Archive of Our Own

"An irregularity torn away from her own world. I was used. Observed. Confined. But after gaining my freedom... I met you. Our paths were never meant to cross. And yet, you still chose to fight. Even against the thing you loved most."

"I need your help. Just wait a little longer."

"This time, the outcome will be different. So for now... enjoy your new life."

Prologue

A Certain Magical Index.

In a world divided between science and magic, where conflicts could end with the destruction of the world itself, Kamijou Touma stepped out of a convenience store carrying a plastic bag in his left hand.

"Why do I have to feed a Magic God, a gluttonous nun, and a Transcendent using the budget of a poor student?"

A couple of students gave him strange looks as they walked past him.

Academy City still shone brightly even at that hour. Giant screens. Neon lights. Wind turbines slowly turning atop the buildings.

Everything continued functioning exactly as always.

After returning from hell, that felt strange.

"How tragic. Kamijou-san survived death itself, yet he's still worried about the money in his wallet."

He let out a sigh.

He had bought instant noodles, eggs, and some extra crackers for Alice.

And then he felt it.

A gaze.

Kamijou slowly lifted his head.

Across the street, behind a utility pole, a figure in a brown hood silently watched him.

"A magician?"

His body reacted before his thoughts did.

After the Coronzon incident, magicians had practically disappeared from Academy City. Accelerator had tightened security to the extreme.

And yet, that person was standing there.

The figure moved the moment they realized they had been spotted.

"Hey, wait!"

Kamijou immediately ran after them.

The sound of his footsteps echoed through the empty alleyways.

(Is she trying to lure me somewhere?)

The figure finally stopped at the far end of the alley.

"Turn around! I want to see your face!"

A faint sigh escaped from beneath the hood.

Then the figure slowly turned toward him.

Although the hood still concealed most of her face, he could make out short light-pink hair, part of it braided to one side.

(A girl?)

Something about her felt vaguely familiar.

And yet, he couldn't recognize her.

"So you're still alive after all, Kamijou Touma."

"Who are you!? What do you want!?"

"It doesn't matter if you still don't understand. But I haven't come here to hurt anyone."

"You didn't answer my question!"

"It's true that I have an objective. And for now, that objective is you."

Kamijou took a step back and raised his right fist.

"If you're going to attack me, then do it!"

And then the magician moved.

She charged straight toward him.

Kamijou threw a punch, but the girl leapt over him before it could connect.

"Wha-!?"

Kamijou looked up.

The girl was running along the wall as though gravity didn't exist. Any student in Academy City would have assumed she was using some kind of electromagnetism-based esper ability.

She stopped at the edge of the rooftop and looked down at him.

"We'll meet again in another world."

"Wait!"

The figure vanished into the darkness.

Kamijou stood motionless for several seconds, staring at the empty rooftop.

The night wind once again blew softly between the buildings.

(Who was she...?)

After that, the high school boy continued on his way back to the apartment.

"..."

Time passed.

After cooking and eating, Alice Anotherbible, Index, and Othinus went to sleep in their respective spots around the room. Naturally, Kamijou's sleeping arrangement was different. Since there was only one bed, he would once again be sleeping in the bathtub.

He spread the futon inside the bathtub and dropped onto it.

(This is strange. Why was she following me? Does she want the Imagine Breaker?)

(It's useless. That power follows me even after death.)

Kamijou closed his eyes.

Before he realized it, sleep had finally overtaken him.

He had no idea that night would be his last in his world.

Chapter 1: Another World!

Part 1.

The eyelids of a certain ordinary high school boy trembled.

The moment he opened his eyes, the sunlight pouring in through the window burned against them. He immediately assumed it was morning.

Beyond the morning light stretched a white ceiling, an illuminated ceiling lamp, white walls, and a room that was definitely not his dorm.

(What.)

The boy's expression was one of pure confusion.

(Where am I?)

As his half-asleep brain slowly woke up, memories from the previous day began returning.

(Why the hell am I in a hospital room!?)

He shot upright.

He blinked once. Then again.

(Was I attacked while I was asleep?)

However.

At that moment, an image surfaced in his mind.

That hooded magician in the brown cloak. The alleyway. The night. The girl who had avoided fighting him.

(This makes no sense.)

He lowered his gaze toward the blanket covering him and noticed a remote control resting there.

(Still, there's no point going in circles without information.)

He picked up the remote and turned on the television.

For a few seconds, a commercial played. An idol smiled brightly at the camera while advertising an energy drink as cheerful music filled the room.

Then the screen abruptly changed.

"-The United States military has been deployed to Hawaii in response to the humanitarian crisis caused by a spacequake."

The footage showed streets rendered completely unrecognizable, reduced to mountains of rubble.

"-The eastern region of Oahu has suffered thirty percent destruction, in addition to tsunamis that affected nearby islands."

The devastation looked less like a natural disaster and more like the aftermath of a meteor impact.

Or an aerial bombardment.

(A spacequake?)

It wasn't the name of any natural disaster he remembered.

Then what exactly caused it?

He changed the channel.

"-A spacequake was recorded yesterday in central Tengu City. Residents are advised to move to underground shelters immediately in the event of an alarm. This marks the second incident in less than a week."

(Wait. How long was I unconscious?)

He lowered the volume.

A basket rested on the table beside him. After checking inside, he found his phone along with the clothes he had been wearing the previous night.

He picked up the phone.

The screen lit up normally. Forty percent battery remaining.

He opened his contacts and selected the first name he saw.

Contact Name: Index.

"The number you have dialed does not exist or is currently unavailable."

He lowered the phone for a moment before dialing again.

"The number you have dialed does not exist or is currently unavailable."

The automated voice cut off.

The electrical hum of the television suddenly felt unnaturally loud inside the room.

(What's going on? It's like the network doesn't recognize my calls, but I still have signal.)

He placed the phone back into the basket and sat down on the bed. Only then did he realize Othinus was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching.

Who was it? Index? Alice? The frog-faced doctor?

The door to the room opened.

"You recovered quickly."

Standing before him was a high school girl.

She had short silver-white hair cut neatly, with three hair clips on the left side. Blue eyes stared at him firmly. Pale skin. An expression that revealed absolutely nothing-neither discomfort nor curiosity-as though emotional reactions were something she simply saw no need for.

The girl wore a black blazer with white trim and silver buttons. Beneath it was a white shirt and a red ribbon tie. Her dark-blue skirt fell in orderly pleats down to mid-thigh.

"Excuse me. Did you walk into the wrong room?"

He couldn't believe that this girl, who looked like a living doll brought to life, could possibly be the one who had saved him.

"I didn't."

Origami looked directly at him.

"I came to see you."

"So it was you, then? My name is Kamijou Touma. What's yours?"

"Tobiichi Origami."

Origami. Like the art of paper folding.

"Were you the one who rescued me?"

"I found you unconscious. Most of the credit belongs to my partner."

"That's strange. Usually, when I wake up in a hospital, the first person I see is a frog-faced doctor. Have you seen him?"

"No."

"Hey, don't look at me like that! I'm not some kind of masochist or anything! I admit I've ended up in the hospital more times than you could probably imagine."

"I wasn't thinking that."

"Please don't think I'm trying to break some weird record for most hospitalizations."

Kamijou let out a sigh.

"So then, Tobiichi-san. What exactly happened?"

"Don't you remember?"

"If I remembered, I wouldn't be asking."

"A spacequake struck you and left you unconscious."

Kamijou frowned in confusion.

The last thing he remembered was falling asleep in the bathtub.

"A spacequake? I thought it was just some kind of electromagnetic interference that disrupted the planet's electrical fields."

"It distorts space itself where it appears. Not electrical fields."

"I don't think that sounds like a natural phenomenon. Right? Something similar to magic?"

Origami did not answer immediately.

Her eyes remained fixed on him. Not with the expression of someone hearing something absurd, but like someone who had just realized that this boy-who supposedly remembered nothing-had casually mentioned something no ordinary person should know.

As if he were hiding a secret.

Or as if he had come from a place where such things were not secrets at all.

"Humanity has spent the last thirty years studying it. There is still no conclusion regarding its origin."

"Thirty years?"

Kamijou frowned.

That was far too long for it to be something recent. He should have learned about it in school. He should have seen it in textbooks. He should have heard people mention it somewhere in Academy City.

And yet, this historical fact was completely unknown to him.

"Why are you saying that like everyone already knows it?"

"It's common knowledge. Do you have amnesia?"

He didn't answer immediately.

It wasn't amnesia. His memories were intact. He clearly remembered the conversation, shopping at the convenience store, eating dinner, and lying down in the bathtub with a futon before closing his eyes.

But if his memory wasn't the problem, then why did the world feel different?

"What district am I in?"

"Does that matter?"

"Please."

Origami studied him for a moment.

"Tengu City. East Tengu. Tokyo Prefecture."

Kamijou processed that in silence.

Tokyo Prefecture. One of the four prefectures of Greater Tokyo.

But he had never heard of any city called Tengu. It sounded fictional.

Or newly built.

"How long has that city existed?"

"Thirty years. Originally, there were several cities in this area."

"Wait. I'm not in Academy City."

"Academy City?"

Origami blinked.

It was the first involuntary reaction he had seen from her.

"Yes. I don't understand why I'm here."

However-

"No place with that name exists in Japan."

The boy said nothing.

For a moment, even the voices coming from the television seemed distant.

"What?"

"I've never heard of Academy City. Is it some kind of school?"

"Wait. Academy City is west of Tokyo. A walled city built for the development of esper powers. Espers. Students with supernatural abilities. Don't tell me you seriously don't know that?"

Tobiichi Origami remained silent.

She tried to come up with an explanation, but found none.

"Tobiichi-san. What month and year is it?"

"April seventeenth, two thousand six."

It was the same year.

But two months had passed.

The boy remembered the words of that girl in the alleyway.

"We'll meet again in another world."

There was only one conclusion.

A truth he did not want to accept.

But nothing Origami had said sounded like a joke. Even those news broadcasts had been far too professional for that.

And yet another question surfaced.

If this was not his world, then what had happened to Academy City?

"I see."

Kamijou forced a smile.

"I'm just a little confused. Could you help bring me up to speed?"

"All right."

The silver-haired girl fell silent for a moment.

"Listen carefully."

He nodded without speaking.

"The first spacequake occurred thirty years ago."

Origami said it as casually as if she were talking about the weather.

"Eurasia. The border between the Soviet Union, China, and Mongolia."

Kamijou frowned.

He had never heard of such a thing.

"One hundred fifty million people died."

"What?"

It took Kamijou several seconds to react.

He thought he had misheard her.

"Then came the South Kanto disaster."

She shifted her gaze toward the window.

"This city was built on those ruins."

"That's Tengu City, right?"

"Yes."

Kamijou kept his expression calm, but his fingers tightened slightly around the blanket.

(This has to be a dream.)

He didn't want to start over.

After everything he had been through, after all the ridiculous fights and absurd problems, he had finally regained something resembling a normal life.

Even if misfortune followed him everywhere, he still believed he could someday reach happiness.

(I can't lose that.)

"Spacequakes are smaller in scale now."

Origami's eyes briefly shifted toward the television.

"You've already seen that yourself."

"Sorry for being reckless. Why did you come here personally?"

"I have my reasons."

"..."

Kamijou Touma remained silent, trying to process his situation.

Without another word, Origami turned around and left the room.

The door quietly closed behind her.

The hum of the air conditioner once again filled the room.

In the distance, he could hear the metallic sound of a stretcher being wheeled down the hallway.

"What's with that girl?"

He rested his head against the pillow and stared up at the ceiling.

Spacequakes. The origin of those disasters remained a mystery.

Kamijou raised his right hand.

(A supernatural phenomenon.)

He had no proof. But he had noticed something in Origami's hesitation when he mentioned magic.

Something different.

Origami's reaction had not been normal.

"..."

A short while later, the door opened once more.

Tobiichi Origami returned carrying a bottle of water in her right hand. She set it down on the table without a word and turned around.

"Ahh. Thanks."

Origami stopped.

She did not turn back. She simply remained standing there with her back facing him, one hand near the doorknob.

"I want you to stay a little longer."

"Uh..."

"Can't you?"

"It's not that I can't... but why?"

"My partner will be arriving soon. She'll be able to answer your questions."

Origami slightly glanced back over her shoulder, waiting for an answer.

But instead, another question came first.

"Tobiichi-san. You're not just a student, are you?"

"Raizen High School. That's my school. The reason I came here was because I was searching for something. I wanted to know if you had seen it."

"Seen what?"

"You should focus on recovering your memory first. I'll tell you when the time is right."

The girl left the room and quietly closed the door behind her.

"..."

Kamijou remained staring at the bottle of water.

(I don't think she's just a student. From my experience, people like her usually belong to some kind of organization. Secret or otherwise. Well, my most immediate problem right now is finding a place to stay.)

There was no point speculating about her intentions.

He picked up the bottle, took a long drink, and set it back on the table.

He wondered what it would be like growing up in a city like this. Living with alarms ringing since childhood. Learning evacuation routes before even finishing elementary school.

Knowing that at any moment an alarm could sound and everyone would have to run underground. Not as something extraordinary.

But as part of everyday life.

And yet life still went on. Buildings were constructed. People returned to their homes.

(That girl, and everyone else here, lived with that threat.)

Kamijou Touma clenched his fist and looked at his right hand.

(And that hooded magician in the alley said we'd meet again in another world.)

Another world.

If suddenly appearing in another world counted as a supernatural phenomenon, then Imagine Breaker should never have allowed Kamijou Touma to exist here in the first place. After all, that power could negate any supernatural phenomenon with nothing more than contact from his right hand.

There were not many magicians capable of doing something like that on such a massive scale, unless it was something similar to Othinus's phases or Alice Anotherbible's power. Abilities like those did not directly alter the individual, but the world itself, meaning Imagine Breaker would not even notice the change.

(Do supernatural powers even exist in this world?)

If this world operated under entirely different rules, then perhaps he could not even trust that right hand anymore.

Spacequakes were the only clearly supernatural thing so far. He could try testing it, but recklessly jumping in without understanding anything would be a pretty stupid way to die a second time.

"I guess I'll have to wait a little longer."

"..."

The silence in the room stretched on for several more minutes.

Barely ten minutes later, the door to the room opened again.

A woman with black hair and a few loose bangs hanging over her forehead stepped inside. Pale skin. A red shirt beneath a white overshirt with the collar left open. White pants. She did not look like a nurse at all.

If anything, she looked like someone who had just come back from work and had more important things to do.

"Hello. Are you Tobiichi Origami's partner?"

"That's right. My name is Kusakabe Ryouko. I'm the one who brought you to the hospital."

"Kamijou Touma."

The boy introduced himself before continuing.

"Thanks for bringing me here, I guess."

"That's good to hear, Kamijou-kun."

Kusakabe's smile lingered a second longer than normal.

But it never quite reached her eyes.

"Can I ask you something important?"

"Go ahead."

The smile remained.

Only her tone changed.

"Do you seriously have nothing better to do with your life than trying to kill yourself?"

Kamijou felt his blood run cold.

"Huh? Excuse me, how did you jump to that conclusion so fast?"

"Isn't it obvious? Everyone knows what to do when the alarm goes off."

Kusakabe said it as though it were common sense.

As if only an idiot could possibly forget it.

"You were standing at the epicenter without protection, like you were out taking a stroll. Were you trying to die or something?"

"No! I'd never do something like that! I'm the type of guy who wants to live a normal, peaceful life! Though I admit my life is a constant disaster... but it's not because I want it to be! It's just accumulated bad luck!"

Kusakabe exhaled through her nose.

Clearly skeptical.

"Then explain how you ended up directly inside the impact zone."

"I don't know what you mean. One moment I was somewhere else, and the next I woke up here."

Kusakabe remained silent for a few seconds.

She stared directly into his eyes.

As if trying to decide whether he was lying or simply an idiot.

"Look, whatever."

Kusakabe sighed.

"But if you stay outside again when the alarm goes off, next time there might not be anyone around to pick you up."

"Understood."

"By the way. Do you remember anything you saw before losing consciousness? Anything in the sky? Any details from the area where we found you?"

The boy's expression stiffened.

He made a genuine effort to remember.

"Nothing that I can recall."

Kusakabe did not answer immediately.

Her posture tensed ever so slightly. Such a small movement it could easily have gone unnoticed. Her eyes narrowed for just an instant.

Then she spoke again with a calmness that felt a little too deliberate.

"Origami told me you have amnesia. You should focus on recovering."

"You talked with Origami?"

"Yes. She told me about your amnesia. Don't worry, your hospitalization expenses will be covered by the institution."

"Institution?"

"This is a military hospital."

"So that means you're military."

"Well, you could say that. I'm with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. After all, my mission is to protect civilians and restore areas affected by spacequakes. Honestly, finding you alive was practically a miracle. What you did was reckless, though I suppose you're still insisting you didn't wander out there yourself."

"I don't remember anything."

At that moment, Kusakabe pulled several documents from her pocket.

"The doctor signed your discharge papers an hour ago. You don't have any serious injuries. Officially, you're fine."

"So I can leave."

Even to him, the words sounded strangely empty.

He could leave the hospital, but he had nowhere to return to.

"Do you have anywhere to go?"

"What?"

That question caught him off guard.

Kusakabe pulled a small key and a folded sheet of paper from her pocket and placed them on the table.

"What's this?"

"It's the address to an available apartment. You can stay there for now."

Kamijou looked at the key. Then at Kusakabe.

"Hey. Don't take this the wrong way, but... isn't it kind of strange to hand an apartment key to someone you found unconscious in the street?"

"Kid, you're completely lost. You probably don't even remember where you lived. And you don't look like someone living with their parents either."

"..."

Silence.

"I'll take your silence as confirmation."

"Thanks. I guess."

"One important thing. Tengu City has spacequake alarms. When you hear one, head to the nearest underground shelter immediately. Train stations and many large buildings have them. Under no circumstances should you stay outside."

"Understood."

"They've been happening more often lately. Keep that in mind."

She said it without alarmism. With the same casual tone someone would use when warning about rush hour traffic.

Which somehow made it sound even more serious.

After that, Kusakabe headed toward the door.

"Take care, Kamijou-kun. And next time the alarm goes off, you know what to do."

The door closed behind her.

Kamijou looked at the key resting on the table and picked it up.

(Luck?)

However-

Whenever misfortune stopped hitting him, it usually meant something worse was coming next.

(I just hope I won't have to pay for this with something terrible.)

He unfolded the sheet of paper with the address written on it.

Slowly standing up, he took his clothes from the basket and silently changed into them.

He tightened his grip around the key in his palm.

(First, find that apartment. Then figure out exactly where I am.)

(And after that...)

He stopped.

(Find a way back.)

Kamijou walked over to the window and opened it.

This city was far quieter than Academy City. Even with the threat of spacequakes, life here continued as though everything were perfectly normal.

Part 2.

Kamijou Touma stood in the center of Tengu City.

He had spent the last couple of hours familiarizing himself with this completely unfamiliar place. He had not expected to find things straight out of fantasy stories like castles, medieval villages, or adventurer guilds. Technologically, this world looked identical to the one he knew. It was the same Japan, with the notable exception that Academy City did not exist.

He was wearing a different style of winter school uniform.

The only thing he had managed to bring with him before arriving in this world.

Disappearance.

Just hearing that word gave him a chilling idea of what might have happened. Spacequakes could manifest as explosions, massive destruction, or disappearances.

It was highly likely the last one had happened to him.

Why was he in this world?

This was not something as simple as a hero being summoned to save a dying world.

Nobody had been waiting for him.

Nobody needed him here.

The only thing he knew for certain was that he had to return.

(Why is this becoming so difficult right from the start?)

Kamijou let out a sigh.

(The only people who might know the truth behind these phenomena are the ones dealing with the affected zones. Tobiichi-san and Kusakabe-san...)

All the information he had received so far had felt intentionally incomplete.

(Why do I get the feeling this world is at war?)

If spacequakes had an origin, then that origin would automatically become humanity's enemy.

And yet, neither of those girls had even spoken that possibility out loud.

(It's possible there's an enemy they haven't revealed yet.)

Kamijou shifted his attention forward.

"Wait! Why are there suddenly so many people!?"

He had not even noticed when the streets started flooding with pedestrians.

Groups of high school students walking together. Office workers checking their phones while moving through the crowd. Two boys on bicycles weaving recklessly between pedestrians with confidence bordering on suicidal.

One of them nearly ran him over.

"Hey!"

Neither boy even turned around.

(This must be the shopping district.)

The stores lining the avenue displayed all kinds of signs. A bookstore. A clothing shop. A pharmacy. A ramen shop with steam drifting out from inside and a smell that reminded him he had not eaten anything decent for hours.

At every corner stood a small blue sign marked with a symbol he recognized immediately.

(Underground shelters. Please don't make me use them this soon.)

For thirty years, people had lived with the possibility of space itself tearing apart above their heads, and humanity's collective response had apparently been putting blue signs on street corners and continuing to shop at convenience stores.

There was something strangely admirable about that.

Then again, Academy City had something similar. The conflicts within the dark side, the threats posed by Othinus, Coronzon, the Transcendents, and Rosencreutz had forced the city to establish emergency protocols as well.

The difference was that Academy City kept those protocols hidden from the public.

"..."

Kamijou slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out the paper Kusakabe had given him.

(I have absolutely no idea where this place is.)

He had no map. The navigation app on his phone did not work.

And he had forgotten to ask for directions.

(What terrible luck.)

He folded the paper and looked around.

The simplest option would be asking someone nearby. It should not have been difficult, but-

At that moment-

UUUUUUUuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-

"!?"

Without warning, an alarm echoed throughout the city.

Kamijou looked around.

Startled by the siren, countless crows burst into the sky all at once.

Several people immediately began walking faster after hearing the alarm, although none of them seemed particularly surprised.

After the siren, a mechanical voice echoed through the city, pausing after every phrase, probably for clarity.

"-This is not a drill. This is not a drill. Initial seismic activity has been detected. A spacequake has been predicted. All civilians in the surrounding area are advised to proceed to the nearest shelter immediately. I repeat-"

In an instant, the streets filled with startled voices.

"A spacequake alert."

Everyone's fears had just been confirmed.

"Oh, seriously?"

Kamijou muttered dryly while cold sweat ran down his face.

There was no way his luck could possibly be this bad. He had only just arrived in this world, and already he was caught in the middle of a disaster.

"Damn it. Where's the nearest underground shelter?"

Being trapped in a crisis was nothing new for him. That was simply the result of being a student in Academy City and constantly getting dragged into conflicts involving both science and magic.

But he could not deny that the unknown terrified him.

(That must be it.)

Kamijou watched as people hurried into buildings, parking structures, and nearby stores. The underground shelter system was probably integrated into train stations and schools as well.

Even if he did not fully understand how it worked, he could clearly see evacuation route signs posted on nearly every building.

"What am I doing?"

The entrances to the underground shelters remained open. If he hurried, he could still make it inside.

And yet he did not move.

His legs trembled slightly.

Public screens repeatedly displayed emergency instructions.

"In the event of a spacequake, remain calm and proceed to the nearest underground shelter."

"I'm losing my mind. But this is all I have left."

He looked at his right hand.

And then-

The sky shattered.

Something descended from above and touched the earth.

The spacequake had arrived.

"Uwahhh!"

Instinctively, the boy covered his eyes with his right hand.

The street ahead was instantly swallowed by a blinding light.

A deafening explosion and a violent shockwave struck him without warning.

"Gah-!?"

He forced himself forward, only to slam into the ground, roll across the pavement, and finally stop with his teeth clenched tightly.

Then he opened his eyes and slowly stood up.

"Huh?"

The sight spreading out before him made him gasp in disbelief.

The street he had been walking through moments ago had vanished completely, leaving behind little more than shattered debris barely still standing.

It looked as though a meteorite had crashed into the city.

The ground itself had collapsed inward.

(So this is it.)

A spacequake.

Kamijou pushed himself up and looked ahead.

"What?"

A girl stood in the middle of the rubble.

Her long black hair reached all the way down to her legs, while purple armor decorated with golden details covered her body. A blue gem embedded in her chest glowed as though emitting light of its own.

She remained perfectly motionless.

As if the disaster surrounding her had absolutely nothing to do with her.

"That girl..."

Three minutes ago, this part of the street had been packed with people.

But now, while everyone else had fled into the underground shelters, that girl remained standing there alone.

"When did she get there?"

He immediately assumed she intended to kill herself. Without thinking much about it, he approached her.

"Uh, hey. You really shouldn't be out here."

"!?"

The girl slowly turned her head toward him.

Her purple eyes, tinged faintly with gold, reflected the light like crystals.

But that was not what caught his attention the most.

It was the expression in those eyes.

Not hostility.

It was the look of someone who had spent far too long being attacked.

With a smooth motion, the girl reached toward a hilt that emerged from empty space itself and slowly pulled it free.

What appeared was a broad-bladed sword radiating an illusory glow, like a rainbow trapped inside metal.

"...Wait."

She swung the sword.

The trail it carved through the air formed a line of light.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! I was just trying to help you!"

Kamijou's instincts reacted before his brain could process what was happening.

One step to the right. His body shifted its weight barely in time.

The line of light sliced through the exact space where his head had been moments earlier with a sound that was not a cut, but distortion itself, as though space had torn open by a single millimeter.

Kamijou felt heat brush against his cheek.

(That was way too close.)

In an instant, the girl appeared directly in front of him.

"-!"

He had no time to prepare himself.

She was less than two meters away. The sword slash was aimed directly at his neck.

(I have to dodge.)

His willpower sharpened to the extreme, and time itself seemed to stretch endlessly.

Kamijou threw himself backward, his body moving on instinct alone, and the blade sliced through the air where his throat had been.

He immediately jumped back to his feet.

(Damn it. I just need to use Imagine Breaker!)

The next thrust shot straight toward his chest.

But without thinking, the boy thrust his right hand forward.

The contact lasted only an instant.

A brief resistance, like pushing against something unwilling to yield-

And then the power within the sword was destroyed by his right hand.

The girl staggered back a step, her hands trembling.

Not from rage.

But from doubt.

Doubt that she could actually fight against this boy.

(Is this some kind of supernatural power? Looks like Imagine Breaker still works. Of course it works. But that doesn't mean it didn't shave ten years off my lifespan from pure terror.)

After glancing at his right hand, Kamijou's gaze hardened.

"Hey, why are you attacking me!?"

But the girl did not move.

Her attack had not been blocked.

Nor deflected.

It had simply ceased to exist the moment it touched that right hand.

"Impossible."

Her eyes remained fixed on the boy's right hand.

Only then did Kamijou truly see her up close.

She looked roughly the same age as him. Long black hair flowing all the way down to her legs, while those purple eyes remained locked onto his hand.

Up close, the armor looked less like metal and more like some strange mixture of cloth and light.

"What... did you do?"

The girl's voice trembled.

"That shouldn't be possible."

"Ahh, are you stupid?"

Kamijou clenched his right fist.

"Besides, how am I supposed to talk calmly with someone who just tried to kill me!?"

"Are you an agent of the mecha-units?"

The blade of Sandalphon shifted slightly, its tip pointing toward him.

Kamijou swallowed nervously.

Even with Imagine Breaker, his power was not omnipotent.

One wrong move and this girl could cut him in half.

"Mecha-units? I don't know what that is."

"Don't play dumb! It was obvious you were trying to kill me!"

The girl stepped forward, the sword still aimed directly at the boy's neck.

"Don't move. You're within my attack range."

A chill ran down Kamijou's spine and his heartbeat quickened, but he held his ground.

"I'm not doing anything! You're the one who attacked me! I only approached because I thought you needed help!"

"Who are you?"

"Kamijou Touma. High school student. No special powers, just in case you were wondering."

"Are you trying to deceive me?"

"Wait, shouldn't I be the victim here!?"

This was magic.

That sword was a spiritual item, just like the original Curtana.

His right hand could destroy it, but...

What would happen if he did it again?

"Listen. Technically, I do have an ability. You saw it yourself. Whenever my right hand comes into contact with any kind of supernatural power-whether it's magic, esper abilities, or even the power of an angel-it can negate it."

"...Eh?"

"What's with that expression? Did I say something weird?"

"It's nothing."

"If you attack me again, your sword will probably stop functioning before it ever reaches my neck."

Silence.

"Was that a threat?"

"I'd rather not fight you."

The girl continued staring at him with that same serious expression, carefully evaluating every word as if searching for a trap hidden somewhere within them.

"Then what are you doing here?"

"That's exactly what I've been asking myself."

Kamijou scratched the back of his head.

"You don't seem like a normal human. And what's with this 'mecha-units' thing?"

"Humans wearing mechanical suits that descend from the sky with the intention of killing me."

"What?"

The girl slowly lowered her sword.

"Then if you didn't come here to kill me... what's your reason?"

"I already told you. I thought you needed help. Seeing a girl standing outside the underground shelters made me think you wanted to die."

"But you stayed too."

"No. Well... I just wanted to check whether my right hand still worked."

"Then you're not one of the 'mecha-units'?"

"Who the hell are these 'mecha-units'!?"

"I hope you're not lying to me. Otherwise, I'll open an air tunnel through your abdomen."

"There's absolutely no need for that!!"

Kamijou immediately stepped backward while raising both hands.

"But if you truly don't know them, then fine."

"What are you? What's your name?"

"I don't have one."

The girl answered with a sorrowful look.

As though she were desperately searching for some kind of identity to cling to.

Only then did Kamijou truly look at her for the first time.

An overwhelming melancholy.

It was the expression of someone who looked as though she might burst into tears at any moment.

"But you may call me Princess."

Even so, the girl did not seem entirely satisfied with that answer herself.

(Princess. Is that really a name?)

However, the boy's thoughts were suddenly interrupted.

"You're strange. You're the second person who hasn't tried to kill me."

Kamijou did not understand those words.

"If you're not going to attack me, then you should leave."

"Why?"

"They've already arrived. The mecha-units."

At that instant, something echoed across the sky.

Kamijou looked upward.

Human-shaped figures wearing mechanical suits capable of flying through the air.

(So those are the 'mecha-units'.)

Run.

Without another word, Kamijou sprinted toward the nearest alleyway, dove inside a large garbage container, and slammed the lid shut above his head.

A series of explosions engulfed the area almost immediately afterward.

Parte 3.

The inside of the container smelled like rusted metal and something damp that he preferred not to identify.

"I'm sure there was someone else there when we spotted the Spirit."

"Yeah, I noticed it too."

"The Spirit wasn't attacking him. Was she actually talking to him?"

"No. That's impossible."

The girls' voices echoed from the main street.

Kamijou remained perfectly still inside the container, his back pressed tightly against the metal wall, even holding his breath to avoid being detected.

Footsteps approached the alleyway, paused for a moment, and then slowly moved farther away.

(Damn it.)

The mecha-units had descended from the sky.

Then they attacked that girl.

And now they were searching for anyone who might have seen too much.

(What the hell was going on in this city?)

(What exactly was a Spirit?)

And yet, he felt as though he had just uncovered something he was never supposed to see.

(Is it safe to come out?)

Quite some time passed before the silence finally became convincing enough for him to leave.

Only distant sirens and the constant dripping of water from some broken pipe among the rubble remained.

Kamijou carefully lifted the lid and peeked outside.

The entire area had been devastated by the explosions. Asphalt had been torn apart, building facades were cracked open, and chunks of concrete lay scattered everywhere. Dust still drifted through the air, as though the city itself had yet to accept that the disaster was over.

(Seems safe enough.)

He climbed out of the container and planted his feet on the ground. His legs ached slightly after staying cramped for so long, but he ignored it.

(I need to get out of here.)

He could not afford to be discovered.

The mecha-units had seen him standing beside the Spirit-or at the very least, they knew someone had been there. If they recognized him as the same boy from earlier, he had no idea what might happen next.

After that, he needed to find the apartment and distance himself from all of this as quickly as possible.

At the very least, people were avoiding the destroyed area. That gave him enough room to move around without drawing too much attention.

"..."

Convinced the path was clear, he quickened his pace toward the exit of the alley.

And then he collided with someone.

A light impact against his abdomen stopped him cold.

He lowered his gaze.

And instantly froze in place.

(I'm screwed.)

What he saw was.

Part 4.

"Ow-ouch!"

"Hm?"

Kamijou frowned.

Standing in front of him was a girl shorter than he was.

Her brown hair was tied into two small sections fastened with golden clips, while a dark mechanical suit covered her torso and thighs. Several articulated armor plates glowed faintly, as though some internal system was still active.

"What was that about!?"

"Sorry."

The girl landed awkwardly on her backside and let out a small groan.

She remained like that for a few seconds before climbing back to her feet.

"Wait! A boy!? You're not supposed to be here!"

"About that..."

"This area was sealed off after the last spacequake! Civilians aren't allowed in here! It's dangerous to stay outside, you know!?"

(I don't understand how I ended up getting scolded by a soldier who looks like an elementary schooler.)

"That was my mistake. It won't happen again."

At that moment, the girl let out a sigh.

"Hey. You're not thinking something like... giving up on life, are you?"

"What!? No! Not at all! Why does everyone jump to that conclusion so quickly!?"

"Then can you explain what you were doing outside the shelters!?"

"That part was intentional. But not for the reason you think."

"Oh, really?"

The small-looking girl stepped closer to him.

Kamijou felt strangely intimidated.

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry for not going into the underground shelters."

The girl smiled slightly after hearing that.

"All right."

"I have a question. That suit. Is it always that... revealing?"

The reaction was immediate.

The girl's face turned bright red in roughly a second.

"IT'S PART OF MY JOB!! THE DESIGN HAS FUNCTIONAL PURPOSES!! THE JOINTS NEED ROOM TO MOVE!!"

"Okay, okay. I get it."

"Don't make that face! I'm not an exhibitionist!"

"I'm not making any face."

"You are making a face!"

Kamijou placed a finger against his chin while the girl awkwardly tried covering herself with her hands.

It was almost as though she had only just realized how exposed the suit actually was.

Embarrassment.

An expression she clearly had not intended to show.

And then-

"Okamine, what happened?"

The boy's body stiffened when he noticed more "mecha-units" nearby.

"Nothing. I just tripped."

"Be careful."

Kamijou revealed a surprised expression.

He had assumed she was about to reveal his location.

Suddenly, the girl glanced back toward him.

"I'm hoping you just failed to reach the shelter in time."

She spoke more quietly this time.

Without looking directly at him.

"After all... I went through something similar myself."

(Something similar?)

As though she had read the expression on his face, Mikie spoke again.

"Ah, um... I had an argument with my father. I failed to meet his expectations. He told me that directly. So I ran away from home. And when the spacequake alarm went off... I didn't enter the shelter."

"..."

Kamijou said nothing.

"I stayed outside. I knew what could happen, but at the time it felt like my world had already ended."

The girl avoided looking at him as she continued.

"But someone saved me. So don't ever do that again."

"You thought I was trying to kill myself? Don't worry. That's not going to happen."

"Please... take better care of yourself."

Hearing that from someone he had only just met felt strangely comforting.

"Thanks."

Kamijou scratched the back of his head.

After a brief silence, he spoke again.

"Are you with the JSDF?"

"What?"

He did not actually need her answer.

If this girl truly belonged to the JSDF, then she was far too young. Japan's volunteer military system only accepted people eighteen and older. There was no way someone like her could officially join.

"Do they seriously recruit elementary school girls now?"

"I'M NOT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GIRL!! I'M A SECOND-YEAR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT!!"

"Seriously?"

Kamijou said it with genuine surprise.

The girl straightened her posture and placed one hand against her chest, emphasizing every word with the gesture.

"Okamine Mikie. Fifteen years old. Private Second Class of the JSDF."

It was true.

Kamijou processed that silently.

(Fifteen years old.)

She was only one year younger than him.

"Kamijou Touma. Nice to meet you, Okamine-san."

Part 5.

Dust from the destroyed buildings continued drifting through the air whenever the wind passed through the devastated district.

After leaving the alleyway where he had been hiding, Kamijou arrived at a part of the city that had suffered only minor damage.

People were slowly beginning to emerge from the underground shelters.

Some checked their phones while walking.

The stores had already reopened after the alarm ended.

One employee was reorganizing fallen products while an automated recording repeated:

"Thank you for your cooperation during the evacuation."

Near the entrances, several people had already begun sweeping shattered glass away from the fronts of their businesses.

It was like watching a city that had grown far too accustomed to rebuilding itself.

In the distance, a child could be heard crying because they had left something behind inside the shelter.

There were no screams.

No chaos.

Just people resuming their lives after something that had clearly happened too many times already.

Kamijou slowly raised his gaze toward the city.

(...So this is a spacequake.)

Origami had already told him the most important facts.

The first recorded incident. The Eurasian Sky Disaster that killed one hundred fifty million people.

Japan's greatest catastrophe. The South Kanto Celestial Disaster.

And yet, compared to those two massive tragedies, this particular spacequake had been relatively contained.

Even so, witnessing one in person was completely different.

(That spacequake was considered small.)

Kusakabe had mentioned that they had been occurring more frequently than usual lately.

(Wait. First, the important part.)

Imagine Breaker had worked.

That was the first thing he needed to process.

The moment the power within that girl's sword made contact with his right hand, it had vanished exactly the same way any esper ability or magical attack would in his own world.

The rules had not changed.

Or at least, not completely.

(But that sword wasn't ordinary magic.)

He did not have enough information yet. But something about that power felt fundamentally different from anything he had encountered before. It was not a magical spell. Not a grimoire. Not an esper ability.

It was something that did not fit into any category he recognized.

Just as he had thought earlier, it felt more similar to a spiritual item like Curtana.

But even that comparison did not feel completely accurate.

(And that girl...)

That girl called Princess.

Black hair reaching down to her knees. Violet eyes. Armor that seemed made of light rather than metal.

And the expression she wore when she said she had no name.

(The second person who didn't want to kill her?)

That meant someone else before him had also chosen not to attack her.

(Who?)

He had no answer.

Then there were the mecha-units. Mechanical suits descending from the sky, attacking a girl standing in the middle of a disaster zone, and afterward searching the rubble for witnesses.

(Is that normal here? Attacking someone in the middle of a spacequake?)

The afternoon sun stretched long shadows between the buildings.

A group of students walked past him talking about something completely unrelated to the disaster, as though they had just gotten out of class.

Suddenly, Kamijou pulled the folded paper from his pocket.

The address written on it still meant absolutely nothing to him geographically.

He approached a middle-aged man standing near the entrance of a shelter while checking his phone.

"Excuse me, do you know how to get here?"

"..."

At that exact moment, Kamijou felt something cold touch the back of his neck and looked upward.

The sky, which had been painted in a dull orange only moments ago, was now being swallowed by gray clouds.

"Seriously?"

A second later, scattered droplets became a heavy downpour.

(What rotten luck.)

The few people still outside vanished into nearby stores and buildings within seconds.

Kamijou immediately ran beneath the roof of a nearby bus stop.

He turned a corner without really knowing where he was going. Rain slammed violently against the asphalt while his uniform was soaked from the shoulders down.

And then he saw it.

A bus.

Stopped at the bus stop at the far end of the street.

Its doors were still open.

"Wait! Over here! Hold on!"

The doors began closing.

Kamijou sprinted with everything he had, wildly waving his arms like someone who had absolutely no dignity left to lose.

The doors opened again.

"What are you doing, kid? Trying to get yourself run over?"

"Sorry! I was right behind you!"

"Bah. Just get on already."

Kamijou boarded the bus and collapsed into the nearest available seat.

"..."

About ten minutes later, the bus dropped him off near a park.

From there, he could see a row of newly constructed apartment buildings with clean facades and neatly arranged balconies.

He got off and walked toward them with his still-damp uniform clinging to his back.

The rain had stopped, but the cold remained.

"This has to be the building."

He stopped in front of it.

It was considerably larger than he had expected.

The exterior looked clean and modern, with a glass-and-metal entrance reflecting the glow of the streetlights beneath the cloudy sky.

(This is better than I expected.)

He pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Crossing the lobby, he entered the elevator and pressed the button for the sixth floor.

The elevator chimed softly when it arrived. Kamijou stepped out into the hallway and started searching for the room number among the line of apartments stretching in both directions.

After a short search, he found the correct door.

"All right. I guess I'm supposed to go in."

Taking a deep breath, he inserted the key, turned the knob, and opened the door.

"All right then. Time to see what this place looks like."

However, the moment he stepped inside, he felt something strange.

"That's weird."

Kamijou was just about to step onto the floor mat before suddenly changing his mind.

He removed his shoes and placed them neatly to the side instead.

As he walked toward the living room, he realized the apartment was larger than he was used to.

(This is good. At least I have somewhere to stay.)

A television remote sat perfectly aligned beside a cooking magazine on the table.

The bedroom door was slightly open.

Without thinking much about it, he approached.

The moment he opened the door, he froze completely.

For some reason, a high school girl was inside changing out of her school uniform.

"Waaaaaaaaah!?"

Kamijou stumbled backward with a scream, but the girl calmly looked toward him.

"So it's you."

"You're Tobiichi Origami!?"

He swallowed nervously. He had no idea how she would react after he had just seen her like that.

Tobiichi Origami sat on the bed roughly three meters away from him, wearing only a pair of panties and her white bra. The clothes she had been about to change into rested beside her on the right.

At that moment, he could clearly see the girl's pale skin and her moderately sized chest.

"Wait, Tobiichi-san! I wasn't expecting to find you here!"

Kamijou quickly looked away while backing out of the room.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came here because of Kusakabe-san's help, and she offered me this apartment. Well, I guess I got the wrong room. Sorry about that."

Kamijou awkwardly shrugged his shoulders.

"You didn't enter the wrong apartment."

"Huh?"

"I said you didn't get the wrong apartment. This is my apartment."

Origami maintained her usual poker-faced expression while the boy slowly stepped backward.

"Oh. Well, you're still changing, so I should probably leave the room."

"..."

Origami said nothing.

Kamijou stepped outside and closed the door behind him. He shook his head, trying desperately to erase the image of accidentally walking into a girl's room and seeing her like that.

That was not the kind of thing that normally happened.

"At least you could've screamed a little."

Kamijou leaned his back against the door while covering part of his face with his right hand.

"Come in."

The moment she said that, Kamijou cautiously entered the room again.

And then he saw Tobiichi Origami sitting on the bed, now dressed in casual clothes.

"Well... sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to walk in like that."

"It doesn't matter."

Kamijou glanced awkwardly to the side.

Origami continued watching him with that same unreadable expression.

The silence was uncomfortable.

Far too direct for someone he had just accidentally seen half-naked.

"You're really cute."

The words escaped before he could stop them.

One second later, he realized exactly what he had just said.

"Ah. No, that's not what I meant. I mean-well, what I was trying to say is... anyway, I'm sorry."

Origami blinked once.

"No one has ever called me cute before. Are you lying?"

Kamijou opened his mouth.

Then closed it again.

(How could she think I'm lying?)

"Have you never looked at yourself in a mirror?"

"You're strange."

The girl did not seem particularly bothered by the fact that he had seen her nearly naked.

"I'd be a weird guy if I didn't notice something like that."

"I was worried you might not be able to enter my apartment."

"I don't understand what you mean."

"I'm talking about the traps."

"Huh? Wait, are you serious?"

For a moment, Kamijou thought Origami was joking with him.

But she clearly did not look like the type of girl who would joke around like that.

"Yes. I think you were lucky to avoid them. I need to improve my defenses to keep intruders away."

"Who puts traps at the entrance to their own apartment!? Why would you even do that!?"

"..."

After that, Kamijou decided not to question the topic any further.

"Ah, by the way. I already knew Ryouko was sending you here, but I couldn't predict when you'd arrive."

"So Kusakabe-san planned to send me to you from the beginning."

Kamijou grimaced slightly.

"Anyway, I'd rather not get labeled a 'pervert' after only our second meeting."

"..."

"Hey. I'll help however I can. Housework, cooking, whatever. I have experience living alone."

"What are you talking about? You're the witness. Eventually, you'll probably recover whatever memories you have about that place. You would be the first person able to tell me what happened there."

"Huh? So that's the reason."

Kamijou looked slightly disappointed.

Of course this was not some love-at-first-sight situation.

"..."

The silence started becoming awkward again, so the boy spoke first.

"Tobiichi-san?"

"Yes?"

"I noticed your apartment isn't very big. Well, I'm not saying it's small. Actually, it's probably bigger than my old apartment... Tobiichi, are you living here alone?"

Origami gave a small nod.

"That must be difficult for a high school girl. Are your parents away or something? They financially support you living here, right? I don't want to take advantage of your kindness. If possible, I'd like to contribute too."

"Father and mother died five years ago."

Origami said it while gripping her right arm with her left hand.

"They were killed by a creature five years ago."

"You mean an animal?"

"No. Anyway, there's no point talking about that now."

Kamijou did not answer immediately.

He had touched on something he should not have.

"I had no idea. Sorry."

"There's no need to apologize."

Origami looked toward the boy's clothes and spoke again.

"By the way, your clothes are wet."

"Ah, that. Couldn't really avoid it."

The boy answered awkwardly.

"I see. Go take a shower. It's through that door. You'll find everything you need."

She pointed toward the hallway without taking her eyes off him.

Kamijou nodded and headed toward the bathroom.

Part 6.

After taking a shower, Kamijou dried himself with a towel and changed into the clean clothes Origami had left folded beside the sink.

He stepped out of the bathroom with a long sigh.

The moment he looked up, Origami was standing silently in the hallway, watching him.

"Tobiichi-san?"

"Follow me."

Two cups of tea were already waiting on the table. Steam rose slowly from them in thin spirals.

Origami sat down first.

Kamijou sat across from her.

He picked up the cup and took a sip.

"This tastes good. Is it Darjeeling tea?"

"Yes. I usually drink it around this time."

Without taking her eyes off the cup, Origami slowly rotated it between her fingers.

As though it were a habit even she did not fully understand.

Kamijou glanced around the apartment.

The bookshelf. Books arranged neatly by size. A small plant beside the window.

No photographs.

"Hey. The clothes you left for me... where did they come from?"

"I bought them this afternoon while you were still in the hospital."

Kamijou carefully placed the cup back onto the table.

"A few minutes ago, Ryouko called me. She enrolled you at Raizen High School so you can continue your studies."

"WHAT!? THAT FAST!?"

He nearly spat out his tea in shock.

"You'll be attending the same school as me. Ryouko handled all the paperwork."

"Seriously?"

"Since you don't know the school or the route there, I'll take you."

Kamijou fell silent.

He could already imagine the awkward stares from the other students walking beside a girl like her.

(First the apartment key. Then clothes. Now school enrollment. How many things has Kusakabe arranged behind my back already?)

He looked up.

"Who would've thought we'd meet again so soon?"

"Are you trying to start a conversation?"

"Well, yes. It's a little difficult when you show no interest or emotion in anything you say."

Origami closed her eyes.

"Emotion? I stopped feeling things like that a long time ago."

Kamijou did not answer immediately.

For an instant, Origami's expression looked too empty even for her.

"What!? You can't just live like that! Don't you have any close relatives!?"

"I only have an aunt. But that's none of your concern."

"Then don't tell me this has something to do with your parents."

Origami slowly raised her gaze.

It was only a slight change in her eyes.

A reflection of something broken.

"...Please. I don't want to talk about that."

"Sorry."

Kamijou looked away.

But he still noticed Origami tightening her grip around her right arm.

Her fingers trembled slightly.

He did not know what had happened to her five years ago.

But he understood one thing.

Whatever had stolen those emotions from her must have been cruel enough to turn her into someone like this.

"..."

Then Origami's phone vibrated.

She immediately stood up and walked toward her room.

Looking at the screen, she saw the caller ID.

Kusakabe Ryouko.

Before closing the door, Origami briefly glanced back toward the living room.

Then she entered the room.

She sat down on the edge of the bed before answering the call.

"Captain Kusakabe."

"Origami. I'll get straight to the point."

Kusakabe's voice sounded different over the phone.

Colder.

Sharper.

Without the softer tone she used around civilians.

"It's about the boy."

"Yes."

"The doctors finished their analysis this afternoon. He has brain damage."

Origami did not respond immediately.

"What kind of damage?"

"That's the strange part. It doesn't look like it was caused by a blow or a fall. It's as if someone deliberately carved a hole into his mind. With surgical precision."

"Memory destruction?"

"Exactly. And it happened approximately seven months ago. Long before the spacequake."

Origami processed that silently.

"What kind of damage exactly?"

"There are no normal signs of trauma. Just a void. As though that part of his life had simply never existed for him."

"Could it have been artificially induced?"

A brief silence followed on the other end of the line.

"That's exactly what I thought. But the strangest part came when we tried using the Realizer to heal his injuries and examine the condition of his brain."

"What happened?"

"The Realizer vanished the instant it touched his body."

Origami remained silent.

"And his injuries?"

"That's exactly the question I can't answer. He recovered on his own at a speed that makes no sense by conventional medical standards."

Origami slightly turned her head toward the closed door.

On the other side, the apartment remained completely quiet.

The boy had not moved.

"By the way. Is it possible he made contact with Princess?"

"If that had happened, he wouldn't still be alive."

"Even so, we can't rule it out."

Kusakabe took a moment before answering.

"True."

"I'll continue observing him closely."

"I'll handle the remaining paperwork. There's absolutely no record of him anywhere."

Origami frowned slightly.

"That's strange."

"He's still trying to adapt to this environment. He has no one. It'll take time before we get answers. Don't pressure him."

"I know."

The call ended.

Origami remained sitting on the bed, still holding the phone in her hand.

(Who exactly is that boy?)

"..."

By the time night fell, the apartment had grown silent.

The sound of a door opening broke the stillness.

"Um... Tobiichi-san."

Origami looked up.

Kamijou stood near the hallway, avoiding direct eye contact with her.

"About earlier... sorry."

Origami was wearing simple sleepwear. A white long-sleeved shirt and dark blue shorts.

Even so, Kamijou immediately looked away again.

(Why am I getting nervous over something so normal!?)

"It doesn't bother me."

"Ah... I see."

A brief silence fell between them.

Then Kamijou spoke again.

"By the way... where am I supposed to sleep?"

Origami tilted her head slightly.

"Sleep?"

"Well, I don't think it'd be a good idea to just sleep here without asking first."

"You can use the sofa."

"Don't worry about me. I'm used to sleeping in weird places. The bathtub works too."

Origami stared at him silently for several seconds.

"The bathtub?"

"Yeah. I remember sleeping in the bathtub because my apartment was small, and I think I had roommates."

"..."

Origami seemed to process that information.

"That explains many things."

"What's *that* supposed to mean!?"

"Nothing. It's good that you're recovering your memories."

The girl stood up from the sofa and walked toward a small closet.

She took out a folded blanket and handed it to him.

"Thanks."

"The sofa will be more comfortable than the bathtub."

"...I guess so."

Origami slowly returned to her room.

Before closing the door, she paused briefly.

"Good night."

"Good night."

The door quietly closed.

Kamijou turned off the living room light and collapsed onto the sofa.

The apartment became completely dark.

(This is...)

The blanket carried a faint scent.

A soft smell that clearly belonged to a girl.

Kamijou froze.

(No.)

He squeezed his eyes shut.

(Please don't let me develop some weird blanket fetish.)

He covered his face with one hand.

(Think about something else, Kamijou-san.)

The silence of the apartment enveloped him once again.

Little by little, the boy's expression relaxed.

He looked up toward the dark ceiling.

There were no voices from Index, Othinus, or Alice.

(...I really am alone.)

His eyes slowly began to close.

He was in a place where he was practically a complete stranger.