LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 43: chapter 43
III. ADOPTION
Tenma was always an odd one out. One would assume that in orphanage, where everyone tended to be recluses for one reason or another, it wouldn't be all that much of a problem.
He would be wrong, as it still posed a problem for the boy.
Tenma could be best described as the 'adventurous soul with wild imagination', with straightforward honesty and open mind as defining traits.
If only others could see those qualities before their harsh judgement...
When he was 8 years old, Tenma's parents and little sister were killed in an unexpected landslide while they were on a top the mountains. Although Tenma was swept by waves of mud and rocks, in consequence having three limbs and ribcage broken, he survived by managing to grab to thick branch of an old, sturdy tree, despite those injuries. However, when the rescue team found him, barely hanging to life, it turned out that loss of his family and broken bones were not the only sacrifices the boy gained from the accident.
The sharp fragments of the debris cut across his face, and his left eye was in such a state that the removal was the only option. Because of that, he gained scars across the face and an eyepatch to cover a missing eye. But what was probably the worst...
He lost majority of his memories. All of the things mentioned above were told to him either by rescuers or police, investigating the accident. His own memories of his earlier life were blurry at best.
After the accident, since he had no living family or relatives, he was sent to the orphanage. Yet no matter how much he waited, no one wanted to take him. Other children also avoided him. There seemed to be no coherent reason, but others often whispered how that he looked scary. Because Tenma could not give clear explanation of the accident, it only made people more weary. He spent his days wandering around the orphanage, and picking up various books to read, since no one wanted to talk with him. He always liked to run freely in the orphanage garden, and draw everything that caught his attention.
The only person who did like him and try to cheer him up was the owner of the orphanage, who tried multiple times for people to adopt Tenma.
However, no one wanted the boy, which only made him more and more desperate and reclusive. Maybe it was because of his memory loss, but he needed something to replace the void he felt and that from his point of view, he never had any family.
So he grew tired of loneliness and after nearly 4 years in the orphanage, slowly lost hope that he would be ever taken home.
But one day, as he was blankly staring at the ceiling in his room, someone knocked to the door.
"Tenma-kun, you have guests. Please, listen to what they have to say"
The boy did not react as someone entered the room.
"Hi..." came the male voice behind his back" listen, I heard about your history... and that you are not exactly thrilled with talking with people now... but, I can promise that we can leave you alone if you listen to what my companion has to say and won't like it... sounds good? You don't have anything to lose with this"
Slowly, the boy rotated his body, to face a young adult man with slightly spiked up hair.
He bowed slightly with a smile.
"Hello, my name is Kamijou Touma."
"H... Hello..." Tenma spoke up, unsurely looking at the adult in his room.
Touma looked around, noticing the comic-like drawings around the room.
"You draw all of this?"
Tenma nodded slowly. Touma whistled in awe.
"One of my daughters loves art, she would feel like in heaven here. It's especially amazing since it's draw with only half of the field of vision..."
"Don't look at me!" the boy suddenly shouted angrily, turning back to face the wall.
Touma frowned a little.
"I am sorry if I offended you, I didn't intend to... but may I ask why are you upset?"
"I know... that I look awful. Everyone told me that I look like a delinquent" came the answer.
Touma sighed and leaned against the wall.
"If they judged you like this...they are certainly not a material for friends. I heard about your accident. And I can only say this..."
Tenma heard many words of half-hearted condolences in his life. But what the strange man called Touma said shocked him to the core.
"... I am so, so sorry. That I couldn't save them. Even when I know that I cannot reach everyone... it still pains me that you had to suffer like this because I couldn't try to prevent this"
Tenma looked at Touma yet again, with wide eyes. Why would that stranger apologize for something like this?
Touma shook his head and spoke again
"You probably already know why I am here. But the main reason for my presence, the one who sought you out... wants to speak with you herself..."
He then picked something... no, someone... from his shoulder. Tenma somehow didn't notice the strange, witch-looking doll before, and continued to stare at her when Touma lowered her on palm of his hand. Or rather, he stared without a word until the doll spoke.
"Hello there. My name is Othinus. Tenma, huh... the name of the temptation of Buddha and for mytical winged stallion of the east... it even sounds a bit similar to you, human. What a lucky coincidence..."
Tenma's lips slowly opened as he closed in on the tiny woman.
"It spoke! The doll spoke!"
"I am a 'she', young man." spoke ex-Magic God" Also, you are not afraid. Most people would be weirded out, but you are curious. Quite interesting..."
"Where do you put batteries... is it here..."
"DON'T LOOK AT MY BUTT!"
"Tenma-san, Othinus here is a living, organic being." Touma explained" I know it's hard to grasp, but she is the same as you and me, only... well, 15 centimeters tall."
"This is just..." Tenma tilted his head as he looked at tiny blond "I never seen anything like you before"
"I can only imagine" Othinus smiled, before raising up her hand" My human is right, we are here on my request. It took me some time to mentally prepare, and I am still not sure if I have-"
"Othinus" Touma gently rubbed her hand with a finger" You can do it. I believe in you"
Blushing a little, Othinus looked at still amazed Tenma.
"Getting to the real issue, me and Kamijou Touma are having feelings for one another. As peculiar as it may seem to you, it probably is, but it's still the fact. However, because of my... ekhm... incompatible vertical profile..."
"You are saying that you are too small and short?"
Othinus choked on air, and Touma burst out laughing at boy's comment.
"I like you even more now!"
"YES" Othinus grumbled, continuing" because of that reason, I have no capacity to give a birth to a child. That's why, after some thought, I made up my mind. Boy, what is your full name?"
"Ondo... Ondo Tenma"
"Then, Ondo Tenma..." Othinus took off her hat, and did a little bow" would you consider becoming my child and accepting me as your mother?"
"By extension, I would also become your dad too" Touma added.
Tenma's mind blanked out, as Othinus straightened up and smiled reassuringly.
"I wanted to go and say it to make my intentions clear, but you don't have to make the decision now, of course. Actually, I would prefer for you and us to talk through the rest of the day. If you have any questions about us, ask them, and we will answer as good we can.
After a while Tenma opened enough to tell them about his hobbies of sketching various fantastic scenes from his mind and observing the nature outside. He asked Othinus and Touma to tell him something about themselves, in the form of the story.
If anything, they definitely had that. Orphaned boy listened and listened and listened as Othinus painted the visions he never dreamed of listening to.
When she finished, he was practically on the edge of bed.
"Did.. did that story really happened? Or is it made up?"
"In a way, all stories ever told actually happened" Othinus answered cryptically" You just have to have enough power and imagination to bring them around"
She turned to Touma
"Such a great listener. Almost as good as you"
Touma nodded, before looking at the setting sun.
"Tenma-kun, we will be going now. If you like, we will come tomorrow..."
"Wait!" the boy interrupted" I... I wish to come... I wish to come with you!"
Othinus looked at him with a mixture of anticipation and hope. The boy was still stuggling, something breaking in him.
"But... would you really care? You won't... reject me too?"
Although carefully hidden, the hurt still permeated those words.
Touma crouched down, looking Tenma straight into the eyes.
"I swear that we won't. If there's one thing our family is, it is inclusive"
"Othinus-san... if I were to come with you, will you tell me more stories?"
Othinus nodded.
"Of course, there is much more. I don't know how much I will be able to do with that body, but we will try our best for you to be safe and cared for. I plan to open a flower shop combined with bakery. I will make sure that it will be a nice place for you, so if you could help me make that dream come true, I would really appreciate it. Also... when the time is right, if you feel comfortable with it, you can call me mom."
"Mommithinus" Touma didn't bother to hide his grin, as his Understander was in a rare state of bashfulness.
Tenma got to his feet. Throughout the day of stories, the conviction to go with this strange pair grew.
"Is it... really okay? Everyone said I always act out weird, staring into space and drawing things that don't exist..."
"I think a talent like that is rare and inspiring in a human" countered Othinus.
"Don't you find me... creepy? With my scars and missing eye... everyone was always weary because of how I looked..."
"Not at all. If anything..." Othinus lifted her hair to better showcase her own eyepatch "we match. See?"
Touma spoke up
"I heard that you had problem with loss of memories. Well, I can certainly say I have experience with that. We can't guarantee you that your memories will return, but we can promise to try to create new memories to replace the void you have in your heart"
IV. THE WELCOMING
Tenma walked through the dark corridor. He was accompanied by tall and slender girl with spiked up black ponytail and dark violet eyes, wearing rocker clothes and high heels.
"Why are you so jumpy?" she asked.
"It's just... all of this is so surreal. I didn't have family for so long, and suddenly I have dozens of brothers and sisters... Kenjou-san, maybe it's too early..."
"Don't sweat it. It's our duty to properly welcome you to the family. If you are troubled by something, I will personally deal with it. We are family now, so you can call me Kenjou or onee-chan"
They arrived in front of the big door from dark brown wood.
As Tenma nodded, the doors were opened...
"SURPRISE!"
With the streams of confetti and bright lights flashing into life, Tenma walked into the cheering crowd.
Kenjou gave Tenma a supportive squeeze on the shoulder and flashed him a bright smile
"Welcome to the Kamijou family! We are certainly a unique and lively bunch, but when we come together, we are undefeated team. Usually, we don't gather in full squad, except for some special occasions and holidays. But today is your welcome party, so we summoned everyone"
"You seem to be close..."
"We tend to squabble a lot too, many of us have differing personalities. But as a rule, if any one of us is in trouble, the rest will step up as much as they can to help. This is the Kamijou way. And as of today, that of course includes you too, little brother"
Tenma was soon surrounded by a group of boys.
"Dad told me... people hated those scars? They are so cool" said Takami, looking at Tenma's face.
"I can't express how much I am glad that we have new brother" Kaizumi shot a glance at the girls "As much as our sisters are great, the ratio is still screwed up a little bit"
"While those scars would probably scared the hell out of the sisters in the order..." Angelo said, shaking hands with slightly flabbergasted Tenma"... I can't deny that they look rather amazing"
"Wouldn't it be good thing if it scared the hell out of the nuns?" Tomoya raised an eyebrow at that.
"I knew someone will make this stupid joke..."
All of the sudden, Tenma was pulled away and surrounded by girls.
"They are right" cooed Miya, looking at the new addition to the family from every angle "you are quite handsome. I am sure mom could issue you some fabulous clothes"
"Can I upload are photo together?" asked Kanari" My feed would absolutely explode!"
"Me and mom can make you the best bento in the world when you visit cafe? What are your favourite things to eat?" Shishi jumped at Tenma from behind, her purple-black hair covering his arms slightly.
"I...I heard you like drawing... I... I like it... too... so maybe we could..."
Tenma could not help but blush. Even though all of those girls were supposed to be his sisters, it was still a new experience and they were really close.
"Okay, that's enough for now." Kenjou clapped her hands "How about we introduce ourselves? I am Kenjou, daughter of Saint of Far East, Kanzaki Kaori. I am sure that you had to hear something about her. My hobbies are kendo and guitar. If you ever need to have a good time or want a free pass to my band's concert, let me know. Although it's not this is anything special"
"She is super popular, but doesn't want to admit that" Kiseki whispered to Tenma from behind his back.
Shishi let go of Tenma's back and ran in front of him with hands behind her back.
"I am Shiina Tsushima, but everybody calls me Shishi. My mom is called Itsuwa and she is the best mommy in the world. She runs a bento shop, but is actually part of christian sect. And she really, really loves my dad and me, she always kisses us for any reason, it tickles... my hobbies are baking and reading old adventure novelas. I am so happy to meet you!"
Tenma could swear that girl's smiled almost visibly brightened the room. The introductions followed. A tall teen with short cut hair and visible musculature stepped forward with a serious face.
"H-Hello..." Tenma gulped, and wanted to step back...
...before the boy in front of him smiled and took out a bag of cookies from behind his back.
"My name is Ryodou. I baked some cookies for you. Welcome to the family"
"I helped in that!" Shishi jumped, waving her hand in the air.
As he and Ryodou bowed, and the taller boy spoke to Shishi, Kenjou mouthed to Tenma.
"Don't be intimidated over him. He is actually a really kind and gentle. Well, unless you are rude to Sei-chan, who is his precious imouto"
"I am sorry, I just assumed..."
"Oh, don't be mistaken, he is physically strongest out of all of us. In fact, he's one of the strongest people in Academy City's history when it comes to pure physical prowess. His mom, aunt Seiri, is a health product designer and an athlete. In her school years, she was keeping our dad in line, and it turned out that their genes together created a pinnacle of fitness. But Ryodou didn't always had this musculature. He has an esper ability, that allows him to convert kinetic and potential energy to one another. Because of that, he is able to store up impacts within his body and create shockwaves. But before he got strong enough body to use it properly, it tore through his muscle fibbers with each usage. He was stubborn though, and each time, it healed over as he got stronger. Today, he is strong enough that his power is more of an accessory, and he really appreciates when people see him outside of his strength."
Next was the pair of identical looking girls with blond hair and grey eyes.
"My name is Mary, and this is my twin sister Elizabeth."
"Their mother, aunt Leivinia, often provides us space to meet up on reunions or celebrations like this one. She also enjoys rather special bond with dad. As for the two here, Liz can be kind of a prick..."
" What can I say?" the half-british blond shrugged with a smug grin" Mama's genes oblige to using everything I have at my disposal"
"You wanted to make us pay you taxes for entering hotel when we were kids! Ekhm, meanwhile Mary revolutionized the usage of magic, embedding purely philosophical concepts as the foundations of the spell as first magician in history."
"S-Stop, you will make me blush!"
Tenma could swear that Elizabeth gave her twin slightly sour look, but he could be mistaken.
"This is Angelo, he is half-italian. His mom is leader of autonomous religious order and he is the one who always listened to various problems of others in our group.
"This is actually a lot more fun than it sounds, but it's way funnier here..." said the redhead.
"Tsubasa, the most talented in physics, whose dreams of becoming a pilot... at least, when his mom is not being overprotective"
"Your mom?" Tenma tiled his head
"Maidono Hoshimi, strongest telekinesis user. Very cool, but also very stubborn, and stupidly hard to escape from" the boy sighed
"You remember that one time when she got so angry that she pulled our plane down from the sky while standing on earth, and then stopped it just hundred meters above the ground?" Tomoya shivered "That was actually scary. Yes, auntie Maidono is NOT someone you piss off"
"That might be true" added a girl with a long, wavy, and dark hair, carrying a camera "Aunt Maidono can go overboard. But she only ever did it for a good reason."
"That's Shizuka. She is the daughter of Kankyougami Hasako, one of dad's most powerful and devoted partners. Aunt Hasako is the National Landscape Architect and closest friend of aunt Maidono"
"It's nice to meet you." said the girl named Shizuka" Can we do a photo together? I make sure to have a record of our reunions. It's my passion, to photograph beautiful things and important events. I usually do a nature photos or my mom's environments. Do you want to see?"
She showed Tenma a few pictures: sunsets, deserts, ice tundras, and fields. One particular photo caught the boy's attention. It depicted what looked like a tropical island with green hills, rainforests and sandy beaches connecting with crystal clear water.
"What is that?"
"Hmm? Oh, that's Kenkkonshima. You have a good eye"
"Kekkonshima... island of weddings?"
"It's called that because it is a wedding gift from my mom and aunt Maidono to my dad. Auntie Maidono erected it from the seafloor while my mom made it habitable through repeated changes of environment in one specific location. It's a private island and they often go there on their anniversaries"
"Sounds amazing...also, did you say that it was lifted from the seafloor?"
"Yes. Auntie Maidono may seem overdramatic or even comical, but she is incredibly powerful. She used to have a restriction of 100 000 tons of moved mass, but in very specific circumstances, she exceeded even that. My favourite story is when she saved my life. You see, my mom has a delicate built and doctor said that childbirth is particularly dangerous for her. She even miscarried once before having me. The point is, the labour was warned to be hazardous not only for me, but for her as well. And as if by the stroke of bad luck, the contractions began far earlier than anticipated, catching my mom by surprise in the remote part of town. Dad and aunt Maidono rushed to her aid, but they had to overcome some of the biggest traffics in the history of the city...
A car was standing in the middle of one of Academy City's bridges. In that car, a pregnant woman looked like she was fighting for her life.
Putting a hand over her big belly, the woman with a tradionally styled dark hair and caleidoscopic eyes muffled the scream of pain.
"Hey, stay with us. Focus on me. It's gonna be fine" Touma assured the Beginning Child.
The first esper blearily focused her attention on the man in front of her.
"Stop worrying, my dear. I am over 100 years old at this point. I felt worse than-"
She winced again, and this time, the cry of anguish fully escaping her this time.
"Don't worry, we will get you help. Just focus on my voice and my hand..."
"Don't joke. There is no way I am ever leaving you behind. Not now, not in decades to come. After all, we have to see our daughter grow up together... because I love you" Hasako whispered with a shadow of warmth in her eyes, before swaying slightly, as tremble permeated her body.
Touma turned in the direction of the driver.
"She is sweating and shivering... that doesn't look good. Hoshimi, how fast can we get to the hosp-"
"It's no use!" screamed the second woman, dressed very youthfully in the jeans, jacket, and converses" I tried to get people to listen to me, saying that my best friend is giving birth and she needs immediate medical attention. But apparently, everyone has things to get to and can't bother listening to me over honking their stupid car horns. Why is there even a traffic here in the first place, when majority of the population can't drive yet?!"
"Maybe there is some international conference. Anyway, we have no time! We must get Hasako to hospital, and fast! If only there was a way to get there without moving the car..."
Maidono looked around, at the cars, and the slim silhouette of the bridge. This particular passage over the river was made from special alloy, designed to be durable and sturdy but also light and elegant.
"There is a way. Talking time is over, I am going over to action now"
"Hoshimi... just..." Hasako whispered through pain" don't do... anything drastic..."
Maidono sighed at that.
"Touma, Hasacchi, drastic is the mildest I would do if any of you are in danger. I am done being someone who hides behind her complex and refuses to act. I wasted so much of my life doing that, before you came into it. Touma, you are a man that changed my life, a man that I dedicated my servitude to, the man who for the first time in eternity told me that I was okay the way I was, that I didn't need to exceed in order to be fine and loved. You are my lover, my inspiration, and someone I will serve with no hesitation. Hasako, you are my best friend, someone who gave me joy and acceptance when I needed it most, someone who accepted my weirdness and celebrated it by my side, who showed me how wonderful was to care for another person. You're my confidant, reason for many of my smiles, and one of the dearest people in my life. When it comes to you, there is no action too big for me, if it means two of you are safe and well. So I am not going to let you and your child die. If there is a chance of you not making it, I am stopping it, even if I am to choke death with my very own ability"
"Hoshimi... what are you planning?"
"You'll see"
The woman exited the car and then got on top of it. She eyed the distant ends of the bridge.
With two motions of her index fingers, walls of concrete and asphalt moved upwards, sealing off the passageway.
"Hoshimi?" Touma asked cautiously, as the telekinesis user got back onto the ground and took few steps forward.
"Don't worry, I am finest user of my ability in history, I swear it will work out. Just hold on tight and don't worry, I promise I will put it back later"
She then exhaled, focusing so intensely that her eyes almost rolled to the back in their sockets.
After a moment, she spread both of her arms while standing on the slightly bent knees, with arms and extended index fingers forming parallel line to the bridge.
Only after a few seconds, the entire construction started to vibrate and tremble, with the material straining under sudden increase of pressure.
Then, Maidono rotated her wrists, with her index fingers now facing upwards, and lifted her arms while straightening her legs.
The support of the bridge disconnected from the foundation. With a groan, the pillars crumbled and broke apart, one by causing the enormous construction to levitate in the air as it moved freely above the river.
"She lifted the entire bridge?" Hasako managed to mumble through her delirium.
"So much for not being over the top. Accelerator will never let me hear the end of it" Touma sighed, before smiling fiercely" But if it means that we are going to get help quickly..."
As the bridge was gaining altitude, many people escaped their cars in panic. However, no one or nothing fell down because the sides of the bridge were sealed through special net, while the exits were still blocked by walls Maidono erected.
The bridge floated above the city, with its mover carefully following the least crowded places. In the building of the nearby school, both students and teacher stared in disbelief at what was transpiring in front of them. People on the ground had their lips opened in the silent awe.
With her arms acting like a symbolic compass needle, Maidono manoeuvred the bridge, as it turned and changed altitude on their way to the hospital.
Hasako groaned and Touma noticed that back seat of the car is getting wet and alarmingly red.
"We'll be there in 5 minutes or so" Maidono screamed between gritting her teeth, as she slowly twisted her index fingers. "Sorry, but for something that heavy, I can't move it faster"
Two minutes later, in Certain Hospital, the panting security guard appeared before Heaven Canceller.
"Sir, there is something approaching our parking from the air..."
"Something?"
"It appears to be... well..."
"Appears to be what?"
"A... a bridge, sir. This modern one from down the river in district 7"
Heaven Canceller raised an eyebrow and sighed.
"Never a quiet day in this city. I have an idea who this might be. Sent someone on site, at once"
When lonely nurse appeared in front of the hospital, a shadow was cast on her.
Then, a metal construction slowly landed on earth, covering long distance of the street and sending up clouds of dust. The walls on each side crumbled down as it did.
The shocked nurse pointed at the sight in front of her as the air cleared.
"AH! A BRIDGE!"
"No shit! You are very perceptive..." Maidono, drying her forehead from sweat, walked over to the nurse and quickly flew her near the car with Touma and Hasako . "My friend is in unstable condition and she is giving birth. She needs a doctor and medical attention now. "
As if in confirmation, Hasako let out her most painful cry yet that almost sounded like her ability roar. This snapped the shocked nurse into reality, as she frantically grabbed a walkie-talkie.
"I need a stretcher, a room for labour, and team for delivering the baby, fast!"
Maidono brushed Hasako's completely wet forehead with her hand.
"Hold on tight. We will say hello to your daughter soon..."
"Shizu...ka... her name will be... Shizuka..."
"Yeah? So it will be"
When Hasako was taken away, people fled the bridge in panic or anger, leaving only Touma and Maidono.
"You're putting it back?"
"I will fix it, but not before I see Hasacchi and her child. Also, I am a bit unmotivated. Could you give me a kiss to change that?"
"Honestly, when will you stop showing off?"
"Come on" Maidono smiled, while leaning back on the passanger's seat" I know you think it's sexy"
"And so, I came into the world healthy and my mom survived. It's only thanks to that I can experience the beauty of this world and take the photos to commemorate it" Shizuka finished her story.
Kenjou carried on.
"This is Kaizumi, son of one of dad's closest advisors and allies, aunt Seria. Arguably the most intelligent..."
"Well, being her son is not something someone can easily live up to" Kaizumi said, more to himself than to anyone else.
"Except for the time when he has a stick up his ass and is sucker for rules..."
"HUH? I DO NOT HAVE ONE! I can be completely relaxed and cool! Don't listen to her!"
"Oh really? When me and Kanari went babysitting in place of aunt Konori and aunt Shirai, we completed it without a fail...owowowowowoww!" Kiseki stopped talking as Kaizumi grabbed her by the cheeks.
"Only because I was there! It almost ended in fire, car crash, and my clothes being turned into shreds. Not to mention karaoke booth-"
"We don't talk about karaoke booth" Kanari covered her face with her burgundy hair, trying to appear invisible.
"Why do I even bother with you two?!"
"B-Because..." Kiseki chuckled, giving her best cute expression" You love your lovely sisters and want to see them safe?"
"Children of Mental Traid forever" Kanari made a peace sign with a somewhat awkward smile"Actually, you love us to death. Right, onii-chan?"
Kaizumi slowly turned his head and...
STRETCH!
"Ayayayaya! MY CHEEKS!"
"Lovely my ass! You are so goddamn reckless every time. You had taken at least a few years out of my life expectancy for sure! Don't think I will go easy on you because you're a girl, given who our dad is!"
Kiseki squeaked and as she managed to free herself, she hid behind Tenma.
"The black haired girl with golden eyes is Kiseki." Kenjou did the introduction" She is daughter of the most powerful telepath, Mental Out."
"I heard about her. She is active in many areas and owns both Golden Bee Cosmetics and the biggest neuropsychological therapy clinic in Japan. Hmm... why are you named Kiseki? Because you look like a miracle?"
He was suddenly pressed into the girl's chest as she smiled wickedly.
"Hmm, talk like that and I won't like to let you go. As a matter of fact, it was not picked based on how I look. My mom and our dad have a complicated, tragic, and beautifully fulfilled romantic story. It's very long, but the very fact that they could cherish each other and have me as their child was a miracle. Look, here is photo of me, mom and grandma"
On the photo, two adult blonds were leaning over Kiseki. Each was having a sly smirk on their lips. They also had...
"Very big... smiles." Tenma muttered, still pressed into Kiseki's bosom.
"You know, he obviously can't breathe" Kanari approached and after some struggle, pried the boy off the long haired brunette" I am Kanari, self-proclaimed idol and socialite. If you need any help in reaching out to people, I will take care for everything. "
"Kanari's the most socially active out of all of us. Well, at least she tries, if only she wasn't terrible at reading clues..."
"WHAT WAS THAT?!"
"A-Anyway, look there! Our second set of twins, Miya and Tomoya. If you need anything in the aviation business, give them a call."
"Welcome" Miya bowed politely, while Tomoya pressed his hand to the chest with cocky smile
"Feel free to sap onto and bask in greatness of our fortune and splendor!"
Tenma opened his lips, but Miya shook her head
"What my over the top brother wanted to say is that you can always feel free to visit us and use mom's airlines if you need to travel. He just tends to get a bit... exalted. He takes after our mom"
Next was the girl in a casual clothing with a grey-black hair and dark blue eyes.
"And here is Tannia... well, she is called Britannia, but we use shortened form. She is a romantic searching for true love and is textbook example of repressed libido."
"I don't have repressed anything! Anyone would hate lust when my mom makes sounds that are heard all throughout the house while making out with our dad! Seriously! It is much easier to list things she DIDN'T do in bed with him."
"As you can see, she is secretly horny"
"I am not! I'm pure and nothing like mom. And even if I was, I don't want to hear anything from you when you receive fan letters to your band mail, with messages like 'Kenjou-sama, step on me!'"
The rocker girl blushed and screamed at Tannia.
"H-How did you know that?!"
"I didn't, I just guessed. Your reaction told me everything though!"
"She got you good!" Takami laughed, and Kenjou gave him an angry glare.
Tenma then got introduced to Etain, small brown-haired girl with a sweet sounding voice and (according to their siblings) natural born heartbreaker, and Rhain, the very energetic and inquisitive boy with blond hair. Accompanying them was...
"Silver Moonlight Aoife!"
The acclaimed teen martial artist and dancer shook her head in bashfulness, making her silver braided ponytail swish from one side to the other.
"I am your sister now, no need for the titles."
"You look so much better in person. I saw you once on TV in Japan's Championship"
The girl scratched her head in further embarrassment.
"Heh heh, thank you. Nice to see someone truly appreciating my effort, unlike some people"
She glanced at Kenjou, who gave her sister a wry smile.
"When you have only your hands to throw around, you're bound to have them cut"
"My swing will connect before you even touch that puny sheath."
"What was that, silverware?!"
"Just what I said, punk!"
Suddenly, both girls clashed, arm against a boken, with wild grins on their faces.
"Here we go again..." Kaizumi sighed in exasperation.
"What is going on?" Tenma asked, not yet knowledgeable about the antics of his siblings.
"They argue ever since they were small, almost about the same thing: weaponless martial arts vs swords. Which one is cooler, faster, more efficient, you name it. They also fight frequently, with both of them being extremely fast and agile... but as for now, there is a draw in the numbers. Let's leave them to their own devices for now"
The boy who offered an explanation had short stature, violet eyes, and black hair tied in a samurai top knot. He wore T-shirt with a colourful butterfly underneath white protective lab coat.
"I am Chousuke. I wanted to introduce myself and to say that no matter where you come from, this family is also a safe place for all the outcasts. I heard you've been a little bit of a loner... you know, my mom and her twin sister are former criminals. Mom is a genius epidemiologist, biologist, and chemist, but it wasn't always like that. They were feared by others in the underworld because they had quite the reputation. Because of this fear, and the fact that they left almost no survivours, they themselves were treated like vermin, like a plague. However, dad never forgot about mom's humanity. He used her talents, but at the same time allowed her to be herself. He valued the rejected, he knew just how much overlooked talents could be useful, if only they are treated with respect and compassion. All those factors, according to mom, were the reasons while she eventually fell for dad, and only waited for adulthood to come to fully thank him. She and aunt Kaai are still really scary to others, sometimes even to me, but... dad still allows them to be who they are, as long as they don't hurt others."
He looked at Tenma's missing eye.
"Hmm, I wonder what can we do about that... maybe I can ask mom to transplant some insect eye treated with steroids. What would you think about compound eyes, like dragonfly's? They have poor resolution, but great field of vision and improve reaction time"
"I think he would prefer mechanical eye, like with my mom" said voice behind the scarred boy's back.
Two girls behind his back, with dark chocolate and silver hair respectively, introduced themselves as Shimitsu and Parvati.
Apparently, Parvati had a potent regenerative ability that could also work on others if they ingested her blood in her close proximity. However, she shook her head with a sad frown.
"My ability can only heal relatively fresh physical traumas, up to 1 day after they were inflicted. I can't restore your eye, I am so sorry"
"That's fine." Tenma slid a finger over his eyepatch" I think I'll keep it that way. Thanks to it, I feel closer to mom"
"What is it like? To have aunt Othinus as a mother?"
"Really nice. Kind of strange, but really nice. We live together in a bakery combined with a flower shop. She supervises all administrative and economic aspects, and I, alongside with a few assistants, work in the shop in some days, after school. I sweep, form bread, and help make nice bouquets. It might sound dull, but mom always makes it more interesting by telling me insane stories. Sometimes it sounds like she really needs to get it off her chest. I know that she has dad... how does she call him again?"
"He's her Understander"
"Right... but she really is attentive. She always tries to make me a bento, even if it takes her a few hours in the early morning because of her size."
"That's sweet... I guess that would make you a honorary demigod, since our mothers were in Magic Godhood together."
Tenma blinked. One second, he was free to move, the next there was a brown-skinned, sweet smelling girl, practically enveloping him from behind. She smiled and bluntly asked
"What do you dream about?"
"W...What? Who are you?"
The skimpy clothed girl suddenly received a chop to the head and squeaked, letting go off Tenma. The brown haired boy that Tenma saw earlier dragged her to the back.
"This girl is Sena, daughter of Nephthys. She is a demigoddess."
"Demi... so, that Nephthys-san mom rants about ever so often is your mom?"
"Yup" the girl grinned" And believe me, that rivalry goes way back. It only got more intense when they both had their eyes on dad"
Othinus tried to furiously climb on the window frame.
"What... what are they doing?! Human, resist this!"
"Too late... I think they are kissing so wildly that they don't even hear their own thoughts. I can't blame Kamijou though. It is Nephthys we are talking about. Although... it seems she has a lot of fun on her own side... really, looking at her face, I never saw this kind of expression on-"
"That's it, I am going in! I know I said I will be okay if they do it before, but I am seriously having second thoughts! She is evidently mocking me"
There was a loud, high-pitched, feminine sound from the inside. Niang-Niang nodded vigorously.
"Wow, she jumped on him. Nephthys is so about crying, I never seen her act like that. It's just... wow! I don't know which party here is hotter!"
"Are you actually blushing while watching this?"
"It's not every day when your best divine friend is passionately making out with a mortal, and such a quirky one at that. Maybe we should join them? Operation Goddess Bedroom Triangle is a go!"
"I think hell will freeze over before I will be truly okay with that! HUMAN!"
Takami coughed and motioned in Sena's direction.
Sorry about her, she tends to be overly friendly with new people and don't know the concept of personal space."
"And what was that about dreams?"
"Takami! You hit me! You actually chopped my head again! I only wanted to make a good impression! You know mom is super cool and helpful. Like when she entered Liz and Mary's auntie!"
"This sentence is so wrong out of context!"
It seemed Sena's moods could change very rapidly, as tears appeared in her eyes.
"Answering to your question, she is very powerful with magic and can weave dreams. My name is Takami, and I study magic with Sena and her mom. My ambition is to one day become a Magic God."
"If you have any questions regarding magic, just tear this charm and I will know you are calling me" Sena handed Tenma a piece of parchment.
Tenma looked at it unsurely
"You don't use phones?"
"She was raised by a 4000 years old goddess of mourning, composite of dozens of slaves, and spent half of her life in phases beyond earth. Plus she can't take a hint" Shimitsu scoffed at her half-sister, who smirked at that.
"Right back at you"
Chousuke, Parvati, and Takami stifled laughter, and Shimitsu's knitted her eyebrows together.
"What are you laughing at?"
Takami leaned over Tenma's ear
"Kamito, twin brother of my girlfriend, is head over heels for Shimitsu. They are very close to our family, because our dads are best friends, I'm sure you will meet them soon. I don't know if it's because of her acting career or maybe she inherited our dad's romantic denseness, but Shimitsu can't get a clue. Everyone know except for her."
The introductions were wrapping up. But Tenma still got some surprises.
"Kneel. You have guts to greet with others before me" the blue-eyed girl with a storm of messy, light blond hair spoke with a strong english accent "I am the crown princess of United Kingdom"
At first, Tenma wanted to laugh but seriousness on the girls face and diversity of the siblings he met before made him reconsider. He knelt, the girl nodding in approval.
"Now, how can you repent for this discourtesy? Oh, I know. How about you lick my legs until they sparkle?"
Tenma looked at the foreign sounding girl in horror, until she finally broke down in a fit of boisterous laughter.
"Ahahahahahah! Your face was priceless... I can't, you really thought you will have to do it..."
"Sorry for her." the slim, casually yet stylishly dressed teen with black hair and identically blue eyes appeared on the right side of the blond" She is kind of the sadist"
"I am not" the blond finally stopped laughing, and looked at Tenma with interest" Not my fault that people are so fun to mess with. Come here!"
The girl gave him a hug and then shook his hand.
"You have a nice grip, I like that in men. Plus, I can assure you those scars don't look bad at all"
"Ehm..."
"Oh, where are our manners? I am Leonard Windsor-Kamijou. I am the son of Queen Regnant Rimea The Wise. I suppose I am 1st in line to the throne. My hobbies are collecting rare gems and venturing out of the palace incognito. I am very pleased to welcome you among us"
"I am Kira Averil Windsor-Kamijou, daughter of Renegade Princess of War, Carissa. As you can see, me and Leo are both half-siblings and cousins. I am 4th in line to the throne. I love to ride horses, read mystery novels, and testing my limits with new, interesting people. I hope to have some fun with you, new brother"
"Beware of her fun, seriously. She says she is mellow, but she is aunt Risa 2.0"
"That's an absolute lie!"
"Truly? Who almost assassinated my ex-girlfriend?"
"You are going to be king one day and you have no sense of danger when it comes to opposite sex who would want to abuse that position. Therefore, it's only natural that I would truly test those who want to date you. Was I wrong? They are all your "exes" now!"
"Because you scared them away!"
"Your majesties?"
Both looked at Tenma.
"You really don't have to address us like this."
"Well, did dad really... got close to british royalty?"
"We are living proof, aren't we? Dad always liked mature, older women... plus our grandma, Queen Mother Elizard, really put her mind into trying to get him into the family. In case of my mom... in a very big recap... she rebelled against the crown, almost slaughtered her family because of her patriotic ideas, but with help of many allies, dad punched her so hard that she felt through the palace, afterwards he saved her... and later she assumed it was really hot"
"Ah...huh..."
"As with my mom, the Queen, is actually rather touching and long story. When she had trust issues, she and dad wrote letters to each other or spend time together in a form of therapy. Omitting many details, she was able to open up a little thanks to him, and started to appreciate many things. She even proposed for dad to be the king, but he refused, as he didn't feel he would handle the responsibility. However, he is permanent consort and Royal Advisor, always welcome in the court as if it was his own. She gave him a ring, that he eventually gave me... wait... where..."
"Looking for this?"
A boy with dark brown hair and magenta irises came from behind Leo, with a ring with a blue stone embedded in it.
"Haruto... how the hell did you steal that?"
"Never underestimate an illusionist. Oh, the star of the evening! I am Haruto... and you also might want to have this back"
"My phone! When..."
"He has fast fingers and even smoother way of speaking. We should really test our palace defences with you"
"What can I say? I am a rebellious ladies man, with bit of a knack for magical flare"
"Onii-chan! Stop showing off, it's rude for our new brother"
Younger girl with a very cute face and bleached blond hair kept in ringlet curls scolded Haruto, who sighed and patted her on the head.
"Fine, Chi-chan, I was just playing around. You know I can't say no to my cutest little sister in the world... give me those squishy cheeks!"
"Onii-chwan, shtop, I am nod a baby anymohhhh... shtooop!"
"Haruto and Chinatsu are, like us, both cousins and half-siblings. They enjoy really close bond... for good and for bad."
"Onii-chan! I will tell mom and auntie Kaibi! And mom will surely make you sit on a toilet through entire day!"
"A-Alright, neither mom nor auntie Rikuri need to know. Well, in the name of Gokusai family, we welcome you in our siblinghood"
As time passed, Tenma met Seika, who was to sing at the end of the reunion, Shizuka, who introduced herself as Tsubasa's closest sibling and daughter of Kankyougami Hasako, Japan's National Landscape Artist, as well as the youngest members of the family and their temporary caretaker.
"It's nice to meet you. My name is Kazakiri Hyouka. I am here because according to the point of view, I can be viewed as the older sister to all of you. Not blood related though, so I am just like you" spoke the girl with glasses, ample chest, and one strand of brown hair coming down to earth" Can you help me with Junya and Setsu? I think they need changing. And Serina-chan gone missing, we must find her or else Itsuki-san would be furious."
She was referring to two small babies crawling around their legs.
After the smelly duty was taken care of, Tenma lifted a black haired girl with blue eyes, who giggled merrily and reached out to hug his head.
"Seems like Setsu really likes you. Then again, she takes liking to many things. Her mom, Ruiko-san, left her with me so she could meet you. And also because I imagined that she needed to rest a little bit. Aside her, there is Kumone, son of Mii-san, but he stayed with mom this time"
"What about him?" Tenma looked at the little boy. He had peculiar hair, red with a strands of black, and brown eyes that almost seemed golden.
"Junya... this is a bit complicated. His mom and Kamijou-san are... their relations need... they are close, but... some circumstances got tangled up... I think it's best for your dad to explain this one day."
Tenma was curious over his mysterious sibling, but decided not to pry in.
Ultimately, they also found the grey-eyed with dark brown hair, who crawled under the table in the corner the room and grabbed Tenma by the hair, before pulling it out and laughing at his scream.
Sometime later, as he walked outside of the group, he noticed two girls standing by the wall.
"Hey, is everything okay?"
"Yes... everything is fine... we just don't like crowds all that much."
"I am Tenma, and you?"
"This is Sei-chan, and I am Mizumi." said the girl with a dark, fluffy hair, and green eyes.
Mizumi then told Tenma about her ambition of writing the history of all the adventures of Touma and all of his allies.
"You love writing and books, Mizumi-chan?"
"That's right. When mom and me were sightseeing in London, I got lost in the cathedral and wandered for nearly an hour before finding my way to the library. I was found by Archbishop Index... no, aunt Index... and given a tour."
"What was she doing there?"
"Smuggling snacks, I think. But ever since that time, I fell in love with libraries and smell of paper. And because I love my dad and everyone in the family, I truly wish to write the greatest story in the world. Aunt Index writes to me a lot and promised to help with it"
"I... heard... you like to draw" Sei spoke gently to Tenma" When the time comes... would you help me with something?"
Many years after that evening, a painting was put in the Academy City art museum. It was a big painting, depicting all of Kamijou Touma's many children, together with their mothers and father, posing on the hill near the riverbank. Made by Kamijou Seiri and Kamijou Tenma, it was the conserved by the means of science and enchanted through magic, and as such, was to endure for many, many generations that followed.
V. THE PRAISE OF NORMALCY
Saten Ruiko and Uiharu Kazari sat together in a peculiar scene.
They both wore diving masks and had their noses pinched with clips as they stared at the pot in front of them.
"Saten-san... is this a good idea?"
"You know how I feel about wasting food"
"But... is this even edible?"
"I guess we will have to try"
What led to this situation? Few hours earlier, Saten called Uiharu to her apartment on a very important matter.
"What is it, Saten-san? It better not be another ingenious challenge from some online video"
"No, no, this far more important. You see..." Saten took a deep breath. before clasping her hands before in a begging pose" Please, help me in setting apartment for the guests."
"You brought me here as the house cleaning?" the hacker crossed her arms with eyebrow raised.
"No, more like my best friend, in a role of wholesome standby emotional support. You don't have to do much, just your presence here makes wonders. Oh, it would be great if you stayed for the lunch too..."
Uiharu's pride was pleasantly satisfied by her friend's words, so she stayed as, Saten mopped the floor with energetic 'Doryaaaaa!' on her lips, dusted, vacuumed, mopped, set her various memoirs from urban legend investigations straight on the shelf, and threw away the waste, but one question was on her mind.
'Though it may seem that she is okay, doesn't the fact that she needed me here suggest that she's actually stressing about something?'
The answer arrived when Saten started to cook. She was a bit... distracted, and they were about to find it out the hard way.
After being in the kitchen for some time, Saten proudly presented the entire line of both hot and cold dishes, from small appetizers and vegetables, through soups, to second dishes and desserts.
"All I need to do is let this curry-styled sauce finish cooking. I wonder how it's going..."
Saten, humming merrily, walked to the pot and lifted the lid a little bit.
Inside was a red-to-orange sauce that Saten made multiple times before. It was a perfect seasoning for meat, a culinary experiment between italian and indian cuisine.
It usually had soothing fragrance, that slowly heated you up, just like its taste.
But now, Saten felt as if someone set her nose and eyes on fire. It was as if there was pepper, tabasco, and chilli all together in the air.
"Wah?!"
In less than a second, the black haired level 0 felt the need to sneeze.
"What is... achoo! This isn't what it... it... achoo! Achoo!"
Saten Ruiko sneezed. And afterwards, she sneezed again. And then again, much louder, with tears forming in her eyes.
Concerned Uiharu shared the same fate, when she came running and come too close to the pot.
"Saten...achoo!...san, what is wrong with this sauce?" she asked, choking and coughing, as they both quickly stepped back.
"I don't know... it never tasted or smelled like that before..."
A stream of words died in Ruiko's throat, as she bent backwards, gearing up to sneeze again. Then, a truly earsplitting sneeze resounded, only slightly preceeding her own. To Saten's surprise, and slight amusement despite her own suffering, it was Uiharu's. It was certainly one of the loudest things he ever heard from Uiharu, as the girl was usually so softspoken and quiet. Saten would laugh her butt off from such dissonance, it was like hearing a classical mussician suddenly roaring a death metal song. But comedy aside, her own throat and nose were killing her at the moment.
Blinking through tears, she pointed behind herself
"... but we have to retreat for now..."
Uiharu agreed. Barely seeing through tears and fighting not to sneeze was not best conditions for her to think logically.
Fortunately, Saten was quick to react and in no time they had diving masks on their eyes and laundry clips on their noses. The burning sensation lessen to the point when they could normally converse.
It didn't take them long to notice what was the problem.
"So you are telling me that you spaced out and didn't notice that almost entire container of pepper and spices got into the sauce?" Uiharu pouted and Saten, who laughed at it. "You didn't even notice the lid falling inside?!"
"I am sorry Uiharu... now, with heavy heart, but... let's do this!"
They each ate the spoon of sauce at the same time.
Uiharu knew that breathing fire from eating spicy food in movies was just an effect, but in that moment, she and Saten were very close to achieving that phenomenon.
The misfortunate sauce finally ended being thrown away and the two girls consumed many glasses of milk for their throats and lips to return to normal.
"Saten-san..."
"Hehehe... cheer up, Uiharu. Here, we can try this delicious cake. It's one of your favourites..."
The girl in flower headband, ever fond of sweets, was tempted by the perspective.
Until...
"Bwah! It's salty! Did I mix salt with sugar?"
"SATEN-SAN! That's it! It's obvious that just being here is not enough. It's not like you to get so distracted that it messes up your cooking. Talk to me about those guests of yours, or I am leaving!"
Saten waved her hands in front of herself.
"No, no... I will tell you. You see... Kamijou-san is coming over for the lunch and...I am feeling a little... nervous..."
"Why though?"
"It was going to be just me and him..."
"Saten-san, you are not going to be in denial here, right?"
"No, no, of course. Ever since we got to know each other better, I was liking him more, and more. He is so interesting, and open-minded, treats everyone equally, and has so many amazing stories to tell. I... feel a bit guilty. I obviously like him, meanwhile Misaka-san had affection for him for much longer... I am a little bit worried... then again..."
"Then again..."
"Something very weird happened few days ago... I followed a trace of some rumour I heard on the internet and I was apprehended by the Judgement member from different district. But then...
"Do you understand the severity of what you did? You were trespassing in the area that is strictly prohibited and houses secret weapon plans."
"I already said sorry..."
"I am afraid I have to take you to custody and interrogate you"
"B-But I wasn't even inside..."
"Stop, stop, stop..." A new voice entered the conversation, as the short girl in chinese-looking dress appeared out of nowhere next to Saten" She didn't mean it and she is with me. Bye, bye."
And with that she started to drag Saten away.
"H-Hold it!" shouted enraged Judgement girl" Who the hell do you think you are?"
"Oh, I have many names, but usually I go by Niang-Niang"
"Are you a foreigner? Identify yourself and show me your visiting ID!"
"That's just rude assumption, don't you think, Saten-san? I hate such obnoxious people"
Saten tilted her head. How did that strange girl knew her name?
"If you won't tell me, I will search myself. I am a telepath, every thought of yours may be used against you."
Niang-Niang sighed and in the blink of an eye she moved straight in front of the Judgement member.
"You can try. But those thoughts can change reality. Read them and your mind will burn. Literally"
"S-Stay back..."
"It seems that you can't take a hint. Fine, I will help you"
Niang-Niang flicked her finger. It didn't reach the other girl's forehead.
But tremendous roar followed from both sides.
As the Judgement member looked around... she saw...
Nothing.
Everything was pulverized and gone, only leaving smoking ruins and burning devastation, stretching over what seemed many kilometers...
The other girl became covered in sweat.
"What... what is... what is this?"
"What is what?" Niang-Niang asked.
"This-"
The devastation disappeared. Everything appeared as it was before.
"You are tired" Niang-Niang said, staring deeply into the girl's eyes" Be gone from my sight."
Mumbling to herself and blinking like mad, the Judgement member left in a hurry.
"So, that annoying nuisance is dealt with" Niang-Niang clapped her hands.
"Was that... was that real? That attack you did?" Saten asked. "Also, thank you for helping me for... some reason"
"I helped you because that girl annoyed me. And because I like you. As for the attack, you can choose what you wish to believe." she then muttered to herself" I warped reality only on very small scale, but it still needs refinement... well, there will be time to test it"
"Also... are you okay? You seemed kind of... cold. When you touched me, that is"
"Oh, that's because I am kind of dead"
"No... you are not"
"Yes, I am. Well, undead is better term."
Saten did not know how to react to the girl's strange way of speaking.
Now, I wanted to have a little chat with you, since you are such a funny girl."
"Thanks?"
"Buy me some burgers"
"Don't you have money on you?"
"Sorry, me not speak nihongo"
"You spoke it perfectly seconds ago!
"She was very strange, and I can't stop thinking about this meeting... I don't know why, but I felt that I can talk to her..." Saten mused out loud" She had similar issues to me and said she was surprised that someone like me could understand her. She said her best friend that she knew for a very long time developed feelings for someone and she wanted to be in touch with both her friend and that guy. Maybe she even had feelings herself... she said she wanted to have fun with that guy, whatever that meant..."
"She suggested something in regards to your situation, Saten-san?"
"She just said 'Whatever you do, simply do it. Instead of thinking about doing, just do it'"
"That's... very straightforward, but in some cases, it may be best solution."
Suddenly, there was doorbell ring.
"Oh, there is one more thing. My brother is coming to visit"
"Oh, I managed to speak to him once during Daihaseisai. How is he?"
"He is fine, and was really curious about the city so he managed to get one-time pass."
They were almost by the door and Saten reached for the doorknob.
"However, he will be here in the late evening, so for now, let's focus on Kamijou...
The door opened. Showing not one, but two people.
"...san" Saten finished blankly.
One of them was familiar spiky haired level 0. The other was a shorter boy only entering his teens, with brown hair, and blue eyes, that seemed to change hue of blue depending on the lighting.
Eyes identical to Ruiko's own.
"Hey Saten-san. I know you are probably surprised by now"
"Kamijou-san?" Exclaimed the brown-haired boy, looking at Touma" So you are onee-chan's dream guy?"
"Kenko! I... I just said how nice Kamijou-san is and-"
"Onee-chan? You are Saten-san's brother?!"
Everyone ended up speaking over one another.
(LATER)
Eventually, everyone got comfortable enough to eat some snacks and talk.
"I am Saten Kenko" the boy introduced himself, bowing slightly in front of Touma" I am 11 years old, and as you already know, I am Ruiko's younger brother. I love sports and board games, as well as hearing of all of the things that happen in this city. Onee-chan spoke many praises about you..."
Touma laughed and also bowed back.
"It's nice to meet you, Kenko-san. I can see familial similarity to Saten-san in you and it's nice coincidence that we bumped into each other. Usually, I don't get nice twists of fate..."
"So, you're saying..." Ruiko spoke" that Kenko wanted to surprise me, so he arrived earlier, but he got lost in the city after arriving from the airport. Then you bumped into him and offered him help in getting here"
"Pretty much. I had no idea that it was Kamijou-san who helped me and I guess he had no idea that I was your brother or that I am even going to visit you. But it was an awesome struck of luck! He told me many great things about this place before we got here!"
"Well, it's only because you told me cool things too!"
Ruiko blushed.
"Kenko... you didn't say anything weird, right?"
"Nah, nothing like that. Just talking about boys stuff and so on."
Two boys fist bumped each other with wide grins.
'Wow... they bonded fast' thought Ruiko and Uiharu on the other side of the table.
Also... i-it is very nice to see you, Uiharu-san. How are you doing?"
"Fine. Quite overworked, but I manage. Last time we spoke face to face was few months ago, but I always checked if you write to me. I am glad you remembered my face"
"Y-Yeah... of course I remembered. I am grateful that onee-chan has such a cool friend"
The conversation went on. They ate proper meal, played some video and board games. They told stories about their homes, life in Academy City and in Kenko's case, life outside of it.
Touma learned of Kenko's hobbies, his dreams for the future, and some memories he shared with his sisters when he and their parents came to the City. From what Touma could tell, both Saten siblings shared the same enthusiasm and open mind to various unexplained phenomena, even if Kenko seemed slightly more mellowed down than his always energetic older sister.
Uiharu shared some of the details of her hacking work, complained about Kuroko's behaviour in regards to their workload, suggested Kenko some sweet shops in the city and general sights to visit.
Ruiko told Kenko about history of her relationship with Touma and later on went on and on about various urban legends she was recently investigating, as well as giving the display of her agility skills with kendama, the one she got long ago through dream but still perfected ever since.
Touma himself shared various stories from his everyday life, including his interactions with friends and roommates. Changing some details, he also mentioned details of his various travels in the country and abroad. Frequently asked by Kenko, he also answered his questions regarding Academy City and his friendship with Ruiko and Uiharu.
Before they knew it, there was evening already.
"I am sorry everyone. It's time for me" Uiharu got up from the table, and started to collect plates" I will help Saten-san with cleaning and then I will be off"
Touma was about to offer his help as well, before Kenko grabbed his arm.
"Kamijou-san, can we please talk? In private?"
Touma looked at the younger boy in surprise, but nevertheless complied.
As they both went to the toilet, Kenko exhaled and inhaled. But before he spoke...
"You want to ask me about Uiharu-san, right? You want to go with her, walk her to the bus. Am I right?"
Kenko clenched his fist, as blush grew on his face. He ruffled his slightly messy hair.
"Damn... I was so obvious?"
"Not for Uiharu-san. Maybe for your sister, since she knows you best. But as a fellow guy, I could see it right off the bat. You like her, don't you? Uiharu-san..."
"D-Don't tell-"
"I won't, I promise."
"It started when onee-chan introduced her at the end of Daihaseisai. I never believed in all of the things about love at first sight, but something about her... I knew I must get her contact. She agreed and we were writing to each other, and meeting each time we visited the city. We were always the three of us: me, her, and my sister. And now I can be alone with her. But..."
"But?"
"But she obviously sees me like a little brother or someone like that. Since I am her best friend's sibling... I also know that the distance and age gap make it difficult, but... it's just so frustrating..."
"What do you like in Uiharu-san? What do you want to do with her?"
"W-Well... she seems really nice and supportive of my sister. She gives it her all, even when she can't fight directly. I am really impressed that she has all of those skills with computers and how she can provide support... plus, I think she looks really cute and I want to... want to..."
"Yes?"
"I really want to cuddle with her!"
Kamijou was almost blinded by the light of purity, that would make the tainted demon of deviation Aogami Pierce recoil with a shriek.
Touma lowered himself slightly and grabbed Kenko by the shoulders.
"Listen, Kenko-san. I am going to give you senpai's advice. As a fellow man with a dreams of my ideal type of girl, I can only say: go for it"
"I am supposed to... cuddle with Uiharu-san right now?"
"What? No! But... you are supposed to follow your heart. You have one life, so do what you believe and dream. You should try. You should be brave and work your way to her heart. It may take time and it definitely may be frustrating. It may not work. But if you don't try, you won't find out if Uiharu-san may ever feel the same way. Age gap? Of basically 2 years? Please, this will be nothing in more than half a decade. And as enjoyer of older women, I can only approve. She thinks of you as someone you don't won't to be. Then act! Prove her wrong by your actions motivated by this love. Go forward with all of your beliefs and prove to yourself what this feeling truly is. It may be a crush, but if it's true love, then you should not let it go under any circumstance. My point is... try, reach out, even if it hurts. I got your back, so if you are certain about what you feel or you want to learn more..."
"Yes... yes, I do!"
"I didn't hear you!"
"YES I DO!" Kenko yelled, forgetting about their discretion.
"Then go give our resident flowerhead and give her a nice walk to the bus or to her dorm!"
Kenko looked at Touma with hopeful gaze, uncertainty slowly replaced by confidence.
"Now I am feeling motivated! You give great advice! I am surprised that you didn't tell me to be yourself"
"And do you know who you are?"
"No.. Not really. I mean... I am still growing up..."
"Then you see how useful this advice is. Hah... all of this doesn't change a fact that I am still miserably single..."
"Don't worry. You'll date my sister, obviously."
"Huh? But this depends on her, and I don't know if she is even interested..."
Kenko crossed his arms.
"Huh... I could swear that from what she told mom, dad, and Uiharu-san... well, I would like if it was you, as her boyfriend. You seem like someone who could really look out for her. My onee-chan... is the best, funniest, and most amazing sister in the world. I honestly miss her and would like to stay with her, but... well, I am not an esper, and it's a bit late for me to enrol here... you know, every time I see her, I am just glad how happy she looks.
I heard that onee-chan was stillborn at the labour, and didn't respond to anything shortly after birth. But just when it seem that she was not going to make it, she started to scream. Our mother was convinced that it was a miracle and cried in happiness. This is why onee-chan is named Ruiko, child of tears, in the memory of the ones our mom shed when my sister pursued life over death. I don't know if it was because of that event or because our mom is generally very protective, but she always worried and doted on my sister. She didn't really want to send her here, only because Ruiko insisted very stubbornly. But I am really happy to see that she has friends here and is practically glowing with energy. It feels like she is at home here too.
But, I am also worried. Sis was always free-spirited, even in my earliest memories. She would always go against things bigger than herself, get into strangest of troubles. In this city, she is a level 0, with no power at all, while her nosiness didn't disappear at all. Kamijou-san, you are strong, and my sister already likes you. So please... look after my sister in my place"
Touma listened to Kenko and finally straightened himself up.
"You are right. I will protect Saten-san. But not because she is weak. I actually believe she is one of the strongest people of all."
"But onee-chan was always down about being level 0. Uiharu-san even told me that she almost got hurt because of using this Level Upper device"
"Strength of a person is not measured through his or her power. The true strength is showed by the value one places in life of the another. It's the kind of strength that is showed in the darkest moment, in the most shadowy realms of human nature. Remaining kind and optimistic despite being a person without privilege is so incredibly hard... yet Saten-san proved time and time again that she is capable of doing so. She says that she is not important in the grand scheme of things. I say that she is one of the most important people out there. Not because she is powerful, not because she is famous, not because she is rich. It's because she has the knowledge of someone who knows injustice of the world, while also having a heart of someone that dreams of a better world. I was told she has the ability to create connections and befriend people that seemed impossible to bond with. She has the ability to represent the best possible future I would want to achieve through my own actions... she is that constant reminder of hope in this messed up world filled with cruelty. To maintain hope and smiles of others despite the risk of weight of the world crushing your own it's such an invisible, yet also such an important courage to have. She might resent it, but the normalcy is something that many dream of. She believes she can't do anything, but she does more for her friends, for other people, and for me, than she ever realizes. The feeling that in this world there is someone like her, who brings joy, and rest to the people in need, someone who sees wonders in the world that forgot about them, someone with whom every day is exciting even through the most simple of things, someone who carries the smile brighter than false lights that pretend to be the paragons of virtue... thanks to people like her, the world can go on. Thanks to Saten-san, so many of us have the strength to carry on through our lives with hopes and smiles renewed. She can create so many friendships and enrich the world in so many ways that me and my right fist could never dream of. Saten-san may not be able to be to move objects through the power of will or bend spoons with her mind. But she still moved us: Misaka, Uiharu-san, Shirai-san, myself, and others, to see things we forgot. To not give up. To realize just how beautiful and fun the world could be. It wasn't anything or anyone other than Saten Ruiko. It was just the power of heart from this one single girl, who never was before and never will again, on the surface of the earth. That's why I think she is one of the strongest of us and I will forever defend that claim!"
Kenko let out a breath that he did not know he was holding.
Back on the other side of the door Saten Ruiko froze, with her hand in the middle of a knocking motion.
She came to the door, concerned about louder shouts from earlier, and accidentally heard everything, from her brother's story about her birth to the current moment.
Her heart of hearts was trembling and she was crying, hot tears falling on the floor. Yet they were tears of hope and joy, Ruiko's very namesake.
She felt warmth and happiness spreading from tips of her toes to the roots of her hair, as she sighed quietly, her cheeks heating up more than ever in her life as she smiled brightly through the tears.
'I half-joked about Misaka-san's story about overhearing Kamijou-san... Touma... speaking of protecting her and the world around her... but honestly... whose heart wouldn't melt while hearing such words... I am sorry, Misaka-san... it appears that I received critical hit... and those feelings will only increase from now on...'
Without no doubt, many people would only dream to have someone look upon them in the way Saten looked on Touma for the rest of the evening.
KONORI MII BONUS SCENE: MANGER EXTRAORDINAIRE
Konori Mii was happy beyond belief.
She managed to acquire the position of Civil Consultant for Judgement for Kamijou Touma
"This way if he gets intro trouble, I will be able to send him a proper back up without the need for him to be completely enlisted!"
After a moment, the high school Judgement Branch leader walked into the mirror. She traced a finger on her slightly oval face. She looked at her herself closely.
Her face slowly heated up as she began to ponder.
"I did that and I am happy with it... but even though I did kiss him back then, I still feel that I need to make a mark. I need to truly tell him that I agree to be a part of his life... no, I am happy to be a part of it... is there anything I can do make him truly happy? Something only I can do?"
Suddenly, she realized something.
There was something like this.
But...
"N-No! There is no way. My dignity..." she whispered.
Something changed in Konori Mii after her life was saved. She wanted to present herself in the way that Kamijou Touma would like her.
So with each protest she said outloud, her mind grew actually weaker, instead of stronger.
"No..."
Her reflection smiled shyly.
"NO!"
Grin widened and devious sparks appeared in the eyes.
"NO! T-There is no way!"
2 weeks later, there was a knocking to Kamijou Touma's new apartment.
"Who is this? It's so early in the morning..." the boy wondered, yawning. And when he opened the door...
"H-Hello. I applied for the dorm management practice, one day relief of the usual manager who went for the holiday."
Touma stared in wonder at the young woman in front of her.
Her hair grew enough for her to tie it up in a single bun. She delicately traced her slightly oval face with cosmetics and changed the eyeglasses, resting on her slim nose, into much sophisticated looking. To top it off, she wore the elegant blouse combined with dark skirt, with pantyhose-like stockings and chique boots.
Konori Mii looked at him, somewhat awkwardly.
"T-This is probably a one time thing... but I will be your helpful dorm manager for today!"
Blood dripped down Touma's face.
"I usually don't think my life is nice, but I am so glad to be alive right now... thank you, I... I really can't stop looking at you"
"W-Well, it's surely not all that good. After all, I am an officer, not a-"
"It's not just good, it's perfect. Don't sell yourself short"
Konori covered her face in embarrassment.
"You always say such an embarrassing things!"
All of the sudden, Touma dropped to the floor, startling the girl.
"W-What happened?"
"Ehm... I didn't want you to see it"
"See what?"
"Let's put it this way... it's early morning, I am in my sleeping shorts, and you, Sexy Glasses, appear out of the blue dressed like a dorm manager. What follows is... thermal expansion"
Konori caught up. And blushed so hard that her face turned into tomato look-alike with glasses.
"I am so, so sorry. It just happened, that's why I-"
"No, no don't apologize. I was the one to came her unannounced. But... how long are you going to lie there?"
"Until it passes."
"Oh..."
"..."
"You know, you should really just put different pants when you are going to the door..."
"Lecturing me in that stern tone while dressed like that doesn't make the situation easier!"
(LATER)
As much as Konori didn't want to admit it, work of Dorm Manager was something she could work with.
She segregated all the documents regarding the building, ordered the cleaning, checked the trash disposal, assessed if all things were working as they should and didn't need any repairs.
Her ability was also suited for this work just as much as the work in Judgement. She could see any inappropriate behaviour or outright violation behind the walls if she focused enough.
Maybe she could make this work on weekends or so? Or as a part time job?
She didn't plan to tell that to Touma. Not yet.
But this was definitely something worth considering.
She glanced at her reflection and narrowed her eyes, imagination taking hold of her.
My, my, what a delinquent resident we have here." Dorm Manager Konori spoke, slamming one hand on the wall next to imaginary Touma" You understand that for your misbehaviour there will be consquences"
"No, what did I even do?"
"Oh, I don't even know where to start. Should I list it chronologically or alphabetically? You are bad influence all over..."
"W-What can I do to stop your anger?"
"Anger? I am not angry... because for you, my rebellious student, I am extracting the punishment myself. Hope you are ready"
"Ready for..."
Dorm Manager Konori pressed her lips against those of Imaginary Touma.
Her big chest also put pressure on the boy's rib cage.
"I am going to educate you until you understand. And even beyond that. Until you are picture perfect inhabitant of this building."
Konori kissed without any restriction, forgetting that she was the one who was supposed to uphold morality and...
CLANG!
She snapped out of her fantasy, as she accidentally kicked into the fire extinguisher. She panted, rosy hue slowly fading from her cheeks.
"That... that was... so..."
She didn't have words. She didn't experience anything like this since her crush on Kurozuma. She never had imagination of such intensity.
Maybe being a Dorm Manager had one disadvantage.
Being in presence of Kamijou Touma would have major imparing influence on her moral judgement.
Even now, she was still checking her lips and forcibly stopping herself not to reenact the role in real life.
And speaking of the real life...
"Konori-san... are you okay?"
Konori's eyes widened, as she turned around to see Kamijou Touma standing near the end of the corridor.
"K...Kamijou... how much... did you see?"
"Well, since you started to... hug the air, I think? While making some interesting noises. You looked really happy and had a beautiful smile, so I didn't wanted to!"
He barely avoided the electric taser being sent his way.
"Woah!"
"FORGET ABOUT WHAT YOU SAW! THIS INSTANT!"
"I... I don't think I can... it plays on repeat in my head now, it was so cute..."
"THAT WAS A ONE TIME SLIP! I AM NOT PERVERTED IN REAL LIFE!"
"Sexy Glasses, I understand. When the time comes, you will accept your true self"
"KILL ME NOW!".