NOVEL NEXT Chapter 25: chapter 25
(MEANWHILE...)
Touma thought he saw some weird things today, beginning with boxers-wearing Kamisato Kakeru in his closet.
But he wasn't prepared for a mob of clearly angry ojou-samas on playing field of his school.
Even more strange was the reason of their anger
"Bring us the girl called Nebena Hettori!" some girl screamed, and others followed.
'They want Nephthys?! But why?!'
He looked at Luca and Fran, who shrugged at him. Kaibi looked just as puzzled.
Luckily, the answer arrived in a form of a sparking, chestnut haired girl.
"Hey idiot! Explain yourself!"
Biri-Biri?! What do you mean, explain yourself? Why don't you tell me why there is a bunch of furious ojous screaming for Nephthys by the side of my school?"
"Kamijou-san..." Shokuhou Misaki came to Mikoto's side, while handing him some photos. While calmer, she too seemed agitated" I am Shokuhou Misaki, Misaka-san's... acquaintance. Apparently, in your school there is a student called Nebena who bragged about being more graceful and beautiful than 'the overrated, pompous, spoiled hags from Tokiwadai'. So we want to have a little chat and do the justice right."
Nephthys said that? That didn't seem like her. This looked more like...
"Oh, come on, don't tell me..."
"Do you know what is going on?" Kaibi asked him.
Touma raised his hands while looking at two level 5s.
"Look, some idiots from our school are obsessed with Neph...Nebena-san, and they must have do this. I am sure of that."
The long and short haired duo looked at each other, and then back at the object of their shared affection.
"Well, if that's true, then half of the problem is cleared"
"Wait... half?"
"Look at the photos"
Touma looked and what he saw was him and Nephthys together. In some cases, rather close to each other.
"The implications many of us got is some kind of... romantic involvement ability between you and this... female" Shokuhou spat ending of the sentence as if it was some ancient curse and not regular japanese and if she was struggling hard not to use words other than 'female'.
"Well, that explains bloodlust" Kaibi nodded knowingly. Even Fran and Luca seemed to know what was going on.
"Eh? Eh? Am I the only ignorant here?!"
"That is nothing new"
"There is no novelty ability about this one"
"And now Biri Biri and beautiful golden acquaintance are putting salt on my wounds!"
"Idiot, you still have some explaining to do. This girl looks exactly like the woman we met when we were chased by that mummy. Come to think of it, I remember those two girls behind you as well. What is going on? Shokuhou, aid me here!"
"Heheheh... even if he doesn't remember, he called me beautiful~~" the golden hair girl giggled, looking at Touma lustfully "Whenever you do this, even without meaning, my body gets all-"
"Okay, on the second thought, keep quiet, I DON'T WANT TO KNOW" Mikoto chimed in before Touma could say anything "And either I am crazy or you keep hitting yourself in the head because you definitely met Shokuhou before and-"
Before Touma could become more confused, Fran coughed loudly to bring everyone's attention to present problems.
"Kamijou, we need to locate Kamisato, remember? We have misunderstanding to clarify"
"And Amazora" Kaibi added.
"Something tells me that the rest of them may need more time to calm down though" Touma whispered, while looking at the crowd.
He noticed familiar faces. Hokaze Junko looked grumpy, which for her pure soul was already quite a lot. Even more girls from the group she was in seemed really angry, and was in shouting match with the girls from Touma's own school. There were many more girls, forming different groups, but all of them were looking as if they were looking someone.
Nephthys? And maybe... him as well?
Finally, he located someone else and closed in to approach her.
"Kongou-san!"
The raven-haired girl quickly spun around with face so angry that Touma had to force himself not to jump back. Moments later, the anger vanished, turning into happiness.
"Darling?! What are you doing here?"
"Well, for one thing, I go to high school here and... wait, were you crying?"
"No!" Kongou quickly tried to rub away the dried trails of tears" Well, I might have gotten a little... emotional, when the entire school learned that you and this brown skinned thief are..."
"Wait a second, there was a misunderstanding! And why everyone is getting so worked up about- wow!"
If Touma didn't dodge, he would be hit in the cheek by Aero Hand Bitch Slap and sent flying. Kongou pouted and turned around with arms crossed, muttering something about dense men.
After recovery, Touma put hand on Kongou's shoulder
"Kongou-san, can you please help calm down the situation? I really need your assistance"
And so, he explained the misunderstanding and told Kongou that he must help his friends in clarifying yet another mishap.
The girl faced him, and although she tried to feign disinterest, her flushed face and slight fidgeting betrayed her.
"If I do calm them down, would you consider taking me for a little... randez-vous?"
"I am gonna do a tactical nod for that, and what I can propose..." he leaned to Kongou's ear and whispered something to it.
"Darling, I can't..."
"Come on, it will be fun, you won't regret it"
"Very well... you shall have Kongou Mitsuko for assistance" Kongou coughed, and dashed away, trying to hide the happy smile.
However...
"OI, you idiot! Since when you and Kongou-san are this close?!"
"OI, you moron! Since when you go on some secret encounters behind my back?!"
"Help, enchanting golden stranger! Tsundere duet is bullying poor Kamijou-san!"
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A TSUNDERE?!"
Finally, the both sides (namely, girls from Tokiwadai and girls from Certain High School) calmed down enough for Touma to go in between. Kongou gave him thumbs up, when he raised his hands in the air.
"Okay, I will now explain the situation... I know you were upset..."
"I will never allow you to be taken!" shouted some girl from Tokiwadai's side. It was followed by murmurs like "I wuv Kamijou-san", "we can offer you more, Kamijou-san", "Kamijou-san, I dream of you every night"
"Ekhm... right. So, if you are willing to follow my words..."
"I will follow you everywhere in the world..." this voice, although not identified by Touma himself, belonged to a girl wearing a white headband, one of his classmates. Certain High School girls were in no less agitated state, muttering things like "we saw him first" "Get lost, rich snobs", and so on.
Touma was about to speak, when...
"Kamijou! There you are!" Nephthys suddenly appeared with her arm around him. And by suddenly, it was so sudden that no of the girls noticed her approach.
"Kamijou, I was looking for you"
"Heeey Nephthys~, you know, there is a sea of death glares around us"
"Well, that's strange, but the thing is, I really have to talk with you. This is important"
"Maybe not in the middle of what looks like an angry mob trying to murder us"
"They can give up, I am immortal. But... oh dear, you can still die"
"Thanks for reminding me. Now, can you please set things straight?"
After short recap of what transpired...
"Really? That's amusing..." Nephthys giggled to herself, before tossing her hair aside and stepping forward" So you say I should apologize?"
"I think this should calm them down a bit, until we find out who actually sent the photos"
"Okay then... ATTENTION EVERYBODY! I am the one you've been looking for" Nephthys spread her arms, looking at Tokiwadai ladies, but addressing also the girls from Touma's school" I am Nebena Hettori. There was an unfortunate accident. But if I am to apologize, I am sorry that you couldn't realize my superiority earlier on. I am deeply saddened that the difference in our levels of experience and beauty caused you to suffer."
If the earlier anger was like fire, now both sides radiated something that could be described as fusion of radioactive miasma and hotter-than-hell magma
"WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS?!"
Touma felt like he was about to collapse from stress.
"Nephthys, are you nuts?"
"What? I am a goddess, it's not my fault I look amazing. I thought you agreed to that"
"Can't you Magic Gods do something about superiority complex?"
"But I am superior to them. It is not an affront, I am a goddess! Strange... maybe I should go before I make anymore complications due to my lack of human etiquette. If you find time, please come by the river"
And just like that, she was gone.
"Are you kidding me?! What next?!"
"Onii-chan!" a voice called out from the crowd, and there was a blur of pink and golden hair as Amazora came into view, chased by rather tired Kamisato Kakeru. It seemed that he followed the girl, not having the heart to leave her.
"What?!" Touma, Kaibi, Fran, and Luca all exclaimed at the same time.
"Onii-chan and... onee-chan too! I found you!"
But in the next moment...
"Kamisato-sama!"
There was a large booming noise, and Touma paled, noticing that a big wave of various attacks rose up heading straight for the running girl.
Kamisato turned around, Touma jumped forward, Amazora finally noticed the danger. She opened her lips to scream.
One right hand was put forward, the other sliced air in horizontal motion, with its shadow trailing the wave of attacks.
Amazora fell on her butt, as both Kamijou and Kamisato walked forward, with right hands still outstretched. No material structure launched crashed down, no magical or esper attack ever got to its destinations.
"What do you think you are doing, Salome?!" they both screamed in anger.
Two groups of girls looked at the entrance to the playing field to notice a girl looking like a bona-fide gyaru, with tan and silver hair, barefoot and wearing translucent raincoats on herself. She was accompanied by multiple other girls, dozens of them, each looking peculiar in their own ways.
"Why are they here?" Touma muttered to the Fran and Luca, that ran to his and Kamisato's side.
"Well, I did give Salome a tracking device so we could stay in touch... maybe she suspected something and went to search here?" Fran looked at Touma apologetically.
"Great, just great" Touma looked to Kamisato Faction, using the confusion Tokiwadai and Certain High School felt regarding the arrival of new party" Salome, what the hell? You almost hit Amazora!"
"Hey Kamijou, long time no see" gyaru girl waved at him "Actually, we were aiming for those girls, so if you want to step aside do it now-"
"Wait a second..." Kamisato put his hands to a 'time-out' sign "You girls assumed that I ran away because I was looking for other group of girls?! Wait, that's not true at-"
"Onii-sama, you don't have to say anything. You could have been brainwashed by those hussies. We will free you and treat you better if you go back to us!"
"Salome, you can't be serious!"
"Yeah, we don't want this brown haired bore" the wave of ojous cried out" Kamijou-san is our hero!"
Some of the members of Kamisato Faction made sounds that sounded dangerously close to hissing.
"Brown haired bore? Kamisato-sama is ten times more benevolent and awesome than this plain hedgehog"
"Oi! Don't badmouth Kamijou!" there were shouts from Certain High School side" especially after trespassing on our school grounds! Will we tolerate this, girls?!"
"Tokiwadai took too many insults today with patience. Comparing Kamijou to that guy crosses the line. We will show you why we are the elite!"
"Don't underestimate faithful to-be-wives of Kamisato-sama! We will obliterate you, thieves!"
"Girls, can we please-"
"YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!" a choir of angry voices made Kamisato and Kamijou recoil.
And then the groups simply charged at each other. Even Shokuhou and Misaka's battle spirited reignited. Soon after, the playing field became a battlefield, when 3 groups of girls clashing with each other. It was a total chaos, with abilities, esper powers, limbs, and even everyday objects, such as chairs, flying around.
Touma grabbed Amazora and gave her to Kaibi
"Okay, you get out of here"
"I want to stay with you. I am not abandoning you in the middle of the fight"
"No, get Amazora away. I will handle this."
Kaibi looked as if she wanted to argue, but finally relented. She slipped her hand into his and squeezed it once.
"Once I secure her, I am coming back to you"
Touma nodded and turned around, towards the cloud of dust that raised from continous .
"Okay then, it's the end of Mr. Nice Imagine Breaker. Everyone is just popping out, they're multiplying! Who is next? Anti-Skill? Ancient espers? Coronzon? Anna Sprengel? Come on!"
The door burst open, revealing the missing male populace of Certain High School. Their eyes were grim, but for another reason then the eyes of warring girls.
For some reason, Touma actually preferred his older enemies, because he knew exactly what was going to happen next.
"Aogami... just listen to me..."
"Kamijou... I am sorry we have to do this. But we can't allow such harem flaunters to walk around unpunished"
The crowd of guys nodded. And so, the hero of the world, Kamijou Touma, was forced to flee, running in circles around angry catfight, while chased by the group of his schoolmates filled with rather murderous intent. Although he did not have time to watch the fight, while fleeing for very life, he knew that both Certain High School and Tokiwadai girls were getting really fired up against common enemy of Kamisato Faction. He also saw that few people, including Fran and Luca, tried to stop the fight, but in vain. He noticed flying objects, that looked suspiciously similar to Kongou's fan, Mikoto's arcade coin, and a remote.
And speaking of Kamisato, he too was chased by male part of the conflict.
"This! This is why accepting harem is bad!"
"Duly noted, but don't you think that we have more pressing issues at the moment?! And why do you make it sound like it is my fault?"
"Shit like this is always your fault!"
"Just focus on running!"
(MEANWHILE...)
Fukiyose walked and walked, so deep in thought, that before she realized it, she came to one of her favourite places in the City. The spa and massage center. Being a health product freak, Fukiyose adored natural skin-care products that was used in this establishment.
Right now, she was feeling so confused and dizzy that before she knew it she got herself a treatment, got undressed and laid down on the massage table.
It took her a while to get to comfortable position, due to her large chest, which captured the attention of the other massage participant.
"You have a beautiful body" the other girl complimented her" You must take care of it a lot"
"Not as much as you" Fukiyose complimented the older girl back, and it was absolutely sincere. This girl had such looks that even Fukiyose, who was very developed for her age, felt intimidated in front of such feminine virtue.
Apparently, both of them had worse day and they began to chat with each other, and later engaging in full blown conversation once they entered a rejuvenating bath after treatment.
Normally Fukiyose would be so chatty with the stranger, but the girl had something very appealing about her, something approachable. There was also the fact that apparently, she was sad that her date plan didn't work out today. She came her before her lecture, and later was about to sulk and eat ice cream (Fukiyose skipped on commenting how counterproductive to the treatment that would be)
"That guy you are talking about... do you, ehm... love him? You sound like you care a lot"
The collage-age girl smiled and submerged herself deeper in the water. Her chest, more or less the same size or even bigger than Fukiyose's, remained partially on the surface
"When we first met, he saved my younger sister. He also changed the way I saw the world and gave me new hope. When we met again, he was attentive, caring, didn't mind my past misdeeds, and supported my hobbies. Yes, I do love him. A lot. And I am very, very proud of that. It's a shame that my plan didn't work out though..."
"Well..." Fukiyose shifted her legs in the water before continuing" I think you need to be more assertive. Show dominance. Fight for your time. Offer something amazing to him. Give him as much attention as you receive or more. You said that he is interested? It shouldn't be that hard..."
"Well, he is not an ordinary guy, that's certain. But you are right, my love is too strong to sulk like this. And what about you?"
"Me?"
"You said that you want to speak with the guy you love, but don't know if he hates you..."
"I-I deeply appreciate him, d-didn't say anything about love! I wish to speak with him, and for the things to go back to normal"
The older blond girl watched her, before snorting in laughter.
"What's so funny?" a twinge of irritation permeated Fukiyose's voice.
"You said yourself that I need to be assertive, but it seems that you are not sure of your strengths in this particular case. Listen, what is it that you want?"
"I... don't want him to hate me..."
"I have a younger sister, that would rather say 'not hate' than 'love'. For crying out loud... but anyway, here is the onee-san's advice! If you don't want to be associated with punching and brute strength, and want to have an honest talk to make amends, think a step further. Don't try to get back to how things were, improve them!"
"Improve? How?"
"Surprise him, catch his attention. Be romantic, do something he would not expect! Be nice to him, and listen to him. It will all work out"
"But romantic? Me? This will not work-"
"I think you said before that you respect hard work and stepping out of comfort zone. If you expect that from that boy, be honourable and do that for him. I got the impression that this is the kind of person you strive to be"
Fukiyose could not help, but smile.
"Touché"
As they finally got out and get to the changing room, Fukiyose bowed to the unknown young woman.
"Thanks. Nice to have a calm time of relaxation with such good advice. Even if it sounds impossible..."
"No, no, the pleasure is all mine. You gave me new motivation to try again in my own romantic advancement."
"Is that bit about you being able to synthesize your own cosmetics was true?"
"Yes. I am a chemist and constructor, and I pride myself in my work. Beauty products is not exactly my main line of work... but I do make my own, healthy skin-care products. Would you like to try them?"
"I would love to! If you need a business regarding health products and some ideas, I have plenty"
"My my, it's a deal then. Be sure to drop by some other time to chat at the spa. We can also meet somewhere else if you want to" the blond shook her hand after finishing combing her long hair "I am sorry for not introducing myself before. I am Gokusai. Gokusai Rikuri"
"I am Fukiyose Seiri. Well then, see you around, Gokusai-san"
And such, Fukiyose was back on the street again. Even though what Gokusai-san said to her seemed like an impossibility, it kept coming back to her.
'Surprise... beautiful... feminine... romantic...'
Suddenly, her thoughts drifted to one particular item she kept in her closet at home. The attire she never used in her life and was a gift when she qualified to Academy City.
'No... I can't possibly... no, that's not my style at all...'
The Iron Wall tried to convince herself and kept her sturdy façade upright.
But before she knew it, she made her choice.
(SOME TIME LATER...)
"That was terrifying. Straight up out of nightmare!"
"Alright, Kamijou-san... it's not like I don't enjoy hugging you, you are super good hugger as a matter of fact, but can you please explain me first what is going on... so I can actually understand?"
Thus, Touma told the story once again.
The fight ended with Anti-Skill intervention, as the teachers got affairs in their own matters. Group from Certain High School. The Certain High Schoolers got back to school, Tokiwadai somehow managed to flee (Touma supposed some thelepatic tricks at work) while Kamijou, Kamisato, Fran, Luca, and the rest of Kamisato Faction had to run away from the chase. Losing the pursuers was not easy with the group of over 100 people but using talents of few girls from the faction, they finally were left alone after 2 hours or so.
Then, after Kamijou held Kamisto with Imagine Breaker, confirming to Salome that he wasn't in fact brainwashed or anything of this sort, the leader of Kamisato Faction finally talked with his faithful girls.
It turned out that they learned a lesson from previous year and wanted to have a normal surprise party for Kamisato, but when he ran away, they assumed he found a different group of girls.
Touma's reaction was a proper hit to Kamisato's face for blowing things out of proportion. But before a fight ensued, Salome suggested hiding somewhere until today's commotion settles down.
Turned out, she made a friend during her visit in Academy City, even before she got into the fight with Misaka Mikoto.
And who had the talent of making the most unusual people friends, regardless of circumstances?
"Are you mad that we came here?" Touma looked at the owner of apartment, that was filled to its limit (some of the girls were standing or floating outside of it) and hosted Kamisato Kakeru's birthday party.
Saten Ruiko shook her head and smiled.
"I was just a liiiitle bit shocked. I do have many people coming around, but never 100 at once. But hey, that's legendary level 0 hospitality" she slipped out of his embrace, and tied her hair, before putting on her apron.
"I can't believe you became friends with Salome" Touma commented, looking at Kamisato, being tossed around the apartment by squealing girls.
"I simply can't belive onii-sama thought that lowly of us. Although, on OUR birthdays, it will be a different story..." they heard Salome scream, which was followed by laughter.
Saten shrugged, pulling out cooking products.
"Well, I don't discriminate when it comes to making friends. Speaking of that, your own friends from this group are fascinating. I swear I saw this girl, Luca, change into a grown-up woman to get some drinks"
"Yeah, they are a strange bunch"
"You have this worried look in your eyes..."
"I am just saying, I don't want you to get into trouble by befriending someone truly dangerous..."
Saten playfully poked Touma's chest and grinned to him once again.
"I have a lot of luck. Besides, I can always count on a hero to save me. I trust you, Kamijou-san. Misaka-san told me all about you"
"Well, you are basically Academy City's urban treasure on your own. Damn right I will protect you"
Saten blushed, and waved her hand
"You are exaggerating..."
"Are you kidding? Listing all of the good things about you would take me all day. Also, you are cooking! This is simply beautiful!"
"Why is that? Your own cooking is better than mine"
"Yes, but to see hospitable girl cooking... that just melts my heart. My old roommate didn't cook, and as for 3 new ones... one can't, one won't, and the dishes of one, despite the best efforts, are still half-toxic. So you cooking is just beautiful"
"Thanks. You know, I realize that as a level 0 I will not matter much in a grand scheme of things in this city but talking with you always makes me feel happier about myself"
"Likewise. Do you need a hand in making those dishes?"
"You bet!"
And so, Touma helped Saten with the cooking, and spent the party getting up to speed with Fran, Luca, and Salome. Finally, he wished Kamisato happy birthday, regardless of the hectic day that they had. In the meantime, he sent a message to Kaibi, who arrived after leaving Amazora in their appartment, making the apartment even more cramped.
Suddenly, Touma got one more text on his phone
'Kamijou, meet me in front of Lagune, in an hour. It is important.'
It was from Fukiyose.
Touma got up and walked to the kitchen
"Saten-san, my friend needs my help"
"Okay, have a nice evening. Thanks for coming, as always"
"You are leaving? I will come with you" Kaibi offered, but he shook her head.
"This is something I must do alone, she is asking for me specifically. We will meet up later. Can you help Saten-san in my place"
"Argh, fine, since you will go anyway... do your hero time, just be careful."
"It's not a... okay, never mind that"
(AFTER AN HOUR)
Lagune was an italian restaurant, not overly expensive, but also not the one Touma would go to on his own. As he stood in front of it, a movement on the edge of his vision caught his eye.
He turned slightly, and then was stunned beyond anything.
"Fuki...yose?..."
The girl before him was undoubtedly his classmate. But she didn't look like she usually did.
She had crimson dress with burgundy accents, reflecting street lamp's light in the enchanting, fiery glow. The dress perfectly accentuated Fukiyose's curves and her large bust, however it was not revealing enough to leave her exposed. Fukiyose's hair was glossy and combed, her forehead in medium between her regular style and Forehead Deluxe. Touma could swear he saw faint trace of lipstick, barely, yet it was noticeable.
"You probably don't know what is going on, so I will just-"
"Beautiful"
Touma had to say it straight out. He felt he would become less of a men if he didn't
"You are absolutely beautiful, Fukiyose"
The girl stopped in mid sentence, and although she felt as if her heart was suddenly filled with blazing fire, she kept her composure.
"Thank you. Don't worry about being underdressed, this is one-side arrangement."
"You didn't rob anyone, did you?"
"I had lot of view changing experiences today, so I will let this slide, but you are very close to getting a punch to the face right now. No, this dress is a present from my mother. It belonged to her when she was my age. Now, let's go inside."
The inside of the Lagune was warm and cozy, with walls painted with views of Tuscan panoramas.
They were seated, chose their dishes (in all of the commotion, Touma didn't actually eat) and looked at each other awkwardly.
"Is everything alright, Fukiyose?" Touma looked at her with concern "You seem to be sweating a little bit"
After taking a deep breath, Fukiyose began
"Kamijou... I want to talk about something important. As you know, I am a woman of action. It is easier for me to punch something or arrange things to be in order, whether I organize a festival or teach three stupid idiots a lesson"
Touma smiled at that, as the girl continued.
"But I realized there are certain things I can't just force to be good. I have to take a step back and talk it out. This is why I am here now."
"What... do you want to talk about?"
"We know each other a while now. Longer than everyone else in the class in fact. Remember that? Our first meeting, I mean?"
'Good we talked about it before' Touma thought 'It's not like I can remember anything before my memory loss'
"Please don't make me remember that. I fell on you through the roof of the bathing house and my face got stuck in your... well, it was super embarrassing"
"I chased you and pummeled you with my fists. It was a great memory. How did you fall through anyway?"
"I would rather not remember that..."
"Well, anyway, the point is, you may be lazy, irresponsible, drive me mad, and shield yourself with so called bad luck... but I don't think about you as only that. Tell me, do you trust me?"
Touma had no hesitation in answering
"Yes, of course"
"Then... why are you avoiding me?"
"What? I don't-"
"Don't!" the girl raised her index finger in the air" Don't lie. This will only work if we both go out of our way and be honest. So, what is this about?"
"Fukiyose, it's not..."
"Do you hate me?"
As always, the Iron Wall girl went straight to the point.
"What? Why would I hate you? No!"
"Then... are you scared of me? You don't avoid me physically, but I sense the distance that wasn't there before. Please, tell me what happened. I won't get mad at you for it... but we are a team. If you feel the same, please talk to me"
Their food arrived, and as they ate, and this gave them some space as Touma thought about what to say.
In truth, Touma knew Fukiyose was right. That distance grew ever since... what he saw in Alpha World. But he couldn't tell her. That at the beginning of his torture, in the phase vastly different from the one they knew, a version of Fukiyose rejected him and stabbed him with a shard of glass.
This wasn't her fault. It was just a play of the goddess wanting to crush him. A world like infinite others.
And when he meditated on why this bothered him so much, he suddenly realized something.
"Fukiyose... this might be hard to explain... but I had a dream. We were together in a devastated world, and you-"
"I hurt you, didn't I?"
"Well..."
"I knew it. You do hate me." Fukiyose's face became deeply distraught, and she wanted to get up, but Touma stopped her.
"No, listen till the end. Yes, in this dream, you do hurt me. For some time, I was reliving this vision, not knowing why. I am sorry if you felt like I hated you. This is not true at all."
"But... if you had a dream like this..."
"I know why I went through... I mean, had dream like this. Fukiyose, you are one of the people I consider connected with my normal life. There is nothing more important to me that all of my friends smiling together in that peaceful normality. When Fukiyose from my dream hurt me, I was afraid. But I wasn't scared of you, I was scared about you"
"W-What?"
"Fukiyose, I never want you to become like you were in my dream. This is why this strengthened my resolve to protect our shared normality, our life, and everything you consider dear. I... don't want to lose this. Not ever!"
Something stirred deeply within Fukiyose's heart, as she slammed her hands on the table
"What are you saying? Even if I hurt you, you would still want to protect me? Are you mental?"
Touma lowered his head and chuckled
"Call it as you want, but it's the truth. You know me well enough to know I am sincere here. I am going to save you, even if the world gets against my way. I am a selfish human, but I know that I want to protect this shred of peace I can have. And you are an important part of it. I am sorry for making you feel bad."
Something rose up in Fukiyose's throat, as Touma went on
"I must have really gotten you mad this time. I mean, you have every right to be angry. But it's not like you actually hurt me or anything. I know that our banters are part of routine. But don't worry. I sometimes can't really read your moods. No matter if you care or not, I will never hate you."
"I care..."
That came out as a chocked whisper, different from Fukiyose's usual voice, and Touma barely heard it. But what followed, spoken in the tone mixing anger and sorrow, showed just how much this was weighing on the heart of the presumably iron-hard girl.
"I care! I care! Of course I care! What do you think I was thinking and doing all this time?! I knew you were going off to god knows where and I couldn't stop it! I wanted to convince myself that it's not my business or that you have good reasons. To hell with that! Even if both of those are true, I can't simply let you die! Do you know how much I was worried when you just disappeared?! I felt things I couldn't describe even in my better time. So I went on and hit you, kicked you, and wasted my time to teach you that you are only human! You have one life! I don't want... to find you in the news, crushed, killed, or defeated by some obstacle! I thought that if I try hard enough, we could stay like we used to. But ever since you met that nun friend of yours, you got even more reckless. I tried so god damn hard to give you free hand. But it kept coming out in the worst possible ways. This wasn't supposed be like this! I just can't... I am not good at feelings! I just wished... I could tell you that. But I was too prideful. I watched you risk your life so many times that by this point those feelings should be killed. But they only hurt more. I couldn't deal with them, so I put them in my fist, and blamed you for making me feel this way. But it was wrong! It was so ridiculously wrong! You are a moron, you never take things seriously, and you have the most illogical ideals, some in direct contrast to mine... but even when you stood up to me, I noticed tenacity and willingness to fight stronger than in any other person. You never argued back, not because my gender, or because you thought it was a waste of time. You went through some horrible things, and cared even for our quarrels because this was reminding you that things were well again? And I was too blind to notice it before... Kamijou, listen. You saved many people, including me. Aisa told me that you saved her too, which means it's partially thanks to you that I have one of the best friends I ever had. The point is... I value you. I don't want you to risk yourself needlessly, but I know this is something that is in your nature. It's just so frustrating that I want to scream, and punch things, and I don't know what to do with myself. But I won't lie to you or to myself. I care, more than I ever realized. And if you ever find yourself in danger, and feel the need to fight for that life we cherish... you can think of me, okay? Because if I can't stop you... I want you to return safe. Always do and always will. So there, I said it! I do... care for you... so make damn sure to come back to me"
Fukiyose was breathing heavily, as Touma stared at her, wide-eyed.
"Wow..."
"I was actually expecting a lot more... wait, are you laughing?"
Touma was indeed laughing. When he stopped, he smiled at Fukiyose
"Sorry, it's just...I am glad. I am so very glad, it's as if some weight was lifted off my chest"
"Yeah... I know what you mean" Fukiyose couldn't help, but let out a chuckle of her own.
It was a simple reaction, but it showed just how much relief both of them felt in that moment.
"You know, for that matter, I never properly thank you for Daihaseisai. I know that you managed to punish the person who made me sick that one time"
"I also owe you a thank you for that moment during heat wave. They told me that you didn't leave me side back then"
They looked at each other with a smile.
"Seems like we both are pieces of work."
"What do you say about being work in progress together?" Fukiyose said, leaning forward.
And then...
"Oh no! Excuse me, sir."
A waitress accidentally pushed strongly onto Touma's chair while balancing the tray, which caused him to fall forward and bump into Fukiyose's forehead.
"Ah..." they both uttered at the same time.
It was a deja-vu moment, as they were once in the exact same position.
Only this time... Fukiyose didn't feel anger. Only a strange fire in her heart, that spread throughout the entire body.
"Fukiyose..." Touma muttered, also seemingly entranced by the closeness.
Although certain parts of her screamed in embarrassment, the fire quickly consumed them, as her feelings roared in approval. And as she closed her eyes, and their lips were about to touch...
Kamijou's phone beeped, and they quickly moved away from each other.
"Oh... seems like I have to help..." Touma looked at Fukiyose, who sighed and shook her head.
"I might not be the best to tell you this, but learn some delicacy!"
Fukiyose should expect interruption, but...
'Damn it! It might be embarrassing, but I really, really wanted to kiss him just now'
"Don't worry. We are classmates after all. You will see me soon" she said nonchalantly, a tone of determination and strange happiness entering her voice.
"About the bill..."
"It's on me. Treat me next time"
"You are the best!"
"One more thing before you go." Fukiyose didn't know why she wanted to ask that question, maybe to indulge some strange curiosity. She slightly pushed up her breasts with her hand" As you know, they are rather big. Do they look good in this dress?"
Touma looked forward, nodded sagely, and gave thumbs up
"They look absolutely amazing"
It wasn't common to want to kiss and kick someone at the same time, but Fukiyose Seiri accepted that today was the day of impossibilities.
(LATER, BY THE RIVER)
When Touma got down the stairs near the riverbank, Nephthys was already waiting for him.
She put her hands together in a mark of apology
"Sorry about your date. And about running from that chaos by the school. I assumed you had everything under control. You got Niang-Niang's message?"
"Is she around?"
"Probably. Othinus too."
"Well, that's fine. And it wasn't a date... I think. Me and Fukiyose just said what we needed to say to clear our relationship"
"Your honest naivety is very cute. I believe I already told you that" Nephthys sighed, making water in the river swirl with motions of her finger.
After a moment of silence, Touma spoke again
"Hey... back then, you wanted to talk about something important. Can we do this now?"
"Yes. That is in fact why I wanted to meet you. You see, I was overcame by a negative state of mind and went too far, so..."
And then Nephthys told Touma of her feelings regarding mortality, her argument with other goddesses, and how she thought Touma could help her. After she finished, the boy stared at the river in contemplation.
"Why me?"
"Hmm?"
"You said you wanted to talk to me specifically. I am a regular human, a mortal. I am no expert in metaphysics of immortality and feelings of gods. Wouldn't Niang-Niang, Othinus, or some other Magic God be better for the job? You said I was special. But why?"
A wind rose up from the east, making the grass on the shore rustle and pyramid-like ornaments in Nephthys' hair chimed slightly.
"Why, you ask? In contrast to other Magic Gods you know, I came to existence not really knowing my ambitions besides the fact that I am Magic God and Lady of Mourning. Niang-Niang wanted to save her relative and became a Magic God to try to rescue her, Othinus sacrificed her eye for knowledge and power, High Priest's attempt to become a Buddha was foiled. Each and every one had some history prior to becoming a Magic God. Yet I... simply came to be, one day in the pyramid, over 4000 years ago. I was formed from wills and lives of slaves. And so I never knew. Who was the one they called Nephthys? The voices of people who formed me were embedded in my being. Dozens of wills, fighting over control. It took me centuries to learn and control them, but doubts still remain. Who am I? What do I want? What is my desire? I discovered my place as the goddess of mourning. But death could not fully satisfy my desire in life. Even after changing reality so many times with my powers and living through so many mortal lifetimes in different phases, I have yet to find my answer. Meanwhile you... lost your memories. You were left in the strange and unfamiliar place, with no connections and knowledge of how to go on. You had to learn everything from scratch. Just like me. Not only that, but you possessed Imagine Breaker. You can't be altered by phase manipulation. You are stable amongst the unstable. No matter what happens, from perspective of Magic Gods, you are genuine. You are cure for the void of the Feeling"
The waves smashed by the shore, as Touma shook his head.
"I don't think so. I think only you can decide your destiny"
"It's not about the decision. It's about having an anchor, something to return to. Your mortal life may be short but because of this shortness, you place amazing value on it. When you can do anything, value of everything is slowly devoured. You can either kill your emotions or..."
Nephthys sighed and stretched her slim arm. Her uniform shimmered and changed back to her usual bandages.
"You know, for a moment, I was thinking about asking World Rejecter to send me back to the New World?"
"What?!" That actually shook Touma up quite a bit" You would be trapped again. Why would you do that for?!"
"I was... unsure. I wanted to run away because I felt that something was changing in me. And it was. But maybe... just maybe... it was for the better. Kamijou, I respect but also hate death. It pains me to bury people, while they could be enjoying lives as long as me. There are so many potentials, blown away like warm candles. That's why I actually enjoyed immortality. I wanted to guide as many to calm and peaceful ending as possible. But... even we can get tired. This is what the Feeling is. But I am tired of running! That's why... I will not discard life on Earth altogether. Neither will I abandon my life as a goddess. Niang-Niang is my friend. We are not ready to go separate ways. Although..."
"You were considering becoming mortal, like Othinus. Am I right?"
"I am not sure... but if I ever get so tired that I will not be able to continue... then maybe it will be so. In theory, it should be possible for our power to self-destroy itself. We can do almost anything after all."
"Would you survive that?"
"I don't know. I was never mortal, like other Magic Gods, unless I am treated like an extension of the slaves that formed me. So who knows how the process may affect me. Like I said, it's a hypothetical situation that I am not sure I want. Besides, if I become mortal, I would have nowhere to go"
"That's not true" Touma spoke quietly, causing the goddess to look at him in surprise. "Nephthys, I heard you were jealous of Othinus".
"My anger already subsided a lot" Nephthys muttered, twirling her white hair in her fingers" But I simply cannot fathom why you acted like you did. She was cruel to you! She killed you, for heaven's sake, multiple times! And you still... protected and chose her... while we didn't account for High Priest's behaviour, we would surely treat you better. So why..."
The 'why wasn't I understood' was never said out loud. There was no need to spell it out.
"Nephthys... Othinus needed help, just as much as you. What happened between us was, at first, negative, toxic, and surely many people would see it as weird. But you surely know how much can happen in the scale of time we are talking about. We were together for eons. Our bond is special, and I am not sure if anything can ever replicate it. It might not make sense to others, but it is something I treasure beyond anything. Othinus is someone I can't live without"
Nephthys said nothing. Tears in her eyes, whether as an instinctive reaction or emotional overflow, changed her heterochromic eyes into well look-alikes of crystal blue and golden yellow.
"That being said... I am not going to let you down just after learning good sides of you and Niang-Niang. I don't know if I can satisfy you if you compare yourself to Othinus. But I can promise it now: if you ever are in trouble, need help, or want to talk with me, I will do whatever I can to save, help, or comfort you, no matter where or when I am. You and Niang-Niang are welcome here, and in our home. It may not be much to omnipotent beings, but if you ever need me to, I will do my best to make you happy."
Nephthys' eyes brightened a little bit.
"You would do that for me? Even if I take different form, or will be on the other side of the earth, or-"
"Yes. As long as you don't endanger others, I am on your side"
Once again, there was no chance to notice a blush in the darkness and on the dark skin tone.
"Nephthys, I have one more question"
"Ask away"
"Can you Magic Gods create phases that have time flowing differently than here?"
"Hmm... yes, it can be achieved. It's not something regularly done, but-"
"Then it's settled"
"What is?"
"I have two more things to add to my promise. If you don't know if you want to resign from being a god, that's all fine and cool. Go to a phase with a differently flowing time, and have a blast with Magic God adventures that my ordinary brain won't even comprehend. Live on, a long and happy life filled with adventures. But if you ever feel the need to become mortal and live like me and my friends, no matter if it will happen after decades, hundreds of years, or more, come back to this phase and find me. I promise that if you manage to turn human, I will stay with you and help you organize your life here, in one way or another"
Nephthys smiled at him and suddenly extended her hand, tracing it on his cheek.
"W-W-What are you doing?!"
"I think I can fully understand now. How Othinus was saved, that is."
She then turned around. Yet Touma, coming back to his senses, spoke further
"There is one more thing. You could have been jealous, but your reflections on mortality and your feud with Othinus weren't the proper reason of this negative emotional state... that Feeling... they were only the catalyst, weren't they? The true reason of your anguish...
Nephthys nearly stopped breathing, as she turned around to find Touma staring at her with a sad smile on his lips.
"... wasn't because you were tired of your role. You were scared that if you ever were to die, no one would cry for you. You always cried for everything dying in this world. But who would mourn the goddess of mourning? That's why I promise: if you ever die, on that day...I will surely cry for you, Nephthys"
And in that moment, the goddess hugged him tightly. Tears, more than ever, flowed down her eyes, drenching Touma's clothes. But the boy paid no mind, caressing that whitish silver-head and letting all the emotions, dulled by millenia of mourning, flow out.
"Let it all out. I will stay with you as you cry, as long as it takes"
Nephthys did cry, and even whimpered, but for the first time in eons, she also smiled in the middle of her tears.
Those tears weren't of pain and sorrow. Those were tears of hope and relief.
"Thank you... thank you so much!"
Meanwhile, Niang-Niang and Othinus, magically hidden, watched the scene unfold with many emotions in their own hearts
"Wow, Nephthys is the emotional one, but even I felt something in that cold chest of mine. Toothpick, are you mad at Nephthys?"
"I was, at first. But after my human's speech... I just can't be mad. This is the thing about Understanders" Othinus smiled with pride" He just did a thing I love him for".
(15 MINUTES LATER...)
Finally, Nephthys stopped crying. After conjuring a tissue and blowing her nose, she spoke to Touma
"So, what now?"
"Aside of what we just talked about? Well, I suppose we can simple talk further. About both mortal and immortal topics... provided that I know how to respond"
And so, they talked. One of the topics of interest was the art class in Certain High School.
Nephthys laughed as Touma handed her one of his sketches.
"What's this? It's supposed to be me, right? One eye is higher than the other! And my waist is not that thin!"
"You don't have to laugh at it though! This Kamijou is trying his best!"
"Oh, I don't mean anything bad, it's endearing. Honestly, modern style is great. I have sentiment to egyptian art, but after thousands of years of seeing myself from profile, I actually craved something new. And at least you got the hair and the nose right" She giggled again, tracing her finger across the bridge of her slim nose" You know those legends about Cleopatra's nose? Those were actually about me."
"Get out of here! Hmm... oh, can you tell me about how it feels like to create a new phase?"
"Hmm, how to express it could for mortal to understand... It's a lot like weaving. The universe is your material and you let it expand like a never ending snowflake fractal-"
(LATER ON)
The life went on.
As usual, some things got resolved while some new questions appeared.
Touma still needed to discover who sent the photos to Tokiwadai, among other things. But all in all, things ended on a good note.
When he separated with Nephthys, he messaged to Fukiyose with an apology for leaving. She wasn't mad and wished him good night, warning him not to be late to school next day.
Kaibi and Saten managed to give Kamisato a good brithday party and satisfy multitude of guests. Touma celebrated it by buying 3 sundae, which the trio ate together after Kamisato Faction left.
Before that happened, Touma was once again hugged by both Fran and Luca, promising to write to them regularly. Salome also came to say goodbye, alongside Kamisato himself.
"So, what will you do now?" Touma asked him.
"I planned to... go back to my home town. I need to make things right with my old girlfriend"
"That sounds challenging... I mean, with your group"
"I will make it work some way. This little blond squirt made me realize a few things. She is almost as annoyingly preaching as you are. Anyway, I don't want to run away anymore"
"Well... good luck then"
Touma turned to Salome, who was watching their conversation with amused look on her face.
"Please watch over him before he does something stupid. Take care of yourself and try not to kill too much... preferably, at all"
"You don't have to tell me twice. I am his beloved imouto after all. As for the killing, I make no promises, but I will try to keep it in mind. You take care too! Will miss ya!"
(BACK AT THE APARTMENT)
When Kaibi and Touma returned home, they found Amazora and Rikuri asleep on the couch.
Measure Heart looked at Imagine Breaker. She motioned at the couch.
"Come on"
"No, really, I can't-"
" COME. ON!"
He didn't voice further objections. It's not like he actually had anything against it.
They went to change into their sleeping clothes, and in the meantime, Touma found Othinus, half-asleep on his bed.
"Welcome back. Are you okay?"
"Yes. Just... tired. Did I mention that I... love being on your shoulder? Niang-Niang has no delicacy whatsoever..."
Touma delicately picked the half-asleep goddess and placed her in the pocket close to his heart.
When he returned, Kaibi was already back in her pyjamas.
They made themselves comfortable on the couch, close to Amazora and Rikuri. Touma covered all of them up with blanket and soon enough the patchwork family of four (plus former goddess) was fast asleep, enjoying each other's warmth.
(NEXT DAY...)
In the closing words, it is nice to mention events of the next day.
Amazora looked at the crowd, while making her presentation for friends and family day.
Touma, Kaibi, and Rikuri all managed to find time for her, and were present in the audience.
However, pride quickly turned into horror.
"I love my family very much. I have 2 older sisters and 1 older brother. Kai onee-chan always keeps me safe and teaches me new and cool things. She is super pretty and talented in everything she tries. I love Kai onee-chan very much. Even though she never gives me any oysters, leaves tubes of ice cream everywhere when she has a bad day, and talks in her sleep about how she likes onii-chan."
Kaibi spat out part of the drink she bought earlier.
"Riku nee-san always gives me what I want and is there for me whenever I am sick or injured. She also buy me ammunition and all kinds of super cool accessories. Riku onee-chan is so pretty boys can go blind while looking at her! Even if she sings off-key under the shower, makes poisonous food, and can't run 50 meters, she is the best sister in the world!"
Rikuri's face exploded in crimson hue.
"Onii-chan is the best onii-chan in the world. When I was smaller, he was about to leave me in flaming garage, but he didn't and saved my life. He fed me when I rubbed my thighs against him, and moistened my hands so I could eat with him. Onii-chan has many different girls wanting him, but he still find time for me. I love my onii-chan so much!"
Touma got so pale that his face looked as if cowered in snow.
(10 MINUTES LATER)
"Owowowowow!" Amazora wailed while held by the ear by Kaibi
"Honestly, I knew that this would happen and I asked an old colleague from my dark side days to do some memory wiping, but why did you have to mix good things with bad stuff?"
"B-Because I thought that I will talk about stuff that is bad and still show that I love you, this will make my love for you muuuuuuuuuuuuch better. Onii-chan said that being in love is for both good and bad"
Touma, Kaibi, and Rikuri looked at each other, and sighed.
"You might have misunderstood the idea just a little bit"
"You are lucky that you are my cute little sister. But I understand what you wished to say and that you didn't want to insult anyone."
"Besides, we already know each other's flaws. We try to make up for it. That's what it means to be a family. So thank you for all the good stuff anyway and for giving you the feedback on the bad. Only next time... don't do it in public"
"I am sowwwwwyyyy, I didn't want to be meaaaaaaan..."
"Well, you can rehabilitate yourself, by going shopping with me"
"Eeeh? But shopping for house things is so boring!"
"Choose: either this or no oysters for a week"
"Shopping with Kai onee-chan is so fun!"
"Isn't she just precious?" Rikuri said to Touma" she has your sharp tongue, and our looks. She will become a wonderful young lady"
"Yeah. I can't even be mad at her." Touma replied back.
"Also, Kamijou-san... my food isn't poisonous anymore, right?"
"See you later, you three! I have something to take care off now!"
"W-Wait, you didn't answer my question! Kaibi-san, my food is nutritious and definitely not poisonous, right?"
"L-Let's go Amazora, the day has only so much time!"
"Don't dodge the question! Moooou!"
(AFTER SCHOOL, THE SAME DAY...)
Kongou Mitsuko was given her randez-vous. It took place in a dark alley, with no prying eyes.
"Darling... you can grab me harder..."
"I don't want to grasp to tightly..."
"No, this is good... very good..."
"Are you ready for this?"
"I am whole to your disposition"
Touma grasped Kongou tightly, his breath making her shiver.
"Are you ready? When the this goes off, there will be no turning back"
"I am Kongou Mitsuko. I am ready for everything you can throw at me"
Touma positioned himself behind her with smiled wickedly.
The deed was about to be done.
"Then... get those ejection points going!"
They were sitting in the old shopping cart. The cart that zoomed forward in the next moment, propelled by the powerful gust of wind.
Using Kongou's power for this version of high speed cart travel was an amazing idea.
Touma and Kongou started to meet after Kyozetsu incident, and they usually interacted by introducing each other to parts of their daily lives. Kongou invited Touma to fancy restaurant (in which he didn't have to pay, thank god) and on the fashion show, while Touma showed Kongou his favourite manga store and arcade.
But in their opinion, the most interesting were moments in which they both experienced new things. The middle ground.
The cart zoomed through the streets of Academy City, with majority of the people too confused to even notice what was happening. Touma chose place where the chance of having someone recognize Kongou was pretty slim.
They could steer the cart by activating more ejection points on the back or the sides of the steel object. The experience turned out to be incredible.
Well, aside from adrenaline, Kongou could squeal in fright and hug Kamijou, which was the very great bonus in her head.
Finally, after dozens of twists and turns, the cart came to a halt.
"That was so extraordinary! Being launched at the speed of my power is terrifying yet also so liberating! Thank you for suggesting this!"
"I... wasn't sure that you would like it."
"I surprised myself as well. Now, can you help me tidy myself up?"
"Yeah, I can do that. What should we do next?"
(THAT EVENING...)
Touma had to admit that spending time with Kongou Mitsuko was very much fun. In the end, their different personalities did provide some problems, but also made their relationship very entertaining to both of them. And honestly, there was something very cute about Kongou's face when she was looking at him, although he couldn't place why she looked like this.
"Hello?!" he shouted after entering the apartment."Is anyone here?"
Kaibi and Amazora were probably still out. But where was...
The lights blinded him and when he got to see again.
Rikuri was standing there, wearing only red ribbon, which covered intimate parts and ended in two big bows on her back. Drones hovering under the ceiling were scattering something that looked like rose pettals.
"What? What? WHAT?!"
Rikuri batted her eyes, before stretching to full height, walking confidently to Touma, who was still frozen, and placed a finger under his chin lifting it up
"Kamijou, go out with me. Let's have some fun, just the two of us"
Touma said nothing. Rikuri kept staring straight into his eyes, until he felt something on her finger
"Oh my~, blood!"
The trickling blood left Kamijou Touma's nose as he majestically collapsed backwards with a loud thud, passing out on the spot.
Rikuri looked at the boy, deep in thought.
"Fukiyose-chan said to be assertive and dominant... could it possibly be too much? Did I overdo it?"
(MEANWHILE)
Touma was supposed to be knocked out with no consciousness to speak of.
But he instead found himself in a strange and unfamiliar place. It was filled with mist of the colour that was hard to describe. He was standing on the peak in the middle of great abyss, stretching as far as his eyes could see.
"H-Hello? Where am I?"
"Welcome, Kamijou Touma. We were expecting you" spoke a deep voice, which resounded throughout the abyss. It was profound and sounded very old.
" What's going on? Was I... abducted?"
"Not physically. Your body is still safe and sound" another voice, feminine yet still vast and powerful, echoed from the other side.
"Although this might change soon if things stay as they are" another raspy male voice, accompanied with something that resembled cracking of electricity.
"We brought you here because it is high time for us to meet properly" fourth voice, ethereal and whispery, invaded his ears.
"Who are you?!"
"You met us before. Even in hiding, we watched your actions as the host of our containment" fifth voice, feminine and melodious, sang from behind him
"What... what do you mean? Show yourselves so I can see you!"
"Very well then, if that's your wish."
The mist lifted and Touma took a step back.
He was surrounded by dragons, dragons of all shapes and sizes, that hovered in the air of the abyss without any support. Dragons of so many hues that they looked like rainbow. Dragons, who were without a doubt focused on him.
He recognized some of them. A green dragon with 4 eyes. The indigo dragon that once swallowed Aureolous Izzard whole. The one eyed-cobra that even now dripped posion down her body. The skeletal dragon burning with undead red flames. The golden dragon which scattered lightning when he moved. The white dragon which scales looked like crystals or icicles. And finally, the dark black dragon with no eyes.
The black dragon lowered his head, and Touma felt as if temperature dropped several degrees. His head suddenly filled with visions that he never wanted to see again. The dragon must have noticed that because he withdrew a little bit.
"Have no fear, young human" he spoke. It was his voice that Kamijou heard first" We are all your allies here. But for that not to change, we must gather now and discuss what shall become with dark forces, that threaten the harmony of Imagine Breaker itself"
The other dragons nodded or roared in approval.
Kamijou Touma, still shocked, joined in as the mystical gathering in the place unknown began.