Rod vs. Kanzaki Kaori [1]

"You were there... back then." The moment Kamijo Toma saw Rod appear, he muttered instinctively.

"What do you mean? And let go of Index!?" Kanzaki Kaori snapped angrily. Her words had been completely dismissed by the man before her.

"What do I mean? What else could I possibly mean? Where did you get the idea that the human brain has such limited capacity? In this world, this child is hardly the only one with the special constitution of perfect memory. So tell me, why are those people living perfectly well?"

Rod set Index down, then turned the question back on Kanzaki Kaori.

"How could that be? It should be because she recorded one hundred and three thousand magic books." Kanzaki Kaori retorted.

"Toma, are you okay?" Seeing Kamijo Toma's battered state, Index quickly stepped forward in concern.

"I'm fine. They're just minor injuries, nothing fatal." Kamijo Toma forced a smile in reply.

"Then isn't that interesting? If that's the case, why not erase this child's memories of the magic books? Don't you want her to be happy? Why not let her grow up like an ordinary child?" Rod began lecturing them as though he stood on the moral high ground.

"Th-this... because that is her duty." Kanzaki Kaori had no rebuttal. Index's duty was to record those magic books; if her memories were erased, she would be expelled by the Church.

"How interesting. How about this? I'll take possession of the one hundred and three thousand magic books, then erase that child's memories concerning them. After that, let her live happily in this city with Kamijo Toma. What do you say?" Rod proposed with a light laugh.

But Kanzaki Kaori cut him off.

"So your objective really is the one hundred and three thousand magic books. In that case, I cannot simply let you do as you please." Kanzaki Kaori assumed an attacking stance. Stiyl Magnus, who had been watching from the side, also moved to her side and shielded Index and Kamijo Toma behind him.

"I hope you do not force us to declare our magic names," Kanzaki Kaori continued.

"Why waste words on this guy? Hey, brat, take Index and get out of here." Stiyl pulled out his runes and ordered Kamijo Toma.

"H-Hey, what's going on? If it's really as he says, wouldn't erasing Index's memories of the magic books solve everything?" What Kamijo Toma cared about was, naturally, Index. As for those magic books, couldn't they simply be erased as Rod had suggested? It did not sound like a bad solution.

Kamijo Toma understood the principle that possessing a treasure invited trouble. All they had to do was let someone strong enough safeguard it.

"You wouldn't understand. Magic books contain magical knowledge. The one hundred and three thousand magic books in Index's mind are all books believed to 'pollute the soul with a single glance.' Someone with weak religious convictions might even become useless the moment they read one. Only Index is immune to the harm caused by magic books. Only copies transcribed from the magic books she remembers will not affect the brain. She is special. In any case, get her out of here quickly, or she'll get hurt." As Stiyl explained, flames gathered in his palm, and he launched the first surprise attack against Rod.

"You've got guts." Rod could not help praising Stiyl as he charged straight at him.

Then, with the sound of a punch, Stiyl somehow ended up hanging from a utility pole, fast asleep like a child.

"So fast!?" Kanzaki Kaori was stunned. She had never expected Academy City to contain someone this powerful.

Though Kamijo Toma did not understand what was happening, he still grabbed Index and fled the scene.

Seven Flash! Threads interwove, forming a storm of steel that swept toward Rod.

Dismantle! Invisible slashes were the deadliest. The sound of threads breaking erupted abruptly, and within moments, the wire mesh Kanzaki Kaori had constructed was destroyed by Rod.

"What!?" Kanzaki Kaori had never expected her technique to be broken so easily.

"All right, enough playing around. Get serious, former High Priestess of the Amakusa-Style Crossist Church—and one of fewer than twenty 'Saints' in the world." As Rod spoke, patterns surfaced across his body, causing his aura to surge sharply. A terrifying pressure swept over them like raging tidal waves.

"...I understand. I hereby declare my magic name: Salvare000." Kanzaki Kaori took a deep breath, drew the over-two-meter blade Seven Heavens Seven Blades, and pointed it directly at Rod.

The meaning entrusted to Salvare000 was: "To extend a hand to those who cannot be saved."

In the silent night, two figures faced each other at an intersection, flashes of blades streaking between them.

Kanzaki Kaori struck first, bringing down a powerful vertical slash. Rod raised a hand to block it.

"Boom." The tremendous impact instantly crushed and shattered the ground beneath them. The remaining force did not diminish, blasting apart the windows of the building behind Rod and scattering glass everywhere.

He blocked it. Kanzaki Kaori continued exerting force, and the ground beneath Rod's feet sank and cracked further.

"Whoosh." Rod's figure abruptly vanished, only to reappear as he struck toward Kanzaki Kaori's abdomen.

"Clang!" A sound like refined steel colliding rang out. Kanzaki Kaori had already withdrawn her attack and blocked him. Their powerful clash crushed the ground completely, causing it to collapse and shatter.

The two began chasing and exchanging blows through the streets. Explosion after explosion followed in rapid succession, and in the blink of an eye, the street had become a devastated wreck.

"Interesting. You're far more interesting than Accelerator, that guy who only knows how to use his ability." Rod grinned.

"Accelerator? Academy City's Number One?" Kanzaki Kaori gave a light laugh. At the same time, her competitive spirit was stirred. How long had it been since she had gone all out? The man before her should not disappoint her.

Dismantle! The invisible slash came again. Kanzaki Kaori had already detected it and raised her blade to block, but Rod's figure attacked again from her side.

A heavy punch slammed head-on into Kanzaki Kaori's abdomen. Just before she was sent flying, Kanzaki Kaori twisted and kicked Rod's arm. Both figures were hurled by the tremendous force into separate buildings.

"Gulp, gulp." Walking out from the ruins of the building, Rod somehow had a can of cola in hand and began drinking it. This made a vein throb on the forehead of Kanzaki Kaori, who emerged from the ruins of the other building. It was a blatant provocation.

"Tastes awful. Cola really has to be drunk cold." After taking a sip, Rod casually tossed the can aside, flicked his fingers, and sent another invisible slash flying out, instantly cutting through a row of buildings before him.

Before the falling buildings could bury Kanzaki Kaori, countless blade flashes shredded them into fragments that scattered across the ground.

"Come on, then!" Rod grinned.