Editing Toaru Majutsu no Index:GT Volume15 Chapter2 (section)

===Part 17===

“''They have a traitor.''”

She said it.

Leivinia Birdway started with that.

Why hadn’t they joined the Anglicans after arriving so near the Hotel Town?

Kamijou couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but Lessar grinned and gave her thoughts.

“Yeah, the Anglicans are expert hunters, so it is weird that they still haven’t caught that Hamazura Shiage guy who feels more like bait than anything.”

“It makes the most sense if we assume one of the Anglicans is modifying their data or reports to keep them from noticing the real villain.”

The two of them then looked to someone else.

Dion Fortune sighed. In self-deprecation.

“Is that also why they were ''unnaturally'' quick to strip me of my authority and throw me in a cell?”

“Exactly.” Birdway nodded. “We can say the traitor is one of the pursuers…and almost certainly one of the Anglicans specifically. And not someone watching on from a safe position from over the sea. Their reactions have been too quick. That tells me it’s someone on the front line here in Academy City.”

Kamijou was shocked.

“Could one of the Anglicans really be bought off?”

“I dunno. Maybe it’s a matter of belief or principles. The ''Church of Coronzon'' may be budding sooner than we thought.”

Kamijou still found it hard to believe.

Especially after everything that had happened.

“Wait. Wait! The Anglicans here in Academy City have fought alongside us all this time! CRC, Alice, Coronzon – we fought so many major battles back-to-back here. We couldn’t have won with only the city’s people! Without their help, the world might have been destroyed already!! Why would they betray us and destroy the world right after we avoided it? If they wanted to see the world burn, they would only have had to not try so hard during the fight against Coronzon!!”

The leader of a powerful magic cabal had a simple answer to that one.

“Just because someone was your friend yesterday doesn’t mean they’ll be your friend tomorrow.”

“Kh.”

“We’ve already seen that proven true once: with Dion Fortune. The Anglicans suspected her and stripped her of her authority, remember? That already disproves the idea that they won’t betray someone just because you all fought Coronzon together.”

“Yeah, it was pretty unnatural. Even with Lola Stuart as an example of a traitorous archbishop and even if Dion Fortune was made by Lola, I can’t imagine field troops being so willing to arrest their own leader unless they were ''being manipulated'' in some way.”

Lessar punctuated this with laughter. As if seeing Dion Fortune’s downfall amused her.

…Were these suspicions the reason Birdway and Lessar were dragging Kamijou around instead of joining with Kanzaki and the others?

They didn’t think they could trust the Anglicans because they were being “manipulated” by a traitor.

“…”

If that was true…who could it be?

Kanzaki Kaori? Stiyl Magnus? Tatemiya? Itsuwa? Or hospitalized Tsushima? Agnese Sanctis? Lucia? Angelene? Necromancer Isabella Theism?

Who was it?

''Who would make the most terrifying traitor?