The competitive arena was rather far with respect to where Index was.
So, Kamijou decided to take the bus back.
Of the current buses that were operative, 70% of them were automatic without anybody manning them. The bus, which was powered by electricity, glided forward without making a single sound.
In the development of unmanned technology, like commercial planes, trains and ships, it was said that the most difficult one to develop was the car. In all forms of transport, in the air, sea and on land, the required manipulation and decision making was most complex. So at this moment, these vehicles were only allowed to be used in Daihaseisai under restricted circumstances.
Kamijou got past the auto-door and into the bus. As ordinary vehicles were banned, the bus was rather packed. Although there was a driver seat, it was surrounded and isolated with strengthened glass, like a telephone booth. Just seeing how the unmanned bus worked, like turning and accelerating, would amaze anybody.
Without using gasoline, the extremely quiet bus stopped a few times, before it reached Kamijou's destination.
There was still quite a distance to where he had separated from Index. Because part of the road could not be accessed due to the ensemble parade, the bus route was somewhat altered.
Kamijou quickly walked on the road, as the related broadcasts could be heard everywhere, even though it was mixed in with the noise of the crowd. Besides using the audio devices to broadcast, they were using the large screens on department stores and airships to air the live telecasts and other feeds through the temporary studios and different media.
"Regarding the results of the Men's obstacle course just now, after some decisions—"
"The matches in one hour's time will be as follows. There's no access to the matches once it starts, everyone please take note--"
"In the Scavenger Hunt organized by four different schools, Tokiwadai Middle School got an overwhelming victory as expected. The first place has the honor of being 7 minutes faster than the other competitors—"
"General report, we're looking for a missing child. Will Charles Goncourt-sama from St Tropez, France, please head toward a security robot camera nearby upon hearing this message, and show your face and the Daihaseisai access pass issued to you by Academy City. We'll send your child to where you want to pick them up. Veuillez l'entendre. Nous vous annonçons un enfant manquant.—"
Hearing these high decibel broadcasts, Kamijou looked around.
(Anyhow, did Index just move about and get lost?)
It'd be alright if he could contact her through phone — too bad Index's zero yen phone had run out of power. Although she had a photographic memory, and she could remember any place she went to, Kamijou was still worried. Walking in this hot day, he thought,
(I should have bought a gift for her when I passed the stores just now.)
But it was too late to go back. Kamijou's next match was coming up. Anyway, he had to find Index, and then headed to the arena where his classmates were. Thinking about this, he hastened his steps.
He suddenly stopped.
He saw a familiar face in the crowd.
Hair dyed red, wearing earrings. Rings on each of his 10 fingers, smoking a cigarette, tattoo markings underneath his right eye. It was a priest that didn't look like a priest.
Stiyl Magnus.
A real magician from the Necessarius department of the Anglican Church.
(??? What's with him, is he here to find Index?)
It was really hard to imagine Stiyl of the magical world getting interested with something like Daihaseisai. He should be here to look for his old colleague, Index, that he was normally unable to meet.
To Kamijou, he had no reason to object. It was even much better for someone who knew Index to be around, since that person could help him take care of Index during his matches. Kamijou inadvertently moved closer to him.
He seemed to be talking to someone.
"...So…this is how it is — the probability is rather high, isn't it?"
He could hear voices.
Who was he talking to? Kamijou wanted to find out, and moved forward. Standing there was his classmate, Tsuchimikado Motoharu.
He was a double agent for both Academy City and the Anglican Church.
Tsuchimikado looked extremely easy to approach, but he was speaking so softly that nobody around him could hear anything.
"Yeah. That's … I heard that— That's right, to these people, there's no better chance … than now."
Kamijou had a bad premonition about this.
Although they looked like they were joking about, and at first glance, it was like they were mixed into the crowd attending Daihaseisai…but something was missing. They didn't look happy at all. This was not a smile that was formed with real positive feelings, but a fake smile formed by negative feelings. This kind of fake smile was unrelated to Daihaseisai.
In order to get away from this thought, Kamijou proceeded forward.
Stiyl Magnus quietly said,
"So, the task is up to us to get rid of the magicians in this city."
In this world Kamijou Touma lived in, where science formed the world…
Became a world filled with magic all because of this statement.