Chapter 9 - Sister of an old friend
Misaka Mikoto shoved the spiky-haired boy one last time, but he remained fixated on that vending machine. What was his name again? It didn't matter. He was just an annoying jerk who always showed up at the worst possible moments. Sometimes, she wondered if he did it on purpose.
"Just so you know, I've got something important to do here, so step aside," he said. Without a second thought, he punched the vending machine. "I'll say it one more time: Give it back!"
So, the idiot had fallen for the oldest trick in the book. She couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips. At least something amusing was happening after the exhausting days she'd endured. Destroying all those labs hadn't been that hard, aside from one or two exceptions. Still, it had eaten up a lot of her time. But none of that mattered now. It was in the past.
"What's so funny?" the boy asked, crossing his arms. "This Kamijou-san has a perfectly good reason for this abuse, just so you know."
"Let me guess: the machine ate your money? Heh."
"Yeah—Wait, how did you...? Hmm..." He tapped his fist into his open palm, as if solving a puzzle. "Of course! You went through the same thing. How much did it take from you?"
Mikoto sighed deeply before replying.
"10,000 yen."
"10,000?!"
She realized too late she'd made a mistake. That idiot would definitely use this against her now.
"My condolences." Surprisingly, he sounded sincere, even patting her shoulder warmly. "You're rich and all, but that must've put a dent in your savings."
"I don't know what you're talking about. It hurt my pride more than anything. I'm a Level 5, Tokiwadai's ace. I spend more than that at the arcade in a single day. It's basically nothing."
"Basically nothing?" It was as if something inside him shattered. "I hope lightning strikes you, you spoiled brat, just to teach you a lesson about life."
"You do realize I'm an electric esper, right?"
"'Basically nothing'... Damn."
Kamijou continued muttering under his breath, clearly frustrated, and Mikoto was about to retort. But then she noticed something odd. He moved as if to punch the machine again, but instead, his hand slid effortlessly into the vending machine. A second later, he pulled out a cold can of juice. Casually, he cracked it open and took a sip, all while Mikoto stared in disbelief.
"You've gone too far this time," Mikoto said, placing her hands on her hips, like an irritated mother ready to scold her child. "You didn't have to damage the machine. I actually have a technique—"
"What are you talking about?" he asked, still casually sipping from the can.
"I'm talking about you—eh?"
Mikoto rubbed her eyes, sure they were playing tricks on her. The vending machine was completely intact. But that was impossible. She had clearly seen him reach inside and pull out a can as if it were nothing. There should've been a hole at least the size of a fist, yet everything seemed perfectly normal. Something was definitely off.
"By the way," said the boy, Kamijou, suddenly, "why are you in uniform during the summer vacation? I've heard that Tokiwadai has strict rules, but I prefer to think that you're taking supplementary classes too, it would be funnier."
"Supplementary classes? What kind of idiot needs those?"
A vein had popped out in the boy's forehead. It had hit a nerve.
"What do you want anyway?" asked Kamijou, after recovering in record time from this sudden defeat. "You're not the girl from Tokiwadai I expected to find here. Wait, I think I know what you want."
After crushing the can in one hand and throwing it in the garbage can, the boy cleared his throat loudly.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced in a mock-serious tone, laced with sarcasm, "the girl staring blankly at Kamijou-san's handsome face is none other than the Railgun herself, number 3 in this city of monsters. So frustrated after losing just one fight, she's come back over and over to challenge him to a rematch."
"Who are you even talking to?"
"She is strong-willed and hates to lose, but is actually quite a lonely person and is in charge of taking care of the class pet."
"What?!"
"No need to hide it. Everyone knows you're worried about the class bunny. That's actually kinda cute."
"Will you stop teasing me, you idiot?!"
Misaka Mikoto didn't think twice before unleashing a massive spear of lightning from her bangs. But what happened next wasn't surprising. Somehow, as usual, her powers had no effect on him. She'd seen him swat away her lightning like a mere fly, or simply raise his right hand and "absorb" or "erase" the attack. On rare occasions, he'd done something even more absurd. He seemed to literally eat the lightning. By now, Mikoto was convinced this monster was invulnerable.
"I really don't get it," she muttered, more perplexed than angry. Then, with a shrug, she added, "You know what? I don't have the energy to deal with you today, so just... go away."
Mikoto shifted her weight onto one leg and did a few quick, casual warm-up jumps. A mischievous grin spread across her face as she spun in place.
"Tokiwadai Middle School style—Old Lady Forty-Five-Degree Angle Machine-Restarting Strike!" She delivered a precise, high kick to the side of the vending machine. "Chay-saaa!"
Just another normal day in her life.
x-2-x
District 7 was one of the most diverse in the city. Being more centrally located, it was almost like a hub that led to all sorts of things.
In addition to the notable windowless building and the hospital of a renowned doctor with a frog face, there were other notorious things here. Gangs. To be more precise, the Skill-out gang had moved one of their biggest hideouts here. It was at an intersection that led to a vacant lot, something rather rare in Academy City.
There was a reason why the city was full of towering skyscrapers, iron giants clawing at the canvas above. With limited space, vertical construction was the only viable option, turning the city into a forest of steel and glass, where buildings seemed to compete for sunlight. This vacant lot, filled with scrap metal and a small crumbling structure surrounded by overgrown grass, stood out like a sore thumb. Almost as if it was there on purpose.
"Boss Komaba's been making some strange decisions lately," said a delinquent with bleached hair, sitting on a metal barrel surrounded by other gang members. "Why gather so many of us here? Wouldn't it be smarter to spread out right now?"
"You think you're the boss, Hamazura?" another delinquent sneered, swinging a metal bat. "We do what we're told. Simple as that. Guys like us don't get to ask questions."
Before the conversation could continue, a distant engine roared, growing louder as it approached. Everyone, armed with clubs, knives, and chains, turned toward the alley from where the sound emanated.
"An invasion?" Hamazura whispered, reaching for a gun.
"Maybe an enemy gang found us."
There were over ten gang members present, and considering they were all armed, as long as they weren't surrounded or facing firearms, they felt confident. Besides, reinforcements were inside the base, ready to jump in if things escalated.
But their tension eased when they realized it wasn't an invasion—at least not one they couldn't handle.
A sleek motorcycle appeared on the other side of the barbed-wire fence. It was an old model once used by Anti-Skill, but it had been repainted, likely stolen. The rider, a girl, wasn't wearing a helmet, flaunting her recklessness. Her attire, though, drew the most attention.
"What a piece of ass," muttered the delinquent with the bat, licking his lips. "Anyone expecting such fine company? You should've told me."
The girl, dressed head-to-toe in black, in an outfit resembling bondage gear with strange straps and restraints, dismounted the bike with unsettling calm. Her long blue hair fluttered in the wind, shimmering like silk in the fading light of late afternoon.
"Yo, boys," she said, her tone utterly indifferent. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything."
The gang exchanged glances, silently questioning if anyone recognized this striking girl. When no one spoke, the boy with the bat decided to take the lead.
"What's up, sweetheart? Looks like you're lost." He grinned mischievously, sizing her up. "The strip club's in another district. I could give you a ride, if you want."
"Wow," she deadpanned, rolling her eyes. "If that was a pick-up line, it's the worst I've ever heard. And that's saying something. Pro tip: catcalls don't work. Especially not from someone like you."
A few of the gang members chuckled, enjoying their comrade's humiliation. Maybe if he'd grown up learning manners instead of joining a gang, he wouldn't have found himself in this situation.
"It wasn't a pick-up line," he replied, still trying to maintain his composure. "I don't need those."
"I disagree." Her expression remained flat. "Even if you were the last man on Earth, I'd still rather have some fun with the girls."
The gang erupted in laughter, the sting of her words cutting deep. Whoever had told him that "the worst they could say is no" clearly hadn't met her.
Hamazura, watching from a distance, felt an increasing sense of unease. Something about this girl didn't sit right with him. Her nonchalant gestures masked a confidence that seemed out of place in this rundown setting. Every move she made felt deliberate, as if she was in complete control, and that unnerved him. Narrowing his eyes, he scanned her more closely. Then he saw it.
The tattoo.
It felt like the air had been sucked out of his lungs as he realized who she was. An immense dragon snaked across the girl's back, the black ink contrasting with her pale skin like a living shadow. His eyes widened instantly, the belated recognition now exploding like fireworks in his mind.
"Oh... we'd better call the boss," Hamazura whispered to the delinquent next to him, his voice trembling.
"What's the matter? You scared of one unarmed girl?"
"Look at her back." He nodded toward the tattoo, his throat dry. The girl's icy eyes met his, making him swallow hard. "You're Shundan Kimi, aren't you?"
A murmur of panic swept through the gang, like a cold wind cutting through the group. Nervous glances were exchanged, and some of the tougher members faltered, clearly shaken.
"S-Shundan..." stammered the boy with the bat, now realizing how badly he'd misplayed his hand. "The leader of the Dragon Kin gang? No way. I heard you got locked up."
"That was a year ago," Hamazura corrected him. He had a better grasp on gang matters than most. "She escaped from an 'impenetrable' prison."
Rumor had it she'd been helped by a literal dragon. The story was absurd, passed around the underground as myth, each version more exaggerated than the last. Still, her escape was real. That girl had become so infamous that it was said that she alone was equivalent to an army, as if she were some kind of secret level 5. Although the exaggerated stories weren't exactly believable, her name was enough to chill the bones of even the most hardened delinquents.
"The Dragon Queen, huh?" A deep voice boomed from the entrance of the dilapidated building. "You came in person. I wasn't expecting that."
Hamazura and the others instinctively parted to let him through.
Komaba Ritoku.
Leader of the largest Skill-Out faction. His towering presence always commanded respect. Even his own men, who knew him to be fair and, depending on who you asked, kind, avoided his gaze.
"I said I'd come," Shundan Kimi replied, walking toward him, unfazed by the attention. It was as if the idea of being surrounded didn't even register as a threat. "I've heard you've been doing some rescuing lately. I'm here to find out if it's for your own gain, or if some scientist is pulling your strings."
She didn't bother with pleasantries, her voice cold and direct. Komaba studied her for a long moment, his gaze heavy, as if assessing just how dangerous this petite girl could be. He could snap her neck with a flick of his wrist.
Obviously, he had no interest in that kind of conflict.
Something caught his eye, his gaze shifting from her to the wasteland around them.
"So, you noticed?" she said, snapping her fingers. "Don't worry. It's not an ambush."
Seemingly emerging from the shadows, a group of girls stepped forward. There were at least three, though the more observant in the group sensed there were others watching from the dark.
One girl, with blue hair and sleeves that covered her hands, carried a weird metal box, assisted by another with jet-black hair, who moved with the grace of a samurai, a long sword strapped to her back. A third girl, shorter and blonde, stood nearby, her beret making her look almost out of place.
The metal box was set down, transforming into a makeshift "throne". Kimi sat down, crossing her legs comfortably.
"Thanks, girls," she said, casually adjusting her hair and tapping the box. "You're in luck today, Komaba. I've brought a gift for your gang."
"A gift?" Komaba's tone was skeptical, his posture rigid, ready for anything. "What's the catch?"
"I've got a personal project that I've been investing a lot of resources into. Your recent 'rescues' have been helpful."
"You mean the 'child errors' we've been saving?" Komaba frowned. "We're doing that because it's the right thing. I'm not interested in any 'gift' if it's got strings attached."
For the first time, Kimi smiled. A genuine, warm smile. It was a rare sight, especially from her, and no one present could have guessed how unusual it was for her to smile outside the company of a certain someone.
"So, it's true," she said softly, as if relieved. Knowing that those children were being saved was the best news she could hear. Her expression quickly returned to its usual unreadable state. "That's good to know. Now, let's talk business."
Direct as always, she wasted no time. Every word came out like a command rather than a suggestion.
Komaba remained silent but attentive. At the very least, he was willing to hear what the infamous Dragon Queen had to offer.
x-3-x
Misaka Mikoto was now sitting on a bench at the bus stop in the shopping district. The August sky was already painted a typical orange, the day was already gone. A blimp was floating through the air. On its side was the X-Vision display, lazily spilling out Academy City's news for the day, regarding the announcement that the Mizuho Agency, an organization researching muscular dystrophy, had withdrawn from business.
"I think it's all over," she said, sighing.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing," she replied quickly to Kamijou beside her. She took another sip of the soda that tasted like coconut. It was awful. "Let me take a look at yours."
She had hoped to take a sip from the boy's can, but when he offered it kindly, she decided to shake it and give up halfway, which earned her a confused look. The idiot hadn't even noticed the slight blush on her face. And he had no idea what he was offering either. Why did that irritate her slightly? Well, this was no time for such feelings. This was basically a celebration. Her nightmare was finally over.
"So, you were talking about some manga," Kamijou said, savoring his hot drink with a grimace. "Why is this hot shiruko mixed in?"
After Mikoto kicked the vending machine, she gave it a good shock too, causing several cans of soda to spill out, but unfortunately, they couldn't choose the flavors. Their luck was pretty bad, considering the unpalatable stuff they ended up with.
One of the security robots had rushed toward them after the silent alarm was triggered, but Kamijou seemed too tired to tolerate any more hassles and had simply disappeared without a trace. She had to hack into a nearby security camera to figure out the direction he'd gone, and even then, it took her a while to find him.
"Yes, it's about a phantom thief," Mikoto said, referring to the manga. "The protagonist is basically a ninja. I remembered it because, for some reason, you always seem to disappear at the worst times."
"Hmm... I actually remember that manga. It was canceled recently, wasn't it?"
"Can't you hear me? The manga isn't important, it's you I'm talking about." She shook her head in frustration when she noticed him rambling. "What, are you sad because they canceled it?"
"No, not really." Kamijou stared at the empty can in his hand, seemingly lost in thought. "I used to read that one with a friend back in the day. She got hooked. Read entire arcs in one night."
"That's a nice friend of yours. I wish I had someone like that. Introduce me to her?"
It was a genuine remark, but the boy simply shook his head and stared at the sky. He bit his lip, looking frustrated.
"Unfortunately, that won't be possible," he said, opening another can, but only staring at the contents.
"What? Did you fight?"
"No... it's just... she's in a better place now." His voice softened, tinged with a pain Mikoto hadn't noticed before. "Though I don't really believe in something like that."
It took her a moment to understand what he meant, and once she did, the realization hit her like a wave of regret. That explained the twinge in his voice.
"I... didn't know... I—"
"It's okay." Kamijou quickly brushed aside her hesitation with a casual wave of his hand, offering her the freshly opened soda. "Here, try this one."
"Eh?" She instinctively pulled back slightly as the can came too close to her mouth. Instead of taking a sip directly, Mikoto decided to hold the can herself. She didn't want any awkward misunderstandings. When she caught a whiff of the strong acidic smell, she wrinkled her nose. "This one sucks too."
"Now you're making me think you actually wanted an indirect kiss."
"W-what?!" Her hands shot up, flustered, her body temperature spiking in embarrassment. "N-no-n-no!"
The Railgun felt like she had overheated, certain that steam must've been coming out of her ears. That idiot. She'd been all concerned after his comment, and he had taken the opportunity to make fun of her. The nerve of him.
Before she could recover from that attack, another one blindsided her.
"Onee-sama?"
Suddenly, a bell-like voice chimed from behind, sending a cold shiver down Mikoto's spine. Her mouth twitched as she sighed deeply, realizing the situation could, indeed, get worse.
"So all those excuses were actually for this."
"Kuroko! Where did you come from? Didn't I tell you to stop following me?" Mikoto groaned, barely managing to stay composed.
Her underclassman, Kuroko, wore a somber expression as she looked at Mikoto, and then turned her judgmental gaze on the clueless boy sitting casually next to her.
"Hey," Kamijou said, noticing the intense gaze on him but remaining unfazed. He casually went back to sipping his horrible juice.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance, gentleman. My name is Shirai Kuroko, and I am Onee-sama's squire." Kuroko quickly grasped Kamijou's hand in a casual greeting.
"Um..." Kamijou's gaze dropped to the hand now holding his, and he slowly but surely disentangled himself. He then held one of his hands up, palm out, in front of his body. Kuroko instinctively stepped back. "You're a hot-blooded young girl, so let this Kamijou-san teach you the ways of life. This is what we call personal space. Usually, about 30 centimeters is enough, but it depends on the situation."
Mikoto couldn't tell if Kamijou was being serious or mocking Kuroko. Probably the latter. She expected him to let out a sarcastic giggle or comment any second now.
"That's a surprise," Kuroko mused, tilting her head to the side. "Maybe I underestimated him. A good thing, if you think about it. A proper romantic rivalry is never a bad thing."
"Eh?" Mikoto nearly jumped out of her seat, her face heating up. She knew Kuroko far too well to not see where this was heading. "Listen here, you… Does this weirdo look like my boyfriend?!"
As Mikoto's words shot out, a small but sharp spear of lightning crackled from her bangs, aimed directly at Kuroko. Kuroko teleported effortlessly out of harm's way, only to appear in a different spot before more lightning bolts followed. Mikoto kept firing, but her "squire" vanished and reappeared until she finally disappeared from view.
"You've got quite a nerve calling me a weirdo," Kamijou muttered as he cracked open yet another can of soda. "But I'll let it slide this time because I'm in a good mood. Stay positive, Kamijou-san, stay positive. After all, I've already dealt with two rich Tokiwadai girls today. What's a third?"
Mikoto, however, was far more insulted that he didn't react to the whole "boyfriend" mix-up, as if it wasn't even worth his energy for a snarky remark. Was it that ridiculous to him?
"Onee-sama?"
That soft, almost robotic voice from behind sent a sudden chill down Mikoto's spine, as if dark, cold claws were holding her. Her breath caught in her throat, leaving her unable to respond. She couldn't even turn to face the source of the voice. Her body simply refused.
"...Wait, what? There's more of you!?"
Kamijou was flabbergasted. He looked at the other girl, identical to Mikoto, and then at her again, as if to be sure of what he was seeing. The only difference between the two was those goggles that looked like night vision equipment.
"So," he asked, still staring in disbelief, "who might you be?"
"I am her little sister, says Misaka as she states in a flash."
x-4-x
"Well, that was... unexpected."
Kamijou Touma found himself alone on the bench now. The biri-biri girl had mumbled something about a curfew, gently placed her hand on her "twin sister's" shoulder, and disappeared without another word.
"What am I supposed to do with all this?" he muttered, staring at the mountain of juice cans he and Mikoto had piled up from their spree at the vending machine. "I can't just toss them out. That'd be a waste."
Kamijou's inner "cheapskate" kicked in, as it always did when faced with unnecessary waste. That boy could probably scrape mold off a windowsill if it meant stretching his budget another week. With Kimi's financial troubles piling up, he knew he'd soon be feeding three mouths—and a cat—on the meager stipend of a Level 0.
"There's gotta be something sweet in here to drown out the bitterness," he muttered, sighing to hold back the urge to complain.
"How about some honey?"
A playful voice, light and teasing, came from just behind him, startling him more than it should have. Tokiwadai's third girl of the day had finally arrived, the one he had been hoping to see all along.
"Ara-ara, Kamijou-san! What a priceless reaction ability!" The girl leaned over the back of the bench, her face uncomfortably close to his. "I think this is the first time since that summer that I've actually managed to sneak up on you. Pretty proud of myself, honestly."
Her name was Shokuhou Misaki. Her blonde hair flowed down to her hips, silky and smooth. The unmistakable scent of honey clung to her like a signature perfume. Odd that he hadn't noticed it sooner, given how familiar that scent had become. Even though his senses weren't as sharp as usual, he figured that smell had embedded itself in his brain by now, like a signal he couldn't miss.
"Finally, golden girl. You're late." He offered her one of the juice cans, although she sat a little too close for comfort. Someone clearly had some issues with personal space.
Shokuhou eyed the can and grimaced.
"We've known each other for a year now," she said, "and you still haven't learned my eating habits."
"I remember," he insisted, still holding out the can. "Something about... natural products. Anyway, it's all junk, so just take it."
"Junk? Look at me," she gestured to her figure with a smirk. "Do you think this happens with a careless diet?"
"Oh boy, here we go." He groaned, but not before stealing a quick glance. She had asked, after all. "Puberty's been kind to you, that's all. Don't make it out to be more than it is."
"Your gaze lingered about thirty centimeters below my eyes, Kamijou-san. Got anything to say for yourself?" Her smirk widened as she finally accepted the can.
"I had permission," Kamijou shrugged and cracked open another can, probably his fourth. "So, golden girl, I hope you're not too busy."
"Hmm... hmmmmmm..."
"What's with the 'hmms'?"
"Nothing." She snatched the can from his hand just after he'd taken a sip. "This is my favorite flavor." She was clearly toying with him. "By the way, you keep calling me 'golden girl.' You call Misaka-san 'biri-biri,' and I hear you've got some strange nickname for Shundan-san too... 'Blueberry,' right?"
"What about it?"
Since she'd taken his drink, he grabbed an unopened one from her hand and helped himself. It was sweet, probably something he'd subconsciously picked, knowing her love for sugary things.
"With all these nicknames," Shokuhou mused, "I'm starting to think your memory ability for actual names is... lacking. That might explain the way you complain about mine being written in 'weird characters.'"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Alright then, what's the name of my second-in-command?"
Kamijou thought fast, coming up with what he hoped was a reasonable guess.
"The girl with the drill hair?"
"See?" She smiled triumphantly.
"I know her name," he protested. "It's, uh, something with an H, right?"
"The only thing you remember about my closest friend is her hairstyle and the first letter of her name?"
"She's also kinda hot," he added, deadpan.
Shokuhou nearly choked on her drink at his bluntness, while Kamijou grinned in victory. Catching her off guard was always a victory. It reminded him of the playful back-and-forth he had with Kimi. Though with Shokuhou, things were less extreme. They hadn't known each other as long, but it was long enough for him to feel at ease and trust her. Which, of course, was why he'd called her here.
"Her name's Hana, right?"
"Not even close," Shokuhou replied, dabbing her mouth with a napkin she had pulled from her skirt pocket, ever the picture of a refined lady. "Try again."
"Hina? No, that's not it. Ho... Hoka..." Kamijou stroked his chin, pushing his brain past its limits. "Hokkaido?"
"That's a place, not a person."
"Hey, there's a girl named Tokyo, right?"
"Pretty sure she's from a TV show."
"It still counts."
"That's not even her real name." Shokuhou shook her head, laughing at his antics. "It's Hokaze. Please at least remember her surname next time."
"I know, Hokaze Junko. Won't forget it."
The way she narrowed her eyes was almost comical. He'd cheated, and she knew it. His powers acted like an external observer, keeping a record of everything he experienced. Even if Shokuhou pointed her remote at him and made him forget, that data would still be there.
"I think that's enough small talk," said Kamijou, getting up from his seat. "I should stick to the 'Kimi way' and always get straight to the point at these times. That said, how about some ice cream?"
"Organic?" Shokuhou stuck out her tongue in mockery, making him smile.
x-5-x
"Once I rose above the noise and confusion," Kamijou sang, glancing up at the sky with a contented expression. "Just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion."
"A foreign song?" Misaki mused aloud, biting into Kamijou's ice cream cone.
"I was soaring ever higher. But I flew too high." He smiled slightly, then returned the favor, taking a bite of her ice cream as well.
The two of them were strolling through District 7, the streets quieter than usual. In Kamijou's opinion, that was always a good thing.
"My girlfriend's obsession with music gets worse every year. It's gotta be contagious."
"Hmmm... hmmm..."
"There's that 'hmmm' again."
"Wasn't she your ex-girlfriend?" Misaki's tone shifted, sounding more like a teacher correcting a student. "Are you one of those fictional couples that keep breaking up and getting back together to manufacture drama ability? In real life, that's not healthy."
"We didn't really get back together. It's just a habit. Sometimes it feels like we never actually broke up."
Kamijou tilted his head back, his eyes tracing the open expanse of the sky above. The soft blue was dotted with puffy white clouds, lazily drifting and shifting into strange, fleeting shapes, like strokes of paint on an endless canvas.
"Why do you always stare at the sky?" Misaki asked, genuinely curious. But when he turned to her with a sudden, somber expression, she gave a nervous, crooked smile.
"Haven't we talked about this before?"
"No, I'd remember."
There was a brief silence. She sensed the weight of something unspoken hanging in the air between them, but she didn't press. Kamijou's reluctance was clear, yet, beneath it, Misaki knew there was something he hadn't shared, something he probably should. That subtle pushback, that gentle curiosity, was her way of letting him know he didn't have to carry it alone. Kamijou appreciated her approach; it was part of the reason why he had come to trust her.
"They say the perception of time changes depending on your point of view. Ever heard that?"
"Yes," Shokuhou nodded, raising a finger with mock seriousness. "I think some famous scientist who won a Nobel Prize said something like that. What was his name again? Albert something?"
"Look at me, I'm Shokuhou Misaki. I'm a cute girl, but also a total smartass." Kamijou rolled his eyes with a grin. "Anyway, as I was saying, I experience it every day."
He paused, turning his right hand palm-up, watching the clouds through the spaces between his fingers.
"My senses are sharper than most. It's like time flows wrong for me," he continued quietly. "Sometimes, just a second feels like an eternity. It used to be a nuisance, but over time, it's only gotten worse." He removed the obstruction, his right hand, between him and the blue sky above, able to see the whole vastness now. "I usually stare at the sky, especially on clear days, because it's steady. Unchanging. An instant later, I look around and everything has finally changed. It's like a trick. Everything else seems to move in slow motion around me. But when I look up, it feels like I'm skipping ahead, jumping to the next moment without having to endure the sluggishness."
"That..." Misaki's expression tightened. "That doesn't sound good."
"I'm used to it." Kamijou shrugged, offering her a kind smile. "If nothing else, it gives me more time to appreciate the beautiful things."
His gaze returned to the sky, though he didn't mention the fear gnawing at him… that one day the trick wouldn't work. That time would stop changing for him, and he'd be trapped in a single, endless moment. It was irrational, but fears often are.
"My senses have been duller lately," he added, "and strangely, that's put me in a good mood. At least today, you managed to sneak up on me. I liked that smile."
"What a strange way of thinking." Her voice dripped with irony, like someone teasingly indulging a drunk friend. Shokuhou probably saw it as a kind of sensory inebriation. Living in a distorted world, clinging to an unstable, euphoric illusion. The problem with that illusion is, eventually, the hangover always comes.
"I think we've had enough of this." He turned to her with a knowing smirk, like he was about to deliver the punchline to a joke. "Let's talk about something that matters. I'm kind of recruiting."
"Um... what?" Her confusion only lasted a moment. "Does this have anything to do with that whole 'magic' thing you were trying to explain earlier? Is that even real?"
While they had been buying ice cream, Kamijou had given her a quick rundown of magic, as succinctly as possible. In hindsight, he wished he had brought Index along; she was a genius with this stuff and could have made it seem more believable. Not that he expected immediate belief. It was a tough sell.
"If it's too weird for you, think of it as just another system of power. Another curriculum, so to speak, since 'magic' sounds foreign to us on the science side."
"Let me get this straight." She pressed a finger to her lips, thinking. "There are people out there with powers like ours, but through a different method? I assume the people you asked for my help with that day were these so-called 'wizards'.'"
"I think they prefer the term 'magician'." Seeing her eyes narrow in his direction, he quickly added: "Yeah, yeah. that's not important. What's important is that the world is divided into two sides. Right now, there's balance... but who knows how long it'll last?"
"That sounds like a problem."
"Exactly." Kamijou sighed, gently guiding her by the shoulder as they veered into a quieter alley, away from prying eyes and the noise of the streets. "There's a kind of 'cold war' going on out there, but no one knows about it. The whole world's hanging in the balance, caught on a scale of two opposing forces... and eventually, something's going to tip it."
"Can you be more specific?" she asked, suddenly standing closer to him, her expression more serious. "What's your point in telling me this?"
"Your reaction kind of worries me."
"Why?"
"Let's say, for argument's sake, if you had to define yourself, where do you stand on this scale? Magic or science?"
Shokuhou grimaced, deep in thought, taking several seconds to respond.
"Science, obviously." Her voice carried a note of indignation, as if the very question insulted her. "I don't even know about this 'magic side,' but it sounds like ridiculous ability to me."
"I'll admit, it sounds silly to me too." Kamijou chuckled lightly but then grew serious. "But think about it. How do you think the average person would react to discovering the existence of these two sides in some secret conflict? Would they accept it? Try to get along with those on the opposite side? And what happens when these two sides inevitably clash head-on? Would their minds change then?"
Shokuhou remained silent, staring down at her melting ice cream cone. She paused, finding the dirty alley wall behind her to lean on. Kamijou soon joined her, standing by her side.
"If possible," he said, "I would like this to be avoided. This balance will one day lose its equilibrium, and if that happens...If things tilt in either direction, the situation will no longer be one where both sides can accept the other in the end. If we want to truly resolve this, we need to create a third side that does not belong to the other two."
Her silence lingered, stretching longer than was comfortable. While it wasn't yet clear what that boy's ultimate goal was, she seemed to have a good idea.
"You said you're doing recruitment ability. So that's what this is all about," she said, turning away from the wall. She took the moment to toss her ice cream into a trash can. Full of artificial additives, it wasn't to her taste anyway. "To be honest, I need more explanation about all of this, but I already have an opinion on something."
Shokuhou's serious gaze locked onto him as she made her statement, the darkness of the alley enveloping her words before she turned to head back to the street.
"If there's one side I want to be on, it's the one you're on, too."
At first, he seemed surprised, but quickly brushed it off, a warm smile spreading across his face.
"That's really good to hear," he said. "I thought it would be more difficult."
"Why?." She stuck her tongue out and winked playfully. "The side you're on is guaranteed to win, no matter what. Who in their right mind would choose anything else?"
"What if I told you that things might get... complicated on my side? That what I plan could shake this city and the lives of the people you know?"
"Then I'll just be prepared to fix things when that happens." She raised an eyebrow at his slightly surprised expression. "What? You know better than anyone that you and your girlfriend are basically criminals."
"I'd prefer you not phrase it that way."
"That's not the point ability," she continued, lifting a finger in front of his face to command his attention. Her tone grew serious. "It's the same with me. You know better than anyone that I'm not exactly a good person." The self-contempt in her voice was palpable. "I break my own rules all the time to get what I want, and I use my power to hide it. But there's one rule I'll never break. So don't act so surprised. I made this choice a year ago."
They reached the street.
"You know," he began, "for someone who usually criticizes Kimi, you remind me a lot of her."
"I can't decide if that's a compliment or not."
Kamijou smiled sincerely, his gesture soft. He handed his unfinished ice cream to a little boy passing by in the crowd, before turning back to face Shokuhou, who was now standing close.
"From where I stand, you and she are both good people," he said seriously, though his face remained relaxed. "You're just too hard on yourself."
Shokuhou hesitated, her starry eyes drifting toward the half-orange horizon as the day faded, the future stretching out before her.
"I still can't decide if I like hearing that," she admitted. "I know you mean it, but…"
"But?"
She sighed and met his gaze.
"You have a gift for seeing the best in people," she said. "It's both a blessing and a curse."
"I know." His shrug, accompanied by a smile, disarmed her slightly. Had he noticed the way she nervously curled the end of her hair? "That's why I'm so powerful."
His confidence radiated outward, giving the impression that he had everything under control, that he was untouched by negativity. But how much of that was a mask, and how much of it was also his curse?
x-6-x
The next day, Kamijou decided he should focus, at least a little, on his studies. He still needed to meet Shokuhou again to discuss in more detail what he wanted from her. Yesterday, the looming curfew had cut their conversation short, and Kamijou didn't want to drag her into unnecessary trouble.
Yet, here he was again, dangerously close to curfew. At this rate, they might have to take an entire day off to properly talk things through.
The orange sky had now deepened into a soft purple.
He got too carried away and ended up getting distracted, sighing as he looked at that black cat in his hands.
"Do you want a book on raising a cat? asks Misaka to make sure."
That was how Kamijou had ended up here. The girl, whom he'd started calling "Misaka Imouto" due to her refusal to share her name, had become obsessed with a stray cat. Something about the electromagnetic waves she produced made the cat dislike her, but Kamijou hadn't really followed the explanation.
After a brief exchange, they finally arrived at a bookstore.
"Mh. Come to think of it, I probably shouldn't walk in with a cat," Kamijou mused aloud.
"That was an extremely expository statement, but please do not leave it with Misaka, says Misaka in a preemptive denial."
"Because your magnetic field will make the cat dislike you? Well, if you can overcome that obstacle, true friendship will blossom. Take this! Ultimate Cat Bomb!"
Kamijou lightly tossed the cat toward Misaka Imouto who was standing next to him, and without letting her recover from the suddenness or complain, he quickly entered the bookstore.
Without wasting any time, he located the book he needed. When he moved his gaze to the side he spotted a book called "New! The Scientific Cows of the Farm Buildings".
"What nonsense is this?" he whispered to himself. "What a strange conspiracy. How can you eat vegetables that were grown in dirt that could have had industrial waste and who knows what else mixed in?"
"I feel like that was aimed directly at me," came a familiar voice.
Kamijou smiled, recognizing it before he even turned. This time, he had managed to notice her presence before being startled. That golden girl was pretty good at sneaking around for some reason, so much so that he could hardly ever tell where she was coming from, although his senses always warned him of her approach.
"Are your powers back to normal?" she asked, snatching the book from his hand. "What a shame. What does a girl have to do to have a bit of fun around here?"
"Actually, I'm still recovering, so maybe you're just getting predictable."
"I don't know if I can trust the word of someone who might be bending reality as we speak," she teased, her face half-hidden behind the book. She shot him a playful glance. "Stop me if I've already asked this, but you didn't use your powers to make me look older, did you?"
"What?!" His reaction drew some curious glances. "Why would I do that? I don't even know if I can do that."
"Phew, that's a relief." She wiped imaginary sweat from her forehead. "So, I'm just naturally amazing."
"Yeah… sure. Not bad for someone who eats caterpillars."
"Huuuuh?" She snapped the book shut with a flourish. "For your information, I do not have the restrictions you think I do. I enjoy a good burger and fries, thank you very much."
It was odd for her to feel the need to reaffirm that, considering how many times they had eaten together. Did she really think a random book would change his view of her? The image she wanted to project to him had to be crystal clear by now. Or so she thought.
As Kamijou and Shokuhou left the bookstore, he made a quick decision not to spend his hard-earned money on a ridiculous book. His (ex) girlfriend, Kimi, had already warned him that they'd be lucky to make it through the month without starving, which sounded like a grim ultimatum, one that really worried him.
Kamijou hated taking money from Kimi, even though she often spent her own on necessities for their apartment, filling the fridge, buying household items, and generally keeping things running smoothly. He didn't stop her, even though he'd once tried to insist she didn't need to take care of "their" home. But Kimi could be very persuasive, and Kamijou eventually gave up his constant protests.
"Where did that clueless girl go?" Kamijou muttered to himself, noticing that Misaka Imouto had disappeared. "Maybe she got mad because I made her hold the cat and just left."
Only the cat remained, sitting on the ground. Its ears were laid back, and it trembled slightly as Kamijou picked it up.
"Cute," Shokuhou said, stroking the trembling cat. "Is it yours?"
"No, thank God." Kamijou sighed wearily. "But I do technically have a cat. It belongs more to my roommate, though she's not exactly great at taking care of it."
"Does Shundan-san like cats?" Shokuhou asked, her voice casual but with an edge of curiosity.
"I'm talking about my other roommate," Kamijou clarified.
Shokuhou's gaze turned cold. "Let me guess. That nun in white I saw that day?"
"Yes—"
"Your dorm doesn't have any rules, does it?"
"You know I've been living with Kimi for almost a year, kinda. Why does one more girl make you react like this?"
"Are you even listening to yourself?" Shokuhou threw her arms wide in exasperation. "Why is a foreign girl living in your dorm? You barely even know her."
"What am I supposed to do, throw her out? Leave her to starve? Kimi's even convinced she's her big sister or something."
Shokuhou paused, her thoughtful expression hiding something deeper.
"You could have asked for my help. I could have found her a better place to stay. It's one thing to live with your girlfriend, but haven't you wondered if that girl is comfortable living with a boy she barely knows? If I were in her situation…"
Her voice trailed off, and she looked away, as if unwilling to finish that thought. Kamijou frowned. Something was wrong, but it wasn't just Shokuhou's sudden shift in mood. It was something deeper. His gut tightened.
"Something wrong, big guy?" he asked reflexively.
"Huh?" Shokuhou tilted her head, puzzled. "Did you forget to take your medicine today?"
"Very funny." Kamijou rolled his eyes. "You know my ability is sentient. Don't act like I'm a schizophrenic."
"To be fair, that's how it looks from my point of view."
"I literally showed you the dragon. Isn't that proof enough?"
"If I've never heard it talk, it could just be you making stuff up to sound cooler."
Kamijou sighed, stepped closer, and placed his hands on her shoulders. Shokuhou jumped slightly, her face suddenly flushed.
"W-what?" she stammered, losing her usual composure. "Why are you so close all of a sudden?"
"I'm going to link up with you mentally so you can see for yourself."
"I-I don't mind, but… s-so close… I mean…"
Kamijou gave up, backing off as her embarrassment deepened, and turned his attention back to the nagging feeling that something was wrong. Very wrong. He spun around sharply, scanning the alley between the secondhand bookstore and the adjacent building. The entrance must not have gotten cleaned often because quite a few leaves and a single girl's shoe were gathered there. The tiling of the pathway ended right at the alley entrance and the ground in the alley was made of incredibly makeshift-looking asphalt.
"I see it too," Shokuhou said, her voice deadly serious. "We should take a closer look."
Shokuhou took the lead, her outward confidence belied by the tension in her stride. Something felt off, like plunging your hand into a filthy drain. The stench hit them. Acrid, sour, unmistakable.
"A fight happened here," Kamijou muttered, his hand instinctively reaching for Shokuhou's shoulder. "Spent cartridges on the ground. Stay close."
"There's someone… there," Shokuhou whispered, pointing with a trembling finger.
Kamijou froze, his mind racing to catch up with what his body already knew. The thick, metallic scent of blood filled the air, choking it. They moved forward cautiously, the shadows around them seeming to thicken with every step, pulling them deeper into an atmosphere that felt suffocating.
Then they saw it.
A pool of blood. Vast, grotesque, as if it had been wrung from the very walls themselves. It covered the ground, splattered across the alley up to eye level, staining everything it touched. It looked like someone had squeezed a person to get every last drop of blood out.
And in the center of it all…
"M-Misaka-san?" Shokuhou's voice was barely a whisper, her hand covering her mouth in sheer horror.
Kamijou's heart skipped a beat. His first instinct was to think the same, but as he stepped closer, the reality hit him hard. His expression darkened.
"It's not her," he said, shaking his head. "It's her sister."
His fists clenched, rage boiling just beneath the surface. Unable to hold it back, he swung his fist into the alley wall, cracks spidering out from the impact. His breathing was ragged, fury and frustration fighting for dominance inside him. Then, with a deep breath, the damage he'd caused reversed itself, the wall as pristine as before.
"Her sister?" Shokuhou's voice wavered, shock giving way to confusion and grief. "But… Misaka-san…"
Kamijou glanced at her. She was trembling now, as if the chill of a future winter had suddenly wrapped itself around her. Her eyes flickered between fear, realization, and something much darker. Anger. Her teeth ground together.
"I heard rumors," Shokuhou said, her voice low and filled with self-recrimination. "But I didn't want to dig any deeper. Why... why didn't I? Was my happiness a curse?"
The scene around Kamijou was beginning to stir something inside him. He felt like he was going to throw up at any moment. It was horrible and, for anyone else, it might have been too much to bear. But he had seen worse. He had to keep calm.
Shokuhou clung to him, desperate for some form of comfort. He didn't pull away, but his thoughts were elsewhere, locked on the scene before him, on the blood that stained everything. His voice was cold, steady, almost unnervingly so.
"Tell me everything you know," he said, his tone sharp but quiet. His grip on Shokuhou tightened, both reassuring her and grounding himself. "Use your power. Don't miss a single detail."
This wasn't just a simple mistake, a misunderstanding. This was a failure, one of many he'd experienced. But Kamijou knew one thing… He would make it right.
No matter what it took. No matter the cost.
We're back! Another chapter in this story. This one was what I consider to be an adequate length. I actually ended up cutting a few things in the editing, making it cleaner.
In this chapter we had the obligatory scene with the vending machine, told from Mikoto's point of view instead of Touma's. The initial intention was to have a short fight here, something like a friendly duel, but I found it unnecessary after I started writing and ended up dropping it.
We didn't get any flashbacks this time, but Kimi did get a bit of screen time, even reuniting with her gang. And yes, one of the girls there is not part of her gang.
I think it's easy to say that you weren't expecting Shokuhou here. This is already her second unexpected appearance. In this story, as you noticed in the first few chapters, Touma has become a good friend of hers. She's not a character who will always appear, but she will have more screen time after this arc, some of it in one of the flashbacks too. I think some people want to know what changed a year ago. We'll get there eventually.
Let's look at your reviews:
Dasgun: :)
Pixie Duck: That's fine. Everyone has their own tastes.
5had0wHand: No flashbacks this time. Good to know you're enjoying them. We probably won't get another one until after this arc is over. I love it when someone mentions Honoka being a female version of Touma, lol. Aureolus will play a background role here. As will Yuiitsu. And other people. It's a date, Touma just doesn't want to admit it. Thank you very much for your concern.
C: Were you surprised? That's a good thing.
Guest: I assume that's a good thing too?
Amad0: Always good to hear you're enjoying it. Don't be sad that it's over, be happy that it happened. There will definitely be a sequel, when I have more time, of course. I'm getting a good response to the flashbacks, maybe I should make them longer. We had a more detailed explanation of the problem his power brings. Every story of mine has themes, in this one it's that being special can be both a blessing and a curse. It depends on how you look at it. Regarding your concerns, are you referring to the fast pace? This story has been a bit strange to write, to be honest. It's different from all my others. I usually prefer to write something completely new. The parts where I have to rewrite entire scenes from the novels are my least favorite moments in the process of writing this story. I get the feeling that I'm not doing anything very "new". The only exception is the fights, I have fun writing them. My intention is to focus more on the original plot of this story, in this case, flashbacks and the personal goals of Touma and Kimi, and their relationship as well. I really don't want to rewrite more scenes than necessary. I think because of this it feels like Touma is speeding through all these arcs. Anyway, thanks as always. I'm in much better health now.
Cainabel201X: Thank you. Touma has all the canonical dragons here, Dragon King is just his favorite. He can use the powers of the others without having to summon them here.
If you're wondering, the title of the chapter refers to Dolly and Shokuhou's past. This chapter took longer to edit than planned, I spent a lot of time playing Silent Hill 2 Remake. It was worth it. That's all for now. Moon leaving.