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

About 600 meters from Tsukuyomi Komoe's dilapidated apartment, on the rooftop of a tall building. The building's blue glass facade, combined with the blinding sunlight against the backdrop of the sky, makes it an excellent vantage point.

Rune mage Stiyl Magnus moved a piece of paper away from his eyes, the cigarette between his teeth burning in the wind, ash scattering everywhere. His red, center-parted hair was blown about by the wind, and his wide, black, double-breasted trench coat with its notch lapel and his cloak fluttered wildly in the gale.

Standing beside him was Kanzaki Kaori, wearing a white round-neck T-shirt with the hem knotted at her waist, and tight jeans with one leg cut off, the original leg now stripped into pieces. She wore leather boot loops at her ankles and beige leather shoes. A "Seven Days Seven Swords" weapon, almost as tall as a person, hung from her belt.

Kanzaki Kaori stood quietly, her black ponytail swaying gently in the breeze. Both of their gazes were fixed on the window of the old apartment building in the distance, the room where Index was.

"How is Index?"

"She's still alive..." Steele replied, his voice low and hoarse from prolonged smoking. "And her condition seems to have stabilized. That spiky kid, and that woman who suddenly appeared, seem to have accomplished something."

Kanzaki Kaori didn't respond immediately. Her saintly senses were far more acute than her magical senses; she could detect the extremely faint, abnormal fluctuations remaining in the apartment. It wasn't that magic had been used directly, but rather a ritual had been performed, albeit a very unprofessional one. Judging from the remaining magical energy, it was likely something that happened last night.

"That being... the power she displayed yesterday was not something within the magic system at all. I can't even understand its principles. The being itself constitutes a domain, rewriting local rules. This is already close to the power of an 'angel' or a higher rank." Kanzaki Kaori stood there, staring intently at the gray-haired girl, and stated her speculation.

Stiyl clicked his tongue and exhaled a smoke ring. "I investigated...using all my connections in Academy City. Regarding that woman...you and I both saw her transformed: silver hair, colorful eyes, pure white clothes, wings of light, and a giant tree behind her. In Academy City's official records, there's absolutely no information about her. There's no ID, no record of her abilities, no entry permit. She just appeared out of thin air in that alley, and was picked up by that guy named Touma Kamijou..."

He paused, took another drag of his cigarette, and his voice carried a suppressed chill: "What's even stranger is that I also investigated that Kamijou Touma yesterday and found out that he's a 'Level 5' in Academy City's 'Library,' and Academy City describes him as an ordinary, stupid student who likes to fight..."

Kanzaki's brow furrowed deeply, and her hand involuntarily tightened its grip on the hilt of her sword. "Are they deliberately withholding information from us?"

"It's unclear at the moment, and that's the most troublesome part." Steele stubbed out his cigarette on the railing beside him. "But one thing is certain: she has no hostility towards Index..."

"Hey... Kanzaki, judging from yesterday's attack, the 'Mobile Church' has been destroyed. Do you think... that boy destroyed the 'Mobile Church'? According to yesterday's information, that woman shouldn't have been able to destroy the 'Mobile Church', and she even made protective moves towards Index..." Stiyl took out his lighter and lit another one.

A brief silence fell between them. The night breeze swept across the rooftops, carrying the city's characteristic warmth and the smell of dust.

"I don't know..." Kanzaki Kaori frowned and lowered her head.

"Our orders are to retrieve 'Index of Forbidden Books,' ensure her safety, and then perform a ritual three days later to erase her memory..."

Kanzaki's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible weariness, as if carrying out this task, which she had done several times before, was incredibly difficult.

"But now, that entity is blocking our way. Forcing the mission has a success rate close to zero, and could even trigger conflicts we can't control..."

Stiyl scoffed and tossed aside the cigarette he'd just taken a couple of puffs of. "Regardless, our mission is to protect Index. That was decided a long time ago, wasn't it?"

"Ah... um." Kanzaki Kaori nodded after hearing Stiyl's words.

Just then, the air behind the two rippled slightly. There were no footsteps, no fluctuations in aura, not even a sign of spatial distortion. A figure appeared on the rooftop as naturally as if teleporting.

Her long, silvery-white hair fluttered gently in the night breeze. She wore a slightly oversized casual outfit, and a beautiful veil adorned her head, radiating pale purple light. She slowly turned around, her colorful eyes calmly gazing at Stiyl and Kanzaki, empty yet seemingly reflecting the entire night sky.

Kanzaki looked towards the house in the distance as if in disbelief, only to find that the girl there had vanished.

When? I was watching her the whole time. If I used magic, I should have noticed instantly. If she teleported, I should have been able to sense it. But how did she get here?

Kanzaki instinctively gripped the hilt of "Seven Days, Seven Blades," drawing the longsword, usually sheathed, out a section. Stiyl appeared merely wary, but in reality, he was slowly retreating, his hand, hidden in his sleeve, silently grabbing a handful of rune-inscribed paper.

But the girl simply looked at them, and then spoke in her calm, even voice, "Leave here."

The same lines as yesterday, the same absoluteness. It's not a request, not a warning, it's a statement.

Stiyl took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He loosened the rune paper, slowly raised his hands, and made a gesture of surrender. Kanzaki Kaori was somewhat surprised to see Stiyl surrender in an instant, and took a step back, her hand still gripping the hilt of her sword.

"Hey, don't be nervous. We're not planning on making a move right now." Steele tried to sound relaxed. "Actually, we have something we'd like to talk to you about?"

The girl didn't react; she just stared at him quietly.

Seeing that she didn't react much, Stiyl grew a little bolder. "You see, you're very strong, ridiculously strong. But in this city, someone like you with an unknown origin and unconventional power can be troublesome." He paused, observing the girl's expression, although her face showed no change at all.

"Aleister Crowley, the overarching chairman of Academy City, has eyes everywhere in this city. There's no way he wouldn't have noticed something like your anomaly." Stiyl's voice was low, carrying a statement of fact. "If he has noticed you, then his 'interest' has probably turned into 'countermeasures.' Facing the full power of this city alone, even for you, is by no means a wise move."

This was a test, and also a warning. Stiyl had not received any direct instructions, but he made this judgment based on his understanding of Aleister's style. He was trying to divert the girl's attention to the larger "threat" of Academy City, perhaps creating a variable, or even setting the stage for further contact between the Anglican Church and Academy City.

“We can act as a bridge…of course, it’s up to you,” Steele added cautiously, avoiding the word “invitation” and leaving an open, transactional implication.

The girl was silent for a moment, then she shook her head.

"I'm not going."

The refusal was swift and decisive, without any hesitation or explanation. Her gaze swept past Stiyl and Kanzaki, then returned to the window of the old apartment building in the distance.

Having spoken, she glanced at the two of them again, turned, and took a step forward. There was no spatial movement, nor any fleeting afterimage. Just as when she appeared, her figure vanished silently at the edge of the rooftop, as if merging into the sky, disappearing without a trace.

Only Stiyl and Kanzaki Kaori remained, standing on the empty rooftop, facing the direction she had disappeared in, speechless for a long time.

The night wind continued to blow, carrying the lingering smell of smoke and a persistent, chilling sense of facing the unknown.

"She went back." Kanzaki finally spoke in a low voice, loosening her grip on the sword. "She just disappeared so suddenly, the way she did it even felt like time had stopped."

"Ah, back to base." Stiyl lit another cigarette, the embers flickering in the darkness. He exhaled a long puff of smoke and gazed at the apartment window in the distance. "Looks like we need to really think about how to proceed with our mission..."