August 31, 11:47 PM.
The moment he entered the roof, Kamijou's right hand seemed to touch something.
It was actually one of the ropes used for the boundary. The boundary seemed to vanish on contact with Kamijou's fingertips like a gust. Then, the destruction started to spread out like a fuse being lit.
At that moment, the collapse started to spread from one rope to another. After a while, the light that was scattered from the entire place vanished. Looking again, the scene had reverted back to what was supposed to be a hotel roof.
The stupid cat cleanly slipped out of Kamijou's arms and down to the floor.
The stupid cat left Kamijou, most likely unaware that the situation was dangerous as it moved towards the girl who was sitting over there without any sense of danger.
That girl Index...for some reason, she was messily tied up. But at least she didn't look hurt, and her clothes didn't seem tattered.
Kamijou looked away.
He was staring at the man who was standing some distance away from Index.
That pervert--correction, that magician.
That burly man had blood vessels pulsating all over his skin. His sweating made him appear as if he had just gotten drenched. Tear-like blood started to drip from his tightly shut eyes--one of them, at least, as it flowed across his face.
The anonymous magician asked Kamijou,
"...Is this wrong?"
The magician activated the bow and said,
"Is it wrong even though I risked my life in order to protect someone?"
Silence permeated throughout the air.
The night wind blew between both of them. A cold, spine-chilling, hard wind.
"Of course...it's wrong."
Kamijou answered.
"You should understand how sad it is for someone important to die. Seeing that person struggling painfully yet unable to do anything or help; you should understand that feeling clearly."
Kamijou knew that feeling.
In the past, he had made another person in that white hospital room experience that pain, so he understood.
"At that moment, you'll start to panic, feel anguished, sad, heartbroken, afraid, trembling, wail, cry...so that's why you shouldn't do that. You can't let others experience that feeling."
The anonymous magician didn't answer; he merely raised his bow silently.
He definitely knew what was right and what was wrong.
But whatever the case was, the anonymous magician didn't want to give up.
Because he was afraid.
The most important person to him was about to die in front of him, and that, was the scariest thing to him in this world.
"Danma no Gen."
The name of a spell that could create blades of compressed air. On hearing that voice, Kamijou moved forward. He clenched his right fist to stop this magician that was too gentle and weak-hearted.
But Kamijou's fist didn't hit that magician.
Because before the bow got pulled, the magician's body tumbled and collapsed.
The anonymous magician was unable to stand up.
Red fluid started to flow between the floor and his body.
Kamijou's expression changed as he rushed to the unconscious magician.
Perhaps since he felt that there was someone beside him, the magician started to speak.
The voice accompanied the presence of blood as it came out through the bloody red lips.
"So useless. All I did was read a grimoire...and I ended up like this."
He sounded really tired,
"It seems like someone weak like me must be daydreaming about even getting an Original. Haha, what in the world. My life's full of setbacks. This is the third time I've given up in my life."
"..."
"But I still couldn't give up."
The magician smiled as he faced the moon floating in the sky,
"Just this, no matter what, I still can't give up."
His lip movements were gradually becoming slower, until he almost stopped completely.
Index gasped, and Kamijou heard it.
Kamijou bit his lips hard, and then said.
Charge.
The stupid cat received the order and jumped at the magician face, scratching it hard.
"GYAAHHHHHH!!!"
"STOP GETTING DEPRESSED IN YOUR OWN TRAGIC ENDING, ALRIGHT!? YOU IDIOT!!"
Kamijou looked down at the magician who was looking rather energetic all of a sudden as he rolled on the floor. He sighed and said,
"This can be considered revenge for my summer vacation homework. It's because of you that I definitely can't finish my homework. I'll end up being called out to stand in the corridor as punishment because I decided to help you. It's not too bad to reward you with a cat punch, right?"
The magician's mouth opened and closed as he tried to say something, but Kamijou ignored it and continued to talk on at will,
"Alright, where's that 'precious person' of yours?"
"Gya, uu...what did you say?"
"I say, there's no need to use the Index to solve this, right?"
Kamijou scratched his head lightly and said,
"For example, this right hand of mine is called the Imagine Breaker. Any 'supernatural power', no matter esper or magic will disappear without a trace on contact with my right hand. Of course, even some ridiculous power like curses aren't exempt."
Kamijou reached out his right hand, looking like he was about to shake hands with the magician.
The magician's expression froze.
"Ah...?"
"Though I'm not a magician, and I don't know what sort of gimmick curses are, as long as this right hand is here, any problem can be settled, right?"
"Tha, ah...that's impossible."
"There's nothing impossible. Didn't you see it once? Those wind blades you created were destroyed by my right hand. Listen up, I'll tell you this. This may sound illogical, but this right hand does possess such a power."
The unknown magician was stunned. He blankly listened to every single word Kamijou said.
Seeing this 180 degrees transformation, he obviously didn't know how to respond.
This magician had originally given up in despair; he thought that hope wouldn't descend again.
But on the other side, Kamijou nonchalantly scratched his head and said,
"Alright. Perhaps you're tired, but I have to ask you to let me. If I don't come back by 7 tomorrow, I won't be able to make it to the opening ceremony tomorrow...hold on. Are there still trains at this hour? Ah, also, did you just say that it was a 'curse'? Like those tricks bad magicians in those graphic novels love to play with? If so, do we have to get rid of the bad magicians? How troublesome!"
Kamijou continued to nag on alone, and the magician could only listen silently.
Finally, he said.
Afraid that the hope he finally grabbed would disappear again, he stuttered as he asked,
"Ah...don't tell me, that's true."
"Such nonsense. Because of you, I've given up on my summer vacation homework. If I don't show something for it, it's really wasted."
Kamijou impatiently said,
"So you have to bear responsibility. I want you to lead me even if I have to drag you. I don't care about the 1st level red alert, I'll definitely save that person who's most important to you. No matter what, at least you better give me a reason as to why I forgot to finish my assignments."
Time for the magician seemed to stop. Kamijou smirked and laughed,
"So I need your help. Nobody else can do. Only your power can help me. No matter what, I have to ask you for help. Don't you want to save her? With your own hands?"
Uu, ah...
Kamijou's words made the magician's face wince.
His face was covered with tears like ice that was melting.
Kamijou sighed and thought casually
"Alright, seems like I can only give up on my homework...give up...hold on, hey, can I go get my vacation homework before I leave?"
September 1, 0:00 AM.
END