"Index!"
Bang!
In a moment of dazed panic, Kamijou Touma instinctively stepped forward. But the next instant, a shockwave burst through the shattered layers of ice and stone wall, instantly blowing apart the tiled floor beneath his feet.
It felt like being struck with a sledgehammer. Combined with the force of the wind, Kamijou's body was sent tumbling uncontrollably until he slammed into a jagged outcrop with a dull thud against his abdomen. He rolled across the ground, trembling as he tried to rise.
That one blow had crushed several churches. Logically, it should have turned his internal organs, even his spine, to dust. And yet, strangely, what should have been a body-shattering impact merely left him sprawled and winded.
"Oh? Still able to stand... So that's the power of 'Imagine Breaker'? It actually distorted the judgment of my 'Holy Right'."
"Urgh... cough cough."
Though he had no clue what this 'Holy Right' was supposed to be, Kamijou sensed from his danger instincts that he had narrowly avoided a sneak attack from Fiamma of the Right.
"Fiamma!" Kamijou suddenly looked up and roared with fury. "Show yourself!"
"Tsk tsk tsk... If that's your final wish, how could a merciful man like me possibly refuse?"
Clack clack clack clack!!
A deep grinding echoed like stone gears locking together.
The small white-robed nun lay curled atop the raised platform, illuminated starkly by glowing magic light. With nothing like a horizon or buildings to obstruct the view in this airborne location, the massive domed structure stood fully exposed.
"Bow down from your soul. Welcome to my castle—Star of Bethlehem."
Under Kamijou Touma's seething glare, a red figure slowly stepped forth from atop the merging and extending chapel domes behind the platform. Bathed in the celestial glow of the magic-lit sky, the man's face wore an unmistakably vile and gleefully malicious smile.
"With that, all the conditions have been met."
"What a foolish woman, utterly unaware she was being toyed with. A savage is still a savage. Those Anglo-Saxons of the British Isles actually sealed something as vital as the Index Librorum Prohibitorum inside the brain of such a clueless idiot—and then just let her wander around."
Fiamma of the Right sneered and stepped on the unconscious Index, mocking her.
"But this works out fine. At least it benefits outsiders like you and me, doesn't it, bearer of 'Imagine Breaker'?"
"You're wrong! Someone like you could never understand Index! I swear... letting me step foot in this place will be your greatest mistake. I'll defeat you! Wipe that revolting face of yours into the dirt!"
"Hahaha... Hahaha! Are you trying to kill me with laughter? Smash my face? Hah! Come try it! On the contrary, brat, your right hand is essential for my goal."
Treating Kamijou's declaration like the world's biggest joke, Fiamma of the Right paused for a moment, then burst into loud, exaggerated laughter.
Still chuckling, he spread his arms and murmured to himself:
"Well, it doesn't matter. Be it the media Sasha Kreutzev with her special constitution for hosting angelic power, or the Index Librorum Prohibitorum holding 103,000 grimoires—the autonomous remote-control spellgear, the ritual grounds of the Star of Bethlehem, and your right hand, the vessel for releasing my power..."
"It's time for the supporting cast to take their exit."
"As for your so-called Number One... Hmph! Those stubborn insects in Vatican City may be fools, but they are still Roman Catholic bishops. Selene, that was the name, right? The Moon Goddess."
Thinking of the angel currently running wild across the Roman Catholic headquarters and heartland, Fiamma of the Right's expression turned grim.
"Blasphemer! Desecrator! An angel can only be me! She slaughtered the faithful of the Roman Catholic Church, killed my fellow God's Right Seat members, destroyed Vatican City, forced the Russian Orthodox Church into submission, and tried to utterly annihilate the Catholic faith... Heh, she has no chance now!"
"Watch closely! Only I have the right to save this world... No one else is qualified but me!"
Fiamma of the Right raised a padlock-shaped spellgear in his hand and grinned.
It was a cylindrical, ring-like metal tool marked with Latin characters resembling numbers. Rather than engraved, the characters lit up like an LCD display, showing only the necessary letters.
This was the "John's Pen Remote Control" seized from the Royal Faction at Buckingham Palace.
"This will be the dawn of a new age!"
Click!
The inscribed Latin indicators spun with a mechanical snap.
Kamijou Touma's pupils shrank instinctively. Without fully knowing what the components did, he dashed toward Fiamma of the Right on the elevated platform. Whatever this was—it couldn't be good! Especially when he saw that short staff...
"Index!"
His reason vanished in a flash. Anger erupted like a volcano. Kamijou howled with rage.
Unfortunately, even with Imagine Breaker and danger precognition, his physical body was still that of a slightly above-average high school student. The fortress platform spanned hundreds of meters—more than enough time for Fiamma of the Right to activate the device.
Then—
Bzzzzt—!
On the cold floor before them, the silver-haired nun suddenly opened her eyes. What flashed within them wasn't warmth or humanity, but a mechanical, lifeless gleam—colder than the ticking gears of a clock.
"Warning, Chapter Four... Connection from user confirmed. Commencing automatic removal of hazardous elements."
In Auto-Note mode, Index's formerly soft and gentle voice became sharp as an icicle.
Boom!
With a deafening blast, the twin magic circles in Index's eyes rapidly expanded. Over two meters wide, the circles overlapped in front of her eyes. It was as if they were fused directly to her eyeballs. As she tilted her head slightly, the floating magic arrays moved accordingly.
"**&&##@@?....?**&&##@@...."
Index began to sing—a song no human mind could comprehend.
Pitch-black lightning, defying all science, erupted instantly. Kamijou was blown away in an instant.
Crack crack!
Massive chunks of rubble, larger than Kamijou himself, tore past his face. He ducked, shielding his vital parts, and rolled hard across the ground.
Thwack thwack thwack—!
Debris pounded the wall behind him like a rainstorm. Clatter clatter, it all came crashing down with a terrifying sound.
"Hahaha... So this is the power of the Imagine Breaker's host? Pathetic! Weak! Too weak! Weren't you gonna smash my face in, brat?! Come on! You look like a circus monkey trying to amuse me!"
"What a waste."
Fiamma of the Right sneered, gripping the spellgear tighter and raising his right hand high, his expression twisted.
"Awaken, Archangel Gabriel—Power of God."
"Wipe away all these yapping extras. Cleanse this world!"
The moment his words ended—BOOM!!
The sky changed abruptly. A massive magic circle enveloped the heavens. Stars blossomed in the daytime, transforming the world into night. Intricate blue magic patterns spilled out like overturned ink, painting the sky pure black.
Above the horizon, the radiance of the Star of Bethlehem completely eclipsed the sun.
"What is that?"
It was as if the positions of the Earth, Moon, Sun, and stars had been fully seized and bent to the caster's will. Witnessing it all, Kamijou Touma, having just risen from the wreckage, stood utterly stunned.
Not because he couldn't comprehend the phenomenon before him—but because he had seen this before.
An angelic ritual.
"Sasha?"
Amid the darkness behind Fiamma of the Right, within the gaps of the magical array's intricate pattern, a point of blue light began to gather. A petite figure clad in restraining bodysuit-like attire, long wavy golden hair cascading and eyes concealed, appeared—it was unmistakably Sasha Kreutzev.
Only now, she had clearly lost consciousness.
Then came a piercing cry—"Aaahhh—!!"
As the Archangel descended to Earth, blue lights stretched into wing-like extensions. The wings, asymmetrical and several kilometers long, appeared to split the sky in two. Made from obsidian-like ice crystals, they unfurled in midair.
Zzzzt—!
A few seconds later, the explosion's sound reached Kamijou Touma's ears.
Turning toward the sound, he saw an Academy City supersonic drone fighter formation charging toward the "Star of Bethlehem" sky fortress. Dozens of aircraft exploded into fragments on the spot.
Several large stealth bombers—manned units likely preparing to land—had their main wings and fuselages severed. Within their cracked hulls, armored weapons were igniting and crew members ejecting.
And the destruction didn't stop.
In only a few blinks, Kamijou could hear continued explosions and agonizing screams echoing across the vast fortress. The Academy City's armed forces brought onto the floating "Star of Bethlehem" were being systematically annihilated.
At last, Kamijou got a clear look at the Archangel Gabriel hovering beside Fiamma of the Right.
She had a graceful form far surpassing her vessel. A halo of bluish gold hovered above her head. Her body was encased in a smooth, pure-white fabric that served as her skin, and her facial features were subtly molded by the texture of the cloth itself.
At the back of her head, the cloth spread into a flared, trumpet-like shape in place of hair. Her skin and outfit seamlessly fused together. Gold vein-like lines stretched across the white fabric, fixed with matching pins.
Kamijou Touma looked pale—whether from the cold or something else entirely.
Then Fiamma of the Right spoke.
"Ah, in this case, should we still call her Sasha Kreutzev... or Gabriel instead?"
Tossing aside the used vessel, Sasha Kreutzev, like discarding trash, Fiamma leisurely descended the elevated platform. He strolled toward the battered Kamijou Touma, clearly in great spirits.
It might sound inappropriate, but in that moment, Fiamma resembled a peacock flaunting its plumage—delighting in showing off his overwhelming power.
He had used Sasha Kreutzev as a medium to summon the Archangel. This was different from the "Angel Fall" incident—Gabriel hadn't possessed Sasha's body, but manifested separately.
Still, the two were intrinsically linked—like a soul and its vessel. If Kamijou Touma used Imagine Breaker to strike either one, he would be harming both.
Realizing this, Fiamma of the Right couldn't help but feel elated.
"Use your Imagine Breaker! Let me see your resolve! Come on!" he taunted, shoving his face close with a punchable grin.
He had done his homework—Kamijou and Sasha had once fought side by side. Now he would see: could Kamijou bring himself to strike down his ally?
"If you won't make a move, then I shall. Archangel Gabriel—purge the heretics on the 'Star of Bethlehem'!" Fiamma of the Right joyfully pointed a finger at Kamijou Touma.
Yes, yes, yes—that look. It's delightful. I love that face of yours—wanting to hit me but unable to.
"For your ridiculous ambition, you're willing to ignore the lives of so many people… You deserve to die!!"
Flushed red with rage, Kamijou Touma uncharacteristically shouted words laced with raw aggression.
For the first time, he missed Selene desperately.
Selene, hurry up and get here with your unbeatable Spatial abilities!
His hand clamped down tightly over his right wrist like an iron vise, and with a leap, he launched his right fist toward Fiamma of the Right.
"Too slow, too slow. Weak and powerless."
Wearing a face full of disappointment, Fiamma effortlessly sidestepped the punch. "Giving up already? Tch. Looks like I overestimated you."
…
Silent, Kamijou Touma's movements now seemed clumsy—like a child stumbling through his first steps—especially in contrast to Fiamma's fluid precision. Still, he threw punch after punch, relentless in his seemingly futile strikes.
"Boring."
Seeing Kamijou Touma mute and unresponsive, Fiamma looked as if he'd lost all interest. He yawned, picking his ear. "The elemental alignment array is ready. Now then, your right hand—I'll be taking that."
Fiamma of the Right suddenly raised his third arm. A massive translucent silhouette shimmered into view, its five fingers coalescing into twisting bundles of light.
Whooosh—!
A bizarre crimson claw rushed to meet Kamijou's fist, accompanied by a sharp atmospheric screech like air itself sobbing.
Crunch!
The sickening crack of bones and flesh echoed over the skies of the "Star of Bethlehem."
"Aaaaarrrrghhhhh—!!"
A spray of blood erupted from ruptured veins as the spiky-haired boy was hurled backward through the air. But Fiamma of the Right's attention had already shifted elsewhere—
Because at that moment, a black-gold spear had pierced straight through the joint between his right arm and shoulder blade.
It ripped skin, tore muscle, and dismantled the joint.
Ominous purple-red markings spread across his upper body, crawling up to his neck and face in the blink of an eye.
"You sure took your sweet time. Couldn't bring yourself to use your 'Holy Right' properly, huh? I was falling asleep waiting."
With a suffocating pressure around his throat, a stunning figure began to materialize—her skin pale and flawless. From behind his frozen head, a pair of crimson eyes flickered to life, glimmering like stars.
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