made a face, "why then? Was it because of Fiamma? If they are fey, his plan was a threat to them right? So were they trying to hunt him down?" he frowned, holding his chin when Tsushimia shook her head.

"No… because that's when the anglican's soul fey recruit died," she revealed, causing eyes to go wide. "Is it so odd? Why else would the anglican not attack the fey? They didn't want to sour their relationship with the one fey on their side. They are the church of necessary evil, of course they'll recruit powerful supernatural creatures for the greater good." She sighed and frowned, "he was a powerful Selkie magician with a name you might find familiar." Tsushimia's head rose and eyes narrowed, "Taranis Conan…" she said causing Touma's eyes to widen.

"Muireann's father…" the boy muttered, "but if her father worked with the anglicans, why would she be attacking me? Aren't they allies of Academy city if just very loosely, isn't this a violation of the treaty?"

"Because, she blames them for the death of her parents, Kamijou," Tatemiya said with a sad expression. "After we encountered her, we requested info on Muireann in case they had anything and well. The anglicans don't have the best history with her parents, let's just say," he sighed and leaned against a tree. "She's the half selkie daughter of Taranis and Caoimeh Conan, born around 15 years ago in scotland. However five years ago the Anglicans attacked their home, and in exchange for their loyalty. The anglicans made sure to protect her normal life and keep her selkie nature secret… but she's not an anglican. Her parents were killed in the war and she blames the Anglicans and you for it," he sighed. "However, because of her, we were able to find their leader, A leannan Sidhe who's name we've still yet to learn."

Touma made a face, "l-laaan she? Uh… western names are so weird, how is this Kamijou-san meant to pronounce that? What is a… L-laang Shee?" he asked, frowning.

"Not Lan she Touma, but Lãng Shé it's spelt a number of ways including Leanen Sith, Leannan Sidhe. But they are all just variations of the same fey sometimes called a Scottish vampire or even the fairy lover. They feed off of creativity and grant inspiration to their partners until they are of no use before killing them and draining their souls." Index crossed her arms and legs with a smile as she explained, "some claim the greatest artists and composers had them which is why they died so soon."

Othinus chuckled and crossed her legs, "ah yes… those fey, they are a form of muse actually. However it's uncertain whether the term Leanan Sidhe is a name, or a race of fey, and I never paid too close attention to notice. Was a bit too busy with my own problems you see, however they do have a very odd and unique condition. They will grant you inspiration in exchange for your love, but if you reject them they are your slave forevermore."

"That's kinda messed up if you ask this Kamijou-san, that's about as bad as the whole, stealing a selkie's coat you told him about. Like… what if they fall for the wrong kind of guy? One of those bastards who feels owed affection? If that guy rejects them, then aren't they doomed forever? And what exactly counts as 'giving them your love'?" Touma gave a mini passionate rant as Itsuwa blushed before speaking up.

"Maybe it's consent? There could be any number of ways you 'give them your love'. But maybe it's like a contract of consent and marriage? That you devote yourself to them?" It was a daily sound theory, but there were still too many unknown variables to consider.

Touma frowned before sighing again, "no, thats' too much for this Kamijou-san's head. But um… you said they feed on creative energy right? What exactly is creative energy? Cause, this Kamijou-san is having a hard time picturing something like drawing, or painting, or writing a song producing much energy."

"Just how you can't imagine making complex calculations in the brain can allow you to create flames, Human? Espers are a perfect example of what creative energy can do," Othinus crossed her arms and legs. "Just like an esper's AIM and personal reality, artists who pour their very heart into their work are creating their own worlds with each stroke of a pen or tap of the keyboard. It's that energy, the very heart, and talent that flows from them into their work that the Leanan sidhe feast upon."

Index frowned at that, espers were similar to artists? It was kinda logical when she thought about it. Writers who craft vast narratives will visualize an entire universe in their minds. Complete with its own rules and logic much like an esper's personal reality is but on a much larger scale. In a way, all an esper was, was an artist who was able to bring their fictional world into the real one.

Was that what Komoe meant all those months back when she described SYSTEM?

"If… espers produce something similar to an artist's creative energy… could a Leanan Sidhe use that instead?" Touma's question caused Index to snap out of her musings and look up a little confused. "Like, Othinus made a good point, and this Kamijou-san definitely isn't an expert on fey. But… if Creative energy is the energy produced from pouring your heart into creating a world. Then… isn't AIM the same thing? It's the invisible energy produced by our personal realities right?

A long silence fell over the group as they contemplated Touma's words, a sense of dread building. If a leanan sidhe could substitute creative energy for AIM then what would happen then? Could they access the AIM fields? Could they hijack esper abilities? The mere thought of anyone other than the white haired Accelerator wielding his power horrified Index.

Tatemiya swore under his breath, "shit we were right when we said a Leanan sidhe was likely the worst fey for an esper. If that's true, who knows what she could do if she got an esper to become her partner. This is unprecedented," he held his forehead and laughed nervously, "we need to stop this quickly."

Itsuwa frowned a bit, "my question is why she would lie to her fellow Fey about Kamijou-san. If she's their leader, then shouldn't she be protecting them? Why throw them into harm's way like this? Kamijou-san isn't a threat to them, so isn't this whole thing kinda pointless?" she asked.

Othinus scoffed, "that's if she's actually trying to protect them like you think. Maybe Touma's a threat to her specifically, didn't you here what he said earlier? If she can substitute Creative energy with AIM, then imagine how powerful she might become. If she's really trying to hijack the AIM fields then she absolutely cannot have Touma around. No way would he approve of her using espers like that," the former war god explained.

"That's if she's even the one they got the intel from," Tsushimia began, causing everyone to turn to her. "Index brought up a very valid point when we confronted the Maiden earlier," she began. "What is a human child doing with a group composed entirely of fey, even Muireann is at least half selkie. So how does she fit in? Not to mention Maidens in folklore are known for capturing and controlling fey."

Tatemiya held his chin thoughtfully, "so you're saying it's possible that even the Leanan Sidhe is being manipulated? Maybe… Kamijou, what do you think?" he asked the boy who frowned and held his hands together.

"When Muireann and I spoke, she never said the person she trusted was the one who got the information. She just called them the one who 'told' her the information, so… I'm not really sure where it came from. Maybe it was just passed along, but she also never said who gave her the information…" he frowned uncertainly. "So, this Kamijou-san wants to believe that if it is this Lea… this Scottish Vampire, that she was also lied to."

Another long silence before Othinus sighed, "of course that's what you'd say Human." She smirked a bit, "but that kind of trust in the kindness of others is exactly why I like you. It's what makes you strong," she said as Index nodded rapidly.

"Touma will be Touma after all!" the nun beamed as she smiled at the boy.

It was that reason why she wished he'd let her do something more for him. He had saved so many, yet refused to ever accept rewards from anyone. The least she could do was stand by his side and help him where it counted most. And yet… he always insisted on leaving her out, leaving her behind, just to keep her safe.

Did he not trust her? Didn't he know she could fight too? How did he think she avoided Necessarius for a whole year before she met him? She wasn't helpless, she wasn't even unable to fend for herself… she was just… out of practice.

"It's an interesting Theory Kamijou… but there isn't really any evidence for it yet. We'll look further into it, if we know to look out for it, it should be much easier to find." Tatemiya beamed before Tsuchimiya poked him from behind, "hm? What is it?" he asked.

The woman held out a communication talisman which the Amakusas pontific took and held to his ear.

Nodding a few times he looked over to Touma, "they've finished checking your dorm and set up a good perimeter. We should head there now before the Fey find us here and cause a mess," he handed the talisman back and began walking.

Touma got up and nodded, "r-right, this Kamijou-san has some homework he needs to get done anyways. As well as food to make… uh… you guys didn't um… forget to prepare your own dinner's right? Cause this Kamijou-san doesn't have enough ingredients for all of you."

Itsuwa gave a sweet smile as she walked alongside Touma, "oh no need to worry Kamijou-san. I was going to cook for you anyways, though I wouldn't mind the help, you just don't need to if you want to relax. We Amakusas are experts in secrecy, a portable stove and cooking utensils is essential for that."

"Yeah, I remember that, you guys busted out the portable stove when he met you in Italy and england before World war three." Touma gave a small smile before an irritated groan came from his shoulder.

"Human, can you not reminisce on adventures I wasn't there for? I have 0 context for them so it just makes me feel left out." Othinus was giving a small, semi lonely pout as she sat there, "at the very least due me the courtesy of telling me the story. I may know of what you did, but I only ever heard it from informants, never a primary source."

"Oh! That's quite the fascinating one Othinus, I'm glad you asked," Itsuwa giggled clasping her hands together. "It really began once Kamijou-san arrived at Orsola's house in Italy while she was moving."

As Itsuwa and Touma began recounting the story of how Touma had faced the queen of the adriatic. Index found herself tuning them out, it wasn't like she didn't want to join in on telling Othinus the story. Actually she would love to take part, telling Othinus a story from before Touma met her would likely make her feel better. It was just, a part of her felt like it'd be wrong of her, like she'd be bragging to Othinus about knowing Touma longer.

She sighed and looked off in the distance, watching the skylines in the setting sun. She hated being helpless, sure she was a genius, no one could deny that. When she had met Touma she had managed to evade the Anglicans for over a year. That takes skill and intelligence, but she was merely an expert in escaping and nothing more. Sure in the right circumstances she was a nightmare to magicians who faced her. But she was hopeless against even an amature martial artist or thug who didn't rely on magic.

She could run and hide… but she could never truly fight.

Because she had become attached to Touma, that weakness had risen to the surface and she couldn't ignore it anymore. And it wasn't like she could just teach herself to fight, she may have a few grimoires detailing fighting moves. Martial arts was actually deeply ingrained in cultural significance and thus important to any magic user. But just having the instruction manual didn't make you an expert, you could know how to do something without understanding how it works.

And understanding requires experience

They were making their way into district seven when something caught her eye causing her to pause a moment. There was a bit of movement through one of the alleys the others had passed right by. She had turned to ask the others if they had seen it, but when she turned she realized she was alone.

Was she so deep in thought that she hadn't even noticed when she passed into a people clearing field? Her eyes narrowed as she looked around and made her way towards the movement she had seen earlier. Slipping through the alley she made her way to the other side and her eyes went wide.

Bodies littered the ground, eyes open in shock, gripping their ears, all dressed in body armor. Armored vehicles, quick response cars, and other law enforcement transports were scattered about. Crashed into buildings, flipped on their heads laying on the sidewalk and piled against each other. Some had the anti skill logo, others were black, more like those Hound-dogs lead by that Amata guy Accelerator had killed.

In the middle of that carnage was a beautiful looking woman who drifted just a inch off the ground. Garbed in white, tattered funeral attire, long ethereal hair flowing down from her head, hands to her face as she whimpered. Her body was ever so slightly translucent like that of a ghost as she remained crouched. The air was thick with mana, flowing from the ghostly woman and into the ears of those afflicted. Footsteps echoed through the air and some more anti-skill rounded the corner wielding various firearms.

"There she is, don't hesitate men! Fire!" the lead one said and they aimed their rifles at the woman.

As she lowered her hands and took a deep breath, Index gasped and covered her ears, just as an ear piercing shriek cut through the air. The Anti-skill men's eyes bulged out as they fell over, unconscious, possibly even dead, holding their heads before the woman returned to sobbing.

"A... Banshee!?" Index muttered in shock, "but… their screams aren't meant to cause death. Only predict the death of a close family member!" she stepped back a moment as the woman stopped sobbing and turned to her.

Originally Banshee were non-hostile fey, who would cry and mourn when a loved one was about to die. They were the spirits of women who died and would watch after their family. However due to Christianization and the misinterpretation given by modern media they may have been given the power to kill any and all who heard their cries. However, now that Index knew what she was dealing with, she could counter it. If it was a regular banshee she'd be unable to fight it. But, this Banshee was using the purposeful misinterpretation of its wails. It was using magic, so Index could Intercept it.

"NTFFMNRTTTS (Invert the flow of mana and return it to it's source.)," Index spoke rapidly. The mana flow that was restricting the hearts of its target reverse, condensing around the Banshee.

Free from the Banshee's spell, her victims were able to breathe again, gasping a moment before relaxing. They were still unconscious, and those who had been run over or crashed were already dead, but it meant at least some of them would live. The Banshee herself was unaffected by the mana flow being reversed as she had no physical body. Normally such a thing would cause the body to burst like in a backlash due to the mana of the individual clashing with the reversed flow.

However a Banshee was a spirit without a physical form, if anything the sudden reverse had helped her. Giving a soft smile, the banshee spoke, "ah… the Forbidden library, I should have realized you of all people would wander into my people clearing field. I had hoped to catch the Imagine breaker boy, bane of the fey, but you are a target as well." She gave a mournful sigh as she gazed at Index sympathetically, "I'll try to make your death painless. A young girl such as yourself doesn't deserve to suffer" the Banshee took a deep breath.

And then, just as Index realized what was happening… she let loose an immense shriek.

And Index fell unconscious.


A/N:[

Craytherlay: Aaand thats a wrap, damn this chapter ended up waaay longer this time, which I feel is a good thing. Now then, I guess it's time for a few explanations as I'm sure some of you are curious about why this took so long. Well beyond what rails already said, and more specifically about the actual changes to the chapter. The first thing people might notice is the new scene at the start, instead of starting from the immediate aftermath of last chapter. I instead decided to start the chap a little after and have Touma talking to Yomikawa about what happened. It had a few iterations, but mostly kept the same basic details, however rails and I did debate a bit. We had trouble figuring out how to keep Touma's response non arrogant sounding while still having him express why Antiskill shouldn't get involved. Sadly, Rails was unable to figure out a fix, and I couldn't figure one out either, so we got stuck with the semi passive aggressive attitude.

Dragonrails: Yeah that part took awhile to be honest, I didn't want Touma to sound too arrogant or too much of an ass attitude, I did have a few better responses but sadly none I felt would stick unless we were prepared to change a whole scene over a few words, but at least we figured it out in the long run.

Craytherlay: Yeah, to be honest I personally couldn't see how he sounded arrogant or like an ass. I mean, in context how else is he meant to respond, there is no right answer there, no non-arrogant sounding way to say it. But it was a bit of contention between us, unlike the bit after with Othinus. The first version of that scene was much shorter, but I decided and you I think agreed, that it should be way longer. It did go through a number of versions though, but we wanted to really emphasize their relationship.

Dragonrails:We had a number of ideas on how we could make it longer, but we agreed I would either feel forced or not fit at all but your right I did agree with you, that was the best part of our talks on this chapter we really wanted to put a but more emphasize on their relationship and how everyone would react or respond to Touma and Othinus talking to each other I think we got a few planned for the next upcoming chapters if I remember correctly.

Craytherlay: Yeah, there was something in the original version of this chapter that I realize was best suited till later. A certain Othinus teasing moment that we actually had a concept idea for that I was like "oh shit, I need to save this for later". Cause yeah, Othinus would tooootally savor that particular detail and wait for the right moment to bring it up. I think actually the moment in that scene where Fenrir gets brought up was written after I started working on, the other fic. Cause there were a number of ideas we had relating to Othinus's past if I recall.

Dragonrails: Yeah we had a recollection idea for Othinus and her past, if I remember correctly we had a few concept ideas since the original idea was so good, I feel like readers need to see some of skits we with those ideas. They get a good laugh out of them

Craytherlay: Indeed but sadly we cannot talk about alot of those things… cause spoilers for other fic stuff. Either way, it was a moment of wholesome banter between Touma and Othinus that was sorely lacking in the original. We then followed it up with what basically amounts to, a light roasting of Mikoto, though it was more about her being a beginner to magic.

Dragonrails: That led to a big conversation about Mikoto and the way she began to act, although I'll say it's debatable on how we go with her character, I can't to get the scenes where we have another Mikoto vs scene with the ideas and skits we have I sure the readers won't call us Mikoto haters at least.

Craytherlay: Oh trust me, there will always be people who claim we are Mikoto haters. Especially with how we bullied her and the ideas for LoCG's future where we continue to bully her. But you brought up a good point, cause like mentioned in the chap, Mikoto may know about magic, but she doesn't understand it. She tends to act first, then ask questions, and she tends to refuse to listen when it matters. Touma had months to figure out how to handle magic and was walked pretty much hand in hand by the greatest experts in the matter. But Mikoto doesn't tend to grasp the true depth of any given concept even when it smacks her like a mummy running at highway speeds. So, this moment was the first of a few small reality checks Mikoto goes through in the story. We did go through a few versions of that conversation as well. Having Mikoto, Touma, and Othinus go back and forth about why telling Antiskill about magic was a bad idea. And I think we did really well with how Othinus went into detail about the consequences of such an action.

Dragonrails: Yeah we wanted Othinus to have that first nail in the coffin so to speak, putting it in a way that she would understand the difference between a high level esper who could defend themselves. And people who aren't so lucky to have the equipment or knowledge to defend themselves which does get brought up a bit more in later chapters plus I think it'll give the reader something interesting to read.

Craytherlay: Indeed, it is something that Mikoto is shown to commonly struggle with in the series. So, while we did have some trouble figuring out how to write that scene, I do feel we nailed Mikoto's character pretty well this time. I think the final scene worth discussing that had major changes was the scene that came after that one. I decided to write that one from Index's PoV showcasing her worry as she paced around. Like mentioned at the top, its important for this fic that I emphasize the more caring side of Index. That alongside her small moments of Jealousy when she sees how Itsuwa interacts with Touma. They help establish the themes that ended up playing a big part later in the story as it shows that baseline she ends up evolving from.

Dragonrails: Well that's understandable considering the insane amount of ideas you have with Index. So showing a bit more of Index's emotions was a good decision. I did like the. Jealousy part a bit as well it was a nice calm before the storm kind of vibe.

Craytherlay: Yeah, I mean, Index has always very clearly been infatuated with Touma. Heck the very first volume kinda ends with her giving a declaration of Love to Touma. So wholesome moments like this help set the tone for how much she changes later. Now, the revamped explanation for the Fey in this chapter was a real improvement. I think you called the original a 'wall of text', but this time it's more interactive. Having characters discuss things pass theories around while also giving their own thoughts. I do feel this one is a stark improvement, especially considering how the idea of AIM being Creative Energy comes about this time.

Dragonrails: Yeah dude because That's what it was, like damn it still gives me headaches till this day, like no one deserves a headache after that, but changing it up and breaking it down so the reader's could get a better handle and flow of the story, I agree its a massive improvement then the garbage or whatever that was considered back then, to what you have now.

Craytherlay: Exactly… the old version is practically unreadable now, causes your eyes to bleed. This scene is also where the concept of SYSTEM gets brought up, which is important as it gets used late into the story. However, I think outside the Leanan Sidhe discussion, the other highlight of this scene was the explanation behind the anglican's involvement. It helped justify why the Anglicans were so hesitant with the fey until now by using the fact that they are responsible for the death of Muireann's father. A neat little detail we brought in from the original that I felt was a much needed addition here.

Dragonrails: I liked how much more details were added and didn't think Muireann would get as much attention as you thought possible, her entrance was gold and her reaction to Touma was something else so I think this was far better then the original.

Craytherlay: Absolutely, originally we had no idea how important Muireann would become in the story. But now, we have a much better understanding of her role in the fic, and the type of character we made her to be. So, adding in moments that focus on her past like this are important as it further expresses to the readers that they should keep a look out for her. I just hope people don't claim she's a mary sue or something because her parents were involved in WWIII. Anyways, there of course were other smaller changes like Index's meeting with the Banshee. However theres not much to really say on it other than the fact I decided to have Index end up wandering into the people clearing field. The original version was very OOC and made Index look like she was prone to overreaction. But, honestly I feel it could have been done better, it's far from perfect, but it's infinitely better than the original.

Now let us set this tail of an infinity aside for now, and cast our gazes back to the void.

-Craytherly