A Certain Magical Index: The Primal Spirit Descends to My Side

Sunlight streamed through the thin curtains of the old apartment, bathing the room in a pale blue hue. Today was July 21st, the second day of summer vacation. Although the sun hadn't yet risen, the room was already quite hot, and the old electric fan spun incessantly on the ceiling. The air still carried the scent of last night, mixed with a faint smell of disinfectant.

Kamijou Touma, accompanied by the gray-haired girl he had temporarily named "White-Haired Girl," stood once again in front of Tsukuyomi Komoe's apartment. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Coming, coming~" came Komoe-sensei's energetic voice from inside the door, accompanied by light footsteps. The door was opened, and Komoe-sensei, wearing her usual pink dress, peeked out. Seeing Kamijou and the girl beside him, a smile appeared on her face.

"Ah, Kamijou, and this... uh... classmate? Good morning! Come on in!"

The two entered the room. The mess from last night had been mostly cleaned up; the low table was wiped clean, the bloodstains were gone, and the scattered beer cans had been flattened and put into plastic bags.

On the tatami mat against the left wall of the room, there was a clean mattress, and Index was lying on it.

She was wearing an ill-fitting, loose-fitting green nightgown that belonged to Teacher Xiaomeng, with the sleeves covering the back of her hands. Her long silver hair was spread out on the pillow, and her complexion was much better than it had been the previous night.

Although she was still somewhat weak and seemed to have a fever, with a damp towel covering her forehead, her bright green eyes had regained some of their sparkle and were now darting around, curiously observing the two people who had entered.

"Oh, you're awake?" Seeing that she was in good spirits, Touma Kamijou felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders and couldn't help but make a comment.

"But your outfit... Pfft~ Teacher, your pajamas are way too good for her, aren't they? And why are you only wearing underwear on your lower body?"

"Ugh—!" Index puffed out her cheeks, glaring at Kamijou with displeasure. "Pervert! You start mocking my clothes the moment we meet! And this outfit was kindly lent to me by the teacher! My [Mobile Church] was stained with blood last night, and the teacher washed it for me; it's still wet!"

"Yes, yes, yes... Sister." Kamijou waved his hand dismissively, walked to the mattress, squatted down, and covered Index's legs, which were sticking out and had turned pink from the fever, with the blanket. "How are you feeling? Does the wound still hurt?"

"It's alright now." Index shook her head, kicked off the blanket, and exposed her legs again, which were even radiating warmth. Seeing this, Touma Kamijou also stopped covering himself with the blanket and sat down beside her.

Just then, Ms. Komoe came over with a cup of water and handed it to Kamijou and the gray-haired girl. She then sat down herself, her expression becoming somewhat serious. "Kamijou-kun…who is this Miss Index?"

"Uh...actually, she's my sister..."

"Hmm..." Teacher Komoe became a little angry, then looked at the gray-haired girl who was kneeling on the tatami mat, imitating Touma Kamijou, and drinking water. "And who is this little gray-haired girl over there?"

"Uh...is she my second sister?"

Ms. Komoe got really angry and immediately went from kneeling to standing. She started using her usual tone when educating students, and Touma Kamijou automatically sat up straight as well.

"Don't lie! They're both silver-haired foreigners!"

"A sister who isn't related to me by blood...?"

"Kamijou... are you a pervert?"

"I know it's rude and even against the rules to not be related by blood, but..."

"Kamijou-chan..."

"Um... teacher, you're asking so clearly, are you going to report this to the security guards?"

"Kamijou..." She placed her hands on her knees, and although she was only 135 centimeters tall, she exuded the authority of a teacher at this moment.

"Regarding what happened last night, I think it's very serious. Miss Index was injured so badly; this goes beyond a simple dispute and is a serious incident involving personal safety. As a teacher and as a resident of this city, I believe it's necessary to report the situation to the security personnel and have them investigate."

"The security guards?!" Touma Kamijou's heart skipped a beat. He knew, of course, that calling the police was standard procedure, but the problem lay in Index's identity. The Index, 103,000 grimoires, the pursuit by the magic societies… what kind of chain reaction would this trigger if it reached the security guards? What would the scientists in Academy City do? How would the Anglican Church react? More importantly, would Index herself be willing?

"Teacher, please wait a moment!" Kamijou hurriedly spoke up, "This matter... is a bit complicated. Index's situation is rather special, so it might not be appropriate to go directly to the security guards."

"I don't know what kind of incident you've been involved in..." Ms. Komoe smiled, looking at Touma Kamijou with a determined gaze.

"But since this happened within Academy City, we, as teachers, must take responsibility for handling it. Adults should take responsibility for children; teachers cannot just stand by and watch you be in danger."

Touma Kamijou remembered the teacher in front of him. He was the kind of person who, despite having no real ability, no special skills, and no responsibility to bear, would take on the responsibilities of a teacher as if it were his due.

"I know, but..." Touma's mind raced, searching for the right words. He glanced at Index, who shook her head slightly, her eyes pleading. He then looked at the gray-haired girl sitting quietly beside him; she simply watched silently, offering no response.

"Teacher..." Kamijou took a deep breath, deciding to be partially honest, "Index... she comes from outside Academy City... and is involved in some... power struggles outside. Those people might not be ordinary criminals, but rather organized... special individuals. If the security forces get involved, it could complicate matters further, and even cause... friction between the outside and the inside. Moreover, Index herself wants to handle this discreetly."

He paused, then said in a more sincere tone, "Teacher, I know this is willful and irresponsible. But I promise you, I will do everything in my power to protect Index's safety. At least, before we figure out what those people's purpose and whereabouts are, could you... not report to the security guards for now? Give us some time to handle this. If the situation really gets out of control, I will definitely ask for help immediately."

Ms. Komoe stared silently at Touma, her pink eyebrows furrowed. She glanced at Touma's determined eyes, then at Index's pale but stubborn face, and finally at the unusually quiet gray-haired girl.

As a teacher, her duty and common sense told her she should report it. But as an educator, she also saw the unwavering determination in the boy's eyes and the immense unease hidden within the young nun.

"If you were just a stranger, I would have no hesitation in involving you as well, but you helped me cast a [magic spell], so I don't want you to get involved..."

"Hmph~ Don't think you can fool your teacher with some polite words..." Teacher Xiaomeng blushed and swayed back and forth while hugging her knees.

"However," Teacher Xiaomeng stood up and patted her clothes, "since we're taking in the wounded, we don't have any decent food at home. I'll go to the supermarket to buy some groceries and cook you something nutritious. You should take this time to rest well, and also... sort out what you need to tell me..."

She walked to the door, bent down to put on her shoes, sat down in the entryway, and glanced back at the three of them, especially Touma Kamijou. "When the teacher comes back, you'd better tell me honestly, okay? You can't deliberately forget to say anything just because the teacher went to buy groceries."

She smiled, a smile tinged with forgiveness, then opened the door and walked out. The door closed, leaving only Touma Kamijou, Index, and the gray-haired girl in the room.