Toaru Majutsu no Index Painted prison chronicles

My name is Nephthys. Although I have a different name, the humans coined this epithet for me and I like it a lot.

I would also like to mention that I am a god.

I don't mean it as a metaphor. Although I am not a God with capital G, I am a very real Magic God.

Yet, (and this is the exciting part!) I am currently an exchange student in the school helping someone who is the topic of interest of me and my friend. I am engaging in the act of walking like a completely ordinary human!

Okay, maybe humans don't take that much of a joy from simple act of walking. But this is so exotic! Not being able to just be omnipresent or teleport to your desired location is quite mesmerizing. To think they do this every day makes me want to cry at their determination. They are so fragile yet they try so much!

But I get ahead of myself and timeline got all mixed up. It started as ordinary day.

But even I, an ancient god, could not predict where it will take me.

Nephthys reached the gates of Certain High School. Now, she was standing there in wait.

People walking around her turned in awe. Some of the boys actually collided with the stone walls instead of walking through the entrance. Well, it was no wonder that she attracted attention.

Even if she altered her form to look a bit more like a teen, her body was still unbelievably attractive and it showed. Even if she relented and wore modern clothing, it still revealed a lot of her brown skin, with her silver hair adorned with small pyrmaids perfectly glossy and smelling like sandalwood and jasmine. Even if she was supposed to be a transfer student from Cairo, and as such it would be expected for people to believe that colour of her skin was natural, apparently the mental associations with gyaru subculutre were too strong. It only made her attract more people.

To repeat, even though she was a transfer student, she quickly ascended to be in the pantheon of Certain High School's most revered beauties. This made many girls, including even the famous Beauty Senpai, to raise an eyebrow in collected and cold astonishment.

The boys, to simply put it, went absolutely crazy for the Magic Goddess. The sheer amount of invitations Nephthys received was absurd. She was invited to lunch, karaoke, study clubs, and so on. Some students actually formed a fanclub of Nephthys herself, dedicated to spreading her beauty in forms of art, posters, even T-Shirts. They called themselves Nebenians, a term coined from Nephthys' school alias.

The other girls looked at the Nephthys shrines and posters with amount of disgust no one would think possible on a human face. However, Nephthys only laughed and said:

"They are quite perceptive, this bunch"

After all, why would a literal goddess shy away from worshipping?

Among the girls, there was a visible rift. Some of them admired Nephthys, although because of much less lustful reasons than the boys. Meanwhile others did not really appreciate what the newcomer did with the place.

However, all the fuss could as well be meaningless as Nephthys had eyes (at least in everyone's opinion) and in fact actively spent time with only one person.

Namely, one Kamijou Touma.

For the reasons not disclosed, the egyptian 'student' apparently felt comfortable enough and liked to talk with Touma. This was enough to cause a flood of dark, bloody jealousy from both genders, regarding each of the parties in the pair. Nephthys didn't really mind, but Touma found it quite terrifying.

And speaking of Kamijou Touma...

Nephthys smiled as she saw a silhouette approaching from the distance.

She couldn't help but rejoice after seeing Touma, her earlier irritation at him being late disappeared. Even if she counted for a walk together, Kamijou's mere presence was more than enough to keep her entertained and that was what make it worth the wait.

"Kamijooooooou, over he-... oh?"

Her arm froze mid-wave. The boy wasn't alone.

She recognize the small girl that was piggy-backing on Kamijou's shoulders. That was Gokusai Amazora.

But there was yet another figure. Another boy, wearing something that obviously pointed out that he wanted to disguise himself.

"Hello there. Is there any reason that you missed our planned randez-vous walk before school?" Nephthys leaned over in front of Kamijou, which made her big chest bounce slightly.

"There are... quite... a few... actually..." the out of breath boy muttered, before setting Amazora (who was not very pleased with that separation) down to the ground." Well, maybe I will let him explain."

Nephthys looked at the disguised boy, who slowly removed shades and hat.

Her eyes widened.

"Oh?! And what are you doing here?!"

(LET'S REWIND TIME A LITTLE BIT)

Family.

Kamijou Touma never thought he would use it so casually, still relatively soon after his memory loss. But through the twist of fate and decision of three sisters of Gokusai family, he gained one in which he was welcomed. Even if they had differences, Amazora, Kaibi, and Rikuri agreed that Touma was a part of their life and newly-attached part of their family. Kamijou himself didn't quite know how to react to that. But it was certainly something pleasant.

Of course, he, Index, and Othinus, formed a close-knitted group, but neither the nun nor ex-Magic God ever addressed it as family. And ever if Kamijou was inclined to call it that, this time, he was the one that was incorporated into familial realtionship by someone else.

And for one reason or another, it was very nice. Even if it was for a moment in his life, he lived in a great apartment, with the group he thought he will never interact with after he lost his memories. Not only that, but he re-encountered and re-forged so many bonds he thought were lost.

He also managed to talk with Index. Although it didn't go fully as planned (because Index heard the voices of the girls and Touma could swear she tried to bite through phone on her end of the line), the conversation and explanation went relatively well. Index was still going to be in England for a moment more, but the reality of her return was getting real.

Touma honestly felt good in his newfound daily reality. He didn't delude himself, with his luck, that he will be given this time for very long. It could very well end today. But this was all of the more reason he cherished the time with three siblings with which he lived under one roof. Apparently, even Touma was still learning what truly brought him happiness and relaxation. And although Gokusai sisters were definitely a handful bunch, each in their own way, they clearly realized by now how truly misfortunate Touma's life was, and tried not to add more troubles on their own. Well, it didn't always work out, but Touma appreciated the thought.

If one were to describe a typical day, it would probably went somewhere along those lines

5.45- 6 AM: In the regular day, Kaibi usually woke up for a short morning jog, and return an half an hour later. Apparently, she adjusted to the early wake ups in her SCHOOL days.

6:30 AM: Touma would wake up, and usually start to tidy everything for the morning just as Kaibi returned. He would usually prepare something small for her as she was very hungry after the jog. As Kaibi went to wash herself, Touma would go to wake Amazora and Rikuri. While Amazora was grumpy getting to wake up, it was usually not a problem. Being a heavy sleeper, Rikuri was much more difficult, although Touma devised an ingenious method to draw her out of the covers with the smell of food (albeit the drawback was that she occasionally started munching on Touma himself while half awake)

6:45 AM As still messy and yawning Amazora and Rikuri rejoined Kaibi in the bathroom, Touma prepared cold elements of the breakfast, before heading to the baths himself. He and the sisters shared the bathhouse-styled bath, with him being usually restricted to one corner of it and behind the wide curtain. Although, in certain cases, Amazora and Rikuri liked Touma taking care of some of the morning rituals. In case of Amazora, Touma was apparently a great help in washing her hair, as she didn't really do it herself and didn't enjoy her sisters forcing her to do so, saying the shampoo was getting to her eyes. Rikuri liked for Touma to brush her luscious hair, and occasionally, requested a short massage to help her wake up. As it turned out, Touma picked up enough skills from caring about Index that he handled those very well, and the sisters were rather eager for him to assist them. It also created a unique bonding experience. Kaibi, although too prideful to ask for any treatment, was also casting glances when Touma wasn't looking. She was also keeping her sisters in line, supplying them with swimsuits whenever Touma cared for them.

7:00 AM As sisters took longer to finish their preparations, Touma went to the kitchen to prepare the rest of the breakfast. Later, they would sit together and eat while having the view on Academy City. As with many meals, Touma tried to personalize the breakfasts. Amazora liked pancackes and juice, Kaibi panini with sausage or scrambled eggs, and Rikuri fresh fruits and bread. The breakfast usually was eaten rather hastily, but it served as time to chat about most simple of things, bicker in a friendly way, and tell each other about plans for the day. Afterwards, everyone went to prepare stuff for the day and Touma made bentos for everyone.

Later on, they split up. Touma went with Amazora and split from her at the bus stop, Kaibi went to her high school or roamed around the city, tying up some lose ends from her SCHOOL days (she didn't fully disclose what exactly was that she was doing, but Touma had certain suspicions). As for Rikuri, her relationship with Hanatsuyu twins brought some major development in her college work. She sometimes stayed and worked at the apartment, went to acquire chemicals or machine parts, or venture to campus for a lecture. It depended on the day. She usually got so busy that she forgot to eat, that's why Touma also made bento for her lunch.

Usually, Touma returned home first (if something misfortunate enough didn't keep him for doing so), and waited for Amazora to arrive at the bus. Sometimes she brought her newly found friend Yume with her. It seemed the small light manipulator developed a small crush and admiration for Touma, although she was fairly reserved in showing that because of how possessive Amazora could get in regards to her honorary older brother. Usually, older brothers were more overprotective of younger sisters, but in this case, the roles were usually reversed.

After dropping Amazora home, Touma phoned Kaibi and they went on errand round together, which consisted of visiting supermarkets, buying house supplies, and occasional sundaes for Kaibi's sweet tooth. They both used this chance to relax in each other's presence, simply attending the pragmatic routine and chatting idly about the day. Although Kaibi tended to be strict and temperamental, she was also attentive and organized. Thanks to her, Touma didn't have to worry about forgetting to buy something, and she apparently had plenty of discounts through her connections from rental girlfriend times. Touma couldn't complain, and even if they weren't excessive in their compliments, ever since that night before Kyozetsu mess Kaibi changed. She was still herself, but more open, warmer, and considerate. Maybe that was the reason why such simple things brought the feeling of peace they both longed for.

For that matter, Touma couldn't help but appreciate that the sisters tried to engage in daily life. With no... maybe a little bit of an offense on Index and Othinus' side, they never really helped in a daily life. To be fair, Othinus could not do much in her form, and Index was in fact trying to improve. It felt as if it was ages ago, but it started this whole thing in the first place. But although sisters weren't perfect, Index could learn a lot from them...

When Kaibi and Touma returned, Rikuri welcomed them with food. Touma helped her improve and although it was still rather unsavoury, the girl was making progress. Very slow, but visible. Although Touma was not a fan of throwing the food away, Rikuri was very determined. She was also not so secretly fond of all the praises her efforts could get. And even though initial efforts ended in Touma and the others spending the night over the toilet, Touma still encouraged the oldest sister to perfect housewife qualities.

After all, the allure of a gorgeous onee-san welcoming you home with dinner was too great to pass. Even though Rikuri was still learning, her chemistry knowledge, under Touma's guidance, made their shared dishes something beyond heaven itself.

Depending on the day, the later events included watching a movie together, going out in the city in a group, or staying to deal with some educational duties. Kaibi usually helped Touma with cleaning, and Rikuri tutored him if he had troubles with his high school classes. Meanwhile Amazora was the main source of diversity in their daily routines. She had the ideas what movies to watch, were to go, and always shared lots of funny stories from her days in school. Even if that wasn't much of a practical support, Touma always appreciated just how much caring for her made his life more... calm, in a way. It was chaotic, and messy, and unorthodox. But playing with Amazora, combing her hair, helping her decide on what dress to wear, watching movies with her and her sisters, and doing lots of stuff together felt strangely... relaxing to Touma. For one reason or another, he and Amazora grew close in those small moments.

After all those late evening activities, Kaibi usually went to sleep first. Touma was usually convinced by Amazora to tell her some stories before sleep. Although if Touma were to choose, he would rather read something to her. But Amazora was vehement on the choice of bed time stories: Touma's adventures from the past. She said that she had best dreams after them. The storyteller himself had doubts on that and shared a suspicion that Amazora purposely wanted to have scary dreams so she could come to his bed. But still, he tried to choose a little bit less extreme stories.

Afterwards, he spent some time with Othinus, just the two of them. Later on, already after midnight, he either covered Rikuri with blanket and gave her a pillow under her head (because she usually fell asleep during her work after the movies) or carried her to sisters' bedroom, before finally going to sleep himself.

And now, it was a beginning of another day. It was quite strange. Because for the first time in a long while, he felt... hopeful. Hopeful that this would be a great and peaceful day! He was having great time! After awakening, he felt...

"I feel like I can take on anything the world can throw at me! This hard fought life of happiness is a progress. And there is nothing that can make me change my mind!"

With those triumphant words, Kamijou strolled through the room and opened the doors to his closet...

Where his gaze met crouched down figure of Kamisato Kakeru, wearing only his underwear, and staring at him, frozen mid-motion.

After few seconds of wordless staring, Touma closed the door and turned around, facing his bed.

"Of course, too much optimism can lead to reckless death. So, maybe the best option is head back to bed, after all..."

The doors behind him burst open.

"DON'T PRETEND YOU DIDN'T SEE ME!"

"Fukou da! I said I would face anything but that's crossing the liiiiiiiiiiine!"

(10 MINUTES LATER)

"So... would you mind explaining why did I find you wrestling on your bed with a half-naked guy?" Kaibi's eyes emitted almost tangible pressure on two boys in front of her.

"Please, don't put it like that. I knew my luck was weirdly good, but I had no idea this would happen"

"Heh, as if it was ever good..." Kamisato muttered, but Kaibi glared at him even harder.

"And you! Who are you, how did you get here, and what do you want? For that matter, you seem familiar with him, Kamijou."

Touma and Kamisato looked at each other

"Well, I would lie if I said we didn't know each other..." Touma in a with a hesitant tone.

"Let's not... dwell on that too much" Kamisato sighed, straightening up on his chair, also a bit awkward in his speech.

"I don't buy it" Kaibi crossed her legs, as Rikuri and Amazora curiously watched from behind her. "Talk. Both of you"

"Yes, I am curious too, what the hell are you doing here? I thought... well, I thought I will never see you again."

"I am not exactly thrilled to see you, you know. I am grateful that you helped me back then, but believe me, if not for circumstances, I would not mess with your nauseating, harem-filled life"

"Come on, we've been through this." Touma rolled his eyes and facepalmed with a groan" There is no harem in my life!"

"Does Imagine Breaker erase your intelligence as well?"

"No, maybe some part of your brain was left in the New Wor-"

"GUYS!" Kaibi raised her voice "focus, please"

"Well, my name is Kamisato Kakeru." the brown haired teen introduced himself" Me and Kamijou do know each other from the past, yes. I am also sorry for the intrusion. But... I am in a dire situation and had a reason to do so"

"Dire? For you?" Touma asked with confusion" What the hell caused you to be almost naked in my closet? What made you run away, especially with your ability?"

"I was just getting to this! And I wasn't running away. That was a... strategic retreat. You surely remember that I travel with 100 girls, right?"

The eyes of the sisters became big as dinner plates, but Touma ignored them.

"Yeah, it was a little bit hard to miss. And?"

"Well... they kind of got crazy."

"What?"

"The thing is... that ever since you pulled me out of the New World, I thought... that I will give this harem life a chance. I decided to live with them. And for the most part, it wasn't that bad. Sure, it wasn't exactly what I wished for, but it was... tolerable and nice. We were a good team. Until one day..."

"One day?" Kaibi leaned closer. Even though she appeared majorly confused, it was clear that she was trying her hardest to follow the hidden line of conversation the two boys in the room seemed to conduct.

"It was the day of my birthday. And all of the sudden, they simply got insane. They thought that sleeping with them would make a good gift. They all wanted to give me a pleasurable experience... they wanted to... take my clothes off and-"

"Have your babies?" Amazora chimed in and Kamisato shivered.

"I still have nightmares. That was completely insane and they turned so lustful that I couldn't reason with them"

"You know... many would kill for something like this"

"Oh really? Do you think getting suffocated all over by a literal wave of bodies is funny?"

"W-When you put it like that... you really couldn't just talk with them?"

"I tried to! But they thought I was just being modest. I already saw it coming this year by yesterday's evening, so I came here after losing the chase!"

"Why here, specifically?"

"Because this is probably the last place they would expect to find me"

"He is... right, in a way" Touma nodded.

"And sorry about your wall"

"You erased the wall to... why does everybody keep breaking the walls and doors in places I live in?"

"I am not sure if I follow" Rikuri tapped something on her portable computer" But let's recap. Your friend..."

"We are not friends"

"Kamisato-san basically seeks refuge here. Am I correct?"

Kamisato nodded.

"As inconvenient as it may be for me, yes. But only for a moment." Kamisato rose up and took a few steps towards the kitchen" Do you have anything to eat?"

"So... you want to stay here for one day? Well, we can surely lend a helping hand"

"Well..." Touma looked at Rikuri after, she made that comment, and relented" We are not enemies anymore, so... yeah, if you need help, I will do it."

"But you will have to pay for the wall repair. We don't exactly own the place." Kaibi pointed at the hole in the wall.

"Oi, Harem Accepter! Who are those girls?"

"First of all, don't start with that stupid nickname. And secondly, those are my roommates, the Gokusai sisters. This tall beauty is Rikuri, the menacing one is Kaibi... ow! You didn't need to kick me... and this ball of uncontained chaos is Amazora"

"Well, I don't really get your relationship and I am still not 100% sold, but if Kamijou says it's okay, we are okay too" Kaibi offered Kamisato her right hand to shake.

The boy surprised her by squeezing it with his left hand.

"Sorry for the lack of manners. I don't know if you are unwavered and even if I have control over my right hand, I don't want for you to accidentally disappear. Bad memories."

"W-What?" Kaibi blinked, and Touma shook the other boy's arm.

"Bad memories? Don't tell me that you actually banished someone by a handshake before?"

"It was... one time thing. I had no control over World Rejecter back then-"

"Wait a minute! Banished? Erased? World Rejecter?" Kaibi interrupted, pulling her hand back" What is this all about?"

As Rikuri, Amazora, and Kamisato started to prepare things for breakfast, Touma took Kaibi on the side.

"You see, Kamisato is a bit of a unique case" Touma said, glancing at the other side of the room.

"What kind of unique?"

"MY kind of unique."

"You mean... that strange hand of yours..." Kaibi nodded while snapping her fingers " You have the same power!"

"Well, sort of, but not really. Our powers have similar origin, but they are very different. You can say his right hand is the opposite or compliment to mine. And they don't really like each other."

Kaibi giggled, and tilted her head with amused grin.

"Like matter and antimatter? So if you hold hands, there will be a great explosion and everything disintegrates!"

"Please don't try to test it out. And since when making fun of me is so entertaining?"

"It always was. I think I just started to notice its value with time." Kaibi said, poking Touma in the chest. The boy blushed slightly and quickly resumed the proper subject.

"A-Anyway, he is more than meets the eye. His power can be devastating"

"Oh? What exactly does it do?"

But then, the message about the food being ready stopped their conversation.

(AFTER BREAKFAST)

"Let me say this. We are not going to change our plans because of you, Kamisato-san. I need to go make a few errands, Rikuri-san wants to go to spa before lecture, and Amazora..." Kaibi came to a halt, as her younger sister tugged at her clothes.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. My class has day off because we have a presentation for friends and family day. I am going to have to tell about my family... all of you"

"What?!" Kaibi, Rikuri, and Touma exclaimed at the same time.

"But since I know a lot about onee-chans, I will be going to onii-chan's school today, to prepare for my presentation!"

"You will what? Wait a second, that's a little bit sudden! You can't just-"

He was met with two big, twinkling pools of crimson-pink vulnerability.

"No, no puppy eyes! You and my school equals trouble."

The eyes seemed to grow even bigger.

"N-No! We have Kamisato here as well, so there is no way we will introduce another element of chaos-"

(LATER...)

To no surprise, Amazora joined Touma. Kamisato decided that his temporary cover was best by Kamijou's side, so he decided to tag along as well.

"Off they go..." Kaibi watched the other group disappearing in the distance "I am not so sure about this Kamisato guy..."

"I checked him. Apparently, he has visiting pass but is also registered as a level 0" Rikuri said, as they walked together to their respective destinations.

"That's strange. Kamijou said that his ability is quite powerful. Although... he also said that Kamisato is similar to him. Maybe City can't measure his strength properly. Or maybe he is faking something..."

"Mhm..."

"Hey..." Kaibi put her hand on Rikuri's shoulder" Are you okay?"

"I'm fine..." the older sister looked the other way, which completely ruined her nonchalance.

"Oh... you were planning to do something with Kamijou today, weren't you?"

"W-Well... I only woke up early to put my makeup, choose my best dress, calmed my nerves, and it's totally not like I dreamed to ask him out on a date..."

"Sister, you were never good actor like me. You obviously cared about this."

"D-Don't be silly. Now then, I must go... powder my nose!"

"Before spa?"

"I-I am not 'miss of campus' for nothing! Now excuse me, time surely flies and I must be off"

"The spa is that way!"

"..."

"You are REALLY upset, aren't you?"

"I-I meant to do that! Until later, little sister"

Rikuri fled, leaving exasperated Kaibi alone in the streets.

She knew this wasn't Touma's fault. Who could expect Kamisato's sudden arrival? But on the other hand...

Loving Kamijou Touma was no easy task. You could not separate his misfortune from him and you always had to prepared for some unpredictable strike of bad luck. This was one of the reasons why Touma himself didn't believe in his chances in romantic life. After all, who would have commitment and patience to go through something like that their whole life.

However, Gokusai sisters were no mere spectators of life. They were family, stitched with darkness and love for one another. Something like Touma's bad luck didn't erase all the wonderful things he did for all of them. Things they loved him for.

He saved Amazora's life, even when it seemed that saving his own skin would be a rational thing to do. He gave her true brotherly attachment, and helped her sisters to care for her.

He accepted Kaibi in her entirety, darkness and fear included, and set out to discover her true self alongside her, even when she was cold and brash with him.

He saw Rikuri's hopes, dreams, and insecurities, genuinely seeing the many shades and colours of the young woman, giving her hope and beautiful feelings of care and comfort.

There was no way they would turn their backs on him.

That being said, sometimes it could get a little bit frustrating. It was for that reason Amazora could be possessive at times and why Kaibi became irritated at Touma's antics. But overall, they coped with those happenings rather well. They were the types who enjoyed challenge.

But Rikuri was different. Even though she was modest, she was definitely not used to things going awry when it came to the other sex. Even if it was not intentional on Touma's side, Kaibi knew Rikuri wasn't mad at Touma, she was simply upset that opportunity to go on a date went wasted.

Measure Heart understood that sentiment. After all, she too kept thinking about opportunity to go on a date and give Touma his present. Not to mention... confessing her own love.

But this still had to wait. Although Touma made her frozen heart burst into beautiful flames, there would be no fire if previous ash remained. Kaibi still needed to find Kakine. She needed that talk, no matter what form it would take.

Those were her musings, as wandered on through Academy City's streets, when suddenly, a female voice called behind girl.

"Hey! Blond girl in a dress! Can you help us?"

Kaibi turned around to find two girls dressed in such a peculiar way that they obviously stood out even in such unusual place as Academy City.

"We are looking for two guys. One is our boyfriend, the other is an old friend of ours." added the other girl.

Kaibi raised an eyebrow. Our boyfriend?

"I can help... depending who is asking"

(BACK WITH NEPHTHYS, WE ARRIVE AT EARLIER MOMENT)

"Oh, so that's what happened... that's amusing" Nepthys nodded, smirking slightly" So you went here to hide from your army of girlfriends. Oh, poor World Rejecter, suffering from success?"

Kamisato was wearing a 'disguise': hoodie, beanie, too big sunglasses, and baggy jeans. In all honesty, it made him look quite strange and definitely didn't achieve the effect they were looking for. But they were in the hurry and it was the best they could achieve.

"You know, I don't exile Magic Gods anymore, but keep this up and I might reconsider-"

"Come on, no one is exiling anyone. Nephthys, don't make fun of him"

Othinus got out of Touma's pocket and was clearly stifling snorts of laughter.

But final straw was Niang-Niang, who suddenly came from behind Nephthys, pointing at the boy, chuckling loudly.

"This is the... dumbest... disguise...I've seen in decades!"

Touma intervened before Kamisato sent entire section of the surrounding area to the remote reaches of the timeline. He lightly grasped Nephthys' hand, motioning to the school building.

"Everyone, come inside. We will be late if we don't hurry. I have to explain Kamisato and Amazora to Komoe-sensei. Niang-"

"Don't worry your spiky head" Niang-Niang suddenly was straight by his ear, and he shivered because of ticklish sensation her breath made next to his ear. "Your friendly ninja Niang-Niang will not be noticed."

In the next moment, she already was nowhere to be found.

"Let's go, tanned onee-chan" Amazora beamed at Nephthys, who awkwardly shook her leg and hip, which was embraced in the starfish-style hug.

"Hello, small human. Yes, let's go. And for your information, that's not a tan"

(LATER)

Touma felt exhausted already.

It was easy to explain Amazora's task, although same couldn't be said about explaining Amazora that she should sit still while the class was in session. But thanks to Komoe's benevolence, homeroom had 20 minute integration time through which the girl could talk with Touma's classmates and ask questions. Touma was already dreading what info was she writing in the notebook she was carrying with her.

Nephthys took place by his side and Kamisato sat on the far back of the class with Amazora. Touma managed to convinced Komoe that Kamisato was visiting their school because he was interested in applying to it, but Fukiyose still berated him from bringing strange people to class.

Well, that was one of the things she was mad at him for.

Speaking of Fukiyose, Touma could not phantom why she kept glaring angrily at Nephthys like she was right now. For some reason, the girls did not like each other ever since they met.

Come to think of it, he recently didn't see her all that much. He was busy, and didn't have time to talk properly. Well, Fukiyose was usually angry at him, but... as strange as it sounded, he missed having a good talk with her. It could have been missed by an outside observer, but she was as essential part of mundane part of his life as Tsuchimikado and Aogami.

He knew Fukiyose for a while now. They were friends and were through some adventures of their daily life together. Even if they had differences, which usually ended in painful outcomes for him, it could be said that they were close.

Or at least... it seemed so. Did something change?

Maybe not for Fukiyose, not that Touma would know, but as for himself... he had dreams. Very vivid ones. He actually wondered why was that or what caused him to have them now. The point was, a lot of them involved his worse experiences... including his deaths, and circumstances that led to them.

He couldn't deny that when Fukiyose got angry at him, the vision of different girl, in different world, twisting shard of glass into his torso flashed before his eyes.

This made him quite uneasy. He didn't know why he had all those strange dreams, and it wasn't like he was scared of his friend. That wasn't it, he was sure of that. But there was something definitely going on. He had hope that Fukiyose didn't feel avoided, but he knew that this conclusion could be reached rather easily.

There was no way to explain that to her in rational terms. But sudden nightmares couldn't ruin his life and his bonds with friends. So he had to talk with her.

As he looked at Komoe-sensei, occupied with writing something on the blackboard, he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder. He shivered when he noticed the cause.

Nephthys was napping with her head on his shoulder, with her silver-white hair stuck between his shoulder and her cheek.

For some intelligent observers, yet not to a certain dense boy, Fukiyose's glares would suddenly make a whole lot of sense.

(MEANWHILE, NEPHTHYS POV)

I am surprised myself.

I am currently drifting in between sleep and waking world. Which is strange because I don't need to sleep, eat, or even breath. But I assume that my curiosity is getting better of me.

Even though this relaxing feeling consumes me, my mind knows no rest. And even though I may appear asleep, I am still aware.

We, Magic Gods, are living our dreams and enjoy the moment. That's the way it should be. With our powers, we can do almost anything. Nothing is out of reach.

It is so great... that it may as well be completely redundant. It is puzzling how omnipotence can bring out total excitement and complete lack of enthusiasm at the same time.

In all I can see, I see infinite possibilities. Billions of shimmering echoes of what could have been, possible worlds, phases begged to be brought to active existence. It's blinding, exhilarating, enchanting... and overwhelming.

When you can do everything, what is the point in morality? In effort? In any activity at all?

Contrary to me, those mortals would lose their short lives on chasing dreams. Look at this blue haired deviant. He has his lustful desires and will pursue them without questioning anything. This girl in a headband who follows Kamijou like a second shadow. That peculiar pink creature. The girl with a power sealed by magical artefact, that broke into tears when I complimented her. Even that busty loudmouth.

Their lives are short, their actions feeble and insubstantial, and in time they will all die and not even ash of their bones will remain. Meanwhile, I will endure eternally and carry on throughout time.

The extent of the things I can do that those mortals cannot is unimaginable. And yet each of them is apparently more driven than I could ever been.

I am still weakened, but I am steadily regaining my strength, At its peak, I can solve all of the problems of this world. I can inverse cause and effect, create whatever I want, destroy whatever I want, toy with time and space, redefine the very history and logic with off-shot idea.

I can bend reality to my whims. I can do anything, literally. I am almost omnipotent.

Yet for all I can do, there are times I would not do anything at all. Because contrary to those mortals, my limitless power brings me the most limiting thing there is. My own self. I could easily help them out. But in state between dream and waking, I feel chaotic. All it takes is one thought, but I don't feel motivated to channel my power into anything.

So what if I change the sky golden? So what if I turn rainforests to deserts? So what if I cause Earth to spin the other way round and destroy entire civilization? So what if I fix all problems of this reality?

Those mortals can find meanings in such futile things. And this is truly admirable. Because of how long I lived, everything you can think of already happened from my point of view. Been there, done that. I am consumed with obsession of creating new worlds for the sake of it. It's all fun, it's all a game. With no meaning whatsoever. Meanwhile humans are so admirable because they manage to find, or at least strive to find meaning in their actions.

Oh sure, they will all be gone in a moment. By the way, no offense, but whoever made the original phase, the Pure World, really messed up. Billions of lifetimes, over billions of years, and all they amount to is mere dust in the wind? I can sneeze better realities than this. Probably already did by some point. It also makes me want to tear up.

I cry a lot, for a lot of reasons, from hitting my toe in this human form, to watching someone die. It's in my nature as a goddess of mourning. But when was the last time I shed a genuine tears?

Niang-Niang usually doesn't dwell on such metaphysical problems for so long. Maybe this is Imagine Breaker's influence? The point is, for vast majority of time, we have fun, and just do whatever we want... because there is so much to do and see for us. Yet occasionally, there is a certain Feeling overcoming me.

This Feeling is specific only to immortal beings, and I doubt there is a proper expression in the mind of someone who is limited in time. One can probably think of it as immortal equivalent of depression or melancholia. Kind of ironic, because this Feeling represents the lack of meaning and void, and in itself can't be expressed easily.

But that's why I find the company of Kamijou Touma so interesting, and I am sure that Niang-Niang feels like this as well. In the kaleidoscopic mirage of possible worlds that we see in every being and time of this reality, in this wave of shimmers and shadows, Imagine Breaker is like an unchanging anchor. It has no possibilities, no deviations or alternative ways that can explode into new layers of reality. Its stability is tranquil and mundane. It remains fixed, as it supposed to be.

I kept the Feeling away from others, but I am starting to suspect that it may be connected with my new life. The only question is... what should I do?

(LATER)

"What the hell was that, Kamijou?! How many times do I have to tell you not to demoralize the class by pulling crap like that?!" Fukiyose fumed, confronting Touma with hands on her hips.

"I bet Nepht...Nebena-san was really tired" Touma backed away from the girl, but she took few steps forth, not allowing him to escape.

"That doesn't justify anything. You almost made Komoe-sensei cry. Also, you didn't seem upset that this sleazy abroad student was sleeping on you."

"Sleazy? Not my fault I look good" The eyes of Nephthys lit up a little, as she curled her lips into a grimace of distaste" Kamijou-san did nothing wrong, so please stop being noisy"

"I am not noisy, I am merely vocal out of compulsion, and only because you forced me to. You are a distracting influence ever since you got here."

"Oh, am I? Well, I am thinking that you could relax a little, or you will never get a boyfriend"

"W-What does this have to do with anything?! I bet you ran away from Egypt because your personality made you a bitter, manipulative loner!"

"Can't we just..." Touma tried to say, but both his bust classmate and egyptian Magic God 'hmphed' and walked in opposite directions, first quickly and with enraged face, second with cold dignity and grace.

Touma sighed, rubbing his head.

"I can't tell, why those two can't just get along?"

"You really aren't the brightest in the feelings department, are you human? Well, it's not like it is something unknown" Othinus sighed while peaking out of Touma's pocket.

"Yeah, he really isn't"

Touma looked at Niang-Niang, who once again appeared out of nowhere. It seemed like time slowed down all around, for everyone except them.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing... wow, this booby girl is tough one. I like her! Even if she could be a little more direct, and a little less violent... but I also love good beating down, so applause for her, ahahaha!"

"Why are you here, Niang-Niang?"

"Oh, don't tell me you missed me?" Niang-Niang winked at him, ignoring Othinus gripping the material of Touma's shirt with frustrated face "I just wanted to ask you about something. But maybe I will do it later, should situation call for it. For now, I need to talk to Nephthys about her little situation. Oi, toothpick, come with me too."

With a flick of Niang-Niang's finger, Othinus was pulled out of Touma's shirt.

"Oi? Niang-Niang, what are you-"

"See ya!"

With a snap, both she and Othinus disappeared in a flash of light.

Touma stood there in shock, as time resumed its proper flow.

(MEANWHILE)

Kamisato Kakeru was walking around Certain High School. If not for the uneasy feeling of being hunted by his group of girls, this would actually be a rather pleasant experience. Even if Kamijou and him didn't exactly see eye to eye in all things, his school reminded Kamisato of his own, back in the good old days before Magic Gods granted him World Rejecter. The so called great power he never wanted to have in his possession.

Well, there was one different detail and it was a small girl walking nearby and staring at him intensely.

"What is it? You've been staring like that for quite a while now."

"I just dunno... onii-chan is my one and only super special onii-chan, so I can't call you that... so maybe... uncle Kamisato?" Amazora mused out loud.

"If you are trying to figure out how to address me, just stick with Kamisato"

"Uncle Sato!"

"Were you listening at all?!"

"Why do you hate onii-chan? He is so cool!"

"I don't exactly hate him... anymore. It's just we have different opinion on romantic life, and value different things."

"So... you are scared to be loved by many people?"

"Look, shouldn't you be more concerned about doing this report thing?"

"I already have a lot of things written down"

"You are not going to leave me alone until I explain myself, right?"

"No. Onii-chan is not here, so I am being a hero now!"

"Great, now there is two of them. Fine, if you must know, I don't believe that many people can be drawn to me for genuine reason. For a long time I believed it was only due to my power, because I attracted many girls after it manifested. But after I was left without it, those girls still wanted to hang out with me and save me. I still can't believe it... it seems too much like quantity over quality for me"

Amazora thought for a moment.

"I am not good in those things, but Kai onee-chan always says that if someone is so stubborn about opening up to something, then he must have some unfinished problems."

Kamisato stayed silent for a moment, before putting his right hand forward and staring at it

"I had... a girlfriend. Before I got my ability, I had one girlfriend, and we were happy. I was just an ordinary guy, but I was perfectly good with that. Then all of the sudden my life got thrown upside down. Group of powerful people gave me this power, that I never wanted... and I was so damn angry..."

"What happened with your girlfriend?"

"I...I don't know. I was scared of my power, and I... ran. Ran far away in a quest for vengeance, joined by more and more girls"

"So... you were a coward"

Kamisato's eyes darkened and he slowly raised his right hand, with shadow seemingly stretching across Amazora's face. However, girl was unfazed by his actions, causing the boy to sigh and lower his hand.

"You have quite sharp tongue. Half a year ago and you would gain one-way ticket to New World"

"I don't quite understand, but I learn from the best"

"But, well, my actions were a bit cowardly. But how can you explain something that happened to me? I couldn't just tell her-"

"You should just try, uncle Sato! When I am scared, I am doing my best to shoot through my fears!"

"That's a metaphor... right?"

Amazora blinked, as if Kamisato said something dumb.

"Metaphor? What caliber is this?"

Kamisato shook his head in exasperation.

"You might as well be this idiot's younger sister. You two are worth each other"

"Really?!" Amazora beamed, hugging Kamisato's arm, as if it was the best compliment she could have heard.

Suddenly, there was a loud booming noise on the outside.

"Oi, did anyone see Nebena-san?" asked a boy running

"Hey, what's going on?" Kamisato asked him.

"I know it may sound weird... but there is a mob of angry girls outside!"

Kamisato suddenly got up, his eyebrows knitting into one line.

"They found me. Time to go! Hey, do you want to see something cool?"

He raised his hand, so the shadow covered the wall. And then...

"Wow, it disappeared! So does it mean you are... "

"Sure does. This power can banish everything with conflicting desires and-"

"... an illusionist! Riku nee-chan once showed them to me on TV."

"What?! Listen, I got to run. Either go with me or stay here"

"I am coming with you and find onii-chan on the way! Also, do you have pigeons in your sleeves, uncle Sato?!"

"AGAIN, I AM NOT AN ILLUSIONIST! I really erased the... you know what, nevermind..."

(SOME TIME EARLIER, ELSEWHERE...)

Niang-Niang and Othinus rematerialized on the sands of the desert, far from any human settlements. Nephthys rose her head, as she sat under the palm tree in the oasis clearly crafted from her power.

"Oh? How did you find me?"

"Oh please, you always go here when you are on Earth and need to relax" Niang-Niang said, coming down to the grassy meadow in the middle of grass.

"Why is she here?" Nephthys shot a glance at Othinus.

"Because she has the right to hear your problem, if it concerns Kamijou Touma"

The silence of the desert was deafening, before sensual lips of Nephthys uttered a short

"Excuse me?"

"I will be frank with you" Niang Niang's green eyes focused on the face of her best friend "Are you experiencing the Feeling right now?"

Othinus' face flashed with shock, as she looked at her fellow deities.

Nephthys didn't change her gaze in the slightest

"So what if I do? The Feeling is for us like a cold for humans. Every Magic God experiences it from time to time. It's the price we pay for being eternal yet retaining our hearts and emotions. But I am sure you are aware of that"

'No, she is right, but the Feeling is much more than that' Othinus thought, clenching her small fists ' Feeling is experience of void and meaninglessness connected with decay of material world and nigh-omnipotent abilities. It should not be ignored.'

It couldn't be fully expressed and differs for each individual Magic God. Nobody could really predict when or why specifically it would strike. Some, like Niang-Niang or Nuada, had a good personality to deal with it. Some, like High Priest, had such spiritual knowledge that the risk was reduced. But not tending to Feeling could be disastrous. Othinus heard that Prozerpina spent 500 years literally frozen in sorrow thanks to it. And it was due to her own tainted emotions that she felt the hopelessness that made her feel lost, destroy the entire world, and inflict so many deaths on her Understander.

"Nephthys, this time it is different, isn't it? Our life in Academy City changes you. Is it because of Kamijou Touma? Did you develop attachment to him?"

"Don't be silly. We are only there to deal with problem within his right hand. Which I will get to immediately"

"Really? Because I can totally understand the interest. And it seems to me that you experience jealousy"

"Oh really? I am a goddess, why would I be jealous over a one, insignificant human?" Nephthys said calmly, but the grass around her turned into sand once again. Niang-Niang sighed and Othinus reddened in anger.

"Toothpick here will bite you if you call Kamijou insignificant. Besides, we both know that you are pretending now. You value Kamijou. Was it that short time while World Rejecter was around and you tagged along? Or was it right now? Either way, you found yourself caring. But you know what happens when Magic God develops attachment to a mortal, whether it's friendship or affection-"

"I AM AWARE!" Nephthys raised her voice, and clear sky darkened for a moment before becoming blue again" I am more than aware, I am a goddess of mourning after all. We both bid farewell to so many..."

"Kamijou is kind of special. I am not sure why did you start to consider him important, that's for you to tell him. But I know you long enough to know that you apply the rules to anyone except for yourself. You want to play hero and deny that you have needs?"

"You know that's not what I want."

"Then were you jealous of mortals?" Othinus asked.

Nephthys stopped, and for the first time in a while took a good look at God of War.

"Just a few centuries ago, I would absolutely laugh at that notion" Nephthys sighed, as the three stared at the mirages from the heat appearing in the distance "Just in this one second, I can think of millions of ways I could change reality in one simple motion. To have all that and feel empty is like a bad joke. But... I admit that watching them interact in this mundane manner feels me with bitterness. When one can do everything, he loses direction of what was the starting point. This was your problem, Othinus. As for me, I don't know what is genuine anymore. Humans live only a futile fraction of eternity. But they live the only short life they had with such tenacity. This booby forehead girl from Kamijou's class berates him for no good reason, not realizing what wonderful luck she has."

Niang-Niang and Othinus were silent. They knew what Nephthys was talking about. Magic Gods had amazing adventures and almost limitless abilities. But if they didn't kill their own emotions, forming bonds was out of question from one simple reason. The proportion of immortal beings to mortal ones.

Mortals could spend their entire lives with immortals, but immortals could not do the same for their mortal companions. The bonds had to be severed all over again, and loneliness had to be killed in order for one to go on.

"Nephthys... I buried countless people too. I crafted many phases when they were alive again, but not even that can truly cheat death" Niang-Niang said slowly" And I know that it hurts. But the alternative, the avoidance, is not meeting them at all. And that sucks even more!"

Othinus shifted uncomfortably, but still voiced her opinion

"Besides, if you try hard enough, you may be able to find something wonderful. It took a lot of time, and I lost my immortality, but I found my Understander and even if it's a simple life"

Nephthys slowly rose up, and looked at Othinus

"You know what? You are absolutely right. I shouldn't concern myself with it that much..."

"That was easier than I-"

"...because there is something that agitates my souls even more" Nephthys muttered darkly. The sun suddenly got dimmer, and the sky blacker. "Did it ever occur to you why we couldn't see eye to eye? It wasn't because of your personality. It was because you always went along with your own sense of justice and did what you wanted with no regards to consequences"

"As if you were any better! For that matter, that's the whole point!" Othinus exclaimed, pointing at her angry adversary" We warred over reality for eons!"

"Maybe for God of War like you value of a life is nothing, but I mourned everyone your beloved conflicts killed! It's true I wished for my reality to prevail but I still have some rules. You two are right, Imagine Breaker is special. It could guide me to my original phase, just like you wanted, Othinus. But I don't want to go back. I want to have meaning to guide me forward. With Imagine Breaker's influence of giving certainty in infinite possibilities, this is realizable. You don't know what is like, Othinus. You took that path because you chose to! I never had any choice, I simply popped up into existence with dozens of voices, souls, and destinies formed into my being. And despite that, I tried to do my best. So imagine what was it like when I heard of that little stunt you pulled off while trying to get Imagine Breaker."

Sky was now completely dark, and Othinus flinched at the words of Nephthys

"If our roles were reversed, I would never commit those atrocities. There were other ways to get Kamijou Touma to help."

"Don't speak like you didn't want to use him later on! We all wanted to take advantage of his right hand" Othinus shouted back.

"Use him back then? But of course! I never said I was a saint. Manipulate him? Seduce him? Bribe him? All were plausible. But immeasurable amount of killing? Your actions were a disgrace to Magic Godhood!"

"I... realized that... and I am atoning for that now" Othinus spoke in a more humbled tone.

Nephthys' eye twitched, as stream of her tears trickled down onto the sand, accompanied with flash lightning.

"I just can't comprehend his thinking! When confronted with someone presenting peaceful way, or someone who killed him more times than the age of universe, why are you the one understood and walk without a care in the world?!"

CLANG!

Nephthys fist collided with a sturdy wall of weapons forming a Pao-Pei that emerged from the sleeves of Niang-Niang.

"Nephthys, you are my best friend, and you helped me more times than I could count. That's why I know that you are not acting like yourself now. Don't you see your words and actions are somewhat biased. We didn't lift a finger during Othinus's actions, so we are in no place to talk. Your emotions are clouding your judgement. If Kamijou's actions really impacted you in any way, do you think that he would like you and Othinus hurting each other? I am all for fighting, but what you need right now is talking. With Kamijou. Whatever problems you and Othinus have, you can solve them later after you cooled your heads down. Come on, don't make me be the voice of reason here, that's usually your role, it's kind of freaky"

Nephthys slowly backed away, as if awaking from the trance.

"Oh... he would hate that" she whispered softly, before looking at Shijie-Xian. Othinus also fell back on the sand.

"Why did you do this? Snapped me out of it..."

"I mean, I like both of you. You and Kamijou. So I can't have him hating you, or you discarding yourself away"

The eyes of the egyptian goddess lightened up

"You... are a really good friend, you know that?"

"Well, duh. Go on!"

"Othinus, we will resume this conversation. For now, sorry for getting carried away"

"It's fine... I guess" Othinus let out air she didn't know she was holding inside. She didn't expect the emotions to get so intense.

Nephthys vanished as if she was one more mirage of the desert.

(MEANWHILE)

Kamijou Touma collided with Gokusai Kaibi in the school entrance, when he got out to investigate the source of earlier noise.

"Ow! Kaibi? What are you doing here?"

Kaibi dusted herself off and pointed behind herself.

"I met those two, and they apparently want to see Kamisato to explain the situation to him. They also say they know you as w-"

Kamijou was tackled into double hug before she could say anything else.

One of the girls was small and wore a pink hoodie with strange golden antenae on her head. The other was taller and wore dark coat, accompanied with a hat adorned with feather and an eyepatch.

"Kamijou!"

"Fran! Luca!" Touma was genuinely surprised, as he managed to get a good look in their face. "Why are you with Kaibi?"

"Well, long story short..." Touyama Luca adjusted her pirate hat and looked beyond Touma's shoulder "We are looking for Kamisato, and apparently, there was a misunderstanding that we need to clear out. Miss... Gokusai, was it... said that he was with you. Where is he?"

"He is right-" Touma then realized that both Kamisato and Amazora weren't in fact following him "... not here"

"Can you help us search then?" the ufo-girl, Karasuma Fran, grasped Touma's hoodie in her small hand" That's very important..."

"Sure, but you can slow down a little..."

Kaibi watched yet another of the many peculiar interactions she witnessed while being around Kamijou Touma. From what the girls told her, they were only Kamijou's friends, and were not interested in him, which is a phenomenon on a... well, enormous scale. Kaibi were a bit disappointed that they didn't see either Kakine Teitoku or Oriana Thomson, two people she was looking for, but nevertheless, she decided the two were worth investigating upon.

"How did all of you meet?" she asked.

"Huh? Well..." the trio looked at each other, before Touma picked up" They are loyal to Kamisato. When he went missing, we had an adventure together while trying to bring him back. Sort of a near-death bonding experience. Afterwards, we each went our own ways, but decided to keep in touch. I think it's safe to assume that we became relatively good friends. Of all of Kamisato Faction, those two have the most positive connection with me. Not counting Salome, that is"

"Salome?"

"Kamisato's sister. I worked with her too. Strange, really strange even, but reasonable enough"

"Okay... by the way, where is Amazora?"

"Emm... that's the funny thing... with Kamisato, probably"

"Probably? And with the guy that is supposedly powerful and dangerous?! For that matter, your friends are strange as well."

"I am sure she will be reasonable"

"I think you know by now that my sister and reasonable don't mix with each other rather well"

"He is not dangerous" Fran fumed, before muttering" He is more reasonable now"

"Let's see what the ruckus is about" Touma said, running behind the school building with 3 girls following suit. But when they got to the school football and tennis fields, everyone, especially Kamijou, froze with a shocked faces.

"And I thought things couldn't get any stranger... hehehe... silly me" Touma sighed, looking forwards with a mixture of confusion and resignation.

Kamisato Faction was heading this way, so he was kind of expecting them to be here.

But while this was indeed a huge group of girls, this wasn't Kamisato Faction.

It was...

"Wow. Why is almost all of Tokiwadai on your school grounds?"

Touma sighed again. LOUDER.

"I think I may be repeating myself... but once again, I am kind of afraid to know. This is going to get even more bizarre, isn't it? When things are relatively calm, justice seekers are all over the place, so where is one now, when we need the god damn intervention?!"

(NOT SO FAR AWAY...)

"Hachoo!" Fukiyose Seiri sneezed while wiping the blackboard clean. She waved her hand around, clearing the air of the remnants of irritating chalk powder.

"Bless you" came a quiet whisper behind her, causing Fukiyose to jump and stumble, before regaining her bearings and noticing Himegami, standing in the entrance with a focused, tranquil look on her face.

"Thanks, Aisa. I didn't notice you, you really startled me."

"Heh, tell me something I don't already know about my presence..." came the melancholic comment.

As Himegami didn't change her expression, Fukiyose shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"Well, thank you for taking class duties for me, now I can check what the hell is happening out there-"

"Wait..." Himegami grasped Fukiyose's arm "There was a reason why I wanted to see you now. Before you go, I need to ask you something"

Fukiyose was somewhat surprised by the quiet, yet stern tone in which her usually reticent friend said that.

"Okay... what is it about?"

"It's about Kamijou. Did... something happen between you two?"

"Wha... what?!" Fukiyose took a double take, looking incredulously at the miko girl "Where did that come from?!"

"Kamijou-san is playing it well. But he is distant when he is with you. As if he was weary... and you seem to be harder on him than ever. You scold him on practically every occasion"

"That's ridiculous!" Fukiyose's shock quickly turned into anger, as she looked at Himegami with fire in her eyes" Why should I care about what this moron thinks?! It's not like I begged to be liked or anything"

"Don't lie to me. I have little presence, but this makes me good in observing people. You were concerned that Kamijou is getting distant..."

"Aisa..."

"...but you didn't know how to act with those feelings, so you became angrier and angrier, and blamed everything on Kamijou and scolded him. But this only made you feel worse..."

"Aisa, that's enough..."

"... so you were forced to admit to yourself that you actually care. And you became jealous of Nebena-san because she came from out of nowhere and-"

"I SAID STOP!" Fukiyose roared, slamming her fist against teacher desk. Himegami remained unfazed, clearly accostumed to her friend's temperamental nature.

"Is this reaction a confirmation of my suspicions?

After few deep breaths, Fukiyose spoke again

"Let's suppose... that I care about what Kamijou thinks of me. In this hypothetical situation, do you think I went... overboard?"

Himegami tilted her head, deep in thought.

"Well, you scolded or even hit him when he was late, when he was looking at you too much or too little, when he complained, when he made a mess, when he was sick, when he supposedly flirted with other girls, when you deemed Nebena-san a distraction, during your usual battles with him, Tsuchimikado, and Aogami, when he had an accident-"

"Okay, that's enough, thanks" Fukiyose bit her lip, turning around, as her face got slightly hotter.

Although she knew some of her outbursts were justified, the frequency and intensity of them in recent times...

When it was laid down in lengthy list by her friend, it felt...

'That... actually sounds awful, I can admit that. I felt so frustrated that I might have gotten a little carried away. Wait... why was I frustrated in the first place? It's certainly not because Kamijou was off to god knows where and this exotic flirt seemed to be connected with that part of him! Agh, I am supposed to be having a breakthrough here, so why thinking about it makes me want to hit Kamijou even more! This reckless, insufferable-'

She shook her head so much, that her hair came undone. Tucking it back into orderly fashion, she turned back to Himegami.

"Aisa... does Kamijou hate me?"

"Oh, so you really do care..." came another phlegmatic quip.

"Ugh, just answer the question!"

"Kamijou is not the type to hate anyone for something so simple" Himegami smiled softly, as if remembering something "He goes to impossible lengths to ensure the happiness of others, and I am sure he has some good reason now. Even if something distanced you two, the best way is to talk it out. I would love to do that if I was noticed mo-"

"Talk with him?!"

"You need that. You are frustrated, he has something troubling him, and you both don't deserve to circle around in misunderstandings. The best way is to be honest, even if you want to just fist your problems away"

"I-I don't... always... fist my problems away." Fukiyose mumbled, as her usually unshaken demeanor wavered slightly. "By the way... you like Kamijou, don't you?"

Himegami blushed, but answered without hesitation

"Yes. He saved me from being misused and pulled me out of my illusion, so I could meet all of you. Even if he doesn't notice me as a heroine in the story of his life, I will always cherish our bond"

"So... why do you help me? With Kamijou and all of that?"

"Seiri... you are my best friend. You deserve to be happy. And if Kamijou gets to be happier because of that as well, that is the best"

Fukiyose smiled back at quitter girl

"I am not good in touchy feely stuff... but thank you. That means a lot"

"Well, some amount of attention for me would be great too-" Himegami started to say, but Fukiyose was too immersed in her erratic thoughts over a newfound discoveries to hear her anymore, as she marched off the classroom, completely forgetting about the noise that she meant to investigate.