"Hmph, hmph…"
Kamijou Touma blew on his bitten right arm, complaining with a helpless expression, "She just bit me enough and then left on her own."
As he walked to the intersection, a slight sound reached him. When he looked up again, Kamijou Touma suddenly noticed that the entire street was deserted.
"There's absolutely… no one…"
Just as Kamijou Touma was looking around in confusion, an elegant female voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Runes. It's just a rune that makes people avoid this area."
Hearing the voice, Kamijou Touma quickly turned around to look behind him.
He saw a long-haired woman with a ponytail, wearing jeans torn on the left side up to her thigh, and holding a long sword, slowly approaching him.
"You are…?"
"My name is Kanzaki Kaori! If possible, I'd rather not give my other name."
Hearing her words, Kamijou Touma asked with a puzzled expression, "Your other name?"
Kanzaki Kaori said softly with a calm expression, "My magic name."
Hearing the word 'magic,' Kamijou Touma immediately thought of the Red Hair man he had encountered earlier, who had been brutally beaten by Zhong Chen.
"Someone from a magic society, just like him!"
"I'll be direct. I hope to take her back for protection before I have to state my magic name."
Hearing Kanzaki Kaori's words, Kamijou Touma immediately clenched his right hand and asked loudly, "What if I refuse?"
Hearing Kamijou Touma's answer, Kanzaki Kaori knew that it was no longer possible to take Index away peacefully.
She then placed her hand on the long sword behind her and said to Kamijou Touma, "Then there's no choice. I will state my magic name and forcibly take her back for protection."
As soon as she finished speaking, Kanzaki Kaori instantly drew her long sword.
After striking a blow at the wind turbine blade behind Kamijou Touma, she quickly returned the sword to its sheath.
Clang… Kamijou Touma felt a chill pass by his ear and saw the huge fan blade fall to the ground.
His face was filled with shock.
"I'll ask again. I want to take her back for protection before I have to state my magic name."
Touma felt his legs trembling, but he forced himself to gather his spirits and said to Kanzaki Kaori, "I have no… reason to surrender to you…"
Hearing Kamijou Touma's answer, Kanzaki Kaori closed her eyes, placed the long sword in front of her, and lightly said with her right hand on the hilt, "I can ask as many times as you like…"
Buzz… Hiss, hiss, hiss… The sound of steel wire scraping the ground suddenly erupted, and in an instant, three sword marks were carved in front of Kamijou Touma.
"The speed of my ultimate move, 'Seven Flashes,' which is formed by seven interwoven intentions and seven sword strikes, is enough to kill a person seven times in an instant."
"It's not an exaggeration to call it a fatal blow."
Kamijou Touma heard Kanzaki Kaori's explanation and couldn't help but think to himself, "Damn it, I can't even see one strike!"
And just as Kamijou Touma was feeling helpless, a mischievous, teasing voice suddenly came from the shadows under the overpass.
"Oh, oh, oh, you talk big, but I don't believe it!"
"Who's there!"
Hearing the sudden voice from behind, Kanzaki Kaori quickly turned around and looked warily at where the sound came from.
As the figure slowly emerged from the shadows, the streetlights finally illuminated the newcomer's face.
"Mr. Zhong Chen!"
"Oh, Hedgehog Head, we meet again!"
Zhong Chen greeted Kamijou Touma with a smile.
"Mr. Zhong Chen, I still hope you can call me by my name, Kamijou Touma."
Zhong Chen listened to his complaint, then nodded seriously and said, "Alright, Hedgehog Head, got it, Hedgehog Head."
"Never mind, as long as you're happy…"
Seeing that Zhong Chen had no intention of changing his address, Kamijou Touma could only reluctantly accept it.
"Who exactly are you, and why are you able to appear here?"
Kanzaki Kaori, who was beside him, was not in as good a mood as Kamijou Touma.
She still harbored a considerable degree of vigilance towards this suddenly appearing person.
"I am a first-year teacher at Sakugawa Middle School. You can call me Teacher Zhong."
"It's late at night, and you're not going home to sleep; instead, you're damaging public property here. Isn't that a bit much?"
Seeing the ground of his Academy City so damaged, Zhong Chen felt heartbroken.
"Host, since when was this Academy City yours?"
"If I like it, it's mine, isn't that allowed?"
"…"
"This matter is none of your business. Besides, our actions have already been reported to your Chairwoman."
Kanzaki Kaori, hearing Zhong Chen say his identity was a teacher, immediately brought up Aleister, hoping Zhong Chen would back down.
"Aleister? What does your report to him have to do with me?"
"You…"
Kanzaki Kaori, hearing Zhong Chen say that, suddenly didn't know how to respond.
His words seemed correct, but she always felt something was off.
"In any case, this matter has nothing to do with you. I don't wish to harm innocent people."
Zhong Chen heard this and curled his lips in disdain.
"Harm me? Coronzon wouldn't even dare to say that!"
"Oh, I forgot you don't know who Coronzon is. She's that tech-idiot of yours with hair dragging on the ground."
"Stop talking nonsense! According to records, Coronzon is a 'Great Demon' from the Tree of Life. How could she be related to the Archbishop?"
After hearing Zhong Chen's words, Kanzaki Kaori immediately showed a hint of anger.
Although she didn't particularly like that woman either, she couldn't be slandered as a Great Demon.
"Oh, dear, these days, no one believes the truth. Whatever, believe it or not."
Zhong Chen saw that the other party didn't believe him and didn't care. It's not like my boss is a demon, and besides, there's nothing wrong with being a demon.
"No matter what, I must take Index today. It doesn't matter who tries to stop me."
"Impossible! I will absolutely not hand Index over to someone like you!"
Kamijou Touma immediately retorted, clenching his right hand and moving to Zhong Chen's side, ready to act at any moment.
"Someone like me? Do you think I want to harm that child?!"
Hearing Kamijou Touma's words, Kanzaki Kaori finally couldn't hold back and shouted loudly.
"Uh… this… you…"
Kamijou Touma was suddenly surprised by her attitude. Could there be some hidden reason for this?
"I don't do this because I like it either."
"The organization I belong to is called…"
Before Kanzaki Kaori could finish, Zhong Chen interrupted impatiently, "Necessarius! Don't say all that; just get to the point. You're being so long-winded."
"You, you!"
"Hmph, hmph…"
Kanzaki Kaori, having been rebuked by Zhong Chen, took two long breaths to calm herself before continuing, "She is my compatriot, and also an important friend. I don't want to stab her in the back."
At this point, Kanzaki Kaori showed a hint of sadness on her face, then continued, "That's because I didn't know her 'Moving Church' was destroyed."
"Because she would never get hurt, that's why I would strike."
"Pfft!!! Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter! Hahaha…"
"Because the other party won't get hurt, you can just slash at them? This is the first time I've seen someone act like a friend like that…