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

Touma Kamijou was left alone on the gradually darkening street. He scratched his spiky hair, looked in the direction the two had disappeared, then looked at the bag in his hand, and sighed.

"What a misfortune..."

As night fell, the lights of Academy City began to twinkle, neon signs shimmering. Touma Kamijou walked slowly alone toward the nearby park. The surrounding area was filled with the hustle and bustle of traffic and pedestrians, yet his figure appeared somewhat lonely.

He couldn't help but recall Index's words—about magic, about being hunted, about the weight of the 13,000 grimoires in her mind. He also thought of the gray-haired girl's mysterious power and her blank past.

Two people accidentally crossed paths in his dormitory. He, caught in the middle, had only a right hand that could erase supernatural abilities, but which often made things more complicated.

"Really..."

As he muttered to himself, he looked up at the narrow strip of night sky cut off by tall buildings. He decided to go back later and apologize properly, maybe even buy some snacks as an apology.

Just as he calmed his breathing and prepared to walk out of the alley to go back to find Index and the gray-haired girl, the light at the alley entrance was blocked by two tall figures.

Touma Kamijou looked up, his pupils contracting slightly.

Standing at the entrance of the alley were two strangers.

A tall man, who looked to be only about 14 years old, wore a black monk's robe, a cigarette between his fingers, and his long red hair stood out in the dim light. He looked down at Kamijou with an expression that was a mixture of indifference, irritation, and some other complex emotion on his face.

A woman stood beside him, arms crossed, her white T-shirt and ripped jeans outlining her athletic figure, a black ponytail hanging down her back. Her eyes were sharp as knives, fixed intently on Kamijou. Most striking was the long sword, almost as tall as a person, hanging from her belt at her waist.

The two men exuded powerful auras, clearly indicating hostile intentions. Kamijou's heart tightened, his body instinctively tensing as he went on guard. He remained silent, not speaking immediately, but instead scrutinizing them with wary eyes.

"Touma Kamijou." The red-haired man spoke first, his voice calm yet carrying an unquestionable official tone, "We are members of the Church of Necessary Evil of the Anglican Church. We have something to say about the nun you are currently taking in—Index."

Touma Kamijou's heart skipped a beat. The other party knew his name, and also Index's name and identity. He instantly realized that these two were from the "magic society" Index had mentioned!

"So?" Kamijou asked in a deep voice, his fist clenching tightly. "Are you here to continue the hunt, or to take her away? Let me make this clear: I will not agree to either."

The red-haired man frowned slightly, seemingly surprised by Touma's directness and hostility, but quickly regained his businesslike expression. "You misunderstand. We're not here to forcibly take her away, at least not now." He took a drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled. "We are her 'guardians.' Our duty is to ensure the safety and... proper functioning of the 'Index of Prohibited Books.'"

"A guardian?" Kamijou sneered, recalling the deep, bone-revealing wound on Index's back. "A guardian who uses a knife to cut? How unique."

Kanzaki Kaori, who had been silent all along, suddenly sharpened her eyes, but Stiyl raised his hand to stop her from speaking. "That was... a mistake... We don't know why her 'Mobile Church,' which originally possessed absolute defense, was shattered..."

His voice remained steady, attempting to maintain an explanatory tone, "But the situation has changed. We've noticed that you, and that mysterious girl beside you, have gotten involved in this. It's dangerous, for you and for her."

"Danger?" Kamijou stared at Stiyl. "You guys are the biggest danger, aren't you? If it weren't for her last night, Index would be dead!"

"That's a risk we have to take to protect her!" Stiyl's tone finally wavered slightly, but he quickly suppressed it again. "Listen, Touma Kamijou. We're not discussing this with you. This is informing you. Index is an important asset of the Anglican Church, and her condition requires regular maintenance. You're just a student from Academy City who doesn't understand anything. Your intervention will only disrupt the established process and add unnecessary variables."

"A set procedure?" Touma Kamijou's voice was full of sarcasm. "What procedure? Is this the process of making her lose her memory? Is this what you call 'normal operation'?"

These words were like a pebble thrown into still water. Stiyl's fingers, holding the cigarette, trembled slightly. Kanzaki Kaori's breath seemed to pause for a moment, and a barely concealed tremor flashed in her sharp eyes.

"How much do you know?" Stiyl's voice deepened, and his previous official tone cracked.

"I know she has amnesia." Kamijou stared intently at the two of them. "Is this what you call 'protection' and 'procedures' are, making her like this?"

The air in the alley seemed to freeze for a few seconds. Stiyl and Kanzaki exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with complex emotions: surprise, pain, and a kind of annoyance at being hit where it hurt.

"You!" Steele took a deep breath, trying to control his emotions, but his voice was already filled with barely suppressed agitation. "You know absolutely nothing! Do you think we want to see her like this? Do you think making her forget everything is an easy thing for us?!"

"If you didn't want to, why did you do it?!" Touma Kamijou stepped forward, his voice rising. "If you really are her 'comrades,' really her 'protectors,' how could you let her become like this?! What kind of protection is this?!"

"What do you know—!" Kanzaki Kaori finally snapped, her voice breaking for the first time, cold yet brimming with suppressed volcanic rage. "You think we didn't try other methods?! You think we survived these past three years?! Watching her suffer from splitting headaches due to memory overload, watching her brain slowly reach its limit, watching her on the verge of collapse... and you stand here condescendingly questioning why we 'didn't protect' her?!"

Her chest heaved violently, her fists clenched, each word seemingly squeezed out through clenched teeth: "85% of her brain capacity is occupied by 103,000 magical books! Only 15% is left for everyday memories! And she possesses 'perfect memory,' she can't forget anything! If it's not erased every year, the accumulated fragments of memory will burst her brain within a year! She will die! Do you understand?! Erasing her memories is the only way to keep her alive!"

The truth struck Touma Kamijou like a hammer blow to the chest. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Stiyl hadn't expected Kanzaki to finish so abruptly, so he could only pick up where he left off, his voice hoarse, filled with self-mockery and pain: "That's right, every year we personally steal a year's worth of her memories, stealing the time she spent with us... with everyone she knows. Then, so that when she loses her memory again, she won't be too heartbroken from losing 'important people'... we choose to play the enemy. We make her think we're the bad guys who covet the grimoire. That way, when she forgets us, she only loses 'enemies,' not 'friends.'"

Cruel tenderness. Twisted protection.

Touma Kamijou felt his blood run cold. He remembered Index's blank expression when she talked about the past, and the occasional longing for "friendship" she showed...

"So...you just keep pushing her into this cycle year after year?" Kamijou's voice was hoarse. "Isn't there any other way?!"

"If we had, we would have used it already!" Steele growled. "You think we didn't look?! Alternatives, healing magic... all failed! We're the ones who watched her dream again and again, only to wake up and forget everything! We're the ones living in hell!"

Kanzaki closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, only a cold resolve remained, but beneath that resolve lay an unfathomable weariness: "You merely stumbled into her 'this year' of life. You enjoyed your time with her, unaware that for her, this time was nothing more than a dream destined to be erased. In three days, she will forget you, just as she will forget us. Everything you're doing now, those 'happy memories' you've given her, will ultimately only become unnecessary pain she'll have to endure the next time her memories are erased."

The air in the alley was so heavy it was suffocating. Touma Kamijou stood there, feeling like he couldn't breathe.

"So," Stiyl's voice returned to its initial coldness, but that coldness now sounded so pale and powerless, "stay away from her, Touma Kamijou. Your existence is meaningless and will only increase her future suffering. Your presence around her is a risk in itself. For her sake, and for your own, don't go near her anymore."

Kanzaki gave him one last look, her gaze complex and unreadable. "Remember what we said."

"Three more days..."

After saying that, she and Stiyl turned around, their figures quickly disappearing into the dim light at the alley entrance. Touma Kamijou was left alone, standing in the quiet alley, completely overwhelmed by the cold truth and a profound sense of powerlessness.

Kamijou Touma leaned against the cold wall, slowly slid down to the ground, and buried his face in his knees.

Those words kept echoing in my mind.

"She will forget you in three days."

"Your existence is meaningless."

"Stay away from her."

After an unknown amount of time, a cool night breeze arrived. Touma Kamijou finally moved his numb body, leaning against the wall as he staggered to his feet.

He glanced out of the alley, where the lights were bright. But instead of heading that way, he turned and walked alone towards the student dormitories.

Back in the quiet student dormitory, he didn't turn on the light, but collapsed onto the bed. In the darkness, his eyes were open. His right hand unconsciously clenched, then limply relaxed.

Finally, extreme mental exhaustion overwhelmed him. Amidst his chaotic thoughts, he drifted into a restless sleep.

"What a misfortune..."