novelFrom Peace to Ruin on the Proceeding Path (1)
| ← Ch.117 | Ch.119 → |
Part 1
Due to a certain factor, fourth period dragged on oddly long.
By the time the normal high school boy named Kamijou Touma and his class ran to the school store and cafeteria, it was already too late. They were so horribly late that the store's bread had been wiped out, the cafeteria seats were filled, and those seats were unlikely to open up until the end of the lunch break. On top of that, the meal ticket machine had all of its "sold out" lights on like a cigarette vending machine late at night. Such misfortune. And the situation was entirely thanks to the digression caused by Kamijou Touma asking his history teacher, "Really? So what would've happened to Japan if Oda Nobunaga had created the Oda Shogunate?"
He felt responsible, so he headed to the faculty room to make a direct appeal to Komoe-sensei who was chowing down on a 580 yen healthy zaru soba set.
"Please at least open up the cooking classroom! I can make the Kamijou Special!! Just give me some leftover cold rice, grated cheese, and ketchup, and I can whip up something great!!"
But despite his plea, his teacher only smiled bitterly. To add insult to injury, the math teacher Oyafune Suama was eating a gorgeous seafood bowl with sea urchin and roe while the PE teacher Yomikawa Aiho was downing several nikuman that did not seem to be part of her lunch. This filled the room with delicious aromas, so Kamijou fled before he lost control of himself.
"I-is the drink machine the only path remaining? But will that be enough to get through my afternoon classes?"
The number of students suffering from a shortage of food numbered 21 in all. There was Kamijou Touma, Aogami Pierce, Tsuchimikado Motoharu, Himegami Aisa who had forgotten to bring a lunch on this day of all days, Fukiyose Seiri who was out of mail-order health foods, and all the other boys and girls in the class who got their food from the cafeteria or the school store.
As they watched those with lunches eat their extremely delicious looking tiny Salisbury steaks, steamed dumplings, and other foods, the empty stomach alliance finally made up their minds.
"Let's escape!! Let's escape and go to a convenience store!!"
It was unclear who exactly had shouted that.
The next thing they knew, the cafeteria & school store group had formed a circle and begun a strategy meeting.
Times like this were when Fukiyose Seiri truly shined.
"If we all leave the school at once, the teachers will definitely notice. The odds of success are highest if we have a team of three or four take everyone's money and buy all the food!!"
"Then what will the others do?" asked Himegami with a tilt of the head.
Kamijou raised his head.
"Provide backup by gathering information and creating diversions. We have to make sure the teachers don't find out about this plan, so we need your help. We need to keep our cell phones connected. Only the latest information is of any use."
"Okay, but where will we escape from, nyah?" Tsuchimikado drew a detailed diagram of the school on the back of a printout he no longer needed."These are the locations related to intruder alarms. This infrared sensor is only active at night, so we don't have to worry about it. Given the location of the faculty room, we'll definitely be spotted at the fence if we leave through the front. Their window gives them a full view of the schoolyard there, nyah. It's gotta be the back entrance. But the guy working at the store goes in and out through there. We'd be in trouble if we ran into him, nyah."
"I see. So the trick is when we pass through the back entrance. Okay, let's divide up the jobs!!"
On Fukiyose's instructions, the 21 rebels divided into a few groups. Kamijou Touma, Aogami Pierce, Tsuchimikado Motoharu, and Fukiyose Seiri formed the team that would actually leave the school. It seemed they were known for being quick on their feet thanks to their usual idiotic commotions.
"But can we really entrust our lunches to Kamijou and his misfortune?"
"It'll be fine. He can play the crucial role of the decoy."
As his classmates whispered amongst themselves, Kamijou silenced them with his fist.
While still standing in a circle, they all pulled out their phones, set them to transceiver mode which connected multiple lines at once, and then synchronized the digital clock down to the second.
"Let's go. Mission start!!"
Fukiyose clapped her hands twice and the cafeteria & store team scattered like baby spiders.
Kamijou, Aogami Pierce, Tsuchimikado, and Fukiyose hurried, but travelled down the hallway in what could be seen as a fast walk in order to avoid the simple mistake of being stopped for running in the hall.
"Time is the real issue here, " said Fukiyose as they made their way past a few teachers with a smile."Lunchtime is when convenience stores make an overwhelming amount of their money. This escape will all be a waste if all the lunches are gone from the convenience store shelves as well!!"
They did not stop at the shoe lockers. If a teacher noticed they were wearing loafers instead of indoor shoes, their escape plan would be discovered. The fact that they had no shoes yet were not playing in the schoolyard made for a fairly fatal situation.
And so they had another group get some PE shoes which they exchanged for their indoor shoes. After travelling to the outdoor passageway connecting the school building to the gym, they put on the PE shoes and made their way outside. They then ran to the back entrance before anyone could question them.
The metal fence came into view.
No one was around. The problematic school store man was nowhere to be seen.
"Okay! Let's make a run for it!!"
Kamijou tried to jump the fence.
But then a shrill siren reached him.
He turned around and saw the gorilla-like Saigo-sensei who seemed to be just returning from eating out at a family restaurant.
The educational guidance counselor was driving a four door family car, but it was made for normal humans to ride. That openweight gorilla made it look as cramped as a phone booth.
"Tch!! We should have considered the possibility of the back entrance being used by faculty after parking!!"
Fukiyose regretted her own error, but Kamijou felt something else.
And that feeling led to a shout.
"No fair!! You went out to eat!? That muscular beast of a guidance counselor left us to battle our own in that over-capacity cafeteria while he went to enjoy a leisurely restaurant!?"
"K-Kami-yan, you idiot. Ignore him. If we get caught here, how will we ever get lunch!?"
Aogami Pierce's shout brought Kamijou to his senses.
The gorilla teacher got out of his car and approached with terrifying speed, so Kamijou climbed over the metal fence to escape. Recognizing the unfavorable turn of events, Fukiyose quickly fled on a different route. Just before he was caught, Tsuchimikado kicked Aogami Pierce down from the fence to offer him up like a flare used as a missile countermeasure.
So as not to waste Aogami Pierce's noble sacrifice, Kamijou and Tsuchimikado ran down the road with all their strength.
As he ran, Tsuchimikado looked over his shoulder and gained an expression of shock.
"Damn that gorilla teacher. He's already taken out Aogami Pierce and is running this way, nyah!?"
"Seriously!? Tsuchimikado, let's split up! We can't let ourselves be wiped out here!!"
The two boys exchanged a nod and turned right and left at an intersection to increase their odds of survival.
Part 2
Itsuwa, a girl belonging to the Amakusa Christian Church, was near Kamijou's high school.
She wore a pink tank top over a sweatshirt that was as fluffy as a sheep. Below, she wore deeply colored pants, but the pants had cuts wrapping around them with a transparent plastic material that prevented the fabric from moving out of place. This was a new Academy City design that boldly showed off the flesh color of her legs. She had carefully chosen her outfit in order to blend into this rare city that was 80% students. A suit when in a business district and a miniskirt when in a shopping district. That was the Amakusa style rather than Itsuwa's personal style.
She had a reason for being in Academy City.
Two days before, a letter had arrived at the Anglican Church and the top levels of Academy City. It had been sent by Acqua of the Back, a member of the secret Roman Catholic organization known as God's Right Seat. The letters had been a sort of challenge. He had said he was on his way to utterly destroy Kamijou Touma and that they should send out their strongest forces if they wished to stop him.
It was of course possible the letters were fakes.
However, the one sent to the Anglicans had contained an additional item to boost its credibility.
To put it simply, it was Terra of the Left's remains.
Those remains had been gently wrapped in the highest quality velvet and shipped in a paulownia box that smelled faintly of wood. It was unclear if the extravagant jewelry box style decorations had been meant as ridicule for his enemies or a sign of respect.
The upper body ended at the waist and it definitely belonged to that member of God's Right Seat.
Itsuwa had directly fought Terra, so she had been called to St. George's Cathedral to confirm his identity. But that had left her bewildered.
There were two reasons for this.
First, Terra had supposedly been fried in Avignon by Academy City's weapons, but this corpse had clearly been sliced in two at the waist.
Second, if Terra had survived those Academy City weapons, how much strength had Acqua of the Back needed to so easily execute him?
The man had been killed in a single strike.
That was the story told by the bisecting wound.
As one who had directly fought Terra of the Left, Itsuwa could tell. That man had caused her to so much torment and had broken through an Academy City unit, so it would have taken extreme cruelty to rip his body apart by force like that.
And she had further questions.
Why had Acqua of the Back sent out an old-fashioned letter of challenge rather than attacking at a weak point as God's Right Seat had done before?
And why had he killed Terra of the Left and then used him in the letter of challenge?
His method had been so straightforward that the Anglican Church and Academy City had made many different speculations and suspected a trap, but they had been unable to grasp his true intentions. At any rate, if he was targeting Kamijou Touma, they had decided that defeating him here would be best, so the Anglicans had dispatched the Amakusa Christian Church.
It was normally forbidden for magicians to act as a group within Academy City.
That action was defined as crossing the line between the magic side and the science side.
But that agreement had been broken for this exceptional situation.
Itsuwa did not know the details, but the Anglican archbishop had likely struck some form of deal with the head of Academy City.
Most likely, the Anglicans had chosen a small independent group under their command like the Amakusas because they could be cut away like a lizard's tail if things grew inconvenient. It was also possible they had been chosen because they had originally operated within Japan and knew the land.
Either way, Itsuwa was now within Academy City where she could not normally be.
This was partly due to the world beginning to divide between the "Academy City and Anglican Church" side and the "Roman Catholic Church and Russian Orthodox Church" side, but it was even more due to Acqua of the Back being such a great danger that he could not be defeated while following the rules.
To put it another way, Academy City and the Anglicans had both decided an attack solely by Acqua was more of a threat than the global chaos caused by crossing the line between the science and magic sides. That was how powerful an enemy the man was.
"..."
Due to that situation, it had also been decided that Itsuwa would join the battle as Kamijou's bodyguard.
She needed to contact him as quickly as possible, but she also had enough sense not to arrive when he was in the middle of class. She was waiting in a position from which his class was visible and planned to take action once school let out.
(I need to do my best. )
She clenched her small fist as she secretly filled herself with motivation.
During the C-Document incident from a few days ago, her insufficient strength had left her unable to protect Kamijou through to the end. To make up for that fact, she was prepared to act as a professional magician and not let anyone lay a finger on civilian Kamijou Touma.
She carried a bag over her shoulder and she could feel the weight of the dismantled Friuli Spear inside.
(With Vento of the Front and Terra of the Left, he has already defeated two members of God's Right Seat, but there has to be something for me to do. I need to do my best. )
And then a familiar face cut by in front of Itsuwa's eyes.
It was Kamijou Touma.
"Eh?"
She tilted her head as she wondered why and then she checked the time. There was no way school had been let out yet. Also, Kamijou's expression as he ran through the streets was not normal. It looked like he was being pursued by something.
Something may have happened.
Slight tension filled Itsuwa.
And then she saw a suspicious gorilla-like person cut by in front of her in pursuit of Kamijou.
The person's face looked the polygonal villain in a unique western video game.
Itsuwa thought about Kamijou, recalled that western video game face and then looked back toward Kamijou's fleeing back.
There was no way that gorilla was a normal person.
Kamijou Touma was a courageous veteran of many battles yet his face was filled with fear.
His expression made it look like he thought he would be torn limb from limb.
Finally, she came to a conclusion.
According to the report on September 30, Acqua of the Back was a man.
(He's already here!!)
She swiftly assembled her spear and charged straight toward the western game villain.
Part 3
Due to health reasons, Saigo the disaster teacher in charge of life counseling had to retreat.
"... Ha."
After school, Kamijou, who had finally managed to finish the great battle of lunch, sighed heavily as he walked out of the school gate after changing his shoes at the shoe shelves. Right now, Itsuwa, who was still blue with shock, was standing there.
For some reason, she had appeared at the noon break, and like a spirit, intercepted the life-counseling teacher (with a spear, no less). It seemed like all of that had been a misjudgment on her part."EH? He's not Acqua of the Back? EHHH!? A SCHOOL TEACHER!?", and after which, Itsuwa had collapsed into confusion.
There were many questions Kamijou really wanted to ask Itsuwa, including 'Why are you here in Academy City?', but Itsuwa was rolling her eyes around in confusion as she tried to settle the gorilla-teacher problem, carrying his huge body and quickly heading to the hospital.
And it all ended up like this.
"I-I really... even if I'm useless, there's got to be some limit..."
Itsuwa, who had come back from the hospital, was now sunk in a deep and bottomless-looking hole.
To Kamijou, if he had been caught by that gorilla teacher, he would have been thrown onto the asphalt floor by ancient martial arts, and afterwards, have gotten smothered with a sweaty pinning move combo; this was undeniable. Thus, it was hard to tell whether Itsuwa had served her purpose or not. However, it seemed that Itsuwa wasn't down because of that.
(... Seems like it's also not because she injured an ordinary person... because, that gorilla had a legend going about that he managed to catch a falling boulder with both hands while in a rockfall zone. That's not an ordinary person. )
Anyway, no matter what, Kamijou decided to start by asking why Itsuwa, as a resident of the magic side, was appearing in the main base of the science side—Academy City.
"... Acqua of the Back. Do you still remember that name?"
Itsuwa trembled as she asked.
Kamijou's eyebrows moved suspiciously.
"Yeah. I remember, he's one of the members of God's Right Seat... right? I met him once on the 30th of September."
Yes, after Vento of the Front had been defeated in Academy City, it was Acqua who forced his way in. Besides being a member of God's Right Seat, he had the capability of a Saint. It was impossible to imagine his battle prowess, and he was essentially different from all the enemies Kamijou had faced so far.
Though Kamijou didn't really want to go anywhere, he continued to walk towards a busy street, chatting with Itsuwa.
"Then, what about Acqua? Don't tell me he intends to do something strange in another country?"
"N-not that, that's not it..."
Itsuwa looked like she had trouble articulating. After she seemingly processed everything in her brain, she finally said,
"Acqua of the Back's target seems to be you."
"Ha?"
"About that, both the Anglican Church and Academy City have gotten a challenge letter from Acqua. It was written that in these next few days, he'll... um... come back to attack Kamijou Touma. So he told both sides to be wary, something like that."
Itsuwa looked troubled, as she paused halfway through talking. She was like those parents who purposely concealed the extremely sensitive issues from their children.
His own life was being threatened by Acqua of God's Right Seat... Just how serious was this? This ordinary high school student called Kamijou Touma was unable to immediately understand.
"God's Right Seat, huh?"
Kamijou pondered for a while.
"Vento of the Front once said that in order to kill me, the Pope had to prepare the relevant documents to let them attack Academy City. But they probably wouldn't mobilize such a powerful guy to attack me, an ordinary high school student."
"AH!? NONONO! This is because you helped so many people and managed to stop the Roman Catholic Church from carrying out their underground deeds! How could they still consider you to be an ordinary high school student after you have done so many things!?"
For some reason, Itsuwa had begun to shout. Though it wasn't clear, Kamijou suitably concluded that most likely, she had been sent here by the Amakusa to guard him. Although he was praised by her, the boy standing here really was just an ordinary high school student, and there really wasn't anything about him that was praiseworthy.
"But Vento of the Front came here before... it's Acqua of the Back now?"
"Right now, the English Library's checking on his history. Including the other members of God's Right Seat, there hasn't been any important information dug up on him so far."
"Well, they are secret members of a secret organisation."
"Though there hasn't been any specific information, he obviously has the strength worthy of a member of God's Right Seat and what seems to be the power of a Saint, so it'd be great if we can get the Priestess's assistance."
This Priestess she was talking about should be Kanzaki Kaori.
She was one of the 20 Saints in the world, and had managed to survive a fight against a real archangel. This was truly one achievement she could brag about.
It was true that Kanzaki's help could help the situation a lot more, but as a lot of things had happened in the past, there was a rift between Kanzaki and the Amakusa. Also, Stiyl once said that because Saints have such ridiculous powers, they were not allowed to go about freely.
"... But this doesn't mean we're completely at our wits' end, "
Itsuwa sounded like she wanted to discard any unrest as she said.
"God's Right Seat is an extremely powerful group of the magic side. Truthfully, even if we fight against them all, we can't guarantee that we could even manage a draw against them. But, Vento of the Front and Terra of the Left... we managed to fight them back. Why is that?"
"Mm."
"We didn't analyze the details thoroughly, so we can't say that our current intel is correct, but both sides have a common point of 'having been interfered greatly by the science side'. Terra of the Left was forced to change his plans because of those powered suits and supersonic bombers, and as for Vento of the Front, it was... that... thing which looks like an angel, right?"
Now that she mentions it, this was true.
It had been because of Academy City's irregular counterattacks managed to shake up the strongest magic group, God's Right Seat. They hadn't been able to perform on the perfect stage where they could utilize all of their strength, but instead performed on the stage of the science side, which they were not used to. Maybe this was the real reason why they had managed to win.
"Then, to fight in Academy City where science is everywhere, there should be a huge significance."
"... I-I feel that things aren't that simple..."
"?"
Seeing Itsuwa continue to mince her words, Kamijou felt puzzled. Itsuwa immediately waved her hands to get over it.
"An-anyway! Acqua of the Back will be attacking, so I'll protect you well. The Anglican Church gave us orders to protect you, publicly and privately, so please do not worry too much!!"
Though Itsuwa said this with energy, Kamijou did feel that these words were important.
Wanting to verify whether he had heard this wrongly, Kamijou confirmed it again,
"Itsuwa, why are you here?"
"Do I need to say it? I'm here to be your bodyguard."
Itsuwa clenched her small fist. Seeing her like this, Kamijou felt that every part of his body was getting stiff.
So he asked again.
"Itsuwa, why are you here?"
"I said it before, I'm here to be a bodyguard, to stick to you and protect you."
Part 4
The substitute Supreme Pontiff of the Amakusa-style Church, Tatemiya Saiji was hiding behind a building, his eyes leaving the pair of binoculars.
They were beside a little cinema. Nearby, there was a little lateral path, and at the entrance, there was a lottery shop that was conveniently and deliberately placed there to block the line of sight. This was supposedly a crowded place, yet unexpectedly, hardly anyone noticed this place — a really intriguing place.
Showing a dirty look as he held the binoculars with one hand, the narrow-eyed Tatemiya silently said,
"... How boring."
Regarding this comment, the big guy beside him, Ushibuka, was pretending to read a magazine while nodding his head in agreement.
"That Itsuwa... she's been talking about work all this time, not even going on the offense."
"Yeah, we finally gave her the perfect chance to get real close to Kamijou Touma, yet she hasn't done any self-revealing yet. Looks like she's forgotten about the greatest weapons on her body."
"What's Itsuwa's greatest weapon?" The lanky teenager, Kouyagi, asked as he continued to pop popcorn into his mouth.
Tatemiya rummaged through a tossed-aside bag and pulled out something like a whiteboard used for a riddle contest. The black marker then started to run on the whiteboard.
After that, he wrote the correct answer on the whiteboard and showed it to everyone.
"—Yes, that's Itsuwa's huge, hidden breasts!!" Tatemiya widened his eyes as he said this.
Besides Ushibuka and Kouyagi, a group of men, including the middle-aged man Isahaya and the already married Nomozaki, immediately gathered towards where Tatemiya was.
"On what basis do you make this hypothesis, Pope!?"
"To actually say such a thing... I won't agree to this kind of horse race-like prediction, you bastard!!"
The males all pent out steam from their nostrils, and Tatemiya again moved the black marker on the whiteboard.
"According to the great Itsuwa Massage battle, her sore shoulders index is 40. But considering Itsuwa's muscle strength and activity level, and also her clothes, equipments, and everything else she has, even after totaling all these, it'd be weird if her maximum sore shoulder index even reached 37."
"If so, this means..."
A group of men swallowed their saliva.
Tatemiya seriously nodded his head. He gathered all of his energy in his abdomen before declaring in a high-pitched voice:
"Yes, this sore shoulder index has only a difference of 3. This is the best evidence to show that Itsuwa has huge hidden breasts!!"
Because of this stunning truth that was written plainly on the whiteboard, Ushibuka and Kouyagi immediately fainted. Isahaya, who was over 50 years old, seemed like he was happy about seeing his own granddaughter grow up. On the other side, Nomozaki was, on one hand, muttering to himself that breasts should be a bit smaller, and on the other hand, he seemed both regretful and disappointed.
Standing slightly farther away, the blond female, Tsushima, looked like she was seeing a bunch of idiots, and sighed heavily.
"... Stop talking about such useless things; keep your eyes on the one being guarded."
Tatemiya and the other males got a dampener over them. With probing eyes, they stared at Tsushima's body, whose height was disproportionate to her bust size.
"Tsushima-senpai's ambiguous, so she shouldn't say much."
"WHAT!?"
"No matter what, at least tall people should have huge breasts, or short people with small breasts. Tsushima doesn't have a fixed character trait, that's why."
Beside Tsushima, who was unable to say anything, Tatemiya pulled out a new whiteboard and uses the black marker on it.
"Sheesh, don't you guys know this—the legend of Tsushima's beautiful legs!!"
Not knowing what the substitute Supreme Pontiff could say next, Tsushima kicked Tatemiya right between the legs to force him to shut up.
The males seemed uninterested in Tsushima, as they all choose to ignore this side and focus on Itsuwa.
"But is this really alright? That Itsuwa looks like she's going to continue with the wet napkins tactic."
"It's true that Itsuwa's too passive. She won't be able to climb over the fence at this rate..." Isahaya, who was more than half a century old, said while gritting his teeth.
At this moment, Tatemiya, with tears in his eyes, again snatched the right to lead the conversation.
"Yes, to allow Itsuwa to display her extra large oranges to the maximum, we can't let this continue."
"Eh... ? Extra large oranges!? I thought they're at most as big as apples!!"
Beside Ushibuka, who was making a ruckus, Kouyagi asked,
"But substitute Supreme Pontiff, it's useless to discuss this further, right? Itsuwa's really maturing too late."
"Humph, that's why I prepared a countermeasure."
Tatemiya unveiled an evil smile as he pulled out something from a pretty bag.
"A soccer ball?"
"The wilderness sharpshooter Tatemiya Saiji will again propose a free kick match."
Part 5
Because of recent events during the past few days, Misaka Mikoto was in a daze.
Ever since she became aware of 'a certain thing' regarding Kamijou Touma, she had always been like this. No matter how much she considered it, the problem wouldn't settle. No matter how much time was lost, the problem wouldn't settle. It was like asking someone to answer a question he couldn't answer: no matter how much the person thought, he would continue to be stuck at the same spot.
(As expected, that wasn't a bluff. )
That certain thing.
In other words, it was... a loss of memory.
It was supposed to just be a sentence consisting of only a few words, yet it shook Mikoto's heart up.
(But, since when... ?)
She hadn't felt that anything was amiss during the date on the 30th of September, and there hadn't been any change during the Daihaseisai tournament. Did something happen on the 31st of August? Or was it that time when he interacted with the Sisters and Accelerator?
"..."
She couldn't make a correct judgment.
If so, even though that boy looked like he was near to her to some people, there were a lot of things about him that she didn't know about.
(I know that this isn't something that can be solved by worrying about it. )
Since when did he become like this? How much of his memory was lost? Does this affect his life? Did he let a doctor check up on this before? Is there really no way to treat this?
And,
How much of his memories with her were lost?
(I could check it out with someone that's an expert in mental control, but... )
In Tokiwadai Middle School, besides Mikoto, there was another person who was also a Level 5. In terms of mental control, she was at the top of Academy City—in other words, she was the strongest ever in regards of her Mental Out. Reading other people's memories, changing other people's personalities, carrying out conversations with people far away, destroying memories and willpower, revealing feelings and transplanting them... No matter what kind of mental phenomenon it was, she could control them all. Like a Swiss knife, she was a multi-functional Level 5.
"But I'm not used to dealing with her..."
She subconsciously said out loud.
This meant that Mikoto didn't really want to deal with that esper.
Unlike Mikoto, whom was unaffiliated to any sect, she was the queen of ojous, the leader of the largest sect in Tokiwadai Middle School. From this, it was obvious that both of them were incompatible. If Mikoto was to seek her to talk, it would end up with Mikoto being in her debt... In the worst case scenario, she could do some unnecessary things to that idiot during the therapy. Accurately saying, the trust placed with her wasn't so great that Mikoto was willing to place her friend into that person's hands.
So she shouldn't consider this.
Anyway, Mikoto decided to chase away this existence of another Level 5.
(Even though I understand that idiot's personal problems, yet asking me not to mind about it, it's obvious that I can't do it. I'm not the kind of person who won't care about other people. )
Why didn't he go look for her? Should he continue to pretend that he doesn't know anything? Including these questions into the mix, Mikoto had no other choice but to grit her teeth. Furthermore, Kamijou Touma himself did not know that Mikoto was aware about this issue, and it looked like he didn't wish for her to be. If she forcefully confronted him... through that, there was a high likelihood that a lot of damage could be done to him.
Now, what should she do?
Was there anything she can do?
(AH!! DAMN IT. WHY AM I BEING SO BOTHERED ABOUT THAT IDIOT'S PROBLEMS!? I'M GETTING ALL WORRIED AND GETTING MY BRAIN ALL AFFECTED, AND THIS MAKES ME EVEN MORE WORRIED! Maybe I should recollect my thoughts. )
She wanted to say that, but if she was really able to change feelings so easily, she wouldn't be so bothered.
Thinking about all of these, Mikoto sighed heavily. At this moment,
"... ?"
She just so happens to see a group of suspicious people beside a little cinema.
A large man placed a soccer ball on the ground. He had black hair that was as shiny as a beetle, and after nodding to the surrounding people, he did a little start up run before kicking the ball forcefully.
The forcefully-kicked ball soared, spinning end over end, making a sharp arc. If it were a proper match, it was most likely that this free kick would have passed over the defense's wall and headed into the goal.
What were they doing on the road? Mikoto's eyes naturally moved towards the destination of the soccer ball.
At that moment, she froze.
*PAM!!* With a crisp sound, the side of Kamijou Touma's head collided heavily with the soccer ball.
Possibly because of the impact from the soccer ball, Kamijou's head sunk deeply into the valley of the chest of the girl who was walking beside him.
It looked like the impact just now was rather great, but Kamijou was just buried into the girl's chest for a while. The girl looked like she didn't know what to do and blushed before rubbing on the part of his head that had been hit. This entire sequence of events just gave the wrong impression that Kamijou's head was being forced in.
Because of the sudden series of events, Mikoto was unable to say anything. At this moment, shouts of 'bravo!' could be heard. Looking at where the voices were coming from, it seemed like the guy who had made that free kick and those young guys were happily giving high-fives to each other.
*Pacha pacha* One could hear the sounds of sparks falling.
After realizing that this was due to the high voltage emitting from her body, Mikoto exploded.
"There's someone here with all sorts of trouble... STOP GIVING ME ALL SORTS OF TROUBLES, YOU BASTARDS!!!"
The long spears of thunderbolts continued to shoot out from Mikoto's bangs. After noticing this, beetle-head and company immediately dispersed, and in the next moment, vanished without a trace. Like a chameleon mixing into the crowd, they could not be found by her. Mikoto was intrigued by that.
Yet even after losing her target, her anger wasn't kept in check.
Besides, that mastermind, the hedgehog-head boy still had his head buried inside the girl's chest, and even gave an "Uuuu..." sound as if he was saying something. It was like a dazed and sleepy child grabbing a certain expanded part of a girl.
"That idiot... HOW LONG MUST HE CONTINUE TO BE MESMERIZED BY THE FEMALE ANATOMY!?!?!?"
Mikoto shouted and immediately dashed towards Kamijou, who, logically, should be the one punished.
Part 6
Such a pitiful day.
Kamijou Touma exhaled heavily. After suddenly being hit in the head by a soccer ball, he had been chased around by Mikoto's lightning attacks. In order to fulfill her job, Itsuwa had started to assemble her spear, and in order to stop her, Kamijou hugged her. But for some reason, Mikoto got angry again, so in an attempt to avoid her electric attacks, he ran around Academy City. As for the running distance, with that level of activity, nobody would worry about him having too much fat or get sick.
And right now, there was a new problem in front of him.
Yes, this was the most problematic situation,
"... Ah, Touma. Why is someone from the Amakusa here?"
The most dangerous checkpoint of today.
The door to the dormitory was opened, and this sentence from Index was enough to make Kamijou sweat heavily. Index looked like she was ready to bite as she continued to grind her teeth. Kamijou was already terrified upon seeing just the fangs alone.
On a side note, the calico cat with Index continued to circle around Itsuwa, and it seemed to be smelling her as if asking the question 'Who is she? Who?'
Kamijou wiped away the sweat on his body as he said,
"No, it's not that. This, that, err, how am I supposed to explain this... ?"
He stared at Itsuwa's face while she was still blankly standing there.
"In other words, the God's Right Seat—"
"KYAAH!!"
Kamijou suddenly let out a ridiculous scream, scaring Itsuwa such that she couldn't make a sound. From behind, Kamijou held Itsuwa's neck with his wrist and quickly pulled her away from Index, silently going through a battle plan.
"(... Miss Itsuwa!! Regarding that, can you please keep it a secret from Index!?)"
"Wa, wa..."
"(... Acqua's target is only me; it's alright as long as he doesn't target Index! So it'll be bad if you say some unnecessary words and get Index involved in some dangerous situation, don't you think?)"
"WAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWA!?"
"(... Itsuwa, do you hear me?)"
"I, I hear it!! I, I, I, I hear it clearly!!"
For some reason, Itsuwa's face was all red as she nodded her head up and down.
Was it making her feel discomfort? Kamijou took his wrist off her neck. But after that, Itsuwa's disappointed expression made him all the more puzzled.
At this moment,
"..."
From who knew when, Index started to conceal all emotion, even temper, just muttering a '... never mind' before turning around to watch the television again. This act made people feel a lot less secure. This was to be expected, since it was no longer on the level of 'this idiot, idiot! Touma, you idiot!' It was the same as in the past when he had saved his classmate, Himegami; he constantly felt that there was an unknown aura surfacing. Why was it like this? Why was Index angry? After Kamijou trembled for a while, he made a decision and got both knees on the ground, poking his head out and sitting behind Index.
"... That, I don't know what's going on, but can you please bite me before you explode? If you can use up a bit of that anger power, it at least feels that Kamijou-san can settle this before his skull gets bitten to bits."
Not knowing what to do, Itsuwa continued to stare at the two that weren't doing anything, and because of her sense of duty, she hadn't resigned from her job yet. After purposely looking away for a while, she looked at the calico cat that had confirmed her smell and was together with her.
"Oh, oh yes! Little kitten, do you want this present?"
Seemingly trying to break the deadlock, Itsuwa started to look for something in her huge bag (Oh? She couldn't possibly know that Kamijou's house has a cat for a pet, right... ?). She pulled out a high-class golden can that had the words 'Cat's food association: a 3-star platinum rank'. On seeing the can, the calico kitty immediately trembled before remaining at the same position. Its eyes widened, its back straightened, and even when Itsuwa opened the can and reached over, the kitten gave the feeling of 'About that, I'm just an ordinary cat — can I really eat this level of food nya!?'
Sitting there upright, Kamijou noticed that there was something in Itsuwa's bag.
"... Why does Itsuwa's bag have meat and vegetables? Is this some secret spell required of the Amakusa?"
"No, no, there's no need to fast, "
Itsuwa replied as she waved her hands in front of her.
"I passed by a supermarket before I came here. About that, if it's just some simple dishes, I can still do them. No matter what, as a bodyguard, I can't just eat and drink here for free. Please entrust the housework and like to me; just order anything of me, if I can do it."
At this moment, Kamijou didn't understand what she said.
After a few blank seconds, his mind finally processed what Itsuwa said. This time, he wordlessly turned towards Index.
"Wha, what, Touma? Why did the atmosphere in the house change?"
"Just ask yourself that. Handing everything over to Kamijou-san, who exactly is the one who hasn't helped out one bit?"
"Uu, mm, I'm sorry, but... ? Ah! Are you intending to change the atmosphere forcefully with this... !?"
Although Index saw through Kamijou's intentions, once the flow of events had changed, it was hard to revert it back. Kamijou naturally turned around and headed into the kitchen space.
"Then, it's better for me to tell you where the wok is."
"Ah yes, thank you."
Both of them exchanged this conversation, and the white nun had been completely ignored, having thrown all sorts of questions like 'why did it become like this', and 'always like this, just what is he trying to do?' into the dustbin.
(But why would Itsuwa, a shrinking violet, have such enthusiasm!? How am I going to explain things that I don't understand? But at least I can thank Itsuwa first! Haha!! It's good to escape from Index's demonic clutches without getting bitten. How great is this GGYYYAAAHHH!!!)
Just as Kamijou was delighting in the victory, he was forcefully bitten on the back of the head by Index, and was now rolling on the floor in pain. In the meantime, he knocked into the deluxe cat canned food and flipped the contents out. 'What a waste!! I'm tucking in! Eating it all now!!' the calico kitten started to indulge in the food.
Itsuwa could only force a smile as she walked into the kitchen.
To her, the scene now was a happy and jolly one, but for the main party involved, it was as if he had just come back from the gates of Hell.
(Come to think of it... )
To be able to mix into the surroundings perfectly was one of the Amakusa's ability. Kamijou looked at Itsuwa, who had been accepted so naturally.
As he had just been bitten on the back of the head, the human teeth marks were still there. Kamijou lay on the floor like a corpse, and he could hear the sound of food being stir-fried.
(... The, the scene of a girl cooking. )
Though it was stupid, he still teared up.
"Eh? Why is Touma revealing a look of a sheep, as if he just saw a miracle?"
As Index said this, Kamijou seemed like he had just gotten baptized by the light of grace emitted by a nun.
But, he would feel mindful about seeing Itsuwa cook and yet not do anything himself. Might as well clean the room up. Kamijou pondered seriously.
On the other hand, Index, who was biting on Kamijou's head to relieve her stress, was attracted by the smell of the food like small fish being attracted by bait as she slowly crept into the room.
"AH! Don't eat the food anytime you want to!!"
"Even though you say it now, I can't take it anymore."
Index immediately lost to her hungry stomach and started to bother Itsuwa, who was cooking. Seeing Index like this, Kamijou Touma got up, and then got into a dashing position before getting over to Index, grabbing her waist with both hands before pulling her out of the kitchen. Using the momentum of his starting run, he threw her onto the bed with a strange professional wrestling throw while yelling "soryaaaa!!"
"STOP DESTROYING A MAN'S DREAAAAAMMMMMM!!!!"
"WAAH! Tou, Touma, what's going on!?"
Due to shock, Index's eyes continued to twirl in confusion. Hearing her shout, the calico cat put in some distance in irritation.
Kamijou didn't make a reply, and wordlessly grabbed Index's head with one hand, turning it towards the kitchen.
"LOOK, INDEX!! THIS SHOULD BE HOW YOU BEHAVE WHEN YOU LIVE IN SOMEONE ELSE'S HOUSE!!"
"OWOWOWOWOW!? Why is Touma acting so weird today!?"
"If I'm to calm down and think, why is it always you who's over there eating and sleeping, and then watching the television!? FROM TODAY ONWARDS, YOU'RE GOING TO WORK! HURRY UP, GET A SPONGE AND CLEANING DETERGENT, AND CLEAN UP THE BATHROOM!!!"
"Eh, but it's about time for Magical-Powered Kanamin Integral to start, right?"
"Good, HURRY UP AND GET TO WOOOOOOOOOOOOOORK!!!"
Why? While Index was still puzzled, she was thrown into the bathroom by Kamijou. Seeing someone serious like Itsuwa, it should allow her to change. Oh yeah, the ones who were with her in the past included a pyromaniac-like priest with a cigarette stench and a multi-sided spy who continued to laugh slyly all year long, so compared to them, she could be considered normal, but upon thinking about it carefully, Itsuwa was still the most suited to be called an ordinary human.
(Then, I should start cleaning up the room like a serious person. )
Though Kamijou considered this... but compared to Itsuwa, who was cooking for others, Kamijou was just cleaning his own room, and these things couldn't be compared. But no matter what, it was better than not doing anything at all. After making this conclusion, Kamijou started to tidy up the messed up living room by picking up all the magazines.
At this moment."'(?)"'
"Wha, what's with this traditional Japanese cuisine smell!?"
Suddenly, he could hear a girl's shout, and after that, he heard the sound of plastic breaking. Kamijou panicked and turned his head toward the veranda, and Itsuwa, who was in shock, stopped moving her hands that had been working on the meal. Appearing there was Tsuchimikado Maika in a maid outfit.
It seemed like she had broken the 'except in case of a fire, please do not break this board which is meant to separate the rooms and the balcony' board without any hesitation, and invaded here.
"DAMN IT!! I FINALLY MANAGED TO MAKE A SERIOUS TURNOVER, AND NOW I HAVE ANOTHER WEIRDO HERE!!"
Ignoring a really irritated Kamijou, Maika, who normally lacked changes of expression, looked extremely serious as she smelled her way to the kitchen.
"... I smell it, I smell it... This miso soup... you used dried scallop to hide the smell, and you added it after grounding it into powder, right... ?"
"How, how did you know that!? Not even mum saw through that!!"
Itsuwa was shocked that the food expert saw through it.
So the basics of cooking come from the mother! Besides Kamijou, there was a small plate that Itsuwa used to hold a bit of the miso soup. After considering for a while, Itsuwa passed the plate over the girl in maid clothes.
Maika received the plate in a tea dance-like movement, and without any sound, places her lips near it. After drinking it, she paused for a while—GUAAAHH!! Suddenly, her eyes widened as she shouted.
Maika's shoulders continued to tremble as she said,
"This, this woman, she's good..."
"What?"
"GUAAAHH!! HOW, HOW CAN THIS BE POSSIBLE!!"
For some reason, Maika immediately went 180 degrees and through the veranda, moving back into the neighboring room.
Through the open window, a conversation between siblings could be heard.
"Ah, oi!? Why are you throwing away today's cream stew nyaa!? What's going to happen to my dinner!?"
"SHUT UP, YOU AMATEUR!! SEEING SUCH AN OUTSTANDING DISH, THIS LEVEL OF THING ISN'T GOING TO MATCH UP AGAINST THAT! YOU, YOU JUST WATCH, FROM NOW ON, I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT A MISO SOUP IS REALLY LIKE!!"
"EH!? I FEEL THAT CREAM STEW IS GOOD TOO, YOU KNOW!?". Hearing the blond, sunglasses-wearing agent's moan about stew, Itsuwa's shoulders trembled in fear.
"That, that, that guy's voice just now, I seem to have heard it in Avignon before... ? Speaking of which, who's that kid?"
I'm not so sure myself, but it seems like you've hurt the pride of that prospective maid, so she views you as a rival... Kamijou paused. Itsuwa was a normal human; he felt that he shouldn't let her get used to those weirdoes' antics.
To Kamijou, he was just thinking about all of these.
If he had a wish that God could grant, it would be that this girl wouldn't become like those weirdoes.
Part 7
At one moment Index and Itsuwa were engaged in a pretty dangerous situation, but once Index ate the food Itsuwa made, the dangerous atmosphere had disappeared without a trace; and now she was rolling on the floor asking Itsuwa for an 8th bowl of rice. Itsuwa was bothered by this, and as for the calico cat, it was biting on the ball of wet napkins that Itsuwa had made, playing around with it.
(Hah... Well, if it doesn't cause any huge problems, it's all good. )
If 'Index's mood can improve because from this', would I have to prepare some meat, fish or sausages to placate Index? Though Kamijou thought this way... No, wait, if Index knows that I've been hiding food, won't I get bitten the moment I reveal it? Kamijou readjusted his thoughts. Though it was a good idea, it seemed that carrying it out was still a lot more difficult.
But since they had already eaten lunch, there was nothing else for them to do.
He didn't have any school assignments today, and Kamijou wasn't one who'd take the initiative to go and study, so what was left to do was to bathe and sleep.
However, here was the problem.
"—HOW IS IT THAT YOU CAN BREAK THE BATHTUB WITH JUST A SPONGE AND DETERGENT, INDEX!?!"
"Ev, even if you say that, I only followed Touma's instructions and just went 'creak creak' a few times!!"
Kamijou and Index's shouts echoed through the night street, and Itsuwa made a forced smile.
The reason why the trio were on the streets was simple: Kamijou's bathtub (or more accurately, the water heater) was damaged and couldn't be used, so the trio were forced to move to a public bath.
"I WOULD BET THAT INDEX DIDN'T FOLLOW WHAT KAMIJOU-SAN SAID TO SCRUB IT THOROUGHLY! COME TO THINK OF IT, WHY DOES THE SINK IN THE BATHTUB SMELL OF MELTED PLASTIC!? LET ME GUESS, INDEX, DID YOU POUR A LARGE AMOUNT OF DETERGENT INSIDE!!?"
"Eh? Didn't you say that you can make things clean by just pouring detergent in?"
"VERY GOOD! AN INCREDIBLE NATURAL AIRHEAD HAS APPEARED!! THANKS TO YOU, THE WATER HEATER'S ALL BURNED UP, AND WE ALMOST HAD A FIRE ON OUR HANDS!!!"
"Ah, ah haha. W, well, isn't it good to go out to a bathhouse and change a bit of the atmosphere? This isn't bad."
Itsuwa used her god-like interrupting skills to appease the atmosphere between Kamijou and Index.
These creatures called humans could slowly calm down as long as someone did a little adjustment to a huge commotion.
"Unexpectedly, Academy City has quite a lot of bathhouses. From those kinds of old public bathhouses to some natural hot springs... Oh yeah, what's here? It seems like a large spa with entertainment facilities."
"... Speaking of which, why does Itsuwa have such detailed information about Academy City?"
Kamijou didn't even know that Academy City had natural hot springs. And the guidebook-like thing that Itsuwa was holding didn't even look like the typical one Academy City released, but a torn and tattered old notebook.
"(... Eh, about that. Getting a good grasp of the surrounding geography is what a bodyguard should do. )"
Itsuwa said in a volume that Index couldn't hear.
"(... Besides, Acqua's from the magic side, so I'm checking the pulse flow throughout this street, and if possible, checking his movements would be a lot easier. )"
... It was good to be so enthusiastic about work, but before Acqua arrived, Anti-Skill wouldn't come over under the charge of tight security. Regarding this, Kamijou was a bit uncomfortable.
"Then, where's that recreational bath?"
"Mm... it seems to be in District 22. This is District 7, so in other words, it's at the edge of Academy City."
"If you're talking about District 22... an underground street, huh."
The place took up only 2 square kilometers, and among all the school districts, it was the smallest in area. However, it was developed underground about several hundred meters in depth, so it could be considered the one district that had the most scientific style.
"Hm, but the last bus just left."
Itsuwa continued to flip through the old notebook,
"It's not that far. If we borrow a 3-seater motorbike, we can get there right away. Luckily, there's a bike rental shop here."
"Eh? Itsuwa knows how to ride a bike?"
"Ma, well, basically, I still can. Cars, motorcycles, mini-boats... ah, even though I can't pilot a plane, if it's a helicopter, I still can..."
From Itsuwa's tone, it seemed that she still felt incapable.
Was not being able to pilot a plane really something worth being mindful about?
"Since we're in Japan, the transport network is really good, so it's not really necessary, but... for work, there's a need to go to the vast desert or grasslands or places like that."
Seemed like Itsuwa wasn't boasting; on the contrary, it seemed that she was being lectured as her voice got softer and softer until it was as loud as a mosquito buzz. However, it meant that she didn't just have any ordinary license in Japan, but rather, an international license. To Kamijou, who just found that being able to ride a unicycle was impressive enough, Itsuwa was someone really worth respecting.
Today, this ordinary girl called Itsuwa really had quite a few surprising sides, and Kamijou was slightly touched as they walked towards the motorbike rental shop near a student dormitory. In this Academy City that was full of students, the need to rent bikes was a lot higher than cars.
Seeing the rent prices on the pricing board, Kamijou revealed a thunderstruck-like expression.
"Oh, oh yeah. Itsuwa's not a student from District 7, so she can't enjoy any district premiums!!"
"Eh, there's no need to worry; I have enough military funding."
Although Itsuwa said that, to Kamijou, who had a housewife-like accounting ability, he would still choose a cheaper one if possible. This was the most basic way to go.
In the end, they made use of a premium rate for those that missed the last ride and were unable to go home, and rented a 2-seater medium sized bike. They also paid extra to rent a side seat.
The one driving the motorbike was Itsuwa, the one sitting behind was Kamijou, and Index was sitting in the side car.
"Touma, I can sense some intention from this, you know?"
"No, there's no such thing. How about you call this ladies first? The side car's the most comfortable, so Kamijou-san has no choice but to give you that seat."
Kamijou tried to force an explanation, but Itsuwa, who was being hugged on the abdomen, felt her heart beating like crazy.
Itsuwa tried to help Index put the helmet on her nun's cap, and suddenly remembered something. She said,
"Come to think of which, is it really alright to leave the cat at home?"
"No matter what, we can't bring animals to a bathhouse. Well, that cat would continue to move around in a circle, so there shouldn't be any problems."
On a side note, that calico kitten was standing in front of the high-class scratchboard that Itsuwa brought back. 'Wh, what!? This thing has an attractive smell, but can I really scratch this thing without making anyone angry!?', considering all of this as it trembles. Of course, nobody noticed it.
Just like that, when Index finally understood the correct way to put on the helmet, Itsuwa started the engine of the motorbike.
"Wow, the night Academy City sure is nice. No matter whether it's the control or the engine sound, it makes me so relaxed. The road surface is in rather good condition as well; I feel like I can speed up whenever... ahh, if I had known, I might as well have challenged that famous thing from Academy City, that super electromagnetic motorcycle. It's said that the wheels and axles are held together by magnets, letting the donut-shaped wheel pass through the motor gas and run."
"Well, I don't really understand bikes, but outside technology can't even be compared to this. Also, I hope that you would drive safely—STUPID ITSUWA, YOU'RE REALLY, REALLY SPEEDING UP!!?"
Kamijou reflexively increased the strength of his grip on Itsuwa's waist, but Itsuwa, really happy about this reaction, didn't notice that she was speeding up.
Kamijou's dormitory was located in a corner of District 7, and the distance to District 22 could be covered by walking. The reason why Itsuwa would rent a motorbike was most likely because they could go home immediately, and if it took a long time, their thoroughly-bathed bodies would be dry.
Coming out of District 7 and entering District 22, Index, who was seated in the side car, widened her eyes.
"WAAHH! Touma, look, there's a jungle gym! A huge jungle gym!!"
The surface of District 22 was a lot different from the other districts. On the surface, there weren't any buildings here, just a whole stretch of windmills. Furthermore, the windmills here were a whole lot different from the rest, as they weren't just a replacement of electric cables. Like the metal frames in a building, there were parallel pillars linking both of them, and the 30-stories tall pile of the large number of windmills were placed there, arranged as a structure. This view resembled just what Index mentioned, a giant jungle gym.
Itsuwa handled the handlebar, turning the bike towards the underground street entrance, saying,
"District 22 is extended downwards, so it can't rely on wind-generated electricity or solar-generated electricity. Also, the underground streets seem like they need a lot of electrical energy, so I heard that they have all sorts of energy generators all over Academy City."
Having an unexpectedly large amount of knowledge, Itsuwa steered the motorbike through the rectangular door and down into the underground.
The space in the underground District 22 was a giant cylindrical area, and the entrance looked like it was outside this 2 kilometer diameter area, continuing to spiral down to the bottom. Including the passage that was heading the other way, it looked like the signs used at a barber shop.
In this gradually spiraling downwards tunnel, the orange light shone onto the ground. Seeing the infrastructure that was completely different from ordinary streets, Index raised her hands and cheered.
Kamijou smelled the exhaust gases released by the vehicles as he said to Itsuwa,
"These underground streets, they aren't suited for Japan. It's scary when there's an earthquake, you know. Actually, no matter how strong the walls are, once there's an earthquake that can level the ground, the entire thing will be destroyed."
"The place here is really safe against earthquakes. Oh yeah, this huge spiral path is like a huge spring: it can absorb the impact when there's an earthquake. Haven't you heard of this before?"
"... That is just some baseless rumor. Speaking of which, Itsuwa, why would you check up on things that don't appear on the blueprints, layouts, and aren't real?"
"Ah, ah haha, " Itsuwa just let out a forced laugh.
"However, where's that entertainment bathhouse?"
"Well, it seems to be on the 3rd level."
"Touma, what's this 'seaweed'? Some sort of vegetable?[1]"
"Not seaweed, level. District 22 is split into 10 underground levels, and we're going to the third one right now."
While saying this, they could see the third level—a gate that was 90m underground. Itsuwa turned on the indicator, slowing down as she headed toward the door.
Passing through the rectangular door, their vision suddenly widened.
"WAHH... !!"
Index couldn't help but let out a shout.
In contrast to the orange lights in the tunnel, the place here was a slightly blue space. In this place that was 2km in diameter, the ceiling had become a planetarium projection panel, passing through a camera to form a huge night sky. The other streets all used the same color so it gave one the impression of moving into a starry sea.
From the floor to the ceiling, passing through the planetarium screen and acting as the support to the underground street was the lobby. Speaking of which, the roof of the underground street was like the ceiling of a sports hall, supported by a large amount of metal frames, scattering the weight. However, this architecture alone didn't seem able to support its own weight, so a lot more ways were used to support it.
Index continued to sit in the side car as she looked around.
"Is this really the underground!? There's even a flowing river and forest!!"
"For the forest, they used an agriculture tower to grow them. Besides purifying the air, they also have an important role in providing a sense of serenity to humans. And the water is one of the most important sources of electricity. It passes through the entire level, and each level uses this falling water power to generate electricity from water power."
It sure felt like today's Itsuwa was playing the role of a guide girl on a tour bus in Academy City.
Index tilted her head and asked,
"Itsuwa, why is there a need for so much electrical energy?"
"Uh hmm... most of the energy is used to pump air in. Absorbing oxygen in from the surface, removing the carbon dioxide accumulated below. This is a must. Also there's a need to pump rainwater and wastewater up. So considering all of that, there's a need to pump them all out. 40% of the electricity consumed in Academy City is put into these large air pumps. Regarding that, it seems that they're using a real life bottlecap-like effect."
"As more than half of Academy City's electricity is generated by wind, no matter how much energy they use, there's no need to worry about fuel consumption and environmental destruction. But in contrast to other countries, while people are voicing out about oil prices rising, creating a street that relies primarily on fossil fuels isn't realistic... Additionally, while Academy City is limited in land space, those countries with wide acres of land don't even need to build any underground streets."
(Well, if the research is successful, then other problems would crop up if we were to really market this. )
The motorbike with a side wheel continued to move forward on this starry night.
Kamijou, who was sitting in the back seat, pointed at the electrical decorations on the tower far away.
"Hm? Oi, Itsuwa, that entertainment bathhouse you talked about, is it over there?"
"Ah, it looks that way."
"But that place sure seems busy recently."
"Eh, you're right. It seems to be ranked 3 among all bathhouses."
... Is this kind of information really needed in an escort battle against Acqua? Though Kamijou was puzzled, Itsuwa didn't mind.
"Is there a problem?"
"No... actually, in this famous place, I feel that I might meet someone familiar there."
Part 8
Misaka Mikoto stopped, roughly seeing the huge building in front of her.
This building that shot through the floor of District 22 to the ceiling was the Spa Resort Serene Springs. Basically speaking, this entire building was the hot spring. Every level had all sorts of different herbs, electrical power, sonic waves; all kinds of pools were available there. Even so, it still had space for a shopping district, like a karaoke center, a bowling alley, etc.
In contrast to the old context of bathhouses, calling this a bathhouse-styled relaxation zone would be more appropriate. The place was targeted (opening this in Academy City, where the majority were students, was also one of the reasons) at the 10+ year-old boys and girls, and so the design matched the age group.
As this was an entertainment-based facility, there was of course a VIP pool. However, Mikoto wasn't aiming for that.
"... An out-of-bath Gekota strap..."
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