Hello there. This chapter is full of Shizuri X Touma moments. I hope you enjoy it. I wish you a good reading and remember that "Toaru Majutsu no Index" does not belong to me in this timeline.
Chapter 6 - Set fire to the rain
Faced with this unexpected scene, all the boy could do was sigh. His body was still a little sore after all the trouble caused by his classmates, but the girl standing there with her hands on her waist seemed to ignore his condition.
"Mugino-san, I've had a rough day, whatever it is you have to tell me, can't it be later? Or better tomorrow... or next month... I mean, summer vacation is just around the corner."
"Let me think about it" She crossed her arms and put a finger on her chin "A month? Seems reasonable"
"Such mi... wait, are you serious?"
"No" she said dryly.
"Rotten luck" He sighed even louder this time "Okay, I'm kind of at my wits end trying to convince you to leave, so like the polite high school boy that I am, I'll invite you into my humble abode. This way, my lady." He bowed jokingly and guided her to the door.
Mugino rolled her eyes at the casual way he was acting. She refrained from commenting on the poor state of his clothes. For all she knew, he might have just returned from one of his missions on the dark side. Of course, she could only speculate. The girl waited patiently for the boy to unlock the door to his dormitory. He then turned the knob and pushed the door open, making a formal gesture with his other hand, as if he were imitating a butler.
"I confess I was surprised when I found out you lived in a dormitory" She walked into the room, taking a good look around.
The girl was obviously not at all impressed with this place. Although it was a school dormitory, the layout was exactly like a one-room apartment. There wasn't much space there, and the boy didn't seem to have any kind of expensive equipment or anything like that. This was just a normal student dormitory like any other.
"You can sit anywhere you want. I'll prepare something for us to eat" He walked toward the refrigerator.
"You can cook? A man of many talents" There was a bit of mockery in that voice.
"I wouldn't call it a talent. I live alone so I have to cook for myself..." he stopped talking suddenly as he opened the refrigerator door. The expression on his face was not happy "Really?" The boy closed the refrigerator door and rested his forehead on it.
Mugino tilted her head as she saw the boy having what looked like the beginning of an existential crisis. Confused, the girl went to make a pertinent comment, but Kamijou interrupted her.
"Mugino-san, would you mind turning your face the other way? I'm having a hard time here"
"Huh?"
"This Kamijou-san has completely forgotten that he hasn't done his shopping for the week yet. So I need privacy to try to overcome such an unfortunate fact."
The boy had planned to go shopping after school, but the incident during class and soon after the presence of Mugino made him forget his plans completely. But there was still an alternative to this problem. An idea that seemed brilliant at first glance was molded in the head of that unfortunate boy.
"Well, there's no other way. Looks like we have to stop by the supermarket. I think they might be having a special offer in district 16."
"Is this another one of your attempts to be funny?" She waited a bit, but the boy just looked at her with a serious face "Have you forgotten that we have something important to talk about?" Again she waited, but Kamijou just crossed his arms "First you invite me into this shitty place, and now you want me to follow you to district 16 because you forgot to stock the damn fridge? When do you intend to take me seriously?" Anger was beginning to grow in Meltdowner's voice.
"But if it's an important conversation, then we can't talk on an empty stomach" Kamijou argued, raising his index finger in front of his face "And there's one more thing..."
"Fuck it, I don't give a shit. Just sit down and listen to what I have to say."
"I'm already almost in the red this month, so if I miss this sales I have to eat instant noodles for a week" The boy completely ignored Level 5's complaints.
"What part of 'I don't give a shit' don't you understand?" She walked towards him almost screaming, grabbed him by the collar of his tattered shirt, and looked him straight in the eye "Will you stop this clowning around for a minute? Or am I going to have to carve a new hole in your body for you to begin to understand that my patience is at its limit?"
"Mugino-san, don't you think you're a little too close?" The boy said this quietly, almost as if he had forgotten that he was being threatened "My neighbor Tsuchimikado usually invades my room through the balcony for no apparent reason, if he shows up now it will be hard to explain the misunderstanding."
Level 5 was speechless for a moment. Not for the idiocy she had just heard, but for the total disregard this guy had for her. Mugino never imagined that she would meet someone so difficult to deal with in her entire life. Realizing that her threats were brushed aside by him as easily as her powers, she let go of his shirt and walked away. She sighed in frustration as she watched the boy nonchalantly straighten his clothes and return to his usual relaxed posture.
"We can go to a restaurant if you want, but I still need to buy food. We can go to district 16 by subway, take advantage of the supermarket promotion, and then we go to a family restaurant and then you tell me this important thing. Obviously a restaurant with an affordable price. So, what do you say?
"Ok" She replied dryly, shrugging her shoulders.
Kamijou looked at her a bit confused when he heard that. He raised his right hand and touched his head, maybe this was all an illusion caused by an esper telepath. That didn't seem to be the case.
"Really? I was really preparing for a discussion here. I had even worked out some changes of plans."
"It won't be necessary. I feel like talking to you drains my life energy or some shit. Seriously, I'm pretty sure I've already lost a decade of my life expectancy since the day I met you. So the sooner we end this the better."
"Good. I'm glad you're being reasonable. You're getting better, bad girl."
"Smartass" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and then headed for the door "I imagine you want to change out of those tattered clothes, so I'll wait outside. Be quick, I don't have all day."
xxxx-xxxx
On the busy streets of Academy City, a girl was walking while holding her cell phone in one hand. This beautiful girl had wavy blonde hair and wore a bright pink dress with an open back.
"I see the target" She said, putting her cell phone to her ear
"Do you need backup?" A male voice answered her.
"No. The orders are to capture him discreetly. I will guide him using my powers. Just stay close to make sure. How are you doing over there?"
"I'm done. I'm coming to your position.
xxxx-xxxx
"Why don't we just call a cab?" Mugino asked, walking beside Kamijou.
"Did you hear a single word I said? I bought an annual pass to use the subway, so I use it whenever I can. It's a good way to save money in the long run.
"I wonder why I still try" The girl rolled her eyes. If her theory was correct, she would have white hair by the end of the day.
The two of them walked for a few blocks in silence. Mugino was worried about how long it would take to finish the whole 'plan' that the spiky-haired boy had devised. She had thought about simply saying what she had to say right then and there at least three times.
"So..." It was Kamijou who broke the silence, putting both hands in his pockets. He hesitated for a moment "What do you usually do in your spare time?"
"Huh?" The girl was confused for a while "Really? Do you want to start playing small talk now?"
"Hey, why not? Do you have something better to do?"
"Actually yes. Pretty much anything is better than that" Mugino doesn't usually 'exercise' her kindness.
"Come on, bad girl"
"Are you really going to keep calling me by that stupid nickname?" The girl was undoubtedly annoyed, but the boy just smiled, as if he liked what he was seeing "Okay, I'll shop and watch TV in my spare time, satisfied?"
"Not at all. I mean, I expected you to say something like that, since clearly you're addicted to fashion, but I also expected you to say.. I don't know, you read books or something like that."
"I'm not 'addicted' to fashion" She felt a little uncomfortable being exposed like this "I follow fashion, it's different"
"Yeah, yeah... like day and night" The sarcasm was palpable in his tone of voice.
"Smartass" She rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time that day "But you're almost right about the fact that I do read books sometimes. Usually the classics."
"That's what I thought. You must have made a habit of it, having come from a wealthy family and all that."
Mugino Shizuri made an indecipherable expression at that instant. She aimed a sharp look in the boy's direction before speaking.
"I don't remember telling you that I came from a wealthy family. You haven't been investigating my life, have you?"
Meltdowner was a little worried. Usually she didn't have to worry about something so trivial, since her status as level 5 and her involvement in the dark side was more than enough to keep her data protected. The problem was that it was impossible to know what resources this boy walking beside her had at his disposal.
"And why would I do that?" He shrugged. There was sincerity in his words "It's not like I go around putting the names of all the people I know into search engines or anything. Besides, it was easy to figure out."
"I'm curious. What gave me away?"
"Your posture" Kamijou said, as if to say that two plus two is four "The way you look at people too"
"Bullshit. Are you telling me that alone was enough?"
"Actually I had no way of being sure, but now I am. Thanks for confirming" He put another one of his smiles at the corner of his lips "But I was 65 to 70 percent sure. First, your posture and manner of walking exudes elegance. When you speak you always sound firm and confident too. This is not something that is learned family must have been strict if this has become so ingrained in you" Kamijou paused for Mugino to comment on something, but she just nodded and remained silent "Second, your look is aggressive, yet this aggressiveness is not something natural"
"And what would be the correlation between those two things? "Mugino asked. That almost sounded like a rhetorical question.
"Simple, it shows that you have been taught not to show weakness" He said this with the casualness of someone choosing something to drink at a bar.
Level 5 looked impressed. She realized that the boy hadn't come to this conclusion just from what he had initially said. He was also watching Mugino's reactions to see if he was going the right way. His bright and approachable personality hid a clever side, which could be compared to a professional interrogator, who doesn't need to start from something concrete to get what he wanted. He would gather up all the information he had and search for a loophole.
"Clever little rat" She said, displaying a small smile at the corner of her lip as well "That was interesting, but how about we talk a little about you too? What do you do in your spare time?"
"I usually spend my free time reading"
"Ah, so you like literature too. What do you usually read?" She was surprisingly interested now.
"Manga"
"Eh?" and that was ruined in an instant.
Mugino even lost the rhythm of her walk. For a short time, her mind was stuck in a kind of strange loop.
"I think I ended up giving you too much credit" She finally said, shaking her head negatively.
"Huh? What kind of reaction was that? Why out of the blue do I feel like I'm being judged unfairly?" He protested, but Level 5 kept looking at him as if he were a friend who always borrows money but never pays it back and had come back again to ask for more "Mugino-san, could you stop looking at me as if I were an insect squirming in the dirt? I have a friend who would probably be turned on by something like that, but I don't share that fetish.
"For a moment I really thought we would have a decent conversation, but you keep disappointing me time after time" She continued shaking her head in a negative way.
"OK, now you are starting to bother me" He suddenly became very serious "If you think this Kamijou-san is going to stand by and accept you mocking his favorite hobby, then first... I will change that messed up opinion of yours"
Kamijou had a strange gleam in his eyes. A flame must have lit up in him at that moment. It was like defeating the second phase of the final boss of a difficult game, only to discover that he had an even more difficult third phase. The unbeatable champion of the arena had risen again and become an immortal hero, and he would fight the whole world if he had to, all to change the mind of a single girl.
"Tell me, why do you consider manga inferior to books?" He started with a simple question, he had to understand the root of the problem.
"Because picture books are for people who don't have enough brainpower to be able to put together a scene using only their imagination" she said arrogantly.
The two were heading underground now, but Kamijou didn't let the change of environment interrupt his pace.
"That's not even an argument" Kamijou tried to sound calm. Some battles must be fought carefully "Just because books can afford the luxury of leaving some scenes more vague to stimulate the imagination, that doesn't mean they are automatically superior. That's just a standard of the medium itself. Mangas are superior in several other areas. Depending on the Mangaka, an art style can tell an entire story by itself. Also, a manga comes out ahead when it comes to 'letting the author express himself'."
"Oh, really? Are you saying that books don't give that freedom to the author either?"
"Don't put words in my mouth, Mugino-san, that's foul play" warned the boy, unmoved "What I mean is that the artist's drawing style can say a lot about him"
"Just like an author's writing style" The girl was skeptical.
Level 5 and Level 0 walked through the station on autopilot mode. They entered the subway car and sat down in the nearest vacant seat. There were not many people there, so they could continue their discussion without problems.
"Yes, you are right about that" He paused "But that also applies in manga. After all the writing is something important in them too. Very few people will read a manga just because they found the art beautiful"
"Aren't you contradicting yourself?"
"Not at all" He wasted no time in continuing "What I mean is that a mangaka must be talented both in the way he tells his story, and must also be concerned with his illustrations. This consumes a considerable amount of time. Did you know that many famous manga publish chapters every week?"
"How the hell was I supposed to know that?"
"Oho... that was exactly the answer I was hoping to get" He smiled at that moment, but soon became serious "You're basically admitting that you've never read a manga in your life. So you are one of those people who criticize something without ever having tried it?"
Meltdowner did not answer immediately. The boy had raised a pertinent question. She looked away discreetly before answering.
"I must have caught a glimpse of one or another while accompanying my colleagues. It never interested me."
"But did you actually read them? Or did you just see the cover illustration and judge it not worth your interest? Don't we have a saying about that?"
"You're annoying" Spat the girl, admitting the accusation "Your efforts are being directed at the wrong person. Just shut up, you're not going to convince me that a bunch of book-shaped drawings are superior to classic literary works"
"I don't remember saying that. What I'm trying to say is that both have their qualities, and that you shouldn't disrespect one just because you like the other better.
"I think we're going to have to agree to disagree" She said in a tired voice "I feel like this is a discussion that has the potential to go on endlessly, and I'm not in the mood for it"
"That's enough for me for now. I think this is going to be the start of a fun project."
"Project?" her face was one of pure confusion
"Yes, I have to think of a manga that will appeal to you. I won't be satisfied until I can get you hooked on something."
"Good luck with that. You'll need it."
"Can you take those words back please? This Kamijou-san doesn't like it when people wish him luck"
xxxx-xxxx
"I think this is a good time " The blonde girl in a dress said to herself.
Even with such a flashy outfit, she could blend into the crowd very well. Part of this was due to her powers, but this was a common skill that a dark side assassin had to develop if she wanted to stay alive.
Her target was being cautious. He chose routes that would always be in someone's sight. The girl had to wait for the right moment, when he made a wrong move she would attack. And there was no better moment than this. She activated her powers, changing the "heart distance" between them. It was time to lure him to a secluded place, preferably one away from the cameras.
"Kaibi-chan?" That familiar male voice made her freeze in place.
The girl in the dress had a reason for locking up like this. This voice that came from behind belonged to someone she hadn't seen in a while, but who always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The opposite was also true. The owner of the voice lightly touched her shoulder. She turned slowly toward him, momentarily forgetting her prey. There was no doubt who was there.
"Kamijou? What are you doing here?" she asked, almost biting the corner of her lip.
The spiky-haired boy smiled in a silly way. He looked her in the eye before continuing.
"Nothing much. I just came to do some shopping. What about you Kaibi-chan? You seem a little worried about something."
She could not disguise it. Gokusai Kaibi and Kamijou Touma met under peculiar circumstances. They had been enemies once, but they put their differences aside and fought together against a crazed esper with a power equivalent to a level 5. Since then they had been meeting here and there, almost as if someone was behind it. Maybe she was just paranoid. But what matters is that they eventually developed a friendship.
"I'm sorry Kamijou, but I'm kind of out of time to talk right now" She took another look around. Her target was not in sight "You know… work"
"Sure. I'm sorry to bother you then. I just wanted to say hi to a friend" He turned away from her and waved, walking towards a girl with tea-colored hair "Take care"
"You too" she nodded at him and then looked at the girl beside him.
'This person... Kamijou, what kind of tricky situation have you gotten yourself into now?'
With these thoughts, she watched the boy walk away and blend into the crowd. Her hand gripped her cell phone tightly, dialing a number quickly.
"So, are you done with your work?" Asked the male voice on the other end of the line.
The girl didn't answer at that moment. She looked around once more to be sure. That distraction from before had really made her lose sight of her target. Sure of this, she spoke in a slightly nervous tone.
"Kakine, I think I'm going to need some support"
xxxx-xxxx
"You have some notorious friends, if I may say so" Mugino spoke this while flipping through a magazine she picked up from the shelves of the store they were in "May I ask how you met her?"
The boy, who was choosing which vegetables to take, shrugged with a certain indifference.
"I really don't mind telling you. We met when she tried to kill me once in a burning building." Kamijou said it as if answering what her favorite song was
"Wait... what?" Mugino's brain shut down for a split second. Then she remembered who she was talking to "It's plausible. Have all the people you know tried to kill you, or just a large percentage?"
"The latter. My life is basically an endless string of misfortune" He sighed tiredly "I think we're done here. In the end I was too late for promotion, so I'd better buy the rest another day"
"It's about time" The girl preferred not to make any comment about the boy refusing to spend a single penny more. She would finally get what she wanted after all.
"Do you know any good restaurants around here? One that is not expensive of course"
"I don't know, I don't care. Any place with a minimum of privacy is enough."
After passing the checkout, level 5 and level 0 entered the first restaurant they saw in front of them. It was cheap looking and almost empty, so it was perfect for their needs. They sat at a table in the back, away from the windows. If they kept their voices down, no one would hear them here.
"You really like things at your own pace" Level 5 said, smoothing her hair discreetly "A girl like me doesn't like to wait, you know that?"
"Any girl...or person really" He opened the menu and started to choose something cheap but enough to make him satisfied "So, you said you had a proposition for me. Is it something I will definitely regret accepting?"
"I wouldn't be so pessimistic. I bet you will find the proposal interesting to say the least."
As Mugino cracked a puzzled smile, one of the waitresses walked over to their table, interrupting their conversation.
"Have you chosen your plate yet?" The girl with the notepad in her hand smiled casually.
"Do you guys have anything with salmon in here?" Mugino asked, without bothering to open the menu.
"Yes, miss. Our chef makes a grilled salmon that is a big hit here in district 16."
"Great, that's my choice then"
"I think I'll stick with the beef curry with potatoes" Kamijou said, placing the menu on the table again.
The waitress smiled at them both and took their orders, leaving without saying anything more. Mugino waited until she was out of sight before speaking again.
"Let's get down to business" The tea-colored haired girl became more serious than usual "You sure are someone careful. I mean, covering your tracks like this is quite impressive. I was surprised to hear that my contacts took so long to find relevant information about you."
The boy narrowed his eyes upon hearing those words, but Meltdowner did not react to that subtle gesture. She had been preparing her move for some time, and she would savor every moment.
"So you were spying on me? Where are you going with this?" Kamijou suddenly found his seat somewhat uncomfortable, if one were to judge by the slight uneasiness.
"At first I wondered if you did all this yourself. Putting so many security cameras on a loop to make sure no one knows where you are going is a professional's job. But you are certainly a field agent, which means that maybe you have someone supporting you.
"Mugino..."
"It must be hard for someone like you to get so involved in the darkness" She interrupted the boy. She was making it clear who was going to conduct this conversation "While you're not exactly the pinnacle of morality, you haven't yet been entirely consumed by the shadows of this city. Which means you still have weaknesses...plenty of them...enough for your enemies to use them against you...and against those you know."
Kamijou was silent for a moment. His discomfort grew with each sentence that came out of the perfect mouth of that arrogant esper. He seemed to digest what the girl had just told him
"Get to the point" His voice had a slight tone of irritation. The girl certainly understood that.
"Tell me, little hero, how long do you think you'll last in the shadows? You seem to have contacts, but something tells me that you get attached to people easily. Which means that you only ask for their help when you find it extremely necessary. But, do you think you can keep those same people safe?"
"Is that a threat? If it is, know that it won't work on me" His voice was pure irritation now. He was no longer hiding his hostility.
"It is not my intention to threaten you, nor your friends. However, I can't speak for others in the same line of work as myself." She almost licked her lips when the boy changed his expression to hatred "You were surprised earlier when you found me in your dorm. It wasn't that hard to find where you live you know? And I'm not even the person with the most contacts on the dark side. It was hard at first to find something more relevant, something I could really use..." The girl paused dramatically. It was time to play her cards "But I found a loophole. Want to know what I found in it?" Mugino gave the boy a second to answer, but he remained silent "Everything."
That was it. The bait had been thrown. All Mugino had to do was give her best performance and hope that the boy in front of her didn't notice her bluff. The truth was that what she had achieved could hardly be called relevant information. But the boy had no way of knowing that. So that's what she would play with, if she didn't have something concrete, she would be vague. If what she had in hand was not enough to generate a large shadow capable of swallowing him, then she would move closer to the light to make him think she did.
"Your school, your parents' names, your medical history, a detailed list of your friends...plus many other things. I wonder if other people have the same idea." This time she smiled, a smile so big and ugly that any sane person would immediately run away at the sight of it.
This was the decisive moment. Mugino had never had to put so much effort into something like this before. But she knew that the boy in front of her had above-average deductive abilities. But how did he function under pressure? This was the boy who got angry when someone he didn't even know was about to be killed in front of him. So Mugino was sure she could get him to let his guard down if she made him think, even for a moment, that his friends were in danger.
"What do you want?" The boy askef finally. He was already close to the limit. No one would be able to think normally under so much pressure.
Her smile grew even wider when the boy said this. Her move was made, and the chances of success were high.
"Isn't it obvious?" She pointed at the boy, turning serious again "You"
"What?" The boy didn't know whether to remain angry or confused.
"I want you to work for me. More precisely, I want you to be a member of my group, ITEM. I'm sure you know that there are several groups on the dark side of Academy City. I am the leader of one of them."
This was a gamble, but Mugino was willing to take it. If the boy in front of her refused or simply saw through her bluff, she wouldn't lose much. But if he accepted, she would have a valuable member on her team. So she was willing to put all her efforts into this bet. She was using everything she had learned on the dark side of this city on that boy, silently hoping that it would be enough to turn that enemy into an ally.
"I'm not interested in joining a dark side group" Said the boy after thinking for long seconds "I know what you guys do, and I don't think I would fit into something like that"
"We do a lot more stuff than you think. Just because ITEM is a dark side group doesn't mean that we only get missions that involve killing people. They are quite varied, actually.
"But I bet most of them involve killing people. I can't be part of a group like that."
"Then how about this" She lowered her tone of voice and leaned a little in the boy's direction "Be an unofficial member of ITEM"
"I can't see the difference. I'd be working alongside killers anyway."
"Just like you did two days ago in that mall" That was her last card. It was time for this game to come to an end "All I need is for you to do what you did that day. I will not force you to do things you are not comfortable doing"
"And what's in it for me? How does it help my situation that you just described?" The boy was about to give in. His tired tone made this clear.
"Being part of a group has its advantages. I can guarantee the protection of those around you with a mere phone call" Another lie, but there was a small grain of truth, which made it hard to see through "Isn't that what you want? To keep doing what you do without worrying that the people you care about will get hurt because of you. Does that sound like a good deal to you?"
It was time. There were no more cards, on either side. Mugino offered a handshake while keeping a neutral expression on her face. She stared him right in the eyes, dark blue and brown clashed, which one would swallow the other?
"What am I doing?" The boy said after several thoughtful seconds. He sighed, as annoyed as he could "Can this really be called a proposal?"
The tea-colored girl didn't answer. There was nothing more for her to say there. All she had to do was wait. She kept her gaze steady, her victory had to be perfect. But she almost let a smile escape at that instant.
"You win" The boy reluctantly moved his right hand, sealing the deal with the dazzling looking devil in front of him
"I always win" This time she couldn't hold back the victorious smile that slid across her lips "But you gave me a hard time. And that's what makes it so interesting"
Just then, an employee of the restaurant came up to them, carefully placing two plates on the table. Mugino wasted no time and took a bite, savoring her salmon and letting it melt in her mouth. It was divine, but she was sure that the taste in her mouth wouldn't change even if she were eating burnt rubber.
"You're leaving already? I thought you might be hungry" The girl smiled devilishly as she saw the boy get up from the table.
"I've lost my appetite" The boy was much more serious than usual.
"It's a shame...but it doesn't matter. I'll call you later. We have to make it official, which means I have to introduce you to my colleagues. I know you know their names, but a formal introduction will help you get along."
She watched as the boy nodded and walked away without saying anything else. They say that company improves the taste of food, but a perfect victory has an even better effect. Mugino had gotten what she wanted, and she would enjoy every moment of it.
"I wonder if you will be able to relieve some of my boredom, Kamijou Touma"
That was what it was all about. The girl didn't decide to recruit him just for his combat skills. It was true that the boy who called himself level 0 would be an interesting addition to ITEM, but she had a more personal reason. She met Kamijou Touma at a peculiar moment. It had been a while since she had started to get tired of her routine, so coming across the walking question mark that was that boy made her life more interesting. Mugino would unravel all the mysteries behind this boy. She would keep him around until he was no longer interesting. And then she would discard him and resume her boring life. All she could do was hope that her new toy would not break so easily.
xxxx-xxxx
With hurried steps, a normal high school boy that you can find anywhere, arrived at his apartment. He closed the door and threw himself on his bed. This was a battle he was doomed to lose. The boy stared at the ceiling of his apartment as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out his smartphone and began to dial the number of the only person he want to hear her voice right now.
"Kamjou-kun?" The girl answered on the second ring "Is something wrong?"
It was time to break the news. It would be more appropriate to speak something so important in person, but the fatigue in his body and mind prevented him from going to her. He sat up in bed and took a deep breath. Time seemed to stop in that short period before his voice sounded through his room.
"Uiharu, she took the bait. My crazy plan worked out in the end."
It had been a perfect victory.
xxxx-xxxx
*Two days before
"Uiharu, can you tell me where 'she' is?"
"Kamijou-kun, are you sure you want to go through with this crazy plan? Isn't it better to think more carefully about it?"
"I have already decided Uiharu, you know very well how I operate"
The girl could only sigh in frustration at this. The boy she admired so much would die one day if he kept getting into so much trouble. She only hoped that this day would not come soon.
"It was difficult to trace her number you gave me, as expected from someone on the dark side, but I can at least say for certain that she is still at the mall"
"I'm sorry for giving you so much trouble. When I asked for her number I didn't expect that you would have to use it so soon."
"It's okay, it's a little exciting to have a challenge once in a while. I suggest you go into the mall, that will make my job easier with the security cameras."
"Good. I need all the information you can give me. I have to try to impress her if I want this plan to work"
"Kamijou-kun, wouldn't it be easier if you were more direct and asked to join this so-called group? "
"I don't want her to suspect that I'm a spy or anything like that. If I want this to work, this is the best course of action. I'm going now."
"Good luck then, Kamijou-kun"
"Uiharu..."
"Force of habit"
xxxx-xxxx
"So in the end you did it" Uiharu sounded somewhat surprised "Not that I doubted you, but deep down I wish you would have gone back on all that"
"I think I've made my motives pretty clear Uiharu" The boy walked over to the fridge, starting to put away the contents of his shopping bag "Now that I'm part of her group, I'll have access to resources and information from the dark side easier. Having someone supporting me in the field will be helpful as well. That way I can focus on gaining her trust."
"You already knew people who could help you in the field" Protested the girl "And giving me enough time, I can acquire any information you want"
"I know, but I already told you my 'other' reason"
That other reason was more than enough to make Kamijou make his decision. When Touma had found out that Mugino was a level 5, he was intrigued. This feeling only grew when he realized that the girl came from a wealthy family. Why would someone who clearly didn't need the money work for the dark side of Academy City? Of course, this answer could be much simpler than he imagined. For example, the girl's lifestyle might be too expensive for even someone like her to afford, but Kamijou didn't want to believe such a simple explanation.
And then they had that conversation. While Mugino was asking questions, she wasn't the only person desperately trying to get information out of someone. But Kamijou was the one who was doing it in the most subtle way. He observed her gesture and mannerisms, her tone of voice, her curious eyes. His decision had not been made until a certain decisive moment. That moment was when she asked for his phone number. This was his perfect opportunity. He had a friend who seemed to do impossible things with a computer, he would not doubt that she was capable of defeating a dragon using a keyboard, no matter how absurd it sounded. That was why he gave up his number so quickly. If he got that girl's number, he could give it to Uiharu so that she could work her magic. That way he could wait until she was on a job and then show up to help, getting her attention in the process. He just didn't expect it to happen so fast, all his bad luck, probably.
"I want to save her, Uiharu" Said the boy with firmness in his voice. He paused, looking once more at the ceiling "I will save her from herself. I will pull her back from the hell she willingly got herself involved in. And I can't do that if I'm not by her side whenever possible."
The spiky-haired "Hero" had made his move. He would use every trick in the book if he had to. His battle was unlike any he had faced so far, but he would not cower, not while a girl was taking a dead-end path to the depths of hell.
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Hey, welcome to the bottom and thanks for reading this chapter.
The 11D Chess match has officially started between Mugino and Kamijou. To write this chapter I had to reread some parts of NT22R. That is why I used some lines from that novel. The villain of the last book of the new testament is one of my favorites. KNT is a manipulator, that is the word that most defines him. He, as well as Touma, represent duality, something that goes beyond the concepts of good and evil. Kamachi makes it clear in that book how similar they are in their way of acting, the problem is that Kamijou's morality prevents him from doing the same things that KNT does. That is why I am taking some inspiration from him to write this Touma before his memory loss.
In that same book, the narrator tells us through the point of view of Shokuhou Misaki, that Kamijou is always hiding his "clever" side. Misaki herself admits that he is in fact more clever than she, an expert in knowing how the human brain works. She also says that Kamijou is "oddly unreadable". In this fic of mine I am taking advantage of the "dark" theme to show even more of this side of Kamijou. His time in the dark has served him to exercise this hidden side.
Time to answer the reviews:
Y0ur5e1f: Thank you very much. I hope you enjoyed this chapter
Guest: Maybe it was a bit, but I don't regret my decision, especially considering that this is PML Touma. Wait, stopping to think, didn't Touma exchange phone numbers with Melzabeth in GT4? I have to check this out.
Emiyasatou: Mugino doesn't know what he is getting into LMAO. Glad you are enjoying the storyline. My plans are crazy, just like Touma's. Maybe not so crazy.
elementalgaming30: Actually, I wish I had more time to write, I thank you for the compliment and also hope you enjoyed the fast update.
BlueJack22: This story is definitely a story xD
xellos540: Do I smell Kami-yan disease? Classic Touma. Kaguya, you don't want this fight. Touma skipped school for 4 months in canon, he thinks he's too cool for school xD . Mikoto and Touma can be civil when they want to be, I guess (Mikoto: I'm going to shoot a railgun at this guy who got ice cream all over my clothes. Mikoto from the manga has no chill) . Junko and Touma have an interesting story here, just wait. I have to correct this stupid mistake, but now I can't stop laughing imagining a Komoe the size of a coffee bean. That kiss scene was TOTALLY for plot reasons xD . Run, Touma... Run. All Touma needs to do is give a speech to his pieces to motivate them to win and then punch the enemy bishops in the face, it wouldn't be the first time.
I am re-reading an important index novel to serve as inspiration for a certain scene, so the next chapter will take a little longer than usual due to the way things are going.
And after all this I say goodbye. Nio leaving... for now.
