After dinner Mikoto went straight to Colbert and requested a punching bag, she had not expected to have to describe what one was. Though in hindsight she probably should have.

She'd told him it was a long straight leather bag, about Tabitha's height, filled with sand with chains attached to the top to hang it from the ceiling.

She'd even drew him a picture.

He'd said it didn't look too hard and expected it to be done by morning.

She'd then asked for some padded gloves for both herself and Vallière. She'd never hear the end of it if Vallière got injured.

The look on his face when she'd said Vallière was going to be using it spoke volumes, though in the end he'd just shook his head and wished her luck.

She was very impressed with the punching bag Colbert had made, considering about 12 hours ago he hadn't known what one was. She grabbed the gloves and hook, shoving them in her pocket before grabbing the bag, magnetising the chain to help lift it. She slung it over her right shoulder, thanked Colbert and left.

Had her left hand not been injured she would've had an easier time carrying it, but she was never one to complain about such things.

Instead she just lugged it up to Louise's room, ignoring the stares and whispers from the other students and teachers as she walked.

Honestly the students she could understand, but the teachers she'd expected better. In fact the only teachers she respected were Colbert and Osmond. Colbert because he accepted and even liked science, and Osmond because he was extremely good at getting her out of political trouble.

Stopping in front of Louise's room she glared at it for a moment before schooling her features and knocking.

She waited. 10 seconds, 30 seconds, a minute.

Louise was in there, she could sense her body's electric signals but she hadn't moved to answer the door.

Biting her lip she wondered what to do.

Louise's room was her safe haven, the only place where she could get away from the bullying, the only place she truly felt safe. She didn't want to just barge in and invade that safe space, especially not when Louise hated her.

Knocking again, she actually got a response.

"Go away!"

She contemplated answering but decided against it, if Louise knew it was her before she opened the door then she might never be able to have a serious conversation with her. Instead she knocked again and the door was quickly flung open.

"I SAID-" Louise's eyes widened slightly before narrowing in anger as she tried to slam the door shut.

The door impacted against her foot and she'd never been more grateful for her thick military grade steel toe boots.

Normally Louise's next move would be to explode her but since she had her wand from when she'd confiscated it yesterday, all she had left was shouting and stamping on her foot.

She ignored the verbal abuse and her attempts at physical harm.

After a while Louise flung the door open and started punching her torso. It hurt slightly but it wasn't too bad, it would've hurt more if Louise was physically fit and actually knew how to throw a proper punch.

Eventually she stepped back breathing heavily but was still glaring at her.

"Can we talk?" Mikoto asked.

"I have nothing to say to you!"

"Then will you listen as I talk?" she asked holding out her wand.

Louise quickly snatched it, "Fine, Talk!"

"I'm sorry." She didn't know what Louise had been expecting but it clearly hadn't been that. "You have incredible mental strength being able to endure your entire society's ignorance for so long. To be honest I was surprised, you're society worships Brimir who was famous for using void magic, yet they failed to recognise it in someone else. I understand 6,000 years have passed since void magic was last seen, but that's not an excuse. You should've been tested for all 5 elements and you weren't, all because of your society's misconceptions. When you summoned me, at the time I was not fit to help you. I had and still have a lot of problems, most of which usually result in anger, and when I'm angry people get hurt."

Louise shuddered clearly remembering one of her more violent outbursts.

"In your mind I abandoned you, but if I hadn't I'm certain my anger would've eventually got the best of me. As for Saito, our society puts more emphasis on education then fighting. We had machines that washed clothes, cleaned dishes, cooked food, took pictures, let you talk to people far away, even machines that travelled faster than horses. Our world was very science orientated and we relied on machines for a lot of things. Not only that he was a civilian in an area not affected by the war."

Louise just nodded still looking despondent, "What's that?"

"A punching bag, I thought you could use it as a coping mechanism."

"I don't want your help!"

"I know, but right now I'm the only one actually trying to help you."

"I thought you hated me?"

"I don't hate you, but I don't like you either. We both currently have too many problems to even try and be friends."

"Then why are you trying to help me?!"

"Because you are on the verge of committing suicide, and nearly everyone in this school is blind to it. As I said before I have problems, but right now I am at a point where I can try and help you. Whether you want that help is up to you, but your society has already proven their incompetence multiple times."

She was thinking about it.

"...If I punch the bag, can I punch you?"

"...I suppose." It wasn't like she hadn't been punched before.

Louise nodded sharply and moved out the way to let her in.

Picking up the bag she walked in and using magnetism quickly screwed the hook into the ceiling in the corner of the room, before hanging the bag on it.

"Here," she passed her the gloves, "So you don't hurt your hands."

Louise tentatively took them and put them on, before turning to the punching bag and throwing a punch.

"Instead of punching in front punch from the side twisting your body, you'll get more power that way."

"Shut up!"

Despite her words Louise followed her advice.

"Try twisting your arm as well."

"I said SHUT UP!" Louise roared throwing a pretty solid punch.

For someone so stubborn she was turning out to be a pretty quick study. Given her size and strength she'd never be a brawler but a a rapier could suit her, coated in void magic no magic defence could efficiently block it.

"Vallière if I said I could teach you wandless magic, what would you say?"

"Impossible," she panted repeatedly punching the bag.

"Even if Tabitha can do it?"

That got her attention.

"What?!"

"Tabitha can use wandless magic, she'll show you if you ask. You'd never have to worry about losing your wand again."

"I don't trust you."

"I know."

"I'll think about it."

She nodded, "I'm off so if you want to punch me-"

Louise didn't let her finish, instead throwing a right hook into her cheek, knocking her head to the side and forcing her to take a step back. There was a satisfied smile on her face and Mikoto could taste the blood in her mouth, having bit her cheek.

"A good solid punch," she commented rubbing her bruised cheek. "Later Vallière."

It was only a few hours later when Louise approached her and Tabitha in the courtyard.

"Is it true?" asked Louise as Mikoto feigned sleep whilst really listening to Misaka 14021's explanation on the benefits of meditation.

"Is what true?" asked Tabitha not bothering to look up from her book.

"That you can use wandless magic."

Tabitha looked up and nodded.

"Prove it."

Tabitha closed her book and got up, "Follow," was all she said as she walked back into the building.

Mikoto stayed put with Sylphid having already predicted what would happen.

Tabitha led Louise into her usual abandoned classroom and placed her staff against the wall. She only really carried it around for appearance sake nowadays.

Placing her book on a desk she held out her hand so Louise could see.

"Ice."

Immediately a decent sized chunk on ice began materialising until the spell was complete and she held the ice in her hand. It didn't materialise as quickly as she'd like nor was it as big but she was getting better.

"Incredible," breathed Louise before reaching out her hands, "Can I..."

She held out the ice and Louise gently took it.

"Wandless magic really is possible. But then why weren't we taught that?"

"Misconceptions."

"Misconceptions?" Louise parroted and she nodded.

"We were always told wandless magic was impossible because no one could do it. No one truly believed it was possible. Mikoto argued against it and I believed her, this was the result. Wandless magic is possible if you believe."

"Does that mean I could perform wandless magic?"

Tabitha nodded, "Everyone can."

"Why is Mikoto helping me? I thought she hated me."

"Mikoto is afraid of you, that's why she acts like that towards you."

"I scare the all powerful Mikoto? Don't make me laugh."

Tabitha couldn't help but frown, "There are some things in this world not even Mikoto can defend herself from."

Touma Kamijou is definitely dead.