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"Although I don't want to harm innocent people, for someone so sacrilegious, I can only..."
Before Stiyl could finish, Kaito cut him off, an unimpressed look on his face.
"Only what? Kill me? Do you even hear what you're saying? Also, aren't you concerned about this girl's life or death?"
As soon as he'd finished speaking, Kaito appeared beside Index in an instant, a plain-looking longsword materializing in his hand and settling against her throat.
"This..."
Kamijou Touma started to say something, but stopped when he saw Shinobu Kocho give him a small shake of her head. He decided to wait and see how things played out. Index had been saved by Kaito and Shinobu, after all.
"You're despicable!"
Stiyl stared at the blade resting against Index's neck, anger finally breaking through his composure.
"Heh, yeah, I am despicable. So what, are you going to bite me?"
Shinobu couldn't help curling her lips at Kaito's irritating grin. This bad guy is starting trouble again.
"Fine. Let Index go and I'll leave. But if anything happens to her, I will definitely... ah! Pfft!"
Before he could finish, Kaito closed the distance in an instant and drove a vicious kick into his stomach.
"How could... cough... such a gap..."
Sprawled on the ground coughing blood, Stiyl forced his head up to look at Kaito, who stared back down at him, cold and indifferent.
"I was willing to play along because you're not an enemy, but that's no excuse to keep running your mouth. Kid, remember this: next time you run into an enemy you don't understand, the first thing you do is back off, then go get backup. Understand?"
Kaito's eyes narrowed as he spoke, his voice cold.
"I... cough... ah!"
"I asked if you understand!"
Before Stiyl could get a word out, Kaito stomped on him again.
"Under... understand..."
Hearing the answer, Kaito's face broke into a satisfied smile.
"Since you understand, then scram. You're not still hoping I'll treat you to a meal, are you?"
Enduring the pain wracking his body, Stiyl staggered to his feet and gave Index one last, lingering look before limping toward the stairwell.
"Um... will he be alright?"
Kamijou Touma watched Stiyl's retreating back, worry plain on his face.
"Don't worry, I know how to hold back. He won't die. Speaking of which, this guy was about to attack you, and you're still worried about him?"
Kaito looked at Touma with a faintly helpless expression.
"Ah... haha, I'm used to it."
Touma scratched the back of his head, looking a little embarrassed.
"Alright, aren't you going to invite us in?"
Kaito nodded toward the apartment door with a grin.
"Oh, please, come in."
Touma pulled out his key, opened the door, then scooped Index up from the ground and carried her inside.
"Shinobu, let's go in."
"Okay."
Kaito and Shinobu followed him into the living room. Once Touma had gotten Index settled, he brought out two glasses of plain water.
"Um, sorry, I don't have any tea at home. You'll have to make do with this."
Kaito waved a hand dismissively.
"It's fine, water's enough. You probably don't have the money for tea leaves right now anyway."
"How did you know?"
Touma looked at him, startled.
"Haven't you been unlucky since you were a kid?"
"You know about that too?"
"Of course. Kamijou Touma, that right hand of yours can negate any supernatural power, but you can only handle about two small-time thugs at once."
Kaito rattled off Touma's name and ability without missing a beat. Touma blinked in surprise.
"I haven't even asked yet, who are you two?"
"I'm Kaito, and this is Shinobu Kocho. Call us travelers passing through Academy City."
"I see. I'm Kamijou Touma, nice to meet you."
Kaito smiled and gave him a nod.
"By the way, want to stop being so unlucky?"
Touma froze for a moment, then let his expression settle into something distant.
"After all these years I've tried everything. Nothing's worked. I'm used to it by now."
"Is that so? Then how about you try this..."
Kaito held out a small, cute slime-shaped pendant. Touma took it without hesitation. Useful or not, it was a kind gesture, and he wasn't about to turn it down.
"What is this?"
"Think of it as a good luck charm. Just keep it on you. If you lose it, I'm not replacing it."
Kaito raised an eyebrow playfully as he said it.
"Then thank you, Mr. Kaito. I'll remember this."
Touma slipped the pendant around his neck, and immediately felt a clear sense of goodwill radiating from it.
"Alright, that little one's about to wake up, and we should head back and rest too. See you around, if there's a chance."
"Mr. Kaito, Miss Shinobu, are you two leaving Academy City?"
"Not necessarily."
"Shinobu, let's go."
"Mm."
Kaito waved at Touma, Shinobu gave him a small nod, and the two of them left the apartment. Touma watched them go, then reached up and pulled the pendant out from under his collar, eyes drifting downward as he murmured to himself.
"Will this really work?"
"Mmnh..."
Just as he was lost in thought, still turning the pendant over in his fingers, Index stirred beside him and slowly opened her eyes. Touma quickly tucked the pendant back under his collar and turned to her with a smile.
"You're awake!"
Outside, the two who'd just left Touma's apartment strolled slowly beneath a streetlamp.
"Bad guy, you really seem to like that spiky-haired kid, don't you?"
Shinobu thought back over everything Kaito had done that day, a puzzled look on her face.
"You noticed."
"It was pretty obvious. Weren't you bullying that redhead just to stick up for the spiky-haired one?"
"Heh. That guy's the type whose popularity with women only ever brings him misfortune. If I can lend a hand, I will. Besides, believe it or not, even if he'd never met you before, if you asked him for help, he'd put his life on the line for you."
Shinobu stared at Kaito, genuinely caught off guard. She hadn't expected the ordinary-looking young man she'd just met to have that kind of heart in him.
She jogged ahead of him, hands clasped behind her back, and turned around with a bright grin.
"Bad guy, you're not so different from him."
"Hahaha, Shinobu, you think too highly of me. I don't want to be a good person. I want to be a bad guy, the worst bad guy there is!"
"Hmph, bad guy, you're already plenty bad as it is!"
"Then let me show you what real badness looks like!"
Thump.
"Ouch! So painful!"