Chapter 3: The Grimoire Peacefully Smiles. Part 3

Kamijou and Index learned firsthand that porridge was difficult to get out of futon and pajamas. Index battled with the goopy grains of rice with slight tears in her eyes when a knock at the door drew her attention.

"Is that Komoe?"

"...Are you not going to apologize?"

He had not been burned since the porridge had already cooled by the time it was dumped on him, but Kamijou had still once again passed out when the carbohydrates struck him because he had expected the porridge to be scorching hot.

"Huh? What are you doing in front of my house?" asked a voice on the other side of the door. It seemed Komoe-sensei had spotted whoever had knocked on the door as she returned from wherever she had been.

Then who is it? Kamijou thought with a puzzled look.

"Kamijou-chan, I'm not sure what's going on, but it seems we have visitors."

The door clicked open and Kamijou's shoulders jumped in surprise. Standing behind Komoe-sensei were two familiar magicians. They had appeared somewhat relieved to see Index sitting like normal.

Kamijou frowned in suspicion. Naturally, with any thought at all, they were there to retrieve Index. However, they could have done retrieved her three days prior when Kamijou had collapsed. There was little reason for them to let her roam freely until the day of her "treatment". Instead, they could have confined her somewhere until it was time.

...So why did they wait until now to come? Kamijou analyzed suspiciously.

His muscles naturally tensed up as he recalled the powers of the magicians' flames and sword.

However, Kamijou no longer had reason to simply fight Stiyl and Kanzaki. They were not "Evil Magic Cabal Forces A"; they were from Index's church to take her into their care. He worried for Index. In the end, he had nothing he could do but work with them and hand her over to the church.

But, that was simply from Kamijou's point of view.

The magicians lacked any reason to cooperate with Kamijou. Simply put, there was no reason why they couldn't just decapitate Kamijou right then and there and take Index away with them.

Stiyl seemed to enjoy the fact that Kamijou stiffened up upon seeing them, and he said, "Heh. It looks like we won't have to worry about you escaping with those injuries."

At that point, Kamijou finally realized what the "enemy" was trying to do.

On her own, Index could escape the magicians. After all, she had eluded the church for almost a year on her own. Even if they captured her and locked her up somewhere, she might be able to easily escape if she were alone.

With only a few days until the time limit, they might be unable to catch up to her again if she truly began to flee again. If they imprisoned her somewhere, she might escape and it was possible she could escape even in the middle of the ceremony.

However, the same could not be said if she were burdened with an injured person like Kamijou. That was why the magicians had not killed Kamijou and why they had allowed him to return to Index. They wanted Index to refuse to give up on him so that he would function as a convenient shackle.

They had overlooked him solely so that they could more safely and surely take Index into their care.

"Leave, magicians."

And now, Index stood between the magicians and Kamijou.

She stood up and spread her arms. She somewhat looked like a sin-bearing cross.

It was all going exactly as the magicians had planned. Index gave up on escape because of the shackles that were Kamijou.

"..." Stiyl and Kanzaki both twitched slightly.

It was as if they could not bear to watch it despite how things progressed exactly as they expected.

Kamijou wondered what expression was on Index's face. Her back was facing him, so he could not see but those great magicians froze in place. Komoe-sensei was not the direct target of her feelings, but she still averted her gaze.

Kamijou wondered what they felt.

He wondered how it must feel to be looked at like that by someone you would go so far as to kill for.

"...Stop, Index. They aren't our enem-..."

"Leave!!"

Index was not listening.

"Please... I'll go wherever you want and I'll do whatever you want. Just please, I beg of you..." Senses of feminine cries were mixed in at the heart of the hostile tone she had worked up. "Just don't hurt Touma anymore." Just how much damage did that do to those magicians who had once been her greatest comrades?

For an instant —just an instant— extremely pained smiles appeared on the two magicians' faces as if they had abandoned something.

But then, their eyes froze over like a switch was flipped.

These were not the gazes of people looking at their comrade; they were the chilling gazes of magicians, holding their convictions to lessen the misfortune of the parting as much as possible rather than give her the cruel fortune of getting to know them.

The gazes held their feelings for her that were so strong they chose to abandon their comradeship and become her enemy.

Their convictions would not be break.

Because they lacked the will to tell her the truth, they could only watch on as the worst possible scenario played out.

"The time limit will come in another 12 hours and 38 minutes," announced Stiyl in the tone of a magician.

Index must not have understood what he meant by "the time limit".

"We simply wanted to see if her shackles would function or not so that we don't need to worry about her running off when the time comes. They were more effective than even we expected. If you don't want to have that toy taken from you, give up any hope of escape. Understand?"

It had to be an act. They had to want to celebrate in tearful joy that Index was okay. They had to want to rub her head and place their forehead against hers to check her temperature. That was how important she was to them.

All of the horrible things Stiyl had said about Index were simply to perfect that act. He had to actually want to spread his own arms and act as Index's shield and Kamijou could not imagine how much mental strength it would take to do what he was doing.

Index gave no response.

The two magicians said nothing more and merely left the room.

Why did it turn into this...? Kamijou lamented and gritted his teeth.

"Are you okay?"

Finally, Index lowered her raised arms and slowly turned back towards Kamijou. He instinctually closed his eyes, unable to bear to look.

He could not bear to look at Index's face covered in tears and uplifted by relief.

"If I make a deal with them..." He heard a voice in the darkness. "I can keep your life from being destroyed anymore, Touma. I won't let them intrude on your life anymore, so don't worry."

"..."

Kamijou could not respond. He merely thought in the darkness of his closed eyes.

...Can I let go of our memories together?