To Aru Kagaku no Imagine Breaker.

The Thirteenth District, Kamijou Touma's apartment.

Some time later.

— So you're saying... she knows Mitori? — asked Tsuchimikado after listening to him.

— Maybe, it's obvious they're somehow connected... — Touma replied vaguely.

— So you're not even sure, but you've drawn your own conclusions? That's unlike you, Kami-yan.

— Think about it yourself. Remember how we were introduced to her... A big lump of hatred directed at the upper echelon of this city. Without us, she would've brought down the whole skyscraper, all because of some project.

— This city has more tragedies than stars in the sky, Kami-yan. You of all people should know that... Neither you nor I have uncovered anything, so it seems the very top is involved, perhaps even Aleister himself, — Motoharu said thoughtfully.

— I don't know, but I have a feeling there's something more to this... Everything seems too straightforward... — Touma said doubtfully.

— Maybe it's simple because it is? — the blond asked ironically. — Come on, even we've seen and shut down plenty of shops like this, and how many have slipped past us? I won't even think about it...

— Me neither, but it looks like Shokuhou is somehow involved... And I need to find out how.

— What made you think this isn't just a coincidence? You said she was making excuses on the fly; she might've just blurted out the first thing that came to mind, — Motoharu shrugged.

— Right, and the fact that our little doll turned out to be involved is just a coincidence? — Touma retorted sarcastically.

— What made you want to dig into these "affairs of days gone by"? Two years have passed, and I personally see no reason for it.

— Because I don't believe in her loyalty. She clearly blames the upper echelon of the city for what happened to her. The only reason she agreed to the deal was because otherwise she'd be back on the operating table or in another lab. Besides, she's working under constant psychological stress. If it comes out that she's our mole, there will be chaos, leading to even more headaches...

— Honestly, it would be safer to just kill her. We're already dealing with her way too much, — the blond stated coldly. — I'm not disputing your decisions, but just know, if anything goes wrong, that's the safest way out. Dead people don't bite, — he smirked.

— I know, but I hope it doesn't come to that; besides, there's no use in corpses. So, what's the plan? Are you going to find out anything?

— I can't promise anything; you know if the fifth-level people are involved, we are dealing with the elite. And I'm not you; Alistar won't cover for me in a worst-case scenario.

— I know, but don't portray me as an egotistical jerk, like I would just ditch you, — Touma chuckled.

— Who knows, I might just ditch you, — Motoharu grinned.

— Oh, get lost, Fallere285...

— Hey, you can't say that name!

— &@%##@%@@%@@! That's what you can't say! Everything else is fair game, — Touma laughed.

— By the way, I advise you to cancel your evening plans; we have work to do, — Tsuchimikado unexpectedly announced.

— You do know I'm not free right now.

— Come on, it's nothing serious; it's possible you won't even need to shoot.

— All the more reason I don't see the point.

— A-ha... I get it now... — the blond smirked.

— I don't know what you think you figured out, but I have a feeling it's going to end up in your top 10 dumbest ideas.

— Kami-yan is getting cocky.

— What the hell...

— No, no, I understand completely. After all, you're in such a paradise every day; it's a real dream for any guy! On top of that, you're getting paid for it! Not to mention, you're even making moves on another level five esper! Of course, we, the humble workers, are definitely not in your league, oh Kami-sama! — he said with cheap melodrama.

— I take back what I said... This has already made it into my top five... — Kamijou put a hand to his face.

— But Kami-yan, I just hope that when the time comes, you won't forget about the friend who has saved your butt so many times and will share a piece of your success with him in the form of a cute girlfriend from one of your countless...

— Shut up, you damn windbag! My ears are cramping from this nonsense! Fine, enough! What's the job? — Touma couldn't take it anymore.

— Oh, that escalated quickly... Well, as I said, it's nothing special. That's why I suggested it; it's trivial work but pays decently, even though it's not exactly our area of expertise.

— I swear, I'm going to take your annoying face and start banging it against the wall until all the wasted hours of my life spill out!

— In short, all we need to do is secure a laboratory, or rather one of its residents. Essentially, he's the only one who matters; everything else is secondary, — Motoharu explained.

— And that's it? Why didn't you just call the girls, what do I have to do with this?

— Oh come on, isn't it great? Sergeant Siscon and Colonel Kami, back in action! — the blond proclaimed theatrically.

— And what have I signed up for... — Kamidze sighed heavily...

***

Late evening.

District 21.

Elementary Particle Laboratory.

— Could you remind me once more what we're doing here? — Touma asked, surveying the building across from them.

— Our task is to ensure the security of this place, or rather one of its inhabitants. Here, take a look, — he said, handing him a holo-device with a picture of the target.

It showed a girl about 9 or 10 years old with white hair and blue eyes, wearing a tracksuit.

— Is this a joke? She's younger than Nayuta and Enshu! — Touma whistled in surprise.

— You know how appearances can be deceiving. She's only 10, but she already has a doctorate and 16 scientific papers. All the institutes in the world are practically falling over themselves trying to recruit her, and now she has just arrived in the Academy City. And she's already managed to make some enemies... — Tsuchimikado replied.

— Is there anything more specific? I'd rather not spend the entire night staring at this building...

— According to our information, one of the factions has decided to eliminate her. They suspect she's leaking classified research data to someone outside. Honestly, I don't know if she's really a spy or just clueless about the local realities, but I doubt the accusations are made out of nowhere.

— Spark Signal... — Touma said disdainfully.

— Most likely... The group monitoring such activities is heavily armed, so it won't be easy. Plus, they don't have any espers in their ranks, so your hand is tied here... — Motoharu shrugged.

— No matter; I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve... — Touma waved it off.

— I have no doubt, — Motoharu replied with a grin.

***

Since that moment, an hour had passed, and nothing was happening, which was starting to irritate both of them.

- Damn, I knew it was all nonsense! - Touma muttered for the umpteenth time.

- Yeah, you've said that five times already... - sighed Motoharu, - Though I have to admit, it's really becoming quite the bore.

- That's why I'm saying this isn't our profile; our team isn't cut out for these kinds of missions.

- Well, as long as the girl stays alive, we'll get paid regardless of the outcome, so maybe it's for the best? - the blonde shrugged.

- Once we get the money, then we'll see about that, - Touma concluded.

- Yeah, you've got a point there... Hey, Kami-yan! - suddenly exclaimed Motoharu.

- I see, think about it, and there it is... - Kamijou smirked.

Seven trucks from some cleaning company screeched to a halt in front of the building, and armed men in unmarked clothing poured out, with several of them wielding heavy weapons like machine guns.

- Judging by their numbers... There are two squads, and they probably have one more on standby, - Tsuchimikado observed.

- What kind of security do they have?

- Second-rate, just your typical corporate goons; they won't hold them off for long.

- Well, same old story... Alright, find the girl and get out of the building. I'll take care of them; how much time do you need?

- About 10-15 minutes at most, I'll signal you when I'm ready, - Motoharu nodded.

- Then let's go... - sighed Kami-yan before starting this whole dance with sabers.

***

Hiding in the darkness of the alley, Tsuchimikado pulled a pistol from his inner pocket and quickly attached a silencer. First things first, he needed to get rid of those left inside the trucks. Fortunately, they clearly hadn't expected such a swift attack, so a few quiet shots shattered the side windows, painting them crimson and splattering brain matter across the seats. After tossing the bodies from the vehicles and rolling them under, he met up with one of them.

- We need to get rid of them; nobody can leave, - said Touma.

- I'll check the vehicles; they must have brought some explosives or at least a canister of something flammable. Go ahead, I'll handle this; our priority is that girl.

- If they wanted her alive, it would have been easier for us...

- We don't know that; what we do know is they need her, so maybe we have a bit more time.

- Which we keep wasting... - Touma smirked, - By the way... Here, security codes and the like, - he said, pulling out a handheld device and flicking through it rapidly.

- Great, that gives us an edge... UNDER_LINE? - Tsuchimikado smirked.

Sometimes it's useful working with that damn puppet master...

Without further ado, Touma headed inside, armed with an AR-15 he had taken from one of the slain. He wasn't a fan of firearms; their wide array of capabilities made them more of an excess than a necessity. However, engaging in combat like a mere mortal... there was something refreshing about it.

Contrary to popular belief, Academy City, though ahead of the rest of the world, was only 30 years advanced, not 300, so nobody was running around with laser weapons here, especially not the shadowy groups. While the arms trade was strictly suppressed, getting hold of them wasn't as difficult as it seemed; corruption had taken deep root even in a future city. The demand wasn't very high either, as those with abilities had little need for weapons, and 75% of the population were students who rarely saw blood, let alone something like that. Hence, the main buyers were the non-espers or organizations like Spark Signal.

Upon entering, he saw the typical scene: furniture scattered across the reception, bullet holes everywhere, the wail of security systems, and bodies that had only just begun to cool. Kamidze felt a twinge of pity for them; these people had simply come for their regular night shift, never imagining it would be their last—they were just doing their jobs.

Dead bodies and bullet traces lay everywhere he looked—there was no way to get lost. As was their custom, they had decided to kill everyone—a usual practice. No witnesses, no risks.

A sharp shout interrupted his movement, forcing him to press against the wall. A few seconds passed, but nothing happened. Cautiously peeking around the corner, he saw two soldiers standing and discussing something.

- ...Did you find the girl? - one asked the other.

- Not yet; she probably hid somewhere after hearing the siren, - the other replied.

- Great, looks like we're going to be here a while...

- Ah, let it go, the job's pretty straightforward anyway; most of the security is dead, and we just need to find some little girl who isn't even an esper.

- I don't know, I have a bad feeling about this…

- Stop with the paranoia; we have our guys at the entrance, so nobody will hit us from behind.

- Yeah, you might be right.

Kamijou couldn't help but smirk; these idiots hadn't even considered the possibility of someone attacking them.

- Well then... let me shatter this naive illusion… - he thought to himself with a smirk.

The two idiots continued talking until Touma suddenly burst out from around the corner, aiming his weapon at them. They tried to lift their rifles to eliminate the unknown threat, but their carelessness became their last mistake. Two precise bullets in each head ended their lives.

Touma wasn't bothered by the noise he made; it seemed these idiots weren't too concerned about their safety, and they could easily attribute the gunfire to any stray remnants of security. Everything seemed to be going smoothly... perhaps even too smoothly.

Moving through the blood-soaked hallways, he eliminated any random opponents he encountered, not caring about the cleanup of bodies; when time was of the essence, it was unnecessary, and the mission didn't require stealth; it was more a matter of personal preference. He had long lost his taste for violence; if it could be avoided, he did so.

Lost in his thoughts, he committed a crime of negligence and didn't notice several militants appear behind him, pointing weapons at him.

- Well, well, well... Looks like now we know why the rear guard isn't responding... Drop your weapon and hands behind your head! No funny business, - barked one of them, shooting past him for effect.

- Tch, what rotten luck... - Touma smirked, dropping the rifle to the floor.

- And now, hands behind your head! Slowly! I want to see them!

- Behind my head? Of course... Just like this... 

As his hands went up, a high-pitched squeal sounded, and a maniacal smile flitted across Tom's lips...

***

Tsuchimikado was slowly making his way forward through alternate routes, partly thanks to Touma's codes. Time and again, he was realizing working with him wasn't too bad, and not only because he was tied to the upper echelons of the city. It was the approach: shock and awe. That's how Motoharu preferred to operate too, never sticking his neck out like many in their field loved to do. Their main mistake was believing luck was skill, but luck runs out, and with it goes the lives of those idiots.

Perhaps that was why Kamijou was different; the terms "Kami-yan" and "Luck" simply couldn't be in the same sentence. Some kind of nonsense, but bizarrely, it happened to him—like forgotten keys or money. But when such things happened on missions, it brought on real anxiety.

And it was all because of that strange right hand. Funny enough, in five years of knowing each other, he had never managed to learn anything about it besides the fact that it denied any supernatural phenomenon. Unfortunately for Kami-yan, this also applied to the miracles above, which included luck. Yet somehow, he had learned to disconnect this power and use it when needed and in the right place, although he mostly did this on missions like these...

Half the way had been covered, and yet he hadn't encountered anyone. It was becoming more unsettling than surprising. Of course, he chose routes where resistance should be minimal, but damn it, not to this extent! Unless...

An unexpected explosion shook the entire building, almost causing Tsuchimikado to lose his balance. No need to even think about the reason.

- C'mon, Kami-yan, I told you to wait... Though maybe it's for the best... - he mumbled.

All this commotion could only have been stirred up by Kamijou, which meant they had managed to corner him. However, knowing him, it was likely an unfortunate accident; that often happened with him. Nonetheless, it provided a wonderful opportunity to make everything faster and simpler, as surely all those pioneers would rush to his location now.

In fact, his prediction came true; hearing the noise, he pressed against the wall as about twenty militants rushed past him, animatedly discussing the situation.

- Excellent, it means nobody will get in my way...

Quickly passing through the empty corridors, he found himself in front of the elevator; it seemed the girl was in the central laboratory on floor -1; there was nowhere else she could be. But Tsuchimikado chose not to take the elevator, as surely someone would be waiting for him at the exit—a typical ambush, but it still worked with amateurs. So, only one option remained—the stairs...

- Heh, no, I won't climb that thing... - Tsuchimikado smirked, glancing at the elevator.

Descending down, he quickly entered the necessary codes, after which the plastic doors swung open. Judging by the cleanliness, those idiots hadn't made it this far, which was excellent.

Moving slowly and quietly along the abandoned rooms, he carefully listened to every rustle. Undoubtedly, if the girl was here, she had nestled into the quietest corner and was barely breathing, so he needed to create the illusion of his absence—this way, she was more likely to make a mistake.

His experience and intuition did not fail him; silently, like a ghost, he entered another room that was in complete chaos. He slowly surveyed each corner until he finally reached one of the desks piled high with documents... as if to reduce visibility and create an illusion of abandonment. Smirking to himself, he abruptly knocked the whole pile onto the floor.

The expected reaction came swiftly: someone bumped their head against the desk, gasping in the process, seemingly covering their mouth with their hands, but the moment had already passed.

— I found you! — he exclaimed cheerfully, glancing under the desk and spotting the girl.

— Don't be afraid, I'm not here for your soul... Well, I mean, technically, I am, but only to take you out of here. So don't be scared, — he smiled reassuringly at her.

— Are you one of them? — she asked quietly.

— And if I were one of them, what then?

She had no response to that.

— I'm just joking; I'm not one of them.

— Why should I believe that you're not one of them?

— Well... Maybe because otherwise you would already be dead? — he replied with the same smile, but this time, it sent chills down her spine...

***

Leading her by the hand, Motoharu quickly reached the elevator and impatiently pressed the call button. It was now safe since no one was waiting for them below; this meant the elevator was unmonitored, and clearly, upstairs, they would be too preoccupied for such details.

— You still haven't answered, who are you guys? — the girl asked him.

— Does it matter? We came to save you, so what difference does it make?

— We? But you're here alone?

— My partner is upstairs, dealing with your visitors.

— And you left him alone?!

— Heh, believe me, he's the last person who needs help, — Motoharu smirked.

The rest of the way was spent in relative silence.

As they exited the elevator, they were hit by the sharp smell of burnt materials and gunpowder. After the sterility of the lower levels, the contrast was striking. As they walked forward, they stumbled upon the body of a dead soldier.

— Better not look; it'll be easier to sleep, — Tsuchimikado said, seeing her reaction.

— It's fine... I've seen worse... — she said distantly.

He held her gaze for a moment but then shrugged and continued walking.

On their way, they encountered more bodies and disheveled rooms with corridors thick with smoke. All had been killed in various ways: some by bullets, others dismembered or cut apart by walls and beams, and some left behind just bloody stains.

— You're taking too long... — he heard Kamijou voice from behind.

— Sorry, it's not my fault you started to act up prematurely, — Tsuchimikado shrugged.

— Stop talking as if I'm not here! — she protested.

— Yes, yes, of course... I've already called for the cleanup team... Our transport has arrived, so let's get out of this hellhole, — Toma waved his hand.

— Yeah, I don't want Maika asking again why my clothes smell of smoke and gunpowder...

Exiting the lab, they saw a truck parked that flashed its headlights.

Climbing inside, they collapsed into the seats and finally exhaled.

— Another workday... — Touma sighed.

— By the way, what even happened? Didn't we have an agreement?

— Just one misfortune after another...

— If you could be more specific?

— Well... One idiot with a cock to his knees decided to show off... And somehow, everything just spiraled from there... — Kamijou shrugged.

— I don't mean to interrupt, but could you tell us where we're going? — she cut in.

— Ah yes, we keep forgetting about you. By the way, what's your name? I'm tired of just using pronouns, — Motoharu asked.

— Usually, I don't tell my name to strangers, especially ones like you, but... I think that saving my life, even if not from entirely selfless motives, deserves some gratitude... My name is Patricia, Patricia Birdway. Nice to meet you... I suppose... — she awkwardly smiled at the last part.

— Is that so? Well then, nice to meet you, Patricia-san. I hope we get along during our brief acquaintance... — Touma smirked...