The space was quite wide.
The room was once owned by the former-principal, incidentally also the founder of the cult, of Misawa Cram School. Though the room was luxurious, it lacked class and represented the cult's twisted desires. It was like the annoying experience of entering a restaurant adorned properly but showed no care for the clients.
Himegami was shocked to see Kamijou enter the room but Aureolus, by contrast, had no reaction as if expecting his entrance. The emptiness a severe one that was reminiscent of old, faded, yellowish photographs.
This was not planned by the alchemist. Perhaps to him, there was nothing in the world he could not do, and, because of it, little seemed real. Like an esper capable of altering the minds of others, when he saw others smile, he felt no happiness. When he saw the perfect smile, it was as significant to him as the flick of a finger.
The logic was similar. For someone capable of creating anything, his actual creations held little value. Even the environment lacked the atmosphere of a battlefield. Anywhere Aureolus Izzard appeared became a futile battlefield.
"Obviously, I can see that you've deduced my goal." He began calmly. "If that's the case, why do you intend to stop me? Wasn't your rune magic meant to save Index?" The alchemist glanced before him. On the luxurious table lied the sleeping silver-haired girl.
Kamijou tried to dash forward but was stopped by Stiyl's long arm.
"Simply put, this method can't save that child. I don't want to watch an operation doomed to fail. This child isn't that worthless."
"This isn't true. It's just your envy, but I understand. Because we were comrades who had the same dream be crushed, you are unhappy that I've surpassed you. However, I don't consider it enjoyable and I never will." Stiyl frowned at the way Aureolus said it so naturally without even a hint of sarcasm.
"In the past, Index's brain was overloaded with so much information that her memories were erased each and every year. It was a fate the human body could not defy." He said sternly. "However, by using a power above humanity, I can solve the problem. When I had reached this conclusion, I found it unbelievable that no one had suggested we borrow the power of vampires."
"..."
"Vampires are immortal and store infinite amounts of memories in their brains that are similar to humans'. I'd never heard of a vampire's brain being overloaded by information." said the alchemist. "Essentially, vampires possess this attribute: no matter how long they live their existences are maintained."
"Hmph. I see. So you intend to interact with vampires and ask them to teach their method?" Stiyl shook his cigarette with his mouth. "For the sake of safety, let me ask. If this method can't be used on people, what do you intend to do?"
"Basically, if a human's body cannot do it, I'll place the Forbidden Library in something not human." Aureolus said without hesitation.
The alchemist's plan meant that he would…
"Turn her into a vampire? Tch! What Christian in this world would be happy to become a descendant of Cain? This's a common mistake people have. When you want to save someone, the most important thing is to consider their thoughts and perspective, right? It's something I only learned recently."
"…Absolutely ridiculous. That kind of mindset is just feigned kindness. This child once told me at that final moment that she did not want to forget me. Even if she defied the teachings, even if she willingly sacrificed her life, she wanted to keep her memories. She told me these things while she couldn't even move. She didn't even realize she was crying—while smiling!" Aureolus gritted his teeth. Kamijou did not know what he was thinking or remembering.
"It would seem you don't intend to change your mind no matter what. If that's the case, though a bit cruel, I'll have to use my trump card." Stiyl suddenly turned to Kamijou. "Oi! Current partner! Tell him! Tell this train wreck what fatal flaw his plan has."
"…What?" Aureolus finally turned to look at Kamijou. Kamijou had a difficulty figuring out which part of Stiyl's comments angered the alchemist.
"Just what time period are you from?"
With a perplexed expression, the alchemist stared at Kamijou.
"And that's what is. Index has already been saved. Not by you, not by but by the current partner. This guy did what you couldn't achieve." Stiyl smirked with cruelty. "This happened only a week ago. Ah it's predictable that you wouldn't know. You were away from that child for three years so of course you wouldn't know she'd been saved."
"That's impossible…"
"Yeah. I can understand you don't believe it. I even witnessed it myself but couldn't believe it. No, I didn't want to believe it myself. This is a declaration for me: that child will never come back to me again."
"PREPOSTEROUS! THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE! HOW COULD THERE BE ANY OTHER WAY TO SAVE INDEX?! A PERSON THAT POSSESSES A HUMAN BODY! THIS GUY ISN'T EVEN A MAGICIAN OR ALCHEMIST. JUST WHAT COULD HE POSSIBLY DO?"
"About that, since it involves Necessarius… no, since it concerns the pride of the Anglican Church, I'd rather not tell the story. I can only tell you this," Stiyl exhaled the smoke with cruelty. "That guy's right hand has an ability called Imagine Breaker. Basically, it's a terrifying ability that shouldn't belong to an ordinary person."
Shocked and unable to calm down, the alchemist stared at Kamijou. "…Hold on a minute. This means…"
"That's right. It's been tough for you. I'd heard you'd betrayed the Catholic Church and hid underground for three years? It looks like it was a waste of time. Hm. I can understand the pain of getting nothing back in return. However, this child is currently living a happy life with her partner as you'd wished."
"Ha…"
It was the decisive sentence. The foundations supporting Aureolus Izzard crumbled.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
He began his maniacal laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
…This guy's insane. Kamijou thought numbly but surely. Unexpectedly, the eyes began to follow something. In front of them all, on the large table, the girl moved. The sleep Index began to regain some consciousness after Aureolus' mad laughter. She was perhaps the last barrier for Aureolus' mental sanity.
She widened her eyes slightly and softly spoke like a person holding thread in their hand. "…Touma?"
The person she saw was not the Aureolus Izzard before her. She cared not who, when, where or how she was brought there. She cared not for her current state or what happened during her unconsciousness.
She smiled. She smiled happily. In her line of sight was Kamijou Touma.
"Ah." Kamijou automatically backed off. He was glad to see her with such an attitude. Kamijou felt it irreplaceable as she acted like a kitten opening its eyes, only caring about Kamijou's expression.
This scene brought about a sharp coldness. Behind Index, the alchemist who was supposed to be the main character was forgotten by the girl he had sought to protect. His face stiffened as if he had witnessed the end of the world.
Kamijou could not face the reality. Aureolus Izzard was once the male protagonist. He had betrayed the Catholic Church, renounced his beliefs and became an alchemist, all to save the girl in front of him. He faced the worst outcome. Even Kamijou Touma, if he had taken one wrong step, would have faced a similar fate.
The pure, holy girl before them was beloved by people all over the world. Because she was a holy girl, she could only love a male protagonist. That simple purity, bordering on cruelty, caused the most pain.
I should be perfect!! Why are you unmoved!?! What do I lack!?
Kamijou remember the defeated clone. It was not a shallowly crafted replica. The dummy itself truly portrayed the character Aureolus Izzard.
"Ugh!" Aureolus Izzard was speechless. He smiled a frozen, twisted smile as if he'd barfed air. Right above Index, Aureolus raised his hand. It seemed like the blade of a guillotine but Index's gaze had not left Kamijou, causing the alchemist even more rage as he placed more force in his arm.
"Index!"
Kamijou considered running to her but because of his anxiousness could not decide with which foot to step first. The alchemist laughed maniacally and Kamijou, the current protagonist, raised his right hand.
It was too late. He had not made it in time.
The alchemist's arm was… never swung down.
Kamijou stopped.
"Ugh…" Above Index's head, the arm, which was raising what seemed to be a guillotine, trembled. "Ugh… UGGHHH!" He was immobile. He had lost everything. He had become an alchemist and even betrayed his old allies to save a single girl. But, the girl was already saved by a stranger whom he did not know and Index ignored the man who had sacrificed everything for her.
If Kamijou were in that position, could he have still relied on Index? Could he convince himself that it was not betrayal? Aureolus Izzard could not bring himself to hurt her. For the alchemist, she was that important.
…
Kamijou did not move. He had no memories and, despite the fact that others told him that he had saved her, did not remember how he did or what he was thinking when he had. Like that, Kamijou Touma gained the trust of others by saving someone from whence he had no memories. In face of the alchemist, Kamijou wondered whether he had a right to keep her with him.
Aureolus turned and glared sharply at Kamijou. The alchemist had the power to sentence anyone to death with a single sentence. Kamijou knew it was a glare of death but, deep deep inside, understood his feelings. It was impossible for Aureolus to calm down. He could not bring himself to kill Index and, having lost all direct, went on a rampage.
Who would become the scapegoat?
Logically, the outcome was predictable.
"SLAM TO THE GROUND, INTRUDERS!!"
Like an explosion, an angry roar was heard.
Immediately, Kamijou felt the weight of uncountable hands push him to the ground as if he were a bank robber being crushed to the floor after having his gun taken away. As the term "intruder" included Stiyl, Kamijou saw the red-haired magician be flattened to the floor from the corner of his eye.
"Uuh… Ugh…"
The sensation of having his intestines flipped around almost caused Kamijou to puke. He began to move his right hand, which felt like it was being attracted by a strong magnetic field, forcefully to his chest, inch by inch. If he could contact his body perhaps it would have released him like when he recovered his memories.
"HA! HAHA! HAHAHAHA! I WON'T KILL YOU SO EASILY! LET ME ENJOY THIS A LITTLE LONGER! I WON'T DO ANYTHING TO INDEX, BUT I WON'T BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN MY SANITY IF I DON'T TAKE IT OUT YOU TWO!"
He pulled out a needle as thin as hair and aimed with trembling at his body. Then, he stabbed it like pressing button in his body. He then tossed aside the needle like a poisonous bug nibbling at his flesh. The actions were signals and declarations of the commencing attack.
Aureolus again glared at Kamijou.
"Stop it!"
Himegami Aisa moved between them with the same posture she had when she shielded Kamijou prior. However, this time there was a decisive difference: Aureolus valued not Himegami Aisa but Deep Blood. Since his aim was to save Index, if it were impossible, there would have been no reason to keep a useless method!
"Hime--" Kamijou began but could say nothing to save her.
The image of her back radiated her worry and, not just for Kamijou, but Aureolus and his crumbling sanity. Not explicitly said, but Kamijou could tell that she wanted to calm Aureolus down before he went down the road of destruction.
Who could have simply said the cruel reality?
"Out of the way, woman!"
It was the greatest failure. Kamijou saw the serious eyes that raged like gun barrels. Kamijou moved, or rather tried to move, his hand. If he did not move in, Himegami would surely die. Slowly, bit by bit, inch by inch, he dragged the right hand bound to the floor. He used his very teeth to touch his ace, his right hand, like he was going to eat his index finger.
BANG! With the sound of bones breaking, his body regained freedom. This is my chance! Kamijou frantically stood up to move Himegami aside and silence Aureolus.
"Die." As Aureolus Izzard speak, time seemed to stop.
Assassinated, strangled, poisoned, shot, beheaded, slaughtered, hacked, beaten up, burned, nipped, crushed, ganged up, frozen, drowned. No one knew with what method Himegami was to die.
With no wounds, no bleeding and no illness, she simply died.
Like a consumed battery, she was expended. If souls existed, hers was extracted from her flesh, leaving behind an empty shell.
Himegami did not even cry out. Looking like she would cry, she held back her tears. Her preparation had prevented any surprise or shock. She wore an expression of regret from her inability to prevent the predetermined. Himegami Aisa knew the result of blocking Aureolus. Even so, with a speck of hope, she still attempted it.
The girl no one needed was viewed as a simple object until the very end. Like how the alchemist had never understood how to be a protagonist, Himegami Aisa had failed to become a heroine till the bitter end. Like an unappreciated background, she was dead and worthless. Such was the fate of Deep Blood Himegami Aisa.
In face of such a scene, who could have remained silent?
"Whose life…" Kamijou's eyes ignored the alchemist's existence and ran toward Himegami Aisa who was falling onto the floor. There was no reason. He simply felt that if he allowed her to reach the ground, her death would have become permanent. "ARE YOU MESSING WITH, YOU BASTARD!"
The instant before she reached the ground, Kamijou managed to catch her with both arms. She was quite light, so light it seemed like something important was stolen from her. She felt unbelievably soft in his arms. But, with his right carrying her, he felt a weak but definite heart beat.
"What? My Ars Magna imbued with Gold has been dispelled by your right hand?" The alchemist's expression froze.
"IMPOSSIBLE! HIMEGAMI AISA'S DEATH WAS ALREADY DECIDED! DOES YOUR RIGHT HAND POSSESS SOME SORT OF HOLY VATICAN SECRET ART!?"
"..." Kamijou did not reply. It was enough and his questions were unimportant. Like when he touched his head and regained his day's memories, why he could negate the order to die was unimportant.
It was important that Kamijou would definitely not forgive the alchemist. He would pity him and understand him. Even if Aureolus could not bring himself to kill her after she hurt him, the man's actions were absolutely unforgivable.
The situation had changed. Sure, Kamijou had witnessed as the alchemist's most important person betrayed him, as his most important person was taken away and as his anger exploded and had refused to scold himself. Before someone that he truly cared for, how could he simply vent his anger for self-satisfaction? Kamijou wholeheartedly disagreed.
The current him did not understand the old Kamijou Touma: what memories he had, the past he lived, his plans for the future, what he liked, what he hated, what he protected in the past and what he wanted to protect in future were all lost. But, surely, there one thing he knew. Kamijou Touma would never have approved of the alchemist's, no man's, actions.
The two Kamijou Toumas who were walking their own paths had finally reached a common understanding, an intersection.
"Alright, Aureolus Izzard. If you think you can do anything you want…" Kamijou Touma gently placed Himegami Aisa onto the floor and stood up. He made no sound but anger seethed around him like static electricity. Without any restraint, he declared. "THEN I'LL DESTROY THAT FUCKED UP ILLUSION OF YOURS!!"
The words belonged to no one else. It was the voice of the Imagine Breaker, Kamijou Touma.