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!

36. Chapter 36

PAINTED PRISON CHRONICLES

CHAPTER 36

REQUIEM OF FATE: WANDERING THOUGHTS

ANTHOLOGY II

Hello everyone, Sparity here. I decided to give you some anthology chapters during January. Chapter 36 and 37 will be in such formula. It contains stories that form secondary plotlines or resolutions of them. The reasons for anthology chapters are such: Firstly, there was a huge number of requests for them, and I am happy to say that I like write such chapters as well. They are not unneeded, because they flesh out the background of the main storyline and were liked in the past, a lot. Secondly, this formula is easier on me in difficult time that will approximately last at least one or two more weeks. During such time, I need space and moment of reflection to truly steer the heavy main plotline in the right direction, while anthology stories, though not written, are majorly ready to be written down in more compact format. It also helps me relax a little while I work on the main plotline as well. One advantage of anthology is that I can put rather wide variety of shorter stories with our cast that would have to wait a much longer time to naturally occur in main plotline. In this and following chapter, we will have 6 to 7 stories, probably (3 in this chapter and 3-4 in the next). All quite vibrant and important to the plot in some form or way.

On another note, someone directed me to memes made from PPC. I absolutely love them, didn't think the day will come when I see something like this. I would always be honoured and appreciate more content like memes or discussions, since it's very funny and helps gain the distance to my own work. It also helps me see the questions people might raise and ones I actually encountered before are about Shundan Kimi. In Kimi's case, it's probably best to admit that when I wrote Ayu's rescue chapters, I had no way to read Railgun manga beyond Railgun T, which is why I don't really know Kimi to the extent of being able to freely write her character (meaning, it's not like I left her out out of dislike of her character or something similar). I will catch up when given the opportunity. I know Shundan Kimi from the context of her stealing Touma's dragon and that her power is derived from black hole energy, but since I am a bit clueless about Jailbreaker Arc (well, everybody has the fragments of the series that need catching up to) I wouldn't be able to do her justice. It is possible that she will appear once I acquire that knowledge.

Right now, I am in the middle of a rather busy period so I can only talk in 'gives or takes' but I hope next chapter will arrive swiftly. In the meantime, I hope you are all content and enjoying the story as it unfolds. And once again, I am very entertained and surprised by memes and discussions. Appreciate all of it and hope that you will find enjoyment and pleasure in reading my work for as long as it can possibly be.

Q&A corner:

TheDarkPublisher: It is very good for you to inquire about things regarding Future Phase. After all, is more than just a little complicated. The idea was that through Magic Gods influence, this version of reality would affect judgments of others regarding Touma being with multiple women, allowing him to have a harem with no problem. I don't know yet if that's allowance for polygamy altogether or just in Touma's case (presumably the latter) but the essence it that other people will always assume Touma's situation is natural in the world. It's like a present from Niang-Niang and Nephthys, not only the fact that he can have many children with different women, but also is socially allowed to be happy like that. Accidentally, I think I began to answer one of your questions regarding the merging of the timelines in this specific chapter. And the thing about Bolgona and Misaki will clear over time, I had good plans for it.

5had0wHand: Glad you like anthology style, then maybe next two chapters will be of your liking. I love Maria as well. And 35 was a really grand chapter, I agree.

Mr.X: You are right, I didn't even realize it, I fixed it now.

DhakaGrayMan: Some should definitely do an AI ASMR of Kaibi. But no, that won't be really enough for KNT

KHVSFF: To be honest, at the beginning I didn't plan to give Mugino that much space. But I felt that some of her struggles and worries could be worked on and eventually resolved in the story like this. Music was one of my favourite parts of last chapter too. When it comes to side story, it will take a bit more time to complete, but I am glad you are excited for it.

Commander Lance: Happy New Year to you, too. Lucia is amazing, it is a pleasure to use her in the story. Also, KNT and Mugino encounter was very compelling to write, for multitude of reasons. Niang-Niang will get even more screentime, too, just wait. Music is one of the greatest things to use in scenes like that. And I think Vasilisa is even more mysterious and underused than Sasha, and is just begging to be explored on.

Mr Question Mark: I already written back in response to your comment, but let me just repeat that I am truly grateful for your feedback, any more comments will always be welcomed and appreciated.

BlueJack22: You are absolutely right. Setting the story in the future relative to the light novels allows great creativity but always comes with a risk of contradiction and retcons.

Without further delay, let's begin!

I. BLESSING FROM BEYOND

(MUGINO SHIZURI'S TIMELINE, UNPRECISED TIME BEFORE UNIFICATION OF ALTERNATE FUTURES INTO FUTURE PHASE, LOCATION: TEMPLE IN DISTRICT 12)

For many, it was a day like any other. But for Mugino Shizuri, it certainly was not. For two major reasons, at the very least.

First was the wedding dress she was currently wearing. Or, more precisely, the reason for which she was trying it out. For so many years she felt like the surname Mugino was synonymous to right to superior treatment, not noticing that in many ways, it shackled her down. Soon she will relinquish it without regret. Because the woman known as Mugino Shizuri really did change from her younger days.

And as for the second reason... she turned to the entrance, to look at the newcomer.

"Is it alright?"

"You ask me? I bet hero will have an opinion about that, go bother him with it."

"As usual, your gentleness is as warm as depths of subpolar oceans"

"I do not want you lecturing me about warmth and gentleness. We were once in the similar position, after all"

"Heh, you are probably right. Anyway... is that woman here?"

Accelerator's most characteristic features did not really change since his teenage years. Besides being taller and having slightly broader stature, he was still very thin and pale. He wore a black tuxeado and red tie that clashed with his white hair but complimented the red eyes. He slowly walked forward toward and then motioned to someone standing in the door.

"Come in already, she is not going to kill you"

"Y-Yes, master!"

"And stop calling me that. It's been years already and we are both adults now!"

"What does one have to do with the other? You will be master no matter how much we age, you are still equally inspiring!"

The woman that came after Accelerator had long blond hair, green eyes, and quite voluptuous figure, even to Mugino, who was not exactly lacking in that regard. She wore a simply yet pretty dress and radiated innocent curiosity when she looked around. Although this inquisitiveness faltered a little when she focused on Mugino directly, as Accelerator stepped back and watched.

"A-Are you miss Mugino Shizuri?"

"That's right. Are you the one that I was told about? Even with the world acknowledging magic is real, what you do seems a little bit absurd."

"I get that from time to time." the blond woman rubbed her head sheepishly" But I am still happy to help people get closure they need"

"You can come closer, you know."

"Sorry, you look a bit... imposing"

"Pre-wedding rush, that's all. So, miss..."

"Rosenthal. Esther Rosenthal"

"Rosenthal, that sounds strangely familiar... you do look foreign for sure... are you German?"

"It's a surname of jewish ethymology. My family used to travel around the world, including Germany, collecting things needed for best elements to build our specialty, but... I live in Japan for the time being"

"So, Rosenthal-san, I am sure Accelerator informed you already what I desire of you. Can you provide the service I am requesting?"

Esther smiled gently.

"Of course I can. But before we do... may I ask why?"

Mugino narrowed her eyes, causing the magician to wave her hands rapidly.

"I don't mean to dig into your personal life. But... those summoned are my responsibility. So it's customary to ask for a reason. I assure you it's nothing solely directed at you, miss Mugino"

Shizuri waved her hand dismissively.

"Fine, alright. I... am about to commit to one of the most important things in life. But I just... can't do it. Not until I talk to her. Those nightmares and guilt will never actually stop unless I do. I should have done it earlier, the moment I heard about you..."

"But you were scared?" Esther blurted out without thinking.

Mugino's eyes widened and blond woman recoiled. Accelerator leaned slightly forward, observing Shizuri's reaction.

But Meltdowner relaxed and slowly nodded.

"Yes. Yes, I was scared. For most things in my life, I have no problem in being decisive but here..."

"Don't worry" Esther said reassuringly" It's more common than you think. So I can take it that you want make amends and get some unclosed things in order?"

"Yes... that's exactly what I want... I can't go on if I don't have her blessing... and I have to do this... to apologize"

(LATER...)

"As I explained" Esther said, setting necessary articles on the floor of the spacious room between the main room of the temple." I specialize in summoning and controlling the spirits of the dead. Usually, it is best to have a body of the particular deceased, but in this case... I see that this is not advisable. So I created this dummy made from earth and clay, just like golems my ancestors created. Upon combination of artificial soul with residual memories from object belonging to the deceased, this clay will be animated and the soul will be temporarily bound. Did you prepared the item I requested when we contacted one another?"

Mugino nodded and after a moment, retrieved a ragdoll, which previously contained a sizeable number of explosives was placed on the clay dummy.

"Well then, everything is in place. Mugino-san. Are you ready?"

"Yes. Yes, I am..."

"Any others are planning to arrive?"

"Yes, but later"

" I have to warn you, since we do not have physical body, the bonding will only have a limited number of time before being released, so please do plan it carefully-"

"How much time?"

"An hour, with safe estimation"

"Then leave us and let others in after half an hour"

"As you wish" Esther smiled and nodded.

Accelerator gave Mugino long look, that only those who were drenched in the filth of the most vile darkness could truly understand, before simply saying:

"Good luck"

Esther began slowly chanting in a language Mugino did not recognize. Soon, the space around her and the dummy began to glow with green light, as magic circle formed on the floor. Esther put something resembling a paper card on the ragdoll Mugino prepared. The paper seemed to sink inside of it and the ragdoll moved slightly. The golden glow seemed to seep out of it, forming a shape akin to a floating brain. Esther finished her incantation before gently pushing it onto the clay dummy. The vague human-like silhouetee glowed as she stepped back.

"I made it so there won't be any difference, nor restraint, in her behaviour. Like I said, you have an hour. Be sure to make the most of it" Esther said, slowly backing away and outside the door.

Mugino nodded, just as the dummy rose up, and bright light burst out of it, causing the brown-haired woman to cover her eyes. And when she opened them again, glow subsided. And the clay dummy did not look like a clay dummy anymore.

Frenda Seivelun yawned, as if she just woke up from a nice nap, and opened her eyes. Then she blinked and her hands quickly went down to her waist, as if checking if it was there. But everything was in fact there, she even had the same outfit she wore while alive, down to a beret.

"Huh?! Huuuuuh?! What?! Basically, I was killed and-"

She paused, noticing Mugino. She paused, her mouth half-opened

Silence lasted for a bit of time, before...

"Frenda..." Mugino spoke quietly, her voice visibly cracking and breaking on the last syllable.

"Mugino..." Frenda answered uneasily.

The awkwardness, uncertainty, deafening pressure stretched out for quite a while before Frenda chuckled and waved her hand.

"S-So you were the one who brought me here. I am kind of surprised. On one moment I was... well, I don't fully know where, I seem to forget it when I was pulled back here. But what I do remember is that it is nothing like people imagine, and yet it's everything that was already said about it, that place. But whenever I want to say something about it, it slips away. One thing for sure, they don't have any mackerel there..."

She paused, looking a bit queasy.

Mugino's face changed into something Frenda never saw.

It was so rich of an expression, and yet so broken, that it shook Frenda more than Mugino's actual wrath.

"B-Basically, that's quite the face. Why exactly did you..."

Mugino fell onto her knees.

"Ah?"

And before surprised Frenda could say anything, she bowed onto lowest form of dogeza, her forehead touching the floor.

The blond norwegian girl looked as if her old boss suddenly grew a second head.

"A-Are you still mad at me, so mad that you lost your mind? Basically, you never bow, to anyone or because of anything! Look, that's all a bit on you, because even though I messed up, you never really gave me a chance to explain myself and-"

"Frenda..." Mugino whispered from the ground" With all the respect, shut up and listen to me for now"

Even with rudeness in between, Mugino's voice was still soft and shaky.

That made Frenda quiet.

"You are probably wondering why I am bothering you... but I have an important reason..." Mugino carried on" Let's start with the facts... I, Mugino Shizuri, killed you... and some time passed since then..."

Frenda watched her with various emotions in her eyes.

"... I was a coward and weakling for letting this go for so long... but there are some moments I can allow to be tainted by my past. Frenda, I am getting married later today..."

Frenda made a rather comical face of disbelief, and added only:

"Oh... wow..."

"This is why..." Mugino inhaled through her nose, and then exhaled shakily through her mouth" We must talk. Before I go on in life, I must face you with everything it entails. I know I can't dare to ask you this but... can you give me an opportunity to confess something?"

Mugino never, ever talked to Frenda like this before. The blond didn't think she could get more stunned but everything kept proving her wrong.

"Sure..." she said silently.

Despite her plea, Mugino did not say anything for a moment. Before her body shook and she choked out:

"Ever since that day... so much changed and happened. I realized so much, experienced so much, and faced the truth of how much I was lost. I tried so hard to change myself, and I had wonderful people to help me, even if I could not consider any help worthy at first... but over time, I realized what you meant to me... as a teammate and as a friend. Frenda Seivelun. I can't turn back time. I can't stop my own mindless rage that took your life and caused you so much suffering. But now and forever... I just want you to know..."

Tears started to wet the floor, yet Mugino still didn't raised her head. She couldn't even imagine meeting the eyes of a friend she killed with her own ability.

"I am... so sorry. So very, very sorry. I know you have no reason to really believe me, but ever since that time, I've been having bloody nightmares and I couldn't let it go. After Hamazura reached out to me... after Touma came to my life... I felt so sick, being in my own skin. I replayed it over and over again, and I could only reach one conclusion: that was vile and cruel. I was the monster that night. Even if I was mad, I never should raise my hand on you. I should have never killed you. I am... so sorry! I am inexcusable, I am worse than all of those people I once laughed at. I killed you on a whim. But I regret it so much that it hurts. I miss you so much... I never realized how alive and vivid ITEM was with you around. It used to annoy me how much of those mackerel cans were laying around, those stupid pranks, and how much you used that damn "Basically" tic... and after what I did, I found myself laying awake at some nights, thinking that I would die to hear it again. Frenda, I... wasn't myself back then. But it was not an excuse. I am sorry, for everything. For taking your life. Even if we were both deep in the same shit, you had... so many connections, so many bonds that my one decision tarnished forever. You deserved to live more than me."

Frenda finally found her voice again and said with equally shaky tone.

"Y-You know, basically, it's kind of creepy when you are so... sappy. Are you really Mugino? Did you really..."

'Change that much?'

Yes. It was almost unthinkable, almost seemed wrong, given what Frenda and many others could say about Mugino Shizuri. Mugino she knew was a ruthless killer, one that did not cry, did not feel remorse, cared for her own benefit, and would rather indulge in a violent fit of rage than admit any and all weaknesses.

But the woman known as Mugino Shizuri really did change. The way she walked was thorny and bloody. She hurt without knowing possibility of love. She hurt others to not hurt herself. She killed others to forcibly kill her own emotions. Yet, she gained a chance to truly love someone. But for the price.

With the chance for love, came the chance for hate. And with embracing the light, came emotions. With emotions, came the pain. Pain that could only be resolved by confessing the truth.

"I, Mugino Shizuri, was a monster. A selfish, entitled, vile being who killed her own friend. A friend who meant much to me and I realized it only after it was too late. Yet I know that even if I begged and begged, even if I sought redemption with all my strength and was reassured that it was already enough, I still woke up surrounded by the premonition of death. And all I could see was my own reflection, in the glow of my ability, within your terrified eyes. I hate myself so much for what I did, if that's any consolation. I can't bring you back to life. But that's why I am here on my knees, before you, Frenda, giving you all the apology I can give. I will accept any and all punishments you want to give me too. If you want to kill me for killing you, I will not fight back. After what I did... I came a long way round to admitting my faults. And if you want to get back on me now, that's the least I can do"

Silence reigned for a moment before Mugino felt a hand patting her on the head.

"Mugino... raise you head"

And when Meltdowner did so...

SLAP!

Her face shot to the side after a masterful slap on the cheek.

"Hah, what do you know..." Frenda grinned, massaging her hand" That felt good after all"

Mugino sniffed and managed a sad smile.

"You are as unpredictable as ever. Who goes for a slap right after patting someone's head?"

"Heh heh, unpredictability is my inborn gift... third after my legs and bombing skills, I think"

She crouched before Mugino and sighed, glancing at the girl's reddened eye and nose.

"Look at ya. What a mess"

Surprised, Mugino looked at Frenda inquisitively.

"Wait... that's it? You have to do something more than slap me. I just offered you a chance to kill me"

"Nah, I'll pass"

"No, that can't be!"

"And why is that?"

"Because I saw your eyes the moment before you died..." Mugino's voice wavered, but she pushed through" There is no way that this is all you want to convey. Frenda... I said my part, as flawed as it could be. But please, say what you want to say to me too. For far too long I dismissed you when you were still alive. I will not make that mistake now. You had to feel something else. So... talk to me, please!"

Frenda's lips parted and then, she shook slightly while putting her hand on Mugino's shoulder.

"Basically, even if it's hard for you to believe, I don't want to kill you. Even though... I was mad at you, for what you did, I did not wish the same for you. I just can't. Because you were and still are, my friend. Even after all that happened, I still... can't help but love all that we did together. It wasn't all that long but it was really fun. More than I ever had. And lot of it was thanks to you. Even when you bossed me around or threw a fit, it was thanks to you that I felt that I belonged. I loved all of you, all of ITEM. It was thrill, it was fun, it was... oh so much. So I do not wish you death. And it's not like my own death in itself upsets me all that much. When you are a dark sider, you have to take risks. But..."

She paused, clenching her fists, her lips twisting even more.

"I was... so sad. Basically, I thought that... we were friends. And you still did it. You still murdered me. Without even giving me a chance to explain! I wanted to save my own skin and run away, but I didn't want to give you away. I never wanted that. I was forced. But I still felt awful. I am so sorry for that... I wanted to be a part of ITEM, I wanted to stay with you. I was... just afraid and made mistakes. Mugino... you hated me, right? Did you ever consider me as a friend? I felt... angry at you. When I died, all I could feel was regret "

Mugino tried to answer, but almost choked on her tears and couldn't do so. Normally, she rarely cried, but here they were flowing non-stop.

Frenda slammed her fist into the ground.

"I wanted to explain. I wanted to be your friend. We could be friends forever... and I am sorry that I could not help you better. All that time, you've been carrying something heavy within you, something that I ignored in my happy, go-lucky way of life. I thought that I had enough problems of my own. I saw that you were collapsing, but I didn't want to burden myself..."

"Frenda... it was never your responsibility to care for someone as messed up as me..."

"But this isn't about responsibility. Basically, that's what friends do"

"Do you really believe that someone as messed up as us could truly be a good friends?"

"We could have been" Frenda said in a tone that suggested that her heart hurt as much as Mugino's" I was... sad. Sad because of you. Sad because of my own inability. But most of all... I left my sister alone. Even though I felt someone would care for her, I failed as her older sister. All I did, I did for her, for her to be safe, and to have a good life. What was the point if I failed mid-way?"

"It was also my fault. But I robbed you of it..."

Frenda covered her face with her hands, the emotions also getting to her.

"I could do so much more! I wanted to be there for her, when she grows and becomes a woman! I wanted to support her like a good old sister. But I couldn't. All I could think of was that because it was the end, I would not be able to do all of my plans. No more tasty dinner, no more gifts, no more things... we could do together. I hated it... I REALLY HATED IT!"

Mugino bit her lip so hard that it bled.

But then... she felt Frenda's second arm found its way to another shoulder and she heard much calmer voice.

There were tears falling down, making traces that seemed like wet sand on the beach on the floor. They did not know how Frenda could cry. As far as they were aware, Frenda's temporary body was only animated earth. Maybe it was a miracle, or just something added by Esther Rosenthal for the purpose of this meeting. But Mugino did not question it too much, as Frenda's tear fell to the floor and joined itself with Mugino's own, the droplet doubling in size.

"But if you really changed, if you really regret all that happened, if you still remember that guilt... then I am ready to forgive you. You changed. You bowed to me, you offered your life... that's not like you. And because of that I know you are sincere. I do not wish for you to suffer. I just want you to remember me and take care of what you rid me of. Take care of people I loved. If you realize the pain of what could have been, that's punishment great enough. So... what I want to say is..."

"Frenda... no, I don't..."

"... even if you are too stubborn, I forgive you. I accept your apology, and I hope you accept mine too. And if being reborn is an option, since I can't really recall... I promise you that we will find each other and be friends again"

Mugino Shizuri thought she could not cry any harder. She was wrong.

After so many years, Frenda and Shizuri were in each other's arms, both shaking and crying.

It was the end of something. And beginning of something new.

When both of them finally calmed down, they moved onto the bench on the side of the room.

Mugino inhaled and then loudly blew her nose, as Frenda looked around in contemplation.

"So... how long has it been? Since, you know, you killed me?"

"Almost... 10 years" Shizuri answered, still a bit stuffy, but slowly regaining her cool.

"10 years? Wow... Basically, Fremea is already an adult. Also... who is the luck... emm... your chosen guy?"

"I heard that! He is someone quite well-known around city and beyond. You two never met but he always regretted it. You also share quite a few acquaintances."

"Huh? Now, I am really curious!"

"That's fine. Because this meeting is not for me only"

Just then, in perfect synch with clock reached the mid-hour, the doors creaked open and blond head of Esther Rosenthal popped in. Upon seeing her, Mugino nodded and then looked at Frenda.

"You have quite a queue to answer to"

The door burst open and Saten Ruiko practically flung herself onto Frenda.

"Saten?!"

"Frenda-san! It's really you..."

"Oh, that's so sweet...also, that's kind of awkward, being a kid amongst adults now..." Frenda laughed quietly, patting young woman with black hair on the head" I think that by now you know what happened back then"

"I know but I am still...*sob*... you left so soon! Without even saying goodbye!" Saten said tearfully" For the longest time, I did not know what happened. I put two and two together, but the thought of not being sure... I made that curry night by night and stacked cans of mackerel for such a long time! I waited for you. Even when I suspected there was no way for you to come, I waited because I did not want you to be dead for me too..."

"You idiot, why did you do that..." Frenda said softly, before hugging her friend from years back" But I... really wanted to eat that curry with you again. I swear I did. I am sorry I could not say anything before it was too late"

"Damn right, you should be. You had me worried sick. And it was your turn to treat me. Coming to your grave it to it doesn't count at all" Saten said through tears, smiling slightly.

"Oh right, it was... I guess it was... my bad, my bad"

Just then, Hamazura, Takitsubo, Kinuhata, and Touma entered the room.

"Where is Fremea? Shouldn't she be the first one here?" Touma asked Hamazura, who sighed.

"That scatterbrain probably got lost or something distracted her. She phoned me and said she will make it though"

He and Takitsubo were holding small shapes, one each, that turned to be pair of babies, twins if their age was anything to deduce from.

"Frenda..."

Over the years, Hamazura got more muscular, with slightly more pronounced jawline and broader chest, yet when he faced the girl he once spent time with, his expression matched the one from his teenage years.

"It's like a dream..."

"You tell me. Last time I saw you, you were basically a level 0 serving as Mugino's punching bag..."

Shizuri awkwardly cleared her throat.

"...but apparently, woosh! You beat her, and then made ITEM whole again. Good job! Thanksies for avenging me! I would even consider showing you my panties, but..." she winked at Takitsubo" I guess you don't need that anymore. It sucks I couldn't attend your wedding"

"It's okay..." Takitsubo, or formally, miss Shiage Rikou, smiled at her friend" We saved you a seat. We always do, whatever celebration we have"

"You know that ITEM will never be complete without you." Hamazura added firmly" But we do our best to ensure you will never be forgotten."

"Oh, what can I say, my greatness follows me even after death" Frenda tried to sound nonchalant, to hide how much those words touched her" But... it's nice to know I impacted so many people."

"More than you super realized" Kinuhata Saiai said from besides Hamazura and Takitsubo" Hello again, you super maniac"

"Basically, I see that you still did not lose your sharp tongue. Still single?"

"It would be super unfortunate for you to have to die twice now"

"Tee hee~"

"Frenda, we would like you to meet someone..." Takitsubo held out a child to Frenda.

She took the little girl with black hair who looked at her in confusion before smiling and slightly tugging at her blond hair.

"Who is that?"

"Our daughter." Hamazura answered" We had two children, a boy and a girl. One is named after boss... and one is named after you"

Frenda's eyes widened.

"So this is..."

"Frenda II. Or regularly Fren-chan, to differentiate her from you."

"How cool..." Frenda smiled warmly at the baby, before adding with a chuckle" She does not look like me at all though"

"Well, it would be hard for that to happen with how we look" Takitsubo said, watching her daughter play with Frenda's hair" But we hope she will turn out just as wonderful as you"

Frenda's eyes lit up in excitement.

" hysj, hysj, lille en..." she cooed, earning a giggle from the girl." She is so cute! Oh, can I be a godmother?!"

"She is super named after you! I called dibs on that, you can't hog everything even after death" Kinuhata nudged Frenda, who stuck tongue at her.

Before smiling to little Fren-chan once more, Frenda gave her back to Takitsubo and looked at Kamijou Touma. Also taller and muscular, his hair retained the spiky-like look, even if it was slightly toned down comparing to his teenage days. He wore a long jacket on bare arms with rather plain black T-shirt over his body, with pants that looked comfortable enough if there was a need to run somewhere quickly. The muscles of the legs pronounced by the pants said that he was capable of it rather clearly. Curiously, his right arm appeared to have a bit more muscle than left, not enough for it to be overly excessive, but still creating a slight asymmetry stemming from the years of his way of fighting.

Despite his warm smile, there was a strange mixture of compassion and weariness in his sharp eyes, in a combination that was rarely seen and quite hard to describe. It was as if he kept his heart and kindness inside a treasure chest that was swarmed by each possible disaster, which left him damaged, but still standing. And this adult spoke now faced Frenda Seivelun.

"And speaking of the boss... Hamazura once said that he came to us after one guy beat the crap out of him..."

Now it was Hamazura's turn to cough awkwardly.

"... that was you, wasn't it?"

"Huh? How did you-"

"Woman's intuition. So... you are the one Mugino told me about? I am a people person, you know, I am good at reading body language when it's important... wah, why are you bowing?"

Kamijou Touma bent into a deep bow and spoke.

"Frenda-san... I am not really as much of a hero as everyone makes me to be. Even so, I do have a tendency and willingness to save people who need salvation. But you... I heard so much about you, and many of that sounded amazing. I also know that you died meeting a horrible fate... and for many years, you were a symbol of someone that I was unable to save. I am so sorry for that... I know, after many years, that I could not save everyone, because I am only one human... I had no way of knowing, but... I am still sorry. That I couldn't even meet you, not to mention save you. You deserved better. You both did"

Touma said that, glancing at Mugino, when Frenda blinked, her blue eyes filled with confusion.

"W-Why... Why would you apologize for not saving me, if you never even met me face to face before today?"

"That's just how he is"

A choir of voices from all sides answered her.

Touma straightened himself up and spoke, shrugging with a light smile.

"I know it seems strange, and maybe even selfish, but... I just want you to know that if I were there, I would do everything to save you, to give you the chance to find a better life, no matter what... just like I did for Mugino."

Frenda stared at him, her jaw dropping slightly.

"No, seriously, who are you? I am missing some context, will someone fill me in?

(AFTER COUPLE MINUTE, EXTRA-ABRIDGED RETELLING OF KAMIJOU TOUMA'S HISTORY)

The confusion turned into star struck daze

"Basically, is it for real? That's so unfair! Why did I die before meeting someone who is so cool?! It sounds like so much fun! All the running, and saving, and punching! Swish, swish! You are like an adventure game protagonist"

"I really wouldn't call things I was involved in fun..." Touma said in exasperated tone.

But Frenda was having none of it.

"Mugino, was that some kind of covert scheme? You had to actually off me because you were going after him? Because honestly, I would snatch him myself if I were... you know... ALIVE?! He is kjekk å dø for! Totally amazing!"

"Don't be stupid. I didn't even know him back then yet" Mugino muttered, with a tinge of amusement in her voice.

It seemed that she enjoyed the nostalgic banter, that reminded her of peaceful times, before she committed one of the biggest sins of her life.

"Wow, boss." Hamazura said" That's one of the quickest records. It seems your charm only gets stronger with age, like a fine wine"

Saten nodded in approval.

"Oh, shut up, you two!"

Frenda turned back to Touma, leaning forward and inspecting him with a grin.

"So you regretted not saving me? Well, now I regret not meeting you either. Tell you what. For now, I can't really do much. I don't belong to this world anymore. But I will go ahead. And when you leave this place one day as well, if there is a chance for another life... I will find you, I promise. We will meet again and write a whole new, cool story."

"If we are reborn..." Touma mused" How are you sure that you will find me then?"

"I have a bad habit of finding trouble" the blond said, grinning brightly" And you seem like a whole lot of trouble for me. The best kind of it"

"Thanks... I guess" Touma scratched his head at those words.

"So, are you in?"

"Do you really think that bond can transcend lifetimes?"

"Dunno. But with all that craziness around us, I wouldn't be surprised"

"Then... I would like that very much"

They hooked their pinkies and shook them a couple times.

"This is how you japanese do it, right? Saten-san, I swear I will make up for all that time as well. In some form or way"

"I will wait as long as I have to" Saten said with a smile.

"Still..." Frenda looked down in contemplation" It's still good that I revived in my whole body. I don't even know why I know all of those things regarding bringing me back here."

"Side effect of the technique I used on you" Esther helped the summoned.

"It's good that my whole body was brought back"

"Yes, I don't think either of us would bare to look at you being halved, like when Mugino dragged you in front of me for the first time. Your face looked..." Hamazura swallowed and shook his head. Mugino also paled a little.

Frenda frowned.

"Wait... you said face... Mugino, you took my upper half? Then what happened to my legs?"

Hamazura, Takitsubo, and Kinuhata tilted their heads. They never thought about the whereabouts of Frenda's lower half after the murder.

They looked at Mugino who, somewhat unsurely, said

"I... burned them with my beams?"

GLOOM!

"Wow... why are you super depressed all of the sudden?" Kinuhata asked Frenda, who suddenly looked lifeless and gloom.

"Those legs were my greatest pride and joy" she muttered blankly" I hoped they were preserved. They would make a beautiful monument if preserved in cement or concrete-"

"Now you are just super vain!"

"If I were to decide which half should be showed to the future generations, I wouldn't hesitate even for a moment! My beautiful legs..."

Hamazura imagined Mugino carrying a pair of legs around the city and shook his head once again.

'Maybe that was for the better'

Suddenly, there was a loud cracking sound.

Frenda looked at her hand. There was a dark crack that run through her palm and lower arm. Area around it turned into yellow-brown mixture of sand and clay.

"Miss Seivelun" Esther said gently" Your time is slowly running out"

As if on cue, there was a clamour on the corridor and four people appeared at the door, Frenda looked at them and sighed.

"I was lost, but someone helped me reach the main street, when I met Teitoku and Kaibi. And he had an accident, nya!"

Fremea Seivelun caught her breath and looked to her smiling sister with longing eyes.

Right next to her, a man with a rather feminine appearance, Kanou Shinka, leaned against the door, also staring transfixed at Frenda.

Meanwhile, after giving those two reassuring looks, Frenda asked a question to Kaibi and Kakine, also present in the door. Kakine Teitoku, with his body shining a gentle white light, and Gokusai Kaibi, now even more elegant and in bloom of her beauty.

"Why are you here?"

There was a bit of worry in her voice, but Kakine shook his head.

"No need for fear. We came just to say that we join with the apologies. Even if we didn't kill you directly, we might as well have. That's all behind us for years, but you perished as a result and we couldn't make it right... so the least we could do is... tell you we regret it too"

"It was me who forced you to betray your comrades." Kaibi added" I had no idea of the consequences. Only afterwards, because of Kamijou Touma, did I realize my wrongs. I am not asking for forgiveness, but please, know that I didn't want your death, not then, not ever, regardless of what I seemed like"

Frenda sighed.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

The cracks spread through all of her limbs.

"Honestly, it's like the opposite day or something. Friends crying, enemies apologizing... well, no matter. It's alright. In that moment, I also panicked. I wasn't a paragon of loyalty and you just gave me the push to succumb to my worse side. That's all"

She then turned her attention to Shinka and Frenda

"How are you, pipsqueak?"

"Hah, I am taller than you now" Shinka pointed out" You didn't change a bit"

"Yeah..." Frenda sighed, looking at her cracked hands" I will never change though. Fremea, you look like an older sister, more than me"

"No!" the younger Seivelun, now a woman with a wavy blond hair and, pinkish-red beret, protested" You will always be a big sister to me, nyah! Back then I didn't know how much you did for me, but now, I know no one will replace you for me!"

"Fremea..."

"She is right, you will never be replaced in our hearts!" Shinka admitted firmly" Remember all of those presents in the Dianoid?"

"How could I forget? In all that happened, I didn't have the chance to give out any of them? Did you... receive the message?"

"Yes, I did." Kanou Shinka, Hamazura Shiage, and Kamijou exchanged glances" We all did. And it inspired us. We organize a party every year for your birthday"

"With makeshift mini-explosives, and lots of mackerel cans, for all of your friends and people you knew" Saten explained merrily.

"This way, you will never be forgotten. Not as long as we live, we who remember you" Shinka concluded." You made a difference for us, you know"

Even Frenda Seivelun, who was a former bomber and assassin, could not help but not shiver in the touching feeling that enveloped her.

CRAAAAACK!

The cracks reached her torso and neck as she shook her head.

"You silly dummies...I love you all..." she finally muttered, before last, but not least, looking at Fremea.

"Fremea... all that time, when I was working on the dark side, I felt guilty that I had to leave you. But now, when you are all grown up, I just want you to understand: All those horrible things, all of my conviction, was to give you a better life. That's all I wanted. And yet I failed you. I allowed myself to die, and I left you alone"

That last bit came practically as a whimper.

But the adult woman in red bent down a little and hugged her sister, with a sunny grin that seemed like a copy of the one Frenda often sported when being alive.

"I wasn't alone. I had good people all around me. Ritoku, Shiage, Teitoku... and not only them. Everybody cared for me. And I know you never want to leave me. I now know how much you cared. The life I live now is also thanks to you"

Frenda listened quietly, her eyes not leaving Fremea, before she quietly asked.

"Is it... the last time?"

"We won't be able to use the object that we utilized to summon you anymore." Esther replied, guessing the true meaning of the question" But if we can find something similar, the process can be repeated. The number of times in which we will be able to bind you here is finite, but it's not the last"

"I see..."

Frenda, with noticeable strain, turned around, before sighing.

"I can... no longer move. I think this it, for now..."

"I am happy I was able to see you. I miss you" Fremea said softly.

"I miss you too. And before I go... just one more thing..."

Frenda bit her lip, as the cracks reached her neck and base of her face.

"Was I... a good sister?"

There was a moment of silence, before Fremea enveloped her sister in the hug, grinning as as brightly as Frenda did many times during her lifetime.

"You were the best"

Frenda's expression softened and relaxed. She closed her eyes, and spoke warmly, to Fremea only:

"I utgangspunktet beklager, jeg ville aldri forlate deg." she said, her crumbling face hugging into Fremea's hair" Jeg elsker deg, og jeg vil alltid være med deg når du trenger meg. For nå, ha det bra"

"Jeg vet, jeg elsker deg også. Takk for alt, søster. Ha det bra " Fremea replied, still smiling, although tears were flowing down her face as well.

Frenda opened her eyes, delivering one last look at Touma and Mugino. Her lips said two sentences just before her entire face cracked entirely and froze up.

"Take care. And be happy"

Neither Touma, nor Mugino knew if the words were directed to either of them, or maybe both, to care for one another.

But regardless of that, they intended to carry it out.

Frenda's body lost resemblance of human-like looks, and then its shape, the cascade of sand and clay falling onto and through Fremea.

A blessing for beyond was received.

And for better or for worse, new chapter in their lives was opened.

(IN ADDITION...)

Many years passed, and just as many seasons changed.

The girl known as Frenda Seivelun visited her family and friends multiple times, as long as she could, courtesy of Esther Rosenthal. As long as they lived, she had a reason to stay behind in her afterlife journey.

Even among buddhism there was no disagreement about the length of the proper reincarnation process. Some schools, like therawada, assumed it to be instantaneous, with soul leaving one body and incarnating into next one who was born roughly at the time of previous body's death. But others, like hinayana, especially tibethan buddhism, there was a concept of brado, the intermediate state of becoming between lives. That last one was roughly something that happened to Frenda.

Frenda Seivelun floated in the white void.

"Hello? Where am I? I thought I was supposed to move on to the next life"

"And you will. But I noticed you and I thought it would be fun to chat with someone here"

It was a voice that sounded rather old but surprisingly jovial too.

Frenda turned around and almost jumped out of her astral self when she came face to face with a mummy.

A mummy of a man sitting in the white void in the purple and golden robes, in the lotus flower position. He smiled and stretched, his bones creaking like twigs.

"W-W-What are you?!" Frenda exclaimed in terror.

"I am not going to harm you" the mummy uncrossed its legs and straightened up" I have many names, but I think the title of High Priest should be enough. Long ago, my physical form was destroyed. But thanks to my mastery of six paths, the realms of gods, demigods, humans, ghosts, animals, and demons, I managed to lock myself to this plane of existence, the space in between, anywhere and everywhere, through which souls pass on their journey. Not everyone can see me, so it's always an amusing change of pace."

"What do you want from me?"

"Nothing much. Despite how it looks out here, it's like an extended relaxing vacation. I can still use some of my abilities to make it more bearable for my boredom. But company is something that I can never get out of my own ability. So would you mind telling me more about yourself?"

Frenda hesitated and then looked around.

She did not even know what she was waiting for. She did not know what could she even do here.

So she gave up and started talking.

Time passed (or maybe it didn't and it was just a subjective sensation)

The mummified man listened to her, and after she finished her story, laughed to himself

"Ho ho ho... you went through quite much, young lady. And you say you promised that boy to meet him again and renew your bond? Then perhaps I can help in that..."

"Really? How?"

"You will see."

"I still find it strange how I was christian and I am actually about to be born again..."

"When you leave the restrains of humanity..." High Priest mused" you find how many religions can actually complement one another. I don't see why One God wouldn't want souls to ascend in virtue throughout many lives if that gave them the chance to spend eternity with him. But maybe my view is too peculiar. Anyway, I think this will make things interesting..."

He put one mummified finger in the middle of the way between Frenda's eyes, just above her nose and below her forehead, while the other was placed roughly on her heart.

She was about to recoil, but found herself unable to move.

"Consider it an old man's gift for sparing a moment to converse with him. Give my regards to everyone in human realm. Let's meet again in another lifetime of yours, then we can have some nice tea."

"What do you mean?'

But High Priest wasn't listening to her anymore. He started to repeatedly chant something, in the language absolutely alien to Frenda.

Then she felt something heat up in her body and alongside line of her spine seven lights lit up (or at least Frenda sensed something similar to warm explosions of colours). Red at the tailbone, orange at the sacral bone, yellow at solar plexus, green near the heart, light blue at the throat, indigo under High Priest's finger, and finally, violet one just on top of her head.

Those were the seven chakras: the chakra of the root, sacrum, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, and crown of the head. Also known as Muldahara, Svadhsitvana, Manipura, Anahata, Vishuddha, Ajna, and Sahasrara in their original names.

Frenda started to feel faint. She wanted to ask something to this strange being, but High Priest's mantra began to sound like a humming, vibration that roared over her and carried her somewhere else. Before she knew it, her entire being was swept away.

(~~~~~~~~)

There was a cry of the baby.

Frenda realized that it was coming from her own lips.

Above her, three people were leaning over to see her. A man with brown hair and black eyes, a gentle looking woman with unruly black hair and big chest, as well as...

A girl that seemed almost identical to a smaller version of Takitsubo. If Takitsubo had brown hair and eyes that excited, which Frenda never saw on her. That was clearly someone else, and yet...

"She is beautiful" the woman said, stroking Frenda's head (?) with her warm head" She has your eyes. And I think I see resemblance to your mother, Takami"

The man nodded excitingly.

"I can't wait to tell mom and your parents. And I am sure dad would love her too"

Frenda finally touched her own face. And she understood.

'I have a... body of an infant? What's happening?'

"Hey, we are so happy to meet you" the brown haired girl smiled, talking rapidly" That is Frenda, my... I mean our mom... but everyone calls her Fren-chan, since there was this cool aunt Frenda who died before mom was even born, but grandpa Shiage and grandma Rikou wanted to honour her-"

"Yuugen, slow down" the man called Takami stopped her with a smile"... she will get that in her own time. But to be honest, our family is strange as it is. I wonder if she will like it"

Frenda Seivelun did not know that yet. But soon came to realize.

As her namesake put her breast close to her mouth, she cried out in confusion. The woman put a hand to her cheek in worry.

"Oh dear, is she not hungry? Maybe she is tired, I know that the labour was taxing for both of us"

Was that was Kamijou Touma meant when he said his luck was bound to make things not as easy as they could normally be?

She, Frenda Seivelun, was reincarnated. And the adult woman who seemed strangely familiar was called Frenda...no, she clearly heard 'Fren-chan'.

That baby she saw back then in Rikou's arms... it had to be that...

'This is just like in those mangas Hamazura read from time to time... and speaking of Hamazura...'

Hamazura Shiage and Takitsubo Rikou were parents of the woman currently trying to rock her to sleep, Fren-chan.

And, although she did not realize it yet, Kamijou Touma and Misaka Mikoto were parents of the man known as Takami.

She was born to them... as their baby, having older sister. With her memory intact.

Was that the gift of High Priest? Or did something else occurred?

"How should we name her?"

"Hmm... I was thinking..."

A life was given to Frenda Seivelun, in the most peculiar of chances.

She did not realize, in her wildest dreams, what things lied before her in that new lifetime.

Nor how much will she change because of it.

She was going to find Kamijou Touma, wherever in the world or in whichever body he was right now. And her adventures, seemingly cut short, were just beginning.

II. THE ROAD TO REUNION

Kamijou Touma looked from over the phone, at the stream of people flooding the streets.

"It's supposed to be here... and time is almost right... will she show up?"

When he turned around to check the other direction, he walked straight into pair of very big breasts

"Umhm..."

But before he could fall back in panic, arms wrapped around him and prevented him from doing so.

After a moment of struggle, Touma finally made an opening enough for him to breathe.

"Oriana!" he mumbled as loudly as he could, given that his face and majority of his head were still squished from two sides" What are you doing?"

A familiar face of blond courier looked at him from rather unusual angle, given that Kamijou was stuck in the middle of her chest.

"I am simply indulging in nostalgia! Don't you remember how we first met on a street just like this one? I have to say, your hair tickles me in just the most pleasant way"

She was holding back a giggle as a testimony to her words, and Touma guessed she was enjoying herself a little too much.

"Oriana!" he repeated" Stop it! We are on the street!"

"Do you imply that you need privacy for that?"

"I-I... don't draw unnecessary double meanings! What I mean is that if you continue to do this, I will be lynched and beat up black and blue."

Oriana frowned at that.

"I know that face. You just thought that people won't like seeing someone like me with someone like you. Is belittling yourself some kind of coping mechanism? Like "Always assume the worst so when it happens, you will not feel bad"? By now, you obviously have to see that you are worth far more than you initially assumed. If you keep putting yourself down, your big sister will have to take responsibility for reeducating you and boosting that esteem"

She leaned in and blew on his ear, a habit she developed since they reunited in England and used to her own amusement in the most unexpected of times.

And now, as if shiver-inducing gust of air connected some unexplained pathways in Touma's brain, he suddenly realized something.

'What about Oriana in the future? I didn't see her child back then, did I?'

The thought of casually thinking of having a child with a girl was actually quite a strange thing to tackle. It just was a testimony to Kamijou's mental adjustment to the time shenanigans of Magic Gods that were supposed to be their gift from them.

'I didn't see her child in my earlier visions.' Touma did not know why he was thinking about it now of all times, but for whatever reason, he became invested in his stream of thought' I can see three explanations to that. One: I was showed a specific moment when that child wasn't present. Two: There isn't any possible future in which me Oriana... d-do it together. And three...'

This alternative was the most complex but also intriguing and alarming

'The future is shifting. It's changing! It depends on my action, just like that bastard and Nephthys both said. My actions now create infinite number of possibilities, which affect the future. And if the future is not set in stone, if for example, my actions with Oriana will cause a child that was previously unseen to manifest. That means...'

It meant that each vision of the future that he saw was its own version within the Future Phase, relative to the actions of his present. That was the reason Kamijou No Touma was still a threat. Until time came and that future became the present, he could cause it to change and shift. Each vision he saw belonged to the set of close but different possible worlds.

One could argue that future could be predestined. But he would not know that. And he could see that his actions had effect. Some of his children's worlds appeared along the way. His timeline kept splitting until unification of the phases!

It was as if he could affect reality itself with his actions. He knew that each and every human could do that, but the fact that he had knowledge of the future made it all different.

'So the more connections are made, the more I affect the future? The more children may be born? But also, the more lives are my responsibility if I lose?'

He was snapped out of metaphysical deliberations by a voice of the second person he was waiting for.

"I see that you are having fun... I do hope you are more appropriate around my daughters though"

Touma freed himself from Oriana's grasp upon seeing Gokusai Yua.

The mother of three girls that became Touma's family looked at them with her arms crossed. Once again, Touma was reminded how similar she was to Oriana and Rikuri, with statuesque legs, hourglass waist, and charming face undisturbed despite being in her upper 30s. The noticeable difference between the woman and her three daughters was hair colour. Cascades of brown hair rested on Yua's back had nothing to do with blond of Kaibi and the other's, although it was most likely their original hair colour as well. Amazora, Kaibi, and Rikuri also had their characteristic eye colour after their late father. Yua's crystal blue irises however had counterpart in Oriana's eyes. On the side note, Touma realized that with Aya, Yua's sister and Oriana's mother, having the same brown hair as majority of the women in Gokusai family, Oriana's natural blond hair had to come from her father's side of the family.

Yua turned her eyes on Oriana and gasped.

"Are you really... walking around like that?"

Oriana looked down. She wore her 'gypsy-styled' outfit with a band partially covering her massive chest and skirt that looked more like fragment of stylized rug covering her hips, with thin strips of white material falling on her legs. Covering very little. And leaving very little to imagination. Besides that, and supposed panties underneath, her body was bare.

"Is there something wrong with my outfit, Auntie Yu? Can I call you auntie Yu?"

Yuamiko did not look like this nickname was first things she wanted to be called, but carried on.

"Are you not worried about dressing so indecently? We are in public, amongst many people"

"Why would I be? I would be worried if I was ashamed. And I would be ashamed if I had something wrong to hide. But there is nothing wrong with my body. More so, I really love it... and I bet I am not the only one"

Touma tried hard to focus on a distant tip of the skyscraper on the horizon.

"Besides, in the end, I will not interact with people that can cause me trouble anyway. I am strong, I can take care of my own"

"Still, this seems... as a model, I can approve of avant-garde style, but... for 18 year old..."

'18 year old? Who?'

Then Touma blinked in realization.

Sometimes it was incredibly easy to forget that Oriana Thomson was only over 2 years older than him.

"It will be fine. Like I said, nothing to hide, and nothing to worry if someone gets funny ideas" Oriana said, giving her aunt a flat look and Touma soon understood why.

It seemed that Yua was not exactly the best person to criticize someone's approach to chastity. In many ways, her outfit seemed like an opposition of Oriana's. Her clothes were covering a lot, but opened up various places such as midriff and legs, and of course, a chest window. Did the older Gokusai thought that the percentage of showed skin was the only thing that made an outfit lewd? Because as a somewhat veteran expert from Delta Force, Kamijou Touma had to completely deny that worldview.

It looked like Oriana's clothes were supposed to be indecent with just a bit of decency to keep it publicly alright. In opposition, Yua's clothes looked like they were overall supposed to emanate feeling of decency but the indecent accents over it completely threw the effect over the window. Because overall dress was not showing a lot, the places it showed and accentuated were much more vivid than they would be if a lot of skin surface was showed. It was just the effect of contrast and it made the sexiness factor skyrocket through the roof.

Yua sighed and Touma heard her mutter something akin to 'definitely my sister's kid' and 'those Englishmen...' under her breath.

"Well, anyway..." Touma said, bowing slightly" I am very glad that you decided to come"

"You were..." Yua paused, looking for the right words"... intriguingly insistent when we last parted ways. It reminded me of someone else, someone very dear to me. So I decided that maybe I was too quick in my judgement, too blinded by wild emotions. Also, you made a promise? Do you intend to... try..."

"Of course I do" Touma said without missing a beat.

Blue eyes of Gokusai mother flashed with insecurity, hope, curiosity, and doubt through a span of couple seconds, before she motioned forward.

"The let's find some nice place to speak. With both of you"

(SOME TIME LATER)

They were sitting in the restaurant. In the private room. With a view overlooking some of the most iconic landscapes in the city.

Touma was honestly sweating bullets because of this. He wanted to do nothing but sing praises to his relationship with Kongou Mitsuko, with her forms of affection allowing him to not totally freak out in high society settings. However, just because he did not feel like passing out from stress, it did not mean that he was fully comfortable.

And speaking of freaking out, he once again was reminded that the trinity of his runaway roommates hailed from insanely rich household. Gokusai Yua moved with such an elegance (maybe it was done unconsciously done, and out of habit, but the way she swished her hips looked as if she walked in a looped catwalk, despite it being just a normal walk for her) that initially none of the stuff dared to question her when simply walked into absurdly expensive restaurant, despite it being still closed. When the manager came running in irritation, she pulled out a sparkling credit card and lightly showed it in front of man's face.

The manager almost doubled over, looking one step-away from seizure.

In the record time, apologies were made, private room was given, cooks were called onto work, and they found themselves sitting by the big table with a panoramic view.

'T-That's what she head in mind when she said nice place?...'

That was the power of one of the richest women in Japan.

The pure pressure of bourgeoisie never failed to unnerve Kamijou Touma.

As Yua was busy with the menu, Touma heard a sound.

Flip, flip, flip, rustle, rustle...

He looked to his side to notice Oriana playing with her packet of spells, gathered in the form of a bound collection of pieces of paper. Those papers contained the charms of very varied and versatile nature and were jointly known as Shorthand.

Although the blond magician was not saying anything, he noticed that she was slightly tense.

Flip, flip, flip, rustle, rustle...

Was she playing with Shorthand because she was nervous? She was so laid back and sassy all the time that Touma didn't think that she could be fretting this meeting. But after a moment of thought, it made sense.

Kamijou Touma wanted to help Gokusai Yua in reconnecting with her daughters. So he contacted her, asking if she didn't want to follow through with it. She agreed, but in addition...

Yua requested for Oriana's presence. Touma was not fully certain about source of Oriana's potential worry but, taking a step back and looking at all that occurred, a lot has happened in a rather short span of time. The three sisters discovered, by accident, that they had a cousin. Yua learned of her older sister's only child. And Oriana was suddenly introduced to mother's side of her family, family exotic in its own right. Was she overwhelmed by that, especially in contact with Yua, a woman who supposedly hated her mother right before they parted ways?

'Should I?...'

Acting more on instinct than anything else, Kamijou Touma reached forward and placed his hand on Oriana's own.

The girl looked at him with surprise, before showing him a look of warm gratitude. Not a smirk or teasing grin, but a genuinely warm smile.

Well, that was a rarity alright.

Touma was about to stop there, but Oriana suddenly snatched his hand and squeezed it with her own. That squeeze contained all the 'thank yous' for looking out for her she could muster without saying anything.

In that moment, Yua spoke.

"Kamijou Touma..."

"Yes, ma'am?" the startled boy was violently yanked out of the world of his own speculation.

The woman crossed her long legs and rested her chin on her hands while watching him.

"I can't figure you out. I suspect I am not seeing a full picture here. I see myself as a great judge of character, and it's pretty obvious that there must be something special about you if you captured the attention of all three of my daughters is saying something... because the way they are so unified in their obvious affection for you is unprecedented."

"Oh please, it's nothing much, really..." Touma felt the need to add" I am just a normal high school boy-"

SNORT!

Oriana covered a stifled laugh by pretending to choke on a water that was served as they chosen their menu selection.

"The point is... I think I owe you an apology, boy"

"Apology? You owe me one? What for?"

"In our first conversation, when I tried to take Rikuri away, I was angry and confused. And I probably still would be if you didn't chase after me and attempt to convince me to give it another chance. Thanks to you, I actually made an effort and calmed down enough to rationally think about what I wanted, what I said, and what I did. You received some of my underserved anger... which was unwarranted since, as shameful it is to admit, you apparently helped my daughters when it supposed to be me doing that. It is a huge blow to my dignity, but you, a stranger to the family, gained better knowledge of them than their own mother."

Touma opened his mouth, but closed it after a moment. As much as he wanted to comfort her, he could not deny that this was the reality of the situation.

After a short break in which they made their choices, Touma was left to wonder on the mother's somewhat unexpected words. Oriana apparently felt that holding his hand was comforting beyond her initial needs, because it seemed she had no plans on letting him go throughout this conversation.

"So... that being said, and you having knowledge of them like you do..."

To his surprise, Touma saw Yua... fidgeting slightly. It looked as if she was suddenly 20 years younger.

"...Do you... see a chance of it working? Me having good relations with them, once again? I... don't know when to start, and I am bit of a clueless type in all of that... but I really, really want to try!"

"Well, with a motivation like that..." Touma said slowly" I don't see what it should not work out!"

"Really?!"

Yua's face lit up so brightly that Touma could not help but chuckle at it.

She quickly composed herself, and looked at him with pursed lips.

"W-What are you laughing about?"

"I am sorry, but you keep showing me how much your daughters resemble you. Just now, you looked like Amazora when I tell her we are going to do something fun together. And you being cautious is like a copy of the way Kaibi acted when we first met. It is actually... cute, in a way "

"Oh, I see... that's comforting" Yua huffed under her breath, before smiling" It's nice that anything of me remained in them. But, you think there is a chance for making things better?"

"Yes. But there are three rules I can think about for this to work. Firstly, you have to stop with the attitude that you know what is best for them"

"But... I am their mother..."

"Personally I guess... and I don't know anything more since I am not a mother..." Oriana joined in" But I think that becoming a mother in itself is easy. But the knowledge how to keep being a good mother as the life goes on is another thing"

"Exactly!" Touma showed thumbs up to that" You both made mistakes. Sure, they did not do the most logical thing by running away, and maybe it could have been handled better, but you were an adult. And you treated them like your offsprings, not daughters"

"Isn't that the same thing?!"

Yua flared in anger, but Touma was not deterred he shook his head.

"What I mean is... to cope with your own loss, you used them to make it seem like you were performing your duties as a mother and head of the family. But you did this for yourself. So, what I think they need is for you to acknowledge them as their own people. You may say you do, but how much do you actually know about them? What makes them happy and sad, what they enjoy and dream about? This is a second part. And also... don't be scared to do things step by step. I think that if you stop expecting success after first attempt, it will help everyone around you, including yourself"

The food arrived. As they ate, Yua had a face of deep contemplation, with her eyebrows knitted.

Finally, she exclaimed:

"As bad as our relationships are, I can't risk taking any more evasions on the topic. I will do what you advise"

"That's... that's the attitude! I promise that it will work"

"Auntie Yu" Oriana said and Yua almost recoiled back from hearing this nickname once again" I hope you don't mind me asking, we did you want to see me?"

"Ah yes... Oriana-san..." Yua gently wiped her crimson lips with a napkin, before setting her plate aside" To put it bluntly" Me and Aya, your mother... as sisters, we had a rocky relationship, full of twists and turns, ups and downs. We were inseparable, we did everything together, and braved through the caprices of our overbearing mother. I couldn't imagine world without her and I felt that she had to have it the same way. But then your mother met your father, fell in love, and they ran away together to his homeland, leaving me alone with responsibility of next head of the family. But more than that, I felt betrayed and alone. Your mother sent letters and assured that our bond didn't change, but I felt betrayed. When I met my husband... or rather, when he pursued me with such determination that I fell in love... I understood my sister. And yet... when he died and I was left alone with my girls... I went into the worst depression in my life. Even if I wanted to connect with my sister, I couldn't care enough to do actually reach out in some form, until it was too late... I realized she had a child, I really did... but only after much time did I came to realization that all that anger wasn't worth it. I shouldn't be mad at my sister for her choices. My niece, you are Aya's legacy. And I don't want to waste any more time by dwelling on the past, so... if you ever want anything, just know that you are part of this family."

Oriana was silent for a moment, before replying

"To be honest, I can get by on my own. I have my duty to the world and my job isn't so bad. I may even say that I am talented when it comes down to it. But... on the other hand... it's nice to know that I have family. All of my cousins are so precious, it's fun to end up with such a lively group. I think we live in a different worlds, but recently, I think I have a place by their side as well. It's like... being on the road, but knowing there is a place you can back to, have fun, cry, or simple be. It is comforting. So I am glad for this family. And... I won't mind if you tell me more about mom"

"Yes, of course, and if you are willing to share some stories of your own..."

"I am. But I think that your own daughters should come first"

Yua smiled and clapped her hands, calling a waiter.

"Yes, I suppose that is correct. And Kamijou-san?"

"Yes?"

"I will pay for you"

"Geh? But-"

"I saw how you looked at the prices. You don't have to worry. I am not some evil witch. I am... how can I put it... mentally complex, not evil. I don't want to torture you"

"Oh, that's surprising. Usually when I got such strike of luck, something even worse usually ends up happen-"

Touma miscalculated. As he got up, he bumped onto the table with his knees, causing the remaining coffee in the cup to shoot in the air, straight onto Yua's attire. In the rather unflattering brown pattern against the crimson background.

"That... was one of my favourite dresses"

"A-Alright... and how much... will de-staining it cost?"

He was afraid he was not to hear that number.

He was not mistaken. He really wasn't.

(1 HOUR LATER)

Oriana Thomson kept Touma from having a heart attack by offering to pay for the cleaning of the dress. In addition, Yua stopped being mad after 10 minutes or so, and said she had more than enough resources to actually fix the dress up, but if Touma learned everything from his time with his roommates, it was that for the women of Gokusai family, the dresses were almost sanctified. Staining one was always extremely dangerous for his health.

'B-Barely saved, huh?'

However, right now, he had to focus on helping Yua, he could not afford being distracted.

On the way to his home, he talked to her about what she could do to get closer to her daughters. Besides that, Touma did not know anything else he could do, but he wanted to be with that imperfect mother through the way. Oriana followed them, also visibly curious about the development of events.

The first happened to be a middle level of difficulty.

"Amazora? You are here, right?"

A small blond head popped behind from the corner of the corridor.

"Oh? Onii-chan!"

"Amazora, there is someone here to see you..."

Touma motioned to Yua, who came into view, followed by Oriana.

Amazora's eyes narrowed and she glanced to the side.

"Amazora... my sweet..."Yua began unsurely, before clearing her throat, and speaking more firmly" I am here to spend time with you. I know that last time was not a nice reunion you could have hoped for... but I am here to make things right! Out of all of my children, you had the least chance to know me, so if I can come in and-"

"No"

The young girl pouted and slid back behind the wall. Even from that one 'no' the lack of willingness for the interaction was really apparent.

Yua swallowed loudly, but remained undeterred.

"Amazora, I know that... your sisters told you mixed things about me. But I really love you, I just... I was just... lost in how to correctly express it. That's why I don't want to decide now. I will leave it up to you. We don't have to do it here, we can do something fun around the city, but just... let me prove myself to you."

After a moment, as if it wasn't a natural thing for that proud woman, came a single...

"Please..."

There was a long moment of hesitation, before Amazora finally came from behind the cover.

To Touma's surprise, she sprung into running.

Unsurely, Yua opened her arms with a small smile on her face...

Only for the girl to whizz past her and jump into Oriana's arms

"Ori nee-chan! I missed you" she said, affectionately rubbing Oriana's cheek with her own.

"Heh, I missed you too, squirt" Oriana laughed, ruffling Amazora's hair.

Touma did not have to possess Kaibi's heart-sensing prowess to know that Yua's heart shattered into tiny pieces, as she still crouched in that same position.

He bent over and gently touched his arm. She jumped on the contact and looked at him. She was trying hard to appear cool, but her trembling lip ruined that image.

"Remember what we talked about? Step by step?" he said gently, offering her a hand." Let's go along with what she wants and hope things will work out"

She slowly nodded as she grasped his hand, and followed her daughter and niece to the elevator.

(AFTER NEXT FEW HOURS)

The attempts to follow Amazora's hobbies were... well, there.

What else could be said?

It was painfully clear that Yua could not really find herself on the shooting range. It was not even about accuracy and enjoyment of the shooting. It was the fact that she was barely able to hold the weapon right and not shoot the others instead of the target.

Touma noticed that Amazora was glancing at her mother from time to time, but other than that, she didn't say a thing to her.

Yua tried her best to entertain her daughter and ask things about her hobby, but it still seemed forced. Touma could only guess that she was somewhat uneasy with the fact that her youngest child was enthusiast at using a gattling gun of all things. Which didn't make the efforts easier at all.

On the other hand, Oriana actually used a Shorthand charm to shoot something akin to burst of flame on the practice target, which earned a clapping of excitement from Amazora and the uncontained chatter asking how she did it.

As Oriana went with invented story, Touma sat near the grim looking mother.

"Hey, don't look so down. It's not that bad"

Yua looked at him flatly, and Touma experienced first-hand the genetic origin of 'Kaibi disgust glare' that middle sister sent to people in the moments of great annoyance"

"Really?"

"I..." he hesitated, before deciding to be fully honest" I... don't know for sure. But I think it's too early for giving up..."

But it was no better with Amazora's favourite arcade. Or her shop with posters. Or cinema during newest zombie apocalypse movie, adapted from one of Amazora's favourite manga.

Finally, at the restaurant, almost completely resigned Yua receieved a dish from the counter. She looked at Touma, who nodded in approval, before walking to the table by which Amazora and Oriana sat, and put the dish before her daughter.

"Dumplings with oysters and wakame. I heard it's one of your favourites"

Yua spoke in somewhat resigned tone, but still smiled slightly at Amazora.

Even if the small girl was bent on remaining silent earlier on, she couldn't help the excited

"Yum!"

That she uttered while taking the first bite.

Yua's smile got warmer at that.

"You like oysters that much, Amazora?"

After munching thoughtfully, Amazora finally answered

"Yup. I love them a lot. Dunno why, but when I eat them... I felt all warm and fuzzy, and good-feely"

"Is that so?"

After a moment Yua felt Amazora staring at her intently.

"Why are you trying so much? I don't get it" she finally muttered, looking at her plate" Kai onee-chan told me you are horrible, that you tried to overwork Riku onee-chan, and did not care for us."

"I can... see why she thinks that." Yua admitted sadly" I made a lots of mistakes back then"

"So why did you try through for hours even though you are doing things really wrong?" Amazora could not help but giggle" You grabbed the rifle backwards and started to cheer on the wrong guy in cinema!"

Yua blushed and cleared throat.

"I... I still have a lot to learn, young lady."

"But... are you really wanting us?"

"Oh, Amazora. Even though things went awry, I never stopped loving you. I was just... stupid, and proud, and angry, and sad, and I couldn't... I failed you. I am sorry for that. But I really want to change. Like I said, if you give me a chance, I will get better in time"

"Hmm..." Amazora made an overly serious face, playing with her chopsticks" I don't know, but... you look like you are really trying, even when you suck"

The blush deepened.

"Y-You are a little harsh, my daughter... and what is this language? I am merely... inexperienced"

"Amazora" Oriana added" You said that you almost don't know your mother. And it's nice for you to listen to your sisters' opinions. But you are a big girl now, so if you don't know something or someone, learn to judge by yourself. But you can't do it without giving a chance. If the results will be disappointing, you can still walk away. But if something good comes out of it, you will gain much more than before"

Amazora nodded and finally smiled widely.

"Okay, I am in"

"R-Really? Thank you, you won't regret it" Yua looked at the plate" For a starting point, you intrigued me with those oysters. This is already a link between us."

"Huh? Whadya mean? Mom likes oysters too?"

"There is more to it. You see, three pregnancies is not something to sneeze at. Even with healthy body and good pelvis proportions..."

"Oh right, mom has big butt too..."

"... You are definitely taking after your father with that sharp tongue... anyway, even with no visible risk, third pregnancy carried a risk for the child in my case. I did a lot to ensure that my baby, you, will be born healthy and strong. From the looks of it, at least in that I didn't fail... among other things, like sleeping, careful pregnancy exercises, I eat lots of oysters and fruit..."

"No way! Lots and lots?!"

"Lots and lots. Cooked oysters are good source of vitamin B12, zinc, and minerals. I took great care to ensure oysters were of high quality and fresh, among other foods I ate. So... there is a theory that what mother eats during a pregnancy affects not only health, but also some preferences of the future child. It is considered a pseudoscience, but maybe..."

"I think she has this" Touma smiled, as he and Oriana watched mother and daughter slowly bracing through the conversation.

"Through stomach to heart I guess" Oriana chuckled at the sight.

"Yay! Let's go home and tell onee-chans!"

BUMP!

The table jumped and ample portion of soy sauce landed on the edge of Yua's chest, topping the coffee stain with even darker pattern.

Amazora scratched her cheek, glancing at Touma.

"Oopsie?"

Like brother, like sister, so it seemed.

(LATER, IN GOKUSAI + KAMIJOU RESIDENCE)

They found Rikuri back home.

And to Yua's bewilderment, her oldest daughter smiled and ran to hug her.

She knew that Rikuri was least hostile out of her daughters when it came to re-forging their bond, but...

That seemed too good to be true.

Rikuri introduced her own guests, Hanatsuyu twins and Yakumaru Itsuki. Quartet of the resident chemists drank tea (or at least, three of them drank tea. What Kaai chose to drink did not resemble the hot water poured on tea leaves at all, and everyone felt safer not asking what it actually was), ate sweets, and talked about their newest formulas and developments.

Index, accompanied by Sphynx, was also there, sticking out in that scientific company like a pink flamingo in a coal mine, but there was no surprise there. She was obviously enjoying free food and nothing more.

Rikuri, Amazora, and Touma had to fight really hard to stop their laughter upon Yua's reactions to Kaai and Youen, girls in Amazora's age group which had the same chest size as her, if taking into account body proportions. Yakumaru, in her 'natural', hair-loose mode, earned a whole different sentiment, with Yua looking at her from almost very angle with hearts in her eyes. It was only natural for the woman running a modelling business and fashion company to be smitten with Itsuki, but that was a bit embarrassing even for girl as proud as she was.

Rikuri enthusiastically talked to her mother, and she had much easier time understanding drones and chemistry than Amazora's hobbies. But still...

She looked besides her oldest daughter. Youen was talking to Touma and laughing at something. Touma reprimanded her, to which the small chemist lazily waved her hands in the air and then put them on her hips. Both Amazora and Index were obviously disagreeing with the labcoat girl at whatever was the topic of the conversation, and they got even more angry when Yoen smugly grasped Touma's hand and guided it onto her chest, which caused the boy to pale and desperately try to pull back.

"Rikuri..."

"Hmm?" Rikuri paused her speech about recent art ideas she was painting for AC Art Museum, and looked at her mother" Is something the matter?"

"Why are you so accepting of me? I mean, it's not like it's a bad thing and that I do not want it... but compared to your sisters, you are accepting of my attempts. Why? Why are you being benevolent? What I did was... in your interest, yes... but... I stopped seeing a daughter in you, and only saw a possible heiress... I thought I spent time with you, but in truth, I was only using you to feel like I was doing the right thing. I know you were scared of me. Right?"

Rikuri's eyes saddened a bit, when she looked outside of the living room at the cityscape, putting a hand on her large chest.

"Yes. Yes, I was" she admitted" I know you treated me wrongly back then. I did not express my fear, because I do not know who I could turn to. Father was gone, I had no heart to burden my sweet little sisters with it... and I felt I had no way to oppose you and speak my mind. I was still a small child. So I learned to cope with it... till the point I could not speak out or express it correctly. So instead of that, I wanted to protect my sisters. I thought if I saved them, I would find my own worth..."

"Rikuri... I am sorry I hurt you so much. No, I know that a simple sorry isn't enough"

"I know mother. I realize things need to take time to get better. Some day, I will be able to actually talk to you about it. One day... I promise. But you do not need to worry about it. Kaibi-chan is not the only one who had her heart opened through meeting this boy"

She smiled at terrified Kamijou Touma who tried to simultaneously fend of Index, Amazora, and Yakumaru (who just returned from the toilet) while trying to shake off grinning Yoen, who decided to latch onto his arm, chest first.

"I did not understand true love. Kamijou Touma showed me the way to slowly express my emotions without hiding, gave me something beautiful, and by simply being here and wanting to cherish this family with me, became someone wonderful in my life. I trust him, mother. I know that even if it kills him, he will be with me throughout the way. That's just how he is. Thanks to him, I am happy to be so gifted, both in mind and body. Earlier, I felt that no one truly saw me except my achievements. I never stopped craving that attention. I wanted to be praised for being enough. But my friends never understood it... and never did you. Only he and my sisters managed to stop and look at me for a longer while. Enough to see that I was broken and tried with all of my strength to be someone others could be proud of..."

Rikuri trailed off, getting lost in thought.

She only came back to reality after a comment from Yua

"I truly misjudged him. What a kind man you fell in love with."

Rikuri smiled affectionately. Flashes of memories of Touma deceiving her and not actually robbing Amazora of her gas mask appeared in her mind, helping her walk, and then performing shared attack not to kill, but merely incapacitate enemy, who turned out to be Hasako-san, their future friend.

"The kindest and bravest of them all"

Blushing, she dried off a tear that flew down her cheek.

"Well, let's not dwell on such serious stuff now. Oh, mother, you did not see our laboratory last time you were here because you left in a hurry! Girls, come here, we are showing off our treasure cave"

For a makeshift arrangement, the lab taking up part of the storage was indeed impressive, with experiment chamber, and desk filled with glass beakers, vials, distillators, burners, volumetric flasks, watch glasses, burettes, and more. The neat rows of catalogued samples of various substances, in 3 states of matter, were laying in rows on the cupboard taking up half of the wall.

Not only Rikuri, but also other dark side chemists turned this room into their private paradise, and throughout the day, at least one of them was locked inside, experimenting.

"It's very nice, isn't it? It's effort of our shared work" Rikuri said proudly.

"We wouldn't never have this place if it wasn't for Gokusai-senpai" Yakumaru said, gazing at the place with equal affection" And we would never would have so many good quality chemicals if not for Kaai and Youen's knowledge of great traders"

"Oh" Kaai grinned cockily" That's just sheer power of raw talent. But I admit, we could have not run this place so smoothly if it wasn't for you, Itsuki-san, and your cataloguing skills"

"Yeah, you certainly wouldn't" Youen snickered behind her twin's back" this place would be a decaying, filthy mess if you were left to manage it"

"Hey, is it really such a sin to work in a conditions that turn you on?"

"No comment on that one..."

"You can see for yourself. Just be careful"

Index took a vial with letter 'I' and smelled it.

"What's this?"

"Iodine" answered Yakumaru" It's scarce in its separated form, but you can feel it by the ocean when it's mixed with salts"

"And this?" Yua seemed equally interested, as her fingers touched various vials and flasks.

"Ammonium carbonate. Used in extinguishers"

"This?"

"Remdesivir. Can be used to treat ebola, but can also raise liver enzymes"

"And this gel?"

"Ketokonazole. Works well against all kinds of fungi. This is Milrinon, accelerates heartrate. Here we have ditrogen trioxide, calcium nitrate, sodium hydroxide, formaldehyde, silver oxide... oh, Yua-san, this one you will absolutely love."

Yua put another indicated vial under her nose.

"Oh, dear heavens! It feels like standing in the forest"

"That's because it's bornyl acetate. It imitates smell of pine needles." Rikuri explain" Can someone give me butyl butyrate?"

Another vial arrived. But when Yua inhaled it deeply, hoping for another pleasant aroma...

"Khh?! Cough, cough, cough!"

Her eyes burst into tears as she covered her nose with her hands.

Index curiously inhaled the aroma from the vial and after a moment sneezed so suddenly that poor Sphynx was catapulted from top of her head, shooting through the air like a spinning feline comet, before landing on all fours paws.

"Achoo!" Yua sneezed loudly as well, before coughing and rubbing her nose" What is this awful odour?"

"Yes. It smells like Sphynx's sandbox after not changing the sand for days!" Index complained.

As if agreeing with the statement, Sphynx hissed and quickly ran away.

Rikuri looked at the vial and sighed.

"Oh, that's pure ammonia mixed with oxygen. The sandbox is good lead, because ammonia is one of the primary components of urine. I see that you both discovered one of its usages. As it's pure form is very irritating to mucous membranes of nose and throat, it was often used to wake people up from being knocked out before proper salts were devised. But that's obviously not what we wanted to give you to smell."

She gave Kaai cross looks. Youen also followed with staring at her sister.

"Kaai, what did I tell you about pranking guests like this?"

"Sorry, not sorry, couldn't stop myself"

"It was my turn, I would have think of something better!"

"But anyway, it's impressive what you girls have here" Yua remarked" And what are you making now?"

"We thought about making some hydrogen chloride, to have spare portion for producing hydrochloric acid. You can never have enough hydrochloric acid"

"Can I help?" Yua inquired.

"I don't know if it's such a good-"

"Oh, nonsense. I had chemistry lessons at school. Just give me necessary ingredients"

"Alright, but let's gear you up first. Here you have gloves and glasses. Now, to make hydrogen chloride, we would actually need ammonia that we saw earlier. Let's see... here. You just have to add chlorine in condensed form into it, and we will get nitrogen and hydrogen chlorine. But don't..."

"Like this?" Yua asked, pressing the button releasing the gas onto container with ammonia.

"NOT THE WHOLE THING!" several voices yelled. "Everyone, close your eyes!"

There was a short flash of light and a bellowing boom, causing everyone to fall into the ground. Clouds of gas filled the room which strongly smelled like the swimming pool. A few flames was also scattered around the table, dying down.

"What... happened? Touma coughed, trying to get the pool smelling air out of his lungs.

Rikuri found the button on the wall and the room began to quickly ventilate, pushing the gas out.

"When ammonia is mixed with chloride in excess quantity...

"...it will form nitrogen trichloride..."

"...which is highly explosive upon even slightest stimulation..."

"... and breaks down into nitrogen and chlorine gas. It is also used as agent in swimming pools"

Rikuri, Kaai, Youen, and Yakumaru finished after one another.

"It is quite difficult for ammonia to actually combust. Your mom has talent. And we definitely know who you did not get your talent from"

And speaking about mom in question...

"Phew!"

Yua coughed out smoke, putting down the protective glasses, which left a clear shape on her otherwise blackened face.

"Well... that was stimulating" she muttered.

"Mother, you are on fire" Rikuri pointed out.

Indeed, there were few small, yellowish-green ammonia flames over Yua's luscious brown hair.

As the woman shrieked and quickly tried to put them out, Amazora wondered out loud:

"So... all of those things about water in the pool turning to a different colour when you pee is a lie? The pool... a-a-actually explodes?!"

It was specialty of this girl to draw wrong conclusion from relatively correct chain of reasoning. But in the end, that was one of the quirks that made her so lovable.

"Also, I think that fate really hates my dress today"

(30 MINUTES LATER)

Kaibi arrived just when everyone finished the clean-up.

She and Yua faced one another just after the older Gokusai left the bathroom.

"Onee-chan is back!"

"Kaibi! Welcome home!" Touma greeted her with a smile.

"Good to see you, Kaibi-chan. I know you might be surprised, but mother is here to-"

Kaibi spared only a moment to look warmly at Touma and her sisters, before quickly walking past Yua with coldness more befitting a glacier than a human being.

"Kai-"

SLAM!

The door to sisters bedroom was slammed shut.

Yua sighed and shook her head.

"I supposed there could not be other reaction"

"Why? Why is Kaibi acting like this?" Index, not well oriented in the issues of Gokusai sisters past, asked Touma.

Touma thought about what he knew of Touma's childhood and how each of the sisters was treated. In contrast to Rikuri, Kaibi was largely ignored and unintentionally identified as the target of Yua's anger. She loathed the treatment of her sisters and she was the main driving force behind the sisters' eventual escape.

"Yua-san..."

"I have to try..." Yua clenched her fist" I came so far that, I had to do this..."

In her room, Kaibi rested her back against the door. She was about to move further in when she heard a voice.

On the other side of the door, Yua also leaned on it, looking backwards.

"Kaibi... I am aware that you probably don't want to have anything to do with me. And I am not here to force that on you. I am not stupid, and I realize that you have no reason to believe that I want to be a good mother after all that time of neglect. I am not going to say endless apologies, because I want to offer you a promise that I will try my best to make things right. Conversation with Kamijou-san really opened my eyes. I am trying to change, as clumsily as it is going.

I do want to say that I am sorry for tearing our family apart. I still feel that you shouldn't run away, but now I understood why you did it. I will never blame you for it. I did not give you the same amount of attention as your sisters, but you were always a strong girl. I know that you don't care about that, but I still want you to know that I acknowledge that strength now.

I don't know what I can do to make up for the need to do more when it comes to you. I want to spend time with you, to make the remaining time worth it. I wish for many things when it comes to you, among them, I wish for you to believe that I really try to change my own view of the world But your life is your own. If you want to go separate ways, that's fine. If you want to take time, that's fine. You don't have to love me. If one day you find it in your heart not to hate me, that's enough for me. I am going to prove to you that I can be better, because even if it's too late, I want to be able to love you again. That's... that's it from me"

Yua walked away from the door, assuming that this was all she could have done.

But after 10 minutes or so, the door creaked open. Shortly after, Kaibi in the flesh arrived at the table in the living room.

"Kaibi! You decided to-"

Kaibi slapped Yua's hand away.

"It's not over yet, mother" she said curtly, before taking place by Touma's side, shoulder-to-shoulder" Just so you know, I am not doing this for you. I am simply respecting the fact that Touma invested his time into helping you for my supposed interest. I wish to believe you. But thanks to the years of experience, I can safely tell you that in many cases, wishing is not enough. You are right, you have to prove it. You now care that I exist, after ignoring me for so long? I can forgive for myself, but I can't let go of what happened that easily. It's easy to turn away, but forgiving is hard. Sometimes, a distance in ones hard is a void impossible to breach. I will not allow for shortcuts of our relationship using my ability. For years, I dreamed of being able to separate our ties for good, but because I know how it is to be in a position that seemed impossible for a change... I will give you this benefit of doubt. Don't make me regret it. Otherwise, I will make sure that our hearts remain permanently distant. Trust me, I can see to that"

Yua said nothing, her blue eyes meeting Kaibi's pink.

And then, she nodded with a smile that carried both sadness and hope.

"Fine. You really changed, Kaibi, you know that?"

Kaibi gave Touma a meaningful look before smiling slightly.

"Yes. I am more than aware"

(20 MINUTES LATER)

"Are you sure this is alright with you?" Touma asked Kaibi, as they stood on the balcony, watching people inside" She is your mother, despite it all"

"I know. But as far as I am concerned, she has to earn it. We cannot simply forget. Not everyone can simply forgive too, like you do." the girl said wistfully.

Wind blew. Kaibi's golden bracelets shone in the light from the inside as she reached to her face to brush the hair from that tickled her ear.

"You may be right. Still, I think that you might have chosen revenge when we first met" Touma remarked" I am proud that you are not doing it now. Because there is a huge difference between leaving a way to forgiveness and seeking vengeance for the past."

"I think you still don't fully grasp the effect you had on me throughout our relationship" Kaibi gave him a meaningful look" Though, in your defense, it's not like I realized it quickly too. I am happy that Amazora made that mistake and that we initially got stuck together. Even if you infuriated me to no end, perhaps I needed that. You got what it took to do it for all of us..."

"To do what?"

"Face them. We had to face our fears. Both me and my sisters. Still, I was a skilled darksider, and before, I didn't exactly have the most ideal domestic environment... so I never imagined that regular life could be so rewarding. Living as a family gave me peace in heart. And it's because of you that I could feel it"

"I think you are giving me a bit too much credit here. You came to realize your feelings and it was through your effort that you were able to move forward"

"No... even if that was true, I still needed you for the process to even begin. You made an impact on my life whether you like it or not. I've encountered many guys in my life, accompanied many men... but neither of my clients, not even Kakine, gave me what you gifted me: myself. You stripped my masks, leaving me only with the truth. Because it was you, I could not hide behind my ability. You gave me myself, and I am just getting started to remembering how nice it feels to actually be yourself in your own skin."

She then shivered and stepped forward, snuggling into his chest.

"Kaibi?"

"It's cold, you know"

He laughed, closing her arms around the girl and keeping her close.

At which point did he learn to do that before being overly flustered?

"That's what you get for walking outside of the heated room with bare shoulders. Why don't we go inside?"

"Maybe we should... but..." Kaibi trailed off for a moment" I like your arms. It feels so nice here that heat of the room seems like a poor substitute"

"Oh, is it now? Even though you may still catch a cold"

"I'll take a risk. And if you catch it, I am sure you will be well cared for"

"A-After remembering last time, I have my slight objections..."

"Hush you..."

She lifted her head up, smiling at him coyly.

"Besides, don't tell me cuddling up with a girl does not count as a win in your book"

She was right. Kaibi's warmth was adding to his own, her skin was very soft in touch, and she smelled really good.

Allowing himself a few more seconds of contact, Touma was about to gently separate from Measure Heart, but just before he did, she whispered quietly.

"Just because there are tons of others who want your attention, and just because me and my sisters sworn to have more or less equal standing while we wait for you to be in a better moment for a romantic relationship... doesn't mean I won't do everything I can to truly charm you. In every aspect too"

Now it was his time to shiver, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by Kaibi.

"When you actually charm someone you love, you are scarily convincing"

She laughed at that, loudly and clearly, with small sparks of mirth dancing throughout her pinkish irises.

"It's a gift. No come on, mother or no mother, there are still things to do inside"

(AN HOUR LATER)

"So you are telling me this is not a costume?"

"No, I am really an anglican nun. Well, nun in training"

"Your friend is truly fascinating, Kamijou-kun. And rather... how to put it... polar, for her age. Overly mature in one things, and rather childish in the other" Yua whispered to Touma, before engaging with Index again" You mentioned that you work with books?"

"Yes, I am a library."

"You work in the library, you mean"

"No. I have a whole library here in my brain"

"Oh, you british have such strange humour at times"

One of the weirdest combinations of bonds happened, as Index and Yua apparently found a common language, both viewing each other like a pair of some exotic animals separated by glass. Index had a conversation with a model and it led to a small discussion on the worldviews, and later on the fact that Index was a member of the clergy. Apparently, Yua did not have much experience with christianity, or the semitic religions in general.

Right now, they were chatting as Touma and Index walked with Yua to the bus stop of the line that would take to the hotel.

"So, how do you think it went?" Touma asked.

"Well..." the mature woman hesitated, before smiling with a nostalgic sadness hidden in her eyes" Kaibi said more than 10 words to me. That's better. I hope things will turn out good, and I hope this was a good start"

"I think so too" he agreed, with Index also nodding beside him" Those things take time and are complicated. Life is not a fairy tale. But if you work on it, you will be rewarded for sure"

"Rewarded..." Yua thought of something for a moment, before nodding too" It's still incredible, how you go above and beyond to rescue the bond I had with my daughters"

"Like I said, it is because I care for them. I think you need to be in that family to make it complete. There is never too many bonds in this world. True, genuine bonds, that is"

Before Yua could answer, a new voice asked

"Kami-yan? Who is that?"

Behind them was a boy with bleached blue hair and pierced ears.

"Kami-yan!" Aogami Pierce pointed at Touma accusingly" Just because you are faring so much better than us ordinary mortals doesn't mean that you have to shove it in my face by shamelessly expanding your defended onee-san preference to mother archetype. I mean, not that I blame you, I wouldn't hate it in any other case, but since it is you, it's like twisting a knife in the wound!"

Touma sighed and studied a red slap-mark on Aogami's cheek.

"Let me guess, you harassed another girl at the bakery you live over?"

"Oh come on, as if I could ever do that. A girl and her teacher! And it was not harassing, I just approached them and complimented them, playing a long term game..."

Touma could only imagine what 'compliments' led to such outcome when Aogami Pierce was involved.

"Should I call the police?" Yua asked wearily.

"No, I don't think they can help him." Touma said half-jokingly" Also, he is my friend. And you, look what you are doing! Yua-san looks at you as if you were trash."

"Bold of you to assume that a disgusted look from a haughty, sexy bombshell of a mother character is not a turn-on"

"..."

"Nun-chan, long time no see!"

"A deviants like you should be sent to the last circle of hell"

"Oh, come on? Remember that time when I bought you snacks? I thought we were good"

"... should be sent to penultimate circle of hell"

"Anyway, what's the deal? I had no idea you had a need for someone to be your mommy"

Aogami said that as a joke, but Yua delivered a punchline that sent everyone into a stunned silence and earned a jaw-drop from Touma.

"After today, I would be proud. If he was my son, that is. Everyone, I'll take it from here. Goodnight"

She walked away from the shocked trio, her long hair swaying from left to right from the unconscious movement loop of her hips, as she disappeared in the distance.

"You see..." Aogami finally muttered" That just proves my point, damn it!"

III. BATTLEFIELD OF THE DIVINE

Kamijou Touma once encountered a girl who fell from the sky. Namely, she landed on the balcony.

But it was still strange that it happened twice. And this time, she truly hit the bullseye.

Yes. She landed on him. Or, more precisely, crashed into him with high speed.

In one moment, he was walking on the peaceful stroll with Othinus on his arm, minding his own business. In the next, he crashed onto the ground, struck by a human silhouette.

It was a miracle that the was not killed then and there. But the humanoid projectile did not fall from outer atmosphere or similar altitude. It seemingly popped into existence much lower, slightly above the city. The fact that it slightly slowed down its descent over time also helped explain the fact that Kamijou was not squashed into a bloody pulp.

Or maybe his constant misfortune slowly but steadily built up his resistance to things that would normally kill a person. That was not entirely out of question.

Putting that aside, he slowly came to and frantically searched for his small Understander

"Othinus? Othinus?! Are you alright?"

He heard quiet coughing and he saw the fairy hanging to his hoodie with one arm, covered in dust from the road.

"I am… fine, human"

He picked her up and gently dusted her off

"Thank gods!"

"Don't thank us yet"

He noticed that all of the sudden, they weren't alone.

Two familiar goddesses appeared by each side.

The humanoid missile bounced to the side, still covered in cloud of dust.

"Nephthys? Niang-Niang? What brings you here out of the blue"

Both of them pointed at the shape on the ground.

"We felt a… disturbance" Nephthys said firmly" This phase was breached."

"Breached?! And what do you mean with 'disturbance'? Some… Magic God sense?"

Niang-Niang thought for a moment, before waving her arms

"It's a bit like…it feels like this..."

What followed looked like a combination of macarena with epileptic seizure.

Anyway, what is that?" Touma looked wearily at the slowly rising shape

"Not what but who. And I think" Nephthys wrinkled her nose, before sighing heavily" That we already know it"

"Maybe we are wrong!" Niang-Niang said, with her tone suggesting she wished they were" Maybe it's not actually-"

Then, the dust finally cleared and they saw the fallen individual clearly.

"Oh no, not her!"

"Oh no, not her!"

"Oh no, not her!"

The fact that not only Nephthys and Niang-Niang synchronized in their dismay (with Shijie-Xian being particularly vocal about it) but Othinus also achieved this unexpected harmony, spoke volumes on the fact that all three divine females knew the newcomer, and their arrival was met with mixed reactions.

Or rather, her arrival. Because it was a woman. A woman who beyond any certainty of inhuman nature. Touma could sense it from looking at her, because it was one of the craziest visual experiences he ever had in his life.

It was as if someone put two different lenses on each on his eyes, causing some strange double vision.

On the one hand, the woman was undisputedly one of the most beautiful beings he ever set his eyes on. She was... she was like...

Think of the most beautiful woman you ever saw. And then try to multiply her beauty and elevate it 100 times. It would still lack the charm, grace, feminity, and absolute gorgeousness of the newcomer One standing in front of Touma exceeded anything he could ever imagine. He never expected anyone or anything could be that beautiful.

The woman's body didn't have static form. It kept changing, with hair length and colour, hue of the irises, proportions of her chest, shape of her face... all shifting into more and more beauty the longer he looked at them.

Yes, that was definitely one side.

But on the other hand...

He was seeing something else. Beyond, or maybe parallel to the beauty, there was a sight that was much more grotesque.

Something seemed to move and shift alongside woman's skin, as if living creatures were just about to burst out of her. In the eyes of confused Touma, woman's foot was replaced by a cloven hoof, and pair of horns sprouted from her head, only to by changed by antlers a moment later. Her arm turned into snake scales, and her leg suddenly grew hair similar to that of a bear. Another arm became slimy and octopus like, only to be replaced by a feathery wing-like apendage. Scales, tentacles, fur, claws, horns, spikes, fins, and more could be seen in shifting and changing body. As if multitude of animals were trying to settle onto one particular form, but failing.

Touma never thought arousal and absolute terror could coexist simultaneously in one heart and mind. He was sorely mistaken.

"Who... is that?" he finally spoke. The sight was giving him a bit of a headache

"That..." Niang-Niang clicked her tongue in annoyance" is Chimera."

"Now, now..." the woman called Chimera spoke" Is there any way to talk to a fellow Magic God?"

Her voice was peculiar too. It was sweet, like a harp, but slightly distorted. Not enough to be dissonant or anything, but sounded like it couldn't quite find the right pitch.

"A Magic God?" Touma replied in surprise and slight apprehension" But I thought majority of you were still in the New World..."

"Not only Nephthys and the runt are good enough for escape" Chimera said, smiling, before she cocked her head curiously at Touma" Wait a second... you are... different..."

She suddenly closed in on him, with her face coming very, very close to his. He was so shocked that he did not even move away. Othinus was also startled and she almost fell from his arm a second time in an hour.

"Ch-Chimera-san... p-personal space..."

"Are you... human?"

"Y-Yes?"

"No human withstood looking at me like this. Unless..."

She wrinkled her perfect brow (that at the same time became scaly red) and pursed her bewitching lips (that for a moment looked more like a beak) as her eyes went down to his right hand.

"Of course. You are Imagine Breaker. I heard of you... but I had no chance to go through with being the one to convince you in joining the cause. So... what do you think of-"

"Hey, Chimera" Niang-Niang shouted from the side" Care to explain why you came to us?"

Chimera put a hand to her face, barely glancing at Niang-Niang.

"Ah, you are here. You are still so small that it was an easy mistake to miss you"

Niang-Niang's teeth grit against one another so hard that they could be used as spark-scattering flints.

Touma felt Nephthys grabbing his arm and pulling him aside. Chimera watched them with ever shifting eyes.

"Okay, what is going on?" Touma demanded, speaking to both Nephthys and Othinus" Why is everyone acting like this woman is a... I don't know..."

"Chimera is... not evil, she is just a bit..." Nephthys hesitated"

"Problematic. And intense" Othinus finished."It's not a stretch to call her a bad news. Especially for someone like you"

"W-What was that supposed to mean, Othi-chan?"

"Chimera has a specific personality, even for a Magic God. It would be unwise to-"

"I wasn't finished talking to him~... and I am not the one to be ignored"

Touma did not know when Chimera snuck out on him, but he was spun around and found himself staring deep into the eyes of mysterious Magic God.

Nephthys' eyes lit up in anger and Othinus looked as if she was ready to fight to her last breath despite her size, but Chimera paid attention to Touma only.

"My question was: what do you feel about me?"

Touma was so lost about the whole situation, that the answer instinctively spilled out

"You are really attractive, but... I get some serious stranger danger vibes, so can you move a little bit away?"

Chimera made a face that Touma could not really describe (not like describing any expression would be easy with a double-vision she was giving him).

"You... because of that hand... you see me, the real me, all of me... that's not how it supposed to be... you shall not do such thing! I will make you kneel before my effort... Kamijou Touma..."

And with that, she disappeared in a plume of smoke, exiting as suddenly as she arrived.

"Okay... what was that about? Can this woman make sense?"

"Oh, human..." Othinus groaned" Why did I delude myself into thinking you won't get yourself into any trouble?"

"Trouble? I did not do anything"

"Exactly. More precisely, you did not react in a way that Chimera wanted"

"What do you mean?"

"Let me clarify this for you" Nephthys offered" All of us Magic Gods ascended above the boundaries of humanity and sacrificed someone in return. In Chimera's case, she had the desire to transcend human limitations of beauty and incorporated various creatures into herself. As a result she attainted Transcendental Beauty, able to subdue almost any creature. She is simply too beautiful to bare. For most humans, just looking at her would make them pass out. We Magic Gods are unaffected by it... and it seems that you aren't too"

"Well, I see her as extremely beautiful" Touma frowned" but also... like a puzzle of different creatures, all shifting and changing like you said. It's because of Imagine Breaker? I am not fainting or anything, even if it makes me dizzy"

"That's correct. Imagine Breaker lessens the effect and also allows you to perceive Chimera's full nature. That's why she became interested in you. You are not automatically swayed in her favour. Hate to break it to you, but your indifference to her only heated things up."

"But why me?! And why she landed here, specifically?"

"I believe your luck, or lack of thereof, is a good explanation in both cases." Niang-Niang jumped into the conversation"" Also, Chimera is a narcissistic and self-destructive pervert. On top of being a-"

String of chinese words followed which Touma did not understood, but just be the tone of voice he could guess that they were not pretty adjectives.

"...overall, she is the type who doesn't understand the world 'stop'. With you, she has to put on some work to seduce you. That didn't happen to her in eons. Basically, you are her way to fight boredom"

"Fukou da. This sounds ominous as hell." Touma admitted, looking around" So she is pissed because I didn't drool over her, like other people? I mean, it's not like she looked bad, but there are... steps to those things, and-"

"She is not used to not being ultimately adored. It seems wrong to her pride. Thus, she might take action to 'correct' that oversight"

"I would love for some good news to be heard right now..."

But don't worry..." Nephthys assured him" Even though your honesty and straightforwardness was your undoing here, some of us find it very cute. Plus, it could be worse. She could try to kill you in retaliation or shift the universe to break you"

Nephthys offer at cheering up was met with silence. Othinus was particularly unamused.

"You are the goddess of funerals. Leave comedy to someone else"

"I-I can be funny though... i-if I want to! Especially for someone I like! Don't discredit me just because it hits too close to home for you. If he likes funny woman..."

"What, you read 'Being a clown for dummies'?"

Touma reassuringly put his hand on Nephthys' back before truly colossal streams of tears burst out of her eyes and moved it in massage motion. He then looked at Niang-Niang.

"Also, I couldn't help but notice that you are... especially on edge with Chimera"

"Oh" Niang-Niang let out a low chuckle" Right, it's not hard to miss. You see those two?"

She pointed at Othinus and Nephthys glaring daggers at one another.

"Me and Chimera are pretty much the same"

"Like a rivals? Why?"

"We have rather different worldviews and motivations. She is all about beauty and charm and looks, while I..."

"Are more head-first, though, action-driven, with lots of weapons" Touma finished

Niang-Niang flashed him a cocky smile.

"Yup. So we don't exactly see eye to eye. I think she is hypocritical, taking in all of those things and claiming she is most perfect ever. To me, she is like a mantis eating its partner's head after satisfying herself. Egotistical, narcissistic nymphomaniac. While she in turn calls me a barbarian, mocks my abilities, makes fun of my..."

Niang-Niang's purple cheeks darkened a little, as she unconsciously traced her hand over her chest, before abruptly concluding:

"She is just the worst!"

(1 HOUR LATER)

"Keep your mind alert" Nephthys advised, as they walked to the school and she transformed into her exchange student alter-ego" Chimera is far more dangerous than she seems. She clearly set her sights on you, so she is not gonna leave you alone."

"I noticed that is a rule with you Magic Gods so I am already on my toes"

"You meanie, not every one of us is like that!"

"Weren't you though?"

"What she means is..."Othinus explained" that while Imagine Breaker lessens regular effects of Chimera's presence, we don't know how much. Usually, one look at her causes people to faint. Hearing her voice, whiffing her scent or feeling desire towards her would literally combust your soul and cause your brain to melt. That's what it means to overcome the limitations of beauty. And that's just the most shallow level of her magic"

"O-Oh... w-well, I don't think she will make any hostile action with that many people around"

THUD! THUD! THUD!

"There is your answer. She is here" Othinus pointed at the street grimly.

A lone figure walked through the street. Around her, people fell down to the ground as if there was a sudden change of air pressure around them. Cars stopped or swayed to the sides, and people fell like fallen dominos, regardless of age, gender, or position, as she finally reached them.

"Perhaps..." she said in the same sweet yet eerie voice that Touma heard earlier" You reconsidered"

With a clatter of pyramid ornaments in her long hair, Nephthys moved slightly in front of Touma.

"I see your habits did not change one bit, Chimera."

"Nephthysssss..." Chimera ended her fellow Magic God's name with a hiss, as for a moment, her tongue became fork-like" This is a case between me, my beauty, and this... complicated human. As someone who has an inkling of beauty in herself, I respect you enough to tell you that you should step aside"

"I don't have anything against you, Chimera. But I know you enough to not allow you to have your ways with him."

"Is that so? For a collection of dust and slaves animated into one body, you have lots of confidence that you can stop my charm. I respect your looks, but you are fake, while I am genuine"

Nephthys narrowed her eyes, but did not fall to provocation.

"If being a fake also gives me deceitful worship out of fear, then being a fake is not so bad" she slowly said. She glanced sideways at Touma and he was almost sure she smiled to him for a moment" It took me millenia to realize that I would rather be worshiped and love by special individual who can truly understand and wipe my own tears away if needed than to go on alone. But you will never understand that, will you?"

"Chimera, we know that you crave to prove your supreme beauty to one human who is immune to it, but this particular human is not your plaything"

Chimera looked at Othinus with pity.

"I heard the rumors, but you can't blame for not taking you seriously when you look like this. You were so above it all when you chose not to exist among us. Look at you now. You are not even worthy an insult"

"That's enough"

Touma got in front of Nephthys and faced Chimera.

"So you will bow before my beauty?"

"You being beautiful outwardly is one thing, but insulting others is not an attractively quality at all. Especially if those insults are false"

Touma had his back to Othinus and Nephthys, so missed twin blushes that appeared on their faces.

"C-Chimera-san, you are a bit intense. Can we take things step by step, and maybe... go out or something?"

Chimera laughed and he knew that it was not what she had in mind.

"Amusing. Such amusing human. I broke free because I was curious... why some of us left before and now I think I realize it. I will make you kneel... and I hope you can amuse me even more"

She said before disappearing again.

"I have bad feeling about this"

"You are not the only one"

(FEW HOURS LATER)

If there was some other quality other than beauty and terror in Chimera, it was definitely persistence.

What she set out to do was on another level. Even if she was annoyed by Touma not being all drooly about her, he would never expect that.

Chimera snuck on him in various moments throughout the day. She simply appeared in various, inconspicuous places with rather dirty intentions. Not even watchful eyes of Othinus and Nephthys could predict where she will be next. Apparently she did not wish to be disturbed in her hunt, so no one else could see her.

She started to crawl onto his lap from behind his school desk. She dragged him into storage room. She appeared on the other side of the glass wall. Her face suddenly popped out of the bento his lips were about to touch. She disguised herself as the chair, for crying out loud! But the most terrifying thing was the moment in which frazzled Touma went to male bathroom. As he took his pants down, he glanced down. To his terror, the toilet disappeared altogether and Chimera was staring at his waist area with a shark like smile.

He bolted outside so quickly that he didn't realize his fly was still down before couple seconds later.

"This is too much! She is like a predator! A drop dead gorgeous, terrifying predator!"

If he thought Lessar was intense, Chimera's actions made her look like a little girl. No, in fact Touma would even marry Lessar out gratitude for how she was in comaprison, if she was to suddenly appear in front of him. Chimera did not play around. She actually wanted to make him subdued to her charm, force or no force.

He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Niang-Niang.

"Run away for now" she said sternly" This went far enough. I told you that I have a score to settle with her."

"But-"

"So, you finally came" Chimera said, her changing body appearing in the doorway." I was wondering where you went"

"Sorry, Chimera, but like we said, this human is off limits."

"Is that a challenge? Are you laying a claim?"

"What if I am?"

"I am not anyone's possession" Touma remarked, but two deities were too focused on one another.

Chimera narrowed her eyes.

"Those with lesser beauty should keep their mouths shut"

In the next instant, both she and Niang-Niang vanished.

They reappered high in Himalaya mountain range, unbothered my oxygen, temperature or altitude.

"Two can play that game." Niang-Niang muttered.

"Fine by me"

Chimera skidded down the mountainside, her body morphing to part-goat, part-dragon to keep herself on the slopes.

Niang-Niang gestured with her hand and a sudden avalanche came down onto her opponent.

Chimera did a gesture of her own and the avalanche froze in place. She roared and, against gravity, the mass of snow and rocks reversing its tracks.

Niang-Niang dispersed it with a slash of her Pao-Pei. But...

CRAAAAAAAACK!

The ominous cracking and shaking caused the world to tilt. One could think that planet's axis got screwed. But it wasn't a feat on such a scale.

But still, Himalayas themselves tilted and strained, before being lifted above Earth. Niang-Niang fell back, nearly hundred kilometers in one jump, but the entire mountain range of highest peaks on the Earth was still flung at her.

"You think you can stop me? Finally, I found someone amusing, someone who is not dull, who is a mystery to seduce. I will get him to adore me if it's the last thing I do!" Chimera's voice boomed over the Earth.

Niang-Niang's Pao Pei extended, and extended, and extended some more. It was reaching dozens of kilometers.

"You are not even thinking about him in all of this" she muttered" You just want to satisfy your own depravity. It makes me want to barf!"

"As if you had what it takes to stop me!" Chimera's voice mocked her" You grew delusional if you think anyone would like to be with you: am unintelligent brute with a body of a child"

Niang-Niang roared in anger and in the next moment, part of clouds visible from space in Earth's atmosphere seemingly vanished.

Although some of them exceeded 8000 meters, the mountain range was cleaved in half, the fragments missing Niang-Niang and turning into harmless grey clouds.

But it was through those clouds that Chimera pounced at Shijie-Xian.

As if stepping through a door, they found themselves falling through the air. The tail that Chimera manifested trashed at Niang-Niang, who grinned manifesting a rocket launcher from her sleeve.

"Say cheese!"

The rocket exploded on contact.

Chimera roared with fury and clawed at Niang-Niang's face.

"You will pay for scorching me!" she shouted

"I can't make it worse than you already look!" Niang-Niang screamed back, summoning an anchor and wrapping the chains around Chimera, who tried to bite through them with her teeth.

"You speak to the most beautiful creature in existence"

"Turn that into most conceited and then we are talking!"

They hit the ocean and began to sink into depth.

They jumped onto the desert, onto rainforest, and onto polar regions.

"Stop running away! I know you not a fighting type, but give me something to work with here" Niang-Niang called, before...

She was punched in the face.

The punch caused a hailstorm on both sides of Niang-Niang and deep cracks permeated Arctic, hundreds of kilometres behind her.

Under the fist on her face, Niang-Niang grinned at panting Chimera.

"Not bad for a manipulation-type Magic God, not bad at all. But let me show you how it is really done. This is how the warrior punches!"

Chimera had no chance to fall back as Niang-Niang's fist struck her chin.

The sound vanished, the air was compressed, before an earsplitting roar was heard. Just like waves on the water after throwing in a rock, a powerful shockwave caused hundreds of tons of ice to shot up and shift in enormous radius around them. From the point of view of outer space, tsunami waves spread in circles from the Arctic, reaching for southern continents.

Chimera left the earth, shot through the sky, lighting up and breaking the cosmic velocity, leaving the atmosphere as a ball of flame, crashing into the planet Mars in the matter of half a minute.

Niang-Niang landed on the surface of the planet, in the middle of the sandstorm.

"Do you yield?" she yelled out.

Nothing. Only sandstorm, red, not yellow in colour, as far as she could see.

No... in fact, she was wrong. There was someone out there.

"Chimera?" she tried again, moving towards the silhouette.

Or rather, silhouettes.

But it was not Chimera. It was Kamijou Touma and Nephthys.

Kissing and feeling each other up in matter that seemed like a pinnacle of pleasure.

Niang-Niang's arms dropped.

"What?" she asked in confusion.

She couldn't look away. She couldn't turn around.

'You knew... you knew... you knew...'

A voice echoed in her mind as the world began to bend and distort, only the vigorous couple in front of her as focal point

'You knew that he would choose her... she is everything he would want... so if you could something... then go... reach for him before it's too late...' whispered the hypnotic voice.

Niang-Niang took a step forward. Then another. And another. Her vision started to become hazy and the warnings about possible trap were getting quieter by the seconds.

'You want to become one with him, don't you... you don't want to be ignored, do you...'

"I... I don't..."

Nephthys and Touma noticed her. Touma smiled and reached out for her.

"You want to be with me, forever, right?" he asked.

"I... want to..."

A last spark of consciousness caused Niang-Niang to grit her teeth. She swiftly summoned a knife and sunk it into her own flesh.

"... to kick a butt of someone messing with me right now. Chimera, get out of my head!"

Sandstorm parted, forms of Nephthys and Touma disappeared. Entire martian surface was clear. And shaken Niang-Niang could see clearly.

Shapeshifting and transcendental beauty were not Chimera's only abilities. The nature of obscurity and illusion were on her side as well, and she possessed powerful spells related to revealing the innermost securities regarding one's emotions and affections, with almost no way to counter them, should one be unaware. And even being aware did not help much.

That sneaky tactics and usage of obscure, chimeric illusions was one of the reason why this Magic Goddess was never Niang-Niang's favourite.

Chimera grew to be bigger than Jupiter, with entire Mars resting on her palm. Her body was badly burned from the interstellar punch inflicted by Niang-Niang, although it was already healing rapidly as she spoke.

"Just one more bit and you would be gone. I have to admit, it's rather impressive. Shaking off the illusion with pain... not many have the will to do it"

Niang-Niang's size changed too, as she took off Mars and floated in space. Most inner planets now looked like tennis balls to them.

"Don't do that again." Niang-Niang snarled. "Or I will slash you out of existence"

"Beauty, lust, love, they are all connected" Chimera brushed her off" What I saw in your mind was quite charming, for the like of you. For the first time in millennia , you actually like a mortal. Because it is a first time, you are insecure. Would he really look your way? Especially since you are by the of someone who fits his preferences much more than you do..."

"That's absurd. I am fearless, and I am not insecure. Even if I was, Nephthys is my best friend. We moved past this, definitely, and we are pursuing him equally."

"Are you now? Are you sure that there isn't any reason for all your childish frivolity? Because to me, you are hiding it in plain sight..."

Dozens of weapons extended from Niang-Niang's sleeves, and they began to glow. Jade irises of the Shijie-Xian shone as well, as she got into attack stance.

"... hiding the fear of your best friend and mortal you love leaving you behind"

"I Ching-Martial arts, secret form..."

"ENOUGH!"

Nephthys appeared between them. She clapped her hands, and tremble was felt, as if all of the universe shivered at once.

Both Niang-Niang and Chimera looked in shock and shrunk to their regular sizes.

"Do you realize how bothersome it was to undo all the damage you are causing?" Nephthys fumed, making a wide gesture with her arms" It is not the most pleasant thing in the world."

"Nephthys, stay-"

"No, I cannot allow you to fight like this. From what I am seeing and feeling, you are in the moods to truly go all out, to stop restraining yourself. If you do, at least this section of the universe will be eradicated. Niang-Niang, he wouldn't like that"

"But..." Niang-Niang tired to argue, but only grit her teeth and finally lowered her head.

"She is right" Chimera suddenly and surprisingly agreed with Nephthys" I don't like pursuing him in such a state. I will resume it by tomorrow"

"Wait-"

But Chimera was already gone.

"Ugh, that... she just comes and goes as she pleases!"

"Niang-Niang, let's go too. You are exhausted."

"I am not though. But fine"

(THAT EVENING, BACK ON EARTH, KAMIJOU + GOKUSAI APARTMENT)

"Uwah?!"

Saten Ruiko jumped as she opened the door to find a gattling gun pointed at her.

"Freeze, stalker!"

Amazora drilled her eyes into sweating Ruiko.

"A-Amazora-chan, it's me, Saten Ruiko? Remember me?"

"Onii-chan shall not be disturbed unless I find his stalker!"

"Stalker? I am sorry, but I don't know what you are talking about..."

"Amazora, immediately lower your weapon" Rikuri commanded, coming into the entry corridor to the apartment" I am terribly sorry, Saten-san. Amazora takes her loyalty to Touma very seriously. She wants to guard him after today"

"A-Alright, but I am still lost. What happened today?"

"Apparently, Touma had some girl taunting throughout the entire day" Kaibi, laying on the couch, answered" We got a bit worked up about it when we heard, to be honest. Why are you here?"

"I was nearby and I wanted to ask Touma about a recipe I was learning from him recently."

"He is in his room. Although he had better days"

"Now that's just rude. I am perfectly fine"

Touma said that, coming into the living room.

Well, to be honest, he was tired and his eyes darted to the corners of the room, as if he expected to find a predator of a Magic God behind the curtain.

"Touma!" Saten exclaimed, running up to him" Wow, you look like you've been through a lot"

"You can say I am in a bit of a mess"

"Care to talk about it?"

Touma shortly explained to her the main premise of his troubles with Chimera.

"That is so awful!" Saten shouted in agitation" She doesn't seem to understand love at all. There is more to beauty than just looks. People have many languages of love to express their feelings in. It reminds me of the time when Shirai-san helped Hokaze-senpai deal with a stalker too"

"Yes, but that person doesn't seem like a reasonable... wait, what did you just said?"

"That Shirai-san-"

"No, before that"

"That people have many languages of love..."

"... and that there is more to beauty than just looks..."

Touma's eyes lit up as he grasped Saten's hands.

"Ruiko-san!"

"Y-Yes?"

"I figured something out. But I need your help"

(NEXT DAY)

"Ruiko"

"Yes"

Kamijou Touma was cooking. Saten Ruiko was by his side.

Nephthys, Niang-Niang, Othinus, and all 3 Gokusai sisters were watching them.

There was something beautiful about the way those two moved in the kitchen together. It almost seemed like a dance, in perfect synchronization and kinetic melody, with their bodies relaxed and moving in harmony to reach and prepare parts of breakfast, speaking only from time to time in calm voices.

"Touma"

"Yes"

Everyone gathered found it strangely relaxing. As if watching a very peaceful and specific ASMR video. Saten and Touma in the domestic environment seemed to make each other's whole in the same way in which left hand complimented the right.

This was the scene that Chimera arrived to.

"What is this?!"

Nephthys snapped her fingers, causing the sisters to faint in an instant. Touma winced. He hated that it had to be done, but Chimera's presence could be dangerous for them if they stayed awake. He was also glad that Index decided to sleep in today.

He seized Saten's hand with Imagine Breaker. As long as he held her, she wasn't in any danger.

"Hey, Chimera. This is a demonstration. Shall go outside?"

Chimera frowned but disappeared and then waited for them, as they left the dorm.

"What demonstration?"

"Ruiko-san here made me realize something. There are many ways of beauty. She is the best example. She does not possess extraordinary power or status, but is still caring, fun, and positive. She can be in harmony when we do something together and she is everything anyone could ask for without trying too much. Her physical looks are only the addition to everything else. I just want you to see it and understand that without that compassion, I will not see you as truly beautiful"

Saten could not help but look away sheepishly. Touma had an unparalleled ability to take her qualities that were absolutely average and unimpressive in her mind, and then talk about them in a way that made her heart fill with warmth and gratitude for being alive.

"You suggest..." Chimera spoke slowly" That she is more beautiful than me?"

"Because she has a kind of beauty you don't have... yes, I think so"

POOF!

Saten covered her face, that became fully red, with her hand.

Touma did not turn his eyes away from Chimera, who frowned and stomped her leg on the ground.

"Impossible! There is no way! This impudent mortal girl will not dare to-"

But before she could raise her hand at Saten, Touma whistled loudly.

A shape zoomed through the air and blocked Chimera's arm.

"What?!"

The person that blocked Magic God's wrath was a dark-skinned girl with white hair, that looked like a puffy swirly cloud. Despite the weather not being particularly sunny, she was skimpily dressed, with yellow, red, and blue stripes on the material covering small segments of her body.

"You see, you are not the only one that can be seen as my stalker. She got pretty pissed when I contacted her"

"Yeah. Because the spot of #1 beloved stalker is already taken! By me!" the newcomer grinned, her arm changing into something that looked like a huge bazooka" I am..."

"So cuuuuute!" Niang-Niang, who appeared alongside Nephthys, cooed" Nephthys, she looks like mini-version of you! And she generates weapons, just like me! She is like a love child of our friendship"

Everyone else blinked and the action resumed.

"I am Mut Thebes, the Transcendent of Punishment. As I said, there can only be one stalker in his life!"

"H-How does your... friend... found us?" Saten asked, looking at Mut Thebes.

"Oh, she didn't need to search..." Touma sighed" usually, she knows perfectly where I am. Long story short, Mut fell in love with me, and would not leave me alone for nothing, just like Chimera here. But in this case, I was able to lay down some rules. Since I apparently could not convince her otherwise, she can follow me anywhere outside the house as long as she doesn't actually interfere with my life while she does it"

"Isn't that a bit... unsettling?"

"Yeah, but it's not so bad after you get used to it. It's more like having an additional support from the shadows. She doesn't bother me and chasing people around is kind of her job, it's also the way in which she expresses her devotion. She was sleepless and unbearable when she couldn't do it, at least according to some of our shared friends."

"I know that I am the last person to say this, given how many people I encounter, but your friends seem really weird sometimes"

"You would still be very surprised"

Mut Thebes and Chimera struggled against one another. It seemed the Transcendent was faring better against Chimera's presence, similarly to Touma himself.

"A Transcendent! Prideful pretenders, begging for divine scraps" Chimera laughed" I can erase you from existence as if I am swatting the fly"

"Oh, really? I don't think so. My magic allows me to absorb the weapons touched by my shadow. And just in case, our new Board Chairman allowed me to add this into my arsenal after we formed a truce"

Something clicked and expanded from her back, forming a black structure with multiple weapons and tools.

Chimera froze as those mechanisms surrounded her.

Touma instantly recognized it. So would Misaka Mikoto, if she was there.

"Anti-Art-Attachment" Mut said smugly" It is to you what Shrink Drink is to us. So I would advise not doing anything that might warrant its usage from my side"

Chimera growled and then backed away.

"Fine. For now, I will considered it as a stalemate. But do not assume this is over. I will make Imagine Breaker bow down to my beauty and consider me the most exalted in all of existence"

Later, Saten thought it was foolish. But the irriation she felt suddenly burst out in that moment.

"Why are you doing this?" she shouted at Chimera" You just want to use him. He will never love you, if that's even what you are after. I can say for sure that you will fail. The way to someone's heart is through kindness and compassion, not through force and conquest. Well, people might have their likings, but forcing someone to like you is wrong. I am sure I know that by now and can work with that too, so surely you have to-"

"And you, mortal girl" Chimera smiled thinly" I respect your courage and determination despite obvious weakness and lack of power. I accept your challenge"

"Wait, what? I didn't really-"

"In the future, we shall face each other in the challenge of the virtue you spoke of. As much as I hate to admit it, you were right. I am the most beautiful, therefore, I must master all forms of beauty" something akin to genuine respect flashed in Chimera's eyes" I will see that our battle will be legendary"

"A-Aaah..." a sound escaped Saten's throat, as Touma stared blankly at the sight.

Did Saten Ruiko, a level 0, just challenged a millennia old Magic Goddess to the battle of wife qualities? Even if it was done unintentionally?

Suddenly, there was a bright light coming from the sky and a man materialized out of thin air, floating above them.

"Chimera!" he screamed" There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

He was a thin man with visible musculature, white hair, and geometric patterns of war paint all over his skin. The most striking characteristic was the man's left arm, evidently a prosthetic, that looked as if someone froze moonlight beam solid and gave it a form of human limb.

"Nuada!" All four goddesses exclaimed.

Airgetlam Nuada, King of Tuatha De Dannan and True Magic God descended to the ground.

"Chimera, I told you not to try to break into this phase on your own. This is not how we do things"

But there was something else in his ways besides scorn. Maybe... worry?

"It's not like I did anything detestable to this world or anything" Chimera shrugged" I just met with a bunch of Magic God runaways... and friends. Defiant, irresistible friends"

The way she said that sent deep shivers from roots of Touma's hair down to his toes. Saten, still holding his hand firmly, looked at him with worry.

"I am taking her home" Nuada said to everyone, focusing particularly on his fellow Magic Gods" In New World, there is a group that got curious with Nephthys and Niang-Niang's sudden attachment to this phase. Still, she should not act independently."

"W-Well, that's fine." Touma tried to laugh it off" Take care then"

Nuada turned his attention to Touma and looked at him for a longer while. The boy could not tell if the gaze was apprehensive or merely judgemental in some way.

"It is convenient to finally meet you, Imagine Breaker" he finally answered" You shall not have to worry about Chimera"

"R-Right..." Touma replied, not knowing what more to said.

He could not tell what was Nuada's actual assessment when it came down to him.

"Chimera"

"Oh, fine. But that's not over..."

Chimera looked at Touma and Saten when both her and Nuada's body began to shine.

"...I will be back, to fulfil my claim"

And with a flash, they were gone.

"Good! Let's not see you soon" Niang-Niang shouted, spinning on her heel and giving room to her frustrations.

"Why did Nuada gauged me up like that?"

"Oh, that must be because..." Nephthys giggled like an excited schoolgirl" Nuada had a hidden fondness for Chimera for quite a few centuries. He probably considered you a rival. Oh, such a tear-jerking spectacle!"

"The only tears this can bring are the ones of pain! I don't want to be rival about anything that concerns that scary woman! Count on my misfortune to make such a misunderstanding happen!"

"Me and Niang-Niang will go for now" Nephthys remarked" We will be in your apartment. Othinus, care for a ride"

"Like hell I-"

All three disappeared without a trace.

Touma exhaled loudly, before realizing that Saten was looking at him soundlessly with big eyes.

"What... was all of that?"

They finally separated their hands, as Touma realized something.

"Ah, alright... I involved you into this prepared to have this talk anyway..."

"What talk?"

"About magic. Even if you suspected something strange in this city before, I owe you some clarification of what you just saw"

"Right... I think I need to sit down for that..."

(20 MINUTES LATER)

"And that's more or less it."

Saten did not say much at first, but afterwards, she couldn't find the expression she wanted to wear, and kept muttering 'oooh', 'woah', 'wow', and such, as if on loop.

"What do you think?"

"That's a... lot. But before I go to process all of it, I have to ask. Why me of all people? Why tell me this?"

"Because I thought that... to hear about it is one thing, to actually listen is another."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's just say that some people too integrated into science side may vehemently reject the idea of magic... or system following some other rules, other than pure science. But I knew that you won't be like that. That you are open to believe in it."

"Why?"

"Because of you level and because of how alive you are, taking all of the world into yourself and making so many connections like it's nothing. You believe in urban legends and mysteries and you carry your mother's charm, the same one you let me borrow this one time, because you believe in their meaning."

"Oh. Right, sure... but the idea of magic actually, actually existing..."

"Right. I know, it's... a bit... much"

"Even still" Saten smiled brightly" Thank you for sharing something as important as this with me. I still don't know if I am particularly good option though... I was already low as it was when it was only Academy City. Adding the crazy things this magic side is capable of... I probably look like an insect to the world"

"Speaking in terms of pure power, maybe. But beyond power, in things those with power can't possess easily, you look like a giant"

"... That's... thank you... also... it's rather chilly... and my hand is getting cold after we held it for so long... can I still do it? Hold yours, I mean"

"Huh? But Chimera is already-"

"J-Just until we get back inside, so it can warm up a little"

"Okay, I don't want you to be cold too..."

She grasped his hand like it was the most natural thing in the world, trying to pour all of overwhelming love and gratitude she was filling into the contact.

"We should probably get going though. Index is going to bite my head off if she doesn't find breakfast at this hour"

"Can we take the stairs? As a morning warm-up?"

Well, a little bit longer was eternity when it came to holding hands with a guy you loved.

"Let's go and cook something awesome together"

"Mhm!"

As they finally reached the apartment, they found a smiling Mut Thebes by the door. Only then did they separate their hands.

"Oh? You stuck around?" Touma said in surprise" Why?"

"Becaaaause..." Mut sing-sang, pushing the door" I brought some surprises with me"

Inside, Nephthys and Niang-Niang eyed two women with curiosity. One of them had silver hair, wearing a revealing wimple and headpiece, while the other was very tall, with long blond hair reaching her ankles, and sported a white maternity dress combined with large white hat.

Silver haired woman's face lit up as she moved towards Touma. He too grinned brightly and sprinted forward, finally finding himself in her arms (and vice versa)

"Aradia!"

Witch Goddess Aradia of Bridge Builders Cabal was a bit of a tsundere-type in her demeanor, so she wasn't always that enthusiastic in her reactions. More so, she started her relationship with Kamijou Touma by attempting (and succeeding!) to kill him. But since that time, the pair grew very close and fond of one another, proving it on multiple occasions. So after some time apart, both of them could only react that way at the surprise reunion

"It's been too long" Aradia remarked, as he buried his face in her hair" We are still travelling, but Mut contacted us and said that it would be a good occasion to say hello. It's been... quite a while"

"You damn banana woman, I missed you" he said, backing away and grasping her hand with both of his own.

She jumped and shyly looked away. Ironically, she was still more bashful with handholding than with a body contact, but that could be due to experiences in early days of their relationship.

"I... missed you too"

Touma then turned to Good, Old Mary. The tall woman extended a hand, palm down. Touma blinked at it, before slowly, very slowly, planted a kiss on it.

No one said anything. The part of the face not obscured by the hat remained stone cold.

Before finally smile spread on her face. Stunned Touma found himself lifted up under the arms (he reached only to her Good, Old Mary's chest level), finding himself in front of her face before receiving a kiss on the brow.

"I think it's safe to assume that mama's joke got you" the alchemist spoke with a twinge of amusement in her voice." Hello, Kamijou Touma."

"S-So you are not mad? Sometimes I lose track who I accidentally pissed..."

"There is no reason for me to mad at you. You, who embodies mama's salvation condition so perfectly, and causes miracles to befall on those less privileged and fortunate by means of equal salvation. No, in fact, it's very good that you are alive. I am glad for that. You are not allowed to die unless mama is nearby. Alternative would be truly... regrettable for me"

"Thanks, I will try not to. Also... can I get down?"

There was a chance that dangling slightly over the ground while lifted under his arms by a tall, wife-like woman would awake something inside him.

"I think that some introductions are in order" Nephthys said.

"We know who you are." Aradia said" there is no way we could not"

"Still, I hope to learn something about all of you. It's due time that Transcendents and Magic Gods crossed paths"

"Can you... get her off?!"

Niang-Niang was snuggling into Mut Thebes with gleam in her eyes.

"You are so cute, lovechild of my friendship. Mini-Nephthys with weapon absorbing power, this is just too good! Oh, your hair is so puffy, like a small sheep! Can I adopt you?!"

"Touma, help me!"

"By the way, is Anna here?"

"She had some things to settle, but promised she will see you soon"

"Oh, I see. I kind of miss her too, so it would be nice to be together, even if our time apart was not all that long"

Meanwhile, Amazora, Kaibi, and Rikuri woke up and looked at the new additions to the room.

"Should we wonder why is there bunch of new people in the house?" Amazora wondered.

"Probably yes. But we will learn in due time. Better not question it and just go with the flow" Rikuri stretched before saying:

"Hi everyone, I am Rikuri, those are my sisters, Amazora and Kaibi. I will be your host. Does anyone care for some tea? Or something to drink?"

"I would like some orange juice" said Ruiko

"I have my own mix, I can give it to you" Aradia pointed out.

"Light coffee" answered Good, Old Mary.

"Cinnamon-spiced hot chocolate" that was from Nephthys

"Some cola would be cool" and addition from Niang-Niang

Othinus opted by a small portion of water, as she wasn't really all that thirsty.

As they all sat around the table, Touma felt like he forgot about something important.

But it didn't take long to figure out what.

"Breakfaaast..."

A voice exclaimed from behind him.

He slowly turned around to see a very hungry Index, scanning the table in search of food, finding none and starting to glare at Touma

"Be brave, boy. And fear not. Mama is still here, should her services be needed" Good, Old Mary patted his arm."Or maybe not, if you die of loosing too much blood from the bite"

"D-Don't say that! Look, those jaws are opening wider and wider"

"Don't worry, if you do die, I will make you the most fesitve funeral and mourn you for a thousand years"

"NOT. HELPING!"

"Index-san..." Saten spoke quickly" We need a bit more time, can you wait for just a moment longer? We left breakfast half prepared..."

Finally, Index grumbled and sat down.

"Then it seems this is time for me to help" Good, Old Mary rose up" Kitchen Alchemist is not just a name for fun, mama can be an excellent cook when she needs to be."

As Touma, Saten, and tall Transcendent disappeared into the kitchen, Nephthys looked at Aradia.

"I suppose we owe each other a talk" the egyptian goddess said.

"It might be so"

"But, since it will be rather rich in volume and importance, we will return to it in the future time, in Painted Prison Chronicles!"

"Who are you even talking to?!"

(TO BE CONTINUED...)

That's it for now, with similar chapter coming in the following weeks.

So, what to say... Frenda. Yes, this story made a terrible sin of lacking Frenda in some form or way, besides mentions and moments with Kaibi, Touma, and Hamazura, as well as Kaibi and Kakine. I wondered how to change that and I thought that this would be a perfect way to address Esther too, even if it's in one of the timelines that will one day form the Future Phase. But anyway, Frenda is one of the stars of this chapter.

It deals with something that would be done if Mugino ever had a chance to see Frenda again. Even if some things may seem too 'sappy' and emotional for Mugino, I think this just shows how far she came and how genuine she is in her remorse. It was touching to me to see how many great connections Frenda had. And also, a surprisingly romantic moment for being reborn and finding her friends again, especially Touma and Mugino.

High Priest also makes an unexpected comeback. I like to imagine that due to his spiritual prowess, he survived in some form or way, lacking physical substance but still conscious. And thanks to that encounter, we had Frenda no Tensei. Yes, I can tell that this is not the end of Frenda's adventure. Keeping her promise to Touma got a lot more complex than she initially thought.

I am expanding on the character of Yuamiko, or Yua, and her tarnished relationships with her daughters. I wanted to showcase Yua's more clumsy and endearing side, in contrast to hostile and professional one she showed during her introduction, to pronounce a slow change that began to occur since she spoke with Touma. Her way with each of her daughters is different, with each being painful in her own right. It is meant to be realistic in that sense.

Also, I think this is the first wider introduction of Chimera in the fanfic. She looks a bit like a villain here, and while she is not something Touma enjoys to have around, she is just misguided in her understanding of beauty. Beauty forms a lot of her personality, and she is narcissistic and perverted, like Niang-Niang says, but there is more to her personality, as we will see in the future, when she will return for Saten's challenge. Also, Nuada misunderstanding Touma and seeming him as rival is kind of funny. Touma needs adventures with male Magic Gods too.

In this spot, I also want to pronounce something that came to my attention when it came to my understanding of Touma's future. It's true that for now I don't focus so much on the negative consequences or circumstances of Kamijou Family. Because by definition, Future Phase should be the most optimal future for Touma to be with his kids and wives. However, this doesn't mean that there are none of the challenges, not only between Touma and his children, but also between siblings themeselves. Yet, all in all, I think he suffered enough to earn some good dynamics and loving family in his life. Plus, if all goes well, there is relative peace in the world, and a bunch of wives watches over him, I am sure Touma would be a wonderful dad. Or at least he would really try to be one.

Next chapter will have the same anthology formula before we return to the action. As a teaser for the next time, some of the titles of its parts are

OF A CERTAIN FAMILY DAY

TALE OF TWO HEADBANDS

and more, that will remain a secret for now!

What Frenda and Fremea said in norwegian at the end of the first part translates more or less to:

Frenda: "Basically, I never wanted to leave you. I love you and I will always be near you when you need me. For now, see you later"

Fremea: "I know, I love you too. Thank you for everything, sister. Goodbye"

Also:

"hysj, hysj, lille en..." - hush, hush, little one

"(...) kjekk å dø for" - handsome to die for

Take care, you are wonderful. See you next time!