The 177th Branch of Judgment was rather quiet for a Saturday. Usually the weekend could be quite busy with students roaming about freely, misusing powers for fun, getting intro troubles. But the phone hadn't rung once and no alarms had gone off.
The only sounds in the office were the clicks of the mouse and the clacks of the keyboard as Uiharu was going through her assignments. Occasionally, soft scribbling could be heard too, though that was rare. Staggered by one problem or the other, Ruiko would hide in her phone from the horrors of the upcoming exams.
Both, however, equally ignored the seemingly lifeless body sprawled on the couch.
Uiharu turned away from the screen for a moment. "Please, Saten-san, be a little more serious! You are gonna fail at this rate…"
"It's not like the Levels can go into negatives…" Ruiko mumbled and sighed loudly. "Uiharu, help," she pleaded with a miserable expression.
"We've been studying together for weeks and you are still struggling. I think you are better off with another tutor. Someone more qualified."
Ruiko's eyes swayed to the couch but she shook her head. "Well, Kuroko is incapacitated. And Misaka-san…"
As the name was rolling off her tongue, she realized her mistake and covered her mouth with both hands. But it was too late. The body on the couch twitched. As if some dark power tried to reanimated a corpse.
"Onee-sama…" came a blood-chilling wail. "Didn't even… get to see… her… off…"
Uiharu and Ruiko sighed in unison. The moment she had arrived, Kuroko had folded down on the couch and not moved for a good hour. She would only groan and moan like some kind of ghost. They had tried to shake her out of it, but in the end had to leave her be hoping she would come to her senses eventually.
Which clearly wasn't happening.
Ruiko tiptoed over and looked closely at her friend. Kuroko was staring at the ceiling, eyes devoid of emotion.
"Ugh… I wish Kotori-san was here. She would whip her into shape," Ruiko said.
"Kotori-senpai is on patrol; calling her over for something this silly wouldn't end well," Uiharu said warily. She checked the time. "How about some tea? Maybe the scent would make her snap back to reality."
In a few clicks Uiharu saved her progress and then turned the kettle on. Ruiko moved her textbooks and notebooks to free up space on the table, then put some chocolate-chip cookies on a plate. None of their busy work got Kuroko's attention; she didn't even bat an eye when the kettle went off as the water boiled.
Once the table was set, with three cups of tea around a plate full of cookies, Ruiko and Uiharu looked at Kuroko. Still no reaction. Then Uiharu brought one cup right up to Kuroko's face and fanned the aroma to her nose. There was a barely audible sniff – and nothing.
"Shirai-san?" Uiharu called, concern slipping in her voice.
"Come on, Kuroko, quit the doom and gloom. Join us, we have cookies," Ruiko tempted and waved one above Kuroko's face.
Tiny crumbs fell down, peppering her nose and mouth, yet she didn't flinch.
"Damn, I think we lost her," Ruiko concluded, her voice amused more than anything.
"Should we call a doctor?" Uiharu asked.
"And tell what? "Hi, our friend suffers from severe "Misaka Mikoto" deficiency. Can you recommend a treatment?" They would just fine us for a false call… But… there are Misaka-san's sister, aren't there? Maybe we could…"
"Did you forget? When Misaka-san introduced us to some of them, Shirai-san… well, was her usual self. Since then those girls avoid her like a plague."
They let out yet another collective sigh. Musing this problem, Uiharu took a sip from the cup she was holding and Ruiko munched on the cookie.
"I suppose we can always splash some water on her," Ruiko said.
"No, that would be too messy!" Uiharu immediately protested. She glanced at Kuroko. "Maybe she is ticklish…"
A sly smile appeared on Ruiko's face. She finished the cookie in two big bites, cleaned her hands from the crumbs, then started slowly leaning over the motionless body. Her fingers wiggled in anticipation.
Uiharu made a big step back.
Just when Ruiko was about to assault Kuroko's sides, a melodic tune started playing. Ruiko sprang away as Kuroko sat up, eyes sharp, face serious and collected. She took out her phone and answered the call.
"Shirai Kuroko speaking," she said in a business-like tone, without a hint of that wailing from before.
"This is Makigami," replied a voice that sounded a little displeased.
Kuroko frowned as she adjusted her position, putting her feet firmly the floor. Makigami Komaki was a fellow Tokiwadai student and Judgment member, but from the 3rd Branch. Technically, Kuroko belonged to the 3rd Branch too, but the 177th Branch somehow made her feel at home. Both her mentor, Konori Mii, and her junior, Uiharu, were here. She had been helping out so much she had practically become an honorary member. Which Komaki wasn't fond of.
"Are you at the 177th Branch? Or in District 7 in general?" Komaki asked.
Kuroko huffed. "What if I am? I'm off duty today. Are you going to nag at me for how I spend my free time?"
She leaned back relaxing. There didn't seem to be any urgent business, so the melancholy was taking hold again. Although… why was her face itchy? She felt about and found some crumbs on her nose. She gave Uiharu and Ruiko a confused look, and they quickly turned away, with Ruiko whistling rather suspiciously.
"Actually, I want to ask you for a favor," Komaki said. "Why do you think so badly of me?"
"Well, I wouldn't have assumed that, If you sounded a little friendlier," Kuroko grumbled. "So, what's this favor about?"
"You know about the… new experts that have come to the city?"
"New experts?"
"The magicians."
Komaki had to practically force out those words.
Kuroko pursed her lips in a tight line. Until recently, magic had been just a fantasy. But the world turned out to be so much more complex, with a whole secret side hidden in the shadows. And, unlike an esper power, magic was something you could just learn. Such terrifying abilities, and so many, available practically to anyone. Academy city was crazy enough on its own but now…
There promised to be many more headaches in the future.
"Right, there was a memo issued… a week or two ago? About them arriving and having joint meetings with Judgment. But nobody is sure when that's going to start."
"But they are in the city. Settling in that old church in District 7."
"District 7… I see now. You want me to pay them a visit?"
"Yes. I need to send them some documents but they haven't set up properly yet. No landline or email. So if I fax the papers to the 117th Branch, could you bring them to the church? I'd have gone myself but I am too busy here in the School Garden."
Kuroko hesitated. She wasn't exactly thrilled to run errands on her day off. On the other hand, this whole magic business piqued her interest. What kind of people were these experts? How did their powers work?
"Shirai-san?" Komaki called after the silence dragged on.
"I will go," Kuroko said. "Send me the papers."
Kuroko had passed by the old church building several times in the past. For as long as she could remember, it had been abandoned. At best, it had been a home for spiders, rats or strays. At worst… a different kind of critters had gathered there.
But now the church was rejuvenated. The exterior sported a fresh coat of pure white paint and windows were sparkling clean. Just as she arrived, Kuroko saw a big truck parked by the entrance, with workers bringing pews into the church. They were so heavy it took four people to carry them, one at each end and two supporting in the middle.
One group was currently trying their best to squeeze through the doorway and not scratch anything. Kuroko looked passed them inside, picked a clear spot and teleported there. She looked around, yet found no one who would fit her image of a "magician". No weird robes or dresses, wands or brooms. Well, aside from a normal one in the corner, next to a scoop. Only people in overalls. Some had utility belts and protective goggles.
Of course… why would they be here? The renovations aren't done yet, Kuroko thought. But these magicians are in the city, so… they should be staying somewhere. Maybe someone here knows.
Just as she wondered what to do, a figure emerged from behind an unfinished row of pews. A girl not much older than Kuroko, in an intricate nun outfit. Kuroko didn't hide her surprise. She knew her, but had always believed the whole nun thing was some kind of cosplay.
The nun noticed Kuroko as well and approached her. Tools dangled and clanked on her belt. In combination with her colorful attire, it looked rather silly.
"You are the twin-tailed girl that follows Short Hair," the nun said, eyes darting around. "I don't see her though…"
"It's Shirai Kuroko… and Onee-sama's name is Misaka Mikoto. Seriously, that's not that hard to remember," Kuroko instantly snapped.
"I only remember names that are important. Like Itsuwa, Aisa, Maika, Sphynx… and Touma!"
The nun's eyes lighted up at that last one. Kuroko, on the other hand, squirmed. She could have gone without hearing that name. The only thing worse would be…
Now her head started snapping left and right as she looked more closely at everyone in the church. Was that damn ape here? He and the nun were practically as inseparable as… well, as she and Mikoto…
Voices came from the entrance, catching Kuroko's attention.
"My arms are gonna fall off…" someone whined. "Curse you, Kami-yan!"
"You agreed to work off the debt, so shut up and keep this thing steady. We are almost in."
Kuroko's face soured. There was an urge to teleport out before her eyes got sullied by that annoying mug. Just forget the documents, it wasn't her responsibility anyway… But she pulled herself together, took a deep breath and turned.
"Hang in there, lads, just a few more steps," said a young man holding the front end of a pew. His hair was dark and ruffled, though not exactly spiky. Yet the similarity alone made Kuroko dislike him outright.
But then two more figures squeezed through the doorway. They were supporting the pew in the middle. Both were high school boys. One had blue hair and piercing and the other…
Kuroko glared at the boy with unruly spiky hair who had been the bane of her existence for the last several months. And it would've been manageable if he was a delinquent causing trouble for people. At least then she would've had an excuse to go after him as a member of Judgment. But no, he just had to be a goodie-two-shoes butting into matters that didn't concern him.
Dragging others along…
Getting them hurt…
Like it had happened to Mikoto several times.
The two boys kept bickering as they carried the pew inside. The man holding the other end seemed rather carefree, any strain on his face hidden by amusement.
"That's it, keep going," the man at the front said. "And one… and two… And one… and two…"
At last they managed to get the bench into the church. Now moving more freely, they got to one of the rows and put it down. The blue-haired boy sighed in relief, panting, legs wobbling, but he still held onto the pew. So did the others.
"Index-san!" called a girl of about 15, with a tool belt, as she rushed to them.
"Coming!"
The nun approached the pew at one side, the girl – the other. They kneeled and started anchoring it to the floor. The men kept the bench in place patiently while the girls worked.
When it was done, the man with dark unruly hair gave the pew a push. It didn't budge.
"Good job." He nodded satisfied and turned to the boys. "You two can take a little break."
"But Tatemiya-san, we can still…" Touma started arguing but then his friend simply collapsed over the backseat of the bench.
"You alright, kid?" Tatemiya asked.
"Just give me a minute…" came a weak voice, followed by a groan that practically sounded like "or an hour".
Tatemiya walked away chuckling to himself.
Touma rolled his eyes and headed to the table with water bottles.
"Thirsty?" he asked getting back with two bottles and shook one.
The splashing drowned in all the drilling and hammering but the blue-haired boy flinched. With an effort, he stood up and accepted the bottle with shaking hands. It took him a couple of tries but when the cap finally came off he began drinking like he had just found an oasis after wandering the desert.
Touma opened his bottle, brought it up to his kips, eyes wandering about the place leisurely. Yet the water slipped right past his mouth as he saw Kuroko. Some spilled on his shirt and he cursed.
"Shirai…?" the boy muttered and made a couple of steps towards her, but then stopped, face wary. "Is Misaka here too?"
"Onee-sama is out of the city," Kuroko said in a neutral voice.
Unfortunately... or was it actually for the better? Now this ape can't get her involved into something dangerous. It might actually turn into a little vacation for her, away from all the troubles.
But just as Kuroko's spirits were lifting, she remembered how proficient Mikoto was at finding troubles on her own.
This is not good for my poor heart… Oh Onee-sama, why do you have to be so selflessly stupid?
Surprisingly, Touma relaxed and even smiled a little. "Good."
"And why is that?" Kuroko asked frowning.
"Ah… well… I just don't want to get drop-kicked by you again! That always happens when I am close to Misaka."
She huffed. "Not always, only when you get overly familiar. As Onee-sama's closest friend and confidante, I must protect her from hormone driven Neanderthals."
"Hormone… Hey! She dragged me into it both times," he protested getting flushed.
"Hm, what's this? Did you remember something exciting?"
The noise started to go down as heads were turning their way.
"Touma…" Index uttered with look of severe disappointment. Her hands wandered over various tools on her belt – some sharp, some heavy and blunt. "What did I say about impure thoughts?"
"Don't listen to her! I am innocent! It's always Misaka who is dragging me around… I've never even looked at her that way!"
"Liar! It's impossible to look at Onee-sama and not be absolutely smitten! You'd need to be absolutely blind not to see her charm."
"Well, forgive me but most of the time I am more concerned about her lightning bolts. She throws those at me far too often. And in other times we are both too busy trying to survive. We rarely get the chance to just chill and hang out, you know… Although…"
Touma fell silent, eyes clouded with memory. Then he smiled wryly, and Kuroko had to suppress an urge to kick him.
"You say you've had no idle interactions with Onee-sama and yet here you are, remembering something happy," she said almost in accusation. There were only a handful of people that wouldn't stir anything in her by sharing happy memories with Mikoto. Even Kongo Mitsuko who was with her right now didn't make Kuroko as jealous as this guy.
The boy blinked and snapped back to reality, getting red again. Someone laughed, and both of them looked around to find most of the workers listening with great attention.
"H-hey! There is nothing interesting here! Please, go back to work," Touma urged them.
"Oh, come on, Kamijou, don't just stop on the good part," one said with chuckle.
Some echoed the sentiment, while sitting down on the pews, water in hand.
He gritted his teeth. "This is not cinema…"
Tatemiya walked over and patted his shoulder laughing loudly. "Don't mind them, kid. The romantic comedy of youth is just too fun."
"There is no…!" Touma started but in the end sighed dejected and glared at Kuroko. "Why are you here, Shirai?"
At last, Kuroko remembered about the papers she was holding. "I'm looking for the… people that would be working here." She opened the folder and skimmed through the first page. "Members of the… Amakusa's Remix Church. Specifically their… pontiff? Tatemiya Saiji," she read out the name, then stared at the young man with the unruly hair.
"Yes, that would be me," Tatemiya said studying her with a serious look now.
"You? You are a magician?"
"All of us are," said the girl who had been anchoring the pews with the nun.
Kuroko stared at her.
"It's true. Everyone here is a magician," Tatemiya said and glanced at Touma, then – at the blue-haired boy on the bench. "Well, almost everyone."
"But you all are so… plain," Kuroko muttered, still in disbelief.
Laughs came from every corner of the church, making her frown. Though they didn't sound mocking in any way.
"Did you expect capes and wands, young lady? The Amakusa's Remix Church prefers to keep a low profile," Tatemiya said.
"Tell that to Kanzaki," Touma mumbled.
Tatemiya shrugged smiling. "The Saint does as she pleases… Now, what can we do for you, young lady?"
Kuroko still had doubts. These people could simply be joking around… Before she knew it she was looking at Touma seeking confirmation.
He didn't hide his surprise, but nodded firmly. "They are the Amakusas."
Wait, why would I trust his opinion? So what if he has helped me out before… He is still the same rotten ape who gives Onee-sama nothing but troubles!
She scolded herself and quickly turned away from the boy.
"This is an official business," she said taking out her armband and putting it on. "Could you prove your claims?"
"We are not circus monkeys… But I suppose this is not something worth picking a fight about. We are gonna work together, after all. Itsuwa, lend me a hammer."
The older girl obliged, and Tatemiya performed a series of gestures over the handle, until the wood started glowing faintly. Kuroko watched unimpressed. There were a lot of people with powers in the Academy City. But this man was a little bit too old for an esper.
Tatemiya frowned at her skepticism.
"Do something different. Espers only have one specific power," Touma offered.
With a sigh, Tatemiya made more strange gestures, while also muttering something under his breath. As the light around the hammer flashed and disappeared, Kuroko found the handle change. What used to be wood now looked like… paper? An illusion, she thought at first. But then it started cramping under the weight of the metal head.
"Let me see."
Tatemiya handed the hammer over and Kuroko felt the handle. Paper. She gave it a light squeeze and the material easily gave in. Yes, this was definitely real.
So, illumination and transmutation. Two different powers, which was impossible for an esper. More, if everything they had said about magic was to be believed. Kuroko shook her head, feeling both awe and dread at the same time. Well, at least, it wasn't instantaneous… Unless there were shortcuts.
There is a lot I'd need to learn…
Kuroko gave the hammer back. Tatemiya scratched his head looking over the handle.
"I could turn it back to wood but it'd still be misshapen," he mumbled to himself, then gave Itsuwa an apologetic look. "Sorry, I didn't think this through. We should have a spare one somewhere…"
Looking anything but happy, the girl left, carrying the remnants of her hammer like a wounded bird.
"I think your portion of the dinner will be smaller than usual, sir," someone joked.
"I'll make sure to deduct the expense for a new hammer from your salary," a woman with blond hair said, in a rather serious voice.
Tatemiya waved it all off and asked Kuroko, "Do you believe me now? Or we need to do something on a bigger scale?"
"No, that isn't necessary." She gave him the folder. "Here are rules and regulations for anyone visiting the Secret Garden. Please, study them carefully. Also, the proposed schedule for safety lectures concerning magic. If you have any questions or suggestions, all the contact info is there."
He looked through the pages. "I see, I see… Thank you. Not sure why you needed to do this in person though. The lectures aren't starting until April."
Kuroko frowned. Makigami made it sound so urgent. Had she been misinformed?
"Lectures, huh?" Touma mused. "I thought you'd be helping Anti-Skill in case people start using magic."
"And it's a part of that. The most important part, you can say. We need to explain everyone how dangerous magic is, especially for espers. Before someone tries a spell they found on the internet and their blood vessels start bursting…"
Kuroko's eyes widened. "Blood vessels bursting?!"
Tatemiya nodded. "For espers, casting magic is like Russian roulette. Any basic spell can be the end of you."
"But there are plenty of people who hasn't gone through the Power Curriculum here," Touma said. "Adults, mostly. They also might be tempted to try magic. Some already have…"
"Yes, I've seen the reports. Don't worry, kid, Anti-Skill will be properly trained to handle them, should there be any trouble."
"There always is in this city."
With a grim chuckle, Tatemiya walked away.
I guess my business is done here, Kuroko thought. But she didn't budge, eyeing Touma intently. What little she saw and heard of magic made her even more curious. And concerned. She needed more information, and not a mere crash course, but actual theory, all of it. The boy belonged to the science side, yet had to navigate the unfamiliar world of magic to help his friends. It was a valuable experience, something Kuroko couldn't just toss aside.
But asking him for help… her mouth simply refused to say the words.
They finally noticed her staring.
"Is something wrong, twin-tails?" Index asked.
Touma fidgeted as Kuroko's glares were getting more intense. He even stepped back and that was precisely what made her take a grip on herself. She wasn't some rabid animal, but an experienced Judgment member. Perfectly capable of communication.
And asking for help.
She cleared her throat. "Look, I…"
A loud yawn cut her off, and the blue-haired boy rose from the bench, arms up, stretching.
"Aogami… were you sleeping?" Touma asked bewildered.
"Well, duh. I needed a power nap after moving those things. Ugh, my arms are killing me though," Aogami complained and stood up, massaging his muscles. "But I guess I can still pitch in," he said reluctantly.
Then his eyes fell on Kuroko. He looked her up and down, face souring by the second.
"Hey, Kami-yan… care to explain why there is another Tokiwadai lady acting all bashful in front of you like she is about to confess? Though we are way past Valentine's… Was that electric girl not enough?"
Who is about to confess?! Kuroko wanted to snap but her mind picked on some peculiar words. Another Tokiwadai lady… Valentine's… Electric girl… Kuroko frowned. What was that about?
"Dumbass, stop inventing stuff," Touma roared and elbowed him. "This is Shirai, she is from Judgment. I know her because she is Misaka's friend."
"Oh," Aogami mused giving Kuroko a different look now. "So, you know that electric girl well?" he asked her with a suspicious smirk.
"Better than anyone else!" she proclaimed proudly.
"Perfect! Then you can help Kami-yan pick a White Day gift for her."
Kuroko's mind went blank. For several long seconds she remained silent as her brain tried to process the information. Only by some miracle it didn't crash.
Touma glared at his friend. "There was no need to say that!"
At last, Kuroko looked at him, light returning to her eyes. "You… got Valentine's chocolate… from Onee-sama?"
He hesitated for a moment, but then mumbled, "Well… yeah…"
She fell silent again. It seemed as if steam was about to come out of her ears – so hard she tried to imagine the universe where that was possible. In the end, she looked at him with pity.
"Kamijou-san," she said in a strangely sympathetic voice, "I understand how easy it is to fall for Onee-sama. But making things up won't make your dreams come true. Believe me."
She even patted him on the arm.
"But I didn't make it up! And I didn't fall for anyone!" Touma instantly retorted.
Such fervor… Does he actually believe it? Poor thing, deluding himself… I must make him see a professional.
"Hey, don't badmouth Touma," Index suddenly said. "If it's about Short Hair, I heard her wanting to give Touma the chocolate."
"Yep, yep, Kami-yan is telling the truth. I personally saw your feisty electric friend come to our school to on Valentine's," Aogami piped in.
Kuroko gave both a look full of doubt. They were his friends, they couldn't be trusted. Or were they afraid he might become violent if everyone denied his delusion?
"It's fine if you don't believe me," Touma said and sighed. "Honestly, I kinda doubted it was real when Misaka gave me the chocolate. But it actually happened, and now I need to get her a return gift. Something special… Though I've no idea what. Could you help me?"
At this point, she was at a loss. Reinforcing the delusion wouldn't be healthy. But if he was left to his own devices…
Not to mention, there was a tiny chance that this whole story was true. Mikoto did have some feelings for the boy that Kuroko failed to comprehend. As much as it turned her guts, she had to considering this possibility. In that case, she could get on top of it. Pick the "right" gift that would put Mikoto off the ape for good.
Kuroko snickered to herself, earning worried looks from the boy and his friends.
"Err… Shirai?"
"Very well, I'll lend you my expertise. It would pain me to see Onee-sama distraught over whatever monstrosity you might get her," she said and added, before Touma could smile. "But don't forget, Tokiwadai students are used to luxury. Are you sure you can afford a proper kind of gift?"
His face clouded with worry as he reached for his wallet and looked inside. Clearly, he couldn't. But she didn't want to discourage him this early.
"No, I don't mean the shops of District 1. That would be too much. For a White Day gift, the Seventh Mist would be more than acceptable."
"Yeah, that's… manageable," Touma said, though not with much confidence.
They agreed on the time and place to meet, and Kuroko headed out. She had some duties tomorrow at Tokiwadai, but Komaki could cover for her. Though it was a shame to waste that favor like this…
"Good for you, Kami-yan. Now, how about forgiving my debt? I did give you the idea."
"No chance! The break is over, move your ass to the truck."
She glanced back at the door and saw Aogami's shoulders slump while Touma smirked in triumph.
And Index was looking right at her, eyes surprisingly sharp, piercing.
Judging?
Kuroko huffed and walked on.
Yet her chin dipped a little as soon as she was outside.