"Who was that?!"
"What does he want?!"
"Why did he come to our world?!"
The Magic Gods erupted into frantic discussion.
Each of them stared in terror at the place where Izumi had vanished.
After countless years as Magic Gods—
This was the first time they had ever felt such a fatal sense of crisis.
And yet…
No one could answer those questions.
Because Izumi had already disappeared completely.
He had entered their world.
Even if they wanted to stop him—
They simply couldn't.
All they could do was watch as that unknown existence roamed freely within their world.
It was humiliating.
But there was nothing they could do.
After entering the world of Toaru Majutsu no Index, Izumi naturally appeared within Academy City.
The moment he did—
Inside the windowless building—
Aiwass and Aleister Crowley immediately noticed his presence.
Aiwass spoke with mild surprise.
"To think he would come here…"
"Aleister, will you meet him?"
Aleister fell silent for a brief moment before answering.
"…Yes."
"We need to determine his purpose."
"If our interests align… cooperation is an option."
Izumi's strength was simply too overwhelming.
Even the Magic Gods feared him.
Even if all of them joined forces—
They wouldn't stand a chance.
Someone like that could only be befriended.
As for using him?
That thought never even crossed Aleister's mind.
Because—
He wasn't qualified.
And then—
A voice suddenly echoed through the room.
"Cooperation? You don't seem qualified for that."
As those words fell—
Izumi appeared inside the windowless building.
Both Aiwass and Aleister were visibly surprised.
They hadn't expected him to come directly to them.
"First time meeting you. Let me introduce myself."
"I'm Izumi. I come from another world."
Izumi spoke politely, as if greeting acquaintances.
Aleister responded with equal courtesy.
"Aleister Crowley. A pleasure."
"May I ask… what brings you to this world?"
Aiwass remained silent, floating quietly behind him.
It simply observed.
Watching.
Waiting to see what Izumi's true intentions were.
Izumi smiled faintly.
He had no intention of exposing Aleister's cautious probing.
"Why I'm here?"
"It was an accident."
"I was just passing through."
"Nothing more."
Aleister, of course, didn't believe a word of it.
But he didn't press further.
If Izumi didn't want to say—
There was nothing he could do.
Fighting was out of the question.
Even the Magic Gods had been crushed.
And from what he had observed—
Izumi hadn't even used his full power.
Yet that alone was enough to overwhelm them.
And that terrifying ability—
The one that reduced others' power.
Izumi was already overwhelmingly strong.
If he weakened his opponents on top of that…
There was no way to win.
So—
The only option was to treat him carefully.
Because if this man got displeased…
The consequences would be catastrophic.
Izumi didn't bother with further small talk.
"I'll be staying here for a while."
"Prepare a place for me."
"Oh—and a research facility too."
"I'm quite interested in your world's esper development."
Aleister's eyes flickered with surprise.
He figured it out that quickly?
After a brief moment of thought, he replied:
"…Understood. I'll have the residence prepared immediately."
"As for the research facility…"
"If you have one in mind, feel free to name it."
It was a test.
How much did this man know?
Had he already grasped the structure of this world?
…Or perhaps—
Had he accessed the Akashic Records?
The origin of the universe.
The record of all existence.
A domain beyond the reach of ordinary beings.
Yet Izumi…
Seemed to have already seen it.
Otherwise, how could he act with such certainty?
Unaware of Aleister's inner thoughts, Izumi considered briefly before answering:
"In that case… give me Talent Development Institute."
"Just send me the address."
"I'll take it over tomorrow."
"And don't touch the people inside."
Aleister's surprise deepened.
So he even knew that place.
After processing the information, he nodded.
"…Understood."
"Once you take control of it, I will make an official announcement."
"Is there anything else you require?"
Seeing how compliant Aleister had become, Izumi's lips curved slightly.
It seemed he had imagined quite a few things on his own.
But Izumi didn't dwell on it.
Now that he had what he wanted—
There was nothing more to ask.
"That's all."
Aleister quickly arranged everything.
Before long, documents and keys were delivered.
"This contains the address to your residence, along with the keys and ownership documents."
"There is also an unlimited bank card and identification."
"Starting today, I will announce that you are the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Academy City."
"If you require anything… please contact me at any time."
To outsiders—
It might look like Aleister was nothing more than a sycophant.
But in truth—
There was likely no one else in the world who could make him act this way.
Izumi glanced at the documents and nodded.
"Don't worry. If I need something, I'll let you know."
"Even though I'll be staying here, I won't interfere with your plans."
"In fact—if Academy City faces a crisis, I might even help."
"…Of course, that depends on whether you keep me satisfied."
The moment he finished speaking—
Izumi vanished.
Once again—
Silence returned to the windowless building.