Chapter 13: Are You Trying to Get Me Killed?
"Perfect memory ability, that's exactly what it is..."
Kamijou Touma listened as Kanzaki Kaori explained Index's condition. The more he heard, the more something felt off. Though he was just a high school student, he still found the claim that memories could burst one's brain rather absurd.
"What nonsense! I'm Index's friend, I won't let you hurt her again. And since you know all this, why don't you tell her? Why don't you—"
"Shut up, outsider. Don't act like you know anything. You've known Index for less than forty-eight hours."
Kanzaki Kaori was provoked by the young Kamijou. Her long, shapely leg bent as she kicked him in the side of the face. *Bang!* Spittle flew as Kamijou Touma was sent reeling, dizzy from the blow. In truth, Kanzaki Kaori was holding back; otherwise, that kick would have sent Kamijou Touma's head flying.
Kanzaki Kaori gripped her sheathed Seven-Winged Flash and began striking Kamijou Touma repeatedly. As she beat him, she shouted something, venting her frustration at being unable to help Index. The poor young man suffered the brunt of it.
"Hey, woman over there."
This sudden shout made Kanzaki Kaori stop her actions. The miserable Kamijou had nearly been beaten into a pig's head by the scabbard.
A man and a woman approached from a distance. The man had a cigarette dangling from his mouth, while the girl beside him held a military flashlight. When Kanzaki Kaori saw the smoking man, she instinctively tightened her grip on her longsword and whispered to Kamijou Touma beside her:
"Run. Don't ask why, just get away as fast as you can. The one coming this time is different from me. If he's your enemy, he won't show any mercy."
Kanzaki Kaori's profile was turned toward Kamijou Touma. He was bewildered—moments ago, she had been beating him senseless, and now she seemed to be protecting him? Was he hallucinating from the blows?
The man and woman from afar drew closer.
"First time working together. Need my help?"
The girl in the pair spoke.
"If you want to live, stay at least three hundred meters away."
"Then I'll just watch the show."
The girl walked off into the distance, twirling the military flashlight in her hand.
The newcomers were Su Xiao and Musujime Awaki. They had originally planned to find some transportation, but vehicles in Academy City were scarce. As for buses or subways, Su Xiao wasn't familiar with the area, and Musujime Awaki rarely used them either, which delayed their arrival.
"Who are you?"
Kanzaki Kaori no longer cared about Kamijou Touma beside her. After initial contact, she realized he meant no real harm. In contrast, the faint reddish aura around Su Xiao immediately told her he was a villain who had killed countless lives.
"..."
Su Xiao didn't speak. Aleister's intention was to drive Kanzaki Kaori out of Academy City or kill her on the spot. According to the original information, she wouldn't leave until Index's matter was resolved.
Su Xiao suddenly vanished from his spot, reappearing in front of Kamijou Touma. He crouched down. Kanzaki Kaori was about to strike, but realized Su Xiao's target wasn't Kamijou Touma—it was her.
"Who are you..."
Kamijou Touma was nearly unconscious.
"You don't need to know for now."
Su Xiao grabbed Kamijou Touma and tossed him toward Musujime Awaki. Although Kamijou Touma was the protagonist of the story, killing him would yield rich rewards, any contractor familiar with the *Toaru Majutsu no Index* world would never target him. The combat power he unleashed before death was enough to instantly kill any contractor who entered this derivative world, including Su Xiao.
For a protagonist whose risk of killing outweighed the reward, Su Xiao chose to minimize contact. If not for the mission's requirements, he wouldn't have approached him.
"Take him away."
As Su Xiao spoke, Kamijou Touma vanished, reappearing beside Musujime Awaki. The mission required bringing Kamijou Touma to a safe location—Aleister valued him greatly.
"Where to?"
Musujime Awaki poked Kamijou Touma with her military flashlight. He raised his arm with difficulty, signaling for her to wait.
"Anywhere you like. As long as he doesn't die, you can throw him in a public toilet for all I care."
Su Xiao rolled his shoulders, sensing that Kanzaki Kaori wouldn't be easy to deal with.
"Wait, you can't take him."
After initial contact, Kanzaki Kaori had realized Kamijou Touma was a good person. As for the two newcomers, the girl didn't have a strong scent of blood, but the man nearby—with her keen sense of smell, Kanzaki Kaori could detect a faint, sweetish odor. It was the smell of blood, meaning he had likely killed someone within the past day.
In fact, Su Xiao had slit Mugino Shizuri's throat an hour ago. It was only natural he smelled of blood.
"Out of politeness and someone else's request, I'll give you three choices: kill me, die here, or leave Academy City. Of course, these are my choices based on my position. You don't have to pick one."
Su Xiao's hand rested on the hilt of Dragon-Slaying Flash.
"I choose to defeat you, then go save someone important."
"In that case, it's kill me. Don't talk about defeating me—I won't lose before I die."
Su Xiao drew Dragon-Slaying Flash from his waist. Seeing this, Kanzaki Kaori's body tensed, ready for battle.
Just as they were about to clash, three hundred meters away, Kamijou Touma struggled to his feet.
"You're that person's companion, right? Stop him! We don't need to fight each other..."
Kamijou Touma looked at Musujime Awaki. She tilted her head, as if considering something. In truth, she was thinking about where to teleport Kamijou Touma for maximum amusement—a women's restroom? A sewer? The top of a satellite tower? Musujime Awaki was quite mischievous.
"Hey, you... bandage girl? Stop your companion."
The moment Kamijou Touma finished speaking, a vein seemed to pop on Musujime Awaki's forehead. Su Xiao calling her "bandage-chest girl" she could tolerate—getting angry was useless since she couldn't beat him. But now, this weakling Kamijou Touma dared to call her that too.
"Prickly head, have you misunderstood something? Don't tell me you naively think that man is helping you?"
Musujime Awaki sneered and continued:
"Stop him? Are you kidding? That guy is a complete monster. I don't want to die, so I won't interfere or dissuade him from doing anything. That could get me killed—definitely. Are you trying to get me killed, you prickly head?"
Musujime Awaki swung her military flashlight, hitting Kamijou Touma square on the head.
*Bang!*
A few drops of blood splattered. Kamijou Touma went limp and collapsed, unconscious. Su Xiao, who was about to engage Kanzaki Kaori, noticed this but paid it no mind. Musujime Awaki's maximum teleportation range was only eight hundred meters. Even if she teleported Kamijou Touma away, he might return here. Knocking him out was a good choice.
Sensing Su Xiao's gaze, Musujime Awaki forced a smile.
"I think this is a better way to control the target."
"Mm. If he wakes up, hit him again. As long as he doesn't die, turning him into an idiot is fine."
"No problem."
Musujime Awaki flicked the blood off her military flashlight, revealing two sharp little white teeth as she smiled.
"Is a fight to the death really necessary?"
Kanzaki Kaori's fighting spirit was clearly lacking, which made Su Xiao frown. It wasn't that she had no will to fight, but rather that she seemed somewhat naive.
The importance of Index to the Magic Side went without saying. For such an important person to end up in Science Side territory, trying to retrieve her without force—wasn't that wishful thinking?
The British Puritan Church sending Kanzaki Kaori already indicated one thing: negotiations between the British Puritan Church and the Science Side had failed, forcing them to dispatch their "nuclear weapon"-level combat power to retrieve Index. That "nuclear weapon" was a Saint.
Cyan Steel Shadow Energy coiled around Dragon-Slaying Flash. Su Xiao pointed the blade diagonally at the ground, his muscles gradually tensing.
Things had reached this point, and words were unnecessary. Su Xiao had joined Aleister's faction. With Su Xiao as a directly deployable combat asset, Aleister didn't need to use more complicated methods to keep Index—commonly known as the "Forbidden Index." He could simply use force to retain her, which was more reliable.
As long as the "Forbidden Index" was kept, even if Su Xiao carried out some out-of-line missions within Academy City, Aleister would turn a blind eye. This transaction had already been tacitly agreed upon.
PS: (One more chapter coming soon.)