#aleister from a certain magical index

[greenteaandtattoos]

A really common villain/antagonist/definitely evil dude name I see in media is Alistair/Allister/Alistor/etc., which is a great name, I love it, I associate it with a smooth, mysterious, charismatic antagonist, which is my favorite villain trope, but I also love it because it means Man's Defender, which is hilarious for a villain/antagonist/definitely evil dude.

[project-rebirth]

A Certain Magical Index: Rebirth Testament II - Plotline Arc Master Post

I was going to put all of the ones from Series 2 and the others going forward, but I felt like it would make this list too long. So I decided to just do Series 2 for now and do the others later.

Master Post: Arcs & Storylines

This is going to be a post concerning all of the content that is planned for the future on this blog. A Certain Magical Index: Rebirth Testament is a series with the main theme of discovery, discovery of the unknown, discovery of new concepts and certain characters and what they represent. As such, some arcs will be focused on certain characters, (It could be your muse, another muse of mine or both) learning more about Kamijou Touma and who he is as a person,as he is someone who tries to save as many people as possible. Some will be focused on the Magic Side being discovered by some, the same for the Science Side, and especially the Meta Side (The side that introduces alien worlds, persons or other assorted phenomena).

With this said, most of these will be plotted out, especially the more darker and serious storylines that will be detailed here today, while there are some that are exclusive to certain mutuals of mine, as their characters, elements and/or setting will be one of the main focuses.

A Certain Magical Index: Rebirth Testament II

The Shadow King Arc (In progress)

In this arc, it's about two weeks since the Holy Grail War ended and peace has returned to Academy City, however, a multi-universal ethereal entity called the Shadow King has set its sights on Earth, specifically, Academy City and has already taken control of several Espers including, Shokuhou Misaki: the #5 Level 5 Esper and the strongest Telepath. Touma and co. must stop this entity from initiating its plans of taking over the planet.

Agnese Hunting Arc (In progress)

Agnese Sanctis, along with Sister Angeline and Sister Lucia are being pursued by a pair of twins who bear a striking resemblance to the 1st Ranked Level 5. They seek shelter from Touma who agrees to help them flee Academy City after they were sent to investigate a being known as the God Hunter. When Touma finds out what's actually going on, who the God Hunter is and what the Church plans to do, can he help them reach a compromise before the real enemy makes their move? Pertains to @xbloodsoakedx​.

Element Kingdom Arc

Touma suddenly finds himself in the city of Los Santos to see that it is much, much colder than it should be in the west cost of the United States. Not only that, but the entire population of Los Santos is missing as well. Touma, Your Muse are attacked by strange creatures who are controlled by the magician who is the lord of this space. Meeting up with Index, the group sets out to correct this anomaly and restore Los Santos back to its original state.

School Garden Arc

Because of the events with Agnese, Kamijou is unable to return to his dorm until it is repaired. As a result the board of directors are able to arrange a deal for Touma to stay in School Garden of all places, specifically Tokiwadai. Dreading  what awaits him, he is unaware of the plot that MINUS plans to undertake in School Garden, specifically for the #5 Level 5, Shokuhou Misaki.

Precure Hunter Arc

The Clock Tower of the Magic Association has put out sealing designations on the members of the Happiness Charge Precure, and has sent their enforcers to capture them.  A competition between Freelancers and Enforcers are underway as the girls become targets for Magicians looking for payment or notoriety, and Touma finds himself caught in the middle of it. Pertains to @rosecoloredmuses​

Shirai Assist Arc

Following the events of the Precure Hunter Arc, Shirai Kuroko on behalf of Judgement starts to investigate the clues left behind from the conflict. Board Chairman of Academy City, Aleister Crowley feels that Kuroko, and others will learn of the existence of the Magic Side, so to that end, Aleister employs MINUS to have her assassinated to prevent her from learning too much. This will lead to a confrontation with Shirai and MINUS in the now abandoned Misawa Cram School Building. Will result in Touma getting severely injured.

Hamazura Recruitment Arc

MINUS, despite what happened in December, still seeks to have Hamazura Shiage to their side. To that end, MINUS attempts to blackmail him into joining them by threatening the safety of ITEM, specifically Takitsubo Rikou and the young Fremea Seivlun. Hamazura gives into their demands, at least from what it seems, only in reality, he plans to face off against those MINUS members by himself. Touma and (your muse) goes to the location to help him overcome the threat that is MINUS.

SISTERS REBIRTH Arc

A man in a suit manages to abduct Last Order, prompting Accelerator to go on a Manhunt for the assalant. Both he and Last Order are quickly found by Accelerator and Misaka Mikoto and Last Order is saved. However, the two Level 5s learn of a plot to restart the SISTERS Project, prompting Accelerator and Mikoto to take immediate action by destroying the labratories behind the plot. Later Misaka Imouto is kidnapped by a Researcher who is behind the plot and was once part of the original Project, prompting Touma to get involved, to save the Sisters. Includes new technology and Touma fighting a Researcher in a fist fight. Pertains to xbloodsoakedx and tetsuwan-atom

Dragon Slayer Arc

A defected Knight from the Roman catholic Church travels to Academy City with the intent to kill Touma, believing that by slaying him as the "Dragon", he will become a Saint and gain power. To combat this, Nessicarius and the Magic Association sends Kanzaki Kaori to protect him from this deranged magician. Will include the Invisible Thing manifesting following Touma's arm getting severed at some point.

Konori Justice Arc

Touma and Bowen are brought in by Yomikawa Aiho to help Judgement and Anti-Skill in a operation against some forces of MINUS in the tunnels of District 7. There is a lot of push back from this from Anti-Skill and Judgement, but circumstances force them to help, whether the peacekeeping forces want it or not.  They end up working with Judgement member Konori Mii in order to help take down the MINUS forces in the tunnels after the three are separated from the rest of the force after a MINUS attack and cave in. Pertains to @tetsuwan-atom​.

- God's One Throne Saga -

Unholy Inquisition Arc

The Fallen Roman Catholic Church finally decides to take action against the God Hunter and other enemies of God. Replacing God's Right Seat, a new organization called God's One Throne, led by Pope Mathias Benedictus decided to deploy the Neo-Inquisition to Academy City, with the sole purpose of eliminating Violet, Touma, and Bowen due to their respective natures. In response, Aleister once again plans to use Kazakiri Hyouka against the invading forces of the Church while the Magic Association plan to send enforcers to stop the Church. A new war between Magic and Science brews.

SS: Delta Force

A short story involving Touma and his friends Aogami Pierce and Tsuchimikado Motoharu getting into mischief involving swimsuits and changing room antics. Nothing serious here.

Book of Tyranus Arc

A grimoire called the Book of Tyranus was stolen from the British Museum by God's One Throne. The organization plans to use its contents in order to transform the Earth into a violent hellscape, thus destroying all of human civilization. The Magic Association requests the aid of Index, along with Touma as her manager and Bowen, as it is a grimore from the Meta Side and has the group with Miyuki, Othinus and Rosalia in tow head over to London. Chaos ensues moments after they land as the airport becomes a battle field between the forces of the Association, and the Church. Pertains to tetsuwan-atom.

Tower of London Arc

Gimelio The Understanding, after being defeated by the Association and Touma's group, is imprisoned within the Tower of London with the Church planning his rescue. Leivina Birdway is contacted by someone to prevent this from happening, and to that end she drags Touma and Co. along. Chaos ensues in the Tower of London as they not only have to deal with deranged prisoners, but Hei The Magnificent as well. Pertains to tetsuwan-atom.

The Flood Arc

With the first two days in London filled with nothing but chaos, Touma wants to enjoy his holiday to the fullest, but there is a complication: Lessar. Lessar from New Light mails herself to the Nessicarius women's dorm that Touma and crew are forced to stay (Since they are unable to return to japan because of the chaos from the Book of Tyranus arc) and tags along with them. However, the Fallen Roman Catholic Church declares the Magic Association to be enemies of God and another member of God's One Throne, VAVA The Gloriousmounts their attack on London. Chaos ensues when the water manipulating magician takes control of the Thames in the conflict.

Thor Challenge Arc

The Magician Thor wishes to fight Touma once more, to that end, he gets him involved in rescuing the 10% of missing child cases in England from the hands of God's One Throne, who continues to use them as disposable tools. Meanwhile, the Association and the Knights of England work together to find the hideout of the remaining members of God's One Throne in London and defeat them. More chaos ensues.

- MINUS Saga -

(Note: The MINUS saga runs concurrently along with the God's One Throne Saga after Delta Force SS and due to who it focuses on, it has more of s railgun feel and manga-like structure storywise. Meaning, they are longer in some cases)

Day 1.

After a phone conversation between Touma and the Railgang, Uiharu Kazari takes an interest in the boy, although is unable to properly remember his name and face because of how unremarkable it is. Meanwhile, Anti-Skill and Judgement conduct a joint operation against MINUS throughout the city. We learn that the Outsourcer for the Plan of Attack was a Pyschology expert by the name of Echidena Kihara Romefeller. The plan of attack results in tragety the side of Judgement and Uiharu seeks to uncover the identity of the Outsourcer, while at the same time conducting her own personal investigation into Kamijou Touma.

Day 2.

In her investigation into Touma, Uiharu asks her best friend Saten what he means to her. because of the timing of it, the question makes  Saten very uncomfortable  and is unable to anser due to having to go to school. Later, Uiharu continues her search for the escaped MINUS members, the identity of the Outsourcer, and more digging into Touma. Uiharu hacking into Touma's file results in her getting threatened by a sniper. She and Konori head over to Touma's school in order to gain information on a member of MINUS who used to go there. After this and more, Uiharu meets up with Saten again, the two argue for a bit regarding what happened earlier in the morning, but make up in the end. They meet up with Mikoto and Kuroko in order to question Touma in relation to his involvement in the Tower of LOndon Arc.

After this, the quartet head over to district 10 in order to face off against the remaining 232 members of MINUS who are hiding there. Anti-Skill and Judgement once again working together, only this time with Anti-Skill leading the charge. Yomikawa also brings in outside help in the form of Hamazura Shiage, Hattori Hanzou, Kuruwa, and Violent Violet. As this operation becomes a battlefeild for the hackers, (Uiharu and the MINUS hacker), the four volunteers are paired with the Railgang in order to protect Uiharu so she can hack into the machines and auromated weapons that MINUS has under their control.

After the conflict is over, the Railgang encounters Thor in Heaven Canceller's hospital to steal some drugs he plans to use on Touma as it ties into the Thor Arc.

Day 3.

The war against MINUS continues as the organization makes their next move to recover their captured member from Anti-Skill and Judgement. Interogations will happen featuring the appearance of Shokuhou Misaki and Kumokawa Seria, and a disturbing revelation is discovered that could potentially put Academy City and Tokyo in danger. Anti-Skill and Judgement move to stop this plot along with the help of a newly reformed GROUP?!

Day 4.

MINUS is on its last legs with most of its members in custody. Uiharu finds herself on a bus with a bomb that is about to blow up and she has to figure out how to stop it. Kamijou Touma finally returns home after his escapades in London, but as expected, it may not be a peaceful return.

Foul Resurrection Arc

After the incidents with MINUS and God's One Throne, Touma tries to enjoy his return to Academy City, but all of that is thrown out the window when he and Index are suddenly attacked by a strange serpent creature. Later, they encounter a woman in blue and find out that the serpent has been going around killing people. Wanting to stop this, Touma gets caught up in a dark plot involving the return of a certain old foe of Accelerator and Violent Violet. Pertains to xbloodsoakedx.

Hashmal Ascension Arc

Touma encounters a girl with silver hair and blue eyes who follows him around for some reason. Little does he know that this girl is somehow connected to the Pope and God's One Throne. A new conflict between Magic and Science continues.

The Great Magician War Arc (Final)

Following God's One Throne and the Pope's attack on Academy City, Inori Bendictus is taken away to Vatican City in order to enact his plans of using her power to bring forth the Promised Land --- which will result in the eradication of the human race. In the mist of all of this, the Vatican declares war on Academy City, the Magic Association, and the rest of humanity, branding them all as heretical. The final battle with the Grand Roman catholic Church commences as the forces of Magic the forces of Science, and the forces of the Kamijou Faction, all move forward to stop the Pope and save one girl.

If you are interested in writing any of these with me, please feel free to message me!

[zedpercyfan]

Bunch of A Certain Magical Index thoughts

After I re-watched Date a Live and found it so lovely I figured it was time to re-watch To Aru (just Index, watching Railgun right now would be too complicated) to re-evaluate it.  I’ve been dropping thoughts about it elsewhere and wanted to drop them here as well:

First arc is quite the gem because it's so tonally different to the rest of the arcs. It's a somber and gritty-esque introduction to the series. Touma's confession about his memory loss in retrospect hits hard for me.

Deep Blood is pretty interesting though disappointedly Himegami’s brought on only to do nothing. Truly Kamachi’s biggest oversight.

Sisters arc on the other hand is really something else. Re-watching it really made me appreciate the writing, solid emotional stuff.

The following are just plain funny:

Said by Ms. Komoe:

Yeah, S1 is great. The whole thing's a lot better than people give it credit for. The Kazakiri arc for how much it juggles sets up the franchise's later arcs really well. Always been a favorite, plus it delivers on the science vs magic.

I've always enjoyed the Orsola Aquinas Rescue arc. Is it a bunch of hearsay? Yes and as a Catholic myself it's a rough arc to swallow but it's little blurb about the inner politics of the magic sect is interesting. Plus the action it has never hurts. That and how can an arc go wrong when Kamijou concludes the action by punching a nun not once but twice. Absolute madness but it's brilliant.

Touma is an absolute unit during the Daihasei Festival. It’s no understatement just how noble he is, on the 1st day he had to play cat & mouse to stop the Roman Orthadox from subjugating Academy City all while playing it cool yet avenging his comrades and friends who were hurt in the scuffle, Himegami and Fukiyose were just innocent bystanders and it's no joke just how this affected him. 

Then the next day Misaka and co. get into a mess involving a rogue scientist, she gets turned into a living weapon and Kamijou has to save her.

It is 100% in character for Kami to not ask for thanks but I encourage all to recognize just how messed up he got from that festival. Dude saves Academy City twice and his thanks is a kick to the head and then off to another arc. BRUH, he deserves a knighthood.

In general I love how color plays an important factor in Accelerator‘s character journey.  J.C. Staff does something not in the novel during the Academy City Invasion Arc where he’s under the bridge‘s shadow and before he steps into the street lights he gets attacked.

Index II as a whole is definitely my favorite of the three seasons.  The arcs are complex, dark AF, and generally the series is more on point than in I. It's funny though how it concludes with Misaka's mom almost being killed but Railgun never addresses that.  

One could argue that given the scale of the Academy City Invasion (absolute favorite) that it could've ended there but I like that it ends with Kamijou defending one person with all his might.  It's a real in-character way to end the season.

After watching the Document of Constantine Arc, yeah, not sure if dub is the wisest choice but then it could also be that the VAs had to get back into the stride of it since it'd been years. Not BAD but it is an information dump that needs clever voice acting.

Battle Royale Arc is held contempt by To Aru fans but IMO it's not the worst; though I have the benefit of this being about my 4/5th watch of it. You can still follow what exactly is happening with BLOCK and SCHOOL. Not great but not as bad as most made it out to be.

That and Hamazura successfully kicked ass this arc, what a dude and what a debut. It's definitely a challenging arc but my advice on it is that it's steeped in lore based on Aleister's motives and the motives of GROUP's members.

[herokamijoutouma]

Muse List

Name: Kamijou Touma (Touma Kamijou)

Age: 16

Gender: Male

Height; 168 cm (5'6")

Bio

Touma is a first-year highschool student who is a resident of Academy City, designated as a Level 0. He possesses the mysterious "Imagine Breaker" in his right hand, which is capable of negating all forms of magic, esper powers, and other divine abilities. This, according to some, even includes his own good luck, as they are the blessings of God. He has a very strong desire to aid all those who are in need even if it means putting his life on the line and will not hesitate to challenge an opponent who is several times more powerful than himself. Because of his willingness to help others unconditionally, he has attracted the affections of many characters in his adventures.

Personality & Character

Touma is the type that acts before he thinks. He can never just sit around upon seeing someone in a pinch and will go to great lengths to protect or help the person. This he does at great risk to himself, which typically results in him being hospitalized for several days after each confrontation. When fighting seriously against a particularly strong opponent, Touma will usually first declare that he'll "destroy that illusion" of theirs, before actually engaging. When asked about the reason why he saves people, he answered: "I don't need a reason to save someone". Even when he is in a blank slate after losing his memories, Touma still displays this personality.

Despite his righteous and heroic personality, Touma occasionally displays poor choice of words which results in him getting bitten by Index, having bolts of lightning thrown by Misaka Mikoto, and creating misunderstandings with the other girls he encounters. 

Powers & Abilities

Touma's ability is Imagine Breaker (幻想殺しイマジンブレイカー Gensō Goroshi (Imajin Bureikā)?, lit. "Illusion Killer"), a mysterious power that resides in his right hand that he has had since birth. It is able to negate all supernatural powers including magic, esper, and divine powers, the last of these demonstrated by Archangel Gabriel's fear of touching him. It is also speculated by Index that it negates the divine protection of God and his blessing, as well as the red string of fate. Touma is the current holder of the Imagine Breaker, and the mysterious power itself has a preference to Touma being its bearer, as there is meaning in Touma having it in his right hand, or in Fiamma's own words: "the right hand is only the right hand when it is growing from his right shoulder." According to Othinus, Touma's knack for escaping dangerous situations through external factors and his inability to die is a form of misfortune as well, and she refers to it as the "greatest of all [his] misfortunes".

Since it is not an esper power, the people testing esper abilities cannot detect or properly classify it, so he was classified as Level 0 as he has nevertheless passed through the Power Curriculum Program. As such, Aleister Crowley considers him neither an esper nor a magician but rather a normal person with a unique ability. This gray area allows Touma to participate and get involved in the intrigue of the other side without causing a political backlash for technically being part of the Science Side.

Verses

A Certain Distorted Singularity (Fate Verse)

After a series of unexpected events, Touma is dragged into a Singularity in which the Chaleda Security Organization moves in to stop. After resolving the incident, Touma is brought in as a freelancer of sorts to help Chaldea whenever they need his assistance. He gets along fairly well with the Master and most of the staff, however, most servants are cautious around him due to the nature of Imagine Breaker. This vague cautiousness remains even after they have accepted him as a trust worthy ally.

Because of the danger of Touma accidently negating a servant out of existence, he wears a shroud around his right hand which suppresses Imagine Breaker’s affects.

A Certain Song That Destroys Illusions (Symphogear verse)

Following his antics with Academy City’s Number 3 Level 5, Misaka Mikoto, Kamijou Touma is somehow transported to another version of Earth where the moon has a huge creator on its surface and rings. He is caught up in an attack by the Alca-Noise and winds up meeting the wielder of Gungnir, Tachibana Hibiki. Touma is then introduced to S.O.N.G and the other gear wielders and decides to help them in their battles against the Alca-Noise and the forces that controls them ---- while also looking for a way to return to his earth.

A Wish That Destroys Illusions (Dragon Ball Verse)

After an experiment to detect other worlds caused by the Kiharas goes awry, Academy City is transported to the Earth in the Dragon Ball Universe.There, Touma must contend with beings far stronger than he has ever faced previously. Eventually, he meets a certain Saiyan who has saved the universe many times who then trains Touma to properly contend with the threats their earth and Academy City now faces.   Touma is not able to reach the level of the Saiyans and is still an amateur as a fighter, however, his imagine breaker gives him an advantage over his enemies which allows him to negate Ki attacks and Ki fields.

A Certain Unknown Imagine Breaker ( AU)

This verse diverges from canon early on resulting in some significant changes. Touma meets Mikoto one year prior to the main story timeline and is close friends with Arisa Meigo. More info to be given.

(More muses and their info coming soon)

[loretemple777]

Ch-1: Book of 777

"Edward, ah, Edward! Why are you so stupid?! "

"Oh, even people who believe in God do such ugly deeds.... In this case, reading the Bible without understanding the real truth, will inevitably not make you attain the truth, blindly following the teachings of the ancestors and giving up your own thinking is truly pitiful."

"One would go mad if one took the Bible seriously; but to take it seriously one must be already mad." (Said by Aleister Crowley, search it if you want, I'm just quoting his words.)

The boy named Edward Alexander Crowley whispered in a perplexed voice mixed with a tinge of mockery:

"...In this case, it is up to me to find out the truth, it is up to me to retrieve the road lost because of people's stupidity and blindness!"

...

Early Twentieth Century, 1919.

—London, England.

Roy Crowley put down the book he had just read on the old wooden table heavily. He rubbed his forehead with his hand and whispered tiredly:

"...this book is really worthy as a 'Book of Magical Ways'. Just reading this 'Original Grimoire' is as painful as consuming brain poison."

"If a normal person reads it, he will definitely be eroded by the 'poisonous' content, and will either go crazy or die."

"...Ha, sure enough, I'm not a normal person? Or should I be grateful towards the blood flowing inside my veins?"

Roy laughed at himself mockingly, got up from his chair and took a deep breath to calm his chaotic mind.

He turned his sight and turned his attention to the surroundings. A slightly old apartment, with some old furnitures arranged orderly.

The furnitures were wiped clean, the few decorations on the walls were also unique, and there was a small potted plant placed beside the window sill.

There were no objects of luxury and comfort inside the room. The most valuable thing was the bookcase densely packed with books placed in the corner of the room.

From the furnishings in this room, it can be seen that although the owner of the room is not someone impoverished, he is absolutely unrelated to the word 'wealth'.

But, Roy was very satisfied with his 'cozy little hut'. In early twentieth century just after the end of World War I, being able to live in the residential area of London with his sister, instead of dwelling in slums was already a blessing for him. There was nothing more he could possibly ask for.

I don't know if I should thank the father who I have never met, or the mother who died not long after giving birth to us siblings?

Ah, I should probably be thankful to the mother. Although this biological mother was not able to nurture us, it was more of a force majeure.

As for the existence called father, he may have even forgotten us siblings.

Fortunately, Roy was a reincarnator who already had some work experience before his reincarnation.

Although the life from scratch after reincarnating into another world was difficult, he still worked it out somehow. With his own maturity, he brought up his sister smoothly.

Thinking about this, Roy looked at the book on the table and touched it with his fingertips with a complex expression on his face.

The cover felt cold, and the book looked very new, without any historical heaviness, but if this book is thrown into the magic world, it will definitely cause a sensation among all magicians.

—"Book of 777"

—Author: Aleister Crowley

"A Certain Magical Index..."

Roy murmured slowly, then shook his head helplessly.

Soon after he reincarnated into this world, he already knew which world he had reincarnated into.

He is very familiar and unfamiliar with the world of 'A Certain Magical Index' at the same time.

Familiar, because he has seen this anime before. Although he can't recall many minute details, he does remember some general plot of the anime anyway.

Unfamiliar, because he seems to have transversed a 'little bit' earlier before the start of the plot.

To be specific, a whole hundred years in advance! Let's not talk about the all 'famous' Academy City.

Even his father, Aleister Crowley, the big boss behind the scenes is still alive and well, rather then floating inside a nutrient tank like a hanged man.

At this point of time, when interpersonal relationships between different characters are unfamiliar and the various forces are even more unfamiliar to him.

Roy did not went out to mix in the magical world to die, but choose the most correct decision, which is to be live a simple, honest life with his sister in this shabby London apartment.

Roy didn't have any idea of visiting Aleister Crowley at all, he even wished that this father of his could roll out as far as he could.

If his memory is not wrong, currently Aleister Crowley was being chased by the magicians, churchs, magic cabals, magic gods, etc.

In fact, he was being pursued by everyone. At this time, the thing most desirable to any magic user in this world is— Aleister Crowley's death! It is not an exaggeration to say that he is the enemy of the whole world.

If you dare to run out and say that you are Aleister Crowley's son, you betcha, you will have to face countless magicians chasing you like mad dogs, hunting you day and night, it will be difficult for you to live a day more, no, even a minute more.

Now Roy feels quite fortunate that Aleister has forgotten about their existence. Even as a father, he has forgotten his son and daughter, let alone other magicians.

This gave Roy and his sister a relatively stable living environment.

Moreover, Roy can't do anything even if he wants to go out and do something. He has no innate superpowers, and at this time there is no Power Curriculum Program of the Academy City, so there is no question of even becoming a esper.

Roy knows how to cast magic, but only a little. These magic were learned by Roy through self-study.

He did not receive basic education in magic since he was a child. So, he could only rely on some of the magic books left by Aleister.

Roy's mother should have been Aleister's close lover, and Aleister had definitely lived in this apartment, otherwise he would not keep so many of his books here.

The books in the bookcase were currently Roy's greatest wealth. And the most valuable of these wealth is the book Roy put on the table—"Book of 777".

In the Christianity, the number 7 has a great important, representing completeness and perfection.

God took 7 days to create the world, and he also took rest on the seventh day.

In the Book of Revelation, God listed 7 church.

7 are the seven spirits of God. In the process of God's judgment, there are seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls and even seven plagues.

God gave Noah 7 days of grace.

Solomon built the temple in seven years and there are even 7 biblical feasts.

Jesus Christ spoke the famous 'Seven Last Words'.

--Etc, etc.

'777' is the most important number in the Bible, and it has great magical power.

If anyone in the magical world sees the 'Book of 777', they will doubt that this is a holy book related to Christianity.

In fact, what is recorded in this book is indeed some analysis and mysterious rituals of the Kabbalah, Tree of Life, some Angel's name, it even possess content on astrology and divination.

(Author's Note: 'Book of 777 ' actually exists in reality, and it was written by Aleister Crowley.)

But only Roy, who has read this book for more than ten years, knows that the knowledge recorded in 'Book of 777' are just the most superficial things on magic.

What this book really explains are the thoughts of Aleister Crowley. It can be said to be Aleister's masterpiece, his true path of 'magick', as he describes it.

What is recorded in this book is not mainly about the Kabbalah, the 'Tree of Life' at all, but the inverted tree twisted by Aleister, also known as the 'Tree of Evil', Qliphoth.

The Qliphoth is the completely opposite tree to the Kabbalah, covering another side of the world.

Though the Qliphoth is often interpreted as a 'Tree of Evil', being the inverse of the Kabbalah which is protected by angels, having demons as the guardians of its spheres, it's essence is not an absolute evil.

With appropriate training and experience, it can assist in acquiring dangerous hidden knowledge found in the world.

However it will inevitably trip up anyone who tries to view it with insufficient training or resolve.

'7' was originally the sacred number of the Christianity, but Aleister connects the '7' with the 'beast', so that this magical code became a book full of 'human evil', and the whole article is filled with paradoxes.

Twisting the holy number, a act against God showed Aleister's arrogance!

"He deserves to be called the 'Beast of the Apocalypse', 'the most evil man in the world', 'Beast666', this is simply abandoning the world created by God."

Roy exhaled heavily. Just thinking of the contents recorded inside 'Book of 777', made Roy feel a deep pain in his head.

The 'toxin' of the book describing the original sin, full of 'human evil' seemed to almost destroy his spirit. Dragging his soul inside a filthy, vicious swamp.

At this time–

"Brother, I'm back!"

A sweet and pleasant voice came from outside the apartment door.

_______________________________

Some of you may have difficult in understanding his 'personality' in the beginning and even find it bizzare but it will be made fully clear to you all within 50 chapters.

[the-real-viva-la-snowbaz]

Feelings

Chapter 1: Tension

A/N: Everyone is genderswapped in this Carry On AU: because the world needs more fem!snowbaz. Mild smut below the cut ~

There she was, sitting across the classroom. Looking like the fucking sun.

Sophie Snow.

She looked bored, half asleep. Bronze curls bobbed as she nodded her head drowsily. Drooping lashes eclipsed the blue of her eyes. Her school jumper slid haphazardly across her shoulders.

Crowley. I wonder what she’d look like with that shirt off?

Intrusive though. Intrusive gay thought. Out. Out. Get out.

Basil Pitch flipped her hair to the other side of her face to shield it from the person sitting on other side of the room. She was vaguely aware of the Minotaur talking in monotone, occasionally nailing the kids in the front row with spit. Gliding her pencil absently across her notebook, she tried to focus on the columns of notes marching down the page.

She couldn’t.

When the period finally ended, Baz swept up her books and made a dramatic exit. Bumping past a certain obnoxious blonde in the doorway sent a shiver up her spine. Her confident, even stride nearly faltered. Scowling, she stood straighter and turned up her nose.

My life is academia, familial obligations, and a war on Sophie Snow. I don’t have time for this. I don’t have time to fall in love.

“Hey, Baz!” Dana ran up to her and jogged her elbow, causing her textbooks to slide dangerously.

Baz gasped and caught them before they fell over entirely. “Don’t do that, you idiot. These are four hundred years old, at least. I shan’t allow them to be destroyed by your foolery.”

“Sod off.” Dana rolled her eyes. “Nothing a spell can’t fix, neh?”

“Can’t you leave me alone?”

“Nope.”

They walked across the lawn, shoes squelching in the fresh morning mud. Mummer’s tower rose like a beckoning finger above the newer, flat-roofed buildings huddled around it. The sun peeked out from behind the merciful blanket of cloud covering the sky, and Baz flinched.

“You alright?”

“Yeah.” Baz ignored the burning sensation in her skin and focused on each step she took, and the fact that every second brought her closer to the indoors, and the darkness.

Dana left after walking her to her room at the top floor (“I need to hear about the game, Baz! And possibly steal your Poli Sci notes off you from last week.”). Thank the gods, Snow wasn’t back yet. She was probably off somewhere with Bunce. Or at a meeting with the Mage.

The curtains were fluttering, and the window was open. Fuck. Baz ran over and  slammed it shut, heaving the old glass pane down with a grunt. It creaked loudly, but finally surrendered. The curtains drooped and blocked out the sun.

Baz plunked her books down on her desk with a sigh. Sitting down and opening her laptop, she started to type up her notes from her last class. It was horribly mechanical, so her mind began to wander--as usual.

She wondered what Sophie was up to.

The Mage was probably planning another offensive-- Fyonn had taken her aside the last time she was visiting at home to warn her.

“The Old Families need you to keep an eye on that Snow girl,” he’d said. He lit a fag and let the smoke curl around his face as he stared Baz down. “The usurper is gathering strength. She plans to put her Chosen One to good use--more than likely to erase all our magickal heritage and forcibly drag us into his grand new world. Well, we’ve got to show her that the Pitches, at least, will have none of it.”

The door to their room slammed open. Baz closed her eyes slowly and let out an even sigh. A long, annoyed exhale.

“Snow. You’re not twelve. When will you learn to enter a room discreetly?”

She turned her head to gaze disdainfully at her roommate. Snow was leaning against the doorframe, panting, and scowling.

“Did you just run up the entire flight of stairs? But why on earth would you ever put in effort? I bet you have mint Aero bars stashed away somewhere in here, and you just couldn’t wait to have at them.” Have at me. Please.

Snow’s face scrunched up in the most adorable pout I’ve ever seen. She huffed and tried to spit back something in response, but she couldn’t force the words out. Typical.

“Fuck you, Baz.” The Pitch heir knew she’d won. Sophie chewed her fingernail and glared at her for a mesmerizing second before stomping off to the bathroom and banging the door shut behind her.

Ordinary blue eyes. Bouncing bronze curls that flew around her face and refused to stay neat, no matter how Snow fussed or Bunce spelled. Flushed, smooth skin. Beautiful hips.

Aleister Crowley.

Baz grunted and pulled a book from the stack next to her. As she cracked it open, the odor of must and age floated up into her face. Oh, the lengths to which one must go for the sake of a grade. She coughed once and waved her hand to disperse the dust swirling around her.

Chapter 3: Syntax and Spellcraft of the early 12th Century…

Soon Baz had forced her brain into a studious, methodological beat, taking copious notes and putting together index cards in alphabetical order. This was her element--this was why she was at the top of their class. When Baz was studying, she never felt like a failure. She didn’t have to think about Snow or the war or the Old Families. All that existed for her was the text and her assignment, and the only goal in sight was mastery. Yes, Baz Pitch would keep her place at the top, despite simmering politics and her infuriating roommate.

She was just turning to Chapter 4 when a noise from the bathroom made her look up from the page and listen.

“Merlin!” a choked whisper, barely audible through the closed door. Sophie whimpered. Baz heard another nondescript thumping noise.

Looking across the room at the mirror hanging on one wall, Baz took the opportunity to practice her patented Arrogantly Irritated Look, complete with a signature eyebrow raise. What the hell was Snow even doing?

Wait.

No. Oh… Crowley.

All the blood that could be spared rose to Baz’s face as the realization sunk in. Crowley, fucking Crowley. Stevie Nicks and Gracie Slick.

Another moan--louder this time--confirmed Baz’s suspicions.

Sophie bloody Snow was… getting off just ten yards away, behind a closed door. She probably thought Baz couldn’t hear her; but she’d forgotten to factor in her roommate’s enhanced vampire senses.

Baz tried--in vain--not to imagine the scene on the other side of the bathroom door. Everything about Sophie Snow was a scene. Her magic was explosive. She had no sense of discretion or subtlety. She was the lead actress in the catastrophe that was the world of mages. As far as Baz was concerned, she was an angel sent from heaven… And fuck, to think of the unholy, unholy things she was probably doing at this very moment.

The moaning spiked, drawing a gasp from Baz. Her attention entirely diverted from her books, she dumbly blinked at the bathroom door. X-ray vision--what she wouldn’t give…

Baz, without thinking, cupped her breast in one hand and stretched her head as far back as she could manage, closing her eyes and drowning in the noise. A tiny sigh parted her lips.

“Snow…” she whispered, nearly inaudible even to herself. Baz’ lips worried the empty air. “Snow, fuck…”

She squirmed a little in her chair, completely dead to everything else but her thoughts of Sophie, mixed with the beautiful sounds echoing from the bathroom.

Baz was dancing on clouds--she was practically high. And when Sophie finally peaked with an ill-repressed shriek, Baz was dizzy. Dead gone.

When Sophie emerged with a red face and tangled curls, Baz sat up and quickly leaned back over her homework. Trying to pretend that she hadn’t just heard her roommate/arch-nemesis cum, and especially pretending that she hadn’t liked it.

Out of the corner of her eye, Baz saw Sophie give her a once-over, like she was vaguely suspicious that she might have heard. What an idiot. After a few seconds of complete silence from Baz, Sophie shrugged and walked over to her own desk. Good. Let it stay that way--keep that distance, Snow. Then maybe the day I kill you won’t be quite as exquisitely painful.

*******

We don’t speak about the Incident, Snow and I. She’s under the impression that she got away with stealth-wanking, and I’m absolutely not going to let on that I know better.

Coach Marci has upped our practice hours, so I’m not in my (our) room as frequently-- thank Crowley. I couldn’t handle the dead minutes just sitting across from Snow, trying not to think about what happened last week.

I come back late now. I’m barely getting any homework done, and I’m always tired from football and from hunting. I feel myself spiraling into a queer sort of insanity… an inexplicable, sucking void of distance and indifference. Dana and Nia noticed within a few days--good girls, those two--but were distinctly unhelpful.

“You alright, Baz?” Nia said one afternoon during lunch.

I rubbed my temples. “Other than a raging headache, I’m just fine.”

“That’s all tosh, and you know it,” Dana piped up. She took another sandwich from the tray between us. “There’s obviously something the matter. You usually have the your Potions assignments done at least a week before they’re due. And when I asked for help on mine, you said you hadn’t finished.”

“I haven’t.” I growled.

“Something’s up. Is it the Families? Or Snow?”

“Shut up, Daniella.” I hissed, wincing at how close to the truth she had come.

Oh, how close. And oh, how far.

Every time I think about her--the way she winds her fingers through her glorious bronze curls when she’s deep in thought, how she laughs when Penrose tells a particularly sordid joke, the noises she made behind the bathroom door, all of it--every memory twists the knife deeper.

There’ll be that final battle. We’ll have to kill each other. (No.) (I couldn’t kill her.) (Not ever.) Or she’d kill me.

That’s how it’ll end: death at the hands of the only girl I’ll ever love. Of course. How else?

Every day I fall harder. And every day, it drives me closer to the end.

[sublimegentlemanalpaca]

(And now for something completely different). Some what I suppose could be considered favorite anime, followed by a certain top 6 anime

Oh my goodness! A post from me that doesn’t relate to the Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica? Clearly this is a sign that the end is NIGH!!! Nah. Just bored and thought ‘meh why not?’.I could not think of an actual top 10 and such, so I decided to go with six I know are absolute favorites, and a few that I suppose I’d consider favorites, but am unsure of the order. With that long preamble out of the way( I do go on at times don’t eye) here a list of some anime I enjoy, some of which you could say are favorites. Mind you, this is just Series. As such the Amazingness that is Studio Ghibli won’t be found here.(note, the titles will be in all caps to distinguish them. Does not mean the titles are actually in all caps( with one or two exceptions). NEON GENESIS EVANGELION:The First in what I understand to be called the Gainax Trinity of Mech anime( which is odd given the loads of Judeo-Christian Symbolism in this show) So, this is an odd choice. I will admit this had been one of those ones I always heard about but never had any interest in watching. I knew about it, I knew things related to it (memes, a spoiler, that it had both one of the most beloved anime characters, and one of those most hated). One day the first two Rebuild movies were on Toonami. Having nothing else to do I decided ‘eh why not’ and watched the two of them. I enjoyed them. The animation was nice, music amazing at times (the song Fate in particular). All in all solid.” (Even though some moments were tinged by the knowledge of certain spoilers). Some time later (In summer I think), I once again found myself with not much to do, so I decided I’d give the series a look. Watched it, enjoyed it for the most part. Could certainly understand why some may dislike it. All in all nice (if depressing at times). On a related note, probably one of the best bits of music is God’s Gift. Just sounds cool. Favorite character....hm....not too sure...Rei maybe? I’ll admit I’ve only seen the whole series once. Moving on FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST BROTHERHOOD : Once again, thank you Toonami. While this has some things about anime that tend to annoy me usually ( the drastic changes in animation for comedic effect could get very grating at times) the series as a whole was great. Awesome animation, action, music, and characters. Wonderful story, and entertaining villains as well. Overall just great. This was also a series I recommended to a friend who ended up getting into anime because of it. Sure they cursed my name for enternity after it but still. Favorite character...probably Ling Yao. He’s great. EUREKA SEVEN: Once again, Toonami (I swear not all of these are from Toonami). Giant Robots on Hoverboards. Awesome! Oh and some other stuff. Coming of age story, tolerance, a quite sweet romance (not the best, but still sweet at times). A mindscrew here or there. Probably the longest of the shows on this list. Had a sequel that is better left ignored and forgotten (What I remember of said sequel seemed closer to Evangelion than Eureka Seven). Also pretty sweet music. TOP SIX. Okay, into actually being able to list them. Number one being the best. 6) ONE PUNCH MAN: So aside from just being a great and hilarious series in general, this goes down as a favorite because it got friends of mine who otherwise wouldn’t give a Flying Fig for anime into anime. At least, into this one. Kick ass theme song, hilarity, and some solid superhero stuff. Really if you haven’t checked it out, I’d suggest you do so. FC: hm..probably Mumen Rider. 5) KINO’S JOURNEY: A young girl Traveling the world with her sentient and talking Motorcycle. Each new country displaying a different sort of society. Really this one is just relaxing and brimming with creativity more often than not. Came across it on Amazon. Simply just a lovely show. Though relaxing at times it can get pretty damn dark. Be warned, you’ll likely cry at least once. FC: Kino herself. 4) FLCL: Toonami again. This actually is in all caps. I’m trying to think of how to explain this. Mindscrew, sheer what the fuck st times, Giant robots( the second in that aforementioned Gainax trinity), a coming of age story, Guitars, Aliens, eyebrows, Robots again, and did I mention what the fuck? There’s a second and third series on the way, and you can be sure as hell that I’ll watch it. Favorite character...fuck if I know. Naota? 3) FATE ZERO (and I suppose by extension the Fate Franchise): Seven Figures from Myth, Legend, and History called forth by Seven mages to battle for the Holy Grail which may grant them any wish of their desire. What’s not to love about that premise? I mean, I guess you might not be a fan of action...I digress. Anyway, this is a prequel to another show called Fate Stay Night, though Zero is generally considered to be the better of the two. Music is great, as are the characters (some certainly better than others). Mind you if I have one gripe with the Fate Franchise...well actually two, but one is just following off the other...one gripe it would be some of the character designs. I’m still not sure why Gilgamesh is a blonde white guy. While I can accept King Arthur being a woman (actually one of the best characters), does it have to keep being done to recorded historical figures? And with those historical figures, why is it so damn difficult to make people there are actual photographs of look like how they looked ( glares at A certain Magical Index version of Aleister Crowley). That out of the way, most character designs are still pretty acceptable. At least in Fate Zero. Favorite character? No contest, Rider aka Isekander !! 2) STEIN’S; GATE: Time Travel is great. Affecting the time line with text Messages sent back in time via a modified Microwave? Also great. A Self proclaimed Mad Scientist Character voiced by one of my favorite voice actors J. Michael Tatum? Amazing! Truly Stein’s; Gate is one of the best (the second best it seems) anime I’ve had the pleasure of seeing. Animation, story, characters all solid. An amazing main character, and of course TIME TRAVEL! Always a fan of Time Machine centered stories, and what an interesting Time Machine this is. Drum roll please? 1) SPICE AND WOLF: You would think a show about Shop talk of Medieval Economics would be brining right? WRONG! While it’s a joke to say ‘I watch it for the economics’ it has legitimately been a part of several people’s interest in this show. There’s also another point of interest, but before that I’ll try and give a decent summary of the premise. Traveling Merchant Kraft Lawrence finds himself in the town of Pasole who are just beginning a Harvest celebration centered around a Godess, Holo the Wise Wolf. Due to some circumstances Lawrence crosses paths with this Goddess and deal is struck. The people of Pasole are no longer needing Holo thanks to advancements in Agriculture technology and methods. Hilo asks if Lawrence would be able to bring her to her home in the North. Thinking he may get some good luck out of it, on top of just being a decent guy, Lawrence agrees. So two start Traveling North, Lawrence working at his trade, and trying to keep certain features of Holo hidden lest she be taken in by the Church. Now the another reason to watch this show, plain and simple, is the interactions between these two. The Banter is simply beautiful at times. Their relationship also eventually develops into one of the sweetest and simply lovely romances I have ever seen. One thing I must insist on, watch the Dub. The performances of J. Michael Tatum and Brina Palencia as the two main leads are simply fantastic! The music of the show (The score and first opening at least) are also made of awesome! There is one downside though. The series is based on a series of 17 light novels. The two seasons there are only cover the first five books. Since a third season is expected with a snowball in hell( the firery one, not the cold one) I myself have picked up reading translations of the novels from where the show left off. So far, still as enjoyable. Really, even if you’re not a fan of anime, I’d still recommend this. Two friends of mine who generally detest anime found themselves enjoying it. In both cases due to the economics, and in one of them agreeing with me on the music and banter. Well, with that all said, make of this what you will friends.

[adamcoled]

note: i update this every time i post any writing, so it will always be up to date! thank you for reading! ♡

⇢  adam cole

title: onsra [2/2]

summary: long distance relationships are tough, but maybe it’s not the distance that gets in the way.

title: a world on hold

summary: the blissful adventures of a camping trip with adam, a first timer.

title: polaroid memories

summary:  there’s two things you’re in love with: adam cole and your polaroid camera.

title: celebration

summary: seeing adam backstage after his big win results in pure fluff and adam’s usual suggestive antics. 

⇢  aleister black

title: the two kinds of magic  ⇨ chapter index  

summary: aleister holds more power within the supernatural world than most, so why is it that a human makes him feel so weak?

⇢  drew mcintyre

title: surprises

summary: drew makes his return on the same night you get switched to raw and all seems good in the world.

⇢  elias samson

title: melodies of love

summary:  elias finds a certain notebook of lyrics and ends up finding out a lot more along with it.

title: luggage mishaps

summary: elias’s reason for worrying over his forgotten luggage is a bit unexpected.  

⇢  finn balor

title: you’re the one that i want

summary: the couple that plays just dance together stays together.

title: road trips

summary: road trip adventures with finn include lots of love and, of course, finn freezes.

title: kept secrets, wasted time

summary: you’ve been trying to get over finn, your best friend, but it turns out you never really had to.

title: intertwined [soulmate au]

summary: in a world where you feel all the pain your soulmate feels, having a wrestler for a soulmate really sucks. that is, until you finally meet finn and realize he’s everything you could have asked for. 

⇢  kenny omega

title: onsra [2/2]

summary: long distance relationships are tough, but maybe it’s not the distance that gets in the way.

title: sick days

summary: plain and simple, a lazy sick day spent with kenny.

⇢  kyle o’reilly

title: just friends [college au]

summary: sharing an apartment with kyle has, understandably, caused some feelings to develop. yet, you’re still hellbent on convincing everyone you’re just friends 

⇢  pete dunne

title: something in the chase [2/2]

summary: if only you and pete could be more.

title: changes [3/3]

summary: if pete wants to have a real relationship with you, he has to make some changes.

title: answers

summary: pete can’t give you answers, so you give him an ultimatum.

⇢ rhea ripley

title: jealousy

summary: you and rhea aren’t anything official, but you’re still jealous upon seeing her flirt with others.

title: comfort

summary: comforting rhea as she handles the disappointment of not being on the summerslam card.

⇢  sami zayn

title: hope and fate

summary: a hopeful reunion with sami in one of the places the two of you hold dearest.

title: haven’t met you yet

summary: an embarrassing first encounter ends up being a lot less embarrassing than you would have thought.

⇢  seth rollins

title: beg-hogging

summary: seth has a horrible habit of hogging the bed and you’re not having it.

title: rewind

summary: after so many years, you still can’t shake seth from your mind and heart, and maybe he feels the same way.

title: love in all five senses

summary: detailing the exact moment you realized you were in love with seth.

title: sunrises

summary: watching the sunrise with seth is a beautiful moment for more reasons than just the sunrise.

title: life of the party [college au] [potential continuation]

summary: sitting outside of a party doesn’t seem that great, but for you and seth, it’s the start of everything.

title: screw the universe

summary:  even if the universe tries to keep you and seth apart, you’ll always find your way back to each other.

⇢  tyler bate

title: distractions

summary: tyler’s career has taken all of his focus and he doesn’t even realize it.

title: puppy parenting

summary: you and tyler take on a very difficult job: becoming puppy parents.

title: one night

summary: after one night together, you thought you’d never see tyler again, yet here he is.

⇢  prompt pieces

adam cole

“you’ve shown me what love can feel like”

braun strowman

“you can’t run so it’ll be faster if i just carry you”

finn balor

“you have no idea how much i want you right now.”

“i could never forget you.”

“it’s fine, stop worrying about me”

dean ambrose

“you could have warned me!” 

kyle o’reilly

"woah what happened while i was gone?”

neville

“just take the jacket”

sami zayn

“what is that?!”

seth rollins

“aah! that tickles!”

[recentanimenews]

A Certain Magical Index, Vol. 19

By Kazumi Kamachi and Kiyotaka Haimura. Released in Japan as “To Aru Majutsu no Index” by ASCII Mediaworks. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Andrew Prowse.

Just as Index 17 and 18 formed a two-parter, this is essentially the second part of the 15th book, where GROUP battled against ITEM and all the other dark student organizations used by various Academy City folks for Black Ops. They ended up on top, but as you can imagine, that made some people very unhappy. As a result, one of the Board of Directors is trying to deal with them, especially Accelerator. Meanwhile, Accelerator continues to be a really nice guy while insisting he’s a horrible villain. He’s rescuing abused teenage girls, triaging pregnant mothers, and saving little kids. Indeed, the little kid he saves has to literally point out what a hero Accelerator’s being to get the “good guys” to do anything. Are there any good guys in Academy City? Mikoto, maybe, but she’s not in this book at all. Maybe it’s Hamazura, who insists he’s just a thug as much as Accelerator insists he’s a villain. But what Hamazura really is, and this book cements it, is the third male lead in Index.

Introduced in this volume: Stephanie Gorgeouspalace, who bears possibly the silliest name in all of Index. Also, Aiwass, who we’ll definitely be seeing more of. There are a few more of the Aztec teens, as well. Sadly, again, Yen Press has not licensed the Index short story books, which is where we first met Stephanie. Or the Railgun shot story book, which is where we first met Tochtli, though I think she was retroactively written into the Railgun manga as well, like Xochitl was. This takes place at the same time as Books 17 and 18, when Touma is in England dealing with the British Royal Family. It ends with Touma, Accelerator, and Hamazura all separately going to Russia, where we’ll no doubt get the 20th volume. It’s also worth noting that there are only three volumes to go after this one in the main Index series… of course, we also have Index New Testament. Its sequel. Also 22 volumes.

As I said, Hamazura is explicitly called a protagonist by Kamachi in the narrative here, as if it weren’t obvious enough. He also gives the author an opportunity to do a real romance. Touma is, of course, oblivious to his 642 love interests. Accelerator is too self-loathing to even think about a relationship, and Last Order is a daughter to him, not a lover. But Hamazura, despite all the banter and pseudo-flirtation with Kinuhata (who is twelve, making this my least favorite part of the book), is in love with Takitsubo, and she with him. Of the three “threatened” relationships at the end of this book, it’s the romantic one. Accelerator and Last Order are the familial one, and Touma and Index… well, they’re the titular one. It’s also interesting to have it pointed out that, while Touma and Accelerator are part of Aleister’s BIG PLANS, Hamazura is not, and his interference with Mugino (who comes back from the dead to try to kill him some more, and even looks just like the Terminator here) could pose a big problem in the future.

Mostly this book is filled with cool fights, giving Kinuhata more to do (despite my dislike of her underage teasing, she’s developed very well in this book), an analysis of what it means to be a hero, as seen through two guys who don’t think of themselves as one, and setting up the pieces for the last three books, which are a three-parter. It’s a solid entry in the Index series. It also means we are one book away from one of my favorite Index characters being introduced. Is she the best? Well, no, she’s the absolute WORST, actually.

(Final note: I love this cover, one of the best in the entire series. The contrast is fantastic.)

By: Sean Gaffney

[konmarkimageswords]

"I am certainly of opinion that genius can be acquired, or, in the alternative, that it is an almost universal possession. Its rarity may be attributed to the crushing influence of a corrupted society. It is rare to meet a youth without high ideals, generous thoughts, a sense of holiness, of his own importance, which, being interpreted, is, of his own identity with God. Three years in the world, and he is a bank clerk or even a government official. Only those who intuitively understand from early boyhood that they must stand out, and who have the incredible courage and endurance to do so in the face of all that tyranny, callousness, and the scorn of inferiors can do; only these arrive at manhood uncontaminated."

"Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever toward it without allowing aught to stop you or turn you aside, even as a star sweeps upon its incalculable and infinite course of glory, and all is Love. The Law of your being becomes Light, Life, Love and Liberty. All is peace, all is harmony and beauty, all is joy."

"There is no law beyond Do what thou wilt. Love is the law, love under will." 

"All you have to do is be yourself, do your will, and rejoice."

"In the absence of willpower the most complete collection of virtues and talents is wholly worthless."

“Only you can ascertain your own True Will; no god, no man, no institution or nation surpasses your Holy Authority over yourself.”

“A Man who is doing his True Will has the inertia of the Universe to assist him.” 

“Any act, if in accordance with the will, is an act of magic.” 

"Love is the only principle which makes life tolerable."

"The joy of life consists in the exercise of one's energies, continual growth, constant change, the enjoyment of every new experience. To stop means simply to die. The eternal mistake of mankind is to set up an attainable ideal."

"Beauty is itself so unattainable that it escapes altogether; and the true artist, like the true Mystic, can never rest."

"It is a terrible error to let any natural impulse, physical or mental, stagnate. Crush it out, if you will, and be done with it; or fulfill it, and get it out of the system; but do not allow it to remain there and putrefy.” 

"Every man and every woman is a star." 

"There are no 'standards of Right'. Ethics is balderdash. Each Star must go on its own orbit. To hell with 'moral principle'; there is no such thing."

"Inevitably anyone with an independent mind must become ‘one who resists or opposes authority or established conventions’: a rebel. If enough people come to agree with, and follow, the Rebel, we now have a Devil. Until, of course, still more people agree. And then, finally, we have...Greatness."

“The Way of Mastery is to break all the rules -but you have to know them perfectly before you can do this; otherwise you are not in a position to transcend them.”

"Ordinary morality is only for ordinary people."

"It is necessary that we stop, once for all, this ignorant meddling with other people's business. Each individual must be left free to follow his own path."

"The conscience of the world is so guilty that it always assumes that people who investigate heresies must be heretics; just as if a doctor who studies leprosy must be a leper. Indeed, it is only recently that science has been allowed to study anything without reproach."

"The Earth is not a prison, but a Temple where the sacrament of Life may be enacted; the body is not corrupt, but a pulsing and thriving vessel for the expression of Energy; sex is not sinful, but a mysterious conduit of pleasure and power as well as an lmage of the ecstatic nature of all Experience."  

"I've often thought that there isn't any 'I' at all; that we are simply the means of expression of something else; that when we think we are ourselves, we are simply the victims of a delusion."

"Imagine listening to Beethoven with the prepossession that C is a good note and F a bad one; yet this is exactly the stand point from which all uninitiates contemplate the universe. Obviously, they miss the music."

“A single ego is an absurdly narrow vantage point from which to view the world.”

"Balance every thought with its opposition. Because the marriage of them is the destruction of illusion."  

"We must conquer life by living it to the full, and then we can go to meet death with a certain prestige."

"I can imagine myself on my death-bed, spent utterly with lust to touch the next world, like a boy asking for his first kiss from a woman."  

"All phenomena of which we are aware take place in our own minds, and therefore the only thing we have to look at is the mind; which is a more constant quantity over all the species of humanity than is generally supposed."

"Dreams are imperfections of sleep; even so is consciousness the imperfection of waking. Dreams are impurities in the circulation of the blood; even so it's consciousness a disorder of life. Dreams are without proportion, without good sense, without truth; so also is consciousness. Awake from dream, the truth is known: awake from waking. The truth is: The Unknown"

"Since all things are God, in all things thou seest just so much of God as thy capacity affordeth thee." 

"Unspeakable is the variety of form and immeasurable the diversity of beauty, but in all is the seal of unity."

"There is beauty in every incident of life; the true and the false, the wise and the foolish, are all one in the eye that beholds all without passion or prejudice: and the secret appears to lie not in the retirement from the world, but in keeping a part of oneself Vestal, sacred, intact, aloof from that self which makes contact with the external universe. In other words, in a separation of that which is and perceives from that which acts and suffers. And the art of doing this is really the art of being an artist. As a rule, it is a birthright; it may perhaps be attained by prayer and fasting; most surely, it can never be bought."

"The Universe is the looking-glass of the soul."

"I slept with Faith, and found a corpse in my arms on  awaking; I drank and danced all night with Doubt, and found her a virgin in the morning." 

"I admit that my visions can never mean to other men as much as they do to me. I do not regret this. All I ask is that my results should convince seekers after truth that there is beyond doubt something worthwhile seeking, attainable by methods more or less like mine. I do not want to father a flock, to be the fetish of fools and fanatics, or the founder of a faith whose followers are content to echo my opinions. I want each man to cut his own way through the jungle."

"This serpent, SATAN, is not the enemy of Man, but He who made Gods of our race, knowing Good and Evil; He bade 'Know Thyself!' and taught Initiation.” 

"The keystone to this arch some have called God, some Brahma, some Zeus, some Allah, some even IAO the God of the sounding name; but in truth, O seeker, it is Thy-SELF — this higher dimension in which the inner becomes the outer, and in which the single Eye alone can see the throbbing heart, Master of the entangled skein of veins."

"A man must think of himself as a LOGOS, as going, not as a fixed idea. ‘Do what thou wilt’ is thus necessarily his formula. He only becomes Himself when he attains the loss of Egoity, of the sense of separateness. He becomes All, PAN, when he becomes Zero."

Aleister Crowley(1875-1947) was a British occultist, mystic, poet, and social provocateur, famous for his development of the philosophical system called Thelema, and his concepts of magic, which he called Magick.

Crowley gained widespread notoriety during his lifetime, being a recreational drug experimenter, bisexual and an individualist social critic. He was denounced in the popular press as "the wickedest man in the world" and a Satanist. Crowley has remained a highly influential figure over Western esotericism and the counterculture, and continues to be considered a prophet in Thelema. He is the subject of various biographies and academic studies.

https://hermetic.com/crowley/index

http://www.sacred-texts.com/oto/index.htm

https://www.poemhunter.com/aleister-crowley/quotations/

[uniquestream]

A Certain Magical Index: Season 2 Episode 21

A Certain Magical Index: Season 2 Episode 21

As Tsuchimikado battles against the spectral being who is working with Vento to kill the unconscious residents of Academy City, Tōma calls Accelerator from Last Order’s cellphone to update him on her status. Accelerator soon learns that Amata has managed to capture Last Order, though is keeping her alive for some reason. Aleister then uses Testament, with Last Order’s authorization, to summon an…

[minnastream]

A Certain Magical Index: 2x21

A Certain Magical Index: 2×21

As Tsuchimikado battles against the spectral being who is working with Vento to kill the unconscious residents of Academy City, Tōma calls Accelerator from Last Order’s cellphone to update him on her status. Accelerator soon learns that Amata has managed to capture Last Order, though is keeping her alive for some reason. Aleister then uses Testament, with Last Order’s authorization, to summon an…

[project-rebirth]

MINUS (Updated)

Overview

MINUS (マイナス lit. Mainasu?)  is a radical esper organization that operates within Academy City. It is an armed organization that commits acts that are seen as criminal, or even borderline terrorist in the city, mostly against higher level Espers and peace keeping groups like Anti-Skill and Judgement. It is lead by the enigmatic figure simply known as The General. In Toaru Majutsu no Index: Rebirth Testament, it serves as one of the primary antagonist factions of the Science Side as characters such as Kamijou Touma, Hamazura Shiage, and Accelerator among others are forced to deal with them every now and then.

Principles

MINUS is an organization that was formed on the basis that the weak can oppose the strong, after hearing the rumors that a Certain Unknown Level 0 had defeated Accelerator. Because of this, MINUS claims they are fighting against the oppression of the weak and have been shown to go to any lengths necessary in order to achieve their goal. Although the organization was started by Level 0s, Espers from levels 1-4 have also joined, making MINUS stand out quite a bit from Skill-Out, an organization that only consists of Level 0s.

MINUS has a military based ranking system in regards to its members, primarily  in regards to its leaders. The person at the top is a individual who is only known by their rank, The General. The General is is the founder of MINUS and below him are the Four Lieutenant Generals. Despite having this military based ranking system and  5 definitive leaders, MINUS as a whole is not really an organization. In a sense, they are comprised of splinter-cell groups who operate independently from other groups, including those ran by their leaders. From this understanding, the actions undertaken by MINUS groups or individuals have no effect on other groups or people within MINUS. Each of them in a sense, are similar to Solomon's Cross in the sense that they have differing ideas as to how to hurt the system of Academy City. Occasionally though, MINUS is willing to work with other groups and merge together, as seen with Lt. General Chojiro Wada in District 19.

Additionally, MINUS views the Unknown Level 0 as a hero and a symbol against oppression, to an almost religious degree, and as a result, MINUS has made a secondary mission of protecting the identity of that person and silencing anyone who would look into them. Despite this, nearly every member except for The General, does not know the identity of that level 0, being Kamijou Touma, something that was intentional in the event of some of their members betraying them or having the knowledge somehow extracted from their memory.

According to Usagi Shun, all of the Lt. Generals are Level 0s with either weak powers or no noticeable power at all, and other level 0s who have been in the organization since its inception have been given the title of “Veteran”. It is also believed that The General is also a Level 0.

Background

It is unknown when exactly MINUS came into existence, but it is believed to have formed sometime after August, when the rumors of A Certain Unknown Level 0 defeating Accelerator came about. It was during this time that an Individual became infatuated with those rumors, and used them to rally many disenfranchised Level 0s to their cause, under the goal of standing up and fighting against the oppression of the weak. As time went on, MINUS expanded from recruiting Level 0s, to recruiting espers from all levels with the exception of the Level 5s, as they represent the oppression MINUS claim to fight against.

It is heavily implied that The General knew it was Kamijou Touma who defeated Accelerator and was the Unknown Level 0 the rumors talked about. For certain reasons, they had hid virtually all information regarding Touma from the public, making it so that no one found out his identity, even MINUS themselves who had been tasked with enforcing this information suppression act.

In Rebirth Testament, MINUS takes active actions in order to cause as much damage to the established order of Academy City as much as possible. Several plans were put into motion that revolved around assassinating most of the Level 5s, as well as destroying other institutions such as School Garden, a place which many MINUS members feel represents Academy City Oppression. many of these plans however were foiled throughout the story, but it would appear that MINUS is far from finished.

MINUS may be in contact with people higher up within Academy City who is supplying them weapons and equipment. This is more or less confirmed in the Shirai Assist Arc when Aleister Crowley contacted Nemoto Toshiko to have Shirai Kuroko assassinated, in fear of her learning Magic and the Outer Side, and thus becoming an anomaly in his plans. Additionally, MINUS also had an armed force kidnap a Gemstone named Kurosaki Makoto, who had blackmailed him into working for them. It seems possible that whoever was the benefactor of MINUS, may have either sent their own force to capture him, or had hired MerryWeather Security to accomplish this.

[project-rebirth]

Fallen Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church (ローマ正教 Rōma Seikyō?, lit. "Roman Orthodox Church", Yen Press: Roman Orthodox Church) is the world's largest Christian organization, boasting a number of 2 billion worshippers, spanning across 113 countries. It is one of the three major Christian denominations, alongside the Anglican Church and the Russian Orthodox Church.

Their central base is the Vatican City State, protected by a barrier that incorporates a magical formation that involves 90% of the buildings in Rome, and a 'lock' that changes every hour, a security which supposedly not even Index Librorum Prohibitorum can break through.

However, after their defeat in World War III, the church was weakened as a result and their standing in the world was lessened. At some point before the start of Rebirth, Pope Pietro Yogdis was assassinated by Mathias Benedictus who stole the infamous Grand Grimoire by John Dee and wished to obtain power. The assassination worsened the division of Roman Church, and eventually, Mathias managed to pact with the new Terra of the Left, one of the members selected to become part of the remade God's Right Seat, and eventually become the Pope. He framed and banished Cardinal Peter Francis for Yogdis's assassination.

By gaining everything he needed - the Grand Grimoire, the Frozen Sapphire of Arendelle, the Shard of Anubis, all of 30 Tyrian shekels, the Bell of Awakening and so on - Mathias managed to empower the Fallen Catholic Church's power. During Mathias's reign, the Catholic Church became known as the Fallen Roman Catholic Church, or the Fallen Church for short, and they worshiped the Outer Demon Gaelion instead of God. It is said to be the modern reincarnation of the "evil" Catholic Church that reigned during the Dark Ages. It serves as the main antagonistic faction the majority of Series 2 of A Certain Magical Index: Rebirth Testament.

Background

The City of Vatican

The Vatican has its roots in Vatican City, the pre-WWIII sovereign territory of the Holy See. Although Vatican City was founded in 1929 AD, the history of the modern Vatican is tied to the far older history of the Holy See. As the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Catholic Church, the Holy See dates back to antiquity; and in this regard, the Vatican represents one of the oldest institutions in human history.

By the early 21st century AD, the status of Vatican City remained largely unaltered since its founding; it was a walled enclave within the city of Rome, encompassing a total area of approximately 44 hectares (110 acres), and a population of less than a thousand citizens, making it is the smallest internationally recognized independent state in the world by both area and population at the time.

Joining the Romefeller Family

After the coronation, Pope Mathias officially declared his support for the Romefeller Family, resulting in a very mixed reception among those within the Church.

During Mathias's rule of terror, he used some of his most insane killer machines in flesh and blood to commit oppressions, like the notorious Neo-Hellfire, run by Mother Superior Melancholia, Cardinal Franchesco di Medici, Sister Paula Souwauski as well as Brother Petros Orsini. In the south of Vatican, suicidal events rose and many people wrote in their last letter with despair, saying the world was going to end after the new pope took control. Even so, some were believed that Aleister Crowley was responsible for the corruption of Mathias, a man whom they trusted and respected.

Hiding beneath the depths of St. Peter's Ballisca, Michael took ten blood samples of Akatsuki Miyuki's blood and believed it would make people harness power they desired most, making them into uncontrollable "monsters". Later, knowing the time had come, Mathias ordered the assassination of Peter Francis and sent a brainwashed Cardinal Antonio Borgia to kill Francis for assassinating the former Pope, Pietro Yogdis, who was in fact killed by  Fallen Terra under Mathias's order.

Government

The government of the Vatican has a unique structure with influences from absolute monarchy, elective monarchy and theocracy. The Pope is the sovereign of the state. Although the Pope takes the highest legal authority in the Vatican, his actual control over the government is entirely dependent on his character. In the case of a weak-willed sovereign, the College of Cardinals wields considerable influence and power as the seemly de facto form of leadership of the Vatican. Despite the influence of the cardinals, they cannot legally overrule the authority of the Pope. They must therefore seek the Pope's approval before taking certain actions especially military actions that involve the state. Although the Pope is technically an elective office—its succession decided by a papal conclave held after the death of the incumbent Pope.

The Concistoro, the seemly highest decision-making body in the Vatican, is the legislative branch of the Vatican government. Composed of high-ranking members of the Catholic clergy, the Concistoro is also responsible for making final decisions on whether to investigate clerics suspected of corrupt practices. The majority of its membership consists of older, higher-ranking clergymen, who regard Cardinal Medici and his supporters as dangerous extremists. As a result, they consistently support Cardinal Sforza in order to limit Medici's influence in Vatican politics. Pope Mathias Benedictus and Cardinal Cedric Cronqvist are between the two Cardinals and had an balancing influences. In cases such as captivity where the Pope is no longer able to competently exercise the powers of his office, the College can assume direct leadership of the Vatican until the Pope is either rescued or killed.

Before Mathias Benedictus, even if the Concistoro seemed to held the highest power, the de facto ruler of Vatican behind the Pope was a secret faction known as God's Right Seat, led by Fiamma of the Right who held the highest authority until he was defeated by Kamijou Touma in World War 3.

Neo Inquisition

Set by Pope Mathias himself, the Neo Inquisition, also known as the Department of Inquisition, the Inquisitorial Department, the Bureau of Inquisition, or simply the Inquisition, is a special division of the Ministry of Vatican Papal Doctrine—the department responsible for promulgating and defending the creed and doctrine of the Catholic Church. Its membership consists of elite warrior monks, known as Inquisitors, who serve the Ministry of Doctrine as the chief enforcers of the Catholic faith. Their reputation as a group of uncompromising hardliners, dedicated to the Vatican and committed to their duty without question—has earned them the nickname "Fangs of the Church."

The Inquisition headquarters is based in Rome, the capital of the Vatican Papal State. Due to their status as an elite order of holy warriors, the Inquisition is tasked with the duty of providing security to high-ranking members of the clergy,, such as the College of Cardinals and especially the Pope. As such, Inquisitors are often stationed in the San Pietro Cathedral and other key areas of the Vatican headquarters, especially during important ceremonial events that involve the Pope and leading members of the Church. Despite their primary role as a domestic force, as well as their association with the domestic-based Ministry of Doctrine, Inquisitors can also be deployed outside of the Vatican's territory, but only to provide security to clerics of high rank such as the cardinals or the Pope.

Inquisitors are led by the Minister of the Inquisition, although they also work directly for the Secretary of Vatican Papal Doctrine; since the current year, both offices have been occupied by Cardinal Francesco di Medici as well as Mother Superior Melancholia.

Ministry of Holy Affairs

The Ministry of Holy Affairs, also known as the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Division of State Ecclesiastical Affairs, or the Ministry of State, is the pontifical government branch responsible for the international relations of the Vatican. The Ministry is headquartered in Rome, the capital of the Vatican, and is currently led by Cardinal Caterina Sforza.

The Ministry was created to resolve diplomatic situations by using peaceful methods, although the Ministry considered this task to be difficult due to the instability of the international community. In situations where diplomacy fails, the use of force is exercised by the by the AX—a special division of the Ministry of Holy Affairs. The AX consists of elite priests and nuns, all of whom are trained to undertake unconventional missions as a special forces group of the Vatican.

Others

  - Ministry of Vatican Public Relations - responsible for managing relations between the public and the Vatican government; headed by Cardinal Cedric Cronqvist

Military

The Vatican Military is responsible for the defense and security of the territories controlled by the Vatican. It is composed of several different branches, including the Army, Air Force, and Special Forces.

The Military is not completely separate from the political organization of the Vatican. The Department of Inquisition possesses its own military assets, including soldiers, tanks, and air battleships. The Papal State Affairs Special Operations Section, also known as the AX, consists of priests and nuns who are trained as a special forces group in order to perform unconventional missions for the Vatican. Furthermore, the AX has access to its own battleships, such as the Iron Maiden and the Iron Maiden II.

Secret Subfactions

Neo-Hellfire

Neo-Hellfire is dedicated to the original Hellfire Club, an infamous Satanism Cult founded by many people, most notably Duke William Wharton who founded the first Hellfire Club in 18th century's England. Different Hellfire Clubs serve different demon kings, and one of them serves Gaelion.

God's Right Seat

The God's Right Seat is a political organization deeply active within the Roman Church, even run everything of the Church. They often advise the Pope on matters of the church and is more powerful than the actual clergy in general.

The organization was disbanded following Fiamma's defeat in World war III, however, when Mathias came into power, he had remade the Organization into Gaelion's Right Seat and had devoted followers dark side magicians, or straight up demons become members of the group. Unlike the original God's Right Seat, the group was made in a way that made them submit to Mathias, who aptly called himself "Tenenbrae of the Centre."

@tetsuwan-atom​ @xbloodsoakedx​ @lawain-dimensional-heroes​ @x-ame-x-damnee-x​

[project-rebirth]

5 Important Locations in the Toaru Universe

This a random post I’m making at almost 3 AM, but I kind of want to give an overview of the important locations in the Toaru Universe and what you can expect to see when a thread takes place in one of these locations. These are also locations that will rarely appear in threads, due to how specific they can be regarding the plot of the thread at hand.

1. A Certain High School

This is an important location for obvious reasons: This is the school in which Kamijou Touma goes to everyday, well, whenever he has the time that’s not usually taken up by life threatening incidents. Unlike most of the named schools in Academy City, this school is the very definition of ordinary, something that meshes well with Touma, who is “The Kind of High School Boy One Can Find Anywhere”, so it makes sense that his school follows a similar premise. In this location, you can expect to meet characters like Tsuchimikado Motoharu and Aogami Pierce, Touma’s best friends who he often gets into trouble with as a result of their antics.

You also have Fukiyose Seiri who occasionally beats up the aformentioned three idiots because of their antics, and then there is Tsukuyomi Komoe, a teacher who literally looks like a 10 year old (Which it is funny seeing how people who has never met her react to her appearance like Accelerator) there are plenty of other characters and random events that go on here, but this is a pretty important location, at least for Touma and the few who go here.

2. Tokiwadai Middle School

Taking a big departure from Touma’s school, we move onto Tokiwadai Middle School, a prestigious all girl’s school, among the top five prestigious schools in Academy City and it is the most renowned girl’s school in the world. This is a pretty important location because there are a lot of characters who goes to this school and can be found here half of the time.

The most notable characters that attend Tokiwadai is of course Misaka Mikoto, one of the 7 Level 5s along with Shirai Kuroko, and  another level 5, Shokuhou Misaki to name a few. Tokiwadai is located in the School Garden, an area inside Academy City consisting of Tokiwadai and four other girl's schools, with a shopping area dedicated to the rich young girls. The school is fairly large, other than the main building which probably holds its classrooms and a library, it also holds a track and field area and also a large swimming pool (which is used by staff to measure Mikoto's power). The school also contains a showering area.

Normally, not a whole lot happens here aside from the antics with Kuroko as well as the authoritarian Dorm Supervisor that scares everyone shitless, but I do have some ideas on how to have this location utilized in a plot or thread, mostly revolving around Touma, whose presence will be sure to cause misfortune triggered mayhem, given what we have seen in the Agitate Halation Arc. Also, I’m curious to see how Touma reacts to the Dorm Adviser (No doubt it will be hilarious for us and more misfortune for the spiky haired lad)

3. Heaven Canceller’s Hospital

I think this was expected. This is one of the most heavily visited locations in Academy City, as I believe every character has been here at one point or another. This hospital is run by the doctor known as Heaven Canceller, a man whom many have described as having a frog face (hell, even Mikoto thought he was the Gekota Mascot when she first saw him), but despite his appearance, he is basically the best doctor in the entire city.

As mentioned before, many characters have been here, either as a patient or a visitor, but the one who has been here way too many times is Touma. Because Touma gets into so many incidents and events, he gets injured and is sent here as a result. He has been here so many times, that they literally have a room made purely for him with his name engraved on a plaque, because they know he’s going to come back there sooner or later much to Touma’s chagrin.

This location can be accessed in the aftermath of an arc in which Touma along with others, can be visited as he recovers from his injuries. Though this location may appear even during the middle or beginning of an arc too.

4. Kamijou Residence

This one is pretty self explanatory; this is the home of Kamijou Touma, Index, Othinus and Sphynx the Cat. Whenever Touma is not at school, walking about in the city, or in Heaven Canceller’s Hospital, he can usually be found here in most cases with the aforementioned roommates freeloaders. You can expect to see the usual antic play out here as the common struggle is how will Touma Feed Index today.

Since this place is the home of Touma and Index, this place can be accessed more easily, especially if your muse happens to know Touma or any of the others who live here. Also, Tsuchimikado Motoharu and his step sister Maika live next door to him, so you can expect to see them show up at some point.

5. The United Kingdom

We are leaving Academy City and heading to one of the most important locations in the Toaru/Kiniverse and that is, the United Kingdom. The UK is a pretty important location in the series, because most of the characters from the Magic Side are from here, like Index, Levinia Birdway, Stiyl Magnus and even Aleister Crowley himself to name a few. There’s a lot of history here and it also is the homeland of Necessarius, the 0th Parish of the English Puritan Church, an important organization when you’re talking about the Magic Side.

Other important characters like the Royal Family and the Knights of England, led by Knight Leader can be found here, although their accessibility level is really low due to their status, but nevertheless, they are here. One of these days, I plan to do a Magic Side Arc/Saga with the UK as the primary setting, that way most of the characters here can be interacted with and play an important role. Also, It would be nice seeing Index go back to her roots as a member of Necessarius, something I feel was missed in the times she did go back to England in the canon.

That’s all of the locations I can think of that are important and want to use in storylines. Let me know if there are any other locations you would want to see in the story!

[project-rebirth]

Overview: Espers

An esper (能力者 Nōryokusha?, lit. "Ability User") is an individual who uses scientifically based supernatural powers and emits AIM. The term usually refers to those enrolled in the Academy City Power Curriculum Program, who gained their powers artificially, but can also refer to natural espers, also known as Gemstones. It is also used to refer to magicians by those unaware of the magical nature of their abilities, and therefore treat them as esper-related.

In-universe, espers have only existed for a few decades up until this point.

Terminology

The original Japanese light novels used the term "Ability User", but before the licensing of Toaru Kagaku no Railgun, the majority of the English-speaking fandom substituted it with "esper". Because its use has become widespread, this wiki uses the term "esper".

A queer event related to this is Seven Seas' English translation of the first volume of A Certain Scientific Railgun, which opted to use "psychic", a term that has been used before by the fandom until "esper" became the standard. Because of this, the English fans that were accustomed to the use of "esper" lobbied for "psychic" to be changed, and Seven Seas acquiesced, even referencing the incident later.

The term "esper" does not automatically imply ESP, one of the two classifications of powers in Academy City, as it could also refer to an ability user that does not have extrasensory perception but instead influences objects in their surroundings, referred to as Psychokinesis. Abilities such as Pyrokinesis are considered esper powers despite the user not having extrasensory perception.

Principles

Academy City's espers have existed for over half a century in the world of Toaru, with the first modern esper being a girl nicknamed "the Beginning Child", who was trained by Academy City based on Meiji-era psychic Mifune Chizuko's data. The system used for the Beginning Child would become the foundation for the Power Curriculum Program to create espers.

Espers are described by Index as individuals with "talent"; this likely refers to Gemstones and each cannot use magic without injuring themselves. An esper is created after passing through the Power Curriculum Program, thanks to which the esper now possesses a Personal Reality, their capacity to substitute reality with their own which is the basis of their abilities, with no two people have the exact same one. In contrast to Magic's Idol Theory, their interference with and subsequent distortion of reality to create effects is an isolated phenomenon based on quantum theory, their observations of the world based upon their Personal Reality affecting things on a micro quantum level to cause phenomena on a macro level. An opposite theory would be holism, where a large interference with the laws of the whole world is used to make effects on a smaller scale. Aside from the mental performance of calculations, no elaborative and preparatory rituals are required by an esper to produce effects related to their abilities, unlike in Magic.

Espers can only access one specific power; Misaka Mikoto, for example, can only control electromagnetic phenomena. Despite this, however, researchers have attempted to create espers with multiple powers, such as Dual-Skill and Multi-Skill espers. Moreover, esper abilities are compartmentalized into two categories: Active and Passive. Active abilities require conscious effort to use, while passive abilities require subconscious effort. Abilities can be classed as both active and passive, such as Accelerator's ability. Esper abilities are further grouped into two major categories, Psychokinesis (PK) and Extrasensory Perception (ESP), with PK having a higher precedence in the classification of esper powers than ESP, especially when an esper power sits on both sides of the boundary between ESP and PK.

Another aspect of espers is that every one of them, even Level 0s, subconsciously radiates an AIM Diffusion Field, minutes amount of their power in a way akin to body heat and weak enough that it can be felt by any of the human five senses and is only detectable through machines. Different powers means a different AIM Diffusion Field: a Pyrokinetic for example will emit AIM that will heat up their environment, a Telekinetic will emit pressure, and an Electromaster will emit a weak magnetic field. According to the Professor, AIM is not simply weak energy emanating from espers, but the unconscious interference against reality, and analyzing its composition and strength gives more insight into the Personal Reality of a given esper than a psychological profile. There does seem to be some direct connection between the AIM Diffusion Field and Personal Reality, if Takitsubo Rikou being able to affect the latter through the former is any indication.

Esper powers are controlled using complex calculations done mentally, so strongest espers are also Academy City's greatest honor students. Because esper abilities rely on mental calculations and concentration, if anything affects the esper mentally, be it pain, exhaustion, surprise, or confusion, they will not be able to perform the calculations needed and their powers won't work. The AIM Jammer takes advantage of this, essentially disturbing espers' concentration.

While the brain is an important component to esper power, it is not the only factor. The entire physical human body is also part of this system and controls the power, though the exact mechanism is not well understood. Produce tested and researched to find out where exactly in the body esper power resides, removing limbs, organs, and brain parts from subjects, but the power still remained, although its output decreased as the body grew smaller, leading the researchers to conclude esper power can only reside in a body containing something that could be called a soul. Likewise, it is shown that, as long as something is considered a part of the body by the esper, esper abilities can be used with it, no matter if that part is attached or detached, artificial or natural. Kuroyoru Umidori can use Bomber Lance through her detached cyborg arms, which she considers parts of her body; Kakine Teitoku can control his Dark Matter even if it's not directly touching his body by no longer distinguishing between his actual body and the parts fabricated from his power; and Rensa operates by changing her biological structure to that of other espers so she can use their abilities. Coffins also operate on this principle, tricking the brains of dead espers into thinking bigger mechanical bodies are their own, which in return make the power stronger.

Genetics also have some influence on esper powers, and DNA can be used to determine esper powers. The very existence of the Parameter List and its ability to predict the future development of an esper before even passing through the Power Curriculum Program might be due to this fact, especially as they used it to get the DNA map of a future Level 5 for cloning ahead of time. Another manifestation of this is how siblings tend to get the same or similar powers: the Tobio twins have the exact same power, the Yumiya sisters have the same power but at different Levels, and Acid and Counselor both have oxygen-related powers. And, while they are not true siblings, there are no clones, or Sisters, of Misaka Mikoto with non-electrical powers. This is not an absolute rule: for example, the Gokusai sisters, or at least Kaibi and Amazora, have completely different powers. The triplets Ichika, Futaba, and Mitsumi likewise each have a different power. It may be that the possibility of similar and identical powers is weaker for ordinary siblings and fraternal twins than it is for identical twins and clones, who share the exact same genetic makeup.

Academy City's curriculum begins at 5-years-old at the earliest, and hormones generated during puberty and adolescence are considered critical to esper development. This might explain the prevalence of espers of kid and teenage age. In fact, it seems that is impossible to become an esper if one is an adult, to the point that the existence of adult espers is seen as improbable. So far no adult esper have been shown to exist, aside from those who used various means to artificially get esper powers, like Kiyama Harumi with Level Upper, Kihara Gensei with Exterior, Houjou Seigo with Ideal, and Kihara Byouri with her Equ.DarkMatter implants.

Ultimately, espers are considered only a byproduct of the Power Curriculum Program on the way to reach SYSTEM, with the reasons and mechanisms behind their existence being the actual objective of the city's scientists. Aleister compares espers to litmus papers changing colors in solutions of different acidities: the interest is in why they changed colors and if it can be manipulated, not the colors themselves. Essentially, espers are a means to an end, not the end itself.

Power Curriculum Program

A person enrolled in this program is called an esper and, through a series of drugs usages and experiments, will be cut off from regular reality and enabled the capacity to substitute it with their own. Espers are ranked according to their System Scan results, which evaluates six attributes to determine the rank of an esper: Precognition, Clairvoyance, Psychometry, Telepathy, Psychokinesis, and an unknown sixth one. It is stated that Level 0 espers barely have enough influence to pass the curriculum's grading exams.

Any individual can use the curriculum to acquire powers, such as Misaka Mikoto, who started out as a Level 1 and worked hard during her training to become the 3rd ranked Level 5 esper in Academy City. There are exceptions of course, as with the case of Level 0s. Furthermore, with the Parameter List, it is apparent that esper potential is limited by various factors. This has resulted in researchers determining that it would be wise to focus on developing an esper whose ability is worth more to the city and whose training is predicted to be more resource efficient than that of another person's.

Information regarding the students enrolled in the curriculum, such as their abilities, their level and a brief description of them, is available in the Data Banks of Academy City. Furthermore, certain espers, such as Kamijou Touma, have security protocols in place to ensure that the truth of their abilities is classified.

According to Uiharu Kazari, the name of an esper ability, such as Electromaster or Telekinesis, is decided by the school that its owner is enrolled in. Only under specific conditions can the name of an esper ability be decided by its owner, such as the Railgun. Railgun's editor Ogino Kentarou further elaborated later that there are three types of names for abilities: public ones, the ones that the esper themself applied for and registered, and self-declared names. It is unknown, however, as to what exact conditions an esper must meet to officially name their own esper ability, though its uniqueness may be a factor.

Currently, only Academy City can create espers, although others have tried, such as during the Stargate Project.

Gemstones and speculation

A Gemstone esper is an individual who can emit AIM without requiring participation in any power development program. Gemstones are the beings that Index likely referred to as having "talent"; the envy of their abilities from their peers is what led to the creation of magic. There are currently 50 confirmed Gemstones in the world.

In extension to this, it has been speculated that there may be people who have not realized that they have powers, or that their certain propensities or idiosyncrasies, as subtle as good looks or good penmanship, may actually have this power.

Many Academy City students are aware of Gemstone rumors, but treat them as urban legends. This is due to many feeling that it is unfair for esper powers to be gained without having gone through the Power Curriculum Program to attain them. Currently, Sogiita Gunha, who is the strongest Gemstone, and Himegami Aisa are the only two known Gemstone's in Academy City. Kamijou Touma, as mentioned by Kumokawa Seria, does not classify as a Gemstone esper as due to his powers being unrelated to AIM; it is believed that Imagine Breaker is beyond the current understanding of Academy City researchers.