11:27 PM.
Kamijou, Index, and Stiyl had arrived at the metal fence near the workers' entrance to Parallel Sweets Wonderland.
Although they were not on the battlefield yet, Kamijou felt jumpy, as if the air were filled with static electricity. The enemy could be monitoring their actions from within the darkness on the other side of the wired fence. Even though the enemy was only hiding in a corner of the compound, the entire area seemed to be one large stomach of theirs.
Such a scary place…
A girl left alone here must be really uncomfortable. She might be surrounded by several vicious sword- and spear-wielding criminals, too.
Deep inside, Kamijou cursed. If he had known that this would be the outcome, he would have brought Orsola to Academy City from the very start. Right now, Kamijou was really regretting it.
"Hey, Stiyl…"
"What?"
"Do you think that we can finish everything within the time limit? Destroying the portal, finding The Book of the Law, rescuing Orsola, everything?"
After hearing Kamijou's question, Stiyl became silent. Index looked nervous as she turned back and forth, staring at these two.
"…to be honest, it's gonna be difficult."
After a while, Stiyl said again,
"We have no idea where the Book of the Law or Orsola are inside this area. Also, we know something that the Roman Catholics don't."
Kamijou looked suspicious and puzzled.
"After this incident happened, Kanzaki Kaori, who was originally supposed to be in England, went missing. I'm afraid that she's going to help her former subordinates… by engaging in some drastic actions. So, if we want to utterly defeat the Amakusa, that Saint will probably attack us."
Stunned and tense, Kamijou felt his throat go dry.
The magician Kanzaki Kaori had managed to contain a real angel during the Angel Fall incident. Although Kamijou had not witnessed her entire battle against the angel, it was not hard to imagine how scary she was as an opponent.
He also felt that all the predictions that Stiyl was making about Kanzaki were rather reasonable.
"So, I'll advise you not to think of executing this plan perfectly. There are too many flaws in this plan, and too many risks. Our last line of defence is to prevent the Book of the Law from being decoded successfully."
"If that's the case…"
Kamijou looked at Stiyl's and Index's faces, and said,
"Should we put Orsola's safety as our top priority?"
"I've no disagreements with that. Without the decoder, the Book of the Law would be useless even if they did have it. Also, the contents of the Book of the Law is ingrained within Index's head; the original has no value to us. Since the Book of the Law belongs to the Roman Catholic Church, even if we lost it, it wouldn't hurt the Anglican Church one bit."
"I also feel that this is a good idea. In any case, even if we disagree, Touma will take action on his own, right? Our numbers are few, so we have to work together."
The two magicians of the Anglican Church, Index and Stiyl, had no disagreements.
As experts, it was expected that they knew things that Kamijou did not, but right now, they were using an idea that he, a layman, came up with.
"Um, thanks, guys."
The two heard that and were somewhat stunned. Index already had a lot of different expressions, so it was normal, but Stiyl looked somewhat embarrassed.
Stiyl covered his mouth and said,
"Please don't say disgusting things that'll lower our morale before we attack. The battle will begin at 11:30 PM, and we have to go in at the same time. Seems like it's about time…"
"Touma, when we go in, please be careful, alright? Stay behind me and follow my instructions, and you won't get hurt."
"Hm, what are you saying? My right hand is an iron wall against magicians! You should be the one staying behind me, and give me advice when necessary."
"…"
"…"
Having different opinions, Kamijou and Index were now silent.
"…we're about to begin our invasion; can you guys please get serious?"
Stiyl, who was coldly staring at the two regarding their argument, said softly. At that moment…
BOOM! An explosion erupted at the visitors' entrance, far away.
Looking at the flames that were rising into the sky, Kamijou was flabbergasted as he said,
"…oi, do we have to make such a ruckus when attacking?"
"If we don't do that, we'll lose to the enemy in terms of momentum. Touma, don't get careless."
"They haven't created any unrest yet. Seems like someone used a spell that repels passersby and creates a fixed image. However, there's no sign of any of the Roman Catholics' characteristics or habits…it seems like the Amakusa's. Having such an ability…this is really bad news for us."
No matter what they said, it was time for action.
Index stuck the tip of her nose onto the wire fence, silently observing the compound. After confirming that there were no magical traps set, the trio climbed over the fence and into the dark compound.
The lights in the compound were off, so this place formed a mass of darkness within the entire city. One might even have felt that the stars in the sky were especially bright. The trio entered the tour route from the outside; through the gap between the shaved ice store and the almond jelly store, both of which were as large as jeeps; and got onto the tour route.
The tour route was a large circular road. Right in the middle was a watercourse, and the surface of the water was about 3 meters below them, the pool so deep that they could not see the bottom. Several small stores, like roadside ones, were arranged around the watercourse, each with only a bar and no space for the customers to eat inside. On the inside of the watercourse was a square with many tables and chairs. It seemed like the management hoped to divert the customers there.
"…"
If it were during the day, one ought to have been able to create some wonderful memories here. But right now, this place was as if it had come from a world in another dimension. There was not even any light, and all the stores were now barred by ice-cold shutters; it was as if no one in the entire compound welcomed Kamijou and company. Like someone who holds a flashlight below his chin and casts shadows over his face, there was a sense of fear and suspense here that could not be described. Even Index, a gluttonous girl who would love coming to this kind of place to eat, was now extremely tense as she stared into the darkness.
"Touma, Touma, there isn't much time left; we have to find Orsola first, and fast."
"Ya, there's only 30 minutes left. If we can find the exact location of the portal, we could still stick around and wait, but we can't expect too much right now."
Stiyl said. Maybe it was because he was afraid of giving his location away that he was not smoking. There were sounds of growls, shrieks, screams, things being destroyed, and explosions; it seemed like the battle between the Roman Catholics and the Amakusa had already begun.
"Right, I got it."
After Kamijou had finished saying that, he heard metal clanking against metal.
The sound seemed to come from above him. Kamijou casually looked up, and…
Four youths came crashing in from the roof of the shaved ice store.
They were wielding weapons that resembled Western swords.
"!?"
Kamijou frantically pushed Index aside, and Stiyl grabbed Index's collar, pulling her beside him.
The swords carried the moon's reflection as they swung downwards, quickly smashing the place where Index had just been.
A boy and three girls. The four of them were about as old as Kamijou. Their attires were not as eye-catching as a nun's habit; instead, they were ordinary clothes that one could find on the streets. That, however, made the Western swords they were wielding even more sinister-looking.
Stiyl said reluctantly,
"A Hand-and-a-half sword, a bastard sword, a boar spear sword, a dress sword…seems like the people of this country really like Western culture!"
Kamijou felt that he had seen those names before, in several fantasy RPGs. The lengths of the four swords ranged between 1 and 2 m, and their designs were rather unique; one of them even had a small, circular-shaped thing that was like a bulbous plant on the tip of its thin blade. Kamijou really had no idea what that would be for.
Damn it, hasn't the main diversionary force attracted all the enemies yet?
The four teenagers landed on the ground, separating Kamijou from Index and Stiyl. As the road was narrow, Kamijou could not get past the four easily and regroup with both Index and Stiyl. Stiyl placed a rune on the ground, summoning a flame sword, then pulled something out from his torso, saying,
"This is for you. Don't lose it if you don't want to die."
Kamijou hurriedly caught it. It was actually a silver cross necklace.
"This is…"
Kamijou looked up. Before he could even ask, "What's this for?", an Amakusa girl wordlessly raised a pair of thin swords as long as brooms--probably the dress sword--as she charged towards Kamijou.
"Wa!?"
Kamijou frantically jumped back, dodging the blow. The girl again stepped forward, swinging her sword. Kamijou could not react in time, and for a moment, did not know what to do. Luckily, he tripped and fell backwards, managing to dodge the strike.
"Danger! Touma!!"
Kamijou heard Index scream as the girl's dress sword swung downward like a guillotine. Using his falling momentum to roll backwards, he barely dodged the blow.
Up until now, the enemy had not used any magic.
In this situation, the Imagine Breaker was useless. If he were to use his right hand to block, it would be cut in half.
"Index!"
Kamijou frantically shouted, but the four enemies were standing in the middle of the road, and so Kamijou was unable to get to Index. Stiyl raised his flame sword, standing in front of Index. Two of the enemies, both of whom were wielding longswords, charged forward, as if they wanted to run Stiyl and Index through.
DONG! There was a heavy collision sound.
"———!?"
Hearing that, Kamijou was scared nearly to death. But once he looked at it calmly, he noticed that Stiyl was not even bleeding. What was more, the two enemies who had charged at him simply went through his body.
A mirage.
Stiyl's afterimage left behind a mocking smile and faded into nothing. The smile did not seem to be directed at the Amakusa, their enemies, but rather at Kamijou.
The duo then disappeared into thin air.
Right now, the four Amakusa were staring at Kamijou, who was the only one left at the scene.
Oi…wait a minute…if you're going to escape, at least discuss a signal and a rendezvous point! Damn it, I'm the scapegoat again? This isn't the first time! I remember the same thing happening when we were fighting the alchemist!
Kamijou, who had been left behind, quickly turned around and scampered away. The enemy did not seem to know how to react upon seeing that.
Kamijou looked back as he ran and saw 3 of them running off in different directions. It seemed like they were chasing after the escaped Index.
There was only one enemy left.
Only the girl who had raised her sword and swung at Kamijou continued to pursue him. She was really fast. Even though she was wielding a large and heavy Western sword, she moved as fast as a bird.
Oh, no…! I'll be caught if I just run straight!
Kamijou quickly left the circular tour route and dove into a space between two stores that was not even 70 cm wide. The space could not be considered an "alley", but was rather a "gap".
While running through the tiny gap, Kamijou suddenly tumbled forward. The shop here seemed to be undergoing renovation, as a signboard had been placed next to the wall and toolboxes had been scattered on the ground. He had tripped on these.
Wa…! Why do they leave these things around and not pack them away nicely!?
If he were to continue running like this, his back would be hacked down by the girl sooner or later. Kamijou looked at the overturned toolboxes, hoping to find something that could be used as a weapon, but he immediately realized that it would not work. Even if he were to swing a hammer wildly, he could not possibly beat a real sword. Even if he were to randomly grab and throw some stuff, they would likely be cut in half by the enemy.
…they would be cut in half? If so…!
At that moment, the girl wielding the dress sword slid against the ground with her soles, arriving at the entrance of the shop like a drifting car.
Kamijou frantically grabbed something that was like a toothpaste tube and threw it behind him.
The girl did not even look at the tube-like thing as she raised her sword, slicing it in half. The girl then raised her sword again, rushing into the gap.
"!!"
Kamijou quickly stood up, crossing his hands over his head.
The girl's blade did not pause as she cut the air, swinging down onto Kamijou's head. In terms of power, it was definitely enough to cut Kamijou's hands and body in half.
Thunk!
Unexpectedly, the sound created as the blade hit his wrists was dull. There was not even a scratch on Kamijou's skin.
The toothpaste tube-like thing actually contained grease used for machinery.
Such a highly viscous substance would stick on the blade like blood or fat and greatly reduce its sharpness. If the girl were using a heavy sword like a Japanese one, even if it was not sharp enough, it would still have had enough weight to break Kamijou's wrists. It was too bad, however, that the girl was using a ceremonial sword that had belonged to ancient royalty. Although it was decorated with gold, silver, and all sorts of gems, the blade was long and thin, so it lacked destructive power.
"!?"
The girl frantically raised her dress sword once more.
"Too late!!"
Kamijou had already swung his arms to the side, flinging the blade away, and slammed into the girl's waist viciously. With his entire weight pressing against her, the blow bowled her over backwards. Kamijou was kind enough to protect the girl's head with his hand, however, so the back of her head did not hit the ground full-force.
The collision knocked out all the air within the girl's lungs, and she could not move. It was like someone who completely lost her body balance and got tossed by a judo throw; it was expected that she would faint.
"…ouch, it hurts."
After confirming that the girl was not hurt, Kamijou sat on the ground with one buttock, looking up. Above him was a night sky cut into a square by the four walls of the building. Such a scene was rather common in an alley.
In Academy City, street-fighting in the alleys was very different from what Japan normally saw or imagined. That was because many students, as long as they could manipulate their powers well enough, were far scarier than guns. Besides that, several delinquents wielded special weapons that were not inferior to esper powers. Maybe it was because Kamijou was used to those things that he was able to react accordingly when facing off against a sword user.
Kamijou sat down and adjusted his breathing, studying the dress sword that the girl had held originally. Although the blade was thin, it was heavier than expected, maybe because of its center of gravity. After thinking about it, Kamijou felt that he could not use the sword, since he did not know any sword techniques, and therefore could not possibly beat an enemy with it. Also, if he were to hit an enemy with it, the enemy would definitely bleed; just thinking about it made him shiver. Although its sharpness had decreased by a lot, Kamijou was not willing to take this thing and recklessly swing it around.
Thinking about it, though, if he were to leave the sword here, then when the Amakusa girl woke up, it was likely that she would come chasing after him again. So, Kamijou could only drag that heavy sword away from her position.
Damn it, what happened to Index and Stiyl? And where's Orsola? Should I meet up with them? Or should I find Orsola on my own?
This was the consequence of not setting up a rendezvous point. Now that he thought about it, Kamijou had not expected to be working separately from them from the very beginning. After thinking about his next strategy, he dragged the heavy sword back to the circular road.
Suddenly, a figure came crashing into his side.
!?
When that figure rushed out of the shadows, Kamijou had not sensed it at all. Crashed into like that, he lost his balance and quickly threw his longsword away, trying to prevent himself from being stabbed accidentally as he fell.
Right now, the situation could be said to have been completely reversed. Kamijou was the one who had been knocked onto the ground, but he had braced himself, so the damage he had received was not as bad as what the girl had suffered. To prevent the enemy from jumping him, he raised his fist, preparing to fight back.
"…eh?"
Kamijou relaxed his fist immediately, however, because there was something strange about the enemy in front of him. The enemy wore a black nun's cap and robes. It was already very hot, and yet this nun's clothes covered her entirely from head to toe. Not only that, but her hand had also been tied to her back with white duct tape, each of her hands holding onto the opposite elbow. Even her mouth had been gagged with duct tape. Looking closer, he noticed that the duct tape seemed similar to fabric, and that distorted kanji-like text were inked on top.
Anyone could tell that this was Orsola Aquinas.
At that moment, Kamijou heaved a sigh of relief, and his entire body crashed onto the ground.
"Mmmm! Mmmmmmmm! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!"
The moment Orsola, who was gagged up by that weird talisman, saw Kamijou, she tried to talk.
"What? Since you specially came all the way to Japan, you want to meet a real sumo wrestler? You're really like an old granny! Not all Japanese are sumo wrestlers!"
"Mmm—!"
"Ah? Wait…I'm only jok—!"
Before Kamijou could finish speaking, an angry headbutt met his chest. Both he and Orsola went crashing onto the ground. At first, Kamijou could only cough and gasp for breath, but after a while, he realized that his hands were touching something soft. Actually, his hand was placed on Orsola's voluptuous and ample breast, the heartbeat and warmth traveling through his hands, but Orsola did not seem to realize it.
Eh? WAAA!
Kamijou immediately went red. Quickly climbing up from under Orsola's body, he used his right thumb to gently remove the talisman taped onto Orsola's mouth. Now that she felt someone touch her lips indirectly through the talisman, Orsola revealed a stunned expression, but upon feeling the talisman fall on its own naturally, she was even more shocked.
"May…may I ask…are you the mister who I met at the bus stop? Why…"
"Of course I'm here to save you! Ahhh, save the details for later; anyway, we have to get out of here!"
Kamijou looked around him, and after confirming that no one was around, retrieved the sword he had just thrown aside.
Orsola did not seem to be aware of what was going on, as she muttered seemingly to herself, and not to Kamijou,
"Eh? Eh? May I ask…you're really…trying to save me? It does not concern…The Book of the Law?"
"I'm too lazy to bother with that kind of thing. You think that I'll run all the way here just for an ancient book? Do I look that carefree?"
Kamijou shook his head as he shouted. Orsola seemed scared and shocked as she jerked back.
"Ah…um…really…thank you for your grace and kindness."
"…you don't need to thank me. Oh, yeah, why are you here? Where are those Amakusa?"
"The…the Roman Catholics and the Amakusa seem to be having a big fight. I escaped during this mess…now that I think about it, the Amakusa don't seem to be good at confinement and imprisonment."
Kamijou picked up the dress sword and went behind Orsola, breaking the seal on her wrists.
Orsola massaged her hands that were just freed, and asked,
"Thank…thank you. However…may I ask…how did you do it…?"
"Hm…? This is my special ability…I'm not going to explain it to you; the development process of esper powers on the science side will probably confuse you badly. Come to think about it, why are you still here strolling around? Why didn't you think of escaping right away?"
"It's not that I didn't wish to escape, but that I couldn't; the two sides were fighting really hard at the entrance. Also, my hands were tied, so I couldn't get over the fence. And just when I was looking for another entrance…!"
Before Orsola could finish speaking, Kamijou suddenly grabbed her arm and ran back to the gap between the shops. Orsola saw the Amakusa girl, who had fainted and was lying on the ground, and nearly screamed.
"…quiet!"
Kamijou whispered as he covered Orsola's mouth with his right hand. He then ran to the end of the gap, and upon arriving there, pressed his body against the wall.
Several footsteps could be heard from the circular road outside, before becoming softer and softer.
These people did not seem to be looking for Index and Stiyl, but rather for the escaped Orsola. Each of them wielded either a sword or an axe, and were giving the others orders. They looked really scary.
After confirming the footsteps to be far away, Kamijou leaned his back onto the wall and slowly sat down. Orsola followed suit, gracefully sitting down beside him.