Chapter 11 - War Between Colorful Truths
"That was super unexpected," said Kinuhata, as she settled onto her oversized pillow.
The popcorn was excellent, warm and tender, leaving Kamijou to ponder how they had achieved such things. Sipping on an ice-cold soda while indulging in a mediocre movie amidst the chaos of the apocalypse wasn't something the boy had anticipated, but it did manage to provide a refreshing respite for his mind.
"So, what are your super thoughts?" asked the little girl with the bob haircut.
"Well... that was definitely one of the movies I watched."
"Yeah. Someone really super wrote that script."
"And actors acted in it. It's really a movie that was made."
After this brief conversation, the two exchanged smiles and burst into uncontrollable laughter. What Kamijou had just witnessed on that huge screen in a room that seemed too fancy for a post-apocalyptic world was undeniably a "masterpiece." It was something that couldn't be achieved poorly even if one tried. It required a specific spiritual state to "nail it" like that.
"I think vampire movies are going out of fashion," commented Kamijou, easing onto a plush cushion.
"You think?" Kinuhata squinted at him, balancing a glass of soda in one hand and a bucket of popcorn in the other. "They're trying to make a triumphant return to this genre, but I preferred it when it was super horror movies instead of... whatever this thing was."
It was the third consecutive film they had watched from the same studio. After Mugino had practically dragged him to her base with minimal explanation, Kinuhata spotted him wandering the mall's corridors and decided he was the perfect new movie-watching partner.
Thinking about her previous movie partner made him uneasy.
"So you and Hamazura are good friends?" asked Kamijou. The two were seated on cushions arranged in the marble-floored room, which occasionally made the boy shiver from the cold.
"Is that a sincere question, or do you just want to know if I'm super into him or something?"
"Um... why would I ask something like that? I mean, Hamazura has a girlfriend, right?"
"Have you met Takitsubo-san?" Kinuhata turned completely towards him, adjusting herself to meet his gaze with curious eyes. However, Kamijou sensed her discomfort when talking about that particular person.
"Yeah. She helped me out a while ago, in a conflict in England. If I'm not mistaken, she was operating that big gun as a distraction or something."
"Wait, are you the super 'guy with the weird arm that turns into a dragon'?"
It seems that some stories were spreading.
Kamijou didn't have the opportunity to dispel Kinuhata's doubts as an angry voice reverberated from the other side of the door.
"Hey, Kamijou, Kinuhata!" Mugino almost shouted, knocking forcefully on the door. "I've waited long enough, so open the damn door."
"That super spoiler."
After muttering that, Kinuhata rose lazily, padding barefoot across the marble floor. Kamijou had also removed his shoes out of respect, but stepping on the cold marble floor barefoot sent shivers down his spine. The infection was worsening each day, and despite the new coat Kinuhata had acquired for him, the boy still felt bitterly cold.
"At last," Mugino said, peering at Kamijou and Kinuhata through the partially open door. "Here I am, disrupting your 'dates' again, Kamijou. I hope I didn't arrive at the worst moment."
"Nah," Kinuhata chimed in, "we're done already. Three rounds are super enough for today. I'm quite satisfied; I was even planning to start cleaning up. We've made quite a mess here."
"Kinuhata," Kamijou said, giving her a quizzical look. "Could you choose your words more carefully?"
"Okay, enough fooling around," Mugino interrupted. "Come with me, both of you."
x-2-x
The group found themselves in what Mugino referred to as the "throne room," with Kinuhata stationed at the door as a guard. That girl must have let her status go to her head, she was beginning to think she was royalty or something.
In that air-conditioned room, an assortment of items was present, ranging from a well-stocked fridge to bookshelves filled with books, seemingly unrelated to the room's primary purpose. Apparently, it served as an "extension" of the girl's bedroom. Preferring to avoid the awkwardness of hosting people in her private quarters, she opted to conduct important discussions while seated on the throne. Additionally, if desired, she could open the door behind the throne to access an even more luxurious space.
Everyone there was gathered around a round table, standing and looking at some photos and maps scattered around.
The first to break the silence was Maidono, who had accompanied Kamijou to this base, much to the irritation of number 4.
"So, Mugino-san," she began, holding up one of the photos taken in that district, "you took your time. Did you find anything important about this particular queen?"
"Just the usual."
As they talked, Kamijou observed with a growing sense of apprehension clawing at his chest. For a moment, he had feared that this mission would force him into a confrontation with his friend, but his assumption proved to be incorrect. Multiple queens existed, and their objective was to eliminate the one reigning over the sole nest in District 7. Success in this mission, they believed, would enhance the safety of the area. This was crucial not only due to its central location but also because it housed the highest concentration of factions.
"Kamijou," Mugino caught his eye. "Is it true that you met with the White Queen?"
The intensity of that feeling surged, causing the boy to suddenly hyperventilate. Until now, the only person privy to his secret had been Yakumaru. He had decided that he wouldn't tell anyone unless it was really necessary, but these moments made him rethink that decision.
"Yes, but..." Kamijou hesitated, his right hand almost forming a fist but relaxing at the last moment. "Is it crucial at the moment? We just have to confront this 'ordinary queen' or whatever you call her, don't we?"
The evasiveness in his response caused Mugino to narrow her eyes and curl her lip in suspicion. A sigh escaped her lips before she redirected her attention back to the table.
"From the information we've gathered so far," said Mugino, "we don't have an effective way of fighting an 'ordinary queen'. Given the possibility that the White Queen may be drawn to us during our fight, any information I can get about that monster is crucial."
"She's not a monster."
Luckily, Kamijou only muttered it, too quietly for anyone to hear.
Mugino continued to scatter more documents on the table, but the spiky-haired boy was no longer paying attention to the information before him. Now, with a time limit to sort everything out, he hoped to find a way to communicate with someone on the magic side.
"Mugino-san," he said. The tea-colored-haired girl looked at him with that serious face of hers. "You said someone from the 'Coalescence' faction was coming today, where are they?"
"From what I've been told, it's not really a member of theirs. I have no idea why it's taking so long, but it's not as if we need to wait for such a person to arrive." She smoothed her hair and pointed to a photo of something Kamijou recognized. "Those are 'FIVE_Over' Modelcase_'MELT_DOWNER' Apparently, they found a way to reproduce my powers using nothing but pure science. I had to use all my contacts to get this equipment. These things will be the majority of our firepower today, if that doesn't do damage, I don't know what will."
"Have you forgotten that Kamijou-senpai is here?" asked Maidono confidently, giving him a wink. "From what I've been told, he can destroy abominations with nothing but his bare hands."
"Yes, you commented on that... about three times now if I'm not mistaken." Mugino rolled her eyes. "But abominations aren't queens, for all we know his strange power could literally be useless in a fight. So I suggest you don't try to play the hero to show off in front of the girls today, Kamijou, you'll get yourself killed."
"Let's make a bet then," suggested Maidono, a confident smile bordering on the edge of mischief. "If he can do more damage than those old clunkers you call weapons, I can take whatever I want from this base. What do you say?"
"This isn't a game, Mai-san," complained Mugino, her arms crossed, maintaining a super-serious demeanor that tolerated no nonsense. "Could you take this more seriously? My friend's life is at stake here. And remember, even #1 had difficulties against a queen, from what I hear."
"Accelerator fought a queen?" asked Kamijou. He had vaguely heard about something like this happening but had never had a reason to delve into it.
"Yes," replied Mugino. "It was right at the beginning. The fight took a long time but the bastard managed to win in the end. From what I heard, he also encountered the White Queen, but I have no idea who won. There's been no news of him since, so I wouldn't be surprised if they found his dead body lying around."
Hearing this gruesome news caused Kamijou's already tight chest to sink further into an invisible pit. When he pondered that Index was out there fighting people and possibly even killing them, all he could do was take a deep breath and promise himself that he would put an end to it before his time ran out. But he didn't know how.
"He's alive," added Maidono, capturing the full attention of the other two. "Number #3 confirmed it for me."
"Huh?" Mugino was confused. "Have you been talking to Railgun?"
Kamijou paid close attention, relieved to hear that one of his friends was okay.
"I've got one of her generals at my base," said Maidono. Her words dripped with a bit of venom, and Mugino understood well what she was referring to. "We're negotiating her 'rescue,' but Misaka-san is busy dealing with all that chaos underground."
"I see," Mugino sighed, then tapped the table. "We'd better get going; we shouldn't have much time, really."
Before she could resume her train of thought, someone abruptly burst into the room, hands held behind her head. It was Kinuhata.
"Mugino, there's a super strange person outside. Shall I let her in?"
It must have been that person from the adult faction who had finally arrived. Mugino wasted no time in asking Kinuhata to bring her.
As soon as the newcomer entered, Kamijou tilted his head, wearing a perplexed expression. The person, undoubtedly a woman, donned a flashy white dress and carried a peculiar box. Strangely, she wore a fox mask commonly seen at festivals, though Kamijou doubted it was meant to conceal her identity; perhaps it was merely a whimsical choice or a nod to the obvious.
The mysterious woman fixed her gaze on Kamijou behind the mask, likely concealing a surprised expression.
"Okay," she said, placing a hand on her waist. "I can't decide if this is unexpected or not. My pawns warned me about something like this, but witnessing it firsthand is a different story."
Speaking Japanese with a slight accent, the woman, clearly a foreigner, theatrically removed her mask, tucking it inside the mysterious black box she carried, and then flashed an arrogant smile.
"So it really is you, Violet," said Kamijou, crossing his arms and shaking his head.
And then the poor red-haired woman grimaced and almost burst into tears. Seriously, she looked like she had been punched in the face, nearly stumbling to the ground. The atmosphere of mystery was erased in an instant and now bordered on the comical due to the exaggerated reaction of the girl in the fancy dress.
"W-w-what?!" she stammered, almost sobbing. "How do you know my name? It was that 15cm fairy who said it, I bet. Damn it... damn it, pull yourself together... pull yourself together... and me taking the trouble to make a triumphant entrance. Damn, damn."
After the masks came off, one person seemed a little irritated by the whole thing.
Mugino Shizuri took a step away from the table and then looked that girl up and down with a disgusted face.
"Who the hell are you?" demanded #4, arms crossed. "Is Neoka making fun of me? For fuck's sake. I was expecting someone who would take this job seriously, but it looks like I'm still stuck with a bunch of idiots."
Kamijou felt like a pin had pierced his back. Those words undoubtedly included him as well.
"Ahem," the mysterious woman, referred to as Violet by Kamijou, straightened her posture and flashed an arrogant smile. "That's no way to treat your great and only savior."
"Girl, I don't even know you."
"Well, rejoice, for you stand before the teacher of love and beauty and the pen pal of everyone in need of some advice." She executed a classic curtsy and continued with a smile, making an exaggerated gesture akin to a stage magician captivating the audience. "I am the one who has come to bring light to this desperate situation. I am the great golden magician, Dion Fortune!"
"Eh?"
It evidently rattled Mugino in a peculiar way, though she barely showed it behind her serious demeanor. In fact, she even appeared a little disappointed, akin to a child seeing a clown without makeup for the first time and all the magic dissipated.
"Are you Dion Fortune? What the hell?" The grimace she wore was truly frightening. "Does Neoka think he's going to fool me with all this stupid theater?"
"Theater? Listen here little girl, I'm one of the greatest magicians in history. I was creating innovative methods of controlling telesma when you weren't even born, so put some respect in my name."
"What in the actual fuck is telesma?"
"See, your ignorance is laid bare for all to see, little girl."
It looked like the two of them were going to throw themselves down each other's throats at any moment, so to avoid drastic measures, Kamijou snorted loudly.
"She's telling the truth, Mugino-san." The boy didn't know whether to stand between the two or away from them, at one point he even stayed close to Maidono for some support. "That chuunibyou with the fake name is indeed a powerful magician. But I don't understand, what are you doing here in Academy City?"
"What did you call me?" Dion Fortune didn't appear annoyed; in fact, she seemed on the verge of tears. "You live up to your title of the natural enemy of magic, but I'll extend that to the enemy of women too, hmph."
"Huh? What does one thing have to do with the other? And you didn't answer the question; aren't you supposed to be in England or something?"
Dion Fortune approached the round table and placed her black box on it. The sudden shift to seriousness made the others apprehensive.
"I came here as soon as I found out that Hamazura was in trouble," said Fortune, the way she held the box, so firmly, so carefully, it was like someone holding a life buoy on the high seas. "Neoka and his faction were kind enough to take me in and provide a base of operations so that I could investigate the heart of all this trouble. I couldn't do anything from where I was, and frankly, if I'm going to be in a ruined place, let it be one where I'm useful."
"Wait, what did you say?" Kamijou interjected, leaning involuntarily towards the table.
"Oh?" Fortune tilted her head and opened the black box. "It's true; you don't know the whole truth."
From that box, she took something that looked like a crystal ball. It wasn't even clear how she got it out, as everything appeared hazy, and the size of the object suggested it couldn't have fit inside. Even Mugino frowned upon observing this odd scene, but she kept silent for the time being.
Smoke enveloped the interior of the crystal ball until it gradually dissipated, revealing the truth to everyone present. It was a world in ruins, a sight they had grown accustomed to witnessing every day.
Dion Fortune's lips parted, and an air of suspense gripped everyone.
"This isn't Academy City."
Those words left them in stunned silence. The realization dawned that they had been living a lie.
"That's London," continued Fortune. "I've been in touch with Necessarius, but it's only a matter of time before those things adapt and there's no one left who can fight them."
"Wait, wait, wait," Mugino sounded a bit skeptical when she said that. "Are you telling me that PBs escaped from confinement and made it all the way to London? Why didn't we know that until then?"
"Do I really need to answer that question?"
No, she didn't need to. Everyone knew all too well the lies the adults told to "protect" the children in that city. It was still strange that they were forbidden to leave the quarantine zone, but if there were PBs in London, didn't that mean that the whole world wasn't already completely taken over? What was the point of all this anyway?
"Those bastards tricked us." Mugino's words were accompanied by an angry punch to the table, which cracked slightly with the blow. "All this time I could have gone out and gotten help. I swear to God that when this is all over, I'm going to-"
"Don't get ahead of yourself, 'Miss' Mugino," said Dion Fortune. "Hamazura wouldn't want it that way."
"Don't talk as if you understand him!"
The tension permeated the air, palpable yet unspoken. The magician, despite the charged atmosphere, maintained silence, letting out a long sigh after a few seconds of contemplation.
"Fighting amongst ourselves won't lead to any resolution." Fortune put her hand in the box again and as if by magic, she pulled out something strange. "We'd better focus on what matters at the moment."
"Wait, that's..." Kamijou took a good look at the thing in the magician's hands.
Dion Fortune was holding a crystalline creature that resembled a scorpion. It was about half a meter long and it wriggled as if attempting to evade her grasp. Kamijou reflexively brought his hand up to the back of his neck.
It was one of those things, the ones responsible for turning humans into monsters. A little different from the one that day in the furnace, but it was definitely one of those things.
"A parasitic PB, huh?" said Mugino. "You came prepared."
"We magicians call them 'Color'"
"Color?" Kamijou expressed his confusion.
"Yes, what else would we call it? After all, what do you see when you look at them?"
She shook the helpless thing in her hands, which appeared to illuminate strangely in the light, shifting and transforming. Now that she had drawn his attention to it, what color did he actually see? It was as if his brain couldn't discern what he was seeing. It was dark, yet also red, translucent, yet seemed opaque.
Though it didn't evoke the same sensation as the White Queen, who seemed to alter the environment with her leaking white hue, there were traces of a similar effect here. Describing the emanating color proved challenging; it was undoubtedly a color, but he was certain that what he saw was not an accurate representation of reality.
"I take it you guys here have never heard of the concept of phases, right?" Dion looked at Kamijou. "Apart from you, of course. It would be stupid if the great Kamijou Touma, the One who Purifies God and Slays Demons, wasn't an expert on this subject."
There were two pairs of eyes focused intently on him now. Mugino and Maidono crossed their arms and synchronized a penetrating look in his direction. Kamijou had no idea what that meant, so he decided it wasn't worth thinking about.
"What are you getting at?" he asked, deciding to pretend he was an expert, even though he only knew the basics. It could be that the look on the girls' faces was admiration, and there was one who was clearly older than him, so his attitude was understandable now.
"This little thing here is a being that came from another phase."
Now that was a shock. The two girls maintained silence as Kamijou, deep in thought, placed his hand on his chin. It started to make sense. If this were a creation of purely scientific origin, something engineered in a laboratory, his Imagine Breaker would be ineffective, which was not the case. So, there were only a few plausible explanations left.
"It happened when a certain magical ritual got out of hand, which brought these creatures straight here from space on a meteorite."
It seemed a bit too surreal, even for Kamijou, so imagine what it would be like for those girls who didn't know how the other side of the world worked.
"What is this 'phase' anyway?" asked Mugino with a skeptical look. "Some kind of parallel universe?"
"There are no parallel universes," said Kamijou, drawing the full attention of the two science girls. "But in terms of simplification, you might think it's something like that. Go on, Violet."
"Could you not call me that for God's sake?" The chuunibyou visibly cringed with embarrassment. She coughed and took a deep breath to compose herself. "Explaining everything would take too long, and I imagine you're on a tight deadline. What you have to know is that scientists from this city have had access to these space things here." She briefly gestured to the grotesque creature in her hand. "Apparently, when a 'color' finds a host, a symbiotic relationship takes place. It changes the structure of whatever the poor chosen one is, but obviously, only 'living' beings are chosen."
"Wait, there's something here that doesn't make sense," interrupted Maidono. "That thing there is what turns humans into Shattereds, I'm sure of it, so what are the PBs?"
"Just the artificial life form known as 'elements' in the past, but infected by one of these little things here," Dion clarified, placing the creature on the table, where it wriggled like a snake. "This one was extracted from an abomination, as you call it. As you can see, it's larger than the ones found in humans, adapting to the host's body."
"So let me get this straight," Mugino cut her off impatiently and leaned towards the thing. "These 'aliens' from another dimension or whatever improved those things that were going around in the heatwave, so far so good, but where do those creatures come from anyway? Are they manufactured in a laboratory?"
"Hmm..." Dion Fortune rested her hand on her chin. "I've examined everything carefully, and as far as I know, these entities are undoubtedly magical constructs. Although the individual responsible certainly employed scientific knowledge to reach this point." She glanced away, lost in thought. "Kamijou Touma, just to confirm, these so-called 'element' things still react to your power, correct?"
"Yes. They still react even after being infected by that... 'color'."
"I see."
Things began to click in Kamijou's head. Dion commented that scientific knowledge was used, but there was no genetic engineering or anything like that behind it, just an occult power that fell into the wrong hands. This color was a parasite that infected anything, and this probably caught the attention of scientists, who tested it on a life form like the 'elements'. Everything got out of hand and people started to get infected too.
"So," said Kamijou, "when this color has an 'element' as its host, a PB is generated, and when it's a person, a Shattered. In the end, they're the same thing. Is there a limit to what it can infect?"
"I can't say. You look worried." Dion looked at him with doubt in her eyes. "But calm down, we're not going to find a magic God or a transcendent influenced by 'color'."
Kamijou Touma's fists clenched as the weight of her casual revelation sank in. The gravity of her words lingered heavily in his mind.
Taking a deep breath, he spoke softly to her.
"What if..." He hesitated, aware of the penetrating gazes from the other two girls. "What if a person with great magical knowledge actually got infected? What kind of problems would we face?"
An uneasy silence followed, delaying the response. Dion seemed poised to reply swiftly, but she hesitated, locking eyes with Kamijou as if attempting to decipher his thoughts. Her gaze held an intensity that bordered on wanting to read his mind.
Eventually, she broke the silence.
"Kamijou Touma, where is the grimoire library?"
He yearned for the prior silence.
The boy's breath hitched instantly. A suffocating sensation, akin to a rope tightening around his neck, surged through him; the entity within him seemed to twist. His legs weakened, and in the next instant, he staggered towards the table, narrowly avoiding a collision with the creature placed there.
"Kamijou-senpai?" Maidono was quick and held him back. "Hey, concentrate. Look at me, let me see your eyes," she whispered, her hand shielding his face from the view of others.
Maidono tilted her head and looked him in the eye. Her nod and sigh of relief served as an answer to the unspoken question in his mind.
The creature, hosting itself within him, seemed to respond to his emotions. Whether it accelerated the transformation process, caused a side effect, or something else entirely remained unclear. What he did know was that time was slipping away. The dryness in his mouth, the slight trembling in his hands, and the ache in his bones from the chill signaled the unmistakable ticking of the clock.
"Are you sure you're fit enough to fight today?" asked Mugino, examining the exchange from a distance. There was a lack of genuine concern in her voice. "What was that, a panic attack?"
"Hmm..." Dion turned her gaze to him once more, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Kamijou Touma, I believe it's best if we talk in private."
Her demeanor shifted, the previously slightly playful aura of arrogance vanishing without a trace.
"Whatever you want to talk about," said Mugino, "if it's not important for today's mission, leave it for later... if you're alive, of course."
"By the way," said Dion, "I don't intend to fight today."
"I wasn't counting on you anyway, but why does something tell me that this decision wasn't made in advance?"
"Your experience with the dark side really makes you sharp, Mugino-san." Dion's gaze was on Kamijou as she spoke. "I've just received some information that could be problematic. I'm a magician, my presence here could be of great help, but if my theory is right, I'd be more of a hindrance to you."
Dion Fortune picked up the thing on the table and then "offered" it to Kamijou. Confused, he gazed at her, ready to inquire about it, but she interrupted him before he could speak.
"Use your power on this, I want to take a look."
It wasn't as if he could think calmly, so he just reached out and lightly touched the creature there. A crash resonated through the area, resembling the sound of crystal being struck forcefully with a baseball bat. The 'color' was no more.
"Okay," said Mugino upon witnessing the scene. "I admit it's kind of impressive. Did you obliterate this thing on an atomic level or something? Even my Meltdowner doesn't inflict that much damage."
"It's more about their adaptation than a question of power," explained Dion. "The leader of these things must be a creature capable of analyzing phenomena and creating something as a form of response from their vast knowledge. That's why they're constantly evolving."
"Have you been studying these things since you got here?" asked Mugino.
"Yes." She nodded and frowned. "But even with all my efforts, I still haven't come up with an answer to Hamazura's case. Maybe if I get my hands on the parasite in the queen's body I'll get somewhere."
"So that's why this request is so specific."
That conversation caught Kamijou's attention. Studying that color is essential to curing Hamazura? So that means his illness is linked to all this.
His mind traveled. Things seemed to make sense, then, as if reciting a curse, the boy moved his lips.
"Mugino-san." He paused, watching the girl look at him intently. "Hamazura... he's infected with those things... isn't he?"
Mugino bit her lip at that moment, nervousness evident in the grimace she made. It was practically a rhetorical question at this point, but he wanted to understand why she hadn't been more direct that time.
"Yes... Hamazura is a 'Shattered'."
It even seemed to cause her physical pain. She ran a hand through her hair, her face now partially hidden by a stray strand. Kamijou found this reaction rather strange. Mugino hesitated briefly, but no more than that. So, that meant one thing.
"Everyone in this room, this is something that must be kept secret." Mugino leaned on the table and kept her head down, her hands gripping the marble table tightly. "Only Kinuhata and I know exactly the situation Hamazura is in, and it's best that it stays that way."
"I don't understand," said Kamijou. "Wouldn't it be better if everyone knew the details?"
"Then they'd give up fighting a hopeless battle," Mugino interrupted. "This whole endeavor of mine is not cheap; I've already made that clear. I'm investing too many resources to keep the infection's progress to a minimum, and that's enough for some to complain that they're working too hard and receiving a pittance as thanks. What do you think would happen if they knew that the 'mysterious disease' wasn't mysterious at all?"
She didn't need to say anything more.
Kamijou lowered his head and contemplated the implications. In a world where most only receive crumbs, where making do is the only option, and everyone's sanity is stretched to its limit, a rebellion can erupt for any reason. All it takes is for someone to break out and take others with them. This dynamic might be a little different in larger factions. Kamijou was keenly aware of this difference, having observed it while enjoying popcorn and soda in an air-conditioned room, comparing this faction to his own.
Not everyone had the same condition.
And when extra luxuries, which are nothing more than that—'luxury,' are taken away from someone, the result varies.
A large faction doesn't work if the general morale of the group is low. One could imagine how diminished this factor was at the moment, so the decision that girl made served only to prevent that last drop of water, capable of breaking the surface tension, from falling into the glass.
"I don't even know if it would make a difference, to be honest," said Maidono. Those words were a lot braver than they sounded. "I mean, if they're okay with all the perks you and Kinuhata have, they're not going to stampede over a fight for an impossible cause."
"You always find a way to criticize me, huh, Mai-san?" Mugino shot a piercing glance in the blonde's direction. "If you believe they'll remain silent when I'm literally staking my chips on this 'magician' project to cure something deemed incurable, you're more naive than I thought."
The two continued arguing for a few more seconds, but Kamijou allowed the conversation to fade into the background when Dion Fortune tugged at the sleeve of his jacket.
"These two aren't going to kill each other, I don't think," she said, gesturing with her head towards the door. "Let's take the opportunity to have that chat."
x-3-x
Kamijou Touma and Dion Fortune left the throne room and then approached a security railing in the corridor that led to several stores. That throne room was situated on the top floor of the mall, though the boy couldn't shake the feeling that there might have been more floors in the past, or it could be just his impression.
"A fancy room at the top of the faction, that girl has serious delusions of grandeur," joked Dion Fortune. She balanced her box on the railing and looked down at the illuminated scenery below. "I won't waste time, tell me, has Index been infected by one of these things?"
Kamijou swallowed, his body almost losing its strength, leaning towards the railing. However, Dion placed a gentle hand on his shoulder to steady him.
"I'm sorry to be so blunt," she said, "but we don't have much time. I think you understand more than anyone, don't you? The struggle to save someone."
It was evident that the two of them were in a similar position now. The boy wasn't certain about the details of Hamazura Shiage and Dion Fortune's relationship, how they met, or how close they were. However, that woman had come all this way to attempt a miracle and save him. At the very least, she felt indebted to the delinquent who had been his enemy in the past.
"Come to think of it, we've been enemies in the past, haven't we?" Dion continued, as if trying to comfort the boy who seemed to be at a dead end. "History often repeats itself."
"Hmm?"
"You've saved a lot of people, haven't you? Even from themselves. Some of these people have become great allies of yours, even if you've been on opposite sides of the battlefield. But you came together to face a common evil, so it's just business as usual for you."
Dion patted him on the back, quickly but gently. The spiky-haired boy understood what she meant. In a way, she was right, it wasn't so different from all the other times. Kamijou Touma would find someone to save, give it his all, connect with that person, and then in the future they would team up to save someone. That red-haired girl next to him wasn't one of the people he had saved, but he understood what she meant all the same. His influence was like dominoes, he didn't need to knock them all down, only the first effort was needed and then the force would spread from there.
It was no different.
The fight to save someone was always the same. And the outcome never changed.
"I'll help you with that," Dion continued, "but I need you to help me too. Let's rid our friends of this common evil."
He was sure he saw her smile out of the corner of his eye, but it was hard to tell whether she was just overconfident, or was faking her feelings so as not to get him down. It was probably the latter. Kamijou believed at that moment that she was just that kind of person.
"The White Queen," said Kamijou, almost automatically after seeing her determined smile.
"Huh?" Confusion spread across her face, her head tilted in surprise.
Kamijou took a deep breath and looked hesitantly in the girl's direction before continuing.
"Index is the White Queen."
That was a secret he had only shared with one other girl, not out of necessity, but because he felt he could trust her. Talking about it with someone else seemed wrong, but he was out of options.
"I see." The magician's reaction was far more composed than Kamijou had expected. "That kind of matches the description."
"Description?"
"If I'm not mistaken, I think it was Accelerator who said that the White Queen was actually a special kind of 'Shattered'. If we consider the analytical and adaptive abilities, it's safe to say that the evolution of these things is due to their link with the grimoire library." She stopped talking and let out a long, exaggerated sigh. "What a problem. I've been analyzing the structure of these things for a while, so I know how deep all this crap goes, but this is even worse. I even planned to make a raid and find the heart of it all, but-"
Before she could finish her sentence, footsteps echoed in that corridor graced by the subtle night wind. Two girls had approached them while they were talking, both with playful smiles on their faces.
"Yo, Kami, it's been a while."
"Shut up, Naru, it hasn't even been three days," complained Yakumaru, poking her friend on the cheek.
"What are you doing here?" asked Kamijou curiously. He had no idea he would find those two here.
Dion made an exaggerated gesture before the girls answered, a sign with her hand as if to say "That's my cue" and then threw herself over the railing and disappeared into the night. As she said herself, her presence here could make things worse. It must have been hard for her to leave the fate of the person she wanted to save in the hands of strangers, but Kamijou thought she was brave for doing so.
"Who was that cosplayer?" asked Naru excitedly, leaning on the railing. She actually almost fell down, but Yakumaru pulled her up by the waist and gave her a judgmental look.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed before the action even begins?"
"I would've been fine; I can fly, you know? Forget it?" Naru smiled, swaying her rabbit tail back and forth. "It would be silly for me to die like this when we have a battle against a queen coming up. If I had to choose, I'd rather meet my end in a glorious battle, covered in the blood of my enemies, like a Viking or something. I bet my entry into Valhalla would be guaranteed after that."
"I think we have some technicalities to consider here," said Kamijou, shaking his head. "I'm sure a certain 15cm god would be better at explaining that that's not how things work."
"What the hell are you talking about, Kamijou?" Yakumaru even showed her palms in an exaggerated gesture of confusion. "Don't ya get tired of being the most eccentric person in the room? And Naru is right here, so that's quite an achievement."
"But hold up!" interrupted Naru. "Does that mean Kami actually buys into life after death?"
"Not necessarily," he said. "Wait, but if angels exist, then heaven exists too. Yes... yes, it's a phase. Okay, good news girls, even if we die here today, it's probably not the end."
"Yaaaaaaay!"
Naru got excited and grabbed Kamijou's wrists, pulling him into a lively dance while Yakumaru rubbed her temple and sighed at the sight of the two idiots celebrating something stupider than themselves.
"Sorry to spoil the mood, Naru," said Yakumaru, "but considering our crimes, it's not like we're going to end up in heaven, even with a glorious death."
"No problem," Naru replied, continuing to dance and twirl the umbrella in one hand. "As long as we're a duo, I'm all good with it. Kami's like some hero, right? He'll probably end up in hero heaven or something. What a bummer."
"But the two of us can spoil him enough, which solves the problem."
"Oh, that's right." Now Naru seemed extra excited. "Then, we could totally build a house wherever we end up. Yes, yes. A cozy spot to call home, even if it's in hell. I've always been into warm places anyway."
It was rather morbid, so Kamijou preferred to just smile and let himself be guided by the cheerful girl. The more he got to know her, the more he realized how eccentric she was, and surprisingly, he found himself not complaining about it. Now that he stopped to think about it, she must be here just because she heard that a queen had to be exterminated, which kind of gave her a suicidal streak, considering how much such a monster is feared.
"Hey, Kami," said Naru, her gaze innocent, unlike that strange smile on her face. "Between me and Ya-kun, which one do you think is prettier?"
"Huuuuuuh?!"
It struck him like a forceful blow from a garbage truck. Kamijou had to step away from Naru to breathe after that sudden blow. What kind of random question is that? Now he couldn't resist looking alternately at the two, as if a thorough assessment was being made. Wait, was Naru striking a pose?
"That's cheating," complained Yakumaru, making a peace sign and tilting her head in a cute way.
"You're striking a pose too, Ya-kun. That's not what we agreed."
"Wait, you agreed on that? What was that supposed to mean?" Kamijou pushed aside any thoughts his adolescent mind was painting and then gave an answer that he thought was appropriate for the moment. "By the way, you're both equally beautiful. There you go, you're not going to make me compromise here. Take that."
"Boooo! That's no fun," complained Naru.
"Killjoy," added Yakumaru.
The two of them were now sticking their tongues out at him in a rude way, which made him smile and scratch his head. Kamijou needed this kind of pleasant atmosphere after all the talking he'd done so far. He felt that as long as he had those two there making fools of themselves, he could carry on even with all the misfortune he had to contend with at the moment.
And then that pleasant atmosphere was swept away with a bang.
It seemed as if something had compressed the air with force and then exploded in all directions. In the next instant, more than a third of the mall was turned into rubble. Store windows were smashed, pillars toppled and parts of the ceiling collapsed. The destruction not only damaged the physical structure of the mall, but also created a dangerous environment, with sharp debris and structural instability, echoing the fragility of a spider's delicate web swaying in the aftermath of a tempest.
Kamijou surveyed the scene, looking down at the shards of glass and concrete scattered below. Emergency lights flashed sporadically, and scraps of twisted metal protruded like ominous stalagmites. Turning his attention to the girls behind him, he saw them put aside their antics and take up battle positions.
"Kamijou, Sakuragi, Yakumaru." That was the voice of Maidono, who had violently opened the throne room door and come out to see what had happened. "Are you all right?"
"Can't you see they're in one piece, Mai-san?" said Mugino, more concerned with looking at the horizon as if searching for something. "Get your shit together, the giant problem has arrived.".
Mugino Shizuri lazily extended her slender finger towards the source of the destruction. The ground suddenly shook, and one could sense the powerful vibrations resonating more in the heart than in the ears. Everyone approached the railing, their attention fixed on a singular point, on the enormous figure looming large against the night sky. The vibrant colors radiating from the robust body, blending seamlessly with the surrounding landscape, left no doubt about its identity.
"Was your plan to lure this thing here?" Kamijou asked in desperation. "Why wasn't I warned about this?"
"You would have been warned if you hadn't abruptly left the meeting." Mugino expressed disinterest with a casual gesture, then vaulted over the railing.
Kamijou Touma's heart raced. There was no way he could have reacted differently, not after encountering that creature, larger than any PB he had seen before, a colossal entity as tall as a 50-story building.
That formidable being stood before him.
Glowing eyes, grotesque face resembling a grasshopper, giant fangs extending and snaking, arms twisted and broken like a spider's legs.
The first formidable obstacle to his goal confronted him. Now, all he had to do was clench his fist and overcome it.
Welcome to the end-of-chapter notes.
This chapter should have come out earlier, but I ended up relaxing too much and screwing up my schedule. Sorry if I let more mistakes slip through unnoticed here, I took less time editing than usual.
About the chapter, we had a lot of talk and exposition, and I'm sure someone got the reference of what phase these creatures come from.
Dion Fortune has arrived to be the ally of the magic side here in this story. It's made more than clear how much she cares for Hamazura in the novels, so I thought it would be ideal for her to bridge the gap between magic and science, since she seems to be quite knowledgeable about both.
Okay, I've said enough, let's answer the reviews:
Dasgun: :)
5had0wHand: Our number one is fine, he's just resting. No one can stop him, not even a parasite from another phase lol. Thanks, I'm glad you like the way I write her here. And yes, Mugino is the queen of interruptions.
Onilink500: Yes, her power is very versatile, it's just the lack of resources that hurts her. Kamijou's transformation here is more of a problem than anything else, but sometimes it can be more.
Guest: Thank you for reading.
KHVSFF: Glad you liked it. They're ready to fight the queen, maybe after that things will change.
Sparity Ikari: Thank you very much for all the compliments. Your version is amazingly interesting. There will be more moments of the two of them together, but it will be a while before that kind of development takes place. I'm glad you enjoyed the conversation about the stars. I've seen this kind of talk in other media and I kind of wanted to do my version here. What I can say about the infection situation is that it won't be easy. Thank you again.
uzuhyu. sena: This one was longer than the previous one, I hope you enjoyed it.
Nicko2545: I appreciate the enthusiasm. Kamijou in trouble is inevitable, isn't it? I'll try to give it more attention in the future. And yes, Index has access to John's pen mode. Thank you for reading.
5queso: Thank you very much. Yeah, her ability is actually quite interesting and useful, but this world has given her a different point of view, which is why her internal monologues seem so sad sometimes. I'm glad you liked her trusting him. I'll keep going.
Guest: I'm a bit of a killjoy, don't you think? xD
Until next time!
By the way, I have no idea if Kamijou knows Dion's real name (Violet). Most likely not, but I thought it would be funny. That's all there is to it. NioMoon leaving.