Hello, Internet! Welcome to another chapter of A Certain Strange Addition! (That was for you, MatPat). I had a lot going on these last few months, so this chapter took longer than I would have liked. But at last, we are finally here, the epilogue to the Tree Diagram Remnant Arc, wrapping up a few loose ends and a couple moderate shake ups to the status quo. But I'll let the story do the talking on that front.

But first, our usual tradition here, responding to reviews made on the previous chapter!

LazinessRules: I may look like the Jougan, but it's actually a far different beast. I'll be keeping the details close to the chest for the time being.

DuckBoi: Glad you liked the chapter. Expect many more secrets and mysteries to unfold regarding this strange eye and the Miracles surrounding it. Speaking of which, the next few chapters are going to be covering the events around Endymion. Honestly, I thought that would have been obvious with all the talk of Miracles and the multiple explicit references to the space elevator's construction in the background.

Phantom117a: Oh, Touma will definitely start trying to get conscious control of these new powers... when he gets a solid lead on how they might work. That's a bit of an out-of-pocket suggestion, but not an unwelcome one. I'll have to hold on to it if the opportunity arises for powerline surfing.

Isokage: That's right, Endymion comes next. Unfortunately, these evolving powers are not going to be able help in Touma's recurring memory issues. You'll see when I get into the nitty-gritty of how these new powers work.

guest (Guest): Oh, the hospital scene comes up. However, the punchline is more inline with the current status quo of the characters. You'll see what I mean.

syafielone1359: While Touma's new power certainly looks like classic mystic eyes seen in things like the Nasuverse and Naruto, there's a lot more to it than just the eye. Same applies to Imagine Breaker. Canon already implies there's a lot more to it than just negating the supernatural, but I'm taking it a step forward in my own way. Just know that all of Touma's newly developing powers are connected.

SuddenBetrayal: Glad you liked it so much. The Touma and Yuri banter is probably among the top 3 things I love to write in this story.

janjakennen: Happy to hear it. Naturally, other girls are still going to fight for Touma's affections even after he and Mikoto become an item. I wouldn't have explictly mentioned the existence of a harem in the description if I wasn't going to keep it around as a long term thing. Touma and Accelerator are still going to come to blows during WWIII as a result of a lot of outside forces keeping them apart and triggering some abandonment issues on Yuri's part. I'm reserving Esther as a background character until circumstances arise that require her assistance, like the main cast needing a spellcaster that isn't going to immediately start coughing up blood. No, Esther is not going to be joining Academy City as a student in any school. Shoukuhou will be becoming a regular cast member following the Daihasei as the nature of her relationship with Touma is adjusted slightly from canon as a result of my Touma keeping a journal. At this point, I'm going to have to stop answering your questions, because you are asking a lot and the nature of your questions are getting exceedingly spoiler-y in nature. If I answered any more, it would defeat the purpose of you reading future chapters. I hope you stick around for when they eventually come.

Creampuff16: Kuroko's devotion has always been her most appealing aspect, even if it goes a bit overboard at times. While I wouldn't count on a polycule any time soon, you bet that Kuroko is going to try her damnest to make it one.

KHVSFF: Big changes in the status quo incoming!

azlil7: That's certainly a take. But, I think you'll find what I have in store just as funny, if not funnier.

Blankow: New powers and revelations means new status quo. Let's go!

Rouge-is-a-hack: Oh, you know Kuroko is going to double down following this. Not that she'll get any results beyond her usual friendship, but she's be trying. Actually, I've had plans to expand Touma's powers in this direction for a couple of years, at least a few months before the reveals of NT22R. I'm just going to say you're on the right track with you assessment and not say how accurate that prediction is.

Guest (1): Double lucky 7s, baby!

Sarcasm Sage 626: Actually, the entire arc has had a naming convention regarding information and the chase for Musujime. In the beginning, Kuroko didn't know anything about Project Level 6 Shift and left behind when Touma, Mikoto, and Yuri gave chase, thus she was one of "Those Left Behind". In the previous chapter, she got more information but not the whole picture while the Sister Arc Trio was "Lagging Behind" in the chase. In this chapter, Musujime has been dealt with and the rest of the main cast are clued in on recent developments, thus "Catching Up". I recognized that a major criticism of this story is that it sticks pretty close to canon, but it's the little things like slight adjustments in characterization as a result of slightly changed events that really make this story shine. I've put a lot of thought into expanding Touma power set and I hope you and many others enjoy what I have in store.

Guest (2): Hope the wait was worth it.

Dasgun: .-.

mr4168153: That's certainly an idea. Maybe I'll reach out to artists in the community and see about getting a manga adaptation collaboration off the ground.

And that's all the reviews. Once again special thanks to Marisandini for being the beta.

And remember, engagement helps keep me motivated to get these chapters out in a timely manner. Leave reviews if you have something to say and update the Tv Tropes page if there's something worth documenting.

But for now, you all know the drill.

Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.

Chapter 77: Catching Up

Returning home from the office of the 117th Judgement Branch, Saten and Index were both eager for dinner. As the host and only actually competent cook under their roof, Saten took to the kitchen while Index lounged around, turning on the television to watch the latest episode of Magical Powered Kanamin. Before long, Saten returned to the main space of the dorm with two plates of beef curry in hand, the smell of which instantly captured the attention of the List of Prohibited Books.

"This smells so good, Ruiko!" Index cheered as the plate was placed in front of her on the table.

"I'd hope so. This recipe was a gift from Kamijou, after all." Saten explained, taking a seat herself.

"If that's the case, then I'm sure it will taste even better than it smells!" Index hollered.

After quickly giving thanks, the pair immediately started digging into their meal, savoring the juicy beef and rich flavors of the curry sauce.

"Boy, this curry is delicious!" Index cheered, unable to contain her joy.

"Glad you like it." Saten smiled.

"And you said Touma gave you this recipe?"

"Sort of. Long story short, not too long before we all met you, we ended up having an impromptu cookout and he taught me his personal chicken curry and seafood curry recipes," Saten recounted, "After how well those turned out, I applied the tips he gave me to beef curry, and the results speak for themselves."

"You've known Touma for a long time, huh?" Index mused.

"Not really." The Level 0 admitted, "Most of us only met Kamijou a little before summer break. Before then, Misaka was the only one with any sort of history."

"That makes sense. Those two are pretty close." Index observed between bits.

"It wasn't always like that though."

"You mean they weren't always close?" Index inquired, pausing from her meal in intrigue.

"No, they were. Just not in a good way." Saten giggled, "As little as we know about Kamijou's right hand now, we knew even less about it back then. Back then, every time Misaka and Kamijou ran into each other, she would demand a fight with him so she could try and figure out how he kept blocking her attacks. Meanwhile, Kamijou just wanted to be left alone and did whatever he could to try and avoid her."

"Really? I find that hard to imagine." Index admitted, "Touma always seems so concerned about Mikoto, especially lately. Like in the office today, when he went out of his way to ask about her when he should have been focusing on something completely different."

"Those two have been getting closer recently." Saten agreed, "Misaka has a pretty obvious crush, but I don't think Kamijou has picked up on it. Heck, I don't think he would notice if he ended up developing a crush on someone."

"Touma can be pretty oblivious." Index nodded, "Doesn't help that he seems to have such a low opinion of himself. I have a perfect record of every time he brushes off his own heroics, and he does it a lot."

"Let's just hope he figures it all out soon. I'd hate to see him inadvertently lead on several girls for several years because he's too dense to recognize how they feel about them, or how he feels about them." Saten said, half-jokingly.

"I'd rather not imagine that. Just the thought makes me so angry I'd lose my appetite if I linger on it for too long." Index sighed as she returned to her meal.

After finishing their meal and cleaning up, the girls took a quick soak in the bath before retiring for the night. As they did so, they were completely oblivious to the emails they would receive regarding Kuroko's accident.

Touma woke up feeling rather conflicted. On one hand, things were going pretty great. Yesterday, he, Mikoto, and Yuri were able to save Kuroko and prevent the reconstruction of Tree Diagram and the potential unfreezing of Project Level 6 Shift. However, this was largely thanks to the discovery, or perhaps the awakening, of a new power in Touma, one he did not fully understand.

Although he did not realize it at first, the mysterious power in his right eye had proven to be very helpful. With its enhanced sight, Touma could see the supernatural residue left behind by both Espers and Magicians. It let him track down normally untraceable Teleporters and see normally invisible barriers. But every time he used it was involuntary, not even realizing he used it the first two times it manifested. He had no idea how he activated it, let alone if he could control it. Touma did not even know where it came from.

'I can't think about this right now. I have class soon.' Touma thought to himself as he dragged himself out of bed. 'I'm meeting with everyone after school at the hospital to check on Shirai. Maybe they can give me insight on this new power.'

After getting dressed and grabbing breakfast with his sister, Touma collected his things and headed downstairs to Yomikawa's apartment. Ringing the doorbell, he was greeted at the door by Yoshikawa, followed by Yuri and Last Order.

"Good morning, Kamijou." Yoshikawa greeted.

"Good morning, Miss Yoshikawa." Touma greeted in return with a slight bow.

"My, so formal. I haven't even been introduced to the class yet, and you're already treating me like a teacher." Yoshikawa noted happily.

"Thought I'd give you the proper respect while I could. Most of the class can be a bit of a handful." Touma admitted sheepishly, "Everyone mostly calls Miss Tsukuyomi by her first name, so they'll probably give you the same treatment."

"Must be one annoying as hell class we have." Yuri grumbled, not liking the impression he was getting.

"They're not that bad." Touma insisted, before inspecting his friend's outfit, "Going with that shirt, huh?"

Yuri was wearing their school's summer uniform of a white, short sleeved dress shirt and dark blue pants. Much like Touma, Yuri did not have his shirt tucked in and had a t-shirt underneath. Specifically, he was wearing the same black t-shirt with white stripes he wore when the pair first reunited in the switchyard.

"I wasn't going to wear one of my long sleeved shirts if I had to wear the uniform. It's too damn hot for multiple layers, let alone with long sleeves." Yuri complained.

"Misaka thinks it suits you, says Misaka Misaka as she compliments you with the hope of earning brownie points!" Last Order chimed in.

"Yeah, it's a good look." Touma agreed, "Really like the contrast you've got going on there."

"Like you know anything about fashion with that haircut." Yuri snarked with a smirk, "You'd be doing yourself a favor by dropping that look. Save you on a lot of hair gel too."

"Hey, I'll have you know I got this look from a very reputable fashion magazine!" Touma snapped, not appreciating the dig at his own sense of fashion.

"Alright, that's enough of you two." Yoshikawa cut in, "We all have a big day ahead of us, so we better get moving. We don't want to be late now do we?"

Deciding to pump the breaks on the banter for the time being, the trio of Espers followed the new teaching assistant's lead as they made their way to a certain high school and the start of their new high school life together.

Upon arriving at the school, the quartet parted ways, with Touma headed straight to the classroom while the other three met up with Komoe in the faculty office to prepare for their introduction to the rest of the class. When he entered said classroom, he was greeted with the usual hustle and bustle one would expect from a normal Japanese homeroom before class started. However, upon sitting at his desk, Touma noticed the class get noticeably quieter, as well as a large number of eyes being directed at him, particularly Tsuchimikado, Aogami, Fukiyose, and Himegami.

"Do I have something on my face?" Touma asked, oblivious as to why everyone was staring at him.

"Yes, actually." Tsuchimikado replied with a wide grin, "You came in here with a huge smile on your face."

"I'm smiling?"

"Correct." Himegami confirmed, "It's actually a bit off-putting."

"Excuse me!?" Touma shot up, frankly offended.

"I'm inclined to agree." Fukiyose supplied, "Normally, you come to class with no energy bemoaning some misfortune you supposedly suffered on the way here."

"Isn't it obvious? Something good happened to Kami before he got here!" the blue haired class representative deduced, "So, what happened? Did the winds of fate blow your way for once and reveal an adorable junior's panties? Did you run into a soft pair of funbag airbags? Did you and the Railgun finally tie the knot and give each other your v-cards?"

"Gross! Why are all of your guesses perverted!?" Fukiyose screamed, "Couldn't you suggest something normal, like winning a lottery?"

"Did you forget who you were talking to?" Tsuchimikado asked rhetorically.

"Why is everyone so concerned about the nature of my relationship with Mikoto?" Touma asked, more baffled than anything.

"So, did you?" Aogami asked again, not letting up on the topic, much to the girls' chagrin.

"No, nothing like that." Touma denied, waving a hand dismissively, "But something good did happen to me recently."

"And that would be?" Himegami inquired.

Unfortunately for the curious high school students, Komoe entered the room to start homeroom, calling for all students to return to their seats. Overcome with the innate desire to do right by their beloved teacher, the quartet of Tsuchimikado, Aogami, Fukiyose, and Himegami all retreated to their respective seats, putting their interrogation of Touma on hold.

"Alright class. Before we start for the day, we have a couple of new additions to our class." The diminutive teacher announced, "First up, we have a new teaching assistant joining us starting today. I expect you all to give her the same respect you would give me. Alright, come in and introduce yourself."

On cue, the door at the front of the classroom slid open to reveal Yoshikawa as she walked up to Komoe's side. As she did so, many of the students looked at her with intrigue, curious as to what the new teaching assistant would add to the classroom dynamics.

"Hello everyone. My name is Kikyou Yoshikawa." Yoshikawa introduced herself with a bow, "Starting today, I will be a teaching assistant under Miss Tsukuyomi. I hope you all will take care of me, just as I will do my best to take care of you all and your education."

"Do you have a boyfriend!?" The ever perverted Aogami cried out spontaneously, much to the chagrin of Fukiyose and the humor of nearly every other guy in the class.

"No, I do not. And I'm not looking to date at the moment." Yoshikawa answered in stride, "Besides, you are a bit young for my tastes. Plus, it would be unbecoming of a teacher to be involved with a student like that."

Touma could have sworn he saw Komoe flinch at that statement.

"M-moving on, our next new addition is a transfer student joining us today, so I want you all to lend a hand in welcoming him." Komoe stammered, shaking off her embarrassment, "That's right, little ladies, it's your time now. And sorry, gentlemen, but it looks like you're going to have some new competition. Introducing, our second new second term student!"

Touma could have sworn he heard Himegami mumble something about not being completely forgotten.

Hearing his cue, Yuri entered the classroom, making no effort to show any interest. He had his free hand stuffed in his pocket, his head was downcast, and he put extra weight on his crutch, causing him to slouch. When he got to Yoshikawa's side and turned to face the class, he did not bother to make proper eye contact with anyone.

"Come on, introduce yourself. Like we discussed." Yoshikawa encouraged, sounding less like a teacher and more like a mother.

Letting out a sigh, Yuri turned around to face the chalkboard and grabbed a piece of chalk. To Touma's surprise, the Level 5 actually wrote out his full name rather than his Esper title.

"I am Yuri Suzushina, but just call me Accelerator." Yuri introduced himself gruffly, "It's a pleasure."

The classroom immediately exploded with excitement. There was not a single student in Academy City who did not at least hear about Accelerator in passing. Questions were immediately thrown at the Level 5 from every corner of the room. Some were asking for confirmation of his identity, while others were asking about the nature of his appearance with his pure white hair and pale skin. Touma could only chuckle at how quickly the classroom descended into chaos while Yuri let out a gruff, exasperated sigh.

"Now now, there will be plenty of time to ask about Suzushina later." Komoe called out, desperately trying to rein in her class, "In the meantime, we have one more new addition to our class."

"Hello!" Last Order cheered as she immediately entered the room and ran to Yuri's side, "You can call me Mimi, says Misaka Misaka as she introduces herself to everyone!"

While Yuri's introduction was met with chaos, Last Order's introduction was met with confusion. While some individuals were more than happy to welcome a cute little girl, namely Tsuchimikado, others were baffled by why she was present in a high school to begin with.

"I can see many of you are confused, so allow me to explain." Yoshikawa cut in, "Mimi here is a niece of Ms. Yomikawa whom she is taking care of. Unfortunately, we were unable to find a babysitter for her, so we arranged for her to come to school with us as an observer. I hope you all will treat her well."

Although some students were still a bit confused, everyone was largely able to accept the circumstances and move on with class. Academy City was not like other cities. It was filled with oddities of all kinds. While their high school was more mundane than most due to a lack of notable Espers, the students and faculty knew it made up for that with its eccentric student body.

With introductions out of the way, Yuri and Last Order were assigned their seats. Specifically, Yuri was assigned the seat to Touma's right, while Last Order was to be given a free chair to position herself between Academy City's strongest and weakest. Seeing as they needed to get an extra chair, Komoe excused herself to retrieve one from the school's spare supplies, leaving Yoshikawa to watch the class and the class itself a moment to discuss among themselves.

"Well, aren't you being a real softy today?" Touma teased his friend, "Didn't expect you to actually give your real name to the class, and you came up with a cover name for Last Order too."

"Even an idiot would be able to tell that something wasn't right with a brat calling herself 'Last Order'." Yuri replied, choosing not to address the teasing, "Will cause less of a headache later down the road."

"Mimi likes the new name, says Misaka Misaka, reveling in having received such an honor by referring to herself as such."

"Me too. Has a nice ring to it," Touma agreed.

"Plus, it means making trouble for the Railgun." Yuri snickered, a fiendish grin growing on his face, "Now that the brat has a name, it's only a matter of time before the rest of the Sisters start pestering dear, big sis for names of their own."

"Oof. 9969 different names? Talk about rotten luck." Touma winced, "She's not even a mom yet and she has to start brainstorming."

"What? You finally going to take the plunge and pop the question?" Yuri teased.

"Okay, seriously, why do people always resort to teasing me about that?" Touma asked in exasperation.

"What can I say? It's an easy target." Yuri chuckled.

Before long, Komoe returned to the classroom with a spare chair for Last Order. With everyone properly seated, the class was able to move forward with lessons for the day. Komoe went through her lessons as diligently as always, with Yoshikawa observing just as diligently while providing aid where she could. Thanks to having a Tokiwadai level education directly downloaded into her brain and not being a registered student, Last Order did not need to pay attention to the lessons. However, she did so anyway as she was enamored with the very prospect of going to school. The same could not be said about Accelerator.

Having transferred to a school with a much lower leveled curriculum, the Level 5 did not need to pay attention to the lessons to properly understand them. As a result, he acted rather dismissively to the teacher as she taught. However, this would come back to bite him when Komoe asked Accelerator to read a passage in a textbook.

"Suzushina, would you please read the next paragraph?" Komoe requested politely.

"Ask someone else, I don't give a damn about this weak ass curriculum." Accelerator snapped bluntly.

"Oh my." Yoshikawa gasped softly, although admittedly not surprised by the nature of the response.

Having found herself with what could only be described as a trouble student in her class, Komoe broke out her surefire tactic for dealing with a disagreeable student.

She broke out the crocodile tears.

On command, Komoe started welling up tears in her eyes and sniffling. Faced with the sight of their beloved teacher being brought to tears, the students of the class were overcome with a wave of anger and ill-intent.

And the target for all those negative emotions was Yuri Suzushina.

For the first time since his fateful fight with Touma in that switch yard, Yuri felt genuinely threatened. It did not make sense, but it was true. Even though Touma and Last Order were the only people in the room that had any means of hurting him, he felt like his life was in serious danger from the onslaught just begging to be unleashed by the rest of the class. Even if Touma and Last Order were not among those angry with him, Yuri was pretty sure he would still feel threatened.

Seeing as he was now on a proverbial landmine, the Level 5 took the only action that could even remotely grant him a chance at safety.

Picking up his textbook, he stammered, "W-what I meant to say was, what section are we on? I lost my place."

From that point forward, Yuri made it a point to be as attentive in class as he possibly could, even if he did not find the topics stimulating or engaging. Even with all his power, he would rather not incur the wrath of his classmates again, especially with the knowledge that his best friend would not take his side if he ended up making their teacher cry again.

As the clock struck noon, the class took a break for lunch. The Komoe and Yoshikawa excused themselves to eat in the faculty office while the numerous students in Class 1-7 dispersed to grab a bite to eat, either racing to the school store or rearranging their desks to eat with friends. In the case of Touma, Yuri, and Last Order, they sat with the boys' desks facing each other, creating an impromptu dining table. As for the meal itself, it came in the form of three hamburg steak bento boxes prepared by Touma.

"Thank you for the food! Cheers Misaka Misaka as she digs into her midday meal!"

"I take it that was what you were talking about when you said our teacher had her ways of making me be a good student?" Yuri asked his friend, not too focused on his meal.

"Works about ninety-nine percent of the time. Our idiot of a class rep sometimes does poorly intentionally to see her reactions and get additional remedial classes with her." Touma explained calmly as if what he said was not completely stupid.

"… I'm starting to think I'm the most normal person here." Yuri sighed, the pressure finally starting to get to him.

"I want to deny that, but I'm not sure I can." Touma replied.

"Well, aren't you three a couple of peas in a pod." A new, cheeky voice cut into the conversation.

Approaching the makeshift dining table was the ever relaxed Tsuchimikado, followed closely by Aogami, Fukiyose, and Himegami. Having already gotten a bad first impression of the class from having them immediately turn on him for making their teacher cry, Accelerator did not particularly care to get familiar with any of the individual students. Unfortunately, sitting with Touma meant the Level 5 was unwillingly roped into the conversation as his friend was definitely familiar with the quartet that approached them.

"Is that weird?" Touma asked defensively.

"Considering the fact that you were also familiar with the previous transfer student before she joined, yes, it is weird that it happened twice." Fukiyose clarified.

"Do you three share a history of some sort?" said previous transfer student inquired.

"With Yuri more than La-Mimi." Touma explained, barely catching himself using the Sister's serial designation rather than her new proper name, "The two of us are childhood friends from elementary school, but an unlucky incident forced us apart. We happened to run into each other again over the summer."

"A rare stroke of good luck for you, huh Kami?" Tsuchimikado teased, "How did you end up reuniting?"

"Honestly, it felt kind of contrived." Touma admitted, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, "By some weird coincidence, we happened to have moved into the same building. I never realized Miss Yomikawa lived a couple floors below me and my sister until yesterday, and I ran into Yuri as he moved in with her."

"Wait, you're living with Miss Yomikawa too?" Fukiyose inquired.

"… Who are you exactly?" Accelerator replied with his own question, recognizing that he was not going to be able to completely avoid the conversation.

"Oh, how rude of us!" Aogami answered in mock shame, "You can call me Pierce Aogami, your friendly perverted class representative! My blond compatriot is Motoharu Tsuchimikado! The beauty with the massive forehead is Seiri Fukiyose, and last but not least is Aisa Himegami, our previous transfer student!"

"… This idiot is the class representative?" Yuri asked his friend, befuddled.

"I don't get how he pulled it off either." Touma shrugged.

"Well anyway, if you must know," Accelerator returned to the original question, "I spent most of my childhood in research facilities and Yoshikawa is just about the closest thing I have to a mother. When she lost her job as a researcher, she moved in with Yomikawa and dragged me along. Not that I minded, considering my last place was completely trashed."

Touma could have sworn he heard Himegami whisper under her breath something about losing all of her unique traits.

"Must be nice, considering what the apartment complex is like." Tsuchimikado mused.

"It's alright, but living with roommates is a pain in the ass." Yuri grumbled, "Yomikawa had been living by herself up until then, so she's not used to locking doors. I came home late last night and ended up walking in on her, Yoshikawa, and the brat as they were getting out of the bath because of that."

"That only happened because you still haven't learned to knock! Says Misaka Misaka as she reprimands you yet again for your poor manners!"

Suddenly, Aogami slammed both of his hands on the desks, actually managing to startle Yuri with how spontaneous it was.

"WHAT!? YOU MEAN TO SAY YOU WERE LUCKY ENOUGH SEE BOTH MISS YOMIKAWA AND MISS YOSHIKAWA COMPLETELY EXPOSED!?" the blue-haired pervert screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Fucking hell! You are way too loud!" Yuri griped, slapping his ears in an attempt to make them stop ringing.

"WAIT, YOU HAVE A LONGER HISTORY WITH KAMI THAN ANYONE, RIGHT!? DOES THAT MEAN YOU INHERITED HIS ABILITY TO INFECT GIRLS WITH KAMI DISEASE!?" the blond pervert quickly joined his blue-haired compatriot, screaming at equal volume, "IS IT POSSIBLE TO LEARN THIS ABILITY SOME WOULD CONSIDER TO BE UNNATURAL BY SPENDING EXTENSIVE TIME WITH KAMI!?"

"THE HELL ARE YOU TWO BASTARDS BLABBING ABOUT!?" Yuri screamed in turn, having found himself caught up in the idiots' pace.

"WOULD YOU TWO SHUT UP ABOUT THAT NONSENSE!?" Fukiyose cried as she sent both boys to the ground with a double lariat, shutting them both up immediately.

"Huh, that's a new one." Touma mused, having privately cataloged all the various wrestling moves that the Iron Wall Girl had used on himself and the rest of the Delta Force.

"… I think I like this one." Yuri admitted, impressed by the speedy takedown.

Just then, Komoe and Yoshikawa returned from their own lunch break to see the carnage Fukiyose had unleashed.

"WHAT HAPPENED IN HERE!?" Komoe cried in distress.

"Oh my. I guess this class will be more of a handful than I thought." Yoshikawa mused, unfazed by the nearly dead bodies of her students.

When classes were over, Touma and Yuri made their way to the hospital while Last Order returned home with Yomikawa and Yoshikawa. When they got there, they found Uiharu, Saten, and Index already waiting for them in the hospital lobby. Despite being there to visit an injured friend, the trio did not appear to be distressed. In fact, they looked downright blissful as they passed a set of earphones around.

"You three look awfully cheery for people who found out their friend is in a hospital." Yuri snarked as he and Touma approached the girls.

"Hey, Touma and Yuri are here!" Index cheered upon seeing the pair of high school boys.

Yuri clicked his tongue at the thought of yet another person other than Touma so casually using his real name.

"Oh, hey you two." Uiharu greeted. "We were just listening to this new artist Saten found. Her name is Arisa Meigo, and her songs are really good."

"Oh, I've heard of her!" Touma recalled, "She's a new artist that's been gaining a lot of popularity recently, right? I've actually downloaded all her songs recently."

"What about you, Suzushina?" Saten asked, "Have you heard of Arisa?"

"Do I look like someone who regularly listens to music?" Yuri replied sarcastically.

"I mean, you are constantly wearing earphones," Saten argued, eyes glancing pointedly at said item.

"These are electrodes. I wear them for medical reasons." Yuri clarified in exasperation, refusing to go into any further detail, "Speaking of which, shouldn't we be getting moving? We have more important things to discuss than some musician."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of getting Yuri hooked on Arisa's music." Touma promised, "For now, we should check on Shirai. Mikoto should already be with her."

With everyone together and in agreement, the hodgepodge group of students and a nun made their way to Kuroko's hospital room. As they approached, Touma could not help but feel a bit anxious about the whole visit. Not so much for the visit itself, but for what they would be discussing during said visit. However, those feeling of anxiety were quickly replaced with fear and embarrassment when they arrived at their destination and he elected to open the door without knocking first.

Having arrived at the hospital ahead of everyone else to bring Kuroko a change of clothes, Mikoto was currently helping her injured roommate get out of her hospital gown so she could switch to a fresh set of underwear. Once she had gotten the hospital gown off, Kuroko took notice of the weather outside.

"Clear blue skies." Kuroko noted, "Looks like the weather forecast was wrong again."

"Mhm. Sure looks like it." Mikoto agreed.

"I realized something. I think I understand it better now." Kuroko admitted.

"Understand what?" Mikoto inquired.

"Why you feel the need to keep things to yourself and fight some battles on your own." Kuroko explained, stunning the Level 5, "I didn't know enough about the situation, so my involvement didn't help at all. If anything, I was a hindrance, and for that I must apologize."

"Kuroko…" Mikoto breathed out.

"I promise I'll be more careful in the future, Sissy." Kuroko continued, "But can you promise me something in return? I know this whole fiasco ties into something deeply personal for you that you're not totally comfortable sharing, but I want you to always remember that I'm there for you. If something comes up regarding this secret of yours ever again and you think you may be in over your head, I don't want you to hesitate to ask me for help. Kamijou's not the only dependable one around here, you know."

Despite herself, Mikoto could not help but feel touched. While she did not yet feel comfortable revealing the existence of her sisters to her friends, she was reassured that at least one of them would stand by her if and when she took the plunge. It was a warm, fuzzy feeling.

However, before Mikoto could respond to Kuroko's heartfelt plea, the pair of Tokiwadai students were interrupted by the sound of the hospital room door sliding open without warning.

Turning to face the door, the girls were greeted by the rest of their friends and Yuri, with Touma in the forefront. Evidently, the misfortunate high school boy had once again opened a door to a private room without knocking first, a fact that filled him with both fear and embarrassment as could be seen on his face.

Clad in nothing but bandages and her underwear, a devilish glint appeared in the Teleporter's eyes when she saw her additional visitors.

In the blink of an eye, Kuroko immediately teleported into the middle of the group, just behind Touma. With a quick swipe of her hand, she touched every individual in the group who could be affected by her Ability and teleported them down the hall far enough that they could not immediately interfere. She then shoved Touma into the room with Mikoto before slamming the door shut.

"Hold on! Hold on! No no no no no no no!" Touma cried as the door was closed. "Yuri! Anyone! I need help! I need assistance! We have a pervert! WE HAVE A PERVERT! I DO NOT LIKE BEING ON THE RECEIVING END OF THIS!"

Touma's screams were suddenly cut off with the sound of electric buzzing. Concerned for their friend, the remaining quartet rushed back to the hospital room, or at least as quickly as Yuri could manage with his limp. When they opened the door, they found Kuroko back in her bed fully dressed in a hospital gown and slightly smoking with Touma and Mikoto standing off to the side trying to catch their breaths.

"… Do we even want to know?" Yuri asked in exasperation.

"Is Shirai alright?" Uiharu asked, noticing the electrical burns Kuroko had that were not present before.

"Don't worry. I kept the current low enough to be survivable." Mikoto insisted.

Taking Mikoto's word at face value, the remaining visitors quickly situated themselves about the room. Touma, Mikoto, and Yuri seated themselves on a bench at the foot of Kuroko's bed, with Touma at the center and Mikoto on his left and Yuri on his right. Meanwhile, Uiharu, Saten, and Index pulled up chairs next to Kuroko's bed.

Once everyone was seated, Touma, Mikoto, and Yuri recounted the events that transpired last night and landed Kuroko in the hospital. Needless to say, everyone was rather shocked by what they had learned. While the Academy City students had definitely noticed that weather reports had not been perfectly accurate like they used to be, they never would have guessed it was because the Tree Diagram was destroyed in its entirety.

"It's hard to believe that the Tree Diagram is actually gone." Uiharu admitted, "What could have possibly destroyed it?"

"I mean, there was that giant laser Index fired into the sky back in July." Mikoto offered, knowing full well that this incident was the true cause.

"Oh yeah. Something like that could probably do it." Saten agreed.

"I'm sorry, what?" Yuri asked, completely out of the loop regarding the scope of Index's magical potential.

"Long story. I'll catch you up some other time." Touma reassured his best friend. "Regardless of how the Tree Diagram was destroyed, remnants of it remained, but after last night's events, there's no way it's being restored now."

"Well, that's a shame." Uiharu mourned the loss of the super computer.

"Yeah. I'm going to miss the super accurate weather forecasts." Saten admitted.

"I say good riddance." Yuri grumbled, "There are a lot of shitbag researchers in Academy City. Being uncertain about the weather is a small price to pay for keeping such a tool out of their hands."

"But that wraps up everything, right?" Index deduced, "You got involved behind everyone's backs, took down the perpetrator, and saved the day like the big heroes you are."

"Do I really look like the hero type to you?" Yuri asked gruffly.

"Why won't you be? You're Touma's best friend." Index replied as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"… For someone with photographic memory, you sure don't know much." Yuri grumbled, averting his eyes.

"That's not quite everything. Something else happened last night." Touma admitted, drawing everyone's attention, "I think… my power is starting to change… No. Actually, It would be more accurate to say I just started to notice it evolving."

Needless to say, everyone was baffled by Touma's claim. His power has always been a rather straightforward one, albeit also very unexplained. For the power of Imagine Breaker to not only change but evolve was quite the claim.

"Touma, what do you mean?" Index asked.

"I think it started back when you girls were on your trip to Liberal Arts City." Touma explained, "Yuri and I had encountered a Magician in Academy City named Esther who had unwittingly caused a crisis after trusting the wrong people. When she ran off to deal with it herself, I had no way to track her down. At least, that was the case until I saw a ribbon of rainbow light in the sky that led me straight to her."

"So her Magic cast a massive trail of light. How does that prove that your power is 'evolving', as you put it?" Uiharu inquired.

"Because Touma was the only one who could see it." Yuri supplied, "I was out on the streets fighting a couple of shitty trash heaps during all that, and I sure as hell would have noticed an aurora borealis at that time of year, at that time of day, in that part of Academy City."

"It happened last night, too." Mikoto added, "Touma's right eye transformed into something almost… reptilian, and through it, he could see traces of Esper Abilities as color coded ribbons of light."

"Speaking of reptiles. There's something else I think is all connected to this." Touma continued.

Reaching into his school bag, Touma pulled out his journal and started flipping through the pages.

"After we sorted out Esther's problem, I started having recurring nightmares and visions." Touma explained, "I would find myself and a raised stone path in the middle of an endless black void. And at the end of that path, I saw this."

Holding up his journal for all to see, Touma presented his sketch of the dragon door he had been dreaming of.

There was a lot to be surprised about regarding the contents of the journal. For one, the sketch itself is immaculately drawn. Touma never really presented himself as much of an artist, but the picture of the door he had drawn was extremely detailed, much more than what one would expect from a journal. More importantly however was the primary feature of the door itself: a massive dragon head with ten horns arranged like a crown. While Yuri and Index were unaware of the significance of the dragon head, the rest of the girls remembered the sight as clear as day.

"This is…!" Uiharu gasped.

"I know. It's just like the dragon head that appeared back then." Touma cut in, "Back when that alchemist cut off my right arm."

"I'm sorry, did you just say you've had your arm cut off!?" Yuri asked in surprise.

"Long story." Touma replied, "I'll tell you some other time."

"This is starting to become a weird theme for you." Yuri couldn't help but rub his head at the many more 'long story' he'll eventually hear.

"This is a really well made drawing." Saten complimented, "It's amazing you got so much detail."

"Like I said, I've been having dreams and visions of it for a while. I'll dream of it most nights and wake up in a cold sweat, at which point, I add to the sketch while it's still fresh in my mind."

"Index, do you know anything about this dragon?" Mikoto asked.

"Can't say I do." Index admitted sadly, "Dragons are largely ubiquitous and most cultures around the world have their own stories about them, but the one Touma has been seeing doesn't cleanly match any of them."

"That's not all." Touma added, "Whenever I see the door, it speaks to me. Or maybe whatever it is behind it that speaks to me."

"What does the door say?" Index asked.

"To quote it, 'Should you dare… open this door… you will gain a great new power…'" Touma recited, mimicking the door's deep, booming voice, "'But know that such a reward comes a great burden… Have you the will and courage to bear this burden? Can you bear the balance of the world on your shoulders? Will you rise and become the next Guardian?'. That last line started appearing more recently."

"Don't forget the things that corpse bastard Issac mentioned." Yuri added, "Those claims of one of your ancestors wielding a similar, if not identical, power with a greater effect."

"The door wants you to open it?" Saten asked in confusion. "How would you even manage to do that?"

"Well, I do have a supernatural crowbar for a right hand." Touma replied, waving said right hand, "Plus, the key hole in the dragon's mouth looks big enough to comfortably stick a fist in."

"And you're able to act within the dreams?" Mikoto pressed, "How 'real' does it feel?"

"Real enough that I fear for my life every time the path crumbles under my feet when I hesitate to do what the door says." Touma answered, shivering, "Never get used to it."

As Touma revealed more and more about the strange events surrounding his evolving power, it became clear that he was deeply disturbed by it all. Touma always presented himself as a normal high school student you could find anywhere, but the things he had been experiencing in recent weeks were not normal. Even by the standards of what could be considered Touma's definition of normal, his power's evolution was far beyond it. It could not be explained by the knowledge of the Science Side nor that of the Magic Side.

In addition, it appeared that Touma was not the only one disturbed by everything discussed.

"Are you okay, Shirai? You've been awfully quiet." Uiharu asked her partner in concern.

"I'm sorry." Kuroko apologized, "It's just that all this talk of dragons has me a bit on edge, especially after last night."

"What do you mean?" Touma inquired.

"I didn't think much of it at the time. I honestly thought I was just hallucinating from the blood loss and concussions." Kuroko explained, "When you saved me from falling off that building, I could have sworn you had grown a pair of wings."

"Wings? Like an angel?" Yuri asked skeptically.

"No, not like that." Kuroko clarified, "They weren't solid or made of flesh, but looked more like they were made of solid light, prismatic in color. As for their shape, they looked webbed, like those of a bat or…"

"A dragon." Touma finished, leaning forward in his and resting his elbows on his knees, hiding his expression behind his laced together hands in contemplation.

"What are your thoughts on all this, Touma?" Mikoto asked in concern.

"Honestly, I'm scared as hell." Touma replied blatantly, "I've never really questioned Imagine Breaker. It's just been something that I've had for as long as I can remember."

The irony of said statement was left unsaid as Index was currently present.

"But now? I'm learning more and more about it, but I keep finding new questions, and that's terrifying." Touma continued, "Now I'm supposed to believe that Imagine Breaker has been something in my family for generations and is tied to some massive responsibility? A responsibility that might be forced upon me as my power continues to evolve outside of my control? How else am I supposed to feel?"

Touma never wanted anything like that. All he ever wanted was to live a normal life with his friends and family. When he was a child, the misfortune brough upon him by Imagine Breaker robbed him of that, made him a pariah in his home town and forced him and his sister to flee to Academy City. After a rough start, he was able to make a life for himself in Academy City together with his sister and best friend, only for misfortune to strike again and take them away from him. Several years later, he found a new place to belong in Judgement, only to be struck with amnesia and forced to relearn his own identity. Now here he was, reunited with his sister, his best friend, and many others who welcome and accept him despite his misfortune.

He was probably the happiest he has ever been since he arrived in Academy City. And now? Imagine Breaker and the misfortune it brought threatened to upend his normal life once again. The fear of losing that piece of mind consumed the Level 0's every thought. So much so, he almost failed to notice the head falling on his left shoulder.

"Mikoto?" Touma gasped, looking down at the head of chestnut hair resting on him.

"I can't even begin to imagine what you must be feeling." Mikoto admitted, "To be faced with something like this. I don't have the slightest idea where to start. Honestly, I don't think anyone would. But there is something I do know."

Lifting her head off the boy's shoulder, Mikoto looked Touma dead in the eye.

"No matter what mysteries unfold regarding your power, you won't be alone in facing them." Mikoto declared. "I'll be right by your side, all the way. And I'm sure everyone else feels the same."

"That goes double for me." Yuri added, nudging his friend in the shoulder, "You promised to stay at my side. I couldn't call myself your friend if I wasn't willing to do the same."

"I love a good mystery, and this wouldn't be the first one we've faced together." Saten chimed in, "Whatever happens, we'll seek out the truth together."

"You've been a beacon of hope for everyone since the day we met you, Kamijou." Uiharu added, "Both in Judgement and in everyday life."

"And you can count on us to support you however we can. After all, we have our pride as your seniors in Judgement on the line." Kuroko declared proudly.

"You've helped all of us in so many ways, Touma. It's about time you let us help you." Index concluded.

Looking at so many of his closest friends surrounding him with earnest smiles made Touma feel extremely warm inside. Even without his amnesia, he could hardly remember being so wanted. So accepted. So loved. The warmth and love he felt reminded him why he kept working in Judgement despite being initially forced into it. Being in Judgement gave him a place to belong and a purpose beyond simply going about his daily life. It let him reach out to others and offer his aid. And now, Touma saw that the reverse was also true. It allowed others to offer their aid to him.

Touma was never one to accept help. Years of ostracization because of his misfortune have conditioned him to keep his problems to himself and never burden others with them. He would complain and vent his frustrations, but he would never put it upon someone else to deal with his problems. There was no need to drag other people into his rotten luck.

But now? He did not have to. Now, Touma was surrounded by people who would gladly carry his burdens with him. It felt nice to not be alone.

"Thanks, everyone. I needed that." Touma said, eyeing the palm of his right hand, "You're right. You're all right. I don't know what the secrets Imagine Breaker has in store for me, or what the future will hold. But one thing is for certain. No matter what misfortune comes our way, we'll face it together."

Having heard Touma's declaration, everyone in the room simply smiled and nodded, satisfied with his response.

"Glad you see it our way. I was a bit worried you were going to insist on handling this on your own." Mikoto admitted, "You can be pretty stubborn when it comes to accepting help. You know that, right?"

"And you aren't?" Touma teased in return.

"Fucking hell! How are you two not banging already with how often you flirt?" Yuri asked crassly.

"E-excuse me?!" Mikoto stammered, going red in the face.

Uiharu, Kuroko, and Index were similarly blushing, consumed by various mixes of outrage and arousal as their imaginations ran wild.

"And don't think we didn't notice you leaning on Touma's shoulder as you comforted him." Yuri added, "That is a blatant public display of affection. You can't tell us there isn't something between you two."

"I swear, our relationship isn't like that!" Mikoto denied, still not comfortable having her affections out in the open.

"Actually, now that I think about it, I read about a new rumor regarding Judgement's Certain Strange Addition." Saten mused, "They say this mysterious member of Judgement has met and conquered all seven Level 5s and in the process made the Railgun his, and I quote, 'personal bitch'."

All the other girls and even Touma immediately darkened a few shades of red.

"Ha! A bit exaggerated, but that sounds about right." Yuri said with a wolfish laugh.

"Oh my…" Uiharu whispered.

"Toumaaaa…"Index growled in a low voice.

"Why have I been excluded?" Kuroko asked herself, lost in her own thoughts.

"Why are you all so determined to tease us like this?!" Mikoto asked indignantly.

"Welcome to my world." Touma sighed, "Rotten luck."

Despite bemoaning his misfortune yet again, Touma did not seem particularly upset.

Special End Card Segment: Trivia Corner

1) Last Order's new cover/given name, "Mimi" is a reference to Xenoblade Chronicles 3, being Sena's nickname for Mio.

2) Tsuchimikado's question about the learning to obtain Kami-yan Disease is a reference to Palpatine's famous conversation with Anikin regarding the Dark Side of the Force.

3) Touma's cries for help when Kuroko assaults him reference Perfect Cell's cries for help in HFIL episode 4 when Ginyu attacks him in bed.