Still not dead.

My deepest apologies for taking so long with this chapter – things are still very crazy with me and because of that, I haven't been able to be as active on this as I otherwise would have liked. However, I did update so I guess that says something?

Like I mentioned last time, I can't make any promises when it comes to future updates. The only thing that I can say is that instead of keeping on doing double updates, I think I'll probably post a new chapter whenever the chapter I have in draft is done. Given that I still have a lot of backlog and I like to be ahead, that just means that you'll be seeing how long it takes for me to write a chapter (I have no idea how many of you are that interested though). Whatever the case, I'll try and keep the chapters coming: I haven't given up on this story just yet and I don't intend to, haha.

But here we are! Another new day and another chapter!

I hope all of you have been looking forward to this one and that it ends up meeting expectations. Whatever the case though, the only thing we can do to test that theory is make sure the chapter comes your way fast.

So, without further ado, as always, the Q & A:

Mitsuki Sakata: Thanks so much for reading despite the long wait. I hope it was worth it. I'm glad that you like what I'm doing with Phi and Touma; I hope that it continues to please you going forward! You shall see what happens with Phi…

Cyber dragonarmy: Yeah, I totally agree with you there with the waiting; you can completely forget what happens… I think, whenever a character reappears, I try and give a small 'recap' because of how long chapters are and how long the wait is…

ShadowBloodedge9396: Okaeri! You shall see when Uiharu faces her judgment… I hope you can look forward to developments with Phi though and what happens with her; things are going to get nuts from what I'm planning…! I think Mikoto is facing the consequences of her actions…although she is definitely worthy of some pity as this is a situation partly of her making.

onilink500: Sí, puedes ver cómo Phi actúa como apoyo de Touma aquí, ¿verdad? Sí, si terminas intentando matar a Touma, de alguna manera terminarás en su círculo cercano de amigos, ¿verdad? Creo que Alice todavía está viva… ¡de alguna manera! Pero sí, desprenden una vibra de padre e hija, ¿verdad?

craytherlay: I won't say anything on Phi… I disagree that Index and Othinus not finding out about his PTSD is good luck; in a way, without having those closest to him know about it and walk him through it, Touma is preventing himself from getting the best help there is. But then again, with what I have planned for his PTSD; you'll see why them not knowing is definitely the worst. Nah, you gotta think stranger than CLASS… But let's see what happens with the organisation structure, shall we?

whwsms: I think you're definitely right though; Touma should not be dealing with his pain alone…

5queso: You'll have to see where things head with Phi and Mikoto from here on! Sorry about the wait though; you'll have to see where things head from here with slower updates unfortunately… Everyone who reads Index and watches Touma suffering is technically a Touma sadist: his life isn't getting better so what do they expect?!

Purifies Miracles: Holy shit… Someone who played AI as well!? You're literally God's gift on Earth! I prefer Phi's look from VLR than ZTD personally so I have no idea why they changed her so drastically for the third instalment? But yeah, Touma has it really rough… I think the balance of OCs and known characters is important but I'll do my best not to make them overshadow each other.

xellos540: Oh, a four man cell with Touma, Mikoto, Accelerator and Hamazura would beat EVERYONE. Oh no, don't tempt me with that situation with Phi… Why did you spoil yourself like that!?

KingJGamer: Hahahaha; it's a somewhat good idea but the plot for the Othinus arc is basically all written out already… I just have to get started with the drafting.

Nicko2545: Thanks so much!

WwEpsilonwW: Everything has gone to shit in this story… But this is Index, so of course there is a light at the end of the tunnel! A looooooooong tunnel.

superboy813: Thanks so much for your kind words: the earlier chapters are very rough with the grammar, I have to admit… But hopefully you get here an enjoyed yourself!

And also, the thanks to you, the reader. After all, without you, there would be just words on a page without an audience. Having you here means the world and I just hope you realise the worth you have.

Whatever the case, let's get this show on the road! I just hope that with this chapter, you end up doing what you always do:

Enjoy.

Mr Question Mark.


It was strange, but whenever Kamijou Touma went to meet Yume, the beautiful scientist who knew of his PTSD and was helping him overcome it and his desensitisation to his own death, he always found himself running.

Why he always ended up doing so, not even he knew but from the depths of his memory he recalled only running to meet that woman.

Of the times where he had gone to meet her and was not bedridden, he had run. The first time had been last night when he had gone to her office to have a late night counselling session. In order to focus his mind and not be overcome with the desire to run away from dealing with the issues plaguing him right now, Kamijou had run to her office to make himself focus on the goal of running and not really what lay beyond.

What he was doing now though was the complete opposite.

Here, it was Yume who was the goal.

He had spoken to her earlier in the day, where he as well as Index, Othinus, Shutaura Sequenzia, Hayashida Mari, Misaka Mikoto and Shokuhou Misaki had been briefed on four projects created and run by Kihara Kamui for the underground war between Magic and Science. While the horrifying nature of those projects had made Kamijou want to discard everything about Kamui as a joke, there was one reality that made itself known out of everything else.

And that was Kamui could not merely be ignored.

He was a threat not only to the people who got in his way but the entirety of Academy City as well. With his mindset and how he did not mind or care who got in his way, the things he was willing to do to others for the sake of his goal were beyond reprieve and sickening.

He had even managed to implant nanomachines within Kamijou's own brain for the ZERO_Over Modelcase_"IMAGINE_BREAKER" to read his thoughts and extract the calculations needed for Imagine Breaker. While that was a failed project from the start given Kamijou did not need to calculate anything for Imagine Breaker to work as it was a passive ability, the fact Kamui had gone that far suggested how far he was willing to go for the sake of his own goals.

The discussion that had happened earlier today had resulted in one obvious conclusion being reached.

Something had to be done about Kihara Kamui.

However, while the children at the table had said they were willing and able to do something, the pride of the only adult there (even if she was only 26) had dictated she would not allow those children to step any further into that world when they did not have to. Yume knew she would not be able to prevent those children from fighting against Kamui but if there was something she could do to prevent them from being thrown into harm's way, then she was more than willing to do that for them.

The kindness of the adults around Kamijou made him once more look up to those older people who surrounded him and were filled with much more life experience than him. As a high school boy, the gap between him and the adults around him (except maybe Komoe-sensei) was so large it felt like it would never be crossed.

It was that kindness which had led Yume to say she would prevent those children from being put into the fight more than they had to and that kindness which had meant she was going to organise with the other adults something to deal with Kamui.

Not only that though but Yume herself wanted to have a personal talk with Kamijou.

Being the only one to know of his PTSD (outside of Phi but that was another issue altogether), Yume was also the only one to know his brain was infected with tiny nanomachines that had the maliciousness of Kihara Kamui behind them.

It had been completely unintentional but the Tetris Nanomachines (Kamijou still smiled whenever he referred to them as such) that had allowed Kamijou's left arm to be returned to him when it had been amputated by Kamui, by assimilating and becoming the bone, muscle, flesh and blood that had been lost, had also contained the ZERO_Over nanomachines. As Kamijou could move his left arm freely as if there was nothing wrong, some of the Tetris Nanomachines had connected with his brain to feel things like pain and achieve complex movements, but in the process, the ZERO_Over nanomachines had done the same.

As the one who had stated she would protect Kamijou from Kamui, for the things Yume had said to completely backfire and be spat back at her, she was surely taking it harder than Kamijou was. For that boy, while Yume had suggested the Tetris Nanomachines allowing him his left arm back, the one who had made the final choice was Kamijou and no one else. Whatever happened afterwards was a consequence of a choice he had made and no one had forced him into so this was merely a consequence he had to accept.

Kamijou was also partly happy that he had been singled out by Kamui though. After all, if he was the only one selected and the only one who had to suffer, then no one else had to.

However, it was that line of thinking, where Kamijou felt nothing at his own suffering, at his own death even, that was part of the mental problem Kamijou had. If he saw no value in his own life and was willing to unconditionally place it on the chopping block every single time, then Kamijou ran the risk of, some time in the future, doing something that would mean he would lose something he could never afford to lose.

While that was something Yume was working with Kamijou to try and solve by making him realise what he would lose if he made that decision, the fact Kamijou had yet to realise what he had to lose fully just went to show his mentality and mental problems were ones that had to be dealt with slowly.

The desire of Yume to solve those problems of Kamijou's, even if he did not realise how little how thought of himself, her guilt at being the one to lead to the ZERO_Over Nanomachines being implanted within Kamijou's mind and also her having the lead role in telling Anti-Skill and Judgment about Kamui so they could deal with him along with everyone else had all accumulated into her desire to talk with Kamijou about a number of things.

Kamijou had last seen Yume when she had told everyone else about the problem with Kamui in Academy City and said she needed some time to figure things out and talk about things to the adults of the City. Not only that, but upon learning Imagine Breaker did not function on calculations unlike all other espers with their Personal Reality, Yume had had her foundation and assumptions of esper powers and the Science side shattered, leaving the woman scientist with much to ponder on top of the issues she already had.

But now she had contacted him, he knew she had kept her word.

While he did not know what she thought or had processed when it came to his ability and how it did not function like everyone else's, what he did know was that the only reason she would have called him was because she had managed to do as she had promised.

In other words, the Science side now knew of Kihara Kamui and was assembling a task force to fight him.

They were finally going to do something about the Science side in this underground war.

They finally had a foothold in dealing with one side of this madness in Academy City.

Kamijou ran towards Yume's designated location, although was unsure about why exactly he was in such a rush. Yume would be there whether he ran there or not and the things they had to discuss would not just disappear from her mind. Even though that was the case, Kamijou still ran towards their meeting place, Seventh Mist, as fast as he could.

No, when he thought about it, there was a reason he wanted to see her as soon as possible.

When all was said and done, no matter how many times Yume had stumbled, she did not let the things that happened to her take control. When she had seen the horrible things Kamui could do to a human being, she had tried to make sure she could rise above it and even beat Kamui at his own game, by using Science.

He would try and break their minds? Then Yume would try and heal them with her words and with Science.

Kamui would try and poison the fields of Science with his teachings and the way he did things? Then Yume would counter that and enter the same field, focusing on healing and doing good with Science.

Kamui would try and poison Kamijou and make him give up on the world? Then Yume would be there to console and heal him using the same methods Kamui was going to use to try and break him.

No matter where Kamui was or what he did, whether she was brought in after the fact or not, Yume was there to be the counter to whatever Kamui had planned. This was yet another example of that and from the bottom of his heart, Kamijou felt that in her own way, Yume had saved him.

By showing him there were kind people in the world who wanted to make sure Kamui did not trample on the lives of others and also people who thought of others, Yume had given him hope. While that was something easily found, to the boy who was dealing with not only the physical side of this war but also the mental effects of a war no one knew about, that in itself felt like salvation to his troubled mind.

Yume, just by caring and just by being who she was even though the world as she knew it was falling around her, had still held out her hand to someone like Kamijou and was working towards saving him. The small and mere kindness shown in that was more than Kamijou ever wanted to ask for. It allowed him to know that his decision to save people was one he would never turn his back on.

If there were people like Yume in the world, then he regretted nothing. Not for a single moment.

Then again though, the reason why he was running to meet her might have had to do with the fragile state of a high school boy's heart and how Yume was perfectly within his strike zone. After being devoid and not having enough interactions with dorm manager like onee-sans after everything he went through, it was entirely possible Kamijou's attachment to her was his own heart screaming for help given its sexual frustration.

Never underestimate the inner workings of adolescence.

Debating whether it was his own perverted soul which wanted to see Yume again or because he genuinely wanted to see her because she was a good person who was also helping him, Kamijou decided thinking too much into it was not a good idea. Yes, it was not a good idea to think too hard about it! Especially when it was possible that despite being the type of person who was a dorm manager, Yume also had a rather childish side to her!

(N-No! There are only pure thoughts within my head! Pure! It has nothing to do with Yume-sensei wearing a skirt too short for her as she desperately tries to pull it down with slight tears in her eyes while wearing glasses and a garter belt too! It has nothing to do with that!)

Again, things were getting rather specific, but that was the heart of a high schooler for you. It was not something you could underestimate, especially when you were so pent up as Kamijou.

Still, wanting to avoid the issue entirely of looking into his heart and trying to determine the real reason why he wanted to see Yume-sensei so badly, Kamijou finally made it to the intersection where Seventh Mist was. Given the day of the week, the students who were normally doing their studies were making their way with their friends along the sides of the streets, making it more crowded than it usually was. The crowd and the flood of people moving on the streets made Kamijou realise how densely populated Academy City was, especially District 7, which made it hard to move.

But even then, Kamijou knew exactly where to look to find the person he was looking for.

Kamijou had been told by an Anti-Skill officer friends of hers, Tsutsumi Yukiji, that more than once, the natural feelings to protect Yume that arose within someone because of her beauty were ones that others took and held within their heart fiercely. As a result, whether the woman was aware of it or not and despite how ridiculous it seemed, the number of people who had fallen for her had risen to the extent where you would be correct in thinking that she did indeed have a 'reverse harem'.

Not only her looks but also her personality as well, Kamijou realised how one could easily begin to fall in love with her, especially if you spent time with her. But while her personality was something you discovered by spending more time with her, the natural appeal and magnetic looks she had would have made others flock to her naturally.

Kamijou didn't need to look for Yume.

He just needed to look to where everyone had seemingly gathered when it came to Seventh Mist.

Being Japanese they were polite enough not to stare, but there was one place in particular around Seventh Mist where people were slowing down, as if they were moving slowly to catch a glimpse of something before hurrying along after they saw it. Spotting the one place around Seventh Mist where the greatest congregation of people was, Kamijou made his way there, moving through the crowd and finally managing to see what everyone else was looking at.

And whether he wanted to or not, that high school boy could not help himself but stare at the person leaning against the wall of the department store, waiting for him.

Yume, as beautiful as ever, seemed as oblivious as ever when it came to the attention she was attracting. She didn't seem to notice it at all, her eyes closed and her head drifting back and forth as she leaned against the wall of the department store. She looked as though she was sleeping and with everything that had happened to her, what she had to do and had to process, Kamijou did not blame her.

But at the same time, seeing the form of Yume with her eyes closed was captivating.

The lab coat she wore made her own white skin shine. The way her head nodded about made her long black hair bob around a bit. The defenceless nature of her as she stood with her eyes closed made her alluring form stand out even more; the legs that were contained within black stockings and the large breasts that budded out of the buttoned up lab coat. It didn't help that Yume wore a black and white business suit underneath her lab coat as the necktie she wore went in between her breasts and seemed to accent them even more.

Kamijou didn't know whether it was his own personal taste talking or just that she was really that captivating; he found himself staring at her for a moment before shaking his head. He was here for a reason and it was not to stare at this woman as she leaned defenceless against the wall! Even the small being that represented his inner adolescence told him he should let sleeping dogs lie and just be content staring at her!

"Yume-sensei."

Kamijou called out to her, heads turning his way as they realised someone was talking to her. Like her name suggested, it felt like she was more a dream than a real person so the name oddly fitted her. Still, the fact that someone was stepping on that and destroying that 'dream' was enough to make others stare at Kamijou with some malice, although whether that was out of jealousy or because he was destroying something sacred in the resting form of Yume, Kamijou did not really want to bother and find out.

Approaching the woman and feeling the stares against him increase in their sharpness, Kamijou called out the scientist once more.

"Yume-sensei!"

There was a flinch and the bobbing head suddenly rose up. Yume's eyes seemed to barely register the world in front of her as they slowly opened, one at a time. It was with a groggy face that she looked at the person standing in front of her. Neither party realised the moment she had opened her blue eyes that some of the men staring at her seemed to freeze in place and blush fiercely.

"Kamijou…chan?"

Yume asked, slowly wiping her eyes and finding she brushed her hand against something coming from her mouth; a small amount of droll. She immediately went red faced, hurriedly wiping her mouth and also noticing the crowd staring at her. Upon realising exactly the state they would have seen her in, she went even more red faced, coughing violently into her lab coat sleeve and wiping her mouth once more for good measure.

It did nothing to prevent her from shaking where she stood as she stared at Kamijou. He could see her trembling and she opened her mouth to speak and probably say some kind of excuse, but paused and shook her head.

"…You said ten minutes. You took more than ten minutes."

"What?" Kamijou stared down at his phone and frowned. "I was, like, a minute late!"

"T-Time is of the essence, Kamijou-chan! I-If you can't keep proper track of time, then there's no way you're going to become a proper adult. Time management is one of the skills you need to learn in the big bad world, you know!"

"You totally fell asleep before I got here, didn't you!? How is it my fault you can't manage your own time, oh great adult, and manage to get some sleep in?"

"…I don't need some child speaking down to me like that…"

Yume pouted like a child as she spoke, but with her blush on her face and the way the childish expression she was sporting seemed so fitting for her, even Kamijou felt his heart skip a beat even though he internally gave his complaints.

(Speak about adults all you like, but I can't believe you're pouting after what I said. How old are you supposed to be anyway!? N-No, Kamijou Touma, even if she is pouting like a dorm manager who can't capably run the dorm she is in charge of, that doesn't mean this is going to end up in the direction where you have to help her get through this as she desperately tries to push you away to maintain her image. It's not going to end up going in that direction, so get that thought out of your mind!)

Kamijou's internal thoughts were not noticed by Yume who coughed and got her thoughts back on track. Now she was more awake and had the sense of mind to realise she was being stared at, those who had been staring at her started to walk quickly away to ensure she did not notice what they had been doing. Kamijou was certain he had some hate filled glares (from both men and women) directed at him in the process, but given what he was here for, he could not exactly think of them as jokes.

Say what you wanted about Yume and how beautiful she was and the attention she gathered, the things he was about to discuss with her would surely place a stain on the image she maintained. Even if she was used to dealing with various things due to her nature as a scientist, there were just some things people should not have to deal with.

Kihara Kamui being one of them.

Yet, here they were and this was where they were heading.

This was the entire reason for the two of them to be here after all, even if Kamijou wanted nothing more than to just spend some time with the woman and get to know her better without having to think of the bigger picture.

"Yume-sensei…you and I have something to discuss, don't we?"

The moment the words came from his mouth, the (cute) pout on Yume's face instantly dropped. She turned to face Kamijou, her expression entirely serious as she nodded, waving a hand to the inside of Seventh Mist with that same expression on her face.

"Unfortunately, we do. But I rather we take this inside. Just as you said, there are things we have to discuss. Very important things indeed."


"…In the end, Touma disappeared again, didn't he? And when you're here as well, Arisa!"

"Does this…happen a lot? I remember with the Endymion when I was the focus, I didn't really notice it but does Touma-kun get involved in this sort of thing a lot?"

"It never ends! If it's not one thing, it's another with him! He's always the same and he's always running off doing his own thing, bringing in girls left, right and centre like strays!"

"I am a god, puny mortal. And while I agree with you on the first point, there is something I have to say about you calling me a 'stray'. From where I stand, you're the outcast."

"…And most of them come with an attitude."

"What exactly is that doll on your head anyway, Index-chan? I thought it was Touma-kun's and didn't want to say anything but it's not exactly the most neatly dressed, is it?"

"Again, you've said something I can't ignore, puny mortal. Stop trying to judge things by your own standards. Have you thought that maybe the reason you can't understand what I am wearing is because you just can't comprehend the greatness of it? Then again, it's not like I need you to understand. I don't care if the entire world doesn't get it; as long as my Understander does, that is the only thing I need."

"I'm not even sure Touma gets why you wear what you wear, Othinus. Come to think of it, looking at Nephthys and other legends as well, gods wear surprisingly little, don't they? Even God on the Sistine Chapel ceiling is only wearing a single cloak…"

Index's face seemed to go from analytical into shock as she registered a truth about the world in plain sight but at the same time hidden entirely from view. Her trembling was enough to make Othinus sitting on her head grab her hood in case she fell off the side, showing exactly how it was Kamijou she trusted to not let her fall and no one else.

Meigo Arisa, in the body of Shutaura Sequenzia, stared at the small doll of the head of Index. Sphynx, the calico cat in Index's arms, did the same and meowed in displeasure at the way Index was trembling and holding him at the same time.

Needless to say, they had been ditched by Kamijou Touma. While the reasoning for that was because he had had a PTSD attack in broad daylight and been saved by the mysterious small girl known as Phi, for those girls, the only thing they could do was wonder what he had gotten caught up in this time and whether he was going to end up in the hospital again.

While there was frustration within their hearts that Kamijou was not with them, today was not just about Kamijou. No, instead it was about reconnecting and sharing time with a friend they had thought they had lost in Meigo Arisa.

The girl, previously unsure and uncertain about how her two friends would react upon learning she had fused with Shutaura, had had her fears put to rest from the kindness and acceptance shown by those two people dear in her heart. The worries and the insecurities she had were entirely gone now and there was no hesitation whatsoever in giving her (well, it was technically Shutaura's) number to both Kamijou and Index, even if it was the former she would contact if she ever managed to take over Shutaura's body and meet up.

For the fact Kamijou was someone she could easily reach and this time spent with her friends was not going anywhere, Arisa did not really seem that panicked or worried for the boy despite his absence. Perhaps it was because Index was taking it rather casually that she did not worry all that much, but the absence of the boy was something felt, although not pondered on for too long.

When everything was said and done, Index had been Arisa's friend as well. And for that alone, Arisa was more than willing to spend some time with the girl she had neglected for so long and finally, finally make up for lost time. Even though the two of them had surely changed in the time since the incident with the Endymion, if there was one thing that had not, it was the bonds which had drawn them together and had lasted even throughout Arisa's worries about how her friends would accept her.

Then again, given Arisa had been worrying about what Index and Kamijou would think of her now in this form showed she truly treasured those connections and did not merely want to write them off because she was a little bit different and scared to face them. The time she was spending with Index now was time she had longed for from the depths of her heart and even without Kamijou, Arisa still felt a small smile come onto her face and a sparkle enter her eyes, which flashed with a bright pink every now and then.

Still, even if that was the deep wish within Arisa's heart, she could not help but stare at her dear friend with some concern despite the interest she had in the mysterious doll on her head.

"Index-chan, are you going to be alright?"

"N-Not to worry! The faith I have in the Lord our Father is not going to be tainted merely because of an issue of lack of clothing. A-After all, as Othinus said, the gods are ones we cannot begin to understand! Y-Yes, that has to be it. The Father in Heaven just operates in a way that, to his creations, we can only glimpse a tiny part of."

Arisa smiled stiffly at the way Index spoke, who had turned around and spoken rather mechanically, as if she was struggling with the words. Being a pious (?) nun was a 24/7 job with no overtime and the way the small girl spoke showed how there were various pressures on her in all aspects of her life. Whatever the case though, it was not the issues of religion Arisa was worried about.

"No. Not that. I mean this."

Arisa pointed her finger at herself, or more accurately her left eye. However, it was not her left eye that was the issue.

But instead Index's, which was covered with a bandage even now.

There was nothing wrong with the eye physically. Index could see just fine out of it, but the issue with the eye was not a physical one but one of a magical nature.

Simply put, Index had made a deal with the devil. Or in this case, had made a deal with a sentient grimoire that was trying to take over her mind.

While Index had the mental fortitude to subconsciously block out the connection, there had been times of weakness when she had been unable to hold back the control of that sentient grimoire and had succumbed to its power.

The first time was back in London when she had given Tatsugami Otohime the power to access two spells instead of one.

The second time had been during the incident with Kongou Mitsuko. Back then, Index had truly been killed. However, something had activated the defence mechanism to protect the grimoires in her mind, John's Pen, and made her slaughter numerous soldiers who had been infected with Kihara Kamui's personality as well as innocent men.

And the third time had been just last night when Index, out of options, had willingly given that sentient grimoire access to her mind to defeat the Saint Batya Sitara who had been trying to take Kamijou Touma away for her own ends. The end result of the fight between the two of them had been Index's victory, even if Batya had later escaped, but the lasting effects of that acceptance of the sentient grimoire were clear visible to anyone who saw Index.

Namely through the magic circle that had appeared in her left eye.

That in itself was a representation of the link she had made with the grimoire in her mind, to the extent it was now affecting her body. The grimoire's now subconscious effect and presence in Index's mind was made known in the form of that magic circle. Although it was nothing but an uncertain stopgap measure, an eyepatch had been placed over her left eye to stop her from seeing the world through it.

No, that was not it.

It was to prevent the sentient grimoire from seeing anything through that left eye it had a presence in and learning more about the world.

While the Anglican Church had supposedly sent people into Academy City to deal with Index now the sentient grimoire had turned into this issue, as well as also dealing with the Magic Name Salvare001 Tatsugami Otohime had chosen, to any amateur looking at Index, it would appear as though she had sported a rather nasty wound on her left eye. Indeed, given Arisa's limited knowledge of Magic, she had been told it was just a small cut arising from last night. However, the dire nature of the issue and why it was so important that Index's eye be kept away from the world were things kept from Arisa.

After all, if that grimoire managed to take a hold of Index's mind, then it would have access to the other 103,000 grimoires inside her mind as well as potentially being able to forcibly use John's Pen mode.

There was a name for what Index would become if that ever became the case and she could freely access the magic of those tomes.

A Magic God.

In all seriousness, a great threat to the world was not a few centimetres from Arisa and she never knew it. It was in her ignorance that she spoke as she pointed to her own left eye to indicate Index's.

"Isn't covering your left eye messing with your depth perception? Are you alright when it comes to walking?"

Index, who had always been good at hiding her feelings from those around her, save for one person who easily saw through the hidden meaning of her smiles, nodded once. She rose a hand in front of her and pretended to walk slowly.

"Mmm. It was tricky at first, trying to get used to the small things like where things were and how to grab them. People think it's easy to get used to but it's trickier than it looks. I'm not bumping into things anymore or missing things I want to grab, so I think I have a better grasp of the world now." Index said with a smile, making Arisa smile in return. However, the voice to come through next was not Index's.

"Speak for yourself. This ride feels like a blind man in a F1 race. There's a reason I only trust that human to carry me around. I'm allowing you the honour of carrying me so the least you can do is try and make it comfortable." Othinus spoke with a haughty tone as she stared down at the nun below her, the silver haired girl frowning and pouting a small bit.

"You're always like this whenever Touma isn't around. He's right when he said you like to pick fights you know you can't win."

"What was that!?"

"Sphynx."

"G-Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?!"

There was a scream as Index mercilessly rose the calico cat in her arms so it could easily reach the former Magic God on her head. Without even wasting time, that alpha predator snatched up the form of the small girl who protested verbally while the cat playfully grabbed and cuddled the girl close to his body. While it might have looked cute to anyone else, for Othinus, it was like being man handled by a tiger.

The former Magic God struggled in the arms of the calico cat but the way Sphynx had grabbed the small girl made it seem like he was saying "This is mine" and refused to let go, much to the embarrassment of the small girl. Arisa stared at Othinus's struggling form, which was nearly on the verge of tears due to once more being 'cuddled' by the small cat and frowned.

"Index-chan, I've been meaning to ask, but what exactly is that? I thought it was Touma-kun doing ventriloquism but how did the two of you manage to get the same voice coming out of your mouths when it comes to the doll? Not to mention the same personality. You'd think that depending on who has it, the personality would change. It's unlike you to pretend to be so full of yourself through the doll." Arisa asked in a questioning tone, reaching out and grabbing the small form Sphynx was cuddling.

With a cry, Othinus was lifted out of the grasp of Sphynx, letting loose a sigh of relief, before crying out once more as she was held by the leg upside down. Shooting her hands to grab at her witch's hat, she hung there while Arisa stared at her form, watching her swing back and forth with some interest. Index on the other hand went entirely pale at the sudden and random action of the idol who just looked at Othinus without a care in the world.

"No, wait… What is this material? It feels…soft, like human skin? Yume-sensei was talking about cyborgs through the Break Queen Package and I know you can get human skin grafts, so did you apply the same to this using a gyro based robot? I-It's so lifelike!"

"A-Ah, no! Arisa! D-Don't do that!"

"Put me down, you absolute feeble excuse of an existence! I am a God! With a capital G!"

"And you're staying in character even though I took her? …Wait. Y-You didn't put a gender on this thing…did you?" Arisa blushed slightly as she stared closely at the small form within her hands. "Because these small lumps on the chest look a bit too real and soft for me to think they are anything else. I know you live together and everything, but you shouldn't support Touma-kun in every hobby he picks up. U-Unless this is your doll, Index-chan?" Arisa went a bit red faced as she stared at Index, but while there was a smile on her face, the way she stepped back slightly indicated to Index all she needed to know that there was a serious chance her friendship was on the line here.

And after everething she had gone through to make sure she kept it, there was no way she was going to lost it again!

"N-No! It's not mine! Arisa, the things you're misunderstanding are actually starting to scare me now. I'm beginning to understand what Touma goes through but seeing this done to me doesn't make me happy at all."

"Index-chan, even though you and Touma-kun get into some strange things now and then, we'll still be friends. No matter what."

"Why was that last bit in there!? It feels like I've done something that breaks the Word of God, but you'll still accept me for it. I'm telling you it's not mine!"

Index pouted her cheeks and protested in the middle of the street whereas Arisa just smiled stiffly at her (while still holding Othinus upside down). Given the small god had no shame, she did not even bother to hide the parts of her that were on show for everyone to see, moving her hands to prevent her hat from falling off her head. She had a dead look in her eye as she hung upside down.

"This is why I can't stand anyone else. Everyone should just go and die…"

There were very dangerous things being said as Othinus spoke, Arisa still under the impression of a large misunderstanding. Given she and Index were making a fairly large scene right now, the idol gave in to the request to return the doll to Index but the things she had said and misunderstood had left the two of them in a rather depressed state.

"Index-chan? Are you upset?"

"…I'm not upset."

"I-If you say the doll isn't yours, then I'll have to believe you. But even if that is the case, there are just some things you need to talk to Touma-kun about when it concerns his hobbies. Because while Academy City is very open about those sorts of things, I get the feeling someone might think a bit badly of him if they saw him walking around with something like that."

Such a thing had already happened. However, Othinus did not give a damn what anyone else thought of her and her human no matter what anyone else said. Unfortunately, the same was not said for the spiky haired boy who had seriously lost a number of respect points from many strangers and people he knew because of the barely dressed doll that frequently sat on his shoulder or in his pocket.

Index seemed to have gotten over what Arisa had said as she was thinking Kamijou was at the heart of the problem. Arisa, realising the topic of the small doll was something of a landmine for her two friends, avoided the issue but for some reason, the doll kept on sending a stare of complete malice her way. She had no idea how Index had turned so cheerful as she had gotten over what had been said yet still made that doll have that expression of malice.

The wonders of ventriloquism and the practice put into this was something to say the least.

"Index-chan was there anything you wanted to do today?" Arisa asked as she walked through the Academy City streets with her friend. Although they had had a rough plan of what to do, it had been shot down by Kamijou who had suggested they do something other than go out and eat everywhere they could. The girl in the pure white habit paused for a moment, finger on her chin before she shook her head.

"Nothing in particular. I'm happy doing whatever you want to do, Arisa! We haven't seen each other for a looooooooooooooooong time so I just wanted to make sure we could get that time back. You…don't have a lot of time here right now after all."

Arisa nodded, although with solemn in her eyes. There was a part of her that realised this could not last forever. Although Index did not really understand the nature of what she was, given she was a fusion of both Shutaura Sequenzia and Meigo Arisa, she understood the basics explained to her.

Namely that the time she had with Arisa right now was time taken out of Shutaura's time. Given the girl was just another part of Shutaura's personality and self, whenever Arisa did things, it would be at the expense of Shutaura doing things. The time Arisa had now was one Shutaura had given her, but even if that was the case, the 'main' life of Meigo Arisa was not hers, but rather the one whom she had originated from.

Shutaura Sequenzia was the life Arisa was meant to be living. The time taken out of Shutaura's life as the leader of the Black Crows was time that did not belong to Arisa, but it was time she had selfishly taken from Shutaura. Arisa could control Shutaura while the girl was unconscious or asleep, but there were rare times when Arisa was able to control Shutaura's body when she was awake, this being one of them.

But like all those rare occasions, it would not last and Shutaura would take over once again and make Arisa sit back until the next time she could control her body.

Meigo Arisa had finally managed to reclaim what she had lost and even though she had, it was just barely out of her grasp all the same. This small time she had spent with the nun in front of her was one she treasured, but it broke her heart to know Shutaura could take over at any time and steal that time away like Arisa was doing with Shutaura's.

What did Arisa want to do right now?

What did she want to do now she realised she was on literally borrowed time and what did she want to do with her dear friend?

The thought and the idea came to her almost immediately.

Although she had done this with Kamijou Touma, she had not done it with Index. The realisation and the thoughtlessness of this almost hit Arisa like a truck. As she did not know how much time she had left though, there was nothing she could waste.

There would be plenty of times where the two of them, with Kamijou as well, could hang out and do their own thing.

But right now, what Arisa wanted to do for Index who had waited for her patiently and had accepted her despite how much she had changed physically was repay her back even though Index and Kamijou said she did not have to.

She had asked this to them before and she asked it to herself once again.

What exactly had she done to deserve Kamijou Touma and Index as friends?

Not even Meigo Arisa knew and it was with an internal smile that the word 'miracle' came back to her.

Yes.

These friends of hers were a miracle.

And although she did not have to, Arisa wanted to make sure she repaid back the debt she owed those people with everything she had.

"You're right, Index-chan. I…don't know how much time I have left. Which means I have to make the most of the time I have with you now. I know you and Touma-kun have accepted me and that we can meet again, but I don't want to waste any time we have right now." Arisa said that with a serious tone and grabbed Index's hand. The nun looked surprised, although there was a fraction of sadness as she recognised the time she had with Arisa was short.

"Where are we going, Arisa?"

Index asked as she was pulled along by Arisa who turned back to her and smiled.

"The park."

"The…park? Why?"

"Why else?"

Meigo Arisa winked at Index.

"You're spending what time I have left with Meigo Arisa. What else do you think you're going to do when you have that time with me? It might be selfish of me to think you would want this, but this is all I can offer you…so I hope you can accept it with everything you have."

"Arisa?"

"Index-chan…"

Arisa stopped pulling and looked back at the girl.

"Will you hear me sing?"'

Index stared at the girl in more surprise. There was silence for a moment as she processed what had been said as well as the feelings behind it.

When it came down to it, singing what was brought Meigo Arisa happiness. The time she was spending with Index right now brought that nun and the idol happiness but at the same time, as Arisa had said, when it came to that idol, those songs were her greatest offering to those around her.

And here she was, making that offering to one person and one person only.

For Arisa, it would have been the greatest way she could think of that would allow her to express so many things within her heart.

And for Index, it would be a memory that would last forever as one she had made with a friend she had once thought she had lost.

There was only one thing Index could say to the question Arisa had posed.

Not just for herself.

But also for the sake of the happiness of the girl she was with; Meigo Arisa.

"Of course. It would be my pleasure."

Their time together was short.

But for those two friends, the one song they would share together would be one that symbolised their friendship.

And also the strength of the bonds that had allowed it to last all the same.


And…

Then their time was over.

Yet with it, Index was left with a smile on her face she felt would never die.

"Was it…alright for me to be there?"

Othinus on her head spoke.

The two of them had listened as Arisa had sung to them. The song she had sung Othinus could not have cared a lick about but somehow, the emotions within it being given to Index and Index alone had gotten across to her all the same. The spot in the park where the two of them had found some privacy had not been disturbed by anyone as Arisa had sung her piece to the nun, yet with Othinus being there and Arisa not being the wiser, she felt she had intruded on something sacred all the same.

The song had been sung and the moment it had ended, Arisa had just smiled, looked at Index and it was then that the nun knew their time was ending.

"Will we meet again?"

Index had asked that quietly, the softness of her voice showing just how much the parting she was about to do affected her, and it was with a trembling lip that Arisa had responded in kind.

"Yes."

The song had portrayed the emotions within Arisa when it came to relighting the fire of friendship with Index. Although she had already sung for Kamijou last night, the same was not said for Index and the emotions Arisa had felt by being with her friend again and also the thought of being separated once again were ones that had reached both parties there.

It was meant for Index alone and Othinus had trampled on that without Arisa even knowing. Although she did not really care what others thought, the song and its emotions had reached the core of her being.

Index, with Sphynx in her arms, nodded.

"I'm sure it was fine. Even if Arisa did not know, she sung for others. So I'm sure you hearing that song was fine."

Othinus said nothing, doubting the words silently. After all, when all was said and done, that song was for Index and not for the small god. There were things she wanted to say but did not say them, realising Index had already come to a conclusion and saying anything else on the matter would do little.

Naturally, when Arisa had responded to Index's question, the change had happened before their eyes.

The light pink strands within Arisa's hair had disappeared, the flash of pink in her eyes had faded and the overall aura surrounding her had changed from easy to tense. She had stumbled, but managed to catch herself. And when she had looked up and at Index, it was clear to both girls that the one staring at them was not Meigo Arisa.

Their time was up and Shutaura Sequenzia had taken her place.

Index did not resent the girl for taking over Arisa. She did not fully understand what had happened or what was going on, but she knew Arisa and Shutaura shared the same body and mind, meaning it was normal for Shutaura to once more take control. The questions Shutaura had for Index were clear on her face and while she would have preferred Kamijou to explain things, Index had done her best to get across what she needed to.

Namely that she knew of Shutaura's 'condition' and that Arisa had taken control of her for a few hours to allow the two of them some time together.

Whether it be because of the surprise of being told Index had accepted Arisa for who she was, and in turn accepting Shutaura for who she was, or because she was not the type of person to let her emotions show on her face easily, the military like girl had nodded once. She had stared at Index for a moment, chewing her lip as if there was something she had to say, before she had bowed and thanked Index, before swiftly leaving.

Although one might think of it as rude, Index did not exactly see it as that.

Whatever the case had been, by accepting Arisa, Index had also accepted Shutaura for who she was. Not only that but bowing in front of someone she barely knew did not seem like something Shutaura would do easily. That and the thanks Shutaura had given had seemed to come from the heart, making the small nun have the impression there was more to the thanks than Shutaura let on.

Meigo Arisa had expressed herself through song.

And without that medium, maybe Shutaura Sequenzia expressed her heart in different ways. The thanks and the bowing in respect seemed to be those ways but as Index and Arisa had realised, Shutaura had her own life. The soldier leaving as briskly as she did was not rudeness but instead Shutaura getting on with her own life, of which some time had been given up for Arisa and Index getting together and rekindling their friendship.

There were clearly questions Shutaura had but perhaps out of respect for Arisa, she did not make Index answer.

Shutaura had left and their time with Arisa was over.

But it had not ended entirely.

Index looked down at the small device in her hand, a cheap phone Kamijou had gotten for her that apparently had Arisa's (or was it Shutaura's?) number inside. Whenever Arisa 'appeared' again, they could easily get back together and regain the much needed time they had lost.

Although it was over, it had not ended.

That was the reason for Index's smile as she closed her eyes, losing herself in the memory of the song Arisa had sung and letting the wave of emotions expressed within wash over her once more.

But, as Shutaura's life went on, as did Index's.

"We should get back to Touma. …Wherever he is."

"I agree. Although there are a number of things I want to say to you about the way you treated me in front of that girl."

Othinus spat out while staring down at Index as the two of them made their way through the park, towards the urban metropolis that surrounded it. Index turned her head up slightly and frowned all the same.

"What did you expect me to say? Arisa barely knows a thing about Magic. Even if the Endymion had a magical make up within it, from what Touma told me of what happened to it, Arisa barely knew a thing! Explaining Magic Gods and how you're all small wasn't going to go down easy given she has spent most of her life on the Science side."

"That human does things amazingly better than you in that regard."

"I-If you have a thing against the way I do things, then why don't you just tell me up front, eyepatch girl?"

"What do you think I'm doing right now, you empty headed nun?! Did those grimoires in your mind take up the rest of the thinking space?! And who are you to talk with the eyepatch!? Clearly, you saw my style and were so jealous of the ways of a God that you had to emulate it. Given that was what you were clearly doing, I'll let it pass. After all, imitation is the ultimate form of flattery."

"I-I'm not copying you with this eyepatch! It's necessary for the safety of the world. Who knows what would happen if I took it off and the grimoire inside my mind observed too much of the world?"

"Good grief. That statement sounded a lot like…what did that human call it again? Chuunibyou?"

"I-I don't have 8th grade syndrome. There's a limit to the things I can accept from you, you fake god!"

"What was that!? I'll have you know your puny Christian God is – "

"Huh? Index? Othinus?"

"What!?"

"What!?"

It was rare for the two girls to get as heated as they were, however, given the way they were talking and how they shared the same room together, it was clear there was an odd and powerful friendship (if you could call it that) between the two of them. After all, when you placed a believer of God and another different god in the same room, there was sure to be some fun so there had to be a side to them they showed only to each other they rarely showed to others (although it was probably that Kamijou, who had been with them the longest, had already seen that side of them and accepted it). Whatever the case, the two friends (?) turned their heads to the person who had spoken before stopping and staring in surprise.

"O-Otohime?"

Tatsugami Otohime smiled and waved as Index spoke, the cousin of Kamijou approaching Index and Othinus as they made their way through the park. The two of them just stared at her, unable to really think of anything to say and back tracking their thoughts to the last time they had seen her.

The last time they remembered seeing her was when they had all made their way to the hospital to have a chat with Yume-sensei about what was happening with Kihara Kamui. Otohime had not been in that chat as she had said she was going 'bird watching' but whatever that had meant was beyond everyone else. As such, the small girl with the Dragon Tooth spiritual item around her neck like a necklace knew nothing of the projects of Kihara Kamui.

Nor did she know there were specialists who had entered Academy City for the sake of dealing with Index and the sentient grimoire issue.

Although Index was the priority for those specialists, a secondary concern was Otohime herself. An amateur magician, the powers and the spells she had as a result of the Dragon Tooth spiritual item had meant she had enough power to match that of a professional but without the proper training, even if Index and Othinus were guiding her in her magical studies, there were still a lot she had to learn.

The importance of a Magic Name for example.

It represented the goal one became a magician for, but at the same time, was a way of mocking one's self for being unable to attain it. It was only when you reached the peak of Magic, a Magic God, that you could successfully achieve and bring forth the wish you had for Magic which you had carved into your heart as a Magic Name.

And Otohime had chosen the Magic Name of Salvare001.

The second person to take the Magic Name of Salvare, the other being Kanzaki Kaori, Otohime did not realise that even though Kanzaki was a Saint, she had yet to realise that Magic Name.

So what did that mean for the amateur who had carelessly taken that Magic Name?

For the sake of achieving her goals, what exactly would she do and what kind of path would she head down?

No one knew the answer and while Kamijou assured everyone it was fine and that he would guide her, the state Otohime was in now made Index and Othinus stare at her in some surprise and confusion. Although the path she was leading now she was a magician was dangerous and volatile, one where she could slip and head down a dangerous route of no return, the state she was in now brought mystery.

She was covered in dirt.

There was some in her hair, on her clothes, on her hands and even some falling from her fingernails as she waved and approached the two girls. As if she had been digging with her bare hands, the smell of soil and sand came from Otohime in a powerful stench that made it clear she needed a bath as soon as possible.

"Index! Othinus! What are you two doing here? And where's Onii-chan?"

"O-Otohime? I could ask you the same thing. And why are you covered in dirt? What were you doing? Were you…digging?" Index asked, noting the dirt on her hands was the worst of it all. They stared at the fragile fingers and noted how thick the dirt was there, causing the girl to rise her hands and look at her filthy hands.

She frowned but shook her head, rising her hand back and scratching her head which in turn made some of the dirt in her hands get stuck in her hair.

"Ahahahahahaha! Ah, it was nothing really. I was just doing some digging is all. Just digging."

"Why?" asked Index with a frown. Although she knew Otohime was basically a child, the state she was in made it a bit more than a joke. Otohime stared at the nun and tilted her head, a smile still on her face as she responded without a care on the world.

"I was fighting my archenemy and saving some people from him. Everyone is safe so there's nothing to worry about at all!"

There was no context whatsoever to what she said. It did not make sense to them, it did not explain anything about why she was covered in dirt and it did not even remotely provide an explanation to what Otohime had been through in the time since they had seen her.

Yet…

Even so…

For an instant, Index and Othinus both felt a chill go down their spines.

Was it her smile when she said it?

Or was it because they did not understand what she was saying?

It did not matter and the feeling passed as soon as it had come, making them question whether they had even felt it in the first place.

Otohime has said she was fighting her archenemy, so was it some game she was playing with some esper children? Or was role play with the same children? That was the only explanation the two of them felt there was and the only reason they could imagine that explained why she was so happy despite the things she had said and the state she was in.

Those excuses filled their mind and they thought nothing of it despite the feeling that had passed through them if only for a moment.

Yes.

That was what it was.

Nothing short of an excuse.

An easy way to look away at an inconvenient reality they did not want to accept or think about.

Despite subconsciously realising turning away from it was the worst thing they could do.


"I think it's best if we start with the things we left off on before talking about new things. In other words, Kihara Kamui, what is happening to him and the nature of your esper power. Does that suit you?"

"That's fine but…are you sure we can just be walking around and discussing this?"

Kamijou Touma asked cautiously as he stared around him as he walked through the Seventh Mist shopping centre. The different levels were clear to him as he looked to the side and saw, over the railing, how high they really were relative to the other floors and the expanse of the entire department store. Like anything with Academy City, whether it was the technology or something even as mundane as a shopping centre, it seemed like it was over the top for someone from the outside but for the normal high school boy Kamijou who had lived here for most his life, it was just normal for him.

Currently strolling through one of the floors, Yume, the 26 young (this was important) beautiful scientist turned her head and looked back at Kamijou. All traces of her drool and sleepiness were gone from her face, her hair tossing around her as she turned. Once again, Kamijou felt the credibility of the statement she had a reverse harem had increased, but the response Yume gave him in turn put to rest any ideas.

"Unfortunately, what with Personality Swipe meaning Kamui has potentially infected any male, anyone could be listening in. If we chose to sit down and talk it out, any Kamui copy could overhear us and we'd never know. At least if we're walking around, we can avoid such things as someone who wants to listen in has to actively follow us and be close which would naturally stand out."

"That…makes sense." Kamijou hadn't thought of the point Yume was making and she smiled a bit. However, the paranoia Kamui gave Kamijou meant he was unable to just accept everything was fine. "But what about listening devices? Kamui might have planted something on either one of us. Do we have to check our clothes?"

"K-Kamijou-chan, are you asking me to actively check my clothes in a public space? I keep on forgetting, but when you're a kid, you tend to be a lot more upfront than when you're an adult."

"W-What are you saying?! I wasn't even going in that direction and – A-Ah! Keep still my turning mind! Keep still!"

Kamijou desperately clung to his head and tried to fight the mental image he had of Yume carefully, and with a blushing face, checking her lab coat and the clothes beneath while sweating slightly and with a slight floral scent coming from her. Why exactly he had that level of detail was unknown, but that was the mindset of a high school boy for you: it was not to be underestimated when it concerned matters of the heart.

It was troubling for the person discussing this with him to be a dorm manager onee-san and in his strike zone, so any attempt to be serious and focus now he had that mental image was almost lost. However, one of Kamijou's good points was his self-control so once he calmed down and realised how serious this was, he managed to erase the mental image of the beautiful woman from his mind.

Of course, he did this while crying internal tears given the crisis in front of him.

(Damn you Kamui. Is there nothing you won't take from me? First my peaceful life and now a dorm manager onee-san?! Is nothing sacred to you?!)

Once more getting distracted, Kamijou, with a blushing face turned his head away while Yume giggled slightly.

"There's nothing to really worry about, Kamijou-chan. After all, Kamui wouldn't bother with a listening device if he was that close enough to plant one. He would just kidnap you and probably try and vivisect me for my brain. We're walking around so others don't hear what we have to say." Yume said with a smile but it was enough to cast aside and throw out all hopeful wishes Kamijou had.

That was right.

This was the type of person they were dealing with.

Kihara Kamui.

The man who had created four projects, each of them more twisted than the last, even if the reasoning and the application of some were unknown. He was not going to be so kind as to resort to classic things like listening devices: his mind would not turn to those types of 'normal' things. Having spent enough time with him made Kamijou know perfectly well trying to apply 'normal' to that scientist did not apply.

A chill went down his spine at how lightly Yume could say those things, but at the same time, understood how true they were. She could joke about it, but when push came to shove, it was nothing to joke about whatsoever.

So was she trying to keep things light for the sake of the boy who she did not know the feelings of and felt was probably terrified right now?

If so, it once more revealed the kind nature of the woman walking with Kamijou now and he silently felt there was no better adult he would rather have confined in for this issue. Her personality and her looks made it feel like she was a dream as her name said and Kamijou nodded slightly, all distracted thoughts gone from his head.

"R-Right."

"Then let's chat."

Yume said as she strolled forward, Kamijou moving to make sure he kept up with her. Moving to avoid having people overhear them instead of sitting down and talking made Kamijou remember something Lessar and Leivinia Birdway had once said about a shopping mall in District 23; that the layout was similar to a prison block to cover the mall with as few cameras as possible.

While thinking of it like that and looking at what they were discussing, it felt more like they were strolling around a prison than walking through a shopping mall. That type of filter was placed on the 'normal' Kamijou knew and made him shudder.

"I'll start with the good news. I have told Anti-Skill and the higher ups about the issue with Kamui. And frankly, given everything that has happened in the past few days, like the Unergy Massacre in District 10 and the incident in District 15 being tied to him in some part, even though there was some doubt, they believed me."

"Really?!"

"K-Keep it down! Although we're moving about to make others not hear us, if we declare it to the world, it means nothing!" Yume said that frantically to Kamijou's sudden shout. She turned and faced the people who had turned to stare at Kamijou, smiling and waving her hands to indicate everything was alright. This made her breasts jiggle around a bit, leading to more stares, but eventually, everyone staring at them went on their own way.

"They believed you?!" asked Kamijou, keeping his voice down as he and Yume continued walking.

"Or at the very least, they're not doubting Kamui is someone who has to be handled. There's a difference between the two." Yume noted with a slight smile, nodding to a nearby escalator. The two of them got on and headed down to a lower floor.

"Did you tell them about the projects we identified Kamui was working on?"

"I told them as much as I could about them from what we know. Personality Swipe being one where a man's personality is replaced with Kamui's. The FIVE_Object, the mass weapon able to use Level 5 powers and Academy City technology. The Break Queen Package, a cyborg which could freely change form which a human consciousness can be uploaded into it. Those were the only ones I told them about."

"Only those? What about the fourth?"

"I didn't mention it. This was also what I wanted to discuss with you as well. The ZERO_OVER Modelcase_"IMAGINE_BREAKER". Or more accurately, the nanomachines within your brain that are trying to extract information on the calculations you use for your power, Imagine Breaker, so that it can be replicated. Given it was a failed project, I didn't mention it. But, at any rate, I told the higher ups about the other three projects and they passed it along. As a result, Anti-Skill and Judgment are taking this seriously."

"And? What are they doing about it?"

He had been waiting for this news. Yume had said she was going to discuss things with the adults and higher ups so Kamijou was glad his faith in them that they would take this seriously had been met. However, what exactly this meant for the future was unknown. Not only him but Index, Shutaura Sequenzia, Hayashida Mari, Misaka Mikoto and Shokuhou Misaki had all told Yume that despite the adults dealing with this, they had no intention of pulling out of the fight. Furthermore, Accelerator and Hamazura Shiage also wanted to know what was going on so they could determine their next move. A lot was riding on the answer to the question Kamijou asked, something he waited eagerly for the answer to.

Yume though, in a move surprising to him, winced.

"Unfortunately, although a lot of you told me you can't wait for things to happen and for things to get started so you can fight Kamui…it doesn't look like things are going to be heading in the direction you're thinking Kamijou-chan." Her tone was low as she spoke, although Kamijou could detect a hint of relief within it. Something within him flared in confusion, but he forced it down and focused on making sure he was level headed.

"What does you mean?"

"Kamijou-chan, you have to remember everything that has happened thus far. Kamui…has not been easy to find. In fact, it seems to me every time something has happened with you and Kamui that he came to you or you stumbled across what he was doing by accident. What Anti-Skill and Judgment are going to be doing is the complete opposite: they are going to be taking the fight to Kamui. Which, like any hunt for someone, means they need time to investigate."

Kamijou winced at the words, although they stabbed into him more than he thought possible because he realised how true they were. After all, when all was said and done and whether he liked it or not, the incidents he had been involved in when it came to Kamui were ones he had been pulled into because of his misfortune, without a doubt.

With the incident with Mugino Shizuri, MINUS had entered Mugino's apartment. Due to Kamijou's misfortune, he had just happened to be there when things got bad and been dragged into the events that followed.

With the incident with Kongou Mitsuko, it was Kamijou's father, Kamijou Touya, who had dragged Kamijou into things without realising it was going to be as bad as it got. In fact, Kamui had already infected a key party in that incident, Aaron Gracestone, before things had escalated, so it was nothing more than misfortune that Kamijou and Kamui had been in the same space.

And just yesterday with the incident with Shutaura Sequenzia. When all was said and done, Shutaura and his own misfortune had dragged Kamijou into things with Kamui.

Time and time again, Kamijou, not looking for trouble, had found it.

So now it was the opposite, it was reasonable to think there would be some time to investigate Kamui's location given Yume had told Anti-Skill and Judgment. But even if Kamijou realised the bitter truth, something within him was unable to accept such a reasonable fact so easily.

Bitterness and frustration rose within him, enough so he felt like he was going to burst. After everything Kamui had done to others, this was it? They had to investigate and wait for Kamui to do things to others even more until someone else managed to get results? Kamijou knew exactly how this would go down when he told the others, mainly because the same feelings going through him would go through the others.

Kamijou was just a normal high school boy as well so he had no idea how people with actual power like Mikoto and Shokuhou would react. He grit his teeth, hearing and forcing himself to accept the bitter news but at the same time knowing the frustration within him was bottling up and creating internal pressure.

"How long?"

Kamijou's question came out slowly as he desperately tried to calm himself and he looked Yume right in the eye.

"How long do you think it will take to find Kamui?"

"I don't know."

Yume replied instantly, although stopped as she turned to face Kamijou head on as she spoke.

"I don't know how long it will take. Anti-Skill and Judgment, as we speak, are doing things about Kamui. They told me before I left they were going to focus their efforts on building a task force of specialised individuals. These individuals would be able to speed up the process of getting information on and dealing with Kamui while also updating their people, but as for a time frame, I just don't know."

Yume's gaze looked just as frustrated as Kamijou's and as much as he struggled trying to calm himself in front of the woman, he found himself clenching his fist and gritting his teeth. He took a deep breath to try and calm himself, focusing on getting his thoughts out of his head and mind, if only because doing that would allow him to release some stress.

"But Anti-Skill and Judgment are doing something? They are working towards stopping Kamui?"

"Yes. Of that, I am sure." Yume responded, before waving a hand in front of her to indicate she was going to walk again. "Something is being done, Kamijou-chan. Anti-Skill and Judgment know of the threat. But unless they have a place to start, they don't know where they can go from here. I would assume they would start with the Unergy Massacre and the District 15 underground pit. Where they go, what leads they pick up and what happens afterwards is something neither you nor I can control. At this stage, as frustrating as it is, this is just a waiting game. Even if that means Kamui can get away with what he is doing for a little while longer."

Wasn't that real life?

When someone did something bad and that same someone hid it, when looking into them, didn't the people looking into it have to start from somewhere? And even if they did, it took time to get to where they wanted to go. In fact, for some investigations, there was no resolution; they just went unsolved. Although it was unlikely it was the case for Kamui, time was needed before anything could be done.

Kamui had to be found before he could be stopped.

That had been obvious from the start but what had been unspoken in that obvious thing was that finding him would take time. Time that would, obviously, be time Kamui could use to his advantage and also time that would not be spent fighting.

Coming to terms with such an obvious thing was evident of how mature Yume was and also of how patient, but for the high school boy Kamijou who had already seen what Kamui was capable of and had done, that answer wasn't good enough. No, was it possible that the only reason Kamijou felt that was because he knew what Kamui was doing in the background?

In the time Kamui spent now doing his own thing, who else would suffer? Who else would lose their life or smile?

It wasn't anyone's fault, but the obvious reality when so many people were prepared to do something was like a bitter pill that had to be swallowed.

"I…don't want to accept that."

"…"

"I don't want to accept Kamui is going to be allowed to do whatever the hell he likes any longer… But if it means more people are going to be fighting against him, it's what I have to accept, isn't it?"

Kamijou spoke, although was unsure whether the words he was saying was because he wanted to verbalise the bitter truth or because by saying it, it would feel more like he could accept it. The contradiction between the relief he was feeling given the Science side was now doing something to fight against Kamui; assembling a specialised task force to deal with him and his projects, and the bitterness he felt at that meaning he would have to wait filled him with unease. What exactly was this 'task force' anyway? It was so vague and nothing was really answered that it made Kamijou rather reluctant to leave things with anyone but he also knew nothing would be solved that way either.

He was glad something was being done.

But unhappy at what was being done at the same time.

The contradiction within him was nothing but his own selfishness, but as the two of them walked through Seventh Mist, Yume gave a small smile of her own.

"You…really are a good person, Kamijou-chan."

"Huh?"

The comment had come out of nowhere and Yume shot Kamijou a smile that would have made any man's heart swoon. In fact, for the boy she was smiling at, Kamijou was sure his heart skipped a bit at the purity and innocence behind it, but the woman making that expression did not even notice the dynamic state of the boy's heart.

"Honesty in cases like this is rare. I would have expected you to say you disliked it and to throw a tantrum. Or for you to say how shitty it is that you have to accept it. But you've accepted that although this is not the ideal solution, it's the one you've been given and have to work with. You've accepted this situation but are honest about not liking it. There are few people who can do things like that, especially with the stakes are this high."

Yume put her hands behind her back as she moved towards a nearby escalator, getting on it and moving down to a lower floor with Kamijou, smiling all the while as she turned her head back towards him.

"And the frustration you are feeling is because you know that it means Kamui is going to be able to do the things he has been up until now. You've accepted what is being done because it is for the better of the people, even if you know that accepting it is a bitter thing. That acceptance and that honesty…it's very mature. It's not something I would expect from someone your age, Kamijou-chan. You really are going to make a lot of women happy in the future, you playboy!"

Yume smiled, giving a remark that made Kamijou flinch but also blush at the childish grin that came onto her face. The edges of her lab coat flapped as she turned back around and hopped off the escalator, Kamijou following behind her with some displeasure in his tone.

"It's not like I can change anything you've just said. Whether I like it or not, there's nothing I can do to change it so what's the use in complaining about it?"

"You might think of that as going with the flow, but the way you've adapted to it anyway shows you're quite the catch, Kamijou-chan."

"A-Again, you're going on saying those types of things! Are you hitting on me!? Because if you're not, I'm going to cry!"

"H-Huh?! Shouldn't it be the opposite and you're going to cry if I said I was hitting on you?! Don't worry, I'm not though. Hitting on you at your age would be the same as a crime and would place me in a lot of – K-Kamijou-chan!? Y-You were serious about the crying!?"

Kamijou, who had had his heart destroyed with the mature words of a mature woman felt those tears roll down his face. Was it such a crime to want to think a dorm manager onee-san could have feelings for him?! Of course not! Still, having it denied so causally was enough to send his already fragile heart into a state of despair that rivalled what Othinus had once put him through.

Trembling, and trying to force back the tears at having his one fetish depth charged out of the water, Kamijou composed himself while clearing his throat and wiping his eyes.

"I-I'm not crying. There's just something in my eye."

"Is there something in both of them? And in your nose given how it's running?"

"I'M NOT GIVING UP ON DORM MANAGER ONEE-SANS! I WON'T, EVEN IF THIS IS A SETBACK! I BELIEVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Yume stared at Kamijou, as did everyone else in Seventh Mist at his sudden outburst but when it came to matters of the heart, despite being an amateur, you shouldn't underestimate the heart of a normal high school boy you could find anywhere. The desperation and determination that had pulled through an infinite hell was made clear in the cries Kamijou made, although it only really made sense to him.

Question marks over her head and not realising she was the cause of the boy's tears, Yume shrugged casually.

"Whatever the case, that's all I can tell you about what is happening on the Anti-Skill and Judgment side. They believed me and they're doing something about it, but as for this task force, your guess is as good as mine. And while it might be hard to swallow that it's going to take some time to investigate this, things are being done. You're not alone, Kamijou-chan. You're not the only one that wants to protect Academy City from that bastard."

Yume spoke clearly and without pause, the boy staring at the adult who had stayed true to her word up until now. Perhaps it was because she had proven herself to be an ally he could rely on and she had not pulled back on her word, Kamijou found himself believing in what were technically hopes that could be crushed at any time. The allure of the adult and the things they could do seemed so out of reach for Kamijou that he found himself relying on her words all the more.

"Yume-sensei…"

"…How many times do I have to – No, this is not the time or the place to say stuff like that. We still have more to discuss. In fact, it's something I've been wanting to ask for a long time." Yume turned, although the light in her blue eyes had turned from serious into something that sparkled, something like how Index had described Kamijou's eyes whenever he caught sight of a special in a supermarket. There was something like a predator eyeing prey in her gaze and Kamijou froze on the spot.

"Y-Yes?!"

No, it was not just his imagination.

There was really something terrifying about this woman right about now!

"Do you remember when we were discussing the ZERO_Over? And how, because Kamui managed to intercept the Tetris Nanomachines, I still hate that name by the way, and managed to implant the ZERO_Over nanomachines into your brain he was trying to replicate your power by trying to read the calculations you made for it?"

"Y-Yes, I do." Kamijou, recalling the conversation he had had with Yume not hours before…and also the fact it was that one project that literally was in his head that was the first of Kamui's to fail. "But given that my power, Imagine Breaker, does not rely on calculations, the overconfidence Kamui will feel when he thinks everything is going to plan will be his downfall. We've beaten him in that project because there is nothing for Kamui to replicate. My power doesn't need calculations after all."

Just as Kamijou had said, the ZERO_Over Modelcase_"IMAGINE_BREAKER" was literally dead in the water.

Kihara Kamui knew what that power was, at least to some extent. There would be no other reason for him to try and replicate it, but what he didn't know was that it was not a naturally occurring power like a Gemstone's nor was it something Academy City had made. It was something else entirely, a product of the Magic Gods, and as such did not rely on simple calculations like other esper powers. Kamui had used the ZERO_Over nanomachines to try and read the calculations within Kamijou's mind, but as there was nothing to read, it was a useless project.

Yes.

While Kamui, thinking he had managed to get a foothold in Kamijou's mind which he could use to acquire and develop Imagine Breaker scientifically, the truth of the matter was that the only thing Kamui would have was nothing. Because there was nothing he could read from Kamijou as no calculations were made.

Meaning it was their first big victory against Kihara Kamui by having the ZERO_Over fail.

Although there were four projects listed in Kamui's arsenal, only three posed any real threat. The ZERO_Over was a useless project the moment it had entered Kamijou's brain.

However, Kamui did not know that yet.

He would be sitting wherever he was, thinking there were four projects under his belt, when in reality there was only three. That overconfidence in his own ability was something Kamijou knew would be a large trump card against him, like when an esper learned their all mighty power was useless against Imagine Breaker.

It was ironic in that sense.

Despite not normally working on things that had nothing to do with the supernatural, Imagine Breaker as a power was going to trump the project Kamui had created around it and because of such, be the foothold that would allow a proper victory against him.

The more Kamui tried to understand it, the less he would gather.

Kamijou had explained this in basic terms to Yume, however, as she was a person centred deeply in Science and followed its rules closely, the idea there was a power that did not need calculations went against her 'rules'. While she had reacted with astonishment the moment Kamijou had explained this to her, the look she had now was no longer the woman who did not know what to do but was the look of a discoverer facing something unknown.

The look in her eyes made it seem like she would defeat Kamui herself if it meant she could understand Imagine Breaker and she looked at the boy's right hand in interest.

"Um…Yume-sensei? Are you listening?"

"Yes, yes, of course. We're talking about the ZERO_Over…and how it's trying to replicate your power. The power in your right hand which you say does not run using calculations and means Kamui can't do anything with the project he has placed in your mind."

Yume spoke hurriedly but also distractedly. No, in fact, right now despite her suggesting they should walk to avoid people overhearing them, they had stopped in the middle of the hallway in Seventh Mist. Yume's eyes were intently staring at the boy's right hand and when he rose it and waved it around, the woman's eye's followed.

(…She's like a dog watching a cat on the edge of a fence.)

"Yume-sensei?"

"Yes, yes, of course. We're talking about the ZERO_Over…and how it's trying to replicate your power. The power in your right hand which you say does not run using calculations and means Kamui can't do anything with the project he has placed in your mind."

"You literally just said that! Are you even following your own train of thought!? Or were you an airhead the entire time? Are you that interested in my power?!"

"W-Well, I never! I-It's a scientists' job to be interested in the unknown, is it not? Is it not my obligation as a human being to take interest in unknown territory? Just as man seeks to expand their gaze to the stars, we scientists take it upon ourselves to become students of the world and learn about that which we do not know. Which in this case, is your right hand." Yume spoke while placing a hand against her large chest, blushing slightly but eyeing that right hand all the same as she spoke. The sparkle in her eyes did not die and Kamijou stared at the woman, unsure of what to say.

"…You do realise you don't even know what it does, right?"

"It doesn't matter. What does matter is the fact you claim you don't need calculations for your right hand. Which, theoretically, is impossible given how Personal Realities work. And I can tell from the fact you said these things that you're not just trying to show off. The confidence you had when you declared the ZERO_Over was a failure…was not empty. Which means I can only take your words at face value and that you really have a power that does not need calculations; an impossibility if I ever saw or heard one. You're literally an anomaly walking and talking, Kamijou-chan! And that's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I wasn't ashamed of it before but the way you just said that makes me self-c – "

"Can I touch it?"

"Pfft?!"

Kamijou did a spit take and stepped back, face red and burning. Yume on the other hand stepped forward to meet Kamijou, her eyes wide as it looked like they were about to pop out of her head.

"W-What are you saying!? Y-You want to touch…my right hand?!"

When Kamijou said it like that, it wasn't that bad. However, as was reminded, the sexually tense Kamijou, who was spending time alone with someone within his strike zone, could not help but feel his heart race when the woman so casually suggested what she did. Yes, it was just a bit of hand holding.

But for that normal high school boy, that was enough for his heart to feel like he was going to have a cardiac arrest.

"Yes." came the blunt reply. Yume's face was entirely serious as she stared at the boy without wavering. "I want to touch it."

"P-Please rephrase the way you just said that. And with the way you're staring at it while panting is freaking me out, you science obsessed woman! Given your expression, I feel like you touching my hand is going to lead to a crime one way or another! Nothing's going to happen even if you do touch it so back off!"

"If nothing's going to happen, then what's the harm?"

"Given your expression, there's going to be a lot of it! For me at least! I'm not sure whether I'm supposed to be excited or terrified right now!"

"Come on, let Yume-sensei take care of you. It'll be alright."

"K-Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?"

Like Yume said, it wasn't that bad looked at objectively. A rather sexy woman was willing to grab Kamijou's right hand and proceeded to poke and prod it lightly as to not hurt him and being as gentle as she possibly could.

In a way, it was just Kamijou's misfortune that when looked at up close, Yume was panting rather heavily and almost drooling as she took the time to poke his right hand, so much so he could not get excited whatsoever about it despite the woman's soft hand gripping his own.

There will be no explanation of the soft touch, the warmth transferred and the ever so infrequent moments when the back of his hand brush against Yume's chest without any consequence whatsoever.

There will just be a small note that Kamijou Touma was honestly terrified at how the science nerd was getting so into it without even giving time to think of the heart of the high school boy she was unknowingly toying with.


"Wh-What was that?"

Misaka Mikoto frowned as she turned behind her.

She had sensed something.

She was not sure what it was.

But she had sensed it all the same.

Something was wrong with the world.

Something was happening right now that was disturbing the balance ever so slightly.

"Onee-sama? What's wrong?"

Shirai Kuroko next to Mikoto spoke up, although it was the new girl with Mikoto's group, which consisted of Saten Ruiko, Uiharu Kazari and Konori Mii who spoke up and turned to the Level 5. This girl was the one who had given these girls the chance of a lifetime given her incredible luck but as a foreigner, the lack of knowledge she had of Japanese custom was clear in her question.

"Did you forget something? I realise we're going to this District 21 onsen, but did you forget a bathing suit or something?"

"No, no, Batya-san. I've told you this before and I'll tell you again; an onsen is where you take everything off! You don't go into a bath wearing clothes, do you? An onsen is the same…just with other people!"

Saten spoke to the girl with them, one Batya Sitara, who tilted her head as she was once more told of the way to do things while slowly absorbing the information.

"You'll get it when we get there. Misaka-san, what's taking so long? This is for Uiharu-san so if you fall behind, you'll be left behind!"

Konori said with a cheer in her voice, leaving Mikoto realising she had to hurry up, or be left behind by everyone else.

Still…

(What was that? Thinking over things I'm not even sure what I'm thinking over… Maybe I am too tense…especially what happened with that bastard Orion.)

Something Mikoto had done flashed within her mind. Something she wanted to, but could not, forget.

She had stabbed Orion Phoenix in the heart.

Or at least where his heart should have been.

Through some miracle or another, he had survived…but it seemed from the confrontation, Mikoto had taken the most damage.

The resulting blood splatter had gotten on her face and hands. While she had thought she had gotten all his blood from her hands, she had managed to leave some on her face, something she had gone to see her friends with. She had played it as best as she could and thought she had gotten away with it, but the small tension in the back of her mind still made her pause.

She didn't understand how Orion had survived when she had stabbed him in the heart, but it didn't change what Mikoto had been willing to do when she had given in to her rage. When Orion had mocked her for relying on her power too much and in turn being weak as a person, she had been willing to kill him.

It had not been the first time she had turned her power against Orion.

Just last night, before she had stabbed him today, she had tortured him to death to unveil the location of the Sister he had been involved in kidnapping. As a result, she had betrayed what Kamijou Touma had felt of her and with their current relationship strained, she had sought out Orion to try and deal with what she had felt to be the source of the problem.

What she had not expected was for the tables to be turned and Mikoto to be the one accused as being the orchestrator of her pain because she was weak. By using her own power, she had betrayed Kamijou Touma, a choice that was hers and hers alone.

Orion had presented her with that reality…and in her rejection of it, she had used that same power and been willing to kill him.

Yes, he had survived.

Although Mikoto still saw him as the person who had made her betray Kamijou Touma, Mikoto had been willing to take his life.

The issues surrounding her had pressed down at her from all sides and to be honest, it was the issue of Kamijou which weighed down on her the most.

What could she do to repair what she had lost? Repair the trust Kamijou had in her that she would do the right thing, even when pushed?

She had not been able to do that when facing Orion, that much was certain.

So what was she to do?

What was she to do to get back her place by that boy's side?

Although she would never admit it to anyone, Kamijou Touma had been on her mind practically all day and the ways to repair what they had was an issue she wanted to solve fast.

Still…

(A-Although I was thinking about that idiot, what was that sensation just now? It's like…he's gotten himself into something ridiculous again.)

Mikoto narrowed her eyes before shaking her head and raising a hand up to her face…while trying to ignore the stench of blood that still hung on it.

(No…I'm just tired. I need this break. Going to this onsen is what I need.)

"Coming!"

Yes.

It was nothing.

There was a limit to that idiot's misfortune after all.


"Is there no limit to my misfortune!? She was touching me and panting…but it wasn't for me!? I-I want to dream! I want to dream there is a dorm manager onee-san out there for me! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Huh. Nothing happened when I touched or poked it… So why does Kamui have an interest in it? It was passive, so technically it should have had some effect on me, but nothing happened. No, maybe it's because its effect was so negligible! That explains why it needs no calculations! B-But even if that is the case, affecting the macro world needs to have a stimulus and needs calculations. It makes no sense that nothing happened when I touched it. No offence, Kamijou-chan, but are you sure Imagine Breaker is in your right hand and needs no – K-Kamijou-chan?!"

Yume turned and looked at the boy who had curled up on the floor, clutching and holding his knees to his chest.

"…Are you alright?"

"I think I have your scent still on me. But it's probably your creepy science sweat. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I'm not happy about this at all!"

"…Since you appear to be fine, do you think you could tell me what your power is?"

"After what you pulled, what do you think!? I get the feeling you're just going to try out everything and get as many results as you can while only looking at me for my power. In the end, you're the same as Kamisato so the fact you're a Christmas Cake makes it all the more depressing."

"I-I'm not a Christmas Cake! I'm 26 and still in my prime! Come on, get up from the floor." Yume replied as she slowly patted Kamijou on the back and rose him from the floor, the boy trembling. It was questionable whether a crime had happened but for Kamijou who had been toyed with but not for the right reasons, he still felt there was a violation on Yume's part somewhere.

"*sniff* Are we done? We talked about what was happening with Anti-Skill and Judgment…and you harassed me in public so can I go home now?"

"I-I did not harass you! I-It was merely an invested interest. You know how when people your age start liking a girl they – "

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"?! K-Kamijou-chan?!"

Kamijou screamed and fell back down onto the floor at the comment Yume made. Hearing about romance from someone within his strike zone when he had no girlfriend whatsoever was the last straw on the camel's back. Falling down with no intention to get up, Kamijou merely lay on the floor, his eyes dead and staring into space.

"Such misfortune."

"Come on now. What happened to that maturity you were showing earlier? Get up." Yume said as she lifted Kamijou's arm over her shoulder, lifting up Kamijou and in turn pressing her breasts against him. However, he was merely too depressed to get excited about it or notice, the boy staring dead into the distance with nothing in his eyes.

"I want to go home… I thought this was going to be a serious conversation but instead it was the complete opposite. Although it was with a dorm manager onee-san, the only thing I got out of it was bitterness and hollowness."

Kamijou sniffled as Yume fully lifted him up, patting him on the back slightly now he was fully upright.

"There. You're all up now. Do you feel better?" asked Yume with genuine concern in her eyes. Kamijou sighed once, realising making a big deal out of this when it only really mattered to him was not going to get anywhere. Withholding the desire to cry within his heart given he had spent a good few minutes with Yume and nothing he had imagined had happened, the only thing he was left to do was give a reluctant nod.

"I think…I managed to get everything I wanted to get out of you, Yume-sensei. That and a bit extra, but we can put that to the side."

"There's something I want to say to that and the way you say it…" Yume said with a small frown, but in Kamijou's mind, ignoring the fact she had poked and prodded his right hand with no visible result, he had managed to get everything he wanted from Yume.

The woman had kept her promise and done more than was asked of her by getting the higher ups of Academy City to recognise Kamui as a threat and had something done to deal with him. Whatever was being done with this task force was beyond Kamijou's understanding, but what he did get was that the Science side was not taking this lying down.

Something was being done and while that meant investigating and letting Kamui do his thing for a while, he would be found and he would be stopped. That was a certainty in that boy's mind now the adults were involved and the fact Yume had gone that far for him was more than enough.

Not only that, but she had only told them of three projects instead of four, choosing to omit the ZERO_Over from her discussions with Anti-Skill and Judgment. Given her curiosity when it came to his right hand, it seemed that was because she had accepted his words, despite not understanding them, that that project had failed from the outset. Although she clearly wanted to understand that mysterious right hand a bit more, evident in how she was eyeing it even now, the fact of the matter was that she had done her part and more.

Which meant it was Kamijou's turn for him to do his part.

What role would he have to play in the future of this underground war? When it came to the Science side, something was being done, but what was Kamijou's stance when it came to that side of the war? Despite knowing he had to do something about Kamui, nothing concrete about the actions he had to take had formed in his head.

Now he understood there were more people on his side though, he had a lot to think about and a lot to consider about what he could do from here on out.

Yume had done her part.

Which meant it was Kamijou's turn to pull his weight.

"In all seriousness though, Yume-sensei…you've done a lot for me. You didn't have to be, but you've been there in times when you could have run away and you've supported me when I didn't really know what to do. For that alone, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Kamijou turned to the woman by his side and smiled, a true and honest smile that came from the depths of his core. The woman was left dumbfounded at his honesty and how he was not even bothering to hide it. Yume just stared at him, before turning her head and running a hand through her long, black hair.

"I'm just doing my job, Kamijou-chan. It's the role of the adults to take care of the children. And although the ZERO_Over project was a failure, as you said and something I believe, because of the strangeness of your right hand, something I still don't quite understand how or why it is the case, the only reason those nanomachines are inside your head was because I failed to protect you. Which means that as it was partially my fault, I need to take responsibility for you and watching out for you."

"Still…" Kamijou said, smiling and trying not to think about the 'taking responsibility' point that was open to misunderstanding. "You've done more than enough watching out for me. So I just wanted to thank you for that."

"D-Does that mean I can have a better look at your right hand and what it does!? I still don't understand it but since you won't tell me what it does, I have to try various things! Apparently, if you fold the thumb in a particular way, you can allow various muscles within the hand that are usually inactive to move, so maybe doing I can – "

"I'm going to stop you right there and say there is no way in hell you're going to be studying my right hand. Even if it means the two of us alone in a room where you're caressing it! D-Damn it, although I'm saying that as an example, I want it even more now I've pointed it out! Still, the answer is no! I'm not going to tell you a thing, if only for my own safety."

Yume pouted, although not really understanding what Kamijou was getting at. However, her pouting face was cute so the fact she did not have a clue about that boy's fragile heart was alright.

Still, the way her expression changed slowly after she had been rejected and the way she turned her gaze from his right hand to look at the boy's face indicated to him that while he felt the conversation with Yume was over, she hardly felt it was such.

"Safety…"

"Yume-sensei?"

"You've said something I can't ignore, Kamijou-chan. I was unsure how to approach this to you and how to go about doing this, but I think being blunt is the best." Yume took a deep breath and sighed, moving over to the railing overlooking the expanse of Seventh Mist with Kamijou following. From the railing, he could see the movement of the people on the lower floors and all the way to the bottom. People passed behind them but none stared at the duo. It was clear that although they were trying not to be heard, the fact Yume was not moving as she had suggested to avoid ears meant there was something important the woman wanted to get off her chest now, no matter what happened.

"What…is it?"

"Kamijou-chan, I want you to listen to me for a bit and hear me out. Looking at what I discussed with the higher ups and what they told me, Anti-Skill and Judgment are taking this issue with Kihara Kamui seriously. A specialised team to deal with him and his projects is being created."

"I…understand that."

"Not only that, but there are others who said they were wanting to stop Kamui as well. Just a few hours ago, the #3 and the #5 were a part of those people. That's two of the seven strongest people in Academy City to date willing to take on Kamui. Add that in with the rest of Anti-Skill and Judgment…well, let's just say the time it takes investigating is going to worth it when Kamui gets his ass kicked."

Kamijou smiled a bit at the way the woman so clearly said that. It was matched with a smile on Yume's face as well as she realised she had made Kamijou smile.

Little did Yume know it was not just Misaka Mikoto and Shokuhou Misaki who had said they were going to fight Kamui. Despite what they had done to Orion Phoenix, Accelerator and Hamazura Shiage were not going to sit this out. In terms of strength and raw determination to stop the madman from ruining their lives and the peace within Academy City, Kamijou knew the power those two heroes held and would add to their fighting force.

Not only that, but as well as the #1, the #3, the #5 and Hamazura, Index, Shutaura Sequenzia and her Black Crows and Hayashida Mari had also said they would join the fight. Just from that line up, added with Anti-Skill and Judgment, Kamui was well on his way on getting his 'ass kicked' as Yume had put it. Although she did not know the small force outside of the one she had already known about, this as well as the fact that one of Kamui's four projects had already failed, it was enough to give Kamijou optimism for the fight ahead.

However, it seemed that despite that, there was something else Yume had to say.

"Do you agree we've got something on our hands now? A force that has a strong chance against fighting Kamui?"

"Y-Yeah. I do. Knowing my misfortune, I don't want to speak in certainties, but I really think we can do something about Kamui with what we have."

"Good. I'm glad you think that. Because it means I can say this without hesitation." Yume said once, nodding her head. She was silent for a bit, before turning to Kamijou, facing him head on and not even bothering wasting her words.

"Kamijou-chan, I want you to pull out of this fight with Kihara Kamui."

Kamijou Touma did not say anything.

He just stared at the woman.

Was this some kind of joke?

That was his first reaction but the way she was looking straight at him, face entirely serious made it clear she was far from joking. The initial surprise at having the woman say that faded as Kamijou felt a frustration and confusion fill him without really knowing why Yume was saying what she was saying. She wanted him to pull out of the fight with Kamui? After all he was doing and all the suffering he was causing?

Why?

For what reason?

Nothing made sense to Kamijou who had felt Yume would always take his side given how she had her eye out for him, so a sense of betrayal filled him slightly. Holding back the urge to lash out verbally at the woman, Kamijou calmed himself and spoke with the same seriousness in his face and voice.

"May I ask…why you think that?"

"Like you said, Kamijou-chan." Came the reply. "Because of safety. Yours to be precise."

Kamijou knew it was coming. He knew these words were coming but even though he tried to prepare himself for them, something flared within him he could not ignore. Was it the betrayal he felt Yume was giving him that made him react in the way he did? He was not sure but the way he spat out the words that followed sounded bitter to that high school boy.

"What…the hell? You think that…just because I might be hurt or injured because of Kamui that that is enough of an excuse for me to pull out? Yume-sensei, you know exactly what Kamui is capable of and willing to do, more than I ever could. We need whatever fighting force we can get and you expect me to just pull out and leave everything to everyone else? When Kamui is still out there and doing whatever he likes to others? You expect me to value myself over the smiles he is destroying as we speak? You…"

Kamijou grit his teeth and shook his head. He denied in his heart the words the woman was saying and threw them out before giving them time to sit in his head.

"I can't do that. I can't just abandon people I don't have a reason to abandon. Kamui needs to be stopped. And just because he might hurt me or something ridiculous along those lines, it's not going to be enough for me to pull out of this fight. How can you expect me to selfishly value myself over the lives he has already destroyed? Give me one reason!"

"Because if you keep this up, he will destroy you."

Kamijou had felt his voice and temper rising at how Yume was suggesting leaving things to others when Kamui was already destroying so much but the way she responded so instantly and without hesitation made that boy pause. There was something in the woman's face, a regret she could not put to rest and her lip trembled a little bit before she bit it to make it stop shaking.

"Kamijou-chan, I'm not speaking in hypotheticals. I'm not asking you to pull out of this fight because I think you're weak. You've faced Kamui more times than I have so I can tell you from where I stand, you're amazing to be able to stand where you are right now and smile like nothing has happened. You're strong and no one is denying that. Nor am I asking you to pull out because you've done your bit and I think it's time for the adults to do things. As you said, we need the best fighting force we can have and pushing away resources isn't going to do anyone any good."

"Then why - ?!"

"I'm asking you to pull out Kamijou-chan because I'm not speaking in hypotheticals. Kamui might hurt you? He might injure you? He already has, Kamijou-chan."

Kamijou felt his breath catch in his throat at those words, finding they sunk into his gut and dragged his words down with them.

They were true after all.

"When we first met, well, technically it was the second time, Kamui had isolated you as someone he had an interest in. And then you know what happened? You got caught up in some after effects of something Kamui was involved in and you were tortured. You were tortured and you had your left arm ripped off in a slow and painful process that had you screaming. Do I need to remind you exactly what Kamui did to you? I saw the state your left arm was in before we reattached it. Do you want me to tell you how perfectly Kamui dissected it?"

Yume was trying to stay calm but the way she was slowly growing pale and sweating suggested not even she wanted to remember the state Kamijou's arm had been in when Kamui, as Aaron Gracestone, had ripped it apart and tore it off. His left arm tingled a bit, as if remembering the wound and Kamijou reached over with his right hand to touch it.

"Not only that, but last night as well… You saw things last night Kamijou-chan. I don't know what they were, but that's only because the news hasn't covered it. But what I do know is that you have seen people die and you have suffered because Kamui wanted you to. He isolated you out and, although he hasn't actively searched you out, he is damn well close to ripping you and your life to shreds."

Kamijou wanted to say something, to deny what the woman was saying, but found he couldn't.

The incident where he had lost his left arm, the one with Kongou Mitsuko, was one where Kihara Kamui had caused a massacre for the sole purpose of trying to break Kamijou. People had died because of Kamijou…and that was a sin he would not be able to get rid of so easily. There were lives hanging over Kamijou that were not alive anymore because of him and something bitter rose within the boy's throat when he looked at that horrible fact.

Kamijou had come out of the incident with Kongou Mitsuko worse for wear physically. And although everything was fine in the end, what if it had not been? That pointless hypothetical reached Kamijou's mind and tormented him…but at the same time, despite realising how dangerous and potentially life shattering what Kamui had done to him was, Kamijou could not just take the advice as it was.

Like he had said…

"That's…not enough for me to abandon everyone else though. Yes, Kamui has hurt me and I know the lengths he is willing to go to for the sake of destroying the lives of others." Kamijou looked dead straight into Yume's eyes and spoke. "But it's because he's done that that I know I can't let him be and let him continue what he is doing. I just…can't place myself and what he might do to me when he could do it to others. What about the people he has used Personality Swipe on? What exactly did they go through? What exactly are they going through right now if Kamui is doing that same project to others as we speak? I can't…just leave it be. I can't pull out. Kamui needs to be stopped. I'm not saying this as a hero or because I want to look cool. But for the safety of others, he cannot be allowed to do what he is doing."

"On a normal occasion, I would agree with you. Hell, I would even support you in what you are doing. But…I can't, with a good conscience, do that with you, Kamijou-chan. I just can't."

"Why? Why am I different to anyone else?" Kamijou asked, finding the words Yume said were not angering him but rather hurting him. Did she not trust him? Protecting him by telling him he could not fight would have the opposite effect; it would hurt him more than anything as he knew others were fighting whereas he was sitting back and playing it safe.

Yume gulped before spitting out the words.

"Because you are sick."

"Wha – "

"Sick in the head." Yume said, cutting off anything Kamijou could say. "I don't want to call it this, but I need to get this point across to you, Kamijou-chan. And using these words, which I don't agree with and don't want to use, is the only way I know I can. You seem to not understand your position, so let me tell you exactly what it is."

Yume took a deep breath and let out her words.

Words Kamijou Touma knew were right but he did not want to hear.

"After everything you've been through…you have PTSD. Not only that, but you are desensitised to your own death. And you want to fight against a man who was willing to torture you for fun? For the sake of his own personal goals? Yes, maybe if you enter this fight we'll find and stop Kamui tomorrow. For everyone else and for the rest of Academy City, that will be a good thing. But for you? You who will have to endure and take whatever Kamui throws at you, especially since he has singled you out? If you keep this up and if you keep on fighting Kamui, one way or another, you will lose, Kamijou-chan. Either Kamui will break you or you will snap from the pressure of everything you are holding within yourself. That is why you need to pull out. Do…you understand?"

He did.

Of course he did.

In the past three incidents, Kamijou had been a part of horrible things.

A project to restore the personality of a Level 5. The damage he had taken then was his entire left arm from the shoulder down broken in some way.

An incident involving an heiress to a company that had resulted in his kidnapping. The damage he had taken then was losing his entire left arm after prolonged torture and having people die because of him.

An incident involving a soldier and her kidnapped comrade. The damage he had taken as a result of that incident was seeing someone he knew he could save die right in front of him.

Time and time again, Kamui had put through Kamijou through the ringer both physically and mentally. The fact he had not yet snapped was perhaps because of the 'training' Othinus had put him through, but at the same time, what with his PTSD and desensitisation to his own death, what was to come would not get easier.

In fact, as Kamijou accumulated more experiences and had more triggers to start his PTSD attacks, it was only going to get worse. He only had to recall his most recent PTSD attack, which had happened minutes ago in broad daylight and in a crowded street, for confirmation.

Even if Kamui was stopped, there would be nothing saving Kamijou's mind from the torment it would give him.

It would be an endless cycle where the more Kamijou did to stop Kamui from hurting others, the more pressure it would place on Kamijou's mind.

What would break first?

Would Kamui manage to break Kamijou?

Or would Kamijou eventually break himself, succumbing to his PTSD and desensitisation to his own death? Would he become an unfeeling vegetable? Or even worse, commit suicide as he could not take it anymore?

For anyone else, Yume would support them in this fight. Dealing with Kamui was the priority and when each step taken was one against Kamui and bringing him down, there was nothing stopping Yume from seeing the bigger picture.

But when it came to Kamijou, things were different. Each step taken was one that would crush Kamijou's mind, fuelling his PTSD with more horrible experiences due to more triggers and exposing him to more death, blood and violence that would encourage the desensitisation of his own death. Each step trying to make things better would make things worse for Kamijou…and Yume, as someone looking out for Kamijou, could not have that.

Yume knew something needed to be done about Kamui. She was not naïve and immature enough to think he could just be ignored but by that same token, she did not want Kamijou involved for the sole reason that trying to do anything would hurt him more than anyone else. Even if everyone came out of everything fine, the one who would be forced to bear wounds that would not heal would be Kamijou. As an adult, no, as someone who genuinely had his best interests at heart, Yume had to say the things she was now for his own good.

How much kindness was there in those words? How much concern for his being? She was nothing more than someone who knew of a problem of Kamijou's that only one person in the world knew of, but she was taking it seriously and was thinking of Kamijou, even if it made him hate her. That just went to show the lengths she was willing to go for his sake.

Even Kamui, even though it was a copy, had said it himself. The more Kamijou would try and do to save others, the more interested he would grow in Kamijou. The more Kamijou tried to save those under the influence of Personality Swipe, the more they would want to see him break and the less saveable they would become.

Just as involving himself in this would cause pain to others, involving himself in this would cause unimaginable pain to himself. On the outside, Kamijou was fine. He would laugh and make jokes about dying at Othinus's hand but in reality, he would be crushed under the weight of it all and be unable to recover.

That was the reality of choosing to fight here.

No matter how many people climbed up to the surface of the Light out of the Darkness…

They would be doing so at the expense of Kamijou Touma, whose shoulders they were standing on as he sank deeper and deeper into the abyss of his own mind and of Kihara Kamui.

He understood that.

Kamijou Touma was not that naïve and immature either now it had been pointed out to him. He fully understood what the problem facing himself was and how dangerous this was going to be for him one way or another.

But…

"I'm sorry Yume-sensei…"

Kamijou spoke with his head held down and his right fist clenched.

"But I just…can't pull out. I just can't."

"Kamijou-chan…"

"I've said it before and I'll say it again. I'm not saying this because I want to be a hero or because I want to look cool. Hell, if I could throw this to the side, I would. I would throw it aside, run home and just spend my time doing stupid things and not thinking whatsoever about what is happening with Kamui. I would do that in a heartbeat. But…"

"But?" asked Yume. Even if her voice showed her surprise, it was calm enough to suggest she was willing to hear Kamijou out no matter what he had to say. He was ever thankful for that and felt shame run through him as he was looking down. He forced himself to look up at Yume, pausing for a moment as he stared at the blue eyes that showed their pity for him, but he could not back down now.

There was something he had to say.

"I can't just abandon everyone else caught up in this. Doing nothing when this is happening and Kamui is wreaking havoc would be worse than doing something and failing completely. Inaction right now would be the greatest evil I could commit. Because it would mean I can afford to accept there is a world where tragedy cannot be avoided. And I can't do that. Not to the people who are hurting because of Kihara Kamui."

Kamijou was not saying he would be able to do everything. Instead, it was the opposite; he accepted there was the possibility he would fail.

But failing to create a result where everyone would be happy was far better than never doing anything to achieve that result in the first place.

Doing nothing right now, no matter what happened to him, was the same as saying he could accept Kamui running around and doing what he was doing. And after all Kamijou had gone through and seen others go through, there was no way he could accept that.

There was no way he could accept that Kihara Kamui was an acceptable 'allowance' on the world. By doing nothing, Kamijou, even if he supported action against Kamui, would be accepting that Kamui was a factor in the world that could be allowed to continue.

His own sake be damned, there was no way Kamijou Touma could accept that.

So he would do something about it.

Even if it meant accepting that tragedy would undoubtedly fall onto him.

Yume stared at the boy, her expression distorting into one of pain. While what Kamijou had said was very much like him to the core, at the same time, it accepted he would suffer because of it. No, despite Kamijou wishing for a world where tragedy could not avoided, he was plunging himself into a world where tragedy inevitably awaited him.

"You…"

"If I were to do nothing…then I would break. I would lose to myself more than anything and I would bury myself alive. Kamui wouldn't need to do anything if I chose to do nothing and I pulled out of the fight with him, Yume-sensei. I would break for sure as I lost myself in the thinking that I could afford to have tears and pain in my world and could go off and do my own thing when there was a chance I could prevent it."

Yume stared at the boy, but to anyone who was looking at his noble words, there was one thing anyone with a degree in psychology would be able to point out.

Even though Kamijou was willing to fight Kamui for the sake of others he could not abandon and did not want to accept a world where tragedy was normal…

The way he placed himself on the line to do so revealed how deep the desensitisation of his own death ran.

Did he not care about himself? He saw himself as only a pawn in his own game, willing to be sacrificed for the sake of the greater good. The worst thing was, the fact he did not realise it, made the issue more horrible to look at and consider.

Kamijou Touma had accepted tragedy would happen to him.

Which meant he felt it was partially normal for him to scream, cry and be hurt from the things that happened around him.

It was not just an inferiority complex; this ran deeper than that. It went into the core of his mind, his personality and had moulded Kamijou into the type of being he was today.

It wasn't that he didn't care about himself. When facing danger, he would try to avoid it and when facing a threat to his life, he would try and fight it.

But he just didn't care enough about himself.

He cared a little.

But not enough to allow himself to treasure himself over everyone else in the world.

Yet he did so and thought this with the feelings of 'selfishness' plastered on top.

Where did the selflessness and selfishness stop and start? Where did Kamijou think the line was and where did his kindness for others begin and the kindness for himself stop?

It was unclear, but it clearly placed others over himself to a ridiculous degree.

And with the torment of what his own mind was doing to him, it was only getting worse.

When would it reach the point where Kamijou would seriously offer his own life for someone? He had been terrified of that fact but the fact he did not realise the trap he was falling into of his own making was terrifying to say the least.

He was sick.

Yet the fact that despite looking for a cure through Yume it was not getting better only showed how deep that sickness in his own mind ran.

Yume licked her dry lips and swallowed, saying words slowly.

"You have already decided on this, haven't you? To the extent that no matter what I do to try and stop you, you will rebel against me."

Yume's voice held concern and a fraction of heartbreak, Kamijou turning back to her and smiling a little.

But at the same time, there was something dead in that smile he gave her.

Was that because he cared so little for himself?

Or because he knew he had accepted something was going to happen to him in the future?

"Sorry."

Yume said nothing for a while, before turning and standing next to Kamijou on the railing. The two of them stared down over the edge and looked at the people passing by, nothing said between them for a while before Yume spoke.

"If I say I wanted you to pull out as an adult instead of a friend, would you do it?"

"Nope."

"…This is why I hate puberty. All of you kids enter your rebellious stage and never listen to a thing we adults have to say. Especially since this is a threat to your life, I thought it would be an easy thing to convince you to do…"

"Haha." Kamijou let out a rather dead laugh as he stared over the railing, Yume turning to him with narrowed eyes.

"You are pointlessly stubborn. You know that?"

"I've been told I'm an idiot, so does that count?"

"Whoever said that is a woman beyond her years."

"H-How did you know it a girl?!"

"Ohohohohoho, a girl was it? You cheeky bastard, are you already moving up in the world and embracing your youth with everything going on?"

Yume smiled and got off from the railing, leaning over to Kamijou and wrapping her arm around his shoulder. They were shoulder to shoulder as a result, but an additional side effect was that Yume's breasts were pressed against Kamijou's arm. This time though, he had the sense of mind to notice, his cheeks going red to boot as he desperately turned his head to understand why the woman had done what she did.

She responded by whispering into the boy's ear, her hot breath blowing into his ear and her sweet scent filling his nose.

"(But if you're going to face Kamui anyway, I'm going to do my best to make sure I can save you from the problems within your mind. I'm going to save you, Kamijou Touma, from yourself. I promise I will do it.)"

"Y-Yume-sensei!?"

Kamijou, red faced, did not really understand what the woman was saying or where this was coming from.

While that, in its own way, showed Kamijou truly did not understand the subconscious effect his PTSD and his desensitisation to his own death was having on him in that he had already accepted he would lose something, to the woman who did understand, it did not matter.

It was her role as an adult and she would save him, just as he asked her to.

That was the role of the adults after all.

No matter their faults…

It was their role to protect the children in their care.

Although perhaps for Kamijou, the 'care' Yume was giving him was more than enough to make his heart go wild and for his face to go red.

Various things were touching various things and the natural reaction down below he was having to this sexy woman pressing those things up to him was perfectly natural for him!

It was perfectly natural!

And yet…

"You bastard."

A voice from behind Kamijou made the boy turn around, only to go white in the face.

"Oh no."

Yume, still hanging around Kamijou (along with her breasts), turned her head (making her long hair brush against Kamijou and for her scent to more strongly enter his nose) and looked at him.

"Kamijou-chan? Do you know these two?"

Know them?

Kamijou did more than that.

He wished from the depths of his heart they had never met here in this time and in this place, especially given who Kamijou was with right now.

But then again, these two appearing in front of him when he least expected it was something he should have expected from these two idiots.

"How did you manage to score this one!?"

Aogami Pierce yelled into the air, clenching his fist so hard one could see the veins coming out. Tsuchimikado Motoharu, next to him, trembled in fear.

"You were always going on about wanting a dorm manager onee-san, so you managed to actually get one?! D-Does the limit of the dreams you want to pursue know no bounds?! What exactly is the type of 'play' you were planning on doing that fulfils those hidden fetishes you have nyah?!"

"Are you planning on making her wear glasses and a garter belt, stripping her until she wears nothing but a lab coat and watch as she struggles while being unable to bear the embarrassment? Because that doesn't work with science girls, Kami-yan. The only thing that really works with are tsunderes who aren't honest about their feelings as they blush and tell you it isn't for you that they're dressed like that."

"N-No, you idiots! I wasn't planning on anything like th – Y-Yume-sensei!? Please don't look at me like that! I wasn't planning on anything like that with you whatsoever!"

"…Come to think of it, you did say I was your type."

"You said WHAT?!"

"You said WHAT?!"

Aogami and Tsuchimikado went agape, staring at the boy with fear. They huddled up next to each other, leaning over and speaking in whispered tones they did not bother to hide from others who were listening.

"Say, say, when was Kami-yan this aggressive?"

"I-Is this the power of adolescence nyah? The one where you want something with all your heart and are going to go the distance so you can get it?"

"Does that mean that if I truly believe, the ideal crossover of different genres allowing for a bunny girl nurse maid is going to exist?!"

"You idiot! Maids are basically nurses in their own right given how they have some medical training under their belt for the sake of their clumsy masters! Add some bunny ears and you've got combination after all. So basically, if you think about it, it's only maids that can grasp all three of those possibilities nyah. How can you be so enlightened about maids yet not realise such a basic thing?"

"I'm going to ignore that because I'm not just enlightened about maids! But the thing we need to focus on isn't the ultimate Trinity of nurse, maid and bunny girl, is it?"

"Surely not, Aogami Pierce. (Even if maids are truly the answer)."

"I have no idea what you just said at the end there, but there are more important things to worry about!"

Aogami retorted with that remark before turning and facing Kamijou, along with Tsuchimikado. Yume was still leaning over Kamijou with her breasts. Kamijou on the other hand was stuck being overly self-conscious about various things given he remembered the embarrassing moment where he had hugged Yume out of nowhere earlier in the day, confessed she was his type without any good reason and had merely been going along with the good feeling he had had in his chest upon knowing the ZERO_Over project was useless. Not only that but he was fully engrossed in the woman's large breasts being nestled up against him and the mental imagery these two idiots had given him was sending his brain into an active effort to both reject and save the image for later reference.

Both idiots in front of Kamijou and Yume wasted no time, throwing out a thumbs up and smiling, although there were slight tears in their eyes.

"Kami-yan, no matter what you end up thinking …"

"And no matter what type of fetish you are going to thrust upon this woman because of the dream you have of being with a dorm manager type onee-san nyah…"

"And no matter what crimes you are going to do to her as you attempt to input every single genre onto her for the sake of those fantasies you have…"

"Just remember…"

Aogami Pierce and Tsuchimikado Motoharu dropped their thumbs and gave a small salute.

"We will always be your friends!"

"We will always be your friends!"

"You goddamn idiots; don't lump me in with you! You think a fetish matches a genre, but that's narrowminded from the start! There's nothing you can't do with a dorm manager! A-And who's going to be doing any 'thrusting'? I'm going to knock some sense into those overly pent up heads of yours, so you better get ready for a poundiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!"

Kamijou Touma screamed, throwing Yume off him and leaping for the two idiots, fists flying. There was an impact and the previously calm (?) trio ended up being a ball of smoke with fists, stars and heads poking out from it every now and then. Occasionally, there was a flash of black, blue and yellow hair and the occasional flash of something red and liquid like, but in the end, it was nothing too much to worry about.

Unless you counted how concerned Yume was as she stared at the three idiots, also known as the Delta Force. The look on her face suggested she wondered how she, as an adult, was going to solve this.

The fact that a pure bred adult had to think about how to solve this though might have indicated to the world that Fukiyose Seiri, the Iron Wall Girl who kept these idiots under control, had matured way too fast.

Either that or the Delta Force were just a bunch of idiots you would never find elsewhere no matter how hard you looked.


"Your passion for dorm managers runs true within you, Kami-yan."

"As does the passion for little sisters, you sis-con. The moment they were brought into the conversation, you went all out. If security hadn't arrived when it did, I think Aogami and I would have been thrown over that railing."

Kamijou Touma and Tsuchimikado Motoharu spoke casually as they ignored the fact they were covered in dust in some places and were sore all over from their little brawl. While it had started off innocent, the moment Aogami had said some crap about dorm managers perfectly representing the power of the older sister Tsuchimikado had lost it.

To say their fight had turned into a death match after that would have been no exaggeration, leading to the trio being thrown out of Seventh Mist.

Yume had disappeared off somewhere in the chaos and Kamijou imagined she was off getting some sleep after everything she had done today. After seeing her dozing off in front of Seventh Mist, it was clear she had had a big day and with what she had told Kamijou, that much was true at least.

Not only was she concerned about Kamijou enough to the extent she wanted him to pull out, but she had also helped encourage Anti-Skill and Judgment to form a team to fight against Kihara Kamui. While she had been a rather huge pervert when it came to wanting to study his right hand, the concern and the asset she was in this upcoming fight was huge and Kamijou would not have wanted it any other way.

Yet, as she had to, even adults had to rest and Kamijou imagined the rest she was going to have was a rest well deserved.

Aogami had similarly disappeared, although with the way he had spun around declaring he felt the need to visit a nearby library to 'observe' the traits of braid library girls with freckles and glasses (characteristics that were far too specific in his view), Kamijou imagined he was probably going to get a good exposure to Anti-Skill and law enforcement in the near future.

As for Kamijou…

"Where you heading now, Kami-yan?"

"Home. I want some sleep."

Kamijou's instant answer was one that indicated how much that boy had been through.

"Yesterday was a hellish day and when it came to everything that happened, I want to get some sleep. Screw whatever I had planned for today. This Kamijou-san, for once, wants to just get some shut eye!"

"Huh. Well then, I might join you."

"E-Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?" Kamijou screamed, paled and took a small step back. "S-Since when did you swing that way, Tsuchimikado? W-What happened to your character of being a sis-con?"

"Now, now, Kami-yan. If you think I'm ever going to distance myself from the beauty that comes from little sisters, I'm going to get really mad. There are some things a man should be willing to face the world for and little sisters are one of them."

"P-Phew. You almost scared me there. I'm glad to see you're still a pervert."

"On the other hand if you swing that way Kami-yan, I'm sure there are some degenerates in this wonderful City of ours that will be willing to fulfil that fetish of yours."

"OK, now I'm trembling in my boots here! I knew you were involved in various things in Academy City, but what type of things were you involved in that would give you access to that type of thing?"

"…Interested?"

"MY LOVE FOR DORM MANAGERS WILL NEVER FADE! *mumble mumble* Although when you think about it, the aspects of a dorm manager and how they switch between being capable and also clumsy is part of what makes their caring charm all the more alluring; despite being incompetent in some areas, they'll ignore that and try to get better for you so they can see a smile on your face *mumble mumble*."

"Kami-yan? Kami-yan? Snap out of it. We're at the dorm."

"E-Eh? Already? Weren't we just two blocks away?"

"You had entered a pretty deep trance so you're an amazing pervert yourself."

Kamijou ignored the comment and looked up, seeing the dorm room where he intended to crash and perhaps never wake up after he got to sleep. His entire body felt sluggish after everything he had been through and while he knew he had to contact people like Accelerator and Hamazura to tell them what Yume had told him about what was happening with Kamui, given it was going to take time before anything got under way, he felt he needed some time to relax as well.

It might have been selfish, but the events of everything that had happened to him over the past few days were merely that stressful. It was no wonder the boy wanted some sleep.

And yet…

"Touma!"

A voice calling out his name made the boy turn his head and see the sight of a white habit approaching him.

"Index?"

"I'm going to ignore the fact you ignored me there for a minute, human."

Index, with Sphynx in her arms and Othinus on her shoulder approached the duo of high schoolers as they stood in front of their dorm. The moment Othinus had the chance, she jumped from Index's shoulder and onto Kamijou's, gripping at his clothes as she made her way onto his shoulder where she sat with a satisfied grunt.

"Good. Much better. Nothing feels better than managing to find yourself at home."

"There are a number of things I want to say about you calling my shoulder 'home', but I'll put them to the side for now. Right now, the only thing I want to do is – "

"Onii-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!"

"Bhgbjnfkbhbd?!"

Kamijou was suddenly thrown to the ground in a crumpled heap, having been tackled in the side. Othinus, by some miracle, managed to hold on to the boy as he fell and Kamijou narrowly avoided landing on her by mistake, slamming onto the ground in a rough fashion. Dust billowed where Kamijou had impacted and it was with a pained cry, given everything that had happened yesterday, that Kamijou let out the name of his assailant.

"O-Otohime?!"

"Ah, recharging my Onii-chan batteries is the best." Tatsugami Otohime, the clingy cousin, made no attempt to hide how openly she was attached to her relative as she clung to his side. The Dragon Tooth spiritual item at her neck flickered in the sunlight and given the speed at which Otohime ran into him and how he had not noticed her with Index and Othinus, her usage of the REACH spell was obvious.

While Kamijou was more than happy to see Otohime was with Index given she had disappeared before she had learned about Kamui, the Science side of things and the Magic side as well. However, if there was something he was displeased about when it came to his small cousin, it had to be one thing in particular.

"W-Why are your hands dirty?! And why are you rubbing them all over me? I-I wanted to go straight to sleep when I got home but instead I have to take a shower and get this crap off me?"

"Touma, where did you go when we were with Arisa? You just left all of a sudden! I knew you would come back here sooner or later, but do you know how long I was waiting for you?"

"A-And now I have to explain myself to Index? W-What happened to my plans to get some sleep?! Was it so hard to ask for? And why are you so dirty in the first place, Otohime? Not to mention where did Arisa go anyway?" Kamijou rose, while Otohime was still clinging to him (which made Tsuchimikado twitch a small bit) as he walked without a care towards the elevator leading to the seventh floor; his floor. It was the last question Kamijou seemed to put more emphasis on, as a wave of guilt came over him when it came to leaving the girl.

Yes, he had her number (or technically it was Shutaura's) that he could contact her at any time and meet up, but the fact he had had a PTSD attack and had to deal with both Phi and Yume meant the time he had wanted to spend with Arisa had been depleted. The fact that had been the case was rather upsetting for the boy and it was clear in the way his expression changed as he asked that question.

Index's expression changed as well as she waited for the elevator, stepping inside when it came.

"…She did what she had to do. And then she left."

Tsuchimikado clearly did not understand a shred of what Index was talking about but the way she was saying those words and the slight melancholic smile on her face as she said them was all Kamijou needed to know that Arisa was now Shutaura. Whatever Index and Arisa had done had clearly left her with some small regrets about the time they spent together, but he imagined they would be solved when they met again.

Still, the fact he had missed out on that due to his own issues meant there was only one thing he had to say.

"I see…"

Kamijou fell silent as he nodded, knowing that parting with a friend was hard for anyone. Still, the fact Index was smiling despite it all and despite her regrets in not having enough time meant there would be something for her to look forward to the next time. That in itself gave Kamijou optimism and it was with that mindset that he turned to the girl clinging to him.

"And you? Why are you so dirty? What were you doing; playing in the dirt or something? You're not a kid anymore, Otohime."

"You're right, Onii-chan. I was being a hero!" Otohime said with a smile. She grimaced slightly though as she realised there was some dirt in her hair before she let go of Kamijou and spent some time trying to get it out. Everyone else in the elevator turned to each other, Tsuchimikado and Kamijou tilting their heads.

"A hero?" asked Tsuchimikado. "What, were you playing a game with some kids?"

"Nope!" came the immediate reply, followed by the 'ding' of the elevator reaching its destination floor. The doors opened and it was with a step back and a twirl that Otohime exited, smiling and speaking at the same time.

"I was fighting my archenemy Onii-chan, so you would have been proud of me!"

It lasted for only an instant.

Kamijou did not know what it was.

But he could not ignore the chill that went up his spine when Otohime said those words.

He was not even sure where it came from, why he felt it or where the source had come from, but he still felt a chill when Otohime had spoken. He felt a drop of sweat roll down his cheek and found his throat was dry without understanding why, the boy turning and trying to look in the corner of his eye at Tsuchimikado, the one who would perhaps understand better why Kamijou had felt what he did.

Instead, the only thing that he saw was that Tsuchimikado had an unreadable expression on his face, eyes hidden by his sunglasses.

Kamijou turned his head to look at Othinus, finding there was a deep frown on her face. As a former god of war, that did not bode well whatsoever.

"Otohime?"

Kamijou called out to her, stepping out of the elevator and into the hallway just as she reached the door to his room. Kamijou hurried to her side, the others following as he stared at her face, trying to read her expression and speaking.

"What do you mean…archenemy? I don't understand what you're getting at. Were you fighting someone?" asked Kamijou, looking her up and down and realising the dirt on her suddenly had a new and malicious meaning behind it. Had she been in a fight and had dirt plastered on her as a result? "Did you get hurt?"

Otohime shook her head and smiled once more, putting her hands behind her head and shaking it.

"Nope! And I saved everyone as well. Well, there was nothing to save them from technically but that didn't really matter. I'm sure I managed to save somebody!"

"Otohime, you're not making any sense." Kamijou said, shaking his head. What was it about what Otohime had said that bothered him? Not even he was sure but the fact it had bothered Othinus of all people (while Tsuchimikado had been unreadable) struck him as the most important point instead of the chill he had felt. He placed his hand on his doorknob and opened the door.

"We'll talk about it inside… Tsuchimikado, sorry about this but this is where – "

Kamijou stopped talking mid-way, realising something he should have earlier but did not given he had been too focused on Index and Otohime.

Tsuchimikado had not reacted at all when he had seen Index.

While that was not unnatural given the two of them knew each other, what was unnatural was that he had been unfazed by the new look Index sported. Namely, the eyepatch on her left eye that was hiding the magic circle in her eye that represented the grimoire that had taken over a subconscious part of her mind.

Why had he not reacted? Why had it not surprised him? The boy was not beyond surprise, Kamijou knew that and when he did not register surprise, it was because of a few things.

One; the surprise he felt was instantly replaced with an analysis of the thing in front of him and how he had to deconstruct it so it did not surprise him.

Two; the surprise was not registered because he knew about it already.

While the former might have been the case with Otohime, this instant with Index felt more like the latter.

Something Itsuwa of the Amakusa Church had said to him only a few hours ago came to his mind.

Namely that there were representatives of the Anglican Church coming into Academy City to deal with the issue with Index and the sentient grimoire in her mind. While as a secondary objective, they were also here for Otohime and to deal with the Magic side of things of Harmonia's Cradle in this underground war between Magic and Science, they were primarily going to decide what they were going to do with Index and her current state.

Itsuwa was the envoy which had communicated the issue to the Anglicans. While she was the point of contact with them, the fact she did not know who was going to be coming into Academy City suggested the party who was going to allow these magicians to come into the City was someone else entirely.

So who?

Who else did Kamijou know who was a part of the Anglican Church or had connections with it who also knew enough about Academy City to get someone in under the radar or forge documents for them?

All thoughts of Otohime left Kamijou's mind as he stared at his friend while opening the door to his dorm room.

"Yeah. I'm sorry too Kami-yan."

It explained why Tsuchimikado had not reacted when he had seen Index with her eyepatch. As the person who had allowed the people who were going to deal with her get into Academy City in the first place, of course he would have been briefed about it. No, not only that but given the amount of fingers in pies he had, it was likely he would have learned about what was happening with Index regardless.

The smile on his face as he stared at Kamijou was one filled with regret; even without seeing his eyes, Kamijou could tell.

But it did not stop the beating of his heart as he felt the familiar space he was walking into suddenly feel entirely alien.

"But you're not going to get that sleep you wanted."

The door opened and with it, the gates of hell did too.

And…

And…

And…

"Welcome home, you son of a bitch. You and I have a lot to discuss."

The tone those words were said with was basically acidic and Kamijou felt himself tense as he saw the people sitting in his room without a care in the world, each one of them worse than the last.

Itsuwa.

Lessar.

Leivinia Birdway.

Kanzaki Kaori.

And the one who had spoken.

Stiyl Magnus.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

If there was anything Kamijou Touma felt as that phrase came to mind, it would have been that he was suddenly going to be missing that much wanted sleep more than he thought he would.


"Is this where the new member of our team is?"

Two figures stood in front of the apartment complex, looking up at it with curious eyes. There was a lot those eyes had seen but right now, they were directed at the building intently, as if trying to see inside it from the outside. Neither party had the esper power or the ability to do that, but looking at how intently they were staring at the building, that was the impression one would have gotten from the two of them.

The taller of the two had spoken to his partner, who responded with a nod.

"If we can get them to consider our offer. But honestly, this Yume woman? The things she was saying were out of this world, but since the higher ups are taking this seriously, so must we. Still, to think the person behind what happened over the past few days was just one man?"

"…Kihara Kamui. Our new target, was it?"

"We're already building the support organisation for the sake of the team dealing with Kamui. I don't know what that mercenary and his handler are doing after we hired them, but they better be worth it."

"I've heard good things about them, Logic."

"While that gets my stamp of approval, Deduction, there is more to someone than just what someone else has heard."

The two members of Anti-Skill and Judgment who were hated within their own departments stared up at the building. The man, Deduction, frowned as he did so.

"So who are we getting here? We've gotten the master strategist: Hayashida. The only people left to form this team are…"

"The master manipulator, the master extractor and the master berserker. This one is the manipulator…and it was damn hard getting this address. The amount of red tape meant this had to come from one of the Board of Directors themselves. Whoever this person is, they're important."

"Are they even in there?"

"Who knows? But given what I've heard, they're a hard person to reach let alone convince."

"Do you think we have a chance at doing it? This is not going to be like Hayashida where we can twist their arm."

"Like I said, who know? It's not in our hands now. But, like everything we do, this is for the sake of Academy City."

"…For Academy City."

Logic and Deduction made their way into the apartment complex building, meant for school faculty rather than any student. While that was not unusual to see within Academy City, what was strange was that the person both law enforcement officers were here to see was not someone from the faculty.

Nor was it someone who ran this place.

No, the strange thing was that these two were here to see a student who used this place like they owned it. While as law enforcement officers who were sticklers for rules, that was something that bothered them, they will willing to ignore it, at least for today.

There were more important things at stake after all.

Logic made his way to the part of the inside of the apartment complex which housed the letterboxes; a sure-fire way to identify who lived where and at what number, scanning it and comparing it to a document in his hand. The boy frowned when he spotted what he was looking for, holding up the piece of paper and narrowing his eyes.

"What is it?" asked Deduction who had come up behind him.

"…The name and the address listed on the information provided to us don't line up here. Look, the number we're looking for on this scrap of paper…has no one listed next to it as the owner or resident." Logic said as he pointed to the letterbox with the relevant number. "This number here should belong to our manipulator…but there is nothing listed here on the letterbox. Not a name at all."

"What's the name that's supposed to be there?" Deduction asked. "Who is supposed to be in the room we were heading to? Our master manipulator to deal with Kamui?"

"Never heard of her. But apparently, she goes by…"

Logic turned his head, his gaze serious as he stared at the bear of a partner.

"Kumokawa Seria."

"…"

"What say you and I check out this apartment and see if it's really as empty as it claims to be?"


And there we have it!

What did you think?

In a way, you can tell how important the Intermission arc is given how the various characters end up moving, why they do what they do and for what reason. While the exposition is going to be a necessary evil over the next few chapters, when things get moving once again, they are going to be hard and fast so I hope the build up and the understanding of the relevant issues explained will make those scenes worth it.

Then again, while in parts serious, this arc also gives the chance for the various characters to unwind, as is seen in the fact you had a few comedic moments interwoven with the serious parts. Although I have to say, for the serious parts, they have been a long time coming and what with the extended cast, the theme of war hanging over everyone's heads and just the overall issues dealt with in the larger scheme of things, they are definitely going to be a bit longer than everything else. I only hope I can still maintain and capture your interest in this story being that of A Certain Unknown Level 0 in this sense in that this war has arrived on his doorstep without him really realising it.

In a way, this chapter focused primarily on Touma and Yume and the Science side of things, but at the same time, had the underlying theme of friendship and bonds being discussed as well. Given how the former is a rather large piece, the latter is one I think I'll take a small look at here.

Not only when it comes to Index and Arisa, but also the scenes with Mikoto and Otohime are ones centred around the themes of 'that which connects people together'. For Index and Arisa, this should be quite obvious as you have these two friends who, after so long of not seeing each other, have managed to reconnect and are unsure how to do so. The only way I felt this could be solved was the way Arisa thinks makes her happy through her singing and conveying to Index what she could not with just a mere conversation. Although I did not have her sing, I hope you can imagine the depth of emotion that would have been conveyed in the words Arisa sang to Index. The scene where Othinus questions whether she should have been there in the first place is indicative of the strength of those bonds and how she feels she was stepping on something important.

Yet, as those bonds were what connected the both of them, they are not so easily torn apart. I mentioned Index feeling regret here, but that has to do with the fact that there was so much that could have been done but was not given their short time. The fact Index can feel such a thing when coming into contact with her friend after so long was a small moment I hope made you reflect on how sweet what she had with Arisa was.

Then we had the bonds surrounding Otohime and Mikoto. As you can tell, the bonds surrounding these two have become frayed, although whether this is because of their own making or because of meeting Orion has yet to be seen. The twisted nature of their bonds and how they don't realise they are falling apart (Otohime) or don't realise they themselves are what are causing them to fall apart (Mikoto) was hinted at, but as this is a large part of their underlying character from here on out, I hope you can look forward to what is to come with those two.

Did anyone of you feel a chill when it came to Otohime and Mikoto's thought processes? There is something changing on the horizon…

But the main focus of the chapter; Yume and Touma!

While the two of them were discussing something serious, I hope you found yourself smiling at the parts where I wanted you to do so. Given Yume's character is someone who explains things, I felt this type of scene was important for her but having those distractions was ever important as well! But, what did you think of her role? While in this type of story, you have the adult bumbling around and screwing the kids over, I just wanted to have Yume do something as an adult despite not being in the spotlight. Hence, her telling everyone else and getting them to believe her as well as her leading to the 'team' being built to fight Kamui I hope was satisfactory for you in the sense that there is going to be no pissing around and things are going to get done.

But at the same time, I wanted Yume to be shown as a stereotypical adult in the eyes of the normal high school boy Kamijou; someone who actually cares for and is on the constant look out for him. While she was more interested in Imagine Breaker for a point, I also wanted to have that scene where she asks him to pull out because of the issues only she knows about (not including Phi) in her knowledge of his PTSD and desensitisation of his own death. I think confronting him with this instead of being indirect shows her maturity but also how she cares for Kamijou in her own way too: she is blunt and wants to give to Kamijou exactly her thoughts without holding back.

Although Touma pushed back against this in his own way, I just wanted to show there is a character out there who honestly does not want Touma to fight this and finds it hard to accept 'he has to be the one fighting'. Although she reluctantly accepts this, the fact she remembers the issues she is dealing with Kamijou as well should be enough to tell you just how serious she cares for Touma and the lengths she is willing to go to for the sake of his own safety.

Hmm? What? A woman caring for Touma who honestly has his best interests at heart and says she is the one who will protect him? I seriously think Touma has it pretty lucky…although if only a certain Disease would grip her at some point… You never know!

Well, whatever the case, this chapter I also wanted to use to get you to know Yume a bit better in her own way and how she thinks and acts. I hope I managed to do so and you felt it was a good chapter all the same!

And as always,
Review if you please.

And I'll see you when I see you and I won't if I don't.

I said nothing on it…but it looks like while the Magic side is going to be the focus next chapter, a particular upperclassman is going to have her time to shine too…