Hello internet, I'm back! Sorry that this took so long again. Both myself and my beta Marisandini have had a lot going on with work and the like, so neither of us was able to get our work on this done nearly as quickly as we would have liked. Still, the chapter is done now, and you all get to enjoy it!

Let me tell you, this one is going to be a fun one for the theorists among you. Get ready for some serious lore drops and speculation!

But before we get to all that, time for me to respond to all the reviews that were left on the last chapter since I last posted. As a reminder, on any given post, I only respond to reviews that were posted on the previously posted chapter prior to the latest update. It helps me keep track of things and makes responses manageable.

Nemonobody001: Glad you enjoyed the start. Oh, I promise you, once I get to the Daihasei, that stage is going to be crowded!

the5tharan: Oh, we're taking a dive into the Endymion Arc alright. A speculative dive!

mr4168153: Oh, I have lots in store for this arc, as you'll see in this chapter.

DuckBoi: Thank you for the kind words. I can't take all the credit for the Endymion/Babel connection, that was all canon. I just emphasized it with narration. You know I love me some shenanigans. Yuri has been one of my favorite characters to write as of late. It's just fun to have someone like him who is normally a total hardass soften up because of specific individuals and then be left vulnerable when other people get closer since he doesn't have his normal defenses up. I hope you enjoy what I have in store!

kuroshiragami0: Thank you for your support!

Phantom117a: Oh, Dragon Shell will appear in the story at some point. I promise you that. Just not when you may expect it, or in the form you traditionally know it.

Xclrtr: I'm not just a fanfic author, I'm also an avid fanfic reader and wiki hound. Even before I started reading the novels, I knew my way around the lore well enough.

syafielone1359: Well, for the time being, I'm still going to be relying solely on anime content, if only because the Endymion Arc had the movie as its primary source material. Come the Daihasei Arc though, the Index side of things will rely more on LN content. And hey, if the anime was enough to make me a big enough fan to a fanfiction of this scale and quality, I'd say it was a pretty serviceable adaptation. Regarding Touma picking up guitar, I may just play with that idea down the line. For the time being, Shizuri isn't going to know about Mikoto's little fantasy, but you can probably image her reaction given previous incidents.

xellos540: Not only is the Omnibus heavy, it's also really nice. I'm scared to handle it too roughly for fear of damaging it. While I'm not opposed to the idea that Endymion's function as a space elevator was hidden from the public for a majority of its construction, I'm choosing to believe the contrary given Uiharu's extensive knowledge of the structure's development, Kamijou's exasperation at Index's obliviousness to its existence given how long structure had been under construction, and the fact STUDY used the upper sections of the elevator as the launch bay for their Final Phase. You know Stiyl, always with the perpetual Kamijou hate boner. Given the development hiccup with Shutaura's design, it would be a mistake to NOT make that joke. Himegami is our eternal Priestess Number 1! Even if the story forgets her, I will not!

LanceSennin: Eh, I wouldn't got that far. She's still far too innocent to do something that bold. For now anyway.

fangs of death: Thank you!

guest (Guest): They are. Basically, the artist flubbed and accidentally made Shutaura's face the same as Fukiose's.

GerbilPL: Thank you for your support!

Des Shinta: Huh? You learn something new every day.

comrade-elmo1: Thank you for the critique. I will admit, the example you highlighted went through heavy revision over the course of the development process. It was much longer and clunkier and the final version was the result of me trimming a lot of fat. However, I still wanted that paragraph to be a bit meatier than most to replicate the pacing of a slow-mo shot, and thus the final version was largely a stylistic choice. Still, I will try to keep paragraphs more concise in the future where I can.

1234 (Guest): Yes, Touma knows how Mikoto feels. She confessed all the way back in the Sisters Arc and has made several subtle passes at him since. The issue is that Touma himself isn't sure of how he feels about his relationship with Mikoto and if he really wants them to be something more. It's why he has yet to give her a proper response over a month later. The harem aspect is inevitable, but Kamikoto is still going to be the main ship. I'm aiming for a scenario similar to The Quintessential Quintuplets pre-wedding, where the male lead has made his choice in a partner, but that doesn't stop the other suitors from continuing to pursue him afterwards.

JumpingToaster: Buttons, am I right?

Komigakuo: Dang, now I really wish there was a Jollibee where I live. My Filopino roots demand it! Anyway, you'll get lots of exploration and speculation on Touma's powers in this chapter, so get your theorist hat on. One of the most fun things to write recently has been finding was to get Science Side characters more involved in Magic Side conflicts while skirting the line to avoid a political incident. It's just fun trying to push the boundaries like that. The Espers' frustration with being unable to fight as freely as they normally would against Magicians could very easily become a new source of conflict within the story I could capitalize on. Definitely worth exploring. Well, Hamazura isn't going to get too involved until the very end of WWIII, but you can bet that he's going to have a spectacular reaction when he discovers that the Level 0 who set him on the right path is also the boyfriend of Mikoto (whose mother he tried to murder) and the younger brother of Shizuri (who he mutilated over several fights). ITEM will also get more closely tied to Touma's side of things following the Battle Royale Arc. You'll understand when it happens.

Guest (1): Thank you for the support. I think Reddit just doesn't like me. I'm just happy to have the liquid income to afford the books now.

Sarcasm Sage 626: The mystery element is really going to pick up in this arc. Even if Touma will inevitably force his way in, you can't fault these other groups from trying to keep him uninvolved. Being able to include Yuri into the group dynamic has been a blast to write. There's just something about the super serious hardass being dragged into stupidity that tickles my funny bone. I personally have always found Index's bites humorous (I just really like slapstick), but I'm also well aware that most people have issue with it, so I aimed to refine the joke to make it more palatable. Glad to see my reworked joke was received well. Yeah, the fight with Stiyl and his students really needed me to push the justifications for the rest of the cast to be unable to save Touma themselves. Though in regards to your proposal, to block of concrete was itself on fire, so Kuroko couldn't easily touch it to teleport it even if she wasn't already injured.

yoyomangogo (Guest): Sorry, that's not happening for another arc minimum. Touma's still sorting himself out, and circumstances have yet to get him to really evaluate what he wants his relationship with Mikoto to be.

saulurisknight: Cute pet name, but I don't think anyone in the main cast is really characterized to use something like that. If anything, his real name is enough to get the same kind of reaction as a pet name as things currently stand.

Seminar: Not at all. Please, feel free to read every chapter in a day again, especially now that there is one more. I hope you enjoy what else I have in store.

Dasgun: . . .

LazinessRules: I would like to include the Jailbreaker Arc in the future, especially considering what exactly is involved in that arc.

azlil7: Glad you liked Yuri's integration into the group dynamic. Oh, you know Shizuri's going to force herself to get involved now that the threat is inside Academy City. Almost like a certain Level 0 we all know and love.

Destron emperor (Guest): As I have yet to read the ITEM manga, I'm going to refrain from making any references to it. However, depending on where on the timeline those events take place, it can be assumed that some version of the events of the manga happened here.

JustJeri: Glad you like my work. You don't need to worry about getting me fan translations. I'm a proud own of the Old Testament Omnibus and every officially translated volume of New Testament. I also prefer to avoid fan translations if an official translation is available for purchase.

That's 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. There's quite a bit of lore and speculation dropped in this chapter, so let's see some discussion out there.

But for now, you all know the drill.

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

Chapter 79: Speculation

Shizuri was not sure what she expected of the day when she woke up that morning. Touma leaving to spend the day with Yuri was certainly expected considering their friendship. Touma meeting up with the Railgun and her little gang would not be unexpected. Touma returning home with all his friends while carrying an unconscious girl on his hoverboard, especially one she had never seen before, was definitely unexpected. Even with her brother's track record with the fairer sex, this was a first.

"Really, Touma?" Shizuri groaned, putting her face in her palm.

"I swear, it's not what it looks like!" Touma denied.

"Look, she's a friend who passed out unexpectedly and we needed to take her somewhere to rest." Mikoto explained, "Your place just happened to be closest."

"Yuri lives a couple floors down. Why not bring her there?" the elder Kamijou inquired.

"Because I live with two teachers from our high school who will definitely ask questions and get involved. Not something we want happening when Magic is involved." Accelerator replied, lazily putting more weight on his crutch.

"Yuri! You weren't supposed to tell her that part yet!" Touma reprimanded his friend in a quiet scream.

"What? We were going to tell her eventually. May as well rip the bandage off now." Yuri shrugged.

Shizuri immediately stiffened upon learning that Magic was involved. Ever since being brought into the fold of Touma's secret involvement with the other side of the supernatural world, she knew that there were certain rules and restrictions that kept her from involving herself. The Magic and Science Sides were not supposed to interfere with each other's affairs and members, Touma and those that can be considered working under him being among the few exceptions. For members of the Magic Side to operate so openly within Academy City, the situation had to be more extreme than she could possibly imagine.

If Touma was aware of the situation, one of two things were going to happen. Either his rotten luck was going to drag him into the center of the issue, or he was going to force his way in out of a personal desire to see the situation resolved. There would undoubtedly be hardship and plenty of pain in store for him should he get involved, and Shizuri's sisterly instincts would not let that happen. Not if she had a say in it.

Stepping to the side, Shizuri held the door open for Touma and all of his guests.

"Set her down on the couch." Shizuri ordered, "Tell me everything you know."

She was singing.

That was all that she was certain about. She did not know where she was, who she was, or why she was there. But that did not matter. All that mattered was that she sung the song that she instinctively knew, all while clutching a bracelet with a broken charm in her hand.

Suddenly, Arisa woke up with a start, gasping for air. Scanning her surroundings, she quickly realized she was sitting up on a couch in an unfamiliar apartment. Not too far away from her on the floor Index, Uiharu, and Saten, all of whom were huddled in front of a television playing a video game. Evidently, her sudden awakening caught their attention, tearing them away from their game.

"Oh, you're awake!" Uiharu gasped in relief.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Saten asked, noticing Arisa's heavy breathing.

"W-where are we?" Arisa stammered, still trying to get her bearings.

"We brought you to Touma's place." Index answered, "Welcome to the Kamijou Residence!"

"Technically, it's my place since I'm the one paying rent." an older girl said as she and the missing members of their group emerged from the kitchen, "I'm Shizuri, Touma's older sister. I hope my brother hasn't caused you any trouble."

"O-oh! You're the older sister Index mentioned!" Arisa gasped in realization, "It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for having me."

"Are you feeling any better?" Kuroko asked, rolling her wheelchair next to the couch.

Arisa merely nodded.

"That's a relief." Mikoto sighed.

"Did you recognize any of the people we ran into tonight?" Touma asked, "Like, maybe you bumped into them on the street in the past?"

A shake of her head was Arisa's only response.

"Hmph! It makes sense you wouldn't recognize any of them." Index boasted, "After all they were Ma-"

Index never got to finish her sentence as Touma rushed in to do damage control for the second time that day.

"Y-yeah! They were majorly powerful in a way that can't be explained by science alone!" Touma cut in, clasping his hands over Index's big mouth.

As he did so, Index thrashed and struggled to break free, looking just about ready to start biting again.

"So the both the biting and the blabbing are a regular thing." Yuri whispered to himself.

"Wait, so you believe in it too, Touma?" Arisa asked, leaning forward from her seat on the couch.

"I… believe in what?" Touma asked in turn, too distracted by the sudden turn in the conversation to release Index.

"Well, like, you know…" Arisa clarified, struggling to find the words, "Like a strange, mysterious sort of power that can't be understood by science."

Arisa's choice of words immediately stuck out to Yuri and Shizuri as suspiciously familiar. The description matched another power they both had a long history with.

"I don't know about you, but I've always found Esper Abilities to be pretty mysterious." Touma replied.

As he did, Index finally managed to break free from Touma's restraints. She gave her surrogate older brother a deadly glare and would have certainly started biting had Mikoto not immediately gotten between them to deescalate the situation.

"Are you saying you wish there was such a power, Arisa?" Kuroko inquired.

"Actually, I'm saying I have such a power." the musician admitted, much to the confusion of everyone present, "It happens when I'm singing. I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth. When I sing, it's like I'm tapping into some unquantifiable power. I get examined regularly at Kirigaoka Girls' Academy where I go to school, but they can never seem to figure it out. Sometimes, I can't help but wonder if this power is the only reason my music has gotten any traction. As much as I would hate to think so, it's not outside the realm of possibility."

"No way! If that were the case, then my right hand would-" Touma immediately denied, only to stop himself as he started to grasp the implications of the situation.

"Yeah, Kamijou's right!" Uiharu agreed, failing to notice Touma's sudden hesitation, "You are a master of your craft! Your musical talent is the sole reason for your success and nothing else!"

"You've worked hard for this, Arisa!" Saten added, "Have a little faith!"

Seemingly sensing Arisa's own doubts, the calico kitten Sphinx immediately climbed up to Arisa's lap, offering her comfort. Smiling down at the kitten, the upcoming idol picked him up in her arms and held him close.

"Thank you." Arisa said from the bottom of her heart, "It may sound silly, but I've always wanted to make everyone happy with my music. I was always at my happiest when other people were happy. But now, I'm not sure I could live with myself if someone got hurt because of my music. Then…"

"Don't say that!" Touma snapped, "You can't think about backing out now. Not when you've come so far already."

"What I'm trying to say is, when you get down to it, I sing out of my own selfish desires. If people come after me again for my singing, it could be much worse." Arisa explained, "Someone close to me could get hurt, or worse. Just look at what nearly happened today. It's a miracle Touma is still here with us now."

Everyone else shared a look, knowing exactly what she was talking about. In the chaos and confusion of the battle with the Stiyl and his students, Touma nearly lost his life, his friends too distracted with protecting each other and preventing a global supernatural scandal. The fact that he was not crushed by that slab of burning concrete was nothing short of a miracle.

Even so, despite having nearly been the first casualty of these attacks on Arisa, Touma could not let her give up on her dream.

"So that's it? You're just going to quit?" Touma posited, "You're going to back down and give up on your dream just because someone showed up and tried to strongarm you out of it? Honestly, what do you want more than anything?"

"I want to sing." Arisa admitted, tears falling from her eyes. "It's all I have. It's what I love. What passionate about."

As she held the kitten closer to her chest, Sphinx licked away the tears that fell from her face.

"Then go ahead and sing." Touma said encouragingly, "Singing is what you love to do, and you really have a gift for it. You can't give that up. We just need to come up with a plan, a way to keep you out of danger while you sing."

"I think our best course of action is obvious here. After all, we have four of Academy City's strongest in the room." Uiharu proposed, "Three of whom live in the same building."

"Wait, why am I on that count?" Touma asked, underselling himself yet again, much to the exasperation of his friends.

"In that case, I guess you will be staying here for a while!" Index declared, much to Touma's distress.

"Wha-?!" Touma blanched.

"Index, we talked about not volunteering other people's personal effects!" Mikoto reprimanded the nun-in-training.

"But it's the perfect solution!" Index argued, "After what happened before, the Magicians aren't likely to try anything again in public. And if Arisa is here in Touma's apartment, at least Touma, Shizuri, or Yuri will be here to protect her. Like Kazari said, three of Academy City's strongest live in the same building."

"I was actually leaning more towards all of us taking shifts to escort her." Uiharu whimpered, embarrassed that her suggestion escalated so quickly.

"What do you think, Arisa?"

"Magicians?" the singer asked, not sure if she heard Index correctly.

"S-she means the enemy!" Touma cried in a panic, doing damage control for the third time that day, "As long as you're here, they'll leave you alone."

"I'm starting to question how this little group of yours keeps anything secret." Yuri whispered to Saten.

"Honestly, I'm not sure either." Saten admitted.

"You don't mind?" Arisa asked, taking Touma's previous statement as giving his approval.

Touma immediately deflated upon hearing that question.

"I guess it would be the most logical solution." Touma agreed, "However, I'm not the one you would need to convince."

Looking over his shoulder with fearful eyes, Touma saw his big sister with her arms crossed under her chest and her eyes closed in contemplation. Everyone in the room who knew Shizuri knew that she was fiercely protective of her brother, especially when girls were involved. Letting an unknown girl under the same roof as her brother was sure to tick her off.

Fearing for her own safety, Kuroko teleported herself and her wheelchair to the corner of the room, as far from Shizuri's position as she possibly could get. She was then quickly followed by Uiharu and Saten, both of whom vividly remembered the time the elder Kamijou demonstrated the ability to non-lethally snap a person's neck. As for everyone else, Index and Arisa failed to see the gravity of the situation, Mikoto and Yuri chose to stand their ground, and Touma simply resigned himself to the inevitable.

However, the response they got was far from expected.

"Sure, she can stay." Shizuri replied, much to the surprise of everyone present.

"Really?" Touma asked, "No objection at all?"

"Even if I said no, the alternative would have been you taking shifts to watch over her at her dorm. There's no way I was going to let that slide." The elder Kamijou explained, much to the group's chagrin.

'So it's the same reason as usual.' everyone who knew Meltdowner thought simultaneously.

"Thank you so much." Arisa said with a bow.

"Yes, you're very welcome." Shizuri replied in kind with a smile before suddenly adopting a scowl and harsh tone, "However, if I catch you and Touma alone together in a bedroom, bathroom, or any state of undress, I'm the one you are going to need protection from. Are we clear?"

"Yes, crystal!" Arisa squeaked, huddling up with Kuroko, Uiharu, and Saten in the corner.

"Good." Shizuri nodded, immediately mellowing, "Now then, I'm sure you're all hungry, so why don't you all help yourself to some of the seafood curry Touma just made?"

With the prospect of food quite literally on the table, Index immediately booked it for the kitchen. However, she was stopped when Shizuri grabbed her by the back of her habit.

"Not you." the Level 5 declared, lifting the nun-in-training up like a sad kitten, "We have something we need to discuss in private."

With Index quite literally in hand, Shizuri shot a glance at her fellow Level 5 Espers and her brother. While Mikoto and Accelerator immediately picked up on the silent message, Touma was a bit slower on the uptake. Regardless, he still nodded in agreement and prepared to follow.

Leaving the other girls to start eating without them, the elder Kamijou led her chosen group of five into her bedroom. The bedroom itself was immaculately decorated with a modern Japanese aesthetic and a touch of western flare. The room was fully furnished with a high end desk, dresser, and a single, queen size bed with silk sheets. In stark contrast to Touma's relatively modest bedroom and the upper middle class main space of the apartment, Shizuri's bedroom looked like it belonged in a luxury apartment.

"Damn. With how relatively modest the rest of the apartment is, I sometimes forget you're actually stupidly rich." Touma mused.

"You live here." Yuri reminded his best friend.

"My point exactly."

"If you're done gawking at my room, there's something we need to discuss." Shizuri said as she released Index from her grip.

"And that would be?" Touma asked his sister.

"Arisa's power, and how it might relate to yours." Shizuri answered, taking a seat at the foot of her bed.

Immediately, the atmosphere of the room fell cold, the temperature seeming to drop several degrees in an instant.

"Shouldn't the others be here for this?" Touam inquired.

Having just resolved to be more open with the evolution of his power yesterday, Touma felt conflicted excluding some of his friends from the conversation.

"You can fill them in later once we've determined something concrete." Shizuri explained, "Besides, we currently have an outsider under our roof, and someone needs to keep her occupied and not listen in."

As much as Touma hated to admit it, his sister had a point. No reason to waste everyone's time with dead ends, if it came to that. Plus, he'd rather not get Arisa mixed up in his Imagine Breaker mystery on top of everything else she had to deal with, so the distraction was appreciated.

"Alright then." Touma relented, leaning against a wall, "So, where do we start? Why did you guys decide to have this conversation now?"

"I think that should be obvious." Yuri said, leaning on the wall next to Touma, "The idol's power."

"The way she described it, it seemed to be in a similar vein to your own, Touma." Mikoto added.

"Yeah, I noticed that too." Touma agreed, "Not only that, Imagine Breaker seemed to have no effect on it. Remember when I was nearly crushed under a slab of flaming concrete tonight? I think Arisa's power kicked in and saved me."

"If that's the case, then we may need to reconsider the structure of the power hierarchy." Index pointed out, "Is there anything I can draw on?

Getting up from the bed, Shizuri led Index towards her desk, taking out a pen and paper for the nun-in-training to us. Sitting down at the desk, Index started scribbling while the rest of the group crowded around her to see what she was drawing.

Index had drawn two circles right next to each other, one labeled "Science", the other labeled "Magic".

"Before I met Touma, I believed Science and Magic to be the only powers out there, opposite but equal to one another." Index explained, writing an equal sign between the two circles, "But that all changed when Touma showed me his Imagine Breaker. Based on how it's able to overpower both scientific and magical abilities with ease and doesn't follow the principles of either, I'd say it's safe to say that it exists as a separate category, maybe even a higher level one."

To illustrate her point, Index drew a third circle labeled "Imagine Breaker" just above the equal sign between the Magic and Science circles.

"Based on how my Imagine Breaker didn't negate Arisa's power, I'd say it's a safe bet to rank her power above my own." Touma added.

As Touma spoke, Index drew an additional circle labeled "Arisa" just above the Imagine Breaker circle.

"So, we're working with four unique categories of powers." Mikoto noted.

"Not necessarily." Index argued, "While we don't know enough to know for certain, there is a very real possibility that Touma and Arisa's powers belong to the same category."

Index proceeded to encapsulate both the Imagine Breaker and Arisa circles inside an ellipse. Doing so resulted in the final diagram taking on a rather… unfortunate shape. In the interest of staying on topic, everyone elected to not comment on the shape of the diagram. In Index's case, it was because she was too naïve to recognize what she had accidentally drawn.

"Speaking of Arisa's power, do you remember anything specific about her power? Like how she activated it?" Shizuri asked, "I know she mentions that it seems to activate whenever she sings, but I doubt that she was singing when she saved Touma."

"You're right, she wasn't singing." Index replied, recounting the events in perfect detail, "All she did was beg for the Magicians to stop attacking Touma before letting out a desperate scream."

"Yeah, desperate would be the best way to describe it." Mikoto noted, "You could tell that in that moment, all her thoughts and feelings were focused on a wish that Touma would be okay. That was all she desired at that moment."

Mikoto knew the feeling all too well. She felt it every time she saw Touma run off to help someone while she herself was helpless to do anything. It was especially bad when she was the one he was trying to help. The sight of him a bloody mess on the gravely switchyard will haunt her forever. In many ways, it was much harder to be the protected heroine than to be the hero.

"Desire…" Touma whispered to himself, "That might be it…"

"Hm? Did you say something?" Yuri asked his friend.

"I think I may have figured out a commonality between my power and Arisa's." the Level 0 spoke up.

"Really?" Index inquired.

"Maybe. This is just speculation, after all." Touma admitted, "Every time I ended up tapping into my hidden power, I had a goal I desperately wanted to accomplish; a wish I wanted granted; a desire to see something done. Once all my thoughts were focused on making that desire real, a power manifested in me that made it possible. I think that may be the trigger."

"So what? You just wish really hard on a result you want and your hidden power makes that result possible somehow?" Yuri asked.

"More or less." Touma shrugged.

"That would certainly track with how the existing power systems work." Index noted.

"How so?" Mikoto inquired, tilting her head.

"Komoe explained to me how your Esper Abilities work. Basically, you each possess your own Personal Reality and your powers manifest by desiring the world to appear as you see it in your Personal Reality as opposed to actual reality, correct?" Index asked for clarification.

"It's a bit more complicated than that, but yes." Shizuri confirmed.

"Well, Magic works on a similar principle. A Magician learns Magic in order to fulfil a desire. It's the foundation for a Magician's reason for learning Magic and the origin of their Magic Name." Index explained, "For example, my Magic Name is Dedicatus545, which means 'The dedicated lamb protects the knowledge of the strong'. I chose it because I learned Magic to safeguard the Grimoire Library."

"What does Stiyl's mean then?" Mikoto asked out of curiosity.

"Fortis931, 'I prove why my name is the strongest here'." the nun-in-training recited, "Obviously, he's goal in his magical career is to be as strong as he can possibly be for some purpose."

"Must have a hell of an ego to pick a name that literally means 'strongest'." Accelerator mused flatly.

"You're the last person who should be saying that." Shizuri snarked.

"Point is, based on Touma's speculation, all sources of Supernatural power are driven by desire." Index summarized, "But in the case of Touma and Arisa, that desire is much more focused and specific."

"So it would seem." Yuri noted, "Esper powers run on the basic desire of 'make my Personal Reality real', while Magic runs on an individual desire that each Magician uses as the motivator to learn. But Touma and the idol's power seem to have various effects depending on the specific desire they have at the time."

"But that still doesn't explain why Touma's power manifests in the ways that it does." Mikoto pointed out, "Arisa seems to be able to create a desired result possible against all odds. But Touma's power has that constant connection to dragons. Not to mention, none of this explains his reoccurring nightmares and visions of that dragon door."

"Maybe… I have more than one power at my disposal?" Touma proposed, much to the shock of everyone else.

"You really think that's possible?" Index asked.

"I don't see why not. A Magician can learn several forms of Magic, and with the right circumstances Multi Skill is possible for Espers." Touma pointed out, "What if all the dragon adjacent powers I've been exhibiting are all connected to that dragon door and Imagine Breaker, and I also have a desire based power like Arisa's that's just letting me bypass the seal the door has on those dragon powers?"

"You have any proof that you have a probability defying power like Arisa?" Yuri asked, finding Touma's new theory to be a sizable leap in logic.

"The night we fought the Roman Orthodox Church outside Academy City!" Index gasped in realization, "Touma got a bunch of deep slash marks on his back, but he didn't start bleeding until after the fight was already over! After he got his desired victory!"

"And the night we saved Kuroko!" Mikoto added, "Even if you manifested wings during the time, you were climbing up debris as it was falling, all to save Kuroko! That is outright superhuman!"

"On their own, those instances could just be cases of a physical enhancement power. However, combined with my inconsistent control over my dragon related powers…" Touma mused.

As more evidence piled up, it became clear that there was more to Touma's power, or rather powers, than anyone could have imagined. What was originally believed to be a simple right hand that negated other supernatural phenomena had suddenly become a single piece in a much larger puzzle. Evidently, there was more to Touma than meets the eye.

"I think that's enough speculation for now." Shizuri sighed, clearly exhausted, "Clearly, we've come up with more questions than we have answers."

"That seems to be a recurring theme with discussing my power." Touma grimaced, "Er, powers."

"Well, that's to be expected, considering there's no real record of your powers anywhere." Yuri sighed.

"… Actually, I can think of at least one person who might have some info we could use." Touma mused in realization.

"Really? Who?" Mikoto inquired.

"Remember that Magician I mentioned that Yuri ended up becoming a life coach for? Esther Rosenthal? Tsuchimikado set her up with an apartment here in Academy City." Touma explained, "Several centuries ago, her family had a run in with someone who exhibited a power similar to, if not exactly like, Imagine Breaker, and they've lived in fear of provoking the descendants and inheritors of that power ever since. Her family could very well have written accounts that could give us some insight into my powers."

"Assuming Imagine Breaker really is that same power." Mikoto pointed out.

"Wait, why would your classmate who lives next door set up a Magician with an apartment in Academy City?" Shizuri inquired in confusion.

"Oh right, I never told you. Tsuchimikado is actually an Esper/Magician hybrid who works as a double agent for both the Magic and Science Sides." Touma explained, "He's a liar and a blabber mouth, but he's also a pretty reliable source of information when he wants to be. He's actually my main contact for information regarding the Magic Side and Academy City's Dark Side."

"Should you really be telling us all this?" Yuri asked incredulously.

"Tsuchimikado claims to have dirt on everyone Touma knows, so he has no issue with Touma sharing his secret, at least among his inner circle." Mikoto cut in.

"… Why couldn't you make friends with normal people." Shizuri sighed in defeat, disappointed that she failed to realize a spy was living right next door to her.

"Point is, Esther is in the city, and she might have a lead on my powers we can follow." Touma summarized, "Yuri and I can check in with her tomorrow after class."

"Do I get a say in this?" Yuri asked, already anticipating the answer.

"Come on, you should visit your student from time to time." Touma encouraged with a slightly disingenuous smirk.

"Mind if I come along too?" Mikoto asked, "I'm a bit curious as to who this Esther person is."

"Don't see why not." Touma shrugged.

"Touma, I'm hungry." Index moaned, collapsing on the desk.

"Of course you are." Touma sighed with a hint of mirth, "Come on, let's join the others for dinner. I think we've discussed this as much as we can for the time being."

With their discussion put to rest for the time being, the quintet exited Shizuri's room and joined the rest of the girls in partaking in Touma's homemade seafood curry. When questioned as to what they were up to during that time, Mikoto simply said that she would fill them in on the way back to the dorms. After all, they did not want to involve Arisa in Touma's power mystery any more than she already was.

Once everyone had their fill of Touma's seafood curry, all of the guests left the Kamijou residence. All except Arisa, that is, who spent the night on the couch. Despite the impromptu nature of her sleeping arrangements, Arisa slept quite soundly. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Touma.

That night, like many nights, Touma dreamed of the dragon door. However, this dream was unlike any previous iteration. Rather than finding himself directly in front of the door on a raised path, Touma instead found himself a fair distance away from the door on a barren landscape. The landscape seemed to go on forever and the walls that bordered the door also extended far beyond what the human eye could perceive.

"This is different…" Touma mused to himself.

Unsure of what to make of the unusual change in scenery, Touma decided to make his way towards the door. However, before he could take a single step forward, black clouds poured out of the door's draconic mouth. The clouds pool at the base of the door, forming several small puddles of darkness. The puddles then rose up and took shape, coalescing into several figures resembling people.

Each of these shadow people was equipped with something unique. One held a spear that looked to be made of coiling metal, tipped with a double helix spearhead. Another wore a circular amulet printed with the same spiral pattern that made the dragon door's mouth keyhole. Yet another held an arrow whose head resembled a grasping hand. Many more had various weapons of their own, from the conventional to the exotic. Before Touma could consider the significance of these various items, the shadow people that wielded them charged at him all at once.

"Crap!" Touma swore as he turned tail and ran.

Touma was well aware of his own limits. When it came to fighting multiple opponents, the most he could handle on his own was three, and even that was pushing it. Him having a weapon like his ODD could certainly help in that department, but only by so much, and not while he did not have it on hand. In situations like this, all he could do was run. Unfortunately, running would not take Touma far.

Before long, the shadow people managed to catch up with the fleeing Level 0. One of them wielding a spear took a stab at him from behind, with Touma barely managing to dodge out of the way. Doing so caused him to lose his footing and stumble, leaving him rolling on the ground. Another shadow wielding a sword brought their blade down on the boy, trying to take off his head. Touma managed to roll out of the way, only to roll right into the foot of the shadow wearing the amulet. That same shadow picked him up by the neck and threw him across the landscape.

Despite knowing he was dreaming, the pain Touma experienced as he was thrown felt very real. Even worse was the fact that the pain somehow did not wake him up. Unfortunately, it seemed that the pain was not going to end any time soon.

As Touma tried to get back on his feet, he found himself being bombarded with a flurry of attacks from the strange hand arrow wielded by one of the shows. The arrow flew at blinding speeds, pelting him with cheap shots from every direction. This was followed by the staff of another shadow extending and jabbing him in the gut before throwing him over head. As he flew through the air, Touma was struck hard by the bludgeon of another shadow leaping up after him, finally sending him crashing into the ground. The constant assault took a reprieve as the shadows began to circle Touma's fallen form, as if taunting him.

Touma was getting extremely frustrated with his current predicament. Imagine Breaker had been haunting him with the same dream night after night ever since the Necromancer incident. The one time the dream was different, it was a nightmare where he was constantly beaten up by random shadows, unable to wake up no matter how much pain he endured. Had this not been a dream, he may have well perished from the onslaught he received. His own power had been forcing him to endure so much pain, but he would not put up with it anymore.

Touma did not care what he had to do. He was going to escape this nightmare no matter what it took. If he had to fight these insurmountable odds to escape, so be it. His daily life was him constantly working against the unfair odds the world threw at him. This would be no different. He would find a way to come out victorious. And if there was no road forward, he would bring about a miracle and carve one himself. That was just the kind of person Touma Kamijou was.

Pushing through the pain he had been enduring, Touma slowly and steadily picked himself up off the ground. With heavy breath and grit teeth, he managed to get his knees under him, propping himself up with clenched fists.

As Touma picked himself up, the eyes of the dragon door began to leak a prismatic light. At the same time, his own right eye morphed into its draconic form, with its black sclera, violet iris, and vertical slit pupil. In addition, prismatic light started to leak from his eye, as well as enveloping his right fist. On the back of his right fist formed the same spiral pattern that comprises the dragon door's mouth keyhole. Being so focused on just trying to stand up, Touma failed to notice any of this.

Shifting his weight, Touma managed to get his left foot under him, bringing himself into a kneel, one he would surely not stay in for long should he keep pushing. Seeing that their fallen target was on the verge of getting back on his feet, the shadows charged once again, ready to mob the unfortunate dreamer with sheer numbers. However, Touma would not allow that to happen.

In a moment of pure instinct, Touma pulled back his right fist for a punch, one not aimed at any particular shadow.

"ENOUGH!" Touma screamed as he threw his right fist directly into the ground.

Upon impact, the light that had enveloped Touma's right fist expanded outwards in a brilliant shockwave. Prismatic light exploded all around Touma, blowing away the shadows and seemingly vaporizing them. Not a single shadow survived the blast. And at the epicenter of the blast was Touma, who quickly found himself blinded by the brilliant light.

Touma suddenly woke up gasping for breath. Checking his surroundings, he quickly realized that he was in his bedroom, just as he was when he went to sleep last night. Checking the time, he saw that he had woken up a solid thirty minutes before he normally would. Seeing as it would take more time for him to fall back asleep than it would take for the clock to strike his normal wake up time, Touma elected to get out of bed and get started on making breakfast.

Making his way to the kitchen, Touma saw Arisa still sleeping peacefully on the couch. Considering everything that happened yesterday, it figures that she would not be woken up so easily. Despite that, Touma still made his best effort to be as quiet as possible as he started making breakfast.

As he finished cooking, Touma was joined in the kitchen by Shizuri, who was more than a little surprised to see her brother up and making breakfast so early.

"You're up early." Shizuri noted as she entered the kitchen.

"Had a nightmare. Woke up too late to justify trying to go back to sleep." Touma explained as he put the finishing touches on the three plates he was prepping.

"Was it the dragon door again?" the elder sister inquired.

Touma's sudden silence was all the answer she needed.

"You want to talk about it?"

"…"

"…"

"… I'm scared, Sis." Touma admitted with a heavy sigh, "I just don't know what to think anymore."

Touma told his sister everything about his dream. The dragon door, the changed landscape, the shadows, everything. He spared no detail, going into great depth explaining the battle he fought and how he managed to win. The fact that he remembered the dream in such great detail was concerning in and of itself.

"Touma, it's alright. It was just a dream." Shizuri said reassuringly, "It doesn't necessarily mean anything."

"Not when that door is involved." Touma denied, "These nightmares… and the visions… they're way too frequent and consistent to be nothing. They have to mean something! I'm already seeing signs of my power evolving and I thought having you and everyone else there with me would better prepare me for what comes ahead, but now I'm not so sure."

"Why not?" Shizuri asked her brother worriedly.

"Because now I know that my power could be way more destructive than I realize." Touma replied, his voice trembling.

"Touma, your power has always been about negating the supernatural. You're not suddenly going to turn into a living weapon of mass destruction." the Level 5 argued.

"How can you know for sure? You didn't see it for yourself, Sis. The damage the blast I released caused." Touma fired back, his breath getting erratic, "I was just so angry and frustrated by the beating those shadows were laying on me that I just snapped and blew them all away, not a trace to be found. Who's to say that if and when my power develops to that point, the same could happen to anyone who gets caught up in that blast? I'm not like you, Sis. I can't take another person's life and treat it like its nothing, even if they were trying to take mine. How can you be so sure that I won't hurt anyone when my power develops to that point."

"Because I know you." Shizuri said, clasping Touma's hands in her own, "Like you said, you're not like me. Killing isn't in your nature. Even if your power developed to the point where you could easily take a life, I know that you would do everything you could to make sure things never came to that. That's just the kind of person you are."

"You really think so?" Touma asked, completely stunned.

"I know so." Shizuri reaffirmed, "Ever since we reunited, you've exceeded my expectations time and time again. Every time you've run off to be a hero, no matter the odds, you've always come out on top. Even if you do come home with more than a few injuries. Beating the odds is what you do best, so I know that even if the odds say your power will cause serious harm to others, you'll find a way to avoid it. Besides…"

Releasing Touma's hands, Shizuri brought her own hand to the top of her brother's head, gently tousling his hair and pressing his head down so their foreheads touched.

"… as your older sister, it's my duty to protect you no matter what." Shizuri declared, "No matter what happens, I'll do everything in my power to protect you, both from others and yourself. So please, rely on me more. It's why I came back. Everything I've done, I've done for you."

Touma had no words. For the longest time, he felt that he had to be the one doing the protecting. He was the one constantly being the hero and rushing to the rescue. He was always the shield that stood his ground while everyone else hid behind him for cover. He was always the one on the front lines, be it with allies or by himself. Plenty of people have promised to stand by him, but his sister thus far was the only one who promised to stand ahead of him, to take the role of his shield.

Unable to express himself in words, Touma instead did so by leaning in and pulling his sister into a hug. It was not a particularly tight or extravagant hug, but it was enough to get across his message. Despite his lack of memories before July 28 that year, Touma knew the emotions he was currently feeling to be familiar ones. It was a cocktail of emotions that he had not felt in full since Shizuri disappeared from his life. He felt like that little boy that used to constantly cling to his big sister. For the first time in a long while, Touma felt truly protected and safe.

"Thank you." Touma managed to choke out.

"It's what I'm here for." Shizuri replied, returning the hug.

However, the silence of the sibling moment was interrupted by the sound of sheets shifting in the living space. Pulling away from each other, the two Kamijou siblings looked over to the couch that Arisa was sleeping on to see that the blanket she was using looked hastily adjusted.

"Arisa? You awake?" Touma called out the rising idol.

After a brief moment of silence, Arisa threw her blanket off and sat up with an embarrassed smile.

"Yes. Sorry to interrupt you." Arisa apologized.

"How much of that did you hear?" Shizuri inquired.

"Just about everything after you two touched foreheads." Arisa replied as she stood up and immediately dropped into a low bow, "I really am terribly sorry! I did not mean to eavesdrop!"

"Don't be. We should be sorry for waking you up." Touma insisted, simply relieved she did not hear anything regarding their more unique circumstances, "Come on, I've made breakfast."

After a quick breakfast, Touma gathered his things for school, leaving Shizuri and Arisa alone in the apartment for the day. Heading down a few floors, the Level 0 arrived at Yomikawa's apartment, where he was greeted by Yuri and Mimi at the door.

"Morning buddy, Mimi." Touma greeted, "Where are Ms. Yomikawa and Ms. Yoshikawa?"

"Good morning! Greets Misaka Misaka, happy to be referred to by her recently acquired name." Mimi returned the greeting, "Yomikawa and Yoshikawa left earlier to prepare for the school day. Accelerator and Mimi stayed behind to go to school with the Savior, explains Misaka Misaka."

"You doing okay? You look a bit frazzled." Yuri noted in concern.

"I'm fine." Touma insisted, "Let's just say we have a lot to talk about with Esther when we see her later."

Special End Card Segment: Trivia Corner

1) Touma's outfit in Mikoto's fantasy in the previous chapter is pulled from A Certain Magical Index: Imaginary Fest, specifically from his Idol variant that was available during 2024's Idol Event.

2) The spiraled spear one of the shadows wielded in Touma's nightmare is based on the Spear of Longinus in Evangelion.

3) The shadows Touma fights in his nightmare are based on the Phantasms fought in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 at the bottom of Spirit Crucible Elpys.

4) The manner in which Touma uses his powers in his nightmare is meant to evoke how Ouroboros Power is used by Matthew in Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed.