"So, you two must be the Magic Side people Yoshino has been talking about these past few days, right? You look just like the delinquents I usually deal with! Look at your face and that priest's outfit—what's going on?"
Suzuya Yuriko was stunned when she saw so many strangers at home. After Yoshino's quiet explanation, she learned that this was why Yoshino had been away from home. So, Suzuya Yuriko immediately felt no goodwill towards these guys, and she began to coldly mock Stiyl.
"You!! Hmph! This is just my personal hobby, do you have a problem with that?"
Stiyl didn't have any information about this white-haired beautiful girl in his collected data from the past few days. Stiyl didn't think such a seemingly delicate girl could be anyone formidable, so he immediately glared at Suzuya Yuriko with his fierce expression. He had scared quite a few children like this.
"Oh? Are you threatening me? Hahaha~ How interesting. No one has ever dared to speak to me like that. You are truly amusing."
Yoshino looked at Stiyl worriedly. How could there be such a suicidal person? How tall were the weeds on the grave of the last person who spoke to Sister Yuriko like that?
Could it really be that ignorance is bliss?
"Alright, this is not the time to argue, Sister Yuriko. What we need to discuss now concerns Index, so no more arguing." Don't forget the original purpose, okay? You're making it very difficult for Yoshino.
"Didn't you say this matter concerns Index's life? Let's properly explain this matter now. There are many people here who can help think of a solution. Ms. Kanzaki, could you please explain about Index?"
Kanzaki Kaori and Stiyl exchanged glances. There was no way to avoid explaining the situation now. So Stiyl simply turned his head, letting Kanzaki Kaori be responsible for the explanation.
"Well, this matter is actually about Index's special constitution, her 'Complete Memory Ability.' So the Church required that child to memorize all 103,000 grimoires in her brain from a young age. The content of 103,000 grimoires is simply too vast, occupying eighty-five percent of that child's brain memory capacity. Her brain now only has fifteen percent capacity remaining. So, in order to prevent that child from being overwhelmed by memories, we have to clear her memories once a year, otherwise she will die. That's why we have always played the role of villains. In the beginning, we were also that child's companions, but for the sake of that child's life, we could only do this."
A sad expression appeared on Kanzaki Kaori's face. If it were possible, who would want to harm Index?
"So that's how it is?" Kamijou Touma also recalled the first time he met Index, when Index mentioned that her brain contained the memories of 103,000 grimoires. He hadn't taken it seriously before, but now he realized it was true.
"Stiyl and I didn't decide to play the villains from the start; we tried our best. We also experienced spring, summer, autumn, and winter with that child, constantly creating beautiful memories together. As a promise, Stiyl and I even used diaries and photos to record all of it, hoping that the child would remember us."
"But, but even then it was useless! Because even if she looked at the diaries and photos we wrote, she would only keep saying sorry to us... In the end, whether it was family, friends, or lovers, everything would return to zero. So we could no longer bear it. If we kept watching her gently say sorry to us every time she lost her memories, Stiyl and I truly couldn't take it anymore. That's why we are like this now... We just simply want to save her."
By the end, she was explaining with a choked voice. Such things had happened too many times; it was truly too painful.
"Even if you say that, according to your understanding, how much time does that Little Girl named Index have left?" Suzuya Yuriko asked faintly, looking at Kanzaki Kaori who was crying there. Now she felt that these science side guys in front of her were even dumber than she felt in elementary school, they were completely pathetic.
"Memory erasure cannot be too early or too late. It must be exactly at the one-year cycle. So now there are only two days left."
Kanzaki Kaori paused, "If that child is still here and experiences severe headaches again, then it means the time has come."
"Yes, when she first came out, Index did say she had a headache. That's why I went out to look for a pharmacy to see if there was any medicine that could cure headaches."
And then he ran into this delinquent priest. Kamijou Touma looked at Stiyl; it was this guy who made the medicine he just bought disappear.
"Hmph! Fifteen percent brain capacity, yet unable to store even a year's worth of memories? Who told you such a ridiculous joke? And you actually believed it, it's truly laughable."
Suzuya Yuriko looked at the two people sitting opposite her with a disdainful expression. It was entirely because of their low intelligence that so many sad things had happened to them over the years. No one else was to blame.
"Can you tell me how you arrived at your conclusions of 'eighty-five percent' and 'fifteen percent'?"
"Eh?"
Seeing Stiyl and Kanzaki Kaori's astonished expressions, Suzuya Yuriko knew immediately that these people had been deceived.
"You should know that I am Academy City's Number One Esper. I currently possess most of Academy City's knowledge. Although I don't have the 'Complete Memory Ability,' the ability to instantly memorize things is very simple for me. You should know that if fifteen percent of brain capacity could only store one year's worth of memories, that would mean dying at the age of six or seven."
"How could such a thing exist? Are you all idiots?"
"'Complete Memory Ability' allows her to remember everything perfectly, but her brain will absolutely not explode."
Yes, Yoshino's brain also contained memorized grimoires. To avoid being discovered, she could only keep them for now and deal with them after this matter was over.
"In other words, you idiots have been deceived!" Suzuya Yuriko's words made both of them stand up at once.
"Impossible! This is an order from the Archbishop; the Archbishop cannot deceive us!" Stiyl said in disbelief.
"Why can't he deceive you? How did your Archbishop arrive at your so-called eighty-five percent and fifteen percent conclusions? You should know that no one or any equipment in Academy City would provide such information. How would she, being from the Magic Side, know this? You should know that the human brain has infinite potential. How could human possibilities be completely denied by a few numbers? Your Archbishop probably took some measures to prevent anyone from getting too close to that girl. Otherwise, why would she lose her memory every year? You should know that those are 103,000 grimoires, things that absolutely cannot fall into other people's hands."
Toujou Nozomi also stood up at this point. They wouldn't trust people from the science side, so someone who used magic like herself might be more convincing.
"Then, then, does the Saint now have a way to free this child from this situation? That child has suffered too much pain now." Kanzaki Kaori looked at Yoshino with anticipation. If Index could be freed from this yearly memory loss, then why not trust them just once?
"Now, our solution is Mr. Kamijou."
"...Me?"
Kamijou Touma, who had been an extra from the very beginning, was startled when everyone looked at him. He pointed at himself with a questioning tone. What solution did he have?
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