Chapter Text
Chapter 1: Index?
The heat was too much that morning, a certain electromaster really did overdo it with the level zeros that gave her a hard time the night before, the power all over Otonokizaka was cut, that included every dorm room on the campus, and the air conditioning, and the television, overdoing it may have been one huge understatement. The only piece of tech that worked was her cheap alarm clock, at least it worked. It woke Eli up; she fried it with her electricity.
“Reminder to buy a new alarm clock…again,” Eli sighed as she got out of bed, “It’s too hot…oops.”
It was a good thing that Eli slept in her underwear, she was sure she would’ve melted. She walked over to her small kitchen, opening her fridge; a burst of sour food hit her nose.
“Reminder to buy food on the way home today…great.”
Eli grabbed a little sandwich from the back, she walked into her room in search of her trash can…she forgot, the school had those trashbots, she’d have to wait for those to arrive…a while after her little fight the night before. While she waited, she may as well have aired out her bed sheets, she dumped the rotten sandwich on her desk then grabbed her bed sheets and headed out to her balcony.
“A sunny day, how wonderful…” Eli said as she opened her little door to the balcony, “E-eh? I have bed sheets out here already?”
Eli noticed what looked like a sheet hanging over her balcony. Red and white? Eli was certain that she only owned light blue and white sheets…did Maki from the floor above drop hers? Maybe. A hint of purple stuck out.
“That’s not Maki’s bedsheets…I think that’s a body,” Eli said to herself.
Eli took a closer look, it was indeed a body, it was a purple haired woman in shrine maiden clothes, at least she didn’t have to run up to the next floor to give sheets back to Maki.
“I-I’m…” came from the woman, “So hungryyy!”
“W-Why are you on my balcony?” Eli asked.
“Give me food!” returned the stranger. “I’ll tell you if you feed me!”
Eli sighed, “Fine. Whatever.”
Eli was glad she hadn’t tossed the rotten sandwich yet, she ran back to her desk and grabbed it, the stench got worse, what luck. But food is food, so she guessed the stranger would be fine with it. Eli headed back out, waving the sandwich, which the stranger ate without taking the wrapping off. Eli thought that would come back to bite her later.
“Thank you!” the stranger said with a smile, “I haven’t eaten in days.”
“Will you now tell why you were passed out on my balcony?” Eli questioned.
“Huh? Yeah, sure I can, “replied the maiden, “Could you um…”
“Pull you up? Yeah.”
Eli grabbed her guest by the arms to yank her off the balcony and dragged her into her room.
“Comfy?” Eli asked as she saw her guest dive onto her bed.
“Yep! Now I can tell you my story! It all started…”
“Can you get anymore cliché?” Eli asked jokingly.
“I fell onto your balcony after I tried to jump to the new building because I was getting chased,” the maiden replied, “I think I got away from them!”
“Who was chasing you?”
“A bunch of wizards trying to get a hold of my 103,000 grimoires,” the maiden said.
“Wizards? As in…magic users?” Eli asked, the maiden nodded, “Magic isn’t real in a world of science, did you hit your head when you jumped?”
“I didn’t hit my head!” the maiden yelled, “Besides, magic and science can both exist, magic is real.”
“Prove it,” Eli said.
“Okay. Attack me. My outfit can repel magic and esper abilities,” the shrine maiden commanded.
Eli smirked, “You’re asking the wrong person to attack you,” she cracked her knuckles and she started to spark up, “I’m a high level esper, so I apologise if I electrocute you,” she shot some plasma at her guest…it actually repelled, “H-holy c- You actually repelled my shot,” the plasma shot back to hit Eli, it was a good thing being a human railgun meant she’d be immune to her own attack.
“See? Magic,” said the maiden with a smile.
Eli sighed, “Robes that can repel a Level 5’s power? Someone wants to keep you alive don’t they?”
“Yep! If something happens to me, no more grimoires.”
“Where are these grimoires?” Eli questioned, “In your robes?”
“Nope!” the maiden replied, “It’s a secret!”
“Of course it is,” Elli mumbled, “Is your name also some big secret too?”
The maiden giggled, “Not at all. My name’s Index Liborum Prohibitorum. But my friends called me Index-Chan!”
“Index…that’s…unique…to say the least. To be on good terms, my name is Ayase Eli. Level 5 Electromaster of Otonokizaka High. I’m the second strongest Level 5 in Akiba. I’m known as the Railgun.”
Index laughed, “That’s one unique introduction.”
“I-isn’t that the usual thing you should do?” Eli asked, “That’s how we Otonokizaka students introduce ourselves.”
“It’s still strange! A world of science really cares so much about levels and titles that they make students announce their levels. It’s just numbers to me,” Index remarked.
“You don’t have that in your world of magic? Aren’t your grimoires just numbers?” Eli asked.
“They are numbers,” Index replied, “But they’re important.”
Eli folded her arms, “And my Esper level means nothing?” she questioned, raising an eyebrow, “It’s a very important number to me you know.”
Index started to giggle, “You espers are so different to the wizards I’ve met!”
“Maybe because they keep chasing you down,” Eli mumbled.
A sudden knock hit Eli’s door, judging by the power of the knock, it was the head resident…Hori-sensei.
“What’s with the racket, Ayase-san? Do you have someone in your room?”
Eli jumped, “J-just the heat getting to me Hori-sensei!”
“I see. Try to be more careful with your powers next time and this might not happen again.”
“Y-yes Hori-sensei!” Eli said.
“Good. Now hurry up and get ready for class.”
Eli sighed as she heard Hori-sensei walk away, “Not who I wanted to cross with after causing a power outage. Hey Index…e-eh?” Eli looked to her guest who was halfway over her balcony…again.
“H-hey! Why are you going over the balcony?” Eli asked, rushing to pull Index back.
“I’m still getting chased by wizards! Can’t get you in trouble!” Index replied as she was about to hop over the balcony.
“I can’t just let you go,” Eli remarked, “I could…protect you. I’m one of the best espers in the city, I’m sure that I can take on wizards.”
“But-”
“-But nothing! You think they’ll come after you with the Railgun behind you,” Eli said as she walked to the balcony and yanked Index back into her room, “You’ll be staying with me. Not buts. Got it?”
“U-uh, okay.”
Eli smirked, “Good. I have classes, so you’ll have to stay here, just hide under my bed if Hori-sensei comes knocking or inspecting.”
“…”
“What?” Eli asked.
Index grinned, “Do you always kidnap people you find on your balcony?”
Eli blushed, “S-shut up. I just like helping people! I’m going to change.”
Eli walked into her bathroom, her clothes folded up neatly as she left them the night before. She slipped into them, she then tied her hair up in her usual high ponytail and she was ready to go. She left her bathroom, grabbed her bag and was about to leave when out of nowhere, Index hugged her.
“Thank you Ayase-san.”
“It’s nothing. Helping those who need help is something I always do.”
Eli left her room, she debated on locking it since she had Index in there, she locked it, and hopefully no wizard would come knocking during her classes.