PAINTED PRISON CHRONICLES
CHAPTER 32
REQUIEM OF FATE
ACT I: TIME OF MYRIAD BLADES PART 1
Hello everyone, I am back again. As I anticipated, the beginning of academic year was hectic and writing of this chapter was stretched out. Fortunately, it took slightly shorter than previous chapter, so that's a very good thing to consider. Before we get into proper story, here are few musings of mine, some that came to me on my own accord, some inspired by others.
Although I said that story is closer to end than to the beginning, it's a rather vague description. It is very possible that it will continue for some time and for quite a sizeable number of chapters. It depends on how much the characters will have to tell, and let me tell you myself, with setting including future phase, there is an enormous number of stories to tell. The question if those events will be put in a sequel or not remains open. But, the exact volume is not specified, or rather, how much will happen after the final battles.
Also, some remarks for Touma's children and possible requested additions. It is a very convoluted topic and I will say a few things regarding its specifics. The dillema of Touma's children is such: I wanted to create a so-called total harem, and play on the fact that Touma amassed absolutely enormous number of loves and crushes on him. I presented it not by the end of the story, because I wanted to set the goal that our hero will be aiming for. However, the issue with this approach was that by the time I wrote it, I didn't have a clear idea how many girls in this fanfic (besides rather obvious ones I had already in mind) will have a romantic progression with Touma and to what degree. As such, some children appeared later because their mothers got (or will get) progression that will make them mother candidates. It was a rather conflicting thing because on the one hand, my desire is to write maximally inclusive harem, and have as many of the future generation as possible through it, on the other, it was not my intention to just create a pattern 'random girl + future phase = child'. But I suppose this was a bit meant to happen, given how potent Kami-yan disease is.
The point is, I had quite a few requests and I have to think them through. Firstly, I am really happy that so many people seem to like my idea of future generation. It makes me very happy. Naturally, I can't yield to everything because not every idea will be coherent with the story, but after some thought, I decided to listen to your opinion. Do you have any girl that is interested in Touma and you want to see becoming a mom? Obvious choices are Index, Orsola, Oriana, Bologna and Niang-Niang (who already got green-lit after previous chapter discussion), Naru, and Amazora, but you can also say other picks. I must stress out that I don't know if the request will be fulfilled, but there is a rather sizeable chance that should they appear, they will be showed as such closer to story's end.
Right, that being said, few teases about this chapter and what we actually entering into. We will get a big arc divided into smaller arcs, with multiple parts for them. I don't intend to make as many as, let's say, Uiharu Arc of Certain Unknown Level 0, but it will be multi-parter nevertheless. The reason I am opting for this format is because right now, I am back in my studies, so it might be easier for me to write multiple shorter chapters, than few long ones. Although if I know my writing style, those 'short' ones will still turn up rather longish. The first arc deals with the introduction of KNT's ally (who was not really meant to be all that mysterious. Quite few of you had good intuitions. She was not meant to stay hidden for a long time, just entice some thinking and imagination. In the story that elevates background characters, there was no way that she wouldn't get a major role). There are few concepts that might seem interesting to you in that part of the story. I really hope you'll enjoy it. But more about those in ending section.
Time for Q&A:
Faturandi37: Sasha would be interesting, but may be a bit difficult to introduce right now. We will see what the future holds.
SuddenBetrayal: To be honest, I think I was going to go with the moving in progress when it came to Angel Fall house. As if, the albums Shiina was showing were still in different location. When it comes to Touya's souvenires, I took the page of many moving families I knew, in which they first pack things that are of everyday use and lastly the ones unused, and conversely, they firstly unpack those things that are on display and later take things to the attic. As Kaibi pointed out and Shiina confirmed, while valuable, those albums were not that frequently visited and along my theory, they could still be elsewhere for that reason, while the feng-shui setting, which was more upfront, was unpacked first.
As for our yandere, you will see in this chapter. As for many concepts I try to incorporate, it's not simply a yandere, but it's a more complex situation. Given how little we know about her, she very well can be treated like an OC in this story.
And when it comes to Mitsuari Ayu and KNT, I will say two things. Firstly, an honest confession. I am a bit of an overachiever in writing and have a tendency to bring out a big number of plots. I repent and admit that because of that, some parts of the plotline can be kicked away by events and gather dust through the chapters. But, secondly, in many instances, and also that particular one, I did not forget about it. It will just slightly different form. KNT still wants Ayu, she is in danger, for the reasons connected to future phase. In fact, it is one of the motifs explored in this chapter.
Mr. X: I admit, Junko plot is a bit unusual... but I thought it through and deemed it not more unusual than Aiwass sending Lilith away and then placing her back into the world. Or Freja being controlled by a fetus of all things.
Dark Publisher: I was going for more of Touma rotating around the girls houses (although it is not out of question that they bought a shared house too). When there is a need for all family meeting, it is usually Birdway or Kongou who give their enormous residences for family use.
Muramasa: Alright, you got me on Index. Let's put it that way. Maybe it is not that I can't imaine a motherly Index. It lies more in a fact that Index for a long time displayed dissonance between the fact that she was in love with Touma, and that she was biting him and didn't seem all that physically intimate besides that. I adressed it in Othinus's speech to Index when she returned to Japan.
5had0wHand: I love this scene too. I just think that it would be beautiful and touching for Touma to receive a supportive message from his past self.
KHVSFF: I am also grateful to you for your comments and presence throughout this year. I am not sure what Shiina thinks of her grandchildren (starting that she thinks all of it was a dream) but she will surely love them in the future. And when it comes to Mugino, I always loved the theories of similarities between Mugino and Shiina, whether they implied actual blood relationship (like in Certain Strange Addition) or just similar mannierism and way of life. It implies a lot about Shiina (who could be similar to Mugino in her youth) or how Mugino herself will grow. Also... boys are often attracted to girls who resemble their mothers, and that's no surprise at least from the freudian period.
Without further delay, let's begin:
One would say that repetitive awakenings throughout the tale are becoming a dull motif.
But when it came to Kamijou Touma, his misfortune was a guarantee that things will always be interesting.
He woke up in an unfamiliar bed. Given, it was hard for him to tell at first, because he got used to sleeping on the bed in the apartment that wasn't so much different from this one. The surface he was laying on right now was a good quality bedding.
He opened his eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling. It looked well decorated, almost like a...
'I am in a hotel?'
Then, he heard quite sound of the fingers tapping on the keyboard. He looked to the right and noticed Ladylee, dressed in a white bathrobe, which was clearly too big for her. The immortal girl was sitting upright, her blond tails of hair undone and falling down into single long cascade, with legs under the covers and a computer on her thighs. She was typing with one hand, while the other one was grasping Touma's own, sticking from under the sheets.
"Huh? Lady...lee?
Aquamarine eyes shifted to look at him, accompanied by a small smirk of lips still covered by small layer of lip gloss.
"Morning, sleepyhead"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Touma tangled himself into the sheets, fell out of bed and crawled backwards so fast that he hit the wall with full force.
"Ladylee!"
"Hmm? What is it?"
"WHAT IS IT?! Why did I wake up next to you in the hotel room?!"
"Oh, so you don't remember what you did last night? You were so adamant and persistent that I thought you were serious about all the things you said... and done..."
"I...W-WHAT?!"
"Oh, honestly, through all the centuries, I thought that men got at least somewhat better when it comes to promises like that... to take an unassuming, delicate flower like myself and trample all over it with your desire..."
'Am... Am I losing my mind? Did the stress and sleep deprivation made my preferences invert into Aogami? This is the end of me... yes, I will surely have Anti-Skill knocking on my door any second now'
Ladylee observed the ghostly white face of a boy for couple more seconds, before she broke into a fit of laughter.
"Your face... your face was amazing! I loved that look! So worth it!"
"That wasn't funny! I really thought that we... I don't know why I thought that, but you scared the hell out of me!"
"On contrary, I think it was hilarious. Also, I did a bit of homework on you after breaking out of research facility and before going to look for you. Your preference is for older women. Then trust me, you won't find many women as old and experienced in life as me"
"That's... that's not the point. It's true that I like maturity and you are very cute, but... the biological age your body was suspended in makes things rather-"
"Relax, relax, nothing happened" Ladylee pointed at black and red pyjama under the nightgown" And I understand what you mean. I won't deny that because of your experience of death and your borderline idiotic persistence in the face of adversity, you gain some irresistibility. But you are my ticket to death, so I won't go and straight on do things that will make you uncomfortable. Besides... when it comes to those kinds of activities, I..."
The girl's smile faded a little as if she remembered something unpleasant. That looked made Touma want to ask if she was alright, but Ladylee shook her head before he got a chance.
"Nevermind that. I bet you are interested why you woke up in this place"
"Yeah...also, why did you hold my hand?"
Tossing her hand aside, Ladylee stretched slightly before answering.
"This is how we will be doing it. I am going to regularly hold your hand in intervals, thus having the frequent and consequent exposure to Imagine Breaker should in time weaken my immortality"
"Wow... how long will that last?"
"Don't know yet, but I am willing to make calculations later on"
Touma processed that information for a moment, before moving on.
"Anyway, about waking up here... all I remember is us going to restaurant and celebrating the alliance and then... nothing"
"Well, to make things short... you were accidentally given an alcoholic drink instead of normal juice, and got drunk... which was extremely amusing to look at. Your misfortune never ceases, huh?"
"No way... but I feel rather good... shouldn't I have a hangover then?"
"You knocked yourself unconscious while attempting to climb... no, that's too funny to even keep a straight face while saying it. But don't worry, I have all of it recorded for future generations"
"Give me a break!"
"And when it comes to a hangover, you don't have it because I prepared you a herbal brew of my own method and forced you to drink it."
"You know a medication that counters hangover?"
"I was a herborist in XIV century. You would be surprised how many skills I have. Anyway, I dragged you here and paid for the room."
"You... paid for the room for two? All right, NOW my reputation is totally finished. I will be lined alongside Jime and banned from around all kindergartens"
"First of all, I don't look that young. And second of all, you didn't have enough money to cover the room for two people. I had to climb through the window after-"
" What the hell do you mean with 'you didn't have enough money'? Wait... you paid with my money? But that hotel... you used all that was inside, didn't you"
Ladylee gave him a side eye and stuck his tongue at him, gesturing with the raised finger.
"A gentleman should always pay for lady... huh?"
Her cheeks were suddenly pinched by the boy who was smiling darkly all of the sudden.
"W-What?"
"You may not know this, since I decided to punch Shutaura and not you during the battle on top of Endymion, but I am the last person against which you can play a 'lady's first' card. Back then, I just wanted to punch someone of greater height. But now, it's all up in the table."
"W-Wait! I am immortal, but I still can feel pain! Owowowow! My cheeks! You are going to rip them from my face!"
"Heh heh heh... that's nothing compared to the pain of a poor student having all of his monthly money spent in a single night... suffer, my partner in crime, and repent!"
"H-HAAAAAALT IIIIIIIT! AND STOP TWISTING THEEEEEEEEM!"
(20 MINUTES LATER)
Touma and Ladylee Tangleroad met in front of the hotel. The blond kicked Touma's shin, still grumpy at his punishment. Her cheeks got so stretched and red that they actually appeared as if something bit them prior to her bodily regeneration taking effect.
"Ladylee... from what I understand, you left me here after that accident in the restaurant. But what happened afterwards?"
"I went to the pharmacy and supermarket to get the things needed for making anti-hangover potion... and I sort of... got attacked while going back."
"WHAT?! Why didn't you tell me before?! Are you alright?"
"Fool, are you forgetting who I am? I am Ladylee The Deathless, your resident immortal. There is nothing that can kill me. Now, come with me. We have quite a few things to discuss."
Although Ladylee said it in a nonchalant manner, in the corner of his eyes he saw that she bit the corner of her rosy lips.
Something was troubling her and it was clearly about her last night's encounter. Something bothersome enough for even that cocky immortal to give into weary rumination.
"Where are we going right now?"
"To meet your roommates"
"Right, to meet my... what?! Wait, you actually want to involve Kaibi and the others?"
"Yes, I do"
"Hold on, your own involvement may suffice! That's explicitly the reason I didn't want to involve them!"
Ladylee groaned in annoyance, turning around to face him, and subsequently walking backwards.
"Look, I see it like this. I have a lot of experience and it always go the same way: you try to hide something from significant others, it blows in your face in the least favourable moment and then there is an entire drama, and so on, and so on. I just think that they seem close enough to you to uncover that something is up eventually. And I would rather deal with it now than in the middle of the actual battle, which, let's not delude ourselves, will happen sooner rather than later."
Touma thought about it for a moment. Begrudgingly, he admitted to himself that Ladylee made some valid points.
"I still want them to be safe though"
"That depends on you and on them"
(SOME TIME LATER, IN GOKUSAI + KAMIJOU APARTMENT)
Touma had no idea, who berated him longer for not returning home previous night, Index or Kaibi. It wasn't the most pleasant experience, but he took it with dignity, knowing that there was no other way around it.
Only after that could introduction (since the last time they met was erased via magical flashbomb) of Ladylee Tangleroad and explanation of the situation really commence.
Well, to be precise, there was one more thing to take care of...
Ever since Kaibi and Rikuri confessed their love to him, there was a slight shift of her behaviour around other girls. Touma thought about his mother's own behaviour when his father's gaze or attention strayed on another woman. There was something similar in his roommates behaviour, especially with Kaibi.
Their life didn't really change all that much. They still went to their own schools, ate breakfasts and dinners together, and spent free time with one another like before. Amazora, Touma, and Index often played video games together. He also spent plenty of moments with Rikuri, either posing for her as she endorsed painting, helped her get fit on their pool complex, assisted with her and Youen's research, and carried her off to bed when she fell asleep in the living room. And of course, there was Kaibi, with whom Touma went on some walks around the city, visited some of the restaurants, and did grocery shopping, whenever Yakumaru had other responsibility and couldn't make the rounds. Point was, they were still as close as before.
But... a new element entered their shared existence, especially in a situation like that. Kaibi and Rikuri agreed to steel their patience and wait for Touma to reflect on their confessions, since he was going through some challenges. But there was a price to pay for having that patience tested, specifically, through spending time with other girls.
Not that Touma actually complained about this sort of occasional possessiveness. He would betray his pride as the man interested in opposite sex if he didn't admit that Gokusai sisters were charming and attractive. Even Amazora, who he didn't perceive in romantic light in comparison to her older siblings, had an endearing aura of positivity around her.
But coming back to the 'price to pay', one more thing to mention was the fact that both sisters were phenomenal kissers. For someone who was so long inclined to denial, Kaibi pulled no punches, and could really alternate between various styles of kissing, soft or passionate, quick or deepened, with ease and finesse. Touma did not know if it was due to her experiences as a rental girlfriend, the fact that she was a child of a national class model, or maybe it could be attributed to the fact that she used Measure Heart with a setting to 'lovers' which boosted the feelings through the roof. Honestly, there was no need to truly know. All he knew was that, as restrained as he wanted to be, his enjoyment of the kiss could only be matched as Kaibi's own.
Rikuri, given who she was and just how much she resonated with Touma's type and how erotic body she possessed, was yet another tale for another time, who would certainly need at least few chapters of description. Let's just say that while she was one of the main reasons Touma found himself majorly dizzy from overheating after the sisters asserted their romantic standing.
"Alright, now it's the time to tell who is that midget!" Amazora pointed at Ladylee with fire in her eyes. She looked as if she was one step from hissing and clawing at petite immortal, like a very angry cat.
"Forgive my sister's rudeness, she is not fond of... girls of certain age getting close to her older brother." Kaibi said, ruffling Amazora's hair with an exasperated look
"Oh, is that it? Overprotective much, but don't fret" Ladylee waved her hand" I assure you, I am much older than I look"
"Everyone..." Touma said, his voice slightly higher than usual after he and the aforementioned girls returned to the room, staring at the sisters plus Index combo. He quickly shook off the romantic daze and resumed"... this is Ladylee Tangleroad. She is helping me deal with a personal problem."
"Problem?" Kaibi looked at Touma with much greater attention than before and he knew he had to go on, somehow.
"Well... All of you... I believe I have something to say to you. I've been..."
There was a moment of silence, before Rikuri gently rubbed his shoulder, tenderly encouraging him to go on.
"I've been hiding something from you. Not out of bad heart or lack of faith in you, just... I wanted to keep you safe. We started as total strangers, but we grew closer together and I would never forgive myself if something happened to you. But Ladylee-san convinced me to let you know and... it's only fair to share it with you now. Please, gather around. That's will take a while."
And so, after they sat down, Touma began a lengthy explanation of his situation. He explained the Endymion incident, which tied him to Ladylee, and that for some time, he was battling his own dark self, which was fought to be suppressed before. He described the current dangers that were lurking around him and those close to him, pleading with the sisters to understand his earlier hesitation to bring them into the circle of the ones who knew...
He omitted the existence of magic, described Ladylee's immortality as mere high-tier, gemestone regeneration ability. He also did not reveal how exactly Kamijou No Touma came to be or the powers both of them fought to harness regarding Imagine Breaker. That would require much more complex and groundbreaking conversation, a like of which he wasn't ready for in that moment.
Amazora hugged him, her small face looking up to his eyes
"When we first met, I would probably liked evil onii-chan... but I don't want this onii-chan to go away."
"That sounds very worrisome" Rikuri added in concern" And also very surreal..."
"Do you... believe me?"
"My, my... Touma..." the oldest sister smiled warmly at him" we are, or at least we strive to be, your family. Even there is trouble in understanding something, we, the Gokusai sisters, are on your side. I personally love every day spent with you, not only because I love you, but also because when I am with you and my sisters, I feel like myself... in other words, truly alive. So of course, I believe you"
Index watched Touma with sad eyes. Although she knew majority of what was said, or even more, given her magic side legacy, it still pained her to actually be confronted with just how much strife and suffering did the return of Kamijou No Touma brought to the boy she cared about.
"For now, let's just accept this as it went" Kaibi finally said, nodding to the others" I presume we should formulate some plan of counteroffensive?"
"That's right" Ladylee nodded" But prior to taking on the big boss, we need to root out the support he gathered. If not, we will have to deal with endless divide and conquer that will drain us exponentially through every interaction with enemy forces. We must prepare ourselves and confront one of the allies he appeared to have gathered"
"Allies? Ladylee-san, did you encounter someone who appeared to be working with that man?" asked Index.
"Encountered? That crazy woman attacked me!"
"What?!"
"But before I tell you about that... I need you to tell me about your specialties. Kamijou mentioned something about gattling gun, psychological manipulation, and poison carrying drones, but it's best to hear about your capacity from you."
"What would you need that for?"
"My self-healing is impeccable, but I need it to be at its peak when I encounter that particular foe again... and I know I will... thus, just like with training muscles, I need to improve myself. And I would request that you will help me."
All three sisters looked at Touma, who nodded
"We are allies now. It's better for Ladylee to know our strengths"
"If you say so, we will follow your lead"
(AFTER EXPLANATIONS FROM EACH OF GOKUSAI SISTERS)
"Excellent. I can see now why Kamijou called you a perfectly balanced team" Ladylee clapped her hands. "When can we start with our strategy employment?"
"We will be off for few hours to buy few things for Amazora, but as soon as we are done with that, we are all yours" Kaibi said to Touma" Let's meet here a 4PM, 4 hours from now"
"It suits me. I have something to check anyway" Ladylee waved her hand.
"Touma, we are not through with this, we will still talk about it" Kaibi said firmly and Touma realized she also meant speaking in private" I am sorry we are going now, but I prefer to give you my undivided attention later and not scatter it if I can't be focused now"
"There is nothing to apologize for. If anything, I am to blame for dumping this on you without any preparation."
"We will be right back"
As the sisters left, Touma and Index looked at Ladylee.
"What is it?"
"Look we covered for you and didn't reveal that you were an immortal... not like they would believe it too... but now it's the chance to tell us what happened during the night."
Ladylee sighed and spread her arms in acceptance.
"Fine, I planned to do this anyway. It's true that I will have to give a somewhat abridged version to those sisters, but as we stand now, I can recount everything to you. It went like this..."
(FLASHBACK)
Ladylee was going back from the shopping for the medicine to mitigate Touma's accidental drunkenness. Passing by the entrance to one of the overpasses, she felt a presence lurking in the shadow nearby.
"Who's there?" she said, turning around. "You've been following me, didn't you?"
The person in the shadow seemed to be a girl, of rather petite build, similar to Ladylee's own body type. She had short hair and was dressed casually, at least as far as Ladylee could see, given that the bad lighting in the area. It also made the face of the girl quite hazy in her eyes.
Said girl smiled and replied casually.
"You were walking with him earlier... even took him to restaurant..."
"Hmm? You talk about Kamijou? Are you his friend?"
"Yes... and no. I was there before everyone... I was the true heroine before each of the fake actors invaded the stage. I have been longing, longing for such a long time to be with him... I admired him from afar from the very beginning... but you... all of you... every single one of you... you grew like weeds, blocking his view of the true leading part. And when the weeds spread too high and wide..."
Something glinted in the girl's hand, as Ladylee's eyes widened.
Even though there were couple meters between them, the girl covered it so fast that the immortal could barely move.
Now, it was clear that what the girl was holding was a knife.
"... you cut them down!"
Ladylee reacted, blocking the hand with a blade.
'She is understimating me. Through those centuries, I travelled the world and been in many dangers. I know many self defense techniques"
"Heh, listened here, I don't know what were you talking about or what is your problem. Bu trust me, you won't be able to actually-"
"Karambit!"
In one moment, Ladylee's leg was appearing as usual, in the next, it burst with redness in three large holes.
'W-What? How did she do that? That's contralateral to the hand in which she has a weapon. And those wounds doesn't seem to match the type of knife she uses '
But then, she noticed another blade coming from the attacker's sleeve.
Before she could react it was too late, as the attacking girl smiled.
"Kris!"
As the hand shot forward, sinusoidal gash appeared on Ladylee's arm. It caused the girl to let go of the knife user and she did not waste a moment.
Fighting with pain in her arm and leg, Ladylee witnessed something strange. The other girl formed her hand into a certain shape, hiding her thumb within the inside of the palm and keeping the remaining fingers as flat surface, as her arm shot forward
"Bayonet!"
'A-Another knife?'
Ladylee leaned backwards but that not help as the weapon reached its target, causing her to fall to one knee.
The attacker pulled her hand back, her small frame and wide smile contrasting with each other, as the red neon of the nearby shop seemed to make her dark irises glow crimson, pronouncing the sprayed liquid on her face.
"No matter how strong you are, third-rate hussies, you all bleed the same... no matter who it may be, I will cut you all down and then go for him unbothered by some idiots who don't know their place..."
"Seems you are really lusting for him, hard?"
The girl above Ladylee didn't seem to like that answer.
"It's more than lust, pretender. You and all of that flocking lot... I always watched him, I always adored him... but never could actually go and ask him out. Because he was too busy with you. You and that misfortune of his. After observing and analyzing it all, it became clear. You, every single one of you, drags that misfortune into him through your selfishness. Because he wants to save you, you bring all of those accidents on him, on top of stealing his attention. So it all became obvious... if there is no one to save, there is no risk for him. And then I will guard him... forever and ever... and he will learn to appreciate my care... one way or another..."
"That's the most obsessive bullshit I heard in a while..." Ladylee muttered, standing up. Her wounds almost healed and she thought how to tackle that strange, unpredictable enemy.
There was something off and strange in the way this girl attacked and moved. The cuts and stabs seemed to land from random directions, and the girl itself swayed slightly. But Ladylee knew that this was not due to the lack of equilibrium, but rather, to throw of her estimations of attack's trajectory.
"Oh? You still have strength to stand?"
"Told you. You messed with a bad woman. And you know what? It just so happens that I have an interest in that fool as well. I have certain ambition to fulfil through him and I don't think I will let some lunatic mess up my relationship with him that is a key to fulfilling my goal."
"Is that so..."
"For that matter, why do I even bother shielding myself? Hmm, do I actually want to go out by his hand that badly..."
Then, another swing of the knife was taken, this time followed by the foot pinning Ladylee's own limb to the ground.
"Machete Cleaver!"
For a moment, Ladylee thought nothing happened before something on the edge of her vision caught her attention. It was soaring through the air and only after a moment did Ladylee realized that it was her own right arm.
"You should know when to stop!"
"Oh yeah?" Ladylee grinned fiercely, before snatching the severed limb out of the air with her remaining arm and slamming it across the girl's face" I didn't stop for 8 centuries, why should I now?"
The girl winced and stumbled, but didn't lose hold on her.
"You know, I actually wanted to watch you bleed out for a bit, but if you are so stubborn, I will make it quick. "
The girl extended one of her hands forward, pointing at still immobilized Ladylee, and thrusting the arm forward. Once the finger connected with the blond's chest, it made a circular motion.
"Scalpel!"
There was a tingling sensation... and then, in few quick movements, something was gracefully pulled out. It soared into the air... and landed on the attacker's hand.
Ladylee blinked and slowly reached to her chest. Only then, the terrible pain exploded within her, causing her to cough up blood.
She fell on one knee again, but she still traced her hand to the spot where she was attacked... and found nothing there.
There was a hole. A hole in her very chest, opened so quickly and precisely that her body barely registered what happened.
"A fate becoming of a heartstealer" the girl's voice spoke above her" Don't you think, you hussy? Now all you can blame for your death is yourself, because you foolishly thought you can have my man. The one I was waiting for so long!"
The object in the girl's hand pulsed and seemed to move in a steady rhythm.
Ladylee's vision began to dim out in the accompaniment of something resembling a dull static, but she realized what happened.
"You... you... took... you removed my heart" she whispered before fully collapsing.
The knife wielder looked at the object in her hand in Hamlet-esque display of theatrical drama, before slowly turning around and walking away.
"Heart for heart. I will trample you as you trampled my chance for so long. Now, sleep tight... for eternity..."
(END FLASHBACK)
Ladylee sighed.
"I am immortal, but my stamina is not limitless, and sufficient injuries can knock me out. I woke up roughly two hours later, with my body fully healed. Then I went back to the hotel and joined you"
"Ladylee..."
"I have holes in my favourite ensemble! Plus, that girl made fool of me. But I swear, the next time I meet her..."
"LADYLEE! Do you realize how dangerous that sounds?!" Touma screamed in agitation" To think that someone so perilous is somewhere in the city..."
"Relax, relax, I am fine. I am aware that should it not be me then, well... it wouldn't be pretty. But that why I will be that girl's enemy. Although there are many things about her that I don't understand. Who was she? Did she have many knives after all? Or maybe it was some kind of power? If so, did she use magic or esper ability? But I will know everything once I face her again."
"Ladylee-san, what do you intend to do now? You... you don't think that Touma should fight that maniac, do you?" Index asked in worry.
"No, like I said, I seem best suited to fight someone like that. But... that girl seems to target other females that are close to you. Those people might need help. Do you know who she might target next?"
"Girls who like Touma... let's see..." Index muttered flatly, with a sarcasm tingeing the sentence." That narrows it down to only half of this city's population"
"I-Index, that's not true at all!"
"Right... but this girl is working with your dark self. It probably emerges when you lose your own consciousness, so during sleep and such... and contacts her. So we need to think where their desires coincide... is there a girl that would be a hindrance to Kamijou No Touma, through which something that he would dislike is executed or she might be problematic for him if left alive?"
Touma thought for a moment, before recalling something that Nephthys once told him.
'Mitsuari Ayu will serve as the foundation of Future Phase. She is the key for all the versions of you to be reunited within your mind'
"Ayu..."
"I see that you might have an idea. Here is the deal, we need two people: a guard and a spy. The first to intercept the attacker should she attack the vulnerable targets, the second to learn more about the girl who attacked me in an inconspicuous manner. Can you find someone like that?"
"I could think of few spy candidates, but when it comes to someone who would really know vast variety of students here... I think I am going to make few calls..."
And so, Touma went to the balcony and called none other than Saten Ruiko. She picked after only one signal.
"Touma! It's so nice to hear you!" the girl's cheerful voice sounded from the speaker" How is it going? Is there some cool stuff you are involved with right now?"
"Well, I wouldn't call it cool, but... I need your advice, Saten-san"
"You? You need my advice? Wow... I mean, of course, I don't know how much of a help I will be, but go on!"
"You have tendency to get involved in many situations and with many different people in this city, just like me. Tell me, do you know anyone who is discrete and stealthy?"
"Huh? Why would you..."
"I am telling you this because I trust you. If you can do it without reason why, please, do it for me"
"A-Alright then. Stealthy... I think I have someone! Is it alright if I go to your place later on and introduce that person? I will see if she is available"
"Thank you Saten-san, you are the awesome!"
"Not as much as you! See you in a few hours!"
After few more phones, Touma returned to Index and Ladylee.
"Right, we are getting somewhere! Now it's just-"
There was a knocking on the door. As Touma went and opened them...
"Hello Touma" he was greeted by the Yakumaru Itsuki, hair down and wearing pleasant perfume, who was slightly fidgeting on the doorstep. "I came to ask if you-"
"Touma, so who is it?" came Index's question.
"It's Itsuki-san." Touma turned around to answer, so he didn't see the suddenly devastated face of a girl, who quickly hid something she was holding in her hand to her pocket.
"O-Of course you wouldn't be alone..."
"What was that?"
"Huh? Oh, n-nothing... I will go to the lab, I came to help Rikuri-senpai with something"
"Oh, Rikuri is out, should be back in a-"
Yakumaru zoomed past him, going through the living room, to the corridor with the storage/makeshift lab, and entering without much of a word.
"W-What was that about?"
Kamijou Touma still had lot to learn about hearts of women.
Not much after that, Gokusai sisters returned and Ladylee could finally explain her encounter with the enemy, omitting the details that would make her stand out as an immortal a little too much (like the fact that her heart was taken during the battle)
"That sounds dreadful. Such unstable and crazy girl!" Rikuri nodded in contemplation" She is like Kaibi-chan when that time of month is close"
"Yes, just like... OI! I am not like that at all!"
"I am getting excited! That sounds like a fun opponent!" Amazora threw her fist into the air.
Ladylee coughed into her hand.
"Actually, I envisioned for you to be my support."
"Eeeh? Why is the midget getting all bossy?"
"This midget can survive things that you can't dream of, so keep your mouth shut and listen to your elders!"
"Onii-chan! She is mean to me!"
"Hah... everyone, Ladylee-san can heal from many things. Amazora, you can fight in a long range, which is good, but we still don't know many things about that girl or her powers. When it comes to you three, I am not taking unnecessary risks."
"But I want to kick that girl's butt for onii-chan!"
"Do you wish me death so much, brat?!"
"Onii-chan, this midget is still being awfully mean! Can I put some holes in her?"
"Try it, it's not like it will make any difference-"
"Okay, no one is making holes in anyone. Stop antagonizing each other! Ladylee, you wanted them to help you train?"
He knew he had his own training and already understood what he should do from earlier experiences, but he had no idea in the case of Ladylee.
"Yes, the three of you will boost my healing, stamina, and psychological resilience. In exchange, I will allow you to fight by my side"
"Gracious offer my ass" Kaibi snarled at that" we are helping you for Touma, not for your own sake. So, what do you want us to do?"
(5 MINUTES LATER, ON THE BALCONY )
"You... you want me to shoot you?" Amazora blinked in confusion. Ladylee nodded.
"Fire away"
"A-Are you sure about that?" Rikuri asked apprehensively.
"Yeah. Trust me, mere bullets won't kill me. But this will serve as great training to get my body to heal faster."
"So I can shoot at her as many times as I want and she will be keep coming back?" Amazora seemed a little bit too excited at the prospect.
"Now for you, miss Kaibi... I want you to use your esper power on me. We will train to make me undeterred in the face of adversity"
"I suppose I can adjust our distance to work on that..."
"Excellent. But first... miss Rikuri, you said you were a chemist, right?"
"Y-Yes... T-Touma, why is she looking at me with that gleam in her eyes?"
(10 MINUTES LATER, IN MAKESHIFT LAB)
It soon became painfully apparent why Ladylee got excited with Rikuri's involvement in training.
"That maniac loves to try and search for death, huh..." Touma muttered to himself.
Ladylee stormed into Rikuri's workspace, starling calmly working Yakumaru, and demanded the access to the chemicals. After snatching few vials, she then locked herself in a cabin that Rikuri used for experiments with dangerous substances and which she constructed herself. It resembled a shower cabin, but had a thick chimney like tube that was connected to the outdoor ventilation. It was a construction ment to contain and vent out excessive toxic chemicals, with expansive filtering system installed in said tube.
Currently, two out of the three chemists in Touma's closest circle were in panic.
"What did she take?" Rikuri asked the frazzled Yakumaru.
"Emm... well... Methylmercury and hydrogen chloride."
"T-This is bad, both are incredibly toxic... is the cabin really deadlocked?"
"Yes..."
"That's good for us, but as for Ladylee-san... ah, is she actually juggling them?!"
Ladylee was throwing two vials from one hand to the other.
"Eeny, meeny, miny..."
She then smashed one of the vials to the ground, and unsealed the other.
"Both! Now, cheers!"
"Is she out of her mind?!" yelled both Rikuri and Yakumaru" She smashed the hydrogen chloride and she..."
Gulp, gulp, gulp...
"She drank... the methylmercury..."
"Is... is that a big deal?"
"Big deal?! BIG DEAL?!" Rikuri screamed, ruffling her long blond hair" Even one drop of methylmercury is bad news. And hydrogen chloride can never, ever be inhaled! If it mixes with moisture inside the lungs, it will react and change into hydrochloric acid. You know, the substance that fills our stomachs! It melts from the inside out. It-"
"I am taking the orders for dinner, I will start preparing it in advance. Ladylee, be sure to purify the air in the cabin when you will need to get out."
"Got it... for now... *blargh*... I will focus on staying conscious..."
"Touma... she is dying!"
"No, she is not"
"No matter how good in self-regeneration she is, there is no way she will-"
"She will"
"But she can't-"
"She can"
And so, three absolutely stunned sisters, one only slightly confused nun, and Sphynx (who came back from the outside with Othinus in his mouth, solving the mystery of where the little fairy were all that time) went to the kitchen.
"This is just unbelievable..." Rikuri shook her head for n-th time in a row.
"We see crazy things in this city like all the time, but... that midget is kind of cool" Amazora admitted hesitantly.
"Alright, so I settled for the thai food this time. We have few fresh ingredients, so this will be perfect. Itsuki-san, can you hel-"
"I-I think I am a little bit under the weather today. Rikuri-senpai likes to help you up, right?"
"Huh? W-Well, yeah, I guess..."
'Is it just me, or is something bothering Itsuki-san? She never passed a chance to cook with me before. Maybe it's just my imagination...'
After two minutes or so, there was a doorbell. But before anyone from the kitchen could get it, something stepped out of the corridor.
"I filtered the air, don't... *cough, cough*... worry..."
Everybody's eyes widened as the figure walked slowly to the anteroom corridor and then to the door.
Back on the other side, Saten Ruiko looked at the guest she brought along.
"I am a bit nervous. I have bad experiences with boys. Is he really that nice as you say he is?"
"He is, he's one of the most amazing people ever! I guarantee it. He is a level 0 and has that nice sense of down-to-earth hospitality-"
The doors opened, causing Saten and the person she scouted to look on what appeared in them.
Ladylee Tangleroad, with red dripping in small streams from every possible place on her face, and equally red sclera of the eyes, looked as if she was to dissolve away in any second, as she extended her hand.
"Zo..."
"Greetings!" she said with a voice of someone who quite literally possessed melted vocal chords.
"Zo..zozozozo...ZOMBIE!" the guest alongside Saten screamed in terror.
"That's just... rude..."
Ladylee coughed and something landed on her hand.
"Oh, sorry for my manners. That's just bit of the lung. I assure you the acid disinfected everything"
Saten Ruiko froze in place, completely white, and the person next to her tumbled to the floor with a loud, bellowing sound.
(15 MINUTES LATER)
"This is incredible... you look exactly like you did before..."
Everyone were sitting around the table. The comment was directed at the fact that Ladylee made a full recovery and was proudly flaunting her small body to the amazement of everybody.
"Hmm, I am kind of amazing. I guess I didn't perish...god damn it"
"Did you just say 'god damn it'?"
"Ladylee, you terrified our guests half to death"
"W-Well, we were scared, but it's okay now" Saten assured Touma, before looking at the brown haired girl, with an odango hairstyle and bangs covering her brow" right, Miho-san?"
"M-Mhm..." the resuscitated girl smiled shyly" Kamijou-san, my name is Juufuku Miho. It's nice to meet you"
"N-No, it's my pleasure too... being praised by Saten-san is clearly something to raise eyebrow to"
Miho stiffened suddenly, and he saw Saten rapidly shaking her head from behind the odango girl.
'Ah! What have I done! Of all the phrases to use... Saten-san briefly mentioned that Miho-san is extremely sensitive about her eyebrows. My rotten luck and slip of the tongue!'
"You... saw them, didn't you?"
"W-What are you talk-"
"My eyebrows! You stole a glance!"
It seemed that for Juufuku Miho, eyebrows were as much of a trigger that chopsticks were for Maidono Hoshimi.
Before Touma could protest more, Miho brushed her bangs away, showing two prominent eyebrows.
"Well? What do you think? Quite repulsive, aren't they? Not fitting a girl at all, right?"
"Miho-san..."Saten tried to speak, but Miho did not listen. She was waiting for Touma's reaction.
Juufuku Miho was once rejected because of her eyebrows in favour of Tokiwadai student. This prompted her to terrorize ojou-samas until Saten and her friends convinced her to stop.
'Ever since that time, Saten-san was always there for me. She is my guiding light. And don't think I didn't saw the way she is looking at him. This adoring and warm look that I can only dream of... now, give me a reason to truly hate you!'
And then the answer came.
"Juufuku-san... I can't deny that they are rather visible...but... this doesn't mean that it makes your overall looks less appealing!"
"See, you too think that... wait, what did you just say?" said stunned Miho.
"W-What I meant was that... eyebrows like that make you look more decisive and determined. That can be treated as a major appealing factor. And secondly, overall, your face is cute, so having something to draw attention to it may not be such a... Juufuku-san? Why are you crying? Did I say something wrong?"
Indeed, tears were glistening in the eyes of Juufuku Miho's eyes, and she didn't even try to hide them.
'It's a first... it's a first time when a guy said something nice about how my eyebrows look. Saten-san is one thing, but I would never expect a guy to be honest about them while still seeing some good in them.'
"Juufuku-san?"
"Huh? Oh, it's fine. I take no offense. In fact, I... t-t-thank you for actually complimenting me. I am not... really used to it. And please, Miho-san will be fine."
'Please tell me he didn't...' Kaibi gave her sisters deadpan look, as they communicated soundlessly through glances.
'Onii-chan did it again...' Amazora grinned while looking at Miho.
'He makes it look so effortless. Hmph...' Rikuri sighed in disbelief.
Meanwhile, as for Juufuku Miho...
'No, no, no, Miho, calm down. You love Saten-san! Y-You heard about love from first sight, but there is no way...'
"Miho-san? Are you okay?"
'And he is looking at me again! Saten-san was right, he really is similar to her. He has the same kind of caring eyes and aura of kindness around him. Just like her... only a man. My heart can't slow down. I-I want to ignore it but I can't. I can't... stop feeling warm and comfortable. All the guys I ever talked with were jerks, they either secretly laughed at how I looked or tried to lie to me. But he is different...'
In that moment, Kamijou Touma single-handedly made Juufuku Miho re-evaluate her preferences. Instead of one crush, she hopelessly developed two in parallel.
"Moshi-Moshi? Miho-san?!"
'I-I can't let go of Saten-san. I appreciate and care for her too much. But it's plain to see but if she were to choose between me and him, she would pick Kamijou-san. Ugh... I don't want to lose that love. But I want to grow closer to Kamijou-san, I can't deny that. I didn't believe in love at first sight... but I just can't help it! Oh, I just want to disappear...'
'Touma... that seems to be a new record' Index thought.
'Is that girl hoplessly romantic or just very easily impressed?' Yakumaru contemplated.
"Miho-san!"
"O-Oh, I am sorry, I spaced out a little. S-Saten-san said that you need my help"
"Yes. You have the ability to make yourself unnoticeable, right? In that case, I would like you to watch someone closely for a time being"
Miho decided to preserve some dignity and answer with grace.
"If Saten-san asks of that too, and for someone who has some tact, I suppose I can accept. Who will be the target?"
"Me. I would like you to watch me"
"HWAH?!"
And... that dignity was thrown out of the window.
'H-He wants me to watch him?! W-Why?! Did he see through my emotions already?! Is that some form of indirect flirting?!'
"To be precise, I want you to watch my surroundings. Me and my friends suspect that a dangerous enemy threatening ones that are close to me is present in my daily life. So please, could you monitor my surroundings and check if there is anything suspicious going on?"
"Y-You mean... follow you to school... and in the school... and after sch-"
"We will take care of that last part, thank you very much" Kaibi cut Miho off.
"Miho-san, Touma said to trust him." Saten explained to her friend" I also don't know exact details, but this seems very important. Can you do it for me and him?"
"Yes!" the exclamation came out more similar to a squeak than normal approval, before Miho coughed into her hand and resumed" I mean... I will help you. I am now a level 3 Dummy Check user. Doubt I will get higher than that but..."
"Thank you! I will make sure to make it up to you"
"T-That's alright... you don't have to, really..."
(AN HOUR LATER, NEIGHBOURING APARTMENT OF SCAVENGERS)
Yakumaru Itsuki threw herself on the couch, groaning.
"I couldn't woo him again... another failure~"
She returned to the apartment nearly half an hour ago, but she couldn't stop wallowing in self pity even after leaving the extremely bizarre company gathered in Touma's apartment. She felt as if she could just lay there and do absolutely nothing for all she cared.
And this was exactly the state Naru found her in.
"Wow, Yakkun, is everything okay?"
"Mhmmm..."
"Cause you don't look fine to me"
"I am fine Naru, just a bit tired. Leave me alone"
On another day, Naru could have done that, but her natural curiosity caused her to scan my surroundings, until she found a flyer that fell onto the floor.
"Ho? And what is this?"
She grabbed it from the floor. Itsuki opened her eyes and realized what her friend took into her hand.
"Naru, that's-"
"Yakkun... 'Romantic Rendezvous for couples in District 7 park, with picnic and firework show'... care to explain what is this?" Naru waved her hand in an exaggerated manner.
"W-Well, I thought that I can use this chance to see my charm..." Itsuki began to speak, but the look on Naru's usually playful face got her to stop.
"Yakkun... you think I am stupid, don't you?" the purple haired girl said while crossing her arms" Well, I know what is going for a long time. I choose to be child-like. I am not childish. That's why I know that this is all just for appearances. You are actually head over hills and you don't want to just manipulate him, right?!"
"Why would you think that?!"
"The amount of effort you put into your beauty and doing things around Kamijou is not your typical effort when trying to get something from a guy. You are genuinely giving from yourself, Yakkun!"
Itsuki was quiet for a moment, before she spoke again, her voice slightly changed by anger slowly brewing within her.
"Naru... why are you interested in my love life all of the sudden?!"
"All of the sudden?! I am your best friend! We used to spend time together, we had our rituals and fun! Now you are so focused on him that... is there even a place for me anymore? I care for you, Yakkun. Remember when we laughed from all those attempts of the guys to woo you? You said you had all you wanted by your side."
In burst of bitter display, the cute face of Itsuki soured in a grimace
"Really?! If you are going to play that card, then I have something to say to you as well. Not agreeing with my choices is one thing, actively sabotaging them is another. You say you care for me, but then how do you explain the fact that you actively thwarted my efforts?"
"H-Huh... what are you talking about?"
"Naru, there quite a few occasions in which I wanted to spend time alone with him. And I know that in more than half of those times, you interfered and made him spend time with you instead. Whenever I wanted to something with him, something accidentally went awry. And let's not forget that I actually got"
"You... knew?"
"You used to be our front attacker and 'discrete' is the last word that can be used in your description. I got 2 and 2 together."
"I-If you are not into him, why are you so agitated all of the sudden?"
"W-Well... that guy saved us from prison and you know it! Is it that weird to want to repay the debt?!"
"Oh, that's how you are excusing it? We know that there is something more to it. Fine, I admit that I kept you away. I wanted to make you jealous, dump him and resume our relationship as if nothing happened"
Itsuki looked at her blankly, before laughing out loud.
Naru pouted at that.
"W-What's so funny?"
"Oh, lots of it. Firstly, how could I blame Touma if I knew that it was your doing?!"
"I-I tried to be discreet, what-"
"And secondly..." any mirth left Itsuki's voice, replaced by dead seriousness" to me, it looks like you actually had fun with him on all those occasions when you stole him away."
"What are you implying?"
"You already know. That it wasn't him you were jealous of. It was me. You got attracted to him, didn't you?"
"What? This is stup-"
Naru's retort died in her throat.
Come to think of it... at some point, she stopped minding Kamijou's company... At some point, she actually start to get along with him. She...
'Oh... and I guess that at some point, the times I laughed with him far exceeded the times I was mad at him... crap, in that pursuit to get Yakkun back... did I actually... start to like him. No.. it just can't be!'
"Y-You are wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong! My intentions weren't such"
"Your intentions weren't, but something else was?! Sounds pretty defensive to me. You hypocrite!"
"Look who is talking, liar!"
"What is going on here?!" Seike peaked out of his room" Can you keep it down? Thor-san is going to call me in a moment and- wow, why do you look like you are one step from beating each other up?"
"Because my best friend was deceiving me!"
"I wasn't... I didn't... at the very least I am honest about my intentions once I realize them! You care so much about your pride of a woman who can make every boy eat from the palm of her hand that you put it over our friendship! You still think you are not in love with him?!"
"I... we... Naru, I don't want to hear another word from a hypocrite like you!"
"Good, because it is not like I wanted to be in one room with liar either!"
"Hey, let's-"
"SEIKE, STAY OUT OF THIS!"
WHAM! WHAM!
Two girls disappeared in their rooms.
Seike sighed, shaking his head.
"Why are they so bent on antagonizing each other when both are right in their own way? Girls, I swear..."
Inside of her room, Naru looked at the photo of all Scavengers she had at the display on her desk and then at the maid uniform she worked in while in the apartment.
"Crap... it's actually true... I do like spending time with him... no, for how long that was going on?! For how long I was deceitfully acting as if I was helping my friend, when all I wanted was to please myself?!"
Truth be told, Naru was hesitant about Touma at first, hostile even. Mostly because he seemed so distant from her own excitement she got from fighting and also because he seemed to effortlessly gain Yakumaru's attention.
She was bent on hating him. She was bent on making him let go of her Yakkun.
So why those efforts, that time of wanting to exploit the boy's bad sides and keep Yakumaru away, actually caused her own heart to feel happier and beat faster whenever she saw Touma?
"I didn't know... I really didn't know... but who will believe me... certainly not Yakkun..."
Sakuragi Naruha was a free spirit who had her friends suffice her for her social life. She wasn't in love before. For that child-like behaving front fighter, it was completely unexplored territory. That was because of various twists and turns of her history, and characteristics of her past. The closest person she cared about would probably be Yakumaru, a person in which she confided, and Scavengers as a whole. But it still wasn't the feeling she felt now.
In fact, feeling of love was strange to Naru to such a degree that until confrontation with Yakumaru, she considered her funnily behaving heart as a sign of anger or annoyance, when the reality was completely opposite.
"How is this possible? He took Yakkun! He is goodie two-shoes! He put me in a role of a maid! I should by all means hate him. But..."
Fragments of paper from the room swirled around her hand and formed a small heart.
"... when I think about it, despite being so plain, he is damn funny. There was no day in which I didn't laugh because of him. Amusing all over, even if he doesn't want to be! He praises me and appreciates my abilities. He called me useful on plenty of occasions. He even complimented my uniform. And his food... oh, yum, I could die for that cooking. Ugh..."
The paper heart burst in front of Naru's blushing face. The purple haired girl tossed herself onto her bed.
"I am actually all lovey-dovey? How did this happen?! How could this happen?!"
At which point her self-appointed hate turned into anticipation of seeing more of that guy?
Yakumaru (almost all the time) and Naru herself (less often, but also rather frequently) were asked out by many guys in the past. Back then, they took great pleasure in reinforcing their friendship by rejecting and laughing at those attempts together, being unconquered as both best friends, independent females, and fighters for Scavengers. It seemed that nothing could change that.
Naru was inclined to occasionally believe in horoscopes, but never believed in karma.
But now...
The fact that both herself and her best friend fell for one man, after rejecting so many, seemed like a bad joke.
And Naru did not like bad jokes one bit.
At what moment did all of it become complicated?
She pouted in frustration, put a pillow on her face and screamed into it, rolling on her bed, unaware that two rooms away, Yakumaru Itsuki did the very same thing with almost identical feelings in her heart.
(TWO HOURS LATER, ON THE POOL COMPLEX NEIGHBOURING THE APARTMENTS)
There was something eerie and mysterious about sneaking to the pool at night. The undisturbed surface of the water and moonlight illuminating the ceramic flooring created the very unique atmosphere.
Touma could not sleep and apparently, Kaibi couldn't either, so they both took off to this place. It was normally locked during the night, but the girl used Measure Heart to gain access on one occasion and so it became a place for calm contemplation.
Kaibi and Touma were laying side by side on two comfy sunbeds, looking at the calm water, before the boy directed his gaze at his companion.
"Kaibi... are you mad that I didn't tell you about my dark side?"
There was a moment of silence, and then the reply came
"It's not that I am mad. I know you quite a bit already, and I know your motivations. I can't stay mad for wanting to protect our family. But I am a bit disappointed. I don't think you realize the extent of the meaning of 'I love you' when it comes from me. When I say it, it carries weight. As if in 'I can go with my gun and end anyone who threatens the guy I love' kind of way."
"Kaibi..."
"I know that you wouldn't approve of that, but you get my point. I am determined enough to be with you. I want to hear your answer when this whole mess ends, this is not what this is about. But I want you to acknowledge this determination I found in my heart."
"So... like Rikuri said, you believe in my story?"
"It sounds quite absurd and strange... but it involves you so it automatically makes it more plausible."
"Really... so it does..."
"Besides that... that alter-ego of yours pisses me off. He is trying to replace you? I will not have it! One that I spent time with, one who put effort into hearing me out and opening my heart, one that appreciates and cherishes my company, the one that I fell in love with... it's you. Not him, or anyone else in the world. So I think he should better think twice before messing with you!"
"I don't think that he is the type who will care about this, but nevertheless, that seems encouraging from your side."
Kaibi shifted to the side, so they were laying face to face, separated only by space between the sunbeds.
"Hey... want to have Measure Heart session?"
"We should get to rest, Kaibi"
"Your mind is saying that, not your heart and body"
"It's just that this seems addicting"
"Isn't it? Well, I am sure that I am much better than cigarettes or sake"
"I am not a drinker or smoker, but... you are right"
"Be sure to keep that right hand away"
"Right"
Measure Heart session was Kaibi using her ability to close their emotional distance, to allow themselves to relax better. There was something truly mesmerizing about this emotional regulation, unlike anything that could be felt outside of it. As if someone was almost fading into you.
"Just... don't go quite as far into the 'lovers' as last time?"
"Why? The fact that we couldn't restrain ourselves and started kissing one another? I see it as an absolute victory!"
"Kaibi, I need to be able to sleep later on."
"I know you like it"
"I never said I didn't, it's just the matter of principle!"
But even with Measure Heart session, Kamijou Touma could not fully banish worry that was put into his heart by Ladylee Tangelroad's decription of the mysterious female enemy.
'I can't put my finger on it quite yet... but those characteristics sound somewhat... familiar...'
(NEXT DAY, AT CERTAIN HIGH SCHOOL)
That weary mood persisted, as Touma sat in the class.
'I think that I am missing something obvious... but what can it be...'
"Kami-yan, what got you so down? You are looking at the playing field with such a melancholy, nya" asked Tsuchimikado.
"Is the fate of the most popular not enough for you anymore, you ungreatful bastard?" Aogami chimed in, crossing his hands.
"No, it's nothing guys. I am just deep in thought"
"Come on, you'll make Komoe-sensei said if you are going to be distracted like that... right, Fukiyose?"
The busty girl's head perked up as she looked at them.
"Sure, as long as you don't get him roped into anything stupid, it would be nice to cheer him up"
"Well, then Kami-yan is the right hands. I will figure something truly glorious, a true successor to the Operation Seifuku"
Touma frowned at that and clenched his fist.
"Don't remind me of that catastrophe! Because of you, I had to be hospitalized!"
"Oh, well... but we had so much fun before that~"
"I am going to hit you so hard that your face will go through to the back of your head!"
Operation Seifuku, as called by Aogami, or Sailor Uniform Disaster, as Touma liked to call it, was Aogami's idea to benefit from one of Certain High School's recent services. Namely, the school scheduled days during which students could bring their uniforms to have them washed and cleaned at school's cost, twice a month. As the service became popular with the girls, it didn't take long for the school's resident master of perversion to come up with a plan to steal the abundant quantity of used girl uniforms. Touma and Tsuchimikado contributed to the plan out of, well, being friends, and maybe a little bit of pervy intent as well, but the former would quickly regret that decision.
As the washing machine room was quite high, the plan was such: Aogami would steal the dozens of girls-worth quantity of uniforms and go to the roof. Then, using pulley that Tsuchimikado provided and put into place, the sizeable crate filled with uniforms would be pulled down to the ground, where Touma would secure them. All of that would happen in time when everyone went to cafeteria, quickly and efficiently.
In theory, it wasn't bad. In practice, it turned out to be a masterpiece of Touma's bad luck.
First of all, the stealing process itself took longer than expected so people already started filling their class, through the windows of which the rope could be seen. Secondly, Aogami was actually spotted, so after securing great number of uniforms, he had to flee and get the disastrous idea to jump into the uniform-filled crate himself to avoid pursuit, while Touma held the rope.
Now, the word on physics. The kilogram of feathers is still just as heavy as kilogram of bricks. Touma was by no means weak and was confident in his ability to get the uniforms down. But when Aogami jumped into already heavy crate, without a warning at that, the unsuspecting Touma was shot upwards, just like a mechanism in a lift.
He went up rather fast, on the building's wall, zooming past the window of the class, managing to cross gaze with absolutely shocked Fukiyose, before colliding with a crate for the first time. That got him a dizziness and cracked his collarbone. He nevertheless continued his journey until small part of his right hand got painfully stuck in the pulley mechanism.
At the same time, the crate with Aogami and uniforms hit the ground, causing the boy and part of the clothes to spread across the grass.
Without the major part of its content, the crate was no longer heavier than Touma, which caused the misfortunate boy to drop down, once again going past the window, this time observed by Fukiyose and Himegami, both wide eyed, and once again colliding with a crate. This cracked his arm and tore part of the skin from his leg. Finally, he hit the ground, or rather the small pile of spread uniforms. It tremendously softened the impact, but still broke two of his ribs.
The impact caused Touma to accidentally release the rope from his grasp. And as he laid down, too pained to move for a moment, he could only watch as crate, weighing more than rope itself, fell down... straight onto his face.
Back at the current conversation, Touma shivered slightly and got up.
"Never again. No, seriously, I am fine, I will just go get some fresh air"
But just as he went outside of the classroom, he collided with someone.
(MEANWHILE, IN JUDGEMENT'S 177 BRANCH OFFICE)
"So Kamijou-san needs someone to watch his surroundings, huh?" Uiharu said wistfully.
"Yes." Saten nodded vigorously" I asked and he said I could tell you. It's not like I know actual details so..."
"Well, I will be on the lookout then too" Uiharu said, clicking something on the computer and writing on the keyboard, without hearing her friend sigh.
"Hmm? What is it, Saten-san?"
"Well, bringing Miho-san made me realize that... compared to Touma, who had his struggles parallel to our own, we look quite... underwhelming"
"What do you mean?"
"Touma had to fight conspiracies, protected Index from forces out of this world, whatever that means... suffered countless injuries and psychological damage while fighting all over the world, at almost every foreseeable conflict... while we were stopping eyebrow drawing, chilled at the pool together, or worried about bust sizes... all the while he suffered so much and we had no idea!"
"W-Well, we also have fair share of more... ekhm, dignified victories... but... yes, I understand where you are coming from"
"I just wish we could do more for him..."
Uiharu thought for a moment before snapping her fingers.
"Oh gods! Why didn't I think of that before?"
"What?"
"My cousin! I think she goes to his school. Maybe we should talk to her."
"Wait, you have a cousin in the city? You never told me about that!"
"Well, you never asked, and I never saw the need to talk about it. We are not all that close now, although we were more in our childhood, before I was sent to the city. Oh, and she is not my proper cousin, she is actually my second cousin. Our grandmothers were sisters, and our parents, my father and her mother, are first cousins. I didn't hear from her in quite some time too. But I do know she is a student at CHS"
"What is her name?"
"She is called..."
(BACK AT CERTAIN HIGH SCHOOL)
The girl that Touma bumped into was a petite girl, brunette, slightly shorter than him, massaging her head, sporting a characteristic white headband, through which she gained her nickname "Headband Girl".
"Owah!" she said, trying to keep her balance with a small tower of books in her arms" Oh, K-Kamijou-kun. Good morning"
"Good morning, Sukemi-san"
Her actual name was Sukemi Rin, and she was a president of acting club, as well as the senior member in one of the Academy City's student bulletins, with a job as a photographer. Personality-wise, she was gentle and rather shy, not to the point of social anxiety, but rather a very pronounced introversion, that she tried to overcome through acting.
"Waaaah!"
The girl cried out out, as she ultimately fell to the ground, butt up, books falling around her.
"I will help you out!"
"T-Thank you. I am so sorry"
"How are your studies doing?"
"Well... I have the theory covered very well, but I lack practical skill... my fingers won't stop shaking" the girl with a white headband
"Must be tough, huh..."
Rin was also a bit clumsy and uncoordinated. She worked on that, as she was heavily pressured by her family to become a doctor, and was even undertaking additional medical training while still in high school. In his opinion, Touma wasn't sure if his classmate was a good fit for that job, as for the longest time she was also scared of blood. But as Rin was determined to make her parents proud, he didn't voice his reasoning.
The short haired girl looked shyly at him, covering her face slightly with one of the books she was carrying.
"K-Kamijou-kun, do you think we can-"
There was a bell toll and Touma looked back to the entrance to the class.
"I-I am sorry, Sukemi-san, but if I am late, Komoe-sensei will make me stay till midnight, the patience of the teachers is still very thin when it comes to my attendance. We can talk later, okay?"
"A-Alright..."
Touma smiled and then ran back to class, not noticing that the girl sighed with sadness.
"Another failure..."
She then winced, clenching her head.
"Is it time for my medication? I shouldn't be skipping class, but Komoe-sensei knows my condition, so I will just go to the nurse office and go back..."
As the headband girl walked away, Juufuku Miho, unnoticeable to them, frowned and crossed her arms.
'I know I shouldn't get away from Kamijou-san... but my intution tells me something strange is going on here. Maybe I will follow this Sukemi-san for a little more...'
(MEANWHILE, BACK IN JUDGEMENT'S 177 BRANCH OFFICE)
"So Rin-senpai wants to become a doctor?" Saten asked.
"Well, she actually enjoys photography and acting more, but uncle Sukemi is a doctor and he was always really vehement for Rin to at least invest some part of education into medicine. My cousin is shy and not very assertive, so it was hard for her to say no" Uiharu explained" Also..."
"Also?"
"Rin was always a bit sickly. I don't remember what exactly her condition was, but it was something pressure related that caused her to faint and loss consciousness quite a lot. But I heard she takes some medicine for years now, so she should be fine. I think that her own condition may be the reason through which she may be motivated to give medicine a chance."
(MEANWHILE, AT TOUMA'S CLASSROOM)
Sukemi Rin's seat was empty.
Touma tried to focus on the lesson, but could help but direct his eyes at that spot.
Minutes passed and his anxiety only grew.
He didn't want to think about it... but...
The description that Ladylee gave him would be ideal fit for Rin.
'No, no, that is impossible... Sukemi-san is polite, kind-hearted, clumsy, and extremely shy. There is just now way she is that knife swinging maniac that Ladylee encountered and which is probably on the hunt for Ayu and other girls.'
Some more time ticked away and when he was close to convincing himself to give it up and write it off as being paranoid...
There was a loud 'clang' sound from the outside of the classroom.
This put him on high alert and before he knew it, he was already leaving his seat.
"K...Kamijou-chan?! Class is still in-"
"TOILET!" he managed to shout before disappearing behind the door.
(~~~~)
There was once a lone girl of no particular talent.
Aside from her family, including an amicable younger cousin, she had no friends. Ever since she was small, she was the sensitive type. She cried when there was noise or violence, got emotional over bird fallen from the nest, and she loved imaginative books that she read through her spare time.
The world was often too much for her. Its splendor, noise, and rush overwhelmed that little girl. And most of her friends were also loud and outgoing, so as much as she wanted, she couldn't catch up.
She ended up being considered as weird for that reclusiveness.
By all... but one. A boy who got to her kindergarten in both of their first year in the city.
He was also full of spirit, but he often sat by her side, just enjoying the silence.
She once asked him why he bothered to spend time with her.
He said that sometimes, he liked to watch the clouds, and that being in silence with someone nice meant more to him than being around people who threw curses his way.
Both of them were rejects for different reasons. And over time, in her shy and meek observations, she started to enjoy watching him. And that admiration only grew.
When that year ended, the girl was devastated. She was sad that she lost her first and only friend.
But even though she and the boy didn't consult it with one another, they kept meeting in new levels of education. Elementary, middle, and high schools. This however, could be both a curse and blessing. Without those repeated and seemingly fate-dictated meetings, that childhood admiration of boy's personality would probably withered away. Instead, it only got reinforced. Over the years, those feelings would change into crush so deeply etched into her being that she felt it would be impossible to truly describe it with that secret desire. She treasured her headband, a gift from their last trip in middle school, as if it was a family heirloom.
Yet, with the passage of time, that boy was involved into more and more conflict and attracted attention, also of the romantic type, of many people. And soon that girl, who was average in almost anything, felt overshadowed, as every opportunity and her own shyness kept stealing her the chances to finally tell the boy how she felt. She said it was no problem, but drop by drop, the sadness and bitterness seeped into her soul like poison.
Unknowingly to her, the boy forgot about her and everything else from the past. Unfortunately, that only reinforced her belief that it was the world and people around the boy who took him from her. Of course, she was too innocent and shy to do something with that poisonous bitterness. Until, one night, she met someone who offered her a deal...
(~~~~~)
(AND HERE IS WHAT EVENTS LED TO COMMOTION THAT GOT TOUMA'S ATTENTION)
Juufuku Miho wouldn't call herself brave. She knew many people that were more virtuous or commending than heself. However, she also wasn't a complete coward. Especially when she was fueled by strong emotions, she could overcome her own insecurity and go against people stronger than herself. Her past eyebrow vendetta was a perfect demonstration of that, although she was under effect of Level Upper back then.
When Sukemi Rin separated from Kamijou Touma, Miho tailed her into the nurse office, which was a big space that combined office with the infirmary containing four large beds separated by white curtains. The headband wearing girl started to search for something in the designated cupboard and Dummy Check user started to think that she made a mistake. Miho wouldn't mind going away from there. She didn't like the nurses or medical spaces in schools. The strong smell of ethanol and medicine always irritated her, and she knew all the nurses she met in her life was secretly making fun of her eyebrows. Yes, Miho and infirmaries did not mix well. So as minutes passed and she observed Rin, she felt more and more bored and annoyed.
However, what she did not expect was that the other girl collapsed on the ground before reaching the bed she wanted to lay down on.
In first moment, she wanted to deactivate her ability and run to help her. But once again, instinct caused her to wait for a moment. And thanks to it, only a minute later, she was able to witness something that went beyond normal.
The girl rose up and it was clear us day that something occurred in that short moment of unconsciousness. Her posture was different, as she lazily stretched and muttered.
"Don't know how much time I have... but I guess it's time to prepare some work... if I please him tonight with some good cutting, then he may give me what I desire... and I will finally, finally have him alone... all to me..."
She flexed her fingers and slowly reached to her head, removing the white headband in front of stunned Miho, invisibly standing behind her.
"Oh, screw it, I want blood now! Why wait for night, I will just go to that hussy-hive right now! Let's get some Tokiwadai carnage"
Just as that sentence was finished, Miho stiffened.
She felt dread spread through her body. She realized what was going to happen far too late. Or rather, it went through so fast that she couldn't do anything to stop it.
She fell prey to one of the greatest enemies of a spy wishing to stay in hiding.
Despite her greatest unwillingness, Jufuuku Miho sneezed.
She wanted to throw all the curses of the world at the smell of disinfectants that compelled her to do so. But what was done was done.
Trying to steady her heart, she reminded herself to keep calm.
As embarrassing as it was for her now, she was a professional when it came to following and stalking people. That didn't only mean using her ability to become unnoticeable. She learned to walk quietly, breath discreetly, and keep all the possible noises, such as gasps, sneezes, coughs, yawns, or anything else that could give her away, to be as unnoticeable as possible. Everything about her was tailored to hide her presence.
Maybe that girl, who was giving her a premonition of terror, didn't even hear-
SWISH!
Only years of aforementioned practice prevented Miho from screaming as Rin quickly turned around, pointing something into what appeared to be thin air, but was in fact centimeter away or so from her throat.
"Is someone here?"
The eyes of that strange girl changed. Now, they were cold and focused, as if she was a precise instrument calibrated to focus on her target and fully annihilate it. It created a horrifying dissonance with how small she appeared to be and how innocent she seemed minutes earlier.
The strangest part? The thing that was almost touching invisible (or rather unnoticeable) Miho's throat, was not a weapon. It was a ruler. Yes, a regular school ruler. One would be stupid to cower in front of it...
But today, Miho's instinct didn't fail her. And right now, every fibber of her being was telling her that if she moves or makes another sound, ruler or not, she will somehow suffer.
'I-Is this it? Is this how I die? I can't die yet. I wanted to be lawyer to help those picked on because of appearances, but now I have another goal. I will go to the studies on maritial laws and work on making bigamy legal, so I can be together with both Saten-san and Kamijou-san. I don't care if that's awful or something like that. They are by far the only people from whom I felt acceptance and I want to be with them! Please, I don't want to die here without even confessing to either one!'
Droplet of sweat travelled down her brow.
After few seconds past, Rin retracted the ruler back.
"My imagination?"
She frowned and slowly went into direction of the exit. But just as Miho was about to relax...
SWISH!
The ruler flew right in front of Miho's face and embedded itself into the wall. After that, Rin finally left the room.
After waiting for a minute more, Miho turned her ability off and shakily looked at the wall.
As mentioned before, the projectile was ordinary ruler.
What wasn't ordinary was the fact that said ruler sank into the wall to half of its length, as if the the obstruction wasn't made of stone but butter.
And then, Miho heard another sound. It was metal scraping against metal.
She could only look back as the high, shelved closet made from steel fell after being cut, crushing her into the floor.
Only few minutes later, Touma arrived and was greeted by the absolute chaos, and one half-conscious girl trapped underneath the fallen closet, with a bump on her head from where part of the cut structure hit her.
"Juufuku-san!"
After a moment, he managed to get Miho from under the cleanly cut metal.
"What happened?! Who did this to you?!"
Trying to stand up, but failing, Miho pointed at the door's direction.
"She is... go... Tokiwadai... now..."
Touma didn't wait on.
Moments later, he was running with Miho in princess carry, planning to drop her by Saten's place and go after the attacker himself.
"Who is she? Who is that person?"
On the last moment of consciousness, Miho whispered
"Headband..."
(~~~~)
There was once a teenage girl, wearing a headband, who made a deal with a devil in human skin.
After the boy she cherished kept being swept by the tides of misfortune (and a tidal wave of girls of varying backgrounds and stories) she was slowly losing her confidence and becoming more and more of a character in the background. She couldn't stop following him though. She watched and watched and watched. Because his bravery, her inspiration from earliest years, did not become stale or boring to her after all that time. She also thought that watching was all the she had left.
And after being in one class for over two years, while doing some cleaning at her dorm, she uncovered some records of her memories. Although she was good at keeping her emotions in check, that caused her to weep over her own weakness: inability to take action and stop being just one leaf in the entire forest.
But as she lied in bed, she felt the chill on her spine.
Both from the fact that the window suddenly opened...
And the fact that she sensed a gaze directed at her back.
Someone was looking at her from the darkness behind her.
"Quite pitiful..." the smooth and strong voice whispered.
She couldn't take the next breath. She couldn't move.
That voice alone had something within itself... something that made her froze on the spot.
"Look at me" it commanded.
She slowly complied.
There was someone sitting on the window frame with his hands intetwined and eyes focused directly on her.
She knew who that was. She could recognize him faster than most, because just how long she was observing him.
"Are you content with that? Is this your life?"
"Kamijou-kun, why... how are you here?"
"I am here because you need me to be. Rin, I need your help"
That smooth voice made the girl feel as if she was drowning.
"Need... my help?"
"I need you to help me free myself and the world of all the suffering. Only you can do it... because you are special. You were told otherwise, but I always knew"
She was convinced it was a dream. But...
For a moment, she thought that she saw something else. The night was with a full moon, located directly behind the head of the boy in the window. She swore that for a moment, that moon turned red, with blood like halo appearing around the head of lazily smiling boy... before going back to normal.
And so, her temptation began.
The girl had no way of knowing that the boy in fact darker emanation of the power that the one she cherished possessed. She had no way of knowing that this alter-ego, escaping in his other self's slumbers, had all the memories that Kamijou Touma lost. And also that he had the personality that would not hesitate to use the information on her to wrap her around his finger.
As she thought it was a dream, she saw no harm in going along with boy's speech. But soon she felt drawn and entranced to promises he painted in front of her.
"We will be together, just the two of us. And it's up to you to make sure of that. Remember, Sukemi-san. You are the one that matters. You are the one that will have control over those third rates. And you can prove it with your own hands"
"But... you never..."
"For once, I need your help. Not anyone else's, yours. Unless... I underestimated how important I actually was for you..."
"N-No, please, I will help you. But I am... weak, and talentless."
The boy chuckled, stretching his hand through the darkness.
"On the contrary, your power is far greater than you would ever now. Right now, after gaining more abilities, I can offer you help. I will help you make way for you to be with me. I will give you the mind free of limitations of morality, body strong enough to fight for your love, new self bent on fight in the name of love, and power able to confront those who oppose us."
"I want it... I want that power. But... I am scared."
"Don't worry. When you are on my side, there is nothing to fear. I am the nightmare of nightmares"
Even if she heard some warning signals in her head, the overwhelming situation, combined with magnetic, hypnotizing charisma coming from the boy, in time sealed her fate.
That night, Sukemi Rin... or rather, a part of her... was born anew. He gave her wisdom and taught her. So now, she was ready to cut down the unworthy.
(~~~~)
(THE STREETS NEAR TOKIWADAI, SOME TIME LATER)
Mitsuari Ayu, despite definite happy occurrences in her recent life, was a rather unlucky person.
Normally, she would be happy that through her suffering, it brought her closer to her true love, but being attacked by someone was not something she would ever be happy about.
She was very happy because many of the people she was supervising in regards to Touma's presents were making great progress. She knew that she had to keep what were the exact gifts a secret for a little while longer, but could barely contain her excitement.
No wonder why she didn't notice the arm being swung to strike her or a leg of a girl appearing from seemingly out of nowhere to kick the attacking arm away.
"Woah?!"
Ayu only got time to spun around when someone grabbed her and dragged her away.
"H-Huh?! Who is this? What is going on?!"
There were two girls in front of her. One was a short haired brunette wearing a white headband, while second, the one that just saved her, wore a gothic lolita clothes, combining black trench coat with white coat, from which black hair with yellow dye stripes.
"My name is Kuroyoru Umidori" grinned her new defender" And I guess I was tasked to be your bodyguard."
"My bodyguard? Again, what is going on?!"
"Well, I am fresh to this bullshit myself..."
"Don't worry" Ayu salvaged her phone and pointed it at the girl in black" I will let your memory explain"
"Huh?"
BEEP!
(FLASHBACK, YESTERDAY'S PHONECALL OF TOUMA)
A phone vibrated in Kuroyoru Umidori's pocket. She quickly took it out.
"Hello?" she whispered into it.
"Kuroyoru-san? It's me, Kamijou Touma."
"Yeah, I noticed. I am kind of busy at the moment"
"You too, huh?"
"It's unlike you to call me... even though we do have each other's numbers after Hawaii, I suppose"
"I want to ask a favour of you."
"Huh?! That is certainly something you don't do often. Why me though?"
"I need a long-range fighter and the others are busy. I didn't want to bother you so if you don't want to meet up..."
"KU-RO-NYAN~"
There was a sing-song, mischevious voice from behind and Kuroyoru scrambled to her feet, running away as fast as she could.
"What is happening out there?"
"She wants me to dress up in a... I-I won't allow it! My dignity was already gone with those cat ears she always puts on me. Fine, I will meet with you and hear you out, anything beats staying here with that electric maniac! Where and when?!"
(MEMORY FAST FORWARDED TILL PRESENT DAY'S MORNING)
"Stoping a bloodlusted esper who is using blades?"
"Yes, I need you to protect certain person. Her name is Mitsuari Ayu"
Kuroyoru arrived at the apartment of Touma and the sisters before Touma departed to school and with Gokusai sisters already gone. He told her everything about the person they were up against, excluding certain parts about Kamijou no Touma himself. He recalled in detail how the blade girl's encounter with Ladylee Tangleroad played out (once again, omitting the part about heart removal) and asking Kuroyoru to look after Ayu.
"Why is she targeted though?"
"Ayu-san is... let's just say she is important and is an eyesore to one of my enemies. Her existence, or more specifically, something that can be done through her power and my link to her threatens his plans"
"What will I get from that?"
"I am sure I can figure something out..."
"Well, for now, that's fine with me. We should stick together. After Freshmen, I was kind of an all hating girl."
"Well, given your circumstances..."
"No need to tell me, but... after Accelerator, you, and Shiage, whacked me out good... I guess there are more things that I dislike now. I bet I will never get rid of my so called nastiness. But at least I got be something more than rebellious failure of an experiment. You are cool in my book. Even though I have more contact with Accelerator, for obvious reasons, and our good ol' ex-thug hero, their level of respect for you was enough to warrant some respect of my own. So consider it a favour. How long will I have to watch over her?"
"I don't know, but I will try to resolve it as quickly as possible"
They opened the door leading to the outside, to discover Lessar with a finger right over the doorbell.
"Lessar? What are you doing here? We are going out, you know"
"Oh? That's fine, I just wanted to drop by and leave those delicious chocolates that can wait for my next visit! Also, are you proud of my chastity?"
"Well, I am great that you are doing great in restraining yourself, although the fact that there is drool on the corner of your lips while you are looking at me with hungry eyes sends mixed signals about it. Also, do those chocolates have aphrodisiacs in them?"
"Noooooooooooo..."
"That's suspiciously a lot of Os. Last time you gave me chocolates with aphrodisiacs in them, they were all secretly eaten by Amazora. And let me tell you, it was one of the most terrifying and surreal things that I never want to experience for as long as she is at this age."
"Well, cheer up then. I... wait, who is that?!"
Kuroyoru shifted ucomfortably.
"W-Why are you staring at m-"
"Oh...my god. You look so cool! Like me, but in darker clothes! I knew that somewhere in the world there was someone who understands the beauty of contrast that is yellow dye! What is your name?"
"A-Ahm... it's Kuroyoru. Kuroyoru Umidori"
"So awesome! Can I call you big sis Umi then?!"
"Why?!"
"Just because, I don't need a reason when you look so cool! And can I also suggest that you wear my uniform?! You would look so good in it!"
"WHY DOES EVERYONE WANT TO DRESS ME UP RECENTLY?!"
They began walking. Touma had to go to the school, but in the meantime they listened to the Lessar's carefree stream of words. Apparently, she was happy that she found someone similar to her, for reasons hidden to Touma. He introduced Kuroyoru, and gave Lessar brief rundown of her history and ability, with Lessar appearing genuinely interested, trying to grasp scientific jargone and Dark May intricacies.
"Well, that is certainly random encounter, but I hope you are not disturbed that much. Lessar tends to gravitate towards everything sexual, but she actually is a really reliable when she needs to be"
The usual harsh look softened a little, as Kuroyoru glanced at Lessar.
"I don't really know my family... I wonder if I had a sister or a cousin not touched by dark side... would she be similar to this loudmouth..."
Meanwhile, Lessar carried on with her musings.
"So, what you are saying is, Umidori has thought patterns of the city strongest in her head and it shapes how she thinks and acts?"
"In part,yes"
"Hmm... so if you and Umidori did it together, would it be like doing it with a girl in a physical sense, but also Accelerator in a mental sense, so it's both different gender and boy love-"
"STOP, STOP, STOOOOP!"
(BACK TO THE PRESENT)
"Now, are you satisfied? Let's run for it. And no matter what you do, don't let her touch you!"
"I... I understand something wants to eliminate me, but I don't need bodyguard. I am on par with Mental Out now"
"No offense to you mental types, but you have to have right conditions to use your power the way you wanted. Try to click that camera with quickly moving target and see what I mean. Meanwhile... I don't think we have that kind of luxury with her"
Kuroyoru spun around and fired a nitrogen spear, causing an explosion
A petite girl emerged from the smoke and started running towards them.
"Get behind me, now, and hold onto my back!"
Although still feeling lost, Ayu complied.
They went to the alley that was blocked with a wire fence.
Using nitrogen around her, Kuroyoru jumped high, above the wired obstruction.
The girl didn't slow down. Instead of doing something to evade the obstacle, she walked straight into it. And in one second, the wires were severed, showing the hole in roughly human shape.
"What?"
Coming to a stop, Kuroyoru unzipped a dolphin plushie secured by her side.
In the next moment, dozen of strange, long, metallic arms, attched themselves to her, as the Dark May survivour grinned wickedly.
"Eat that! Nitrogen spear bombardment!"
Since they entered a narrow passageway leading to a main road, Kuroyoru's attack of nitrogen lances made the walls of the buildings crumble and fall down. Her intent was to block the way, sealing it off and causing the girl to abandon pursuit.
However, when the falling ruble was directly in front of the pursuer...
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
She made four slicing motions with her arm, one horizontal, one vertical, and two diagonal. In the next moment, big chunks of debris were cut cleanly in half, allowing the girl to pass through without any issue.
"Tch, what the hell..."
Kuroyoru repeated the attack, this time targeting the girl herself, but she evaded the lances, and kept on running, despite explosions inflicting some minor wounds.
"She is light and fast, but if we keep our distance, we can-"
The attacker smiled and snatched something of the ground. It was a pencil, possibly thrown away at some point and ending in the bins of the alleyway.
"Ballistic rampuri!"
It soared through the air and sank into Kuroyoru's leg, prompting a cry of shock.
"What?! She has a long distance attacks too?!" she hissed, as the short haired brunetter approached them.
"Kuroyoru Umidori... when I was looking over him, I did stumble upon information on you. I have nothing against you." the attacker spoke" If you give me Mitsuari Ayu, nothing will happen to you and I will let you leave alive"
"Heh, if only it was that easy. Sorry, but even if I am screwing up now, I am not a girl who runs away from her job."
"Oh, you can bet. She is the person of interest for someone I work for and also... someone I despise, personally"
"What?" Ayu asked, utterly lost" But I don't even know you! What did I do to you to warrant this?!"
"How dare you call yourself first?! How dare you cling to him now?! You and all of those filthy thieves put him into more misery than his life alone could give him. So I will erase and cut down every single one of you and protect him from any bad luck that may ever come his way... whatever it takes. And to show you how serious I am, I promise this in my name, Sukemi Rin!"
Kuroyoru tilted her head.
"Suke Mirin? Who the hell names his child 'see-through sweet sake'?"
Rin's eye twitched, as she slowly repeated:
"Sukemi. Rin. It means 'Jewel of Unseen Beauty'"
"Wow. Over the top much"
"You have guts to talk, miss 'Seabird of Black Night'."
"Yeah. Sometimes, talking too much can be a good distraction. Grab onto me!"
Once again, Ayu instinctively obeyed. Using nitrogen control, Kuroyoru got herself into the air, which looked like an extremely long backwards jump.
"Once we touch the ground, I will deploy more arms, so-"
But they never managed to land on the overpass, which was where Kuroyoru was aiming.
"Foolish..."
Running under the construction, Rin picked up a fragment of steel pipe and extended her own hand.
Although supports of the bridge weren't incredibly thick, they were still made from reinforced steel and concrete. But as Rin ran passed them, all of them were severed, one by one.
The overpass wobbled and then collapsed, blocking the road.
Meanwhile, Kuroyoru changed the trajectory of her flight, but she and Ayu still crashed into the ground, as their destination suddenly disappeared.
Naturally, Rin didn't give her enemy any rest.
"Switchblade!"
Her fingers suddenly shot out of the mist, sinking into Kuroyoru's other leg. The gothic girl cringed, but smiled in understanding.
"You are incredibly strong?" she muttered, observing the up-close adversary. She then looked at girl's fingers that tore through her leg without any visible resistance" No, that is not it. Wait... can it be..."
"So you figured it out, number one's knock off?" Rin smiled deviously at panting nitrogen user.
"All that time... I thought about what Kamijou told me and wondered how did you manage to cut Ladylee-san without any visible blade... but after fighting you for some time now, I understand. Those knives you used were to divert attention from your actual ability. It's not only that you use blades... you are the blade, aren't you?"
Smile got thinner on that innocent face, as the smaller girl swished her arm at remaining support pillar of the overpass. Despite the pillar being made from stone, and Rin's delicate hand being supposed to crash into it, it went through, until the entire support was cut along all of the circumference.
"I suppose since I am entering those battles for good, there is no need in hiding what is obvious. True, I wouldn't say it better myself. The key to my ability is sharpness. I bestow that property on anything I touch. Which of course includes my own body too. By increasing the sharpness, I am able to cut, puncture, chop, slice, or scrape, without much of a resistance. My body is rather underwhelming, but even without great strength, I can cut through the hardest of materials thanks to just how sharp I can make myself and my tools."
'Give me a break. We stumble to a yandere and she has a power of turning everything into super sharp blade? What are the fucking odds?!' Kuroyoru thought, exasperated.
"Like I said, I can sharpen or dull anything, not only solid substances. By sharpening the air gust I make by swinging my arm, I can inflict a cut in close proximity without direct contact. And the slicing power will propagate through the object, until the entire target is cut. Things I sharpen will retain that property for a short time even after leaving my grasp, hence the throwing weapons are on the table for me"
"I guess that you can imitate various types of knives and blades too?"
"You are one observant bitch"
"Well, you do shout them outloud. Are you fan of manga or something?"
"No, just theatre... also, why are you laughing? You will die any moment now"
"Well, even though close quarters with you are definitely bad idea... but thanks to it I can do... this!"
The nitrogen lance was deployed from point blank range, blasting two girls in opposite directions.
Moments passed, before both of them moved.
"You little-"
BEEP!
"Excellent assist, Kuroyoru-san." Ayu said triumphantly, pointing her remote at Rin" Now, it's all over, because I can-"
"What's happening? Where am I? I was at nurse's office and then... is this... blood?! W-What?! Where is Kamijou-kun? Did something happen to school"
Instead of being frozen mindlessly in place, the girl known as Rin was very much aware of her surroundings... but her entire composure shifted into something completely different.
"What... she is not... it's not..." Ayu muttered.
Before...
'GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HEAD!'
As if something hit her mindscape with a hammer, Ayu was forcibly repelled, as Rin shook her head and once again assumed deranged look on her small face.
"It's not possible for a person to still be conscious or shake Mental Stinger like that. Not as a single person. It's not her..." Ayu muttered, as if in daze" It's them. Her mind was forcibly severed in two! An artificial split personality was created. But why?"
Then, before slowly Kuroyoru, slowly standing up, could even scream, Rin threw herself at Ayu, pinning her to the ground by the throat. The girls phone broke, sliced into halves.
"Don't ever look into my mind, you thief!"
She then raised her hand.
'Crap! I can't fail, that's not an option!'
Kuroyoru extended her artificial hands, trying to aim at the girl.
But it was clear who would be faster, as Rin pointed one finger at Ayu's chest.
"Scalpel" she muttered coldly." Goodbye, first pretender"
But before that single finger could cut Ayu's chest open...
Something fell on both girls.
It was snowflake. No, many snowflakes, more and more of them by the second.
"Snow?" muttered Rin "In this time of year?"
It was not just snow. The temperature was dropping quickly and ice crept over the street in addition to the growing snowstorm. In one moment, the street turned into arctic desolation.
"My, my... excuse me, young lady..."
There was a voice of someone behind Rin. It was a girl with a branched ponytail, multicoloured eyes and delicate face, now with an expression of focused coldness.
"Can you let go of her right now? She is..."
Her thin kimono fluttered in the wind as she loomed behind them, not bothered at all by the freezing cold.
"... one of my precious saviours, that I owe life to"
(15 MINUTES EARLIER)
Kankyougami Hasako was surprised how much she learned to simply enjoy life. Maybe someone who didn't know her well wouldn't say that, with the incredibly potent esper ability she wielded, she would a girl to have that kind of sentiment.
But that was just how it was. The breeze, the sun, the colourful world around her made her heart sing with joy. It was her third most favourite thing, behind only her friends... and one that gave her the chance to live again in the first place.
When she first started working on mastering her ability with Kumokawa Seria, she knew that she had a debt of gratitude for Kamijou Touma. But only after meeting him again and spending time with him, did she realize just how immense was her gratitude and how warm of a feeling the love that she fell in.
Hasako lived a life filled with ups and downs. Born in earliest Showa period, she went from being an ojou-sama daughter of an educator to first ever artificial esper, to a hated freak of nature, to a girl lost in time, alone in madness, to someone accepted and loved by her friends.
It took decades of time. All the people she knew were either dead or extremely advanced in age. But although Hasako didn't reject her roots, she didn't look back either. Instead, she only wanted to face forward. More specifically, follow the direction that Kamijou Touma, the one she fell in love with, took, spending time with him, as well as her best friend from this era, Maidono Hoshimi.
Beginning Child could describe the emotions she felt when she was with the boy that once fought her and later embraced her, allowing her to finally find her home. Calling it lust, affection, adoration, admiration, or desire... it all lacked something, it went beyond it. So Hasako deemed it too sublime and decided that her feelings had traces of all those elements. However her feelings were defined, she loved Kamijou Touma.
From her talk with Gokusai Kaibi, she learned that roughly around the adventure which she was a central part of, a fundamental change occurred in Kamijou Touma, and his views shifted, making him people saving hero he was today in the girls' eyes. Hasako couldn't deny that she enjoyed the fact of being one the first people actively saved by Touma and, although she also caused her friends some problems, was glad to be a cornerstone of sorts for his next salvation attempts.
There were many reasons why she fell in love. He was kind, hospitable, and wasn't afraid of her. In a certain way, he understood the prosecution and prejudice one's power could bring. And of course, he understood the loneliness that stemmed from it. If one took into account decades in criostasis, in which her brain got glimpses of consciousness that were driving her insane, a crushing majority of Kankyougami Hasako's life was lonely. So much so that for some time chill of the ice she slept in reminded her of that and gave her nightmares. But Touma seemed to have the warmth to thaw her heart enough for her to feel beautiful, inside and out, and to enjoy the world without fear once again. She explored, alone or with Maidono, getting acquainted with modern world, its culture and way of life. She got back to playing koto and shamisen, something she did before her long sleep, and enjoyed life in more ways than ever.
In contrast to outspoken and rather assertive Maidono, Hasako was rather bashful and sensitive when it came to love. But by the state of things as they were now, she knew that if she were to marry, she would never chose anyone else than Touma.
She blushed and shook her head. Thinking those thoughts still wasn't natural. They weren't even courting... no, in that era it would be called dating. However, Hasako could feel her thoughts drift into one particular memory...
On one night, when she was having a sleepover at the Kamijou+Gokusai apartment, she heard a noise from Touma's room. She got worried and went to investigate. The boy was talking in his sleep. He sounded distressed, as if plagued by nightmares, so after a moment of hesitation, Hasako decided to act. She went back, grabbed her koto, and after setting up, she started to delicately plucking the strings, while singing softly in the silence of the night:
Under moonlit sky
The long road unfolds
Come with me, together
And let sleep take hold
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Under silver stars
You're my true love
Let me sooth your worry
My gift from the above
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Over storming clouds
Over sleeping sands
Over scorching fires
Over freezing ice
Let this song carry
This feeling of mine
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sleep soundly, my love
Please, don't ever cry
I will watch over you
From close or afar
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
There is no road too long
Or burden too great
For my loving heart
That will share your fate
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
So sleep now, my sweet
Drift off, away
In morning, your heart
Will light up my day
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sleep now, in peace
Your dreams be bright
With this kiss of love
I bid you goodnight
Gradually, Hasako stopped playing the instrument, and in turn was caressing Touma's hair. By the end of the song, she leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek. The boy now looked calm and happy, as if the nightmare didn't plague him anymore. Satisfied, the giddy and fuzzy-filled Hasako left.
Then, Hasako's reminiscing was interrupted by sudden appearance of Maidono, who waved at her from the another side of the street.
"Hasacchi! What are you doing here?"
"Taking a stroll. And you?"
"Well, I thought that I want to give something for Touma to look at. So, how do I look?"
"I-I am envying your courage to buy the clothes so revealing..."
"What can I say, for the one that I actually want to serve, I am willing to dress with a bit of spiciness. Besides, my legs and belly are my greatest assets and I know that he likes them. In fact-"
There was a loud sound from the nearby street. The girls looked at one another.
"You want to check it out?"
"Mhm"
"Hold on"
Hasako grabbed Maidono's waist and they both shot up into the air, flying upwards until they were on the building overlooking the destroyed overpass.
Hasako looked over the battlefield, before noticing Ayu and the girl pouncing on her.
She changed her demeanor in an instant, as she raised a closed fist and then spread her fingers wide open. And just as quickly, something akin to subtle breeze expanded around, as the dome-shaped environmental domain, covering the big chunk of city block, was put in place.
"Hasacchi?"
"Bring me down there. And be ready to evacuate those girls"
(BACK IN THE PRESENT)
" Can you let go of her right now? She is one of my precious saviours, that I own life to"
Hasako was looking at Rin with cold eyes, as the short haired sharpness manipulator grit her teeth, still pointing her finger at the chest of wide-eyed and choked-down Ayu.
As if sensing the girl's question, Hasako narrowed her eyes, as Rin slowly let go of Ayu, who clumsily but hastily crawled away from her.
"I wouldn't think of trying any tricks. My ability is not offensive in nature, but it just so happens that the terraformation processes fitting the DNA specimens I have in my possession can be quite hostile for humans. And as a rule, if I don't revoke them, my environments will get progressively more pronounced in their characteristics. Some more time and your very blood will freeze in your veins. So, please step aside and surrender..."
Rin screamed, breaking free of the forming ice and making a slash motion at Hasako...
Right before the environment around them changed completely.
The temperature shot up and in an instant, sand replaced the snow. The area under sphere-like domain changed into a desert.
Rin screamed and fell back, biting her teeth when the stinging sensation of pain from her skin assaulted her.
"I warned you. Humans can't take quick changes of environments from extreme cold to extreme heat. I bet your skin is ablaze right now. So now..."
Hasako trailed off.
A shadow appeared on the earth. Both girls looked up and Hasako sighed, noticing Maidono standing in the distance with her index finger raised high to the sky and then being lowered.
"Seriously?"
In the next moment, a giant tuck carrying with gasoline hit the earth, targeting the exact spot in which .
Sparks were created. Sand disappeared. However, the gasoline didn't explode.
Mitsuari Ayu and Kuroyoru Umidori found themselves reaching to their throats and opening their lips as if they were fish pulled out of water. Although their airways weren't obstructed, they couldn't take a breath.
That terrifying feeling lasted only for a moment and then, they were able to breathe again.
Hasako bowed apologetically
"I am sorry, when I designate radius of my ability, it's fixed until I deactivate it and I didn't have time to do it if I wanted to prevent that explosion, so lack of oxygen also affected you. Someone can't wait in patience when there is a fight going on!"
"I thought that changing environment means that you need help"
"No! And even if I did, you overdone it!"
"I didn't overdid it that much"
"How is tossing an enormous truck not overdoing it?!"
"Comparing to skyscraper levitation, everything else is actually not overdone at all"
"Hoshimi!"
"Alright, alright" Maidono mumbled, marching from behind the pile of rubble" I suppose I could throw something less... explosive"
Hasako used one of her most potent environments, oxygenless one designated for anaerobic bacteria, to prevent the explosions from occurring. No matter how powerful and destructive the flame was ought to be, if there was no oxygen, it would not burn.
Maidono effortlessly moved the clutter aside with motion of her hand and looked at the cut hole in the ground.
"She escaped... wow, I totally messed that up. I can split the earth open right now and chase her"
Hasako thought for a moment
"Leave her be. Both sides inflicted some injuries and we have to retreat and take care of them. I am actually impressed that with some damage inflicted by Kuroyoru-san and after my thermic shock, she was still able to escape. She is not to be taken lightly. Besides, our foe apparently wields the ability capable of cutting through almost anything. As we are now, it is impossible to regularly contain her."
"Roger that. Ayu-san, can you stand?"
"Yes... I-I am fine..."
"Wait..."
Hasako and Maidono turned around to see Kuroyoru, slightly shaking but back on her feet, and with her fist clenched, as she stared at the cut out hole in the ground.
"I underestimated her, I didn't take into account that she can sharpen objects as well as her own body... this is all my fault. I am going after her!"
She tried to reach the hole, but stiffened on the spot.
"Huh? What the... what are you doing to me?"
"You have artificial arms, don't you?" Maidono said in amused tone" You cyborgs are the best match possible for me. I can control inorganic body parts, as long as they are not covered by organic flesh. So I can very well punch you with your own arm"
She angled her finger slightly higher and Kuroyoru's arms shot up in a letter T. She was then picked from the ground.
"LET ME GO! Why do people keep violating me because of my arm parts?! Let go!"
"As you wish~"
Maidono flicked her finger and Kuroyoru was sent flying backward with great speed, before being stopped by a telekinetic hold on her arms once again.
"And seriously, let's get away from here! We need you two to be bandaged and warmed up"
And so, Hasako together with Ayu, as well as Maidono with Kuroyoru floating angrily in a T-pose, left the battlefield.
(MEANWHILE, SOME DISTANCE AWAY, IN THE UNDERGROUND TUNNEL)
Sukemi Rin was seething, slowly marching by the tunnel's wall. The nitrogen spear didn't hit her directly, but grazed skin was burning under her touch.
"That bitch... no, all of those bitches... I will get them, I swear I get them..."
She begrudingly admitted that she had no other choice. Especially with the presence of the kimono wearing girl. Whoever she was, there was something within her that should not be touched.
The dark alter ego occupying the body of headband girl shivered, mincing further curses. She almost got frostbite. Her body hurt and she knew she didn't have much time before light side of her self takes over.
But she was still unsatisfied and forced herself to stay for a moment longer, as she emerged from the canal. She was so angry and frustrated that she felt that she had to lash out on someone in those last moments of her control.
And unfortunately for that poor soul, she didn't have to wait long.
(MEANHWILE)
Yakumaru Itsuki was in uncharacteristic state of brooding frustration.
"Stupid Naru, with her stupid accusations. I only wanted to charm him into submission so our group would have a valuable asset. Then she would just got rid of him and..."
She trailed off at that thought. For some reason, it made her tongue numb and inside of the mouth sour.
At which point she started to question her relationship with Touma? By gods, Yakumaru had no idea. She was sure that she intended to make him interested in her, to make him pay for the humiliation of ignoring her cuteness when they first met. Until... she wasn't doing it anymore.
"What is going on with me?
"I think we both know that"
A version of Yakumaru wearing white clothes and her signature hat, with small wings and a halo, appeared on her right shoulder.
"It's because what Naru said is right. You are actually in lo-"
"Don't listen to her!"
Another miniaturized version of Yakumaru, with hair loose and small horns on her head, with rather skimpy clothing and dark smile, appeared on her left shoulder.
"Are you forgetting how beautiful you are? And how he trampled on your otherworldly cuteness?!" snarled Devilmaru
"He saved us from prison. Are you sure there are no feelings involved because of that?" Angelmaru countered.
"W-What" Itsuki rubbed her head" devil I kind of get, but since when do I have a shoulder angel?"
"Since that guy touched your heart"
"Ugh, you see what is going on? That guy is making you soft" Devilmaru clenched her fist" Admit that he is just one more guy that you want to conquer. He is someone valuable and if you get him to look at you like all the others, we will be able to use him"
"But is it true? Are you really satisfied with him being a position on the checklist?" Angelmaru waved her hands at that" When he saved you, when he actually talked to you, when he actually doesn't drool over you, but instead treats you with respect"
" You don't want to give Naru satisfaction, when she was obviously being hypocritical, right" tempted the shoulder devil" Now it all makes sense. Remember when you put so much effort into dressing up in attempt to woo him and waited on his usual way home. But he never showed up, and now we know that it was no accident"
(FLASHBACK)
Yakumaru Itsuki was determined to seduce Kamijou Touma. She devised a plan to invite him out. Going outside in perfectly combed hair, beautiful yukata, perfumes, and plans for the day, she set out to wait on Touma's usual route.
But he never showed up, despite nothing indicating that he would change his usual route.
She waited. And waited. And waited. And waited.
The weather got worse. Yakumaru, having to fend off couple dozens of guys trying to hit on her, was still waiting on, despite thin yukata being ill suited for the windy and cold weather that fell on the city.
"I am not giving up. He will come ba..back...achoo!"
And as if Yakumaru's sneeze was some sort of signal, the curtain of rain fell down, drenching the already chilled girl into beautiful yet wet pile of misery
(END FLASHBACK)
How could she forget? She got quite a nasty cold because of that.
"But he cared about you throughout that cold" Angelmaru smiled blissfully.
"Come on, don't tell me you will actually fall for him instead of other way around. You are better than this" screamed Devilmaru.
"SHUT UP, BOTH OF YOU!" Itsuki let out a shout her own, before realizing she was basically screaming at thin air. Coughing awkwardly, she sighed and hid her face in her hands.
"At which point did everything become so complicated?"
Yakumaru was so preoccupied with her own internal turmoil that she didn't sense the presence behind her. Only after seeing a shadow through her fingers, did she realize that something was wrong.
With her eyes widening, she turned around just as the knife fell down, like a lightning of silver in dark shadow.
(20 MINUTES EARLIER)
"Ghh...khh..."
"So, tell me again, why didn't you phone me when you were looking for long range fighter? My Meltdowner literally screams range"
"I would... but you keep choking me, Shizuri..."
Mugino let Touma go, tossing her hair away, as she looked at the coughing boy.
"I would think that by now you would have more intelligence than to hide things from me"
"Sure, because every guy would be super trustworthy of a girl who chokes the life out of him in a fit of rage. Very convincing"
Mugino glared at Ladylee with irritation.
The short story of what led to the three being together in that moment.
After Touma left Miho in care of Saten, he phoned Ladylee who immidiately got to his position as quickly as she could. Together, they ran towards Tokiwadai's direction, before Touma, for third time in his life, collided with Mugino Shizuri on the street corner. Naturally, the girl didn't overlook their haste and demanded the answers. Combining it with the fact that Shizuri had a very good talent in unmasking Touma's lies or hesitations, it ended it
Normally meeting Mugino in itself would not be a problem anymore, but right now, he felt as if his luck played tricks on him. In the city of millions, he kept stumbling on familiar faces.
Mugino was extremely powerful, so involving her didn't seem like a bad idea. But Meltdowner was a bit of a 0-1 power. Either you get hit and die, or get badly burned in the best case scenario, or you don't. There was a small space for something in between, although by spending time with Mugino, Touma did learn few utility trivia of her power.
Nevertheless, when he was hesitating, Ladylee didn't miss the opportunity to completely annoy Meltdowner on the spot.
"Look, we are extremely busy, so go bother someone else" the immortal girl said fearlessly, which caused Mugino to bear her teeth in a scary smile.
"Do you know who you are talking to right now, girly? Are you serious?"
"Yes, I am"
"Do you want to die?"
"Yes, I do"
"Hah, so if you... wait, what?" Mugino blinked, thrown off by Ladylee's blank retort" My ability will vaporize you without a trace! I bet you are shitting your pants now!"
"Meh"
"Did... DID YOU JUST FUCKING 'MEH'-ED AT ME?!"
"Is it painless? Then maybe I will give it a shot. Total disintegration always sounds promising. Although I threw myself into a volcano once and I don't recommend that..."
"Touma... that brat is scarier than I am and I don't admit it readily..."
"Shizuri, I am to assume that you will follow me no matter what, huh?"
"Back with that Veritas fuckery, when we spoke afterwards, you promised to get me involved next time"
"I promised, right... well, it's like this..."
(AFTER EXPLANATION)
"Hmm, intriguing in a sense..."
"Shizuri, if you are to come along, you can't kill our enemy"
"Huh?"
"You can't. If you are with us, you will be a support."
"What? No way!"
"Shizuri, understand, if we are to engage... this may be very personal. We have to be careful. Plus, Ladylee is kind of first in line for that particular enemy. Please, can you provide support unless we change plans?"
"Tch, fine. I can be a support for a moment. But I don't want any whining if I hit blondie"
"That won't be a problem. You may even shoot through me for all I care" Ladylee said proudly.
"Riiiiight..." Mugino said slowly, before addressing Touma again" And by the way, I am charging you for this. For moments of support instead of being in the lead, that is"
"H-Huh? I don't have money-"
"Do I look like someone who would like a payment like this in money? No, I thought about something more... natural"
"Why do you keep looking at me with that smirk? Sh-Should I be worried?"
"That depends on you, I just think that you deserve some credit for better uses of your lips than making all those speeches... remember the mall?"
"The ma... wait? You can't just resume walking after dropping a bomb like that!"
"Ekhm, can we carry on, please?! There is a knife maniac on the loose!" Ladylee cut in.
And as they went on, searching through the alleyways, Touma managed to see something in the corner of his vision.
Before he knew it, he was already moving.
Yakumaru Itsuki was about to scream when the knife was almost upon her.
But, in the last possible moment, she was tackled down to the ground.
And then, before she could get out of her daze, she was picked up to a princess carry, with panting Touma looking at her.
"Are you... fine?"
Absolutely entranced, Itsuki nodded while staring at the boy who held her in his arms. She then felt wetness under her back and realized Touma's arm was bleeding.
"Y-Your arm..."
"It's nothing. It was just grazed"
"Why did you risk yourself and threw your body in front of a goddamn knife for me?"
"Well... it's not something I really understand myself, but I know that your face and looks are important for you, right? So I didn't want someone to take away what is precious to you and what you cherish in yourself"
"Heh, that's his style alright" said Ladylee, walking up from behind.
"Slightly annoying at times, but one can recognize its value with some time" admitted Mugino.
As Yakumaru stared at Touma's focused face, she finally understood.
She didn't try to simply woo him for quite some time now. She wanted him to see her valours because she wanted him to actually see her as a person, because she wanted to understand him, not only use him, ever since he saved them from imprisonment. And with him stating that he wished to preserve her beauty not for his own gain, but because it was something he recognized as something that she valued in herself...
In that moment, the feelings in her heart were set.
'Oh, so this is how it should feel like... I wonder if Naru recognized something like this within herself too...'
"Itsuki-san, I will have to lay you down now. Alright?"
"O-Okay..." Itsuki answered, not without slight tinge of disappointment.
And as the boy put the brown haired chemist down, he straightened himself and looked at the girl in front of them.
She was weakened, slightly bloodied, with blood from her own veins and those of others mixing on her skin, with a thin knife in her hand, on the edge of losing hold of dark self that was bent on destroying every girl close to Touma.
The somewhat cruel display contrasted sharply with the girl's petite figure and overall cute physique. It could be misleading. But as much as Touma didn't want it, he knew who he was looking at. Even the lack of characteristic headband, that this dark self was taking down during its control period, didn't make that girl alien to him.
"What is the meaning of this, Sukemi-san?"
The girl looked at him and the most unpredictable reaction occurred in front of them.
Instead of being angry or scared, she seemed, with her cheeks coloured into crimson red, and with eyes twinkling as if she had a fever, as she brought her hand, with still bloodied knife, to her cheek. A visible shiver permeated her body as she asked, her tone as elated and sweet as someone struck with a hurricane of first affection
"What are you doing here... my love?"
(TO BE CONTINUED...)
And, a pause here. Let's see where it will take us.
Now, it's time to talk about quite a few themes in this chapter, in chronological order.
Firstly, Touma and Ladylee Tangleroad. I was asked about Ladylee's future whereabouts, as we don't saw her yet in FP. Let me just say that Touma and Ladylee's relationship is arguably one of the most complex secondary bonds in this story, considering the cornerstone it being build on: Ladylee's desire for death and Touma's own deathly experience, but also what Touma desires for Ladylee, namely that she regains the ability to cherish life before ultimately dying, and Ladylee's slowly changing feelings regarding Touma himself. Because of some factors, their relationship is in most part platonic, but still with plentiful affection. I think it safe to say that in the future, those two together can possibly make you laugh, but maybe cry from emotional moments as well.
Secondly, one of this arc's MVP, Headband Girl, whom I dubbed Sukemi Rin (透け美 琳). Well, to be precise, we are talking about two sides/personalities of Headband Girl: original, who in this version of the story knew Touma before memory loss, and violent yandere, forcibly created by Kamijou No Touma to be his pawn. What is the background of conception of Sukemi Rin? Let's start with the name choice. Suke Suke is an expression that can mean 'transparent' or 'see-through', while mi refers to 'beauty', so the family name can mean 'Transparent Beauty' or 'Unseen Beauty'. Meanwhile, Rin in that context means 'Jewel'. So Headband Girl's full name is 'Jewel of Unseen Beauty', something very precious and beautiful yet unnoticed and transparent, which goes along with her theme of being in a background and constantly failing to be confess throughout the years.
Honestly, when it comes to Headband Girl, there are so many wild theories that it gets hard to know which to follow. While it would be fun to follow some of the more otherwordly one, like one of her being Touma's misfortune incarnate or even Aihana Etsu, it would be difficult to incorporate them into this particular story. So I went with a more down to earth but still intricate one: Rin is Touma's childhood friend, who was by his side through many stages of life, but was constantly upstaged by her more outspoken peers or Touma's own misadventures. She develops a crush on him, but through her inability to confess, she becomes inwardly frustrated with both herself and others, who she secretly blames for increasing Touma's already bad luck. That final frustration is later utilized by Kamijou No Touma who, having all the memories of Touma before amnesia, including those about Rin, used yet unspecified technique to forcibly split Rin's mind in two, similarly to his own situation with Touma. On the one side with have original Rin, caring, clumsy, passionate about theater yet also dvelving into medical field, who is sensitive and lovable to the extreme. On the other, her alter-ego (taking a page from Fate, we can call her Rin-Alter, or Dark Rin) who is unstable, violent, cold-hearted, and serves as the venting point of all frustration Rin accumulated over the years. They are both exact oppositions of each other, but they are linked by one think: both personalities are in love with Kamijou Touma, albeit in two distinct, contrasting ways. While original Rin has a romantic, tender crush on him, Rin-Alter has a twisted, yandere like lust for him, wanting to eliminate any obstacles who are in her opinion causing Touma misfortune. It's this dissonance, that makes her such a strange and a bit unnerving character. Dark Rin's knife esthetic was inspired by Sakuya Izayoi and split personality with both Doppio/Diavolo of JJBA and Cavendish/Hakuba of One Piece.
Not only within anime, two personalities can have specific, personalized bodily parameters, levels of strength, or even brain chemistry. Rin-Alter is significantly stronger and faster than her original self, which stems from the fact that she doesn't hold herself back whatsoever. The crucial detail is also the fact that while original Rin is basically powerless when it comes to her esper ability, different brain patterns and hormonal makeup during her personality shift alter the strength of her AIM field drastically, to the point that allows her dark alter ego to use high level esper ability. That power enables Rin-Alter to manipulate the factor of sharpness of everything she touches, which includes her own body, but also sharpens or dulls gases and liquids in addition to solid substances, which retain the bestowed property for roughly 15 to 20 seconds after contact is lost. Because of that cutting ability, Dark Rin is incredibly hard to be contained while in control of the body.
Through her power, she is able to mimic the effects of various types and combinations of blades, which she can use with precision and expertise. The ones mentioned and utilized in this chapter include:
a) Karambit- a knife from Indonesia resembling a tiger claw. It is typically held downward and can rip the flesh as efficiently as real claw. It is particularly difficult when it comes to disarming.
b) Kris- a dagger-type blade, also from Indonesia. It has wavy blade and can cause sinusoidal, curved wounds when used for slashing.
c) Bayonet- French long type dagger or sword-like spike meant to be attached to a rifle and primarily used to stab or puncture the enemy alongside shooting.
d) Machete Cleaver- Combination of machete, large and wide knife used for fighting and clearing out the vegetation, as well as cleaver, heavy knife designed to cut through bones.
e) Scalpel- Extremely sharp knife used for surgeries and disections. In the story, Rin mimics scalpel type 15C, which is used to perform heart operations, and can easily remove cardiac tissue, but has ability to mimic any other type of scalpel as well.
f) Ballistic Rampuri- Combination of ballistic knife, a type of knife with blade propelled by gas or spring, and rampuri, a infamous gravity knife up to 30 cm long, used frequently in indian underworld.
g) Switchblade- A type of knife with a blade that springs forward upon pressure.
Sukemi Rin is also Uiharu Kazari's second cousin, with their grandmothers being sisters and her parents being first cousins. This connection will also allow Uiharu to quite possibly be involved herself into the affair our heroes are facing. Honestly, Rin will have a great deal of intense moments, between both Touma and KNT.
Thirdly, Juufuku Miho. There is not enough fanfics with Miho and she has as much of a great potential of being a great character past her villain motivation as Maidono. I really wanted to get her involved ever since envisioning this arc and additionally, it was something really nice about writing her as a more functional version of Kuroko when it comes to binary love interest. In this story, she develops (and will develop on) feelings for both Saten and Touma, and one can say that her type is that special brand of not-judging normalcy that both of those level 0s seem to possess. Additionally, Miho is important for Future Phase, because she will (rather comically yet somewhat efficiently) fight for polygamy, Mukai Naoya-style (although that makes you wonder if it was ever banned with Aleister, one of the most perverted men ever, in charge of the city).
Fourthly, Yakumaru and Naru. It is with great pleasure that I saw the beginning of Shattered At Dawn, Touma and Scavenger centric fanfic. When it comes to my story, the moment came for confrontation between those two when it came to Touma. That moment is so much more than just to friends accusing themselves of being in love with one guy, despite denying it earlier on. Both Yakumaru and Naru thought that they were benefitting the team through their actions, despite actually going for their own happiness and following their own emotions. For various reasons, they both lied to each other and to themselves too, which stemmed from their clumsiness and inexperience when it came to genuinely falling in love. Honestly, it was a great experience to write both of their sides and I hope that I will make their addition to the harem more organic. There was just something awesome about analyzing their feelings.
And speaking about feelings, fifthly, I hold certain sentiment about Hasako moment. I honestly love Beginning Child from the bottom of my heart, as a canon character and as Hasako, character in my story. She has the potential to be extremely versatile and give plenty of experiences. She is beautiful, she is extremely endearing and loveable, she is motherly and caring, she is clumsy and as her own sillyness, she has traumas she fights through, she is very romantic, and also powerful as some otherworldly being. A true masterpiece of a character when it comes to universality, thank you Kamachi. Her song in this chapter, 'Hasako's lullaby', is my own original tribute for her love and growing devotion towards Touma (sorry for the 'x' breaks between stanzas, all the alternatives were getting deleted for some reason).
Hmm, I think that for now, this will suffice. As always, please, do write to me, I will always try to think through and contemplate on your comments and suggestions.
See you next time!
