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

Time seemed to stretch out infinitely in that instant.

The white ribbons, as if alive, precisely wrapped around the deadly threads. The metal threads trembled violently within the ribbons' confinement, yet could not advance even an inch further.

Kanzaki Kaori's pupils contracted slightly; she had never seen such a defense before. It wasn't a barrier, nor magic, but rather something more like... an almost instinctive interference with the "rules." Her fighting instincts drove her to draw her sword, the long blade in her hand becoming a blur.

Just as the white ribbon blocked the first thread, more "cracks" silently appeared in the air. Two, four, seven... steel wires, almost invisible to the naked eye, flashed simultaneously from all angles, weaving into an impenetrable net, their target still Indick's completely unsuspecting back.

The gray-haired girl's gray eyes suddenly narrowed.

She "saw" it.

It wasn't with her eyes, but with a more fundamental perception. Every trajectory, speed, and the "cutting" intent contained within those threads was clearly reflected in her consciousness.

Driven by her will, the white ribbons swung and extended, like blooming pure white flowers, trying to block out all the threads.

But one was missing.

A thinnest, most concealed steel wire, shooting out from the blind spot of Index's shadow, bypassed all the ribbons and silently pierced her back.

Swish-!

The sound of the fabric tearing was so faint it was almost inaudible.

Index froze, her emerald eyes widening in confusion. She didn't even feel pain, only a chill down her back, followed by a warm liquid that quickly soaked through the monastic robes that were barely held in place by safety pins.

"Huh...?"

She looked down and saw a bright red stain seeping from her chest. Then, strength rapidly drained from her limbs. Her vision began to blur and darken. She staggered and fell forward.

"Index?"

For the first time, the gray-haired girl's voice showed a change in tone.

She watched her friend fall, watched the dark red pool rapidly expanding in the sunset, and watched Index's green eyes gradually lose focus.

-"friend."

"We're friends now!"

"My name is Index! What's your name?"

"Can we be friends?"

"Great! We're friends now!"

The sound echoed in her mind. The warm touch. The shadows of walking side by side in the sunlight. Those brief, yet incredibly real moments, now shattered like glass, each shard piercing sharply into her blank consciousness.

Then, something deeper "exploded".

It is not memory, not knowledge, but a more primitive and fundamental form of "cognition".

Life is precious, and no one has the right to take it away. But someone is taking it away, taking away her friends, taking away the only "connection" she had just gained.

For the first time, a certain color ignited deep within his grey eyes. Not anger, not sadness, but something colder, more absolute—

negative.

Deny this status quo. Deny this harm. Deny the act of "taking" itself.

The air began to vibrate.

It wasn't the fluctuations caused by magic, nor the AIM diffusion field generated by superpowers, but rather the more fundamental "world" that was trembling.

A hazy aura emanated from the gray-haired girl. The light was initially very faint, like a thin mist, but it quickly became thick and dazzling, as if some sealed power within her was awakening.

In the light, her figure began to change.

Her long, gray-white hair moved without wind, the ends tinged with a dreamlike snow-white. Her once empty gray eyes now held a swirling, star-like brilliance. Her ill-fitting casual clothes seemed to be reconstructed in the light.

Pure white threads of light emerged from the void, coiling, weaving, and constructing.

First, there's the skirt, layers upon layers of pure white tulle like blooming lilies, edged with flowing patterns of light. Then comes the bodice, an exquisitely fitted waist, intricate lace and ribbons, like the most magnificent wedding gown. A semi-transparent shawl of light extends from the shoulders, and the head is adorned with a crown and veil formed from solidified light.

——Divine Might Spirit Armor - Zero.

The moment the spirit dress was fully revealed, the space centered on her, encompassing both Kanzaki Kaori and Stiyl, underwent a "change".

Gravity vanished. Sound vanished. Even light became slow and viscous. It was as if this small area had been severed from the real world, becoming her own "domain."

Darkness enveloped the entire space, and the ground transformed into a black and white checkerboard. Behind the girl in her magnificent attire, a colossal gray-white tree emerged.

Kanzaki Kaori's breath hitched.

As a saint, her perception of "abnormalities" far surpasses that of ordinary people. At this moment, what she senses is not magic or superpowers, but some higher, more fundamental "power" descending upon her.

The girl in pure white spirit attire slowly raised her head, her seven-colored eyes locking onto Kanzaki Kaori. There was no killing intent, no anger, only absolute, cold "laws".

She didn't even raise her hand or say a word.

I only glanced at it.

The "Seven Days, Seven Swords" in Kanzaki Kaori's hand suddenly became incredibly heavy, as if the scabbard itself was refusing to be drawn. The saintly aura surrounding her, used to strengthen her physical body, was smoothed out by an invisible hand and instantly dissipated.

Stiyl Magnus had barely emerged from the shadows when the runic paper in his hand turned to ashes before it could even be lit. A sweet taste rose in his throat, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and he collapsed to his knees, unable to control himself.

This wasn't an attack; the automatic counterattack spells deployed on my body didn't react. This was suppression at the level of "existence."

Just as humans don't care about the ants under their feet, just as the sky doesn't care about the birds in flight, the very fact that the girl "exists" here constitutes an absolute domain.

She didn't even do anything intentionally. She simply "existed." And her "existence" itself meant that she redefined all the "rules" of this space.

Kanzaki gritted her teeth, the power of a saint surging wildly within her, attempting to resist this invisible oppression. But the more her power erupted, the heavier the suppression she felt became. It was as if she was not fighting against an individual, but against a part of the will of the "world" itself.

"What...are you?" Kanzaki squeezed out the words through clenched teeth, each word carrying immense weight.

The girl did not answer.

She didn't even look at them again. Her gaze fell on Index, a very faint, almost confused, flicker in her seven-colored eyes. Then, she finally spoke.

The voice was calm and ethereal, yet carried an undeniable absoluteness.

"leave……"

The moment the words fell, Kanzaki and Stiyl felt a sudden lightness in their bodies.

It wasn't that the oppression had disappeared, but rather that some more fundamental "repulsive force" was acting upon them. It was as if this space, this air, this earth were all rejecting their "existence."

Their bodies flew backward uncontrollably, as if struck by an invisible force, instantly propelling them hundreds of meters away before crashing heavily onto a distant street corner.

No injuries.

Kanzaki struggled to her feet and looked at the pure white figure in the distance.

The girl had already turned away from them and knelt down beside Index. She didn't even check if they had left, because she didn't care at all.

Kanzaki clenched her fist, then slowly relaxed it.

"Let's go..." she whispered to Steele, her voice hoarse.

There was no point in staying any longer. No, it was impossible for them to stay. That being... was simply beyond their capabilities.

The two quickly disappeared at the end of the street without even looking back.

The domain slowly dissipated.

The [Spirit Gear] transformed into countless specks of light and gradually faded away.

The gray-haired girl returned to her normal appearance, kneeling beside Index. Her breathing was steady, her clothes were not disheveled, as if nothing had happened.

She looked at Index, at the still-bleeding wound, and felt helpless. She reached out her hand, then pulled it back; she reached out again, then pulled it back again.

Finally, she could only gently hold Index's cold hand and whisper, repeating, "Index... Index..."

The sound of hurried footsteps approached from afar.

A dozen seconds later, Touma Kamijou finally escaped from Komoe-sensei's "punishment of love" and rushed over anxiously.

As he turned the corner, he saw Index lying in a pool of blood, and a gray-haired girl kneeling beside her with a blank look in her eyes.