Toaru Majutsu no Index Painted prison chronicles

Before Maidono Hoshimi and Kankyougami Hasako faced the unexpected arrival of Kihara Enshuu, and also before Mugino Shizuri had an unexpected breakdown in front of Orsola Aquinas, there was a boy wandering through the night. He was massaging his head and arms, which were covered with bite marks. Those marks ached and he cringed whenever he rubbed them.

"I get it that it looked bad... but did she really have to bite that hard?"

Half an hour earlier, Index left, still fuming and muttering under her breath. Leaving Touma with blood coming out his head, still visible slap handprint, and bite marks.

"I guess I shouldn't be too surprised..." he sighed, cringing slightly" My luck was unusually fine enough as of late... and Index is still a lot gentler those days..."

He then heard a sound from the table.

It was Othinus. And she was laughing.

It was not something unseen, although not frequent. After all, the former nordic goddess was usually a wise and collected stoic. Not a lot of things could impress or amuse her.

"Othinus?"

Othinus slowly stopped laughing and looked at Touma.

"Othinus..."

"Human..."

They spoke at the same time, before pausing. After a moment, Othinus motioned in a 'go on' gesture.

"It's nothing, I just thought that I really like to hear you laugh. It makes me feel happy."

She smirked at him.

"Is that so? Well, I just thought that it never gets old. You having to deal with all of that craziness"

"Thank you for laughing at this Kamijou's suffering. I am glad that it could be of use in some form"

"Oh, don't give me that look, I am only teasing you. But you know... all of this, with dangers, world saving, and those stupid, utterly nonsensical days in between..." Othinus let out of a sigh of her own" All of that... makes me really glad that out of the all punishments I could have received, it was this one."

"Othinus..."

Touma reached out and the fairy jumped onto the palm of his hand.

"What brought that up?"

"This whole thing. Kamijou No Touma is not my Understander and I refuse to call him as such. I think that his existence is intertwined with heroic motif and desire for salvation. But he has conditions and weighs value of different people. I somehow doubt that he would extend that salvation to me, given that I erased things he possibly valued. So this situation gives me a greater appreciation of my own position. Honestly, I never thanked you properly for that"

"You are giving me too much credit. It's not like any cell could hold-"

"Stop diverting the topic when I am praising you. It's not like I gush praises left and right. Learn to take it while I am benevolent"

Touma smiled, lifting Othinus as she put her entire body on the surface of his cheek. Holding her in one hand, Touma gently put it behind Othinus. That way, they both felt hugged as much as they could, even if for him it was only the cheek.

"If he wins, I will be letting all of that go" Othinus mused sentimentally, before her tone hardened" That cannot happen. Even if I had to do unthinkable, I will not allow for you to be replaced by anyone else"

"You are right. I am not allowing this either" Touma nodded" For you and also for Index, I can't let him have his way. And now, because of what I saw, I wish to go forward... Othinus, for the first time in forever, I actually wish to achieve a happy future. I mean, I said it before..."

"... But never had a clear goal in sight?"

"Yeah. Sometimes I really wonder though... what is that bastard's game? His conviction to save others is the one I can't agree with... it makes me downright sick... but I sometimes wish I could understand..."

Touma got silent. Othinus jumped onto his shoulder from his hand and sat on it.

"Well, you are going to find out one way or another. I think he will give us all the answers in due time. What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know. Don't think I'll be able to just go to sleep"

They walked out of the kitchen and into the corridor.

For some reason, his tiny companion was in a very good spirits.

"Fu fu fu fu~"

"Othi-chan?"

"So you like the way I laugh? That's quite a thing, not bad at all. Now I can have something to throw at this arrogant toilet paper dispenser"

"You and Nephthys... are still on it?"

"Well, some time spent together is an eye opener, but she is still as annoying as ever. And to top it all, she is all over you in recent times"

"O-Oh, is she... I guess she is..."

"Your pockerface is fooling no one. That self-awareness is your undoing here."

"I-I have no idea what you are talking about, Othi-chan... anyway, do you know which way to turn from here to get to our room? Those corridors all look the same at night... maybe, let's try going here..."

"Hmph. Human, why do you ask if you are going to act on your own accord anyway?"

After walking through the stone, gothic-styled corridor for a while, Touma chose to enter one door that seemed similar to the pathway Orsola showed them yesterday.

However, he was soon going to learn just how much he miscalculated.

He entered the storage... or maybe it was a pantry of some kind? It was kind of hard to tell in the dim glow from the outside night. The moon was slowly setting and it's light was not as potent as few hours earlier.

Yet even then, Touma was able to notice a female silhouette, a girl with eyes blue enough to look like small sapphires in the darkness, who for some reason was wearing revealing and unmistakably familiar outfit.

Both Touma and Lucia screamed, the blond nun blushing brightly and shaking her head.

"Don't look!"

A long leg struck Touma, causing him to lose balance and tumble on the floor. Before Lucia's foot could step on his face and crush it to the floor, he raised his hands up

"L-Lucia-san, I had no way of knowing that you are here! It was an accident! Accident! See, I am turning to the ground, I won't look at you, so don't be mad"

No new blow came, so Touma assumed he was safe for now. He carefully lifted himself up sitting on the floor. To his surprise, he felt a back being pressed to his.

"Lucia-sa-"

"D-Don't you dare look back!"

"B-But... why are you sitting like this?"

"This is to make sure you won't turn around, a-alright? D-Didn't you humiliate me enough one hour ago?"

"Like I said, it was an accident. But... I am sorry, I have to ask... why are you wearing Fallen Angel Ero Maid outfit? Why is it even here? Kanzaki had it last time I saw it"

There was a moment of silence, before Lucia muttered

"So you saw it on Amakusan Priestess... yes, I suppose that would be correct. When it comes to this outfit, it circulates among the inhabitants of the dormitory... it became some kind of hot potato. Even though Kanzaki Kaori does have it for most part, it found its way among may clothes... I have no idea if it was a prank of some sort or not, but it got here... and since my habit was ripped and others are in the laundry... that was the only thing I could wear"

The embarrassment and frustration in Lucia's voice were almost tangible.

"I-If it helps, you don't look bad in it... completely different from Kanzaki, but-"

"I-It doesn't help!" Lucia hissed behind him and Touma felt her hands going up, presumably to her face" Don't review me here, that's indecent and unfortunate as it is!"

The pair sat in silence for a while, before Touma unsurely asked

"Can't you sleep? Is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything is..." Lucia snapped, before pausing, and taking a deep breath. She then spoke in much calmer and resigned manner" I guess I couldn't sleep after all. I am not... used to being away from sister Angelene for this long. Usually, I talk with her before she falls asleep... because she is still at that age in which she fears the dark and monsters. You may not get such feeling from me, given that I tend to be strict in my conduct, but I want Angelene, sister Agnese, and other sisters to feel content. I know I'm probably overreacting, but-"

"No, I don't think that you are" Touma said before he could stop himself.

He then quickly understood that he should continue and elaborated.

"I think the fact that you think about them like this is admirable. It's a very human feeling to have and I am sure Angelene would be very happy to hear that. You must believe that this Kamijou will never shun the idea of a big sister helping out the ones she cares about"

Lucia scoffed before mumbling

"Don't act like you understand me. I just... don't want others to feel the same emptiness that comes from not having a family that I used to feel. I don't know my parents or why my mother abandoned me... and honestly, when faced with what sister Angelene or sister Agnese experienced, it's not all that terrifying. In my case ignorance is a blessing. Sister Agnese's parents were murdered for her to see, and sister Angelene's parents practically ditched her while abroad without any clear explanation. To already have some and then have it taken... it's too painful. I am the oldest so I had to... no, I wanted to... be someone they could lean on during the times of hardship"

They sat back to back, bathed in moonlight, until Touma coughed into his hand and said:

"I... don't claim to know what you feel. I don't think I will ever be able to. After all, my parents weren't killed, they didn't ditch me or abandon me. But... I still lost them, in a sense"

He felt Lucia freeze and then shift slightly. He wasn't sure, but he had a feeling that she twisted her neck to look at him.

"What do you mean?" she finally asked.

Touma exhaled, deciding that the moment and occasion was good enough to speak about the issue he was about to reveal.

"I... lost my memories. While saving Index, all that time ago, I was hit by a stray after-effect of a powerful spell and lost memories of everything that happened prior to it. Almost 16 years of life. Which included..."

"...your parents"

Lucia finished instead of him.

The silence that followed afterwards was so long and stifling that Touma finally could not take it and turned around.

"Lucia-sa-"

And then he paused.

He could see the bright blue eyes of the nun, and then her entire face.

A great change occurred.

When he first met Lucia, she frequently looked at him with hostility, hatred even. When he and Agnese Forces made peace with one another, those looks turned into ones of cautious apprehension. But Touma never saw the expression in front of himself on Lucia's face.

It was sad, compassionate and almost... caring.

He suppressed a shiver. Seeing Lucia's face like that was something he wasn't used to, given how temperamental and opinionated she usually was.

In that moment, for the first time, Lucia made first genuine connection with the boy known as Kamijou Touma.

Two teens looked at each other, until Touma realized that once again she had Lucia in a rather skimpy outfit in full view.

Lucia realized it as well because she yelped and Touma just barely avoided another slap.

They returned to sitting back to back.

"I... had no idea. Maybe..." Lucia said, looking at her feet" Maybe in some ways we can understand one another. Is it... hard for you?"

"I... don't know" Touma admitted" On one hand, I don't feel like I have a real right to complain or feel bad. Like I said, it's not like they are gone. They are right there, I can call them or meet with them. And I know they are my parents. But... I just... don't know what exactly that means. They gave me life... but that's almost all I know. I am aware of some trivia, like the fact that my dad loves hoarding stuff from the time he wanted to help cure my misfortune, or that my mom loves paragliding and pursued dad since they were in middle school, but... what meaning is even linked with that? All memories I have with them are gone... and for such a long time I had to play pretend. I don't want to do it... but it's hard to confess it to them. I know I have to, I just... did not find the strength to do it before."

"Sure doesn't sound like you are okay"

"I will be. Some day. What about you?"

Lucia brushed a strand of her blond hair and looked at the slowly setting moon.

"Honestly, I don't think I should be complaining either. I could have been in a much worse position. I do have a roof over my head, a place to call home, and a big family of my sisters. I care for them, and that should suffice. But sometimes, when I am on lower point... I can't help but think about her. My mother, my real, biological mother, who left me on church's doorstep. Why did she do it? What kind of person was she? And what would she... think of me? I know it is foolish, thinking about it. She probably never wanted me in a first place, so why would she care at all. But even still, when I came all this way, I can't help but think about it despite it being pointless..."

Touma listened on and thought about Orsola's theory of the biological connection between Lucia and Lidvia Lorenzetti. The similarity of two women was uncanny. Regardless of the truth, if Lidvia was Lucia's mother, would she be better off and happier?

Touma did not know much about Lidvia. What he did know was not really making the high-positioned clergy member a mother of the year material. Even though she was accomplished preacher and missionary, she was also supposedly pious to the point of religious fanaticism. Not that he did not see that in Lucia to in their past encounters, but that was beside the point.

On the other hand, Touma was far from knowledgeable about all the circumstances of Lidvia's life, or any other potential candidate for Lucia's mother. Maybe there was a legitimate reason. Maybe, like Orsola said, being a child of someone like Lidvia would put Lucia at risk? What if the motivation behind the abandonment was some form of twisted protection, love that could not be expressed in any other form aside from letting one go? Who was he to know the secrets of human hearts, especially Lidvia's, a stranger to him?

However, as he thought about Lucia's proper question, he knew he had the answer to at least a part of it. After thinking of how Lucia acted around Angelene and other sisters, what her actions really represented, there was no way he would think otherwise.

"I think she would be very proud of you" he finally said, glancing at her, and this time focusing solely on her face.

Lucia's eyes widened and Touma wasn't sure but he thought they actually got a bit glossy, as if tears flooded them. But it could very well be a trick of the fading moonlight.

"Thank you" she ultimately said, her tone unusually soft." I mean it. And not for just that, but for this talk. If you ever want to talk like this, I won't bite, so-"

A dull pain shot through Touma's entire body for that moment, before focusing on his head.

"Argh?!"

Startled Lucia observed him, as he grabbed his head in anguish.

'That's... the same sensation as before... same one as yesterday when I was swimming... no, this one is actually worse!'

"Kamijou, what is-"

"Stay away!"

He got up. Everything was swirling around and glowing in the way that should not be perceived by the normally functioning eyes.

He turned around and run out of the room. He heard worried Lucia chasing after him but he was faster, losing her after a moment of wild turn-taking.

In all of that commotion, he almost completely forgot about someone.

In the basket filled with laundry, a tiny fairy managed to get out of pile of clothes that she fell into when Touma got startled alongside Lucia. Although the pile was rather unassuming, for Othinus it was like a quicksand made out of fibbers.

"Finally... I am ou... oh, for the love of... where did he go now?!"

Meanwhile, Touma was clenching his teeth, as he slid down on the wall of the corridor, with a window overlooking the ocean.

He realized the absence of Othinus. But he felt that was for the best if what he suspected was true.

'My body hurts as if it's being pulled apart... he is... he is trying to free himself somehow. I don't know how can he be capable of doing this, but if he is attempting it, I would rather not have anyone close to me. The time when he broke free last time... I do not wish for that to repeat... not ever. It felt truly awful, him doing all of those things as if it was none other than Kamijou Touma...'

And as he was fighting pain and nausea, he realized that someone was approaching him.

He managed to focus enough to make out who it was.

"Kaibi... what are you doing here?"

" I couldn't sleep and then heard some moron running around like a headless chicken"

"Don't come... any closer..."

"Why? Something is clearly wrong with you. I can't help you if I don't come closer. Hold still!"

Kaibi's eyes lit up slightly as Measure Heart activated, and suddenly the splitting headache and pain searing through Touma's body ceased.

His housemate titled her head.

"Now that's a surprise"

"How did you do that?"

"I regulated the emotional distance between you and him, and forced him into subdual for now. But it will not last, my Measure Heart was never as good in regulating the distance between two other people as in comparison to me being part of the relation. But that's not what's bothering me here... you were right, grasping the 'image of your heart' is completely different now. It's like... trying to draw in something that keeps rotating in many directions and planes at once. Each 'heart' I regulate distance from and to has a different feeling, and yours is very bizarre"

Kaibi crouched down.

Her eyes kept shining with pink-magenta glow as she put her hands on his arms and caused both of them to slowly sit on one of the stone seats, chiseled from the wall.

"Maybe I should get Index? You two seem to have a certain... understanding, that still eludes me"

Touma looked at her with erratic glare.

"No! Anything but that! Whatever you do, keep me away from Index, if there is even a slightest chance that he will appear. That bastard wants to get to her... He can..."

"Okay, we need to do something about those nerves of yours" Measure Heart said authoritatively" I am going to need your full attention. And to get that, I want to test something. Close your eyes..."

"But..."

"It will not affect my ability. Just do it, please. You won't regret it. Just follow my instructions. Now, close. Your. Eyes..."

Touma obeyed and closed his eyes, as Kaibi spoke again.

"Now, with your left hand, touch my neck."

Touma was about to ask another question, but bit his tongue. He was going to go along, because that was the trust he had for the girl.

"Move it up and sense my face and head"

Trying not be too flustered, Touma moved his hand passed Kaibi's necklace, traced it across her slightly oval jawline, lingered on her warm cheek, her forehead and then, upon girl's encouragement, onto her blond, smooth hair. Then, guided by her, reversed the actions, going from the head to the brow and base of Kaibi's nose, side of her head, the cheek, and the neck again.

"Do you feel me?" the girl asked gently.

Touma nodded.

"Then breathe in." she said, skidding closer

He heard her breathe through her nose, and did the same. Voluntarily or not, he got surrounded by the scent of various things. Soap, Kaibi's favourite perfume, but also trace of salty smell of iodine that clung to girl's skin after the night on the beach, and didn't fully go away even after deep bathing.

"Let those scents fill you in."

She closed onto him, as he still kept his eyes shut, as she whispered, with a pleasant voice, not too high and not too low, straight into his ear, her breath tickling his skin and making him shiver slightly.

"Everything will be fine. I am here with you, I am here for you, and I am going to help you, no matter what. Listen to my voice, focus on it. Do you hear me?"

Touma nodded, feeling warmth spreading through his body. It was as if he entered a hot bath.

There was a moment of silence and then Kaibi kissed him on the lips.

Naturally, after touch, smell, and hearing, came the taste.

Even more than in some of their kisses in the past, Kaibi was very gentle, giving Touma's own lips extra care and attention. Touma, going more on instinct than anything else, put some of his own effort into the kiss, which surprised Kaibi enough to make a quiet sound escape from her. It was arguably a very cute and feminine sound, which caused both teens to blush slightly.

"And now... open your eyes..."

Touma opened his eyes to see smiling Kaibi, with redness on her cheeks, looking deeply into his eyes with her own glowing irises.

"Do you see me?"

"Yeah... I do."

Touma felt... relaxed. His worry, everything that hit him during last half of an hour was still there, but it receded into back of his mind.

"What was that?"

"I wanted you to focus on me, all and throughout. It's a little trick I know. Or rather, it was something Rikuri nee-san taught me, so you might as well thank her for that. With all of your senses occupied with me, I can try to calm you down. Now, what is that you worry about?"

Touma sighed before speaking quietly.

"I... am unsure. He is... me, but also has access to some strange abilities I never saw in my life. He lacks restrains that bind me and keep me human. The fact that I see my face acting without those values scares me... and I don't know just what might be his idea for salvation and what can mean to all of you. But sometimes... I wonder if what he is doing may be-"

"I think we had this conversation and I am stopping you right here" Kaibi shifted into her 'scolding wife' voice" If you doubt your own standing over that guy even for a moment, don't. It's easy to save some based on selection criteria, but to try to save people without counting on any possibility of death... it is so absurd, but I have a feeling that it is thanks to that absurdity that me and my sisters arrived to the point in which we are right now. So never falter. And if you do have a moment like this, count on me or on others. I think you already got that into your head."

She sighed, before tapping her cheek with a perfectly polished nail.

"Hmm... how can I motivate you here? Oh I know, if you stay strong and beat this guy's ass, you and I can..."

The stream of honey-laced and very descriptive words left the girl's lips.

"Kaibi-san!"

"What?" the blond smiled innocently with a shrug" I said I didn't do it with my clients, but what's actually keeping me from doing it with the guy I actually love when the time is right? I am still waiting for your call, but in the meantime, I dream big. Or do you want to tell me that this is not a motivator for you, hmm?"

"No... it's a... you and me will talk about this later!"

"Oh, I sure hope we will. I was the first one to propose it, wasn't I?"

"Technically... Amazora already said something similar"

Kaibi looked at Touma flatly

"That doesn't count. Also, are you really into older girls if you indulge my little sister's fantasies?"

"That sounds... wrong. I don't indulge anything. I just respected her feelings and told her to wait. So... what happens now?"

Kaibi wiped a bit of sweat of her brow

"Like I said, I can't keep you like this forever. This is why-"

"Ara? What are you doing with Touma, Kaibi-chan?"

Rikuri was standing at the entrance to the corridor, dressed in her expensive night-gown.

"Onee-chan? You couldn't sleep too?"

"No, I..." Rikuri paused and yawned, while pointing at her forehead" I fell off the bed in my sleep, straight on my face. Those sleeping arrangements are a lot narrower than back home. I was searching for some ice and then I found you. This place is a lot more complicated than its daytime appearance. But that does not matter. Are you okay, Touma? Are you in pain? You look pale-"

"Nee-san..."Kaibi interrupted Rikuri's stream of words" remember when we talked about that dark side Touma has within himself?"

"Yes, I do. Oh no, you don't mean-"

"He is fighting it off right now. And we have to let it out"

"What?!" both Touma and Rikuri exclaimed in shock.

"Kaibi, I can't let you do this!"

"I have no means to hold you in this state for who knows how long. But with me and Rikuri nee-chan here, there is a chance we might be able to stop him. I would love to present some better solution but I just don't see it. Riku nee-san, go find some kind of rope. The best you can get!"

"R-Right!"

(10 MINUTES LATER)

Touma was tied up and sat by the wall. The light in Kaibi's irises flickered.

"I will be deactivating Measure Heart now. You will probably be replaced immediately by him. But don't worry about anything. And remember the most important thing..."

She pecked him quickly on the brow

"We love you, alright? So there is no way we are losing you to someone like him."

"Just... be careful" Touma smiled back" And be safe"

Measure Heart was deactivated.

And as if some elastic substance being stretched to great length, Kamijou Touma's consciousness shot back into murky, unconscious darkness.

Then his head rose up once again. When he spoke, the voice sounded the same, but its prosody, and intonation, indicated a change that occurred.

"Finally. I was thinking he would never get reasonab-"

A gun was pressed to his forehead.

Similarly, Gokusai Kaibi's demeanor completely changed. She looked in a way that would make a grown man piss themselves, the look that was rarely seen even during her proper assassin days.

You could have wondered why she had a gun. Kaibi would turn this question around and ask why wouldn't she take one with her in the middle of the night.

Rikuri stood close by at the ready, observing Kaibi and Kamijou No Touma in concentration.

"For starters, it's definitely not a pleasure. State your intentions and then if you know what's good for you, give Touma control back. Preferably, forever" Kaibi said coldly.

"Ah, Gokusai Kaibi. We finally meet in person. I have to admit, there is nothing that makes your heart race as being threatened by a beautiful woman straight after waking up. Quite a charming... and naïve sight to behold. But, you see..."

There was a quick flash of purple and green light and the bindings fell down. Rikuri stepped forward, but Kaibi gestured to her to stay put, even though she too grit her teeth upon sight of the unknown boy easily freeing himself.

He straightened up, until he was on Kaibi's eye level. The gun never left his forehead.

"... I don't really appreciate people looking at me from above" he said, in almost friendly way.

Almost.

"I don't intend to confront you if I have no need"

"Smart girl. But unfortunately, I just might want to teach you something."

"What are you talking about? I said that-"

"How are you thinking that this will have any effect at all?" the boy chuckled quietly" for now, we share a body. You realize that by hurting me, you also hurt him, right?"

Kaibi did not move.

"I am sure that you are aware of it. And yet... you still try to threaten me with a gun. I have a suggestion then..."

In a quick motion, Kamijou No Touma grabbed Kaibi's wrist with one hand and the gun with another. Kaibi struggled but the boy was stronger and the gun was forcibly moved to the base of Touma's jaw and his upper throat.

Kaibi suppressed a shiver as the gleaming green-and-pink eyes stared at her, coupled with wide grin, that still carried the air of nonchalance in itself.

"Pull the trigger. If you do it right here, the bullet will pass through medulla. What point is in incurring a brain damage or suffocating by affecting the lungs? You never have to wonder when or how to draw next breath or if you need to do something to make your heart beat, right? One bullet can make my body forget how to do it. And that would be a surefire death"

Rikuri swallowed audibly.

"Kaibi-chan..."

"If you pulled out a gun, then you had to deem me a threat for your family, too big to be left alive" KNT continued smoothly" So why won't you do it? I am sure I won't be able to evade a point blank bullet. So why won't you do it? Perhaps..."

It was a bluff. Of course it was a bluff.

It wouldn't be if it was someone else.

What stood true was that Kaibi would kill anyone if her family was threatened. No exceptions, even after all the changes Kamijou made in her.

But Kamijou Touma was her family. More so, he was someone she loved.

'I love you'. She told him that a few times and she always meant it. Through all the lies in her life, done in deception and manipulation, of that one thing she was absolutely certain.

Gokusai Kaibi was not able to harm Kamijou Touma.

She knew that if this dark alter-ego proven to be a threat to her, Rikuri, Amazora, and also Index and Othinus, alongside others, Touma would not blame her for putting him down. If it came down to a choice between his own life and safety of others, he would not hesitate.

But Kaibi was not able to part with her only genuine love aside from her sisters.

What this sinister entity said was true. As the assassin, she knew enough about human body to verify it.

A part of the brainstem, medulla served as a main commanding unit for most of the autonomous brain functions, functions that were crucial for survival and living. Those included simpler, reflexive reactions that provided bodily purification, like sneezing, coughing, or vomiting, but also more complex ones such as breathing, heart rate regulation, and digestion. If you were shot through brain cortex, there would be some impairment depending on the area destroyed. But if one's brainstem, especially medulla, was compromised, death was almost certain. It happened, as her enemy put it, because body literally forgot how to take the next breath, or how to change the pace of blood circulation.

Kaibi lowered her head a little bit. Upon the incline, the droplet of sweat travelled down her brow and alongside her slim nose, before dripping down. And just as it touched the ground, Kaibi felt a finger upon her own, positioned on the trigger.

The enemy looking through those alien-like eyes smiled. Kaibi tried to pull back, but he was unyielding

"Let's demonstrate the difference between what we are capable of"

Kaibi's gun had a silencer, so there was no loud sound when it discharged.

Fatal wound was inflicted in one moment as the boy fell back, onto the wall, and slid down on it.

Kaibi never heard Rikuri scream like she did back then. It was a short, bloodcurdling, shrill sound. It was so pained and agonizing that if the sounds within the scream had tangibility, they would be bleeding.

As for Kaibi, she just stood there. The hand with a gun slowly dropped to her side.

Her eyes were wide opened. She felt as if the soul was leaving her body. The hand with a weapon appeared cold and detached.

Contrary to her sisters, she always lived through her emotions, her genuine emotions, on the inside. She always internalized her torments and appeared stoically quiet, even if what was happening within her mind and soul was a furthest thing from calm.

She barely heard tearful Rikuri calling Touma's name, as the sound of dull ringing filled her mind. She felt as if she repeated the same thought process on the loop, trying to somehow rationalize and cushion the realization of what happened in front of her, but the endless limbo kept arriving at the same conclusion.

Kamijou Touma was dead. And she was made to pull the trigger.

"Ah..."

She was glad that Amazora wasn't there. That was like a scene straight out of nightmare.

She felt sickening. She felt like throwing up. She felt like screaming. She felt like crying. She felt like dying...

"Aah... aaah..."

But before she could completely break down in tears, something that would break her own precedence, someone touched her on the shoulders.

She knew that touch. Because normally, she loved it. She wouldn't mind being touched by those hands for the rest of her life. But right now, the sense of wrongness in this touch made her realize that Kamijou No Touma was standing just behind her. In fact, he moved his head so he would be just above her shoulder as she stared wide eyed at the place where the body was supposed to be...

But it wasn't there. She was supposed to be stained with blood, but there was not a droplet on her nor on the wall.

"What... what just..."

"This is what it means to be decisive, sweet Kaibi-chan. For me it's very simple. I am born out of desire to save those dear to me. But Imagine Breaker, which I am emanation of, has its very purpose in grounding someone within the reality of this world. And in reality, there is no option of saving everyone without someone else dying. As such, one has to weigh one life against the other, the possibility of salvation against possibility of destruction. Some are gonna die, and my task is to make sure that no one of the ones I cherish falls into that category. Isn't it more realistic, more true to the nature of this world?"

The dull ringing still wasn't fully gone.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?"

"Oh, this? You didn't think I would just let myself perish like that, huh? I simply negated the fate of being shot"

Kaibi felt her mouth go dry.

Kamijou No Touma smiled at her. Only now did she notice that his arm was missing and then, it grew back as she stared blankly.

"It would be easy to kill you, just to spite that idiot. But, you may not believe this, I do not really appreciate the killing just for killing's sake. When you do that, you get rid of the very useful assets. And your ability is a fascinating one. You are very much needed. So for now, I will take my leave"

And then, he simply moved back, turned around and walked on through the corridor.

Kaibi turned as well. She wanted to say something or run after that boy.

But her legs didn't listen.

She could try to user ability, but didn't.

It was not the matter of simple fear, although she could feel her legs shaking slightly.

Unless you had some undisputable advantage, charging forwards in a reckless manner would simply get you killed. It was a rule as old as the killing itself. And against this enemy, she needed a solid strategy.

Something should be thought about. With the thing like fate negation, there had to be rules, conditions, limitations. But her thoughts couldn't frame them.

She wanted to chase after him. She needed to make sure that living nightmare would be gone, and Touma gets back to her. But all she could do for the moment was to make sure Rikuri would snap out of shock and think of something she could do.

She would not let this stand. But for now, falling back was only option she had.

After what seemed like hours, she heard a sound of singing. A powerful choir of female voices soared through the air.

Rikuri, sniffling through tears, perked up at the sound.

"That's... Beethoven's 'Mass in C Major, op.86'"

Kaibi also recognized the sound of female singing. They knew it because their occasional housemate, Kankyougami Hasako, loved classical music, especially german romantic period which almost always equated with Beethoven.

(AND THEN...)

What two sisters heard was indeed a mass written to a roman rite by Ludwig Van Beethoven

In the second chapel, more festive than the one Orsola had her talk with Mugino, a group of nun gathered to celebrate the beginning of the new day. And with daybreak, they intoned first part of the mass, Kyrie

Kyrie eleison

Kyrie eleison

Kyrie eleison

And it was upon sounds of that music, that Mugino Shizuri found herself face to face with a boy standing in the cover of the shadows

Kamijou No Touma smiled in a rather predatory way

"Mugino Shizuri, isn't it? We need to talk. I was dying to meet you"

Orbs of green appeared around the girl.

"One more step and you will be dying in a whole other way"

KNT rolled his eyes

"Again with that? I thought his type was caring older girl, not a girl who can easily kill you. One step, you say? Well, that will suffice..."

In one moment, he was standing good few meters away. In the other he was clenching her arm with his own. The Meltdowner orbs disappeared.

"I hope you appreciate this. It takes quite a bit of fine tuning of Imagine Breaker to achieve such effects..."

Mugino growled and the two pushed against each other, while not breaking an eye contact.

"Look, you damn bastard, I just had a very deep conversation, so I would appreciate it if you could fuck off and leave this place"

"Oh, but I can't possibly do that. Not when I am having so much fun and not when I have so many things to do. Like I said, we need to talk"

"We have nothing to talk about. I can smell bad news from a mile away. Not even counting the fact that I am informed that you oppose that idiot and you need to be brought down"

"Do I now? We are not so different, if you think about it"

He kicked Mugino on the shin and when she lost balance for just a briefest moment, he pounced forward, slamming her against the wall.

The tea-coloured orbs of brown moved to the side.

"Mugino Shizuri..." Kamijou No Touma spoke slowly" Look me in the eyes"

The proud girl did not move. The eyes of green-and-pink narrowed and the girl's face was forcibly moved to face them.

"I do not intend to fight you, should it not be necessary. More than that, I have an offer for you"

"Offer?" Mugino snarled at that" Why on earth would I consider an offer for enemy? And why the hell would you want to make an offer to me?"

"Why, you ask... maybe it is because I don't need to be the enemy to you?"

Christe eleison

Christe eleison

Christe eleison

Sang the choir.

"You are the rare case of someone whose mentality aligns with my own and additionally has perfect set of characteristics for those fit to rule. You are of supreme beauty, power, and intelligence. You know the reality of this world, you lived through the shadows and filth of those unworthy, you deserve respect. And I will give you the opportunity for that if you choose to stand with me"

"So you just chose to spare me? Oh, I feel so honoured" the girl replied mockingly

"You should be. But let's not be petty here. I know you are a type of woman who will not run on empty abstracts. You are interested in my other half. What if I said that I can offer you something far better, far grander than he can?"

Their bodies were tensed and pressed against one another, trying to gain advantage this whole time. Mugino always assumed that as far as stamina went, she and Touma were pretty much equaled, but also that she had a slight advantage when it came to raw power exerted from the muscle tension and power of kicks (without counting power channeled into punches). But with that guy, she actually found herself fully focused on not being overwhelmed.

And then, the devil in human skin dealt his cards

"What I can give you is a compensation for your effort. For all that killing and insanity"

"Huh? What you are on about now?"

"I think you know it already. Now, a small riddle for you. All of you level 5s desire strength in some form. Strength to be so powerful that no one would attack you anymore, so you can finally gain human connection. Strength to be seen and become someone unknown on the scale of the universe. Strength so you can save your friends and loved ones. Strength so you can take back control of minds you don't trust, thus not being betrayed again. Strength to bring justice to those that need it. Strength to prove to oneself that you are not lost and scared, Mugino Shizuri... Now, the main question of the day. Are you a level 5 because you desired it? Or did the natural level 5 disposition created your desire? Which one do you choose?"

Mugino's anger turned into a simmering frustration. She answered, not because she really wanted to, but because she had no intention of being a listener to that monologue.

"A latter one. Even if Parameter List exists, I always believed-"

"Boo! Boo!" Momentarily shifting his strength to one arm, Kamijou No Touma mockingly booped tip of the girl's nose with his finger for each of the 'boo's, which caused Meltdowner to angrily try to bite him" It's a former one. Regardless of what Aleister planned or not, the desire stemmed from your genetic make-up and your life circumstances. You also desired the power that would prove your superiority. Because if you didn't have it, you would let your sadness and sorrow overtake you. You would allow others to hurt you. And you never wanted to be hurt, so you needed to be stronger than anyone, so no one would dare think that someone like you could be vulnerable in some form..."

"SHUT UP!"

"Oh, I struck a nerve, didn't I? But you can admit then, that there was a time when you believed in SYSTEM, Academy City's ultimate goal. There was a time when you wanted to ascend to a level 6."

Mugino looked at him for a moment, before laughing out loud. The laughter lasted for a moment, before she once again looked at Kamijou No Touma.

"Oh, I had a good laugh thanks to you. This is your great plan? So what if I believed in that bullshit in the past? I wanted to advance, but there is no way I could ever get through Dark Matter or Accelerator, even I can admit that. That annoying Railgun is a different story, but even if we assume that each level 5 can attempt the ascension to level 6, only Accelerator is supposed to-"

"I can stabilize you" the spiky haired boy with eyes gleaming with green and pink answered without skipping a beat" With control over inner might of Imagine Breaker, I can help you ascend there"

Mugino was stunned speechless.

"Huh?"

In the silence, the final part of Kyrie was sang quietly

Kyrie eleison

Kyrie eleison

Kyrie eleison

"That's not possible... it can't be possible!"

"Maybe according to your curriculum or something. But Imagine Breaker is older than Thelema. I am sure that I can give it a go. Just imagine. With that ascendance, you will go beyond human body, beyond mortal restrains. I can only theorize, but in my eyes, your body would be able to become light itself, the very essence of your beams. You would gain the power of thousand armies, you would be able to cause unparalleled calamity with mere step or gesture. The incarnation of overwhelming firepower, the true goddess of destruction."

Mugino suddenly felt weak. The tone of voice, the way he conveyed his message, all of it seemed to have some strange hypnotizing effect, as if she was lured inside some magnetizing vortex with no end in sight.

"With ability to strike down any foe that threatens you or your peace. With ability to ensure the salvation of anyone you need. All of that can be within your grasp. If you agree to stand with me, I can even give him to you. My weaker self will be all yours... like this..."

The two of them locked lips.

That was different from before. Right now, the kiss was filled with wildness and fire. That in itself caused Mugino to think like she was slipping away. She felt her chest being pressed onto the one belonging to the boy in front of her. The power, ambition, domination, with just a right amount of lust. Everything she could hope for was in that kiss. Everything except...

'Shizuri!

A certain memory suddenly filled her mind. And her eyes snapped open.

"No!"

With a push, she separated herself from KNT, just as the sisters from the afar intoned the triumphant, second part of the mass, Gloria:

Glória in excélsis Deo

et in terra pax homínibus bonæ voluntátis.

Laudámus te,

benedícimus te,

adorámus te,

glorificámus te,

grátias ágimus tibi propter magnam glóriam tuam,

Dómine Deus, Rex cæléstis,

Deus Pater omnípotens.

The boy fell back and for the first time in a while she noticed a glint in hostility in his eyes

"No?"

"It's not like I wouldn't like him to be a bit forceful with me. But you are not him. So I will not follow you or be your prized lap-dog. It's not really about morality or all that crap. I promised him to make our first time special, and I am not someone who throws away such a promise, especially since he made it because he was looking out for me. I am perfect? Don't make me laugh! He never considered me perfect. He might have considered me beautiful or intelligent or skilled, but he never tried to hide the fact that I was also a massive bitch. And that's fucking fine, because I sure was and still am at times. But you didn't really think about it, huh? For what was worth, you didn't call things by their name and you sugar-coated my sins just to sway me. In some damn cosmic coincidence, he finds it in his heart to care about me. You never did, even for a moment. I am another chess piece for you, as your heart and ambition is set on another.

Kamijou No Touma watched her coldly, not bothering with a response.

Dómine Fili Unigénite, Iesu Christe,

Dómine Deus, Agnus Dei, Fílius Patris,

qui tollis peccáta mundi,

miserére nobis;

qui tollis peccáta mundi,

súscipe deprecatiónem nostram.

Qui sedes ad déxteram Patris,

miserére nobis.

"And unlimited power? Tempting as it may be, I will pass. I truly discarded pursuit of power. Tell me, can your power bring my best friend to life? If you could truly bring her back, then it would be a different story. Frenda... I miss her, I fucking miss her, so damn much. And each day and think that if I could die so she could live, I would do this... but it's not happening. What's the purpose of being the strongest if I end up wounded and alone again. I didn't believe that myself at first... but maybe it's time for me to try to embrace it. Maybe it's okay to try living day by day. Eating salmon, shopping, dealing with stupidity of my friends, being sexy for the guy I like or have a heart-to-heart talk. Maybe I've done enough. I am never going through all of this again. And your way goes stray to hell. I am staying with the guy I love. I am staying with Kamijou Touma!"

Quóniam tu solus Sanctus,

tu solus Dóminus,

tu solus Altíssimus,

Iesu Christe,

cum Sancto Spíritu:

in glória Dei Patris.

Amen.

The panting Mugino heard Kamijou No Touma clapping sarcastically at her speech.

"So touching, so moving... well, I hoped you didn't say that. But, for better or for worse, my company arrived"

Mugino turned around and noticed a familiar, small girl. It was Sukemi Rin.

Or rather...

"Tch. It's that psycho cutter again" she muttered" I thought you were supposed to be taken care off"

Just as Mugino said that, yet another person appeared in the entrance to the chapel's hallway.

A small girl with blond hair, with cuts on her body visibly healing as she panted heavily.

"Ladylee Tangleroad" Kamijou No Touma smiled, spreading his arms" What an unexpected surprise. And by unexpected I mean... there was no way I didn't expect that"

"I am sorry, master" Rin cringed at the sight of the immortal" No matter what I do, she can't go down. But her stamina's bound to run out"

"So is yours. Don't force yourself, she can't die... for now"

"Oh, master, you are so compassionate~"

Then they closed in on each other and...

Mugino rolled her eyes.

"Really? You are kissing her too? That's a new low. Well, at least she seems very into it, Machiavellian bastard and slicing bitch... whatever turns you on."

"ENOUGH! You there, emanation! You can't kill me, so surrender yourself and go down quietly!"

"Ho? That didn't stop my partner in kicking your butt, did it?"

Ladylee grit her teeth.

(EARLIER...)

It happened after both her and Mitsumi finished their investigation.

The singing in the distance distracted them only for a moment but it was enough for Rin to smile and then simply cut through the ropes after stretching them.

Afterwards, the slash came. And even though Mitsumi managed to react in time, her leg was cut enough for her to stumble and yell in pain.

"Get out of here!" Ladylee shouted.

"But I have the-"

"One look at that leg tells me that you won't be able to stand on it properly. Get out of here while I distract her! Think of some strategy there"

"Shutaura and Arisa are not gonna be happy with me about this!"

As she hobbled away, Ladylee threw a lot of objects on Rin. All were cut apart.

Only when her ally disappeared, did the immortal girl truly engage in combat.

If she was undying, then dark side of Rin was uncontained.

She started to deliver her punch, just as upper half of her head lost her alignment with the rest of her body and face, on the horizontal axis going through the bridge of the nose and below her eyes. Even so, the half-headed torso still managed to deliver the strong punch, which earned a cry from Rin.

With her head recovering, Ladylee made another desperate attack, as walls behind her broke partially. She managed to land a few solid hits, before her body was cut apart into several pieces.

That fight relied solely on their stamina, as she could endlessly. But Ladylee was determined not to allow Rin to move or go after Mitsumi.

(AND BACK...)

'I failed to subdue her. Just like she can't kill me, there is no way for me to truly restrain her. But I stalled for time, I hope it's enough for others to be warned'

But just when Mugino and Ladylee were about to exchange words, Kamijou No Touma grinned in a way that could not mean anything good.

"If the carrot is the wrong way to go about all of this, maybe some stick for good measure is not such a bad idea. This is dedicated to you, Mugino-san. While this is not exactly what I described to you, you should underestimate my abilities. Within my power possibilities beyond even my own comprehension lay dormant. So temporarily boosting one's abilities to a level 5 equivalent is not impossible. In case of Dissection, that is, Sukemi Rin's ability, level 5 attack would cause a chain reaction of slashing ricochets from one correctly executed gesture in rather impressive radius. Seat back and enjoy the show... because hell... is descending. And I think I have even better person to kill, to truly break Kamijou Touma..."

Rin's eyes were filled with adoration when Kamijou No Touma slowly touched her with his hand.

Mugino Shizuri was on the run before she knew it. Not minding Ladylee's shouts, she moved past quietly smiling boy and then reached the chapel.

'That nun... Orsola Aquinas... is still there! Not a care in the whole wide world. I just feel something terrible is about to happen. I am not a hero, far from it, and this the last thing I should be doing, but after the conversation we had, it would suck to leave her to die'

Orsola was, in fact, behind the altar. Humming and polishing some golden plates, she turned to Mugino.

"Oh? Mugino-san! Back alread-"

Mugino didn't wait but hugged the nun and caused green energy to fully envelop in a shield-like bubble.

In that moment, Mitsumi managed to inform Lucia, still searching for Touma, about everything.

In that moment, Index opened her eyes in the feeling of weariness.

In that moment, Othinus finally managed to mount one of the crows after climbing to a window.

In that moment, Kaibi and Rikuri arrived at the scene behind Ladylee.

Just when the space itself seem to break.

Everything from the epicenter, in which the boy and the girl stood, broke apart, as every structure around them was severed in three dimensions. The distant choir in the second chapel, still unaware that something was happening, intoned Credo:

Credo in unum Deum,

Patrem omnipoténtem,

factórem cæli et terræ,

visibílium ómnium et invisibílium.

Et in unum Dóminum, Iesum Christum,

Fílium Dei unigénitum,

et ex Patre natum ante ómnia sǽcula.

The dissection and dismantling continued, sharp blades of air ricocheting from one another, cutting through stone, metal and everything unfortunate to get in the way...

Deum de Deo, lumen de lúmine, Deum verum de Deo vero,

génitum, non factum, consubstantiálem Patri:

per quem ómnia facta sunt.

Qui propter nos hómines et propter nostram salútem

descéndit de cælis.

Et incarnátus est de Spíritu Sancto

ex María Vírgine, et homo factus est.

The cracks permeated through the earth itself. In the chapel, Mugino held Orsola Aquinas as her shield absorbed and burned most of the attacks. Some however, made it through rather painfully. And then earth itself shifted and the chapel forward towards the sea...

Crucifíxus étiam pro nobis sub Póntio Piláto;

passus et sepúltus est,

et resurréxit tértia die, secúndum Scriptúras,

et ascéndit in cælum, sedet ad déxteram Patris.

Et íterum ventúrus est cum glória,

iudicáre vivos et mórtuos,

cuius regni non erit finis.

In chaos and among everyone fighting for their lives, there was a laughter. It was controlled, dignified, and chilling, yet it echoed throughout the destruction like a haunted melody. The small girl by the boy's side smiled to him, when he bowed to everyone, before the pair was swallowed by clouds of dust and shadow, just as the prayer finished and silence reigned forth:

Et in Spíritum Sanctum, Dóminum et vivificántem:

qui ex Patre Filióque procédit.

Qui cum Patre et Fílio simul adorátur et conglorificátur:

qui locútus est per prophétas.

Et unam, sanctam, cathólicam et apostólicam Ecclésiam.

Confíteor unum baptísma in remissiónem peccatórum.

Et exspécto resurrectiónem mortuórum,

et vitam ventúri sǽculi. Amen

(*************)

A small part of the cliff itself collapsed and broke apart onto thousands of pieces, similarly to structures on it.

Kaibi and Rikuri did not incur major injuries, as they were barely outside abilities range, similarly to Mitsumi, Lucia, Index, and Othinus.

Ladylee Tangleroad was dissected to level of small cubes, but was able to make it out of the wreckage thanks to her immortality.

As for Mugino Shizuri and Orsola Aquinas, they were swept away and fell alongside the chapel. Luckily, the base of the cliff didn't broke fully and descent of the stone structure slowed down enough for the girl to risk jumping down.

Mugino Shizuri incurred deep cuts all over her body and broke one of her legs.

Orsola Aquinas was shaken, but besides mild bruises, she was perfectly and miraculously fine.

After the incident, Sukemi Rin disappeared without a trace.

As for the boy with a spiky hair, he collapsed on the beach after all of that.

He awoke at the sound of movement through the sand he was laying on.

He slowly rotated his head to notice brown skin and silver hair glimmering in the morning sun.

"Nephthys?"

Nephthys and Othinus were both looking at Mugino who was also laying on the beach near him. At the distance, he noticed Orsola, looking at him with caring concern.

Nephthys muttered something in ancient egyptian and passed the hand over the girl's body. The cuts filled up and paled, and there was a cracking sound from the leg. The tension left girl's face and she visibly relaxed.

"That's all I can do here" she said to Othinus" I... oh, you're awake"

"Human, how are you feeling?" Othinus asked Touma

"Othinus, what do you mean, I feel fi-"

And then all the memories flooded his mind.

He was through worse in the past. But everything came to him so suddenly that he rolled over and he almost threw up, yet ultimately failed to do so.

With his hand over his mouth, fighting the nausea, he grabbed his head, his eyes widening.

"I... hurt... I destroyed... I did... I DID..."

Suddenly, he found himself pressed to the warm chest of Nephthys, as she rested her head on his shoulder and slowly brushed her slim fingers through his head. He also felt Othinus diligently climbing to take her place on his shoulder.

"Sssh... sssh... sssh..." Nephthys said calmingly. Her voice was as soothing as always. She smelled like desert wind and oriental incense " It wasn't your fault... and everything is fine now, because I am here. I am sorry that I couldn't arrive before. But when he was active, I couldn't get a correct location for some reason"

"But... the chapel... Orsola... Mugino... everyone..."

"They are fine. Everything is fine... I fixed both the place and all of you up as much as I could."

"She is right." Othinus confirmed" There isn't a trace except for some small scars that can be dealt with later"

Touma needed time to calm his breathing, allowing himself to fell deeper in Nephthys' embrace. The mature-looking goddess didn't seem to mind whatsoever.

"But Nephthys... why are you even here?"

She smiled, her pearly-white teeth shining against her rosy lips and brown skin.

"Some time ago, I bound our spiritual names together through egyptian naming magic. This gives me a lot of insight to when you are in trouble. We are connected, even if you are not very keen on feeling this bond yet. I sensed the disturbance and came to the rescue, even though ultimately I was too late for the proper action. And my reason for doing it at all? Because, if I didn't make it clear before, you managed to interest me. I will not let you go that easily now that you took my heart"

"On that, I must agree. There is no way I am letting my human die the second he leaves my watch" Othinus nodded vigorously.

"Our human" Nephthys glared at Othinus" Really, I can even agree on being Second Understander, but if you do not keep the proper titles, I will just go and bury you in the sand"

"Is that really important right now? Look at him! Human, what can we do for you?"

Touma looked at them with tired expression. He was exhausted and Nephthys had to notice it too.

"Poor him, he is exhausted. Listen, I am a goddess of mourning. I can sense that right now, you are still tormented that you allow such accident to occur and your very soul is grieving. So why don't I sooth your mind and give you nice restorative sleep. And I think I know just the way to do it."

"What do you mean-"

Nephthys brushed her hair aside and locked her lips with Touma's. The boy was shocked to once again being kissed on the same day. He also shivered because the kiss of the goddess was rather intense, like she was trying to eat his lips with hers.

And suddenly, the wave of pleasure came to an end when his eyes rolled back in their sockets and he collapsed onto the sand.

"Sweet dreams" Nephthys said, licking her lips dry.

"You are blushing" Othinus stated darkly" I know that your skin tone conveniently makes it rather difficult to see, but I still noticed it, you wretched toilet paper dispenser!"

"What else could you propose? That you go in front of his lips and let him eat you in the attempt of the kiss. That way, I could use this technique while bypassing Imagine Breaker. And it still has lesser effect than it normally would. He will wake up with lesser guilt for all that happened. It took it through my lips and sealed it in my tears"

Nephthys pointed at the tears that were, unsurprisingly, running down her cheeks in impressive streams.

"Yes. That was not his fault. However..." Othinus paused, as she noticed Index running towards them.

"I finished checking on everyone. How is Touma?"

"Oh, for the matter of fact, you just missed each other"

"What? He was awake? And you didn't tell me?!"

The nun waved her arms angrily in the air.

"I feel so awful that I wasn't by his side back then!"

"If I may... I know it's not the best time, but..." Orsola silently swooped into the conversation" I would like to guard him and care for him till he is awake."

"What?!" Index protested" But... but..."

"Nun, this is very convenient" Othinus stopped her" Me and her are going to have a talk regarding the best possible strategy on what to do next in this situation, both from magical and tactical point of view. It would be good if you shared thoughts with us. Orsola will take him somewhere to rest, he needs that, and it's better than just leaving him on the beach"

Index bit her lip, looked at Othinus, then at Touma, then at Othinus again.

"Fine" she grumbled" But this time, I will be informed as soon as he wakes up."

"Of course, miss Index" Orsola nodded in understanding.

Afterwards she called the help of two nuns, and together, they moved sleeping Touma away.

"So... what is it that you have in mind?" Index asked.

"He grows stronger through some unknown means" Othinus remarked" We agreed that containing him will prove increasingly difficult"

"Next time it happens, even if manage to find you" Nephthys added" he can do something harmful not only to others, but also to himself. And that will not be easily fixable"

"So what do you have in mind?"

"We strongly suspect that this Kamijou No Touma is attempting to separate from Touma once again"

"And as much as we don't enjoy the idea, we are wondering the pros and cons of actually... letting him have his way in this one. For this human's sake"