LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 40: chapter 40
(BACK ON THE ROOF)
Gokusai Kaibi couldn't kill Kakine Teitoku. The difference in the power was enormously vast.
Then again, when she fired her weapon, it wasn't like she actually wished to kill him. She just lost control of her anger and directed it in that way.
In the same way that Misaka Mikoto occasionally shocked Kamijou Touma, with knowledge that he will negate the electricity, Gokusai Kaibi inflicted harm on Kakine, knowing full well that there was actually no harm at all.
The legs without a body started to walk. The dark matter was replenishing itself and soon enough, #2's body fully regenerated, as he stood before Kaibi.
"Quite a cold shoulder. May I ask-"
"What... else?! WHAT ELSE?! Are you being serious right now?! Did you honestly think that the reason I wanted to see you was related to the fact that I lost my dark side job?! Where the hell have you been?!"
"I lost my body after the battle with Accelerator" the level 5 explained" Then I got back, fought him again, had to retreat, then some blond witch turned me into... never mind that, I managed to get back again, and then, after facing Accelerator and few others, I got reborn through myself. I've become a new man."
"I already know that! I heard rumors, at the very least" Kaibi shouted into his face, which took Kakine by surprise.
"What? Then why-"
"Those aren't the things I care about! I don't care if you won or lost, I was just worried that through all of this mess, you didn't give a sign of life through all this bloody time!"
"Don't you see that I was a little busy back then?! Those are not mere things I could be distracted from. I even got back from the dead!" Kakine tried to counter, but Kaibi was relentless.
"For someone claiming to be a new man, you didn't change all that much. As always, you are making this about yourself!"
"I am not... you are saying yourself, that you wanted to find me!"
"Kakine, did you consider, for at least a moment, how did I feel after Battle Royale? You disappeared, Yumiya and Yobou were dead. I had to rebuild my life anew and find a new alliance. Everyone left without saying as much as single goodbye!"
Kakine clenched his fist, dark matter glowing slightly brighter.
"Oh really? Don't act all innocent now. You switched alliances before and after SCHOOL, so don't pretend to tell me that you cared-"
"I did care! I don't know why, but in some way... I did" Kaibi interrupted him, "And I am not talking about SCHOOL as a dark side group, I am talking about all of us as... well, teenagers, companions, or something like that. But you wouldn't know what I mean. In your obsession with Accelerator, Aleister, and ultimate power, you forgot your promise"
"Do you imply that it didn't matter to me how the SCHOOL were to proceed? Didn't I make you my right hand? I trusted you!"
"Yes, you did. As much as someone would trust that a hammer or a screwdriver can do their jobs. You were using me, Kakine, all of us! Even if I did my fair share of manipulating... I didn't want to be a tool to you. I wanted... I truly believed in what you promised me. About Academy City being a better place when you take over. About my sisters being safe. But as I watched you, I realized that you wanted Measure Heart, not Gokusai Kaibi."
"You watched Yumiya die too without lifting a finger! As for Yobou, this was simply an unfortunate causality, it's not like I intended for it to happen. And you... what is this all about? Gokusai I knew was a perfect companion, never complaining... and all of the sudden, there is this talk about caring and being genuine? Are you saying you fell in love with me or something?"
"SO WHAT IF I DID?!"
Kakine made a rare face of complete shock.
"Huh?"
"Or at least, that's what I would say before certain someone came into my life and taught me a lot about love. I am not surprised that a narcissist like you wouldn't notice... but I admired you, I respected you, and I truly wanted to be loyal for the SCHOOL. But... you never truly got that attention back. I deluded myself into thinking that maybe when you acquire your goal, things will change. But when you disappeared, I finally understood. You only cared about your own goal. Even though I couldn't regulate the distance between us, our bond... what we had back then, wasn't healthy. Not only were you not protecting my sisters, you were using them to ensure my obedience. So I can say with certainty that as I see it now, I lusted for you. For your power, for your vision, for all the things you promised. But I didn't love you. Not in the sense that I learned in recent times."
She got up and turned back on Kakine.
"Gokusai..."
"I am done here, Dark Matter" she spat out, purposely using epithet instead of a surname.
Suddenly, a wall of luminous substance spreading from Kakine's body blocked the exit.
"Look, I am not telling you to do anything with it... but at least here me out" #2 spoke out" I am... sorry. And when I say that I became a new person, or at least I am trying to be one, I am telling the truth. I can't deny anything you say. But I truly didn't know how much it meant for you"
That was surprising.
The Kakine Kaibi knew would never say 'sorry' and certainly didn't admit any mistake on his part. That was why the girl focused her attention back on level 5.
"You surely heard that esper powers may be influenced by users. When I was a kid, I wasn't really all that extraordinary. Just a normal child, maybe besides my height. So all my early life I dreamed of becoming someone that world has never seen, so special and extraordinary, that it would make everyone stare in awe. Then my wish was granted, as my dark matter is literally something from beyond the known universe. But I soon learned that people fear the unknown more than they might love it. No matter how original one might be, people will sooner or later turn away and be afraid or weirded out. In time, I worked to get more and more fame, power, and prestige. To get back that initial attention. But the more I tried, the more people feared me. So in the end, I became obsessed over ascending higher and higher. If they don't love me, they might as well fear me. Overthrowing Accelerator would be the highest step I could attempt to make in this city, final achievement in my pursuit of recognition and power. But..."
"...There was a moment when you recalled why you were actually doing all of that" Kaibi completed the sentence" What really triggered this downward spiral, what really sent you into this self-obsessed madness... was the time when we lost Ringo. You never really recovered after that, didn't you? And some of part actually wanted to save her, while other told you that you couldn't. Unfortunately, we both know which part won"
"I had to go long way around to find myself in the end. My real dreams and ambitions finally cleared and I was just...so lost in that new self of mine. The things he... me... the other me did... it's still doing of a person known as Kakine Teitoku. So... it's all on me. But I didn't want to be like that anymore. Not after Fremea and those girls showed me a better way. It's only a hypothesis, but I don't think I knew how to approach you on this, I even tried to act like my old self few minutes ago. I didn't assume you would even want to speak with me in a first place."
"I wanted a closure, Kakine. I needed to say all those things I felt towards you..."
"So that's it then?"
"Well, I thought so. But it seems you really did change. We will not be able to go to the things as they were, but... maybe it's not the real time for you to be scrapped off my life. I don't know how will we proceed from now on and what will become of it... but I can tolerate you in my life, as an associate from older times"
Kakine raised an eyebrow.
"You really changed. In older times, you wouldn't have spirit to talk back to me at all"
Kaibi tensed up. If Kakine fought her, he could obliterate her on the spot, especially since her power couldn't really affect him.
But the boy shrugged and smiled.
"That's fine by me. It may sound fake, but... I hope you find happiness, Gokusai. It's the least I can wish you"
Kaibi didn't say anything at that, only nodding slightly.
"That being said... who is the guy? You know, your actual love."
Although Kaibi initially didn't want to tell it, some strange sensation, akin to pride, compelled her to finally say it.
"Kamijou. His name is Kamijou Touma"
'Back when we worked together, before I fell in love, I hid Touma's connection to Aleister... to protect him. It's so strange, how quickly times change...'
Kakine's eyes narrowed.
'Kamijou, Kamijou... where did I hear this before... oh, that's right. The guy that fought with me against Rensa.'
"You know him?"
"That might be a little bit of strong word, but we crossed paths. I remember that he had quite peculiar power. Hmm, there is an urban legend of sorts about Accelerator being defeated by a level 0. If he was the one to somehow slug this arrogant bastard to the face, it is definitely a plus from my side. Also... I think it's him, down there" Kakine said, pointing through the glass dome.
"Oh, he might be there. I was spending time with him and I should go back to-"
"No, I mean... he has company. A company we are both familiar with"
"WHAT?!"
Kaibi basically plastered her face against the glass.
"Why is he with... her, of all people?! Can you get me down there?"
"I usually don't do taxi, but..."
Six seraphim wings sprouted from the form of pure white.
"... I guess I can make an exception"
(FEW MINUTES LATER)
"There is no way that I am allowing you to meet up with him! What were you thinking, you moron? She is incredibly dangerous and unstable!"
"Who the fuck are you, his mom? At least I didn't ditch him in the middle of the date!"
"I... I only did so because it was very important."
"Sure, say your excuses. We all know how good you are in lying"
"How dare you!"
Everything got complicated for Touma.
In one moment, he was learning quite a lot about Mugino. In the next, Kaibi literally descended from above carried by Kakine Teitoku.
Of course, Kaibi wanted to know what was going on. Following that, Mugino also demanded to be brought up to speed.
And now, the girls didn't know if they wanted to be more angry at him or at each other. Ultimately, instinctively understanding that Touma was simply an idiot in this situation and that it wasn't really his desire to explicitly fool around, they focused their wrath on each other, especially since they seemed to share some animosity from the past. Meanwhile, Kakine Teitoku just watched the scene unfold with mild interest on his face.
As Touma explained the situation to them, the shouting match seemed to only escalate. If he tried to stop the two girls, the anger turned on him would be tenfold of what he was dealing with now.
But as he was at loss on what to do, an unexpected factor from earlier entered the scene, changing the situation completely.
"Gokusai Kaibi?"
Everyone turned to see a girl that Touma already spoke with before. The redhead Tokiwadai student calling herself Yumiya Iruka. Touma was quite concerned when he saw Kaibi's face, which got deathly pale as soon as she saw Iruka.
"Yes..." Kaibi answered with a tone that suggested that if she could, she would deny the question" that's me, what I might do for you?"
"Are you serious? I tried to find or contact you for months. I know for a fact that my sister spent time with you, so you would be a perfect lead in finding her. Don't you wish to find her too?"
"Well... I..."
Gokusai Kaibi, usually so smooth and glamorous in her presentation, was sweating and trying to speak. But it was Mugino who spoke first, addressing Measure Heart
"You mean you didn't tell her? You were in one group, didn't you?"
"You made the last step! So why I should tell her this?!"
"Wait... what are you talking about?" Iruka asked, voicing a question that was also present in Touma's mind.
"Yumiya Rakko was a sniper affiliated with my group. She worked with me and Gokusai here" Kakine explained
Iruka frowned.
"But... that's impossible. My sister was a scaredy cat, all she wanted was to overcome anxiety and social inhibition. She can't possibly be any sort of a killer."
"It's true though" said Mugino" member of my organization clashed with her and she was quite driven in hunting her down"
Iruka was speechless, so Touma took the occasion to ask.
"So... can you help Iruka-san, regardless of who Rakko-san was?"
"That... is not possible, Kamijou" answered Kakine.
"Why though? What aren't you telling us?"
"Since she doesn't have strength to spell it out, I will" Mugino said, ignoring look of terror on Kaibi's face "Simply put, we can't do shit now, because Yumiya Rakko is dead. It was all covered up"
Iruka froze in place.
"What... what did you say?"
"Rakko clashed with ITEM operative Frenda Seivelun" Kakine added" after that rather disastrous fight, she lost her tracking by smell. It was also a matter of time when she'll meet her demise and in due time, ITEM killed her."
Iruka blankly looked at Mugino, who shrugged.
"Back then, as shitty as it is to look back, everyone was killing everyone. She would kill us if we didn't kill her. So we set up an ambush to corner her. And when the deed was done... my Meltdowner vaporizes matter down to molecular level. There was no corpse left to speak of. On that note, she did seem to be calling for help. Too bad it never came."
She looked at Kaibi, who tried to face Iruka, but was still failing to do so.
"It was an order... to leave her be."
"You abandoned her? Weren't you her friend?" Iruka cried out" Rakko and me were very close when we were children. I knew she was drifting away, that she had secrets... but if she didn't trust me, you could at least save her... in my place!"
She zoomed forward and grabbed Kaibi by her dress. Both Touma and Kakine moved, but the blond raised her hand.
"Yumiya-san... it's true. I stood aside and let Rakko die. She was to be disposed, and while I didn't kill her directly, I allowed her to die."
Iruka was now trembling.
"You knew, all of this time... do you realize how much I searched, how much I missed her?! She was abandoned by the ones she called a team and died somewhere, all alone, without as much as proper burial!"
"Her loyalty wasn't as flawless as you make it to be. Don't speak of things you have no knowledge of" Kakine commented
Touma watched with morbid terror as the darksiders spoke of death and its implications so casually. It was as if this topic was so common for them that the weight behind it became a common thing in life.
"I don't... want to believe this... but it does make sense." strange light entered Iruka's eyes, as she slowly reached for her flashlight while still holding Kaibi" The only thing I can to do make her soul at peace is-"
Before she could light the flashlight up, her raising hand was caught by Touma's.
Iruka didn't change her expression, as her one visible eye was focused on Kaibi.
"Let go, senpai"
"Yumiya-san, if you are trying to get revenge, there is no turning back from that. I cannot allow you to hurt anyone here"
"Then I guess I was mistaken about you. Why are you protecting murderers?!"
"Because people change. It will not bring your sister back, but Kaibi-san and Mugino-san are both trying to change for the better and leave their past behind. But I am not doing this for them only. I don't want for you to walk down this path. You are blinded by rage, and loss, and sorrow... I know what you feel right now. I know that you feel like this is the only way. But this will only make it worse. For you and for everyone"
"Not to mention she picked up the wrong target" said Kakine" Meltdowner here was the real reason for Yumiya's death"
"Oh, so the fact that you turned your back on her doesn't matter at all? We only did because you were messing with us and only waiting for the occasion to strike"
"You know very well that SCHOOL had more causalities than ITEM"
"Yeah, but it was you who started-"
"STOP!"
Everybody froze, looking at the spiky haired boy still holding Yumiya Iruka. He was looking at them with intense gaze.
Kamijou Touma rarely raised his voice like that. This was one of the reasons why all of those powerful espers suddenly got quiet. The dissonance was just too great.
"Didn't you get something backwards? Didn't you mess with priorities a little bit? A girl lost her life. A valued existence, with great potential and possibilities that now will never come to be"
"Didn't you hear what we said? She was a heartless bitch of an assassin, a sniper who-" Mugino tried to say, but the boy was having none of it.
"I DON'T CARE! I am not saying she was sinless. Hell, I am convinced by now that she was tainted by darkness. But I saw so many opportunities for people like that to be saved. There was so much that could be done, that I could have done... and yet, the choice that was made was to kill the problem alongside her. Not everyone can be understood, maybe not everyone can be saved. But I always believed and will continue to do so, that we have to make our best in trying to achieve this best possible result. And what killing does..."
Touma was trying to calm his breathing, but the emotions were flowing through him like a roaring wave, when he faced three former darksiders.
"... is making every effort not worth at all. Not only does it make any attempt of reaching out impossible. " Touma recalled something that Bologna told him not so long ago" A person that dies is unique in the face of history, and was someone that had something to return to. Their dreams that just happened to contradict your own."
"Why" Kakine spoke quietly" Why do you, not involved in this, had such sentiment towards it?"
"Because it sickens me. The fact that dark side dies so slowly"
Kaibi's own heart was the only sound she heard through interval of silence before Touma resumed:
"And I know it sickened you too. That endless cycle of violence, the carnage that made you lose sight of why you started it at the first place. And why? For what price? You relished in that violence. You could think that by doing so you were some kind of gods... you could think that it was your birthright and something you needed to establish your position... something that made you control your own broken heart..." as Touma spoke those assumptions, he looked at Kakine, Mugino, and Kaibi, respectively" But none of you reached your dreams because of that. It only demanded more and more blood, more and more. Because it never stemmed from any kind of virtuous goal. You said you were doing it for right reasons, but darkness like this always feeds of your insecurities, of envy, of longing. It's not like you wanted to eradicate the imperfections on your path. You wanted to cleanse your imperfections by lowering the bar and killing anyone that could invoke any negative feeling. It's obvious that you are going to be the best like this. Instead of building the tallest tower, you knock down everyone else's"
"Why would you think we would throw ourselves to the dark side because of envy?" Kaibi asked, even though deep down she already knew the answer.
"Because you were strong. Because you were feared and no one ever asked you how you were doing. You were alone with that power and you assumed that it was all that mattered, all that made you truly worthy. Each of you had different circumstances, that I don't know, but... you didn't get help. Or got it too late, and it yielded results of your past. Deaths and endless cycle of darkness."
"Cycle?" came the voice of Yumiya Iruka, who until now was listening to Touma's monologue in silence.
"Yes, cycle. Violence only breeds more violence. I am a hypocrite, as I too resolve things with my fist. But I would never give up on someone enough to kill him, not for the sake of death itself. You may call me a fool, you may call me an idiot, or sentimental child not knowing everything about the world. I want to be called that any day instead of being someone who would take a life. I. NEVER. WOULD! Because this is always the same. No matter your motivations, no matter your own hurt, when you pull that trigger or fire deadly esper power, you have no idea what your consequences will truly create! Even if you bring death to that one person, how far will that hatred spread? How many bonds will be tarnished? How many people will long for justice and only spread the violence further? How much blood will spill, and how many lives will be lost before people understand that they can save themselves instead of dragging themselves into the darkness, that they can connect with people or at least establish some understanding, instead of taking their lives."
He spoke to Mugino and Kakine, while pointing at Iruka
"You don't know who will lose the one he cherished. A death with no true witness and with no purpose. What follows is a revenge. A revenge that brings more death, and more violence, and finally there is no telling who started it, who is to blame, who is the victim and who is the aggressor. Instead... you can try changing your mind. Speaking out. You can try to reach out, to help, to save, to heal. It is so easy to cause death. I am only a level 0, but people with power like you have so much more opportunities for helping others!"
"Don't compare your problems to the dark side! You can't truly understand! And on what basis would we even being helping one another?!"
Mugino screamed this in form of defiance, but what happened next shocked both her and Kaibi. Kakine remained composed, although he batted his breath and clenched his fists.
Touma simply glanced at them. It was most likely without his intention, but something flashed in his eyes. Something that chilled everyone to the core, that made their mouths go dry. In one, split second, they gazed into the eyes so sorrowful and regretful that their gaze almost carried tangible weight.
Kamijou Touma said nothing and after his speech, this made even greater effect.
'I don't know? Of course I understand. I saw horrors I am not able share with you, I did things that you can't even imagine, and behind my smile...'
He experienced universe being erased. His family, his friends. He lost so many people along his journey through infinite deaths among shifting words that he honestly could not count just how many times he mourned. It was such a long time that his own corpses could cover entire countries. He walked in phases where he had to bury his loved ones, where he violated all things sacred to himself, where he was rejected. There was no dictionary for the pain he felt. It was not because it was so great. It was because it lasted so long. Kamijou Touma returned back home, yet he paid a price. A price of life came from endless death, that came in so many forms and circumstances that his heart, his very soul barely kept shape.
'People always get it wrong with dying. Sometimes, death takes forever to come. I've felt it so many times that I became dangerously close to not caring about it at all... but because I walked through death far longer than I walked through life...because I got more used saying goodbye than hello... and because I saw almost everything in the world ending, with no time and space remaining... I will never lose it again. I saw that void of nothingness and I will not allow anyone to let go of life on such trivial reasons. In face of what Othinus did, it all seemed... meaningless.'
Yet he said none of that. And miniscule piece of that infinite experience of loss, and longing, and sorrow, and strife, of broken love, and never found kindness, slipped through the fraction of the glance that Kaibi and two level 5s saw.
Mugino Shizuri was definitely not someone who could be easily threatened. But in that one moment, even if it was only a short while, she felt her hair stand on end and her skin crawled. Next to her, Kaibi shivered profusely. She looked at Touma worryingly.
It was not the hearts of the girls skipped a beat. It was almost as if their hearts somehow forgot how to beat for that one split second.
'Holy... fuck!' Mugino thought, calming herself down after... whatever was the thing that she just witnessed. Her mind was filled with various emotions, ranging from worry, through confusion, to unexpected feeling of kinship. 'He... definitely knows. I don't know why or how, but he does. Oh shit...'
The feeling passed, and Touma decided to answer the last part of Mugino's retort.
"Because we are broken. All of us are, the only difference is how much. And this is nothing bad because only through being broken, can we reshape ourselves and create something new and great. We are fragile and when we fight for prevailing of our dreams, when we walk through this life being fundamentally alone. We are all alone simply because we are all different people. But we have been given the gift, through meeting one another. If we are going to die anyway and if we are going to be alone in our deaths, when can at least try to see if we can connect with others. Isn't this brokenness enough? The fact that each of us is trying to write his own story, and stumbles along the way. I am not saying that one should drop everyone and focus on another without any limits. But... the effort is real in one way or another. None of us actually has any idea what we are doing here. But sometimes, if you listen hard enough and stop for a second to consider it, you may see that other people are beautiful in themselves. Even if you have to endure their differences, and bare the risk of hate from the possibility of love... as for me, they always made me smile. They made me think that this peaceful life is worthy in itself. I am only a normal human. But others... others were always the best of me. I came so close, so many times, to losing all that matters. No one should ever have to experience this. We can die each and every day, so why the hell do you help death out? What I do may not be the most logical, smart, or even efficient way, but I do what I can. And I will keep trying, because it's something that brings choice, that brings change to this cycle of hatred. When you stand on the opposite sides of the battlefield in depths of that darkness, you may one day die too. I am at peace with what I am standing for in the face of death. What would it be for you?"
"But... what should be done instead?"
"You live on, breaking this cycle. It is one of the hardest and most ungrateful things. It may almost destroy you at the beggining. The pain may make you believe that you are simply a walking corpse. But in the end, this light you saved in your soul will make life cling to your bones, and you will raise again. If you believe and stay strong, I can promise you this. Things do get better"
There was a moment of heavy silence, after which Iruka spoke
"Even with you saying all of this, senpai... I can't just turn away from the fact that my sister died"
"No one is telling you to turn away. You can seek justice, and I will help you with that. Just don't hurt each other more than you already did. Please!"
The amber eye met the dark grey eye, and finally, Iruka sighed
"I am still not convinced. As her sister, I should be the one to bring justice upon those who caused Rakko-chan's death. But, because you apparently care a lot about this case, I will give you one, single chance. If you win, I will accept your way of justice. If I win, I will do it as I wish."
"Wait... win?"
"Of course. Face me in honourable battle to submission."
"What? May I ask... what does this have to with anything?"
"Facing me in battle will be the best way to prove your conviction. If you defeat me, I will believe that leaving Rakko-chan's justice in your hands is the safe choice. Besides, I heard that your fighting is a stuff of legend. That you can slay hearts and change minds with one punch of your fists. It's only natural that I am intrigued"
'Who the hell is making stories like that?!'
"So then, do you accept?"
"I suppose we are past simply talking it out... if there is no other way, I accept this fight"
"Wonderful" Iruka finally let go of Kaibi, who wobbled backwards like a broken toy" Meet me behind the mall. You have half an hour to prepare."
And then, she left. Touma sighed and put a hand on Kaibi's shoulder
"You're okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine. But... why are you doing this? To be honest, I was ready to accept this punishment."
"Do you regret what happened with Rakko-san?"
"I... didn't back then, but... for some time, the guilt appeared. I... wasn't brave enough to reach to her sister and explain, I kept making excuses..."
"You agreeing to fight her is honestly baffling" Kakine commented, as they walked through the mall.
"I know that some of you, not throwing names..." Touma cast a glance at Mugino, who crossed her arms in that moment" might think that this means I think of you as weak. But it's not like that. I just don't want to lose anyone important to me, that's all"
Mugino and Kaibi looked at each other and sighed.
No matter how reckless and illogical things could get, this was Kamijou Touma's way of doing things.
"I wonder though, what's with Tokiwadai girls and fights? Do they actually not want to be ojou-samas and seek stimulation like this?"
"Those brats are simply immature, you should just ignore them" Mugino added her bit, which made Touma look at her flatly
"I don't know if you are in position to really criticise them, Mugino-san, considering you went for my flesh and blood two times already..."
(10 MINUTES BEFORE THE FIGHT)
"*Kero, Kero, Kero*"
Touma's phone made the sounds of a frog.
"Nice, she is responding to the message I sent... but that ringtone is still ridiculous"
Hokaze Junko downloaded and set this ringtone herself when she added her contact info to his phone. For a guy like Kamijou it was actually rather embarrassing, but the good thing from this was that he at least knew who was calling, right away.
"Kamijou-san? How lovely to hear from you. So, you wanted to know about Yumiya-san's ability? Why? Did you happen to meet?"
"Well, yes, and we are also about to have a duel."
"Oh, how splendid"
'In which world is this sort of thing called splendid?'
"Oh, if she is making problems for you because of me, I will talk with her-"
"No, no, there is no need, it's... a bit more complex than this."
"Oh, I see. Well, if it is a fair battle, I think you understand that I can't give you full information on her. She doesn't know much about you too"
Touma tried to hide that he was slightly dejected at that, but Junko still gave him some basics
"Yumiya-san is capitan of archery club and her ability is called Wave Conductor. I fought her before and I can say that she is a formidable opponent, so do be careful"
"Thanks, Hokaze-san"
"Be sure to tell me how it went"
(AT THE TIME OF THE BATTLE)
Kaibi, Mugino, and Kakine stayed to watch the clash from the sidelines.
Iruka faced Touma as they stood against one another on a concrete parking space that was their battleground. The girl had military flashlight, rows of small laser pointers strapped to her thighs, as well as small whistle hanging from her neck..
"It's still not too late to back down and let me take care of everything"
"That's not an option, Yumiya-san"
"Then do be serious about this. Even as remarkable as you might be..." the girl pulled out her flashlight. With a hiss, the light formed a concentrated beam, similar to a blade."... things can get really messy"
She then lifted the newly formed lightsaber, with Touma's eyes widening in awe
"This is so cool..."
"That's not the time to be enchanted, senpai!"
Touma jumped back, as Iruka swung her blade of light at him. He evaded a few swings before thinking about what to do, as Iruka cut through the metal railing while pursuing him
'This thing is dangerous. If it cut through me, it would sever me clean with no problem. But, if this light is kept concentrated and solidified through esper ability, then it means..."
He stopped and when he raised his right hand to stop the attack, the blade of light shattered into luminous shards.
This left Iruka in shock.
"My Kogara Sumaru! What-"
Yet Touma swung his fist, forcing the girl to quickly back away.
"I don't know what you did, but I will make sure you won't be able to get close"
In the next moment, she took out what looked like a laser pointer.
That underwhelming tool surprised Touma.
But then, his instinct told him to threw himself to the side. In the last moment at that.
BOOM!
The laser beam zoomed through the air and caused an enormous explosion behind his back.
Iruka grinned at him.
"They are small, but pack quite the punch once they are amplified. Let's see if you dodge that!
The bursts of fire caused Touma to run around, as environment around him exploded over and over.
'Can I negate this? No, not entirely, it seems like a continuous stream, so it's probably like Innocentius'
Yet he needed to try.
He stopped and intercepted the beam.
"Khhh..."
He could feel his right hand straining. This laser was quite powerful, but he managed to hold on until it subsided.
Iruka already used 2 laser pointers, and she had to discard yet another one.
"You can withstand laser pointer fire blasts? Very impressive..."
As soon as the assault ended, Touma charged forward, to which Iruka smiled.
"But, as I said, I am not going to let you get close"
She then blew into a whistle.
In the next moment, Kamijou was blasted with a loud wave of sound.
"Gaaaaaaah?!"
He flew backwards, rolling on the ground, with loud ringing in his ears.
'Wave Conductor... of course. She can manipulate and amplify waves. Which means not only light, but also sound are at her command. Aside from that cool sword, she has lot of long distance techniques. I can stop her if I can get close to her, but this soundwave is a problem...'
Touma stopped mid-thought as he was getting up on his feet.
Was it really that much of a problem?
It went without saying that Imagine Breaker could negate supernatural with direct contact. If someone conjured a ball of fire and threw it at Touma, he could negate it without a problem.
However, it said fireball hit the ground and created an shockwave through explosion, it couldn't be negated anymore, as the shockwave was natural occurrence.
But what if the shockwave itself was influenced by supernatural power?
"Well, I guess I have to find out"
Touma took off running. Iruka once again raised the whistle up to her lips.
"This again?"
She blew it and the amplified soundwave once again permeated the air.
The only difference was that Touma raised Imagine Breaker to intercept it.
He didn't know what to expect.
When the upcoming air filled with change of pressure from Iruka's amplified soundwave clashed with Imagine Breaker, the sound around the right hand reverted back to its original frequency. That meant the narrow tunnel of normal sound was created around Touma, with amplified soundwave still around him.
The difference in pressures not only made a horrible dissonance (which caused Iruka and the spectators, despite not being in the range of the sound, to wince in pain) but ended up creating a small explosion that knocked both opponents onto their knees.
Despite pain in his ears, Touma dashed forward, towards the recovering girl.
"Yumiya-saaaaaan!"
HUM!
Iruka forced herself to focus and once again activated her lightsaber, swinging it horizontally. Not having time to intercept it, Touma was forced to jump back, as Iruka switched weapons once again.
She took out what look like a small tube. But when she pressed it, it started to change shape like a mechanical clockwork toy. And finally...
'Is this... a collapsible bow?'
The bow was medium sized, with a reinforced bowstring. Touma watched as the girl put small object between two of her fingers. Another laser pointer? No, it was a smaller flashlight.
Upon activation, it expanded into a solidified beam, albeit smaller than the one of the lightsaber. It was an arrow made out of light, emitted through the flashlight.
"Effects of my ability can last up to 10 seconds, even after the amplified light waves leave my vicinity. This is more than enough for my flashlight arrows to reach you."
TWANG! SWISH!
The projectile passed by Touma's cheek, slightly scorching it and exploded after hitting the ground behind him.
TWANG! SWISH! TWANG! SWISH! TWANG! SWISH!
Iruka shot arrow after arrow into the now zig-zagging boy.
"I can still shoot moving target, you know. Don't worry, I will not permanently hurt you, only immobilize you. You might as well give up. Even if you can interfere with my lightwaves, it doesn't matter if you can't intercept them in time, so victory is-"
Then, Touma did something that once again threw Tokiwadai girl, and the former dark siders in the audience, into deep shock.
He twisted his body and extended his right hand. The arrow of light shattered, leaving only a not functioning flashlight falling to the ground.
Iruka's triumphant expression froze solid, after noticing light-fast arrow destroyed.
"H...Huh? HUH?!"
"I am sorry, it took me a while to remember how I moved back then..." Touma muttered, more to himself than to Iruka, as he broke into sprint" You are a formidable archer, perhaps one of the best I saw. But compared to the arrows from that time, yours are merely needles."
'A giant crossbow made out of the entire world...
Ten pieces of destruction...
First shot falling from the heavens, with power to destroy one or two planets in one blow...
Second coming diagonally behind him, creating a valley through entire world...
Third and fourth coming from the ground
Fifth coming in front of him, the one he directed straight to heavens.
Sixth and seventh from beyond the shoulders of his attacker...
Eight, ignoring the concept of third dimension. He sensed it and evaded it on instinct.
Ninth, ignoring the concept of numbers. Even with infinite quantity, he still found the way through.
Tenth, one that ended it all'
"I faced arrows that exceeded reality itself. This will not work on me"
He was now very close to Iruka, who grit her teeth.
"You really don't know when to give up, do you?"
Suddenly, bright light flashed in front of Touma's eyes. He suddenly became blind and his opponent immediately utilized it.
He was kicked and pushed to the ground. Soon afterwards, an explosion scorched his hair and clothes.
His vision was blurry and he saw several flickering afterimages of laughing Iruka in front of him.
"Kamijou!" Mugino and Kaibi got up from their seats.
"Even without equipment, I can still create flashes of light that will cause your brain to go haywire. You won't be able to see me, or even think straight, enough for me to do this"
She kicked Touma who swung his fist at her. But he missed.
He tried again, and again, and again. And still failed to hit the target.
"It's futile. That being said, your endurance is truly monstrous. Usually, that flash is an automatic K.O. Allow me to end this with GBWAAAH?!"
All of the sudden, fist collided with her cheek.
Iruka spun around and fell onto the ground, crying out in surprise and pain.
Touma stood above her, wobbling slightly on his feet, but nevertheless conscious and in the game.
"I-Impossible! You should not be able to see. No, wait... you still can't, can you?"
Kamijou's eyes were squinted and out of focus.
"Then how... don't tell me you adapted to the delirium? You... you can't be serious. Are you using your other senses?"
"Yeah. You talk a lot when you feel confident. Also..."
Touma initiated the punch once again and now it was Iruka who became to back away.
"... you wear some sort of perfume. I am only a simple guy, but I noticed that it has a nice and characteristic smell. Enough for me to sense when you move. It spreads, a lot, there is a subtle difference."
"S-Seriously?" Iruka muttered, not being sure if she should be impressed or terrified. What kind of battles and how often did Kamijou have to fight to just swap into other senses like that? It usually took much longer to achieve such proficiency.
And then, her back hit the wall.
She knew that Touma's sight was returning.
"Give up, Yumiya-san. You have nowhere to go."
"My my, it appears so. You really make me use everything I've got. And so, I will humour you till the end..." the girl suddenly pulled away the hair covering right side of her face.
There was crystal-like structure in her right eye. A prism.
With a flash of light, the beam was fired from the prism in a point blank range.
As the beam clashed with Imaigne Breaker, it pushed Touma back.
Yet, slowly but steadily, the boy advanced. Even when his bones cracked and the hand popped out of the socket, he got closer and closer, until he finally touched the girl's brow with tips of his fingers.
The beam vanished with Wave Conductor negated.
What Touma did next surprised Iruka even more.
He hugged her, causing the tired girl to gasp.
"Oi... I lost, I admit it. What are you doing?"
"You know, the reason why I wanted you to not lose yourself to vengeance was more than one. I think there is something else..."
Iruka's lips started to tremble.
"Stop... let me go..."
"Deep down, you knew that your sister was already gone, didn't you? Maybe you ignored the evidence or maybe it was too scarce, but you still instinctively knew..."
"Stop... just don't say anything..."
"... yet you kept going, forcing yourself to be strong through that self-invented hope, for such a long time. Today, this illusion was shattered. Your sister is gone, and she is not coming back"
"Why...why are you saying this?"
"Because this is the first step you need to take to move forward. Your sister will always be in your heart. Maybe, in a way, she kept you away from her secrets to protect you? Even if she didn't sound like that kind of person, this is always the possibility. But I believe that you never truly went through grief after your loss. So-"
He heard a sob and the redhead's body shivered slightly.
A single trail of tears flown down.
"Don't you dare look at me now" she whispered between the sobbing.
"Why do you think I hugged you? It's one of the best ways to hide a face"
It didn't last all that long. But tears shed in that moment were the first step for Yumiya Iruka to break from her pain.
(AFTERWARDS)
Mugino, Kaibi, and Kakine were each obliged to provide a compensation for Rakko's demise to Iruka. What exactly was the compensation was to the girl's choosing and was to be decided in the future. Touma was to ensure that that the charged trio went through with their promise (each of them had no objections, which only showed the change in their hearts over the course of time).
Soon after, Kakine departed, while Kaibi returned to the mall, while Mugino watched Touma and Iruka with arms crossed.
"You know... I must thank you. In retrospect, I was not acting rationally." Iruka smiled to Touma, as they rested against the wall.
Both were rather battered. Touma had a few scorch marks, his eyes stung, and ears still experienced a slight echo. Iruka's hair was covered in dust and debris, powdering down with her every move. Her unifrom was torn in one place and she also had a pale red mark of Touma's fist on the cheek.
"Not a problem. Anyone would be devastated after such a loss" said the boy, finishing the readjustment of his right wrist.
"I really understand now. Even though you occasionally helped out me and others from Tokiwadai, only today I truly understood your bravery and tenacity. I hope we will meet again. Here, it's my number. You can call me if you need me, and I will be there"
"Thanks. So... we're good?"
Iruka grinned to him, looking at him with a slightly mischievous face.
"Yes, we are more than good. Hokaze-san will always be my number 1, but the way you fought was honestly so inspiring and cool that... maybe my heart is big enough to be a fan of both of you. It seems some of the legends about you are true..."
"Legends? Which ones?"
"Take a guess. But don't jump to the conclu... cluh... hah-choo!"
Breaking that curiously sensual moment, Yumiya Iruka sneezed.
That in itself wasn't strange, but what followed was more peculiar.
There was a 'PLOP' sound and something fell to the ground. As Iruka's eye was still closed, Touma was the one that managed to catch falling object before it hit the ground.
Iruka recovered after her sneeze and looked at Touma.
"Excuse me. It seems my nose is not agreeing with all the dust on my hair and clothes. I better take my leave and wash my...self..."
She then touched right side of her face a few times.
"Wait a second..."
"Yumiya-san, is that..."
Both Touma and Iruka slowly looked at the object in Touma's hand.
It was a prism. A prism that Touma earlier saw in place of Iruka's right eye.
Girl's face exploded in crimson hue, as Touma open his mouth awkwardly.
"Awawawawa! S-So embarrassing! Good thing you got it in time..."
"I... I am sorry, but I have to ask... your eye shoots out every time you sneeze? Because that seems a little-"
"A-Are you stupid? Of course not! It happened because I overheated it while we were fighting and it loosened a bit! Can you help me now?"
"Yumiya-san... I think it's honestly safe to say that I caught your eye..."
"For crying out loud, don't make fun of this, and put it back into the socket!"
After Iruka finally left, Mugino spoke
"That was quite a show. But it doesn't change one thing..."
She suddenly shot forward, and Touma barely had time to grab her hands into his own, as the girl pushed onto him.
"I am still pissed at you! For this whole double date fuckery! Now that that telepath went away, you are back in first row of my wrath!"
"Mugino-san, I am going to make it up to you, I promise!" Touma said, as they engaged in that peculiar wrestling session
"That would have to be a pretty epic makeup!" the girl countered.
In that moment, Touma slipped slightly on fragment of debris. Because of that, he pushed forward.
He forced both his and Mugino's arms to spread, which in turn made their bodies close in on each other and their faces to almost collide with one another. That included their lips.
"Mmmghmmm?!" came the surprised sound from Mugino Shizuri's mouth.
Because of height difference (caused mainly by Mugino's boots) he ended up nibbling her lower lip more than properly kissing her. It was clumsy at best. But the girl didn't seem to mind at all.
They separated after a moment, Mugino letting go of Touma was slightly flushed cheeks.
'Crap, it was an accident, and she will surely be even madder now.'
But Mugino didn't seem pissed now.
"Ho... that was..." she muttered" a pretty good first step in an apology"
"Really. Then-"
WHAM!
"Ow! You just said that it wasn't bad, why did you hit me?"
"Because when you grow balls to do something like this, you need to see this through the end. Remember it for the next time"
"What... next..."
"When you kiss someone, do it as if you are going to own the other person. To become one. Let me show you how it's done"
She dominantly lifted Kamijou's chin and smiled.
In the next moment, their lips crashed and Touma felt that after moments of wrestling for control, Mugino's tongue made its way to his mouth.
Even though Mugino played experienced, she trembled with emotions, as Touma grabbed her by the arms. She almost jumped on him, as he somehow managed to balance them as they were still kissing.
The most surprising part to Mugino was...
'Why the hell... am I crying?'
There was a single stream of tears on her face, as she kissed Touma deeper and deeper.
For people who repressed emotions, who lived in violence and through trauma, such emotional experience as genuine kiss could often trigger tears or emotional reactions beyond those normally experienced. Such was the case with Mugino Shizuri, as she cried those purifying tears, and felt content with the way life was, if only for a moment.
(LATER)
As Touma, with mouth still slightly numb, wandered through the mall, he once again stumbled across Misaka 10039.
"Welcome again, says Misaka offering a greeting"
"Hey, how was your day?"
"It was acceptable. Apparently, Misaka lost a client. She may now focus on another searches."
"You probably mean Iruka... hmm, do you see a girl in the crimson dress and with blond hair around here?"
"Misaka noticed a girl matching that description by the side of the fountain, says Misaka, providing an explanation "
"Thank you, I must talk to her as quickly as I can" Touma was about to walk away, but stopped in the last moment "Hmm... how confident are you in your searching ability?"
"Misaka can communicate with other members of the Misaka Network. Thanks to this, we have wide range of search and can also track people without being noticed"
"Then, would you help me pinpointing this girl?" Touma said, showing the picture of Mitsuari Ayu" I would just like to know where she might end up on a specific day. This will save me and Kumokawa-senpai a lot of trouble"
Misaka 10039 simply nodded.
"It should be done, says Misaka as she is ready for the action"
(LATER)
Just like 10039 said, Touma found Kaibi near the carbon fountain.
Now, he was slightly unsure how to approach her, especially after what happened with Mugino.
One aiding factor was that Touma already had at least a basic idea that he had children in the future. Including the one with Kaibi-san. It was not set in stone, but it was something he got already used to, even if Niang-Niang and Nephthys still didn't fully explain to him how exactly will he be able to live with multiple girls in singular lives.
But still, he needed to speak with Kaibi. So sat down near the blond.
"Hey"
"Hey"
"Kaibi-san... are you mad at me?"
The girl sighed.
"Well, I was really mad at you. In a way, I still am. But, besides the case of Rakko pushing it away, Meltdowner messing up the day made me realize a certain thing. And it's more important thing than being angry"
"Which is?"
"I can't wait anymore. Rikuri nee-san was right."
"What do you mean by this?"
"Kamijou... no, Touma... please listen to what I am about to say to you. It might change our life together, the one we share with Amazora and Rikuri too. If you will not like what you hear, I will back down and wait. But I have to say this now. When you first came back into our life, I only sought a way to kick you out and get rid of you. I treated you as an anomaly, as someone I could not control and comprehend. I was bent on closing my heart on you. But through your actions and thanks to my sisters, I was able to slowly notice. Little by little, but I saw it. The things that made you amazing person. That I still admire you for.
You did so much for our family, even though we certainly didn't ask you for it. You took care of us, you listened to us, you valued us, you experienced life with us. And all of those things you did for me too. You gave me a chance, when I was still closing my heart. You accepted me even without clear knowledge who I was and promised to help me find my core, my real self beyond any masks. You made my life so much more beautiful and showed me so many possibilities in such a short time simply by being here and spending time with me. For all those things and many others, I have nothing but gratitude.
I am scared. Scared of losing you, scared of watching you suffer, scared of seeing you in pain. When it all began, I couldn't imagine living with you, but now, I honestly can't imagine living without you being part of my life. I don't wish to stand idly by when you face dangers. Even if I don't understand them, I wish to be able to protect you.
I have dreams now. I wish to always be with all of you. To spend days with you, Amazora, and Rikuri, doing all that silly stuff, cooking, playing, laughing together, and just enjoying normal life. I wish to wake up to that reality every day, by your side. I wish to cherish my life with those I care about, I wish to discover where my new heights lay, I wish to see all that I have yet to witness in the years to come.
I know I am stubborn. I have still a lot to learn and I have blood on my hands. But if there is a chance that despite my faults, you can find a place in your heart for me... I will be the happiest I could ever be. Even though I cannot regulate distance between our hearts, it is my wish for them to be so close as they can be while still apart. This is the work I will dedicate myself to, for as long as my conviction of this feeling holds true. And if you still need an explanation..."
Kaibi leaned forward and, closing her eyes, gently kissed Touma on the lips. She did so with tenderness of someone who wanted to savour the moment before it disappeared.
Touma's eyes widened, as sudden vision filled his mind. Almost mechanically, he placed his left hand on Kaibi's right cheek, as he was suddenly flooded with memories and emotions.
When the kiss ended, Kaibi smiled at him brightly.
"I missed this feeling"
"This... this isn't... we did this before..." Touma stuttered.
"Yes we did. That's funny. So the kiss was actually a trigger for you to remember. Quite ironic..."
She mirrored Touma's gesture, placing her right hand on Touma's left cheek.
"Basically, all that I said can be summed up in one phrase. Touma..."
The sun permeated through the clouds. Just like during their first kiss, Kaibi's hair seemed as if it was made out of pure, golden sunlight.
She touched her heart with remaining hand and spoke, with a small blush on her face and smile on her lips
"... I love you".