Greetings, fellows. I'm back with another chapter of this fic that is giving me more work to write than I initially thought. Anyway, I wish you a good reading. "Toaru Majutsu no Index" and its characters do not belong to me... yet.
Chapter 7 - A Rare ITEM
"Again" Said the woman, almost shouting.
Kamijou looked at her with a tired face. He was lying on the ground, exhausted and sore.
"Yomikawa-senpai, we've been training for hours, are you trying to kill this Kamijou-san?
If it were up to him, Kamijou wouldn't even be in this Anti-skill training center. He stood up carefully, with his center of gravity a little off, courtesy of the kick to his solar plexus that he had received earlier.
"If you don't start taking it seriously, you will, for sure, die. The people you face will not hold back just because you are a high schooler."
"I know but..."
"No buts" The woman didn't even wait for him to get ready before she swung her fist in the boy's direction "Good, at least you learned to keep your guard up at all times" She said smiling as she watched her student block her attack with a little difficulty.
"Are we really going to continue with this? I have to go see a friend. It's important," the boy protested, still panting slightly.
Yomikawa could not understand why the boy refused to take his training seriously. The woman looked him up and down, assessing his posture. Ever since they had started these training sessions, she had noticed strange things about the way the boy fought. She tried to correct what she thought were "flaws" in his fighting style, but she realized that this was almost impossible. Since then she decided to try a different approach. Instead of trying to teach him how to attack, she would bombard him with everything she had to see how he handled the variety of techniques in her arsenal. The problem was that the boy was, for lack of a better word, inconsistent.
"Kamijou, may I ask you a somewhat serious question?" The woman had to be sure of something before continuing her training session.
"Huh? Go ahead, this Kamijou-san is an open book" The boy tried to give a smile, but even that made his body tremble with pain.
"Why do you hold back so much?" The woman crossed her arms and looked him in the eye. She didn't want just a verbal answer.
The boy looked confused by that question. He scratched his head with his right hand and continued to stare at the woman without saying a word. After making sure that the woman was not going to elaborate on her question, he finally spoke up.
"What are you talking about? You make it sound like I have some trick up my sleeve, like a hidden power or some other weird thing. I'm just a normal high school boy, not a shounen manga protagonist."
"I'm not saying you're hiding anything, I'm asking why you're not taking it seriously. I'm really trying hard to help you, so at least give it your all." The woman's voice was stern. She didn't want to hear an objection.
"Yomikawa-senpai, I swear I'm not holding back. Do you think I'm a masochist who gets turned on by getting beaten up by a busty woman? Know that this Kamijou-san prefers the caring Onee-san type, like a clumsy dorm manager, who would take care of him after a hard day full of misfortune."
With an even more serious look than before, Yomikawa ignored the load of drivel the boy used to spout almost daily. She sighed in amazement before continuing.
"Have you ever heard of placebo effect?"
"Placebo effect? That kind of came out of nowhere" Kamijou said, putting a finger on his chin "Isn't that when someone takes a fake medicine made of sugar or starch but ends up getting better anyway? Kind of like your brain tricks your body into thinking you're having a real treatment?"
"That's basically it. What I'm trying to say is that maybe you're subconsciously holding yourself back, sabotaging yourself... wait, I think the name of the negative effect is something else... what was it called again?" She looked up at the ceiling and was thoughtful for a moment, shrugging her shoulders immediately afterwards "It doesn't matter. The important thing now is to find out why you are doing this. If I'm not able to understand this fact about you, I won't be able to help you get better."
"I didn't quite understand what you meant, but good luck with that. So, are we done for the day?"
"You..." she clenched a fist, but then took a deep breath trying to calm herself down "I think this is something you can't force. You're free to go see your friend. Just think about what I said, OK?"
"I'm sure that's not going to get us anywhere, but I'll try." He turned in the direction of the exit, but seemed to remember something "By the way, I'm going to need another one of those riot shields, I kind of forgot to collect the other one" He looked somewhat embarrassed.
"Another one? That's the third one this week. I guess I'll have to think of something else to help you with your 'missions'.
"Like what? You're not thinking of giving me a rifle or something, are you? This Kamijou-san is not interested in increasing his offensive potential" He was firm in saying that.
"I know your opinion on this matter, something like this never crossed my mind. What kind of teacher would I be if I put a gun in my student's hand?" The woman was also firm, she almost looked offended "I was thinking of taking a look at the experimental armory. There must be something there that will help you defend yourself without having to hurt anyone more than necessary."
"Do you think you can find something to help me get around in 3D space? That would be very helpful."
"Well... we have all kinds of crazy stuff in that arsenal. I'll let you know if I find anything interesting.
xxxx-xxxx
In a luxurious apartment in District 7, which served as the headquarters of the group known as ITEM, Mugino Shizuri seemed impatient. She was making a phone call, but the person on the other end didn't seem willing to answer. The girl was receiving rather curious glances from her teammates, who pursued her with their eyes as she walked through the living room. She would ruin the floor if she kept it up.
"Why won't he answer his fucking phone?" She said angrily, replaying the call once again
"I think it's better to super wait a bit, maybe he's busy" Kinuhata suggested, gaining the attention of not only Mugino but the rest of the group.
"I don't remember asking your opinion" The tea-colored haired girl was clearly on edge "That son of a bitch must be doing this on purpose. I bet when I ask him why he's ignoring me he'll say 'I'm sorry, bad girl, but this Kamijou-san is a busy man'. He think he's so fucking funny." She went back to pacing around the living room.
"Basically, I've never seen her so angry with anyone before" Frenda said this almost in a whisper, to make sure her boss didn't hear "She's even starting to talk to herself. I hope she doesn't kill him before I thank him" The blonde said this last sentence only to herself.
"OK, that's enough. I'm going after that bastard" she said with a flame in her eyes "You three stay here and try to make this place presentable. If he starts making jokes because he saw something out of place or some other shit I swear I will burn this apartment to the ground with everyone inside.
"I super don't understand. If this guy annoys you so much, why the hell did you invite him to join ITEM?" Kinuhata asked a pertinent question. In her view, Mugino looked like someone constantly losing in an online game but kept playing and saying he would win the next match, while cursing her team mates in the process.
"Again with that question?" Meltdowner didn't even bother to look at the girl, she just kept her eyes on the cell phone screen, maybe she was sending a message "I told you, his strange power might be useful in our team. Besides he seems to have interesting resources at his disposal. That time at the mall for example, he seemed to have access to all the security cameras, and even knew the names of all of you. He also has deductive abilities far above average, Frenda has seen this first hand."
"Basically, she's right. I'm looking forward to working alongside him," the blonde said, shaking her head positively.
"You only say that because he super saved your ass" Kinuhata said with a chuckle, leaving the blonde indignant at the unnecessary comment "Don't get me wrong, I'm still a little skeptical but I'm not against him joining our group, I'm just trying to stay up to date. What do you think Takitsubo?"
"Huh?" The lethargic girl lifted her head lazily "What are we talking about anyway?"
The three other girls sighed audibly at that answer. They never could tell if Takitsubo was available for a conversation or was stuck in her own world. It was usually the latter. Mugino took advantage of this unnatural silence to leave that apartment. She had called a private driver who was subordinate to ITEM. It was time for Kamijou Touma to enter her life for good, whether he wanted to or not.
xxxx-xxxx
Meanwhile, a battered and sore Kamijou Touma walked the city streets with only one destination in mind. Earlier, Uiharu had sent him a message saying that he had discovered something in the files of that strangely shaped flash drive. It was time for his efforts to bear fruit.
"Freeze, this is Judgment's"
The spiky-haired boy stopped when he heard that female voice echoing from the direction of a nearby alley. As soon as he heard this, a very suspicious person carrying a woman's purse came running towards him. That man was probably running away from the Judgment girl. His body acted on instinct, first the boy moved out of the way, but leaving his right leg extended. The poor man didn't even understand what happened when he tripped over the boy's leg and landed face down on the ground.
"Everything okay there buddy? "Kamijou said, checking to make sure the man hadn't cracked his skull on impact.
Before the man could say anything, if at all he could, a girl appeared out of nowhere beside Kamijou. The girl wore a twin-tailed hairstyle and was wearing the summer uniform of Tokiwadai Middle School. She was slender and at least ten centimeters shorter than him.
"Did you do that?" The girl asked him, as she looked at the man who had surely fainted. Her voice was somewhat stern. She seemed to take her job seriously.
"Yeah, but it was kind of an accident" He began, but soon corrected himself "I mean, it wasn't my intention to knock him out, I just wanted to keep him from escaping"
Tokiwadai's student narrowed her eyes for a moment, but she looked more surprised than annoyed.
"I appreciate the help, gentleman, but it's Judgment's job to deal with something like this. It's enough that I have to deal with my onee-sama obstructing my work" She sighed, but there was something strange about that sigh. It was best that Kamijou ignored that "Anyway, my name is Shirai Kuroko, I work in branch 177. What is the gentleman's name?" She took a pair of handcuffs and put them on the unconscious man and then immediately started fiddling with her modern looking cell phone.
"Kamijou Touma, nice to meet you"
"I say the same. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm asking for anti-skill support so they can effect the arrest" She continued fiddling with her cell phone.
"Sure, I don't want to get in the way but... did you say branch 177?"
"Yes, why the question? Do you know anyone who works there?" The girl paid attention to him this time, who shook his head positively in response.
"Her name is Uiharu. I think I've heard her talk about you.
Putting the cell phone away, the girl now had her full attention on it. She looked him up and down, which made Kamijou a little nervous about this detailed inspection.
"So you are the 'mysterious friend' who usually visits her when there is no one in the office but her" She brought her hand to her chin "I ask you not to do anything indecent, the office has surveillance cameras... wait it is Uiharu I am talking about, cameras cannot stop her..."
"Huh? Shirai-san, I think you're getting it all wrong. Uiharu and I are just good friends. I just keep her company once in a while" He wasn't exactly lying, just omitting the important part. "By the way, I was just going to go see her now, so if you'll excuse me" Kamijou gave a farewell nod to the girl with twin tails, but she wouldn't let him go that easily.
"Wait, Kamijou-san" She asked calmly, but still in an authoritative manner. The boy turned uncomfortably without saying anything "If you are going to branch 177, then let me take you there. I'm done here."
"You don't have to bother with something like this, Shirai-san"
"It's no bother at all, I don't see a problem with giving you a ride. You are a friend of my partner after all."
"Give me a ride?" Kamijou was confused. Did that girl who looked younger than him know how to drive? Wait, wasn't that illegal?
"Yes, I am a level 4 teleporter"
She went over to him and touched his shoulder. About two seconds passed before the girl removed her hand from his shoulder only to put it back and repeat this about three more times. During all this time, her expression that was a mixture of confusion and surprise never left her face. She finally seemed to give up on... doing what the hell she was trying to do.
"What's going on?" Without warning, the girl disappeared from his sight, and then reappeared almost immediately "I'm not having trouble with my calculations, so why can't I teleport you?"
"Oh, about that... I guess that's my power's fault" He said simply, putting a half crooked smile on his face.
"Then could you turn it off? I don't have all day" The girl was not angry, but she crossed her arms in frustration
"Sorry, Shirai-san, but it doesn't work that way. Thanks for trying to help me, I'll see you around."
The boy turned and began walking in a hurried manner. He gave a slight nod before turning the corner, leaving a suspicious Shirai Kuroko behind him.
xxxx-xxxx
In the office of Judgment Branch 177, a focused and sugar-filled Uiharu stared unblinkingly at her computer screen. She was not typing on her keyboard at almost relativistic speeds like the "Hackers" in the movies used to do.
"He's late...again" She said, taking a spoonful of her strawberry sundae "I hope he didn't run into another level 5. At this point I don't doubt he's going to pick a fight with the number 1 in Academy City for no reason" Just as the girl pushed those horrible thoughts aside, someone knocked on the office door.
"Uiharu, I'm here" Kamijou's voice sounded through the door.
"Come in, I'm alone" Answered the girl, glad that her friend didn't have to make another visit to the hospital.
Without wasting any more time, the boy pushed open the door and sat down next to the girl, giving her a little salute with his right hand. He looked tired, the explanation for this was the reason he was late.
"You took your time, is it all Yomikawa-san's fault or did something else happen?" Uiharu asked, watching the boy sink into his chair at the mere mention of his teacher.
"I also met with your friend, Shirai Kuroko, when I was coming here, but she didn't slow me down too much. I must have just left her a little confused when she tried to teleport me."
"So you've met her? She's a good person and takes her work very seriously...except for the times she gets overconfident and ends up doing something reckless."
"I can't judge her" Kamijou pointed out, shrugging "But let's get to the important part, I've already kept you waiting too long"
"Sure" The girl made a few clicks on her mouse and pointed at the computer screen "The data had impressive encryption. There must be something important on that flash drive"
"Haven't you had a look yet? Were you waiting for me?" The boy squirmed in his chair as he stared at the computer screen.
"Actually I already tried to do some research on my own"
"Which was a smart thing to do, considering I barely know how to turn on a computer. But wait, you said 'tried'"
"Yes, I had a little trouble. I guess you can tell on your own" The girl gave the boy room to look at the screen more carefully.
"What the hell?"
The boy didn't understand anything about computers, but even he could understand what was wrong there. Before his eyes there were countless characters that did not seem to have any correlation with each other. That string of nonsense words didn't seem to belong to any language as far as Kamijou knew. Uiharu gave her friend a few seconds to understand this.
"As you may have guessed, this is not written in any language. That includes dead languages, I looked it up."
"You did?"
"Sure, I was bored last night"
"You're amazing you know that?"
Kamijou said this with a small proud smile on his face. He was concentrating on the computer, so he couldn't notice the girl who would need three or four more strawberry sundaes to replace the calories lost after blushing so furiously.
"So, that can't be an alien language...I guess...which means the information was written in some kind of secret code, correct?" Asked the boy, but the girl did not answer "Uiharu? This Kamijou-san is at the limit of his cognitive ability, a little help would be appreciated"
"Y-yes, you are right" The girl cleared her throat, trying to pull herself together "This goes far beyond any other form of information hiding that I have ever seen. If I had to guess, I would say that the tree diagram itself was responsible for developing something like this"
"Do you think you can decipher it?" He asked hopefully. Kaguya had entrusted him with that information, and he didn't want to disappoint her.
"I can. But it won't be easy. This is not exactly 'encryption. It's like an archaic way of sending coded messages, but a modern, enhanced version of that technique. I hope that made sense."
"I don't know the difference between the two, but you're the expert here, so I'll just smile and nod my head" And that's what he did
"I'll create an algorithm that will do the job using brute force, but I need more firepower to do it quickly"
"It sounds laborious. Isn't there something I can do to speed up the process?" It was a stupid question but it needed to be asked.
"Well... unless you can get the decryption keys, unfortunately not"
"So we're back to square one, at least for now." He sighed "Any idea where to find this key something something?"
"Honestly no. And you?" It was a sincere question, she wanted to hear his opinion
"uuhh... I was thinking..." the boy began, causing Uiharu to turn and look at him intently "It was Kaguya who handed this to me. I'm pretty sure she got that information from that mall... Emerald dust right?" He looked at the girl who nodded silently "It would be silly if the key was in the same place... so maybe someone who works there but in another branch or something? Maybe an executive? I don't know, that's too vague."
"It's a start. I'm sure you'll think of something. Your new 'friends' from ITEM may know something about it."
"Maybe you're right, but I can't just ask something like that out of the blue" He pondered for a while before continuing "But I'll keep an eye out. Their mission was not a complete success, which means, maybe someone will order them to take care of the loose ends as soon as possible. I just hope that mission hasn't been accomplished yet, it's been 3 days after all."
"There is a chance that someone from another group is taking care of this. You should talk to Gokusai-san."
"Funny you should say, I ended up meeting her yesterday. She seemed to be focused on something." He thought about it for a moment, but he decided to let it go for now "Well... I'll think about it later. Thanks for your help I promise to bake you a cake when I have time." With those words, stars appeared in the girl's eyes. Kamijou almost touched Uiharu's head with his right hand for some reason he didn't know. See you later, Uiharu."
"Bye, Kamijou-Kun"
xxxx-xxxx
Kamijou Touma's day was as good as any other. Which means it was pure disaster, but still relatively a good day. All he had to do now was to take a nice shower and take a nap to remove some of the stress on his tired body. But wait, what was that black car in front of his dormitory building?
"There you are, damn eel" An irritated Mugino practically shouted as she opened the car door and walked in a hurry toward Kamijou.
"It hadn't been such a bad day" Kamijou wailed softly "Really, that again? You can't give this Kamijou-san a day of quiet, bad girl?"
"Stop calling me by that fucking nickname" The girl was tapping her foot in anger. The boy just looked confused seeing the girl practically foaming at the mouth "Tell me, Kamijou Touma, and choose your words carefully, Why the fuck did you ignore all my calls?"
"Wait, you called me?" The dark blue-eyed boy quickly reached into his pocket and grabbed his smartphone "11 missed calls? Well that kind of explains why you sound so angry. I'm sorry. Yomikawa-senpai always makes me leave my phone on silent when we're training, I just forgot about it.
"Is that all you have to say to me?" She still didn't seem satisfied.
"I already apologized, what more do you want? This Kamijou-san has had a rough day, how about we forget about that misunderstanding for now?"
"Sure, I'll just forget all about it and we'll both go home with a smile on our faces" The girl seemed to get angrier with every word Kamijou uttered, if it continued like this she would transcend to level 6 channeling the power of anger refined in her body "This is literally your first day on ITEM, FIRST, and you've already pissed me off more than all the other members combined so far. I swear to God, Kamijou, any day now I'm going to blow your brains out with my Meltdowner while you sleep."
"All this because I didn't answer your calls? Don't you think you're being a little too harsh bad girl?"
Mugino lost her patience at that instant. Without warning, the girl simply fired a Meltdowner beam in the direction of the spiky-haired boy. She hadn't held back, it was the maximum power she could produce without hurting herself.
"Ok, I think I get your point" The boy said, with his right hand raised in front of his face. Mugino was not surprised to see him acting in his typical nonchalant manner "I'll pay more attention next time. Wait, I had an idea, how about I prepare a home cooked meal as an apology?"
"You think you can save your ass by offering me food? What do you think I am? A fucking pet?" This time she screamed. She took a deep breath, trying to maintain at least the minimum sanity necessary not to throw her Meltdowner at anyone who looked in the general direction she was in. "Get in the car"
"But wait, I..."
"GET IN… THE FUCKING… CAR" There was so much hatred distilled into those words spoken in a paused manner, that every sentient creature within range of the voice felt static run down their spine. But still the boy didn't take the hint, or pretended not to, "What is your problem anyway? You think you've lived too long and now you've decided you want to go to the afterlife in style or some shit? Because if so, I can turn you into a beautiful piece of modern art"
"I just want to get something from my dorm, that's all" He lowered his voice and began to whisper "Maybe take a shower"
"Got it... in that case I will blow up your dorm so you have no excuses" As soon as she said that, four spheres of electrons began to hover around her.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no" Kamijou instantly ran to the car and got in through the door Mugino had left open "Okay, I'm in the car, please don't cause any damage. My dorm manager will rip my skin off if I call him again and ask him to fix something. This is the ninth time this month"
As the boy screamed as if he was about to burst into tears, Meltdowner momentarily forgot that she was angry and began to blink in a confused manner. She really didn't expect such an empty threat to be so effective.
"You sure are weird" She said, smoothing her hair and walking to her car. She sat next to him in the back seat and gave a slight nod to the man dressed in black who was at the wheel "I threaten to kill you and you don't even blink, but does damaging your dorm room have all this effect on you?" She closed the car door which began to move almost at the same instant. Dark glass also separated the driver from the passengers
"Unfortunately my dorm doesn't have Imagine Breaker" He shrugged. Mugino raised an eyebrow upon hearing that name. She assumed it was his esper skill, or whatever that boy possessed "Anyway, are you still angry?"
"What do you think?" And there was the killer look returning in all its glory "I'll probably need a week... no, a month at the spa to get back to normal. Maybe I'll start doing yoga to speed up the process. I'm sure I'll find strands of white hair on my pillow tomorrow morning"
"I am really sorry. It wasn't my intention to leave you hanging. Let me reward you with something" He paused, bringing his hand to his chin "You like salmon, don't you? I don't know many recipes that use salmon but I am confident I can make something decent. I wouldn't be 'her' rival if I couldn't improvise" He said that last part almost to himself.
"You think I'm interested in your stupid homemade food? If you want to reward me with food, at least have the decency to buy me a Bento or something. Or else just be quiet, hearing your voice is giving me a headache."
All Kamijou could do was hope that this trip would not be a long one. He just wanted some peace and quiet, but instead a bloodthirsty level 5 with a quick trigger finger kept making unexpected visits to his dorm. Some time passed before the young man decided to break the silence.
"So where is this apartment of yours?" Kamijou tried to sound interested, but it was almost impossible at this point.
"Here in district 7"
"Really? I wonder how we have never seen each other on the streets living this close to each other."
"You can't know that we have never met before. There is a good chance that you and I have crossed paths."
"You're right. Stopping to think about it is crazy. Isn't it strange to imagine that if we hadn't met in that mansion, I would have passed unnoticed by you in the crowd that day when we fought?"
"It's not strange. It's called the butterfly effect" She turned to him in that instant, as if to get his attention "You must know how it works"
"Yes. Small events eventually trigger big changes" Kamijou wouldn't call that event small, but it was small in the grand scheme of things. "If the theory of multiple universes is true, there is one that we have never met. I wonder if my life is more peaceful there...what am I talking about, of course it is" The boy felt a slight twinge in his ribs.
"Smartass" She said, using her elbow to punish the poor boy "My life in that alternate universe must be a paradise then"
"I hope my otherworldly self didn't make the same stupid decisions I did" His voice sounded mournful now.
Meltdowner at that instant thought of saying something like "Stop whining" but she found that she couldn't say that out loud. Instead she asked him something intriguing.
"I want to ask you something. What made you get involved in the darkness?" The girl's interest was obvious, considering that she leaned a little in his direction.
"I saved a girl once. And then I failed to save her soon after" He had his eyes on the street until then, but he turned to look at the girl "Since then I have made some decisions that might be considered... questionable"
"Do you regret making those decisions?"
"No" If it was to be judged by his firm tone of voice, even Kamijou didn't know he was lying.
"So they weren't stupid decisions"
Before Kamijou could digest those words, the car stopped in front of a luxury apartment building. Mugino opened the car door and tapped twice on the glass that separated the passengers from the driver.
"We're here" Mugino announced the obvious, getting out of the car.
"Do you have something I need to know about your group?"
"Like what? You want to know their favorite food so you can prepare something and please them?" Level 5 flashed a debauched smile at the corner of her lip.
"That's not what I had in mind, but I'll take anything"
"Well… I don't know, or don't care enough to know what Takitsubo and Kinuhata prefer, but Frenda's taste is so obvious it hurts. The girl refuses to eat practically anything other than canned mackerel."
"That doesn't sound very healthy"
"Maybe that's why she didn't grow up in some places" Mugino joked "Enough small talk, we better go inside, it's already getting dark"
The two of them took the elevator to the building, with Kamijou freaking out inside. He had been in a place like this before, but he still held his breath every time he was invited to such a fancy place. They crossed the floor corridor, with Mugino guiding him to her apartment. The girl used her identification key on the electronic lock, which opened with a beep. Kamijou had to use all his self-control to keep his eyes from widening at that instant.
"I'm back, finally" Level 5 announced her arrival, causing the girls to get up from the couch.
The first to turn her face toward the boy was Frenda. She was still using a crutch, but she forced herself to walk toward him. The boy was more concerned about how fancy that apartment was than paying attention to the girl who approached with an obvious effort on her face.
"Hi, Kamijou" The Blonde wasted no time and waved at him. She would probably strike a cute pose if she could "Basically, I'm glad Mugino didn't kill you before I could see you again"
"That sure is a strange greeting" Kamijou said, looking at Frenda as the other two approached him "Why would Mugino try to kill me? She seems like a nice and reasonable person" The boy looked in the direction of level 5 and smiled, making the girl roll her eyes so hard that they almost didn't return to their place.
"Basically, I wanted to thank you for saving me on that mission" The girl cracked a smile and handed his cell phone to him, who took it in confusion "Can you give me your number? I'll add you to my friends list"
"No need to thank me, I just did what I had to do" The boy thought for a moment before he started typing in his number. This was another girl who would be angry, considering Kamijou's inability to answer a phone.
Picking the phone back up, Frenda gave him a wink, pleased to have a new contact. She had to ask him about his birthday later. Another one for the collection in her secret Dianoid stash. Only one more thing was missing.
"Basically, I texted you, so now you have my number too"
"Really? Three girls now? What alternate universe am I in? And what is Miss Fortune up to for me? The boy lowered his head and held it steady with both hands.
Frenda, as well as the other girls who did not introduce themselves, were confused by this attitude. The level 0 boy needed at least a few seconds to recover from what looked like a panic attack. The next girl to greet him was Kinuhata, but she had a more interesting way of doing it.
"I super need to test something" Said the bob cut girl, looking at the boy with a twinkle in her eyes.
"Do you want to test something? What are you..."
His sentence was interrupted by a surprise blow delivered by the girl in the white sweater dress. Using her Offense Armor, she swung her fist towards the boy's face. Her ability was primarily used for defense, but she could control and concentrate the nitrogen in the air to increase her offensive potential. That little girl could lift even a car or knock down a wall if she wanted to.
"What the hell?" Kamijou almost screamed, completely confused by the sudden attack.
Using his right hand, he grabbed the girl's fist, completely canceling out the attack that would be fatal. What was wrong with the girls he kept meeting? If he kept this up, one of them would really end up killing him.
"That's super impossible" The level 4 brown haired girl's eyes widened at seeing her attack stopped so easily. She looked down at the very hand the boy had been holding for an instant.
The other girls were no less surprised than she was, either. Frenda and Mugino had already seen his power in action. They had already theorized that it was a defensive ability that seemed to activate when the boy raised that right hand. There was no way to know much more than that just by watching him use it. There were various types of spers skills, and some of them needed to use specific parts of the body to be activated. Some with telekinetic abilities, for example, needed to point in a direction with their index finger to focus their ability at that point. Other people just made a habit of it, like Mugino herself who used to raise one of her arms when activating her ability, when she is able to use it without having to do something like that. This was a problem in fights between espers, since you could never tell which category someone fit into.
"I don't understand why you attacked me, but that was kind of rude" The boy said, recovering quickly from his shock. He leaned a little toward Kinuhata and gave her a little nudge with his fingertips on the forehead, like an older brother disciplining an annoying little brother."I am Kamijou Touma. It's nice to meet you anyway" He offered a handshake, trying to make peace with the bob-cut girl.
The girl was almost recovered from the daze of having her attack stopped, but that little nudge made her even more confused. She was sure that this was his intention. Shaking her head to recompose herself, she squeezed the boy's right hand. The girl wanted to be sure of something, so she quickly activated her ability before shaking his hand.
"It looks like you are super tough. It's a pleasure to meet Mugino's 'friend'"
"Hey, why did you say that word with such intensity?" The boy asked, looking in Mugino's direction.
"She's just trying to tease you. She does it all the time, you better get used to it." replied level 5, crossing her arms.
Shrugging her shoulders, Kamijou looked in the direction of Takitsubo, who was looking at a place that could very well be the rift between the dimensions, considering how overhead she was.
"Hey, she's not conjuring a fireball or anything, is she?" Kamijou asked a little worried.
"What kind of question is that?" Mugino said, taking a moment to understand where the boy was coming from. "Her esper power has no offensive capabilities, if that's what you're worried about. And even if it did, I doubt she would use you as a training dummy. Kinuhata is just a little eccentric, and she only did that because she knew you have a defensive esper ability. She must have held back too, right Kinuhata?"
The girl in question jumped in place. She shook her head positively.
"Yes, I was super holding back" her tone of voice was not convincing, and Mugino noticed.
"Anyway" Meltdowner said after a sigh "Takitsubo, that's Kamijou Touma. Kamijou, this is Takitsubo Rikou"
"Nice to meet you, Takitsubo-san" He again offered a handshake, this time to the lethargic girl.
"Nice to meet you" The girl came out of her 'suspension mode' and shook the boy's hand "Huh?" The inexpressive girl's reaction caught the attention of Mugino, who narrowed her eyes in that instant "The Noise is gone" the girl said this almost inaudibly.
"Did you say something, Takitsubo-san?" Kamijou leaned a little toward the girl, releasing her hand.
"No, nothing" she denied with her head to firm up her point.
Watching the two exchange, Level 5 put a hand to her chin. The way Takitsubo reacted when Kamijou touched her hand was strange to say the least. That had been the most Mugino had seen her classmate express herself. 'Expression' was still too strong a word for what she displayed, but it was enough to make the girl suspicious. She preferred to put that aside for now, but at another opportunity she would question the inexpressive girl. Clapping her hands twice to draw attention to herself, Meltdowner broke the silence.
"Well... no more introductions. Kamijou will be with us on some missions from now on, so you better get along. No pointless surprise attacks" She cast a sharp look in Kinuhata's direction, who swallowed dryly "Do you have anything to say to them Kamijou?"
"Nothing in particular" He took another look around the luxurious apartment and then had an idea "Are any of you hungry?"
"That again?" Mugino replied immediately, knowing what the boy was thinking.
"I told you I would cook for you as an apology, and that is what I will do"
"That's a shit-ton of confidence you have there, but that doesn't change the fact that nobody here is interested in any crap you can cook up"
"Basically, a home-cooked meal would be great" Frenda was overly excited about the whole thing.
"Shut up, Frenda" She didn't even look at the girl "You're not going to cook for anyone, just accept it"
"Really? Are you sure you don't want to try one of my vacuum-packed salmon recipes? Do you have a sous vide here? I promise you won't regret it, bad girl"
"First, no. I'd rather eat a Bento, at least I know it'll be decent. Second, I told you to stop using that fucking nickname"
"If you let me cook, I'll stop calling you that for... 3 days" Spoke the boy, putting his hands together. Level 5 looked thoughtful about his proposal.
"One month"
"One week"
"Two weeks"
"We have a deal" He held out his right hand to her "But if you like my food, I can ignore my part of the deal" The boy smiled smugly.
"Whatever" The girl shook his hand without a second thought "You know I can just lie right? Although I'm sure I won't have to" She also smiled debauchedly "Frenda, show him the kitchen"
"You can leave it to me. Basically, follow me."
Guiding the boy through the fancy apartment, Frenda couldn't find a way to start a conversation. She found it strange that Mugino chose her over Kinuhata, considering the blonde's condition.
"How's the leg?" The boy asked.
"Better than it looks. Basically, A few more days and I'll be able to walk without the help of crutches."
"I'm sorry I didn't get there before she hurt you. I should have come straight to you" Kamijou sounded regretful, lowering his head and looking at the floor.
"What are you talking about? Basically, if you hadn't come along I'd be an ice cube. It's a shame that she aimed right at one of my beautiful legs, but it's better than having your brain turned into ice cream." The girl looked at him more intensely and smiled a little at the corner of her lips. "Basically, my favorite part was when you punched her in the stomach. The bitch almost went down in one blow. You even teased her afterwards. I also almost licked my lips when I saw the angry expression on her face"
"You make it sound like I was putting on a show instead of fighting to death"
"Basically, why not both?" She smiled and stopped at the entrance to one of the rooms "This is our kitchen. No one here is exactly a cook, so if you need help it's best not to ask."
"Really?" The boy glanced around the modern kitchen, much larger than the one he had in his dorm room. He picked up one of the knives stored in the wooden stand on the countertop "This is going to take a long time if I do it all myself. You, at least, must be good with knives, right?"
"Basically, if you need me to cut meat, I am the ideal person" She smiled at her own attempt at a joke.
"I was thinking vegetables" He turned the knife handle toward the blonde "You can sit near the countertop since you are injured, I will pass you the ingredients and all you need to do is slice them. Sound easy enough?"
"Basically, I don't mind helping you, but like I said I'm not exactly a cook"
"Every little bit helps counts" He started opening the drawers and cabinet doors, getting used to that giant kitchen "I'm feeling inspired today" He smiled mischievously.
xxxx-xxxx
"Takitsubo, I need you to get out of your imaginary world and back to earth" Mugino said, sitting down next to the inexpressive girl on the couch in the living room "They've been there for almost two hours now, so I better quench some of my curiosity before my hunger"
"What are you talking about?" Aim Stalker sounded a little groggy.
"Were you paying attention when Kinuhata tried to hit him?"
"Unfortunately not"
"Damn" Meltdowner bit her thumbnail "So what was that about 'Noise going away'?"
Before answering, the girl sank down onto the sofa and looked up at the ceiling. Her eyes were fixed on a single point until she finally decided to look in the direction of level 5. She didn't speak immediately, she still seemed to be choosing her words, or she wasn't sure how to explain what she had felt.
"When I shook his hand I felt as if my AIM field was being destroyed"
"Destroyed? Not dispersed or something?"
"It was weird, I can't really explain it. It's not like he was suppressing my entire AIM diffusion field, it really felt as if what he touched was erased forever. At that moment, my ability stopped working as well. I feel like if I had concentrated more maybe I could still use it, but the effort wouldn't be worth it."
"hmm... so that's what he did at that time?"
"Are you talking about your fight?"
"Yes, when he held my wrists, it was as if something was interfering with my calculations. Is that some kind of secondary use of his ability?" Mugino was lost in thought in that instant.
"That day at the mall, didn't you ask him to explain his ability?"
"I didn't have time. And even if I had, considering how vague and evasive he was being, I don't think even he knows for sure how his ability works" Meltdowner shook her head negatively. She had believed parts of the boy's story, but it was impossible not to be skeptical about the whole thing "He said he was born with his powers, but he also seems pretty sure he's not a gemstone"
"That... doesn't make sense" Takitsubo added, becoming thoughtful, although her expression was the same.
"I know it doesn't. According to him, System Scan can't detect his ability. Which is complete nonsense. In the Academy City database, he is officially a level 0. There are cases of level 0s with powers, but besides being extremely rare, they have no control over their ability, and those abilities are nowhere near as powerful as his. He is an anomaly, an exception among exceptions"
"I wonder, how does he perform his calculations? It takes a deep knowledge of a skill to be able to use it in a way that is almost instinctive."
"I know what you are getting at. Usually espers train so much that much of our calculations can be performed almost in the 'background'. However, if he was considered a level 0 from the first System Scan, then how did he train his skill?"
"Maybe the fact that he was born with powers helped with that?"
"Mybe… that makes sense"
At that instant, sounds of a crutch hitting the floor were heard. Frenda was responsible for the interruption, obviously. The two girls lost in thought turned their faces toward the blonde who seemed happy for some reason. Kinuhata, who was busy reading a magazine, also noticed the smile on the girl's face.
"Dinner is served" Announced the girl, in an almost singing voice.
"It's about time. I'm super hungry" Kinuhata threw her magazine aside and got up from the couch.
The four girls then made their way to the dining room. Kamijou Touma was finishing placing the plates on the table with a neutral expression on his face, almost as if he wanted to hide something.
"Welcome to my bistro, young ladies" The boy bowed exaggeratedly, while keeping his expression neutral "This way please"
"And there he goes again, you are not funny Kamijou, deal with it" Mugino went towards the table being followed by the three girls "What do we have here? The presentation is not the best, so you already lost points for that"
"Ok, Miss Culinary Critic, you got me" The boy shrugged as he joined the table. His seat was right next to Mugino, who was to his right, with Frenda to his left "I confess that usually I just put the food on the plate without worrying about appearances, forgive this clumsy Kamijou-san"
"You are forgiven" Mugino said, mocking the efforts of the poor level 0 boy "Frenda's dish looks different from the others" Noticed the level 5, Making Frenda smile once again.
"I made a modification when I remembered the tips from a certain level 5 I know" This time he finally got out of his neutral expression and put one of his silly smiles on his face "As you can see, tonight's dish is oven baked salmon, with passion fruit sauce and leek rice and vegetables as side dishes"
"Passion fruit? A bit exotic, don't you think? I didn't even know I had it in the fridge" Mugino commented, preparing the first bite.
"She's super right, but I'm starving, so I don't give a damn" Kinuhata also prepared to start her meal.
"I will still support you, Kamijou" Takitsubo said in her usual tone.
"Well, let's see how that thing tastes like. I hope it's not as horrible as it looks" Mugino said this while poking at the food with little interest.
The first person to taste the dish was Mugino. The other girls just waited for their boss to say that it was safe to eat. You never know how horrible someone can be in the kitchen, do you?
"Huh?" As she brought the fork to her mouth, Mugino suddenly froze.
The girls looked at each other for a moment, not really understanding what this reaction meant. For a moment they thought that Kamijou had put poison in their food, but that thought soon left them when Mugino took another bite.
"What the fuck is that?" Level 5 didn't even bother to finish chewing. She looked in Kamijou's direction with a strange expression on her face. Meltdowner took another bite before continuing "This is a joke, isn't it? There's no way in hell that you're the one who cooked that."
As she said this the girl forgot about the rest of the world for the moment. She began to take quick gulps and chew in a rather inelegant manner. It was almost as if she thought the food would sprout wings and fly away if she didn't finish soon. The other girls just stared in silence, still suspicious.
"Don't you think you're eating too fast? Remember to chew a little more before you swallow, bad girl" His smile grew with each gulp from the girl.
"I thought we had a deal" She said, not knowing whether to complain or keep eating.
"Well, I thought the agreement included something like 'in case I like the food I won't complain about being called whatever he wants'"
"Smartass. The deal wasn't exactly like that." She stopped eating so she could look him in the eye "Besides, aren't you a little too smug? Your food is just a little above average, that's all."
"Ohooo..."
The smile on the boy's face was now almost evil, almost like a villain in a spy movie about to tell his plan of world domination to the protagonist of the story.
"Aren't you forgetting something, Mugino-chan?"
"You better go remove that honorific from my name if you don't want me to kill you"
"Before you kill me, at least try the dish the way it was designed" Kamijou said simply, pointing to a small container next to Mugino's plate "Are you going to say you hadn't noticed?"
"Of course I had noticed" The girl picked up the small container which had something like small reddish orange balls and a slimy liquid inside "Are those fish eggs?"
"Correct, they were seasoned with a mix of herbs and a little yogurt. Try spreading it over the salmon and then mashing them with your fork."
The girl was skeptical about what she heard but decided to follow the boy's instructions. She carefully spread some of the contents of the transparent container and used the fork to crush the small balls. They were very firm, almost artificial, they didn't even look exactly like fish eggs. The liquid was spread on the surface of the fish, which gave off a somewhat strong aroma. Level 5 ignored this smell and brought her fork to her mouth. And then she witnessed the impossible.
"That... can't be real" Mugino froze for the second time in a row
Level 5 almost teared up at that instant. She spread the rest of the contents over what was left of her dish, and then began to devour it as if she were being threatened with death. She stopped for just a moment to let the soft flesh of the salmon melt over her tongue as she closed her eyes. It was an explosion of flavors. The passion fruit sauce tasted citrusy, a little bittersweet when mixed with the fish eggs. Even though it contrasted with the softness of the salmon, the two together were like a couple that at first glance seemed out of place, but if you stopped and examined them carefully, you would instantly realize how well they matched.
"Frenda, you were laughing before we came here" She said it between bites, her voice lacked its usual firmness "You two have been playing a trick haven't you? I bet you ordered our dinner at a restaurant and some teleporting waiter delivered it while we were waiting." Mugino obviously refused to stop eating as she spoke. It seemed that someone had made her forget her table manners.
"Mugino-chan, now you are in denial" Kamijou pointed out, crossing his arms smugly.
"There is no way I can believe that this 5 Michelin star restaurant dish was made by a high school boy" She even forgot to complain about the way the boy was calling her this time
"Wait, doesn't that rating only go up to 3 stars?" The confused boy asked.
"It must be because they haven't tasted this yet" Said the girl, already almost finished devouring the rest of the food "Did you use this inexplicable power of yours to season this?"
"What? Are you listening to yourself? It doesn't even make sense"
The rest of the ITEM girls even forgot their own plates as they watched this scene more confusing than quantum theory. They seemed willing to try this strange dish now that their boss had approved.
"Is that so super good?"
"Basically, I kind of already know the answer"
"I will still root for you, Kamijou"
Three simultaneous bites were taken, and three more people were sent to the gastronomic paradise. Kinuhata and Frenda smiled as they tasted the divine nectar that was offered to them, but before they could make a flurry of well-deserved compliments, something strange was happening.
"The soft texture of the filet, the crispy crust, the acidity of the passion fruit..." Takitsubo for some reason started talking like an ad in a TV commercial "All this comes together and explodes in the mouth causing a numbing sensation that..." The girl was starting to talk so fast you could barely interpret what she was saying.
"Does she usually talk this much and this fast?" Kamijou asked, a little concerned about the unintelligible mumblings the girl was speaking at this moment
"Not really" Mugino replied, licking her fingertips " She usually only speaks when necessary. I didn't even know she had the ability to change her tone of voice while speaking"
"Hey, why are you licking your fingertips? Weren't you using the fork a second ago?"
"Les œufs de poisson lui confèrent également une saveur incomparable..." Takitsubo had not yet stopped talking.
"Wait, is that French?" Pointed Mugino "Why the hell did she switch languages?"
"Basically, I think Kamijou broke her" Frenda said, however more concerned about her meal than the girl who was embarrassing professional rappers.
"I agree, she's super broken" Kinuhata also didn't seem to care about the girl about to start speaking in the language of angels.
"Ignore her" Mugino said, with a somewhat satisfied tone of voice "In a little while she'll be back in her 'suspension mode'. So, what do we have for dessert?"
"Dessert? But we haven't finished eating yet. Actually I haven't even started," Kamijou protested.
"Speaking of which, you don't look hungry" Level 5 turned her eyes toward the boy's dish with a predatory look
"I'm hungry, I just wanted to see your reaction first" The boy stood up from the table "I'll get dessert" He took another glance in the direction of level 5, who still kept her eyes on the boy's plate "Eat my dinner and I'll never cook for you again"
"Gee, that's a low blow" Meltdowner straightened up on the table and stopped looking in the direction of the boy's dinner plate.
A little over two minutes later, Kamijou returned with a cylindrical aluminum container and five glass cups. He placed one glass in front of each of the girls and then one next to his plate.
"So, what do we have here?" Mugino asked, somewhat excitedly
"Strawberry sorbetto" replied the boy "I thought, I was too bold in the main course, so I'll go with something simpler for dessert" He used an ice cream scoop to serve Mugino first.
"Basically, that's ice cream right?" Asked the blonde, already almost finished with her meal
"Not quite" Kamijou replied immediately "The main difference of ice cream to sorbet or sorbetto, for Italians, is that the former uses milk in its preparation"
"Looks like a worse version of ice cream then" Meltdowner spoke, bringing the spoonful to her mouth "Oh my god..." She closed her eyes, probably trying to keep her eyes from moistening "Kamijou, why do you keep doing this to me? Are you trying to ruin all the next meals I'm going to have from now on?" The girl completely lost her class as she enjoyed her dessert like a child eating cotton candy.
"Basically, I need to prove it too"
Frenda extended her hand toward the aluminum cylinder, but it was intercepted by a slap from Mugino. Without giving any explanation, the tea-colored girl dragged the container close to her.
"Mugino. Basically, what are you doing? You have enough for all of us" The blonde tried to pick up the aluminum container again, but Level 5 sent her an intimidating look.
"Try stealing my ice cream again and I'll eat your hand too" Meltdowner was a bit possessive at times "You, Kamijou Touma, I demand an explanation" She tried to sound intimidating, but it was a bit difficult when her mouth was tinged with pink "How can you be so good in the kitchen? Do you go to a maid school or something?"
"Eh?" The boy felt a little uncomfortable when he heard that "Well... like I told you before, I live alone so I usually cook every day" His tone of voice changed a little at the end "There's one more thing too"
Upon hearing these words, Mugino leaned slightly toward him. The other girls, who had finished their meal and were now being tortured as Mugino monopolized the dessert, looked at him expectantly.
"A few months ago, I met a girl who studies at the Ryoran school for maids. She came out of nowhere and called me to a cooking duel. According to her, a friend of mine who studies at the same school told her that I had potential. I didn't want to accept the duel, but the girl acted so arrogantly that it made me want to wipe that smug smile off her face. It didn't help that she seemed to be quite rich"
"So you super taught her a lesson?" Kinuhata asked, trying to take advantage of her boss's interest in the story to get some dessert.
"She actually destroyed me"The boy shrugged as he said it, "I have never felt so humiliated in my entire life. I didn't even come close to winning, and I don't even think she was taking me seriously. My maid friend cried when I was defeated, and those tears lit a fire inside me. That day, I promised my friend that I would become so strong that I would never lose to anyone else. But this strength would not come from a talent given to me when I was born, I would strive every day to be able to fight on equal terms against that arrogant maid. I wonder when I will be good enough to face her.
"Wait" Mugino suddenly stopped eating upon hearing that "Are you telling me that this maid is still better than you? Who is this girl? The fucking cooking goddess?"
"It doesn't matter to me. Goddess or not, she's going down." The boy seemed to have a frightening aura around him at that moment. "Anyway, that subject aside, I'd better finish eating, it's getting late and I still have to go back to my dorm.
The boy with the spiky hair began to eat in a hurried manner. The ITEM girls started fighting over dessert, taking advantage of the distraction of their boss.
"You can sleep here if you want" Mugino suggested, in a casual manner "There is a spare room if you are interested"
"I don't think it's a good idea"
"Why not? You are part of ITEM now, even unofficially. It would be more practical if you moved here. If I have to call you every time we get a mission, I won't last a month before I go crazy"
"Wait, I thought you were talking about sleeping here one night, why has this evolved so quickly? I can't just leave my dorm and move in here out of the blue"
"I'm sure we can work something out. I mean, you don't have to leave your dorm, not officially"
"That sounds like a lot of work" Kamijou didn't sound very convinced "Besides, having to share an apartment with girls is going to be a little weird, don't you think?"
"I'm super fine with it" Kinuhata decided to give her opinion, as he took a spoonful of the dessert right into the aluminum container
"Basically, I agree with Kinuhata" Frenda was also more interested in Sorbetto than the conversation itself.
"What about you Takitsubo, is that okay with you?" Mugino looked at the inexpressive girl, who was in orbit at that moment "Takitsubo?"
"I think I saw the heaven" Answered the girl in her usual monotone.
"I'll take that as a yes" Mugino turned back to her dessert, realizing now that it had been stolen "Kiiiinuhaaaaataaa"
"That was super worth it" The bob cut girl said, moving away from the dining table as fast as she could.
Kamijou had one more difficult choice to make. This sure had been a crazy week, but at least he still got to enjoy moments like this. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have roommates after all. Something was telling him that they would ask him to cook every day from now on. It wasn't such a bad thought.
xxxx-xxxx
In another luxury apartment, in another part of the academic city, 4 people were gathered together. One of these people was a dirty blond boy with a vulgar sense of style. He looked through the window of the building and spoke to his teammate, a girl in a fancy dress, without even looking back.
"So the target was 'executed'?" The boy asked, with his hands in his pockets. "How did that happen so fast?"
"I can't say for sure" Replied the blonde girl, shaking her head negatively "Kakine, do you think 'he' might be behind this?"
"I'm inclined to believe so" Number 2 looked thoughtful for a moment "You still haven't explained to me properly what distracted you at that moment"
The girl in the dress looked uncomfortable when she heard those words. She swallowed hard before answering.
"I saw a member of ITEM at that moment. Seeing a person from a group on the dark side distracted me. I focused too much on her and ended up losing sight of the target" Gokusai tried to make his tone as neutral as possible when saying those half-truths.
"And who was the member?" This time, Kakine decided to turn around to assess the expression on the girl's face.
"The number 4, Mugino Shizuri," Her response was quick, which made Kakine narrow his eyes.
"Another level 5 is it?" He cracked a smile at that instant "I wonder how well she does against my Dark Matter"
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Hey, welcome to the end of chapter notes. This was a little longer than usual (more than a little actually). I tried to shed a little light on this world of darkness that Kamijou is entering even more, so this chapter has a fair amount of comedy. I confess that this is not my strong suit, but that's okay because this is not the kind of fic I am trying to write. The next chapter is not planned to be as long as this one, so I should finish it soon... if my lazy ass finishes rereading the novel I started. Let's go to the reviews:
zatchbell511: Touma is indeed a complex character. A motivated Kamijou is a difficult opponent to deal with. Thanks
Emiyasatou: Thanks for the compliments and the concern.
This chess match doesn't have a winner yet, but Kamijou has the advantage. There is still a lot ahead.
Elementalgaming30:Glad you liked it. Nothing like a good plot twist to keep the reader's interest.
DJAA: We are still a bit far from canon. I have left some hints so that you can know exactly at what point in the timeline this happens. We can never have enough of Mugino X Touma
Kai: Shizuri gives off a Onee-san vibe, doesn't she? Since this is Touma before his memory loss, he is much more snarky and cheeky, especially with rich girls. In OT1 he makes fun of Mikoto every time she shows up, even after she attacks him for two hours straight he still makes disrespectful comments just for the fun of it.
Xellos540: Hello, I sent you a curve ball, didn't I? I like to play with this thing where Mugino doesn't believe he's a level 0 and he's just pretending or something. Like Mikoto in GT1 where Touma says he did well for a level 0 and she replies 'A Level 0? Don't give me that crap' . Kaibi is going to be a relatively important character in this arc, the reason Kamijou calls her by the given name is a lot simpler than it sounds. Can this kind of be considered a double twist? Kamijou Touma is Kamijou Touma after all . Thanks again so much for the detailed comments.
I think passion fruit fits well for a first experience, don't you think? They say it has a calming effect as well. We also had Kamijou using his ultimate attack "Artificial fish eggs". It was super effective. Coronzon approves. This chapter was long, so it was a lot of work to revise. I hope I didn't miss too many mistakes. For now that's all I have. Nio leaving.
