A Certain Magical Index, Vol. 16

by Kazuma Kamachi

  “We’ll be fine. He has a very important role—the decoy.”

  Kamijou raised his fist to quiet the classmates whispering about him.

  Still in the huddle, everyone took out their cell phones, set them on transceiver mode so they could connect to multiple lines at once, and then made sure their digital clocks were precise down to the second.

  “Time to go. Mission—start!!”

  Clap-clap! Fukiyose put her hands together, and then the cafeteria and school store group split off like scattering spiders.

  Kamijou, Blue Hair, Tsuchimikado, and Fukiyose, while in a hurry, purposely walked through the hall slowly enough to look like they were in no rush. That way, nobody would stop them for running in the halls.

  “This mission will be a race against time,” said Fukiyose, trading smiles with several teachers along the way as they speed walked. “Convenience stores make the most profits during lunchtime. Even if we manage to get outside, this will all be for nothing if the lunches are gone from the shelves!!”

  They didn’t go to the shoe cupboards. If anyone spotted them changing out of their slippers and loafers, they’d know they were trying to leave. And if their shoes were absent and they weren’t in the schoolyard…that would be relatively fatal.

  Instead, they had a separate group grab their gym shoes. After trading their slippers for those, they went to the “path to the outside” connecting the school building to the gymnasium, put on their gym shoes, then broke out. They ran behind the school building before anyone could nab them.

  The metal fence was in sight. Nobody was around. The possible complication—the man from the school store—was nowhere to be seen.

  “Great! Let’s keep going right out of here!!”

  Kamijou enthusiastically tried to climb over the fence.

  That was when it happened.

  Beep! Beep! The shrill sound of claxons.

  He turned around and saw the gorilla-like Mr. Saigo there, apparently returning from a family restaurant where he’d eaten lunch.

  Their educational guidance counselor was riding in a family-use four-door car, but they’d discriminated against gorillas when they made it, because it looked as cramped as a public phone booth for him.

  “No!!” cried Fukiyose. “We should have considered the possibility that a teacher could be using the back entrance to get to their car!!”

  She regretted her oversight, but Kamijou felt differently.

  He simply shouted what was on his mind.

  “What a coward!! Eating out now of all times?! That muscle-monster counselor was on his own enjoying a relaxed atmosphere in a restaurant while we were fighting tooth and nail in a cafeteria that isn’t big enough?!”

  “K-Kammy, idiot, don’t yell at him! If we get caught here, what will become of everyone’s lunch?!”

  Blue Hair’s voice snapped Kamijou out of his indignance.

  The gorilla-like teacher, Mr. Saigo, got out of the car and started stampeding straight for them. To get away, Kamijou went over the metal fence and fled. Fukiyose, sensing that sticking together was disadvantageous, immediately started down a different escape route. Just as Tsuchimikado was about to be caught, he kicked Blue Hair off the fence, then set off a flare used for evading missiles.

  Kamijou and Tsuchimikado wouldn’t let his noble sacrifice be in vain, so they ran full speed down the road outside school.

  As Tsuchimikado darted away, he looked over his shoulder—and had a fright.

  “That damn gorilla!” he shouted. “He’s tied Blue Hair down, and now he’s coming after us!!”

  “Seriously?! Tsuchimikado, let’s split up for now! We can’t afford to get wiped out here!!”

  They nodded to each other, then went their separate ways at an intersection to maximize their chances of survival.

  2

  Itsuwa, a girl belonging to the Amakusa-Style Crossist Church, was near Kamijou’s high school.

  She was wearing a pink tank top over a fluffy, sheeplike sweater, and below those, dark pants…but the pants had spiraling pieces cut out of them, with a clear vinyl material holding it all together so it wouldn’t flip upward—a brand-new Academy City design made to show a bold amount of leg. This was a rare city, 80 percent of its citizens being students, and in cities, even this one, she chose her clothes very carefully, in order to blend in with people. For a business neighborhood, she’d wear a suit, and for a shopping mall, a miniskirt. This went for both Itsuwa and the rest of Amakusa.

  She had a reason for being in Academy City.

  Two days prior, the leaders of the English Puritan Church and Academy City each received a copy of the same letter. The sender was a member of God’s Right Seat, a top-secret Roman Orthodox group, named Acqua of the Back. It contained the following: I go now to obliterate Touma Kamijou. If you wish to stop me, do so with all your might—a letter of challenge.

  It could have been a fake, of course. However, the letter sent to the English Church had a certain item attached to it, unlike the one sent to Academy City, that supplied trustworthiness.

  The remains of Terra of the Left.

  In addition to being gently wrapped in the finest-quality velvet, they were packed in a box of faintly scented paulownia wood. It was decorated extravagantly, almost like a jewel box. Was it a show of scorn toward his enemies or a display of respect?

  Because she’d directly fought with Terra, Itsuwa had been called to St. George’s Cathedral to verify the remains…and that was where the confusion had started.

  There were two reasons. The first was that Terra should have been incinerated in Avignon by an Academy City weapon—but the remains clearly showed his body severed at the waist.

  The second was that if Terra had withstood the Academy City weapon—and Acqua of the Back had executed him so easily—what did that say about his strength?

  A single blow. That was all they could say, looking at the wound.

  Having battled Terra of the Left personally, Itsuwa knew how strong he was. He had put her and the others through terrible suffering. He’d even broken through the front of a large military unit deployed by Academy City. And then, his entire body was ripped apart—a gruesome end if there ever was one.

  There was another question.

  God’s Right Seat hadn’t been using roundabout tactics before now. Why had they sent an old-fashioned letter of challenge? Why had Acqua personally killed Terra of the Left and used him as a foundation for his challenge?

  Acqua of the Back’s extremely straightforward approach put the Church and Academy City off in several ways. They knew it was probably a trap, but they couldn’t discern the true intentions behind it. Still, he’d said he was coming after Touma Kamijou, so he must have decided defeating him here was the best option. That, in turn, led to the English Church dispatching the Amakusa-Style Crossist Church here.

  Normally, any group actions by sorcerers were forbidden in Academy City. The act was seen as divisive between the magic side and the science side.

  But this time, due to an exception, they’d broken the agreement. Itsuwa didn’t know the details, but the English Church’s archbishop had most likely had a word with Academy City leaders. Amakusa was a small, independent group under the English Church’s umbrella; maybe they’d decided it was the right time to cut off the lizard’s tail, as it were, now that things were getting bad. Or they could have also decided on people who were familiar with the lay of the land, as Amakusa had originally been active in Japan. Whatever the case, Itsuwa, who was not supposed to be here, was currently in Academy City.

  Part of the reason was that the world had begun forming sides: Academy City and the English Puritan Church on one side and the Roman Orthodox and Russian Catholic Churches on the other. A larger reason was that Acqua of the Back was a potent bomb. They wouldn’t be able to defeat him without breaking the rules.

  On the other hand, the bigger threat wasn’t the global chaos this science-sorcery divide would cause. It was Acqua of the Ba
ck’s lone attack run, and both the city and the English Church had accepted that. They knew how strong the man was, and they treated him with appropriate importance.

  “…”

  That was why they’d decided to have Itsuwa take part in the conflict as Kamijou’s bodyguard.

  At the same time, though she was smart and sensible and knew she had to contact him as soon as possible, she wasn’t about to rush into his school during classes. Right now, her plan was to wait in a spot easily visible from his classroom, and then once school let out for the day, she’d get this show on the road.

  …I have to do my best, she thought, making a small fist, secretly enthusiastic.

  During the Document C incident, her lack of skill had prevented her from protecting Kamijou to the end. This time, she would approach this like a professional sorcerer, not letting anyone lay a finger on the civilian.

  She reaffirmed her grip on the bag over her shoulder and felt the weight of the disassembled Friulian spear inside it. They’re talking about how he’s already taken down two of God’s Right Seat—Vento of the Front and Terra of the Left. But there must be something I can do. That’s why I have to do my best.

  Just then, a familiar person shot past Itsuwa.

  It was the boy himself—Touma Kamijou.

  “Huh?”

  Why? wondered Itsuwa, checking the time. School definitely hadn’t let out yet. Plus, the look on his face as he ran down the street was odd. It was almost like somebody was chasing him.

  Maybe something had happened. A hint of tension flared through her eyes.

  Then she saw some kind of big, gorilla-looking man dash past her in pursuit.

  He had the face of one of those blocky-looking bad guys who appeared a lot in individualistic western video games.

  There was no way that gorilla was a regular person. Even Touma Kamijou, a hardened war veteran, had a face full of terror. She could see the words written on his face: He’ll rip me apart!

  Eventually, she made her decision. According to the report from September 30, Acqua of the Back was male.

  He didn’t waste any time getting here!! she thought, swiftly assembling her spear and charging off toward the game-like villain.

  3

  Mr. Saigo, the educational guidance instructor, ended up going home early due to health issues.

  “…Blah.”

  After school, Kamijou, who had managed to complete the grand lunchtime mission, heaved a sigh as he changed his indoor slippers for his outdoor basketball shoes before leaving the school gate. Itsuwa was standing around, her face still pale.

  For some reason, Itsuwa (complete with her lance) had shown up out of the blue during the lunch break and, with the look of a monster, had delivered a fierce tackle to his educational guidance instructor.

  It seemed she had jumped the gun: “That…wasn’t Acqua of the Back? What? A schoolteacher?!” she’d said in a fluster. “H-he has a face like that and he’s a teacher?!”

  It looked like she really needed to talk about why she was here, but in order to smooth things over with the gorilla teacher, whose eyes were spinning, she had picked the man up and moved him swiftly to a hospital.

  Which brought things to now.

  “Could…Could I be any more useless…?”

  When she came back from the hospital, her face had been dark and depressed.

  For Kamijou, it would have all been over if the gorilla had caught him. Kamijou knew he would have slammed him to the asphalt with an ultra-powerful ancient martial art throw, then comboed that into sweaty groundwork techniques. In terms of her usefulness, he would have said 100 percent yes, she’d been very useful. But it didn’t seem like that was the reason she was so blue.

  As for hurting a regular person…Well, that gorilla is legendary for stopping a chunk of bedrock in a “watch for falling rocks” zone with his bare hands. I’m really, really not sure whether to call him a regular person.

  Whatever the case, Kamijou decided to ask Itsuwa, a resident of the magic side, why she was in Academy City, home base of the science side.

  With much trepidation, she replied, “Do you remember the name Acqua of the Back?”

  Kamijou’s brows knitted in suspicion. “One of God’s Right Seat, right? I met him on September thirtieth.”

  Yes—after he’d defeated Vento of the Front in Academy City, Acqua of the Back had stepped in to intervene. He was both a member of God’s Right Seat and someone with the qualities of a saint. Kamijou couldn’t fathom his actual battle strength, but he at least knew he was way above all the enemies he’d fought until now.

  Not particularly heading anywhere, they ended up walking toward the shopping district. Kamijou asked, “Anyway, why do you ask about Acqua? He’s not starting shady business in some city in another country, is he?”

  “N-no, it’s not that…” Itsuwa was having a lot of trouble getting the words out. She went over it in her mind a few times, then finally said, “We think Acqua of the Back is after you.”

  “What?”

  “Well, both the English Puritan Church and Academy City got a threatening letter from Acqua of the Back. He said he would ob—attack you in a few days, and to get ready.” She cut herself off midword, worried, like a parent trying to explain something to their child while softening some of the more upsetting parts.

  Kamijou was dubious. He was an average high school student. He didn’t quite grasp the severity of God’s Right Seat and Acqua of the Back being after his life.

  “God’s Right Seat, huh…?” He thought for a moment. “From what Vento of the Front said, they were forcing the pope to make documents just so they could come and kill me, or attack Academy City, or whatever. It seems like a stupidly high cost just to get one high school kid. I wonder why they’re doing it again.”

  “Huh?! No, no, no, no!! It’s because you’ve been helping so many people, and stopping the Roman Orthodox Church’s shadow groups’ schemes, and doing all sorts of other things, and I guess what I’m trying to say is that whether or not you’re in high school doesn’t have anything to do with it…”

  He didn’t really know why Itsuwa was getting so flustered and crying out. He decided to chalk it up to Amakusa’s favoritism of him. It tickled Kamijou to be flattered like that, but he was genuinely nothing more than a simple high schooler. Even if they praised him, nothing would come of it.

  “Anyway, we had ‘the Front’ and ‘the Left’ before, so…it’s Acqua ‘of the Back’ this time, huh?”

  “The British Library is investigating him right now, but they haven’t gotten anything relevant nor anything on the other God’s Right Seat members.”

  “Well, they are secret members of a covert organization after all.”

  “We can’t find any details about his power as a member of God’s Right Seat, but he seems to have the powers of a saint, too. We might have asked the Priestess to help, but…”

  The “Priestess” was Kaori Kanzaki. She was another of the less than twenty saints in the world. Her feats included once fighting against an actual angel and surviving.

  Her assistance would be reassuring, but for various reasons, there was a valley between her and Amakusa. On top of that, based on what people like Stiyl had told him, the immense power saints had didn’t necessarily let them move around at will.

  “…But that isn’t to say we don’t have a plan,” said Itsuwa, meaning to wipe away the young man’s unease. “God’s Right Seat is extremely strong on the magic side, and there’s honestly no guarantee we could hope to stand up to them even in an advantageous battle. But Vento of the Front, Terra of the Left…We successfully drove them both off, and why is that?”

  “Hmm.”

  “I haven’t done a detailed analysis, so I can’t say this is confirmed information, but there is one thing linking them: They faced large-scale interference from the science side. The powered suits and supersonic bombers forced Terra of the Left to change his plans, and as for Vento of the Front…um…
Something about people seeing an angel?”

  She might be on to something. The thing that shook God’s Right Seat, one of the strongest groups on the magic side, was always an irregular counterattack from the science side. That meant maybe the key to victory was not to fight them on a stage they had perfect supremacy on but to drag them to the disadvantageous science side and make them fight there.

  “That would mean,” he said, “there’s something really important about them fighting in Academy City, since it’s full of science.”

  “I…I don’t think that’s the only thing, but…”

  “?”

  Kamijou tilted his head in confusion as Itsuwa stammered, but she waved her hands to pass it off. “A-anyway! If Acqua attacks, I’ll be sure to protect you!” she announced enthusiastically. “We’re under orders from the English Church to guard you both openly and from the shadows, so please don’t worry!!”

  There was one small thing he couldn’t let slide. He figured he might have misheard her, so he asked again, just to be sure. “And why are you here, Itsuwa?”

  “I’m here to guard you, of course,” she said, clenching a small fist in excitement.

  Kamijou blinked. He decided to ask again. “And why are you here, Itsuwa?”

  “I told you, I’m here to guard you. Which means I’ll be staying with you.”

  4

  From behind cover, Saiji Tatemiya, vicar pope of the Amakusa-Style Crossist Church, lowered his binoculars.

  They were right next to a small movie theater. Nearby was a narrow byway with a lottery vendor set up at its entrance that blocked the view. It was a queer place, the sort that was near large numbers of people but hard to see.

  He narrowed his eyes with a sour expression, binoculars in one hand. Quietly, he said, “What a bore.”

  The large man next to him, Ushibuka, who was pretending to read a magazine, nodded. “Come on, Itsuwa…,” he murmured. “She’s acting like this is just business. Not going in for the attack at all.”

  “You’ve got that right. We finally gave her the chance to engage Touma Kamijou at point-blank range, and not only is she refusing to appeal herself to him—she doesn’t even know her own weapons.”