Painted Prison Chronicles

by Sparity Ikari

When Kamijou Touma and Gokusai sisters reunite after a long while, things certainly go crazy for all of them when they found themselves living together through random twists of fate. In their daily life, Touma, Amazora, Kaibi, and Rikuri will learn about each other, with their light, darkness, and pasts revealed. Among the misfortune, comedy, and romance, their bonds blossom anew!

35. Chapter 35

PAINTED PRISON CHRONICLES

CHAPTER 35

REQUIEM OF FATE

TEMPTATION, SALVATION, REVELATION

Oh my god... I am back. Happy New Year, as this is certainly the last chapter published this calendar year. Also, a belated Merry Christmas, to each and every one of You, I hope you are all happy, safe, fulfilled, and healthy. I am so glad to be here again after over a month. A lot happened and a lot is still happening around me. I noticed that some people worried where I was and I have to admit, this December was one of the most challenging and tiring periods in both my private and academic life, the stress and number of assignments were off the charts. I began this chapter but as much as I really wanted, I couldn't efficiently write without risking a burn out thanks to amount of other demanding things I had to write and learn for in the meantime. Lamentably, all I could do is wait for better time. Which arrived now, at least for a moment. January will be probably just as hard because I am preparing for important trip, so there is a possibility that the waiting period for the next chapter will be equally long. Maybe it won't, but I will just say it so you don't think something is wrong or that I abandoned the story. I love working on this project and writing for you gives me a lot of satisfaction, so there is no way I am leaving it with no reason.

We are still in the middle of first act of the battle with KNT. We will witness a set of emotional confrontations, new set ups, some important revelations, and more. There are lots of things that can be said about this chapter, it was intensely emotional and writing it was such a vivid process, for many different reasons. I really hope it will be of your liking, because in my opinion, it isn't half bad. Not at all.

Also, I read GT9. One of my favourite volumes ever, not as much as NT9, but awesome for another reasons. The fight with CRC just blew me away. I have a lot to think about when it comes to Touma's powers thanks to it, and I am sure many other fans have too. I also finally got around all that was necessary for Transcendents to be properly established as a characters, so I now I can really use them. Those girls are just... oh, so amazing and fun. I love every single one for a different reason. But when on the topic, let's address something that was close to me in relation to this particular story: Misaki and Bologna.

Oh boy. My theories weren't shattered, they were completely obliterated. In this specific case, I feel obliged to explain my process when it came to Transcendents and Bologna+Misaki theory.

In the beginning of this story, I was asked why I didn't use Transcendents. And the answer I gave is that it was my rule not to write of characters and/or events that are the focus of the main story right now, because the dynamic action can change something crucial in any moment. I tried to be very consequent in that, and my intuition was right, with the reveal that Transcendents were just actors. But I couldn't help myself and made one exception. One time I had a flash of inspiration so strong that I couldn't ignore it and I wrote the backstory of Bologna as an actual demon and as a mother of Misaki. Then, GT8 and GT9 came, and Bologna not only turned to be human, but actually interacted with Misaki, making it clear that they never knew each other before. That was predictable, but it still left ambiguity. I like to write scenarios that could have been, but I don't want to have ones that directly confront the canon. Thus, I decided to overwrite my earlier decisions in once-in-a-story move. It might be deus-ex-machina, but I don't think there will be need to use it again.

Once more, it is so great to give you this chapter. Because of the difficulty I had with my work in this month, this feels particularly rewarding (not only because I think the chapter's content is kind of awesome too!). In the meantime, I began writing a self-contained Christmas spin-off for Kongou Mitsuko of PPC universe, named Mistletoe On The Wind. It will only have 3-4 chapters, but if you give it a read too, nothing will give me greater pleasure.

For now, that's it. Because there is much to this chapter, be sure to check the afterword. There are lots of thoughts to be presented for events that will transpire and much analysis to be done thanks to it.

Q&A

Joshua: Thank you so much for the wishes. As explained above, I just have no way to publish this earlier, but I am so glad to be able to now.

KHVSFF: What happens with Mugino will make of quite a bit of this chapter. If the last chapter was away from conflict, this in a way is a direct opposition, even though it still has very sweet moments. Like I said, I don't know if I will make the next chapter between the end of January, but I will be happy and honoured if you look out for it. I love in-between chapters too. And it's great you enjoy Kaibi's development. It was praised by many and I can't help but feel a bit good about it, it also means that something went in the right direction there. I hope Rikuri and Amazora present themselves good as well. I admit, writing Amazora can be challenging at times, since she is very action-driven and not as reflexive as her sisters, but I honestly think she grew on me too.

Mr.X: I actually agree. It's probably the influence of my personal style, I have tendency of monologues. But not every character is really suited for them, so I will try to take that into account for future reference.

SuddenBetrayal: I made last chapter as sort of tribute to Hasako and Maidono's relationship, as well as their relationships with Touma, because of very big popularity for the standards of fanfic. I've been thinking about giving them a separate story and I even requested for Maidono to be added to the characters. I am so happy she is on the list already. Thanks to this, something can be written involving her and Hasako, should I have time and space

Commander Lance: I agree, Hasako's flower field was one of the more ingenious and magical things in that chapter. And the fact that Touma charmed so many girls and formed so many connections is certainly one of the most fundamental aspects of this story as a whole.

Fullbreaker: Honestly, I've been better, but it's nothing I can't handle. It's just a lot of learning, preparation, and overall chaos. But as this is something I do for my own development and relaxation, it's so much better for me when I am commited to the writing. So have no fear, the fandom will keep having Gokusai content delivered, even if in harder periods it will take a bit longer.

Without further delay, let's begin!

Before Maidono Hoshimi and Kankyougami Hasako faced the unexpected arrival of Kihara Enshuu, and also before Mugino Shizuri had an unexpected breakdown in front of Orsola Aquinas, there was a boy wandering through the night. He was massaging his head and arms, which were covered with bite marks. Those marks ached and he cringed whenever he rubbed them.

"I get it that it looked bad... but did she really have to bite that hard?"

Half an hour earlier, Index left, still fuming and muttering under her breath. Leaving Touma with blood coming out his head, still visible slap handprint, and bite marks.

"I guess I shouldn't be too surprised..." he sighed, cringing slightly" My luck was unusually fine enough as of late... and Index is still a lot gentler those days..."

He then heard a sound from the table.

It was Othinus. And she was laughing.

It was not something unseen, although not frequent. After all, the former nordic goddess was usually a wise and collected stoic. Not a lot of things could impress or amuse her.

"Othinus?"

Othinus slowly stopped laughing and looked at Touma.

"Othinus..."

"Human..."

They spoke at the same time, before pausing. After a moment, Othinus motioned in a 'go on' gesture.

"It's nothing, I just thought that I really like to hear you laugh. It makes me feel happy."

She smirked at him.

"Is that so? Well, I just thought that it never gets old. You having to deal with all of that craziness"

"Thank you for laughing at this Kamijou's suffering. I am glad that it could be of use in some form"

"Oh, don't give me that look, I am only teasing you. But you know... all of this, with dangers, world saving, and those stupid, utterly nonsensical days in between..." Othinus let out of a sigh of her own" All of that... makes me really glad that out of the all punishments I could have received, it was this one."

"Othinus..."

Touma reached out and the fairy jumped onto the palm of his hand.

"What brought that up?"

"This whole thing. Kamijou No Touma is not my Understander and I refuse to call him as such. I think that his existence is intertwined with heroic motif and desire for salvation. But he has conditions and weighs value of different people. I somehow doubt that he would extend that salvation to me, given that I erased things he possibly valued. So this situation gives me a greater appreciation of my own position. Honestly, I never thanked you properly for that"

"You are giving me too much credit. It's not like any cell could hold-"

"Stop diverting the topic when I am praising you. It's not like I gush praises left and right. Learn to take it while I am benevolent"

Touma smiled, lifting Othinus as she put her entire body on the surface of his cheek. Holding her in one hand, Touma gently put it behind Othinus. That way, they both felt hugged as much as they could, even if for him it was only the cheek.

"If he wins, I will be letting all of that go" Othinus mused sentimentally, before her tone hardened" That cannot happen. Even if I had to do unthinkable, I will not allow for you to be replaced by anyone else"

"You are right. I am not allowing this either" Touma nodded" For you and also for Index, I can't let him have his way. And now, because of what I saw, I wish to go forward... Othinus, for the first time in forever, I actually wish to achieve a happy future. I mean, I said it before..."

"... But never had a clear goal in sight?"

"Yeah. Sometimes I really wonder though... what is that bastard's game? His conviction to save others is the one I can't agree with... it makes me downright sick... but I sometimes wish I could understand..."

Touma got silent. Othinus jumped onto his shoulder from his hand and sat on it.

"Well, you are going to find out one way or another. I think he will give us all the answers in due time. What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know. Don't think I'll be able to just go to sleep"

They walked out of the kitchen and into the corridor.

For some reason, his tiny companion was in a very good spirits.

"Fu fu fu fu~"

"Othi-chan?"

"So you like the way I laugh? That's quite a thing, not bad at all. Now I can have something to throw at this arrogant toilet paper dispenser"

"You and Nephthys... are still on it?"

"Well, some time spent together is an eye opener, but she is still as annoying as ever. And to top it all, she is all over you in recent times"

"O-Oh, is she... I guess she is..."

"Your pockerface is fooling no one. That self-awareness is your undoing here."

"I-I have no idea what you are talking about, Othi-chan... anyway, do you know which way to turn from here to get to our room? Those corridors all look the same at night... maybe, let's try going here..."

"Hmph. Human, why do you ask if you are going to act on your own accord anyway?"

After walking through the stone, gothic-styled corridor for a while, Touma chose to enter one door that seemed similar to the pathway Orsola showed them yesterday.

However, he was soon going to learn just how much he miscalculated.

He entered the storage... or maybe it was a pantry of some kind? It was kind of hard to tell in the dim glow from the outside night. The moon was slowly setting and it's light was not as potent as few hours earlier.

Yet even then, Touma was able to notice a female silhouette, a girl with eyes blue enough to look like small sapphires in the darkness, who for some reason was wearing revealing and unmistakably familiar outfit.

Both Touma and Lucia screamed, the blond nun blushing brightly and shaking her head.

"Don't look!"

A long leg struck Touma, causing him to lose balance and tumble on the floor. Before Lucia's foot could step on his face and crush it to the floor, he raised his hands up

"L-Lucia-san, I had no way of knowing that you are here! It was an accident! Accident! See, I am turning to the ground, I won't look at you, so don't be mad"

No new blow came, so Touma assumed he was safe for now. He carefully lifted himself up sitting on the floor. To his surprise, he felt a back being pressed to his.

"Lucia-sa-"

"D-Don't you dare look back!"

"B-But... why are you sitting like this?"

"This is to make sure you won't turn around, a-alright? D-Didn't you humiliate me enough one hour ago?"

"Like I said, it was an accident. But... I am sorry, I have to ask... why are you wearing Fallen Angel Ero Maid outfit? Why is it even here? Kanzaki had it last time I saw it"

There was a moment of silence, before Lucia muttered

"So you saw it on Amakusan Priestess... yes, I suppose that would be correct. When it comes to this outfit, it circulates among the inhabitants of the dormitory... it became some kind of hot potato. Even though Kanzaki Kaori does have it for most part, it found its way among may clothes... I have no idea if it was a prank of some sort or not, but it got here... and since my habit was ripped and others are in the laundry... that was the only thing I could wear"

The embarrassment and frustration in Lucia's voice were almost tangible.

"I-If it helps, you don't look bad in it... completely different from Kanzaki, but-"

"I-It doesn't help!" Lucia hissed behind him and Touma felt her hands going up, presumably to her face" Don't review me here, that's indecent and unfortunate as it is!"

The pair sat in silence for a while, before Touma unsurely asked

"Can't you sleep? Is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything is..." Lucia snapped, before pausing, and taking a deep breath. She then spoke in much calmer and resigned manner" I guess I couldn't sleep after all. I am not... used to being away from sister Angelene for this long. Usually, I talk with her before she falls asleep... because she is still at that age in which she fears the dark and monsters. You may not get such feeling from me, given that I tend to be strict in my conduct, but I want Angelene, sister Agnese, and other sisters to feel content. I know I'm probably overreacting, but-"

"No, I don't think that you are" Touma said before he could stop himself.

He then quickly understood that he should continue and elaborated.

"I think the fact that you think about them like this is admirable. It's a very human feeling to have and I am sure Angelene would be very happy to hear that. You must believe that this Kamijou will never shun the idea of a big sister helping out the ones she cares about"

Lucia scoffed before mumbling

"Don't act like you understand me. I just... don't want others to feel the same emptiness that comes from not having a family that I used to feel. I don't know my parents or why my mother abandoned me... and honestly, when faced with what sister Angelene or sister Agnese experienced, it's not all that terrifying. In my case ignorance is a blessing. Sister Agnese's parents were murdered for her to see, and sister Angelene's parents practically ditched her while abroad without any clear explanation. To already have some and then have it taken... it's too painful. I am the oldest so I had to... no, I wanted to... be someone they could lean on during the times of hardship"

They sat back to back, bathed in moonlight, until Touma coughed into his hand and said:

"I... don't claim to know what you feel. I don't think I will ever be able to. After all, my parents weren't killed, they didn't ditch me or abandon me. But... I still lost them, in a sense"

He felt Lucia freeze and then shift slightly. He wasn't sure, but he had a feeling that she twisted her neck to look at him.

"What do you mean?" she finally asked.

Touma exhaled, deciding that the moment and occasion was good enough to speak about the issue he was about to reveal.

"I... lost my memories. While saving Index, all that time ago, I was hit by a stray after-effect of a powerful spell and lost memories of everything that happened prior to it. Almost 16 years of life. Which included..."

"...your parents"

Lucia finished instead of him.

The silence that followed afterwards was so long and stifling that Touma finally could not take it and turned around.

"Lucia-sa-"

And then he paused.

He could see the bright blue eyes of the nun, and then her entire face.

A great change occurred.

When he first met Lucia, she frequently looked at him with hostility, hatred even. When he and Agnese Forces made peace with one another, those looks turned into ones of cautious apprehension. But Touma never saw the expression in front of himself on Lucia's face.

It was sad, compassionate and almost... caring.

He suppressed a shiver. Seeing Lucia's face like that was something he wasn't used to, given how temperamental and opinionated she usually was.

In that moment, for the first time, Lucia made first genuine connection with the boy known as Kamijou Touma.

Two teens looked at each other, until Touma realized that once again she had Lucia in a rather skimpy outfit in full view.

Lucia realized it as well because she yelped and Touma just barely avoided another slap.

They returned to sitting back to back.

"I... had no idea. Maybe..." Lucia said, looking at her feet" Maybe in some ways we can understand one another. Is it... hard for you?"

"I... don't know" Touma admitted" On one hand, I don't feel like I have a real right to complain or feel bad. Like I said, it's not like they are gone. They are right there, I can call them or meet with them. And I know they are my parents. But... I just... don't know what exactly that means. They gave me life... but that's almost all I know. I am aware of some trivia, like the fact that my dad loves hoarding stuff from the time he wanted to help cure my misfortune, or that my mom loves paragliding and pursued dad since they were in middle school, but... what meaning is even linked with that? All memories I have with them are gone... and for such a long time I had to play pretend. I don't want to do it... but it's hard to confess it to them. I know I have to, I just... did not find the strength to do it before."

"Sure doesn't sound like you are okay"

"I will be. Some day. What about you?"

Lucia brushed a strand of her blond hair and looked at the slowly setting moon.

"Honestly, I don't think I should be complaining either. I could have been in a much worse position. I do have a roof over my head, a place to call home, and a big family of my sisters. I care for them, and that should suffice. But sometimes, when I am on lower point... I can't help but think about her. My mother, my real, biological mother, who left me on church's doorstep. Why did she do it? What kind of person was she? And what would she... think of me? I know it is foolish, thinking about it. She probably never wanted me in a first place, so why would she care at all. But even still, when I came all this way, I can't help but think about it despite it being pointless..."

Touma listened on and thought about Orsola's theory of the biological connection between Lucia and Lidvia Lorenzetti. The similarity of two women was uncanny. Regardless of the truth, if Lidvia was Lucia's mother, would she be better off and happier?

Touma did not know much about Lidvia. What he did know was not really making the high-positioned clergy member a mother of the year material. Even though she was accomplished preacher and missionary, she was also supposedly pious to the point of religious fanaticism. Not that he did not see that in Lucia to in their past encounters, but that was beside the point.

On the other hand, Touma was far from knowledgeable about all the circumstances of Lidvia's life, or any other potential candidate for Lucia's mother. Maybe there was a legitimate reason. Maybe, like Orsola said, being a child of someone like Lidvia would put Lucia at risk? What if the motivation behind the abandonment was some form of twisted protection, love that could not be expressed in any other form aside from letting one go? Who was he to know the secrets of human hearts, especially Lidvia's, a stranger to him?

However, as he thought about Lucia's proper question, he knew he had the answer to at least a part of it. After thinking of how Lucia acted around Angelene and other sisters, what her actions really represented, there was no way he would think otherwise.

"I think she would be very proud of you" he finally said, glancing at her, and this time focusing solely on her face.

Lucia's eyes widened and Touma wasn't sure but he thought they actually got a bit glossy, as if tears flooded them. But it could very well be a trick of the fading moonlight.

"Thank you" she ultimately said, her tone unusually soft." I mean it. And not for just that, but for this talk. If you ever want to talk like this, I won't bite, so-"

A dull pain shot through Touma's entire body for that moment, before focusing on his head.

"Argh?!"

Startled Lucia observed him, as he grabbed his head in anguish.

'That's... the same sensation as before... same one as yesterday when I was swimming... no, this one is actually worse!'

"Kamijou, what is-"

"Stay away!"

He got up. Everything was swirling around and glowing in the way that should not be perceived by the normally functioning eyes.

He turned around and run out of the room. He heard worried Lucia chasing after him but he was faster, losing her after a moment of wild turn-taking.

In all of that commotion, he almost completely forgot about someone.

In the basket filled with laundry, a tiny fairy managed to get out of pile of clothes that she fell into when Touma got startled alongside Lucia. Although the pile was rather unassuming, for Othinus it was like a quicksand made out of fibbers.

"Finally... I am ou... oh, for the love of... where did he go now?!"

Meanwhile, Touma was clenching his teeth, as he slid down on the wall of the corridor, with a window overlooking the ocean.

He realized the absence of Othinus. But he felt that was for the best if what he suspected was true.

'My body hurts as if it's being pulled apart... he is... he is trying to free himself somehow. I don't know how can he be capable of doing this, but if he is attempting it, I would rather not have anyone close to me. The time when he broke free last time... I do not wish for that to repeat... not ever. It felt truly awful, him doing all of those things as if it was none other than Kamijou Touma...'

And as he was fighting pain and nausea, he realized that someone was approaching him.

He managed to focus enough to make out who it was.

"Kaibi... what are you doing here?"

" I couldn't sleep and then heard some moron running around like a headless chicken"

"Don't come... any closer..."

"Why? Something is clearly wrong with you. I can't help you if I don't come closer. Hold still!"

Kaibi's eyes lit up slightly as Measure Heart activated, and suddenly the splitting headache and pain searing through Touma's body ceased.

His housemate titled her head.

"Now that's a surprise"

"How did you do that?"

"I regulated the emotional distance between you and him, and forced him into subdual for now. But it will not last, my Measure Heart was never as good in regulating the distance between two other people as in comparison to me being part of the relation. But that's not what's bothering me here... you were right, grasping the 'image of your heart' is completely different now. It's like... trying to draw in something that keeps rotating in many directions and planes at once. Each 'heart' I regulate distance from and to has a different feeling, and yours is very bizarre"

Kaibi crouched down.

Her eyes kept shining with pink-magenta glow as she put her hands on his arms and caused both of them to slowly sit on one of the stone seats, chiseled from the wall.

"Maybe I should get Index? You two seem to have a certain... understanding, that still eludes me"

Touma looked at her with erratic glare.

"No! Anything but that! Whatever you do, keep me away from Index, if there is even a slightest chance that he will appear. That bastard wants to get to her... He can..."

"Okay, we need to do something about those nerves of yours" Measure Heart said authoritatively" I am going to need your full attention. And to get that, I want to test something. Close your eyes..."

"But..."

"It will not affect my ability. Just do it, please. You won't regret it. Just follow my instructions. Now, close. Your. Eyes..."

Touma obeyed and closed his eyes, as Kaibi spoke again.

"Now, with your left hand, touch my neck."

Touma was about to ask another question, but bit his tongue. He was going to go along, because that was the trust he had for the girl.

"Move it up and sense my face and head"

Trying not be too flustered, Touma moved his hand passed Kaibi's necklace, traced it across her slightly oval jawline, lingered on her warm cheek, her forehead and then, upon girl's encouragement, onto her blond, smooth hair. Then, guided by her, reversed the actions, going from the head to the brow and base of Kaibi's nose, side of her head, the cheek, and the neck again.

"Do you feel me?" the girl asked gently.

Touma nodded.

"Then breathe in." she said, skidding closer

He heard her breathe through her nose, and did the same. Voluntarily or not, he got surrounded by the scent of various things. Soap, Kaibi's favourite perfume, but also trace of salty smell of iodine that clung to girl's skin after the night on the beach, and didn't fully go away even after deep bathing.

"Let those scents fill you in."

She closed onto him, as he still kept his eyes shut, as she whispered, with a pleasant voice, not too high and not too low, straight into his ear, her breath tickling his skin and making him shiver slightly.

"Everything will be fine. I am here with you, I am here for you, and I am going to help you, no matter what. Listen to my voice, focus on it. Do you hear me?"

Touma nodded, feeling warmth spreading through his body. It was as if he entered a hot bath.

There was a moment of silence and then Kaibi kissed him on the lips.

Naturally, after touch, smell, and hearing, came the taste.

Even more than in some of their kisses in the past, Kaibi was very gentle, giving Touma's own lips extra care and attention. Touma, going more on instinct than anything else, put some of his own effort into the kiss, which surprised Kaibi enough to make a quiet sound escape from her. It was arguably a very cute and feminine sound, which caused both teens to blush slightly.

"And now... open your eyes..."

Touma opened his eyes to see smiling Kaibi, with redness on her cheeks, looking deeply into his eyes with her own glowing irises.

"Do you see me?"

"Yeah... I do."

Touma felt... relaxed. His worry, everything that hit him during last half of an hour was still there, but it receded into back of his mind.

"What was that?"

"I wanted you to focus on me, all and throughout. It's a little trick I know. Or rather, it was something Rikuri nee-san taught me, so you might as well thank her for that. With all of your senses occupied with me, I can try to calm you down. Now, what is that you worry about?"

Touma sighed before speaking quietly.

"I... am unsure. He is... me, but also has access to some strange abilities I never saw in my life. He lacks restrains that bind me and keep me human. The fact that I see my face acting without those values scares me... and I don't know just what might be his idea for salvation and what can mean to all of you. But sometimes... I wonder if what he is doing may be-"

"I think we had this conversation and I am stopping you right here" Kaibi shifted into her 'scolding wife' voice" If you doubt your own standing over that guy even for a moment, don't. It's easy to save some based on selection criteria, but to try to save people without counting on any possibility of death... it is so absurd, but I have a feeling that it is thanks to that absurdity that me and my sisters arrived to the point in which we are right now. So never falter. And if you do have a moment like this, count on me or on others. I think you already got that into your head."

She sighed, before tapping her cheek with a perfectly polished nail.

"Hmm... how can I motivate you here? Oh I know, if you stay strong and beat this guy's ass, you and I can..."

The stream of honey-laced and very descriptive words left the girl's lips.

"Kaibi-san!"

"What?" the blond smiled innocently with a shrug" I said I didn't do it with my clients, but what's actually keeping me from doing it with the guy I actually love when the time is right? I am still waiting for your call, but in the meantime, I dream big. Or do you want to tell me that this is not a motivator for you, hmm?"

"No... it's a... you and me will talk about this later!"

"Oh, I sure hope we will. I was the first one to propose it, wasn't I?"

"Technically... Amazora already said something similar"

Kaibi looked at Touma flatly

"That doesn't count. Also, are you really into older girls if you indulge my little sister's fantasies?"

"That sounds... wrong. I don't indulge anything. I just respected her feelings and told her to wait. So... what happens now?"

Kaibi wiped a bit of sweat of her brow

"Like I said, I can't keep you like this forever. This is why-"

"Ara? What are you doing with Touma, Kaibi-chan?"

Rikuri was standing at the entrance to the corridor, dressed in her expensive night-gown.

"Onee-chan? You couldn't sleep too?"

"No, I..." Rikuri paused and yawned, while pointing at her forehead" I fell off the bed in my sleep, straight on my face. Those sleeping arrangements are a lot narrower than back home. I was searching for some ice and then I found you. This place is a lot more complicated than its daytime appearance. But that does not matter. Are you okay, Touma? Are you in pain? You look pale-"

"Nee-san..."Kaibi interrupted Rikuri's stream of words" remember when we talked about that dark side Touma has within himself?"

"Yes, I do. Oh no, you don't mean-"

"He is fighting it off right now. And we have to let it out"

"What?!" both Touma and Rikuri exclaimed in shock.

"Kaibi, I can't let you do this!"

"I have no means to hold you in this state for who knows how long. But with me and Rikuri nee-chan here, there is a chance we might be able to stop him. I would love to present some better solution but I just don't see it. Riku nee-san, go find some kind of rope. The best you can get!"

"R-Right!"

(10 MINUTES LATER)

Touma was tied up and sat by the wall. The light in Kaibi's irises flickered.

"I will be deactivating Measure Heart now. You will probably be replaced immediately by him. But don't worry about anything. And remember the most important thing..."

She pecked him quickly on the brow

"We love you, alright? So there is no way we are losing you to someone like him."

"Just... be careful" Touma smiled back" And be safe"

Measure Heart was deactivated.

And as if some elastic substance being stretched to great length, Kamijou Touma's consciousness shot back into murky, unconscious darkness.

Then his head rose up once again. When he spoke, the voice sounded the same, but its prosody, and intonation, indicated a change that occurred.

"Finally. I was thinking he would never get reasonab-"

A gun was pressed to his forehead.

Similarly, Gokusai Kaibi's demeanor completely changed. She looked in a way that would make a grown man piss themselves, the look that was rarely seen even during her proper assassin days.

You could have wondered why she had a gun. Kaibi would turn this question around and ask why wouldn't she take one with her in the middle of the night.

Rikuri stood close by at the ready, observing Kaibi and Kamijou No Touma in concentration.

"For starters, it's definitely not a pleasure. State your intentions and then if you know what's good for you, give Touma control back. Preferably, forever" Kaibi said coldly.

"Ah, Gokusai Kaibi. We finally meet in person. I have to admit, there is nothing that makes your heart race as being threatened by a beautiful woman straight after waking up. Quite a charming... and naïve sight to behold. But, you see..."

There was a quick flash of purple and green light and the bindings fell down. Rikuri stepped forward, but Kaibi gestured to her to stay put, even though she too grit her teeth upon sight of the unknown boy easily freeing himself.

He straightened up, until he was on Kaibi's eye level. The gun never left his forehead.

"... I don't really appreciate people looking at me from above" he said, in almost friendly way.

Almost.

"I don't intend to confront you if I have no need"

"Smart girl. But unfortunately, I just might want to teach you something."

"What are you talking about? I said that-"

"How are you thinking that this will have any effect at all?" the boy chuckled quietly" for now, we share a body. You realize that by hurting me, you also hurt him, right?"

Kaibi did not move.

"I am sure that you are aware of it. And yet... you still try to threaten me with a gun. I have a suggestion then..."

In a quick motion, Kamijou No Touma grabbed Kaibi's wrist with one hand and the gun with another. Kaibi struggled but the boy was stronger and the gun was forcibly moved to the base of Touma's jaw and his upper throat.

Kaibi suppressed a shiver as the gleaming green-and-pink eyes stared at her, coupled with wide grin, that still carried the air of nonchalance in itself.

"Pull the trigger. If you do it right here, the bullet will pass through medulla. What point is in incurring a brain damage or suffocating by affecting the lungs? You never have to wonder when or how to draw next breath or if you need to do something to make your heart beat, right? One bullet can make my body forget how to do it. And that would be a surefire death"

Rikuri swallowed audibly.

"Kaibi-chan..."

"If you pulled out a gun, then you had to deem me a threat for your family, too big to be left alive" KNT continued smoothly" So why won't you do it? I am sure I won't be able to evade a point blank bullet. So why won't you do it? Perhaps..."

It was a bluff. Of course it was a bluff.

It wouldn't be if it was someone else.

What stood true was that Kaibi would kill anyone if her family was threatened. No exceptions, even after all the changes Kamijou made in her.

But Kamijou Touma was her family. More so, he was someone she loved.

'I love you'. She told him that a few times and she always meant it. Through all the lies in her life, done in deception and manipulation, of that one thing she was absolutely certain.

Gokusai Kaibi was not able to harm Kamijou Touma.

She knew that if this dark alter-ego proven to be a threat to her, Rikuri, Amazora, and also Index and Othinus, alongside others, Touma would not blame her for putting him down. If it came down to a choice between his own life and safety of others, he would not hesitate.

But Kaibi was not able to part with her only genuine love aside from her sisters.

What this sinister entity said was true. As the assassin, she knew enough about human body to verify it.

A part of the brainstem, medulla served as a main commanding unit for most of the autonomous brain functions, functions that were crucial for survival and living. Those included simpler, reflexive reactions that provided bodily purification, like sneezing, coughing, or vomiting, but also more complex ones such as breathing, heart rate regulation, and digestion. If you were shot through brain cortex, there would be some impairment depending on the area destroyed. But if one's brainstem, especially medulla, was compromised, death was almost certain. It happened, as her enemy put it, because body literally forgot how to take the next breath, or how to change the pace of blood circulation.

Kaibi lowered her head a little bit. Upon the incline, the droplet of sweat travelled down her brow and alongside her slim nose, before dripping down. And just as it touched the ground, Kaibi felt a finger upon her own, positioned on the trigger.

The enemy looking through those alien-like eyes smiled. Kaibi tried to pull back, but he was unyielding

"Let's demonstrate the difference between what we are capable of"

Kaibi's gun had a silencer, so there was no loud sound when it discharged.

Fatal wound was inflicted in one moment as the boy fell back, onto the wall, and slid down on it.

Kaibi never heard Rikuri scream like she did back then. It was a short, bloodcurdling, shrill sound. It was so pained and agonizing that if the sounds within the scream had tangibility, they would be bleeding.

As for Kaibi, she just stood there. The hand with a gun slowly dropped to her side.

Her eyes were wide opened. She felt as if the soul was leaving her body. The hand with a weapon appeared cold and detached.

Contrary to her sisters, she always lived through her emotions, her genuine emotions, on the inside. She always internalized her torments and appeared stoically quiet, even if what was happening within her mind and soul was a furthest thing from calm.

She barely heard tearful Rikuri calling Touma's name, as the sound of dull ringing filled her mind. She felt as if she repeated the same thought process on the loop, trying to somehow rationalize and cushion the realization of what happened in front of her, but the endless limbo kept arriving at the same conclusion.

Kamijou Touma was dead. And she was made to pull the trigger.

"Ah..."

She was glad that Amazora wasn't there. That was like a scene straight out of nightmare.

She felt sickening. She felt like throwing up. She felt like screaming. She felt like crying. She felt like dying...

"Aah... aaah..."

But before she could completely break down in tears, something that would break her own precedence, someone touched her on the shoulders.

She knew that touch. Because normally, she loved it. She wouldn't mind being touched by those hands for the rest of her life. But right now, the sense of wrongness in this touch made her realize that Kamijou No Touma was standing just behind her. In fact, he moved his head so he would be just above her shoulder as she stared wide eyed at the place where the body was supposed to be...

But it wasn't there. She was supposed to be stained with blood, but there was not a droplet on her nor on the wall.

"What... what just..."

"This is what it means to be decisive, sweet Kaibi-chan. For me it's very simple. I am born out of desire to save those dear to me. But Imagine Breaker, which I am emanation of, has its very purpose in grounding someone within the reality of this world. And in reality, there is no option of saving everyone without someone else dying. As such, one has to weigh one life against the other, the possibility of salvation against possibility of destruction. Some are gonna die, and my task is to make sure that no one of the ones I cherish falls into that category. Isn't it more realistic, more true to the nature of this world?"

The dull ringing still wasn't fully gone.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?"

"Oh, this? You didn't think I would just let myself perish like that, huh? I simply negated the fate of being shot"

Kaibi felt her mouth go dry.

Kamijou No Touma smiled at her. Only now did she notice that his arm was missing and then, it grew back as she stared blankly.

"It would be easy to kill you, just to spite that idiot. But, you may not believe this, I do not really appreciate the killing just for killing's sake. When you do that, you get rid of the very useful assets. And your ability is a fascinating one. You are very much needed. So for now, I will take my leave"

And then, he simply moved back, turned around and walked on through the corridor.

Kaibi turned as well. She wanted to say something or run after that boy.

But her legs didn't listen.

She could try to user ability, but didn't.

It was not the matter of simple fear, although she could feel her legs shaking slightly.

Unless you had some undisputable advantage, charging forwards in a reckless manner would simply get you killed. It was a rule as old as the killing itself. And against this enemy, she needed a solid strategy.

Something should be thought about. With the thing like fate negation, there had to be rules, conditions, limitations. But her thoughts couldn't frame them.

She wanted to chase after him. She needed to make sure that living nightmare would be gone, and Touma gets back to her. But all she could do for the moment was to make sure Rikuri would snap out of shock and think of something she could do.

She would not let this stand. But for now, falling back was only option she had.

After what seemed like hours, she heard a sound of singing. A powerful choir of female voices soared through the air.

Rikuri, sniffling through tears, perked up at the sound.

"That's... Beethoven's 'Mass in C Major, op.86'"

Kaibi also recognized the sound of female singing. They knew it because their occasional housemate, Kankyougami Hasako, loved classical music, especially german romantic period which almost always equated with Beethoven.

(AND THEN...)

What two sisters heard was indeed a mass written to a roman rite by Ludwig Van Beethoven

In the second chapel, more festive than the one Orsola had her talk with Mugino, a group of nun gathered to celebrate the beginning of the new day. And with daybreak, they intoned first part of the mass, Kyrie

Kyrie eleison

Kyrie eleison

Kyrie eleison

And it was upon sounds of that music, that Mugino Shizuri found herself face to face with a boy standing in the cover of the shadows

Kamijou No Touma smiled in a rather predatory way

"Mugino Shizuri, isn't it? We need to talk. I was dying to meet you"

Orbs of green appeared around the girl.

"One more step and you will be dying in a whole other way"

KNT rolled his eyes

"Again with that? I thought his type was caring older girl, not a girl who can easily kill you. One step, you say? Well, that will suffice..."

In one moment, he was standing good few meters away. In the other he was clenching her arm with his own. The Meltdowner orbs disappeared.

"I hope you appreciate this. It takes quite a bit of fine tuning of Imagine Breaker to achieve such effects..."

Mugino growled and the two pushed against each other, while not breaking an eye contact.

"Look, you damn bastard, I just had a very deep conversation, so I would appreciate it if you could fuck off and leave this place"

"Oh, but I can't possibly do that. Not when I am having so much fun and not when I have so many things to do. Like I said, we need to talk"

"We have nothing to talk about. I can smell bad news from a mile away. Not even counting the fact that I am informed that you oppose that idiot and you need to be brought down"

"Do I now? We are not so different, if you think about it"

He kicked Mugino on the shin and when she lost balance for just a briefest moment, he pounced forward, slamming her against the wall.

The tea-coloured orbs of brown moved to the side.

"Mugino Shizuri..." Kamijou No Touma spoke slowly" Look me in the eyes"

The proud girl did not move. The eyes of green-and-pink narrowed and the girl's face was forcibly moved to face them.

"I do not intend to fight you, should it not be necessary. More than that, I have an offer for you"

"Offer?" Mugino snarled at that" Why on earth would I consider an offer for enemy? And why the hell would you want to make an offer to me?"

"Why, you ask... maybe it is because I don't need to be the enemy to you?"

Christe eleison

Christe eleison

Christe eleison

Sang the choir.

"You are the rare case of someone whose mentality aligns with my own and additionally has perfect set of characteristics for those fit to rule. You are of supreme beauty, power, and intelligence. You know the reality of this world, you lived through the shadows and filth of those unworthy, you deserve respect. And I will give you the opportunity for that if you choose to stand with me"

"So you just chose to spare me? Oh, I feel so honoured" the girl replied mockingly

"You should be. But let's not be petty here. I know you are a type of woman who will not run on empty abstracts. You are interested in my other half. What if I said that I can offer you something far better, far grander than he can?"

Their bodies were tensed and pressed against one another, trying to gain advantage this whole time. Mugino always assumed that as far as stamina went, she and Touma were pretty much equaled, but also that she had a slight advantage when it came to raw power exerted from the muscle tension and power of kicks (without counting power channeled into punches). But with that guy, she actually found herself fully focused on not being overwhelmed.

And then, the devil in human skin dealt his cards

"What I can give you is a compensation for your effort. For all that killing and insanity"

"Huh? What you are on about now?"

"I think you know it already. Now, a small riddle for you. All of you level 5s desire strength in some form. Strength to be so powerful that no one would attack you anymore, so you can finally gain human connection. Strength to be seen and become someone unknown on the scale of the universe. Strength so you can save your friends and loved ones. Strength so you can take back control of minds you don't trust, thus not being betrayed again. Strength to bring justice to those that need it. Strength to prove to oneself that you are not lost and scared, Mugino Shizuri... Now, the main question of the day. Are you a level 5 because you desired it? Or did the natural level 5 disposition created your desire? Which one do you choose?"

Mugino's anger turned into a simmering frustration. She answered, not because she really wanted to, but because she had no intention of being a listener to that monologue.

"A latter one. Even if Parameter List exists, I always believed-"

"Boo! Boo!" Momentarily shifting his strength to one arm, Kamijou No Touma mockingly booped tip of the girl's nose with his finger for each of the 'boo's, which caused Meltdowner to angrily try to bite him" It's a former one. Regardless of what Aleister planned or not, the desire stemmed from your genetic make-up and your life circumstances. You also desired the power that would prove your superiority. Because if you didn't have it, you would let your sadness and sorrow overtake you. You would allow others to hurt you. And you never wanted to be hurt, so you needed to be stronger than anyone, so no one would dare think that someone like you could be vulnerable in some form..."

"SHUT UP!"

"Oh, I struck a nerve, didn't I? But you can admit then, that there was a time when you believed in SYSTEM, Academy City's ultimate goal. There was a time when you wanted to ascend to a level 6."

Mugino looked at him for a moment, before laughing out loud. The laughter lasted for a moment, before she once again looked at Kamijou No Touma.

"Oh, I had a good laugh thanks to you. This is your great plan? So what if I believed in that bullshit in the past? I wanted to advance, but there is no way I could ever get through Dark Matter or Accelerator, even I can admit that. That annoying Railgun is a different story, but even if we assume that each level 5 can attempt the ascension to level 6, only Accelerator is supposed to-"

"I can stabilize you" the spiky haired boy with eyes gleaming with green and pink answered without skipping a beat" With control over inner might of Imagine Breaker, I can help you ascend there"

Mugino was stunned speechless.

"Huh?"

In the silence, the final part of Kyrie was sang quietly

Kyrie eleison

Kyrie eleison

Kyrie eleison

"That's not possible... it can't be possible!"

"Maybe according to your curriculum or something. But Imagine Breaker is older than Thelema. I am sure that I can give it a go. Just imagine. With that ascendance, you will go beyond human body, beyond mortal restrains. I can only theorize, but in my eyes, your body would be able to become light itself, the very essence of your beams. You would gain the power of thousand armies, you would be able to cause unparalleled calamity with mere step or gesture. The incarnation of overwhelming firepower, the true goddess of destruction."

Mugino suddenly felt weak. The tone of voice, the way he conveyed his message, all of it seemed to have some strange hypnotizing effect, as if she was lured inside some magnetizing vortex with no end in sight.

"With ability to strike down any foe that threatens you or your peace. With ability to ensure the salvation of anyone you need. All of that can be within your grasp. If you agree to stand with me, I can even give him to you. My weaker self will be all yours... like this..."

The two of them locked lips.

That was different from before. Right now, the kiss was filled with wildness and fire. That in itself caused Mugino to think like she was slipping away. She felt her chest being pressed onto the one belonging to the boy in front of her. The power, ambition, domination, with just a right amount of lust. Everything she could hope for was in that kiss. Everything except...

'Shizuri!

A certain memory suddenly filled her mind. And her eyes snapped open.

"No!"

With a push, she separated herself from KNT, just as the sisters from the afar intoned the triumphant, second part of the mass, Gloria:

Glória in excélsis Deo
et in terra pax homínibus bonæ voluntátis.
Laudámus te,
benedícimus te,
adorámus te,
glorificámus te,
grátias ágimus tibi propter magnam glóriam tuam,
Dómine Deus, Rex cæléstis,
Deus Pater omnípotens.

The boy fell back and for the first time in a while she noticed a glint in hostility in his eyes

"No?"

"It's not like I wouldn't like him to be a bit forceful with me. But you are not him. So I will not follow you or be your prized lap-dog. It's not really about morality or all that crap. I promised him to make our first time special, and I am not someone who throws away such a promise, especially since he made it because he was looking out for me. I am perfect? Don't make me laugh! He never considered me perfect. He might have considered me beautiful or intelligent or skilled, but he never tried to hide the fact that I was also a massive bitch. And that's fucking fine, because I sure was and still am at times. But you didn't really think about it, huh? For what was worth, you didn't call things by their name and you sugar-coated my sins just to sway me. In some damn cosmic coincidence, he finds it in his heart to care about me. You never did, even for a moment. I am another chess piece for you, as your heart and ambition is set on another.

Kamijou No Touma watched her coldly, not bothering with a response.

Dómine Fili Unigénite, Iesu Christe,
Dómine Deus, Agnus Dei, Fílius Patris,
qui tollis peccáta mundi,
miserére nobis;
qui tollis peccáta mundi,
súscipe deprecatiónem nostram.
Qui sedes ad déxteram Patris,
miserére nobis.

"And unlimited power? Tempting as it may be, I will pass. I truly discarded pursuit of power. Tell me, can your power bring my best friend to life? If you could truly bring her back, then it would be a different story. Frenda... I miss her, I fucking miss her, so damn much. And each day and think that if I could die so she could live, I would do this... but it's not happening. What's the purpose of being the strongest if I end up wounded and alone again. I didn't believe that myself at first... but maybe it's time for me to try to embrace it. Maybe it's okay to try living day by day. Eating salmon, shopping, dealing with stupidity of my friends, being sexy for the guy I like or have a heart-to-heart talk. Maybe I've done enough. I am never going through all of this again. And your way goes stray to hell. I am staying with the guy I love. I am staying with Kamijou Touma!"

Quóniam tu solus Sanctus,
tu solus Dóminus,
tu solus Altíssimus,
Iesu Christe,
cum Sancto Spíritu:
in glória Dei Patris.
Amen.

The panting Mugino heard Kamijou No Touma clapping sarcastically at her speech.

"So touching, so moving... well, I hoped you didn't say that. But, for better or for worse, my company arrived"

Mugino turned around and noticed a familiar, small girl. It was Sukemi Rin.

Or rather...

"Tch. It's that psycho cutter again" she muttered" I thought you were supposed to be taken care off"

Just as Mugino said that, yet another person appeared in the entrance to the chapel's hallway.

A small girl with blond hair, with cuts on her body visibly healing as she panted heavily.

"Ladylee Tangleroad" Kamijou No Touma smiled, spreading his arms" What an unexpected surprise. And by unexpected I mean... there was no way I didn't expect that"

"I am sorry, master" Rin cringed at the sight of the immortal" No matter what I do, she can't go down. But her stamina's bound to run out"

"So is yours. Don't force yourself, she can't die... for now"

"Oh, master, you are so compassionate~"

Then they closed in on each other and...

Mugino rolled her eyes.

"Really? You are kissing her too? That's a new low. Well, at least she seems very into it, Machiavellian bastard and slicing bitch... whatever turns you on."

"ENOUGH! You there, emanation! You can't kill me, so surrender yourself and go down quietly!"

"Ho? That didn't stop my partner in kicking your butt, did it?"

Ladylee grit her teeth.

(EARLIER...)

It happened after both her and Mitsumi finished their investigation.

The singing in the distance distracted them only for a moment but it was enough for Rin to smile and then simply cut through the ropes after stretching them.

Afterwards, the slash came. And even though Mitsumi managed to react in time, her leg was cut enough for her to stumble and yell in pain.

"Get out of here!" Ladylee shouted.

"But I have the-"

"One look at that leg tells me that you won't be able to stand on it properly. Get out of here while I distract her! Think of some strategy there"

"Shutaura and Arisa are not gonna be happy with me about this!"

As she hobbled away, Ladylee threw a lot of objects on Rin. All were cut apart.

Only when her ally disappeared, did the immortal girl truly engage in combat.

If she was undying, then dark side of Rin was uncontained.

She started to deliver her punch, just as upper half of her head lost her alignment with the rest of her body and face, on the horizontal axis going through the bridge of the nose and below her eyes. Even so, the half-headed torso still managed to deliver the strong punch, which earned a cry from Rin.

With her head recovering, Ladylee made another desperate attack, as walls behind her broke partially. She managed to land a few solid hits, before her body was cut apart into several pieces.

That fight relied solely on their stamina, as she could endlessly. But Ladylee was determined not to allow Rin to move or go after Mitsumi.

(AND BACK...)

'I failed to subdue her. Just like she can't kill me, there is no way for me to truly restrain her. But I stalled for time, I hope it's enough for others to be warned'

But just when Mugino and Ladylee were about to exchange words, Kamijou No Touma grinned in a way that could not mean anything good.

"If the carrot is the wrong way to go about all of this, maybe some stick for good measure is not such a bad idea. This is dedicated to you, Mugino-san. While this is not exactly what I described to you, you should underestimate my abilities. Within my power possibilities beyond even my own comprehension lay dormant. So temporarily boosting one's abilities to a level 5 equivalent is not impossible. In case of Dissection, that is, Sukemi Rin's ability, level 5 attack would cause a chain reaction of slashing ricochets from one correctly executed gesture in rather impressive radius. Seat back and enjoy the show... because hell... is descending. And I think I have even better person to kill, to truly break Kamijou Touma..."

Rin's eyes were filled with adoration when Kamijou No Touma slowly touched her with his hand.

Mugino Shizuri was on the run before she knew it. Not minding Ladylee's shouts, she moved past quietly smiling boy and then reached the chapel.

'That nun... Orsola Aquinas... is still there! Not a care in the whole wide world. I just feel something terrible is about to happen. I am not a hero, far from it, and this the last thing I should be doing, but after the conversation we had, it would suck to leave her to die'

Orsola was, in fact, behind the altar. Humming and polishing some golden plates, she turned to Mugino.

"Oh? Mugino-san! Back alread-"

Mugino didn't wait but hugged the nun and caused green energy to fully envelop in a shield-like bubble.

In that moment, Mitsumi managed to inform Lucia, still searching for Touma, about everything.

In that moment, Index opened her eyes in the feeling of weariness.

In that moment, Othinus finally managed to mount one of the crows after climbing to a window.

In that moment, Kaibi and Rikuri arrived at the scene behind Ladylee.

Just when the space itself seem to break.

Everything from the epicenter, in which the boy and the girl stood, broke apart, as every structure around them was severed in three dimensions. The distant choir in the second chapel, still unaware that something was happening, intoned Credo:

Credo in unum Deum,
Patrem omnipoténtem,
factórem cæli et terræ,
visibílium ómnium et invisibílium.
Et in unum Dóminum, Iesum Christum,
Fílium Dei unigénitum,
et ex Patre natum ante ómnia sǽcula.

The dissection and dismantling continued, sharp blades of air ricocheting from one another, cutting through stone, metal and everything unfortunate to get in the way...

Deum de Deo, lumen de lúmine, Deum verum de Deo vero,
génitum, non factum, consubstantiálem Patri:
per quem ómnia facta sunt.
Qui propter nos hómines et propter nostram salútem
descéndit de cælis.
Et incarnátus est de Spíritu Sancto
ex María Vírgine, et homo factus est.

The cracks permeated through the earth itself. In the chapel, Mugino held Orsola Aquinas as her shield absorbed and burned most of the attacks. Some however, made it through rather painfully. And then earth itself shifted and the chapel forward towards the sea...

Crucifíxus étiam pro nobis sub Póntio Piláto;
passus et sepúltus est,
et resurréxit tértia die, secúndum Scriptúras,
et ascéndit in cælum, sedet ad déxteram Patris.
Et íterum ventúrus est cum glória,
iudicáre vivos et mórtuos,
cuius regni non erit finis.

In chaos and among everyone fighting for their lives, there was a laughter. It was controlled, dignified, and chilling, yet it echoed throughout the destruction like a haunted melody. The small girl by the boy's side smiled to him, when he bowed to everyone, before the pair was swallowed by clouds of dust and shadow, just as the prayer finished and silence reigned forth:

Et in Spíritum Sanctum, Dóminum et vivificántem:
qui ex Patre Filióque procédit.
Qui cum Patre et Fílio simul adorátur et conglorificátur:
qui locútus est per prophétas.
Et unam, sanctam, cathólicam et apostólicam Ecclésiam.
Confíteor unum baptísma in remissiónem peccatórum.
Et exspécto resurrectiónem mortuórum,
et vitam ventúri sǽculi. Amen

(*************)

A small part of the cliff itself collapsed and broke apart onto thousands of pieces, similarly to structures on it.

Kaibi and Rikuri did not incur major injuries, as they were barely outside abilities range, similarly to Mitsumi, Lucia, Index, and Othinus.

Ladylee Tangleroad was dissected to level of small cubes, but was able to make it out of the wreckage thanks to her immortality.

As for Mugino Shizuri and Orsola Aquinas, they were swept away and fell alongside the chapel. Luckily, the base of the cliff didn't broke fully and descent of the stone structure slowed down enough for the girl to risk jumping down.

Mugino Shizuri incurred deep cuts all over her body and broke one of her legs.

Orsola Aquinas was shaken, but besides mild bruises, she was perfectly and miraculously fine.

After the incident, Sukemi Rin disappeared without a trace.

As for the boy with a spiky hair, he collapsed on the beach after all of that.

He awoke at the sound of movement through the sand he was laying on.

He slowly rotated his head to notice brown skin and silver hair glimmering in the morning sun.

"Nephthys?"

Nephthys and Othinus were both looking at Mugino who was also laying on the beach near him. At the distance, he noticed Orsola, looking at him with caring concern.

Nephthys muttered something in ancient egyptian and passed the hand over the girl's body. The cuts filled up and paled, and there was a cracking sound from the leg. The tension left girl's face and she visibly relaxed.

"That's all I can do here" she said to Othinus" I... oh, you're awake"

"Human, how are you feeling?" Othinus asked Touma

"Othinus, what do you mean, I feel fi-"

And then all the memories flooded his mind.

He was through worse in the past. But everything came to him so suddenly that he rolled over and threw up instantly.

Wiping his mouth, he grabbed his head, his eyes widening.

"I... hurt... I destroyed... I did... I DID..."

Suddenly, he found himself pressed to the warm chest of Nephthys, as she rested her head on his shoulder and slowly brushed her slim fingers through his head. He also felt Othinus diligently climbing to take her place on his shoulder.

"Sssh... sssh... sssh..." Nephthys said calmingly. Her voice was as soothing as always. She smelled like desert wind and oriental incense " It wasn't your fault... and everything is fine now, because I am here. I am sorry that I couldn't arrive before. But when he was active, I couldn't get a correct location for some reason"

"But... the chapel... Orsola... Mugino... everyone..."

"They are fine. Everything is fine... I fixed both the place and all of you up as much as I could."

"She is right." Othinus confirmed" There isn't a trace except for some small scars that can be dealt with later"

Touma needed time to calm his breathing, allowing himself to fell deeper in Nephthys' embrace. The mature-looking goddess didn't seem to mind whatsoever.

"But Nephthys... why are you even here?"

She smiled, her pearly-white teeth shining against her rosy lips and brown skin.

"Some time ago, I bound our spiritual names together through egyptian naming magic. This gives me a lot of insight to when you are in trouble. We are connected, even if you are not very keen on feeling this bond yet. I sensed the disturbance and came to the rescue, even though ultimately I was too late for the proper action. And my reason for doing it at all? Because, if I didn't make it clear before, you managed to interest me. I will not let you go that easily now that you took my heart"

"On that, I must agree. There is no way I am letting my human die the second he leaves my watch" Othinus nodded vigorously.

"Our human" Nephthys glared at Othinus" Really, I can even agree on being Second Understander, but if you do not keep the proper titles, I will just go and bury you in the sand"

"Is that really important right now? Look at him! Human, what can we do for you?"

Touma looked at them with tired expression. He was exhausted and Nephthys had to notice it too.

"Poor him, he is exhausted. Listen, I am a goddess of mourning. I can sense that right now, you are still tormented that you allow such accident to occur and your very soul is grieving. So why don't I sooth your mind and give you nice restorative sleep. And I think I know just the way to do it."

"What do you mean-"

Nephthys brushed her hair aside and locked her lips with Touma's. The boy was shocked to once again being kissed on the same day. He also shivered because the kiss of the goddess was rather intense, like she was trying to eat his lips with hers.

And suddenly, the wave of pleasure came to an end when his eyes rolled back in their sockets and he collapsed onto the sand.

"Sweet dreams" Nephthys said, licking her lips dry.

"You are blushing" Othinus stated darkly" I know that your skin tone conveniently makes it rather difficult to see, but I still noticed it, you wretched toilet paper dispenser!"

"What else could you propose? That you go in front of his lips and let him eat you in the attempt of the kiss. That way, I could use this technique while bypassing Imagine Breaker. And it still has lesser effect than it normally would. He will wake up with lesser guilt for all that happened. It took it through my lips and sealed it in my tears"

Nephthys pointed at the tears that were, unsurprisingly, running down her cheeks in impressive streams.

"Yes. That was not his fault. However..." Othinus paused, as she noticed Index running towards them.

"I finished checking on everyone. How is Touma?"

"Oh, for the matter of fact, you just missed each other"

"What? He was awake? And you didn't tell me?!"

The nun waved her arms angrily in the air.

"I feel so awful that I wasn't by his side back then!"

"If I may... I know it's not the best time, but..." Orsola silently swooped into the conversation" I would like to guard him and care for him till he is awake."

"What?!" Index protested" But... but..."

"Nun, this is very convenient" Othinus stopped her" Me and her are going to have a talk regarding the best possible strategy on what to do next in this situation, both from magical and tactical point of view. It would be good if you shared thoughts with us. Orsola will take him somewhere to rest, he needs that, and it's better than just leaving him on the beach"

Index bit her lip, looked at Othinus, then at Touma, then at Othinus again.

"Fine" she grumbled" But this time, I will be informed as soon as he wakes up."

"Of course, miss Index" Orsola nodded in understanding.

Afterwards she called the help of two nuns, and together, they moved sleeping Touma away.

"So... what is it that you have in mind?" Index asked.

"He grows stronger through some unknown means" Othinus remarked" We agreed that containing him will prove increasingly difficult"

"Next time it happens, even if manage to find you" Nephthys added" he can do something harmful not only to others, but also to himself. And that will not be easily fixable"

"So what do you have in mind?"

"We strongly suspect that this Kamijou No Touma is attempting to separate from Touma once again"

"And as much as we don't enjoy the idea, we are wondering the pros and cons of actually... letting him have his way in this one. For this human's sake"

(DURING THAT DAY, IN ACADEMY CITY)

Misaka Mikoto did not have the best day. And it was only morning.

Not only because apparently Kamijou Touma was away for some reason, but after the failed attempt to visit him, she stumbled onto someone who was the last person she wanted to see in the circumstances like those now.

Shokuhou Misaki appeared to glowing those days. And not only because the morning sun naturally made her hair shine like golden lantern.

She looked so radiant and happy that Mikoto wouldn't be surprised if she started levitating above the ground.

For some reason, she was insistent in following Mikoto. And just when the Railgun was about to snap, something else happened.

Namely, the divine intervention.

"Oh, for the six realms! I can't watch this anymore. Wake up!"

All of the sudden, both herself and Shokuhou's heads collided with one another, causing both of them to cry out and cluth their throbbing skulls.

When the pain subsided, she noticed Niang-Niang standing some distance away from them.

"You! What's the big idea? You want to fight?"

"What a brashness ability, to do this to the delicate maiden" Misaki groaned" What was that for?"

"For your information, I do not want to fight. On the contrary, I got tired of watching those ups and downs of yours, and I want to enlighten you for your benefit. Or rather for the benefit of Kamijou Touma"

"What? What does this idiot have to do with this?"

"You two have a tendency to get involved in things that are over your head because you love that human, correct? Anna Sprengel and Transcendents, for example? From some time, there is a tendency of you trying and failing miserably"

"O-Oi... listen here..."

So, your good older sister Niang-Niang..."

"Older?"

"... is going to educate you on what you need to know. While you two need an entire lecture about the other side of the world, I think learning about this specific fight we are having, the stakes, and possible outcomes will suffice. I am going to be honest with you: you two got too complacent"

"E-Excuse me?!" both girls shouted.

"You, electricity girl, are going too slowly. It's nice that you know you love him, it's nice that you want to do something about it, but, for Heaven and Earth, you can actually do something already! And you, honey star! Just because you overcame biggest hurdle in sight does not mean you should stop. Right now, you just came to a zero after being on the minus side for a very long time, so you have some catching up to do!"

Both girls recoiled from such harsh verdicts.

"But not to worry. I've been thinking about it and since you two are going to get involved at some point anyway, it's good that you learned. I can always erase your memory if something goes awry..."

"Wait, wait, wait? What are you talking about?"

Niang-Niang sighed and pointed forward towards the other girls.

"Right now, Kamijou Touma is fighting incredibly dangerous and crafty enemy, who threatens the existence of the future. Your shared future!"

"What? Touma is danger? Please, tell us everything!" Misaki immediately switched to full attention.

Niang-Niang looked at her and winced.

"Yes... but before that, we have to fix up this mess with you"

"Me? What mess?"

"Mother-daughter business that is completely off-canon now" Niang-Niang looked to the sky, frowning" You sure you want to use me, and do some deus-ex-machina, to fix this mishap? I suppose it's Christmas period out there, so maybe this is a present from me for having some more time in those chapters? But since you write me too, doesn't this basically mean you are giving present to yourself... this is just sad..."

"Who is she... talking to?" Mikoto asked, to which Shokuhou shook her head with a shrug.

"Oh, the pains of fourth-wall awareness..." Niang-Niang sighed, before raising her hand" Alright, I was saving it up, and should be enough... here goes..."

SNAP!

The world exploded in white for a moment, before, fading back to normal.

"And... done, for better or worse" Niang-Niang puffed her flat chest out" No more of the awkward dissonance with Transcendent lore, we are back in the sphere of ambiguity"

"WILL YOU START MAKING SENSE?!"

"What fun is there in making sense? But you are right, it's time we take a look and that you learn"

"Learn about what?"

"About what is really going on around you. Let's visit a vision of my potential future. No, our future"

And with a gesture, three girls vanished.

(SOMEWHERE, SOMETIME)

They appeared in spacious kitchen. Outside of it, there were voices and laughter, but the kitchen itself was almost empty, except for two people.

Mikoto's eyes widened as she looked back and forth between Niang-Niang by her side and the girl in front of her, who besides wearing an apron with bright red kanji (from which Mikoto only recognized 'mother' and 'cook') looked identical.

Besides the Niang-Niang twin, there was a baby on the chair. It was a small boy, maybe 1 year old, with black hair and jade green eyes, who curiously looked at everything around him.

"Took you long enough, me" said Niang-Niang in front of them" So it's that time"

"Wait, hold on" Mikoto paused" How come there are two of you?"

"I am her hypothetical future self" Niang-Niang in front of them answered" the self that will prevail shall you emerge victorious in the conflict of your present"

"So we time-travelled? But this is impossible" Shokuhou stated in shock.

"It's not really a time travel as it is viewing of possible future. We can't physically interact with anything here. We can just talk and such" present Niang-Niang, the one by Mikoto's side, clarified.

Indeed, Shokuhou shrieked in surprise when her hand went straight into the table, before going out once again.

"Even if you could interact with things here, this is a mere side-effect of future viewing." future Niang-Niang stated, taking out some meat and vegetables on the table" You travelled forward, not backward, so even if it was a real time travel, nothing like killing your grandpa could occur. Now, I suppose we owe you some explanation. But before we get into it, can you please watch Shén-Lung?"

She pointed at the baby and then at Shokuhou, who still seemed disoriented by the entire situation.

"Huh? Why me?"

"He likes your adult self. Maybe it will work with this version too"

Shokuhou unsurely approached the small boy, as present Niang-Niang smirked.

"He's ours?" she asked her other self.

"Of course. I think you can tell by his eyes"

The baby laughed as Shokuhou attempted to do a 'peak-a-boo' with him. Apparently, the girl's starry eyes made it very entertaining. The boy's laughter seemed to make the girl more comfortable too.

"And... you called him... Shén-Lung?"

Future Niang-Niang mirrored the grin of her past self.

"You should see this human's face when he first heard what it meant"

"I bet it was hilarious!"

"I don't get it. It's your son, right? What is so funny about his name? And his father..."

" Shén-Lung means 'Dragon God'. And it's ironic since his father..."

Niang-Niang snapped her fingers and the hair of the boy suddenly spiked-up into a very familiar look.

"... has quite a connection with those creatures"

Mikoto paled and pointed at Niang-Niang.

"Y-You... you... this boy's father is..."

Future Niang-Niang spread her arms and suddenly, a vast array of cooking utensils and tools emerged from long-sleeves covering her arms.

With a moment, she diced the meat and threw her onto the extended wok. She also cut the vegetables and started boiling them.

"And let me tell you" she finished her blow, allowing herself a cheeky smile" The greatest weapon present while we did it was not to be found within my arsenal"

"I bet. Now that's something to look forward to" present Niang-Niang wasn't far behind.

"That's just not fair... I lost to someone who is flat too?!"

Mikoto didn't even care that she included herself in the derogation.

"What? Don't be absurd, you did not lose. Nobody lost... okay, listen up you two, before anyone gets even more confused..."

And so, both Niang-Niang's told two level 5s the overview of the current situation.

About the return of Kamijou No Touma, with whom both Misaka and Shokuhou were already familiar. About Future Phase and what it entailed, about those fighting with dark side of Kamijou Touma which wanted to have a monopole for the future, and about many, many more things. Which of course, included the reveal of magic. It would require time and much more explanation, but the basic truth was out.

It seemed like hours passed since they started, but in reality, it was merely twenty minutes or so. Shén-Lung was merrily chewing onto the side of Misaki's uniform as future Niang-Niang crossed her arms, her dish finishing to cook.

"That's about it, for now."

Mikoto giggled nervously.

"Right. Of course. And you honestly think that we will believe you?! Very, very funny! Shokuhou, come on, don't tell me..."

When she looked at the blond, she met unsure but also serious eyes.

"I don't know, Misaka-san. I don't sense falsehood ability from all of this. And this is not a mental illusion, I would be able to tell. I too can't fully grasp the scope ability of it all, but maybe... this would explain all of the crazy things happening around him"

"B-But Shokuhou... magic? This is just..."

"Look, kid..." present Niang-Niang sighed" I am not obliged to save your butt. And I know that for some reason, you have trouble believing in magic even if something is happening right before your eyes. But read my lips. Magic. IS. Real. Whether you call it occult, a powers with different set of rules from science, I don't fricking care, but if you want to be around Kamijou and you value living a long life, you have to accept this, sooner or later. I just thought that he would prefer the 'sooner' version"

Mikoto got silent. Her mind and intuition were fighting with one another. Many revelations were forcing themselves into her awareness, and finally...

"OhmygodIfitstruemeandhimhadsexifitstruemeandhimhadsexifitstruemeandhimhadsexifitstruemeandhimhadsexifitstruemeandhimhadsexifitstruemeandhimhadsexifitstruemeandhimhadsexifitstruemeandhimhadsexifitstruemeandhimhadsexifitstruemeandhimhadsexifitstruemeandhimhadsex..."

"THAT'S WHAT YOU FOCUSED ON?!"

Shokuhou walked to the kitchen's door and took a peak outside...

A group of women were sitting by the table, playing Scrabble and arguing about something.

"You are cheating!" the woman with swirly white hair and dark skin pointed at the tall woman with white hat" I saw you swap the letter in the sack!"

"Momma did no such thing" the woman in the hat protested" You are the one to lecture someone about the rules, Mut Thebes, when you form such words as 'CROSSBOWGUN'. There is no such thing!"

"I-I name combinations of weapons I absorb. Therefore, it is the proper word."

"I don't think this is how it works, auntie Mut" said a boy with a silver hair, coming to the table" It has to be in the dictionary"

Aradia looked up from her letters.

"Val, do you need something?"

"Mom, big brother Angelo and big sister Kenjou are making a fire outside. Can I go help them?"

"What kind of witch goddess I would be if I didn't allow my son to make bonfire under the starry sky? Go, just remember to dress properly. No coat and no gloves, you still have a witch training from last week to work through"

When the boy run away, Aradia looked at pouting egyptian, putting 'MOONLIGHT' on the board.

"Oh, don't be so sour Mut."

"Easy for you to say. You slept with him multiple times already. He is all 'Oh my beautiful Dia! Oh, my amazing Dia!' You know, the reason why he learned that there can be multiple versions of one Transcendents and realized that you are so unique and wonderful, is thanks to me!"

"Ssssh! Both of you! You will wake up Diana!" woman with sexily, big-breasted curved blond with bat wings, horns and a devil tail.

The small baby in her arms, with locks of golden hair opened her eyes, showcasing dark-grey irises, and cried. Bolgona sighed and tried rocking the baby, while allowing her daughter to play with her tail. After few minutes, the baby calmed down.

"You know that he loves you, Mut. He kissed you many times" Bologna whispered, putting the word 'INNUENDO' on the board.

"Yes, but why he keeps running away from sleeping with me?!" Mut whined, quieter this time.

"Maybe it would help if you did not sprang on him from places like under the bed, or inside the toilet, or on his way to work... you have to give him a bit more space"

"But I can't help it! Following people is in my nature. And I really want to be a mother! I would be responsible, I promise. No more weapons near the children! I would make everyone warm clothes, on this dreadfully chilly nights!"

"We get that. We do"

"How can you get that? You have Valpurgis, Bologna has Meridiana..."

"Oh, what a night, up and down, left and right, all the positions we tri-"

"Alright... I get it, awesome night, no need to get into flashback mode every bloody time. Huh... I guess me and my good, trusted friend Mary have to stick together, right?"

The motherly Transcendent said nothing at first, before she calmly put a word 'CONCEPTION' forth.

"A boy" she simply stated."Such intense night. Momma almost needed to resurrect him afterwards"

Mut's smile faded. She looked at the word, then at Good, Old Mary, then at her belly, then at the table, and back at her face, before screaming and grabbing the tall woman by her clothes.

"Betrayal! Betrayal! Give me back my friendship, my sisterhood, my worry! I will punish you, oh, I will punish you so hard for this!"

"You are going to shake the game out of the table!"

"Go outside if you are going to wake Diana every time you argue!"

Shokuhou's attention shifted to other parts of the room.

A muscular teen with short hair was playing with group of children, many of which had black hair, as he conversed with other teens gathered around the table with snacks.

"Where is dad anyway?" asked Kanari.

'This girl... looks just like Mitsuari-san' Shokuhou's eyes, pressed to the partially opened door, widened in realization.

"With auntie Sprengel. With those two, the dinner is bound to start late" said Kaizumi, flipping through the pages of a book.

"Onii-chan!" Itsuwa's daughter, Kamijou Shiina, known as Shishi, pouted at him, knocking at the book" Instead of reading, help us! We need a dark sorcerer to ally with evil dragon."

"Can I be a good guy for once?"

"Onii-chan looks like he is gloomy, so he must be a dark sorcerer" Serina, Yakumaru Itsuki's daughter, shook her head.

"Come on, onii-chan. We will destroy them and capture the princess."Densetsu, commonly called Setsu, Saten Ruiko's daughter, tugged on Kaizumi's shirt. She growled, trying to appear imposing.

"Come on, we need one more person to the party" Junya, Yumiya Iruka's son, pointed at the improvised book castle. " Please?"

"Oh, fine."

Soon they were all immersed in the play.

"Brave knight, you came to save me" Shishi, addressing Junya, swayed from side to side behing the 'castle walls'" But watch out, there is a terrible dragon who tries to devour countless knights who tried to valiantly save me!"

"Wraaaugh!" Setsu stepped forward, clashing with her younger brother.

"Wait a second..." a girl with a skin of the colour of coffee, Sena, daughter of Nephthys, muttered" Why do we even have a dragon as a bad guy here? Dad is a friend of dragons and our family has a strong draconic heritage."

"Yeah, what's the deal with that?" Parvati concurred.

"Guys, it's just a story." Tsubasa, son of Maidono Hoshimi, attempted to defuse the growing discussion, but to no avail.

"Then, I propose" Tannia muttered from a nearby chair" The sudden twist in said story!"

"Yes, I am all for knight befriending a dragon and ditching the princess!" roared Elizabeth, one of the twin daughters of Leivinia Birdway.

"What? That's a horrible ending!" Shishi and Mary, Elizabeth's twin, both shouted at once.

"And why was I even involved then?!" Kaizumi groaned

"Maybe we can make dragon turn into a beautiful girl and matchmake a princess with a dark sorcerer?"

"You read too many strange stories, Etain onee-chan"

"T-They are not strange, Sei-chan. They are just complex!"

"Or maybe" Kamijou Miya, daughter of Kongou Mitsuko, puffed out her chest" we can get a second princess involved? That would add the drama!"

"You say that only because you want to be the princess instead of Shishi!" said Tomoya, Miya's fraternal twin.

"Huh?! Miya nee, how can you do such a thing!"

"H-He is lying, you know him!"

"Okay, but am I really the best candidate for the sorcerer here? Hayate would be better!"

The thin boy, son of Awatsuki Maaya, with black-and-purple hair, jumped at mention of his name and slowly turned around.

"What?"

"You are better fit than me. Your ability is a literal illness."

"Onii-chan, it's about an attitude"

"You have one alright!"

Shokuhou Misaki took all of that in and her heart was slowly recognizing that what she was seeing was undisputable possibility. One she never want to consider before, but it was there, right in front of her eyes.

In that moment, the door's on the right burst open and two boys stumbled inside. Both were slightly black from soot.

"Good news" said one of them, wearing an eyepatch and coughing out black smoke" The bonfire is lit. Shimitsu had a wonderful idea of trying gasoline... kah, agh... and we got a bit smoked"

"But at the very least we can have fun by the fire, outside" said the second boy, cleaning his face with a cloth.

And as he did, Shokuhou stifled a scream.

"Misaka-san! Misaka-san! Come here! Look!"

"What? Wow... lots of people are here. What, what are you poking me for?"

"That guy. That with brown hair. Look at him, he's just like you"

"W-What? N-No, he is not. You must be imagining something"

"Takami, are you sure it was just lighting up the fire?" Chousuke, munching at the snacks by the table, asked" You are absolutely sure that you did not want to take a chance to snuggle with your girlfriend?"

"What? You must be imagining something. It's not like I want to kiss her in a secluded place or anything"

Shokuhou looked at Mikoto, rather flatly.

"Well..." the Railgun mumbled" he is a bit similar to how my dad looked in his younger days... I guess..."

But from that moment on, she did not leave Kamijou Takami from her sight.

Misaki scanned the crowd, looking for someone else. Because she hoped, she really hoped that...

The doors behind them, on the other wall of the kitchen, opened. The teenage girl with big chest, long black hair, and golden eyes stepped through them.

"Auntie Niang-Niang, they are almost here, so I can help you carry those on the table. Or I can play with Shén-Lung, I know he likes his onee- oh, and who is this? Did you invite someone else?"

Shokuhou Misaki stared at the girl as if hypnotized. Her lips trembled slightly, as she slowly reached forward. The black haired girl tilted her head

"Are you alright?"

"What is... your name?"

"Kiseki. Kamijou Kiseki."

"'Miracle'. I see..." tears forming in Misaki's eyes didn't stop her lips from forming a small smile.

"Are you the child of some family friend? Strange that I never met you before, I usually know all of people connected to us. What's your name then?"

"Misaki..."

"What a coincidence, my mom is called that too... and... is that a Tokiwadai uniform? Hah, she went there as well when she was our age"

The glove-covered hand was put in front of Misaki's lips, as tears began to fall down on it.

"Wow, seriously, can I help you with something? Because it's kind of unsettling that you started crying after seeing me. If something is wrong, I can-"

"You have his hair... and my eyes..." Mental Out choked out.

"Your eyes? Really? Well, colour matches, but you have stars... in... your..." Kiseki slowed down, before her jaw dropped.

There was a sound of doorbell and lot of voices from the outside.

Kiseki backed away, finally noticing Mikoto and not one, but two Niang-Niangs.

"Mom!" she shouted" MOM! Come here, quickly!"

"It's time to go." said present Niang-Niang.

"Good luck!"

And just like that, the kitchen vanished.

Tears in Shokuhou's eyes did not stop, causing Mikoto to walk to her.

"Hey? I know that was a lot, but are you okay?"

"I am... but... Misaka-san, for the longest time... I didn't exist... in his world. I couldn't dream of him remembering even our conversations, not to mention meeting up, dating... and everything that could follow it. So to see a possibility of it existing, the fact that we can have a child... I've never been so happy in my life and she is not even actually born"

Mikoto never saw Shokuhou make such a face, well, not when Touma was away. No trickery, no manipulation, no teasing. It was just a pure smile of happiness and passionate love.

A loud noise disturbed their thoughts and then they realized that the scenery completely changed.

They recognized it was Academy City. But barely.

The sky was grey. The windows in the buildings shattered. The rubble on the streets and sparking remnants of neons. It looked like a post-apocalyptic battlefield.

And it was not only the city itself.

There was something wrong with the weather.

Parts of the cities were burning. Parts were flooded. Parts were frozen. Above them, a storm of lighting split the sky and slowly descending tornado looked like a tendril made out of smoke and shadow.

"What happened here?" Misaki asked wearily, her happiness fading away.

"You did. All of those who loved him"

"What?"

"Or more precisely, our enemy happened. And this is what he enticed in you"

The locations began to shift, one after the other

A scream tore through the air. A skyscraper was launched like giant spear before being blasted by equally enormous lightning.

On the surface, dozens of people marched on, all with all-too familiar stars in their eyes, clashing with the falling objects, propelled by compressed wind of great force.

"Shokuhou..."

"This... this can't be me... or Kongou-san, for that matter... that can't be..."

A familiar green beam tore the sky in the distance, followed by what sounded like a howling, if it could come out of human throat. Mikoto noticed a black-haired girl with a wide forehead leading the army of teenagers against a crowd of similar size, in turn led by a girl with a phone in her hand.

"No... no... what are they doing?"

A blond with eyes glowing with light fought to the death with a girl wielding a sword of light, which sliced through nearby cars and pavement. Elsewhere, two teleporters were trying to finish each other off while screaming, with multiple objects being embedded in and through their bodies.

"Kuro...ko?"

The girl with a purple-tinged bobcut, that Mikoto knew from soccer ball accident, was brandishing her spear against none other than Saten Ruiko, who was clenching the remnants of her baseball bat and barely standing straight, no doubt from the spear girl's attacks.

Mikoto's heart shattered.

From what he heard of the girl named Itsuwa, she was a gentle and kind soul. And a friendly , amicable Saten Ruiko that she knew would never try to hurt someone like this.

Yet here they were.

The ground rumbled and cracked. Itsuwa lost her balance and her opponent pounced with animalistic ferocity, swinging the broken bat at the other girl's head.

Misaki turned away, barely able to fight nausea.

"What... what is this... where did you take us?"

"To another future. The one in which we lose"

Niang-Niang's calm answer was contrasted with the roar of thunder and fire, trembling of the earth and water, and various cries throughout the city. It looked almost as if the world was fighting against itself.

"What... is this madness? Why is everyone fighting?"

"Madness? Yes, that's a good word." Niang-Niang carried on" You see, over time, many people started to be attracted to human known as Kamijou Touma and began to experience love. Dozens, hundreds, and thousands of them. Even if Kamijou Touma dies, those bonds should carry on. Except... if the one known as Kamijou No Touma disposes of Kamijou Touma, he will shape the future for his own benefit. For his own amusement. Additionally, he has enough power to tip all of you over the brink. Guilt, shame, sadness, grief, blaming each other or yourselves. If Kamijou Touma perishes on your eyes, you would feel all of those emotions. Those feelings are just what he needs to throw Kamijou Touma's Faction into complete chaos. With a push from his side, we will have a war. An all out war born out of grief and unleashed sorrow, the War Of Mourning. The saint will turn to sinner, the friend into enemy, kindness into cruelty, sister into a betrayer. It is not limited to the female gender, of course. In this world, in this possibility of the future, there is chaos, in which those who loved Kamijou Touma are puppets on the strings of negative emotions boosted to maximum, with God's Purifier as the puppetmaster. Because nothing will give him greater pleasure than to watch the ones devoted to his enemy kill each other, abandoning the principles told them by their love in imposed madness. Except one, that he came to love for himself"

Above them, another building was lifted into the air and soared through the city like a small asteroid, and exploded into bright light.

Mikoto felt Shokuhou grabbing her uniform tightly with her hand. Normally, she would push her away, but she understood the other girl's reaction. They both felt that they need to hold on to one another, otherwise they feared that this whirlpool of blood and insanity will suck them in.

"So... this is... the worst possible future..." Shokuhou whispered.

"Worst? No, heaven's no. Where did you get that idea?"

When shaken Shokuhou looked at Niang-Niang, the goddess made a wide gesture to the warzone and chaos around them.

"In case we do no not stop him, if we don't make our own future a reality, this... is the best possible future for us"

They returned back to reality. Not even a blade of grass moved since then.

Mikoto swallowed, her body coated in cold sweat.

Legs gave out under Shokuhou, who fell on her knees, not minding the dirt or the pain from hitting the ground.

"But... there is a bright side. Now you know what you want to fight for and what happens if we fail. So all you need to do is to be decisive" Niang-Niang said in a lighter tone

She pointed at Shokuhou.

"If you managed to grab a part of your happiness, do not settle for that. Even if it seemed unbelievable to achieve that much, go on. He needs you, and this is your chance to prove that all that strife wasn't for nothing"

Then she looked at Mikoto.

"You have everything you need, and there is literally no reason not to go forward. Do you wish to leave it to others when he needs help? You love him, so why can't you act on it? You have one life, or at least one life you can remember as yourself. Stop trying to find excuses and give him support you wanted to give to him. And you will be rewarded by happiness greater than ever"

She smashed her fists together with determined glow in her jade green eyes.

"It's time of the decisions. Crossroads on which the fate of our future will be fought for."

(AFTER TOUMA'S AWAKENING ON ORSOLA'S LAP, AND SUBSEQUENT NAP)

When Touma awoke, it was already afternoon. Thanking Orsola for caring for him, and trying not to be as red as a tomato while doing it, he walked into the chapel, restored by abilities of Nephthys.

Index slowly came to him and hugged him without saying a word. At first, that is.

"We will make it through" he heard her say in the unusually serious tone" We will make sure that you will be alright, Touma. If you come to me next time, I promise I will keep you safe"

"That's what I should be saying, Index. I promise that I will never put you through something similar again"

Rikuri, in the showcase of speed that was unprecedented for her, embraced him tightly in a hug. And almost immediately burst into tears.

"Never do this... to me... again..." the mature girl shook slightly, wet droplets falling down her cheeks" I thought we lost you..."

Touma smiled and brushed his fingers through Rikuri's long hair, trying to calm her down. When she looked at him, he gently brushed the tears from her cheeks.

"I am sorry... please, don't cry..."

"You better be sorry. I think that by this point I will not let you go"

But Rikuri had to eventually let him go and Amazora came to him instead.

The first thing he did was to firmly step on his foot.

"Stupid onii-chan! Why onee-chans and onii-chan didn't wake me up! Why, why, why? I want to fight for onii-chan, I want to be useful to onii-chan. Onii-chan is stupid for fighting without Amazora. If onii-chan dies, I will... I will... kill him too! I really will! I was... so scared when onee-chans told me..."

Even if Amazora tried her best to be as angry as possible, trademark eyes of the Gokusai sisters, that he saw in the little girl, looked like glossy marbles, that's how much they were filled with tears.

Touma crouched down, affectionately kissed her on the forehead, and allowed her to sniffle and cry on his arm for a few minutes, before speaking lightly

"You know, you are right. For multitude of reasons, your onii-chan is a real idiot. That's why, to make it even, you can hit me. In a real sibling reconciliation."

"Really?"

"Really. Come at-aaaagh?!"

Kamijou Touma's body left the ground before returning on it few seconds later after the small girl delivered an exceptionally powerful uppercut and huffed in approval.

"Now we are cool again"

"Yeah. You didn't have to use your ability though..." Touma groaned, massaging his jaw and checking if he still had all of his teeth in place.

Then he was in front of Kaibi, who was simply looking at him, before quickly, like Rikuri before, embracing him, digging her flawlessly done fingernails into his shirt.

"They are right" she said loud enough for only him to hear. Her voice trembled and it was clear that as though as she was, she too was on the verge of crying" What kind of guy pulls out something like this after a girl proposes to him what I proposed to you? You really are so tactless."

He felt her rest her face on his shirt, as she spoke in more saddened tone.

"That being said... I am sorry. I allowed this to happen. I was overconfident and allowed you to give into him because I thought I could stop him with such a simple bluff... I couldn't do anything..."

That caused the tears to finally fall, as Measure Heart embraced Touma even tighter, as if trying to make sure that he was not about to disappear.

"I would never forgive myself, till the end of my life, if you died because of my mistake. And that's why I promise you I will never underestimate this guy again. I will never fail you again"

"Kaibi... you never failed me. You are an amazing person, that I keep learning more and more about. And I never cease to wonder what great thing I will see the next day"

"But... I messed up. Right then and there"

"That was bound to happen. I was trying to forcibly suppress him and it led to that result. That's on me"

"You are really damn stubborn, you know that?"

"Funny, I know something like that too. Here is a hint: she hugs me right now"

They both chuckled and separated from each other's embrace.

"We will win this and then, one day... we will resume our conversation from that night" Kaibi said, with a tinge of lustfulness.

Touma coughed awkwardly and focused on Ladylee and...

"Shutaura?" he asked unsurely.

"Right on the money" the commando girl winced, looking at the bandaged leg" Something tells me I have a lot of catching up to do since she was the one fighting"

"It's good that you are alive. And you, Ladylee?"

"I was so worried about you to I just fell to pieces!"

No one laughed. The small immortal sighed and waved her hand.

"As always: been there, done that. Cutting me into small cubes is not enough to make me die. Although... let's not do this again, that fricking hurt, it's been a while since I passed out from pain"

Then came the turn for Mugino Shizuri. Even though Nephthys healed her, the pale traces of scars on majority of her visible skin were still there.

Meltdowner noticed Touma's gaze and waved her hand.

"If you are worried about that, don't be. It's nothing Academy City's cosmetics can't fix, not to mention our doctor. I've been through worse, I once had over two thirds of my skin surface burned and carbonized"

"If you say so... Shizuri, I heard about what you did for Orsola... I have no words, I... thank you, thank you so much"

Mugino sighed, looking at the blond nun

"It wasn't anything out of noble virtue of a hero, like with you. I had a nice talk with a girl and it would leave a shitty taste in my mouth, leaving her to die. Besides, Frenda and I used to have such talks... in much simpler times. I just had a feeling that I... didn't want... I couldn't... "

Mugino blinked rapidly, shook her head, and then screamed.

"Anyway, I HATE THAT GUY! Manipulative, selfish asshole! Also, I would like you to know that I proved my loyalty, so you best up your game splendidly!"

"U-Up my game?"

"I have couple ideas how..."

The next hour was spent on the talks with Orsola, Nephthys (who then departed to somewhere else, promising to keep popping by), Lucia, and others.

As the group was going to eat something, Touma looked through the window, to the ocean.

Of course, there was one person evidently missing.

Sukemi Rin was still to be found. He had no idea what self was currently in control or where she currently was. But he knew he will hear from her again. He considered contacting Uiharu Kazari and talking to her about the situation involving her cousin. That option was worthy of considering.

Still...

"Apparently, I kissed her" he mused to himself" What is that bastard thinking? My type is a gentle, caring older-sister. This Kamijou would never make his type 'a woman who can kill you in a blink of an eye'! Why do I keep dragging such dangerous women to myself? If I know my luck, someone like that will probably set her sights on me right about now!"

(MEANWHILE, THOUSANDS OF KILOMETERS AWAY)

Amongst the beautifully ornamented houses and domes of Moscow, there was a hidden palace underneath the Cathedral of the Vasily the Blessed and outer walls of Kremlin.

Within the rooms of this enclosed space, there was large variety of offices, chapels, storages of magical artifact, and even cages for study or confinement of magical creature. In one of the most festive rooms, that seemed like a small ballroom with marble columns, golden ornaments, and various holy icons of saints on the walls and ceilings. The window's behind the large wooden desk magically displayed the same view as the one that would be visible from the surface, including the amount of daylight pouring inside.

That was the office of the Patriarch of Krans R. Tsarskiy, the Patriarch of Christian Orthodox Chruch, and Head of the Russian Orthodox Church Secret Branch, Annihilatus. Even though he held one of the most powerful positions as leader of one three great christian denominations and was quite capable in leading others, he had a stature of a small boy, needing a special chair to work on the documents on his desk.

And right now...

"Eishooo!"

A rather overdramatic, feminine sneeze resounded through spacious room.

Not looking up from his work, Krans spoke to the person in front of his desk

"Будьте здорова. Are you alright? That was quite the sneeze"

The source of the sneeze was a mature woman with big chest, blue eyes and blond hair, dressed in red nun robes with white lining, alongside crimson headpiece, black belt with a white rose on it, and surprisingly modern shoes.

"Спасибо, буду " the woman answered, rubbing her nose and smiling deviously" I bet someone just said something about me. Or I am just too sensitive because of the smell of the church incense... nope, I think I will stay with the former, tee hee~."

"Well, if you are finished with wondering about that, I would like to hear the report on werewolf hunt near the-"

"Your honest opinion, would this make our dear Sasha too thin?"

The woman didn't seem to pay any attention to the patriarch, her superior, and instead pulled out a very skimpy outfit, that looked like it should belong to some kind of RPG character.

"I got it on special sale for otaku enthusiasts. It is supposed to go with yet another outfit-"

"About that" Krans was fighting with his entire being and reciting all the prayers to not just lash out on the woman in crimson" Can you, for the love of al things holy, not spam your deliveries onto this address? This the official post channel of Annihilatus, mail them to the dormitory or-"

"So it arrived?"

The woman, quick as lightning, snatched the box out of Krans's hands. The boy groaned, as she tore it open.

"About the report-"

"Noooooooooooo!"

A dramatic scream shook the entire underground palace.

The boy facepalmed.

"Now what?"

"The headpiece! It's pattern is not the same as in the advertisement" the trembling blond woman almost stuffed the costume onto his face" This can't be!"

"Is that... really that much of a big deal?"

"Big deal? Big deal?! Of course it is a big deal! Thanks to that mishap, I won't be able to achieve perfection in dressing my perfect little Sasha. But no, I will not let this stand. I am departing! Саша, дорогая, we are leaving to avenge this fallen masterpiece!"

"DEPARTING?! WHERE?! GET BACK HERE, this raport is cruci-"

But the woman already stormed off of his office. Krans allowed his head to hit the desk.

"Honestly, it's always like this... doing what she wants and being only barely contained..."

He sighed. He questioned many times why Annihilatus, and himself, kept such a bothersome woman around.

But he knew the answer. It was because all in all, she proved useful when the push came to shove. Not to mention, it was much better to keep her close than far.

She was legendary Vasilisa the Beautiful. And he didn't want to guess just in what will she become involved this time.

(MEANWHILE)

"So... I take it that we both did what we needed to do" Nephthys said to Niang-Niang" I certainly did. And you?"

"Academy City's version of Christmas Carol is really cool" Niang-Niang admitted" The best and worse possible outcomes... and I also fixed that mishap with Bologna and Shokuhou Misaki"

"How... did you go about it?"

"First of all, I reverted Bologna to be a normal human, who is just a pretender. But listen to this... they are still related. Shokuhou Misaki is still a daughter of the human pretender for the title of Bologna Succubus. They just don't know. Hospital swap occurred and she has no idea."

"Niang-Niang... in what way is that simpler?"

"We got back to ambiguity. And what fun is there without a little bit of impossibility?"

(TO BE CONTINUED)

There. You. Have. It. That was a lot and of so many scenes. Let's talk about some of them.

Touma and Lucia. For me, it was a great moment. I realized that actually, topic of parents is something that Lucia and Touma can really bond on, because both have no 'knowledge' of them, for different reasons. Lucia is so cool to work with, terribly underused queen among the nuns when it comes to usage in fanfics. Do you like the theory of Lidvia being her possible mother? Also, is this a ship with Touma I'm seeing or is it just an illusion?

Touma and Kaibi. That was an interesting experiment of a sensual scene that involved a real life relaxation technique. Kaibi came such a long way from Prologue and Chapter 1, I feel this excitement when I realize how open she is and how much wider array of scenes can be written with her. Her ship with Touma, if conducted correctly, is just amazing. So psychologically nuanced but also so physically intimate.

KNT and Mugino. Dear Lord, ever since I read about KNT and then started to write, I thought: 'scene with him and Mugino would be divine'. They are both dominant, intelligent, and there is just some spiciness in the chemistry, very primal, even if Mugino ultimately rejects him, following her own heart and Orsola's guidance. But there are many things to unravel here, in Mugino's temptation, like her shift towards normalcy and how much she misses Frenda. Also, I am quite intrigued by the idea of pursuit of strength stemming from level 5s being broken in some way, that I also presented in this chapter.

Also... KNT and Rin... that's interesting for whole another reason...

Also, I personally love Beethoven's choral pieces, the love of which I transferred to Hasako. My favourites are Choral Fantasia, Symphonia IX, and Mass in C Major, which is sung as the background for Mugino's temptation, confrontation with Kamijou No Touma and later destruction caused by power-boosted Rin.

Nephthys arrives. There will come a day in which I won't completely marvel over that design and character when describing her interactions with Touma. But not today. Not today. In fact, let's keep marveling on her, she is just so great.

But I also gave Niang-Niang much desired screentime, when it came the moment of wake-up call for MisaMisa. In that scene, few requests, that I also personally wanted, were fufilled. Firstly, MisaMisa being brought in into both magic and Future Phase. Honestly, the scene with Misaki and her daughter, Kiseki, were one of the most touching.

Secondly, at last, Transcendents had a proper scene, and I just can't wait to write more! Like I said before, they are amazing characters and that particular scene was too funny (poor Mut, you are the best stalking ray of sunshine). Bologna (who no longer has knowledge of being Misaki's mother) is now a mom of a daughter named Meridiana, after legendary succubus of the same name, which is shortened to Diana.

Thirdly, we finally have a Niang-Niang child. So many people wanted her to be a mother and I thought that it will be pretty crazy and fun too, so we have a son. Shen-Lung, ironically named Dragon God, is still very young and only time will tell if he will be more like his mom or dad through character.

Also, the catastrophic vision of the future, so called War of Mourning after Touma's death, the Dark Future Phase. It is really not that far from reality, as Touma's harem could possibly cause a massive war if they decided to actually battle each other for the place by Touma's side. Here it's taken to extreme of course, but it's the same underlying principle.

And there we have Vasilisa and Sasha. Both underused, both interesting if one allows himself to expand on their lore and background... whatever it can possibly mean for the future? Where will the complaint about the miscoloured headpiece lead Vasilisa?

I just realized that Touma set complete record for kisses in this chapter

As I said, I hope to write the next chapter as soon as I can, but don't be surprised if it takes 3 weeks to month, just like right now.

See you later, please take care of yourselves.