Prologue: Preparations Stage Seen from Third-person (Parents_View_Point) The Daihasei Festival.

A seven-day event that takes place from September 19-25 at Academy City, its basically a huge athletics competition. The meet gathers all the schools in the city together, and in this place of ESP research in western Tokyo where 80 percent of the total population of just under 2.3 million people consists of students, it is not an event to be taken lightly. Today is the 19th, the first day of the festival. Even though its an early weekday morning, the city is already filled with the families of the festival participants. If the board of supervisors hadnt prohib ited travel by car as part of their plans to deal with all the visitors, the congestion would probably extend for tens of kilometers within the city. Since it would otherwise be faster just to walk at a time like this, they were temporarily increasing the number of running trains and subways, as well as preparing unmanned shuttles throughout the city. It was surprising that with the degree of overcrowding, there just werent enough drivers to go around. Although everywhere one looked resembled a station platform at rush hour, that was just a testament to the Daihasei Festivals claim to fame as one of the largest events around As Academy City is only open to the public a handful of times per year, this was a special time, especially since the participants would be using ESP like people would see in the movies to compete. While the events were the same as any other athletics festival, for those who say Well, Im familiar with it from television, but Ive never seen it in person, to be able to experience the mysterious power known as ESP first-hand seems to be quite an exciting and fascinating thing that outsiders to Academy City can take some amount of pride in. Supposedly. Within that futuristic city, a man and a woman were walking together. Ohh, kaa-san, kaa-san. No matter how many times I see it, it really is overwhelming, this Academy City. It feels kind of like the expansive world Id draw with crayons when I was a kid. If only there were trains running through tubes and flying skateboards, it would be perfect The one speaking was Touya Kamijou, a certain lads father. He was wearing plain slacks and a business shirt with his sleeves rolled all the way up to his shoulders. His impractical tie that seemed to be a gift remained loose, and his work boots stomped along with a merciless sound. In contrast to Touya, Oh my, oh my. I dont think this place is even close to how I imagined the future. There arent any galactic battle cruisers, or wars against alliances or empires of humanoid species, or red and blue lasers flying through space that give off pyu, pyu sounds even though its supposed to be in a vacuum, right? And I also want to see those sabers that glow like a lamp The one who replied was Shiina Kamijou, a certain lads mother. She looked half Touyas age and even their clothes made them seem incompatible. She was wearing a one-piece dress possibly made of silk or some other delicate materials that looked extremely smooth and reached down to her ankles. On top of that she wore a cardigan. In her arms she was holding

the handle of a basket that probably contained their boxed lunches. Upon her head was a widebrimmed hat and she seemed to give off an aura of extreme upper class. Rather than husband and wife, they seemed more like an aristocrats young daughter and her chauffeur. They were walking to the event grounds where their son was going to be participating in the opening ceremonies. Kaa-san, I think instead of the near future, youd call it the far distant future. Although, if its something like a lightsaber youre looking for, you could probably find it in this cityWell, lets stop with this reckless conversation. Dont you agree? The mood is so nice. Lets not ruin it with talk of waste and destruction, hm? In the sky, bursting fireworks that let off white smoke could be seen. What seemed to be news helicopters were flying all over the place. As the city was generally open during the Daihasei Festival, even television relays had been approved. Seats for commentators had been set up, and temporary studios had even been built here and there within the city. The potential ratings were on par with that of the World Cup, so they were probably feeling frantic, Touya thought as a businessman. Just then, someone crossed in front of them. Upon an automatic patrol bot that looked like a drum, a girl wearing a maid uniform was sitting. Similar to a salesgirl at a baseball stadium, she had a tray on her stomach that was supported by a cord around the back of her neck, Hey~. Maid lunches, wouldntcha like one of Academy Citys famous maid lunches~? Anyone want a boxed lunch from the Ryouran Domestic Studies Institute for Girls, well, actually made by a maid apprentice~? As the couple watched dumbfounded at the odd sales pitch, the patrol bot carrying the maid silently ran off. Moreover, considering that she was calling it a maid lunch, it seemed more like a toshikazu-styled lunch instead. Going Oh my, Shiina held her cheeks, There really are a lot of different schools in Academy City, arent there. While he continued walking, Touya also watched the maid (apprentice, to be exact) girl as she disappeared from sight, Well, it is a place that consolidates the various institutions in the world into one area, after all. I guess they would have things like the domestic studies from various nations of the world. But, this city really is something when they have maids walking the streets like its noth ---Ah, uwah?! Not paying attention, Touya crashed into someone. Kyah! Ah, Im sorry for running into you. The one apologizing seemed to be a female college student. She was wearing a faded gray business shirt and long black slacks. They were of simple design, but a single glance revealed that they were brand-name with an appearance that wouldnt look odd even if worn by a company president in a meeting. However, in contrast with her attire, it wasnt a considerably

harsh aura, but somehow the woman gave the impression of a delinquent being forced to dress up for an occasion. She was the complete opposite of Touya who wore business attire day in and day out for work. The woman Touya ran into put on a friendly smile, Ah, I think Ive become lost now. Umm, sorry but do you know where Tokiwadai Middle School is from here? HmUm, wait just a moment please. Touya rummaged around before pulling out a brochure. Academy City was huge and the number of different schools participating was significant as well, so it was as thick as a guidebook one would normally take on a trip overseas. Giving up on finding it directly on the map, he turned to the index at the back of the book, Toki, TokiI dont see it. Tokiwadai Middle School doesnt appear to be on the list. Maybe this is what they meant in the introduction when they said th e official pamphlet wasnt at liberty to cover everything? Uwah! Is that right? Then, just where could that Mikoto be~! Even after I told her Id be taking a leave of absence from the university to come here! Could Mikoto be the name of her younger sister? Touya was wondering while looking over the guidebook when she suddenly moved closer. Touching shoulders with Touya, she was looking at the page he had unfolded. To, To, To, Toki, Toki, Toki---Uwah! It really isnt there! What am I supposed to do?!! Apparently without a set meeting place (As it was just before the opening ceremony, her cell phone was probably off as well), the woman moaned in despair. Her defenseless cheeks seemed on the verge of colliding with Touyas unshaven face. Her soft hair gently brushed against his ear. A sweet smell drifted from those soft strands. Touya quickly turned his face away, when, Oh my oh my, Touya-san. Again? K, kaa-san? W, what do you mean by again? As Touya gave his discretionary response, Shiina brought one hand up to her cheek and gave a sorrowful sigh that came from the depths of her heart. Even so, he could feel a darkness growing beyond her facade. Geez, Touya-san. Befriending a woman you run into on the road, then developing such a nice mood using those unassuming words and actions. Just how many times does this make? Too many to count I should think. Oh my oh my, oh dear. To make me so angry, maybe Touya-san is a masochist? While Shiinas face was starting to match the intensity of such port raits as found on the backs of the 1000 or 5000 yen bills, the woman standing next to Touya continued to grasp his arm without noticing Shiinas change at all while saying things like Hey, do you know where the management committee tent is? Hey, do you?. As for Touya,

Kaa-san is scary~! B, but, but kaa-sans minor bouts of jealousy are kind of cute as well, so what should I do?!, he wondered as he wasnt sure if he should defuse the situation or just savor it, Oh my. Isnt that Touma-san? Seeing how Shiinas attention had been drawn elsewhere, Touya secretly relaxed. Im saved. But, I wonder why Im sort of disappointed?, Touya wondered to himself as he followed Shiinas line of sight. Next to him, the woman was still holding onto his arm as she l ooked at the pamphlet. There was a crowd in front of them. Most of those within the crowd were of course students wearing gym clothes. Though they could be lumped together under the description gym clothes, each of the schools had their own uniform; however, they were all wearing either red or white headbands. Past the crowd, they recognized their own child making an annoyed gloomy expression. As he was participating in the Daihasei Festival, of course he was wearing a short-sleeves and shorts gym uniform. Next to him, there was a girl wearing running shorts and an actual uniform suited for track and field. Looking up from the spread out pamphlet, the woman pointed at the girl with the shoulder-length brown hair, Ah. Thats my Mikoto. Im so glad. The uni versity was so busy, and we hadnt talked about setting a meeting place or anything., she started explaining. It seemed that, with all the congestion between them, the children on the other side hadnt noticed their parents. However, with the way they were speaking to one another so loudly, their words at least made their way over clearly. Hey, tell me, red or white, which side did you end up on? What? Oh, Im on red. Huh, could it be that youre also on red? Y, yeah. Ohh, okay then. Lets make sure to do our best together Well, umm, if theres a contest where all the red members are together Actually! The truth is Im on the white team!! ?! Just look at my white headband! It signifies our resolution to leave not a single one of you standing!! Anyway, joining forces would have been impossible. Think of the difference between a middle schooler and a high schooler! Were going to snatch up all the points, so prepare yourself!! Why you! Hmph, looking down on us just because were younger. Well blow away your weakling white team!! Yeah right~, as if! Actually, if I lose to you somehow, why dont we have a penalty game! Ill listen to anything you say!

Y, youve said it now. Youve got a dealAnything, right? Fine. Fine then, little Miss Tokiwadai! Even though you never beat me, you sure dream big! So alternatively, if you lose, then there will also be a penalty game. Wha! T, then, in other words, that means a, anything you say Hmm? Looks like youre shaking, Misaka-sa~n. Is this all the self-confidence youve got after running your mouth like that just now, hmm? Fine. Lets do it. Dont try to cry your way out of this afterwards! I see I see. With that said, the penalty festival starts now!! What did you say *spark spark*!! With a bolt mixed in as the two clamored, their guardians watched them stiffly. There seemed to be a bit of a gap between their ideal visions of their child. Shiina Kamijou placed both hands on her cheeks, Oh my oh mySpeaking so cleverly and making such an unreasonable request of such a young girl like that, who on earth could he take after I wonder? Oh dear, now that I think about it, it reminds me of my younger days. Touya Kamijou showed a shocked face, W, what the. Saying anything goes in a penalty game with a middle school girl, just what sort of thing are you planning to make her do, Touma!! As for the woman next to him, Is this because of their influence? Well, Ill have to have a talk with Mikoto about this afterwards. So young and nave, is what she was thinking as she sighed and placed one hand on her forehead. And so, the seven-day Academy City unified athletics festival known as the Daihasei Festival begins.

Chapter 1: Commence Hostilities Part 1 The St. Georges Cathedral in London. This building is somewhat too big to be called a church, and too small to be called a Cathedral. Inside this construct thats unimpressive in a certain sense, the leader of the British Puritans, the Archbishop Laura Stuart, is standing around leisurely. Right now, it is 9am in Japan, and in England, which uses the world standard clock, its midnight now. Although this is the capital of a country, theres a sense of tranquility around Laura, which can even be described as serious. Under the gentle night and the cooling night breeze, the day came to a close. Shes alone inside the church, where the candle lights are blown out.

Laura sets a chair in front of the altar and sits on it. Shes wearing a simple nuns robe that has a pure white base colour, with recognizable coloured threads like black, red, green, purple, gold and silver woven into pictures. Besides that, her clothes are covered in decorative cloth used for higher-order clergymen. This is formal attire worn when shes visiting other people. Christian society is like any ordinary culture; clothing is a method used to declare the persons identity and position. Although it sounds serious, its like how tall a chefs hat is or a students uniform, or anything that signifies status. For someone like Laura, whos different from normal nuns, sh e has to prepare different sets of nuns robes according to the season, time, location, occasion, position on the matter, and ambition. Sometimes shell purposely wear clothes that indicate a lower standing in order to raise the status of the guest; sometimes shell purposely wear clothes that indicate a higher standing to show her dissatisfactiontheres a lot of ways to do this that are really complicated and troublesome. (In front of God, everyones an equal brotheris it? This statement is rather impre ssive.) The Archbishop cant help but scoff regarding things like stand and status. Laura feels that its too cumbersome to do all these. Her graceful look doesnt just rely solely on her clothes. The most noticeable thing about her is her golden hair thats 2.5 times the length of her body. She normally clips her hair, but she doesnt do so this time. The fluffy hair thats released hangs over her shoulders and goes all the way down, with the remaining part lying on the floor. Laura, whos sitting on the chair, places an entire set of gold and silver combs on her legs. She selects one from the pile of combs, which has different teeth length, width and spacing, and carefully lets her hair go past the comb like the strings of a harp. Its impossible to rea ch the end of her hair, thats even longer than her height, just by stretching her hands. So Laura gracefully pulls the hair nearer with her hands. Suddenly, she accidentally dropped her comb. Her golden hair faithfully demonstrates this by flapping up and down, like waves near a beach. After combing all her hair through once, she changes to another one, and after thats done, changes to another one. She continues to do this, as if the order of the combs used is very important. Shining on her hair is the moonlight passing through the window and the LCD display on the altar. The set up of the screen and the communication equipment, which were already there, was done at the last minute by an organization based in Academy City that has associates in London. This is supposed to be Stiyls job, but hes not in England now. Kanzaki Kaori said several times that this is something similar to a mobile phone, and tried to connect this brand new gadget. But she just sat down and analyzed the instruction manual before staring back like an abandoned puppy. What are you doing?

A displeased voice came from the screen. Its hard to tell whether that voice belongs to a man or a woman, a child or an adult, a Saint or a criminal. Laura did not turn to look at where the voice came from. Besides, the one appearing on the screen should be a man floating upside down in fluid. The General Director of Academy City, Aleister. Laura, whose extremely long hair hangs down from her shoulders, quietly says, Dont you know? Im combing my hair. A man shouldnt be seeing a woman doing make -up. She chuckles, Several centuries ago, among the English Noblewomen, there are methods to scorch their hair by either using the sun or the moon. The best-looking blonde hair is called the Suns hair, and its the greatest virtue for one to accomplish this. Isnt it stylish to do this without the need of dyes? Laura tries to stifle her laughter, but theres no response from the screen. She twists her neck and looks at the LCD screen. Whats wrong? To remain silent while I'm talking with you Theres no response from the screen. Just when Lauras feeling puzzled, a voice came from the other side. Noactually, Ive been trying to ask you something. Hm? To be honest, your Japanese sounds really weird. Or are you treating me as an idiot by saying this? Which one is it? Laura stopped what she was doing. The comb thats gliding through her hair slightly trembles. Youyoudo you know what youre talking about!? Theres no need to talk about etiquette with a man who doesnt believe in God, just some simple words is enough for you! I seeif you prefer to use such a special accent, its alright. What Im trying to say is that if youre really frustrated about this, I can send a Japanese teacher to teach you the language. I am the one who ruled over knowledge after all! Uu! Im not bothered by it! Why would I bother about a language used by a small country in the Far East? Laura, whos combing through her hair quickly, loudly declares. Theres no response from the screen, and there are no bystanders as the sound of Laura combing her hair quickly echoes throughout the hall. After a while, Aleister seemed like he wants to change the topic, and says,

However, why do you want to comb your hair in front of the guest? Shouldnt you have done it before having a conversation? Although she doesnt like this topic, Laura feels that at least they can break away from the original topic, as her tone and attitude seems calmer than before. Theres no time. Actually, night is the time when women are in their bedrooms doing their make-up. Please dont mind me doing this during our conversation. Hmm, I guess thats the result of the Suns hair that you talked about, right? The myth about the moonlight should be a superstition, but the myth about the sun is actually due to the ultraviolet rays that caused the hair to lose colour pigments. This is probably an idea gained from books fading in colour due to overexposure to the sun. But Ill give you some adviceyoull get hair loss! This is rather rude when were still developing our diplomatic relations. Laura looks away. The hair thats lying on the floor like a rug is reflecting light from the LCD screen. The shiny hair thats carefully combed through with the gold and silver combs now reflects other colours like red and blue. She again mutters, So rude. I have informed you earlier the reason why I wanted to contact you, so let me confirm it again. Also, I would like to thank you for agreeing to our unreasonable request. If youre talking about the time difference, theres no need to worry about i t. This is the time when we start our work anyway. What I want to say is that its rude of us to interrupt you when youre doing your work. Laura looks at her hair thats reflecting light, and says, It seems like the opening ceremony is under way. As the leader, shouldnt you go up to the stage and say hello to them? Do you think I can let people see me like this? Hoho, youre right, this isnt appropriate for the occasion. At this moment, Laura turns to look at the LCD screen on the altar. Theres a person floating upside-down inside a transparent cylindrical tank thats filled with red liquid. No matter how one sees it, its unsuitable for this person, whos wearing a green labcoat, to appear in public like that. Also, hell be able to remain in this state for a thousand years (maybe, since Laura isnt sure about the exact details). People will find that theres something wrong if he were to appear in public quite often. Of course, hell have to change his looks and name if hes to do thi s. Laura Stuarts actual age doesnt match her looks as well, but shes not the type thatll look at others who are learning from their mistakes and laugh at them. Then I'll go on, if you dont mind. I'll give a short summary of this, for I dont have m uch time left.

A sigh came from the LCD screen. Is it regarding someone who invaded Academy City? Um. Laura nods her head. Right now, youre unable to identify the invaders from the visitors. Its impossible to carry out security checks smoothly because you people have to accommodate ordinary civilians. Laura is rather familiar with this. During a large-scale gathering like a worship or Christmas celebration, if they want to use tight, almost foolproof security to protect the people, the peoples actions will have to be limited, and itll affect the proceedings of the events severely. In order not to delay the proceedings of the events, they have to give a certain amount of freedom. The magicians seemed to have taken this opportunity to attack Academy City when theres a hole they can thread into. According to our reports, there are two confirmed invaders. One is an important member of the Roman Catholic Church, and the other is a transporter that she hired. A transporter? Let me confirm this, is she here to destroy and do battle? Yes. The name of the transporter is Oriana Thompson, and the one who hired her is Lidvia Lorenzetti. Theyre trying to buy a certain good. Laura grabs a bundle of notes thats lying beside the LCD screen, and waves it in front of screen. The words are very small, but since the other party is from Academy City, which boasts the use of technology unknown to the outside world, he wont use words like I cant see clearly so easily. First, Oriana Thompson. As her name indicates, shes born in England, but shes probably now Italian. Shes known as the Tracking sealer, a top -notch courier in the magical world. This womans ability is that shes able to run and hide, and that shes able to get away from pursuers even if they find her. More accurately, Oriana is a woman who will do anything to get away from her pursuers. Also, nobody is able to keep track of her actions. Even when they are prepared, shell still be able to get away. Oriana Thompson is a magician with many spells at her disposal, and shell destroy bridges, create fires, set up many talismans to get her pursuers off her. Also, shes a beauty who will sometimes use this weakness of humans. One can imagine from Orianas original British nationality how many times she clashed with the British Puritans while she was in London. While Necessarius was pursuing Oriana, they were stopped by many people who have no links with magic, claiming to be her best friend. Shes not just a battle berserker, she knows how to use a human wall formed by the crowd and slip inside. Next, Lidvia Lorenzetti, a radical among the Roman Catholics, also known as Mardi Gras. Shes known for evangelising to the people that the Church rejecte d, and got some converts to further carry out evangelism.

Shes different from Oriana, and is a Roman Catholic born in the Vatican. Shes in a very high position, but never tried to aim higher. Instead, she finds spreading the gospel to the world much more meaningful. Shes a person wholl do anything to spread the Word. As a reward, the pope himself specially gave her a platinum staff that is decorated with silk, but she immediately sold it without thinking to finance her travels. Those that were saved by Lidvia, and who want to save even more people, are geniuses who had never seen the light of day, and most of them were people like criminals and cult believers. Lidvias talent is in finding these talents that will normally be executed. Not only does she have the ability to find hidden talent, shes also able to control and manage problematic people. Even if its the Roman Catholics, wholl kill any sinner that they meet and burn any non believer, they cant formally attack anyone whos properl y recognised as converted. To the higher-ups who hate these problematic people, they view Lidvia as a thorn in their side. And to the Archbishop Laura, shes a formidable opponent. If shes just brazenly raising magicians, the British Puritans can still stop them; but theyll be seen as evil if shes teaching them about the Bible and the gospel as well. Theyre rather prominent in your world, huh? Ive never heard of them before. Whos the guy theyre dealing with? Its unknown as of now. Right now, t he biggest suspect is Bishop Nikolai Tolstoy of the Russian Church. Although Nikolai isnt as extreme as the Roman Catholics to abandon the non -believers, hes known as a cunning man wholl reap the benefits in an argument between two parties. Then, the good that theyre deliveringcan you tell me what it is? If I dont tell you the name and the item, you guys probably wont be able to find it, right? Lauras gaze leaves the screen of the monitor as she says Coming! She raises something that was placed on the ground. Is that a sword? Its just a duplicate that I borrowed from the British Museum. Like as how you see it, however, there are no magical effects. The sword that Laura is holding is made of marble. Its 1.5m long, and the widthof the crossguard is 35cm on both sides, making it 70cm wide. Its about 10cm thick. As it is a duplicate, theres no blade. Instead, the edge of the sword is as sharp as a sharpened pencil. Its called the Stab Sword. I cant explain its effect, but its said to be able to slay a dragon in half and stitch it to the ground. Its magical value and effect is enormous. If its successfully delivered, well be in immediate trouble. Britain herself may end up being involved in a war. The Stab Sword is a spiritual weapon that can take down the pillar thats extremely important to a Christian sect. Once they destroy the pillar, the surrounding enemies will take advantage when the sect is weakened and attack them in one go.

The pillar refers to the Saints in Christianity. The Stab Sword can utterly destroy the Saints, who have combat capabilities and powers equivalent to that of a nuclear bomb. Mm, its like that tactical weapon that your side developed. Aleister looks at the sword in question through the screen, and says, Would you mind explaining what the error is if this sword is used in Academy City? According to the situation, it seems that we have to evacuate ordinary civilians. You dont have to worry. This is a weapon that can onl y be used on the magic side. There wont be any effects if its used on your side. I see. If you can give us its structure and origin, we can come up with some strategies. Oh, the citizens of the science world can plan against magic? Dont tell me theres a magician hidden among you guys? Both sides remained silent. The tension is like thin yet sharp threads that are tied all over the place, as if theyll break when theres even the slightest movement, like breathing. But theres no sign of anxiety, as one might even think that theyre enjoying it. Like she just snapped those taut strings with a Pow sound, Laura starts to speak in a cheery tone. Lets not do these useless limitations, time is really precious. She shakes her head, and the hair that extends onto the floor like a rug starts to shake slightly. The biggest problem is that the deal involving the Stab Sword is in Academy City. The enemy should also be clear about this. Letting British Puritan magicians into our territorywe cant possibly make that exception. If they give an exception to the British Puritans and allow them in, other groups will request to give them the permit. Not all the people are well -intentioned. Among them, some might even sneak into Academy City and do all sorts of sabotage work. The original circumstances are already quite troublesome. If they are to add more fire-starters to the mix, nobody will know how it will develop. Especially since its Daihasei now, with so many civilians and the media around, Aleister wants to prevent any chaos from taking place, let alone a tragedy. A similar situation happened when an alchemist took over Misawa Cram School. At that time, Academy City once hired the British Puritans and the Roman Catholics to stop Aureolus Izzard from going out of control. But the circumstances are different now.

Its Daihasei now, there are many civilians from outside Academy City. If Aleister were to propose that well decide wholl settle the problem that happens in our city, and the other party proposes that There are tourists from our country, so well protect our citizens, itll create lots and lots of chaos. Of course, theres a difference in power among these organisations. Academy City, as the leader of the science world, has a base difference in ability compared to many small forces of the magical world. So there will be differences in the influence, but they cant suppress the other party just like that. Once they reject the proposal from the small groups of the magic world, larger groups will come up with excuses to go with their requests. Even if they can reject their suggestions, other large groups will speak up. As this continues, the problem will snowball, ending up with the magic side facing off against the science side. Daihasei is already an event that the world is watching out for. It probably wont even take a day for the problem to develop. Even so, if any resident of Academy City is to beat a magician, itll cause a problem as well. Both the science and magic sides have their own interests and responsibilities. Once the security forces of Academy City aren't careful when they capture the magicians, itll create the risk of unauthorised access to the other side. Those guys really thought of everything. Even if we are to sense that something is amiss, we cant just go and attack the enemy without expecting any reservations. With this, they can just focus on the deal. But what if we give up now? Wouldnt we have nothing on them? Laura stands up. The overly long hair of hers wont leave the floor just like that. The set of gold and silver combs on her lap falls onto the ground. However, Laura never even bothered looking at them. Since you are hosting ordinary civilians, I assume theres no problem if people from our side are to go in on a holiday, right? Hearing her serious tone, the man on the monitor screen chuckles, Lets seeeven if we disguise it as a holiday tour, if all the members are from the British Puritan Church, well have a headache. Once anyone finds out that its a planned action by some organisation, well have to accept the rumour that the Church has already invaded Academy City. But if we limit it to a single personand that person happens to have friendly relations with some residents of Academy City, we might be able to confuse them. Aleister happily whistles, and quips, O, so now, well just have to use that boy as a guide then.

Part 2 Its 10:30am The opening ceremony is finally over. Its too hot Ordinary high school student Kamijo Touma stands on the football field. This seemed to be a facility affiliated to a sports school thats dedicated to social activities. Even the turf thats made of artificial resin is about to melt in this unrelenting summer. The students, who are dressed in various P.E. attires, disperse in groups of twos and threes the moment they stepped past the exits. There are 1.8 million participants in Daihasei. Although the stadium is of professional standard, it cant possibly contain every single person. Arent there too many principals in the city? Kamijo tiredly said. One will definitely be irritated after hearing so many consecutive principal messages in this hot summer. Kamijo, who for some reason l ost his memories, accidentally and unknowingly experienced this for the second time. Actually, the Board of Directors have already carefully chosen who the speakers are. If all the principals are to go on stage and deliver their messages, itll probably t ake an entire day. Around Kamijo, there are students from primary, junior high, high school and college students. Everyones expression is the same as his. Theyre basically wearing short -sleeved shirts and shorts. Because theyre of different schools, so me of them are wearing shoe covers or track attire. Some students from special schools even put on aikido clothing, camouflage pants, or armoured suits (non-driven) that are made from special materials. The common thing among the students is that they are wearing red or white sashes on their heads. Basically, Daihasei is an inter-school competition where the number of wins and losses are computed as points. Each school divides its own students into red team and white team, and with the number of wins each coloured team gets, the points earned will be added on to the schools score. Red vs white, school vs school. Theyll use the final total score to decide the rankings of the school. The victory condition that Kamijo and Mikoto were arguing about before the start of the opening ceremony uses this system. In Academy City, once a schools ranking is higher than another, it wins. The relentless words that Mikoto left behind were something like, Youyou just wait and see! Ill make you regret saying that the loser has to play a penalty game and obey the winner! What will she do to me? Waitwait a minute. Dont tell me shes going to play railgun catching with me (with me being the catcher) until the sun sets? I dont want to play this sort of catching game with her!!

Kamijo cant help but shout out alone. All the students near the exit of the sports hall give him a weird look. After he finally regains his composure, Kamijo quietly leaves the bus stop in front of the sports hall. (But Im too over-worried as well.) Up till now, although Kamijo is shivering from fear due to anticipation of whats to come, he understands that hell be alright if he doesnt lose. Though the opponent is a prestigious school, shes still a junior high school student. Even if esper powers are allowed in the competition, this should be an extension of sports activities (probably). To be honest, Kamijo feels that those missies who are supposed to be so cosseted cant possibly win against a youthful and sweaty group of hig h school students. Even if Kamijo is to lose in a direct match-up against Tokiwadai, there are other ways. Once Kamijos school beats other schools, and Tokiwadai loses to others, the difference can be whittled down. Touma! A girls voice came from beside him. Looking in the direction of where the voice came from, among the crowd thats wearing P.E. attire, stands a girl in white nun robes thats decorated with gold embroidery. Her name is Index. Shes an English girl with long white hair, green pupils , and a slim body. Shes also the one with perfect memory of the 103,000 magical texts in her mind. To be honest, shes a girl whos a lot more useful than those weak espers. Index carries a calico cat in front of her, saying listlessly, ToumaIm hungry. Youre hungry now? Its still morning, you know. Didnt you eat breakfast two hours ago? Uuuu. But I can smell such an attractive and indescribable smell all over the place. I cant stand it. The calico cat in her arms shakes its nose and makes a happy sound, matching Indexs voice. Although its a large-scale sporting event, not all the students will be bounded by the events all the time. They just need to follow the rule of reaching the area in the specific time, and any time other than that is free time for them. Whether its cheering for other schools, buying gifts with family members, or just standing at a convenience store to read magazines, anythings fine. Some will even set up stores to get some earnings, like the management or home economics schools that Tsuchimikado Maika is studying at. The number of schools where all the students are participating in the competitions is unexpectedly low. As the academic years and the athletic events are different, there will normally be people with nothing to do. One should be cheering for his own school, but the victory banquet can be much more luxurious if their stores can earn some money. Just selling things to 1.8 million students and parents can earn them quite a large sum of money. Ahermmaybe Japanese cuisine is as tempting to eat as it sounds. The nun carrying the calico cat blurts out. Index is the type of person that will do anything to get any food thats in front of her. Although its just an aroma from afar, ones saliva will flow out if under this condition for a long time. Besides, he should reward her for not raiding those stores, Kamijo thought seriously.

Ah, I see. You have nothing to do for the entire day, so Ill find time to go out with you later. Index nods her head, before she stops and asks, Later? Ah, the first match is about to start, I got to go. You can take a look at the travel guide. The locations that I marked out with a pen are the spectator stands of the events that Im taking part in. WaWawawa! ToTouma is so cold to me today! Index seems to be shouting something, but Kamijo doesnt have much time left. He wanted to let her go to a few shops, but itll be endless if he goes out with Index, whos hungry right now. She wont be satisfied if she doesnt go to every single store and eat everything. Kamijo haggled with Maika, who just so happened to pass by, before buying a maid bento at half price (the fixed price was 1,200 yen, so expensive). Index kept on crying, saying that she wants to eat as she begged Kamijo while on her way to the arena. On a side note, although the name maid bento sounds very western, the ingredients are all from Japan. While Kamijo is grumbling about the ingredients and the price, Maika explains, Because Japan is the land of bentos, as other countries dont use bentos as a culture. England uses lunch to describe a midday meal, and in Western culture, people normally carry biscuits with them anyway. This is why were using local ingredients. Although youre saying that its expensive, theyre selling those high class bentos that are ten times more expensive than udon in theatres to the audience. We are following the traditional methods by using top-grade ingredients and techniques to create these Daihasei bentos, you know. Although it sounds arrogant, she does have a point. Holding the maid bento in his hand, Kamijo heads toward the competition arena, which is the school field at his high school. Hes supposed to send Index into the spectator stands , but the entrances for the competitors is different from the spectators. After separating from the girl, he enters the competitors area. The field is currently undergoing preparation, as the staff is spraying water onto the field to prevent dust from flying about. There are remote-controlled hot air balloons in the blue sky, hanging a special vertical thin screen showing these running words: 7th district. High school sector. First event, Wrench stick competition. 10 minutes and 23 seconds to the start of the match. (If our school loses to Tokiwadai in terms of ranking, who knows what Mikoto will come up with for the penalty game. We got to win right at the start!) During Daihasei, which lasts for 7 days, how many points the schools get will largely depend on how they pace themselves. It all depends on the tactic that the school uses, do they pull away from the beginning, or they conserve their forces and catch up with the tired teams at the end. There are plenty of options. Because of his memory loss, Kamijo feels that this is the first time hes in a Daihasei competition. However, since hes not a student from a sports school, Kamijo is unable to observe the battles calmly and save his physical strength. Though he has a special ability, it is still a battle between students. The results of the match may affect morale as well. In other words, although its possible to win the match, if the difference is too great, they wont be able to focus on turning the situation around when they have already given up.

Based on this reason alone, Kamijo favours getting off right from the start and pulling away from the opponent. (Come to think about it, our class was very noisy a while back when we were preparing for the match. Or should I say, the entire school was like this. Hm, those people should be rather energetic. There are quite a few people who hate to lose, and Im more worried about them using underhanded means to win.) Kamijo looks forward to this meaningless gathering with his classmates, as he walks into the competitors restroom inside the school to meet up with them. Normally, Aogami Pierce, the one who likes fun the most, will then turn his head around, Wawhy so energetic Kamijo inadvertently falls onto the ground. When he regained consciousness, he was sprawling on the ground. He looked around and observes that the other students were also like this. Everyone looked that they got heatstroke. Waitwait a minute, whats wrong with everyone? Why is everyone so tired before the first match has even begun? Kamijo trembles somewhat angrily as he asks, as Aogami Pierce forcefully turns around and says, Why? Because everyone stayed up all night yesterday playing! And before the opening ceremony, the whole class was fighting over what kind of tactics need to be used. That remaining amount of energy is all used up! Because of this!? Everyone!? Did the beginning and end of Daihasei switch over? However, Himegami, congratulations! Seeing you being able to mix into the class, Im very relieved. Himegami Aisa is standing slightly far away from Kamijo. This white-skinned, black haired girl has the ability to attract and kill vampires. To prevent this power from working, she wears a Cross on her neck, which is now hidden under her short-sleeved P.E. shirt. She just transferred into Kamijos class in the beginning of the month. Himegami gently shakes her long, black hair, which is becoming increasing rare, saying, Isnt a students competition something like this? Where theres trainers and coaches. Ugh, even you said isnt it like this!? Seems like well lose! Kamijo cups his hands on his head. As if hes trying to encourage Kamijo, Nya! Kami-yan, it cant be helped that everyone is so tired. Nobody expected the opening ceremony to consist of 15 consecutive principal talks, together with more than 50 congratulatory telegrams that were sent over. I have to praise you for being able to stand even after all these The person who said this is Tsuchimikado Motoharu he looks like a student, but is actually a double agent for both the magic and science sidehis short, blonde hair spiking outwards, with

light-coloured sunglasses on his eyes and gold jewellery on his neck. One can only say that a shortsleeved P.E. shirt doesnt match the other decorations. EveEven the energetic Aogami and Tsuchimikado are like thiswaitwait a minute, if the opponent is as lifeless, we might have a chance!! Kamijo grabs onto his last glimmer of hope. Its impossible nya, Kami-yan. The opponent seemed to be a private elite sports school, you know. WAAAAA! Kamijo is completely sprawling on the floor. The thought of him losing to Misaka Mikoto and her giving a hellish punishment is now clearly in his mind. Just when Kamijo feels his skin crawl, a female classmate, who was late, came into the room. Waitwait a minute, whats wrong with everyone? Why is everyone so tired? Hgn? Kamijo, whos lying on the floor, looks up. The girl in front of him is wearing a short shirt and a pair of shorts, and also wearing a hoody on the outside. The armband on her arm has the words Daihasei Management Committee, High School Division. There should be similar words written on the back. Shes rather tall in class and has a nice body. One can see those compassionate breasts of hers under her P.E. attire. Her long black hair is kept behind her ears, making her forehead look much larger than it seems. Fukiyose Seiri. In contrary to her beautiful looks, her nickname is the iron wall girl. She blankly looks around, before her vision finally fixes onto Kamijo, whos on the ground. Ah!? No way, Kamijo! Its because of your lethargy that everyone else in infected by it. Youwhat are you going to do with this? Eh? Noits not my fault! I only just reached here, you know! In other words, because youre late, everyone lost their drive? Do you have to blame me no matter what? Arent you late as well? Im late because I have management work to do, idiot! Youre planning to make me look like an idiot no matter what? Kamijo is really going to cry out, Dont bother me! I cant make it! Now that Kamijos in an unfortunate reality, Kamijo really cant stand up now!! You really look bad like this. This isnt a psychological problem; its mild anaemia because you didnt eat breakfast. Just drink some isotonic drinks to replenish your water content and minerals and youll be fine. Kamijo Touma, stand up now! Whoosh! Several 500ml plastic bottles flew out from Fukiyoses jacket pockets. Wa! Why are you spouting this nonsense that a health freak will go crazy about!? Also, is this an illusion? Why do I feel that you dont lack minerals and water, but calcium? What are you talking about? Ive taken in enough anchovies! Fukiyose glares at Kamijo, saying,

I hate those who use misfortune as an excuse to live life so sloppily. Once you look so lethargic, everyone else will lose their motivation as well. So you better buck up for everyones sake. Facing off against Fukiyose Seiris aggressive attack, Kamijo inadvertently backed up. The committee member continues to get near the retreating boy. Kamijo still wants to back away, only to back into the flowerbed. Seeing this, the students look absolutely delighted. Tootoo strong. Fukiyose, youre too strong! Youre really the woman who can defend against that Kamijo! If its an ordinary person, that person might end up being soft -hearted and say KaKamijo-san, are you alright? This guy keeps saying that hes unlucky, but he always get the best seats!! Oh, youre the hope of humanity. Lets analyse Fukiyose Seiri, and maybe we can control Kami yan!! (In your eyes, what kind of scum am I!?) Kamijo listlessly backs up. At this moment, Kamijos foot steps on something squishy. Its the rubber hose used to spray water. They have to spray water onto the grounds before the competition starts in order to prevent the dust from flying about (though they cant prevent it completely). Looking far away, a male teacher working in the school suspiciously looks at the water hose that doesnt spray water. In this instant, The water thats suppressed by Kamijos foot blast out, as the hose thats attached to the faucet and supposed to spray water, is loose, splashing water nearby. The one closest to the faucet is FuFukiyose!? Kamijo, you bastard, how dare you do this to our final stronghold!! Oh no, with Kamijo around, even that tigress is all wet now. And unexpectedly, we get to see her colourful underwear. Dont tell me this is the start of a love comedy This is the despair of humanityif Fukiyose cant survive, then who will? (In your eyes, what kind of scum am I!? Also, sorry, Fukiyose-san!) Kamijo repeatedly does his angry and apologetic mannerisms. On a side note, Fukiyose is all wet with her sports attire clinging tightly onto her, her skin and even her underwear can be seen clearly. Shes unexpectedly wearing un derwear that is completely different from her image, the yellow and orange chequered design looks really cute. Do you have any dissatisfaction?

(No, I dont dare to!!) Kamijo quickly lowers his head and apologises. Fukiyose gave a humph, turns her head, pulls the zip of her jacket open and pulls out a small packet of milk before drinking it. She probably wants the calcium to pacify her own anger. The boys nearby cover the mouth of the faucet with their thumbs, and start playing with the columns of water thats shooting out like a laser cannon. In truth, theyre tired now. But they seem to be aware of Fukiyose being wet throughout and want to display the spirit of a gentleman, so they pretended that they didnt notice her. They look innocent, but their eyes arent smiling as they continue to play this water spraying game in despair. Kamijo blankly looks at his classmates that completely lack unity and thought, (Nobodys worrying about the Wrench Stick match!? Were doomed! To many extents, this c lass really has a lot of problems.) Just when Kamijo is shaking his head at the wall near the competitors corner entrance, he hears a man and a woman arguing. Seems like some people are arguing behind the sports hall. This willdefinitely What nonsensedefinitelyhuh? Whats going on now? Kamijo keeps his body near the sports hall as he peeks in. The person in the back of the sports hall, where everything is dark, is Kamijos homeroom teacher, Tsukiyomi Komoe. Shes 135cm tall, a teacher whom wont be mocked even if shes carrying a primary school students backpack. Shes wearing a short white dress, accompanied with a light green sleeveless vest. Seems like shes wearing this to cheer them on. Facing her is a man that Kamijo never met before. He should be a teacher from another school. In Daihasei, while staff members are wearing sports attire that can be bought outside, this guy is wearing business clothing on such a hot day. Komoe-sensei is arguing against that teacher. Or more accurately, it looks like the male teacher, who is mocking Komoe-sensei, is about to get eaten by her. I admit that our school facilities and teaching contents arent adequate! But thats our fault and not the students! Komoe-sensei is waving her arms as she shouts. The male teacher however doesnt mind, saying, Humph, isnt the inadequacy of the facilities due to your students not being capable? If there were results, the Board of Directors would have given extra funding, right? Hoho. Trash schools like yours shouldnt be able to request it, right? Ah, sensei, I heard that your class did badly for the end of semester test, right? Managing so many failures should be tough. TheTheres no success or failure for students! They just have their own p ersonalities. Everyone is already working so hard! Howhow can I abandon them for my own sake? Is this an excuse to hide your own inability? Hahaha. Your dreams are too far -reaching. Do you need me to send you back to reality? Let the elites that I groomed beat your trashes into a pulp. Hm,

were having a Wrench Stick competition here, right? As a member of the opposing school, let me give you an advice. Go do some warm-ups; youll need it to avoid injuries. You You embarrassed me the last time we had the school meet, so this time, in front of the global telecast, Ill return this debt back to you. Well be slightly lax in our attacks, but I dont know if your failures are too weak. Hahahathe male teacher laughs as he leaves. That teacher should be from the opposing school. This is what Kamijo thought. To be honest, for Kamijo, who is level 0, even if hes called a failure or trash now, it doesnt hurt him too much. Its not like this. At this moment, Komoe-sensei spoke. Shes alone now, and shes not talking to anyone in particular. She lowers her head and says in a trembling voice, They arent some trash, are they? Her already small and skinny shoulders shrank even more. Its like shes saying that its all because of her tha t her students were shamed by outsiders. She raises her head, looks up at the sky, and remained silent, as if shes trying to endure something. Kamijo remains silent. He turns around. All the students were standing there silently. As if hes trying to confirm it, Kamijo Touma asks, Okay, you guys heard that? Just now, everyone was complaining about how they have no motivation, their energy is used up Kamijo closes one eye. Let me ask you guys again, are you sure that you dont want to win?

Part 3 Misaka Mikoto is in the spectator stands reserved for students. Compared to ordinary spectator stands, theres not even a roof to block the sun. Theres only a blue plastic sheet on the ground, no chairs at all. Mikoto sighs as she thought: this is like a banquet for them to enjoy watching the flowers. Its so primitive, yet it gives a wild sense of freshness.

Considering that shes going to participate in the match, observing Kamijos match until the end will be somewhat dangerous. But shes really anxious, and before she knew it, she was already standing here. There are no other students here wearing the standard Tokiwadai P.E. attire. (Although he cant possibly beat our school) Mikoto sighs stealthily. Tokiwadai Middle School comprises of 2 level 5s, 47 level 4s, and the rest are all level 3s; a school comprising of elites that is hard to take down. Although they were ranked a rather humiliating 2nd in last years Daihasei, last years champion was a top 5 school, Machine Academy. In the end, the ones really fighting for the championship are these top 5 schools. Once the situation changes, itll only be a reshuffling in positions among these top 5 schools. This should be something that every resident of Academy City knows, so why did that guy so recklessly bet on it? Mikoto is skeptical. But that idiot probably doesnt have any special plan. (But) If its him, maybe an unexpected winner will be born. He will disregard any objective views between level 0s and level 5s. Yes, just like how he beat the strongest level 5 in Academy City with his right hand. At that time, he gritted his teeth and stood up for her so many times. () Mikotos mind temporarily went blank. (Ahhh, this is so irritating, why am I so embarrassed all of a sudden!?) Patapatapata!! She pulls out the board under her that shes been using as a seat, and hurriedly uses it to fan her face thats flushed red. Im lucky that my schoolmates arent here, Mikoto thought as she looked around. Then, A nun with silver hair and green eyes is lying on the ground. !? Mikotos shoulders jerked. This is the girl who was with that idiot ever since school started. Seems like shes called Index is that a nickname? Its hard to imagine anyone having that kin d of name. Why is she here? Mikoto has a few questions, but she immediately realised that the girl should be here to cheer for the opponent.

The girl is holding onto a pair of chopsticks in her right hand and theres an empty bento box placed nearby. Seems like its the student bento that Tsuchimikado Maika is selling. The girl, whos prostrating herself on the ground, slowly says, IIm hungry Didnt you just finish the bento? Mikoto instinctively shouted back. She immediately thought that the reason why shes so listless is not because shes hungry, but because she got heatstroke, so she gave her a plastic bottle containing isotonic drink thats conveniently placed on the plastic sheet. The girl immediately stood up. The moment she said Thathank you. the bottle was empty, and her stomach is rumbling. After that, she became as listless as before. Trytrying to use a drink to suppress my hunger may be a bit too much Youre just hungry, arent you Mikoto places her hand on her forehead and sighs. A calico cat climbs out from the gap between the stomach of the girl, whos lying on the ground. It seems to be saying, Missy, on behalf of this girl, Id like to say sorry for bothering you. Ah, Im melting, my paws are burning. Hm?......What kind of strange feeling is this? as it looks around uneasily.

Mikotos ability is dubbed the railgun, as she can control and manipulate electricity. Even if she doesnt move, there will be a weak electric field, so animals normally wont like to approach her. She looks at the lethargic nun thats dressed in white robes, and says, Oi, did you meet that guy today? Did you find anything strange about him? Hm? That guy? Are you referring to Touma? Touma doesnt seem any different from usual. Youre with that guy all the time? Mikoto really wants to snap at her, before deciding to endure it. If that guy isnt any different from usual, then is he not too bothered about winning and losing? (So this means that our school should still win in the endeh? If I win, what will happen?) Mikoto thought, before shaking her head forcefully. The girl lying on the ground is slightly surprised upon seeing Mikoto act like this. Oi, short-hair. Oi, youre too much. Is this how you treat someone who gave you a drink? Oi, short-hair with a big belly. There isn't a girl whod be happy upon hearing that!! Mikoto twitches her eyebrows as she said that. The nun, however, does not mind as she says, Whats short-hair doing here? What? Dodoing? No, I didnt

Are you here to cheer for Touma? WhaWhat? StuStupid, what are you saying? Why should I cheer for that guy? The white nun does not press on any further as Mikoto continues to fan herself even harder. At this moment, the schools speakers broadcast the signal that the competitors are coming in. The first match is the Wrench Pole matchthis is a match where both sides are to set up 7m long poles. While defending their own pole, competitors have to push down the enemys pole. This is what the competition involves. The one presenting and explaining the rules is a first-year from high school, as his voice loudly blares through the speakers. Although there are broadcasting crews from many different companies, its still basically a school Olympics. The television commentators will be working in differe nt rooms, so there doesnt seem to be any major changes. However, just the fact that theyll be shown on television creates a huge difference in the atmosphere and sense of being as compared to before. Although in reality, while its impossible to show all 1.8 million students, theyll still be nervous. Though the students are noisily chattering about, Mikoto inexplicably feels a sense of nervousness. In this moment, one can really feel that this is a formal activity being watched by the entire world. IIm hungry The girl whos sprawling on the ground broke this tension in the air mercilessly. Mikoto sees that shes so pitiful, and pulls out some biscuit -shaped supplementary food (chocolate flavour) from her pocket. The lethargic girl can only raise her head and open her small mouth. Mikoto stuffs the food into Indexs mouth, so all Index can do is to eat them obediently. (Never mind, those guys likely wont feel nervousthey might even skip this and pretend that they didnt know this match is about to occur.) Mikoto looks like shes prompted by the broadcast to look to the school compound. The opponent that Kamijos school is facing seems to be some elite school that focuses heavily on sports, as even their warm ups give people a sense of professionalism. By moderating a suitable amount of nervousness into a motivated look, it seems like theyre focused on a real competition. Theyre gathered in their own classes, as each class is setting up their own poles. Itll be disastrous if the opponent is serious, Mikoto thought, shaking her head as she looks at where Kamijo is. Just as how the guide booklet showed, his school does not have any special characteristics, widely considered as a really ordinary school. But standing thereare the real warriors. Eh? Mikoto cant help but wonder if shes seeing the wrong thing. The entire group gives off an inexplicable sense of seriousness, nobodys playing around. With Kamijo Touma as the centre, theyre lined up horizontally in one line. Forget calling it a Wrench Pole match, the intense atmosphere is like the prelude to a battle in the Sengoku Era. The poles that were set up seemed to resemble a large spear held by a regiment. This tension is a whole lot different from the one the broadcasting companies b ring. It feels like theres no one besides them and their enemies.

DONG KAKAKA! Theyre surrounded by some weird sound effects. This sound is caused by the aftershocks caused by the power of the three units of espers colliding with each other, causing the air to vibrate. (Eh) Seeing such an intense atmosphere, Mikoto shouted out. (Whats with that sense of realisation!? That guy, to think that he is able to display this kind of leadership capability at a time like this. DonDont tell me that theyre serious about winning!? What will that guy want if he wins?) Actually, this is due to Komoe-senseis story being spread across the entire school, but of course, Mikoto doesnt know this. In front of Mikoto, whos all pale green now, the announcement t hat the match is starting was made. Kamijo and company raised some dust into the air as they charge towards their opponents, who were scared upon seeing their display of momentum. Part 4 The people taking part in the Wrench Pole match are split into two groups. One group sets up its own pole, stabilizing it and protecting it. The other group is to knock down the enemys pole. Kamijo is in the latter group. So once the signal to start was given, he led the charge into the enemys territory. YYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! Kamijo shouted as he charged forward. Any ordinary person will thinkthat this is a game included in this sporting event, but in Academy City, more than half of the students are people who discovered their powers, called espers. There are abilities that may include fire, water, earth, wind, lightning, ice, and many more, even including some that allows espers to fly. In a battle of around 100 espers fighting, the tense atmosphere is no trivial matter. Right now, the distance between the two bases is around 80 metres. The opponent, lined up in a straight line, continuously fire some flashes over. They look like the camera flashes from the spectator stands, but theyre not. These are long ranged attacks that are fired by the espers. Seems like an esper can detonate flames to create explosive pressure. In order to keep the pressure shaped in the form of a bullet, the flame bombs are covered with an invisible forcefield created by an esper who can manipulate pressure. When the bomb bullet is created, the bullet will increase the refractivity of air, reflecting sunlight like sunlight shining through a transparent balloon. Its only in Daihasei that one gets to see many espers work together to form a single attack.

Kamijo theorises that theyll remove the pressure-type shell, releasing the internal pressure and release it to the surroundings. Facing the attack of these units, Kamijos allies, who are behind him and protecting him, fired sand guns at the enemy. This is a telekinesis-based attack, and its not an exaggeration to call it a formless and colourless attack. It reacts with the dust floating in the air and manipulates the flow of the magnetic field lines to create sand-iron guns. The explosive bullets and the telekinetic guns collide and explode in the middle of the field. Seeing the storm that just occurred, the spectators start to scream as if theyre riding on a roller coaster. (Those that are watching probably think that this is interesting!!) Kamijos movements are somewhat slow because of the explosions, as he continues to run forward. The opposing school seems to be a specialist in sports, as one can see that they devoted a considerable amount of effort to develop their capabilities. Although their hit damage is a lot less as compared to people like Railgun and Acceleratorscary things are still scary. Kamijos right hand has the Imagine Breaker ability. No matter whether its magic, esper power or even miracles, the Imagine Breaker on his right hand is an extraordinary power that negates them all once it touches these other powers However, its limited only to his right hand. Its impossible to defend against all of them if the attacker attacks in all directions. As Kamijo thought while hes running to the enemys base, someones running beside him. Aogami Pierce. Ill go first, Kami-yan. Watch how this comedian crushes the irritating aura of those corrupted elites! WAHAHAHAHA!! The intercepting squad continue to fire several bullets, as Aogami Pierce continues to dodge them leisurely by spinning around like a ballet dancer. Theres still 20 metres before the two sides clash. In this situation where one shouldnt be caring about others, Kamijo is still surprised as he continues to run with Aogami Pierce, saying, Come to think about it, why are you so happy? Ah!? Kami-yan, its all because of love. This faint sense of love that a hard -working girl is conveying to me through her sweat and tears, mixed with some sexual addiction, is being broadcast on national TVno, its being broadcast in many countries! Even if I faced with this great love thats so unscrupulous, even if I cant accept it, Ill blaze a path to the temples! Ah ha ah ha ah ha!! Aogami Pierces actions became even faster with his rising emotions. So I askis that bald muscled guy among your admirers? That guy seems to of been looking at you since a while ago, calling you out lovingly, you know. What are you talking aboutGYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!? Hearing Kamijos cold remark, Aogami Pierce is stunned upon realising the true identity of the person thats showing him love. He gets hit by several pressure bullets and flies backwards. Kamijo looks back, completely taken aback. Aogami Pierce is caught by an ally using an invisible forcefield.

On the spectator stands, ordinary civilians are roaring with cheers and applause. (Ah, well be flung far away if were hit. I dont want to be acting in this scary filler! Come to think about it, whats with that This is how Daihasei should be like! atmosphere?) Kamijo looks away from Aogami Pierce, whos behind him, and looks forward. The enemys base is just ahead. Theres still 10 metres until they clash. Kamijo Touma sneakily clenches his right fist And charges into the enemys base. Part 5

In conclusion, Kamijo and company won the battle. They were clear right from the start that theyll lose in a frontal battle. So when the two sides collided, they used all their powers on the ground, whipping up dust, blurring the enemys vision and using lightning fast guerrilla tactics. Before this, the staff had sprayed some water onto the field to prevent dust from flying about, but its impossible to prevent dust from flying up when the ground is attacked so many times. The one who suggested this tactic, Fukiyose Seiri, held the front of her jacket in place as she grouped the students into those who are to raise the dust, those who are to knock down the wooden pole when the dust is up and the telepathy group who can give the order to raise the dust and order those in the dust to retreat, as she held overall command. During the battle, as the telepathic messages cannot be received in the midst of the duststorm, not only was Kamijo hit by the bullets from his own teammates, he was beaten to a pulp by the opponent, but they still won. The warriors who are covered with bruises and injuries completely forgot about their victory and injuries as they walked out of the arena from the entrance and into the school compound. Komoesensei, whos about to cry, is waiting for them with some first aid boxes. Whywhy must everyone force themselves to work so hard!? Theres no point in having Daihasei if everyones not having fun! Its not important whether we win or lose! Sensensei is very unhappy that everyones so injured!! Facing Komoe-senseis cries, the students seemed to agree that they shouldnt explain their reasons to her, scattering away in groups. After walking out of the competitors rest area, Kamijo starts to look for Index in the spectator stands. Index should be in the spectators stand reserved for students. Normally, this is an area forbidden to anyone other than students, but Kamijo doesnt dare put Index in the normal spectator stands. Shes someone from outside Academy City with the knowledge of 103,000 magical texts in her head, and is thus much more valuable than any Academy City resident. Index? Eh, where did she go?

Kamijo looks at the spectator stand where she should be at, but cant find her. Although its called a spectator stand, its actually just a blue plastic sheet laid on the school grounds, and theres nothing to block the sunlighttogether with the people gathering nearby. The students nearby form a human wall, so its quite difficult to look around. Kamijo got into the crowd, moving from one end to another, walking back when he couldnt find her, but in the end, he still couldnt find her. (Hmit should have been easy to spot her when shes wearing such a noticeable white nun robe.) He stuffs his hands into his P.E. shorts, looking at the school compound thats slightly far away from here. (I gave Index a zero-yen phone before, and it should be the fastest way to contact her. Too bad my phone is in the classroom.) Kamijo never saw Index use a handphone before. Although hes worried, Kamijo feels that this is the best way according to the current situation. During Daihasei, many schools prohibit people from entering the school premises. Th ey cant allow others to see the facilities that are related to power development. The only exception is for their own students, like Kamijo. In case anyone got injured, the schools doctor is available in the healthcare room, and the shower room is opened. So, Kamijo walked up the stairs. There are two security guards wearing black uniforms at the shoe closet. The teachers, who normally teach history and mathematics in front of the blackboard, are carrying guns, and the sight is somewhat strange. Ah, Im looking for someone whos lost in the crowd, can I grab my handphone in the classroom? Kamijo, your reason is too direct. If you cant contact the person due to electromagnetic wave interference, tell us when you need to use the P.A system. So now, l ets wish you a good time in Daihasei. The mathematics teacher seems to find it troublesome as she replied. However, she did mention the necessary points, as expected of a trained professional. He got past the guards and walks towards the staircase. After putting on his slippers at the shoe cabinet, he walks up the stairs. Its really quiet when no one is in schoolthe moment he thought of this, the speakers start to blare a loud echo, and its really noisy. He walks up the stairs. After walking for a while, he reaches his own class. Kamijo thought as he pulls the door aside, (Himegami seemed to have blended well into our class, thats good. Oh yeah, I have to contact Index the moment I get the phone. If Himegami is free, itd be nice if she could come along with us as well)

However, he immediately froze on the spot. For some reason, Management Committee member Fukiyose Seiri has taken off her clothes. Before he opened the door, he didnt notice that the curtains of the windows were pulled down. In the dark classroom, Fukiyose Seiri, whos sitting on the table opposite Kamijo, is wearing only a pair of panties. Just a pair of panties, shes not even wearing her bra. She seems to be changing her clothes that were wet due to the water that burst from the water hose. Even her panties seemed to be new, as the plastic bag near her feet contains her wet clothes and undergarments. The other set of clothes seemed to be placed in a sports bag. Fukiyose Seiri looks at the intruder calmly. She remains emotionless as she reaches out toward a nearby chair. Kamijos shoulders jerked. Waitwait a minute, Fukiyose-san! I came here to get my handphone so that I can find someone. Theres no malicious intent here!! Also, please read the instructions on how to use a chair before using it! Ill be dead if I get hit by that!! Kamijo got down and starts begging in 0.2 seconds. Seeing the boy in front of her, Fukiyose feels bored as she sighs, and removes her hand from the chair. She takes out some clothes from her sports bags beside her, and places it over her naked body. Never mind. Please leave the classroom. Youre not angry? It cant be helped, since youre looking for a missing person. You dont have to kneel down and beg, but to not turn your head around , Kamijo Touma!? Seeing the committee member putting on her coat, and that she only has a pair of panties on, one has to worry over whether she pulled up the zipper. Kamijo, whos as shocked as her, didnt notice that Fukiyose Seiris arms are trembling. Yes Madam!! Like a retainer greeting a lord, Kamijo bends down and steps backwards. Just when hes about to leave the classroom Youre not angry? GET OUT!! Fukiyose grabs the cardboard box on the table and flings it at Kamijo. Kamijo frantically runs out of the classroom and slams the door shut with his backhand. He then sits in the corridor and takes a deep breath. (Ahthis is really frightening) Kamijo shakes his head and looks down. At this moment, he sees a box on the corridor thats as big as a cigarette pack. Is this the box that Fukiyose threw? Kamijo takes the box and examines it. Bleater, an infrared therapy device. To be attached below a handphone. Whether its relieving stiff shoulders or stress relief, its effective!!

Thats what is written on the box. Seeing the exterior of the box, the design of the item seems to be a lamb that can change shape. It should be of the same type of good as the frog lucky charm attached to Mikotos bag. So this is a decoration thats attac hed to a handphone. Relieves shoulder stiffness and fatigue, the number of uses is really little. To think there are people in this world who are attracted to this weird thingeh? Isnt this something that the late night shopping channel would recommend? Because Index would be sleeping soundly in the room where the television is, Kamijo can only use the television function of his handphone to watch late night shows. On the other hand, Fukiyose, whos in the classroom, doesnt seem to notice that Kamijo i s sighing, Kamijo, did you put the handphone in the drawer? Ah, isnt my bag on the table? My handphones placed inside. Ill give it to you after I finish changing. Just wait there. Thanks Fukiyose. Ill exchange it with that weird purchase you threw over. I really couldnt tell that youre the type that uses mail -ordering. Hearing Kamijo say this, a frantic WAH!? sound can be heard in the classroom. Fukiyose seemed to realise now what she just threw out. After a while, Fukiyoses voice came from the classroom. Thistheres nothing wrong with that, right? Even if I carry a notebook as I watch the shopping channels, and read shopping magazines while rolling on the bed, whats wrong with it!? Nonothing. Im not saying that this is bad, Im just surprised. Although Fukiyose can really rebut, she seems to be unable to answer when somebody else rebuts back. Kamijo is really trying hard to think of something to say that wont offend her, as Fukiyose continues to rant off inside the classroom like shes reading a tongue twister. Sowhat?SowhatevenifIhaveabunchofcreativeconditioningapparatus?Ialwaysfindthemusefulwh enIreadthemagazinesandyetIfindthemordinarywhenIgetthem. DoesitmattertoyouwhetherIuseittwotothreetimesandstoppedusingthemafterwards? So thats what its like! I think you should calm down before picking up the phone, Seiri! Kamijo himself thought that this is an advice that a classmate should give, but she continues on, Itsbecausetheserratedbottomofthefryingpanlookssoattractive.Theadvertisementsaysthatitcanre move30%ofthefatifitsusedtocookmeat, butitssounevenatthebottomthatIcantevencookafriedegg!! Hearing her tragic complaints, Kamijo decides not to rebut her. He looks at the box of the lamb-shaped infrared decoration.

Useful for shoulder aches, eh Whats so surprising about it? It isnt so weird for me to get shoulder aches at this age, is it? No, its not like that. Kamijo sits on the corridor and looks up at the ceiling. The reason why your shoulders ache is probably because your breasts are too hugeOH C!? At this moment, the sports bag breaks the classroom door as it was flung out, together with his handphone, hitting Kamijo directly. To be expected of the cordial and attentive committee member, Fuukiyose Seiri. Part 6

Toumaeh, whats wrong? Why do you look like you just cried? Its nothing Facing the cute white nun who slightly tilts her head, Kamijo replies in a trembling voice. He thought, maybe its better not to talk about the adventure he had while he was looking for her. In the end, because Indexs phone ran out of power (forget about charging, Index doesnt even know what a power source is), Kamijo had to look for her using her beautiful monastic robes. He returns back to the spectator stands reserved for students. Index got around the crowd to get back to Kamijo, and for some reason, shes carrying the calico cat and a plastic bottle that used to contain isotonic drinks. The calico cat, being hugged together with the PET bottle, doesnt seem to react as it gives a bored yawn, like its saying, Who said that cats are afraid of PET bottles? Thats a superstition! This isnt important. Im hungry, get me something to eatTouma. Eh, what about the bento? Why do you look like a vengeful spirit thats thirsty for spiritual energy!? The short-hair down there just now gave me a drink and some chocolate biscuitsbut Im not full Youre not full!? You ate a bento and several other things, and youre still like this? Whos that short-hair youre talking about!! Ah, never mind, it doesnt matter who she is, but did you thank the person properly? Index!? Index does not react to Kamijos shouting at all. Its said that girls have anot her stomach for sweet stuff, but it seems like this girl in front of him has the ability to separate every single type of food into different stomachs. Since shes not satisfied with just eating a bento, they have to go to the stores, Kamijo wildly thought. He flips open the thick tourist guidebook that was kept with Index, and finds that theres still a bit of time before the next event, the Roll the ball Match.

Alright, lets leave the spectator stands. If we go back to where the stores were just now, well still be able to find lots of food that can easily form a mountain when theyre stacked up. Upon hearing this, Index quickly turns her head around, As tall as a mountain!! Nonot really. Although the amount of food can form a mountain when theyre stacked up, I dont have enough money to buy them all! Dont look at me with those glowing eyes! Ill feel guilty!! Kamijo sighs as he digs into his pockets, trying to confirm how much money is in his wallet. Theres still some money inside, but this is how much he has for the entire Daihasei tournament, which lasts for 7 days. If hes to spend all of it on the first time, what awaits him is tragedy. Kamijo frustratedly thinks of how to control Index, and decides to head toward the stores first. Index, whos beside him, starts to daydream about the food haven that she hasnt even seen. Including her eyes, hair, skin, well basically, her entire body is glowing. The psychological theory that any mental activities will bring about physical effects to the human body seems to be true. Kamijo and Index walks toward a major road. Seeing the traffic light turn red, they stopped moving. Basically during Daihasei, ordinary vehicles arent allowed on the roads of Academy City, but business vehicles lik e buses, taxis and delivery lorries are allowed. Because of this, though there are so many people, they cant just turn Academy City into a walking haven. Once they cross this road, the stores will be right in front of their eyes. They can faintly smell sauce and soy sauce getting burned from opposite the road. When the traffic light turns green, Index starts to shine so brightly that the shining index is at its highest for this year. Khlap Khlap Khlap Khlap The guards, who are maintaining the safety of Academy City, raises the No access boards in front of them. Ah, Im sorry. But therell be many schools performing an ensemble parade here. We wont make it if we dont stop the crowd. This guard is the woman who took care of him during the opening ceremony two weeks ago. Shes a really beautiful teacher who tied her pitch -black hair behind her. Right now, shes not wearing an ordinary green track attire, but a black standard uniform. The reason shes not wearing a safety helmet is probably so that she wont give a bad impression to the visitors. Kamijo thought, besides wearing a track attire or a standard uniform, wouldnt wearing decent clothing be much better? During Daihasei, Academy City residents pay the most attention in providing a good impression to the public. In other words, half the reason why theyre organising this event is to give a good impression to the general public.

In order to not allow any outsider access to any secret areas that involve the development of esper powers, the guards in the research areas are very strict. Only an expert can rely on his skills to give a sense of seriousness without ordinary people sensing it. The security guard nee-san also gives this sort of impression. Besides putting on full gear, covering up all her skin, seeing a beautys face will likely give anyone a good impression. Kamijo looks at the No access signboard, then looks across the road, before asking, Excuse me, if I may ask, I want to get across the road; whats the best way to do so? Aiya, because this is a major parade, theres no access along this road for 8 kilometres. You see here, its written in the tourist guidebook. Ugn The security guard nee-san flips open the guidebook, and says, Theres no overhead bridge nearbyso the nearest location is here? An underground street 3 kilometres from here. From exit U04 here to exit V01, you can get across here 3 kilometres!? Kamijo is speechless. Looking beside him, Index cant withstand the hunger in her stomach, as she silentl y sits on the floor, giving a look that I cant walk for that far Part 7 Misaka Mikoto is running down the streets. Shes not in the playing field, but on the crowded streets. Not only is there no prohibition for them to get on the road, theres no clearing of the roads. Even so, Mikoto is in a match right now. Looking around, there are also several people running about on the trails nearby. The spectators are allowed to walk anywhere in fact, this is the only competition where the spectators are required to be involved. Scavenger Hunt. The competitive area is the 7th, 8th and 9th Umbrella zones of Academy City. Of course, the competitors arent allowed to use any forms of transportation like buses or subway trains. They started out from the starting point, and have to look for a specified item before going back to the starting point. This really feels like a marathon made much more complicated. Whats different is that theres no fixed route, as the competitors have to think of the shortest route. This kind of brain training is very important, and is different from thinking at the table. Running around like that will tire a person physically. Like the wide area of the competitive zone, this competition is famous for the high difficulty in finding something. (Peh, this is where Kuroko will excel in with her teleportation ability! Really, itll be much easier if they should just gather everyone in Academy City over here!) Mikotos ability is powerful, but its not useful when it got nothing to do wit h combat. For the sake of ordinary people, the board of directors of Academy City have decreed that any powers that are level 5 or above are forbidden. With her ability, itll exceed no matter how she adjusts her power.

Mikoto passes the water stand, and continues to run without noticing the isotonic drinks. In a long distance marathon, too much water content will slow her down. She again opens the slip of paper. She reconfirms the name of the designated item thats required. (Looks like I have to something troublesome Ah!!) As she runs through the crowd, she spots the item in front of her. The conditions are, Once a third-party person has a designated good, you have to get the persons permission and get that person to follow you back to the starting area. (Watch me!!) Mikoto kicks her shoes, made of highly reactive material, onto the ground, as she dashes into the crowd. Kamijo places his hand on Indexs shoulder, whos sighing as she sees the no access sign. Alright Index, well only smell the food if we continue to stay here. Didnt the guidebook say that there are other hawker stores? Well look for others. Uuuuuuu, its just right in front of me; why cant I get it!? Index gives a poetic cry. Although the guard who set up the no access sign looks sorry, rules are rules. ToTouma, wheres the nearest store now? Hm? Let me seeit should be here, right? Kamijo flips through the guidebook. Walk west for 3km. Hey, isnt that the same place as the underground entrance we need to go through to get across? Uuuwaaahhh! Mm, however, if I go here, I wont be able to get to my next match in time. The bus routeaiya, doesnt seem like theyll reach her during the parade. Cant be helped, Index . Youll have to endure till the end of the Roll the Ball match.

(Angry!) Eh? Wait a minute! Why are you angry at me!? The location of the hawker stores and the bus routes have got nothing to do with me!? Index, who doesnt hear anything, opens up her cute mouth like a beast, and leaps forward. Its so fast that even the security guard nee-san is unable to react in time. Am I going to be eaten!? Kamijo covers his head with his hands. His body starts to move fast. Indexs teeth missed their target. Eh? The girl gives a puzzled look. Its supposed to be a guaranteed 100% strike every time she leaps and bites someones head. However, theres a reason why she missed. Because Misaka Mikoto, whos running in from the right, grabs Kamijos collar and runs to the left. Great! I got my winning condition! WAHAHAHA!! Waiwait a mi this is unbearable! Atat least explain why In front of Index, whos stunned, the two vanish into the crowd. Seeing the nun sitting on the floor lifelessly, the security guard nee-san cant help it but give some biscuit-like rations to her. Part 8 Kamijo, who was stepped on like a rug, walks into the competition area with Misaka Mikoto, through the white tape of the finishing line. This competitive area is in a completely different dimension compared to where they had the Wrench Pole Match. This place seems to belong to some sports university, as the orange concrete floor has white lines on it, like its a standard race track. The spectator stands are ladder-type, like a professional stadium, and the number of video cameras used for reporting and security guards are so much more. The high school committee members stationed covered Mikoto with a large sports towel after she finished running the marathon. The signals they gave to provide drinks and a mini oxygen task are executed beautifully. Not only are they practical, its like theyve also considered that theyre on air. After this, there will be a recognition ceremony and a simple interview. Before the next few participants arrive, the first few have to wait at another area. (So completely differenteven the committee members seem like they were trained intensively.) The female high school committee member whos taking care of Mikoto stares at Kamijos face. What now, Kamijo thought as he raises his guard. At this moment, the committee member whispers,

(Kamijo Touma, theres nothing wrong with the specified object, but arent you getting hit on by girls quite often? (This voice, wa! Fukiyose-san!?) Kamijo looks carefully, the person in front of him is Fukiyose Seiri. Shes wearing a short sleeved T-shirt, shorts and a thin jacket. She stopped whatever she was doing, but because its work time, she cant just shout at him like usual. They whisper to each other, (Im really sorry for what happened just now, because of me, Kamijo Toumas neglect, I accidentally saw you changing clothes) (Im trying really hard to forget about this, so dont mention this again, Kamijo Touma!) (Uuu, Im really sorry. Hm, come to think about it, Fukiyose, is that lamb -shaped infrared device really that good?) (You want one?) (Noits not that, Im just curious. I never said that I wanted it!) (Keep quiet. Everyones really serious! Anyway, dont interfere with the running of the competition or meddle with the competitors!) Fukiyose doesnt listen to Kamijo as she picks up the record board that was placed on the ground together with the carton full of drinks and jots down the records of the competition with a ball-point pen. On a side note, both of them didnt notice Mikoto, whos right beside them, giving a sulking expression. From the atmosphere of the discussion, Kamijo senses that Fukiyose is unwilling to talk anymore, so he turns to Mikoto, who forcefully dragged him along. Come to think of it, Mikoto. Im sweating profusely, and my calves are aching. I remember that for this competition, the third-party has to agree; did I see it wrongly? Ahyou saw that wrongly. But the notice never said that you cant promise afterwards. Alright, dont sit down like a useless bum. Really, its ugly looking. Mikoto covers Kamijos head using the towel that was placed on her, and rubs t he sweat off his face forcefully. Kamijo feels ashamed as this feels like an adult drying a childs hair. But Mikoto is too forceful, and he cant wave it off. He thought that itll be a lot more childish if hes swinging his arms about, and so he endured it silently. After that, Mikoto wanted to get him a drink and a straw, but she stopped after seeing the straw. Mikoto looks at Fukiyose, and shakes the isotonic drink in her hand slightly. Fukiyose, whos about to write something on the record board, looks up, and shakes her head. Seems like a participant cant request for more than one bottle of drink.

Mikoto froze for a while, and suddenly, she shyly watches the sand fly into Kamijos mouth, whos coughing non-stop, and is a bit fearful. She trembles for several seconds, Oi! Youre really useless! I really dont know how to deal with you! Take it!! Wah!! Mikoto presses the bottom of the drink onto Kamijos face, not expecting the drink to burst out of the straw. Shes flushed red now as she turns her back to Kamijo and vanishes to the stage. Because of the number of people participating, the rules for the class vs class and same year vs same year are rather lax, but the top three individual will be commended. Mikoto, who came in first place, will definitely be commended. Fukiyose, whos standing aside, suddenly sucked her tongue contemptuously. As the competition is still going on, shes standing by, preparing for the next person. The one being commended is only Mikoto. Kamijos existence is similar to that of a bun being eaten in a bun eating contest; theres no use for it after the competition, so he just walked to the exit. (Being stepped on and kickedto think that in this competition, an ordinary civilian gets it much worse than the participant? Isnt this competition supposed to be about having a participant get involved with the public, and being unable to use their own abilities?) Kamijo suddenly thought about this, but nobody can give him an answer. He sips the drink that Mikoto gave him, thinking that Index is still at that no access place. Suddenly, a piece of paper is carried here by the wind. It seems to be the instructions of the Scavenger Hunt. The rere no other participants here other than Mikoto, whos so far ahead of the pack, so this sheet of instructions should be hers. Fukiyose has already recorded the results on the record board, so it should be useless. The cleaner will clean it up if I leave it here, Kamijo thought as he picks up this flammable trash. (What) Whats was written on the paper is, A high school student who participated in the first competitive event. (What, thats what its all about? The Wrench Pole match did occur di rectly after the opening ceremony. But besides me, there are hundreds of thousands of people who fulfill this criteriaso why am Iforcedto run this much?) Kamijo, whose fatigue is rising rapidly, droops his shoulders as he limps towards the exit. While walking out of the exit, he thought, eh? Why did Misaka know that I took part in the Wrench Pole match? And became puzzled.

Part 9 The competitive arena is rather far with respect to where Index is. So, Kamijo decided to take the bus back. Right now, out of the current buses that are operative, 70% of them are automatic without anybody manning them. The bus, which is powered by electricity, glides forward without making a single sound. In the development of manless technology, like commercial planes, trains and ships, its said that the most difficult one to develop is the car. In all forms of transport, in the air, sea and on land, the required manipulation and decision making is most complex. So at this moment, these vehicles are only allowed to be used in Daihasei under restricted circumstances. Kamijo gets past the auto-door and into the bus. As ordinary vehicles are banned, the bus is rather packed. Although theres a driver seat, its surrounded and isolated wit h strengthened glass, like a telephone booth. Just seeing how the manless bus works, like turning and accelerating, will amaze anybody. Without using gasoline, the extremely quiet bus stops a few times, before it reaches Kamijos destination. Theres still quite a distance to where he got separated with Index. Because part of the road cannot be accessed due to the ensemble parade, the bus route is somewhat altered. Kamijo quickly walks on the road, as the related broadcasts can be heard everywhere, even though its mixed in with the noise of the crowd. Besides using the audio devices to broadcast, theyre using the large screens on the department stores and the airships, as theyre airing the live telecasts and other feeds through the temporary studios and different media. Regarding the results of the Mens obstacle course just now, after some decisions The matches in one hours time will be as follows. Theres no access to the matches once it starts, everyone please take note-- In the Scavenger Hunt organised by four different schools, Tokiwadai Middle School got an overwhelming victory as expected. The first place has the honour of being 7 minutes faster than the other competitors General report, were looking for a missing child. Will Charle s Goncourt-sama from St Tropez, France, please head toward a security robot camera nearby upon hearing this message, and show your face and the Daihasei access pass issued to you by Academy City. Well send your child to where you want to pick them up. Veuillez l'entendre. Nous vous annonons un enfant manquant Hearing these high decibel broadcasts all around, Kamijo looks around. (Anyhow, did Index just move about and get lost?)

Itll be alright if he can contact her through phone too bad Indexs zero yen phone ran out of power. Although she has photographic memory, and she can remember any place she goes to, Kamijos still worried. Walking in this hot day, he thought, (I should have bought a gift for her when I passed the stores just now.) But its too late to go back. Kamijos next match is coming up. Anyway, he has to find Index, and then head to the arena where his classmates are. Thinking about this, he hastens his steps. He suddenly stops. He sees a familiar face in the crowd. Hair dyed red, wearing earrings. Rings on each of his 10 fingers, smoking a cigarette, tattoo markings underneath his right eye. Thats a priest that doesnt look like a priest. Stiyl Magnus. A real magician from the Necessarius department of the British Pur itans. (??? Whats with him, is he here to find Index?) Its really hard to imagine Stiyl of the magical world getting interested with something like Daihasei. He should be here to look for his old colleague, Index, that hes normally unable to meet. To Kamijo, he has no reason to object. Its even much better for someone who knows Index to be around, since that person can help him take care of Index during his matches. Kamijo inadvertently moves closer to him. He seems to be talking to someone. Sothis is how it is the probability is rather high, isnt it? He can hear voices. Whos he talking to? Kamijo wants to find out as he moves forward. Standing there is his classmate, Tsuchimikado Motoharu. Hes a double agent for both Academy City and the British Puritans. Tsuchimikado looks extremely easy to approach, but hes speaking so softly that nobody around him can hear anything. Yeah. Thats I heard that Thats right, to these people, theres no better chance than now. Kamijo has a bad premonition about this. Although they look like theyre joking about, and at first glance, its like theyre mixed into the crowd attending Daihaseibut somethings missing. They dont look happy at all. This is not a smile thats formed with real positive feelings, but a fake smile formed by negative feelings. This kind of fake smile is unrelated to Daihasei. In order to get away from this thought, Kamijo proceeds forward.

Stiyl Magnus quietly says, So, the task is up to us to get rid of the magicians in this city. In this world where Kamijo Touma lives in, where science forms the world Becomes a world filled with magic all because of this statement. Between the lines 1 Shirai Kuroko. A student of the famous power development school, Tokiwadai Middle School, a petite girl with two ponytails tied to the back. Shes a level 4, and has the ability of instant teleportation, so her abilities are considered outstanding in Tokiwadai. But shes unable to take part in this years Daihasei. Because of an event that happened several days ago, her injuries arent healed, and shes still covered in bandages. Although shes supposed to be resting, she sneaked out of the hospital, and is now on the roads of Academy City. Although shes still wearing the standard Tokiwadai uniform, shes sitting on a wheelchair. The wheelchair operates differently from other wheelchairs, its special feature is that its wheels are slanted like an F1 car. The one moving the wheelchair isnt Shirai Kuroko. Its the person behind her, holding the handles of the wheelchair, Uiharu Kazari. Theyre both members of Judgment, an organisation made up of espers whose job is to maintain law and order in Academy City. Uiharu is dressed in a short-sleeved T-shirt and black shorts, like a sportsgirl; however, this doesnt match the flower ring made of roses and Chinese hibiscus. The artificial flowers that are blooming make her look like shes wearing a huge vase on her head. Uiharu smiles as she pushes the wheelchair. I feel uneasy just thinking about us working so hard in this hot day while Shirai -san is resting alone in an air-con room. I really wanted to call Shirai-san to help, hehehe. Ill really thank you for this perfect friendship. When Im healed up, how about I teleport your clothes away and make you naked? Please look forward to it. Shirai weakly replies. During Daihasei, shes feeling bored about having to lie down alone in a room, so shes actually grateful for Uiharu forcing her out, but shes n ot going to let her know that even till death. Though its not the first time that shes experiencing Daihasei, the atmosphere of these large scale events every year is different. Walking on the streets where she normally walks on, one will feel that the streets have completely changed with all the sports broadcasts and the pyrotechnics sounds.

Although Shirai feels that the surprised expressions of these people those non-residents of Academy Cityare rather irritating, but to her, who understands her own power, she understands that this cant be helped. Shirai sits on the wheelchair, looking around. Is there anything wrong with this years Daihasei? Up till now, theres no real problem. The worst case is about a corporate spy disguising as a fried cuttlefish seller whom tries to extract DNA maps from samples of saliva from the students. This is the first year Im taking part in Daihasei as a member of Judgment, so I dont feel anything serious there. I heard from sempai nee-san that the situation this year is much easier than previous years. Hm, compared to the unsolved cases where an AI denies the theory that an unmanned helicopter was shot down, or the unsolved case of the arena where the cultural and spiritual activists exploded, this is a whole lot better. Hearing Shirai say this so easily, Uiharus face becomes stiff. Because these issues didnt escalate, she has no idea that these cases occurred. To Shirai, as a member of Judgment taking part in Daihasei, she knows that its common to get involved in these troubles. At this moment, Shirai hears a broadcast from an arena. It comes from the big screen on a department stores wall. It doesnt seem to be a live telecast, but a highlight reel of what happened just now. The male reporter explains clearly, In the Scavenger Hunt organised by four different schools, Tokiwadai Middle School got an overwhelming victory as expected. The first place has the honour of being 7 minutes faster than the other competitors The image on the display is a stadium located somewhere. They have captured the competitors faces and are announcing the names. Ordinary people will think that the participants fame will increase the moment theyre shown on global televisionin fact, this is not the case. There are 1.8 million participants. Even if one gets the first place, their names wont be engraved into history like the Olympics. Its not like major league scouts appearing in a minor league game. In this situation, its impossible to remember all the peoples faces and names. Even if theres a commotion, theyll be forgotten soon after. This is the rule of the general audience. Because of this, Shirai Kuroko is uninterested in the image on the large screen. In first place, we have Misaka Mikoto-senshu. Shes still in good condition even after she reached the finishing point, and one gets the feeling that shes extremely up for this. Shirai quickly turns her head over to the large screen. The shock is so violent that even Uiharu, whos pushing the wheelchair, inadvertently jerked. Ah ah Onee-sama

Woo hoo my beloved Onee-sama Ah ah Onee-sama! (Note that this is how the author originally arranged the words. It was in 5 7-5 Japanese haiku format) In the end, you got the complete victory, showing the world your body thats so dynamic! Too bad I cant attend and record this; please forgive my uselessness!! Shirais eyes are glowing extremely brightly. But Taking care of the companion who ran with her, this really gives a good impression. Is this a habit that students of the famous Tokiwadai Middle School have? What? Shirai is puzzled. (Wha!?) The next moment, she saw it. Misaka Mikoto pulling a boy to the arena. Misaka Mikoto using a towel to wipe the boys body carefully. Misaka Mikoto giving the drink that she drank from to the boy. (That mister dares to!! He daresdares to allow onee -sama to hold him by the hand, and even allows her to wipe off his sweat, Ah AHhhhhh, and he even drank from the drink that onee-sama drank from AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!) Shirai Kuruko is slightly trembling as she looks at the extremely fortunate boy in front of her. This guy seems familiar. Hes the guy that she met a few days ago. Shirai Kuroko uses all her strength to force herself to stand up from the wheelchair. IIM GONNA KILL YOU! DONT THINK THAT YOU CAN COME BACK ALIVE!! Onee-sama too, to even blush in front of the audience like that! IM REALLY UNHAPPY! Waitwait a minute, Shirai-san!! Please calm down!! Youre injured badly, how can you stand up!? This isnt the time to be like a shonen manga hero getting pumped up!!!! While Shirai Kuroko, whos exceeding angry, and Uiharu Kazari, whos about to cry out, are creating a ruckus, Daihasei is now getting even more exciting. Chapter 2: Stab Sword Part 1 The next event is Roll the Ball. Kamijo and his peers of the same age have already entered the arena. In this less spacious campus. In this not so spacious compound, where the ground is covered with asphalt. Both sides are lined up like theyre in a cavalry war.

The rules are somewhat different from standard rules. When the gunshot to indicate the start of the match is fired, competitors will have to push 50 large balls 25 on the left side, and 25 on the right sideto the enemys line. The winner will be the year group who pushes more than 25 balls past the opponents line. Whats different from normal Roll the Ball is that participants from both sides will have to touch all the balls at least once. In other words, during this event, participants can use their powers to obstruct the opponent. Like the other students, Kamijo places his hand on a white teams ball thats 2 metres in diameter, as he smells sweat and dust. Before the shot is fired, the atmosphere is tense. Although the nature of this match is similar to a game, the surrounding atmosphere makes anyone feel serious. But in this situation, Kamijo is worried about another thing. Hes thinking about the conversation he had with Stiyl and Tsuchimikado 20 minutes ago. Because Academy City is busy hosting ordinary tourists, so they had to neglect security? Then a magician saw a loophole and decided to exploit it. Kamijos class is responsible for 3 large balls, and there are three groups: one for boys, one for girls, and one for both boys and girls. Kamijo is in the boys only group. From nearby, Himegami Aisa gives him a wordless stare, like shes trying to say something. But Kamijo, whos too busy thinking about the conversation, doesnt notice her staring at him. But, whats the reason? Are these people here to kidnap Index? I wont sit back and watch if it really involves her! Dont panic, Kamijo Touma. The enemys target this time isnt her. To the enemy, if she gets involved, itll only make things more difficult for them. Ah? What does that mean? Ill explain this to you later, Kami-yan. Lets talk about the main issue, which is the main reason why the magicians snuck into Academy City. Everyone, get set, the loudspeakers in the campus blare. Everyone is holding their breath, bending their bodies slightly over. Kamijo takes a glimpse around. Tsuchimikado, whos wearing sunglasses, places his hands on the ball like everyone else. Those magicians? Theres not just one? Right now, we can confirm that there are at least two of them. Lidvia Lorenzetti of the Roman Catholic Church and the courier that she hired, Oriana Thompson from England. Both of them are women. There should be at least one person theyre dealing with, but right now, it isnt clear. Rumours have it that the biggest suspect is Bishop Nikolai Tolstoy of the Russian Church, but we cant confirm it as of now. Courier? This deal, whats it all about? Exactly what it says on the tin, Kami-yan. Those guys intend to trade some spiritual stuff that the Church passed down. BAM!! The gunshot signalling the start of the match is fired. Kamijo Touma, who is thinking about these things, is late by a second.

Why hereisnt Academy City the least associated place with magic? Thats right nya. But this is the reason. Neither the guards of Academy City and Judgment can catch magicians from the magical world anyhow. Also, the Cross Army and Necessarius of the magical world cannot anyhow step into Academy City, which belongs to the science world. So now, this has become a situation where both sides are unable to take action. If it wasnt for Daihasei, the actions of Lidvia and everyone else would be limited due to the tight security. Only in this extremely busy period will Academy City loosen its guard. Thats why theyre able to act. In order to keep chase with the large ball, Kamijo frantically runs forward. The sound of footsteps and balls rolling continue to rumble the earth. Because the inside of the ball is just air, one wont feel that its too heavy, but rather the ball is so light like a balloon that itll be affected by the wind, and will roll sideways if one doesnt pay attention. Then cant you guys send in many Necessarius members like Stiyl to arrest them? The reason why I can be here is because of the proper reason that Im your friend, and Im here personally to sightsee. If the situation changes such that A group of British Puritans is here, other magical organisations will use this opportunity to request that we want to come in. Do you think that all these people are friendly to Academy City? There will definitely be people who would do some sabotaging. Do you think that these people will protect this place thats completely different from the magic world? As the leader of the scientific world, Academy Citys voice is a lot louder than any small and nameless magical group, nya. But at this moment, if they reject the proposal, larger groups will then request to go in. Thus, this situation with Lidvia and Oriana is rather sensitive, Kami-yan. In this troublesome situation, if we call in other comrades, Academy City will be swallowed in chaos. In order to limit the number of people who know of this issue, the only people allowed to get involved are magicians who are familiar with the people of Academy City. There are few magicians with links to Academy City. So this time, we can only use a few elite troops to get in. The large balls are moving even faster now. The one that Kamijos group is pushing is the furthest in front. In other words, the first one to touch the enemys ball will be in the most danger. ??? Isnt Kanzaki Kaori another person whos familiar with us? Isnt she supposed to be some superhuman called a Saint? Isnt it better to have more people? Kanzaki cannot be here, especially in this situation, because this spiritual item is rather special. Ah? What does that mean? Kami-yan. Speaking about this spiritual weapon called the Stab Sword, its effects are Because the ball is too big, Kamijo is unable to see ahead from his position. Hearing Aogami Pierce shout Incoming! Kamijo gathers his consciousness. Its said that the sword can kill a Saint with one blow. DANGER! A shout came from behind. Every student other than Kamijo ran away from the ball. (Eh? Dont I have to move quite a while before touching the ball?)

Just when Kamijo is puzzled An impact came from behind. UghWA!! From behind, the ball that belongs to the girls group is rolling extremely fast, catching up with them and swallowing Kamijo. When the ball that belongs to the mixed group passes by, Fukiyose Seiri coldly says, What on earth are you doing? Kamijo Touma? while Himegami Aisa glances at him, her expression seeming to say, I was right, you were looking troubled. Part 2 Saint. Thats the one, the humans who are similar to the Son of God in Christian teachings. In the Idol Theory of Christianity, when duplicating the Cross that the Son of God was execute d on, the duplicate will have some power as well. By using this theory on the relationship between the Son of God and humans, any human similar to the Son of God will have power equivalent to him. These people chosen by the heavens are known as Saints. These people have an inexplicable amount of power. However The Roll the Ball Match is over now (Luckily, Kamijos school won). As theyre leaving the arena, both Kamijo and Tsuchimikado are continuing their conversation and drinking sports drinks given by Fukiyose Seiri, who said You need to replenish your amino acids. This drink includes black vinegar and soy isoflavone. The Saints have a weaknesses. Really? But isnt Kanzaki strong enough to take on a real angel on her own? Angel. This word doesnt sound very real, but because Kamijo did see it for himself, he has to believe it. That angel who called herself Misha Kruezhev has enough power to destroy the entire world with a single finger, and yet Kanzaki was able to fight the angel till the end. No matter what Kamijo or anyone else does, they cant match up to her. Tsuchimikado is gulping down the drink, saying, But her powers do have a weakness. Listen closely, a Saint is a human who has the same type and nature of body as the Son of God, so not only do they have the same amount of power, they have the similar types, characteristics and features. Tsuchimikado takes a deep breath, Basically, they have inherited the weaknesses of the Son of God. Ah! Kamijo inadvertently cried out. The Son of God died once. It doesnt matter that he resurrected and rose to Heaven; the fact that he died cannot be denied. Kami-yan, do you know how the Son of God, who was hung on the Cross, was killed? Tsuchimikado grins at Kamijo, and continues,

He was stabbed. After his arms and legs were nailed onto the Cross, he was stabbed through by a spear. Whether the spear gave the critical blow, or whether it was used to confirm that he was dead, is still being hotly debated by Bible scholars. But t he fact that he got stabbed wasnt changed, nya. Tsuchimikado takes another gulp of drink, and continues, The Stab Sword has the religious meaning of execution and assassination, a spiritual weapon that can expand and contract at will, to any length. Its said that it can Stab through a dragon and pin it onto the ground. Its useless against humans, but its a sure kill against Saints. No matter how far, just pointing the sword at something is enough to kill it. Hearing this, Kamijo broke out in cold sweat. Seems like Tsuchimikado wants to add on to Kamijos imagination, as he proceeds on, Sounds scary? When the Stab Sword is activated, whether ones in a nuclear shelter, or in the core of the Earth, or even if the person hides in the netherworld, just pointing the sword at a Saint is enough to kill him or her. Its much more convenient and ruthless than a nuclear weapon. Because this sword was created to destroy any selfish and greedy Saints, nya! What are these magicians thinking, dealing for this kind of thing Its for war, Kami-yan. A Saint is the magical equivalent to a nuclear bomb. After killing the enemys Saints and protecting all your comrades in the first place will result in a drastic change of tide in battle. War. To ordinary high school students living in modern Japan, this doesnt sound sensible. But Kamijo nearly came close to it once. Once, because of the magical Book of the Law and the nun who claims to have cracked the code, Ursula Aquinas, the British Puritans, Roman Catholics and Amakusa Catholics had a three-way battle. If theres a real war, the scale will definitely be much larger. A war that will affect the entire world, a war that will involve ordinary and innocent people, a war that will change the landscape. However, there are a lot more magicians who arent Saints, right? Like the British Puritans, they can battle on even if they dont have Kanzaki, right? Kami-yan, the problem isnt there. Its not whether we can win. Once we get the wrong feeling t hat we can win, well provoke a war. Once a Saint, who signifies power, is dead, itll likely destroy the balance of the Magical society. Its like how an entire country grieves when a member of Royalty is killed, nya. People who feel that this is a great chance to succeed will jump into battle without hesitation these people never noticed, however, that what awaits them is a tragic failure. Tsuchimikados words have a cold and oppressive feeling in them. Its probably because of his status as an agent, working in different places, that he knows the weaknesses of this world. A Saint being killed wantonly will destabilize a country and its organizations religiously. If they are attacked from within or from outside by magical organizations, theyll get destroyed. These situations wont appear on stage, but theyre enough to cause the countries and the world to collapse. Once the balance of an area is unstable, many different groups will plan and set up a new order, and end up causing war as a result. As an international security maintenance organisation created to counter magicians, sector zero of the British Puritans, Necessarius, wont let this off easily, nya.

This really sounds like a resolve, but Tsu chimikados tone at the end is really frivolous. (Is this tone of his really a relaxed one from the view of a spy, or is he trying to suppress his feelings as a professional?) The amateur Kamijo is unable to judge this. Kamijo drinks the drink thats not so cold now, and says, However, in this serious situation, isnt it better to ask Index for help? Thats right, Index is still not around. After hearing Tsuchimikado and Stiyls explanation, he immediately ran to the arena without meeting Index. If its related to magic, shes a very reliable helper. To Kamijo, nobody knows magic better than her. However, Tsuchimikado rejects this proposal with just a sentence, No way, we cant use Index. Not only must we not allow her to be near the scene, we cant let her know anything about this. Why? Hm. Because there are a lot of complicated reasons. Alright, Ill explain everything from the beginning. Tsuchimikado seems to find this bothersome as he scratches his head. Like what I just said, the science side cannot cross over to the magic side. Right now, there are many problems inside and outside Academy Citydo you understand if I say it like this, nya? Ah? I do know that security guards and disciplinary members cannot face off against magici ans directly. He seemed to have heard of this before when he first snuck into Misawa Cram School with Stiyl to find the alchemist hiding himself inside. The science and magical worlds are two different worlds on their own, two completely different sides. In this situation, if any policing agency of Academy City is to catch a magician, itll cause the risk of information regarding the magical world being leaked to the science world. For example, its like our newest and most advanced fighter jet fell into the hands of the enemy? Thats right. And if there are a lot of magicians who stepped into Academy City as a group, the situation will be much worse. Because in this case, the magicians who intend to do the trade in Academy City can do whatever the y want. How can anyone leave them alone? Kamijo feels that this is a rather stupid structure. Everyone has the same intentions, but are unable to move because of this kind of reason. So this time, we have an exception. Well have me, Kami-yan and Stiyl, the three of us working together. Tsuchimikado grins.

Of course, some organisations will be unhappy about this. These people are observing, but are unable to get into Academy City. Some of them want to solve this case, but for the wrong intentions. These people are using spells that act like radars, sensing any magical flow. Once theres movement, theyll rush in. Hmmso thats what its all about? Kamijo can only say this, since to be honest, he is unable to imagine what a magic flow is like. But, what has this magic detection got to do with Index? She cant use magic! Even if those guys can use radar-like spells, theres no need to hide Index. Although Kamijo Touma lost his memories, he still has this knowledge. Although Index is the keeper of 103,000 magic texts, she cant use it. This is to prevent her from getting into trouble by using them. Facing Kamijos doubts, Tsuchimikado bitterly laughs, This is the difference in values. Hear this, Kami-yan. For the past few months, there had been quite a few magical occurrencesand you were able to settle them perfectlybut in the magical world, nobody knows that youre involved. It doesnt matter. Ill have a larger headache if too many people know. But why? What Im trying to say is that in comparison, Indexs name is a lot more noticeable. The people in the magical world wont feel that this is Something that happened around Kamijo Touma, but rather Something that happens around Index, the keeper of the 103,000 magical texts. Kamijo thought So thats it. Tsuchimikado seems to be able to sense something from his face. He happily says, So these people will think that everything happens around Index. So, using common knowledge, theyll focus their search on Index, right? But in reality, a sensing spell that can cover Academy City entirely doesnt exist. Even if an organisation like the Gregorian Chant uses this spell, the maximum range for them is around 500 metres. So by putting Index away from this case, those guys outside will focus on her. This way, if theres a magical war somewhere, its likely that it wont be found out, nya. On the other hand, if we get her involved in this, well be in for a lot of trouble. In other words, we cannot allow Index to sense any magical presence, or anything related to it? Kamijo thought, this sounds easy, but is actually difficult. Index memorised the 103,000 magical books in order to counter all magicians. She wont let go of any tiny clue easily. Once she finds one, shell spring into action. That said, even if he explains it to Index first and tells her not to move, shell likely not agree to it easily, wont she? Normally, she hates getting others involved in any magical related cases, so she will definitely not agree to having others take care of this for her. As Kamijo is thinking about this, Tsuchimikado gently shakes the empty bottle. However, Kami-yan, this is another misfortune. I guess you wont be happy since Indexs been getting all the credit? Idiot. Im worried for her. Really, that Index is too much. My troubles are already so much!

Kamijo sucks his tongue as he continues his thoughts. Seeing his face from the side, Tsuchimikado laughs. That laugh has no sense of irony or mockery. Anyway, this is how it goes, nya. Kami -yan will take care of Index, and try to hide any hint of whats happening in Academy City. Oh yeah, you can go shopping with her; try and get her away from any place where there might be a magical battle. Ah, what are you saying! Youre making it sound so easy! Theres no problem! To this unfortunate Kamijo Touma, this is but a trivial matter! Where is this confidence coming from!? Whatll happen for our next match? Fukiyose will go berserk if we play hooky! Isnt this much scarier? Ill leave this to you! Right now, the most important thing is Index. However, that Index, she can be easily controlled with food, nya. If anything happens, throw the food in the opposite direction, nya! You rascal, if Index hears this, shell bite till your skull breaks. Wait, thats not right, I never saw her bite a human other than me Tsuchimikado pats Kamijos shoulder hard as Kamijo says this listlessly. Part 3 The asphalt road under the hot sun is really hot. This is what Index, whos hungry and lying on the road, thought. After the tour was over, the female security guard, Yomikawa Aiho, who is removing the no access sign, cant take it anymore. She stopped what she was doing and carried Index up. Although its not going to cool Index down, Yomikawa places Index on the long bench under the tree. The calico cat follows behind Yomikawa before jumping onto the bench. Komoe-sensei, whom she contacted just now, has finally arrived. This teacher, whos older than Yomikawa-sensei, is wearing a light green sleeveless vest and a short white dress. This get-up probably means that she wanted to cheer for her students, and its really scary that this attire is suitable for her even for her age. Deep inside, Yomikawa sighs. Hi! Yomikawa-sensei! I got a call saying that someone I know is with you now. WAH! Seeing Index act like this, Komoe-sensei cries out. SisterSister-san!? Why are you as listless as a shrunken vegetable? Dont tell me that you got heatstroke because this Komoe-sensei came late!! Hearing her high decibel scream, the calico cat gives a disgusted cry as its fur stood up. ErYomikawa looks at Index, whos lying on the long bench, and thought. It looks like she got heatstroke, and no matter what anyone says, fainting when shes wearing such thick nun robes in such hot weather, its not weird for anyone to think that she got heatstroke. Komoe-sensei. SENSEI!! Okay okay, calm down, will ya? Howcan I calm down! Although Sister-san isnt from my class, a teacher should act as the guardian of the children.

Okay okay, you can talk about what you think an ideal teacher is later! Thats the child, she doesnt have heatstroke, shes just hungry. What? Komoe-sensei tilts her head, puzzled. She then continues, Thatsthats why I cant calm down! Malnutrition can be dangerous, you know!! What? Being unflappable in such a situation, Komoe-sensei is really a sempai I respect. However, this child has eaten three packets of rations already. Hearing Yomikawas irritated tone, the calico cat seems to say, Ya ya. I got some biscuits too, as it gives a comfy cry. Therere still some crumbs around its mouth. Then it isnt that shes hungry, but she ate too much! I say, as a teacher, you should manage a persons diet and nutrition! Then shouldnt you ask this child directly? Seeing Yomikawa point with her finger, Komoe-sensei said Dont point at others like that as she grabs Yomikawas finger and points it down. She then inspects Indexs face. The white nun, now all weak and wobbly, speaks in a soft voice, IIm hungryisis Touma not here yet? Youre really hungry? Didnt I tell you? Ah, can I hand her over to you? Okay, it must be hard on you. Komoe-sensei gave a polite greeting, as Yomikawa walks away, waving her hand behind her. Although this is a bit too sloppy, Yomikawa feels that Komoe-sensei doesnt really need to care so much for the girl. Komoe-sensei reinspects Index. Index is lying lifelessly on the bench, trembling as she says, Thethe smell of sauceIll reach my limit if I continue to smell this Komoe-sensei finally lets down the burden on her shoulders (Not because she feels helpless, but because shes relieved). Hearing Index mention sauce, she starts to sniff around. Hm? Is it that store? She looks around. Opposite the road where Yomikawa Aiho removed the no access billboard, one can see an entire row of stores set up and manned by students like a carnival. Sister-san, I bought something back. Seeing Komoe-sensei chose a few types of food at the hawker stores, Index, whos lying on the bench, suddenly jumped up. OooOoooOOOoooooooooooooo

She lets out a cry thats like an archaeologist discovering something that isnt excavated yet. The calico cat in her arms lets out a similar cry. I bought fried noodles, okonomiyaki, smoked sausages, takoyakiah, can Miss foreign nun eat octopus? Ill eat! Ill eat! Even if its natto or dried salted fish, Ill eat them! Seeing the food that the students cooked packed into transparent plastic containers, although they dont look very tasty, Indexs eyes are glowing brightly as she eyes them gree dily. The calico cat in her hands slightly trembles. Maybe its animal instincts can sense that Index has a strong attachment to eating. Komoe-sensei bitterly smiles, Ahah ha haha. Then lets use this opportunity to learn how to use chopsticks. One shouldnt use a fist to hold chopsticksahhh!! Before Komoe-sensei can even explain, Index has already bit onto her target, gobbling down the food in large mouthfuls. The food thats as tall as a mountain vanishes in an instant. The calico cat follows suit, but its critical weakness is that its tongue cant take scalding stuff. Komoe-sensei dropped her shoulders dejectedly. Uuuuuuu. I wanted touse this opportunity, to let Sister -san experience a bit of the Japanese culture. (Chewing) Eh? Komoe, what did you say? After stuffing the last piece of okonomiyaki into her mouth, Index blinks her eyes. That pile of food is now reduced to nothing. Komoe-sensei, whos passionate about teaching, has a weakness. Its that shell feel extremely dejected once she loses the opportunity to teach others. But Index, whos too full and satisfied, doesnt know this. Komoe-senseis shoulders tremble as she says, Nothing! Sensei does not regret it! I wont cry because of something like this. ??? Ah, I havent thanked you yet. Im full now; thanks for your hospitality. Eh, weird? Why do you look like youre about to cry? Index tilts her head slightly. Come to think of it, where did Touma go? Its almost lunch. About that, speaking of lunch, you just? But Index does not hear Komoe-senseis words at all. Where did Touma go? Ive been feeling that Toumas been separated from me quite often today VRROOM!! Komoe-senseis passion for teaching is reignited again. The nun in front of Komoe-sensei doesnt seem to belong to any school (That should be the case). In other words, its hard to go out with Kamijo during Daihasei. Although the visitors can take part in

competitions, theyre only for visitors, and thus not allowed to compete with the students. The girl in front of Komoe-sensei is unable to attain her dream of taking part in the competition together with Kamijo. Komoe-sensei feels that she can understand what Index is thinking. Being abandoned alone in such a large-scale activity, although one cant see it, the emotional damage done to her should be rather big. On the other hand, if theres some way for her to take part in some event, she should be able to feel a sense of satisfaction. Why cant Kamijo understand this? To abandon this child like this? Komoe-sensei is disappointed in her useless student, and wonders whether theres a solution. Not a compromise, but a solution. No problem, theres an event which Sister-san is able to take part in as well. The answer emerged. If shes unable to help this child who looks so helpless, then she has no right to be a teacher, yes? Thinking about this, Komoe-sensei giggles before letting out fits of laughter. Eh? What did you say? Im saying, that theres a way for you to enjoy Daihasei wit h Kamijo! Sister-san wont be abandoned and be all alone now! Hearing this cheerful voice, Index is initially stunned, before calming down, even forgetting her hunger. The calico cat does not care as it gives a yawn. Whawhat? What must I do? Its this, this! Komoe-sensei smiles as she gently pulls her sleeveless vest. Shes wearing a cheerleader uniform. Hehehe. Although you cant take part in the competition, theres no problem if youre a cheerleader. Of course, we still have this op tion. I feel that youre suited for this! You may find this embarrassing if you do this alone. Dont worry, Komoe -sensei will accompany you! Komoe-sensei continues to smile. Her capability as an educator is radiating outwards, her face shining brightly like never before. Seeing Komoe-sensei like this, Index is naturally wary of what's to come. Whwhy is Komoe-san so happy? Dont ask that kind of trivial question. Although its an unexpected find, this sensei will still be very satisfied at being able to teach Sister-san. Hehe, Im not thinking about repaying that debt from being unable to teach how to use chopsticks! Komoe-sensei disregards the fact that Index is an acquaintance, and pulls Index, whos all stiff now, to some place. Part 4

Kamijo Touma finally got back to where he was denied access. Theres no sign of Index, the no access sign has been removed, and the security guard nee -san isnt around. Though Tsuchimikado said, Although finding Lidvia and Oriana is important, its also important that Index doesnt find out about whats happening in Academy City, Kami -yan. Well take care of the safety of Academy City and see whether theres any trace of magic, while youll meet Index regularly to keep her busy. Otherwise, if she finds something fishy with our actions, shell rush to the centre of this incident. According to how things are going now, he cant do a thing. (Theres no one I can ask regarding Indexs whereabouts, and there arent any clues either. Her zero yen phone has no power, so its impossible to contact herno way, dont tell me she got lost?) To Kamijo, whos used to life in Academy City, this doesnt seem like anything. But if Stiyl were to know that Index is missing, hed probably say, I understand; go die now, an d attack him indiscriminately. (Hm. Of all these places, where would Index go) Kamijo looks around, suddenly fixating his eyes in front. Opposite the road is a group of students manning many food stores. Nono way? Dont tell me she cant handle her empty stomach and decided to rush all the way over without having any money? If this is the case, a corner may be blown off by the rampage of a hungry girl!! Kamijos expression is all greenish now. His right hand has the Imagine Breaker ability. No matter whether its esper powers, magic or even miracles, he just needs to touch these with his right hand in order to negate them. But facing that girl who bites onto others, hes just a powerless level 0. Even so, he has to stop her with this hand of his. Kamijo decides to walk towards the stalls. Suddenly, somebody taps him on the shoulder. Turning around, Himegami Aisa, whos wearing a short -sleeved shirt and shorts, and Tsuchimikado Maika, whos sitting on a cleaning robot and selling bento, ar e staring at him. Himegami was having a conversation with Maika, whos still selling bentos. Up till now, you looked like youre about to face a demon king. Why put on a brave warrior look? Why do you look so dead? Are you hungry? Do you need a bento? Kamijo, who was intending to head out to battle, is shaken by the duos smooth voices. I say. Thats because I left Index, who was hungry, behind, and couldnt find her when I got back. The nearest source of food is at those stalls. Im thinking whether that girl is creating a riot down there!! Hearing his tearful complaints, both of them are stunned. That nun, I just saw her down there.

Himegami points in a direction completely different from where the stalls are. Seems like she was pulled aside by that famous miniature -sized teacher in Kamijo Toumas school. Maika is still sitting on the robot as she tilts her head up, recalling as she says, ??? Shes dragged forcefullythats impossible. Komoe -sensei knows Index. Whats the deal? Is she going to introduce Academy City to her? Never mind about this. Anyway, thanks girls; Ill find them on my own. After Kamijo finished speaking and heads towards where Himegami pointed, Tsuchimikado Maika gives a long Gambate!!, while Himegami remains silent. (Hmsince when did Himegami and Maika became such good friend? Ah, did she know Maika when Maika came over during the summer holidays?) He thought as he walks along the road. The pedestrians on the streets are admiring the wind turbine rotor blades that generate electricity. This scene does give a fresh feeling. Suddenly, a cats meow mewing can be heard. One will know just by hearing the sound its the cry of a calico cat. Index? Kamijo stops and turns around in the direction where the cry came from. Its a little park thats surrounded by buildings. The wired fence is a lot taller than usual, and it looks like its rejecting and oppressing anything within a large radius. Its hard to see anything if one looks in from outside the entrance because the lush foliage of trees blocks the line of sight. Kamijo thought, this cant be helped. Strictly speaking, this isnt a park. Theres a sign hung on the wired fence, saying Property of Tadayama University Botanical Department. This is a place where they collect data on plant growth. Even during Daihasei, where the security is much tighter, nobodys patrolling around here. Though this place is open to the public, it doesnt mean that anyone should go in. The familiar calico cat sticks its head out. After seeing Kamijos face, it hides back into the bushes. (Only the calico cat? No, Index wont let go of that cat so easily. In other words, shes inside? Hm, if theyre growing apples inside, maybe Index just went i n unknowingly.) Thinking like this makes Kamijo go berserk, and he thought that he should check it out. He carefully avoids the branches blocking his way as he enters. Index? Are you there? Shout out if you hear me He continues forward, widening his eyes when he sees whats in front. Index is right in front of him. But why is she changing? Kamijo and Index stopped what they were doing.

Komoe-sensei, whos wearing the cheerleader uniform, is facing Index, and her back is facing Kamijo, so she has no idea that hes here. Kamijo thought strange. In his memory, the last time he saw Index, she was wearing a white nun robe with gold embroidery thats like a teacup. For some reason however, her robes are folded neat ly on the floor. Also, why are there similar coloured undergarments stacked on her robes? And why is she wearing a cheerleader uniform, a white sleeveless vest and a light green short skirt thats similar to what Komoe- sensei is wearing? However, Index only got an arm halfway in, as the slanted tail of the vest is covering Indexs small breasts. The most surprising thing is that Komoe-sensei is at Indexs feet, helping her put on a pair of underwear thats used for cheerleading (it should be the same typ e as those worn with tennis skirts), and Kamijo just so happened to witness all these. Index has already pulled her underwear through one leg, and was about to let it through her other leg, as she maintains this posture, not moving at all. Of course, in this situation, a skirt wont be able to fulfill its usual purpose. Furthermore, the attire of a cheerleader doesnt have a cover function. Let me repeat again, Indexs nun robes are folded and stacked neatly on the floor. Theres similar coloured underwear placed on top of it. Komoe-sensei is helping Index put on some underwear. If her head wasnt blocking Kamijos field of vision, hed see something that he wont forget easily. ahah Her facial expression went from shock to Im going to kill that guy. Kamijo is absolutely terrified, breaking out in a cold sweat, and is unable to move. Komoe-sensei, whos wearing the cheerleaders uniform, is talking to Index casually, not knowing whats going on. Im so sorry. Only students are allowed in the schools proper changing rooms. Im sorry to ask you to change hereeh, ya!? Index isnt listening at all. The underwear still hanging on her thigh, Index rushes madly onto Kamijo.

TOUMA!? HOW MANY TIMES HAS IT BEEN!? WAHHH! IM REALLY SORRY! PLEASE DONT BITE ME AGAIN!! Kamijo twists his body, wanting to dodge Indexs bite the head attack. Index, who leaped over, pounces onto Kamijo with two hands and sticks tightly onto his body. Shes unable to aim at the head however, as her target started to move suddenly. Chomp! Indexs small mouth bites onto Kamijos face. WAA!! Kamijo can feel the soft texture of the lips, as well as the hard jagged teeth. That warm thing between the two rows of teeth should be the tongue. The breath warmer than Kamijo s body temperature blows onto his face. Feeling Indexs saliva, Kamijo cant help but tremble. WA, Index!! Kamijo, whose face is all red now, shouts out, but is unable to hear Indexs reply. Shua!! Index got away from Kamijo in a fast yet silent manner. Normally, Index would be shouting, but this time, she silently keeps her head down, her facial expression cannot be seen as even her ears are red. He wonders if shes having any special thoughts about biting others subconsciously? She seems to have taken a huge blow, not even noticing that her attire is untidy. Kamijo looks at Komoe-sensei. Shes just places her two hands on her face, giving a vague Waaaaaa sound, which doesnt sound reliable at all. Itsits not, that, Index-hime? Its alright, this is an accident! An accident! This is unexpected! Please dont be so seriouseh, WA! Wait a minute, Index, why are you flushed red with anger now? You were shy all over just now! Dont tell me I said something inappropriate!? Seeing the cheerleader girl trembling silently, Kamijo took one step back, two steps. Just when hes about to take a third step. Kamijo. A womans cold tone pierces through his back. Kamijo pays attention to Index carefully as he nervously turns around. Fukiyose Seiri. Wearing a thin committee jacket over her sports attire, she says, Im here to look for Tsukuyomi -sensei for some administrative work, and came over to check it out because I heard voicesyoure here again?

She sees Kamijo together with Index, whos half naked and is trembling slightly, and then sees Komoe-sensei, whos flushed red now, then the neatly stacked clothes and underwear, and finally on Indexor more accurately, the underwear hanging on her thigh. WHY ARE YOU STANDING AROUND HERE!? YOU SCHOOL REBEL!? GO CHEER FOR EVERYONE!! Taking a hard punch that doesnt have any powers in it, Kamijo Touma flew out, rolling on the ground. Part 5 Kamijo Touma, whos covered in bruises and injuries, finally walks out from the park (more accurately, its a botany test site). More accurately, hes being dragged out by an angry Fukiyose Seiri, not by his hand, but by his collar. Inside, Index probably allowed Komoe-sensei to help her change clothes. Really. Do you have any intention to make this event a success? I know that as a committee member, I should be the one putting in the most effort, but Im angry upon seeing people like you act like it has nothing to do with you! Fukiyose says this as she pulls out a packet of milk from her jacket pocket. Maybe her anger led to lack of calcium. From the atmosphere, one can tell that shes not hiding anything when shes saying I hate Kamijo Touma, but rather, words from the bottom of her heart. Kamijo, whos being grabbed by the collar and dragged around by her, says, FuFukiyose-san. Whawhat event is our school participating now? You cant even remember this? Its because your brain lacks nutrition. Oh yeah, right now, the highest priority should be in getting enough sugar intake! After saying this, she tosses the empty milk packet into the rubbish bin, and digs through her pockets before finding a bar of sugar thats used for coffee. Ugh! To think that it would be ordinary, unprocessed sugar! Just when Kamijos about to sneak away, trembling, Fukiyose locks his head under her left arm, and tucks its under her armpit. Your sleepy head better wake up now. Otherwise, do you want some soy isoflavone? Maybe some soy bean pudding? Uuuu! If you offered soy pudding from the beginning, this Kamijo Touma would be especially grateful! There should be some sugar content in it, right? Facing Fukiyose, whos about to stuff sugar into Kamijos mouth, Kamijos arms and legs start to move about wildly, but is unable to move away due to his head being stuck under her armpit. He continues to resist until he feels something soft touching his right cheek. Its Fukiyose Seiris ample breasts.

(WAAAHHHH!?) Kamijos resistance multiplies by 3. Fukiyose doesnt seem to realise this, frowning slightly as she holds the sugar bar with one hand. Wait a sec! Wait a sec! Even if I eat that, my goofiness cant be cured!! Dont you feel sad just saying that? Im not sad at all! Kamijo quickly tilts his head sideways, only to feel the elastically of Fukiyoses breasts. His body went stiff immediately. Fukiyose gives a surprised look, and finally lets Kamijo out of that lock. Im saved, Kamijo thought as he gasped for air. Fukiyose then grabs him by the collar again. Right now, our school is participating in the second -year girls tug-of war, and three events on the guys side. Which side do you want to cheer for? I guess you want to go to the girls side, because youre that kind of person! Why are you saying something so vicious? Why are you so cold to me, Fukiyose? Are you promoting internal CoolBiz sports? (Note: CoolBiz is a campaign originally launched by the Japanese. Its made up of two parts, Cool means cooling and Biz means business. Workers a re encouraged to wear shortsleeved shirts without jackets or ties, and air conditioner temperatures are to be set at 28C. Right now, Kamijo is mocking Fukiyose for purposely showing such a cold front.) Sorry, my defence isnt that thin. This is exactly like a WarmBiz thats as thick as an iron wall! Kamijo thought. He feels that she wont find it funny anyway, and does not say anything. (Note: WarmBiz is the opposite of CoolBiz, and that its done during the winter instead. Air conditioner temperatures are to be set at 20C, and people are to wear more clothes. Kamijo is mocking Fukiyoses defence for being as thick as those clothes worn during WarmBiz.) However, Fukiyose, is there any problems with your committee work? Why do you have to worry about this for me? This so-called feeling of helplessness should be like this, I guessisnt organising this event very difficult and tiring? Although Im not sure regarding the details, is it right for me to only bother about my own things? A committee member has to do all sorts of various things in Daihasei, like preparing a match, refereeing, carry out broadcasts before, during and after the events, taking care of lost children and giving basic road directions. Not only that, they have to take part in the competition as participants. Compared to an ordinary student, their free time is so little its pitiful. Fukiyose stares at Kamijos face. Its alright. Ive already passed on a message to Tsukuyomi -sensei. And in order to cope with unexpected events, theres a certain amount of free time in my schedule, so theres no worries!

Too bad. How about you leave me alone and go shopping with your friends? Therere many ways to create memories. They should be able to understand this! Fukiyose only realises that what she said is insensitive after saying these words. Kamijo, whose collar is still being grabbed, says, Okay okaywhat you say is correct, but can you please stop pulling me by the collar? Then lets hold hands. Fukiyose unexpectedly let go of Kamijos collar, and extends her small hand out. Seems like she applied some hand cream over her soft hands; its either the Coenzyme Q10 or some popular health product thats highly recommended. Ah? Ermthen if you dont mind. He hesitates, before holding Fukiyoses hand. He thought that her hand would be cold, but its unexpectedly warm. Kamijos feels his heart thumping crazily just like this. Fukiyose glances at him. Youre too slow. Kamijo, whos lamenting Why is my heart beating so violently, is pulled away by the iron wall girl, whos not in the best of spirits. Part 6 Kamijo is dragged along the street by Fukiyose, whos holding onto his hand. There are a lot of people here. Maybe its because this is a place where the subway trains and the automatic buses meet. From the train to the bus, from bus route A to bus route Bjust like this, the passengers arrive and then proceed on. Its been quite a distance from where he got separated from Index. Fukiyos e seems intent on bringing Kamijo back to school to cheer for their schoolmates, but he has to get to work once Tsuchimikado and Stiyl, who are searching for Oriana, contact him. This is bad, what can he do? Kamijo continues to worry on his own. Oi, Kamijo, is Daihasei really that boring? Fukiyose, whos holding hands with Kamijo, suddenly asked. What? Kamijo frowns. Ive been feeling that you seem absent -minded, its like somethings on your mind. Kamijo is startled inside. Fukiyose stares at Kamijo,

I cant force you to focus entirely on Daihasei. I cant stop you if you want out of Daihasei. From the looks of things, it seems that Fukiyose is purely suspicious about Kamijos concentration, and not that she found out something about Daihasei. As an organiser of this event who worked so hard for this day, even if its just my own stubbornness, I hope that everyone can get some wonderful memories. Ill be happy if everyone can laugh happilybut you seemed bored today. No matter what, it seems that there are still some shortcomings in my preparations. Your sense of responsibility is really strong. Im not feeling bored at all; its interesting when everythings so hectic. Kamijo doesnt understand for what reason is Fukiyose a member of the Daihasei committee. Shes not forced by anyone to be one, and since she volunteered herself, there must be a reason for her to want this event to succeed. But she doesnt know. She doesnt know that there are magicians that want to take advantage of her hard work, she doesnt know about the secret plot regarding the Stab Sword trade, and she doesnt know about the clash of ideas inside and outside Academy City. I have to work harder, Kamijo thought. Not just Fukiyose. The other committee members want to make Daihasei a success. The students and the visitors from outside would also like to make wonderful memories out of this event. Because of this, he has to work harder. Seeing Kamijos face like this, Fukiyose gives a surpr ised look as she stares at him. There is something on your mind. Ah? Theres nothing! Im really motivated. Why are you so worried, Fukiyose -san? Seeing that Fukiyose looks so down that her glory is all gone, Kamijo panics and runs in front of her while still holding onto her hand, staring at her face as he said this. Dong! He was pushed on the back. In this busy road, it seems that someones shoulder knocked into him. Kamijo is knocked forward by this unexpected accident, and because of this, the distance between Kamijo and Fukiyose, whos staring at him, is shrunk in an instant. The distance between their faces is merely about 30cm. GAH!! Eh!!

Just when both of them cried out, the distance between these two became zero. Bong! Kamijo and Fukiyoses foreheads gently knocked into each other. Their noses touched each other, and although their lips didnt meet, Kamijo can feel her soft breath blowing onto his lips. (Wha?) Kamijos inadvertently stopped breathing. Move away, Kamijo Touma! The next moment, BAM! Fukiyose rams in hard at Kamijo with her head. WAH!? Kamijos upper body swings backwards. The hand he was originally holding onto is let loose. He knows that his head is hot. Fukiyoses expression doesnt seem to change, but shes becoming more irritated. To think youll do this even when people are talking to you seriously. You really cant change your habits. Noits not that. Im really thinking seriously about this situation!! Let me say this to you, I wont reconcile with you ever in this lifetime. Uuuuu! Why is Fukiyose-san even colder now!!? Kamijo cries out. Fukiyose slaps him hard on the back of his head with her hand. If this is an act of rebuttal, it might be a bit too unaffectionate. Just when Kamijo bends down and gently rubs the back of his head Poof!! This time, his head hits something rather soft. After he calmly confirms it, he realises that its the breasts of a female.

WOAAAHHHH!!? Kamijo frantically moved backwards. Whats with this sudden series of events!? Facing Kamijo, whos really scared, the female who collided with him only said Aiyaya, and doesnt seem to mind. Beside Kamijo, Fukiyose gives a low bellow Kamijo, her to ne full of vengeance. The person who knocked into him is a female, about 18-19 years old, whos wearing plain working clothes. Her age should be similar to Kanzaki Kaori. Shes taller than Kamijo, and although shes taller for a Japanese, after seeing th e eye-catching blonde hair and blue eyes, he cant say that this is an accurate guess. Fukiyose is considered to have a rather good body compared to his classmates, but its lacking in comparison to this ladys beauty. Not only are the curves of her breasts and waists wicked, shes giving an invisible flirtatious sense. The ladys hair seems to be either curled or waxed, and it seems like a lot of effort was put into it. She separated her hair into many small bundles, and curled them using an electric perm, before she tied them into bundles of three. She also put in quite a bit of detail in other small areas, so this should be a hairstyle which she spent quite some time creating. Although there arent any decorations on it, the hair itself looks like a refi ned gold ornament. She is most likely a painter, as theres paint all over her uniform. Shes holding a 1.5m by 0.7m billboard thats covered by a white cloth. The tip of her fingers barely managed to grab the bottom of the board even after she stretched her other arm. But. Wa The one who cried out isnt Kamijo, but Fukiyose, whos right beside him. The woman is wearing a rather clumsy looking work uniform, but her clothes are wide open. Its not that she didnt button up the second button, but rather, beside the second button, all the other buttons are unbuttoned. The cleavage of her breasts and navel are wide open for all to see. Kamijo feels that its like shes wearing a swimsuit. Her pants are rather loose, and its seem like theyre hanging onto her waist. Although Kamijo didnt purpose to go behind to confirm it, its likely that he will see her butt on the loose side of the pants. Not only is this get up revealing quite a bit, theres also the danger of her clothes dropping off if she move in the slightest bit. Unlike the busty security guard nee-san whos dressed up in sports attire, this woman is rather conscious of her wonderful body. The painter nee-san makes a random movement to show her apology with the other hand thats free, and speaks in unexpectedly fluent Japanese. Ehyaya. Im sorry. Im sorry. Im not used to so many people around me. Is there any place thats hurting? Ah, here? Is the back of your head still hurting?

Uu Although this isnt the case, your warmth has infec ted my entire body. I really feel like handing myself over to you Seeing Kamijo complaining like this, Fukiyose closes one eye before smashing a fist into the back of Kamijos head, causing his head to sink into the breasts of the painter nee-san. That nee-san didnt shriek, as she gently pushes Kamijos head aside, saying, Haiz. Let me see, are you alright? You, cannot, fight, on like this forever. Its rare to have such an activity, so of course you have to make some wonderful memories. Wah, Kamijos looks like hes going to cry. So magnanimous! So completely different from those girls who bite others and those who give others a punch! Im about to sink in this warmth! Aiya, to say that you like someone for your own benefit, isnt this a bit too childish? Fukiyose gives an you idiot look at Kamijo, while the painter nee -san smiles and nods at her. Ara ara. That Miss over there, Im sorry about this. Fukiyose looks surprised, and asks, Whwhy are you apologising to me? Because this onee-san seems to be the main reason why youre so angry, right? Hearing this direct adult speech, the girl inadvertently cringed. Kamijo shouted out, Watch closely, this is a mature woman; watch an d learn, you iron wall girl! Fukiyose then gives him an overhead akido throw, slamming him onto the ground. Ah, are you alright? If you still can fight, you should be fine, I guess. Seeing the boy pinned onto the ground and the girl pinning him in front, the painter nee-san said this. She then extends her hand out, requesting a handshake with Kamijo. This is an apology for knocking into you. Normally, you Japanese would lower your head to apologise, but we normally do this. Ahthats how it is? Ara ara. Do I need to give a kiss? Poof!! Kamijo does a spit-take. After trembling for a while, the pure and innocent Kamijo Touma shouts, I WANT A KISS!! Fukiyose Seiris fist instantly smashes into Kamijos solar plexus. The painter nee -san stares at him, whos still shaking his head, laughs, and extends her hand out again. Itll be great if Index were to be have such cultured habits and not bite others. Kamijo uses his right fist to shake the painters hand.

Pacha!! A wonderful sound is heard, like something fell and broke into pieces. Eh? The one who made this sound isnt Kamijo nor the nee -san, but Fukiyose Seiri, whos staring at them. As both sides understood what happened, they didnt make any noise. Kamijo Touma suddenly remembers the power that his right hand has. The painter nee-san is trying to confirm if anythings broken. Ara ara. The nee-san tries to force a bitter smile, and fails. I should be going back to work. Can I go now? She said this, but left before Kamijo and Fukiyose can respond. Though her actions arent any different, that regal feeling up till now is now lost. What, she didnt shake hands with me? Why, Kamijo Touma!? Ah? Maybe she doesnt want to be friends with you!? When he finally snaps back, his head got smacked again. Deep inside, Fukiyose sighs. She grabs Kamijos hand, wanting to pull him away. At this moment, her handphone suddenly rings. Seems like she got a call from a committee member, as Fukiyose starts to speak in a formal tone. Hearing her speak so softly, it seems like something cropped up. Fukiyose stares at Kamijos face, then turns to her watch, before saying, Dont be late for the Bread Eating Race! She leaves behind this typical commi ttee member sentence, leaving with her handphone still in her hand. Kamijo looks at her back, and thinks as he touches the face that was punched hard with one hand. The thing he just broke, is it magic or esper power? After thinking about it for a while, Kamijo concludes that its less likely to be esper power. The espers in Academy City are all students. During Daihasei, they would be participating in competitions. Of course, he cant make this conclusion easily because there are exceptions like Tsuchimikado Maika. But the dress up of the painter, just looking at the label of the company gives a sense that its an outsider retailer. He has an impression on it because its a name he saw on television advertisements. Of course, students in Academy City would have no chance to wear clothes like that. So this means Kamijo Touma takes out his phone, and scans around to see if Fukiyose is around. Itll be troublesome if any of the guards or discipline committee members were to take action, so he doesnt want her to hear this. He then proceeds to press Tsuchimikado Motoharus number. Har Low. Kami-yan, have you tricked Index properly nya? We were checking security loopholes that Oriana may use as a trading point, theres quite a lot in sector 7. So please dont let Index near

Wait a minute, can I check with you something, Tsuchimikado? Tsuchimikado seems to have realized that Kamijos tone sounds urgent, and lowers his tone, What do you want to ask? Its that thing. Were trying to prevent the deal of that tooler, the whatever sword, its our objective, right? Kamijo looks back at the crowd, and can still see the back of that woman whos wearing loose work clothes. Its the Stab Sword. Also, its not a tool, but a spiritual armamen t. Eh, what now? You chickening out, Kami-yan? But theres no other reinforcements besides us, you know. Really? Whats that supposed to mean, Kami -yan? Kamijo straightens his back, trying not to lose sight of the woman. But the woman is turning around the corner. When I shook hands with someone, the Imagine Breaker seems to have broken something. I dont know what that is, but that person doesnt look like a student. From her attire, Im guessing shes from outside Academy City. Wait a second, Kami-yan. Let me ask a question. Is that person holding some large baggage? The Stab Sword is 1.5 metres long, and each side of the cross guard is 35 centimetres. If anyone is to try and hide such a large swordwhat would that person use? It cant poss ibly fit into a luggage bag. Hearing Tsuchimikados words, Kamijo turns green. Shes holding it. Holding what? Shes holding a billboard. That woman is carrying a billboard like thing thats covered in white cloth Kami-yan, where are you right now? Eh? Wait a sec in front of the Bank of Ichizai. After saying a Wait for me there, Tsuchimikado hung up the phone. Seeing the phone which was cut off, Kamijo wonders whether he should chase after that woman or wait here for Tsuchimikado. After thinking about it for a while, he decides to dash towards where the woman disappeared. Theyll definitely lose her if he wait till Tsuchimikado arrives. Kamijo has a premonition that some things are going to occur. He thought about it at the same time, and its not something to be happy about. Part 7

The blonde lady wearing loose clothing tucks the large billboard underneath her armpit as she moves through the crowd. At the same time, she feels aware of herself. Although she has to admit that she noticed what she was doing, her feelings are unable to handle anything thats unplanned for completely. The lady places her empty hand into the pocket of her pants. At this moment, her pants dropped slightly, but she doesnt seem to mind. She pulls out something from her pocket. Its a flash card used for memorising English words, but theres nothing written on it. Its just thick white pieces of paper passed through a metal ring. Ugh The lady bites a card with her teeth, and pulls it from the metal ring. At this moment, the words appear on the paper like its a litmus paper. In print font, the yellow words Water Symbol appears on the card. Theyre written in yellow ink and are in English. The lady puts the other flash cards back into her pocket, and places the card she was biting on near her ear, like a seashell. Ahahhello hello. Im Oriana Thompson. Can anyone hear me? Please respond. Though it seems like shes talking to herself, the flash card thats near her ear transmits a voice thats so soft it doesnt seem to vibrate the air at all. Dont say your name aloud. Be careful, your voice may be heard throughout the surroundings. Itll be more difficult if your real identity is exposed. It sounds serious. Hearing this, the woman named Oriana bitterly laughs, and says, Im already in trouble now. This onee -chan prefers an improvisational performance. But this isnt a situation youll like, right, Lidvia Lorenzetti? The other person on the phone, the one identified as Lidvia, remains silent for a while, Dont speak to me in such a wretched expression. For religious reasons, I cant keep in line with your tone. I guess. To a nun who likes to use endurance to cause people to panic, its hard on you to punish others verbally. Do you know? The illusions of the Angels that those martyred Saints saw before their deaths may be seen as an abuse of ecstasy from the viewpoint of science. Aiya? Dont tell me you dont like to hear anything from sciences viewpoint? Youre the type thatll check for those who are rejecting the Word when youre using mass psychology? The one thats mindful is actually you Hearing the other party say this, Oriana unhappily kept quiet. She s starting to panic, as this call would be meaningless if this keeps up.

Is it that I played with a bit too much fire, Missy? Then this onee -chan will apologize to you now. I remember that youre younger than me. Even so, youre still a Missy. No matter how old you are, youre still a Missy. Isnt the greatest wish of a nun to age while retaining the identity of a Missy? To people who advocate the Gospel to the poor, its inappropriate to call someone older a Missy. You must have received the word of the Bible, once a nun becomes a member of Gods family Youre going to nag on? Oriana sighs. A typical Roman Catholic, Lidvia Lorenzetti will get emotional the moment she starts to talk about praying to God or the truths about spreading the Gospel. Oriana listens to her nagging without paying attention, as she tries to find an opportune time to butt in. Then, regarding this trouble that I was talking about just now We nuns are the brides of God, thus having a relationship with others is like being disobedient to Godwhat I want to say is Maybe another time. Oriana simply changes the topic, Basically, the spell that this onee-chan cast on herself is now broken. That spell. The name of it is called Chaos and calm on the surface. This spell that Oriana uses is used to ensure her safety. Its a spell that absorbs the mentality to chase after her from her pursuers. Its useless when one is facing her in a conversation, but by turning her back on the other party, the other party will feel, theres no reason to call her, Ill talk to her next time, and not call her. This is a spell that uses the Repel bystander spell and expands on it. While this spell is working, even if Oriana is holding a fireball or anything dangerous in her hand, nobody will want to call her. Because of this, shes able to carry out the plan and the deal. But for some reason, Oriana is unable to reconstruct that spell that was broken. Then whats the reason? I dont know. Any countermeasures? I have no idea either.

Oi, dont hang up the phone! This nee-chan has no interest in sinking and drowning in this painful silence. Then what will you do now? Come up with a countermeasure. About this Oriana Thompson chuckles. First, I have to get away from that little kid behind me. Part 8 In front of Kamijo Touma, the lady in workers clotheslikely to be the courier, Oriana Thompsonturns at a corner. (Have I been found out!?) Anyway, he cant lose her. Kamijo gives up on stalking her, something hes not good at anyway, and starts to run among the crowd. He doesnt know whether theres a television interview somewhere, as this path isnt crowded with people. He runs along the building, and turns around the right-angled corner. Kamijo can see the blonde hair swaying about in a location further than he expected. He passes through a child holding a balloon and a couple holding hands, and begins to speed up. He thought, (Luckily, Im wearing sportswear for the competitions.) Although these clothes arent made from some high -tech material that uses aviation mechanics to reduce the air-resistance, its better than the school pants. Though hes trying his best to run hard, nobodys looking at him like a weirdo. The pedestrians may think that hes in the Scavenger Hunt. Hes moving faster now, and hes 1 kilometre away from where he collided with the blonde lady and split up with Fukiyose. Not to mention that Botany test field where Index was c hanging clothes, its now bothersome for him to even walk back. A handphone ring can be heard from the pants in Kamijos pants. Itll be tiring if he talks while he runs. Kamijo wonder if he should answer the phone as hes keeping his eyes on the target. The caller is Tsuchimikado Motoharu. He hastily picks up the phone. Kami-yan, where are you!? Why arent you waiting for me there!? Sorry, Im afraid that Ill lose her if this keeps up! As they were talking, the figure wearing worker clothes turns again at a corner 20 metres in front. Bastard, where now? Where are you right now?

Turning around the corner, Kamijo gives a low moan. The street in front is split into 3 different alleys. He pricked his ears, and can hear where the footsteps are hea ded. Its the middle alley. The locationTheres no road sign around!! Ill send my GPS password to you through SMS. Look for me there!! The GPS function of the handphone has this service of showing where ones friend is, but they have to use the special password sent over by the target. The code will change automatically every 30 minutes. Kamijo sends the required code to Tsuchimikados phone, and hangs up. Of course, the power must remain on in order to allow the GPS function to work effectively. He continues to run in this alley. This stretch is really long, as the small space between these towers soon becomes a gradual arc. Rushing forward, he finally hears the voices of the crowd and their footsteps in front. Eh!! Running out of the alley, he finds another road. Kamijo looks around, before spotting Oriana running away on the right side of a trail that extends to both left and right of him. The distance is rather long now, about 50 metres. Its considered pretty fast for her to run while holding such a large billboard (or its disguised as one, it should be something else though, right?). Kamijo frantically chases after Oriana. Luckily, that billboard of hers is rather large, and obvious, so she cant mix into the crowd easily. In this situation, Kamijo will lose sight of her the moment he loses a teeny-weeny bit of concentration, meaning that he has to focus on her. This psychological thought narrows Kamijos vision, as not only did he nearly knock into the people walking around, he didnt notice the unevenness of the ground and nearly fell down. Damn it!! Kamijo shouts out. As hes about to run forward, someone taps him on his shoulder. Its Tsuchimikado Motoharu and Stiyl Magnus. Theyre fast. They didnt chase him from behind; they came out from the side alleys. Its likely that after they looked at the GPS map, they were guessing where Kamijo would be after looking at where Kamijo was and where hes running. Which one, Kami-yan? You just said that the Stab Sword was disguised as a billboard, right? Its thatthat personthat blonde lady wearing workers clothes. Tsuchimikado and Stiyl then proceed to run where Kamijo was pointing at. The reason why they left him behind is because theyd say that its the work of the exper ts now. But Kamijo didnt bother adjusting his breathing as he proceeds to run after Stiyl and the rest. (Cheh, theyre tough!)

Oriana mutters as she continues to run while glancing backwards. Though the distance between them is about 50 metres, conversely, they only need to run 50 metres in order to catch up to her. She continues to run, and often runs into several alleys where its easy for them to get lost in, as she tries to shake them off, but there doesnt seem to be any effect. The reason why shes disguised as a painter holding a billboard is because she wants people to think that shes working. No matter whether its a hotel, department store, or a restaurant, if theres no billboard, others will think that shes here to rest in the shop. Shell be questioned by the employees if she walks into a shop together with the customers like this. Even if they were to ask for an explanation, she wont have time to reply. Shell be noticed if she gets away from the employees several times. Even if she disguises as a worker and walks in from the back door, shell need keys and an ID card. Thus, she can only run on the streets outside. This is one of the reasons why she cant shake them off though. Even so, with this distance, its abnormal for the other party to catch up with her so accurately. And, the moment she turned back, the number of people chasing after her is now three! The first one looks like an amateur, but the precision required now has increased by a lot now that two more people are chasing her. Theyre likely experts. The opponent should have read her trail of thoughts and predicted how shes going to escape. (Although I heard that Academy City and various Christian organisations cannot take action on these busy streets now, it seems that I was too nave!) Suddenly, Oriana stopped moving. There seems to be a television broadcasting crew doing an interview ahead, as theres quite a group of people around. Oriana, whos holding the large billboard, is unable to pass through. The billboard is jammed inside the crowd, as she cant move about freely. Of course, she can abandon this billboard, but doing so will defeat the entire objective as to why shes running about with it. She looks around, and thinks, (Although its difficult, looks like that road is the safest) After thinking, calculating and making a decision, Oriana runs onto another road on the side. Tsuchimikado is running the fastest, who is followed by Stiyl, then Kamijo. That is because Kamijo used up quite a bit of energy, as he should be running faster than Stiyl. Right now, Oriana, whos 30 metres in front, stopped in the middle of the road. Looking around, she decides to run into another road on the side. Tsuchimikado frowns as he runs, What now, its different from her usual modus operandi nyadid she change her mind? He continues to maintain his breathing as he runs after her, feeling that hed lose her if theres a slight error. Kamijo increases the power of his legs as well as he chases after Tsuchimikado. Arriving at where Oriana stopped just now, they found out that theres a broadcasting agency carrying out an interview. One can hear the reporter reporting the news excitedly, and to the residents of Academy City, it seems that hes confusing the situation. The people around him

are packed together as if he was in a train. Oriana must be afraid of getting blocked by them, so she changed her direction. Kamijos view turns towards Oriana. Where is this place, a bus depot? Its an empty place with asphalt on the ground. This is an enclosed rectangular area thats surrounded on all sides. Its seems like they bulldozed and levelled the abandoned buildings that were originally here during their preparations of Daihasei. Its 30 metres wide, and several hundred metres long. Theres no impression of it being wide, though. Many large buses are stacked tightly together like oil tankers. At first glance, there are about 5070 of these buses. There are metal pillars everywhere, and the entire place is covered with a galvanised iron roof. There are robotic arms that are used in car repairs hanging from the ceiling. All the vehicles are unmanned automatic buses. This should be a temporary depot for automatic buses. There has to be a place to refuel the buses, to wash them, and do all sorts of repairs when needed. Maybe theyre using a three -shift rotation system or some other measures during this period. So all the buses here are on standby. The automatic buses are only in use during Daihasei, and such a large of preparation is done for this. Kamijo re-realises the scale of this operation. The auto-bus marked as return silently passes by Kamijo and company into the depot. Tsuchimikado follows the auto-bus thats slowly moving, and just as hes about to step silently into the depot BOOM!! Suddenly, blue and white explosions occur underneath the ceiling. This unnaturally-coloured flame continues to fall directly onto Tsuchimikados face like a transparent cylinder. It may be a magical attack although its a magical flame, its definitely not caused by Stiyl. If so, who did this? Bastard, is she trying to stop us by using runes? Get down, Kami -yan! Tsuchimikado jumps backwards, and is about to push Kamijo down, but What are you saying? Shouldnt we be relying on him in this kind of situation? Stiyl grabs Kamijos collar and tosses him in front. Ah? Tsuchimikado rolls sideways, not knowing how far he will roll, and in place, Kamijo is standing under the blue and white flames. Looking up, Kamijo sees a flaming pillar thats coming down like a guillotine swinging downwards.

Eh? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?? AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Kamijo frantically swings his right hand up like a hook. The blue and white flames disperse in many different directions, and vanishes before it can spread. Stiyl shakes the cigarette in his mouth, and says, My my, to think that even I couldnt think of this perfect teamwork. To be able to share the work like this, you can really understand the situation and take action. Youyouyou!! Kamijo is trembling, and without hesitation, is about to hit the red-haired priest. Hurry up and finish your work. Stiyl kicks him, and pushes him backwards. PEW!! The sound of wind being cut can be heard, as the blocks of rocks that are as big as baseballs passes through the underside of the auto-bus thats moving forward. Suddenly, the surface of these rocks becomes sharp and edgy, like a sea-urchin, as they bounce up towards Kamijos jaw. Waitwait a sec!! Kamijo quickly stretches his right hand out, and the rock bullets vanish in the air like an ice sculpture breaking. Tsuchimikado and Stiyl are using the auto-bus parked nearby as a shield, and jumped away left and right respectively. Kamijo, whos unable to trust them any further, jumps in Tsuchimikados direction. Tsuchimikado, whose back is resting on the bus, says to Stiyl, whos leaning his back on the bus opposite, Stiyl, stay here, set up the runes, and stand by. Ill catch the courier inside. Roger that. Do I have to use the Repel bystander? Ill leave it to you. Though I dont want to use too much magic, itll be bad if this uproar is to build on. Its alright as long as Index doesnt arrive here. I see, Kamijo just realised this. Right now, they arent fighting in a win or lose battle, but a war about arrest or escape. Once the objectives are different, the ways to tackle it are different. Tsuchimikado stares at Kamijos face, and asks, Oh yeah, Kami-yan. What do you want to do? I feel that its safer for you to stay here Stiyl stares at Kamijo, and grins, Yeah, to me, its better if you stay here. Not for your safety, but mine. Kamijo picks up an empty can on the ground, and throws it at Stiyl, wanting to proceed on with Tsuchimikado. From a blind corner of the bus, Tsuchimikado stares inside the depot, and dashes out.

Kamijo followed him, thinking, if I have the Imagine Breaker ability, shou ldnt I be using myself as a shield? BOOM!! As this sound is heard, a yellow flame flies towards them. 10 metres in front, a flame appears out of nowhere. Right when Kamijo stretches out his right hand, a high pressure wind cuts between the buses on the left and right side of him like a scalpel. !? Just when Kamijo is unable to respond, Tsuchimikado grabs his collar avoids the scalpels that are flying over, and runs in an arc to avoid the flames. He then let go of Ka mijos collar, and says, Kami-yan, you dont have to take them all on! These are traps that the enemy set up. Shell escape if you take them on seriously!! Although you say this!! Five blocks of ice that are as big as balloons come descending from the ceiling. Kamijo tries hard to resist using his right hand as he dashes forward. The shockwaves and sounds created by the heavy blocks of ice landing cause him to feel chilly on the back. Passing through a row of auto-buses that are parked, he sees a large machine thats used to wash the buses. Its about as tall as two storeys of a building, and there are machines that are used for washing. Its not those drum-shaped brushes, but rather a flat sponge that uses ultrasonic vibration. Oriana seems to have ran into a dark corner, and he can see her blonde hair swaying about. Over there!! When Kamijo jumps out from the blind corner, the ground starts to uplift in a row, as if its trying to get in between him and the huge washing machine. Its a 5 metr e tall ground wall, and it sweeps his legs over like a tsunami. The wall extends from one end of the depot to another. This is unavoidable, as hell be crushed even if he hides behind a blind corner. Whats more dangerous is that if the metal pillar supporting the ceiling is broken, the entire depot will collapse. Kami-yan, Ill leave it to you. Its some provisional material thats like ectoplasm. Your right hand will definitely settle it!! As Tsuchimikado shouts out, Kamijo came forward. Facing this large target, his teeth starts to clatter, but this is not the time to run away crying. He reaches the base of the wall, and hits it with his right hand. POW!!

With the sound of glass breaking, the 5 metre tall wall came collapsing. The wall seemed to have dissolved in the air, and there doesnt seem to be any changes. The asphalt ground returns back to its original state as well. Kamijo is about to pull back his right arm when Tsuchimikado ran past him to the place opposite the large washing machine. He stopped. Oriana isnt there anymore. A thick piece of paper thats as big as a chewing gum wrapper is stuck on the body of the machine. Kamijo rushes past Tsuchimikado, and looks around. Theres a backdoor in the corner of the machine, but further down, a manhole is opened, and the windows of the buildings are broken. Basically, its impossible to tell which way she escaped. Tracking sealer Oriana Thompson huhwhat a joke!! Tsuchimikado angrily tears down that piece of paper. The ordinary boy Kamijo Touma can tell from his actions how critical the situation is. (Ara ara. I dont know if I lost them) Oriana Thompson looks behind for a while, and walks on the road. She stopped running the moment she lost sight of her pursuers. Since the oppone nt lost her, its more important that shes not found than to put distance between them. Itll be very obvious if shes to run in the crowd. Even so, shes rather satisfied. Oriana holds on to the billboard thats covered with white cloth, and reconfirms everything again. (Even if I lost them for now, it doesnt mean that the matter is over. I have to set up the next piece.) Oriana, whos only caring about whats happening behind, knocks into someone in front. The exposed navel feels not human skin, but metal. Two boys that seem to be committee members of the Daihasei are setting a pole horizontally for a ball tossing contest, and she knocked into them. Aiya, Im really sorry. Oriana gently apologises and leaves, leaving the boys dumbfounded as they stare at her huge breasts. Too soft, she says softly, forcing back the urge to laugh. (Ive just set up my next piece, itll likely give them some hell.) Tsuchimikado pulls out his phone and is talking to someone. It seems to be Stiyl. Although both of them are magicians,

Tsuchimikado cant use magic, or strictly speaking, he can use it, but itll cause a rejection due to his esper powers, which is the risk of a small-scale explosion. Tsuchimikado says come quickly, and hangs up the phone. Kamijo looks at the piece of paper that Tsuchimikado is holding. Oi, whats that? O, thats the spiritual tool that Oriana uses. Tsuchimikado says this in a frustrated tone, and let Kamijo see that paper. Some blue coloured words are written on it in a hard to read the font, Soil Symbol. Of course, Kamijo, whose English is atrocious, doesnt understand what it means. It means, the Symbol of Soil. Youve probably heard of the five main elements in RPGs, nya? Fire, water, earth, wind, whatever. Its referring to this. So this is a Soil card? I dont understand this. No, not only that. The colour of earth is green, but this is written in blue. Tsuchimikado turns the card around, saying, Blue is the colour of water, and normally, it wont be used on earth -based magic. If one wants to use earth, theyll put matching features like green or disc -shaped. Its like how Stiyl uses red cards to control flames. Did that woman make a mistake? Impossible, shes doing this on purpose. Shes using incompatible colours and uses the reaction as an attack. Basically, this is risky, as a bad mix will result in a bad effect. As Tsuchimikado says this, Stiyl runs over from the other side of the depot. Tsuchimikado waves the thick piece of paper, and says, I found her magical spirit tool. If Oriana is to use this while shes running, this will receive it like a cellphone. Id like to use this method, can you guys give me a hand, nya? Part 9 Tsuchimikado Motoharu cannot use magic. Strictly speaking, if he uses it, hell lose control of his body. As the human body isnt numerical, it cant decide how many times can he endure it. He can endure it up to 4, 5 times, or he may die in one use. Its like playing Russian Roulette; theres a chance where he will die. In this situation where hes uncertain, Tsuchimikado is trying his best not to use it. If hes to end up being unable to take action, one can expect what will happen after that. Thus, Tsuchimikado is unable to use the Seeking Magic.

He places the thick piece of paper that Oriana left behind on the floor, and draws a perfect circle around it. He then positions many different coloured paper, and thats all. Basically, its Stiyls job to activate it. The name of the spell is called an all -around reality array it would have been easy if I used it during the Angel Fall incident nyain order to prevent any interference, I only used a single defensive spell, and got damaged really badly. Kanzaki nee-chan isnt good at setting up a boundary either, so it was really troublesome. Of course, I cant possibly teach the important figures of the Russian Orthodox Church this Stop yapping and start working. I heard that the effective range is about a 3 kilometres radius? Ah, to interrupt me like this. Ahhh, Kami -yan, please move away bit. What if your right hand breaks this all-around reality array? Hearing Tsuchimikado mention this, Kamijo frantically backpedals. Tsuchimikado continues to make some markings on the ground, and after hes done, moves back to where Kamijo is. A black circle with approximately 50cm in diameter was drawn on the ground, and the piece of paper that Oriana stuck on the bus washing machine. The blue, white, red and black pieces of paper divide the circle into four equal quadrants, each set at 90 degrees. Seems like this is to represent north, south, east and west. Stiyl kneels halfway down in front of the circle that Tsuchimikado drew, claps his two hands together, and closes his eyes. A drop of sweat flows down his forehead. Through the wind, but not through air, but to convey thy will. As he recites this, the four pieces of paper start to float in the air. Like a clumsy puppet being pulled by invisible strings, the coloured paper stood up. The edges of the pieces of coloured paper reminds one about the sharp edge of a sword blade. This so-called rune is the idea of magic by adding and removing colours. Tsuchimikado stares at the circle on the ground, saying, First, one has to imprint something thats of significance, and forcefully input some energy to activate the spell, and deactivate it by removing the stains. For Stiyl, he uses pre -prepared dyed cards that were printed, so the spell activates extremely fast. When the card burns, the removal of the colour will be over in an instant nya. So normally, people will use spells that are pre-prepared The four pieces of paper continue to draw a spiral. As the papers continues to draw, they continue to draw a line thats of the same colour. The line continue to get closer and closer, and the circle gets smaller and smaller, as they get closer to the middle, where the card that Oriana left behind is. As long as we follow the basic rule of adding and removing colours, even if its Futtark, which doesnt follow the normal regulations, one can activate a rune spell nya. In fact, different types of rune words formed during different ages. Theres only 15cm to the centre of the circle.

Kamijo stares at the fast rotating pieces of paper. If we use this, we can accurately determine where Oriana is? Um. If we use it, we should be able to determine it in a 3 kilometre radius. However, we wont get anything if she leaves the perimeter. 3 kilometres. Its rather far. But if we find her at exactly 3 kilometres from here, wouldnt the enemy move somewhere else? One more thing. After activating an all -around reality array, itll take fifteen minutes for us to set it up. However, its no problem if it works once. Tsuchimikado says this, but if they fail Although 15 minutes sounds short, wouldnt it be bad if the opponent takes a bus or tram? I dont care where she runs off to. Kami -yan, have you forgotten? Im a magician too. Dont I have the Red technique as my last resort? Although I only have one shot. Theres now only 10cm to the centre. Kamijo reveals an irritated look, and says, What you are talking aboutis that gimmick that you used to bo mb my house from the seaside resort to prevent that Angel Fall? Its alright if we can use such a long range strikewait a minute, if everyone knows about how someone used magic brazenly in Academy City, wouldnt the many magicians waiting outside be using this as an excuse to invade? No, they wont. Kami-yan, because their excuse is to protect ordinary civilians from those bad magicians that invaded Academy City. As long as we settle this with a single strike, take the Stab Sword back, and announce that the danger is gone, so we dont need your help, isnt it alright nya? 5cm left. Tsuchimikado grins at Kamijo, and says, Even so, Im not comfortable with solving this as a magician. So I used that Red technique, and not my speciality, the black technique nya. If anyone is to ask whos the one who used magic, I just lie to that guy and say that its Stiyl, the fire manipulator, who launched that strike. Thisthis is a bit too bold. Can you really trick them like this? I can. Because Necessarius is keeping the knowledge of 103,000 magical books. Its not weird for them to even learn any spells that are not of Christian origin. Stiyls runes themselves have no relation to Christianity. However, they cant use these spells the Easte rn way, so they have to refine it such that it looks western. Whats with your expression? Anyway, we win if we can confirm Orianas position. The ideal case is if we can capture her, and force her to talk about Lidvias deal with this other party.

Right now, the main priority is to prevent the deal of the Stab Sword from taking place. In other words, itll be alright even if we blow up the Stab Sword or Oriana to pieces. The distance is now 0cm. The four pieces of paper touches the thick piece of paper that Oriana left. With a crisp BAM! sound, the pieces of coloured paper are flying all over the place, drawing an intricate map quickly on the ground. At first its as blurred as a camera with the lens not at the focal length, then it gradually becomes even clearer. This map shows everything, from the roads, constructs, trees, benches, vending machines, and wind generators, to each and every single empty can on the ground. Maybe its more accurate to call it an ultra-high resolution photo taken from a satellite than a simplified or marked map. Finally, the place that appeared is Oriana looks up suddenly. With one hand, shes holding a billboard-like thing thats covered with a white cloth. She slightly raises her ample breasts, as if shes trying to add to the pressure on the second button, which is the only button she buttoned. She looks up at the sky. In this late September blue sky, theres white smoke from the fireworks that were fired, and one can feel the cool breeze in this ruthless summer. The mottled clouds continue to move in the same direction, and everything seems calm. Even so, Orianas skin feels a sharp sense of tension. Its like trying to get into a bank that had bee n overrun by robbers and strongly fortified. Oriana Thompson starts to take some time to wonder whats approaching her. Through the wind, but not through air, but to convey thy will this onee-chan heard that, you know. Then, she cracks a smile. Roarkakakakakkakakakakkakakakaka!? Suddenly, Stiyl seems to be hit by something in the chest, as he bends forward. Picha! The map on the ground is scattered around like how someone sneezes and blows a sand painting away. A loud breaking sound can be heard, and Kamijo is so scared that he instantly took a deep breath, wondering if Stiyls bones are broken. This is a space-bending sound due to him losing control of his power its just the sound of air molecules colliding with each other! Kami-yan, hit Stiyls body! Itll probably stop!! Hearing Tsuchimikado call out like this, Kamijo is shocked. Anyway, its rather scary when he doesnt know whats going on. Kamijo rushes into Stiyl and frantically smacks his back thats now bent. As hes thinking about doing this fast, he forgot to adjust his power. Suddenly, the sound of air being depressed is heard.

Stiyl relaxes his body as he lays on the ground, but the strange situation seems to be over, and he cant hear that sound just now. Stiyl pants heavily, and finally pulls his hand away from his sweaty hair Whats this? Is thissome spell to prevent being snuffed out? The pieces of coloured paper arent moving anymore, so Tsuchimikado picks one of them up with his fingers, places his fingers on the paper, and folds several creases on it. If so, since I used the all-around reality array, I should be affected as wellbut theres no such phenomenon. He waves the neatly folded coloured paper, and says, Stiyls magic should have been read by the opponent, and the opponent probably used a counterspell that will cause a reaction in Stiyl. That Oriana, I thought that she suddenly decided to counterattack, so this is her goal. Shes trying to force us to use our magic, read and analyse them, and set up a magic array that sends signals nya. Kamijo does not understand what Tsuchimikado, whos folding the paper, is talking about, as he extends his hand out to Stiyl. Stiyl irritatedly waves Kamijos hand away, and swaggers as he tries to stand up. Stiyl spits onto the ground. Is it a spell that identifies a person and seals him up? Really, to think that she could come up with that. Whats that? You mean it can target Stiyl and attack him directly? Tsuchimikado sighs. This thing called magicbecause of the approach of the caster, the quality and quantity will be differentbut, I dont think that this is enough to create a perfect counterattack nya. As he speaks, Tsuchimikado places his hand into his pocket, and pul ls out a red penor maybe it isnt. According to his explanation, this thing called magic is like gasoline. It was originally like the gasoline that we rely on so heavily, and is refined heavily through sects or religions like an oil processor. For Stiyl, if he were using the Aztec method to train his magic, the type of magic formed will be vastly different. Like using crude oil, one cannot refine it into gasoline, but into heavy oil and light oil nya. Tsuchimikado said. For an Amakusa Saint like Kanzaki Kaori, besides Christianity, theres still some essence of Buddhism and Shintoism. So they can freely adjust the type of magic and quality of the spell according to the situation. What Tsuchimikado is suggesting is that, to Oriana, in order to take o n Stiyl himself, shell try and grasp what type of magic that he can possibly use, and try her best to focus on sealing

Stiyls magic. Its hard to imagine Oriana having peace of mind now, as she probably doesnt have all the information about Stiyls power. No matter his strength, one will normally consider about that. ThatOriana, what did she do? About thisI guess, it should be something like this. As he speaks, Stiyl stands up, his legs still wobbly. This thing called magic has multiple forms of existence. But the previous stage is no longer the same. The methods we can use to refine this talent will be dependent on religion, spells, and ones own lifeforce. After that, its like a math problem. As long as one calculates it backwards, the answer will be out. Imagine if theres 20 pounds of magic A, and a way to process magic called B. By comparing the two, if a person uses the magic procession B needs to process 20 pounds of magic, how many pounds of this lifeforce will be required this way, one can calculate the original lifeforce. Stiyl irritatedly pulls out a cigarette stick from a pack with his mouth, and stares at Tsuchimikado. Tsuchimikado is using something like a red pen to draw some markings on the coloured paper in his hand. In order to overcome this situation, Im making a new array. Tsuchimikado told Kamijo, still focusing on the paper. Stiyls gaze returns to Kamijo. Although magic doesnt have a personality, lifeforce does. In other words, my lifeforce was read by Oriana. Bastard, I shouldnt have set up the rune cards so easilyno, if the opponent is using a underground large-scale interrogation facility for magicians, like an execution tower or the basement of Windsor Castle, its still possible. To think that its po ssible for a magician to be able to do every single stepresearch, analysis, reverse calculation, application, and engagement all by herselfas expected of the Tracking Sealer, Oriana Thompson. Stiyl unhappily says this as he pulls out a matchstick, a rare sight, and strikes it against the soles of his shoe. Its likely that hes wary of using magic to light a stick. Right now, he cant strike back, and can only wait for Tsuchimikado to finish his preparations. For such a man who has such a high self-esteem to be cautious, one can see how unfathomable Oriana is. Hearing him say this, during that battle at the depot, Stiyl was the only one who outrightly used magic. If shes doing a reverse calculation and counterattacking, the one hurt should have been Tsuchimikado, who set up the all-around reality array. Since nothing like that happened, I guess it reacted to my lifeforce. Stiyl continues. Tsuchimikado is working hard on some weird project, so only Kamijo and Stiyl are conversing with each other. Which means, that Oriana can still analyze Stiyls magic while shes escaping? Kamijo tilts his head, not knowing whats going on.

Seeing Kamijo like this, Stiyl cant help but blow out some smoke irritatedly. Maybe its because he lost his cool after being damaged, or maybe he feels that its troublesome to talk about things that are straightforward to magicians. If she knows this move, then it should be even more potentthan your right hand. He inhales some smoke deeply. Orianas counterspellwhich are on par with those spells used for execution, requires a magic array no, something thats even higher than it. Oriana didnt just use a spell, she set up an entire area of effect. Its like setting up a high-speed computer, and letting it do all the analysis. This way, Oriana can focus on running away, but But what? When Kamijo said this, Stiyl replies in a bitter voice, No, maybe Im thinking too much. I feel that I have seen this inhuman auto-processing beforeno way. Even if shes Oriana, she cant possibly have that Its like hes muttering to himself. Kamijo, who doesnt understand the situation at all, frowns. Tsuchimikado, whos beside them, is drawing something on the paper. He opens his mouth, and grins. No, Stiyl, Im thinking the same thing as you. Really? If so, it can explain why Oriana is able to let it work despite being someplace else. But if so, shes not a magician, but a sorcerer. Aiya, is this really the case? I always felt that theres something wrong about Oriana. If shes really a complete warlock, there should be some magicians whom she taught that will act as her underlings. Shouldnt that be something that Lidvia should be doing? As he speaks, Tsuchimikado continues to create markings on the coloured paper. Its like a marking is add on another marking. ??? What is that? The two magicians continue to mutter among themselves, causing the amateur Kamijo to be confused. Seeing Kamijo like this, Tsuchimikado gently smiles. Oh yeah, Kami-yan probably hasnt seen an actual situation. But, just having knowledge of it means that you know it. By stuffing any knowledge related to magic into someone, the knowledge will form a magic array without the casters will. Even if the caster doesnt use magic, itll cause the power released by nature and lifeforce to multiply, making it active semi-permanently. Tsuchimikados smile now has a deeper meaning. The lens of the blue sunglasses are reflecting light. You still dont understand? Its the person closest to Kami -yan nya. That Index that memorised 103,000 magical texts, isnt she with you?

103,000. Index. Even if he doesnt understand completely what Tsuchimikado meant, he knows what that r efers to. No way? Thats right, Kami-yan. Facing Kamijo, whos muttering right now, Tsuchimikado gently shakes the coloured paper in his hand, and casually says. The original copy of the magic book. The original. A book that has the secrets of magic. At first glance, it doesnt look impressive, but any ordinary human will get a nervous breakdown if they just read the contents only. Also, the chapters, paragraphs and words of the book will become a semi-permanent magic array that will automatically counterattack if anyone is to try and destroy it. Nobody has the power to destroy the original copy of a magic book, so they can only use emergency measures to temporarily seal it. This is why people like Index, who had memorised 103,000 magical texts in her head, and Ursula, who tried to analyze the original Book of the Law, do this to counter these dangerous magical books. Kamijo is a complete novice when it comes to magic. And he has never seen a real magic book before. Even so, theres quite a few incidents around him that involves magic or magical books, so in this sense, he has quite a bit of knowledge. Tsuchimikado exhales deeply, and makes the four corners of the folded piece of paper with a pen. A magic book has a similar nature as a magic array, since the secondary effect of a magic book originates from the effect of a magic array. Kamijo frowns. He doesnt understand what Tsuchimikado is talking about. How is a magic book similar to a magic array? Isnt a magic book something anci ent? And isnt a magic array some star painted circle symbol that commonly appears in RPGs? After Kamijo asked this, Stiyl looks somewhat frustrated as he narrows his eyes. Youre using such a stupid analogy again; thats the star of Laksami. This isnt a single product, but a Middle age magic array thats used within a circular array. He stares at something beside Tsuchimikados hand. First, well explain from the arraythe first magic array was just an ordinary circle. Its just like that. As he says this, he picks up a stone, sits on the ground, and draws a circle with approximately 50cm diameter on the asphalt road. Though its hand -drawn, the circle is rather accurate.

Kamijo looks surprised, but Tsuchimikado, who continues to draw on the coloured paper, didnt bother to even look. Seems like a magician who has to create his own magic array or rune cards have very dexterous hands. The pentagram or the Star of David that you novices can think about is used to add an additional effect. In order to add on to the basic effect of the circle, we add the seal of King David or the seal of King Solomon. Stiyl puffs out a cloud of smoke, and continues to add a pentagram on it. The five tips of the star divides the circle neatly into five different parts, and theres no deviation of any straight lines. But what has this got to do with the magic books? Kamijo tilts his head, thinking. Seeing Kamijo like this, Stiyl gently clicks his tongue. Besides his irritated feelings to Kamijo and his own injuries, the reason why Stiyl is all panicky now is that Tsuchimikado is taking too long to plan (or so he thinks) a way to break this status quo. Then, theres the last step of setting up a magic arrayits too troublesome to explain it a few times, so watch carefully. Stiyl shifts the small rock away as he says, The last step of setting up a magic array is to add other things, like words. Most of the time, we write something outside the circle to declare which Angel we want to borrow p ower from. While speaking, he continues to write some things along the circumference of the circle. Because its a scary magic array, Kamijo thought that hell use an unknown ancient language. But hes just writing English. Stiyl continues to engrave words on the asphalt floor. Just like this case, Ill have to write down the name of the Angel whom I want to borrow the power from. Ill then have to specify the type of power I want, like fire or wind. I will also have to write down what kind of Angels power I need, and how much power. The quality of the power is important, but whats more important, and maybe surprisingly, is the quantity. If its too little, I definitely wont be able to activate the spell. But if it is too much, the excess will go out of control, so its difficult to find an optimal amount. It was only a while, but theres already a line of words around the circumference. Stiyls hand continues to work as he starts to write another line of words on the circumference. Once I get the correct amount and quality of Angels power, Ill have to write down how Im going to use it. Maybe the caster will input this power into his staff and get some special ability, or maybe he will set it up around the magic array for defence, etc. With that The second line, the third line, the fourth line, the words continue to pile up like a Swiss roll. Maybe one should call it a magic array that has markings that are continuously added onto it. Doesnt it look like the page of a book? Stiyl puffs out some smoke at the magic array.

In reality, its as Stiyl says. Although the way its written isnt conventional unlike ordinary books, where theres a specific rule that one has to write horizontally or vertically. But what if one is to read the text along the circle in a horizontal manner? If it just requires any type of quality and quantity to mix and match before getting some effectisnt it like a formula or some sorts? The formula of a spell. This is basically what a magic book is about. But theres still a weakness about using this type of magic array. The more complicated the picture is, the more difficult itll be to control it. Like the word front, besides the meaning of facing forward, theres also the meaning of promenade. If theres a difference in what the caster intended and what is interpreted incorrectly on the magic array, the spell will go out of control and cause the caster much troublebut if its ones own misinterpretation, the caster must be pretty talented. Stiyl finished speaking, and slowly stood up. He tosses the small rock in his hand away. Seeing this, Tsuchimikado speaks up, In the end, the amount of information given for this magic array has a direct relation with its power. The complicated look and the lines added are just details that are added onto it. The reason why I used four pieces of coloured paper for this all -around reality array is to add decorations that signify that I want to collect information from every single direction. With this, how much power does a magic book thats entirely stuffed with magical knowledge? Basically, an original magic book is a high-intensity magic array. Even specialised magicians find it tough to handle nya. Tsuchimikado brings this conclusion. The coloured paper in his hand is somewhat wet as he was continuously making some markings on the coloured paper with his red pen. Kamijo remains silent for a while. If so, in preparation of Daihasei, Oriana actually prepared an original magic book to form this auto-activate counterspell? This is something that makes people freeze up. Once, because of the magic book thats called the Book of the Law, Kamijo himse lf was involved in a battle started by three magic factions. Of course, there are differences in the value and tiers between the magic books, but no matter how anyone thinks, this isnt normal. To say that the scale is too big, one may say that its so big that its almost a waste. Stiyl disagrees with Kamijos views. Is this really possible? The alchemist Aureolus Izzard was also a magic book author. Even if the fastest person in the Palace of Secret Records is to write on without sleeping or resting, itll take three days to write up just one thin book, and probably a month to write a thick one. I dont think she has time to write up an original book while shes spending her life running around. Or maybe the enemy had set up an original beforehand

I dont think so. Its true that one needs a lot of time to complete a book. But this isnt Orianas objective. Tsuchimikado spoke in a relaxed tone. To her, she just wants the effect of the magic book that strengthens her magic array. She doesnt care about the genre. Doesnt it feel like nobody can read her cursive handwriting nya? Tsuchimikado said this with a thoroughly red piece of paper in his hand. Youre implying that its a shorthand original? I still feel thats impossibleno, alright. Right now, we have to consider all the possibilities no matter what. Kamijo lowers his head, as the words of these magicians continue to echo in his mind. Finally, he raises his head. This original, it means that nobody can destroy the magic book, right? If theres a need to create originals for every battle, wouldnt the world be filled with originals? Thats right nya Necessarius never got this kind of report as well. This is just my guess, Orianas shorthand original is definitely no t perfect. A real original can turn each page into a semi-permanent magic array. But because Orianas one is sloppy, itll crumble in a short time. Tsuchimikado smoothly replies as he continues to write on the wet piece of paper. Not only the surface is important, the order the markings are added, and the type of markings added are also important. Tsuchimikado bitterly laughs, In the past, there were many magicians who wrote flawed originals, and ended up losing control over them before dying. Oriana may have used this the other way to destroy the shorthand original on her own. If so, its better to consider her as a spellcaster. A hybrid that involves the original and a magician in other wordsits not to pass on the techniques and knowledge to the future generation, but to destroy this original instantly when needed nya. Hm Kamijo folds his arms. Right now, I still dont understand anything about the original or the magic array. Explaining this to someone like you is really useless. Because hes injured, Stiyls face is somewhat green, as his mouth is slightly twisted. With the counter, it means that Stiyl is unable to use magic on Oriana? Yes. If we dont settle that counterattack spell, we cant use any magic spells. That spell should be ready to strike when it senses that Im about to use magic. It wont differentiate each spell on what purpose it does, and besides, its useless to add this order. Stiyl sounds like hes confessing his own weaknesses, but though one can tel l from his tone that hes having some reservations, theres no sign of giving up. Its like hes trying to say that it wont end like this.

So how? Stiyl is unable to use magic, right? That all -around reality arrayright? Wouldnt it be hard to find out Orianas position? Since Tsuchimikado cant really use magic well. No. Tsuchimikado shakes his head. That coloured paper hes holding, which is drenched in red ink, its a miracle that its not torn after all the liquid added on it. Kamijo and Stiyl stare at him. I said this before. This is an auto-counter spell created by the shorthand original, so we just need to settle it. If we are successful, we can use some talismans to prevent her from doing it again. Still, the most important thing is to destroy the original that the enemy has, so that Stiyl can safely use his magic nya Kamijo stares at his right hand. The original is definitely a magic book that cannot be destroyed by any means, but his Imagine Breaker may be able to deal with it. Stiyl puffs out some smoke. Its alright if we destroy the shorthand original, but wouldnt Oriana use this time to run outside the perimeter where the all -around reality array is effective? Its possible. But dont you guys think that the enemy wont use these counterspells if she can escape fast enough? It takes a long time to prepare that. In this tight schedule, one wont do this to add on to her workload. Hm, Stiyl folds his arms. Kamijo frowns, thinking that itll be fine if this is what shes planning. Thatthat shorthand original that you mentioned just now, where is it? Im guessing its set up somewhere. Is it possible that Oriana is carrying it with herself? Im not too confident about it if Im clear about the conditions required to use this shorthand original. But in order to check out the type of lifeforce that Stiyl has, Oriana set up quite a few traps. She then sent some lifeforce that she got from those traps to the auto-magic array. To set up something like this from the beginning to the end, one has to do it all in the same systemis there such a possibility nya? Then where did she set up this shorthand original? If they dont know where she ran off to, its impossible for them to find out where did she set up the counter magic spell book. Well be looking into this next nya. What should we do? Tsuchimikado didnt reply immediately to Kamijos question.

Tsuchimikado breathes out a small amount of air to adjust his breathing. He then places the red pen he was swinging about into his pocket, and with both hands, he carefully carries the coloured paper thats all sticky and wet now. He then says, Stiyl. It doesnt matter what kind of magic it is, just use it. Id like to know where the interference came from. Such cold words. After Oriana read Stiyls lifeforce, she used the shorthand original to hinder our work. That counterspell should involve some magic as well, so I set up this divination circle array that acts like a litmus paper around you to react to her magic. This is a yet unused magic array that doesnt have any magic power yet. The divination circle array will activate when theres magical force from a counterspell. It can also calculate where the spell came from, and the direction and distance. Tsuchimikado said as he kneels down on the floor, still holding onto the coloured paper thats dyed red now. He then shifts the paper around like hes wiping a table with a cloth. A red circle with diameter of 2 metres appeared immediately on the ground. When he finished this, he stood up, looking bored. Like hes reading a manual, Tsuchimikados voice was emotionless, leading Kamijo to wonder whether Tsuchimikados brain is alright. He frantically grabs Tsuchimikados shoulders, But this isnt the way to go, Tsuchimikado! You should know what will happen if the counterspell arrives!? If we do this again, Stiyl will fall again!! Again? Tsuchimikado inexplicably frowned. Who said that? It cant possibly end once, right? Stiyl cant possibly fall here. At least if we destroy that counterspell, well have to activate the all -around reality array to look for Oriana. Before that, if one divination circle array isnt enough to find out where the spell is, I can only allow him to retry as many times as it takes. Kamijos expression changed. Are you serious? In contrast, Tsuchimikado gives a straightforward answer. Kami-yan, you seemed to have forgotten, so let me remind you again. Even if Oriana Thompson isnt in front of us, even if theres no swords or bullets flying around, this is still a war that concerns human lives. Countries, or even the world, may be overturned as a consequence, you understand? But!! Kamijo stomps onto the ground.

I can understand if were able to win as a result of Stiyl getting injured. But why cant we get this clear!? If so, theres a possibility that it wont be effective no matter how much damage he takes! Also, even if we find out where the counterspell is, and destroy it, are you going to drag Stiyl around to battle? STOP JOKING WITH ME!! I CANT POSSIBLY AGREE TO THIS!! Until here, Kamijo swallowed down his final words at the last second. Tsuchimikado, youre asking Stiyl to use magic because you hate getting hurt in a battle I got it. Lets do this. Stiyl accepts this proposal that nobody would find it sensible to agree with. But you!! Kamijo Touma, this is gross, stop acting familiar with me. If this can solve everything, theres no problem. After saying this, he glares at Tsuchimikado. Conversely, we have to find out where the spell is no matter what. Also, we have to do this on our own, and we cant let it develop into a bigger problem, got it? Being glared at by Stiyl, Tsuchimikado didnt look away. OK. I promise not to escalate this incident and cause Index to forcibly return. Ill protect her life while shes still in Academy City, is this your condition? Hearing Tsuchimikados words, Kamijo is at a loss of words. No matter how injured he is, Stiyl is only thinking about a certain girls happiness. Even if that happiness doesnt involve him. Even if where he formerly was is now occupied by Kamijo Touma. He wont pull back because of this fact. The magician Stiyl Magnus turns he back at Kamijo and Tsuchimikado, and pulls out a rune card from his torso. Divination circle array. Without hesitation, Stiyl steps into the red circle that Tsuchimikado drew on the ground. Kamijo ToumaIm unhappy that youre here right now. The red-haired priest says in a firm voice, Why arent you beside that child? Its your fault if that child is unhappy because of this. After that, the rune flames explode, and the counterspell activates. With a scream, one can hear someone fall onto the ground. This is how Stiyl Magnus lives his own life.

Chapter 3: Cross Counter Part 1 Fukiyose Seiri is a member of the Daihasei organizing committee. Though the committee members dont have any of the special privileges that are given to the security guards and the disciplinary members, they are in charge of preparing and refereeing the matches, a job which doesnt allow any room for error. To any ord inary person, though Daihasei is just a large-scale sports meet, it can allow people to easily evaluate the esper power development program of each school, and thus affect the budget that each school gets. Of course, the committee members have to take part in the matches. Because of this, they have to arrange their work schedule such that it doesnt affect their own matches. It sounds simple, but Academy City itself is one-third the size of Tokyo. The distance to each competitive arena may vary due to the different locations, and sometimes, the distance may be too far. Its impossible to excel at this job if one is unable to plan intricately like those suspense novels, or adapt to the situation immediately when the start and end times of the match are changed slight. Its a race against time. (I have to get to the arena where the ball tossing contest is, so its probably better to use the auto-bus than the subway train ifno no, this wont work. Theres still a long -distance race on that road, so the road should be closed. If so, its better to use the subwayar never mind, since its in the same district, it might be faster if I run there!) Fukiyose is holding a container filled with drinks with both hands as she continues to do her calculations. As a committee member, its expected that she has to memorise the map and the schedule in her brain. If she doesnt do this, its impossible for her to adapt to any unexpected situations that occur. Right now, shes heading towards the arena where shell be a cting as a referee. She purposely chose to stay away from the shortest route and walk on a long, roundabout route. The reason is simple, the ultimate way to shorten the time is to avoid moving with the crowd. Because of this, Fukiyose chose to move quickly along the road where she was dragging Kamijo along a while back. (If I chose to leave from the subway or the bus stop, there would still be quite some distance to the arena. I still have to get past the crowded areas as well. In terms of results, it might be faster to walk along the alleys where there are fewer people walking onbut isnt it scary to be running before I even get to warm up?) Fukiyose, whos muttering to herself, suddenly stopped in her tracks and frowns. Several hundred metres away, Fukiyose sees a silver-haired girl in cheerleader attire prostrating on the floor. Wouldnt it be extremely hot for her hands to touch the asphalt in such a hot day? Fukiyose thought. Theres a botanical test centre nearby, so isnt it better for her to res t under the trees, wheres its cool and shady?

UuuuuuuuuuuuI finally changed my clothes, and so I want to show them off to Touma, but he ran off to some place without waiting for others SisterSister-san, please dont despair. I guess maybe Ka mijo might have some difficulties that hes not willing to talk about? Beside the lifeless cheerleader girl is a more petite looking girl with a sympathetic look. Shes Fukiyoses class teacher, Tsukuyomi Komoe, and like the foreign girl, shes wearing a brightly coloured-cheerleading uniform. Fukiyose frowns. Hows that issue that I talked to sensei about? What are you doing in public? If its a slight mental disorder, does she need to fill her stomach with some warm milk or some other hot beverage? How about I use some stimulant to divert her attention, like some chilli powder? I have some chilli powder with me now, do you need it? Take it! Notheres no need, Fukiyose-sanreally! Everythings fine! You dont have to stuff Sister-sans nose with chilli powder! It feels like some strange punishment thats done to women during the Edo period! Is that so? Fukiyose tucks the small gourd of multi-flavoured pepper back into her pocket. Komoe-sensei is so terrified that her face is all green now. However, the cheerleader girl prostrating on the floor is so depressed that she doesnt notice anything thats happening around her. Her butt is sticking out, and whats inside the skirt looks like its going to be revealed sometime soon. However, nothings exposed. She says, TouTouma? Where on earth did Touma go to? About this Fukiyose tilts her head as she thinks. What is that boy doing right now? Part 2 Stiyl Magnus is lying motionlessly on the ground. The autumn wind is slowly flowing through the depot, as it blows through Stiyls black coat. However, hes lying motionlessly on the ground. Hes still breathing, but things dont look good right now. Tsuchimikado Motoharu says, Responseah, got it. Theres a response from the Divination circle array. Hereaccording to such a changeits from the north -west direction? Tsuchimikado doesnt even bother to look at his comrade whos lying on the floor right in front of him. He just continues to stare at the red magic array around Stiyl thats 2 metre in diameter.

From the response, the location of the shorthand original isfrom this colour intensity, 302 metres from here. To think that its set up nearby, and the response didnt move at all. Just as I guessed, its a stationary type that requires some set up nya. If so, Oriana cant possibly be too far away. Instead of running around, itll be easier for her to mix into the crowd by walking slowly. Oi, Kami-yan, did you bring a map nya? Id like to know whats 302 metres away from here. Tsuchimikado Kamijo is standing around, stunned, and shuddering slightly, but Tsuchimikado doesnt seem to notice it. When he realised that Kamijo didnt reply back, he repeats himself without looking at Kamijo. Kami-yan, the map, map. Either that or the Daihasei tour guide booklet will be good. Oh yeah, theres the GPS map on the handphone. Ill look for it myself. TSUCHIMIKADO!! When Tuschimikado recovered, Kamijo suddenly grabbed the front of his sports shirt. The gold ornament hanging on Tsuchimikados neck snaps, creating a loud sound. Kamijo, whos overly enraged, really wants to destroy the magic array on the ground with his right hand, before considering that he forgot about Stiyl, who is neglected and is lying on the floor, thus preventing him from doing so. Tsuchimikado, whos being grabbed by the front of his shirt, calmly stares at Kamijos face. Kami-yan, you dont have to worry about Stiyl. That guy is a professional magician as well; he should have enough endurance to take these magical attacks. Besides, The spells that Oriana set up are mainly to obstruct, and not to attack. He casually says to Kamijo, whos extremely enraged. This kind of counterspell is basically about refining and modifying Stiyls magic. Magic is created by lifeforce, if it continues to modify, itll cause changes in the human body like an engine being burnt, thats all there is to it. Kami -yan, this just looks like heatstroke, theres no need to make a fuss about it. Stop speaking to me like this! Dont you know whos the one who purposely got injured because of you!? Why must you be so cold!! Just when Kamijo decides to add more strength and pull Tsuchimikado closer to him, (Cracking sound) Tsuchimikados temple is cracking slightly. As blood emerges, his flanks that are covered by the P.E attire begin to turn red from the inside. The redness begin to spill over, forming a wound that looks like he was stabbed with a bladelike thing. Tsuchimikado Kamijo frantically lets go of his hand which was holding onto Tsuchimikados shirt. However, Tsuchimikados expression didnt change.

This divination circle array is a spell that can react to the magic used by the enemy and give information like the distance and direction. Its impossible for such a convenient thing to be activated without using magic, right, Kami-yan Kamijo gasps. Thats right. If its just drawing a magic array and using spells without any magic power, even Index can do that. To someone like her who doesnt have any magic power, this is a skill thats suitable for her. But Kamijo has never seen Index use anything like this before, and neither did he see her cheerfully explain this type of magic array called the Divination circle array. Tsuchimikado appears to have some disorder in his breathing, but he continues, Compared tothe seeking magic that Stiyl uses, my magic isnt as impressivejust like this, Ive made a mockery of myself. He presses against his flank that already drenched in blood with one hand, and says, Listen carefully, Kami-yan. Like you said, its my fault that Stiyl fell. If I were able to use better magic, this wouldnt have happened. I have to admit this. So its alright no matter how much you hate me. His legs continue to exert force onto the floor, supporting that body of his thats going to fall any second. But, I succeeded. Ill find that counterspell which Oriana set up, and destroy it. Also, with this hand of mine, Ill prevent this deal of the Stab sword from taking place. With this, our debts are even. The remaining interest, when everythings overIll return it with interest back to Stiyl. He cant possibly not care about Stiyls injuries. Because hes aware about this, Tsuchimikado chose to keep a cold attitude about it in order to repay his fallen comrade. The faster they can end this battle, the lesser Stiyls burdens will be. Facing Kamijo, whos stunned is in front of him, Tsuchimikado smiles. He seems to be saying: The fact that I hurt Stiyl hasnt changed, so please dont change your attitude so fast. Kami-yan, the map. Id like to know whats at 302 metres away from here in the north -west direction. The counter spell shorthand original that Oriana set up is definitely there. AhOrh As the Daihasei tour guide booklet is extremely thick, its impossible to put it inside the pocket of a sports attire. Kamijo uses the GPS function of his phone to find the place that Tsuchimikado specified. In the end. He begins to doubt his eyes. ThisTsuchimikado, is it really in the north-west direction? Distance is 302 metres, right?

More accurately, with 0 degrees in the north direction, the angle is 318 degrees from here, so its the north-west direction alright. Its an approximate distance given, but generally, theres nothing wrong. That bastard. Kamijo showed the designated location to Tsuchimikado. Tsuchimikados face is frozen in shock. Kamijo thought, it isnt weird for him to have this kind of reacti on. Because the location given is in the middle of a certain junior high school. The flying ship thats slowly flying in the autumn sky is airing the introductions for the next match. Theres only ten minutes before the match starts within the school. Part 3 Kamijo and Tsuchimikado cant do anything for Stiyl, whos lying on the ground. If possible, they dont want to leak this out before everything gets chaotic. Tsuchimikado is again beside Stiyl, setting up the coloured paper and the magic array of t he all-around reality array thats used to seek out Oriana. Tsuchimikado mentioned that at the same time they break the counter spell, hell contact Stiyl through the phone, and for him to activate the all -around reality array once he gets the call. Stiyl, whos lying on the floor, slightly nods his head. Just this expression alone is enough to tell others that hes still alive. Kamijo finally heaves a sigh of relief. Tsuchimikado seemed to have expected that hell get injured, as he pulls out some bandages from the pockets of his sportswear, and cleanly stops the bleeding on his flank. However, its impossible to hide the blood stain on the clothes, and itll cause a ruckus if he walks out like this. Ill think about how to deal with my clothes, you better hurry up, Tsuchimikado said. Besides, theres nothing the two of them can do just standing around here, so Kamijo first ran out towards the problematic school. Thats why, right now, Kamijo is running on the broadwalk in this clear autumn day a t full speed. People are staring at him, from an old man holding the hand of a child, to the people carrying the tour guidebooks in their hands. However, he didnt have time to look back at them. Passing through the windmills, of which the rotor blades are spinning slowly, Kamijo picks up the pace as he holds the handphone in his hand. Its Tsuchimikado whos calling. To be able to seal off Stiyls magic, and be able to set up a clever spell to counter an individual seeking spell, that Oriana should have a certain grasp on our side nya. To set up this spell at the arena where everythings visible, shes such an annoying person.

But, even if its before the competition, can she really do this in the middle of school? Did that Oriana use some spell that can turn her invisible? If she can really do this, itd have shown up during our initial attempt. Oh yeah, Kami -yan. How much time till the next match? 7 minutes. It should be shown on that electronic bulletin near you guys. Kamijo stares at the gigantic display on the wall of the department store as he continues to run down this straight path. If so, the preparations for this match should be over. The spectators and the camera crew should be inside as well, right? Seems like its very difficult to sneak into the school and take care of Orianas shorthand original. The time taken for a match will depend on the activities done. Normally, itll last thirty minutes, but sometimes, it might take around an hour. Considering that the range of the all-around reality array is only 3 kilometres, if they are to wait till the match is over, even if Oriana is to walk away slowly, shell escape. Then what should we do? We cant just leave the counterspell in the school. Of course, Kami-yan. Whats the match in that school? What? Lemme see Turning around the corner, Kamijo starts to look around for an electronic bulletin. A circular security robot is moving forward slowly, and is using audio speakers to report about the nearby arenas and the latest news. As he listens, Kamijo says, Seems likea ball tossing contest. Thats a school based contest, and seems like all the students are taking part in it. I see. Ah, I just saw the introductions on the flying ship as well . Although I have no idea what the shorthand original looks like, its definitely there. If so, theres only one way, Kami yantake part in that match as a player. Upon hearing this, Kamijo trips and nearly fall to the ground. Are you serious? In this situation, this is the only way to get into school without looking suspicious nya. In an inter-school match, there should be a three digit number of people there, so there should be no problem sneaking in one or two people. But we are high school students, its improbable that we could blend in with a group of junior high students, right? Do you have any countermeasure for this? Kami-yan, its the sense of youth. Once you give off this young sense of youth, you wont be suspected. From the looks of it, isnt it improbable? Kamijo cant help but sigh dejectedly. There are television cameras broadcasting during the match, and one slight mistake will really embarrass him on television.

At this moment, Tsuchimikado speaks in a tone thats softer than how he normally speaks. No, Kami-yan. We cant stop here. Besides searching for Oriana, theres a much worse reason. Eh? Kamijo continues to run as he listens to the phone. That counterspell may not be just used to target Stiyls magic. Once t he conditions are met, ordinary people other than us will be endangered. What did you say? Maybe because the arena is nearby, theres a lot more people around him. If its an actual competition, theyll have finished the admission formalities 10 minutes ago. But this is just a sports meet, and because the admission conditions are a lot more relaxed, there are many more security guards around. Listen carefully, Kami-yan, listen calmly and carefully. What Orianas counterspell does is that it reads the preparations to cast the magic, identify the lifeforce of a caster, and prevent the caster from using it. Up till now, do you understand? Un, I do. Actually, Kamijo doesnt really understand. Basically, what he knows is that the shorthand original that Oriana set up can identify Stiyl through some mean, and prevent him from using magic. But so what? Which means nyaheres the problem. The preparations to cast the magic, do you know what that means? Ah? About that, I guessits just mumbling about some strange chants, and drawing some magic arrays that no one can understand? Even if Kamijos asked about the process of preparation, as he cant fully grasp what kind of thing is magic, he cant answer this clearly. Tsuchimikados tone becomes even more bitter. However, its still okay if its just like thisKami -yan. For example, theres some spell called aspiritual talk. Its a spell which uses the significance of speech to determine its power. If its this kind of magic preparation, wouldnt making a sound be enough to activate it? Kamijo is terrified. But as hes about to reach this problematic middle school, he didnt stop. This is just a complete guess of mine, but if it can reall y react to this, we have a rather troublesome problem on our hands. Once Oriana is to speak near that shorthand original, shell be able to input additional commands into the counterspell, and the other party will fall like Stiylif its just making a sound, do you think there are any differences between a magician and an ordinary person? Its dangerous to these ordinary students as well, you know.

But is this possible? While Stiyl is down, were still talking like usual. Kamijo rushes past the spectators heading towards the arena, and reaches the entrance of the school. As they have paid the entrance fee when they first arrived in Academy City, theres no need for them to have an entrance pass to enter the arena. Youre right nya. Theres an order for the spiritual talk, and theres a limit to the number of words to be used, like a ballad and a haiku. So just making a sound shouldnt garner a responseif so, do you know whats the easiest magic ritual in the world?? Eh??? At the main entrance of the arena, or the school, there are groups crowding the entrances, trying to get in. Kamijo thought, I have to somehow cleverly get past them. Its touch. The significance of touching with a hand is especially large. In many religions, the values of the left hand and the right hand are different, because the left hand and the right hand have their own uses. In the New Testament, the Son of God, whos especially prominent, is able to heal the sick or revive the dead just by touching them with his right hand. What if Orianas shorthand original can react to that? Waitwait a sec. Kamijo stopped. Tsuchimikado continues, We would say that if its a real magician, just touching alone isnt going to cause anything to happen. Touching is a magical action that several religious sects will use, and not just Christianity. Just like this, the analytical conditions that uses the casters lifeforce may be a little ambiguous. If its a professional magician who has some form of defence, they c an still reflect the invading attack of the shorthand originalbut, He paused. To any novice who completely doesnt have any defence, even if theres a degree of ambiguity, itll still be forced to analyze the lifeforce and carry out the attack. Also , without the defence of a magician, the symptoms will be much worse than Stiyl. Like how someone with severe heatstroke can die, theyll end up endangering their own lives. Butbut the spell used to attack Stiyl is a spell that prevents magic, right? Will that react to any non-magicians or espers? Running off after he stopped, Kamijos movements are slower than before. This is to prevent his legs from tripping due to nervousness. Strictly speaking, the target for any response is the lifeforce of anyone who is preparing to use magic, so even ordinary people are in danger. This isnt related to whether it can seal up magic, and its likely that it doesnt matter whether the person has any knowledge of magic. Didnt the searching spell all-around reality array that Stiyl used receive what I drew? Kamijo thought, this is the worst case scenario.

From the front of the entrance, one can see the school with a soil ground. In that school, it seems that something like a land mine is buried somewhere. As they dont know that theres a land mine buried there, many unsuspecting people are heading to the arena where a match is about to occur. This ball tossing match isnt going have a fixed route like a 100 metres race, but rather, theyre going to use the entire place. Thus, the chance of getting the jackpot is rather large. Anyway, Kami-yan, we have to settle this before sacrifices are made. Itll be bad if therere signs of magic in front of the camera either way, I dont want to hurt any ordinary people. The conversation ended. Kamijo places the phone into his pocket and leaves the main entrance. He wont make it in time if hes going to queue up. He walks along the wired fence that separates him from the school. The fence is about two metres tall, and if he tries to climb over it, the unmanned reconnaissance helicopter in the sky will begin to take action. Once this trouble is stirred up, combat helicopters may fly over from other places. He walks around the school, and reaches the back of the school compound, finding the backdoor to the school in the process. There are guards at the back. Itll be alright if he has the P.E. attire and ID of this middle school, but if hes going in like this, hes going to be stopped even if its just an ordinary resident of Academy City. (Now what) Kamijo leans on the fruit juice vending machine as he thinks. Theres five minutes before the match starts, and theres no time to look for any other entrances. Suddenly, theres some movements near the backdoor. A female student is carrying an ice tub thats filled with sports drinks into the compound. Theres a thin jacket over her short -sleeved P.E shirt, and below the shirt, one can see her butt covered with shorts. It's the committee member, Fukiyose Seiri. No way!? From the front of the vending machine, Kamijo frantically moves to the side in order to conceal himself. ? Fukiyose, whos carrying the ice tub, suddenly turns around and stares in this direction. She then tilts her head and vanishes into the school compound. I guess I wasnt spottedKamijo thought. If she found out, shed be angrily yelling, WHY DIDNT YOU GO CHEER FOR OUR SCHOOLMATES!? WHY ARE YOU SLACKING OFF HERE!? KAMIJO TOUMA!! IF YOUR BRAIN ISNT DEVELOPED EN OUGH, GO GET SOME DHA!! GO EAT SOME TUNA FISH EYEBALLS!!

Ohoh nothat Tsuchimikado wants me to sneak into the competitive arena, but if Fukiyose is to act as the referee, shell find out immediatelybastard, is this plan impossible from the beginning? Whats impossible nya? Hearing the low tone of a man behind him, Kamijo jumped in shivers. Ive already caught up with you yo!? Kamijo frantically turns around, and in front of him is Tsuchimikado, now in a brand new P.E. attire. The wound seems to be completely healed now, and theres no sign of injuries anywhere. Youdo you still intend to go in from the back door? Yeah. At least its easier to go in from here than the front door. Tsuchimikado says casually. Kamijo looks at the back door again. There are three fully armed security guards, and there are unmanned reconnaissance helicopters up there in the sky. How on earth are they going to sneak in? Seeing Kamijos thinking and surprised look, Tsuchimikado smiles, Its simple. Look there, Kami-yan, theres a puddle of water. Theres no rain recently, so it seems like the committee members just sprayed some water around. Hm. Thenwhat next? Like this! After he finished speaking, Tsuchimikado suddenly trips Kamijo. Wa!? As Kamijo shouts, his body rolls into the puddle. Tsuchimikado laughs, To think that we can have a mud battle at this age nya!! as he does a flying swoop at Kamijo. Pa thong! With a sound thats never heard in a cartoon movie, Kamijos body sinks even lo wer. The guards at the backdoor are staring at them suspiciously. EhWAAAHHHHH! Youwhat are you doing out of a sudden!? Kamijo is being pressed down by Tsuchimikados mass. To Kamijo, Tsuchimikado, who dons a pair of blue sunglasses, softly says, (Kami-yan, are your clothes fully stained with mud? We have to mess it up such that they cant tell which school we belong to from the design.) What? Just as Kamijo is about to raise his doubts, Tsuchimikado, whos drenched in mud, stands up. He extends his hand towards Kamijo, or should I say, he grabs Kamijos arm as if hes going to pull Kamijo up forcefully, and says to t he male security guard nearby, whos on his guard,

Wa, Im sorry! How are we going to take part in the match! Must we take part in the match like this? There are still cameramen around to interview us, you know! Hearing this request, the guard seems to be shocked. He stares at Kamijo and Tsuchimikados clothes, which are stained with mud all around, from the top to the bottom. Its impossible to tell which school they belong to, as the original characteristics of the uniforms are completely covered in mud. Whawhat? I have to really hand it to you. Did you guys prepare any extra clothes? Ah, yes. However, its in our clubroom. Then why dont you hurry up and get there? Theres only four minutes to the match. Ah sorry, let us check your IDs, proper procedures, you know. Itll be over soon. Kamijo is inadvertently shocked. The security pulls out a round cylinder thats like a ball -point pen. By pressing the button on top of the cylinder, a transparent sheet will extend out from the side of the cylinder like a scroll being unravelled. Its around 15cm long, and by placing the palm on it, one can read the fingerprints, veins, electric signals to read the state of the body, etc. This is an easy ID identifier in Academy City. (Waitoi, Tsuchimikado, how are we going to get past this!?) Kamijo is so tense that hes about to shout it out, but Tsuchimikado merely extends out that palm of his thats covered in mud. Alright, stick onto it righteh!? Seems like theres some wrong signals here!! What! You didnt wipe your hand clean before pressing on it!! The guard frantically operates the identifier, but theres no response from the part that absorbed mud. He turns to look at his colleagues, but they both shook their heads. Seems like hes t he only one who brought the identifier. Damn it, now we have to send someone to get another one from the front gate. Theres no time! Dont we have to go to the clubroom to change and get into the arena ya!? Hearing Tsuchimikados frantic tone, the guard again turns towards his colleagues. Of the remaining two, one of them is beckons them to move on, while the one waves a hand in front of the face, signalling that they shouldnt. After considering about it for a while, the guard nods. With a 2 vs 1 decision, the guards allow them to move in. If you want to get in, hurry up! Youre not allowed to take part in the match if you dont get there on time! Thank you Tsuchimikado pulls Kamijos hand and walks through the back door in an upright manne r. Kamijo feels that this cant be helped, but he didnt forget to get to the main point,

Oi, Tsuchimikado! Wheres our spare clothes!? Isnt it hard to mix in with all the mud on us? What are you saying, they have those in the health room! In order to save the injured, that place should be opened today nya! Hurry up and change, well sneak in after that!! Kamijo and Tsuchimikado continue to converse among each other as they dash into this school with a dirt ground, towards the cement covered campus. Theres three minutes before the match begins. Part 4 The next match will be a ball tossing contest. Misaka Mikoto is standing on the school compound with soil ground. To her, whos used to the new facilities of Tokiwadai middle school, its refreshing to be in this arena where the ground is uneven, which causes a difference in shock absorbance. With a little wind, dust will fly about. Can anyone really carry out precise tests in this place thats like those places depicted in Western movies? Or are they really setting this irregular terrain as a practical training ground? Therere only around 200 students on the Tokiwadai Middle School side, and theyre all ojous, so they look elegant, charming and petite. The reason why theres so much spotlight from the spectators is, well besides their prowess, these girls on lens are like a beautiful painting. However, thats an external viewpoint from outside Academy City. The views from those inside Academy City are completely different. When the ojous of Tokiwadai take part in a battle, it means that their weakest, level 3s, all the way to their strongest, level 5s, will be taking part in this battle. Even if the numbers and physique are different, the opponent is simply pessimistic against this group of ojous who can sink an Aegis-class warship with smiles on their faces. In actuality, on the other side of the school compoundbehind the pole baskets used for the tossing contest thats separating them, is the opposing school. Though therere more than 2000 of them, one can see from afar that theres a sense of realisation over there, which is covered by an atmosphere of tragedy. In the eyes of the Tokiwadai camp, these people are giving off a sense of failure. The proud ojous quickly realise this as they give a sharp Ohohohohoho laugh. But Misaka Mikoto is not pleased with this situation at all. Her two hands on her hips, Biri Biri, she begins to emit some blue and white sparks. (WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON!) In the enemys camp, 100 metres away, among the 2,000+ middle school students, is a person who shouldnt be here. And to think that guy even carefully prepared by putting on the schools designated P.E. attire. She has never beaten that guy before.

The only teenager she ever showed her crying face to. (WHATONEARTHAREYOUDOINGOVER THERE!! OI!?) The kouhais around Mikoto are somewhat afraid to ask her whats wrong, but Mikoto, who lowered her head as she gives an eerie laugh, doesnt realise that the air around her is c rackling. After the participants are in the arena, Kamijo Touma, who heard the name of the opponent at his own camp, went green immediately. (Eh!? The opponent is Tokiwadai Middle School! Faface it, Tsuchimikado! If the ojous over there are angry, theyll probably send out a railgun that can even cut Tokyo Tower in half!) (Nya. I heard that with their abilities and levels combined, they can even take down the White House with just flesh. Kami-yan, we should be careful about stray bullets.) After talking about things that will guarantee that theyll be attacked by the ojous if the ojous heard that, the two start to talk about emergency battle plans. The shorthand original is just a code name. in fact, its impossible to set up such a thick bo ok down there nya. The divination circle arrays response points to this school; do you see anything thats strange on first glance? Like what Tsuchimikado said, theres no magical item to be seen at this school. On the soil ground, the ten metal pole baskets are arranged in a line. Placed around them are red and white balls. As there are more than 2,000 people taking part in this, not only is the basket big, therere a lot of balls to be used. If shes to set it up, where would she put it? Really, itll be good if its shaped like an old book. Thats the objective of the enemy. Though we dont know Orianas modus operandi, since its a set-up type, there must be a spell thats set up. It can be disguised as graffiti, scratches, dyes or even stains. Does she think that I cant find it? Kami -yan, the Onmyoji techniques that I learnt includes Fengshui techniques of scenery and buildings. Reading these magic marks is my speciality. Tsuchimikado smiles as he answered. Kamijo starts to think. Oh yeah, Tsuchimikado. Speaking about where Orianas shorthand original is, isnt that a magic book as wellalso, its still an original, right? I heard that peoples hearts will be broken if they read it, so wont the people taking part in this ball tossing match all fall? No, I dont think so. The shorthand original is a magic book that doesnt allow any reader to understand it. Since its a scribbled book that cannot be read, no corrupted knowledge will be passed on. So you dont have to worry about this. I see. Kamijo finally relaxes. However, Tsuchimikados face still looks stern.

The important thing is how that Oriana set up the magic book nya. If its carved on a stone tablet, the stone tablet itself will become a magic book. Though I do nt know how far it extends to, I hope that she doesnt set up something too big, because the chances of touching it will be extremely big. Kamijo looks past the students heads, at the school. What he sees is a row of ten pole baskets thats used for this match, with some red and white balls scattered around it. Its alright if its those basketsfor example, itll be disastrous if one of those balls is the magic book. Therere a total of around 2,500 people after totalling both sides, right? If so, t he number of balls prepared will be twice the number. More importantly, the chances of touching it are high. Not only will finding it be difficult, the participants will also be tossing the ball. Even if its set up among them, they dont know where to start looking from. No, the balls were only added just now. When Stiyl was attacked by the counterspell, these balls were still in the warehouse. If so, itll be weird if the all -around reality array didnt point towards the warehouse. So now what? Kamijo turns around to stare at Tsuchimikado, before looking back at the school campus, and then back at Tsuchimikado. The baskets are rather suspicious nya. It seems like they have been set there for quite some time. They have to decide where the baskets are to be placed because they need to scatter the balls around the basket. If so, its likely that she set the spell at the basket. But, what do we do? Though its only preparations, this is when the spectators are gathering. Wont we be noticed if we just casually approach it? This is obvious, because theres nothing blocking anyones view. Or did she disguise herself like how Kamijo thinks? No. Its likely that Oriana wont get close to the school. Kami -yan, didnt you notice the security guards at the back door? Trying to break through it while running away is a waste of effort Those baskets may be borrowed from some other place nya. Maybe she set up the magic array while they shifted them here. But, just touching it alone will create a victim. Then how did the courier not fall? Its likely that Oriana set up when itll start and stop. The proceedings of the match will be televised through broadcast. By looking at the electronic bulletin, one can get hold of the situation thats required for her to prepare this nya. Stop? Kamijo raises a doubt, but Tsuchimikado smiles, Oriana will try her best to avoid any chaos in order to allow the deal to proceed smoothly. Its likely that shell stop it when the match is over and the commit tee finishes clearing up. Of course, shell be far away by then. But once anyone touches that magic book shorthand original, whose shape and whereabouts are unknown, itll be disastrous. That Orianathought about these right from the start?

I dont know nya. Its likely that she didnt think that far. Besides, theres a competition schedule on the tour guidebook. Investigating the actions of the committee members isnt impossible. As Tsuchimikado answers, the audio broadcast of the school can be heard. Everyone, get into position. A voice can be heard. The fight against this enemy that isnt here is about to start. On one side of the school compound, inside the tent for committee members, Fukiyose Seiri is holding a microphone. Everyone, get into position. The voice released by the throat overlaps with the noise from the audio speakers. The work of a committee member is rather diverse, ranging from recalling the injured to giving the start and stop signals for a match. The actual broadcast is left to the broadcasting crew inside the broadcasting tent, so the committee members just need to give the starting signal. There is other troublesome work like counting the number of balls tossed into the baskets. Because there are so many participants, the number of balls tossed into the baskets cannot be underestimated. In this ball tossing contest, 1/3 of the estimated time taken is used for counting the balls. Get set. Fukiyose is only in charge of giving the starting command, whereas the other commands are to be handled by the other committee members. After this is done, she has to count the balls afterwards. Others may feel that its bothersome, but she has other things on her mind. (Ive been feeling that someones inside that groupis it fatigue? Do I lack vitamins? I recall that soybeans can relieve mental fatigue. But didnt that shopping program mention that soy isoflavones is effective against anything ranging from obesity and blood toxins to memory loss and aging of skin?) While her doubts arent solved yet, Fukiyose raises her voice, START!! Beep!! With the sound of the whistle, the Ball Tossing match starts. The loudspeakers in the school start blaring a march that is normally heard during a sports meet. The students from both schools ignore this fast paced and entertaining music as they advance to the middle from the left and right side of the arena. Their targets are the pole baskets that are approximately 3 metres tall. Woah! Kami-yan, get down!! Tsuchimikado shouts. Just as Kamijo gets down onto the ground, colourful lights and flashes of red, blue and yellow fly over from the Tokiwadai Middle School side thats several metres behind the baskets. The flashes arrive, creating shockwaves. With this volley of attacks, dozens of boys are blown away.

Wah, to think that those guys were knocked back by 10 metres!? A part of the crowd vanished. During the Wrench Pole match that Kamijo was involved in a while back, there were esper attacks being used, but these are of a completely different level. A crater of several metres in diameter, one thats comparable to those craters on the moon, was made. Even the dust floating in the air was blown away by the impact. Kamijo is terrified, and turns to look behind. Though the students that were blown away are still wobbly in their legs, seems like nobodys hurt. Seems like as the explosion occurred, other espers from Tokiwadai added some protective thing like an air balloon or a shock proliferation. As expected of the ojous that like to take care of the enemys welfare. However, Kamijos right hand, which contains the Imag ine Breaker power, may end up destroying this kind protective power. The wound on Tsuchimikados flank may open once theres an impact. Kamijo and Tuschimikado inadvertently communicate with each other wordlessly. Next, flashes of red, blue and yellow are heading towards the two of them. Fireballs, electric guns and vacuum bullets are flying towards them. Whawhat is going on! Didnt the schedule say that its a Ball Tossing contest? Instead of balls, we might as well call them cannons nya!! Because of these cannon blasts, parts of this group of student begin to vanish one by one. Kamijo and Tsuchimikado get into the crowd, making their way to the middle of the school compound with all their might, to the baskets that are arranged in a row. The posts arent supported by humans, but by metal bases on the ground. (Listen carefully, Kami-yan. Im going to check the posts in order.) (Ah, is there anything I can help with?) (Ill tell you if theres anything to be done. Okay, stay here nya. Youre up next once I find this shorthand original.) (Got it, however) Kamijo thinks, what am I going to do in the meantime? Anyway, in order to avoid suspicion, he threw a white ball thats on the ground, and thinking that if he, an o utsider, is to really take part in this match, it can really change the outcome of this battle, so hes not too enthusiastic about it. Under a post, Tsuchimikado purposely tosses a ball that will definitely not land inside the basket, and examines it from top to bottom. The pole basket is 3 metres tall, so just twisting the head up to examine it is really tedious.

Besides checking for any flash card that Oriana may be using, Tsuchimikado is checking different areas, whether theres any strange words that were carved on the pole, or whether theres some strange markings on the metal base. (Tsuchimikado?) (Not this one, Kami-yan.) He shakes his head, picks up another white ball, and heads towards the next post. Next, he checks the second one beside it, then the third one, only to be let down. Seeing this, Kamijo feels that time is running out. Theres still seven more to go. Just when Kamijo is going to follow Tsuchimikado from behind, a white flash is shot from behind him. Wa!? He immediately used his right hand to block. The light bullet flies over, and upon touching Kamijos hand, Shoosh! A sound can be heard as it gently bounces off. Somewhere rather far away from him, one can see the girls of Tokiwadai staring, wide-mouthed, but Kamijo doesnt care. Itll be bad if hes noticed. Thus, he nudged his elbow on a trembling male student nearby, pretending that its this boy who saved him. (Kami-yan, its not the fourth one either. Next one.) The angry girls of Tokiwadai Middle school turn to aim at that boy. Tsuchimikado and Kamijo then proceed on to the fifth one. The human wall in front begins to shake. A group of boys who were only focused on tossing the balls into the baskets were blown back like a row of dominoes. Theyre crowded together as they knocked into the fifth basket. Dang! With a metallic sound, the basket start to shake. If Oriana was to set the shorthand original at the fifth postlots of sacrifices will be made. Like how Stiyl seems to be suffering from severe heatstroke. Those without magical capabilities may die at the hands of this counterattacking spell. Damn it!! Tsuchimikado frantically dashes towards the group. Kamijo wants to go after him, only to stop in his tracks. The fifth pole is shaking heavily. It falls sideways, crashing heavily into the sixth pole beside it. The sixth pole is shaking about as well. In front of the falling metal is a female student from Tokiwadai.

The girl, who is holding a red ball with both hands, is wide-mouthed as she stares at the heavy equipment, which weighs over 30kg, falling onto her. Kamijo wants to run over, but the group of boys who fell at the fifth post are blocking him. Damn it! Tsuchimikado!! Kamijo shouts. He jumps onto the back of Tsuchimikado, whos dashing towards the fifth post, and leaps over the group of boys on the ground. He loses his balance in mid-air, but still manages to grab the collar of the girls jogging suit, and uses momentum to dra g her aside. At least he manages to leave the place where the pole will fall on. At this moment, from far away, an explosion caused by esper powers colliding occurs. The sixth pole, which is falling down, is affected by the storm generated. The metal pole now falls towards Kamijo and company, with numerous times the weight and momentum. (Damn it, got to get out of the way first!) In this posture, when hes lying on the ground, Kamijo is unable to jump away. Due to the impact when he fell down, Kamijos body is hurting all over. He shifts his aching body over, and pushes the girl, now unable to move, away. The girl looks surprised, and it seems that she doesnt even know whats happening around her. (Really!!) Kamijo grits his teeth. The pole basket thats over 30kg is falling onto him. In that instant. Dang!! Like the sound of a Church bell being rung, the sixth pole basket is forced aside. It was cut in half by an orange beam of light, continues to bounce on the ground, and roll away for several metres. The surrounding students instantly ducked, but several seconds later, its back to the chaotic battle mode. During this time, whats left of the pole continues to bounce on the ground. Railgun. One of the esper powers, a bullet which moves at 3 times the speed of sound. Kamijo Touma shakily looks back. In front of him is a girl who flicked a coin with her thumb, the general of Tokiwadai Middle school whos emitting sparks all over her body, Misaka Mikoto. The two stare at each other. Hehehe Kamijo laughs weakly. ReallyyouYOU-REALLY-WANT-ME-TO-BE-THE-ONE-PUNISHED!!?? At the same time, Mikoto continues to fire an electric shot.

Wwwaaahhhh!! That girl down there, before you get hit by this large -scale attack, run away!! Ill block this, so hurry up and run!! Kamijo frantically waves his right hand to deflect the electric shot. The girl just shouted from behind, Thank you very much! Im sorry!! bows politely, and runs away from this battlefront with amazing speed. In a flash, shes lost among the participants who are duking it out. Kamijo didnt look behind as he calmly says, Phew, seeing her being so lively, guess nothings wrong. Yousneaking into another persons match is bad enough, why are you acting so cool? While arguing halfway, Mikoto feels somewhat tired as she places a hand on her forehead. She then extends her small hand out to the sidethe seventh pole. STOP! Wait a second, Misaka-san!! (Teh Ping: In the original, stop was written in E nglish.) Whawhat are you doing? Mikotos pulls her hand back, suspending it in mid -air. Kamijo didnt look at Mikotos face. Hes observing the seventh pole. At the height where Mikoto was about to place her hand on, there seems to be something. A rectangular piece of paperthats as big as a chewing gum wrapper. Though he cant see it from here, there seems to be some small words written on it. (A flashcard!? Dont tell me thats the shorthand original?) Kamijos back suddenly freezes up. A foreboding strikes him, stiffening his body. (I seeits likely that the shorthand original that Tsuchimikado talked about, that thing that creates a counterspell, is referring to that. Dont tell me every single one of Oriana flashcards is a shorthand original?) Kamijo thought, this is bad. Both Kamijo and Mikoto are about 1.5m away from each other. Though they are near to each other, its not a distance that can be covered by just stretching a hand out. The thick piece of paper is only taped onto the pole at the top. As the autumn wind blows, the piece of paper will sway about slightly. Misaka Mikotos palm is only 3 cm away from the pole. Once a strong wind blowsthe thick piece of paper may touch her. Thinking about how Stiyl is lying on the ground right now, Kamijo inadvertently gasps.

He carefully selects his choice of words, and calmly, he says to the girl, whos in danger, Listen, Misaka-san. Ill explain it to you later. Listen to me, get away from there. What Im going to say will be very important. Ah??? What are you talking about? Saying this all of a sudden? As expected, Mikoto frowns. Her handcontinues to remain at that position though. Its neither moving forward, nor backwards, maintaining a distance of 3 cm. The thick piece of paper suddenly sways about slightly. Mikoto didnt notice the danger hidden inside this situation. I say. Right now, what authority do you have to order me around? Why are you here? We cant continue the match when the pole is down, so you bett er give me a proper explanation At this moment, one can hear the air being cut. The sound came from behind Kamijo. The male students from the school facing off against Tokiwadai fire dirt shots at Mikoto. Because of the esper powers, the dirt shots are accelerated and cut through the air like a bullet. If ones hit by it, the persons bones will break. Seeing this sudden situation, Mikoto is shocked, and emits some purple sparks, ready to strike back. Stop interfering!! Before she can take action, Kamijos right hand stretches out to the side. The boys fist, which is between the dirt shots and Mikoto, smashes these dirt shots in one hit. The dust thats flying about dirties Kamijos face, but he doesnt even bother rubbing it off. It seems like he doesnt have time to do this, as his eyes are fixated on Misaka Mikoto. Bak Mikoto looks at whats left of the dirt shots, and then turns to look at Kamijo. Are you an idiot? Why are you blocking your own allies attacks? Eveeven without your help, I can settle this on my own. Whats this important thing that you want to talk about? Cant you say it after the match? What is it that requires you to sneak in here and say it to me!? Ill explain it to you later, Misaka-san. Anyway, just hurry up and get out of here!! Really! Why arent you listening to other peoples words! The one who should be leaving is you, right!! Mikoto angrily smacks against the pole to vent her frustration. Frantically, Kamijo inadvertently shouts. Wait a second, Misaka-san! Dont say anything now, and come over now!! Its dangerous there! I dont want you to get hurt!! Mikoto stopped what she was doing.

For some reason, her face reddens. Her head didnt move, but her eyes seem to be looking away from Kamijo. Theres no need for you to worry about me in this minor competition. No matter whom attacks me, Ill be fine as long as I use my powers Kamijo cant hear what she was saying, and right now, theres no time for that. His e yes are watching each and every single action that Mikoto does. Sweat flows onto his face, so he quickly rubs it away with his right hand, and can feel a gritty feeling as he rubs it away. On the other hand, Mikoto, whos being observed by Kamijo, makes a sound as she straightens her back. The hand thats about to touch the pole slowly pulls back in front of her. After a while, she violently shakes her head. (Anywaytheres nothing wrong right? However, why is she blushing???) Kamijo has this doubt in his head, but Mikotos hand did leave the pole after all. Just when Kamijo relaxes, What the heck, stop saying such things to scare me. Mikoto bends her back that she straightened just now, and listlessly grabs onto the pole with her right hand. Damn it!! Kamijo dashes forward with all his might. The thick piece of paper is being blown about wildly in the wind, and is about to touch Mikotos palm. Before that happens, Kamijo leaps towards her, and using the momentum, ducked. He clings onto Mikotos w aist with both hands, and send her to the ground in one go. Eh? EH? Mikoto lies on the ground and looks up at the body covering her. The two hands in front of her chest froze. Wahwahwhwhywhywhywhywhy? Like an explosion, Mikotos face is fully flushed red, as shes unable to complete her sentence. Kamijos face becomes even more serious. Quiet, dont move. After saying this, while Mikoto is still lying on the ground, Kamijo observes her face. Since he doesnt know anything about magic, hes unable to make any judgment. However, just by looking from the view of a layman, her face is extremely red now, like she got some sort of fever. (He did mention that there would like symptoms like severe heatstroke) In order to examine it better, Kamijo brings his face closer.

Ehthat? Mikoto blinks. To her, it seems like Kamijo, whos brought his face closer, realises something, and slowly closes her eyes.

Seeing this situation, Kamijo sucks his tongue, and frantically places his right hand on her forehead. Damn it, are you really unwell, Misaka-san!!? A rise in temperaturedamn it, why is your face that red!!? Hearing Kamijo shout, Mikoto snaps back into reality, and frantically retorts back violently, Whawhat! Since when was it red since when was it red since when was it red! Im not having a fever!! Eh? Kamijo pulls his face backwards. If any ordinary person is to have worse symptoms than Stiyl, then it means that Mikoto never touched the pole basket. However, they have found where Oriana set up her flashcard the location of the counterspell. Kamijo gets away from Mikoto, and looks around. Tsuchimikado, its here! The seventh one!! Just as he was about to shout this out, he stopped. He saw it. The thick piece of paper thats stuck on the seventh pole with tape has the words property of Noyi Middle school. Is this pole borrowed from other schools? Tsuchimikado said. This is a tag to prevent them from losing it. (Its not this!? Then, wheres the real shorthand original!?) Kamijo frantically looks around. At this moment, the whistle is blown. The march that was being played on the schools audio speakers stopped airing. After that, another hand stretched out, and grabs onto the eighth pole. Really. Kamijo Touma, what are you doing here? An accusing voice was heard. Ill ask you for the reason later, so right now, leave quietly. The match has to stop, since its impossible to have a fair game when so many posts are down. The committee member, Fukiyose Seiri, looks at him with a surprised look. The girl is wearing a thin jacket over her P.E. attire. You hear me? Do you still want me to force you to eat calcium? But Kamijo isnt looking at her, and neither can he hear her voice. In Fukiyoses hand Theres a piece of paper between the metal post and her soft palm.

Its a piece of paper thats taped on. Kamijo hopes that the thick piece of paper is an ordinary piece of paper like the one on the seventh pole. Theres blue words written on this piece of paper, and it seems to be written in English. PAcha!! Suddenly, a strange sound is heard. Fukiyoses body is shaking. Fuki Her hand leaves the post lifelessly. On the position she was holding onto, theres the words Wind Symbol written in blue pen. Fukiyose-san!! Kamijo cant help but shout out, but Fukiyose didnt respond. Just like this, Fukiyoses hand leaves the pole, as she falls onto the ground. Pow. Its a lifeless way of falling down. Shes on the ground, and cant move her limbs. One can associate her expression with a deflated soft leather bag. ParaParaPilaPila, around Fukiyose, the sound of air being compressed can be heard. Whawhat? Mikoto is surprised as she lets out a cry. But among the participants, it seems like only Mikoto realises that something strange is going on. Though the other students look suspiciously, nobody expects this to be an unknown attack from the magic side. As there are so many espers taking part in this battle, nobody will find it strange even if something unbelievable occurs. At this moment, Tsuchimikado manages to get beside Kamijo. (Kami-yan, hurry up and knock Fukiyose! Shes not a magician. Shell be in danger if this continues!!) Hearing Tsuchimikado, Kamijo collects himself. He rushes towards Fukiyose Seiri, whos lying on the ground, lifts her up, and brings his right hand behind her. Pashoo, a deflating sound can be heard. Even so. Even so, Fukiyose Seiri hasnt recovered. Damn it He knows the reason. Between Stiyl Magnus and Fukiyose Seiri, theres a difference in magic resistance. Even a magic specialist like Stiyl got hit badly. Fukiyose Seiri, an ordinary person, was attacked without warning. Anyone can expect what kinds of outcome will this warrant. But. No matter how anyone thinks, the doubt in the brain cant be stopped. Why?

Tsuchimikado!! Calm down, Kami-yan. This is just physical fatigue caused by removing some lifeforce didnt I say that its like severe heatstroke? The health roomprobably wont be able to save her. If we call an ambulance now, we can still make it. At least its better than letting her lie down in the sun. He calmly says what they should do. But, saying something like this isnt convincing. Its like saying, because hes a specialist, he knows the seriousness of the situation, so he wont purposely say anything that will make Ka mijo optimistic. From the tent in a corner of the school compound, several committee members are running out. They must have realised that something is wrong. One can also see teachers among them as well. In their eyes, it seems that they feel that Kamijo and company are hesitating, not knowing what to do to take care of this girl who suddenly fell down. The committee and staff members quickly grab Fukiyoses body from Kamijos hand, and quickly move somewhere to establish contact. Kamijo Touma, whos left alone on the same spot, slowly gets up. He lowers his head and quickly swings his fist to the side. DANG!! With a metallic sound, that piece of paper that Oriana stuck on the pole shakes. Mikoto stares at Kamijo, looking surprised, but Kamijo doesnt mind at all. On the piece of paper that was hit with Kamijos right hand, the words on it vanish as if it melted away. What a brilliant idea, huh, Oriana Thompson His vibrating lips start to move. If this was your doing, if you are willing to involve innocent people into this situation without guilt He lifts his head, looks in front, and declares. THEN ILL USE THIS FIST OF MINE, TO SMASH THAT NONSENSICAL ILLUSION OF YOURS COMPLETELY!!! Between the lines 2 It hurts. In Fukiyose Seiris subconsciousness, this is what she thought. She knows that shes lying on a stretcher; she knows that shes being carried down an ambulance to the entrance of the hospitals emergency department. But theres no sense of reality. Right now, shes in a state where shes unable to tell which is up, which is down, which is left, which is right, a groggy feeling. Either its because shes lying on the stretcher, or theres something wrong with her subconsciousness. Seems like the adults surrounding her are shouting to confirm whether shes awake, but she doesnt hear what theyre talking about. To her ears, these words are like gibberish that a drunk will say, nobody can make out what he says. Among them, only the word heatstroke inexplicably stays in her ears.

Heatstroke. This is a common illness seen during school P.E. lessons or school meets, so its commonly neglected. The reason is because of rapid dehydration, and if its severe, may have the risk of causing death. Of course, this isnt the first time that Fukiyose got heatstroke, so she can imagine how she fell. But this time, theres a completely different feeling from before. Normally, when suffering from a normal heatstroke, the headache will disappear after a while. This time though, the headache didnt subside, and the pain is getting worse. (Ugh) As a member of the Daihasei Organising Committee, Fukiyose was treated with basic emergency treatment before. Because of this, shes more aware than ordinary students that one c annot belittle heatstroke. What is wrong now? She thought. She got enough water, her body temperature is normal. It cant be fatigue, lack of sleep, or ill health. She had already done all the preparations to keep herself healthy, but to think that this still managed to happen. (If sothe only thing I can think of is) Nervousness. Maybe? Fukiyose thinks, was I really that nervous? Like a psychological problem, most people wont feel it. If soFukiyose thought, she worked so hard on the preparations all for this day. If she fails here, everything will go to waste. The laughter she had when working on the preparations with the other committee members, the effort she put in to memorise the judging order, going to a caf while on her way home to confirm the match schedules, all these efforts may be wiped away by failure. Because of this, she subconsciously became so nervous. (Im just like an idiot) To impulsively work so hard, to impulsively fall down out of a sudden, to impulsively ruin the match. Fukiyose thought, this is all my fault, I brought too much trouble to everyone else. In order to not add on to other peoples burdens, I might as well quit getting involved in Daihasei. (Its entirely my fault.) But, why? Why was that boy shouting her with such a distorted expression. That was not a reaction one would have when someone has heatstroke. That was something that was out of his predictions. It feels that this situation was completely out of what he expected. Instead of saying that its a sudden reaction to what happened, it was more like he was well-prepared and guarded, but still let something slip by.

What does he know? What is he regretting about? (I want to know.) She thought. But shes more mindful about (So irritating) Fukiyose Seiri slightly moves her lips. What Fukiyose is surprised about is that that boy, who always looks casual, and always gives the impression that he wont treat any matter seriously, will give that sort of expression. Thinking about how that boy will continue to live with that expression for the next few days of Daihasei, Fukiyose inadvertently frowns. (Ireally hatethose kind) She doesnt really like or hate Kamijo Touma. Frankly, to her, hes just an outsider. But up till now, Fukiyose Seiri was a committee member who worked hard in the preparations for Daihasei, all to let everyone be able to enjoy themselves. This is completely unrelated to her individual likes or dislikes. Therefore, she really doesnt want him to be the only one who co ntinues to be like this in this event. Because this is an event that she took part in. For this, she continues to work hard till this day. This may sound a bit capricious. But she still wishes for this event to be a success to anyone. The stretcher, which is carrying the groggy Fukiyose, passes through the entrance of the emergency ward, and into the building. A doctor wearing a white lab coat is waiting for her over there. The doctor has the face of a frog, causing Fukiyose to almost laugh out. The frog-faced doctor gives a completely different feeling as compared to everyone else, as he immediately gives orders clearly. Fukiyose, whos still groggy, is unable to hear the contents of those words clearly. Her head is aching severely, and it seems like several gears in her thoughts are loose. Even if she tries to integrate her thoughts together, her awareness continues to worsen. Only the words Severe heatstroke continue to bounce around in her head. This is an illness thats caused by severe dehydration, and if serious, will be bad for her circulatory system. Once the balance between the amount of oxygen and nutrients is lost, it may cause the internal organs to dysfunction, and in the worst case scenario, even cause death. The extent of heatstroke may end up leading to a high risk. If its serious, it may cause damage to the other body parts, like a switch being turned on and off.

Thinking up till here, Fukiyoses teeth cant help but clatter. (I dont want to die.) She thought. Fukiyose herself is unable to understand where the fear came from. Is it because she hates this sudden headache, or the chill that spreads through her body? Or is it that she doesnt know whats going to happen later, that makes her feel so insecure? Shes unable to get r id of this feeling, while her mind is continually being tortured by these complicated feelings. She doesnt know what the people around her are saying. And shes unable to tell how bad the state of her body is currently. Because of this, she doesnt care about anything, and just raises one question. CanI besaved? She doesnt know if her voice can be heard, and she doesnt even feel confident that he lips moved. But the frog-faced doctor heard this, immediately stopped issuing orders, and stares at Fukiyoses face. In this groggy state, when shes apparently unable to hear other peoples voices, the doctors voice clearly reach Fukiyoses ears. To the girl lying on the stretcher, he only says one thing. His face gives a perfect smile that will gain anyone complete trust, and says, Who do you think I am?

Chapter 4:Being Unsettled Part 1 Stiyl Magnus is sitting on the ground of the bus depot. From a while back, the mechanics who are supposed to be here for the regular maintenance of the machines were moving in and out. As Stiyl was in a blind corner, nobody noticed him. In normal circumstances, hed use the empty area spell, so theres nothing he should be worried about. But right now, hes unable to use magic. (Im already looking like this just by losing my trump card. I havent grown up one bit at all.) Stiyl gently puffs out some air. Thinking about it, it was the same situation during the end of July, with his Innocentius. Once Stiyls deprived of his trump card, hell be extremely weak. After that incident, he reflected on it, and put in quite a bit of effort to improve himself, like thinking of a mirage spell to dodge attacks, and improving the effectiveness of his runes, but these are just tactics to prevent the enemy from taking away his trump card, and it really feels like hes too lazy to put in some basic effort. (Now that Im in this ugly state, can I really protect that child? If the enemys target this time is that time, what should I do? Im in a)

The ring of the handphone interrupts his thoughts. Stiyl pulls out the phone from his coat, and presses the call button. Its from Tsuchimikado. Kami-yan has already destroyed Orianas shorthand original. Is there any changes to your bodys conditions? Until you asked this, I didnt feel anything at all Stiyl carefully pulls out a rune card, and takes a deep breath, holds his breath, and exhales, muttering a few words. Voom. With a soft sound, an orange flame appears on his finger. Theres no feeling of the rejection on his entire body thats caused by the counterspell. Okay, seems like theres no problem. I see. Then please use that searching spell all-around reality array. Ive already set up the coloured paper and the magic array beforehand. You know what to do? Dont belittle me, Stiyl says. Around his feet are the circle and the four pieces of coloured paper that Tsuchimikado set up, and in the middle of the circle, is the thick piece of paper that Oriana set up. Though he does nt understand this positioning that is based on the Onmyoji arts, activating a spell that someone else set up isnt difficult. Are you alright over there? Isnt Orianas spell in the middle of an arena? If you snuck in, isnt it impossible for you to leave like that? Sneaking into a match isnt easy, and leaving halfway through is difficult as well. If one or two are to sneak out like that, theyll be seen. But, Tsuchimikado calmly says, No problem nya. We have already left the arena. How did you do that? There was a student hurt in front of our eyes. That person was diagnosed to have severe heatstroke, and was sent to the hospital. We pretended to take care of that unconscious student, and while helping her out of the arena, we slipped away. His tone isnt as frivolous as before. Thats the voice of a magician, Stiyl thought. I see. He says. Did Kamijo Touma go berserk? Since you knew about it, Ill leave it to you. Well be launching our counterattack here. If we dont, itll be disrespectful to that student.

Tsuchimikado hangs up the phone. As Stiyl puts the handphone back in his coat, he thought, (Nobodys perfect. To think that this Kamijo Touma, who beat me the last time, has times of failure.) But, he continues, Am I feeling remorseful of my immaturity because of this? Is this the fact that Kamijo Touma, who was unable to save the victim in front of him, realised so precisely and personally? Stiyl didnt have anything else to say. Hes just silently doing what he has to do, as if he doesnt want to burden his comrades any further, even if he doesnt realise it himself. The four pieces of coloured paper start to spin. The magic array all -around reality array is activating, ready to look for Oriana Thompsons whereabouts.

Part 2 In the middle of the road, where the people are walking about, Oriana is looking up, staring at the electronic bulletin. Many people arent noticing whats developing on the screen. Even if some people do, theyre just interested in this critical patient who caused this match to be interrupted. This isnt weird, just a critical patient, theres nothing much to talk about. Well, at least thats how it looks on the surface. This. With one hand holding onto a billboard thats covered with white cloth, she mutters. On her work clothes, only the two buttons are buttoned up, as the attire reveals her navel, giving off some tension. Should be something that I didnt expect. After saying this, Orianas eyes leave the electronic billboard. She starts to move. Theres still things to do. Orianas fingers grip onto the thing beside her. Kamijo Touma and Tsuchimikado Motoharu are running down the streets, knocking into other pedestrians. The pedestrians are giving them an accusing look, but right now, they dont have time to bother about it. Tsuchimikado turns on the loudspeaker of his phone, as both men are listening to Stiyls voice as they continue to run.

I have confirmed Oriana Thompsons whereabouts. Shes near the Futsuka subway station in the Seventh district. Give me some time, Ill give you a more accurate location. Futsuka station! We ran past it already! Tsuchimikado was the one leading just now, now its Kamijo whos leading, as the specialist, Tsuchimikado, is left behind. Northoh yeah, she seems to be heading north. The road is split into three, and I still dont know which one it is. It should be stabilised soon. Before they finished hearing the conversation, Kamijo and Tsuchimikado have already passed through the street. On a side of the road, they can see the entrance to the underground subway. They continued to run in the northwards direction. Three streetsnownowits here. Hear carefully The one on the far right! I see her!! As Kamijo shouts out, the blonde lady whos twenty metres in front turns her head around. When she sees the two people who are passing through the crowd, she immediately panicked and runs to another road. Kamijo and Tsuchimikado are chasing after her now. The road is short, and it immediately ends at another road. But this road is different, theres no sense of hustle and bustle. The small shops are side by side in a corner, theres no wel coming atmosphere. Though theres an arched arcade as normally seen on a shopping street, it just makes visibility even worse. Its morning, and yet all the stores are closed. Maybe the retailers feel that this location isnt viable in attracting customers, so they probably opened some temporary stalls near the arenas, where its much more crowded. The lateral road extends left and right. Oriana Thompson, whos wearing work clothes, runs to the left. When Kamijo and Tsuchimikado are about to catch her, the auto-bus passes them from behind. Kamijo, who was just casually looking in Orianas direction, is stunned. Shes running to the bus stop. Oh no!! Oriana pushes something at the bus stop that looks like a button, causing the auto-bus to stop. Of course, the auto-bus robotically stops. While the auto-bus is still opening its door, Oriana steps inside. Its obviously hard to chase a moving bus by just running, but taking other buses that go in different directions isnt going to make their job easier. As Daihasei bans ordinary vehicles from entering, its hard to find any other vehicle. Besides, Kamijo cant drive. The auto-bus only answers the command that it was issued right at the start.

If it was driven by a driver: when waving ones hands beh ind a bus, the driver may assume that the person is unable to catch up to the bus in time, and may stop. But for an auto-bus, asking for these may be a bit too strict. Kamijo frantically runs. The distance between the two of them is only 20 metres. By the time Kamijo reached the bus-stop, the auto-bus has already moved away silently. DAMN IT!! Kamijo, who finally reached the bus-stop with great difficulty, presses the button, wanting the bus to stop, but its too late. The bus, which is already moving, doesnt respond as it accelerates. Tsuchimikado, who was a step behind, watches the bus leave, and says, Oi, Kami-yan, I cant see it from here. Is there any other passengers on that bus besides Oriana? WHAT? IT DOESNT MATTER RIGHT!? Seeing Tsuchimikado looking so relaxed, Kamijo anxiously replies. Tsuchimikado says, Listen to me, this is very important. There doesnt seem to be anyone else on board. Doesnt seem? THERES NO ONE! AH, THIS MEANS THAT THERES NO ONE ELSE ON THE BUS! MAYBE EVERYONE HAD ALREADY ALIGHTED TO WATCH THE GROUP A RELAY RACE NEARBY! ITS A MATCH WHERE ALL THE WINNERS ARE PARTICIPATING IN, SO ITS AN ATTRACTION FOR THE FIRST DAY!! EVEN THE TOUR GUIDEBOOK INTRODUCES IT! SO WHAT!!? If so, Im relieved Stiyl. Tsuchimikado isnt talking to Kamijo, but to Stiyl, whos on the other side of the phone call, Before this, when we were at the auto-bus depot, did you put some runes cards on the bus? If so, we can use it. I need you to help me with something. Destroy the card that you stuck on the bus on the bus no. 5154457. The other partys response is rather fast. BOOM! An explosion was heard. On the side of the bus thats slowly accelerating, a strong flame erupts. One second late r, the body of the bus explodes. The bus thats lying on the road surface continues to spin on the ground without losing any momentum, as it becomes a fiery lump of metal.

The flames that are rising up vertically, upon reaching the arcade, spreads around. With one hand, Tsuchimikado folds up the foldable phone Isnt the effect a bit too strong nya? He reveals a confused look as he bitterly says, Looking at the burning bus, Kamijo is speechless. Its true that the objective of Kamijo and company is to stop Oriana, but does it count as purely stopping her? Looking at Kamijos expression, Tsuchimikado realizes what hes going to say, and says, Oh my. Didnt expect that to be like this. I originally told him to light a fire in order to activate the bus safety device. Damn it, I thought that that was a tram, and got careless nya. That was probably a gasoline-electric hybrid bus that uses electricity and some natural gas. He then proceeds on without any sense of tension, However, since the people in the shops should be out doing business, and the satellite s and unmanned helicopters are blocked by the arcade. There shouldnt be too much of a commotion. Whywhy can you still remain so calm!? Wheres the fire extinguisher? If we dont save her, she might really die!! Hm, so what? Just as Tsuchimikado says this A vortex emerges from this raging pillar of fire, as the large fire is blown away by the tornado inside, and vanishes without a trace. The wind that blew the flames away is filled with moisture, and its also called mist. On what remains of the burnt bus lies a layer of moisture, like how water droplets stick onto leaves. The mist causes everything to be covered with a thin layer of moisture. This moisture doesnt seem to evaporate off. In fact, it seems to take away anyth ing flammable, and prevent the flames from advancing. Standing in the midst of this mist, is a woman. Because of the moisture that she created, her hair, face, and work clothes are all slightly wet. Oriana Thompson. Shes holding something that looks like a billboard with her right arm, a flashcard with her left hand, and a piece of paper that has the blue words Wind Symbol in her mouth, between her teeth. Oriana spits out the paper that shes biting on aside, and pulls out a thread of saliva from he r mouth. She casually laughs,

Hohoho. A flame thats not created by magic, that uses ordinary physics, is unable to heat up this nee-chan. However, this lady is still nervous enough to get so wet. See this? Even my underwear is already wet. To think that in this juncture, she can still make a joke. Facing this fact, Kamijo slightly squint his eyes. Though this action is rather subtle, he really did squint his eyes. The spell that you set up hurt someone whos completely unrelated to this. Do you st ill remember? Its the girl I was with the first time we met. Do you feel that girl has any relation to magic? In this world, no one is unrelated to one another. As long as one has the desire, anyone can have some sort of relationship with one another, right? Youyou knew about all these. You knew about all these, and yet you never reflected on it? Kamijos voice sounds rather fierce. Hearing this tone, Oriana slightly frowns. Right now, its useless to talk about anything else, but I really didnt intend to hurt that child. Nee-chan also didnt want to hurt ordinary people, unlike now. After she finished speaking, Oriana tears a piece of paper with her mouth. It sounds like glasses being knocked together. In that instant, WAAAHH!! With this sound, Tsuchimikado Motoharu bends his body forward. He holds onto his flank with his hand, gnashing his teeth and staring at Oriana. Tsuchimikado!! Panicking, Kamijo moves closer to Tsuchimikado. The wound doesnt seem to open, but Tsuchimikados face is ghostly pale. Is it because of how he still continued to work despite getting injured? Seeing this scene, Oriana laughs, Oh my, I thought youre the one who got injured. Seems like I was wrong. Theres another thick piece of paper on her lips. In blue ink, the words written on it are Fire Symbol. KlaKaKaKa. KlaKaKaKa. Tsuchimikado gradually collapses to the ground. Oriana subtly smiles, Lets see how much you can endurebut just like this, you cant beat this nee -chan.

The moment she finished speaking, Tsuchimikados body finally seems like it couldnt take it anymore, and collapses. He has lost all the strength in his arms and legs. What? What did you do to Tsuchimikado? I just used the blue words to remove the fire element that signifies rebirth and regeneration. This uses the medium of sound to enter a persons ears, and render a person unconscious if hes injured enough. The ring just now was the triggerlooks like you arent hurt at all? Kamijo rubs Tsuchimikados body with his right hand, but its useless. To be precise, even if one removes this effect, itll continue to regenerate. This spell seems to be different from the counterspell before. If one doesnt remove the original magic book, the effect wont go away. (A spell that knocks out anyone whos injured to a certain extent without exception) In other words, as long as the condition still applies, that Tsuchimikados injuries arent healed. Hell still remain unconscious. Even Kamijos Imagine Breaker cant heal Tsuchimikados wounds. This method isnt going to bring back his freedom. Kamijo glares at Oriana, as she happily picks up the card thats lying on the ground with her left hand, and tosses it into the air. In an instant, the extremely light flashcard follows the wind and flies behind Oriana. Kamijos face suddenly becomes hot. YOU BASTARD!! Oriana, who feels this rage, trembles happily. She licks her lips to moisten it, and says, If you want to save him, youll have to beat this nee -chan. If you dont do this, until this neechan says stop, that guy will continue to be like that. However, I dont know if he can hang on till then. Maybe he might not even last that long, right? Kamijos teeth are clattering. Hes trembling in rage. WHHHWHY? Kamijo choked as he says. If not for this case, Tsuchimikado Motoharu might have forgotten about his spy duties and enjoy Daihasei. If there wasnt any mission, hed probably enjoy it with everyone. The same goes for Stiyl Magnus. If Oriana didnt start off this situation, there would be no need for any battle. He wouldnt have to come to Academy City. Even if hes to be here, hell be here to see his old partner, Index. And Fukiyose Seiri. Though Kamijo doesnt understand why she wanted to be a member of the Daihasei Organizing Committee. But since she wasnt forced by anyone, but volunteered herself to be a committee member, she must probably have some goal in mind.

To a professional magician, this might be trivial. Compared to this Stab Sword that can shake the world, this may not be anything much. I dont know what kind of value that Stab Sword has. I really cant feel how that thing is going to change history, and how the world is going to change after that. Kamijo says, However, I do know this. Hurting others for this stupid reason is wrong. If this Stab Sword is something that will create these useless results, Ill destroy it with this hand of mine. Hearing this, Oriana Thompson laughs, as if these arent worth hearing, a nonsensical joke that anyone will laugh at. Like the people who were involved in this case, theres no value in this. She says, If this time, if I say that its because of work that Im emotionless about this, maybe this might make me look cool a bit. But saying it this waymight be considered as dishonest to my client. Theres no heavy feeling in her tone. Of course, I must finish my objectives. As for how I do it, just leave it to this nee -chan. The rising temperature inside Kamijo starts to distort like a hurricane. Hes gnashing his teeth so hard that his molars are about to break. STOP TREATING He clenches his right fist. OTHER PEOPLES LIVES AS GAMES!! He sends a straight punch over. Seeing Kamijo like this, Oriana continues to smile. And it seems like shes really happy now. Part 3 The distance between Kamijo and Oriana is only 10 metres. But Kamijos fist cant reach her. Orianas left hand moves, as she tears out a flashcard. The green words written on this thick piece of paper are Wind Symbol. An ice wall about 50cm thick appears on the road, separating Kamijo and Oriana. Kamijo and Oriana exchange glances through this transparent ice wall. Not looking at the 3m tall ice wall in front of him, Kamijo hits it with his right fist. Piang!!

The sound of glass breaking can be heard. As if theres gunpowder inside, the ice wall shatters the instant it was hit. But Kamijo cant see Oriana in front of him. Like a portrait drawn on a piece of glass shattering, her figure shatters together with the shattered ice. Kamijo gasps, wondering what is going on. (The function of ice is) Suddenly, he feels a chill. (lightrefraction!?) Besides him, something started to bounce. Just as his eyes narrow due to the approaching gust of wind. Pow! He feels that his cheeks were cut by something. A thick liquid flows down his wounded face before feeling this pain. Hm. This sharpness is rather stimulating, isnt it? From the far end of Kamijos vision, Oriana immediately tears up another flashcard with her mouth, activating a new spell. The super-thin stone blades fly over, cutting deeply into Kamijos face. Hoho, I felt it the first time I held your hand. To think that there ar e so many strange kids gathered in Academy City. The lady must be referring to Kamijos right hand. But Kamijo doesnt have time to reply right now. Theres no need to touch the wounds in order to know how deep they are. To think that Oriana can use this spell to knock out any enemy whos injured to some extent by using the sound created by the thick piece of paper! (Damn, damn it!) Kamijo feels a chill flow down his body, and inadvertently covers his ears. Seeing him like this, Oriana puts another thick piece of paper between her lips. The next one will be a shadow sword. This nee -chan wont let you get tired of this, okay? As she tears the card, swinging her left hand about, a dark sword appears in her hand. The sword, which can be reshaped to any length, extends to 7m long, and stabs onto Kamijos shadow thats on the ground. At this moment,

POM! The shadow near Kamijos feet exploded. Like someone stepping on a land mine, Kamijos body is blown up into the air. He spins in the air like a dragonfly, getting into a protective posture before he lands onto the ground. The arm that smacked onto the asphalt pavement hurts, but compared to this, (Why? Why didnt she use that technique that knocked out others like Tsuchimikado!?) Compared to being relieved over being saved, Kamijo is even more troubled now that he cant understand what the enemy is thinking. Since the enemy has a trump card that can beat the opponent, she cant possibly have forgotten this. Oriana, whos in an advantageous position now, jumps away from Kamijo, pulling the distance apart. Seeing Kamijos puzzled look, Oriana subtly giggles, Humph, this nee-chan has no interest in using the same spell over and over again. With a relaxed expression, she says, The five elements form the basis of modern Western Magic. From an alchemists viewpoint, anyone can have them, but this is just a prelude. Though its easy to use, on the other hand, its easy for the enemy to read ones own attacks, and come up with a defensive spell to c ounter it. Wouldnt anyone be worried about being too simple if one keeps using this in an actual battle? This nee-chan doesnt want to make my enemy feel bored, so she prepared a lot of these cards, so these magic texts that I prepared must be torn away like a calendar. Thisishowitis. Kamijo ignores Orianas words, and intends to close the distance. Seeing Kamijo act like this, Oriana tears another piece of flashcard. After that, a huge gust of wind appears behind Kamijo. Being pushed by the wind behind, Kamijos speed continues to increase, as he continues to stumble. Now that the distance is shortened, Oriana raises the billboard on her right side, and smashes it into Kamijos jaw with a hook-like manner. With a blunt sound, Kamijos body bends into a < shape, falling backwards. KeAHHH!! Kamijos thought process and breathing process stop at the same time, and he cant even tell which side is the right side up. To him, the four directions are all messed up now, rotating all over the place. Even so, Kamijo still places his hand on the ground to support himself, trying to get up. Hm. Oriana tears another piece of flashcard. So useless, were only in the prelude, and yet your legs have no strength left? A certain power is activated.

Between Kamijos back and the ground, something thats like steam erupts, tossing Kamijo into the air. This time, Kamijo doesnt have enough time to defend himself as he rolls on the floor. Kamijo tries his hardest to gather his consciousness thats about to fail at any moment, as he considers the situation thats right in front of him. Ugh Now even his thought process is painfully cut off. Kamijo grits his teeth, enduring the extremely sharp pain thats spreading throughout his bo dy. Damn itwhy? Kamijo continues to think, only doubts appear in his mind. She did say that she wont use the same spell a second time. So why are there so many different He doesnt know what the four main or five main things are that shes talk ing about. All he knows about is mixing the colour and the name together. In this situation, by continuously using magic like that over and over again, all the combinations will be used up in an instant. Hohoho. Combinations dont just work like that. Yo u should be able to tell from this nee-chan, right? Oriana puts another flashcard into her mouth with her left hand. ! Kamijo inadvertently prepares himself, but he is unable to transfer his strength throughout his body. Seeing the boy in front moving rather slowly, Oriana doesnt attack, only choosing to lick the thick piece of paper with her tongue, from the short rectangular side, then the corner, then the long side. Stunned, Kamijo stares at what Oriana is doing, and finally says with much difficulty, The edge? It got something to do with the edge when you held the thick piece of paper in your mouth? Un. Thats also one requirement. This is the basis of Western Astrology. From zero degrees to 9 degrees, 171 degrees to 189 degrees, 81 degrees to 99 degrees, 111 degrees to 129 degrees, 54 degrees to 66 degrees, 0 to 1 degree, and there are more laws for these coordinates. The theory is that the relationship between the planets and the constellations will have different functions due to different angles. Do you need me to give you a lesson on the relationship between stars, colours, and elements? Oriana grins. Because this nee-chan added in page numbers to identify them, so strictly speaking, I cant re use the same spell again. Like how lost time cant be retrieved again, the pages that were flipped can never be retrieved again.

She moves the flashcard, now slightly damp on the edges, and moves it along her upper lip. This is the limit of nee-chan. No matter how hard I continue write magic books, the original wont stabilise, and will continue to lose control and self -destruct. Also, my words are too messy to be understood. Whether as a magician or a mage, my strength is only half-baked. Oriana slightly narrows her eyes. However, because of this, this nee-chan continues to write magic books to create new spells. Since nee-chan knows shes using a half-baked original, the most each book can last is one hour, if its fast, itll self-destruct in several seconds. Because Im aware that Ill lose if I ever stopped to compromise, this nee-chan wants to continue improvingthis is called not forgetting ones original intention, right? After saying this, Oriana uses her teeth to bite the damp piece of paper. But she didnt tear it off this time. She places the thick piece of paper on her tongue, and without moving her mouth too much, she says in an obscure voice, Right now, Im going to use the symbol of wind thats in red. The angle is at 0 degree conjunction, total number of pages, 575, disposable-type spell, Light coloured severing axe. Youve been warned. She pauses, Youll die if you move. She declares, But if you dont move, youll surrender on the next move. Youre not a kid anymore, so decide what you should choose pick your poison. Oriana pulls the thick piece of paper aside. On the thick piece of paper, pulled from the metal ring, are the red words Wind Symbol. () Kamijo places his hand on the ground, supporting himself as he tries to get up, but his body, which is still shaking, is unable to respond immediately. Just trying to put a knee on the ground is difficult for him. He thought, its good that no one else is around. If anyone is to see this, itll cause a commotion. (Dont movehuh?) Remembering what Oriana said, Kamijo feels something crawling below the ground. With Oriana as the centre, theres a circle on the ground of a metre radius. Outside the circle, there are patterns similar to those of tree branches. It looks like those capillaries around the eyeballs that are filled with blood. The patterns pass by Kamijo, through the roads, below the bicycles, the vehicles and the billboards, all the way in front of Tsuchimikado, whos lying on the ground. Youll die if you move.

The patterns on the ground give off an irritating vibrating sound. I might as well admit defeat, Kamijo thought weakly. Hes totally unable to predict what kind of attack will Oriana use next, and thus he cant think of any counter -strategies. Also, she did say that the damage will be enough to stop his own heart if he takes the next attack directly. (If I dont move, the next move will be checkmate) The difference between the two choices is, the latter will solve this without killing him. Hell probably be knocked unconscious like Tsuchimikado. Just like this. After this, Oriana will run away, but Stiyl will still chase after her. Victory wont be decided just because Kamijo falls. Even if the amateur falls, no one will blame him. Didnt the specialist, Tsuchimikado, suffer defeat as well? Its unreasonable for him to continue to resist. (Then, what should I do next) But, Kamijo continues to clench his right fist. He clenches it tightly, till his fingernails sink into his palm. The sudden influx of willpower fills his hand with strength. He then gives the order to his weak legs, and steadily stands on the ground. The feelings of fear and resistance continues to swirl about inside him, but he is thinking, (Can I forget about Fukiyose Seiris Do you have an y plan on letting Daihasei succeed? You useless fellow.) (No matter whether the enemy is a professional magician, or whether it involves some important deal, I dont care about these! Fukiyose -san herself chose to be member of Daihaseis Organising Committee, and continued to work hard till this day. Right now, her efforts are about to go to waste! Should I sit here and do nothing!? Will this Kamijo Touma settle down with ease just like that?) WOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! Kamijo roars, using his entire strength to run forward. He hasnt regained his balance, and he looks like hes standing in a plane thats in the midst of turbulence, but he is definitely running forward though. At this moment, Oriana spits out the piece of paper that shes biting on. The spell is instantly activated completely. Part 4 Light coloured severing axe. With Oriana as the centre, the power is transferred to the patterns, like bricks engraved on the wall, or like capillaries around the eyeballs that are filled with blood. The vacuum blades start to swing about wildly.

On the ground, there are numerous patterns depicted on the ground. The grooves are facing upwards like a pickaxe facing upwards. The blades sway from down to up, and the total number of strikes is 208. Like a spider web extending outwards, the world of blades slice through anything thats above it. (! You little idiot!!) Oriana Thompson gnashes her teeth. On first glance, it looks like an attack thats randomly set up, but she actually intended for the blades to avoid where Kamijo is standing. However, Kamijo ignores this, and steps outside. Oriana originally intended to use the vacuum blades that are coming out of the ground to surround Kamijo, making him unable to move before rendering him unconscious. Like how she didnt kill off the professional magician, Tsuchimikado, in the first place, Oriana finds that having someone dead will affect her own work. At the same time Kamijo stepped out, the spell starts to activate. The vacuum blades shooting out from the ground avoid the safety zone that doesnt have anyone in it. The 208 vacuum blades start to cut the billboards and bicycles that are above the patterns mercilessly. However, he ran out of the safety zone, and jumps into the vortex of blades. Besides getting cut, blood spilling out, and death, theres nothing else waiting for him. However. !! Kamijos body isnt cut. The numerous blades shoot upwards from below the ground, and the 208 guillotine blades slice the surrounding airyet its ineffective on him. He just so happened to jump into the area where there are less blades shooting out. Where Kamijo is standing now can be considered as a second safety area that Oriana prepared. Oriana doesnt know how he figured it out, or whether its all a coincidence. (If so!!) Oriana uses a standby spell. To be able to escape this field of blades, whether she actually prepared it or not, the entire area is separated by the blades, so what Kamijo did is to just run from a hole in the hive nest to another hole. He wont be able to escape. However, Orianas predictions are wrong again. WOOOHH!! Kamijo, whos roaring, waves his right hand at the vacuum blades in front of him. On first glance, it looks like a stupid act that will get his arm sliced off, yet the vacuum blades were shattered.

Not only are the blades in front of him shattered, all the blades that Oriana released are shattered. Crack! A moment later, the sound of something breaking can be heard. At this moment, Kamijo has already taken a step forward. Three steps left. The distance between them is about to become zero. (What!? To think that that right hand is able to negate it to this extent!!) Oriana, whos unable to understand whats going on, focuses on the enemy in front anyway. She bites on the flashcard that has yellow command text written on it. This time, the spell to be used is called Sleeping Wind. It looks like a compressed air gun, and went it hits directly, will turn the target s consciousness inside out. This is an attack that will knock out others without hurting them. She originally intended to let the airgun pass through the blades and hit the target that is surrounded by the blades. This can be said to be something completely unexpected. Even if its completely unexpected, Oriana fires it without any hesitation. Take this!! Before she finished speaking, Kamijos right fist has already punched away the front of the Sleeping Wind. The destroyed gun flies around pointle ssly and vanishes into thin air. (Whwhy!?) While shes still shocked, Kamijo takes another step forward. Two more steps left. Oriana is in a situation where shes unable to understand whats going on. The enemy is in front of her, yet she doesnt know how to react. (How is he able to respond!? Even if he has a special right hand, how can an amateur predict my attacks!? There must be some sort of reference material, thats) The enemy steps forward. One more step. In Orianas mind, an answer appears like an electric shock. (Oh yeah. Im unable to use the same magic over and over again! In other words, there wont be a similar attack coming from the same direction! So he knows the answer) Oriana Thompson cannot re-use the same spells that she used before. In other words, each place that is attacked wont be attacked the same way. Of course, a place that was attacked by a flame sword can be attacked with ice bullets. But the scope of attack for both the sword and the bullets are different, and so such a difference will create a loophole. What Kamijo did is to move along those places that were attacked. Since there wont be similar attacks, in other words, he just needs to worry about attacks other than it, and responding to attacks will be much easier. It seems like somebody taught him that while the next attack will contain, there are escape channels to be taken advantage of.

(What? I originally continued to use the same spells in order to seal off all the dead ends and let the enemy be unable to think of a countermeasure. In the end, this) Orianas lip twists inadvertently. She doesnt know what kind of smile that is, but she knows that its a smile. (ends up being a dead end instead, and I ended up giving the enemy a hint on how to counter it! Haha, such a good boy. This nee-chan loves this kind of creativity the most!!) In an instant, both of them are within range of each other. Right now, Oriana doesnt have the luxury to use those flashcards. She swings the billboard that shes holding on the right side downwards, and this time, shes aiming for Kamijos head. However, Kamijo Touma dodges to one side. With one foot as the axis, Kamijo dodges aside. The billboard grazes Kamijos nose, creating a whoosh sound that can be heard, and sla ms onto the asphalt floor. (!!) Oriana Thompson is speechless, as she just looks in front. At the same time, the boys right fist fires in from point blank range. WO Kamijo roars, exhaling all the air in his lungs. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! Gathering all the strength and speed of his body into his right fist, Kamijo aims for the centre of Oriana Thompsons face. The shock from the impact reverberates from his tightly -clenched fist to his wrist, hand, and shoulder. Crack!! With this loud and heroic sound, Orianas body flies backwards. Just like that, Oriana, whos surrounded by this force thats aided by Kamijos momentum, falls on the ground, and rolls on the floor. With the wind, the billboard falls out of Orianas loose hand and lands beside Kamijo. Kamijo feels that his right fist is somewhat numb. (I succeeded? Did I manage to prevent the deal of this Stab Sword magic tool from taking place?) Anyway, what Oriana is carrying about is in his hands. Though hes still worrying about the unconscious Tsuchimikado, and the trading partner who snuck into Academy City, it seems like they have averted this greatest danger, no? Ho Just as Kamijo is thinking about all these, he hears this laughter that moves with the wind.

Kamijo frantically turns back and look. Hoho, youre really rude. See, my button came off! Oriana, whos lying on the ground, raises her upper body like how someone finishes taking a nap. Her right hand, which was originally holding onto the billboard, is now pressing down near her breasts, since her work clothes are wide open now. (Nono effect!?) Kamijo is somewhat stunned. In contrast, Oriana doesnt seem to mind. Ugn. This nee-chan isnt a fighting queen thats full of muscles, but your movement isnt straight, and the trajectory is somewhat off. Youre hurt, so your sense of balance is somewhat off as well, so the impact isnt as big. Oh yeah, overall She pauses, and then proceeds on, considering that its a punch from an amateur, its not too bad. But to nee -chan, whos used to facing off against others wholl read these attacks and counter, this standard is somewhat unsatisfactory. After saying this, she pulls the flashcard in her left hand near her mouth. Kamijo places his entire body on alert, but the physical pain of these bruises work up out of a sudden. The gathering of this pain prevents his body from moving momentarily. !! Seeing Kamijos face getting distorted due to the pain, Oriana happily tears off another page. Unexpectedly however, she doesnt launch another attack. A gust of wind surrounds Oriana, and in an instant, shes taken away by the mini -tornado. In a second, Oriana passes through the gap between the ceiling of the arcade and the buildings, and reaches the top of the building. Even though the billboard that she left behind is at Kamijos feet. On the other hand, the Stab Sword is an important trading item. Oriana is standing at the edge of the roof, as she turns around and tears off a flashcard with her mouth. Ill leave that thing to you. However, dont think that this is over yo? The real action will heat up later. The whisper-like voice clearly reaches Kamijo as if its conducted through the air. He looks at the Stab Sword on the ground, then turns to look at Oriana, whos on the roof. Why? He raises a doubt, and though its soft, the voice seems to reach Orianas ears. Why ask why?

The Stab Sword is in my hands. And yet youre not forced into a tight corner, so why are you pulling back so easily? Oriana softly laughs, Why, huh? Isnt guessing the reason somewhat interesting? She jumps towards the centre of the building, such that K amijo, whos looking up, is unable to see her due to the angle. Orianas figures vanishes from the gap between the ceiling of the arcade and the wall of the buildings. Wait a sec! The spell that you set on Tsuchimikado!! Kamijo suddenly shouts out, but Oriana has already vanished. The ceiling of the arcade covers the sky completely. She may be hiding inside the buildings, or she might have jumped off to another building. All he hears is a voice, The spell only lasts for 20 minutes, and will stop working after that. Youre really an esper who likes to worry. After she said this, nothing else can be heard. Kamijo looks around. Orianas figure and voice is completely gone. Part 5 Seems like Tsuchimikado will only wake up a while later. Kamijo was wondering over whether he should be chasing after Oriana, but finally decided to stay behind. He cant leave behind the unconscious Tsuchimikado and the Stab Sword thats disguised as a large billboard. If hes to run around with it, his speed will slow down, and if its taken back by Oriana, itll be adding insult to injury. Thus, Kamijo decides to call Stiyl. But he doesnt know Stiyls number. Although Kamijo feels a bit sorry, he decides to rummage through Tsuchimikados pockets and borrow his pho ne. Searching through the call records, he presses the call button. Stiyls suggestion is rather simple and straightforward. Alright then, destroying the Stab Sword with your right hand should be a piece of cake. With this, we can prevent the deal that Lidvia Lorenzetti is planning. Im not too sure about the situation with Academy Citys security, but they should have received contact about a bus burning. Before anyone else gets there, hurry up and destroy that thing, then leave. But, is it alright to destroy it so easily? If we anger Oriana and the rest, wouldnt they attack Academy City?

If they do this, the one getting surrounded will be them. This is Academy City, and to the magic side, its equivalent to being in the midst of the enemys camp. If theyre people wholl plan this trade calmly, theyll calmly leave the place. Even if there are disputes among the parties, theyll proceed with it once they reach a safe area. To a magician, this place is too dangerous. Academy City is a dangerous place. To Kamijo, who practically stays here, this explanation doesnt seem real to him. However, since its a professional speaking, Kamijo decides to follow. Roger that. Ill use my right hand to destroy the Stab Sword. Hurry up. Ill be discussing with the higher-ups on what to do later on. After Stiyl finished speaking, he hangs up the phone. Cant you even say the word please? Kamijo cuts the call, and puts the phone back into Tsuchimikados pocket. Seeing Tsuchimikado like this without reacting at all makes Kamijo feel chilly, but as one listens carefully, one can hear him breathing as if hes sleeping. Seems like his life in not in danger. Alright. After saying this, Kamijo turns to look at the billboard that fell onto the ground. Its a large rectangular billboard thats covered with a piece of white cloth. Maybe because of the length and width of the Stab Sword, the excess areas are filled with other materials to keep the rectangular shape. Though its covered in white cloth, once the shape of the sword is revealed, itll immediately garner attention. Just using the power of the Imagine Breaker will be enough to destroy the Stab Sword. Kamijo decides to remove the white cloth, wanting to see whether he can really destroy it. Ugh! What is this? Itsrather hard. Seems like an imitation of how the industries wrap their products, as the white cloth is wrapped rather tightly. The knots are tied so professionally, and so its hard to release when one doesnt even know where to begin with. This isnt like a rope where he can just tear it it apart using force. Kamijo, whos at his wits end, can only tug at the cloth, and after pulling it for a while, he at least feels that the cloth is loose. As long as a side is loose, the white cloth that was used to wrap the item will lose its hardness. Kamijo peels the layers of white cloth one by one, and the item that was wrapped in several layers gradually reveals its original shape. (What kind of shape does that Stab Sword have?) As Kamijo thinks about this, he undoes the cloth. But, upon undoing the white cloth, He doesnt see the Stab Sword. What? Kamijo inadvertently stops undoing the white cloth.

Like the bandages of a mummy being unravelled, the thing inside the white cloth is revealed. Its a long thin billboard. Seems like this billboard, a thin piece of iron that was painted on, was made by students, and its a decorative item to be placed at a students stall during Daihasei. The words Ice-cream stall are written in a cute form. But. Whatis this? Isnt the billboard a disguise? Transporting the Stab Sword directly in Academy City will be too obvious, and with those dimensions, its almost impossible t o even put it inside a bag. So Oriana disguised herself as a painter, disguising the Stab Sword as a billboard, wraps it with white cloth, and spent some effort in letting others see it. However, no one expects her to take a real billboard. The entire premise of this has collapsed. Wheres the Stab Sword? Why did Oriana appear in front of them, only to escape? Is the premise that Stiyl Magnus and Tsuchimikado Motoharu talked about true? Also, are they really dealing the Stab Sword? Whats going on? Kamijo Touma mutters. Nobody can answer his doubts. The professional magician, Tsuchimikado, is now unconscious, and the person who planned this, Oriana Thompson, isnt around. But he continues to ask again. The exact line. Whats going on? Between the lines 3 Oriana Thompson is walking on the streets. Shes at a temporary clothes stall thats set up near a large department store. Due to fears of terrorist bombings during Daihasei, Academy City has stopped providing locker service. Instead, an item deposit service that ensures the goods and keeps them manually is used. Oriana gives the plastic number card to the receptionist, a young lady, whos revealing a puzzled look, wondering why the painter would be using a cloakroom. In response, Oriana smiles, and tells her, If I dont take care of my own belongings, paint might end up on my purse. The receptionist gives a response, indicating that she understands. Oriana takes the handbag and leaves the item deposit area. Whats inside the handbag isnt a purse, but clothes.

Since she doesnt have the billboard in her hands, its too eye -catching for Oriana to disguise herself as a painter. Itll be unnatural if she wears the work clothes that she was wearing, and just walk about without doing anything. Also, the second button of her work clothes came off due to the battle just now. Though the first and third buttons are alright, as her breasts are rather ample, one can see them from the seam. (Ive used quite a few spells this time. Really, therere quite a few people who I really want to be gentle with again.) Although Oriana has quite a number of spells at her disposal, theres the limitation of being unable to re-use a spell that was used before, so she has to pause and think about what can happen after that, and use whatever means to battle. But this time, she used two killer spells that she had never expected to use, only for the enemy to escape. Though shes satisfied with the excellent results, but just thinking about how shes not going to use those spells a second time makes her somewhat lonely. Can I consider this as meeting a worthy opponent? Lets change before I think of a countermeasure. Oriana mutters as she looks around, looking for a place to change her clothes. Its t oo eyecatching if shes to enter a building with her painter clothes still on. (Never mind, I can change at any place I want to.) Oriana wildly comes up with this conclusion as she leaves this crowded two-way street. After walking into the alley, where no one is around, and puts down her handbag. Seems like shes really intending to change clothes here. She intends to finish her report as she changes her clothes, so she tears another card, and sticks it to the ground with tape. A horizontal line of orange words appear on the dusty surface. This is a spell that acts as a display of her superior, Lidvia Lorenzettis voice, and translates her words into text. Is this urgent? You keep using different methods to contact me every time. Its troublesome for me when I have to receive these messages. Hm. This is the policy of nee -chan, so please be a bit forgiving. Orianas words will appear as words on the other side as well. She unbuttons the buttons on the front of her top as she explains. Just like this, the clothes bounce outward like a spring. Its not really suited for her anyway. Im trying to tell you that the first phase is complete. This nee -chan is trying to tell you that though there are quite a few troublesome issues, you can relax, since Ive already checked the places. I even had the time to walk around. Oriana breaks free from this tight clothing, and puffs out some air to calm herself down. She then takes off her top without hesitation. Because shes not wearing a bra, the stripping o f her upper body is complete.

You said that quite a few things happened, whats going on? The original paragraph vanishes, and a new wall of text appears on the card horizontally from left to right. Hm? Oh, that. I was hit straight in the face by a b oy, and the button came off; seems like he saw my breasts. No, Im certain that he saw them. As a Sister whos supposed to be pure and poor, how can you be so nonchalant about this? Another paragraph appears. This is a spell that reads words and thoughts, and prevents translation errors. Sometimes, it also shows silence. Deary me, whats with this contemptuous attitude? Didnt Adam and Eve walk around the world with a leaf over their genitals in the Old Testament? Compared to that global scale of this shameful act, this is nothing. Oriana places her hands on her pants, before realising that the other party didnt respond. Seeing this silent response on the card, a drop of sweat inadvertently flows down her face. Eh, oh my? Hello, hello? Not again, what are you angry about? Okay, dont cry, dont cry. This nee-chan wont say any jokes about the Bible. Im not crying. Anyway, how are your injuries? The long silence vanishes, as a new block of text appears. Oh, no big deal. Oriana says. She takes off her shoes, her belt, and pulls down the zipper. As she places her hands on the edge of her pants, which is revealing a bit of her butt I cant really say thatIm completely uninjuredmy face is a bit swollen, and maybe even my heart may be punched through Suddenly, her body jerks sideways. Oriana is shaking her head, as if shes trying to prevent herself from falling asleep, as her two hands pull down the pants. At least shes wearing panties, and as Orianas legs leave the pants, her body is somewhat imbalanced. Will it affect the plan? It wont okay? I can tell. Just leave everything to this nee -chan. Though the other party cant see it, shes trying her best to force this smile. Now that shes only wearing panties, she bends her upper body and opens the handbag near her feet to look for a change in clothes. Her movements are abnormally gentle, and her body is so soft that it seems that she can place her entire palm flat on the ground. Un. Now this nee-chan is going to change into her battle clothes. Itll be easier for me to work if I can stop giving the impression of being a worker with my clothes

Now which one should I choose? Oriana continues to rummage through the bag. Through the opened zipper, one can see that all her clothes are rather fanciful. At this moment, a line of incredulous words came from Lidvia. What? Youre changing clothes? Didnt I tell you already? My button came off, and I nearly exposed my breas ts to others, or maybe they might have seen it. I cant wear this as my clothes are damaged. Its just like that. Im trying to say, why can you be so casual about this? Its my personality, okay? Oriana thought as she ignores her, taking out several pieces of clothing from her bag. Also, I forgot to take the billboard back when I escaped. When Im wearing work clothes and yet not holding anything, this nee-chan feels that its too unnatural. Your meaning? Oh, I remember. The billboard was taken by the enemy. Whats going on Seems like the contents inside was revealed. And the fact that this nee -chan was just running around with garbage should be clear as well. Eh, oh my? Its okay. Even if the issue about the Stab Sword is revealed, it wont affect the deal. We wont get disqualified just by getting a demerit point. Also, the actual battle is different from the battle. Even if we get deducted a point for taking advantage, we might even get the victory in the end. Wearing only a pair of panties, Oriana picks up the bra with her two hands and pulls it near her breasts. She starts to calculate the compatibility of the colours and the degree of revealing. Ill finish my job, and wont let anyone else affect this deal. No matter who the person is, he wont be able to prevent this dealing from happening. If this deal can bring happiness to everyone, itll be more reason for me to do this, right? This is her last sentence. She looks at the sky as she says this. The sky of Academy City is so blue and clear that its close to signifying peace and leisure, though there are the occasional fireworks being fired. Part 6 So weve been had, huh? After finishing the conversation with the head of Academy City, Aleister Crowley, Archbishop Laura Stuart of the British Puritan Church, who has many subordinates at her command, sighs. Its been hours since the two of them contacted each other, and since theres a 9 hour difference

between Japan and London, it should be noon in Japan now. Surrounding the St. George Cathedral are the darkness and silence of the night, and the cold air of the ground. Shes sitting on a chair in front of the altar, and as her blond hair, which is more than twice her height, lies on the floor, she puffs out some air and extends both her arms backwards. With both hands, she grabs the roots of her hair that is too long, and swings it forcefully like shes swinging a rod. She cleanly grabs the front of her wavy hair that moves like a slithering snake, and uses a silver hairpin to clip her hair with one hand. In an instant, she reverts back to her normal hairstyle that looks like her hair was cut in half. Though it looks a bit crude, as shes already skilled in doing this, her movements have a beautiful sense of refinement and grace. Especially when the blond hair creates ripples under the moonlight, this light is like a piece of art with beauty that can fill the entire hall. One of the twelve Apostles, John, once prohibited women from keeping long hair, and forced nuns to keep their hair short and keep it within their hoods. The reason is that the long hair of a woman will attract a man and cause him to fall. In modern times, it may seem like a laughable, twisted reasonbut Lauras hair is so shiny that it can make anyone change their mind. So these are all true? Laura grabs the bundle of documents thats on her thigh with one hand and waves it. Its a twenty-page report by the British Museum regarding the Stab Sword. On first glance, its just a random action, but there are hidden emotions inside it. The emotion is called anger, and the temperature is extremely cold. Hearing Laura speak, who seems to be talking to herself, the other party pauses for a breath, and responds. Its the voice of a middle-aged man. Im really sorry. Youve appointed us to manage this for a long time, but till today, we didnt find it at all. In the end, weve continued to give the wrong instructions Its alright, you dont have to panic. Im not angry with you. Besides, its tough on you, to continue to work till this time. Laura senses that under the light thats shining into the interior of the Cathedralnear the entrancethat man is cowering in fear. Seeing that, it seems that the other person is rather fearful for being under the same moonlight as Laura. His name is Charles Conder. Hes the highest authority of Archaeology, and the keeper of the British Museum. Compared to the investigators who are running around the world, looking for artefacts a nd collecting them, his job is to manage and restore the items inside the Museum. For one to enter the bureau thats lasted for 1,000 years that maintains individual historical items that are up till 3,000 years old, one has to have the brain of a scholar and hands of a artist thats of the highest order in the world.

Right now, hes at the level where hes considered to have the capability, but his experience is unrecognised. Among the items that they process through, therere quite a few magical itemsthough the people working at the British Museum are ordinary people who have nothing to do with magic, even the head isnt exempted. The British Puritan Church is providing support by giving advice on the items through Theological, Religious, and ethical point of views. The British Museum is already famous itself, and only does general recruitment. If theyre to set up a magic department brazenly, the idea of magic will quickly spread around the world. Charles himself doesnt know anything about the Br itish Puritans being involved in magic, and didnt know that the item that he researched and compiled a report on is a magical item. The respect that he has for Laura isnt that of being threatened by her real power, but just about sincere faith. Oh yeah, Conder. I have something that I would really like to ask you Yes. The other person whos in the darkness gives such a reply. Its not an immediate answer, but rather, one that comes after a pause. Only those who can immediately sense the atmosphere in this situation can tell that this is an opportune time. Un, Laura seem satisfied as she looks at the darkness in front. Conder, youve heard my choice of words, so have you ever laughed at me before? What? Are you hiding in the dark corner in order to hide it? NonoI would never do such a thing as Then why must your voice be trembling, you idiot!? Everyones laughing at my choice of words! Basically, this is all that Tsuchimikado Motoharus fault for teaching me these odd choice of words Dear Archbishop, Ive heard that you seem rather uncomfortable speaking in Japanese. DONT TELL ME THAT THE ENTIRETY OF LONDON HAS HEARD ABOUT THIS!!?? Please calm down. Right now, were communicating in English. Even if you really cant speak Japanese fluently, it has nothing to do with this situation. Ahem. Laura purposely coughs to conceal her embarrassment. Seems like Charles Conder has tried his best to calm her down, but why is Laura still feeling so bitter? Excuse memay we get down to the proper issue at hand? Of course.

Laura tries hard to concentrate, and intends to continue on with the topic. Charles smoothly proceeds on, In the report, it is also written that though we have a duplicate of the Stab Sword in our museum, we can deduce that the actual item doesnt exist. This is something that may occur during Archaeology, and thus a mistake in the heritage. So whats this mistake about? Laura slowly asked. The British Museum has an Archaeological point of view that can give the British Puritans, who are magical based, a completely different input, so its considered an extremely valuable mind. Yes, you've received this kind of report before, right? Like sayyes, the Nazca Lines ( Note: the Nazca lines are located 250 miles south of Lima, Perus capital. Theres a variety of about 300 of them, and theyre built during the Nazca culture thats from B.C. 509 to A.D. 1500. Some pictures are inexplicable, while others are obviously shaped like plants and animals, like hummingbird, monkey, heron, whale, spider and flowers etc.), the Moai figures on Easter Island, and a local example would be the Stonehengethere are numerous things in history that we discover, yet we dont know their purpose. Charles bends his body in the darkness. After this, strange things begin to happen, people will randomly add in reasons as to why these things are made. Legends and stories without evidence that are passed down will accumulate like a snowball. One example thats easy to understand would be the portrait of the Virgin. Um. Laura replies. The portrait of the Virgin Mary (though a restraint order was issued during a monotheistic Christian occasion, its rather popular) is hailed by her worshipers to be a miracle item. At first, there was the rumour that the Virgin in the portrait would weep. After a while, it became whoever touches it can heal their wounds, whoever hangs it can dispel evil spirits, as new heritages continue to be formed, such that its on a scale that even the Idol Theory cant explain it. Notwithstanding religious issues, just based on facts alone, its unbelievable. So, its like this? The Roman Catholics do have a magical sword thats mad e of marble. But the Roman Catholics dont know for what reason was it created, so they add their own definite reason anyway, and thus it continued to spread around, and it ended up being part of their heritage? Yes. But from an Archaeological viewpoint, this isnt of ill intentions. Besides using theory, humans are creatures wholl use their imagination. Besides the Stab Sword this time, there are similar reports around the world. So we cant blame the Roman Catholics entirely Laura thought, what Charles said is true.

Actually, Christianity itself is like that. At first, the content of the Son of God was recorded through the hands of the apostles, and compiled into the Bible. And because of different interpretations, people have disagreements over their view of the Bible. In the end, this ended up meeting the tastes of the countries and their people, creating new religions in the process. This is the actual situation of how todays Christianity is like, no matter whether its Catholicism, Protestantism, British Puritanism, Roman Catholicism, Russian Orthodox etc, the centre of their faith is definitely the Bible. The language will differ according to different countries, and a Bible which has content that suits the British Puritans doesnt exist at all. Even so, it led to a generation of different ideas, which led to the differentiation of faith. So, such a thing isnt abnormal in history. (Or maybe, the Roman Catholics intended to hide the truth about how the Stab Sword was passed down. No, maybe this is just pure speculation?) Laura shakes her head to both sides. Anyway, she can confirm that the legend of this spiritual weapon called the Stab Sword was just a rumour that people passed around, and that it doesnt e xist in the first place. She doesnt know why the marble sword was made, but at least it doesnt have the ridiculous effect of killing all the Saints by pointing the tip of the blade at them. Thus, the importance of the deal thats to be done in Academy City is lessened. This made Laura heave a sigh of relief. Then, did you manage to find out the original heritage behind this marble sword? Yes madam. As this heritage continued to snowball, we dont have enough evidence to support this. But Im afraid that this record seems to be correct. Eh? Laura tilts her head sideways. That was information thats not on the report. It seems that I really cant just rely on magics point of view. An ordinary viewpoint from Archaeology is important as well. Lauras thoughts go wild. To be honest, this item isnt a sword? What? Laura suspiciously frowns. She sees the keeper of the British Museum holding the duplicate Stab Sword in the dark. In the darkness, he turns the white marble sword around. Its a cross. The locals seem to call it the Apostles Cross. ST PET!? At that moment, Laura Stuart nearly stopped breathing. Youre saying that thats the Cross of St Peter? Pietro is another name for Peter, one of the twelve Apostles. Even for those who arent familiar with Christianity, they should have at least heard of the St Peters Basilica thats inside the

Vatican. Its truly famed for being the largest Church in the heart of Roman Catholicism, the largest religious sect in the world. St Peters cross has a huge historical link with the St Peters Basilica, and even the entire Rome and Vatican. Its the highest level of a spiritual weapon of all Christianity. Its danger is such that even the Stab Sworda spiritual weapon that can kill any Saints no matter the obstacles or distancecant match up to this. Hearing the Archbishop exclaim loudly, the keeper of the British Museum must be shocked. This isnt surprising, as from the beginning, Charles is just the authority on Archaeology, a nd has absolutely no idea about magic. Even if he doesnt know how dangerous the name of this item that he said is, it cant be helped. However, Laura is different. Because she knows all about the magical world and the Christian world, she can understand the seriousness of this issue. Shes not looking at Charles, whos standing in the darkness, as shes immersed in her own thoughts. (This is bad. If so, then the meaning of this deal that those people are planning is completely different now. If they really want to carry out this deal in Academy City) The Apostles Cross. It truly exists in history, but up till now, the Roman Catholics had never revealed it. It can be said to be the highest level of a spiritual tool in historical legends that can be compared to the holy items that the Son of God left behind. If it really has the effect that the book recorded (With the end of this deal, Academy City will collapse. No, something worse than that will happen.) Laura murmurs, swallowing her own saliva. Her face reveals a heroic smile. Laura thought, in this extremely complicated situation, what should she do to get the best benefits? Part 7 The Apostles Crosswe call it the St Peters Cross. Really, whats going on? After receiving the report from his phone, Stiyl Magnus mutters these. This is an open-air coffee shop thats near the auto-bus depot. Therere ten tables with umbrellas, and Stiyl has taken one of them. Seated on the other seats are Kamijo Touma and Tsuchimikado Motoharu, whos finally awake after he was hit by that sleeping spell that Oriana used. Theres nothing on the table. Theyre not waiting to order anything, as no one is in the mood to eat or drink.

Oi, whats that St Peters Cross about? Is it a Cross thats made of some incredible material called Peter? Peters the name of a person, idiot. Hes one of the twelve Apostles, and legend has it that he has the key to Heaven. But right now, were not going to talk about this myth, but rather about some other heritage. Other? Kamijo asks again. Tsuchimikado, who hasnt recovered his strength, says, This man called Peter is thatowner of the Holy Vatican. No, strictly speaking, the Holy Vatican was established on the large piece of land that Peter left behind The Vaticanits that smallest country in the world? Kamijo tilts his head sideways and asks. Stiyl irritatedly puffs out some smoke. This name, the Vatican City State, was decided in 1929 under the Lateran Treaty. In the past, it was called the land of the Vatican. Also, that place wasnt that small to begin with. The land differs in size according to time, and at its peak, occupies even Rome, in the centre of Italy, a land thats 47,000 square kilometres in size. Italy was like the Sengoku era in Japan, because of internal strife, the Vatican shrunk as the unity of Italy became weaker. The question is, how did they establish the Vatican. On the land that Peter left behind, what were the Roman Catholics doing in the first place? Kamijo raises a voice of doubt. Maybe everyone was farming on the wasteland, he wildly thought. They built a tomb. By burying Peters corpse, and erecting a Cross. Kamijo is shocked. The St Peters Cross refers to the Cross thats set up on Peters grave. Kamijo doesnt look so good, but Tsuchimikado just ignores him and continues, The view of the Roman Catholics is that since that place is where Peters buried, the Church didnt want anyone to disturb him, so they wanted to d o their best in maintaining his heritage. At first, it was Emperor Augustine who paid his respects and built a Church. During the Renaissance, there was a pleasant large scale revolution. The St Peters Basilica thats designed by Michelangelotruly the worlds largest Churchis built on the domain of this dead Saint. Peter died in A.D. 1st century, and the Old St Peters Basilica was built in the 4th century, while the king of the Lombards handed over power to the Vatican in the 8th century. Actually, theres quite a bit of time difference, but the first turning point was Peters death and the building of his tomb. Hearing this explanation, Kamijo is still unclear of whats going on. Ughis it thatkind of place where you offer sacrifices to those great people?

Well, you can say that nya. However, if you think of it another way, its like building ones authority by using the dead body of a Saint. If so, are they really trying to let the deceased rest, or are they using the tomb as a tourist attraction? One cant really decide. I always felt thatthough I dont still know after hearing about this. Are the Roman Catholics a bunch of people wholl do something like this? What? There are people wholl do all these sorts of things. Like in England, theres an Archbishop named Thomas Becket (Note: Thomas Becket was appointed to be the Archbishop of Canterbury Cathedral by King Henry II, and for he went against King Henry II, he was assassinated. His exploits were documented in a film Becket made in 1964). This man was assassinated in 29th December 1170 in a certain Church by the Royal Family. This Church is Canterbury Cathedral, the main base of the British Puritans. Tsuchimikado finished speaking, and pauses for a while. Then he smiles, The Canterbury Cathedral was a Cathedral thats located far away from the capital, Londonbut because of the death of a great person, it became the main base straight away. The situation when Archbishop Becket got assassinated ended up triggering an offense against the Royal Family, resulting in the Royal Family having to recognise the independence of the Church this place is also known as the birthplace of British Puritanism. Just having the land of a sleeping Saint has a large effect, Kami-yan. Though Kamijo doesnt understand, he knows that no matter what, any Church that has any link with a Great will have its value multiplied exponentially. Also, the thing that Orianas carrying around isnt the Stab Sword, but rather that Apostles whatever, huh? Is that a dangerous thing as well? Or is it like an art piece that has a strange and rare value? Both. But were focusing on the former. Stiyl impatiently puffs out some smoke. Didnt I say this before? This huge piece of land inside the Vatican or strictly speaking, the place where Christianity was established. If so, on the other hand In other words? Kamijo asks. Yes, any place that has the Apostles Cross will be under the Roman Catholic Churchs dominion. Even Academy City isnt exempted. Wait wait!? Kamijos at a loss of words. Tsuchimikado says in a bitter tone, The Stab Sword was rumoured to be a sword that can pierce a dragon and pin it onto the ground.

He pauses, holds his breath for a while, and continues, This large existence that has huge wings, that will either guard a sleeping treasure or desire for a massacre, such a dragon has the hidden meaning of serving Gods Angels or the fallen Devil nya. Pinning the dragon has the meaning of turning this place to Holy grounds by letting the Angels protect this place hidden in itthose bastards. Kamijo sighs. There are many doubts he wanted to ask, but speech isnt going to convey them properly. Wait a sec! What do you mean by dominion? What are those guys intending to do here!? This country called the Vatican is like a large Church inside. Kami -yan, that interior is rather strange. Over there, the balance between fortune and misfortune is distorted, no matter what one does, itll be beneficial to the Roman Catholics. Kamijo is still unable to understand Tsuchimikados explanation. Stiyl continues, Specifically, the area inside the Vatican is filled with magic that biased. Things that normally happen will turn out to be of the Roman Catholics benefit. For example, its like using a magnet to control a roulette in a casino, ignoring the original action of the bead to make it land inside the number that one wants. Hearing this, Kamijo still doesnt under stand. But, he knows that theres a magic spell that allows the circumstances to be beneficial to some people. So, its like that guy, huh? Like that alchemist, who can materialise anything that he wishes for? The man named Aureolus Izzard. The result of him developing his alchemist skills to the extreme, and created his own spell of turning anything he wishes for into reality is that because of it, he was defeated by his own doubt No, its not like using human willpower to form gold. This is about making things advantageous for the Roman Catholics. But, if such a thing is to be set up in Academy City, then what? Now that you mention it Will Academy City end up being beneficial to the Roman Catholics? Its a blurry image, as Kamijo cant think of any specific thought. He just says out the thought thats on his mind. About thatitll be beneficial to the Roman Catholics. Then if the Roman Catholics are to come over to Academy City, wouldnt they become very lucky?

Thats right; you may regard it as such. What will happen if the effect of the Apostles Cross acts like a document? Its not a bad thing, as any Roman Catholic who enters Academy City may lose a large sum of money when they gamble, but will end up winning money in the long run. Even if the buildings bombed, there wont be any injury at all. This is unnatural. Also Stiyl cynically twists his lips. The Apostles Cross will help anyone who isnt a Roman Catholic as well. If the Roman Catholics are to continue winning money through gambling, normally there would be losers as well. But the Apostles Cross would create a nice losing situation. Even if a building is bombed and destroyed, nobody would be hurt. It creates a oh, nobodys hurt, thats good kind of situation. ??? Kamijo tilts his neck. If what Stiyl says is true, If so, wouldnt everyone be happy? This shouldnt be a problem. This is where the problem is. Stiyl mentions this, Listen, if one doesnt set up this thing known as the Apostles Cross from the start, nobody would be losing money through gambling, and nobody will target Roman Catholics in their bombing attempts. On first glance, everyones happy. But in actuality, the Apostles Cross brings a huge burden to anyone around, and normally in situations where one cannot see. Tsuchimikado, who has no strength left in his upper body, is sprawled on the table. He continues, Actually, in Christian history, the number of times this happiness was switched is unexpectedly frequent. Like San Matorras, or as the British Puritans call him, San Martin. This guy has a very interesting story. When he went to evangelise Christianity, he once broke an ancient pagan temple, and even intended to cut a holy tree down. The non-believing farmers who didnt want to become Christians resisted till the end, and said, If theres a God protecting you, go ahead and cut down this tree. If youre really protected by God, you wont die. To think that Tsuchimikado, whos normally just messing around, is able to say this Christian fairy tale so smoothly. To his classmate Kamijo, this is truly not a familiar sight. Hearing this, San Martin faced the holy tree thats falling on him, and draws a cross on his chest. Then, the unthinkable happened. The holy tree falls to the other side, and nearly crushed the farmers. The farmers were touched that there was really a miracle from God, and promptly accepted Christianity Dont you find this strange nya? The one who used this inexplicable force to cause this holy tree to fall towards the farmers was San Martin himself. He could have allowed that tree to fall somewhere thats even safer. Come to think about it, he could have just cut the tree down easily nya? Why can he still receive this amount of thanks?

Anyway, the result is that, the holy tree that fell the other way didnt kill the non -believers. Because this is the mercy that God gave, every farmer rejoiced at having the chance to change their religion. No matter whether this outcome is good or bad, their history, traditions and spiritual culture were completely erased. Kamijo thought, so what. This indeed can bring about happiness, but not because of something that happened that brings about happiness, but rather happiness thats brought about no matter what happens. Tsuchimikado lifts his head, and says, The effects of this method had gotten some recognition in psychology nya. First, satisfy a condition A that cannot be fulfilled. When the other party begs and cry, saying that he cant do it, force him to do the original condition B that one wants. In this case, itll be easier to succeed than to offer condition B right from the start. Just like how Compared to A, B is so much better, were really lucky nya. By manipulating the s pecific order, manipulating the balance between one negative effect versus another, one can reduce the relative value required for happiness. Stiyl twitches the cigarette in his mouth up and down, and continues, The Apostles Cross uses the psychological effects of this myth. No matter what happens, the situation will end up benefiting the Roman Catholics. When people are given unrealistic proposals, theyll agree for some unknown reasonto the Roman Catholics, wouldnt this place be the most comfortable and enjoyable Holy Land? The magicians words gradually sinks into Kamijos head. A long time is needed for one to slowly understand such a large scale issue. Wait a sec, Stiyl. About the deal of that Apostles Cross, what is Oriana and company going to do exactly? If this world is split into two, one can classify them as the science side and the magic side. Right now, its on a delicate balance. Stiyl simply replies. Among them, the leader of the science side is Academy City. If this Academy City is to end up being under the dominion of the Roman Catholics, what do you think will happen to the balance of this world? Ah! Kamijo finally realises it. If the science side, which occupies half of the world, ends up being some random group of a magic sect, then with the science side that occupies the world + ones own magic sect, that sect can control more than 50% of the world. Then, they just need to do the simple thing of a majority resolution in order to control the world at will. Moreover. If that sect is the Roman Catholics, the largest Christian sect in the world.

If any sect is attacked by both the magic side and science side, organisations t hat are of a single world will be unable to resist; its like being attacked in front and behind. The balance of world power will be entirely concentrated on the Roman Catholics. The Roman Catholics dont need to consider about what they must do in or der to conquer Academy City. By planting the Apostles Cross in Academy City, Academy City will do anything thatll be beneficial to the Roman Catholics after that. Specifically, what will happen? Will the Board of Directors suddenly decide to seek asylum under the Roman Catholics? Or will Academy City sink into bad management, and end up funding the Roman Catholics? Or will Academy City itself be reduced to ash, and end up being rebuilt by the high-ranking Roman Catholics, and not the Japanese government? Though he doesnt know how, Kamijo knows that no matter what, the situation will end up being most beneficial to the Roman Catholics. And the people of Academy City, nobody will question the outcome. No matter whether thats an unreasonable request, no matter how heavy the burden that they have to carry. Its a world where everyone has happiness. Then the deal that Oriana Yeah. Its not a simple deal of the spiritual tool Stab Sword or Apostles Cross, but rather, the deal is about the benefit to the Roman Catholics dominance Academy City, and the world. Stiyl Magnus inhales deeply. As the cigarette in his mouth receives oxygen, it starts to give an orangish-red glow. The courier, Oriana Thompson, and the trader, Lidvia Lorenzetti. Besides them, theres no receiver on the other end this deal just doesnt involve anyone else at all. The suspicion that its the Russian Orthodox Church is a fake, because this is something that the Roman Catholics want to send to themselves. He pauses, and says a last sentence, We have to prevent this deal from taking place. Otherwise, itll end up being even worse than the destruction of the world. Kamijo Touma and Tsuchimikado Motoharu nod their heads. But nobody knows what the three of them can do. Theres no guarantee that they can beat Oriana Thompson and the person behind her, Lidvia Lorenzetti. Even so.

Those two thought that by forcing thoughts that are beneficial to themselves onto the people of Academy City, the Roman Catholics will gain world domination. He has to use this hand of his to destroy this illusion. Part 8 Kamijo Touya and Shiina are walking on the streets. Its now 1pm. According to the schedule in that thick tour guidebook, it should be lunchtime now. But right now, there seems to be matches going on at other places. Discrepancies in this schedule are rather common for sporting events like Daihasei. If its an international event like the Olympics or the World Cup, the schedule would be much tighter. Touya rolls up his sleeves, smoothens his wrinkled shirt, and says, Alright, okaa-san. Though its late now, lets find a place to eat. Ara ara, youre right. Shiina readjusts her ladys hat. Why do I feel that I didnt see Touma just now? Was he really in that match? There are so many people competing in the same event, so sometimes its hard to look for him. Well hear about Toumas heroics when we meet him later. Right now, the most important thing is to get our seats. Touya frantically looks around for a place to eat lunch, not because hes hungry. One thing that Daihasei has in comparison to other sporting events is the need to book seats. Compared to ordinary events, in Daihasei, the arenas have to change according to the type of competition. Its not that getting ones seats once is enough, as parents will have to switch places according to where their children are having their events. Of course, eating lunch is the same. Once the event is over, the contestants and the spectators will be chased out of the arena, so they have to ensure that they get a place to get their lunch. There are 2.3 million residents in Academy City, and therere many more spectators. With so many people looking for a place to eat at the same timeits not hard to imagine the school canteens being crammed with people. Touya looks around, his hair combed to the back. Its supposed to be lunch at 12. We arrived late because of the matches getting de layed. To be honest, its hard to find a place now. Ara ara, Ive prepared bentos, so you dont have to find such a good place. Shiina happily says as she looks at the rattan basket hanging on her arm. Seeing this, Touya frowns, and says,

Okaa-san, this wont do. These are the bentos that you spent much difficulty in doing. Lets find a best place to eat our meal. Touma and I would be happy if we do so. Itll be fine if okaa san feels happy as well. Ara ara, Touya, really. Shiina smiles as she places a hand on her face. Touya, whos releasing his tie with one hand, and looking around for a place, didnt notice her smile and gaze. Hm, the seats at this shop are occupied. Of course, there are other ways to look for empty seats, or should we contact Touma and ask him for his suggestioneh? Touya, whos considering this, sees a familiar face coming over from opposite. Its the female university student he met at the opening ceremony. Right now, theres a middle-school aged girl walking beside her. The girl is wearing a jogging shirt and shorts that contestants wear. Shoulder-length tea-coloured hair, he remembers the name of that girl seems to be called Mikoto. The two seem to be sisters who are extremely close to one another, as theyre conv ersing loudly. Oh my, Mikoto. Dont tell me youre angry that dad hasnt turned up? I also begged for the university to give me an entire week off, so please spare me. Im not. Isnt dad working in London? Itll be even more troublesome if he forces himself to come over with a pale face. Un. If dad is to hear your angry tone, hell be delighted. But to you, its better for dad not to come, huh? ??? Why? Because doesnt Mikoto like some other guy? If dad hears this, his reaction will be rather interesting! Peh!? The middle-school girl suddenly does a spit-take. Her face flushed red, Mikoto stares at the female university student whos taller than her by a head. WHWHWHWHWHWHWHWHHYYYYYYYYY ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THIS OUT OF A SUDDEN!! Eh? Isnt it supposed to be like this? You cant resist hugging the pillow as youre on the bed, being unable to sleep as youre thinking about that guy whose black hair shoots up to the sky? Nononono way! On what basis are you saying this! Also, how did you know about that idiot!? Im concerned about this, to think that youre calling that guy that idiot with such an affectionate tone. Mikoto, what do you hope to gain through the penalty game? Am I right? Isnt it good that dad isnt here? So whats the result of the bet, Mikoto?

The penalty gamewhere did you hear about it? OI! STOP WRIGGLING AROUND, HURRY UP AND ANSWER!! Seeing this middle-school girl emitting blue and white sparks from her shoulders and cropped bangs, Touya gets a renewed feeling that this is Academy City. Because his son is an esper at level 0, so he really didnt notice it, but this is truly an esper city where those superpowers in movies and manga do appear. Isnt there a night walk tonight after the competitive events? So what do you intend to do, Mikoto? Or are you going to use that electricity to create neon lights just for the two of you? Eh? Your tastes are really badeveeveveven if theres a night walk, that has notnothing to do with me To them, as they have superpowers, theyre not surprised by these sorts of things. Touya thought, this should probably be an atmosphere that only Academy City has. The female university student and middle-school student seem to have noticed Touya, whos staring blankly at them. The female university students face glows, Ah! Thanks for just now. Thanks to you, I met up with Mikoto at last. The middle school girl frowns at the female university student. Wait a sec, whos this group of people? Are they people you acquainted with while working? Nope, these are the parents of that boy that youre so mindful of. Come on, Mikoto, present yourself properly. YOURE TOO NOISY! KEEP QUIET! I SAID THAT IT ISNT LIKE THAT!! The middle-school girl looks like shes going to bite on the other person and not let go as she shouts. The university student however doesnt seem to notice it, Oh yeah, may I inquire, have you eaten your lunch yet? If you dont mind, do you want to have lunch with us? Weve booked a small restaurant, so bringing in bentos should be alright. Right Mikoto? Touya considers what the female university student proposed. They can bring bentos into a restaurantso it seems like they wont be blamed for this if they do this during Daihasei, where the space is really limited. Itll be better if they eat Shiinas bentos with others than eating at a quiet place. And to the extremely petite Shiina, its probably better for her not to walk on the asphalt floor under the hot sun. Thus, Touya says, Alright then. Mind if we add another person later? Fine by me. Sorry Mikoto. Facing the smiling university student, the middle-school student turns around, as she speechlessly emits blue and white sparks. This girl really has character, Touya thought as he shakes his head, and turns towards Shiina.

Okaa-san, this should be alrightwhy are you revealing such a terrifying expression? Seeing Shiina reveal this lost expression from the bottom of her heart, the shadow of her face being able to be on a 1000-yen note or a 5000-yen note, Touya inadvertently backs off. Shiinas lips arent moving at all, but one can hear a clear voice, Really, Touya, youre always like this. What do you want me to do? Do you want me to throw the entire basket of bentos at you? Ara ara ara ara ara ara ara ara, this is too bad, the completely innocent Touma will have to remain hungry now? Why must she be angry!? Touya backs away. Shiinas not joking. Shes the type of lady where during a quarrel between husband and wife, whether its a plate or a DVD player, shell throw anything that she can get her hands on. Thus, Touya quickly backs off, keeping a safe distance. Unexpectedly, he knocks into another person behind. Wa!!IIm sorry!! Kamijo Touya turns around, quickly lowers his head, and apologises, but instead, hes staring at her huge breasts. As theyre too close to each other, he intended to bend down and apologise, but it ends up looking like hes peeking at her. The womans breasts are just 4mm away from the tip of his nose. Touya quickly looks up at twice the speed. IIm sorry, Im really sorry! WAAHHHokaa-san glare from behind is really piercing me!! The situation has gotten out of hand, but Touya doesnt have to courage to look back and confirm Shiinas expression. Touya looks at the woman in front of him. Its alright, are you hurt? Sorry, Im not used to having so many people around. The woman in front has blond hair thats curled in a complicated way. White skin and blue pupils, a Westerner with such stunning looks. Her homogeneous body gives off a seductive atmosphere. A metal sound can be heard. On her long index finger, theres a metal ring thats about 2cm in diameter. Wrapped by the ring are rectangular pieces of paper that are as big as a chewing gum wrapper. They seem to be flashcards that are used to memorise individual words. She plays around with this stack of flashcards like a keychain. This nee-chan doesnt mind at all I really want to say this, but Im really younger than you, so I cant really call myself nee-chan. Bye bye. After saying this, she turns her back on Touya, and walks away.

She then naturally mixes into the crowd, and soon, shes gone. She has such an outstanding appearance, and she does give off a rather seductive atmosphere, but it seems that nobody noticed her. Touya stares at the blond lady through the corner of his eyes. Ara ara, ara ara ara. Touya? Youre rather awake now, huh? Would breaking your joints would be letting you off too lightly? Ara ara, how irritating, what should I do? Should I just let you be one of the stars in the night sky? Ehits not that, okaa-san, youre mistaken. I didnt stare at that womans attractive face and breasts and waists and legs, so thatsthis is all my fault!! Seeing Touya turn his excuse into an apology, Mikoto softly says, Like father, like son. They didnt realise. The things that are happening inside Academy City. The boy thats close to them is running around, trying to stop this. Also, The danger, that was within 4mm from Touyas nose. Therere no onlookers that are safe. In this street thats full of dangerous people, Daihasei is proceeding on, and heating up. Whether its in the scientific sense, or the magical sense.

Afterword To the readers who continued to buy the books ever since the first volume was released, it's been quite a while. To the studious readers who read nine volumes in one go, nice to meet you. I'm Kamachi Kazuma. Everytime, I felt that it's like a curveball. This time, it's a curveball as well, and the interesting thing is, what kind of curveball was tossed? The keywords related to magic here are things that are rather basic. They are 'magic book' and 'magic array,' and these are common terms that were used in the volumes up till now. The story is set in Daihasei which is an extremely large-scaled sports meet. How do you feel about it? I had nearly forgotten about how a sports day is like, so when I was writing this book, I was worrying about what a sports day would be like as I worked on this book. I'm happy to be able to write something that gives the feeling of a sports carnival. I'll like to thank these two people for their help: Haimura-sensei, who is in charge of illustrations, and Miki-sensei, who's in charge of printing. Without these two people, this work wouldn't be complete at all. I look forward to continuing work with them. I'll also like to thank all the readers. Without you, it's impossible to produce this work. Please continue to give me feedback and support. And now, this volume ends here. I hope you'll continue to read the next volume. At this moment, let me sign off first. Come to think of it, who's the main female protagonist this time? -Kamachi Kazuma-