The morning of September 1.
Though Academy City, which covers 1/3 of Tokyo, was scorched by the sun, it was still covered by the cool air. There were very few pedestrians; only a Middle schooler bringing a dog for a walk and a University student jogging around. The wind turbines that were set everywhere were slowly moving, continuing to move this icy wind that seemed to come from deep within a forest.
However,
In this cooling scene, Kamijou Touma was dragging his tired body on the road.
"So…so tired…this shouldn't be a day that an ordinary High school student should be having…"
This High school student's T-shirt and pants were all drenched, as if he had just ran a marathon. Because the clothes had absorbed the moisture, they seemed twice as heavy.
If there was a need to mention the reason, we would have to go back to one day before, the 31st of August.
Last night, Kamijou had met a man named Yamisaka Ouma. In order to save a woman he knew, both of them had left Academy City.
One thing that had to be mentioned was that 'leaving' here could be used interchangeably as 'forcing a way out'. Academy City was surrounded by high walls, and they were tightly guarded by Anti-Skill. No one could get out without a permit. In fact, if not for Yamisaka's help, Kamijou himself wouldn't have been able to get out. That magician had the nifty 'Confusing Demon's bow string' that could 'let them think that he had an exit permit'. However, everyone's mental barrier differed in strength, and the effect would differ. Sometimes, they had to force their way out as well.
"…So ridiculous. It took my half my life just to break through the security perimeter, and yet it became another intense battle later. These creatures called magicians, why are they always merciless to outsiders? If I have to write a diary, yesterday's exploits will be enough to fill one entire book up."
Before everything was over, he had to forcefully break through a second time with Ouma as an escort to get back into Academy City.
(…Ah, can finally see the dorm now. Oh, now I'm finally back to the ordinary daily life.)
Truthfully, he had only left the dorm for less than one day, and yet Kamijou felt that it had been months since he was last there. However, as Kamijou didn't have any memories of what happened before August, he was rather unclear about what it felt like to 'leave home for months'.
Kamijou dragged his tired and sleepy body as he shakily stumbled into the student dormitory. He took the elevator and then arrived in front of his room.
(Uu…I really feel like sleeping..)
Kamijou inadvertently gritted his teeth and yawned. If possible, he really wanted to collapse onto the bed and sleep for 2-3 days, but unfortunately, today was the 1st of September, the school opening day.
To Kamijou, who had lost his memories during the summer break, besides a few exceptions, he didn't really have any memory of most of his classmates. So to his other classmates, today may have been an ordinary day, but to Kamijou, it was not much different from being a transfer student. It would have been a bit too crazy for a transfer student to skip school on the first day.
(I don't really want to let anyone know…that I lost my memory. Besides, I won't be having lessons today. I'll just spend the day resting in school and pay attention to how I interact with others.)
The extremely unlucky Kamijou sighed with a sleepy feeling as he opened the door.
Just at this moment, a girl's shrill voice could be heard within the room.
"TOU—MA!!"
The voice had anger within it, but nothing else happened. The girl didn't rush at Kamijou, who was standing at the door.
For a moment, Kamijou revealed a surprised look…and then he remembered.
Just as Kamijou was trying to make his almost-sleeping brain work, the owner of the voice finally moved herself from within the room. The foreign girl with waist-length silver hair and white skin was wearing a snowy white nun's habit with gold embroidery. It did look rather extravagant, but for some reason, the seams were patched with safety pins.
This girl with a childish demeanor was called Index.
…However, right now, Index was all tied up in ropes. Unable to move her limbs at all, Index continued to twist her body around the room like a caterpillar. A calico cat skillfully sat on Index's head and casually yawned, giving one the impression that 'the following guilty' era had arrived.
"WAH! I forgot all about this! Were you like this all that time?"
"Touma! You left me and ran off like that. Is this what you'll say when you came back!?"
Index said as she revealed her fangs.
As explained just now, Kamijou had met a man named Yamisaka Ouma last night. In order to save his friend, both of them had fought together for the entire night. For them to do such dangerous things, they obviously couldn't bring the weak (?) Index along. But after Index had heard both their explanations, she started kicking, hammering and biting. In this situation, Yamisaka could only use what could be said to be a rope binding spell to tie Index up and force her to wait quietly at home.
"It happens again, it happens again! Touma went off to fight by himself again…! Touma, anyway, just get these ropes off me! These shimenawa[1] form a mini-barrier. Touma just needs to use his right hand to destroy it!"
Touma's right hand.
Within this right hand lay the power of something called the Imagine Breaker. As long as it was a supernatural power, whether esper or magic, everything would be erased with the single touch of the right hand. However, the weakness was that the power of the Imagine Breaker only existed on the right hand itself.
"However…you're going to create quite the commotion once I undo the ropes."
Index had a nasty habit of biting people when she was angry. Seeing her like this, releasing her would be like removing the collar of a vicious starving dog. To Kamijou, going to school on the first day with bite marks from a girl wasn't a good thing…
At this moment, Index's expression suddenly softened.
Basically, it was as if she was tricking a lost kid.
"Touma, if you release me right now, I won't get angry. Why don't you try it now?"
"…Really? You won't get angry?"
"No."
"You won't start biting me when the ropes are released?"
"No no."
Index revealed a Virgin Mary-like smile.
Kamijou bent over and lightly touched the ropes on Index, who was on the floor, with his index finger. Immediately, as if a spell had been cast, the numerous ropes unraveled off Index.
The next moment, Index, who was released, immediately pounced onto Kamijou without any hesitation.
"WAH!"
The girl bit onto Kamijou's head viciously, as if a primitive just saw a huge slab of meat.
"TOUMA'S A BIG IDIOT!!"
"GYYYAAHHH!!?"
Kamijou cried out in despair, but it was too late. Kamijou could only jump about painfully through the room. The right hand with the Imagine Breaker could dispel any magic or esper power, but it was completely useless against the ferocious beast Index.
"You…you lied! You said that you wouldn't be angry! IT HURTS!!"
"Of course I would be angry! Really, you knew that you're going to fight against magicians, and yet you left me at home! Even if Touma has an inexplicable power, you're still an amateur when it comes to fighting magicians! What would you do if something happened?"
Kamijou stared at Index's face, who was close in. Though she looked rather angry, her eyes looked like they would tear up any second.
Index suddenly reached her hands out and hugged Kamijou tightly as if it were a memento.
"…Really, what should I do?"
Being hugged in her chest, Kamijou heard the voice from above.
The long silver hair let out a faint scent.
The girl's body was trembling.
It seemed like she had been worried for the entire night when Kamijou hadn't been at home.
"Sorry."
Kamijou just said that.
He couldn't say anything else.
Kamijou thought that he couldn't let people who cared about him so much feel even more uncomfortable. Kamijou honestly wished not to hurt Index any further.
In fact,
Index didn't know that Kamijou Touma had lost his memories.
She would be even sadder once she knew of it, so Kamijou chose not to tell her.