Toaru Majutsu no Index SS: Necessarius Special Admission Test/Chapter 8

Synopsis
Cynthia arrives at the front of the British Museum, easily defeating several Anglican Church magicians. Despite this, she was wary that this was not all the Church could muster against her as the all have been sending below average magicians. Then, she turns her head to see that Itsuwa has come before her in spite of her power. They were 20 meters apart in a plaza with nowhere to hide. Then like a bullet Cynthia charges towards Itsuwa with her staff changing into a sword with a blade made of bone. Itsuwa dodges it by jumping, but then Cynthia continues rushing forward towards the place Itsuwa would likely land from her jump. Itsuwa disassembles and throws the end of the spear's handle towards Cynthia, forcing her to parry it and allowing Itsuwa to land safely. She then swings towards Cynthia with her spear. Cynthia is hit and would have hurt a vital point of hers if Itsuwa was at its full length. They clash a second time. However, Itsuwa can't catch up. Even with all her skills in using her Amakusa techniques in extracting magical symbols from things in a limited time, Cynthia was simply faster, and not just her use of her staff but it was as if her own person was in constant flux. Itsuwa is confused as Cynthia should have a weakness while switching between so many complex weapons, as is the nature of most spiritual items—the human as the core passing magic power to the spiritual item to activate the spell using the necessary ceremony, different ceremonies for each spiritual item. But Cynthia had done none of these things, no incantations, no dolls, no charms, no ceremonies, just her staff and her seemingly complete control over the spiritual items of the British Museum. Then, Itsuwa found an answer and her thoughts were cut off by her realization. Cynthia notices this and asks if she had caught on. She turns her staff back to normal and rests it upon her shoulder, pausing their battle. Cynthia has actually used magical symbols all along when she used the staff to compensate for her the ceremonies that are needed for each spiritual item. Here, she reveals Itsuwa that she is from the Amakusa Christian Church's Overseas Branch.

Cynthia relates the origins of the Overseas Branch, a small sect of Amakusa Christians who fled Japan at the height of the government’s suppression of Christianity in the country, fleeing on Dutch ships. But even foreign lands they continued to be oppressed. And so people like Cynthia and those who supported her created the framework of the Royal Astronomical Research Organization to create bases around the Pound Economy countries. It is something born out of the desire for a new land after finding no place for them in Europe and not being able to return to Japan. Cynthia reveals that she and the others had no desire to switch to the science side but to return to Japan no matter what it takes. As they tried to blend with the culture of Europe and prove their worth they have become entangled with the intrigue of the magic side making them unable to return to Japan even after it ended its oppression on Christians. Cythia says the involvement of the Japanese Amakusa starting with the Anglican Church's free pass was not expected, though says that the Church was right all along to suspect the Amakusa in a way out of sheer coincidence. Cythia comments on the difference between them, the Japanese Amakusa being the scapegoats, while the Overseas one being the true perpetrators, and the Japanese Amakusa escaping the country the Overseas Amakusa longed to go back to, making them complete opposites. Itsuwa tells her that if Cynthia is acting based on the desire to return home, then she should know the pain it would bring for them to destroy someone else's homeland, but Cynthia is not moved, saying that people who laughed happily as they abandoned Japan could never understand her anguish. Cynthia then takes the bottom end of Itsuwa's spear that she tossed at her a while back, and tells her to reattach it as she wants to defeat Itsuwa at her best. Itsuwa does so but she still has no plan to counter Cynthia and her changing staff. However, Itsuwa is determined not to lose. Cynthia's staff then changes back to the bone sword. Itsuwa slices a nearby streetlight with her spear. With the sound of metal collapsing, Itsuwa and Cynthia does battle once more.

Confident in her victory and able to perceive Itsuwa's actions like in slow-motion, Cynthia charged forward and sliced off the tip of Itsuwa's spear with her sword, removing the spear's magic symbolism, before reversing the sword and aiming for Itsuwa's neck. As she was doing so, Cynthia noticed a change in Itsuwa's movements but was still confident she'd behead her. However, Itsuwa stopped Cynthia's attack with her own.

Shocked that her attack had been blocked, Cynthia was even more surprised to see that Itsuwa was using a blade identical to her own. Pushing back and swinging her blade several more times, Cynthia asked how she got that sword as she didn't have it before. Itsuwa pointed out that she didn't have one before either, but had her staff transform into one. Cynthia then noticed the remains of Itsuwa's spear were missing and realized what had happened. As she shifted her weapon to repeatedly attack, Itsuwa changed hers to match Cynthia's and countered them. Wondering if she got the museum's data, Cynthia mentioned that the stick which remained of the spear was different from her spiritual item so she still shouldn't be able to use the same attacks as her.

Itsuwa replied that she wasn't basing it off the museum's data, but off Cynthia's actions. She added that if she were born with something special she wouldn't have been able to correspond closely enough to her. Going on the defensive, Cynthia said if she shouldn't have caught up with her spell just by simply mimicking her actions. Smiling, Itsuwa agreed but added that they were both Amakusa so they'd naturally end up in the same place.

Cynthia declared that she would return no matter what, to the place her ancestors dreamed of returning to for over a hundred years. Replying that reality was always harsh, Itsuwa said that their power was now even and it came down to their skill and mental strength, telling Cynthia if she wished to declare victory to do so after defeating her. The two charged and clashed swords with one another. Cynthia once declared that they will return to their original country after being restricted for so long, no matter what they had to crush on their way. Itsuwa replied that even if that method brought her home, she would find a land no different from any other and would not be able to rest from the guilt over the blood shed to reach it, having strayed from the proper path. Thinking about the meaning of Kanzaki Kaori's magic name, the ideal form of the Amakusas as ones who protect people and how they should never abandon someone who thought this was the only way to save themselves, Itsuwa declared that the Amakusa should fight to protect people's smiles no matter where they live and that if Cynthia had forgotten that then she could not agree with it no matter what she said. As their blades were locked, Itsuwa slammed her head in Cynthia's forehead and smashed her sword guard into her nose as she staggered back.

Thus ends this long and eventful night. The defeated Cynthia has been taken by the Anglicans for questioning to determine who exactly have been working with her and how far the Amakusa Christian Church’s Overseas Branch had infiltrated the Anglican Church. As Itsuwa waits at the plaza before the British Museum, Saiji arrives, commenting on how the entrance was terrible. Itsuwa asks about Tsushima's condition, to which Saiji reassures her that she will be fine as she is a professional. After feeling a sense of gratitude to Tsushima, Itsuwa comments on how their enemy and allies were Amakusas. Saiji says the turning fate has been strange, though it is worth only that. Saiji says that they are all Christians, the Anglicans and Amakusas, and that they can find colleagues such as those anywhere. He tells Itsuwa that if she thinks on too small a scale, she will fall into the trap of yearning for home, just like Cynthia. Hearing that, Itsuwa is determined to be that kind of person who makes it the more worthwhile. Itsuwa then asks what was going to happen, clarifying on how they might be accused of not managing their sect properly due to guilt by association, doubting that they could join the Anglican Church. Saiji tries to speak but is interrupted by the arrival of Freadia Strikers, infirmed on a wheelchair. Bandaged, the black skin that was caused by the trapezohedron she used was gone. With a smile she comes up to Itsuwa and tosses her a silver and red rosary—the symbol of the Anglican Church, the same thing that was given to Orsola when she had been welcomed to London. Having been given to them Freadia tells them that they are worth more than their lives, and says that the Anglican Church has officially acknowledged the usefulness of the Amakusa Church. And so it has come to pass that the great test was ended, and as a new dawn breaks so too is a new dawn for the Amakusa.