Chapter 3: The Grimoire Peacefully Smiles. Part 2

The feverish heat and dryness in Kamijou's throat awoke him.

"Touma?"

Around the time that he realized he was in Komoe-sensei's apartment, he also realized Index was staring down at him as he lay in a futon.

Surprisingly, he saw bright sunlight coming in through the window. That night, Kamijou had indeed lost to Kanzaki and lost consciousness before his enemy. He had no memory between then and waking up there.

Simply put, he was too dissatisfied with what had happened to even be glad to be alive. Komoe-sensei was nowhere to be seen and must have been out somewhere.

The only sign of her was some porridge sitting on the tea table next to Index. It may have been unfair to Index, but he doubted she could have cooked it given that she had asked for food after getting caught on his balcony and assumed Komoe-sensei had made the porridge.

"Honestly... You're treating me like I'm sick." Kamijou tried to move. "Ow, ow. What the hell? Since the sun's up, I must have been out all night. What time is it?"

"It wasn't just all night," replied Index, whose words seemed to catch a bit in her throat.

"?"

Kamijou raised an eyebrow and Index said, "It's been three days."

"Three days... Wait, what!? Why was I asleep for so long!?"

"I don't know!!" Index suddenly shouted.

Kamijou's breath caught in his throat at that shout that had seemed like a burst of anger.

"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know! I really didn't know anything! I was so focused on losing the flame magician that was at your house that I never gave any thought to the possibility that you would have to fight another magician!"

Her angry words were not aimed at Kamijou. Her voice tore into herself and Kamijou was so overwhelmed he could not interject.

"Touma, Komoe said you were collapsed in the middle of the road. She was the one that carried you back to the apartment. I was so delighted back then. I had no idea you were on the verge of death while I did nothing but delight by the thought that we had gotten away from that stupid magician!"

Index's words suddenly cut off. What followed was a slight gap just long enough for her to slowly breathe in and prepare for the main point of her rant.

"...I couldn't save you, Touma."

Unmoving and biting her lower lip, Index's small shoulders trembled as she sat. Even so, Index shed no tears for herself.

Her heart would not allow even the slightest bit of sentiment or sympathy. Kamijou realized he could offer no words of consolation to someone who had sworn not to show any tears for even herself.

Instead, he considered something else.

Three days.

They could have attacked any number of times had they wanted to. In fact, it would have been unsurprising if they had retrieved Index three days ago when Kamijou had collapsed.

Then why? In his mind's eye, Kamijou had a puzzled look. He could not tell what their enemy was thinking.

He also felt that the term "three days" held some deeper meaning. With the sensation of bugs swarming his back, Kamijou suddenly recalled something.

The time limit!

"? Touma, what is it?"

Index merely looked at Kamijou in puzzlement. If she knew him, the magicians had yet to erase her memories. Also, from how she was acting, the symptoms had not begun either.

Kamijou felt relieved but also wanted to kill himself for wasting the final, precious three days. However, he hid it all away in his chest, not wanting Index to know.

"...Damn it. I can't move. What the hell? Why am I completely wrapped in bandages?"

"Does it hurt?"

"Does it hurt? If it did, I'd be writhing around. What's with the bandages all over me? Don't you think you went a bit overboard?"

"..."

Index said nothing and then tears welled up in her eyes as if she were unable to bear it any longer.

It stabbed into Kamijou's heart more than anything she could have shouted at him. He then realized that not feeling any pain was actually a bad thing.

Komoe-sensei could not use recovery magic anymore. He was pretty sure Index had said that. It would have been faster if he could have healed his wounds at the cost of some MP like in an RPG, but it seemed the world was not that kind.

Kamijou looked at his right hand. His utterly destroyed right hand was wrapped in bandages.

"Come to think of it, an esper that's been through the Curriculum can't use magic, right? What a pain."

"...Right. The pathways are different between a normal person and an esper," said the girl in an unsure tone. "It does seem those bandages will heal the wound... but your science sure is inconvenient. Our magic would be faster."

"That may be so, but I'll be fine without using anything like magic."

"...What do you mean by 'anything like'?" Index pouted her lips grumpily at Kamijou's comment. "Touma, do you still not believe in magic? You're as stubborn as someone with unrequited love."

"I didn't mean it like that." Kamijou shook his head with it still pressed against the pillow. "If at all possible, I don't want to see that face of yours when you talk about magic."

Kamijou recalled the look on her face when she gave her explanation of rune magic in the passageway of his dorm. Her eyes were as cold as the pale full moon and as precise as the gears of a clock.

Her words were more proper than that of a bus tour guide's and yet, lacking more humanity than a bank ATM. It was the existence known as Index Librorum Prohibitorum, the grimoire library.

Even so, he could not believe she was the same as the girl sitting before him. Or rather, he did not want to believe it.

"? Touma, do you dislike explanations?"

"Hah...? Wait, do you not remember? You were talking about runes in front of Stiyl like some kind of puppet. To be honest, I didn't really like it."

"...Um... Oh, I see. I... awakened again."

"Awakened?"

The way she stated it had it seem as if that puppet-like form were her true self. It was like the kind girl before him was a fake form.

"Yes, but please don't say too much about what I'm like when I awaken."

Kamijou was unable to ask why. Before he could say anything, Index said, "Speaking when you aren't conscious is something like talking in your sleep. It's embarrassing. Also," she said. "It seems I become more and more like a cold machine and that scares me."

Index smiled.

She smiled as if she were actually about to collapse but wanted to avoid worrying anyone.

It was an expression that no machine could make.

It was the smile of a human being.

"...Sorry." Kamijou simply apologized. He regretted thinking for even a moment that she was anything other than human.

"It's fine, you idiot." Her comment that made it unclear if it were fine or not was accompanied by a small smile.

"Are you hungry? We have porridge, fruit, and snacks, a full course staple for the sick."

"How am I supposed to eat with my hand-..."

He trailed off when he realized Index held chopsticks in her right fist.

"...Um, Index-san?"

"Hm? It's too late to start worrying about it now. If I didn't feed you like this, you would have starved to death the past three days."

"...Okay, fine. Just give me some time to think, God."

"Why? Are you not hungry?" Index put down the chopsticks. "Do you need me to wash you?"

"... ... ... ...Um?" An indescribable feeling crept through Kamijou's body.

Huh? What is this terribly bad feeling? What is this horrible uneasiness that's making me think seeing a video of the past three days would make me die of embarrassment?

"...Okay, I doubt you meant any harm by it but just go sit over there, Index."

"?" Index fell silent before saying, "But I am sitting down."

"..."

Index surely had the best of intentions as she sat there with a towel but Kamijou found himself unable to attach the term "innocent" to it.

"What is it?"

"Oh..." Kamijou had fallen silent and now he tried to change the subject. "I was thinking about how you look from here in this futon."

"Do I look weird? I am a nun; I can nurse people."

He did not, in fact, believe she appeared odd. Her pure white nun's habit and motherly behavior made her seem like an actual nun (a fact he insultingly found surprising).

And, more importantly...

The way she looked at him with those teary eyes and flushed cheeks from having cried, she seemed quite...

But for some reason, he just could not bear to speak that aloud, so instead he said, "Oh, it's nothing. I noticed that your nose hairs are silver too, is all."

"... ... ..."

Index's smile instantly froze in place.

"Touma, Touma. Do you know what's in my right hand?"

"Well, the porridge... No, wait! Don't offer it to gravity!"

In the next instant, Kamijou Touma met the misfortune of having his vision filled with the white porridge and its bowl.

Capítulo 14: Chapter 3: The Grimoire Peacefully Smiles. Part 2

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OmnipresenceBeing

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Capítulo 14: Chapter 3: The Grimoire Peacefully Smiles. Part 2

PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES OmnipresenceBeing

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