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!

37. Chapter 37

PAINTED PRISON CHRONICLES

CHAPTER 37

REQUIEM OF FATE: WANDERING THOUGHTS

Hello again, good to be back. A pleasure, truly a pleasure I got a bit busy with important travel and other matters, but I am back, with a rather interesting and special chapter actually. I can only say that in some ways this is something that truly should be done justice earlier. I think that this dedicated chapter is a necessary addition to this and not only this, story as a whole.

I have a bit of a story meta-talk here, I wish to commentate on something that has became one of the characteristic signs of my writing and I think got a bit of word going around, on both sides of the spectrum of opinions. I am talking about introduction and expansion of tertiary characters (mainly girls). This topic can be divided into two, really. Firstly, the introduction and expansion as a whole, and secondly, the harem of this story.

I will always stand by and defend the position of huge benefit that tertiary and secondary characters can bring to the storyline if one cares about them, studies them, and brings them to life in the most in-story realistic way possible. That's what I intended to do and I still intend to do. Of course, I am just a human, and as meticulously as I try to polish my skills, I will still fail. That's to be expected. The greatest advantage of under-descripted characters is that you have a great range of possibility to move through and create. But at the same time, because it's not specified, every one can say no to your vision. That's just the nature of fictional characters as a whole compared to our world. With us, beings of reality, we either have any of our traits, or we don't. We are epistemically whole. Whereas the ficitional characters... not so much. The definite descriptions are particular story's canon. Anything other than that either can or can't be the truth, at the same time. For example, we know that Kaibi's hair is bleached blond, but she either has or has not the mole on her shoulder. Kamachi didn't describe it, so it is true and false for fans at the same time. Substitute the mole with more important topic for particular character, like Mugino or Misaki's family, and we have headcanons, that are those pretty peculiar beings in the ontology of fiction that can be both truth and false, as each of the fans has the equal right to be right or wrong in their predictions, with some visions more aligned with reference point of story's reality, canon, but nevertheless, still valid until disproven.

Going to the point, not everyone likes moving in the sphere of ambiguity. The theme of extension and broadening characters got a lot of attention and enthusiasm for this story. I still receive very enthusiastic comments, lot of them in private, of how this is very innovative and refreshing. I am deeply happy and motivated because of them, because I like to treat the task of writing and shaping the underdeveloped characters, and the story world as a whole, with dedication and respect. Also, I won't lie when I say that there is something addicting in expanding the cast and introduction scenes. Damn it, I now know why Kamachi likes it so much... and those poor characters don't appear again. Sigh...

There are several reasons why this trend is going on for so long. Firstly, your attention contains the part where multiple people want to see some character appear in the story. Creative process in my opinion, consists in this case of at least three parts that need to be respected: My respect for you, the readers, my respect for the characters and the story in itself, and the respect for my own vision and what I wish to do with plotline and its fictional inhabitants. Those three components should, in the ideal setting, be balanced out. But life usually doesn't work like this. I can't predict what others would desire, the plot tends to spread like a tree, with several possible routes, and although I have pre-planned way of writing, sometimes I wake up or see something that inspires me and I am like 'I have to modify it a little bit, I would really like to see it in this chapter. But this doesn't go well with plot, so let's move it here... but reader x said something about character y... etc., etc.' So different moments in the story often have one of those three factors in dominance. However, I do my best to readjust it in future chapters, so it becomes a circulation of sorts.

Secondly, there is my own pleasure of developing, studying, and writing added characters. But I already talked about it a bit.

Thirdly, ultimately, I don't plan for this story to end as quickly as I initially planned. That means you have to be patient though, because some times, it could take longer to make next addition. But with time, this story will grow even more. And I think in the future, added characters will be given justice because of sheer volume of the story.

But regarding the future, I have to be fair and address voices that are more critical about the procedure of 'expansion and addition'. Some people are not so keen on such a big cast of characters and would like a focus on the smaller group to do them proper justice. They say this is spreading it too thin.

First of all, thank you for voicing your opinion. I want to assure you that I hear you and think about your inputs. For now, the response is such: I will not stop with the additions altogether. I like it too much and it brings joy to many people, judging from the comments I read. BUT, at this point of story, for some time unspecified, I am inclined to tone it down. Many characters were introduced, many subplots put in motion, and it will be better to give our attention to them. Aside from the main, dual plotline of KNT-Future phase, we have Vasilissa coming along, Scavenger (Rita + Komoe, Naru + Yakumaru + Touma), Yua's redemption story, Uiharu + Rin, as well as Rin alone, Saten + Chimera, British Royal Family, as well as some characters from earlier stages of the story, Ayu's and Kumokawa's futher stories, and more. The addition of characters will still happen, but if it makes you feel better, for now, till time unspecified, we will be focusing more on already introduced characters and sub-plots, in addition to main plotline. Some exceptions to this rule include possible new children from future phase (although with this chapter, introducing somebody very important, there are only 3 or 4 more, in particular with Mary, Maria, Oriana, and maybe Orsola/Amazora).

Which brings me to the harem part of the equation. I didn't hide it before: I wished to make a total harem. Which means almost every possible route, or at least ones that will fit with the plot. There were several reasons for it: One, I wanted to give Touma a very big family because how lonely he was in his childhood. I think there is something poetic about it. Two, I think it is not actually impossible for a harem like this to happen in case of Touma and his Kami-yan disease, if we are of course getting into harem at all. Three, I simply like harem, on the condition that it is well executed and written. What I mean by that is for me a good harem is the one with not-overly horny protagonist that respects his partners/wives, who in turn don't hang on him all the time and are well developed characters in their own right, with their own stories and struggles that don't revolve around MC. I think Toaru's harem, and vast majority of its members meet those criteria excellently. I know that harem is not for everyone. But I really wanted to create future generation and I would feel personally bad if I didn't realize this particular wish. Touma's future family is not without flaws, even if it's tailored to be one of the best possible versions of it (The Future Phase is, by definition, optimal future for Touma) which will be probably more explored in their own story (which we WILL get... eventually). But I hope you found at least some love/like for it. For me, it opened my wishes for many crackships to be real. I adore Touma and Kongou, but there are many more, like with Nephthys, Maidono, Hasako, Mugino, etc. .

Alright, let's go on with it. Like I said, in today's addtion, we have a dedicated chapter that was long due to appear, and someone that I liked to appear for a moment, but I had to test a few things beforehand.

Let's go with Q&A:

TheDarkPublisher: Can't tell yet, it's one of the bigger plotpoints in later story.

5had0wHand: Yes, I really wanted to have some nice Frenda and Mugino moment. I just let myself go with those Mugino development bits. But I can't help it, Shizuri is such an amazingly written and complex character undearneth the pretense of yet another psychopatic anime woman. And one of my favourite easter eggs is High Priest. I wanted to add him, didn't know how, but Frenda's reincarnation gave me idea and now we will probably see glimpses of him. Yua's redemption is a bit of lore that I work on frequently and I also think her character will begin to change nicely. And Chimera... well, maybe she wasn't the most necessary addition, but I was just curious about her and had some people asking for Magic Gods other than Nephthys, Niang-Niang, and Othinus

FingFangFoom100: I was partially inspired by Mushoku Tensei, but Frenda's plotline is one of the greatest twists for the future. Even more crazy is how her new incarnation is related to Touma, Hamazura, Takitsubo, and Mikoto. Talking about heritage.

BlueJack22: Thank you for the compliments regarding Mugino + Frenda, as well as Yua's parts. As for Chimera, is nice to see her get some love. It was a bit of a random addition, but I am glad people seem to like this version of her. And aren't Saten and Touma just the sweetest?

amad0: You might be interested in reading the foreword above.

Average stuffy: About that... you'll see...

Fullbreaker: Now that I caught up to GT9, nothing stops from actually utilizing Transcendents in the story to the their full extent. About taste, Nephthys was one of my choices for the most beautiful of this franchise ever since she appeared (she made me fall in love with dark skin-white hair anime type) and she later completely won me over with her moment with Patricia. And the connection of Mut= Nephthys + Niang-Niang is just a really quirky connection that I love to think about. About Uiharu, she will also have a bigger role to play, especially through her connections with Sukemi Rin, so stay put to learn more...

Zatil Hidyah Spensa: What can I say, I am a character-expansion maniac! And actually, Nunotaba... no, don't tempt me!

As for Chimera for example, being unexpected is the whole point, but I am glad you consider it perfect.

So, without further delay, let's begin!

INTRODUCTION: SOLLILOQUY OF THE PAST

Sometimes, I am not sure.

Ever since my youngest days, it was clear that I was meant for something beyond mundane world of day by day life. From as long as I can remember, I was in the cathedral, among clergy and inside the churches of the world. I was abandoned, like many people who tied themselves to church in their childhood. For all of those long years, my real family is not known. I don't know why they chose to leave me back then. Did they know? Did they sensed my nature or where informed about it through someone? Were they convinced that someone other than them will meld me into my purpose better? Were they scared? Did they even give me away willingly, or were forced to?

In my life, I didn't have the luxury to think about them too much. It's not like I feel like not belonging. I love churches and religious setting I grew up in... except for the parts about being forcefully restrained to fulfil my purpose of containing the grimoires. But besides that, it was lots of fun. And peace as well. I love the sight of how grand cathedral aisles can appear, how wonderfully songs carry through the air within those giant structures... or conversely, how quiet and soothing the atmosphere can become when everyone focuses on their inward prayer.

But that doesn't mean I never thought of them... as much as one can think about something that they don't remember.

I am hungry. I think Touma will be making dinner soon.

Should I be laying down on the bed like this, staring at the ceiling? Should I help him? I probably should...

The problem is not even the fact that I can't cook anymore. I am not a good cook but I think I could do something to not starve should the situation call for it. I was reading some magazines about it... even if memorizing something does not translate into the ability to actually make something.

Those recipes were really good though... maybe I should suggest something... like lasagne, or grilled boar, or salada mixta...

Uh oh, I am drooling now... Rikuri says that a lady should not drool like this when food is in front of her. She is probably right, if I want Touma to treat and see me as a lady, I have to stop it... curse this perfect memory for making me recall taste and smell of the dishes as well...

I need a distraction. And speaking of perfect memory, I got a good trick based on it and contents of my head.

Within my mind, I visualize a library going up and down like a twisted spiral, with me in the middle of that well-like structure. Around me float grimoires I assimilated into my head, their pages flipping as they go up and down around me, the helix of forbidden knowledge entrusted for my life-long safekeeping. All 103 000 pieces of that knowledge.

Of course, it is not like I have to actually wait for the particular grimoire to come to me. In truth, they all come together and all the knowledge circles through me at loop on the edge of my consciousness. Everything and all at once. But it's better to pretend there is order in this subliminal chaos for simplicity's sake.

The twists of the helix of books bend like noodles... tasty, tasty noodles with sauce...

I have to focus harder! I was thinking about something very important!

I open one grimoire in my mind. It's Picatrix, original name 'Ghaayat Al-Hakiim', arabic grimoire treating on atmospheric events and spirits related to sky and cosmos. I began to read:

'O Master of sublime name and great power, supreme Master; O Master Saturn: Thou, the Cold, the Sterile, the Mournful, the Pernicious; Thou, whose life is sincere...'

Only after reading the prologue, and then first chapter of Grimorium Verum, did my mind focuses sharply and I return to reality.

Many magicians often told me how lucky I am being able to read the grimoires, how privileged I am for not suffering the side effects.

I am not so sure. I love wisdom that I can read, but if that makes my situation with the one I love hard, is it really worth it?

I used to think, without realizing it, that me and Touma will be together forever, and it was clear as day that we will love each other. But Othinus recently made me realize that I was assuming things that were not really said. And ever since then, I can't help but be a little weary.

In this situation, I would love to be confident and straightforward about this, like Seiri, Rikuri, or Misaki. But I can't. I was overconfident for such long time and it left me blind to how I was treating Touma.

I want to be the girl he likes. I want to be a support he deserves, or even better, to resolve those problems without the need of his involvement. But...

Touma lost his memories. Due to saving my life from control of the higher ups, the one who pretended to be Lola Stuart, yet turned to be Great Demon Coronzon, in particular.

He lost 16 years of his life, putting away all of his past to give me good future. It was only natural that I wanted to give him something even better... but could I really?

I too lost sizeable portion of my memories. My memory was erased periodically, to ensure my obedience through disorientation that followed. I am aware that science can say a lot about memory, but as a magic side nun, I am not really all that well versed in brains and stuff like that. But I know from what Komoe was explaining once to me, that memory can be roughly divided into semantic and episodic. The semantic memory consists of the knowledge of facts, ideas, concepts. For example, one can know what tiramisu is because of this type of memory. They learned and memorized definition of tiramisu and it stuck with them.

Tiramisu... tasty, delicious tiramisu...

No, bad Index, focus! Thinking first, eating later.

The episodic memory is split fragments of one's psychological timeline. It consists of events that together make the life and identity of a certain person. Like memory of eating a tiramisu on a hot summer day.

In both mine and Touma's cases, our semantic memory was preserved and we retained our knowledge of defining laws and concepts of the world around us. This was the reason why Touma could keep up his act and go on as if nothing happened. That was the reason why I could be on the run from Stiyl and Kaori for almost a year and survive.

But our episodic memories? Gone, reduced to ashes, never again to be recalled.

I thought that because of that, I can empathize with Touma and he can empathize with me. But maybe he needs someone who can help him with that problem, not someone who shares it?

My memory was erased yearly, so I never had the chance to dream or pursue anything longer than year's worth of time. One can even say that there were over dozen girls known as Index Librorum Prohibitorum, with one body but different histories.

Would any of them interacted with Touma the way I did? I will never know. But I am glad that I was the one to had chance to meet and live with Touma, and even more grateful that Touma's efforts made my memory prevail. There is no need to mourn what could have been if it was worth it in the end. At least, for me it was worth it...

If he didn't do it, I would lose the memory of meeting him. I would go on without even acknowledging his existence...

No, no, no! I wouldn't want that, never! If there is a world in which I am happy, but I give him a cold shoulder instead, then I wish this world to perish forever.

But assuming their shared lack of memory wasn't a problem...

I am trying to change, I really am. So why controlling myself is still so hard? What good is the knowledge if I can't reign in my emotions and lash out at Touma, even though I know that it is wrong.

The change is occurring. It's a small, step by step transformation, but it's still there. I am sure that I am better than who I used to be. So is wanting to hasten the process a sign of immaturity?

Yes... I am quite immature. But sometimes, I can't help being mad. Touma is still taking so much onto himself. He always explains that he does not want me to be hurt. I wonder if we are stuck in some kind of endless cycle in which we both want to prove to ourselves that the other should step aside and be protected. Even if we both know that the other will never agree to that. I suppose this is just the sign of our caring for one another.

We both know each other's capacities, so we are a much better team than what we used to be. I hope that we will be able to learn... no, that I will be able to do so. Touma already did enough. He treats me kindly and wants me to stay with him even after everything that happened.

When I said 'would you follow me to the depths of hell?', I certainly didn't expect this. How could I not love him after that...

The point is, the one that needs to work on herself is me. Othinus says that I need time to learn not to react in a way I used to. I don't even know why would I bite him anymore. I still do, and I still get so angry from time to time... I wish someone could help me figure that out, as much as I try to do this on my own.

I can't take it! This smell stimulates my nose in the most pleasant way ever. I may slowly make my way to the kitchen, no harm there... let's get ready for dinner... and while I am preparing for it, let's confront something.

M-Maybe it's not so bad after all. Index, you are nun in training. And as nun in training, you can self-confess your sins in front of the Lord, who views your mind and judges your sincerity.

To assess if I am a good person for Touma, let's see myself through the lens of seven deadly sins.

For pride... I am confident in my knowledge and abilities, but I don't brag about it, I think... it's something I earned through work and sacrifice, so I don't think thinking about it like this is wrong...

For greed... I may be not the best when it comes to nun hospitality, like miss Orsola, but I try my best not to hoard. As not as it is not food, or beverages, or money that can be used to buy food...

For envy... I thought I had it covered, but I recently discovered that all my irritation with Touma while he was with other girls stemmed from the jealousy... ugh...

For sloth... I admit, I was terrible with this. It's only regrettable. Only after being more involved in his battles did I realize just how many things I took advantage of when it came to Touma's hospitality. I just pretended to not realize it. Was it because I liked that someone cared for me for the first time in forever?

For wrath... it's no better. Maybe even worse. Even though I know and realize so many things, my emotions overflow me so much that sometimes I say and do things that I never would do when I calmly think about them. Why don't my actions match my thoughts at all?

For gluttony... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... yes... riiiiight...

Well... for the record, contrary to some accusations, I don't bite Touma because I want to eat him or because he tastes good. N-Not that I ever considered how he tastes like...

Sphynx, don't look at me like that. I am not like so! Almighty Lord in Heaven, I never thought of biting Touma in this sense. And I didn't even reach lust...

Earlier, the thought of hugging him or being close to him would not fluster me at all. But I would taint my tongue with lies if I didn't say I that I had no dreams of him being close to me... and my feelings were in such disarray that I didn't know what to think or to do with myself or my body.

In Anglican rite, it's not prohibited for clergy to have partners in the intimate sense. But to think my heart would come to those feelings, it's still... something I have to learn to experience... I thought I knew what love was, but right now, I am guessing it's not just attachment to someone who was nice to you. It's so much more.

From all of this, I don't seem like a virtuous person I am supposed to be as a nun. I have a lot of to work on and half of the time only an effort, not the actual result, is there.

It is not just about my desire to improve out of love for Touma. Even if I still had yet to discover what love was, my declaration back then was genuine and only grew throughout our shared life since that time.

No, in current situation, there is something else...

This enemy of ours, Kamijou No Touma, that recently came back into our lives, took liking to me. I can sense and perceive that I am one of the main motivations for his actions. I am scared that I didn't manage to recognize his ploting when we first interacted with one another. Well, it wasn't just me who was fooled at that time.

But he almost kissed me. He stared at me with those eyes and...

It makes me shiver even now.

So many things about this whole affair disturb me. He is interested in me, but why exactly? Is it because he has memories of Touma before he sacrificed them for me? Does it mean Touma liked me in this way before those memories were lost? Or was it twisted through some sort of darkness inside the mind of that emanation?

He is not my Touma. But... I can't help but wonder if I get to know the answers about him. The bonds between me, him, and Touma are ones that will also affect this conflict for our future. This is also why I must steady my heart, resolve, and spirit, to be of best help to Touma. He needs everything he can get in such a difficult time.

Everything he can get... I can't delude myself into not knowing what that means...

I am not really a regular human being. I have potential to go beyond that.

I have inhuman mechanisms embedded into my being in addition to thousands of grimoires of mighty, mystical power. The only thing that stops me from utilizing it is my inability to refine mana... but now that I can actually think about it, there would be only a matter of time if I figured out how to actually change this status.

But... as much as I think more power would help Touma's case, I am a bit weary... of going too far...

Hah... it's not even about actually eating anymore. I need something to clear my head from all those thoughts before I tread the actual circle on the floor of the room.

Food always calms me down. I don't know why. Maybe because I feel satisfied... that I receive such kindness from him? And also... it tastes really good!

CONSOLATION OF THE PRESENT

Their family dinner was going on as usual. Amazora played with her food, of course got dirty in the process, and had her face wiped by Touma. By this point, the suspicion that she did it on purpose was almost a certainty. Especially since when she did it, she usually ended up eating the rest of the meal on Touma's lap, and often attempted to feed him, which caused small rivalry to emerge between her and Rikuri, who clearly saw herself as the one to feed the boy. But today, Amazora was motivated enough to eat her own food, although on the condition that Touma's hand was regularly stroking her hair. As for the boy himself, he engaged in the casual conversation with Rikuri, one of the two laughing from time to time as they told one another the mishaps of the day. Even though they both looked tired with their day, they never missed the chance to laugh it off together. It was a ritual that showed just how much Touma and oldest of sisters grew to care for one another.

They also listened to occasional, between-munches interjections by Amazora, who had a great talent of not-reading the atmosphere and adding details of her own day upon something in the conversation triggering her memories. Even so, her older siblings had truly angelic patience. After all, even if they didn't say it outright, it was clear that both of them loved doting on Amazora.

Kaibi watched with a smile as the three engaged in their own little discussion while elegantly eating her own dinner. But then, she noticed something else.

Index was not eating like usual. Well, of course it was not that she wasn't eating at all. she was and she was also eating a lot, but there was no... spark there. It was hard to describe but Index usually ate with great vigour and voracity, almost as if she wanted to eat not only the food but the fragment of reality around it. There was great joy and energy in the process, and Kaibi never saw someone so invested in eating. And now... it was just... gone. Index ate as if she was merely consuming something. Well, that was what eating was supposed to be, but not for that nun.

After the dinner, Amazora went to Index's side.

"Can we play new Kanamin video game?"

"Sure!"

And so, the two sat down in front of the flat TV screen, which soon began to display the battle game in shojou anime setting, between a hero and a villain.

After a coin toss, Index got the hero part, while Amazora received villanous character.

Index, of course, selected Kanamin herself, while Amazora went for a newly introduced, weapon-using character.

Soon both of their hands became occupied with pads.

They were more or less equal. Index's perfect memory served well in memorizing the motion patterns and sequences of moves, but Amazora had better understanding of the in-game mechanics. When one know how to execute the attack most efficiently, the other knew which attack or defense to use in certain situation.

The stalemate soon caused them to switch into a rather amusing rant.

"Who thought this is how magic works? This would never be in any proper spellbook!"

"Who thought bullets fly like this? I think the guy who made this game never tried to properly shoot anyone!"

"The wand in this redesign has no symbolic value whatsoever! And even if it had, it wouldn't be able to cast fireballs like ones in the game"

"What model of gattling gun is this? It's too small for a proper one, but shoots like it's supposed to be one! And if that villain held it like that, it would break her arm!"

And so on... they never broke that stalemate though.

Index was apparently more persistent, because time passed and she didn't even realize it, until Amazora's head rested on her own. She dozed off.

Index restrained her surprise at the last moment and only looked at her sleeping housmate, blond hair on her white-clad shoulder. It was crazy, but just 10 minutes earlier Amazora was ecstatic and vivid, and now was sleeping like a baby.

"Thank you for entertaining my sister"

This time, Index couldn't suppress a slight jump as Kaibi spoke beside her. Luckily, Amazora didn't wake up, besides grumbling something in light ember of conscious awareness that soon faded away.

"Kaibi? I wasn't really doing all that much..." Index answered modestly.

"No, take my thanks" Kaibi insisted" Me and Rikuri were really worried that Amazora doesn't have many friends her age... oh, I know that you are older, don't look so hurt."

"I am actually your age, you know!"

"Truth be told, we wanted to give her good environment. That was one of the reasons we ran away together. But then we got stuck together in the same dark side mud and... let's just say that our examples for her could only go so far. Amazora... she governs herself with her own rules and motivations. Sometimes even we, her biological sisters, can't predict her. But I know that deep behind that volcano of energy and impulsivity, she is hurt and lonely. Touma's influence slowly began to heal her... but in some ways, she needs more care than we did. So yes, I am grateful for you sticking with her. Anyway, this is a good opportunity for a talk"

"You wanted to talk to me? Why?"

"It didn't escape my attention that you were down during the dinner. Care to tell why?"

"You are... interested?"

"We live under one roof." Kaibi smiled" I know that I don't strike as the warmest type at external glance, but I don't want you to feel bad and bottle it up. Trust me, I know whole lot about this and just how much self-destructive it can be. Come on, let's go get some fresh air"

After carefully putting Amazora down on the couch, two girls came out to the balcony, dressed in coats as it was getting chillier at night.

"So..." Kaibi asked, looking at the bright panorama against the dark sky" What is eating you up?"

Index was quiet for some time, before she clasped her hands together and whispered

"I am just... at loss with all of this. I don't want to burden Touma with it and I didn't want it to show but I... feel a lot of it is my faut"

"What 'this' are we talking about"

"The God's Purifier... Touma's alter-ego?"

"Ow..." Kaibi bit her lip, lowering her eyes" That... don't blame you, it's hard for me to get around all of that too..."

"No, you don't understand!" Index said louder, grasping her own head" I perfectly get what it all means. That's just it! He wants me and I feel so bad for not recognizing him when I could... for making it so Touma wouldn't have to suffer. It's always like this! I can't recognize the danger in time and I am supposed to be intercepting them. Even if I can't actively defeat someone till the end, I am supposed to sway the hand of victory in his favour. What's the point of knowing so much and not being able to act in time? I feel that... ever since I came into his life, Touma's getting more and more in danger... I invited him into part of the world that only added to his misfortune. Up until now, I was able to make it through. Me, Othinus, and him, we managed to win even if it hurt seeing him suffer. But with this emanation of Imagine Breaker... that has his memories... that reminds me of how it began... I can't help but feel heavy with blame. Of not being more for him."

Kaibi sighed, shifting away from the city to look at downtrodden Index.

"Hmm... it's not that I don't get it. I too want to be better for people I care about. And... you are kind of correct"

"WHAT?"

"Sorry, I am a tough love in this family. It's true that your arrival into his life probably spiked the danger-meter higher. But... you are getting a little ahead of yourself with this one. Let's start with mentioning that he got into troubles way before meeting you. Me and my sisters are kind of the proof of that, alongside with Panoramic Forehead Know-It-All and Miss Self-Destruction. So you are not really have to shoulder all of it in your mind. Other things would happen to him, regardless of your involvement. Because it's not like you wouldn't want him to meet you, right?"

"No, of course I... I don't want to imagine never meeting him..."

"I thought so. Because you met him, you two were able to experience a lot of good together too. That's just a price for it. Shit and problems are always a price of love and light in some form or way, that's just how it works. There isn't such thing as the truly perfect world. Problems are part of being a human being"

For some reason, both of them paused. A strange atmosphere seemed to, just for a minute, permeate the air. But it was probably their imaginations.

"I think it's worth it though" Kaibi continued" Being with him means accepting that unfortunate side of life, but that's fine, as long as you are with someone who gets you."

"But that's all my luck... what if I am just making things worse?"

"Did Touma ever say you are? I don't think so. In fact, I think he cares about you such that he would accept you or try to help you regardless of anything. That's the bond that should not be doubted. But at the same time... the fact that you are reflecting on all of that and even the fact that you care enough to worry... that in itself is not bad. In fact, that means you are maturing"

As Index looked down on her body, Kaibi laughed.

"Psychologically maturing. Congrats, welcome to puberty, which can be a real hell for all of us. But also bridges our way into being adults."

"My... my memory was erased time after time. This is apparently why my psyche could not properly develop, why I have those mood swings and why majority of my action don't match my actual thoughts. Am I really... starting to move past that?"

"Hopefully"

After Index gave her a cross look, Kaibi waved her hands.

"That came out worse than it should. What I meant is that this process sucks but at the end of the day, it will be good for you and you will grow into your true potential. Don't get me wrong, but I think it will be better than just wanting food and attention. It's like moving past the baby phase into proper teenage years"

"Well... I wouldn't like being treated as a baby, so I think this is alright..."

Kaibi looked at Index thoughtfully, before putting a hand on her arm.

"For another advice, I want to show you something. But first... a break! You know... I think Touma bought some good ice-cream for tomorrow. Let's take a scoop"

"Usually I get caught when I do that"

"You are lucky that you are with me then. I have a pretty good record when it comes to getting away with things"

(5 MINUTES LATER)

"Uhmmmmmmmm! So good!"

Two girls synchronized, closing their eyes in the blissful degustation of ice cream.

Kaibi and Index weren't really likely-minded, but if there was one thing they shared besides feelings for Touma, it was clearly a sweet tooth.

"Alright..." Kaibi said after a moment" I want to show you something by using my Measure Heart on you"

Index's face fell

"That awful thing you did when I arrived here?"

"No, I promised I will never do that again. That time I changed your bond with Touma, this time it's between you and me. I promise it won't hurt"

She took Index's hands into her own.

"My power is the very specific subdivision of telepathy. It allows me to artificially conjur and manipulate concept of 'bond' between two people, also called 'heart distance'. Just as its description is rather abstract, it has certain complicated conditions to fulfil its intended purpose. I won't bore you with them, but there is one that I would like to bring to your attention... namely..."

Her eyes glowed and Index felt as if something was melting in her soul. As if in each passing moment Kaibi became brighter, nicer, kinder, and much more friendly. Usually while exercising her ability, Kaibi jumped straight into the desired distance, but here she took its slow to not shock Index, decreasing the distance slowly, as if she was an archer pulling the bowstring.

"... as someone who deals with distances between human hearts, I can safely say that because we are so different and can never fully understand one another, this distance is potentially infinite. Or at least incomprehensibly big. My ability allows me to negate that infinity, partially because I was afraid of that void. But it's not something only I can achieve. If you reach out and be brave, you can also do this! The only difference between us is that I have a shortcut. It's important that you make an attempt. Only through reaching out to the other, you can actually receive what you are hoping for and find genuine feelings of the other human being . However, what I want to say it is that unless you have a steady foundation that jump from over that void, you will never find other person's heart. So... you need to believe that you are worthy of making that connection. You will never be able to actually be happy with loving another if you are not, at least on the basic level, accepting yourself. Because then you would deny yourself any possible happiness. Just... think about it, okay?"

Index stared at Kaibi, entranced, as the glow faded from the latter's eyes.

"You are really good at this! Maybe you should try helping others with the problems more often?"

Kaibi chuckled, looking at the sky and taking another spoonful of ice-cream.

"I am pretty sure that psychologists should not be broken themselves. But if I get over it, then maybe one day... yeah, one day..."

(THE NEXT DAY)

It was the sunny day, and the chill of the night was gone.

Still pondering upon her conversation, Index went to the park with Othinus on her arm.

"So it really bothers you?" the fairy mused, looking at the clouds" Well, you are not the only one. And the issue is not a small one either..."

A deep tremor shook the earth. Alarmed, Index turned to the perceived direction of its source.

"Wait! Don't wander..."

But Othinus' words were not registered at all. Index was already moving to investigate.

Not so long afterwards, she emerged onto the big grassy meadow.

Two girls were facing one another, with Index coming from behind one of them.

In fact, she recognized both, and was about to go for a greeting when all of the sudden, a bunch of small rockets appeared above her.

Index and Othinus both made audible gasp.

Maidono Hoshimi looked to the side and cursed.

"Oh shit!"

She jumped backwards to get in front of the nun and frantically raised her hand.

A portion of the rockets froze in mid air, but vast majority still rained around them, making small explosions.

"Oi, Toothpicks!" Maidono shouted angrily" There is a third party here! Watch your surroundings before you throw those around"

Musujime Awaki, who Index recalled from seeing a few times at Komoe's place, turned red and shouted back.

"She came from behind you, I had no way to see her before the deed was done, how was I supposed to know someone will pop up like that? Also, screw you! My tails are mindblowingly cute and they don't look like toothpicks at all!"

Maidono slowly rotated her index fingers and small rockets turned 180 degrees in mid air.

"You can have those back!"

The rockets flew forward, and fast, but the teleporter only waved her hand. The missiles disappeared and then crashed into one another few dozens of meters up.

"Emm..."

"Index-san" Maidono now turned her full attention to the nun." I wasn't expect to see you here"

She was wearing tight black shorts, and nigh-see-through red, long-sleeved training top, with black bra underneath. Her legs and belly were, of course, uncovered.

Similarly, Musujime also wore shorts and changed her usual military coat to lighter blouse. On her signature chest bandages there was a kanji of 'determination' written with black marker.

"What are you two doing? I thought something bad was going on around here"

"We are training." Maidono replied cheerfully,

"In fact, we got a permit to use this part of park for an hour and a half for it. There should be warning signs before you got here" Musujime, coming over and wiping a sweat from her bow, remarked.

Index looked away, flustered. Her head was definitely too busy with thoughts to notice any of those. It was lucky she didn't accidentally walk under a car.

"After the battle with Veritas, we realized we can still push ourselves further or at least attempt to do that." Maidono elaborated" By combining our abilities, we can push one another out of comfort zones and try to overcome our weak points-"

"INDEX-SAN! Hello, so good to see you!"

Hasako ran down the hill, with her lips in a usual gentle smile. Soon, she was right next to them, panting slightly.

There were smudges of soil on her face and arms. Beginning Child get her long hair under control and bowed in greeting.

"Hasako? You are training too?"

"Training? No, goodness no! Wouldn't do that on such a fine day. No, I am behind those hills, gardening. In addition to my ability, I love to help plants grow in difficult places and revitalize deserted areas. I also plan to introduce some new species in the future..."

"We get it, you love nature." Maidono playfully nudged her friend, stopping the stream of words that was only bound to get more enthusiastic. " I am going to pause you before another hour long lecture about ecology"

She did it somewhat begrudgingly, as among the extended neighbourhood of Kamijou family (which consisted of Maidono, Hanatsuyu twins, and Scavenger members) there was an unspoken agreement that few people alive were so adorable in her excitement as Kankyougami Hasako, especially contrasted with her proper she usually was.

"Aw, you are so mean!" Hasako fumed and pouted at grinning Maidono" Some people in this era have absolutely no understanding of finer things"

"How do you train?" Index asked, feeling a bit lost.

"Oh, glad you asked" Musujime, apparently eager for change of subject back to business, stepped backwards. Maidono also got up.

"We gathered all the necessary objects borrowed from scrapyard for us to move around."

"Hmmm!"

"Which we will clean up afterwards. We prepared for that, so stop pouting at me"

"Hmm, hmm!"

The mother of the group Kankyougami Hasako nodded in approval.

Only now Index noticed a great number of objects such as street signs, corroded cars, water cistern, rubble, wires, bags, clothing, and enormous assortment of mobile vehicles laying on the widespread white material. It was clearly thought to be lifted like a gigantic shopping bag with Maidono's telekinesis.

"We take turns in training. When it comes to her..." Musujime gestured at Maidono" she trains handling more than two objects at once. I randomly teleport objects at her, and she has to evade while trying to take control of as many as she can"

"My raw power is great, but I lack precision." Maidono said" I thought that if I spread my grasp, I can try stopping great number of objects. That is the first step I can think of. My ability is not meant to control more than two objects at once, so precise control is off the table for more of them... but maybe if I can afford to stop the barrage of multiple attacks and send them back on the attacker, then my usefulness will surely increase"

Some objects suddenly appeared above her. She caused the truck to be suspended and used her like a bat to swat a trashcan, a tire, and a TV, while jumping to not be impaled by street sign.

"It's slow, very slow, but my control is bound to get better!"

"What about you, Jime-san?"

"Do not call me by that stupid nickname, Index-san!"

"Ignore her. She is just pissy because it's not her new object of interest calling her that..." Maidono suggestively raised her eyebrows.

"Hah, as if! Me and Kamijou are just besties! A cool, ass-whooping duo of friends!"

"You mean friends with benefits. A friend frantically going out of her way to greet a guy who went missing after the war, it's such a platonic and non-intimate thing, oh yes"

"Silence! I-I... owed him for the ambulance!"

"Well, when it comes to Toothpicks over here..."

"I am going to send things through your body in every axis, I swear to gods..."

"... we are working on overcoming her trauma with self-teleportation"

Musujime sighed, gulped, and then teleported herself over the meadow. One time, twice, thrice...

Maidono quickly pulled out a backed and Musujime fell to her knees, making a heaving sound over it...

"Ugh... I don't even have anything to throw up with..." she muttered" But I still feel sick..."

"Musujime-san has a trauma that prevents her from teleporting herself for too long. We were wondering if we could help her" Hasako explained.

Index remembered hearing about it though. And she never forgot the information once memorized.

"But there is no damn way! It's just... I can't..." Musujime gulped, and then coughed, shakily standing up.

Maidono sighed and took something out the nearby bag.

"Then I guess I have to burn this"

Once the redhead got a look on the outfit in Maidono's hand, speciffically a small-sized boy school uniform, her fatigue seemingly vanished.

"This... this is..."

"I read..." Maidono continued smugly" that when you are doing the conditioning, you either go with punishments, the stick, or rewards, the carrot. You struck me more as a carrot type, so..."

"... it's a Seishun Elementary School uniform! It's a elite boy's only elementary from rich families, with custom made uniforms that are not sold on regular market, otherwise I would got them a long t... I-I mean... how did you get it?"

"Curious, huh? Would you like to add it to your... collection?"

"I-I don't know what you are talking about... I-I am not interested at all..."

"Oh? Then I guess you don't mind if I do... this?"

"No, don't rip it!"

And suddenly, Musujime teleported to the place in which the uniform was. But Maidono already moved the uniform high up.

"Give me!"

Another teleportation, another evasion. And another... and another... another... another...

Finally, after 8th teleportation, Musujime cried out of joy, grasping the uniform.

"I have it! I have it! I..."

She coughed, returning to the earth.

"I will... take it back to that school, o-of course..."

"That was amazing, Musujime-san." Hasako clapped her hands" 8 consecutive teleports in a row! That's..."

"... over twice as much as I could usually do." Musujime realized" And I am... only slightly queasy. Hah, I chased after this, when..."

Her eyes went wide.

"Wait! I admit this exercise was effective. But all of that bloody time I could have just teleport this blasted uniform out of your grasp!"

"Hmm, do I have to spell it for you?"

A big truck appeared in front of Maidono.

However, she only pointed at it and the teleported vehicle stopped, as if smashed against invisible wall, the mask bending and twisting. With a jab, it was repelled backwards, soaring through the air, before crashing into the ground behind the hill.

"Relax, everything worked out fine" Maidono smiled, before Hasako put a hand on her friend's shoulder.

The smile she had on her face was so chilly that even Kamijou Shiina would be proud of it.

"Hoshimi... I am pretty sure that it landed in my garden"

Maidono paled and scratched her cheek.

"N-No, I am sure that I didn't send it there... a-and even if I did, I couldn't take out all of it. Even if something was sliiiiightly squashed, there is no reason, surely it didn't ruin everything..."

BOOM!

There was a small explosion with burst of flame.

"Oh..." Maidono squeaked with high voice" There was a bit... of gasoline there. Wow... w-what an unlucky strike..."

"Ho-shi-mi..." Hasako tilted her head, her smile getting even colder" Let's have a chat about this... in a better evnironment..."

"Nun, let's run for it" Othinus whispered.

"Consider it a favour" Musujime muttered and suddenly, Index found herself dozens of meters away.

A roar split the air and the entire meadow became covered in ice and snow, immediately extinguishing the flames.

(20 MINUTES LATER)

"Hah... it's good to blow off some steam..."

Hasako deemed the amount of time she chased Maidono was enough for a punishment and reverted the fragment of park to its natural state. Even if Maidono could fly, she didn't escape her friend's wrath unscathed. There weren't people alive who could oppose Beginning Child without some form of strain.

"Y-Y-You h-h-happy now?..." Maidono was wrapped in a blouse, shivering, with her nose running slightly due to temperature shifts" I s-s-said I was sorry..."

"Okay, so I may have got a bit carried away"

"A b-b-b-bit? I am pretty sure that lava destroyed plantlife more than I did"

"I don't create just lava. My Environment Control also creates fertile volcanic ash so whatever I burn with that environment, will grow back with even greater splendor. I am sorry, but I know that besides Touma-sama, nature is my most beloved object of affection"

Maidono looked away with a huff. Hasako smiled and poked her cheek.

"Although... if you behave, maybe I put my best friend above it. On some days. Equalled with Kumokawa-san, Mitsuari-san... why are you crossing your arms? You want me to spoil you that much? Also, if you get a cold, this is all on wearing such skimpy outfits, I told you before, cover yourself!"

"Never! Those legs and this very belly are my gift from gods so who in the right mind would cover them. What if Touma accidentally stumbles upon me and sees such sexy display? Score, shot through the heart, and to the paradise we go!"

"I will never understand the brash and unsophisticated courting of this era..."

Meanwhile, Musujime asked Index

"Oi, before long, you were looking as if you wanted to ask something. I saw it in your eyes. Care to share it? Beats this quarrel."

Maidono and Hasako got silent and looked at Index, who shuffled her feet under the Walking Church, before saying.

"You see, it's about me and Touma..."

She then relayed some of her worries and insecurities, focusing on certain details that were still bugging her the most.

"I saw that you are training hard to improve your abilities, which are already strong..."

Both Maidono and Musujime nodded.

"And when it comes to me... I potentially have the possibility to be stronger than I am now... but to do this, I would have to become someone else. Someone alien to Touma, who relies on means other than what we are used to in relation to each other and this... it scares me"

After she finished, three girls pondered on her situation. Finally, Maidono spoke.

"Look, I... understand what it feels like to be consumed by aspects of your power you don't identify with. I've been there. But...I don't think your ability will really change your relationship enough to ruin it. If anything, the fact that you are wanting to becoming stronger for him, and not just seeking strength for its own right proves that you are on the right track. I... was a condescending bitch, obsessed with my own problems. But when he told me about his own problems... that changed everything. Put things into perspective. I wished I could be better so I could make it up for ignoring something more hurtful than my own pain, that was happening right there, under my nose. Because of him I try to master my power to unseen extent. I don't think that improving your strength for the sake of another is something not worth risking"

"Emm... I kind of suck in giving advice..." Musujime muttered, before carrying on" But... personally, I think that Kamijou is super cool, for boy this ol... I mean, he is someone for whom I personally would challenge myself to improve. Besides, even if you tap into things you don't understand or that are dangerous, you still have him to watch over you, right? He is the type who will do everything to stop you if you start to act in a way that betrays your true nature, not hesitating to literally punch that alien factor away from your life, even if he gets hurt in the process. That... damn it, that is so rare. When I was so beat up that I couldn't move, bleeding out and having my body battered and bruised, he stopped to get me help, even though I must have looked like a hella bad news and I wouldn't actually blame him for living me. But... the guy saved my life. I was in such a bad shape that I don't know if I would make it without help. And when someone saves your life, the fact that you can still be happy and enjoy yourself from that moment on... that's thanks to them. This is why I train here. Because it wouldn't be half bad... to look good in the eyes of such person"

"Index-san..." Hasako was the last to speak" I agree with those two. Also, I am certain that you and Touma-sama have a beautiful bond of trust and affection. Heed my advice and don't doubt it. If you do, improve yourself or talk to him. Do not discard something that is clearly not granted forever just because you have doubts. It's true, power alone won't give you answers. I held the title of the strongest for such a long time and yet, I kept stumbling on the wrong people during my journey. It took decades of life and over half of century of solitude to find the man I love, and friends who actually care for me. Destiny is a strange thing, if it does exist. I would never dream of the way my life turned out. So even if you are in doubt, do not give up or give in to despair. We will help you with that if you ever need it"

(LATER, AT JOSEPH'S)

"What do you think about that?" asked Othinus" I think what they said actually made sense"

They were sitting by the dinner's table. Throughout all the talk, Index got hungry so she excused herself, seeking refuge in the nearest place she could find.

"I feel better but... they don't really know about Magic Gods."

"That may be so... but he saved Magic Gods... including me. Even if you lose yourself in trying to become one, he will pull you back... even if it hurts him" Othinus said quietly.

"I know, I will do anything so it won't come to this... I just... hope that I will still be me after changing myself"

"Of course you will still be yourself. Look at me. Just because I went to achieve Godhood, and then got turned into a fairy... it's doesn't mean a thing. I am still me."

"Are you really? I thought you got so over the top with your power that you became lost... and you hurt Touma"

Othinus was quiet for a moment, before answering

"That's... that's different, Index. I was lost because I lost my goal, and sight of what I wanted to achieve. You fight for him, as I am right now. I think that as long as you stick to him, it will never happen to you."

Index munched on her food for a moment, before she heard familiar voices from the door.

"Misaka-san! I absolutely refuse!"

"Shokuhou, you are the one who stuck to me and pestered me to sit down and talk, so let's go in! I am not going to those stuck up places you like for a simple conversation and you already whined about 5 places I picked!"

"Those places do not have accreditations! I can already see those colourings and preservatives flowing through me!"

"Stop being a baby! Me and my friends eat here all the time! And if you are worried about fat content, it's already a bit too late for you. Nothing will happen to you, so just go in!"

"Hey, this body is flawlagawawawawa?!"

Misaka Mikoto, sparking and crackling, walked inside, dragging slightly twitching Shokuhou Misaki on her shoulder. She walked a few steps before noticing Index.

"Oh? You are here too?"

She looked around and shrugged, making Shokuhou bounce up and down.

"Mind if we seat with you? It's better than to just be with her, that's for sure"

"S-Sure, sit down" Index replied, slightly taken aback by the banter in front of her.

"Mizaga zan!" Misaki shakily straightened herself. She stuck her tongue out and moved it, trying to regain feeling in it" Hab cood you shog me?! Ab, my dong is soh num!"

"That's what you get for testing my patience. It was a small shock, so unfortunately, you will regain your speech in just a moment."

She looked at Index and Othinus.

"To be honest, maybe it's better that we bumped into you. We recently had some pretty big news handed to us by someone we are both familiar with... and we were going to discuss it in private. But you probably would know more than us about it, let's talk about it in quartet. The four of us don't usually meet outside of the battle or crisis."

"Did something happened? Touma got into trouble before my back again?!"

"Well... not really... me and Shokuhou had a... vision. Vision of a future, as crazy as it may seem"

"It seems that that..." Misaki, regaining control over her tongue and muscles, spoke wearily"... enemy, from Windsor Castle, returned"

"We know" Othinus said curtly" What about it?"

"We want in. I for once decided that being indecisive is no longer something that I can afford."

"Naturally, I cannot leave my prince to fight without me. It just goes against the spirit of love" Misaki struck a signature 'V' pose, leaving her involvement without a doubt.

"Are you... sure... that you want to take that fake on... because the last time..." Index began to speak, before pausing, feeling awkward recalling those complicated chain of relationships that entangled the events after the fight with Coronzon.

Mikoto also raised an eyebrow, glancing at Shokuhou.

Mental Out knew what they were eluding to. She didn't need to have it explicitly shoved into her face.

Last time they all crossed paths with Kamijou No Touma, Shokuhou basically betrayed everyone present, siding with the emanation. Many could tell that if not her decision, the battle could be resolved much quicker. Misaki had her self-driven motives for doing so, but the apprehension from others when it came to her and Kamijou No Touma was understandable.

"It won't happen again" she finally said, her tone calm and collected" Last time, he had an advantage over my emotions by possessing the ability to remember me. Now, with this situation fix, he will no longer have me as a prisoner of my own loss. I can guarantee that. Even if my first moments with Touma remain lost, as long as I can make new memories with him, my conviction has no way to waver"

"Fine then..." Othinus scanned two espers with serious look" I assume you thought about it a lot"

"W-Well... something like this..."

(FLASHBACK)

In Tokiwadai Middle School, in the middle of the night, two girls were restless.

Misaka Mikoto stared at the ceiling in her and Kuroko's room. No matter what she attempted to do, sleep wouldn't come to her. The revelation of KNT's return, Future Phase and the possible doom that could await them all was too grand.

In the other dorm, Shokuhou Misaki did manage to sleep, although calling it resting would be a stretch.

Her hair was a mess, scattered all over the upper half of the bed, her bedsheets tangled and she kept rolling from one side to the other.

Suddenly, she shot up, swaying from side to side, and looking around half-consciously.

"Somethin..." she muttered" doesn't add up. If this future ability... is right... why do I feel like I saw Junko-san there... it was a glimpse of people... but I swear"

She stared at the wall blankly, before swaying and falling backwards.

"It had to be my imagination... zzzzzz..."

She laid there for a few minutes...

And then her starry eyes popped widely opened.

"No! It couldn't be my imagination. I swear I saw it..." she hopped outside of the bed, more conscious than before" To think I wasn't really considering it before... Junko-san is really amicable and my prince cannot read the atmosphere... oh, heavens, oh gods..."

She almost tripped over her own feet and, not minding the fact of being in her pyjama, and bolted outside, not minding the fact that she could be caught.

She was so exasperated that she only needed to catch her breath once, before arriving and hammering at the doors of Hokaze Junko.

"Junko-san! Junko-san! It's me!"

After few moments, Junko opened the door. It was such a strange sight, seeing her with her hair uncurled, almost wrapped around her like a blanket, that Misaki was momentarily confused.

"My Queen..." Junko paused to let out a cute yawn and rub her eyes"... what brings you to my doorstep at two o'clock in the morning?"

Misaki shook her head, inhaled deeply, and said

"Junko-san... there is something very important that I need to ask you. I need you to answer truthfully."

Junko momentarily got more serious.

"Of course, my Queen."

"Did you... and my pri... I mean, Kamijou Touma... ever got involved... physically?"

Junko narrowed her eyes, thinking, before she smiled.

"Of course we did."

"Oh thank goodness you did n-... wait, what?"

Misaki paused, blinking in shock.

"Multiple times actually"

"Multiple... times?" uttered the shocked level 5.

"It's quite wonderful doing it with a gentleman. And I must say, he has excellent flexibility and condition. I can work on refining it with him, but for self-taught person, he is wonderful"

"With a gentleman... flexibility... self-taught... wonderful..." Misaki repeated, her cheeks heating up and her head beginning to spin. "J-Junko-san... how could you two just..."

"I am surprised myself. He can just keep going for hours and he is still in great shape"

"C-C-Can going for hours?! W-What are you saying?!"

"Do not fret my queen, I am able to do multiple sessions in one go without issue. You know me after all"

"D-Do I? B-Because I feel left out... how could you do it with him and... that's not okay!"

"Oh? Heavens, it's time! I am so happy, my Queen will join our time together. Don't worry, we will keep the pace so you won't tire to quickly"

"T-Tire too-"

"If I am allowed to be a little selfish, we can switch after his time with me passes. I am sure he will have strength for doing the routine twice"

"Me after... you. A-And you call it a...r-routine?!"

"But then, you will just sit and watch us... I know, we can invite Gunha-san to join us too"

Misaki paled, her lips opening and closing.

"He may go over the top and sometimes it hurts when I try to resist the force, but he's got excellent techniques... doing it in quartet is a great idea! We can pair up or switch after a moment... or maybe do all-for-all... my Queen?"

Shokuhou Misaki, grey as ash, fell backwards, with expression of utter horror on her face, temporarily passing out. Hokaze Junko swiftly caught her, innocently tilting her head.

Mental Out was, throughout all of that time, thinking about sexual intercourse.

Whilst Junko...

"Oh my, I was aware that Queen truly despises physical exercises" the purple haired third-year shook her head" but to faint on the description of joint training activity seems like a bit much"

(END FLASHBACK)

But getting back to the present...

"Listen..." Othinus said firmly, not like a military officer doing a drill" Before you get involved, we must get some things straight. You are probably used to things going your way because you are level 5, and your talents were praised on loop. You might think you are strong, that you can resolve every problem because you got so high in this city"

"Well-"

"I suppose that-"

"IF SO, THEN FORGET ABOUT THAT ATTITUDE THIS INSTANT! You are entering the world where logical rules fail, in which the gameboard can be flipped by ingenuity in the moments notice. It was designed by the talentless after all."

"Magic" whispered Shokuhou.

"Magic" affirmed Othinus" So if you ever think about pride and status, think again. It's always better to be more humble than conceited on the battlefield, to assume that you don't know yet and must learn. The alternative... can be fatal."

Mikoto bit her lip, thinking about her first encounter with the Magic Gods.

"I am saying this to not have to babysit you. Because I swear I will not. Are we clear?"

"You don't have to say-"

"Are we clear?!"

"Yes. Crystal" both level 5s said.

"Then let's have a talk"

They ordered food. Shokuhou was fussing over her burger, before Index took a fork and shoved it into her mouth when she was distracted.

"No one will curse on such a delicious treats!"

Misaki's eyes widened.

"It's really good... but the additives... I want to eat more... but the health effects..."

"Shokuhou, get a grip. Let's talk about what we saw"

(AFTER THE EXPLANATION...)

Index let the information sink in into her head.

"If we lose... the future may be doomed?" she asked quietly.

"Hard to believe, but since it involves him... yeah, why not? After all, the world would become... I don't even want to think about it" Mikoto said

"And we don't have to. Because this won't happen" Othinus added.

"We should discuss what we want, need, and have to do" Misaki leaned over the table swirling the drink in the glass" I have an excellent network of resources and I am a pretty decent strategist"

"So am I. Index... are you with us?"

Index had her fingers intertwined as she rested her body weight on her arms.

The hunger left, which was unprecedented.

Something else took its place: raw determination.

This story... this idea of a future that was like tossed coin, still in the air but ready to land on the side of happiness or calamity... it snuffed out most of her fears.

There were still many things to worry about. There were many questions she wanted to ask Touma.

But those possibilities, and the fact that there were so many others involved... there was no way she was left behind.

"Yes, I am."

Four of them were one of the closest to Kamijou Touma.

Each forged a new conviction in her heart.

For Index Librorum Prohibitorum, it was a beginning of a new era.

(BACK IN KAMIJOU + GOKUSAI RESIDENCE)

Kamijou Touma didn't sleep well at night. He had nightmares.

Or maybe not nightmares. Restless psychedelic craziness would be better term.

He was plagued by the stream of completely nonsensical dreams after which he woke up more tired than while going to bed.

Last night's example:

He was on the beach watching dozens of seagulls that for some reason had goggles of Misaka sister and were also speaking in their voices.

Sand parted and he fell through the darkness.

He entered a passage of random scenes that made absolutely no sense, like ocean of pure chaos.

Aiwass pecking bread out of the pavement.

Swimming shrimps with heads of Anna Sprengel.

Mugino fishing for salmon in the aquarium, with Sphynx trying to catch the bait.

Kongou Mitsuko, Wannai Kinuho, and Awatsuki Maaya dancing in balerina dresses.

Itsuwa dressed in a revealing apron, but with Terra of the Left's head on top of her body (particularly traumatic)

Index stating that she will dedicate her life to feasting in Himalayas

Fukiyose flying around on glittering butterfly wings.

Accelerator dressed as the demon lord and asking the mirror who was the strongest person in the world.

Sogiita Gunha backfliping throughout all the previous dreams.

Kihara Noukan growing to the size of the building and digging a hole through the Academy City park.

Nephthys bellydancing on top the roof of his school, with Niang-Niang shouting something in 5 different languages while being dressed like a cheerleader.

Himegami chasing him down the street with a custom made T-shirt depiciting two of them.

Othinus laughing maniacally and shrinking everyone to size of insects with some kind of lasers.

Saten Ruiko hitting every single enemy he ever faced with a baseball bat.

Shirai Kuroko and himself being chained together to the tree, about to go down a waterfall.

Hamazura becoming a new level 5 and turning all level 4s into level 0s servants.

Kaibi's body turning into a bundle of dressed floating on the wind.

Amazora shooting bubbles out of her gattling gun on the playground.

Birdway and Lessar tapdancing on the table in Buckingham Palace, with the Princess playing something that looked like poker, but with strangely suggestive photos of themselves instead of cards.

Misaka explaining that she got a face surgery that made it possible for her to look more like Gekota.

Stiyl making barbecue in the dinner and Kanzaki slicing the fish on the nearby sushi stand

Fiamma hanging from the chandelier, dressed like a cupid with wings and bow

The dreams inclded many other people but Touma could not recall all of them.

Ultimately, he fuound himself in a room filled with people, mostly girls, that he was not familiar with.

Well, except for one boy and one girl.

His dark doppelganger was laying his head between thighs, with Sukemi Rin giving him a drink.

"What..." Touma asked flatly, standing above them" are you doing?"

KNT opened one eye.

"What else, other than two of the best things ever: enjoying myself and tormenting you"

"I get that... but why thigh pillow? Or... thigh press, I don't know..."

"You ignorant fool! Someone with a love for sacks of fat will never understand. Sure, breasts are not bad... but this! This is the pinnacle!"

"Breasts are symbol of maturity and motherhood. Any self-respecting onee-san lover would admit that"

"Why limit yourself so much? Thighs are thighs, onee-san or not. They are soft but because they are also muscles there, you can feel potential strength. It's both smooth and dangerous, like me... that's why thighs will always win against breasts"

Kamijou Touma awoke, staring blankly upwards.

"Did the level of absurdity in those tiring dreams reached such levels that I have a breasts vs. thighs discussion with my own alter-ego? Knowing him, he really could say something like this... because it was probably him"

He looked at time displayed at his phone.

"Well, I am going to meet them in half an hour... no use to sleep now I guess..."

(OVER AN HOUR LATER)

The board was hexagonal. Hexagon, with 127 hexagonal cells, with border length of 7.

Kamijou Touma, Accelerator, and Hamazura Shiage were sitting over the table, playing sannin shogi. Or shogi for three, if you preferred.

All 3 of them, Accelerator in particular, were still alone in the rooms of their accommodations. But thanks to the very advanced VR set, they could meet and discuss things without need to go to Accelerator's prison. And this allowed them also to enjoy themselves during such meetings. It became sort of a strategic ritual for them.

With goggles on their heads, they met up in that space and programmed some activities to do while they talked. They rotated in choosing every meeting. Touma liked video games, Hamazura sport simulations. Accelerator preferred strategic games, and since it was his turn for this particular meeting, he summoned a shogi table into digital space.

He lectured them how to play over last time when they met, and so now, both of his partners were slightly more confident.

Hamazura, being Last, sighed, putting his silver general down with a loud clacking sound.

"Boss, did he do anything? That shady side of you?"

Accelerator, the First, pursed his lips, ranging one of his rooks orthogonally by six cells, promoting it.

"That bastard seriously pissed me off" he snarled" I don't want any fun, business in my city"

Touma looked at the board. He was already losing. He moved one of his bishops to shield his king.

"I have everything under control."

Hamazura looked at him with doubt. He attempted to reach the Pleasure Garden in the middle of the board, challenging Accelerator in hope to promote his king.

"Boss, we know you for a while now. You are trying hard to do a lot of shit on your own. But you don't have to"

"Especially..." Accelerator muttered, dropping one of the gold generals that he earlier captured from Touma" when it can make more mess than it's worth. I know how you think. But you are not the only one with people to protect."

"You are right. I just... I made him" Touma captured one of Hamazura's pawns with his lance" That's different than my other enemies. He is my responsibility because-"

"Now that's just bullshit. Also, check" Hamazura said, threatening Touma with promoted bishop" Boss, I know that you are getting ready for that confrontation. You don't expect us to sit idly by. Like he said, we have lot to protect"

Touma moved his king away.

It was not that he didn't want those two by his side. It just felt that this was a particularly personal problem.

Accelerator's gold general was moved in between Hamazura's and Touma's lines of offense.

"We are basically dealing with a version of you that has the manipulative mind and screwy ethics. Hero, I know that you are often dumb about how much you are influencing others, but if he is better in that than you, we are facing a catastrophic visions not only in terms of physical damage"

Hamazura nodded, managing to capture one of Accelerator's pawns with a knight.

"On that last meeting I was a bit too busy being thrown around half-naked with Dion laughing her ass off, but even I can tell the enemy at the time was crazy. If he is stronger now, we need to act as a team"

Touma slowly dropped a pawn on a board.

"I know... believe me or not, I am past trying to do everything alone by all means necessary. You are right, this is too important to keep you in the dark"

"That's obvious, I would never let you actually sneak out of it" Accelerator remarked, making another threatening drop, a silver general straight before Touma's territory.

"If what you told us last time about that future holds true..." Hamazura shook his head, promoting one of pawns and smiling weakly" Well, I wouldn't mind making it a reality. I know it's your destiny and all, but if you being happy creates a future when Takitsubo and others are happy, than that's a win-win for me"

"Don't get too fixated on that. The only thing that can ever lead to the future is the present. If you get the lost in the planning of what might be, you won't see what is, and you will fuck it up regardless. Like so..."

He moved the promoted lance 5 cells diagonally.

"Checkmate" he said to Touma.

The spiky haired boy sighed.

"I thought I was getting better with that. But unless one of you allies with me, the only time I gained a draw was a success"

Hamazura and Accelerator continued the game.

The body of the first esper shimmered slightly, as he tapped his finger on the table.

"I don't like this. Don't like this one fucking bit. Intelligence, resources, connections, abilities, capacities, history, another magical mamboo-jamboo he has... we need to know everything about the bastard! We will split it through ourselves. Understood?"

Hamazura nodded.

Meanwhile, in the physical world, Touma's body unconsciously clenched its right fist

"Yeah. Let's do it"

(THAT EVENING)

Gokusai Rikuri was in a good mood. Although she liked to go out, there was nothing as comfortable as sitting in the comfort of her makeshift lab, wrapped in a blanket, reading good research book.

Well, maybe a second favourite thing. She giggled to herself, imagining herself waking in Kamijou Touma's bed. She did it multiple times already, but it never lost the blissful, exciting novelty.

She adjusted the red reading glasses on her nose and sighed, taking a sip of hot cocoa and sighing.

Yes, life was fine for now.

"Rikuri?"

Rikuri jumped, her slightly inclined chair overbalancing and causing her to tumble backwards.

"Owie..."

Her legs moved through the air for a moment, before she managed to flip herself upwards and noticed Index looking at her with concern.

"Are you alright?"

Rikuri accepted her help, standing up.

"Phew!" she blew away long strand of her covering her face" Thank you, Index-san. I am sorry, you just startled me a little bit"

"I am sorry, the door was open, I thought-"

"That's alright, don't worry. Do you need anything from me? Are you hungry? Touma is not here, but I am sure I can make you something now"

"This is not..." Index stared at the ground, before shaking her head and lifting her gaze" Well, it is connected with Touma and I've been wondering if you could..."

"Say no more!"

Rikuri zoomed to the cupboard and started rummaging through vials and ointments.

"Hah! I have it. I didn't expect you to want this, I was saving it for some day... for myself, of course. But I can always make more. Anyway, you only need to pour a spoonful or so into the cup, and things between you will heat up nicely-"

"W-Wait! Why would I put anything in Touma's cup?"

Rikuri made a puzzled expression.

"You are... not asking me for an aphrodisiac?"

Index blushed fully crimson.

"N-NO?!"

Pink also dusted Rikuri's cheeks, as she coughed awkwardly.

"O-Oh, I see... when you said that it was connected with Touma and that you need my services, I thought... a-anyway, what do you need?"

"I was... wondering... if you have any chemical that can boost my bodily energy" Index asked.

Rikuri thought for a moment.

"If by 'boost the energy' you assume increasing metabolism and overall energetic processes, then yes. Quite few things affect autonomous nervous system to give that effect. But why would you want it?"

Index had a theory. If Magic deemed something impossible, maybe Science could aid her in some way.

Mana was a life energy. Although not completely equivalent, it was very similar to biological energy exerted by a body. If she could raise her energy and metabolism level, she might break or at least weaken her mana restrains.

Any magician would cringe at that. It was as if you were trying to smash a reinforced lock with a hammer instead of using precisely designed key.

But she had no time to worry about sophistication.

"I made a promise to myself..." she answered" that it's time to take a share of work when it comes to someone I love"

SIGHT OF FUTURE LIGHT

The empty chair unnerved and boggled Tenma.

He didn't notice it at first, but after being adopted into the family and having few celebrations among his siblings, the vacant seat became a constant topic of rumination within his mind.

Even though he tried to ask about it, many of his siblings were visibly unsure and even awkward with the topic.

Finally, he got an answer from Miya. His glamorous younger sister whispered to him.

"This seat is for Hyouka onee-chan. We always keep it for her"

He waited but daughter of Kongou Mitsuko, usually very talkative, already occupied herself with something else.

It was beyond his strength. Who was that sister that enticed such emotions within his other siblings?

Besides his passion for sketching, his insatiable curiosity didn't allow him to wait very long for the answer.

"Mom? Can I ask you something?" he asked, sitting at the breakfast table in their flower/bakery shop.

"Yes, of course you can" Othinus said, focusing on packing in the process of arranging the flower bouquets.

Because of former Magic God's small size, the shop had certain adjustments that probably none other shop in the world had. To allow Othinus to work, there were many machines in the shop, hidden from the view of costumers. Othinus stood on a small panel that was very similar to the one used in 'Dance, Dance Revolution' music video games, only more sophisticated, with more movement patterns and parts to press. With a small remote, Othinus could select what machine she wanted to operate and then used the controls on the pad with her own body to manipulate or adjust its movements and actions, to pick stuff up, roll them, tie them, pack them... there were many functions, each activated through different combinations of movements on the pad.

His father suggested that everything should be automated completely, but Othinus had none of that. His mother was a type of woman who wanted to make an effort in work and wouldn't give up even in her peculiar state. That was one of the things Tenma admired about her. It could be said that machines did actual work, but the fact that Othinus was basically breakdancing to operate them made it so she worked hard as well for everything to function smoothly.

"Who exactly... is Hyouka onee-chan?"

Othinus tripped, falling off-rhythm and causing one of the bouquets to fall to the ground.

Tenma got up and lifted the flowers, placing them on the table again.

"Because... that's not Kazakiri Hyouka, isn't it?"

"So you've heard" Othinus sighed" Some of your siblings told you?"

"Yes, and also, it was kind of hard to not notice the empty chair. They always leave... it..." Tenma paused, before grabbing his head in horror" Oh no... did I... is she..."

Othinus guessed what he thought about and waved her hand.

"Relax, she is not dead. She is safely tucked away at Canterbury Cathedral. Maybe even too safely..."

"Canterbury Cathedral?"

"Huh... you are going to pester me about it with no end, aren't you?"

"You bet, mom"

"Fine, you are part of the family, so you should know. Kamijou Hyouka... she is the daughter of Kamijou Touma and Index Librorum Prohibitorum. Connection with Kazakiri Hyouka is not a miss either, she is the source of your sister's name"

"What?! The daughter of the Archbishop?!"

Vision of woman with waist length silver hair entered Tenma's mind.

"Well, that doesn't matter at all. They are still just Touma and Index to each other, a misfortunate boy and nun that fell onto his balcony"

"I heard about that... it's a family history about how everything began"

"I am still close to both of them. Index has her responsibilities but Touma never misses an opportunity to spend time with her whenever he can. And also to visit Hyouka"

"Why is everyone so jumpy with her subject?"

"Even in this family, Hyouka is a special case... but I think there is someone who can tell it better than me"

"Come on, don't put it away!"

"No, I think I can do something better for you than just talk. Your dad will be going to London quite soon and he is taking Kenjou, Shishi, Haruto, and Mizumi with him. I will arrange it so you can go with them, and get the answers from the best possible source..."

(TWO DAYS LATER...)

And here he was, on the plane to England, couple of his siblings around him.

Their father arrived late. Tenma was not surprised at that. He got used to something misfortunate delaying Kamijou Touma. But he couldn't help but smile noticing the reason.

The fist class Kongou airlines plane was not something that would be cheap in real life. Their family had it for free, but apparently, aunt Mitsuko, one of the richest members of their family, had a different way of charging their dad with interest before flights, if smudges of lipstick and slightly messy appearance of Imagine Breaker suggested. Tenma was surprised he was holding himself that well. Knowing the aviation heiress of Kongou family, mother of Miya and Tomoya, and how intense she tended to be in her romantic gestures, it was a miracle Touma wasn't suffocated through kissing.

Behind him came a woman with purplish hair in a frayed bobcut, wearing a a pink, sleeveless top, addtionally sporting a black skirt, light coat and elegant travel handbag.

Tenma recognized aunt Itsuwa immediately. Her cafe was close to their own shop and she was very kind and nice to him whenever he stopped by.

Looking at her reminded him just how much Shishi, her daughter, resembled her, despite having darker eyes, slightly different face shape, and longer hair. Many of the children in Kamijou family bore some resemblance to their mothers, but also possessed a unifying aspect of some characteristic taken from their shared father.

"Finally, time to blow off steam" Haruto said cockily" I have my cards, so who wants to go for a ga..."

He noticed the look Touma gave him.

"Game, dad, game. Not a gamble. Although we could make it a little bit more interesting since mom isn't around-"

"Kaibi knows what she is doing. No betting, Haruto"

"Fine... anyway, someone up for the play?"

Kenjou sat close to Tenma, which made him happy. She travelled to England to spend a bit time with her mother, who remained there for a month know due to some political discussions.

The daughter of Saint of Far East was for Tenma what real big sister supposed to be. A bit rebellious, a bit proud, but ultimately very supportive and loyal. She was one of the most open and helpful people when he got adopted into this unique family.

As they took off and got to the proper altitude, Haruto and Shishi started to play cards. As far as Tenma could tell, Shishi got taken alongside Ituswa who also wanted to see Priestess Kaori. Haruto just snuck off on a moment of holiday, similarly to him.

Mizumi engaged in a new book. Auntie Kinuho often marvelled on the fact that her daughter was an avid writer, experimenting on such a young age, and she read a lot of books for reference.

"Hey..." after some time he spoke up, as Kenjou stared at the window" Can you tell me more about Hyouka onee-chan?"

Kenjou blinked in surprise and looked at him.

"You know about Hyouka?"

"Not really, just the fact that she exists"

"That's still plenty. I assume you are going along to meet her?"

"If I am lucky, yeah. Do... everyone know about her?"

"Everyone should" spoke another voice.

"Dad?!" Both teens jumped on their seats, as Kamijou Touma spoke to them.

He put finger on his lips and gestured at Itsuwa, who peacefully dozed off on his shoulder

"Don't wake her up. Tenma, Hyouka is not a secret... at least not for the family. She wouldn't want people to talk about her as if she is special"

"But dad, her situation isn't exactly normal" Kenjou said softly." It's not like we avoid her, she is just... hard to relate to at times"

"That's because Index doesn't want to listen to me in this area..." Touma sighed, rubbing his forehead with and looking up" Keeping her isolated will not do her good. She is my daughter, she is bound to get into some sort of trouble. Although I can understand to motivations to protect her... I too will do everything in my power too-"

"But what exactly makes Hyouka such... a mystery?" Tenma asked.

Touma and Kenjou looked at each other, and then back at him. Their father spoke

"Hyouka is one of my oldest children. De facto the same age as Kenjou here. Me and Index were overjoyed when she was born. It was a great festivity for all of our friends around the world. Parties, games, dancing, singing... and lots, lots, lots of food, as if Index could ever forgive lack of it. Hyouka was a joy to all of us. She was a lively and curious girl. When she was little, Index convinced me that she was fine taking care of Hyouka alone, even though I still visited her all the time, to make sure she didn't feel abandoned. We both had responsibilities, big ones at that, and while Index tried her best, she could not tend to her daughter all the time. She took her along at times, but as Hyouka grew older, Index felt confident in leaving her with the rest of the family. And then... when Hyouka was almost 5 years old, the tragedy happened. When I was away, and Index attended a dyplomatic meeting, she chose to leave Hyouka with..."

"My mother" Kenjou finished" Not only because mom and aunt Index were life-long friends, but also because their children were of the same age, they often took care of me and Hyouka, even down to feeding level. On that night, she was playing with her, when all of the sudden, there was a flash of blinding light and wave of magic that hit both of them, smashing through the wall of the Cathedral despite its powerful magical defenses."

"Index was alarmed and arrived on the scene 10 minutes later. She was devastated to see both Kaori and her daughter harmed. Kaori... went to the hospital and was recovering for a couple days..."

"WHAT?! But she is..."

"Insanely strong? Yes, that was worrisome. That was an assassination attempt. Kaori healed relatively quickly thanks to her Saint body. But she wasn't the main target, Hyouka was. My daughter was cursed. Yes, she was remotely cursed with a self-perpetuating malediction that targeted her brain and life functions. It was designed to kill her in a day"

"W-Why..." Tenma found his throat dry" Why would anyone target her?"

Touma looked as if he evidently knew the reasons, but carried on with his story.

"Index and Kaori were both shaken and devastated. Each tried to take a blame for it, and it was... not a pretty sight. Then again, neither was... how I reacted when I found out. I almost made a lots of irreparable mistakes "

"Dad got mad... really, really mad." Kenjou whispered" The level of mad almost unseen before. Mom said that he almost... stopped being human for a moment"

Tenma shivered. Their dad was a very relaxed and easy-going man, always half-comically whining about his bad luck. It was easy to overlook the fact that he could momentarily become one of the strongest beings in creation, with control over Imagine Breaker and entities sealed inside. Tenma was never eager to find out what it looked like... making Kamijou Touma truly angry.

"It's not the day I like to remember" Touma cut it short" Thankfully, thanks to the hours of combined efforts of Doc, Mikoto, Misaki, Nephthys, and Niang-Niang, Hyouka was saved, both from medical and magical side effects... although, she was as saved as she could. The damage to her brain was already done. They only stopped and contained it from actually killing her."

"Dad... don't be hard be hard on yourself"

Tenma didn't even hear Shishi approaching from behind. She leaned over Tenma's seat, her violet hair partially obstructing his already halved vision as they fell down.

"I heard that you helped too. A lot" she said compassionately.

Haruto didn't say anything, only playing with cards in his hand and observing his father.

"Not nearly as much as I should" Touma replied" I know that I am not a perfect father, but I would move mountains for each and every one of you. Or at least I would die trying. As for Hyouka... even after touching inside of her brain, I couldn't fully negate her curse. It was deemed connected to the outside source... the caster. As long as he is out there, there is nothing my Imagine Breaker can do in a long run"

"Wait... the culprit is still not caught? But... but..." Tenma was at loss of words.

Touma clenched his fist so hard that bones cracked.

"There are too many damn mysteries in all of this. Who could be powerful enough to deal damage to Kaori and breach through cathedral's defenses? Why not even abilities of Magic Gods could fully remove the curse? It would suggest that it was done by someone on their level. But who could loathe Hyouka for her destiny so much that they would go to such length... no witnesses, no clues, no residual traces... me and Index were searching for years, and we found some good leads... but all turned out to be insufficient to actually hurt Hyouka."

'Curse... assassination... Magic God level power... political intrigue... revenge on Archbishop... or on father?... Unknown enemy... Kamijou Hyouka... but why? And what exactly is the effect of that curse?'

Tenma was so engulfed in the mystery that he didn't realize the plane started to descend. Everybody returned to their seats. As Touma gently woke Itsuwa up, Tenma heard Kenjou speaking

"Don't worry. You will understand everything soon"

(ON THE AIRPORT)

When they landed, they had a welcome committee.

Two identical girls with blond hair and stormy-grey irises accompanied by a woman in white coat with layer of artificial fur, black brotch, white skirt with golden accents, black stockings and high heels.

A teal-haired girl with a dark eyes and a hoodie accompanied by cheeky, relatively well-ednowed woman with long black hair accentuated by yellow stripes and extremely saucy outfit.

And finally, the very tall and very bust woman with a ponytail and nodachi be her side.

"Mom!" Kenjou greated her.

Kanzaki Kaori smiled at her daughter and rubbed her hair.

"Don't act like we didn't saw each other in ages" she said" You spend time with me and Amakusa all the time"

"I know, but I am just so happy to see you too"

"I know, I love you."

Kaori walked over to Touma and pecked his cheek with a smile.

"Had a good flight?"

"It was okay. Someone certainly had a good sleep"

Itsuwa blushed and looked at Kanzaki.

"I-I am his wife, so there is nothing strange about..."

As Kanzaki and Itsuwa chatted, Touma turned his attention to two other women.

"Leivinia, Lessar..."

"Daddy!" Mary Kamijou zoomed in and jumped forward, embracing him in a hug.

"What are you, five?" her twin sister Elizabeth cringed a little" We are in public!"

"Heh, you are just to stubborn to admit that you love being spoiled too..."

"W-What are you talking about? Hmph, t-took you long enough, stupid dad! You are late!"

"Lizzy, I think you grown." Touma said smiling" And this new dress really suits you"

"W-Wha..." the blond girl blushed" Don't try this on me, i-i-it's super innefective... but just for the record, how much do you think I grew? No, wait, don't call me Lizzy! Like I said, we are not five!"

"Dad!" Britannia Kamijou, called Tannia by basically everyone, also run to Touma's side" Iamsogladtoseeyoumomisatitagain, save me!"

"Wait, slow down!" Touma sighed, putting a hand on her head" Your mom? What is Lessar doing this time?"

"She was going on about her newly designed lingerie collection for an hour now. I think she is on an anticipation high for... your arrival... so please just talk to her and make her stop"

"Tannia... I know I said this a lot of times already, but I am so glad you inherited my sensibility when it comes to romance" Touma said with tears in his eyes.

"Oi..." Leivinia Birdway walked over, her white dress swishing and high heels clacking on the floor. She lowered the sunglasses with her finger, her crystal blue eyes shining with impatience" Don't ignore me, stupid husband"

"Levi-chan..."

"Our daughter is goddamn right, call me Levi-chan in public and I will mess you up..."

"Leivinia... you look..."

"Marvelous? Extravagant? Imposing? Dominating?"

"I was gonna go with 'like a mafioso'..."

A high heel was planted onto his feet, earning a hiss of pain.

"...but after reconsideration, I will go with 'radiant'"

"That's what I thought. In any case..."

She planted a kiss on his cheek, and smiled brightly

"Nice to see you on our turf"

"Oh, I missed you so much!" Lessar shoved Leivinia aside, embracing Touma tightly" Every... single... part of you~..."

"It's good to see you too" Touma reciprocated the hug" So, I thought Rimea and Carissa won't miss an opportunity?"

"You are to meet with them later." Lessar explained" Apparently, Queen arriving at the airport like this is bound to cause a commotion, so we went low-key this time"

"You and lowkey... don't really mix" Leivinia deadpanned. Lessar stuck her tongue at her.

"Aunt Kaori, can I get a ride?" Mizumi asked the Saint.

"Sure, hope on!" she repiled, piggybacking her.

"Tenma, can I have a word?" Touma tapped Tenma's shoulder.

They stepped aside as the group went on. Touma cleared his throat

"Like I said, Hyouka is not a secret in the family. However, she is kept a secret from the rest of the world because of her heritage and ... because of her guilt, she likes to keep her close. Maybe too close, which is quite ironic, considering her own childhood. I try to take her out, but she usually never gets out too much. And her curse makes things... tricky, for people who meet her for the first time. Bear that in mind-

"Oi, what's the hold up!" voice of Leivinia shouted in the distance.

"One second, I am coming!" Touma shouted back

"Only minutes after reuniting me? At least wait for when we are in bed~" Lessar sing-sang.

Touma facepalmed.

"For the love of... please, by all means, ignore everything aunt Lessar says today, I beg of you. She always gets like this after reunion. Also... if you are going to meet her in her library, tell her that I will meet with her after speaking with her mom, kay?"

"Sure, dad. But I have so many questions..."

"I am sure you do. But go look for Hyouka on your own. Take Kenjou and Mizumi with you. Kenjou grew up alongside her before Index took her away from others... due to various reasons... and Mizumi loves her due to library she guards. She knows a lot about her too"

"Mizumi does?"

The small daughter of Wannai Kinuho was the last person Tenma would suspect of knowing the details about their ultra-mysterious sibling.

They went after the others, outside of the terminal.

"Alright, so we have two cars." Leivinia said" Me and Lessar can drive you to the hotel and later to the cathedral..."

Usually, two twin daughters of Leivinia Birdway didn't seem like twins when it came to their actions and personalities. But here, they scooted to Touma's side in an instant.

"We are coming with dad and dad's coming with aunt Lessar"

Touma wanted to say something but the twins practically shoved him straight into the car.

"Tch, come on! I give birth to you and this is the reaction for travelling with your mother?" Leivinia scoffed" What loyalty!"

"I am coming with aunt Lessar too" Haruto affirmed with a smirk" Can't wait to hear new party ideas"

"You know it. The best aunt in time will give you a holiday blast!"

Finally, Touma, the twins, Kanzaki, Haruto, and packed thsemselves into Lessar's car, while Itsuwa, Shishi, Mizumi, and Tenma got into Leivinia's.

"You made the right choice" The boss of Golden Coloured-Sunlight put on sunglasses and stepped on the gas" We will leave them in the dust!"

(LATER)

They made the wrong choice. That much was obvious.

Surely, they were faster, but what was the point if they were a second from throwing up. Suddenly, Mary and Elizabeth's enthusiasm to not ride with their mother became more than explicable.

Tenma was green and his younger sisters weren't faring much better. Itsuwa excused herself and ran to the toilet. Birdway shrugged, looking at them

"Oh, just a few sharp turns. I got you here in one piece, didn't I?"

"That's... the bare minimum..."

But after unpacking at the hotel, and taking another ride (by taxi, thank gods) they arrived at the cathedral.

The group walked through the hallways before finally reaching the majestic golden door.

"The Archbishop will see you now"

Tenma spun around so his one functioning eye could take full view of the space. The room was a beautifully draped with arrases and decorated with stain glass windows featuring biblical scenes.

Index was sitting on the ornamented chair, with couple of nuns on both sides.

With growth spurt hitting her rather late in her teens, she looked mature, taller, and more motherly than in her early years. The pure white habit with golden, vine-like lines covered her torso and chest, not enormous by the standards Tenma saw in the family but still pretty sizeable, the result of years of nutrition. Curiously, the habit exposed legs and arms of the Grimoire Library. Combined with white-gold headpiece on silver-haired head, Index could very well pass as some ancient goddess on her throne...

"Welcome!" she said with pomp.

... if not the fact that she was currently engaged in eating a chicken leg, nibbling the flesh out of the bone.

Touma sighed, with Itsuwa and Kanzaki behind him barely keeping straight faces.

"Index, please tell me you are not greeting foreign diplomats with mouth full of food. Should I be worried about some international incidents?"

Index swallowed and majestic tone disappeared altogether.

"But Touma, there was meeting after meeting after paperwork after meeting... I am soooo hungry I can barely see straight."

"I don't doubt that..." Birdway smirked, crossing her arms" I bet most of Church's expenses go to feeding you"

"Levi, stop teasing her" Touma sighed, opening his arms as Index embraced him in a hug" Index does amazing charity work, which includes feeding others."

"We have so many things to talk about" Index beamed at them" Oh, so wonderful, wonderful to see you! Let's throw a..."

She coughed into her hand, straightening herself.

"A tea party, for our guests"

"Index, you don't have to force yourself" Kanzaki said with a smile" We are family. You don't have to act like a figure in charge around us. As a leader myself, I know it's nice to relax sometimes"

"Oh... in that case... a big dinner is in order!"

Itsuwa snuck her hand into Touma's.

"We can cook, can we?" she asked sweetly" Make something for everyone"

Touma kissed her on the forehead.

"Nothing would bring me greater joy."

His other wives looked sceptically.

"I can think of a few things" Lessar said, accepting the challenge that wasn't even issued." Tannia, what do we say that-"

She blinked, realizing that her daughter, and not only her, was missing.

"Emm... where are the kids?"

(MEANWHILE)

Tenma did not want to disrespect aunt Index. If he did, he would apologize for it.

But he just couldn't help himself. He wanted to find his yet unseen sister.

That's why, when everyone was focused on reunion of Index and Touma, he snuck out by the side door.

However, he didn't expect everyone to just follow here.

"Why are you all going with me?"

"Have you ever been in this cathedral?" Kenjou asked.

"Well... no, but..."

"You can easily get lost in here. It's better to have someone who visited several times, like me"

After 10 minutes of walking around, he had to admit that Kenjou was right. The cathedral and spaces under it were vast. He could easily imagine getting trapped there.

But getting back to why he was in a big group...

Well, Kenjou and Mizumi were to go to meet Hyouka anyway, but...

"What about you?" he asked Haruto.

He shrugged.

"Fun. Beats being stuck with adults"

Sometimes, Tenma couldn't tell if his brother was joking or not with how lightly he seemed to take everything.

He looked at the twins, their blond heads shining like flecks of gold in the shadows.

"I love to discover new things with all of you." Shishi grinned, flashing her pearly white teeth and infectious smile at Tenma" You looked pretty worked up earlier, so I didn't want to leave you to it alone"

"It is the same for me. I didn't see you for a while. Feels nice to just go around with all of you" Mary explained.

"Like big bro said, anything beats being stuck with our parents and doing basically nothing" Liz added.

"I want to go to the library!" Mizumi jumped up with a grin.

"I wanted to stretch my legs." said Tannia" Besides, you are looking for Hyouka, right?"

"You heard us?"

"Partially. I know where to find her, so we-"

And then, they heard them.

Pipe organs. Playing from the depths of the earth.

"There" Tannia pointed at one of the corridors, ending with a steep staircase.

It seemed that sometimes, that simplicity instead of frantic search was aiding your luck.

They went to the staircase, and descended in the group.

The sound of organ were beautiful, haunting, permeating deeply and profoundly into them.

Duuuu Duuu Duuu Duuu Duuuuun Duuu Duuu

Duuu Duuu Duuuuuun Duu Duu Duu Duuuuuun Du Du

Du Duuu Duuu Duuu Duuuuuun Duuu Duuu

Duuu Duuu Du Duuu Duuu Du Duu Du... Duuuuuuuun...

"That's... Mr. Crowley" Haruto said, recognizing the song by the rhythm.

Someone was playing 'Mr. Crowley' on the pipe organ, in the heart of Anglican Church, for their family, of all families of the world, to hear.

The siblings were even more eager to go down now.

And finally... they reached the torch-lit room, just as the song changed.

This one no one knew, but the attention of the group went to the group went to the gigantic organ by the wall. And the girl playing them.

Duuuu Duuuu Duuuu, Duuu Duuuu, Duuuu Duuuu Du Du Du

Duuun Duuun Duuun, Duuuu Duuuu Du Du Du

Duuuun Duuuun Duuuuuun, Dun, Dun, Duuun Duuun Duuun

Duuuuun Duuuun Dun, Du Du Du Du Du Duuuuuuun...

Tenma never saw anyone play this instrument like this before. Girl's fingers run on the keyboard as if it was an extension of her own body, as if she was not playing a musical but a kinetic melody of moving her arms and legs in a dance.

She had silver hair, reaching to her arms and wore the most unassuming clothing, as if she didn't care what she looked like. But maybe this dissonance was why there was something enchanting about her. Her skin was lithe and white, arms long and slender, with delicate fingers. She was two years older than him by approximation and was already on the brink between teenage years and adulthood.

Beauty was something rather common in their family, in many forms and styles, taking a look at many of his sisters was enough of an indication. But that sort of aura was new.

"Don't stare, that's supposed to be your sister" Kenjou scolded him" Gawk more and we will have another uncle Motoharu. We don't need that, trust me!"

Sister?

Wait... so this was...

He was so mesmerized that he didn't notice when the song ended and the girl turned her head slightly, her eyes covered by the shadow.

"Who's there?"

"Hyouka, that's me" Kenjou said " We are here for a visit... and to introduce someone to you"

"I thought those steps sounded familiar. Can you move closer?"

They did. And so did she.

When she stepped out to torchlight, Tenma felt his heart sink.

He didn't know why he didn't realize it before

What he assumed to be the shadow was a black blindfold going around the girl's head, clashing with silvery-blue hair, spanning from the middle of bridge of the nose to lower forehead and covering the eyes.

He could tell. Something was wrong with her vision.

Or rather... that she was blind.

Hyouka turned to assess her siblings.

"Mary? And Elizabeth?"

"Impressive" Liz admitted" You never cease to amaze me. Sometimes, when we put our mind to it, even people who know us can't tell us apart. And you get it every time"

"Your breathing is different" Hyouka calmly stated" What you look like poses no difference to me"

Tenma noticed that the twins looked at each other in a strange way, but he didn't know why, so he disregarded it.

Hyouka touched Shishi's hair and brightened.

"How is aunt Itsuwa? She is always kind enough to leave me some nice things to eat in a library"

"Mom is doing fine. She will probably visit you later on." Shishi said, hugging the blindfolded girl.

"I heard Kenjou... and if I am right, then..."

"It's me, Mizumi. Your mom had to tell you about me"

"Oh, yes" a smile appeared under the blindfold" The little book lover. Well, you came to the right place, because I love books too. Last time I met you, you were only an baby. Such puffy hair, I never forget the texture of something I touch. I guess that you want to visit the Liibrary?!"

"Yes!"

"There will be time for that. Haruto and Britannia..."

"Hey!"

"Please, it's just Tannia, onee-chan..."

"But... your steps are not known to me..."

She searched, moving her head confusedly, before Tenma spoke up.

"My name is Tenma. I am the adopted son of former Magic Goddess Othinus. I really wanted to meet you. It's a pleasure to know that I have one more great sister"

Hyouka was facing his direction without actual visual interaction, which got him a bit nervous, before breaking into a smile.

"Your voice sounds kind. Can I... touch you? This will give me greater idea who you are..."

"Y-Yeah, sure"

And so he let his new sister trace her fingers all over his face and upper body. She stopped when she reached his eyepatch. She tapped into it, before moving away with saddened expression.

"I am sorry if I intruded..."

"N-No... after all... you have it worse" Tenma muttered awkwardly.

Hyouka moved forward, walking past them.

She stopped by the staircase, putting her hand on the wall.

"Hyouka... are you doing what I think you are doing?"

Hyouka smiled. Even with part of her face covered, Tenma knew that look.

It was the face their father had when he was about to do something that could potentially get him into trouble, but he still considered worth doing.

"I wasn't outside in such a long time... mom never lets me, out of concern. Please, since you are here, guide me to some fun place"

(10 MINUTES LATER)

They got outside.

Hyouka breathed in deeply, her head moving around and silver hair scattering on the wind.

"It's stay before the sunset, right?" she said with a tinge of worry.

"Yeah, sun sets in about... 3 hours" Haruto said after searching in his phone.

"Got it" Hyouka walked forward." Kenjou, talk with me if you might. You too... Tenma, was it? I am quite intrigued by you"

The group of siblings went down the street.

Hyouka turned out to be a very sweet young woman. He could see a lot of both of her parents in her, especially his father's mannerisms and way of speaking. If anything, she could be called charming. But something started to bother him very much. A lot.

Firstly, there were many people on the street. Not everyone noticed blind girl in the crowd on time to step aside.

But Hyouka did not use any kind of stick and cane to sense the terrain. She also didn't let any of her siblings physically guide her.

Instead, she actually manoeuvred inside the crowd. And somehow, she evaded almost each and every single passerby. She was bumping occasionally on someone, but on the level that normally seeing person would in the crowd like this.

There was no sense of slight uneasiness that would be present for someone who could not see. Even Tenma, who still had half of his field of vision perfectly fine, was slightly tense for the things coming from his blind spot. But Hyouka wasn't

'Is she relaying on her hearing that much? Even that, it is so weird...'

And then there came second shock. When Mizumi, running around carelessly, tripped on the uneven pavement, Hyouka reached forward and grabbed her.

"Be careful." she said in a concern tone of an older sister.

'Can she... no, she wouldn't... it can't be...'

Something ugly grew inside of Tenma's heart. It burned him like acid, even when he tried to put it away and convince himself he was wrong.

Finally, they reached a bar that looked like an old tavern, with a billard and TV, and of course a big, old-fashioned counter. There were few guests here and there

"Miss Kenjou." The barman spoke in hoarse voice, nodding slightly" Nice to see you. Friends?"

"Better, family. Can we have a table?"

"Sure thing, miss"

They took long table by the corner.

Everything seemed to be in order. But then Tenma almost sat on the sleeping bag laying across the seats.

"Oh, what the hell?!"

The bag rose up and split in the middle, showing a young blond-haired teenager with sunglasses.

"I am up, I am up, just a momen-"

Then he truly took a look at all of them. He spread his arms.

"Everyone, so good to see you"

"And you are?"

The teen smiled and pulled at his hair.

Which, as it turned out, was a wig.

His true hair was black as coal and contrasted well with deep, indigo-blue eyes.

"Leo!" couple of voices shouted.

Why was one of their oldest brothers, a prince and heir to the throne, sleeping in disguise on the seats of some bar in London?

Leonard Edward Windsor-Kamijou had a tendency to sneak out to the city incognito, especially when having to deal with military training, which he didn't particularly enjoyed.

From what he told them, he had so many paperwork that he worked through all night and slept during the day.

"Let me guess, they don't know that you are not in the palace" Kenjou asked.

"There wouldn't be much sense in escaping if they knew, would it?" Leo sighed, before looking at Hyouka" Oh... if you are here, then..."

"Guilty as charged. Also escaped" blindfolded girl bowed her head." For a moment, of course"

Conversations flew and everyone ordered something to drink. A wide variety actually, which spoke volumes about service quality of the bar: apple cider for Kenjou, apple juice for Mizumi, jasmine tea for Mary, cappucino for Liz, cocoa for Shishi, orange juice for Leo, pepsi for Haruto, and plain water for both Tenma and Hyouka.

And it was through those drinks that Tenma snapped.

The waitress, a young girl and visibly new to the job, did her best to balance the trays with orders. It was unknown why she didn't split the load. She was doing relatively load, but she still overbalanced and was a step from spilling drinks over everyone.

But before the accident happen, Hyouka's hand shot forward and supported the tray, helping the waitress to regain balance.

Tenma couldn't believe what he just saw. He processed it over and over again, but it yielded the same result.

And the same acidic rage that he felt earlier exploded with full force after the waitress apologized and left.

"Oi, what the hell was that?!"

Everyone got quiet as he looked at Hyouka.

"Wha-"

"I saw it! I may have only one eye, but I saw you following that tray with your eyes. Even if you are blindfolded, I know that you noticed it."

"N-No, I just heard-"

"There is no way that this could be done by hearing alone! Do you think loss of vision is something to make fun of? That it makes you look cool if you look like this?!"

"N-No, I don't what you are talking about, I am blind-"

"I don't believe you. If you are, then let's see it!"

He knew he was acting out of line, but all those inconsistencies angered him so much that before he knew it, he reached out, and untangled the blindfold, that fell down soon after.

In the rays of sun, he initially felt triumphant. Hyouka's eyes were normal. They weren't of whitish colour, they had deeply dark-green irises, like very dark jade stones or bottles made from green-tinted glass. He was certain that he exposed a fraudulent act.

But he completely didn't expect what happened next

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Hyouka screamed, letting out a pained cry and covering her eyes. She bit her lips, letting out small whimpers, while searching for the blindfold.

And then a fist hit Tenma's cheek.

He tumbled to the floor. In his confused and frightened daze, he noticed Leo standing over him with anger in his eyes.

His normally pacifistic adopted older brother was livid!

"What do you think you are doing?!"

"Leo, stop!" Shishi slid between them" Tenma didn't mean it!"

"He doesn't know about Hyouka's condition" Kenjou rushed to explain" It's our fault to not explaining it clearly."

Leo looked back at Tenma, his anger vanishing.

"Oh... I suppose, you are one of the newest to the family... you still shouldn't do that, but in your case... I think I understand now... fine, let's explain this to the end"

"Explaining... what?"

Tenma walked to the side with Kenjou and Leo, while others helped Hyouka with her blindfold. Once it was put on, the young woman slowly calmed down.

"I know that I did something bad. I shouldn't act like I did" Tenma said" But can anyone explain all of this to me, till the end? How can Hyouka evade objects or predict that someone is gonna fall? How is she blind if she has functioning eyes? And if she sees normally, why the blindfold? And-"

"Alright, we will get through it all. So you know that Hyouka was cursed." Kenjou began patiently" The curse was embedded in the brain. Through the save attempts of various parties, it was contained, but not before it caused some damage. Namely, to visual pathways and primary visual cortex. The curse remains and can't be negated until the culprit, who is still on the loose despite years of effort, dispels it or dies."

"I only heard dad talking with this frog-faced doctor in Japan once, but I think it was something like this... first of all, Hyouka is not blind. She is blindsighted"

"Blind... sighted?"

"Blindsight, single word."Leo continued in academic tone" After hearing that conversation, I dug a bit myself and it's goes like this. Usually, person sees the word by information getting to retina, it then goes through optic nerve to lateral geniculate nucleus, and then to primary visual cortex and other visual areas, that help get the information into consciously perceived image. For Hyouka, both her visual cortex, main visual pathway, and retina became severely damaged, so she is, in practice, blind. Cortically blind, that is, blind from the brain, not because of the eyes. That's why they look normal. But Hyouka can't have conscious images of the world around her like we do"

"Then why-"

"BUT... just because the usual optic nerve pathway is mainstream, doesn't mean that it is the only one capable of conducting visual information. There is an older, more primal way, that goes from retina to thalamus, brainstem, limbic system, and rest of the brain. Only thing is... that information cannot be consciously recognized"

"What does that mean?" Tenma asked, feeling slightly lost.

"Simply put, blindsight means seeing despite being blind" Kenjou explained" Sounds crazy and kind of contradictory, but it's the truth. Hyouka can't experience actual images, but she is able to intuitively recognize motion, speed, colour and shape. It's not the images, it's supposedly like this feeling of intuition that one sometimes has when someone is about to hit you. The thing is though, she is convinced that she is blind and she cannot consciously access those information. She will always say that she got it right because of lucky shot or by hearing. But, when she is guessing or when her body reacts instinctively, she does or says things with the similar visual accuracy of normally seeing people."

"That's... kind of amazing, actually..."

"Blindsight cannot replace normal vision though. She can't perceive immobile objects or have multiple things about single image, like shape, size, colour integrated, she can only 'sense them' one at the time. She can get lost in unfamiliar places or lose her visual intuition when she gets nervous. However, she has great memory of touch and thanks to certain spells, she has this sense refined to the extent of being able to read books by simply tracing fingers over the letters. Although, as you saw with the restaurant menu, it doesn't work if something is laminated"

"Alright... wow... but... what about the blindfold thing? And her screaming..."

"She is also photophobic. It's a combined affliction. Meaning that her eyes, despite not being able to give conscious images, still have pain receptors. She can't stand daylight and it causes her great pain, even if it would seem negligible from the inside. What you call blindfold is not actually blocking her vision. If you move closer, you will see that it is partially see-through. It is a mixture of technology from Academy City and magic, made out of fibber that absorbs and reflects certain amount of brightness, making it possible for her to see during daytime. She doesn't wear it at night, then she can... 'see' just fine."

"I am sorry. I should be the one to explain it"

Tenma jumped up. He didn't realize Hyouka was standing right behind him.

He quickly turned around and bowed.

"Hyouka-san... I am so, so sorry. Because I didn't have a full picture, I acted awfully... and caused you pain. Please, forgive me!"

The blindsighted girl listened for a moment, before reaching forward and moving her head through the hair of surprised boy.

"It's a job of older sisters to keep the younger siblings in line" she said with relaxed tone" But it's also their job to stick with them thick and thin. I know you didn't mean it. Like I said, I should have explained my own situation so this wouldn't happen. I know that I am a bit confusing"

"Yeah, can't you just use sunglasses?"

"This sticks closer to my body so it's more effective. Besides... dad gave it to me, so I deeply treasure it"

"I see... Can I make it up to you though?"

Hyouka smiled.

"Well, I am not on the level of my mother... but I will never say no to a good food. I will never see things I eat, so I might as well smell and taste them like crazy!"

In that moment, someone kicked the door open.

"LEO!" A young woman with messy blond hair and dark eyes stormed inside" I know you are here! Get your ass back to the palace, right now!"

Leo tried to his hardest to appear like a paper cut-out.

"Leo is not here. Leo went to vacation..."

"Long time no see, princess Averil..."

"Why do you keep using my second name, pops? And you!"

Kira Averil Windsor-Kamijou, both half-sister and cousin of Leonard, grabbed the prince by the shirt.

"Mom was supposed to be training you today. And you know how she gets when she gets mad about you skipping it"

"Oh, yay, training with aunt Risa. How could I forget such a joyous event to wake up for in the morning?"

"Leo, I am not sticking around for my mother to turn into a full lioness-mode. She says that if you are not home by sunset, family or not, she will personally whack your butt with a side of the sword, at least 50 times."

"I see that you are as cool-headed as always, princess Averil..."

"I am the reasonable one here!"

"Hmm, if you are reasonable, then I am the Queen"

"Interesting why to use the saying. I think that it is my role though" new voice spoke.

The barman lifted his gaze and his eyes widened.

"Holy shi... I mean..."

He quickly bowed, as regal woman in blue dress entered the bar.

"... y-your majesty... welcome! Can I get you anything?"

Rimea raised her hand. Even though two stripes of grey ran through her jet black hair, she regained the aura of freshness, beauty, and intellect. Some said that those qualities even got finer with age.

"Tempting, but I am here for my son"

"Aunt Rimea, you didn't have to..." Kira started, but Rimea cut her short.

"My niece, you can go back. I will escort Leonard personally. Hmm, I see that you used a disguise..."

She smiled slightly, and nodded in approval.

"You are my son, alright. But regardless..."

Leo yelped when she grabbed him by the ear and started to pull it out of the bar.

"... the fact that you snuck out without taking your mother along is unforgivable. You are to analyze and 20 documents and reports by tomorrow"

'That's what she is mad about?!'

"But-"

"Behave with dignity and accept it"

She turned to assess the group of teenagers.

"Hyouka, you know you shouldn't be outside"

"I know, Your Majesty. I was about to return"

"If that's true, then I won't be informing Archbishop about it"

"You have my gratitude"

"Also..." Rimea looked around" Is your father here?"

"Not here here, but... he is still at the Cathedral"

"I see. I hope he is in good health. Please, relay to him that I will make time for a longer audience tomorrow in the evening. His presence and ideas are always very... stimulating, for me"

"We will also see each other soon, so take care!"

Leo shouted as he and Rimea left.

Kira gave the sibling group a friendly wave before following them.

"Stimulating, huh..." Haruto smiled deviously, but Tannia quickly whacked him on the head.

"Haru-nii, don't you dare! It's enough to have my mother around with her sex jokes, I don't need any more!"

"Everyone..." Hyouka said, a new tone entering her voice" I think I will follow the Queen's suggestion. Let's return... because I have something to share and show you."

(HALF AN HOUR LATER, BACK AT THE TUNNELS UNDER THE CATHEDRAL)

The group were walking down the torch lit corridor. Tenma didn't know why, but he sensed something grand was about to happen.

"Did any of you know the concept of total library?" Hyouka asked, her lips curling in a sly grin.

Mizumi's eyes lit up and she jumped up with her hand in the air.

"I do! It's a hypothetical library that contains every book in existence"

"Right. It's famously portrayed in short story 'Library of Babel'. Ever since I was a little girl, I was deeply fascinated by it. So I begged and begged, and finally... my mom and Magic Gods put their powers together to create my dream."

"Wait, you don't mean..."

"The universal library exists." Hyouka placed her hand on the nearby door.

Reality shuddered, even if for a moment. The door glowed slightly and creaked open.

The smile under the blindfold widened.

"... and I am taking you there."

At first suspicious, everyone slowly made their way through.

"Only me, my mother, and Magic God-level entities can go in and out without invitation. And that can't do it, because this place is made purely of magic, and it would collapse with him here... but I am so happy to show someone from my own family this miracle..."

After Tenma stepped outside and actually looked around, he couldn't believe his own vision. He spun around, but even then...

It was...

They were...

The door disappeared into thin air. Behind them, there was a long corridor filled with walls covered in books. Above, where ceilling was supposed to be, a star sky filled with luminous clouds of multicolour light, as if it was a center of a nebula.

Everyone stared in wonder. The corridor opened to the big octagonal shaft. Out of 8 walls of the octagon, four were filled with books from floor to the top, and four of them were corridors, like the one they exited. Each of those corridors looked like another shaft, going on for ever and ever and ever... the endless walls covered in books in multiple different planes. For some reason, even though the walls and corridors were located above them, the orientation didn't allow to recognize which direction was truly up... and which was down. Each seemed to be oriented with its own gravity, and yet, remained a part of a greater whole. Octagonal shafts, made by corridors on its edges, corridors with falls filled with immeasurable number of books.

Mizumi had her mouth widely opened. And not only her. Even if Tenma was the only one who didn't know Hyouka before, apparently the rest of his siblings had no opportunity to learn of this secret.

Tenma knew that beyond those corridors would be another octagon, and that each of the shaft went on for longer than he could imagine. A structure that was so immense that it exceeded human understanding.

Hyouka seemed to glow with renewed vitality.

"Welcome to the Library of All Fates. You can say that I followed mother's footsteps and got myself involved in the library business. Only instead of having the library within my head, I am the key to it. This is an enclosed dimension, that contains every book that was or could be written, in every timeline of every phase that we know of. Time flows much slower here, so you can spend years here and still come out after a day"

"Every... book..."

"Every book. The book containing the story of our lives. The book about biographies of mystical beings. The recipes for spaghetti made from Martian animals. Books that are formed by only one repeating word... books of impossible things. Books of things that we wish could happen... and also, book referencing all other books in the library... the book about library itself... books about everything... and books about nothing. Every truth and every falsehood is stored in here"

"Incredible." Kenjou whispered" So... with that place, can you predict the future?"

"We know from experience of our dad's battles that fate is a tricky thing. Besides, with all the possible fates written down, how do you know which one is real?" Hyouka answered cryptically.

"True... damn, I would laugh at certain someone every time if I knew she is gonna lose ahead of time..."

(MEANWHILE, RELATIVELY SPEAKING)

"Achoo!"

In the small villa near Edinburgh, a silver haired girl, with pale blue, moonstone eyes, sneezed.

"Aoife, don't catch a cold before your next tournament" Bayloupe said, observing her daughter going back to performing kicks and spins in mid-air." Be sure to always take a warm shower"

"I won't get sick, mother. I know that this endeavour is important"

"Your father promised to be there..."

"That's great, but can you please not have that look in your eyes when you talk about dad? You look like aunt Lessar!"

"Oh please" Bayloupe scoffed" That horndog has nothing on me. I have style and refinement your aunt is still looking for"

"So why you lick your lips when you talk about him?!"

"When you get to my age, you will understand. For now, focus on your training"

"Of course" Aoife grinned fiercely" I will surely wipe that haughty look of that punk face of hers when I win again"

(AT THE LIBRARY OF ALL FATES)

"Achoo!"

"Bless ya!" Shishi told Kenjou.

Kanzaki's daughter rubbed her nose, looking up as if someone just insulted her.

"Thanks. That came out of nowhere"

Tenma was still marvelling at the size and physics of cosmic library. And also how quiet it was.

All of the sounds, be it their voices, Kenjou's sneeze, footsteeps, or breaths, disappeared as if sucked in by a black hole of silence.

Suddenly, something struck him.

He opened his mouth, but Liz beat him to it, apparently also thinking the same thing.

"How big is this place, actually? It has to be infinite, to have such number of books..."

Hyouka thought for a moment.

Tenma already noticed that she was very smart. Not strategically or technically smart, like Leo or Kaizumi were, but factually smart. It made sense. She lived in the biggest library in the universe.

Where she read every single nonsense and every single truth.

Dear gods... that was... Tenma didn't even know what to think...

That would make anyone at least a little eccentric.

"Well, I don't know about infinity. The number of book might just be finite" the blindsighted librarian went to explain" You see, all books have 500 pages, no exception. Just a general rule. If a book is shorter, part of it is blank. Now, we can only estimate. But statistically, each book has 40 lines with 50 words per page. So more or less 25000 words per book. The organizing spell makes it so the books are formed only with fully coherent word content from selected group of dictionaries. All in all, 14508858 words can appear, from any language and in any configuration. And given the combination of the words within a book, in this library may be '14508858 raised to the power of 25000' possible books "

The silence was deafening.

"And as for the size... each book is 5 cm thick, 40 cm high, there are 100 meter shelves in each corridor... that is the section of the unending well... each shelf can hold up 200 books. There are 40 shelves in each section, each holding 200 books. So we have 16 meters height times 10 meters width times 100 meters length... 16000 cubic meters of diameter for one corridor section making the endless shaft..."

Hyouka paused, notcing blank stares directed at her.

"A-Are you sure you are a magician, not an esper?"

"W-Well, skipping some crucial, but rather tedious calculations, we need to divide number of possible books by number of cubic meter sections, readjust the units used... and we have a library that is over 400000 times bigger"

"Bigger than... what? What is the unit here?" Tenma asked weakly" Kilometers? Miles?"

"Universes." The oldest sister replied smoothly" Our universe, to be precise"

Tenma felt the world spin around him once again.

A number with hundreds of thousands of decimal places long, with universe used as a measurement unit?

"Let's just say... that this place is infinite"

Hyouka laughed at that.

"Yes, that's probably better"

For a moment, everyone went around. Shishi took one of the books off the shelves.

"Anothony took nieve in shizune with let brokuły fly tempo krk ngari..." she read, before shaking her head." Wow, most of those are...emm..."

"Utter garbage" Liz didn't even attempted to be considerate. "Not a lick of sense"

"That's the side effect of such library. Most of those books are nonsensical."

"But I bet these makes searching for the right ones more worthwhile, huh?" Tannia remarked

Hyouka nodded.

"The Library of All Fates is vast, and the whole existence of the universe would not be enough to fully explore it. So it's useless for almost anyone. Unless... you are me"

She took deep breath and...

"AAGFTVTAB34TR795AHP2S77GBV30UZBTRGPERA5I8..."

A stream of letters and digits flowed from young woman's lips. As everybody listened, the stream got so fast that they couldn't hear specific parts anymore. And just as Tenma started to space out, after 3 minutes or so, Hyouka abruptly stopped and exclaimed.

"I found it!"

"What? What did you find?"

She moved her head around, fixing her attention of each of her siblings individually, before addressing Tenma.

"My new brother... you are probably interested why I was cursed. Why is it of such importance to others that I am dealt with. My mother taught be how to used Notarikon, the same she once used for Spell Intercept, to attempt to locate books around here. One I located might be of importance to you"

Tenma was curious, even if library put these train of thought to the side for a moment.

Why was Hyouka someone that others desired to kill?

In their family, there was a mixture of talents and skills, varying with each person of their generation.

Some wielded very powerful abilities. There was Shimitsu, who could quite literally tear apart and detonate space around her via control of strong interactions. Parvati, who could heal from great variety of injuries, and even help others, if the wounds were relatively fresh. Sena, who could manipulate dreams and bend logic. Hayate, who had ability that was compared to old-time black death.

Some were notably gifted physically. Prime examples were Ryodou, a gentle giant who could literally sent people flying with combination of his muscles and ability. Kenjou, with her dexterity and swiftness in using a sword. Aoife, who was incredibly fast and skilled in various types of martial arts.

Others were particularly intellectual. Like Leo, who had a vast array of hobbies and talents. Kaizumi, whose intellect seemed to be almost on par when his mother, aunt Seria, when she was his age. Mary, who was an innovative magical prodigy. Kiseki, who although not intellectually smart, had the talent of getting what she wanted with minimal effort, similarly to their sister Miya, and Haruto, who could be even better in manipulation and smoothtalking. Chousuke, who inherited aunt Youen's talent for biological inventions.

Some excelled in social connections. Kanari, who knew everyone and everything about almost anyone. Elizabeth, who worked hard to impress her mother and had a natural leadership talent. Seika, who was on a good way to become as inspirational as Shutaura and Arisa. Angelo, who had a broad view and unique situation due to the being a son of the religious order's leader.

And those were just some examples. Part of their siblings had yet to grow and truly showcase their capabilities.

Which category was Hyouka the Blindsighted, lone and quirky keeper of storing place of every book in existence, as well as the daughter of Grimoire Library, truly falling into?

"When I was small, a prophecy was written down by royal astrologers, and verified by my mother." Hyouka carried on her explanation" In that prophecy, I was said to play a part in erasing the divide between science and magic... whether through their destruction or unification."

Tenma her others gasping. He guessed some people knew about this, but it was different, hearing it from original source.

"I wasn't the only person prophecy mentioned. But my mother, already saddened by my loss of vision, was convinced that my heritage in addition to my supposed destiny will get me hurt if I leave her side. That's why she acts a bit... overprotective. I know she has good intentions, but... I am curious about the world. Which explanations in those books are truly real... I have yet to experience everything. Even though I can't see, I know that the world must be a truly wondrous place. But regarding the book... it has the prophecy written inside. The Notarikon doesn't work flawlessly. Each fragment of code shaves only a fragment of books, so I would need ten minutes or nonstop, super-fast chanting... but luckily, even in hundred different locatons, I remember where it was. From this place as a reference point, this book is... 300 billion light years from us"

"But... if it's so far... if light takes year to travel that much in 300 billion years, what chance do we have?" Mizumi asked.

"You don't think I would be able to function here without some magical handicap, do you?"

Hyouka put her hand on air and, after a moment, pushed gently.

The air folded and then opened, a silhouette of the door appearing out of nothingness.

"Here you go"

After they came through the portal, they were greeted by virtually the same setting. A shaft looking like endless well in couple of directions, walls of books on different planes, and long corridors that they formed along the shafts.

The illumination came from the cosmic-looking ceilling, but Tenma realized that for Hyouka it wouldn't make a difference. She never saw any of the books. And although she could use some of the visual cues, she would never really know it consciously.

This was a great environment for her, given her eye problems... although he wouldn't be surprised if she had to take enormous portions of vitamin D3. She took staying indoors and burying yourself in books to the next level.

"We shall walk for a moment. It should be close"

After a moment, Tenma spoke to blindfolded librarian.

"Hey... I just want to say... you are really brave. I have some bad experiences in life on my own, but this... this would overwhelm me."

Hyouka searched for his arm and rested her delicate palm on top of it, in a gesture of reassurance.

"In our family, you can't really expect anything. Problems can come from the strangest of places... but so does help, if you are willing to accept it. When I was younger, I wasn't taking it as well as now. But I didn't want to upset my parents so I hid it. I knew they were worried even without it. So I just tried to run away from my problems, had no motivation to fight them. Organ music was my only consolation. But one day, I met someone who helped me..."

(YEARS AGO)

"Touma, this is serious. I am doing this to protect her"

"I know. But something like this is always going to backfire. Keeping her so close is not good for any of you... she can't even go outside?"

"I will figure something out... I just don't want her to be hurt... like I was..."

"There are many types of hurt, Index. She needs to have friends. I was miserable because I didn't have them, and I don't want that for her"

"What do you expect me to do then?!"

"I... don't know yet. But we can try to figure it out together, okay?"

Little Hyouka, drawn in by arguing voices, tip-toed closer to the door.

"I know Touma. I just... why is this happening? I just want to be a good mom to her... but all I am doing is repeating the same mistakes... the same bad things that happened to me... I am just scared that... she will get into something awful..."

"Index... neither of us truly remembers our childhoods and what it feels like to be on the receiving end of that parental love. We can only do the best of what we believe was right"

"The accidents that you got yourself into when we were younger... that you still get into... if she is anything like you in that regard."

"But she is your daughter too! She has your heart and I know she will make it through. If we show her we love her and guide her in the right direction"

"*Sniff*..."

"Come here. Do you want me to cook something for you? That always makes you feel a bit better..."

The doors creaked open. Hyouka, accidentally making a noise, tried to flee but in her nervousness, she lost orientation and crashed into the wall.

Her parents opened the door and looked outside.

"Hyouka? What are you doing here, sweetie?" Index said, wiping her tears away" You know that you shouldn't be listening in to people's private talks like that"

She reached forward, but Hyouka skidded backwards.

"W-Were you and daddy fighting because of me?"

"No, of course not" Index shook her head" You have nothing to worry about."

"But you are scared because of me"

"It's just how mothers are. If their child is feeling bad... then CHOMP!"

Index lifted her daughter up and pretended to go for a bite, but instead, blowing air onto Hyouka's arm in a kiss, causing girl to giggle.

"... they will bite back anyone who dares to make their children cry"

"Mom, stop! I will pee myself!"

"I was also mad because your dad didn't bring some japanese snacks. Next time, I won't bring any food from here in retaliation!"

"That would not be such a loss. As fun as UK is, I will stick to japanese kitchen..." Touma said, before looking at Index and motioning to their daughter.

"Sweetie, your dad has someone he would like you to meet..."

"Hyouka..." Touma said, looking at the girl" We know that you are trying to be brave... and we are not stopping in the attempts to find the one who hurt you, but..."

"W-What are you talking about dad? I don't see anything that can be a problem, really..."

Touma sighed at Hyouka's attempt of a joke.

"... you don't have to... no, you shouldn't... laugh off the things that make you want to cry. We are your parents. You don't have to prove that you are strong for us."

Index nodded, caressing Hyouka's head.

Father's hands were strong, his voice was kind.

Mother's hands were soft, her smell was comforting.

A tear escaped from under the closed eyes. And then another. And another.

"I know that you love me, I feel it all over my body... but I am starting to... forget what you looked like. I can't imagine your faces. I know I used to know it, but I can't now. It... scares me"

She felt two pairs of arms hugging her as she cried.

Finally, her father separated from them and said.

"Like your mom said, I want you to meet someone. He can be a little intimidating, but he will not hurt you"

His right arm flickered and smoked, covered in black shadow.

Something split and slithered out of the darkness, encircling Index and Hyouka, who looked around, trying to locate the source of mysterious change in the environment.

The air grew colder, as dragon of darkness faced the small girl.

'Greetings, daughter of Imagine Breaker' the dragon spoke in her mind' Like your father said, I pose you no harm. We vowed to never hurt ones of his blood, who will be more sparse than stars in the sky.'

"Who are you?"

'I am the embodiment of darkness and fear, the guardian of phase far beyond this one, kept within your father's ability alongside my companions. Now, I implore you, reach out and touch me'

Index hesitated but Touma nodded, and she moved Hyouka closer.

The girl slowly touched the cold dark scales over dragons head, with a mystical lizard moving himself so Hyouka could touch all of his head. After a while, the girl gasped.

"You are... like me? You... don't see?"

'Am I really, I wonder... but if you mean the lack of vision of light, then yes. I possess no eyes, yet I see as clearly as if the direction was written in diamond letters in front of me. For to darkness and fear, sight is not of most relevance. The feeling is'

"The feeling? I don't understand..."

'Your father asked me a favour, to help his firstborn daughter. Because of our long history I agreed. I won't allow you to abandon hope, child. I will teach you to see like I do... even if your eyes have more potential than you realize... Hyouka the Blindsighted.'

"Blind... sighted?"

Touma stepped forward from behind the dragon and carefully, using his left hand, handed something to Hyouka.

"I have an acquaintance who is a very skilled in various crafts. Her name is Marian Slingeyer. She and Awatsuki Industries, with aunt Maaya on the forefront, designed this for you. Thanks to this special blindfold you will be able to go out into the daylight without pain. Hyouka, your life is just beginning. Never allow yourself to be convinced that it's all over for you"

'I will be your guardian and teacher, human child. Let's peer through the darkness together... towards the light of the future'

(BACK TO THE LIBRARY OF ALL FATES)

"Thanks to their support, I was able to grow. I learned to read thanks to the touch-enhancing spell, I managed to have this place created and I got as close to great as I could in navigating it. Thanks to that, I no longer feel bad about my situation. Sure, being able to actually see sunset, sky, or your faces would be great and I if I ever regain it, then that's great... but regardless, I have my own destiny to play... alongside all of you. Because the prophecy is about all of us. I might just be they key for it"

She suddenly stopped and searched for a moment, before touching the enormous shelves in one of the corridors making the octagonal shaft.

"450 steps, left, 25th segment... it should be around here."

There was a ladder on the side of the segment. Hyouka confidently went 6 rows up, and slid to the left before taking 7th book from the right. Then, she went down.

"The prophecy is here. Should be on page... 240ish, I think."

8 of Kamijou Touma's children leaned over the book.

And finally found the words Hyouka was talking about.

Even after they left the Library of All Fates, even when they found their parents again, even through aunt Index's lecture to Hyouka, even through their ride to the hotel dinner, and then going to bed...

Tenma could not stop thinking about those words. The prophecy was long, but somehow, he remembered it clearly, as he looked outside of the window, and pondering on it again.

Hyouka's voice, beautiful and clear, but also heavy and ominous, still rang in his ears, as he recalled her reading the text out loud, tracing her finger through it.

When four planets align, on the brightest night

Saviour's child will come to reclaim their right

Through all of members of its kin

It carries within the storm unseen

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The one who sees devoid of light

To world will bring the end of plight

Two sides of one she will rejoin

By death or life, fate tosses coin

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In rain of stars the heavens cry

To aid will come the child of sky

In blaze, and burn, fire, and flame

The sinner's blood finds lover's name

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In depths of earth will come to fight

The child of plague, with all his might

In all the beauty of his heart

The strongest soul banishes fright

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Heroic spirit of brightest flare

Inflicts a wound with no repair

The demon's child will find its way

In lustful hell, with sister's fray

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A shield to hide the kindest sword

Her powers vengeance will unfold

Upon the throne of distant land

Sapphire joins with ruby's hand

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

To one of secrets foe will lie

In sorrow's depth she's sinking nigh

The child of sand protects her kin

From nightmares' world beneath her skin

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A one who'll turn around and wait

With one who listens fights the fate

With flower bloomed from purest vine

He joins the gods and gives a sign

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The son of cross will come to know

A bloodstained soul of darkest low

A joker's hand will then be dealt

A mask will fall, deception melt

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

On wings of beauty shall emerge

The clearest song , the greatest change

When dame of war and dove in one

Arrives to bind the moon and sun

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Children of dawn will search in vain

Yet mother's hope and pride remain

In time of truth, when world stood still

One is to shelter, and one to kill

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The queen of air gives from her womb

Twin winds, hurricane spears before the doom

To join or part, to reach or loose

Brother and sister on ending choose

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A girl of virtue, with yearning hidden

Will break and learn of what's forbidden

And silver lightning with no storm

Till fall protects her home, undone

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The sword and spear unite again

To tear apart the deathless chain

The blood of Ireland loses path

In cage woven in envious wrath

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Beware the one who knows it all

As one small girl of little role

Will craft the story of unwritten

The torch of wisdom shall be litt'en

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The winter comes with witch's child

With legend, spring will soon arrive

Of thousand summers blossoms tale

The autumn brings the vulture's reign

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Of thousands fates, the hero's kin

Of dozens mothers to be born

They are the golden future's heirs

They are its life, they are its scorn

(TO BE CONTINUED...)

So, there you have it. A dedicated Index chapter, involving her inner doubts, seeking advice from others, and finally, FINALLY... her daughter Hyouka. Who is, by the way, one of my most beloved original characters in the story, probably on par with Hasako.

I wanted to show that Index's outward innocence is not ignorance, and thus showed you 1st person soliloquy she has in her head and how much she wishes to improve for Touma. She is growing up ever so slowly. I introduced Index to the story, but I started to feel that she didn't have nearly as much time as she deserved. This chapter is an amendment for that. It also shows her relationships with others, particularly Kaibi, that Index got involved into in this story. When I first got introduced to Toaru, I strongly disliked Index compared to other girls. Compared to some of them, she seemed... awful, to be honest. But when I realized how her emotional development, or rather lack of it, proceeded, I changed my ways, and I started to appreciate many things Index brought into the franchise. My relationship with her character was filled with ups and downs, but overall, I think she is wonderful and has great potential... if not wasted on repeating gags, that is.

Hyouka... Hyouka is finally here. That's very ironic, because she was one of the oldest conceived characters for this story, but brought into it so late. For a longest time, I had Kamindex child but I didn't know what Touma and Index's relationship should be. But as the harem got bigger, and bigger, and bigger, I understood that it would be simply illogical and unfair to left Index without motherhood.

Aside from studying philosophy, I am an aspiring neuropsychologist. In my studies of brain and various conditions that may arise from its damage, blindsight is one of most fascinating for me, as it tells many things about consciousness and works on mysterious principles. I wanted to write a blindsighted character for such a long time. On the relation of sight to conscious experience, there is a spectrum with two ends: one is Anton-Babinski Syndrom, where blind patients confabulate visual experience, saying that they see even though they actually don't. And then there is its converse, Blindsight, or seeing despite blindness, in which people can take in visual stimulae, even though they have no way to consciously realize that they are seeing. It works by rerouting visual pathway of optic nerve- primary visual cortex, to other, smaller pathway, that goes through different parts of the brain, like superior colliculi, thalamus, amygdala, motor complex. Destruction of primary visual cortex causes blindsighted person to be consciously blind. They can't frame the conception of colour and shape, they can't recall any memory of visual nature, or dream about any object. But blindsighted patient can still learn visual stimulae without visualizing it. Blindsight comes into different varieties. Some people are able to sense and intercept moving object, as well as manouver through moving obstacles, without seeing them. Others can tell the shape, colour, or category of the objects, while others can interpret emotions and expressions. When it comes to Hyouka, she is able to sense the motion of objects and expertly move through the moving world, and recognize colours and shapes, with greater difficulty. She is unable to recognize expressions, intercept stationary objects in the unfamiliar locations, or read anything other than classical, printed books.

In addition to this, Hyouka went in her mother's footsteps and is the key to nigh-infinite library, containing any and all coherent (in the sense of using words from dictionaries) book in the multiverse, that was created because of her pleas. The concept of such library is, of course, inspired by amazing short story 'Library of Babel' by Jorge Luis Borges, but has some key differences, such as its structure, admission of only spell-checked books, as well as scale and size of it.

Hyouka's character is linked with mystery of her curse. Who was the attacker and how they stayed hidden? There is also an ominous prophecy regarding the future generation, setting the ground for their own story... I you want to find out, then...

See you in the future. You are all great, thanks for the reading. Today, we breached 800K!