Chapter 2 - Where the Villains Sleep
The Scavenger group had been walking through the devastated streets of Academy City for over an hour, yet they couldn't help but feel a bit concerned about their "new member." He appeared overly serious and preoccupied, frequently pausing to reflect on his surroundings and letting out weary sighs.
"Can someone at least ask him to be careful?" whispered Yakumaru to the team.
"Go ahead," Seike replied without averting his gaze. "I'm not going to stand in this guy's way."
Their base was located in District 7, very near to where the windowless building once stood. It was a strategic location, given their easy access to the neutral zones due to the district's proximity to the city center.
Venturing too far north was tantamount to suicide, considering the significant concentrations of Prismatic Beasts in that direction. District 1 harbored the largest known nest of PBs, but they would remain safe as long as they were under the protection of the faction that controlled the northern region.
To the south, although with a lower concentration of PB, the area transformed into a battleground for factions at least once a week. Surviving in this world required more than just strength, one had to be cunning, maintain a low profile, and seize every available opportunity.
"Still a long way to go?" asked the boy with the spiky hair, squinting at the group.
"No, it's in that building," replied Leader, pointing to the place mentioned with the back of her hand.
Although it wasn't a razed building like so many others, this one was still in terrible condition. It had 50 floors, constructed from reinforced concrete, much like everything else in the city. However, one could readily observe that in certain spots, makeshift repairs had been carried out, probably using materials ill-suited for such construction.
The group was led by Seike and Leader, with Yakumaru in the middle trying to keep an eye on that scary guy, while Naru walked casually beside him. That girl had no sense of danger sometimes.
"The base is on the last five floors," said Leader, pushing open a rusty metal gate.
"Strange," Kamijou commented. "Wouldn't it be better to stay underground?"
"This question has been asked several times, and at several different faction bases. Usually, the person who says it is the first to be buried alive."
"Hmm... it makes sense but... it still seems impractical to me." He looked at the top floors of the building and then at the precarious gate and makeshift metal fences around it. "Is that your defense? I was expecting armed people, barbed wire or something."
"Things like that attract a lot of attention," said Leader, taking an old-fashioned key from her pocket.
"Besides being completely useless against a PB," Seike chimed in, his tone now more relaxed as they had reached their base. "It would be useful against humans, but for that we have the internal traps. Putting obvious defenses out here is like saying 'Hey, we have something valuable here, please steal it from us'."
Sometimes, basic survival rules don't work in every scenario. By now, the boy must have realized that this world was even more hostile and unpredictable than he had imagined.
"Stay close to us at all times," said Leader, opening the door to the lobby. "Step in the wrong place and you'll be blown up by a chemical mine, courtesy of our friend Yakumaru over there."
"Just to be clear," Yakumaru said in a protesting tone, "if you get hit by something it's not my fault, okay? I just did my job."
"Why are you sounding so scared?" asked the spiky-haired boy. "Isn't it this Kamijou-san who should be afraid of dying here?"
"Would something like that even hurt you?" Yakumaru asked with a certain care in her voice.
"Why not?" The boy shrugged. "I'm not wearing any armor under this shabby sweatshirt, and I don't have any esper powers to defend me from a chemical mine, or whatever you said. I'm just a level 0."
Everyone's mind went blank for about five seconds. They even stopped walking to look at each other in confusion.
"Very funny," said Seike, rolling his eyes and putting his hands behind his head. "You're lucky you're so powerful, if someone else made fun of us like that I'd have broken their neck by now."
"I think that's the usual reaction," said the spiky-haired boy, scratching his head nonchalantly. He looked at his right hand. "It's true that I have a power. It's called Imagine Breaker, but the machines in Academy City can't measure it, so I've been a level 0 for as long as I can remember. Not only that, but I don't emit an AIM diffusion field, which means I'm the weakest esper in the whole city."
"That doesn't make any sense," Yakumaru said, her hand resting thoughtfully on her chin. "Are you the result of some weird scientific experiment or something? That's why they locked you in a cryogenic chamber."
"That's quite a fertile mind you've got there. But no, I've had this power since birth."
"Intriguing," commented Leader. By now they had resumed their walking pace and began to climb the flights of stairs. "But leaving that aside for now, we need to talk about our leader."
"Are you going to tell me that they are a difficult person to deal with?"
"More or less." The young girl slowed down and positioned herself alongside him on the stairs. "She's somewhat stern and demanding."
"A girl, huh? What's she like?"
"Don't go thinking about hitting on her," cut in Seike, looking back with a serious face. "Not that it would work, but if you make her angry she'll throw a building at your head."
"I never even considered it," the boy replied, waving his hand in a nonchalant gesture. "I mean, I have nothing against being lectured by an older girl, especially one who would fit the 'Dorm manager Onee-san' archetype." He shook his head positively a few times, as if he were proud of something.
The group remained silent in response to his eccentricity. They wondered how that boy would react if someone were to mock his preferences.
x-2-x
A girl with dyed blonde hair sporting a bob cut stood before a whiteboard covered in scribbled papers. Her outfit resembled more of a wetsuit with a blouse featuring a prominent zipper. Complementing her attire, she wore a gray miniskirt that tastefully showcased her slender legs. To top it off, she donned a pink eye patch on the right side of her face. Some fashion deity must have been anxiously chewing their nails at the sight.
"So, Tina-san, what are the plans for tonight?" she asked, sitting down at a table in the luxurious office and crossing her legs. "No 'business as usual' answers, this faction will never improve if we don't take risks."
The woman with the wavy orange hair smiled slightly at the provocation. She adjusted her glasses as she carefully examined the clipboard in her hands, her eyes glued to the information in front of her. But suddenly the clipboard was snatched from her hands by an invisible force.
"Could you not do that every time I don't answer you straight away?" asked the woman in a tone that was a little too friendly for someone who was clearly upset.
"Don't start again, Tina-san." The blonde girl twirled the stolen clipboard on one finger and then threw it across the room, landing perfectly on one of the tables without knocking anything over. "I know you're trying to avoid talking about it."
"Mai-san, I respect you as a leader, you know that," she stopped talking for a moment and reached out to take a jar full of sweets, "but you're a complete idiot sometimes."
"That was kind of rude." Mai walked over to the woman's desk and sat down, preventing her from working. "What did you expect me to do? Just let it slide and, as a bonus, hand over our food and water to those idiots?"
"We're trying to prevent a pointless war here. It's strange that I have to be the voice of reason."
"We're both criminals, there's no voice of reason here." This time Mai sounded extremely serious. "Do you have any idea how many people I've killed? And you were a worse monster than me... I guess it runs in the family, so I don't blame you." She smiled, knowing that Tina didn't like her words at all. Getting up from the table, she handed the clipboard back, pulling it across the room with her powers and dropping it into the woman's hands. "Those idiots from New ITEM think they run District 7. I really don't want to get into trouble with the Big 4, but we both know that 'little' faction isn't that much more powerful than ours."
"You'll end up killing us all." Tina didn't even look at her, concentrating on her clipboard. "I know you have to set an example as our 'fearless leader', but your recklessness is annoying sometimes."
"It looks like Tina-san is in sadist mode today."
"Could you take this conversation more seriously?" This time the orange-haired woman gave her a firm look and adjusted her glasses. "We'll do the usual tonight. We'll find a place with equipment that gives us an advantage and we'll use our elite squad to get it for us. In the near future, we'll have a better standard of living than any faction, then... just then... we'll attack with everything and you can crush them like the insects they are."
Mai smiled upon hearing this. She reached for a packet of sweets on the woman's table and indulged in a pink one. She then settled down at the table, swinging her legs like a child.
"We're on the same page then," said Mai, licking her lips. "A good illusionist must know how to use the waves of distraction available to her."
"You're going back to your old self."
"I don't have anyone else to inspire me, so what does it matter?" Mai made a gun gesture with her fingers and then pointed at her own head.
After the 'gun' was fired, she smiled slightly and then lay down on the table in a dramatic way, as if simulating death.
A few seconds later someone knocked on the office door.
"Mai-sama, they're back," said a girl with glasses and black hair as she entered the room.
"Good," Mai replied, glancing lazily in the girl's direction. "Thanks for warning me, Konori-san. Give them a good reward."
"One hot meal should be enough?"
"Naru said something about wanting a bathtub."
"We have a reasonably well-kept one on the twelfth floor."
"Tell someone to take it to their room. Now leave me alone, I need to sleep."
"Of course, leader, but I still have something to report."
The way Konori said it made Mai get up from the table and look at her with a serious expression. She bit her lip lightly in anticipation.
"Is that faction causing trouble again?" asked Mai exasperatedly. "I swear to god I'm going to throw a skyscraper at their base."
"No, no." Konori waved her hands nervously. "That's not it. The Scavenger group seems to have gotten a new member, they've asked you-"
"No," Mai said dryly, her face expressionless. "We don't have room for anyone else here. Tell Leader to send this new member away."
"Are you sure? They said he could be a good addition to our fighting force."
"Not interested."
It's not as if they didn't need more fighters. If their faction aimed to thrive, they had to venture into the neutral zones and explore as extensively as possible. But the fact is that an extra mouth to feed was always a problem. There was never any guarantee that the new recruit wouldn't injure themselves and become unable to contribute for a month, all while consuming free food. Sending them away before they became a liability was the preferred course of action, as the faction's morale would suffer if their leader seemed heartless for expelling someone who was sick or injured.
"At such times you have to act like a leader, Mai-san," Tina suggested, still engrossed in analyzing the clipboard. "Whether you like it or not, that bunch of misfits are our best fighters after you."
"That doesn't mean I have to yield to their every demand."
"That's not what I'm trying to convey. To clarify, go over there and deliver the unfortunate news to them in a manner befitting our leader's perfection."
Shrugging, Mai got up from the table and sighed tiredly. Dawn had already arrived, and since the survivors of this world were now nocturnal beings, she really needed to get some sleep to replenish her energy.
"Whatever," she said, walking over to Konori. "I'll go and send the idiot away."
x-3-x
It wasn't quite what Kamijou had anticipated from the location. Even though, considering all the desolation he'd witnessed on the city streets it should have been obvious, but even so...
The place was a mess, littered with broken equipment they seemed to be futilely attempting to mend. People lay in sleeping bags strewn about haphazardly, forming a cluttered landscape, and that smell... he couldn't even tell what it was, but it was something horrible enough to make him cover his mouth and nose by reflex.
"Is there not enough room for everyone?" Kamijou asked, being careful not to step on anyone lying there.
"We have enough rooms for everyone here," Leader replied, sipping water from a disposable cup. "But not on the usable floors, of course. It's just a question of optimization. Resources and equipment are more valuable than people, so it's kind of obvious how things would be."
The longer he stayed in this world, the heavier his heart became. Resources are more valuable than people, was what the little girl said, and in such a casual way that it made Kamijou Touma clench his fist tightly. Was there anything he could do to help these people?
But another thought popped into his head at that moment: what about his friends? Index was the person he was most worried about right now. Was she living in a similar situation? If so, he had to put an end to it as soon as possible.
"Be respectful to our leader," said Yakumaru, handing him a canteen of water. "She's the type who does everything perfectly, but she also gets carried away easily. Irritate her, and she'll probably try to kill you with her absurd powers."
"And the people here might get caught in the crossfire between you two," Seike added, his tone filled with concern.
Looking around, he realized that someone was missing. The energetic girl with the purple hair had suddenly become very quiet. Kamijou had seen her say silly things a few times, chatting with her friend 'Ya-kun,' but over time, she just stared at the horizon while occasionally trying to hide her face using the umbrella she was carrying.
"Where did Naru go?" Kamijou asked, looking around but seeing no sign of the girl. "She was here a minute ago."
"She must have gone up to the terrace," replied Yakumaru. "Naru likes to watch the sunrise after every successful mission. She believes it brings good luck."
Kamijou had already learned that dawn was a dangerous time in this new world he was living in. While there were creatures out at night, the vast majority emerged during the day. From the brief explanation he had been given, even the supposedly 'weaker' PBs were abundant during daylight hours, and facing one, alone or in a group, was perilous. This led the survivors to prefer the risk of encountering abominations in the cold of night, which was a relatively rare event.
Curious, the boy moved away from the group and approached one of the windows, taking care not to step on anyone along the way. Everything was covered in black tarpaulins to shield against the sun, or perhaps to prevent prying eyes from spying on them. He cautiously raised his hand to remove the tarpaulin.
"Welcome back, Scavenger!"
But that female voice interrupted him just in time.
The blonde girl there looked rather childish, but Kamijou suspected that she might be older than she seemed, judging not only by their similar height but also the maturity in her voice and demeanor. He realized he should avoid making snap judgments about people, after all, appearances could often be deceiving, and there could be middle school girls with significant 'developments' as well.
"Thank you, Mai-sama," said Leader, gathering the Scavenger group into a line in front of the girl. "Did you get our message? We want to introduce you to someone who-"
"Yes, I was warned." Her tone sounded a little dismissive as she gestured with her hand for the girl to stop talking. "We're not accepting anyone for the time being, you know the rules."
Leader's shoulders slumped a little when she heard that.
"I understand," she said, without the energy to protest. "But I must warn you, if you're going to expel him, do it peacefully... he's a powerful person."
"So am I."
"Yes, that's the problem," Yakumaru cut in. "That monster defeated an abomination in one blow. If you fight, our entire base will be blown up."
"Huh?" Mai tilted her head with a confused face. "Have you guys gone back to believing strange rumors again? Anyway, where is this guy? I'll 'kindly' ask him to leave. If he's so powerful, then he can manage on his own."
"Sure, he's right over there."
The blonde girl, the leader of that faction and the most powerful person within it, turned her gaze in Kamijou Touma's direction, locking eyes with his vivid blue ones. Her expression became indecipherable for a few seconds, as though she had just seen a ghost.
Taking advantage of the ensuing silence, Kamijou navigated a long but unobtrusive path among the people attempting to sleep there. It appeared as though he might be asked to leave by the assertive leader, but he was prepared to accept her refusal with dignity, maintaining direct eye contact.
"Hey-" He started to speak, but was immediately interrupted.
"Kamijou Touma," said the girl, her gaze astonished.
"Eh?" Now he was bewildered. "Do we know each other?"
The Scavenger group's expressions as they observed the scene were nothing short of perplexed, but no one dared to interject.
Upon further reflection, that girl did indeed look familiar. She appeared different, of course, with her dyed hair, but the color matched the accessory she had been wearing on the day when she had come dangerously close to killing him.
There was no doubt about it, that girl was...
"Maidono-san?" he asked awkwardly. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
She stayed quiet.
But she kept looking at him as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"I mean," continued Kamijou, wanting to dispel that almost palpable silence, "is that really your name? I heard them call you Mai, so..."
Kamijou fell silent when the girl took a step toward him. Her silence left her intentions unclear, prompting the group around them to retreat, keeping close to the stairs, just in case. After all, they had no way of knowing what kind of history these two shared.
The girl moved as close to him as she could, and then, to everyone's surprise, she tilted her head, resting her forehead against his chest, obscuring her expression. Kamijou was uncertain how to react, and everyone watched in confusion.
"I'm sorry," Maidono finally whispered, her head buried in the boy's chest as she ran a hand down his back. "I swear I tried, but it's a different world now. Don't judge me, please."
With those whispered words, he felt something wet trickle down his clothes.
x-4-x
Kamijou was quickly ushered into a room situated at the top of the building. To his astonishment, it seemed as if a slice of opulence had been transplanted into the midst of the desolation. The room was adorned with vibrant colors, and ornate office desks was scattered throughout, each one meticulously crafted, appearing out of place in this otherwise ruined environment. Surprisingly, the room even boasted air conditioning, providing a stark contrast to the world outside.
"Leave us alone," Mai ordered as soon as they entered the room.
"Could you hold on just a moment, I'm in the middle of something here," replied the woman with wavy orange hair and glasses sitting at the table near the window.
"Leave us alone, " she just repeated, without even changing her intonation.
Her response was a sigh of resignation. The woman adjusted her glasses and then lifted her head to gaze at her.
"Mai-san, you seem to be a bit-" Whatever she was going to say, it stuck in her throat the moment she looked at Kamijou. One of her eyebrows rose. "Imagine Breaker?"
It wasn't that unusual for him to be called that name, but usually the people who called him that had a full understanding of his abilities, and considering that the person there was unfamiliar to him, it made him worry.
"Do you know me?" asked Kamijou, his tone as restrained as possible.
"Not exactly," replied the elegant-looking woman. "But many members of my family had a certain interest in you." She got up from the table and walked straight past him. "Take your time, Mai-san. But remember, we have a strategy."
Maidono gave no answer. She waited until the mysterious woman closed the door behind her before looking in the boy's direction.
The scene from a few minutes ago resurfaced in Kamijou's mind. Maidono had hidden her face in his chest, trying to conceal her emotions. He remembered how she had wiped away her tears without raising her head, determined not to reveal any vulnerability to her subordinates. She had apologized, as if he were a person to whom she felt indebted. How many trials had that girl been through?
Kamijou was feeling strange. Of all the people he had hoped to meet in the middle of this broken world, she hadn't been at the top of his list.
"So," he said awkwardly, just wanting to break the silence. "Can I call you Mai-san too?"
"You don't have to use an honorific." The girl looked serious. "Sit down."
The table that had previously been occupied by the elegant woman now belonged to the girl. Kamijou decided to take a seat in one of the swivel chairs and moved closer to the girl's table.
Maidono ran a hand through her hair, appearing nervous as her fingers trembled slightly.
"I really wish you hadn't arrived at this very moment," she said, clasping her hands together in front of her face. "Our base isn't always this messy, but we've had some recent problems with one of the big four factions." The girl sighed and placed her hand on her forehead, displaying signs of fatigue, possibly from overwork. "Nevertheless, you're more than welcome here. It's the least I can do."
"You talk as if you owe me something."
"I do," she responded immediately. "After all this time... I believed you were already dead. But it seems you're a lot tougher than I remember."
"I don't think it was my 'toughness' that saved me. Someone put me in a cryogenic chamber, apparently before this whole mess started."
This caused her to narrow her eyes. There was no way for the boy to discern her thoughts, but he had a hunch that this information piqued her interest. Did she perhaps possess some knowledge about it? Maybe he was overthinking.
The girl moved her lips, but at that moment, she refrained from speaking, selecting her words with care.
"Do you think there's anyone else in the same situation as you?" she finally asked, sinking into the chair as if trying to relax at least a little.
"There was no other cryogenic chamber where I was. But who knows? There may be others out there." He shrugged and got pensive. "How long was I there? That paper girl said that everything was destroyed for almost a year. But I don't remember being put there, so it's hard to make an estimate."
"Cryogenic sleep can have some side effects, usually if people are rushed into it without any kind of preparation. Loss of recent memory is quite common. It's an induced sleep, so think of it as when you can't remember exactly the moment you fell asleep, a very common occurrence but amplified by the circumstances."
"I see."
Knowing that there could be more after-effects from being forced to sleep didn't worry him now, he had something more pressing to fret about.
"Sorry about that, Mai, but can I be straightforward for a moment?"
"Of course." She leaned across the table, meeting his gaze.
"The reason I agreed to come here is because I'm looking for someone. Her name is Index. She has silver hair and wears a white nun's habit with gold details. Short, green eyes, cute face, maybe walks around with a 15cm girl on her shoulder."
The girl's face contorted into a grimace when he commented on the last detail in such a serious tone.
"That was... quite specific," she said after a few seconds of contemplation. "But no. There's no one with that description in our faction. I don't remember coming across anyone like that on the streets either."
Kamijou had expected this, but was disappointed all the same. Negative thoughts began to form in his head. He had to dispel them somehow.
"I don't know much about this new world we live in," he said, his voice tired, his expression downcast, "but I do know that there are people here who need help... much more than before. So, although this is a selfish request, please help me too Maidono-san. I need to find her, my mind won't be at peace until I do."
"Don't bow your head at me like that," she asked in a calm tone, waving her hand so that he would straighten his posture. "I said you're welcome here, but if you want my help, you must be willing to help me too."
"I'll do anything. As long as it gets me closer to finding her."
A somewhat exasperated sigh escaped her lips. Kamijou couldn't understand why she had reacted like that, her face even looked a little disappointed.
"This really wasn't the kind of reunion I wanted to have with you," said Mai, returning to her earlier calm tone. "Anyway... how well are you at the moment?"
"Huh?"
"If you want to help, then I need to know if you're fit enough to go outside and fight monsters and espers if you need to. Be honest, I don't want to send you out to die in the cold at night."
Kamijou Touma clenched his fist and raised it to eye level. The boy nearly smiled.
"I think I'm more than ready to break some illusions."
And the girl smiled at that.
x-5-x
It was dark.
The boy seemed to float in an ethereal space, without gravity, without air. He looked around but could see nothing, only the dark immensity in front of him.
"You have to trust me, boy," said a distorted female voice in the darkness.
"I can't just stand by while-" That was his voice, but he was interrupted by another voice.
"You have no choice!" The girl shouted, her voice full of despair. "It's the only way. I'll find Index. I'll use every resource I have to make sure you save her, I promise. But now, get in there please, do this for me... please..."
A deafening noise seemed to light up the darkness around him. The noise grew louder, rattling his skull, until it became clearer but easier to distinguish.
"Kamijou," said a young female voice. "Hey, Kamiiijooou!"
The noise had diminished, and he finally comprehended its source. His body stirred, still fatigued, as his eyes opened, scanning the dimly illuminated room.
"I'll be right there!" replied Kamijou, sitting down on the bed he was on.
The room that Maidono had assigned to him wasn't very spacious, but at least it provided respite from the odors of the community room he had been in earlier. The lengthy conversation they had engaged in had taken its toll. Their leader had assigned him a mission that was considered relatively straightforward, yet he needed some rest before venturing outside. As a result, she had arranged a peaceful location for him.
The pale concrete walls had been renovated, certainly in a hurry as the workmanship wasn't the best. There was no paint on the walls, which gave the place an abandoned, empty look. This was the place where he would sleep and live from now on.
"Hi," said Kamijou answering the door, his voice sleepy. He almost yawned.
"Heey, Kamijou!" The girl at the door smiled and made a peace sign in front of her face. "Magical girl Naru-chan reporting for duty!"
Kamijou wondered if that girl was always so energetic. But to be honest, being woken up by a cute girl with a smile on her face wasn't bad at all, at least it reminded him that the world wasn't as bad as it seemed.
Who was he kidding?
"That's a nice room you've got there," Naru continued, twirling the umbrella in one hand. "Mai-sama is being generous. What's your story with her?"
"Not very long. We hardly know each other, to be honest."
"Really? Ya-kun and the others seemed puzzled when they filled me in on what went down while I was outside." She gazed directly into his eyes, as if sizing him up, but all she received in response was a yawn. "You still look tired. Didn't you sleep well?"
Her worried voice made him a little alert, his posture gradually straightening. He had slept almost all day, but it hadn't been the best sleep of his life. At least three times he had suddenly woken up with his chest heaving, cold sweat covering his face.
And then there was that...
"I had a strange dream," he said after a yawn. "It kept repeating itself, and I always woke up at the end of it. It must be some side effect of the cryogenic sleep."
"Hmm... a nightmare?" She put a finger on her chin and tilted her head to the side in a cute way. "I have a few myself sometimes, but Ya-kun prepared some strange concoctions to help me sleep. What did you see there?"
"That's the strange thing, I couldn't see anything... just a void... there was a girl's voice, but it was too distorted for me to know who it was."
"Weird." She shrugged and opened the umbrella, positioning it behind her. "I don't think it's such a bad dream. I had one once where I was devoured by a queen."
"Huh? "
"I came out of her belly exploding everything with my drill... like 'Boooom' and-"
"Yeah, I get it," he held out his hand to stop her umbrella from moving like a sword. "Don't keep swinging that thing around like that, you'll end up poking someone in the eye."
Kamijou touched the umbrella with his right hand, causing it to crumble into several pieces of paper of various sizes.
The girl put a cute pout on her face.
"Mean," she said, retracting the umbrella. "How do you do that? It's unlike anything I've ever seen before. It's as if I've lost control of my papers, so strange."
"My Imagine Breaker allows me to negate any esper power, no matter how strong it is."
"Huuh?! No matter how strong?" The girl's face lit up, she looked excited. "Doesn't that kind of make you invincible?"
"It's not even close." He shook his head disinterestedly. "Anyway, can you give me a few minutes? I need to at least wash my face and change before I go outside."
"Okaaaay! Our group will be waiting for you in the lobby. Bye, bye!"
He watched as the energetic girl walked down the corridor humming a cheerful tune. It seemed to be a unique talent to maintain such a cheerful demeanor in the midst of all that was occurring.
"Can I do the same?" He looked at his right hand and shook his head. "As long as I find her... everything will be fine."
x-6-x
The Scavenger group was gathered in the lobby of the building that served as their faction's base, including the new member of that elite squad.
The night was coming once again, but they had a few more minutes before the sun set over the horizon. They took the opportunity to go over the mission plans once more.
To survive in this world, you needed as many resources as possible, and this came in many forms. Water and food were the simplest, but medicine and building materials were also very important. But there was another resource that was sometimes forgotten, but just as important as the others.
"The radio tower is here," said Leader, pointing her finger at the map she had spread out on the cold floor. "It was built by us with a lot of effort, sweat, and tears."
"Don't forget the blood," cut in Seike. "It was a lot too."
"It was worth it in the end," said Yakumaru, shrugging as she spread her legs in her sitting position on the floor. "But unfortunately, the tower is no longer functional."
"Yeah, Maidono told me that," said Kamijou. He too was sitting on the floor, his face somewhat haggard, perhaps still sleepy. "Someone stole some parts, right? Do you know who was behind it?"
"Probably the 'New ITEM' people," replied Leader. She circled an area with a marker. "That's their territory. Normally they patrol the east, but in recent weeks they've been a bit aggressive in their expansion. Those guys think they run District 7 now. It's a miracle the 'Garden Guardians' haven't gone to war with them yet."
"Garden Guardians?" asked Kamijou.
"It's an all-girls faction," replied Yakumaru, pointing to an area on the map. "Their base is the entire School Garden. At the moment they're the strongest faction, led by two level 5s and with an army of high-level espers."
"We're getting off-topic," complained Seike, getting up from the floor and stretching his back. "Our goal is to deliver these new parts to the people who take care of the Tower. The new staff in that case. If we do that, our encrypted radio communication will be functional in this district again."
"And this will help me find my friend, won't it?" asked Kamijou, also standing up with a determined look on his face.
"Yes," replied Leader, rolling up the map and putting it in her backpack. "If we restore communications, we won't need to go to every outpost of ours asking for your friend." She checked her watch. "Now let's go. We've got plenty of time until dawn, so once we're out there, take your time. We only have one life after all."
They left the base, marching out into the night full of lurking monsters once again.
x-7-x
The night in Academy City was cold. Much colder than he remembered.
It was strange to walk for so long without coming across anyone, not even a Judgment or Anti-Skill agent. Not that he believed these organizations still existed. Perhaps his mind refused to fully adjust to the situation he was in, so he continued to glance around as if hoping that someone would appear, as if to prove that there was still life there."
Nothing more than a coping mechanism.
"There's one over there," said a dull voice from Kamijou's left. It was Seike. "Going out as soon as the sun goes down is a bit risky."
The spiky-haired boy turned quickly in the direction Seike had pointed. Disappointment slid through his body.
"A PB?" asked Kamijou, following the others into a dark alley where they hid. He looked at the creature estimated at 2 to 3 meters. It had no legs, crawling around like a snake, but its face was insectoid. "An abomination, right? What type is it?"
"It's not an abomination," replied Seike, sticking his head out of the alley carefully. "It's just a normal PB, an E-class one, second weakest."
Kamijou still wasn't sure what it all meant. There were different types of Prismatic Beasts, but most wandered around during the day, avoiding the cold of the night. This was different behavior from the elements he knew, but he had already been explained that these things had a different structure from before.
"What are the orders, Leader?" asked Seike, still eyeing the creature warily, using the wall of the building as cover. "Naru and I can eliminate it cleanly if necessary."
"I like the idea!" said Naru, energetic as ever. That girl hardly cared about the danger.
"Calm down," Leader said, glancing at the watch on her wrist. "That's a latecomer, which means there's a chance that a bigger gang will be around."
Those words were directed more at Kamijou than the rest of the group, and they certainly knew it.
"It just got dark," said Kamijou, looking up at the starry sky. "Those things are going back to their hiding place, right?"
"Yes," replied Leader, watching the creature move away in the opposite direction. "There's only one PB nest in District 7. It's in the northeast, a bit far from where we are. As long as we avoid going there, going out after dark isn't so dangerous."
Nests. Kamijou vaguely remembered hearing them talk about something like this, and he also had that thing about the queen that Naru had told him earlier. He felt himself starting to get overwhelmed with important information.
"Let's go," said Leader, stepping out of the alley.
The creature hadn't noticed them. Kamijou was still a little nervous about leaving that alley so early, since he could still see the PB in the distance, but he decided to listen to the opinion of people who understood. Maybe those daytime creatures were dumber at night.
Walking in silence next to four strangers was not comfortable. Yesterday, on the walk to the base, he had been too stunned to try and strike up a conversation with anyone, but now he just felt out of place. He didn't belong in that group, and he felt that his amateurishness could get in the way of the professionals, but most of the time that was the case with him. Kamijou had come far without needing to be an expert. Would that be enough here?
"Don't walk so fast," Naru said, appearing on his right side.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Kamijou averted his gaze awkwardly. "I'm not being a bother, am I?"
"A bother?" She sounded quite puzzled. "No, it's just that it's always good to conserve energy. You never know when we might have to fight or flee. I always hope it's the former."
"Are you the type who loves battles or something? It seems like a common trait among strong girls in this town."
"Do you consider me strong? Hehe." She averted her gaze for some reason. "Well, I'm the vanguard of this team, so I-"
"You two, halt right there!" Leader's voice interrupted their conversation.
Kamijou had already learned that they always needed to walk close to buildings, so when they spotted a threat, they would quickly duck into an alley and use it for cover. However, none of them entered the nearby alley.
A new enemy was expected, so the boy raised his head expecting to see another monstrous creature on its way to its nest. However, he was taken aback. His face nearly lit up.
It wasn't a monster, it was a person out there, far away, wandering in the shadows.
He was too far away for the boy to recognize, and he was probably someone he didn't know anyway. Even so, a positive feeling washed over him. There was life out there, on that cold night, amidst that devastated city.
It might have seemed somewhat foolish to be moved by something like that. He had encountered more people earlier that day. Still, seeing someone like this, wandering about, had a much stronger impact than seeing those people crowded together in a cramped space with a terrible odor. His hopes were lifted by this sight, to the point that he almost smiled.
"Two interruptions at the beginning of the night," said Leader, letting out a sigh. "Our luck seems to have taken a turn for the worse."
She said interruptions. Maybe that was a member of that rival faction? It was an ordinary person there, a boy about his own age, with brown hair and eyes that shimmered with a shade of bluish-green. Come to think of it, that didn't seem natural.
"Shattered," said Leader, looking in the direction of the mysterious boy who stared back at her. "We've already been spotted, what a pain. Naru, standard procedure."
"Leave it to me!"
Something moved in the purple-haired girl's right arm. Her umbrella turned into a kind of giant spear that spun in the air several times.
It happened so swiftly that Kamijou, still wrapped in the pleasant sensation that had engulfed him, barely registered the event as it unfolded. That spear was thrown, so fast that a normal human could barely follow it with their eyes, and it aimed directly at the individual responsible for momentarily uplifting the boy's spirits.
A damp sound ensued, and Kamijou blinked rapidly in astonishment, struggling to believe what he had just witnessed.
"Nice shot!" said Leader, shaking her head.
"Nice shot, Naru!" Yakumaru gave her friend a high five with a smile on her face.
It had indeed been an impressive throw. So much so that the spear pierced the target's skull, smashing through his face and straight through his brain. The poor boy fell pathetically to the cold asphalt, with the spear stuck in his head, soiling his black clothes with a pool of his own blood.
Kamijou was so stunned that for a moment it didn't seem real. He tried to shout something, but his voice failed him, so instead he ran. At full speed, he went to the poor boy hit by that fatal blow.
The spear had gone clean through his head, but his face was unrecognizable. His brain had certainly been irreversibly damaged. There was nothing Kamijou could do. He doubted that even a professional could do anything for that boy who collapsed in his own blood.
"Hey, what's up?" Naru asked innocently, leaning a bit and placing her hands on her hips. "I was hoping for a compliment, so can I guess you're checking out how accurate I am?"
His mind froze for a moment. What the hell was that girl talking about? Compliment? Accuracy? She had attacked a person with lethal force without hesitation, no, she even liked what she did, and now she was waiting for someone to praise her? And the worst thing was that her group had done exactly that. They treated this murder as something worthy of applause, as if it were the most impressive and amusing thing they had seen in the last few days.
What kind of world was that?
Kamijou's lips moved, weakly and slowly. Heavy, just like his heart.
"Why?" was all he could ask, looking at that boy who had renewed his hopes, but was now dead on the ground, without even a chance to defend himself.
"Huuuh?" Naru looked confused. "What do you mean 'why'?"
She stayed completely clueless. It was like a student, who clearly deserved a bad grade, complaining to the teacher, firmly convinced that the teacher had made the mistake. She didn't even seem to care about anything else, her casualness was annoying him to no end.
Kamijou couldn't stand it any longer, something dark was running through his body, and he had to try to expel it, although he didn't know how. He got up from where he was kneeling. Some of the boy's blood had slightly stained his clothes, but he didn't care. What would he do? He didn't know, but luckily someone interrupted him.
"I think that's the normal reaction," said Leader. She looked right into Kamijou's eyes. The little girl looked scared at least, unlike Naru and her casualness. "Before you attack Naru without thinking, could you let us explain?"
"Leader, what are you talking about?" asked Naru, looking in Kamijou's direction. "What do you mean attacking me? We're a team, right?"
It hadn't crossed the boy's mind to fight that girl, but he had to do something, and it seemed Leader had realized that, so he didn't blame her for interpreting it that way. After all, what else was he going to do?
"Kamijou, you've got it wrong," said Leader, ignoring the confused Naru. "Yakumaru, could you show him?"
Kamijou couldn't help but notice that everyone present, except for the girl responsible for the incident, seemed quite concerned about how the boy might react. They had referred to him as a monster a few times, so... just how intimidating did he appear to them?
"Check this out," Yakumaru said, kneeling down beside the lifeless body. She extracted the spear from his face and casually discarded it, then flipped him onto his stomach. Placing her palm on the deceased boy's back, the sound of something shattering resonated. "I believe this one has already reached stage 3." She retrieved something from her belt, a bottle containing a clear liquid, and used it to dissolve the boy's shirt. "Do you want to get a closer look?"
Without uttering a word, Kamijou crouched down and examined the boy's back. There was something gleaming there, emerging not just from his back but seemingly starting from his neck and running down his spine. That structure felt strangely familiar, radiating a vivid light that bent and twisted as it interacted with the surrounding illumination. It even bore a resemblance to...
"Is that some kind of crystal?" asked Kamijou, gathering his strength to finally speak. "It's like... those things... this guy... is he a PB?"
"Not exactly," explained Yakumaru, tucking the bottle back into her belt and standing up. "We call them 'Shattered'. They are easily identified by the erratic way they move and by their eyes, which give off a peculiar glow. It's unusual to come across them at night, but the sun went down just an hour ago. These things are dangerous, letting them wander around could be a problem."
"But... he's a human," said Kamijou, his lips pressed into a perfectly straight line. It wasn't the first time he had seen someone die in front of him, but it affected him nonetheless.
"He wasn't anymore." Yakumaru shook her head and pointed at the crystals coming out of the dead boy's body. "'Shattered' are people who have been infected with a special PB, a kind of parasite that lodges in the spine and can send commands straight to the host's brain. This one was already at stage 3, which is the last stage. He was no longer human, just a puppet commanded by the thing lodged in his body. In other words... Naru didn't kill this boy." She looked in the direction of the girl who still seemed casual about everything, oblivious to anything around her. "This guy was dead a long time ago. She only did him a favor by getting him out of the misery of wandering around like this. Although the situation hasn't been completely resolved yet."
He understood that. Kamijou Touma really understood that. But it still felt wrong, that blood dripping from the boy's body still made him feel bad about that life being snuffed out so simply, so quickly, without any ceremony.
No more words were spoken by anyone there, as if they expected Kamijou to be the one to break the silence, to tell them that everything was fine and that they wouldn't suffer his wrath.
That fear also made him feel bad.
A weary sigh passed between his lips, his gaze shifting to Naru, who now had a neutral expression. Perhaps she had finally understood how he felt. He almost opened his mouth to apologize for the misunderstanding.
"Is this what the world is like now?" he asked instead, now looking at the dead boy right next to him. "Is there really nothing we can do to change it?"
They didn't seem to want to answer that, or maybe they just thought that staying silent was better than contradicting him in any way.
But he already had the answer. This was what the world was like now. And unfortunately, he had no idea what he could do to change it.
Kamijou clenched his fist until his fingers turned white. Even if it was stupid, even if the situation seemed to get worse every step of the way, he wouldn't give up. He would courageously stand up for what he believed in and move on. The world he lived in now was irrelevant when it came to that.
But what about the others? How were the people he knew dealing with this cold, shattered world? He had to hurry and do something...
... before it was too late.
A/N: One more chapter and we have more mysteries shaping up. I don't want this story to have too many exposition dumps, so I plan to give the details about the world and how it works now little by little. I hope I'm not going too fast, or too slow. Let me know.
Reading your reviews has really motivated me, so I'm going to answer them briefly now:
Emzt20x: Thank you. Yes, I like to make references to many things in my stories, and this is just one of them.
5had0wHand: Thanks for the compliment. Let me know what you think about future events.
Zatil Hidayah Spensa: That's a lot of misfortune, don't you think?
Nagaro2lv01: 'Metro' wasn't exactly on my mind when I was writing, but I like the series so maybe I'm subconsciously thinking about it as I take notes. Thank you very much.
GG Vegito: Good to know that the first chapter caught your interest. The mystery will be revealed little by little, there's still a lot ahead of us.
FinFangFoom100: Glad you liked it. I took inspiration from a lot of things. I hope you enjoy this new chapter. Thanks for your support.
Syafielone1359: Thank you. And there was more of that in the second chapter.
Onilink500: You're kind of onto something here LOL. I'm glad you found the premise interesting.
Nicko2545: We'll have answers in the near future. Thank you.
BlueJack22: He'll meet more people he hasn't had the chance to meet before here, and interact with people he's had little interaction with in the past. Let me know if the next additions will be interesting when they come.
Terraria56: I'm happy to have brought your attention to it.
MrkingJacob9002: Thanks, and what did you think of this chapter?
Blackshock: There are sure to be many mysteries here, and Kamijou's friends who belong to other factions will appear sooner or later.
5queso: I'm glad that so many people found the premise interesting. By the way, it's great to have you here for my new fic, thank you very much for all your support. Are you going to tell me about that 'event' at the junkyard or not? See you next time!
By the way, Maidono doesn't canonically have blonde hair, so here she's dyed it so it's easy for you readers to visualize by looking at her illustration in GT1 (the wig she wears is long, unlike the bob cut she sports). But why is she wearing an eye patch? Let's call it a day. The Moon is going away.