Hey there! Nice to meet y'all. Author here.

I wanted to clarify a couple things here at the beginning, just in case.

This is the first time I'm writing a fanfic. In other words, I'm a rookie. I've got no experience at all. Also, English is not my first language. Meaning, there's gonna be lots of errors and mistakes everywhere, so if you see one, please point it out and go easy on me.

I'm writing this for fun, and I don't intend to prioritize releases over anything that may happen in RL or over studies, so I won't have a schedule. I'll publish when I have time and chapters completed.

Lastly, I have a general idea of where I want to make the story go, but it is rather vague, so I accept any kind of suggestions and ideas you may have.

A warning before you read: I intend to use characters from up to the latest novel, and also from spin-offs, mangas and other formats. The characters or the narrations may mention events of any of the novels or manga. So if you have yet to catch up, you may be involuntarily spoiled. Please keep this in mind and read at your own risk.

With everything said, I hope you enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index nor any of its characters.

Academy City. Situated at the west of Tokyo, it held a third of the total size of the capital. It was home to more than 2,3 million people, 80% of which were students. It received its name due to the high number of schools and academies that exist there. Besides the learning facilities, Academy City also had a high concentration of laboratories and research centers, which conducted investigations over a wide array of topics. Thanks to them, it was said that the city's technology was 20 to 30 years ahead of the rest of the world.

In the middle of this stronghold of science stood a certain building which, strangely, had neither windows nor doors. It was called the Windowless Building, and it was the residence of the person with the highest authority in Academy City, the Board Chairman of the Board of Directors. Inside the building, in one of the countless rooms, existed a cylinder which reached to the ceiling, connected to numerous cables, and filled with a red liquid. Floating upside down inside the capsule there was a peculiar human, who looked like an adult, yet also a child; like a man, yet also a woman; like a saint, yet also a criminal.

At the moment, his attention was centered on a screen which had just appeared in front of him, floating silently. A laughing voice could be heard through the room.

"What are you planning this time, Silver Star?"

That voice came from the speakers distributed across the area. At the same time, the screen displayed a smiling woman, seated in a dark chamber. She appeared to be 18 years old, and was dressed in a pink one-piece dress. She had crystal-white skin, clear blue eyes, and flowing, long shining golden hair.

Without changing his expression, the silver-haired man answered her.

"I would prefer it if you were to stop referring to me with that name."

"Fufu. Then, what business do you have with me? I refuse to believe that someone as important as the head of the science side would contact me without other purpose than a friendly chat. If it really is so, the you have really decayed, Aleister."

Crowley stood silent for a moment before finally giving his reply.

"Recently, the majority of my current ongoing plans have reached a standstill."

"You mean they failed?"

"Of course not. They have merely entered a waiting phase. The ones that have yet to reach this point are not nearly as many as they used to be, and are no longer enough to keep me busy. Thus..." He paused.

"I grew bored."

"Huh?"

"I have recently been conducting research on a completely unrelated topic with no other reasons than my own entertainment. A hobby, so to speak. That is the reason I have called you today."

Laura Stuart, Archbishop of the Anglican Church, one of the world's three largest religious denomination and Head of Necessarius, the Church of Necessary Evil, stood still, mouth agape and completely speechless.

And she began laughing uncontrollably.

"Ohohohohoho! You really were calling to chat! Fufufufu!"

While she tried to restrain herself, the human replied indifferently.

"It certainly is a rather amusing activity. If you have enough time, I recommend you pick up one." For a moment, the edges of his mouth seemed to curl slightly upwards. "For example, I could send you several of the best language teachers form Academy City. We could cover everything up as a language research project in collaboration with England."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because, in all honesty, your Japanese still sounds too strange."

"Bffagh?!"

"I'm amazed nobody called out to you about it before. That's why I'm suggesting to disguise it as a hobby. Maybe something like research about how archaic dialects merge with modern ones and the impression it gives to unrelated parties. Language research is part of psychology, so it falls under our specialty area. I'm sure nobody will find it that strange."

"W-Wait. I don't want nor need something like that. My Japanese is not that odd! I even had Kanzaki help me with it! Besides, what proof do you have?! I demand facts!"

"Without going far, your attempt to laugh graciously earlier was a complete and utter failure. At risk of using foul language, it was creepy. Was that some kind of parody of a stereotypical high-class lady's laugh? It gave me the impulse to use the Archetype Controller to erase the concept of nobility and aristocracy in the world in order to prevent anyone from hearing something like that ever again."

"It was bad in the magnitude of using a world-changing trump card?!"

Completely defeated, Laura spoke with teary eyes.

"So? What is the real reason for your call?"

"As I told you, I happened to pick up a hobby. It gave me an idea to start a side project, completely unrelated to any of the relevant ones. I seek your cooperation to make it more stimulating."

"That certainly sounds interesting. Do please explain."

"Here."

A document appeared on the device Laura was using to conduct long-distance communication between London and Academy City.

"Let's see... Sculpting? I never imagined you would be one to be interested in art... But it doesn't seem too difficult to realize. I don't know if the science side has developed technology to physically manipulate light to that level yet, but it is fairly easy with magic... And the moonlight part wouldn't pose a problem either. In fact, you don't need our help at all if it is only something to that extent."

"My apologies. That was not the actual project, but the hobby that inspired it. I wanted you to take a rapid look to it to understand what is it about. This" another document, much longer and complex replaced the first one "is the real project."

Laura rapidly skimmed through the text, and as she progressed, a small smile grew on her face.

"Wow, you never cease to surprise. Count me in. However, I have a small condition."

"What is it?"

"Change its name. Psychology may fall under the science category, but even I know that something called "Side Project" won't sell."

The next day, the videogame industry experienced a revolution.