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

The afternoon sun at the end of July streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the family dining room, warming the table inside. The air conditioning kept the outdoor heat out, but the glass still felt warm to the touch.

At a four-person booth by the window, two brightly colored parfaits exuded an enticing coolness. Misaka Mikoto scooped a large chunk of strawberry ice cream with a long-handled spoon and put it in her mouth, squinting her eyes in satisfaction.

Across from her, Shirai Kuroko was much more elegant, savoring each layer of cream, crisps, and fruit in her cup with a small spoon, her posture as proper as if she were attending a tea party. Of course, that is, if you didn't notice her occasional glances at the girl opposite her…

"Onee-sama~ This shop's parfait truly lives up to its reputation." Shirai Kuroko put down her spoon, casually flipped open a magazine beside her, and turned to Mikoto. "By the way, Onee-sama, have you heard of this place?"

Mikoto tilted her head and glanced at the magazine page. It featured a gorgeous theater poster with a gold border outlining a classic stage design, and the title read, "Romantic Night: Opera Selections, Dedicated to Souls Searching for Love in the City."

"The Grand Theater in the Third School District is putting on a classic romantic opera next week." Shirai Kuroko's eyes lit up, her voice carrying a hint of suppressed anticipation. "It's supposedly an original French production, and the sets and costumes are exquisite. Kuroko thinks that if I could go see it with my sister..."

"Opera..." Mikoto chewed on the tip of her spoon, her expression clearly lacking enthusiasm. "It sounds so serious. You have to sit for hours without moving, right? That's such a hassle..."

Shirai Kuroko's shoulders slumped for a moment, but she quickly rallied: "Onee-sama, this is a rare opportunity for artistic enrichment! And sitting in a dark private box, shoulder to shoulder..."

"Stop!" Mikoto reflexively shrank back, her cheeks slightly flushed. "What on earth are you thinking?!"

"Kuroko didn't think about anything~" Shirai Kuroko calmly put away the magazine, her fingertips lightly tracing the rim of her glass. "So, what kind of place would you like to go to, Onee-sama?"

"Well..." Mikoto's gaze drifted out the window, then suddenly settled on the giant GG sign on the shopping street across the street. It depicted a round, green frog with innocent-looking big eyes, and below it read, "Summer Vacation Special Project! Gekota Kingdom Children's Interactive Exhibition - Seventh School District Convention Center."

Mikoto's spoon fell into the cup with a "clatter".

"Oh my~" Shirai Kuroko's eyes narrowed, immediately guessing what Misaka Mikoto was planning. She popped a parfait into her mouth, a look of complete understanding on her face. "Could it be that Onee-sama's goal is... the Seventh District's convention?"

"No...no way!" She sat bolt upright, pointing out the window, her voice rising an octave involuntarily. "Ha...what are you talking about...that's a frog...an amphibian...what girl would like that..."

Shirai Kuroko was silent for three seconds, her lips twitching slightly. "Onee-sama... if you need to show others that you don't like something... you should remove the ornament first~"

"Ah..." Mikoto was stunned after hearing this. She looked down at herself and saw that she didn't have any charms on her body. Just as she was about to argue with Shirai Kuroko, she noticed that there was a limited edition Gekota charm hanging on her backpack.

"Onee-sama..." Shirai Kuroko took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice calm, "Don't you think that two female students in Tokiwadai uniforms, mixed in with a group of seven or eight-year-old children, chasing after a life-sized toy frog, is a bit...

"Is there a problem?" Mikoto, seeing she couldn't hide it any longer, started to throw caution to the wind, puffing out her chest confidently, "Gekota is for all ages! And the limited edition badges sell out very quickly if you don't grab them on the first day! I missed the version with the heart-shaped Gekota last time, I absolutely can't miss it this time..."

Welcome!

The welcoming voices from the doorway interrupted Mikoto's endless chatter. A familiar figure strode into the restaurant, glanced around, and quickly found their seats.

"Misaka-senpai, Shirai-san."

Shiori Haru jogged over, fine beads of sweat on her forehead, a mask on her face, and her breathing slightly rapid. She was wearing Tokiwadai's summer uniform, holding a tablet computer, and exuded an air of hurriedness, as if she had just stepped away from work.

"Early Spring? What brings you here?" Mikoto moved aside to make room for her. "Didn't we agree to meet at three o'clock? There's still a quarter of an hour to go."

"I arrived early!" Shiori Uiharu sat down next to Mikoto, took a sip of water from the glass on the table, and then said, catching her breath, "Saten was supposed to come too, but she was called away to a special tutoring session."

"Special tutoring?" Shirai Kuroko raised an eyebrow. "Saten-kun's grades shouldn't warrant summer tutoring, right?"

"It's not just any ordinary tutoring..." Shiori Uiharu waved her hand, looking somewhat helpless. "It's a 'Skills Development Theory Enhancement Lecture' organized by the school. They say it's special guidance for some affected students in response to the recent Imagine Breaker incident. Saten said she had nothing to do this afternoon, so she signed up. She also specifically asked me to tell you two that she really wanted to come and eat parfait, but she'll definitely make up for it next time."

"The follow-up guidance for the Phantasm Master..." Mikoto nodded thoughtfully, "That's a serious matter, but without her, it feels like something's missing..."

"Saten-san herself is also very disappointed..." Uiharu Kazari opened her tablet and showed the two a photo. "She took this picture and sent it to me before she left, saying it was the class schedule posted at the entrance of the cram school."

The screen displays a slightly blurry photo taken with a mobile phone, showing the notice board in front of the classroom.

The waiter came over, and Chuchun ordered a mango parfait. Mikoto seized the opportunity to steer the conversation back on track: "By the way, Chuchun! There's a Gekota Kids Expo in the Seventh School District next week, do you want to come along?"

"Gekota...a children's expo?" Uiharu Kazari blinked, clearly not expecting the invitation. "But isn't that for kids?"

"It's okay, it's okay! It's really cute!" Mikoto clasped her hands together. "And there are limited edition items too!"

Shirai Kuroko sighed softly, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and muttered in a voice only she could hear, "Looks like there's no going back..."

As the three chatted, their parfaits and smoothies gradually dwindled. Mikoto swallowed the last bite of ice cream and leaned back in her chair, satisfied. The sunlight outside the window was beginning to slant, signaling the end of the hottest part of the afternoon.

"Well then...!" Mikoto stretched, "Shall we go shopping at the mall in the Seventh School District next? It just so happens that Haru-kun is here too..."

Shirai Kuroko finished the last bite of her parfait: "The shopping mall in the Seventh District... Onee-sama wants to go to..."

"N-I didn't go there specifically!" Mikoto blushed. "I was just passing by!"

Just as the three of them got up to pay the bill, Shiori Ueharu's phone suddenly rang with an urgent notification sound. She glanced down at it, and her expression instantly changed from relaxed to serious.

"Shirai-san, an urgent report from the security guards."

Shirai Kuroko put down her wallet, her brow furrowing slightly: "The contents?"

"In the western part of District 7, the investigation into the attack on the ability user has been completed, and a large-scale violent conflict is taking place near the abandoned warehouse area," Haruhi's fingers flew across the screen, her speech quickening accordingly. "Based on the surveillance footage, the initial assessment is that at least four different armed groups of abilityless individuals are engaged in a chaotic battle. Several people have already been injured, but we don't have enough regular disciplinary committee members, so we've requested assistance."

"It's those guys again..." Shirai Kuroko bit her lip, quickly pulled out the disciplinary committee member's armband from her pocket and pinned it to her left arm. "I'm coming over now. Hatsuharu, you provide support from the rear, monitor the situation on site, and report to me at any time."

"Understood!" Haru stood up and put the tablet back in her bag. Mikoto watched the two of them quickly get into work mode, the bill in her hand hanging in mid-air. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but then swallowed it back.

Shirai Kuroko noticed her hesitation, turned around, and softened her voice: "Onee-sama, I'm sorry. It seems our schedule for this afternoon has to end here. You should go back to the dorm first, and I'll wait for Kuroko to finish her work..."

"I'll go with you." Mikoto slammed a few banknotes on the table in front of the cashier, turned around, and said in a tone that left no room for refusal.

Shirai Kuroko hesitated for a moment: "But, Onee-sama, this is the job of the Disciplinary Committee members and security guards... You're just an ordinary citizen..."

"I know," Mikoto interrupted her, a glint in her chestnut eyes, "but I'm just killing time anyway, and those brawls between armed groups might require a bit of superpower-level intimidation, right?"

Shirai Kuroko opened her mouth, then sighed. This time, she didn't refuse. "Then, I'll leave it to you, Onee-sama."

The white teaching building is very low-rise, and the rising heat under the sunlight makes the distant horizon look like it has been soaked in water, swaying and distorting.

Misaka Mikoto and Shirai Kuroko crossed the main road of the 7th school district and turned into a narrow alley leading to the west district. The air began to fill with a smell mixed with dust, sweat, and some cheap spices.

The closer you get to the abandoned warehouse area, the more dilapidated the scene becomes on both sides of the street. The graffiti on the walls changes from simple patterns to intricate designs. Broken windows are hastily boarded up, and occasionally you can see a few flashy young men peeking into the alleyway, quickly retreating as soon as someone approaches.

After turning the last corner, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

It was an open space surrounded by abandoned factory buildings, roughly the size of two or three football fields. Scattered on the ground were steel bars, gravel, and oil drums that had overturned somewhere. The sunlight shone directly on this open space, making every speck of dust clearly visible.

At that moment, a chaotic melee was unfolding in that open space. At least forty or fifty people were entangled together, divided into several distinct groups.

The most conspicuous group was the one with spider tattoos on their left arms. They numbered the most, about fifty in total, and were wielding iron pipes, wooden knives, and baseball bats wrapped with chains. They were engaged in fierce combat with two other groups.

The other side wore matching black vests and seemed more organized. Their members were dressed in a mix of streetwear and their weapons were more varied, ranging from broken bottles to bicycle chains.

At the edge of the open space, a group of even younger-looking teenagers were harassing the area from a distance using slingshots and stones.

"Damn you giant spiders! Give me back my territory!"

"Don't think you can do whatever you want in District 7!"

"Go back home, you spineless coward!"

The dust on the ground was kicked up by the violent movements, forming a pale gray mist. Every now and then, someone would scream and fall, only to be immediately replaced by someone else. The crisp sound of metal clashing, the dull thud of flesh hitting the ground, angry curses, and painful groans mingled together, the jarring sound making Uiharu Shiori on the other end of the earphones involuntarily shrink back.

"How did it get to this point..." Chu Chun lowered her voice, "This scale is no longer an ordinary street brawl."

Shirai Kuroko narrowed her eyes, quickly scanning the entire battlefield. Her gaze finally locked onto a figure in the center of the battlefield.

He was a tall man with an exaggerated pompadour hairstyle, wearing a faded black leather jacket that revealed his muscular upper body. He also had a spider tattoo on his left arm, but unlike the other thugs around him, he stood tall, like a commander.

Shirai Kuroko's pupils contracted slightly.

"Black Wife Mianliu?"

"What did you say?" Mikoto followed her gaze. "That guy with the pompadour? You know him?"

"I wouldn't say I know him..." Shirai Kuroko replied in a low voice, "but I've seen his file. He's the leader of the Giant Spider, and he single-handedly expanded the organization three years ago..."

"That's really..." Mikoto was interrupted halfway through her sentence by a sudden sound of breaking glass.

Hei Qimianliu grabbed an opponent charging at him by the collar, lifted him up with one hand, and tossed him into a nearby shipping container like a rag doll. The metal dented with a loud thud, and the unfortunate man collapsed, unable to get up again.

"What incredible strength..."

"That person has a long history of fighting offenses..." Shirai Kuroko took a deep breath and pulled three steel needles from under her skirt. "We can't let them keep fighting like this. The security guards' armored vehicle shouldn't be here for another ten minutes. Before then..."

Before she could finish speaking, a new commotion suddenly erupted at the edge of the battlefield.

Several men rushed out of the house, armed with pistols and various clubs. Several people who were fighting at the edge were thrown into the air and slammed into the rubble. Immediately afterwards, a screeching sound of metal scraping echoed across the open space.

Misaka Mikoto abruptly turned her head towards the source of the sound and saw that the men were carrying handguns, a weapon explicitly prohibited by law. Realizing this could result in death, she didn't have time to think. With a lightning-fast movement, she pulled down the awnings above the men with guns, knocking unconscious those below who were about to fire.

The sudden turn of events silenced the battlefield for a moment. All eyes turned to the two girls standing at the edge of the open space.

Shirai Kuroko raised her armband, her voice clear and forceful: "I am a member of the Disciplinary Committee! Immediately cease all acts of violence! Otherwise, you will be arrested under the Ordinance on Obstruction of Public Order and Unlawful Use of Power!"

After a brief silence, a rough laugh rang out from the crowd. "Disciplinary Committee members? Hahaha! Just two little girls?"

Kurozuma Watari pushed aside the person in front of him and strode forward. His gaze swept over Shirai Kuroko and Misaka Mikoto, his eyes filled with a mixture of disdain and wariness: "I know you. You were the two who came to cause trouble at the warehouse last time, weren't you?"

"To be precise, we're here to stop you from continuing your illegal activities," Shirai Kuroko said calmly. "Your brawl has already resulted in at least ten injuries, and nearby residents have begun calling the police and filing complaints. I suggest you stop immediately and wait for the security personnel to handle the situation."

"Security guards?" Black Wife Mianliu scoffed. "So what if those guys who only know how to pick up scraps in armored vehicles come? This is a territorial issue between Great Spider and Snake Valley, and it's none of the outsiders' business!"

"You scumbags from the giant spider, the incident where you attacked our warehouse and injured our brothers must be settled today!"

"You want to settle things? I'll settle things for you right now!"

Kurozumi Mianliu suddenly bent down, grabbed a two-meter-long, arm-thick iron pipe from the ground, and charged towards the opponent as if she were being suspended by wires.

The situation spiraled out of control again.

The iron pipes and steel bars collided with a piercing sound, sparks flying everywhere. The remaining thugs were thrown into another melee, screams, roars, and the sounds of impact mingling together.

Shirai Kuroko gritted her teeth: "Onee-sama, I have to go in. At this scale, simply shouting isn't enough to control it."

"I'll go with you..." Electric sparks began to crackle in Mikoto's bangs. Shirai Kuroko took a deep breath, her right hand reaching under her skirt, three steel needles landing in her palm.

She glanced at Misaka Mikoto, who was also looking at her. Their eyes met, and without a word, they reached a tacit understanding. Blue and white lightning and ripples of spatial movement appeared almost simultaneously.

Misaka Mikoto's figure transformed into a bolt of lightning, rushing directly into the center of the battle between Kurozuma Watari and the bald-headed Devil Fruit user. Meanwhile, Shirai Kuroko's figure flashed continuously in mid-air, each appearance precisely landing on vital points within the chaotic crowd. Knees, elbows, back of the neck—using skillful joint locks, she took down the crazed thugs one by one.

The afternoon sun was still blazing, but the temperature above this abandoned vacant lot on the west side of the Seventh School District was probably even hotter than the sun itself.