Casual vs Pro Part 1

Passerby who witnessed the saving immediately went consoling the kid and congratulating to Kongou.

«My child is safe! Thank you!» the one who looked to be her mother said, then she hugged the frightened kid.

«Y-yeah, it seems so…» Kongou answered, unaware of how she managed to save her without making a decision.

«Kongou-san! That was amazing, as always!» Wannai said smiling.

«Well… I don't really know what I actually did so good…» Kongou replied confused.

«Today you're more modest than usual too, great!» Awatsuki added clapping and Kongou surrendered to the idea of accepting everyone's compliments even if really embarrassed.

«That's not what happened!» a young male voice interrupted the celebration, he was a middle schooler. «It was not that girl who saved the child. It was the Shadow Crafter! That guy!» he continued, pointing toward the direction where Fran was going straight forward without caring; but once he heard his power's name, he turned back to the voice who called him out.

«Shadow Crafter…? Ah! Now I remember! It's the guy who defeated that Tanaka! The one who uses shadow worms and stuff!» Wannai exclaimed after a quick thinking.

«Exactly! He's not only a shadow master, but he has joined Judgment too! It was him pulling the girls out of the road with a centipede by using and combining the shadows of the traffic light poles!» the boy affirmed proud.

Those present noticed the armband and became convinced of those words' truth; Fran approached the people staring at him and spoke to the one who meticulously described his rescue operation. «Are you a fan, gnat? I see you're well informed.»

«I will be a detective one day!» the little boy answered with guts.

«You have my best wishes then. Next time, though, don't flaunt around the data you collected this easily or you will soon meet someone who'll want to shut your mouth for good… I kinda want it too, now. I'm joking, of course. Eheheheh…» the boy shivered because the murderous looks Fran had was not matching with his words, but he managed to nod a yes anyway.

Kongou and her friends ran and approached Fran, then they bowed in order to apologise to him.

«I didn't mean to be such presumptuous to take credits of your actions! Forgive me!» Kongou exclaimed embarrassed.

«Neither we were acting dumb! It's our fault because we stand for our friend too easily! We are sorry!» Awatsuki spoke for both.

It was Fran now the one embarrassed and clumsy but, after telling them to stand up because that was not needed, he answered with coldness. «It's ok. As long as everyone is fine, if it wasn't me… someone else would have done it.» This was the lesson he learned today, he had to resign himself to the fact he was replaceable and had to leave this city that never wanted him. Fran was going to walk towards the Judgment office but he felt something pulling his sleeve and turned back again; it was the child he had saved.

«Thanks a lot, Onii-san!» she exclaimed with a shining smile, then she warmly hugged his leg.

«It looks like someone more modest than you is around, Kongou-san!» Awatsuki said, hiding her laughter.

«True… if this boy wasn't here, this would have never ended this way. Thanks to you guys from Judgment, this bizarre city is a lot safer.» The kid's mother added as she lifted the child up her shoulders, then looked Fran straight in his eyes. «Thanks to be here.» She said crying, then left in silence; this time a louder clapping started, and it was for Fran.

The boy completely ignored the glad crowd and resumed his walk towards his destination, with his eyes lowered and his mouth shut. «So many imbeciles… only an idiot could feel amused by gratitude. I saved that girl because I did not want her to die and not to be thanked so loudly… if only that boy hadn't recognized me, I would have not be forced to hear such nonsense from that mother… if I wasn't here, huh? What a joke… there is-» Fran's dark thoughts were interrupted by the umpteenth female scream that stopped him once again from going forward and captured his attention.

«Eeeeeehy! Shadow Crafter?! Someone just said Shadow Crafter, right?!» a girl swung her way into the crowd of snoops who grouped around the place of the accident; it was Saten who, wearing her school's track suit and huffing, tightly grabbed Fran's arm immediately after she saw him.

«Found him… and caught… finally...» Saten was so tired she couldn't even talk properly, it looked like she was running since hours.

«Saten…-san? Do I remember your name right? Are you in trouble?» Fran asked intrigued.

«Well… someone was looking for you… here, the phone…» Saten said with her last breath then she handed him her mobile phone.

«H-hello?» the boy said hesitant.

«WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!» Uiharu shouted so loud Fran had to pull the phone away from his ears to prevent himself to become deaf.

«U-Uiharu-Senpai… I-»

«Don't "Senpai" me today! It won't work! Do you realize the time? It's since yesterday that you went capturing that factory attacker we don't receive any news from you! We called you dozen of times and even Yomikawa-san had no idea where you were because you never backed home!» Uiharu said, visibly furious.

«I'm sorry… I had to deal with something unexpected and my phone broke too. I solved it now, though, and I was coming back to the office. I will send an apology letter for being late.» Fran said regretted.

«I can't care less of you being late! You totally disappeared without anyone knowing anything!» she added.

«You are right, Uiharu-san. It sure was difficult having my job on your back too… I will help you as soon as I get there.»

«It's not about that…»

«Oh, right. Shirai-san is probably still in the hospital. You are missing someone patrolling and you couldn't progress the work. Tell me what I have to do and where, I'll go there immediately.»

«No… you don't understand.»

«Oh, of course. Maybe you still weren't informed about what happened yesterday nearby the wind turbines. I'll tell you everything you need once I get ther-»

«IT'S BECAUSE WE ARE FRIENDS!»

Uiharu yelled stronger than before and her cry was echoing around the whole road; the moment Fran heard those words, he felt like he was melting because of this warm feeling of solace, then the moment the Misaka clone called him friend too popped in his mind and he felt relieved.

Fran brought the phone next to his ear again but this time the only thing he could hear was a never ending cry and the noise of the snot getting sucked up the nose; he didn't know what to do or say, but he oddly felt good.

«Gimme gimme! I'll handle it, Uiharu is a crybaby now.» Saten took her phone back and started whispering some good words to her friend who was slowly turning tranquil again. «Fran-san, you have to forgive her. She was really worried a lot!» Saten exclaimed now talking to Fran, but still having her call on.

«B-but why?» Fran asked, he couldn't realize the nonsense he was saying because he was so moved by Uiharu he couldn't think straight.

«Why?! Fran-san, are you ill too? Just to let you know, Uiharu was looking for you incessantly since lunch time. She ran around the whole city for two hours hoping to find news about you, then I asked her to rest and I relieved her.»

«What?! But… that was unnecessary…» Fran was speechless.

«Aaaaah! Come on, today you all are making us sweating!» Saten said as she stretched her tired legs.

«You all…? Anyone else disappeared?» Fran asked.

«Uiharu, you tell him please. I really need to rest a moment!» Saten handed the phone and sat on the ground; Fran brought it to his ear and noticed Uiharu was sounding fine again, but he wasn't able to start the conversation first because of his shyness.

«Fran-san… I don't care if you are hiding something, like Shirai-san thinks, or if you don't feel the same about us… now you are an important colleague of the 177 Judgment branch office and most of all… an irreplaceable friend! Keep this always in mind!» Those sweet but flickering words of her reached Fran's sorrowful heart and broke the chain that the horrible experience with his darkness-self brought around his soul.

«I-irreplaceable…?» Fran repeated incredulous. «This word… how has she said the exact and only word I needed to hear today… and why does it feel so good? This cursed city… never stops surprising you every second, turning and twisting you as it pleases without the possibility to fight back… but now I seem to understand what the clone meant when she said I was afraid to interact with others.» the boy thought to himself, then he grabbed the phone tight and brought it next to his lips to make what he was going to say as clear as possible.

«Yeah, we are friends. Sorry to worry you.» he said, willing to let it all out and try to cry but he wasn't able to; his heart was now too relaxed and calm to shake. «I am a shadow, I am what I am… arrogant and bashful… I'm always too scared to share the real feeling I have for people because I'm afraid they won't be returned. But this time… I will make an exception accepting what they feel for me, so I can do no less. I am done running, I won't leave. I was so concerned about finding my place in this world I couldn't notice someone was helping me building it already. Leaving would be like demolishing everything they did for me, soon I'll return the favour! Next time I'll be the one confessing first… and it will be her.» he thought, putting his hand at the height of the heart.

«Fran-san… I'm so happy right now!» Uiharu exclaimed full of joy, while Saten was smiling too.

«I'm coming back to the office, Uiharu-san… I will apologize properly once I get there then I'll help you doing anything you'd ask me!» Fran said bold.

«Emh… there is a little problem actually, Fran-san… I'm not there.» Uiharu replied.

«Are you home resting? Understandable, after all you did for me.»

«I would like it too… but I can't, I had to relieve Saten-san at Misaka-san's room. She's not well today.»

«What? Something happened to Misaka-san?!» Fran asked, immediately thinking the worst.

«Nothing serious, don't worry. It seems she backed at late night to the dorm yesterday after spending hours under the cold rain. Of course… she got a fever accordingly… oh, she is yelling a bit now, she waked up. Sorry I have to hang up, she needs help.» Uiharu explained saddened.

«Rain…?» Fran remembered the horrible night spent fighting against his shadows and his mind darkened in bad thoughts again.

«That Misaka! I know what she is up to! Lately there is a boy she is interested in and I think she spent all that time with him! Luckily Shirai-san knows nothing about this! Misaka-san is not only ill, but she is because of a guy. Shirai-san could commit a genocide if she gets to know!» Saten exclaimed sarcastic; hearing those words, Fran also remembered everything that happened before the scary encounter, the arrival of Kamijou Touma, Mikoto's superficiality in his regards and the resulting feeling of failure and worthlessness he felt which caused the appearing of the darkness within himself.

«Uiharu-san… I'm going back to the office anyway.» Fran, suddenly turned cold and composed as usual, threw the mobile at Saten and ran away from there very fast.

«Oh no!!! Fran-san! I'm not following you, understood?! Please, get a new phone as soon as possible!» Saten yelled outraged as she waved her right punch angrily.

«I haven't really understood what happened to Fran-san but… I'm waiting for you, Saten-san. Come here taking care of Misaka-san so I can go back to the office.» Uiharu said out loud, knowing Saten was probably not with the phone at her ears.

«I… should go…» Uiharu got distracted for a second and heard Mikoto talk; shewas now sitting on the bed, looking tired and with a bright red face.

«Misaka-san! Lay down immediately! Stop trying to leave, you can't! Stay calm and go back to bed.» Uiharu grabbed Mikoto and put her to sleep again. «Jeez… can you tell me what the heck were you doing under a storm?!»

«I want… to apologize to you…» Said Mikoto a second before fainting.

«Alright, alright… apology accepted, Misaka-san… but for what? Wait… are you even talking to me or…? Whatever… soon you'll feel better and you will explain us everything without this confusion…» Uiharu gave Mikoto a new cold washcloth and caressed her hair gently.

A passerby saw a tall boy wearing a huge grey coat suddenly jumping in front of her and blocking her the way.

«I'm from Judgment. Can I politely ask you to borrow me your mobile phone for a call?» Fran asked showing his armband.

«S-sure… was it necessary jumping down from the skies, though?!» the girl handed him the phone and he quickly typed a number.

«Good evening. May I ask you how you got this number? Depending on the answer, there could be various consequences…» a wary sounding female voice answered the call.

«Are you usually this rude with call centers, Misaki-san?» Fran asked ironic.

«Fran-san?!» Misaki jumped off her chair and everyone stared at her.

«The queen got a call… from a boy?»

«Not sure was a boy but look at her face… she turned red like a pepper…»

«Shut up, don't be disrespectful… I'm curious, though…»

The girl was at her school's library and she was studying with her group of admirers who started a silent gossip.

«Queen? Something's wrong?» a long purple haired girl asked her; Misaki reached her purse looking for her remote instinctively but, once remembering with who was talking with, she apologised for being noisy and left to the sidelines without using her powers to clean the mess.

«Fran-san… it's the first time you call me on your own, and what's more by a private number… is this finally the moment you are inviting me to dinner properly?» Misaki exclaimed while playfully biting her glove on the index finger.

«Maybe one day you'll deserve it, who knows... bur first I would like to talk about a certain Kamijou Touma. What do you know about him?» Fran requested and, hearing that name, Misaki shuddered and silenced for a bunch of seconds.

«Huuuuh… why do you ask ME? Is he in trouble for something illegal and Judgment is looking for him?» She asked.

«Not even close. It's a personal interest.»

«Oh Oh… Fran san, now is it all clear… you are interested in men, apparentl-»

«Stop joking around now, Misaki-san. What can you tell me of Kamijou Touma?» the hard and cold words of Fran shut Misaki up who was almost frightened by the seriousness with which he interrupted her so sharply.

«Well… he is an high schooler and a level zero. I'm aware of nothing else about him…» Misaki said, cold sweating.

«Understood… thanks, bye.» Fran quickly got off the phone and handed it back to the passerby, thanking her, then he resumed the run towards the office.

«This Kamijou Touma must be more important than I think if Misaki-san had to lie to me in order to prevent me to know about him… she was too busy being concerned she forgot I know what she thinks of him thanks to the one time she shared the Daiashei Festival memories with me… it's not a big deal if she doesn't want to talk. This is something I have to do by myself.» Fran was so deeply thinking his body was in autopilot now.

«Kamijou defeated the number one ranked Accelerator and it also seems like he had a main role in the festival battle, even if Misaki did not watch what he has done there in person. Then, looking to the data I collected since I got here, he is always there when it comes down to brawls and tough situations. In conclusion, he really represents the type of guy I hate the most: the casual hero. In addition, he also caused Misaka that bad fever by making her chasing him down the whole night… she looks so obsessed by him, but how…? I've made my decision.» Fran suddenly stood still in the middle of the road and looked at his reflection in a puddle. «I'll prove to myself I'm strong enough to stay here in this city and write my own story… I'll fight Kamijou Touma, the farthest and most different person than me I know for now. I've got more than one reason to break his nose… but there's a big problem. How do I find a way to battle him?» the boy resumed walking but slowly, he was really near to the Judgment office now.

«I can't just go to his house and challenge him to a duel. After all, I'm from Judgment and this would be a severe rule breaking! Well, only thinking about it's pretty illegal, tough… it's since I met Misaka I do nothing but breaking the rules… keep doing this and you'll break the whole law code, Fran-san! Whatever… if I can't challenge him directly, I have to wait a good chance… like finding him involved in a punch fight with someone and battle him, pretending to arrest him… I may have to follow him the whole day to find a situation like this but I can't afford it since I'm busy in many other tasks. This is looking really difficult to come out.» Without realizing it, Fran reached the office door without making a decision; he opened it and saw something unpleasant: Elena was sitting on the couch and Konori Mii was next to her working on the pc like nothing happened.

«Fran-san! Finally! Don't worry, Uiharu already told me everything.» Mii approached him and gently put a hand on his shoulder. «Someone was waiting you more than me.»

«Fran-san! Yay!» Elena stood up enthusiast.

«Konori-senpai… I'm gonna be honest with you, I really can't stand dealing with this fool today… I've had a tough day. Can you do it, at least this one time? I'll do anything in return!» Fran requested hopeless.

«Believe me… I tried. But this is the fourth time she comes here and asks for you only. I wanted to deal with her but she doesn't listen, she just wants to talk to you… I'm almost afraid to say this, but I'm feeling jealous now. It was me who talked to her before you came in this city so I would've not imagined she would have rejected me so badly!»

«Fran-san! I really did it today, I deserve to be jailed forever!» Elena approached the boy and grabbed him crying loud as usual.

«If only the shadow asked me to kill her instead of Mikoto… I think I wouldn't really disagree…» Fran though sarcastic, maybe.

«Elenaaaaa! Please, hurry! I'm hungry! Are we going to stay here the whole day?!» Fran didn't immediately notice the tiny shape accompanying Elena this time.

«Index, you can leave now. I will be arrested for what I did but you deserve to live!» Elena said waving a white tissue in farewell.

«That nun… I remember her! She was with Kamijou Touma when he came interrupting me and Misaka-san! Can it be that…» Fran had an intuition, a good one.

«Come on, move. Let's go! And You, little gnat, stay here waiting her and don't leave for any reason! It won't take much.» Fran wildly grabbed Elena and dragged her in the interview room while Index nodded in fear because of the severity he told her to not go away.

The two sat at the little table but Fran had darker looks than usual even Elena noticed it.

«F-Fran-san? Is everything ok…?» The girl asked, but Fran did not answer immediately; then he utterly raised his eyes and spoke.

«What do you know about Kamijou Touma?» he asked short and to the point.

«Huh… Kamijou-san? Bleah!» Elena made a disgusted face and cringed. «I can't really stand that guy! Super cheap and obnoxious! And despite this, girls around him multiply like bunnies in mating season! I don't really understand how!»

«I thought you were friends.» The boy said to trigger her on purpose.

«Friends?! Absolutely not! I'm forced to meet him because I'm friend with Index! I'll make an example for you. Kamijou-san is like the toilet seat in winter: you already know you have to sit on it and feel like the most unpleasant sensation ever but you need to if you want to pee!» Elena exclaimed as simulating her dying under a snow storm.

«Yeah, I understood… that creepy example was not necessary…» Even if he was focused and determined, not even Fran could remain unmoved in front of the peculiarity of his interlocutor; after getting rid of the cringe, he resumed talking. «So who is this Index? Is she her sister?» he asked.

«No, no… she is A sister! As far as I know she is an English nun who was accidentally found hanging on his balcony, so they live together now.» Elena answered.

«Ok. What's the real story instead? Can you stop?» Fran asked disappointed.

«But THIS is the real one! Jeez! Just because I'm half dumb it doesn't mean I lie to people!» Elena replied.

«Half? This is already the second lie you're telling today.» Fran said, hurting the poor Elena who curled up on the chair crying.

«You meany! Think what you want but this is the truth! Despite how I dislike him so much, Index instead loves him a lot and she does nothing but talk well about him all day. Who would have imagined I had to be jealous of a talking toilet seat!» Elena exclaimed as she angrily jumped off her chair.

«I see, he is an important person to her…» Fran got up from his chair too, but with a disturbing composure.

«Anyways… I was here to turn myself in. This time I think I did someth-» Fran quickly shut her up by tightly putting his whole hand on her mouth.

«You don't need to talk… I already know what you did this time and let me tell you, you truly are the lowest scum in history. Prepare to receive the cruellest punishment ever for your action. I will finally take you in and throw the key away.» Fran's threatening words scared Elena so much she quitted crying and started shaking her head compulsively.

-

Running, wheezing and tired, Kamijou Touma reached the huge iron bridge on the city lake; that was the meeting point, the place was very cheaply lighted but the moonlight was really strong and bright now that the sky was finally free from the storming clouds of the day before.

Touma went halfway the bridge and noticed a thin dark shape in the middle of the road; the man was wearing a long black cape with a hood that covered his eyes while the rest of the face was hidden behind an unusual duck beak mask.

«As you requested on the call… I came to the bridge on 10 P.M, alone.» Touma exclaimed slowly, trying to catch his breath back, but the masked man did not reply; instead, he raised up his hand and a large shadow blade materialized on his order. The blade flew against Touma who, scared but ready, destroyed it with his right hand.

«I see you are not a friendly guy… that duck face deceived me at the start, I thought you weren't actually the villain.» Touma said as he checked his hand was allright. «Skipping the chatting is ok for me… after all I'm here for saving Index only, let her go!»

«As suspected, my predictions were founded…» Fran thought to himself. «The info I had about him were correct… Imagine Breaker, a mystic arm able to cancel others' esper abilities. Even if I already knew, I had to try it first for details. Normally, once one of my shadows get destroyed by a stronger attack, I can immediately fix it in less of a second in the same spot it broke but this seems to not count against his arm… when he touches my shadow, it feels like I lose control of it and it has to come back to the place I materialized it first before being able to use it again… this means the further from him the shadow I use to attack is, the later I can use the same source to attack him again if he manages to destroy it.»

«Ehi! Are you having fun just standing there in silence? I will tell you again, let Index go and we won't be forced to fight!» Touma yelled, they still had a pretty good distance between them; Fran told Touma to look better behind his back: behind the masked boy there was a thick shadow wall.

«Your little friend is after this barrier, so… if you want to see her again you HAVE to fight with me.» Fran said provocative.

«Can't really find a way to make you change idea, huh? Alright… can you tell me what church are you from?» Touma asked.

«Church…? What does it mean? I assume this guy must be a convinced religious one if he hangs out with a nun… whatever, I'll figure something out.» Fran thought, unaware of the science's opposite side's business. «I'm from the enemy one.» then he said looking doubtless.

«Enemy one? Which one? Wait, there are actually friendly churches to me in the first place?! Weird… he doesn't want to tell me?» Touma thought, confused by the vague answer of his opponent. «Are you guys interested in the grimoires? What are you planning to do with them this time?!» He asked further.

«They will be mine too soon… but they told me I have to get rid of you first, this is why I led you here!» Fran said improvising.

«What the heck is this guy even saying?! Does he not know he already has them once he captured Index? Maybe he's just a unaware subordinate… or maybe…»

«Enough! Let's start!» Fran interrupted Touma's deep thinking and doubts once he crafted two human shaped shadows that rushed against the boy; they had sharp swords replacing their four limbs.

«What?! He casted a spell without telling a formula?!» Touma thought dismayed.

«My strategy will be simple: I chose this place for the fight because I can use the whole shadow of the bridge on the lake as a huge source. I will use the furthest shadows for the ranged attacks so, even in the case he manages to cancel them with the Imagine Breaker, I would still have the closest sources to counter attacks and protect. I just have to care about not using centipedes, I'm already using my full power so I don't want to give him more ways to recognize me one day… my legs are shaking… my opponent has such great fame while I'm just a nobody masked guy… but I'll still win. You win battles in your mind first, then on the field. A fight is like a card game and he is playing with his hand down. I know everything his power does and instead of mine, his becomes ineffective if you know how to play it around. He has one arm only while I have an entire iron bridge... casual hero versus pro hero… let's see who deserves the title, bring it on!» Fran rapidly checked his plan in his mind and, after encouraging himself, he focused on his enemy's movements.

Touma charged against the shadow clones and dodged their attacks, eventually touching them with his right arm and dissolving them, then aimed for Fran's position.

«Perfect, just as planned 'till now.» Fran thought satisfied. «He understood he needs to shorten the distance if he wants to have a chance against me… you can clearly see he is a great fighter, I'll give him that after all. As soon as he will reach that iron beam, I'll make an hard shadow plate popping out from the floor to impede him. He will destroy it with his right hand to get through it but… he won't be fast enough to dodge or cancel the shadow blades behind him I hid under the bridge while he was busy fighting the shadow clones.» Fran's long cape was flapping in the cold wind as Touma was quickly running towards him to deliver his famous right hook, the fight may be already over.