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

After the afternoon classes began, students ran towards the playground in twos and threes, and the sounds of playing and laughing in the corridors gradually faded away. Aisui Yomikawa's whistle still echoed across the playground as students ran on the track.

Mio Takamiya stood by the window of the empty classroom, her gray eyes gazing outside. Sunlight shone on her, casting her shadow in a small ball. Her long, gray-white hair swayed gently in the breeze from the air conditioner, the strands appearing even cleaner in the sunlight.

She was the only one in the classroom. Teacher Xiaomeng had gone to the office to get some materials, saying she'd be right back. On the table sat a cup of cold barley tea, poured for her by Teacher Xiaomeng before she left.

The door opened, and Ms. Xiaomeng walked in carrying a brown paper file folder. The folder was heavier than she had expected. She stood on tiptoe and placed it on the podium, then let out a long sigh of relief. She was barely tall enough to reach the edge of the podium, making the act of placing the folder look particularly strenuous.

"Sorry to keep you waiting..." Teacher Xiaomeng dusted off her hands, walked over to Takamiya Mio, and poured herself a cup of barley tea. "You all worked hard in class today. Everyone listened very attentively."

"Hmm..." Mio Takamiya nodded, turning her gaze away from the window.

Ms. Xiaomeng took a sip of barley tea, then looked up at Takamiya Mio. Because of the height difference, she had to tilt her head back quite high to see the other person's face. She was used to this posture, but it still felt a little tiring every time she did it.

"Oh, right, I've been wanting to ask you something." Teacher Xiaomeng tilted her head, her short pink hair swaying gently with the movement. "When you introduced yourself today, you said 'Takamiya Mio.' Didn't you not have a name before?"

Mio Takamiya remained silent for a moment.

"It's Touma," she said softly, "He said we can't keep calling him by his nickname."

Teacher Xiaomeng paused while drinking her barley tea, her eyes widened slightly, and then curved into two crescent moons.

"Kamijou..." She held the barley tea in her hands, the warmth of the cup seeping through the ceramic to her fingertips. "Did he give you that name?"

"He didn't name it," Mio Takamiya shook her head, paused for a moment as if considering how to express herself, "Someone else told me. Touma said that since I have a name, I should use it."

Teacher Xiaomeng didn't press her to find out who the "other person" she was referring to was; she simply nodded gently, her smile becoming even softer.

"I see. That kid, Kamijou, is always surprisingly serious in places like this. Even though he's an idiot who can't even finish his homework, he always manages to notice things that others don't."

Mio Takamiya looked at her without saying a word.

Ms. Komoe, holding a teacup, walked to the window and stood side by side with Mio Takamiya. Sunlight cast their shadows together on the classroom floor.

"However," Ms. Komoe suddenly spoke up, a hint of teasing in her tone, "I think it's not just a matter of 'using his name.' After all, that's Kamijou. Maybe he just feels it's too formal to call me by my nickname. After all, your relationship..."

She turned her head and gave Mio Takamiya a meaningful look with her small eyes that had seen through countless students. There was no scrutiny or questioning in her gaze, only a gentle teasing that said, "The teacher knows everything."

Mio Takamiya tilted her head, a faint hint of confusion appearing in her gray eyes. She didn't understand the hidden meaning in Komoe-sensei's words, but she could sense that there was no malice in that gaze.

"What do you mean?"

Teacher Xiaomeng laughed, her sweet voice sounding very gentle. "It's okay, it's okay, it's okay if you don't understand."

She turned around, picked up her teacup, and took a sip. "Anyway, your teacher will always be watching you. No matter what happens, no matter where you go, your teacher will be watching."

Mio Takamiya lowered her head, looking at the seat next to her by the window, still not understanding why Ms. Komoe had said that. It was just that Touma Kamijou had helped her choose a name.

Just then, a loud whistle came from outside the window.

Mio Takamiya looked up and gazed out the window at the sports field. Aiho Yomikawa was standing by the track, arms crossed, calling out to the sparse students on the track. The students were panting heavily, their steps heavy, and several were already clutching their stomachs and bent over.

"Thirteenth lap! Five laps left! Keep it up, guys and girls!" Aiho Yomikawa's voice could be heard clearly even through a pane of glass.

Mio Takamiya frowned. That morning, she had said on the podium that these people had only been discharged from the hospital for less than a week, and their muscle strength was only 70% of what it used to be; excessive exercise could lead to secondary injuries. Aiho Yomikawa's training plan was clearly beyond the safe limits. She turned and walked towards the classroom door.

"I'll go take a look..."

Teacher Xiaomeng quickly put down her teacup and jogged after her. "Ah, wait! The teacher is going too!"

On the playground, waves of heat rose from the ground, distorting the outlines of distant buildings. On the track, a dozen students were struggling to move forward. Saten Ruiko was running in the middle of the group, her forehead covered in sweat, the collar of her sailor uniform soaked through.

"Faster! Faster!" Aiho Huangquan blew her whistle, her voice booming, "At this speed, even elementary school students can't outrun you!"

Saten Ruiko gasped for breath, her lungs burning as if they'd been sanded. Her knees trembled slightly, a clear symptom of the "decreased muscle strength" that Takamiya Mio had mentioned that morning. She glanced at Akemi, who was running ahead, staggering and seemingly on the verge of collapse. Mako and Mutsuki lagged behind, supporting each other, each step feeling like a daunting task.

"Two laps to go!"

Just as Yomi Kawa Aiho was about to blow the whistle, a hand gently rested on her shoulder.

She turned around and saw Mio Takamiya standing behind her. Her long, gray hair swayed slightly in the hot wind, and her gray eyes looked at her calmly. Ms. Komoe peeked out from behind Mio Takamiya, holding a cup of barley tea.

"Teacher Huang Quanchuan," Mio Takamiya said, her voice not loud, but particularly clear in the sweltering air, "You've been exercising too much."

Yomi Kawa Aiho looked at the students on the track, then at the two people in front of her, one tall and one short.

"Their physical condition is different from that of ordinary students." Mio Takamiya's gaze swept over the students who were slumped over on the track. "Being bedridden has led to decreased muscle strength and reduced balance. Excessive exercise can cause injuries."

Aiho Huangquanchuan was silent for a few seconds. She had, of course, listened to the morning's lessons, but she had her own reasons.

"These kids finally managed to get out of bed. If they don't get back into shape now, they'll fall even further behind when school starts." Aiho Yomikawa turned to Mio Takamiya, trying to persuade her, "I know what you're saying, but exercise rehabilitation requires a certain intensity. Too mild a method won't be effective."

"Moderate and gentle exercise can also strengthen the body and protect it."

Seeing Mio Takamiya's serious expression, Aiho Yomikawa scratched her head and turned to Komoe Tsukuyomi, hoping to get some support from her. Komoe pretended to whistle, but no sound came out.

"Alright, alright, reduced the number of laps." Aiho Yomikawa took the whistle off her neck and blew a long whistle towards the track. "Attention everyone! The remaining laps are canceled! Free time instead!"

A burst of exhausted cheers erupted from the track. Saten Ruiko immediately squatted down, hands on her knees, panting heavily. Akemi collapsed onto the grass beside her, sprawling out in a starfish shape. Mako and Mutsu hugged each other, almost bursting into tears of joy.

Aisui Yomikawa turned around, looked at the two people in front of her, one tall and one short, and couldn't help but shake her head. "Sigh, you two are really..."

The sky suddenly darkened. The setting sun was still hanging low in the west, but the clouds overhead seemed to have been suddenly covered with a layer of gray cloth. The light on the playground abruptly diminished, the red of the rubber track turned a deep shade, and the elongated shadows of the students disappeared onto the gray ground.

Mio Takamiya looked up, her gray eyes reflecting the churning dark clouds in the sky. The clouds were so low they almost touched the lightning rod on the roof of the school building. The air was filled with the damp smell of earth, and the faint, scorching sensation unique to ionized ozone.

A drop of water fell on her forehead.

Then came the second drop, and the third. The sound of raindrops hitting the track gradually increased in intensity, and in an instant, a misty rain curtain poured down, enveloping the entire playground in a fog.

It's raining!

"Run! Run!"

"My clothes!"

The students screamed and scattered, some grabbing their backpacks to shield their heads, others taking off their gym uniform jackets and draping them over their shoulders. Aisui Yomi's whistle pierced the rain: "Everyone! Back to the classroom to take shelter! Don't run too fast, watch your step!"

Mio Takamiya stood still. Rainwater slid down her hair, soaking her long, gray-white locks, and her white T-shirt quickly became drenched, clinging to her body. She watched the students running in the rain, her gaze as calm as a still pond.

"Chonggong! Come here quickly!" Teacher Xiaomeng waved to her from under the eaves of the teaching building not far away, her small figure almost submerged in the rain.

Mio Takamiya then began to walk over at a leisurely pace. Her steps remained steady, unaffected by the slippery ground.

The eaves of the classroom were crowded with students. Some were wringing out the water from their clothes, some were drying their hair with handkerchiefs, and some were complaining about the inaccurate weather forecast. The sweltering air was filled with the smell of rain and the heat emanating from the boys and girls.

Ruiko Saten leaned against the wall, wiping the rain from her face with her sleeve. Water dripped continuously from the hem of her sailor uniform, forming a small puddle on the ground. Akemi, Mako, and Mutsu huddled together beside her, the four of them looking like four drowned rats trying to keep warm.

"This rain is too heavy..." Akemi's lips trembled as she hugged herself tightly. She looked at the curtains beside her, grabbed them, and wrapped them around herself.

"That's how summer is, with thunderstorms." Mako took off her glasses and slowly wiped the lenses with the cloth inside the glasses case.

"I just want to get home and change my clothes quickly..." Xiao Mu muttered softly, snuggling up to Ming Mei and wrapping herself in her clothes as well.

The classroom windows pounded loudly with raindrops, and water cascaded down the eaves, forming a shimmering curtain of water. Aisui Yomikawa stood at the front, hands on her hips, watching the sudden downpour and sighing. "Today's training has to end here. Everyone, remember to change your clothes and don't catch a cold!"

"Okay..." the students responded sparsely. Huang Quanchuan nodded in satisfaction and walked out of the classroom. Just then, a voice came from the edge of the crowd, neither too loud nor too soft, just enough to penetrate the sound of the rain and reach everyone's ears.

"Hmph, what training? It's just punishment!"

Saten Ruiko turned her head. The one who spoke was the girl with short chestnut-colored hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a black and white sailor uniform, her arms crossed. Her chin was slightly raised, and a half-smile played on her lips. The boy in the hat and the boy with ochre hair from that morning stood behind her, their expressions a mixture of watching a commotion and waiting for something.

"Boss." The boy in the hat spoke in a low voice, only to be glared at by her.

The air was still for a moment, the rain continued, the rumble of the tin roof continued, but in this small space under the eaves, all other sounds disappeared.

"Isn't that right? Fainting and then extra classes," the girl with the ponytail tilted her head, her smile deepening. "Gathering all of us who used 'Imagine Manipulation' together, locking us in this lousy school, making us run like crazy—isn't that punishment?"

"Seriously...where did we go wrong? If it were so easy to improve our abilities, we'd use any method, right?"

As she spoke, her gaze swept across the crowd, as if searching for something. But everyone she saw avoided her eyes, not daring to respond directly; only a few people echoed her in hushed tones.

"Cheating is not allowed." Saten Ruiko turned around, her voice more steady than she had expected. She didn't know where her courage came from, but she knew in her heart how serious the consequences would be if she cheated.

Akemi, standing behind her, tugged at Saten Ruiko's hand, but Saten Ruiko remained unmoved. She would never again act impulsively, causing herself to faint, her classmate to faint, and her friends to worry.

"It's only right that we were punished because we cheated..." Saten Ruiko turned around and looked at the girl with the ponytail.

The eaves had been quiet for a long time, then rain poured down from the edges of the roof, splashing onto the ground in tiny droplets. A silent flash of lightning streaked across the distant sky, illuminating the dark clouds for a fleeting moment.

Then, the girl with the ponytail smiled, a smile different from before. She tilted her head back and let out a soft chuckle, mingling with her breath. She jumped off the table and slung her backpack over her shoulder.

"You're quite serious about this..."

She turned and walked towards the veranda. The rain was still falling, and it seemed to be getting heavier than before. The boy in the hat hurriedly pulled a folding umbrella out of his bag and chased after her, shouting, "Boss! Umbrella! Umbrella!" The boy with ochre hair also followed, glancing back at Saten Ruiko as he ran, his expression subtle.

The silence under the eaves lasted for a few more seconds before being broken by a rustling sound as the students began to whisper among themselves.

"Who is that person?"

"I was so scared just now, Saten-kun actually dared to talk back..."

Akemi grabbed Saten Ruiko's arm and shook it hard twice. "Ruiko! You're amazing! I was almost scared to death by her aura just now!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Mako chimed in, her glasses askew on her nose, not even bothering to adjust them. "That boss lady looked like someone you didn't want to mess with, and you actually talked to her so much!"

"And what did she mean at the end?"

Saten Ruiko was a little dizzy from being shaken around, and before she could respond, Komoe-sensei knocked on the door and then came in.

By the time everyone had changed their clothes, the rain had subsided considerably. Teacher Xiaomeng stood on the podium. Instead of hanging up her lecture notes in front of the blackboard as usual, she simply folded her hands in front of her and scanned the entire class with her clear eyes.

"Before the end of today's lesson, the teacher would like to say a few words to everyone."

Her voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the classroom could hear her clearly. Perhaps it was because her tone was different from usual, or perhaps the incident in the heavy rain had left everyone still somewhat unsettled, but the classroom was unusually quiet.

"Some students say that this tutoring is a form of punishment." Teacher Xiaomeng paused, "Today, I want to tell you that this is not punishment. It's true that using any means necessary to improve one's abilities, such as employing 'Imagine Manipulator,' is not something to be praised..."

Saten Ruiko raised her head.

"But this is training..." Teacher Xiaomeng repeated, her voice gentler than before, "If we're talking about punishment, everyone has experienced being unconscious in a hospital bed because of using 'Imagine Mage,' and has already paid the price personally."

She drew a little figure on the blackboard and then drew several radiating lines around it. "The same principle applies to skills development, so don't you think you should make good use of this experience?"

Her voice was soft, yet it made everyone in the classroom widen their eyes.

"When you used the Imagine Breaker, you all experienced abilities stronger than usual, right? You learned what your abilities looked like, what it felt like to activate them, and that those 'advanced abilities' that you originally thought had nothing to do with you were actually completely within your body's capabilities. Do you remember that feeling?"

No one answered, but everyone in the classroom was lost in thought. They certainly remembered; how could they forget? That was the first time they had touched upon the concept of "possibility."

"That's right," Teacher Xiaomeng laughed. "Now that your bodies have memorized that feeling, all you need to do is rely on your own strength to get there. The Imaginer gave you a direction, which isn't a bad thing in itself. The bad thing is taking a shortcut you shouldn't have taken. But now, you don't need shortcuts anymore. You already know where that direction is."

She picked up the chalk and wrote ten words next to the little figure on the blackboard—"Personal Truth"—and then drew a circle around it.

"Everyone has their own personal reality, and everyone has the potential to become an esper. What matters is not your current level, but whether you can persevere to the end. I believe that each of you can do it, not because you used Imagine Breaker, but because you were born capable."

Saten Ruiko stared at the writing on the blackboard, recalling her past self, and closed her eyes. "My...only my own...reality..."

The rain outside the window had stopped sometime ago, the dark clouds were dispersing, and a ray of sunlight peeked through the gaps in the clouds, falling on the rain-washed playground and casting large patches of bright gold.

Perhaps this special tutoring is truly a new beginning.