Editing Toaru Majutsu no Index:GT Volume7 Chapter4 (section)

===Part 6===

“…”

It took Kamijou Touma a moment to realize nearly all sound had vanished.

Was that short rhythm he heard his own shallow breathing?

The destruction was so bad he just about forgot he was on the roof of a tower on the consulate grounds. The ground was torn up, orange lava spewed out, and a few of the other towers had collapsed. It looked like the end of the world. He was all the way at the top of a tower, but he felt dark soil on his head.

His entire body was stiff and he had trouble simply moving his head. So he instead moved just his eyes while slumped on the roof.

The wind blew and dust scattered through the air.

He saw a silhouette through that dust cloud. It was lying on an elevated passageway that looked ready to collapse at any moment. Kamijou gasped when he noticed how dark the silhouette was, but he could make out some other features too. It wasn’t feminine. It only looked dark because of the old-fashioned tailcoat and cloak it wore. It looked a lot like a crushed cicada. A tiered storage case similar to a tackle box sat partially open and crushed.

That was Trismegistus.

Kamijou couldn’t say whether he was H T, Z I, O M, or whatever other combination at the moment.

He wasn’t moving anymore.

But Kamijou Touma remained frozen. He couldn’t relax yet. Of course he couldn’t. Not when he could see another silhouette collapsed a short distance away from the motionless young butler.

That one was Good, Old Mary.

The giant Tribikos’s three legs had shattered, its smooth squashed sphere was split in two, and its pieces leaned against the consulate.

But this wasn’t a case of mutual destruction. If the threat was gone, Kamijou’s paralysis would have gone with it. He would have found some way to run to Good, Old Mary and see if she needed medical care. And if she was fine, he would have tried to restrain Trismegistus.

But he couldn’t.

He couldn’t bring himself to move while on the top of the tower. The deadly paralysis showed no sign of going away.

Because something else had happened here.

This ''was not'' two Transcendents attacking and defeating each other simultaneously.

“Court, court, court.”

Far below, a small silhouette walked along the ground. And the girl was saying something.

Her words formed a rhythm like she was humming an improvised song.

Hers was the last voice Kamijou had wanted to hear right now.

“The girl’s court is in session.”

This was Alice Anotherbible, the true tyrant who had obliterated those ''ordinary'' Transcendents in the blink of an eye.

With a roar, the tower and the rooftop flower garden collapsed. Kamijou could tell grabbing onto something wasn’t going to be enough here, so he steeled himself and aimed for a body of water that had survived the devastation. He couldn’t re-aim after being thrown into the air. So instead, he leaped from the crumbling tower himself to reach a garden pool that was even more bent than a gourd.

“Gahh!?”

He landed in the water, but he still ended up bloody. The extreme chill seemed to slice through his skin. But he had made the right choice. He couldn’t let the pain or chill stop him now. He didn’t have time to safely run down the spiral staircase.

Because Good, Old Mary and Trismegistus were in danger if he didn’t reach them immediately.

What would happen to them if Alice reached them while they were helpless?

(Ugh. Not to mention…)

He realized he should have seen this coming.

Trismegistus had been using his cane sword to produce supernatural blades ''not found in any mythology'' and Good, Old Mary had produced a piece of lab equipment so massive it covered the sky. With that going on, there was no way the young master of the consulate would fail to notice.

The idea of “ordinary Transcendents” was absurd, but she was so overwhelmingly unusual that he felt the need to apply that “ordinary” qualifier to Trismegistus and Good, Old Mary. She was so extraordinary that even other Transcendents feared her.

(It’s not use.)

Kamijou forgot to even breathe.

He was entranced.

(Mut Thebes is an execution expert and has that “drink me” item capable of killing Transcendents, but not even she can defeat Alice. Even thinking about fighting her is the wrong move!!)

Alice’s cute lips had uttered the words “court is in session”.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was a global best seller, but Kamijou was ashamed to admit he didn’t know that much about it. He knew there was a tea party with a hatter and a march hare, he knew there was a cricket game at the castle with the queen of hearts, and he thought there might be a court scene too. Was that related to the hysterical queen who yelled “off with their head” at the drop of a hat?

That would mean this trial meant death for the accused.

The odds of a guilty verdict and immediate death were greater than 99.9% and any other result had such slim odds it deserved to be called a miracle. On the other hand, there was no possibility at all of harming Alice herself. Not even a 0.1% chance.

It was that unilateral of a massacre.

“A-Alice?”

“Yes, teacher?”

“That’s enough. This is already over. So you need to calm down and-”

“''No.''”

A dull popping sound followed.

But it was wetter than an explosive going off.

The young girl hadn’t even directed her small palm in that direction. She hadn’t even glanced that way.

But Trismegistus was still launched from the ground. His already injured body twisted further in midair, crashed helplessly back to the ground, and kept rolling.

“Alice!!!”

Was he alright? Not the physical impact or pressure. Was he alright on the level of the fundamental definition of a Transcendent!?

And it didn’t end there.

Alice’s shadow pulsated at her feet. She wanted another sacrifice.

She wanted the other Transcendent lying motionless on the ground.

“The Trismegistus stuff is over!! Good, Old Mary didn’t do anything! In fact, she saved my life! So-!!”

“''No.''”

Kamijou moved between them.

Alice’s usual smile was gone. She kept the blank expression of a noh mask as she silently tilted her head.

That was far more terrifying than if her face was red with fury.

She opened her eyes unnaturally wide and spoke without blinking.

“Teacher. There is blood on the ground. It smells like you.”

“…”

“Good, Old Mary was too slow. She did not risk her life to protect you. She failed to see the threat coming and then patched things up afterwards. That ''isn’t good enough.'' She neglected her duties. The girl told everyone in this secret base – consulate? – that you are an invited guest and they were not to harm you. But these two failed to keep the most basic of promises: ''don’t kill people''.”

More pulsating.

But this time it came from inside Alice’s children’s book dress.

She could not restrain her power anymore. Kamijou clenched his teeth knowing what lay at the foundation of it all.

Alice was frustrated.

She was frustrated that someone she cared for had come to harm. She was frustrated that the Transcendents who lived with her had done it. And she was frustrated that she had failed to stop them and save his life.

I’ve come to play, teacher.

What if Alice’s first words to him had really and truly been ''the whole story'' for her?

The thought made him grimace.

This wasn’t good.

It went beyond Trismegistus and Good, Old Mary. Based on Alice’s current rules, Shibuya on the 31st was a problem too.

Aradia had killed him and the Bologna Succubus had failed to prevent it.

This one seam threatened to tear down everything around her.

Hence the tyrant title.

That immature ruler had tremendous power but could not protect the world because she was too easily manipulated by her emotions.

“You can’t, Alice,” said Kamijou without thinking.

She was acting entirely on a child’s logic, so he maybe could have chosen to simply hear her out instead of rejecting what she was feeling. But he still made his move since it looked like the tiny tyrant was ready to explode at any moment.

And losing everything here would be far too painful.

Aradia, the Bologna Succubus, Good, Old Mary, and Trismegistus. If he was being honest, none of the Transcendents had been perfect. He couldn’t fully accept the inhuman way they each set their own conditions for saving people.

But they still cared deeply for the Bridge Builders Cabal.

Trismegistus had been utterly terrifying, but even he had only wanted to eliminate Kamijou so he could protect Alice. He had been willing to bloody his hands and take Kamijou’s life because he cared about the home he had found in the Bridge Builders Cabal more than anything.

Maybe he had gone about it the wrong way. But now the man who had gone to so much misguided effort, and the woman who had tried so hard to stop him but just barely failed, had both been badly injured. There was no reason to punish them further.

The young tyrant needed to learn that forgiveness was another option.

“You can’t do it this way, Alice.”

“Are you going to fight the girl? To protect Good, Old Mary who is lying there close to death?”

But with her head still tilted, noh mask Alice immediately rejected her own question.

“No, teacher. The girl can tell from your eyes. You are also looking at Trismegistus. That means ''you’re talking about saving them both.''”

Good, Old Mary had saved his life, so it made sense with her.

But he had no reason to insist on saving the young butler known as Trismegistus. Even if he had done it for Alice, he had cruelly cut down Aradia and attempted to do the same to Kamijou.

But Kamijou didn’t even need to think about his response.

“So what if I am?”

“Why would you do that?”

“If I don’t have a reason, I’ll find one. At the very least, I don’t have it in me to abandon someone to die and then smile like nothing happened.”

He directed his right fist toward her.

There was a dull cracking sound, but not from his fist.

It came from Alice Anotherbible’s tilted head. The angle of the tilt had passed a certain threshold. Her thin neck continued making strange cracking noises, but no hint of pain was visible on her face.

She spoke from that abnormal angle and from the noh mask that seemed entirely devoid of life.

“You too, teacher?”

Something more frightening, and much more painful, than tears of blood spilled from her eyes.

“''You’re afraid of the girl and her power just like all the others? But the girl hasn’t said anything wrong. The girl hasn’t done anything wrong.''”

That was probably close to the very core of that young girl.

This was something Anna Sprengel’s whisperings had implanted in her and something she had ended up clinging to.

“I’m sorry…Alice.”

It was true Kamijou had kept his eyes on both Good, Old Mary and Trismegistus to ensure no stray shots would hit them. And Alice had seen right through him.

But did she realize that it wasn’t ''only'' those two.

They were confronting each other head on. They were clearly enemies. But it was an indisputable fact that Kamijou Touma had kept that young girl in the very center of his vision this entire time.

He would save Alice too.

If he didn’t have a reason to, he would find one.

He was making the choice that none of the Transcendents had dared make.

“The Bologna Succubus and Good, Old Mary told me about this too.”

“…Did they?”

Their eyes met.

He couldn’t look away now.

“They said I was the only person in the world who could hold an ordinary conversation with you and the only one who could get you to accept your mistakes if you did the wrong thing. If that’s true, then this is my job. Alice Anotherbible, it doesn’t matter if you hate me now or not. Don’t ever think that’s enough to stop Kamijou Touma!!!”

“Enough, teacher. ''Just shut up.'' You’re completely helpless once you get caught up in a few ''wonders''. That puny fist of yours would shatter if you tried to break through the wall you’re facing now, so don’t think the girl is going to start bawling just because you threaten her with it!!!”

Her picture book dress completely tore away, revealing soft skin and leather overflowing with immorality.

The psychedelic sight would destroy the souls of all who ignored their instincts and attempted to attack her. Alice Anotherbible’s fury had easily dealt with the entirety of Academy City’s dark side, but now it was manifesting in full to crush just one boy.

He realized this may have been the first time Alice had ever directed real hostility in his direction.

It scared him.

People trying to survive a bombing or shelling could apparently feel so much fear they bled from their heart. The pressure bearing down on Kamijou was reaching that level.

Nevertheless, the puny boy chose to fight back against this deadly barrage. He knew that, deep down, Tyrant Alice wasn’t looking for someone unnaturally kind who would bake her a birthday cake every single day. She wanted someone who would do this without hesitation.

He had to believe that.

''If he wasn’t sure what to do, he only needed to listen to his will.

He could not take a single step away. He was certain he stood in the position needed to save Alice.

And that had to be enough to give him the strength to fight against such great power!!!