"You're lying! This child is clearly a silver-haired, green-eyed foreigner!"
"She's a distant relative of a distant relative, so it makes perfect sense that I'm looking after her," Yuuya said in a deadpan tone, holding up one finger to emphasize his point.
"Takahashi-chan, you have been in Academy City since you were little. Sensei had no idea you had any distant relatives abroad," Komoe-sensei said suspiciously, crossing her tiny arms.
'This...' A bead of cold sweat appeared on Yuuya's forehead. It was truly a shame that he actually had absolutely no relatives in this world to use as an airtight alibi.
"Alright, Takahashi-chan. Although Sensei doesn't know why you're lying, Sensei believes you're a good child. If you're in any trouble, tell your teacher, and Sensei will do everything she can to help you." Komoe-sensei's tone suddenly turned gentle but serious.
'Ever since Takahashi-chan became a Level 5, he's been getting into fights with other Level 5s. But as a high-level Esper, he needs to hold himself to a higher standard,' Komoe-sensei thought worriedly.
"Understood, Sensei," Yuuya said with a reassuring smile.
Next, Yuuya gave Index a quick tour of the safe places she could go around the school grounds. He suggested she could play by herself in the gardens, or chat with the female students taking P.E. classes outdoors if she got bored.
Index naturally possessed a disposition that easily won the favor of others. Wherever she went and whomever she interacted with, people were drawn to her innocent nature, ensuring she would never feel lonely or unwelcome.
Upon arriving at his classroom, it was as noisy as ever. Kamijou Touma had actually arrived at school and wasn't late for once today. However, he looked like he hadn't slept a wink, resembling a zombie who had pulled a desperate all-nighter.
"What's wrong, Kamijou? You look like you've been entirely drained dry," Yuuya said with a wicked grin.
"Takahashi-kun, you bastard... Kamijou-san didn't sleep a wink last night, didn't do his homework, lost his wallet, and even his phone—which he'd only had repaired a few days ago—is now completely ruined..."
Kamijou looked utterly dejected, the massive dark circles under his eyes resembling those of a panda.
"What exactly happened?" Yuuya asked curiously, seeing Kamijou looking like he was actually about to drop dead for the first time.
Kamijou sighed heavily. "Last night I got tangled up with a Skill-Out gang. I thought it was just a few delinquents and I could easily run away, but I didn't expect there to be more than thirty of them! I was chased by them all night long!"
"No way! Aren't they supposed to just let it go if they lose you for a minute?" Yuuya exclaimed in surprise.
'Even if you mess with street thugs, they usually just leave cursing and swearing if they can't find you after ten minutes. Who would spend an entire night playing hide-and-seek with one high school student?'
"It's because I tried to save a girl, and then I got dragged into her mess," Kamijou said, embodying his trademark misfortune.
"A girl? Who?" Yuuya's expression instantly turned serious.
"I don't even know her name. She claimed she was a spy from the United States who infiltrated Academy City to steal corporate data," Kamijou said, looking utterly hopeless.
"Oh..." Yuuya instantly lost all interest.
"Oh my~ Good morning, Kami-yan! Takahashi-san, I just saw you walking onto campus with a super cute girl in a nun's habit, nya. What's your relationship with her, nya~?"
A strange-sounding drawl rang out as Tsuchimikado Motoharu walked over with a wide grin. He casually threw his arm around Kamijou's shoulder, stroked his own chin, and looked at Yuuya with an incredibly gossipy expression.
"A cute girl in a nun's habit? Going to school together? What exactly is going on here?"
Upon hearing this, Fukiyori Seiri immediately snapped her head over. Her expression turned dead serious as she stared at Yuuya, her gaze gradually sharpening into a harsh, scrutinizing glare.
"Don't talk nonsense, Tsuchimikado. That girl is just my distant cousin. She just arrived in Academy City and had nowhere to stay, so she crashed at my apartment. I brought her to school today because I was afraid she'd get lost or something would happen to her if I left her alone." Yuuya shrugged innocently when Fukiyori glared at him, smoothly repeating his fabricated alibi.
'As if you don't already know exactly who Index is, Tsuchimikado,' Yuuya thought mockingly. 'Why are you pretending to be a clueless, gossiping classmate in front of me? You're just trying to probe for information, aren't you?'
'The elite Onmyouji of Necessarius... when will you finally drop the act and reveal your true colors?'
"A distant relative? Takahashi-san, aren't you living alone? Did some long-lost relative finally track you down, nya?" Tsuchimikado said, feigning exaggerated surprise.
"Tsuchimikado, are you actively trying to pry into my personal life? I think you just want to get a taste of my fist," Yuuya grinned mischievously. He half-closed his eyes, masking his awareness, and playfully raised his fist.
"Just kidding, nya! But is that girl really a distant relative of yours?" Tsuchimikado laughed.
Internally, however, Tsuchimikado was sweating bullets. 'Could that guy be serious? I swear I just saw a flash of genuine malice in his eyes.'
He had been shocked when he spoke to Kanzaki Kaori over the phone yesterday. Even Kanzaki—a literal Saint—was defeated by this high schooler. A Saint's combat power was supposed to be the absolute pinnacle of human capability, if not surpassing it entirely.
'Is it really true that this Esper's power has grown to such a monstrous extent in just over a month?' Tsuchimikado wondered. 'And then, unexpectedly, he encounters the Index Librorum Prohibitorum by sheer "coincidence".'
'There is absolutely no way in this world that such a coincidence naturally exists. This must be some grand arrangement orchestrated by Aleister Crowley. Otherwise, how could Index have bumped into Takahashi Yuuya at the exact right moment?'
'What kind of secret agreement did Archbishop Laura Stuart and Aleister reach that led to Index being deliberately funneled into Academy City's borders?'
As a highly skilled double agent working for both Necessarius and Academy City, Tsuchimikado knew better than anyone that there was something incredibly fishy going on behind the scenes. He just didn't have all the puzzle pieces yet to see exactly what it was.
'Whether it's Aleister or the Archbishop, both of those monsters can easily devise flawless, multi-layered schemes—so much so that even the pawns directly involved won't ever realize they're dancing to someone else's tune. This is just two ancient foxes—Academy City and the English Puritan Church—ruthlessly scheming against each other using us as pieces.'
'But why did Aleister maneuver Takahashi Yuuya into protecting Index? Is it just because his anomalous power acts as the "Third Right Hand" in the world?'
"Nonsense. Of course she is," Yuuya scoffed, curling his lip at the spy. He then turned his attention back to Fukiyori Seiri. "You know me perfectly well, Fukiyori. I would never cheat on you. I am a generous man who simply loves all people equally."
Fukiyori had genuinely thought Yuuya was going to offer a proper explanation, but the guy was just as shamelessly rambling as ever. A massive, pulsing cross-popping vein appeared on her forehead.
"Takahashi Yuuya, go to hell!" Fukiyori grabbed Yuuya's shoulders with both hands and ruthlessly slammed her forehead directly against his.
"Oops, Kami-yan, I'm outta here, nya!" Tsuchimikado quickly dodged the ensuing domestic violence and slipped out of the classroom.
Tsuchimikado arrived on the deserted school rooftop. His playful demeanor instantly vanished, his expression turning deadly serious as he pulled out his encrypted flip-phone and made a call.
"Hey, Kanzaki-nee-chin. It's me. I'm not very close with Takahashi Yuuya, so I don't know if I can successfully manipulate him into sitting down to talk with you. But I'll do my best to set it up."
"After all... this concerns Index's life."
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