On one of the bustling streets in Academy City's School District 7, Fang Li slipped through the crowd, glancing back over his shoulder as he moved.
"She's really persistent. Even though she barely knows this place, hardly ever leaves the dorm, she still chased me this far."
Given Index's stamina, there was no way she could actually keep up with Fang Li.
Even though Fang Li wasn't tapping into most of his extraordinary abilities, even moving no faster than a regular person, a petite girl like Index shouldn't have been able to match his pace at all.
Yet somehow, Index stubbornly managed to close in, catching up to him four or five times already. Honestly, it was impressive.
"Looks like she's picked up a thing or two after a year spent on the run. She must've learned pretty well where people try to hide."
Of course, being able to put that knowledge to use so quickly was exactly the kind of thing only Index, who excelled at transforming information into action, could do.
As for Fang Li, after a whole year of special training at Butei High, he'd only managed to get a rough sense of a criminal's mindset. Most ordinary people wouldn't even get that far.
"Well, whatever. I'll just let her wander today. As soon as she gets hungry, I'll go back and make her a meal, she'll forget about all this the moment she eats."
With that thought, Fang Li turned his gaze back to the road, considering how to spend the next hour or two.
He wasn't particularly concerned about Index.
With the Walking Church on her for protection, her personal safety was practically guaranteed. Even if something unexpected happened, John's Pen was always available as a trump card, so real danger wasn't an issue.
Plus, while she stayed inside Academy City, it was impossible for Index to truly get lost.
After all, certain covert agreements existed between Academy City and the United Kingdom's Anglican Church.
Otherwise, Kanzaki and Stiyl wouldn't have been able to openly operate within Academy City, contact higher-ups, or even gather information about Fang Li as they pleased.
The main reason Index could stick by Fang Li's side was thanks to those secret protections.
If not for that, the prospect of such an important forbidden book librarian living in the headquarters of Science Side would have never been tolerated by the Magic Side factions.
In actuality, Index was constantly under Academy City's protective eye.
They might not step in directly, but they wouldn't allow anyone to harass her unnecessarily.
With this reassurance, Fang Li set aside his thoughts about Index, and decided to head over to Scorpius's base, hoping to pick up some useful intel.
However, Fang Li overlooked something.
Even when there were no magicians around, trouble had a habit of finding him.
A sharp, girlish shout suddenly pierced the air, and in the blink of an eye, a small figure materialized right in front of Fang Li.
It could only be Shirai Kuroko.
"---!"
Fang Li came to a halt just a moment before Kuroko's sudden arrival, but she wasted no time. Ordinarily, Kuroko would have launched an attack on him without a second thought. But this time, for some reason, she seemed uncharacteristically flustered.
"You bastard, what are you just standing around for?!" Kuroko snapped at Fang Li, her tone sharp and laced with impatience.
"Hurry up and come with me!" With that, Kuroko grabbed him as he stood there in complete surprise.
Shuā!
In an instant, both vanished from the spot.
Not long after, another girl came running from down the lane, also dressed in Tokiwadai Middle School's familiar uniform.
Unlike Kuroko, this girl wore her chestnut-brown hair to her shoulders, her determined eyes blazing with a competitive gleam. Her face, framed by strong brows, had an undeniable charm, and while she looked cute enough, there was something refreshingly boyish and reliable about her presence.
As soon as she arrived, her fiery gaze swept over the scene, a scowl quickly painting her features.
"Figures they got away! Damn it!"
Sparks of electricity crackled beneath her bangs, sizzling in the air.
"I finally caught up to him, don't think you can run this time!"
With that fierce declaration, she dashed off in pursuit, refusing to give up.
…
Elsewhere, on another street, Kuroko and Fang Li abruptly reappeared, drawing startled glances from nearby pedestrians.
But this was Academy City, sudden appearances were nothing unusual. Rare as teleporters were, they only attracted passing stares. Most citizens, used to supernatural events, quickly returned to their routines.
Kuroko ignored the crowd, scanning the surroundings with visible anxiety before breathing a sigh of relief.
"Good. If we've made it this far, even Onee-sama won't catch up right away."
Still being dragged along, Fang Li let out a resigned sigh.
Even if the situation was confusing, he more or less understood what was happening.
Still, it was only natural to ask for clarification.
"Don't you think you should explain things now?" Fang Li asked, glancing at Kuroko. "What's really going on here?"
At his words, Kuroko seemed to notice him for the first time and shot him an irritated look.
"What? You're still here?" she said harshly. "This has nothing to do with you. Go wherever you want."
She waved her hand dismissively, shooing him away like an unwanted pet.
"…You drag me into this out of nowhere, and now you don't even want to explain?" Fang Li said, exasperated. "Normally, wouldn't you have already tried to arrest me?"
"I'm not in the mood today, and this isn't the time," Kuroko replied coldly, refusing to meet his eyes. "Just do what you always do, find some filthy alleyway for your shady business, and everything will work out. The rest isn't your problem."
With that, she turned on her heel, intent on leaving him behind.
But if Judgment intended to treat him like trash, Fang Li wasn't the type to quietly accept it.
Pā!
Just as Kuroko turned to leave, a hand shot out and grabbed her firmly by the back of her collar, nearly choking her.
"Well, well. You really think I'm that easy to deal with, huh?"
Fang Li pulled on a smile that made Kuroko's heart skip a beat and spoke slowly, deliberately.
"Looks like unless I teach you a lesson, you'll keep thinking gangsters don't have any rights."
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 70 chapters on my patreon https://www.patreon.com/GGS6395