How would you react if I told you that life is predetermined?

That every choice, from the smallest to the most significant, is made not by your will, but by a higher decision?

That the idea of unlimited possibilities is nothing more than an illusion, and no matter how strongly you deny this fact, you cannot deviate from the path that has long been set for you?

The rich will grow richer,

The needy will experience poverty and hunger,

The righteous will remain righteous, and tyrants—tyrants.

Beautiful and ugly, strong and weak, happy and unhappy…

…Finally, the victors and the defeated.

From the dawn of time, it must be so, and no other way… What would you do if I told you that the universe does not tolerate deviations from what was ordained a millennium ago?

If so, sinners will not bear the consequences of their transgressions, and the holy never truly possessed their virtue.

What would you do if I told you that not a single action contains a grain of your own will, that they merely wait to be taken?

That each of us is merely carried along by the current of time?

I ask you—are you satisfied with such a state of affairs?

Will you bow before the idea that anything in your life is unearned, but simply bestowed?

Will you find it within yourself to forgive the universe for the way eternity oppresses the poor and innocent?

Never. Truly, never.

Those who possess this knowledge yet can still experience joy are a pitiful bunch, having forgotten the taste of true life. No more than slaves, hardly worthy of being called human.

So what will you choose? Happiness in the shackles of blessed ignorance, or the singular chance to challenge that wretched and relentless fate known as destiny?

You were born to lose, and in the shame of your defeat, you continue to meet your own demise. If you curse your fate, you are destined to find your place among us.

If a hundred battles do not yield victory, participate in a thousand.

If a thousand battles do not yield victory, take part in ten thousand.

Swear to fight for eternity, endlessly, until victory finally illuminates your souls.

Let us believe that the choice they are soon to make truly matters.

That one day they will undoubtedly shatter this cycle.

So what is your decision? My dear friends, symbols of your era. Allow me to hear your answer…

***

September 2, 2008.

19:47.

Academy City, District 7, Building Without Windows.

Dossier on a resident of Academy City. 

#AC39824653V 

For personal use only. 

Name: Kamijou Touma. 

Alias: Destroyer of Illusions/DRAGON. 

Age: 17. 

Height: 175 cm. 

Gender: Male. 

Nationality: Japanese. 

Blood Type: O negative. 

Date of Birth: January 22, 1991. 

Place of Birth: Japan. 

Access Level: SS (restricted) 

Classification: Right Hand User (true) / Esper-Gem (false). 

Ability Name: Imagine Breaker/Devourer of Sins. 

Affiliation: Special Research Institute of Dual Modification Technology (former subject).

Aleister Crowley was not one to openly express his emotions; partly because of the life support system he lived in, but mainly due to the personality with which he was born, a person whom most would label "cold" and "apathetic." Nevertheless, Aleister was still human, so there were times when he was in an elevated or tense state of mind.

And this young man was precisely one of those instances.

What was interesting and intriguing was that he had somehow managed to suppress his powers, allowing him to generate an ND field and utilize Esper abilities.

But what troubled him was that right after this, he had used his newly acquired powers and nearly created hell on earth.

— Most likely because of that butcher Kihara's actions... I knew that leaving Kamijou in his care would lead to something like this. It doesn't matter; in the end, he got something out of it. I just need to tweak the plan a bit... — thought Aleister. — Moreover, the current situation might even prove to be much more beneficial… So, what did Amata mention in her report about him?

Suddenly, one of the digital windows projected onto the autoclave containing Aleister maximally expanded and played a recording:

"In conclusion, I would recommend saving the subject's DNA map and using it for future experiments... Oh f***, who am I kidding?! Hey! Aleister! Let me kill this @#$% prick! Can you f***ing hear me?!.."

Audio report from Kihara Amata regarding incident ACe-ESP-490-692a…

— Devourer of Sins, huh? How amusing… I'm inclined to believe he has a unique sense of humor; it seems the decision to intervene directly was the right one… I needed someone to keep this rabble on a short leash… But last time, things nearly spiraled out of control; however, given the circumstances… it was hardly avoidable, — irritation was felt in his voice for the first time, — But it doesn't matter… In the end… I'm still a step ahead…

***

— Ha… Rotten luck… — Kamijou sighed heavily. — I wanted some fresh air… But getting lost in this damn nature reserve was not in my plans!

His wandering had been going on for almost twenty minutes; the bag, despite its light contents, was beginning to irritate him with its mere existence. It could have gone on like that if he hadn't heard a girl's voice coming from behind the trees.

— What if I just wipe all this from my mind? Maybe at least this way I'll free myself from all these heavy thoughts?

When Toma followed the voice, he stumbled upon a young girl who looked as though she had just started middle school, lying on her back, twirling some kind of remote control in her hand.

— What are you doing here? — he decided to ask her.

— Is it important? — she replied with a question.

— You know, lying around like that isn't the best idea, — he said, hinting at her skirt.

— Are you from the Judgement?

— Uh, no.

— Then what does it matter?

— Well, I still don't think it's right to act like that, but who am I to judge? — he shrugged, but seeing that she didn't understand, he decided to speak plainly, — It's really none of my business, but… you shouldn't be lying like that in a skirt, or someone less conscientious than me might take advantage of the situation.

A moment of silence hung in the air, and Toma could swear he saw her entire body turn crimson.

— Erase his memories! — she shouted, jabbing the remote at him.

— Um… Listen, I understand this is a pretty embarrassing situation, but erasing someone's memory just for that? Besides, I really don't care; you're as flat as a board.

— Flat as a board… A board… A board… — echoed in her mind.

— What?! — she exclaimed angrily, — Wait, do you remember what I'm wearing?

— Well, yeah. By the way, isn't it a bit early for you to wear black? You could at least dress your age; at this rate, I've seen more than if you had nothing on at all.

— Erase it!

This back and forth lasted about a minute while she furiously jabbed the remote at him.

— What the hell?! I've erased your memories 38 times already, so why is your gaze still glued to my underwear? What kind of perverse ability is this?!

— Said the girl who hasn't even thought to cover up… — he rolled his eyes, — Hmm, by the way… That outfit looks familiar; are you from Tokiwadai? Well, who would have thought I'd bump into a little defenseless lady here, — he smirked.

— What did you say?! — was her only response as she threw the remote at his face.

***

After that, Touma followed the girl, since she knew (unlike him) how to get out of this forest. If he had been left alone, he would have wandered around until morning.

— Thanks for getting me out of that Bermuda Triangle, sweetheart, — he sighed.

— My name is Shokuhuo Misaki, idiot! — she shot back angrily.

— And I'm Kamijou Touma, not "idiot."

— No, idiot! The idiot because of whom I lost my remote!

— Well, why were you throwing it at me?

— You had no right to stare at my underwear!

— Ha… Well, how much does your remote cost, anyway?

— 150,000 yen.

— How much?! With that money, I could party all over the city for a week!

— This is specialized equipment created by a private lab to help me control my abilities.

— Tch… — Toma clicked his tongue in annoyance.

— Well, in the end, it's not such a big loss, — Misaki said, pulling out another remote from her bag, — But as an apology and compensation… you'll accompany me for the rest of the day!

— Well, it could be worse… — Touma murmured quietly.

— You are honored to accompany Shokuhou Misaki, one of the seven fifth-level espers in Academy City. Consider it an opportunity to spice up your gray life.

— Fifth level?

— Yes?

— Mental Out? — he asked with even more skepticism.

— Yes! Do you have a problem with that?

— Are you kidding? I heard that the Fifth is a young girl with an amazing body!

— I am that young girl! I've always been the most advanced in my class!

Toma shot her a skeptical look.

— Listen, girl. When I mean a young woman, I meant someone with more convincing arguments than you have. So… come back in about three years, and then we'll talk, — he smiled easily.

— E-he-he-he-he-he-he…

Toma had seen a lot in his life; his experiences made him view many things with composure, but at that moment, he felt a chill run down his spine. The dark aura emanating from Misaki was almost palpable.

— C-crap… Well, that's terrifying, the sensei was right after all… Women are made for our destruction! — flashed through his mind.

— I will erase them! I will erase all your memories of this!

— Why am I so unlucky today?!

He instinctively grabbed her hand, and there was the sound of shattering glass. Misaki looked at him in surprise. Usually, in such situations, people's eyes would light up, and they would become her puppets, but this time it was different.

— Why… How are you doing this? Why doesn't it work on you? — she asked, shocked.

— Long story, — he sighed.

— I need to know! — she insisted stubbornly, not letting go of his hand.

— Ha… Alright, I'll tell you, but on one condition.

— Which is?

— For the rest of the evening, you'll temper your passion, and we'll spend it like normal people, without any attempts to erase my memories. Deal?

— F-fine, but only if you promise to answer my questions! — she replied, blushing slightly.

— Alright, I give you my word, — he smirked.

***

Surprisingly, the rest of the evening went relatively peacefully. Misaki, as promised, did not bring up the previous incident, and Toma tried not to tease her too much. After an hour, they were both completely relaxed, as if that unfortunate encounter in the forest had never happened.

— By the way, what do you have in your bag? You don't seem much like a student.

— Oh, right… I forgot about all that. I made a couple of desserts for a sweet tooth, — he smiled at the words, — But she flew off to visit her sister today, so they just sat there, — with that, he pulled out a small container from his bag, which held several desserts that nearly made Misaki drool.

— You made all this? How long have you known how to cook?

— Since I was about thirteen; do you want some? Can't let good food go to waste…

When Misaki looked at the container, she assessed each of her options and eventually decided to go with the meringue. When she took her first bite, it was as if a rich creamy flavor was dancing in her mouth. Touma saw this as a good sign; if someone from Tokiwadai liked it, then she would surely enjoy it as well.

— So, what do you think?

— It's... acceptable… — she said, turning away, not wanting him to see her expression.

— Ha-ha, well, that's probably the highest praise I've received; mostly, I only hear slurping, — Touma chuckled.

— Don't get too cocky! I'm just giving credit where it's due. You can ask anyone in my clique!

— Your clique? — he raised an eyebrow questioningly.

— Yes, my clique. You know, a small group of people with shared interests or other common traits, or in my case, a large group of people whose aim is to serve me, their Queen, — she replied, not without pride.

— I never thought the title "Queen of Tokiwadai" was so literal.

— Of course! Who do you think I am?

— You know, it somewhat resembles a gang… — Toma said, narrowing his eyes.

— What did you say?! How dare you accuse me of being the leader of some gang; my girls don't resemble those thugs, and even mentioning them like that is blasphemy! — she exploded.

— Call it what you want, but to an outsider, it certainly looks that way, — he shrugged.

— First of all, that's just ridiculous! My girls and I don't control the school through fear like some thugs; we just gather information. We're a closed group of people influencing the social hierarchy in the school, nothing primitive like what you said!

— Ah, well, if you put it that way, then sure, you girls aren't thugs...

— Ha… Well, finally he's coming around...

— You're more like a mafia...

That statement left the girl speechless, as what she had just explained to him was essentially the very definition of a mafia. Then she imagined herself sitting at a table surrounded by girls in 1940s attire, her dressed in a coat, sitting at the head of the table. Naturally, she didn't take this revelation too well, for she sank onto a bench, staring despondently at the ground.

The sight caused even Toma to feel like a jerk; he was just trying to joke with her. He understood that though she was a bit harsh and tough, she was still a young girl who didn't want to hurt anyone.

— Look… I was just joking if it means anything… — he said awkwardly.

— No… I really don't want to admit this, but… you're right about something. Now, looking back, it does seem like I'm some kind of mafia boss… Am I… a bad person? — she asked, looking him straight in the eyes.

— I don't know, that's certainly not for me to judge… — he replied absently.

— I don't understand… — she tilted her head slightly.

— I mean, that despite everything, during our conversation, what bothered you more was the fact that I talked like this about your friends rather than about you. This means that they still matter a lot to you, which shows that you care about them in your own way. And if this is what makes you happy, even just a little, does it really matter if you're considered a good person or a bad one in the eyes of others? If you and the people around you feel good together, what difference does it make what others think? Just look within yourself and do what helps you become happier… — Touma replied, sitting down next to her and gazing at the night sky.

When Misaki looked at his face, she didn't see deceit or flattery. All she saw was authenticity; he was not lying to her in any way, but simply spoke what he believed or wanted to believe himself… And for a brief moment, this made her forget everything: how people lie to her just to butter her up, whether it's scientists who want to use her for their experiments or ordinary folks who see her as a means to gain status.

But not him; she could see this in his eyes and in the way he behaved with her. He wasn't trying to impress her; he was just being himself around her, and this made her heart flutter for a brief moment when she realized that this was probably the first time she was truly herself.

— Thank you… I… I needed this… — Misaki replied with a smile.

— For something like this, you don't say thank you, — Touma told her.

— And yet… It's nice to talk like this with someone.

— Well, if you feel better, then that's good, — he shrugged.

— Maybe you could tone down the coolness a bit? — Misaki smirked.

— I tried, but people stopped recognizing me, — he joked.

*** 

After a while, the couple reached the School Garden area, where they had to part ways since boys weren't allowed in their territory.

— Thank you for tonight; to be honest, I can't remember the last time I had so much fun, — Misaki said, blushing slightly.

— I'm glad I could brighten your gray days, — he replied with irony.

— Tell me, Kamijou, are you a man of your word?

— I don't like where this conversation is heading…

— You promised me you'd tell me about your abilities, didn't you?

— Oh, right… It completely slipped my mind… — he sighed.

— Well, I had a great time, so I'm not mad. And besides, I have some things to take care of now… So let's meet here in two days; I think I can solve all my issues and make time for you.

— Is that… a date? — Tom smirked slyly.

— W-what are you talking about! We're just two people keeping their word, that's all! — Misaki replied, blushing even more.

— Relax, it was just a joke… Two days, right?… — He paused for a moment, and Misaki noticed he was eagerly waiting for her response, — No, I shouldn't be busy then.

— Deal, see you then! — she smiled one last time.

*** 

A few minutes after Touma left the Garden area, a car pulled up to him, opening the door.

— I won't even ask… — he rolled his eyes and adeptly jumped into the back seat.

— Evening, Ren, — he waved to the driver.

— And to you, Kamijou, — he nodded, glancing in the rearview mirror, — The usual?

— Uh-huh, — Tom lethargically nodded.

He then took out his PDA from his bag and quickly dialed a familiar number.

— I take it you got my letter? — the voice on the other end asked immediately.

— Yes, is this for real?

— Couldn't be more accurate; all the documents and formalities are settled, so there's no turning back now.

— When do I start? — Tom sighed resignedly.

— Tomorrow, so don't linger too long.

— I still don't understand why I have to do this… I didn't even attend school, and now this. Sensei, with all due respect, couldn't it have been avoided? If you wanted to bench me for a while, you could have just asked.

— That's exactly why I couldn't. Knowing you, you'd come up with a dozen ways to wriggle out of it, if not more. So I had to present you with the fact, — his interlocutor replied calmly.

— And still, why this way? And why there?

— They needed someone with your talents, and we graciously offered our assistance. As for the reason… You need a break, Kamijou; the city needs it too.

— I'm fine, — Tom waved him off.

— That's for me to decide. Your mental state is also extremely important; the last thing we need is for that power to spiral out of control. Otherwise, all our efforts will go down the drain, — he replied with steel tones in his voice.

— And how long will this last? — he asked, already resigned.

— At least one semester; the rest will depend on you. Consider it a kind of vacation.

— Vacation… This isn't exactly the kind of vacation I had in mind… — Tom grumbled.

— Cool it; you'll still need your energy. A chain of events is about to start, the outcome of which must end in our favor, and we'll need you at your best. So take advantage of the moment while you can.

— Ha… Alright, but my opinion doesn't matter to anyone.

— Not this time… Good luck, Kamijou; I'll be keeping track of your progress.

— See you soon, sensei, — Tom said, ending the call.

— Shokuhou Misaki, right? — he muttered softly, — Heh, perhaps this is even fateful…

*** 

School Gardens, Tokiwadai Middle School.

The next day.

The following morning, Misaki was walking through the Academy halls, lost in thought. She was contemplating the boy from yesterday who she had nearly wanted to kill at first, but after a couple of hours, he showed her a completely unexpected side. All this made her replay their meeting over and over and anticipate the next one. She found herself increasingly realizing that she was looking forward to it not just out of curiosity about the nature of his abilities but more for him himself.

These thoughts made her cheeks involuntarily flush, prompting her to shake her head to clear her mind. Now was not the time for such reflections.

Back in the real world, she finally noticed the strange atmosphere hanging in the air. All the girls in the hallways were whispering excitedly about something. There was nothing supernatural about it, after all, there were always those eager to gossip, but her experience and intuition suggested that this time things were much more complicated…

— My Queen, good morning! — Junko greeted her, her closest friend and informal deputy.

— Good morning, Junko; tell me, do you know what all this commotion is about this early? — Misaki jumped straight to the point.

— Oh, so you haven't heard?

— Heard what?

— We're getting a new teacher this semester; that's why everyone is so on edge, — she explained.

— And? What's so supernatural about that? — Misaki raised an eyebrow in query.

— Well… This is just a rumor, and to be honest, I think it's absurd, but… — Junko paused significantly.

— But?

— Anyway… Rumor has it that it will be a man.

— A man? Teaching? At Tokiwadai? I've never heard anything more ridiculous in my life! — Shokuhou exclaimed in astonishment.

— I know; I reacted the same way, but people are discussing it so fervently that I'm starting to have doubts…

— It's strange that this is the first I'm hearing of it… — Sekuho said thoughtfully.

— Well, this gossip only started circulating yesterday, and you were practically gone all day and returned just before curfew, — Junko awkwardly replied.

— I see, but still… Allowing myself to be this uninformed hurts my pride a bit. Alright, we need to get to class now, but during lunch, gather everyone; I want to know everything about this, no matter how crazy and absurd it may be.

— As you wish, — Junko nodded.

But Misaki couldn't have imagined that the answer would come to her far quicker than she expected.

As soon as the class gathered and the bell rang, the headmistress of the academy entered the classroom.

— Good morning, class; I know this is all very unexpected, but I have an important announcement for you!

A whisper swept through the audience; almost everyone guessed the nature of the announcement, but they were all eagerly waiting for the headmistress's words.

— This semester, you will have a new teacher. Our academy is currently implementing some reforms to help students better adapt to life outside the school walls. Appointing this person to this position is a sort of experiment, the result of which will determine Tokiwadai's policies and those of other schools in the Gardens area. We reached out to several institutions, and one of them kindly agreed to fulfill our request. So, without further ado, I present to you your new teacher, — she concluded her speech, then shouted towards the door, — You may enter!

The door creaked open, and the room fell into complete silence.

A young man of seventeen walked into the classroom. He had black hair styled in a buzz cut and a slight smile on his face. He was dressed in ordinary dark pants and a black t-shirt, over which he wore a wide white lab coat. Headphones hung around his neck, and his right hand was covered with a dark glove.

- Please introduce yourself, - said the principal.

- Good afternoon, class. As you've already been informed, I will be your teacher this semester, and if all goes well, in the future as well. I know this may come as a surprise to you, but let's try to get along, or at least avoid conflicts… - he said, quickly writing his name on the board and underlining it. - My name is Kihara Arima, but you can call me Kihara-sensei, - he introduced himself with a smile, casting a quick glance at the astonished Misaki. - So… let's take care of each other, shall we?