AFTERWORD

To everyone who has been reading since Volume 1: It’s great to see you again.

To those courageous souls who purchased all five volumes at once: It’s nice to meet you.

I’m Kazuma Kamachi.

This volume was more of a collection of short stories. It contains three parts, with stories printed on Dengeki Bunko’s website (with plenty of revisions) and newly written material. The time in this series has always moved at a pretty gradual pace, but this one was far and away the slowest of them all. Looking back on the rest of them, it seems that I managed to stretch summer vacation out for five whole volumes.

Volume 5 was not constructed around an occult keyword or a particular heroine. Instead, the theme was August 31 in Academy City. This was a collection of short stories, so I needed to do things that couldn’t otherwise be done in a full novel—so I put a certain character in the spotlight and created a variety of underlying themes shared by all the chapters (for example, the legendary Misaka-ignoring game). In short, I just did what I pleased.

There are plenty of other small topics that could probably go into short stories, like background on Index and Stiyl; background on Kamijou, Aogami, and Miss Komoe; background on Mikoto and Kuroko Shirai…But this time, I wanted to do this sort of story. If I have a chance in the future, I would definitely like to build on those ideas as well.

My illustrator, Mr. Haimura, and my editor, Ms. Miki, have always been there through this entire process. I’d like to give another huge word of thanks to them and ask for their continued support going forward.

And for the readers, who so graciously picked up this book: There is no doubt in my mind that you’re all the reason my inexperienced self was even able to publish five volumes. Thank you so much for all of your support.

Now, then, as I thank you for deigning to lay eyes on this book,

and as I wait eagerly for something to make it up to you,

today, at this moment, I lay down my pen.

By the way, Miss Komoe is the oldest heroine so far…What do you think, eh?

Kazuma Kamachi