Chapter 13 - The Wolf and the Imago.

The sound of excited shouts filled Kamijou Touma's ears. Before that, there was a brief silence, a sea of contemplation washing over the faces of the crowd that had faced chaos that night. With the Queen defeated, the creatures that had crawled and jumped into every gap now let out strange grunts, many of them retreating as if they didn't know what to do.

"Kamijou-senpai!" Maidono shouted from where she stood, her voice muffled by his labored breathing as she ran up to him. "You did it. Was this your plan all along?"

"Um... sort of."

Kamijou probably didn't realize how exhausted he sounded. He noticed other people approaching, but only Naru and Yakumaru's faces stood out; the rest blurred into a gray haze.

His head throbbed.

Kamijou raised a hand to his temple, feeling a pressure that seemed to come from the back of his head.

Whispers.

There was something whispering. Was it external? He had to look around, trying to focus amid the chaos. He saw white everywhere, flooding and corrupting, the landscape disintegrating. He noticed a figure on top of a building, staring at him—or was it? He couldn't be sure if the figure was truly there or if it was looking back at him.

And then... darkness.

x-2-x

"Can you hear me?"

...

...

"... just give up."

...

...

...

"I did it to myself."

x-3-x

"Hey... are you awake?"

When he finally opened his eyes, a bright light dazzled him. He was no longer standing as he had been a minute ago.

"Try not to move too much-"

"For fuck's sake, are you his mother?"

Two people were arguing nearby. Kamijou Touma found himself lying on a bed of white sheets, that familiar smell of disinfectant wafting up his nostrils. As he tried to get up, he felt the tips of his limbs tingle slightly.

A strong hand forced him back onto the bed.

"Lie down," Maidono said in a firm but pleasant voice. "You need to rest, especially after breaking so many bones."

"Eh?"

Kamijou made a confused face. His head felt like it was floating, likely due to an excess of painkillers.

"A rib punctured your lung, among other things," Mugino said, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, looking serious. "We dealt with the internal bleeding, but it's best not to push your luck. We're running low on medicine."

It seemed his earlier maneuver had come at a cost. Throwing himself from that height straight into the Queen's mouth was not something he had expected to survive unscathed. After being swallowed, his body was crushed, but he gritted his teeth and held on. Although it might have seemed from the outside that he had escaped unscathed, his body had broken down in that instant. But a little pain was not enough to stop Kamijou Touma.

But there was something even more fundamentally wrong. He felt reasonably well, and that wasn't something he could attribute to the extra dose of painkillers. There was that tingling, but that was all. Nothing really hurt.

"Give your healing factor some time to do its job," Maidono said in a peculiar tone. She had her back to Mugino, which allowed her to wink at him without her noticing. "Another hour or two should do it."

Healing factor? Luckily he only thought that instead of speaking out loud, thanks to that brief gesture from Maidono. As far as he knew, he didn't have that kind of benefit. His hospital stays were shorter than expected, but that was more because he left before fully recovering. At the same time, hadn't he heard something about a "fantasy body" or something similar?

That wasn't what Maidono was talking about, though. Kamijou put his hand on the back of his head again, where that parasite from another phase resided. Hadn't one of his teammates mentioned that killing a Shattered is no easy task?

"You're full of tricks," Mugino said, uncrossing her arms and walking over to him. "Your firepower was key tonight. I really didn't expect you to just punch a queen. Well done."

"Complimenting others for free, are you? You sound like your old self."

"Fuck you, Mai-san. You shouldn't have grouped with your faction at this point. Go away and stop bothering me. You're not welcome here."

"Boy, are you ungrateful. I risked my life tonight, you know that?"

"Would you like a written thank you?" Mugino pointed an accusing finger at Maidono. "You'll get one after you apologize for all the trouble your faction has caused me."

"Ugh... dealing with you is torture." Maidono gestured to her head with her index finger. "Insanity is no excuse for bad manners, Mugino Shizuri."

Maidono looked in Kamijou's direction and made a gun gesture with one hand, pointing it at him. As a joke, the boy feigned a grunt of pain and put his hand where the imaginary bullet had "hit" him.

"I have to go now, senpai," said Maidono smiling after blowing out the 'gun'. "Hurry up and get back to our base, we need you."

He couldn't complain about the fact that he'd barely survived today and already had high expectations on his shoulder, this was just another daily dose of misfortune.

Humming, Maidono exited the infirmary. Mugino glanced towards the door for a few seconds before adjusting her hair and directing her stern gaze towards Kamijou. The boy felt a twinge of nervousness as the older girl retrieved a folding chair from the corner of the room and positioned it beside him.

That place was a private room in the infirmary. There were probably many other wounded people out there who didn't have the luxury of such privacy—poor souls fighting to survive, receiving little in return. He couldn't quite pinpoint why it sometimes irked him.

"We don't have much time alone, so I'd better get started soon."

Kamijou had turned his head because of the brief infighting, so he was startled when he suddenly saw a sharp object in Mugino's hand. It was a knife. Long and shiny, something common to him considering how much he had to cook for himself.

"Why did you suddenly get nervous?"

That question made him gasp, and only then did he notice that the girl had a basket on her lap.

"Do you like apples?" she asked, starting to peel one of the apples from the basket in a rather rustic way.

"Where did you get that from?"

"I'd hidden it in the locker. Maidono came in out of the blue and almost saw me peeling one off. She'd tease me relentlessly for a week if she caught me like that. She can't even handle the fact that I have to cook regularly... all because of my prosthetic arm, of course. It's not like I actually enjoy it or anything."

"Mugino-san, if I may say so, the additional details made it sound like you're a Tsundere in denial—"

"Do you want to die?" She pointed the tip of the knife in his direction, which made him yelp and move away on instinct. "Don't push your luck. Just be grateful that I'm doing this for you. Here." She cut off a piece of apple and offered it to him, sticking out the end of the knife. "Take it. Know that I don't do this kind of thing for just anyone, so feel privileged. Some people would kill to be in your shoes."

"Why are you insisting on extra details—no, no, no... Wait, wait!" He waved his arms when he saw her move the knife towards him. When she stopped, he grabbed the piece of apple with his fingertips.

"That's better."

"Shouldn't girls bake cookies as a thank you?"

"What the hell do you think I am? Do you have any idea how difficult it is to make cookies from scratch? Getting the dough just right is impossible. It's always too dry, or too damn wet."

Mugino then mumbled something to herself. A poor apple paid the price for the girl's sudden anger and was crushed in an instant. She was kind of scary.

"The most I can offer you is a cake. Please don't make me bake cookies."

"Eh?" Kamijou tilted his head in confusion. "It was a joke, why are you acting like it was some kind of order?"

"Maidono and I had a bet... sort of. You were there, remember?"

He was sure that Mugino had refused, but either way, she seemed determined to comply.

"You can choose anything," said Mugino, focused on peeling another apple. "Supplies, equipment, whatever. Just be a bit reasonable, my faction is falling apart... literally right now."

Frankly, he didn't care about such a bet. That was between her and Maidono, but he felt that the best way to deal with all this was to ask for something simple and for the two of them to move on with their lives. But there was something he wanted that he could actually get another way.

He asked for it anyway.

"Can I just ask you a few questions?"

Mugino stopped working on the apples when she heard that, the knife in her hand slamming into the basket, enough to make a noise in the empty room. What went through her head at that moment?

"If that's what you want." She shrugged and went back to work.

"Good." Kamijou settled down on the bed, sitting with his back against the headboard. "It's just, I heard that Maidono was part of your faction before she made hers."

"Hmm..." She looked slightly annoyed, even rolled her eyes. "Yeah, not only that, she was kind of my second-in-command. Not exactly... it's complicated."

This was something he hadn't expected. Silence hung for a moment because of the brief shock, but Kamijou continued after Mugino handed him a piece of apple.

"So what happened?" He tried to sound as neutral as possible. "You don't seem to be getting along very well right now."

"She just decided to leave, that's all."

"That's certainly not the whole story."

The glare Mugino directed at Kamijou caused him physical discomfort. The way she prodded one of the apples with the tip of her knife made him sit up nervously.

"We decided to go our separate ways," said Mugino, without looking in his direction.

"Why?"

"We disagree about a decision I made." A long pause followed. "You won't be satisfied without the whole story, I presume."

Kamijou didn't answer; he simply stood there, observing her, while a tired sigh escaped her lips. Mugino ran her hand through her hair, turning her face away. For a moment, she seemed lost in thought.

"There was this friend of mine," said Mugino, her tone different from usual, even a little mournful. "She was my real second-in-command, before Mai-san came along. Actually, she was more someone who took care of finances and planning, direct combat wasn't her specialty."

More silence.

Taking a deep breath, Mugino played with one of the apples, but she didn't seem to be amused. She examined it from several angles, taking her time to decide where to start peeling it. But instead, she just broke it in half and then bit off a chunk.

The crunch of the apple echoed in the room as Mugino took another bite. The sound was loud. Mugino's actions were deliberate and calculated, yet there was a sense of turmoil beneath her composed exterior. Her movements were fraught with tension and her expression revealed a hint of sadness. The apple, once whole and perfect, was now broken and devoured. Perhaps this was her way of buying time, so she continued in silence until she had finished chewing, throwing the apple into the basket in disinterest.

"I told this friend of mine that it was okay if she focused on what was best. Me, Mai-san, and Kinuhata would take care of the direct combat, but for some reason, she insisted on following us. She said that ITEM fights as a team, so the new ITEM should do the same."

"Did you stop her then?"

"No. I thought everything would be fine." She handed the other part of the apple with the peel to Kamijou. "But one day, she ended up getting infected by one of these things."

"Hmm?" Kamijou glanced at Mugino and instinctively put his hand on the back of his neck. "You mean... like Hamazura?"

"Yes. It took her a while to show the symptoms, but eventually, she would become what they call 'Shattered'."

Kamijou lacked details about the entire process; all he knew was that they hadn't been infected through bites or any other means. Direct contact with the parasite was the only plausible way for such an infection to occur. However, that detail seemed irrelevant to the current situation, so he decided not to ask any more questions.

"When the people in my faction heard the news," Mugino continued, "collective chaos ensued. It was only a matter of time before my friend attacked someone, unable to do anything to stop herself. A prisoner in her own body. Then... one day she came to me and asked me to put an end to it all."

This time, Mugino decided to put the basket aside, for the first time looking directly at Kamijou. It was as if she was silently saying that this was a moment that should be respected.

"It's not easy to exterminate a Shattered completely," said Mugino. "When you kill the infected, the parasite finds a way to bring it back, so the ideal is to incinerate the body until there's nothing left." The pause she took was accompanied by a frustrated bite on the lips. "She said it had to be me. Not just because of my powers, but because of everything we've been through together. She was there at the beginning with me, and I would be there at the end with her. She was ready."

It wasn't necessary for her to continue for Kamijou to understand how far this had gone. It made him wonder what he would do in her place, but his mind quickly pushed those thoughts aside.

"So, you..." Kamijou stopped mid-question, watching Mugino shake her head.

"I couldn't," she said, and then pressed her lips together in a monotonous straight line. "I hesitated... at the last moment I looked at her and she closed her eyes. My ability activated, but I couldn't fire." She looked away again. "This story unfortunately didn't have the ending I'd imagined. My friend spent her last days going crazy, losing control... until it was too late."

Reflecting on the past, Kamijou vaguely recalled a moment when Maidono had made a peculiar comment after Mugino mentioned Hamazura's illness. "Stories often echo each other, after all." This wasn't the first time this girl had tried to save someone from this fate, and perhaps that's why she was so committed this time.

"I'm a level 5," said Mugino suddenly, as if coughing up blood. "Not only that, but I was part of the dark side, and I grew up in a rich family with an empire built on dirty money. That makes me a better person than most but... I'm a lot worse too. Sometimes, when you spend too long in the darkness, if you want to keep your body warm, you need to freeze your heart." She put her hand to her chest, but then let it drop to her side. "Of everything I've done, I only have two major regrets in my life: Killing a friend of mine, and becoming too weak to be able to kill another."

If that boy had known where this story ended, he would have thought twice before asking that question. But now he wanted to understand the whole story, to know what that girl had been through.

"Mai-san didn't like my decision," she said simply. "She said that I had disrespected my friend's wishes, that I owed it to her, after all. We argued and almost fought, after which Mai-san left and never came back. I only learned that she had built a new faction from scratch recently, when we fought at that outpost. Don't tell her this, but I'm glad she came to help me even after everything. She's a better person than I am."

"You should tell her then, she'd certainly appreciate it."

"That's not the kind of person I am. There will be no peace between us ever again."

After she had finished, she simply decided to continue cutting the apples, giving up on peeling them, completely losing interest in doing something so simple, just because it would be more work.

"You know," said Kamijou, "I'm with you on this one."

"Hmm?" Mugino looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"Your decision. If I were you, I'd do the same." He put his hand to the right side of his chest. "I'm that kind of stupid person who can't give up on someone. I feel that one day I will have to pay for the consequences of following my heart and never compromising, maybe even other people will pay in my place... but it's something I can't help. Risking everything for the impossible is the least a true friend should do, isn't it?"

"If you say so." She shrugged, but clearly, she was suddenly thoughtful. "The decision I made was actually the easy way out. There's no nobility here. I wonder if I'd had to make it some time ago, before all this, would I have done the same thing. I'm on a strange path, and I don't see it ending any time soon."

Mugino Shizuri stood up from her chair. Her face was strange to decipher, but her shoulders slumped as if she were tired after a hard day's work. Her eyes told a different story. No longer as insecure as before, she looked at him resolutely.

"If that's all you wanted to know, the bet's paid off. I need to go now, enjoy the apples." She reached into the pocket of her thick winter coat, pulling out a small device. "Before I forget, keep this."

The device in Kamijou's hands was similar to the one he had, a radio wave communicator that his faction used. Before he could ask, Mugino interrupted him.

"Number 1 asked me to give you this."

"Accelerator?" Kamijou was slightly confused, looking at the communicator in his hand.

That person was there at the end. He had swooped in out of nowhere to assist in defeating the creature, but after Kamijou passed out, he had forgotten that detail. But he vaguely remembered that the person had mentioned needing to have an important conversation.

"He said he had to solve some problems," said Mugino. "You need to leave my faction if you want to use this thing. Only communicators built here can work perfectly, the rest are blocked, it prevents any kind of spying or some shit."

"So the communicators my faction uses..."

"Mai-san should start building hers. That girl. She pretends to be perfect but doesn't do anything right."

"You really should make up."

"It's not going to happen." She made a dissuasive gesture with her hand and turned to leave. She stopped when she reached the door and looked at him. "By the way, if you ever get tired of that shithole and want to be part of a real faction, you're welcome here."

Mugino had a half-smile on her face, but it quickly faded. She crossed her arms, staring intensely at him, as if expecting some kind of response.

"I'm sorry, Mugino-san. That 'shithole' is my home now, I wouldn't abandon my friends like that."

"You know best." She turned away, but continued talking over her shoulder. "I guess I should thank you again."

"You don't have to. Hamazura is a good friend—"

"Thanks anyway."

x-4-x

Alone in that sterile room, Kamijou contemplated everything that had happened so far while taking deep breaths. The silent room practically echoed with his heavy, rapid, and irregular breathing. He tried to sleep, but he couldn't.

Being alone was becoming increasingly difficult. The details of his conversation with Mugino flooded his mind, making him wonder if he would suffer the same fate as her friend. His right hand went to the back of his neck, a gesture that was becoming a dangerous habit. After all, there was no telling if his Imagine Breaker would react in some catastrophic way. He refused to believe that everything was so simple, that he could just use the power of his right hand on that parasite and all his problems would disappear. Especially after witnessing that violent reaction.

Kamijou decided that tossing and turning in bed was pointless. Despite his serious condition, he felt surprisingly well. And that was a problem. He needed to distract himself.

"Don't you think it's too early to be out and about?"

A female voice sounded behind him just as he stepped out of the bedroom door. The person standing there in a fox mask looked at him with an intensity that was palpable even without seeing her face.

"Violet? I didn't expect to meet you again so soon."

"Insisting on calling me that name? What a pain." She shook her head as if she had been punched. "Do you mind if I keep you company? There's something I want to show you."

They walked through the bustling infirmary, Dion Fortune following Kamijou closely until they reached the corridors leading to the destroyed stores. The place had been turned upside down, but fortunately, the medical wing remained intact.

The rest of the mall didn't fare so well. Beams and rubble were scattered everywhere, creating a tangled maze of destruction. Broken glass crackled underfoot, while the wires hanging from the ceiling swung slowly. The air was full of dust and the smell of broken concrete. It was only when the two of them could feel the pure, cold night air that Dion caught his eye.

"Here, take a look."

Kamijou looked up when Dion pulled a large scorpion-like creature out of the black box she always carried.

"That's..."

"I extracted it from the queen," Dion revealed, as if proud. "Luckily, the thing wasn't destroyed in the fight. My initial analysis gave good results."

Finally, some good news, which made him breathe a sigh of relief. It was always good to count on the professionals.

"But unfortunately, I couldn't come up with a definitive answer," she continued, shrugging. "I'll have to keep doing some tests, but my knowledge at the moment is limited."

As always, things weren't easy. Kamijou clenched his fist tightly. Index was still out there; he had seen her before he fainted, but he couldn't tell if she was really there or just a hallucination. And those words he heard—was that her voice?

"Violet, when you talk about knowledge, do you mean magical knowledge?"

"For the most part. I've been consulting that frog-faced doctor to cover the scientific gaps, but it would be nice to have the opinion of an expert on the magic side too."

"If only she were here."

Kamijou only whispered it, but Dion tilted her head in his direction.

"Are you talking about the library of grimoires?" She held her chin, staring into the void as she thought. "Yes, it would be a great help. Hmm... maybe our paths crossed again for a reason." Dion looked at the inert creature in her hand. "I see, we don't need an immediate solution. I must change my focus from now on."

"What are you talking about?"

"My efforts will be to help you with what you need now. Give me two or three days; I should have some progress by then. Don't worry, the great mage of wisdom and love will share this burden with you." She bowed formally, holding up her dress, which was rather cute.

"Magicians are always eccentric, it must be a prerequisite."

"What? It's true that I'm a bit eccentric, I admit that without a problem, but it seems like you're trying to put me on the same level as people like Crowley or that idiot husband of the black cat witch."

"Well... none of them walk around in a fox mask. Rather cute, by the way."

"Eh?" She didn't seem to take it as a compliment. "This is actually a spiritual item. Fox hunting is a special tradition where I come from, so this symbol carries some power. I usually use it to disguise my presence."

"That sounds useful."

"It's necessary. I'm a person-shaped grimoire after all, which means I'm constantly causing little distortions in the ley lines."

"Is that a big problem?"

"Not exactly. I just have a theory that these things can 'feel' these distortions. I don't want to be responsible for attracting them where I go. You espers go around at night on predetermined routes, so you avoid the most dangerous places. I don't have time for that, so I wear this mask to ensure my low profile."

This meant she was doing it more to protect the people she had to see, not herself. Kamijou knew Dion was a strong person, so in a way, he admired her for taking extra care to look out for the innocent. It also gave him a realization.

He glanced at his right arm for a moment.

Technically, the Imagine Breaker was always causing some kind of 'distortion' in the ley lines. Birdway explained that this is normally imperceptible, since the power flowing through the world is always replenishing itself, making it uniform. In the past, magicians have taken advantage of this detail to track him. It seemed unlikely that something like this would happen again, but he didn't want to risk it.

"Can't you get one of these for me then?"

"Sure, but don't blame me when you turn into a bloody pinata, hehehe." She put her hand to the mask's drawn mouth as she laughed. "But I hear you recovered from your injuries in record time. If you're willing to risk it, you could become a hybrid of magician and esper."

"My last experience with something like this wasn't very good. I almost died when St. Germain used my body to cast magic."

"Oh, interesting story. You're always full of surprises, Imagine Breaker."

The golden magician said goodbye with a formal nod and disappeared between the stores. Kamijou waited a few moments before pulling out the device in his pocket and making a decision.

x-5-x

The streets were as deserted as ever. Going out alone at night was extremely risky, but Kamijou didn't want to wait, he felt he couldn't afford to waste another second.

No matter how much time he spent in this world, everything still seemed surreal to him, wrong. The skeletal frames of skyscrapers loomed overhead, windows shattered, steel girders exposed, jutting out like the ribs of a carcass. His eyes occasionally caught movement in dark alleys, but he wasn't sure if there was really anything there. It was better that he occupied his mind with something else.

His cold fingers pressed a button.

"Yo, finally."

A young, slightly irritated voice sounded through the device. Kamijou hadn't expected it, he'd just wanted to send a text message, but maybe this would be better.

" Accelerator?
"No time for small talk, where are you?" The white monster's voice sounded determined.

"Hmm? District 7..." He looked around, but he wasn't sure which pile of rubble he should use as a reference point. "Do you know where the base of the faction led by Maidono Hoshimi is?"

"Maidono?" He was slow to continue. "I'm pretty sure no one calls her that, but I have an idea. I'm sorting a few things out... for fuck's sake, LAST ORDER! Be quiet." A sound of breaking glass or porcelain rang out in the background, and he was sure he heard sadistic laughter and someone mocking the Number 1. "I'm hanging up now."

"Wait, you said you had something important to tell me."

"That's why I'm hanging up. We'd better talk in person."

"You're the leader of a faction too, aren't you?"

"Almost." He clicked his tongue. "Supposedly one of the Big 4, but our base is a pile of junk at the moment. Right now, I'm living in the faction led by number 3."

"Garden Guardians?"

"Yes. Our factions have joined forces to deal with a mess, don't ask me anything, too complicated at the moment."

Kamijou was about to hang up and focus on the matter at hand, but he suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, our faction has one of the members of Misaka's faction as a guest."

"So?"

"I was thinking, if you're going to come here, it would be nice if you escorted her back. We've been short-staffed lately."

"I'm not a private cab, you damn monster." A deep breath was heard. "I think it's the least I can do. Tell her to sort out whatever she's got, without wasting time."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Huh? You just asked me, dumbass."

"Not that." Kamijou had to grit his teeth. "You've called me a monster twice now."

"I'm sure it was more than twice." Accelerator's voice suddenly became low, rigid, tension becoming palpable. "That girl, Kumokawa Seria, she told me your memory was bad. Should I be worried?"

So those two really were working together. Kamijou had heard that Kumokawa was a nomad, probably leading some small group of survivors. There was so much he had to ask her, but first, he would get some answers closer to him.

"I should never have left my post," continued Accelerator. "Perhaps your complaint about misfortune is legitimate after all."

"Thank you for that."

"For what?"

"You and Kumokawa-senpai have kept me safe all this time, it's good to know I can count on you."

Kamijou had said it from the bottom of his heart, but all he got in response was an eerie silence. Even the monotony of the still city was noisier, and the icy wind lashing his face wasn't as intense as the invisible pressure coming from that device.

"I think I have to make one thing clear here," Accelerator finally said, breaking the suffocating silence but not relieving the pressure. "Our intention wasn't to keep you safe or anything when we put you to sleep in that cryogenic chamber."

Kamijou didn't say anything; he just frowned, feeling his mouth suddenly go dry.

"That place was more like a prison than a resting place," said Accelerator sternly. "We put you there not to protect you, but to protect us from you."

Author's note: What's up? Shorter chapter than usual, but there was plenty, I hope.

This new chapter served as an epilogue to the first part of the story. With the task of the New ITEM completed, Kamijou now needs to focus fully on Index. Kongou will return in the next chapter; she has something to say to Kamijou before he goes his separate ways.

Let's check out your reviews:

KHVSFF: This was a chapter with a lot of Moog moments, lol, I hope you enjoyed it. We'll find out a bit more about what these two Level 5s are up to soon. Thank you for taking the time to read.

5queso: Kamijou as always returning from life-and-death situations. He looked unharmed, but inside he was all fucked up, which is kind of a way of making the others think that he really is that strong, which is kind of a plot point. Accel will have more screen time in the future. Thanks as always.

5had0wHand: Shocking, eh? XD I'm glad to hear it's not bad. I usually revise a bit more. It looks like I've got people worried. Kamijou had a unique experience, didn't he? Accel stealing the show at the end. See you next chapter.

Guest: Thank you for your concern. I have a scene already planned on this subject, just wait.

Onilink500: I'm glad you liked the action scene, I wanted to make it longer, but that's what I managed. Those three will have a long talk later.

Kuroshiragami0: I hope you enjoyed it. I'm recovering slowly, but I'm doing relatively well, thank you.

Nicko2545: A classic. Glad you liked it. Accelerator bearing bad news this time. Maidono accumulating victories in this story apparently, lol. Thanks for everything.

Amad0: Thank you. It's good to be back. My health has always been a bit fragile, I'm used to it. I'll be fine. All the best to you too, I hope you'll keep following.

Amatsumi: That fight was just an ordinary queen, Index is out there, and she is the "Queen among Queens".

I'll see you next time!

By the way, some chapter titles will never make sense. That's all I've got for now. Nio leaving.