Editing Toaru Majutsu no Index:NT SS (section)

===Part 2===

Despite the previous trouble, Index was full of energy.

Mikoto and Shirai had declined the money, so the envelope was safe.

“Honestly, Academy City is like a labyrinth today! It’s going to take a lot of work to complete this mission!”

“Ah…ah ha ha. Anyway, I think it’s good you settled that without causing any real trouble.”

A girl laughed bitterly while walking next to Index and poking at the pads on the cat’s front paws.

Her name was Kazakiri Hyouka. She had long black hair with a slight trace of brown and her most noticeable traits were the glasses that almost entirely defined people’s impression of her face and the plentiful breasts that symbolized her somewhat gentle aura. On top of that, she wore the navy blue blazer of Kirigaoka Girls School which was famous in a certain meaning of the word.

If one ignored the static that ran through her outline at any strong gust of wind or loud car horn, she looked like a perfectly normal high school girl.

Index’s friends such as Kazakiri Hyouka or Meigo Arisa tended not to be normal.

“So what are you going to give Kamijou-kun?”

“Anything that will make him happy!”

“I take it you didn’t research this at all.”

Index then froze in place.

Confused, Kazakiri followed the girl’s gaze and spotted a taiyaki stand made from a modified RV.

It even had a poster advertising a free taiyaki with any order of five or more.

“Something…to make Touma happy… Yes, this should make him happy. I know it will.”

“Y-you can’t, Index-chan! I have a feeling that choice will hurt you later!”

Kazakiri grabbed Index’s hand and pulled her away to prevent her from confusing her own desires for another’s happiness, but the two of them continued inching toward the stand. Everyone has likely forgotten, but Index’s base potential was quite high. It was just that the conditions for activating that potential were extremely limited: when the grimoire library’s safety activated, when food was involved, when Kamijou Touma required punishment, etc.

“Red bean paste…cheese…and they even have custard cream! But if I only buy one of each, we’ll fight over them, so I need to buy at least two of each!!”

“You can’t, you can’t, you can’t, Index-chan! You’ll end up eating them all yourself anyway!”

“Then I’ll buy three of each so you can have- whyah!?”

The two of them were stopped by a high-pitched sound.

The great noise that stabbed into their eardrums was that of breaking glass. They both looked over and saw a waitress girl had dropped a small drink bottle from her tray while walking between the tables in the open café placed around the taiyaki stand.

“Kyah! I-I’m sorry. I’ll go get a replacement right away.”

Meanwhile, drum-shaped cleaning robots arrived from all over and swallowed up the shards.

Index fearfully glanced over at those workers.

“Uuh… Academy City really is like a labyrinth today. I’m seeing ominous things everywhere.”

“D-don’t worry, Index-chan. They’re just cleaning, so they won’t bite.”