In the world of A Certain Magical Index, what was its greatest "specialty"?
Aside from esper powers, there was only one answer—
The Sisters.
Obtain one Sister, and you essentially gained twenty thousand.
A networked existence with shared memories.
In a sense, they weren't so different from Izumi's own mechanical race.
"...This is getting a bit surreal," Izumi muttered to himself.
At this point, there were already two entire groups in his world capable of memory sharing.
That was… strangely amusing.
Once the Sisters' bodies had been fully stabilized and their genetic defects corrected, Izumi planned to disperse them throughout his world.
They would live freely.
And at the same time—
Help manage it.
With their shared consciousness, their learning speed was nothing short of terrifying. Knowledge could spread instantly among them, and coordination required no communication delay.
There was no better administrative force.
After taking in all the Sisters, Izumi began moving forward with his next step alongside Aleister Crowley.
While continuing the development of Takitsubo Rikou's ability, he officially released information about Modern Magic to the public.
And the result?
Complete upheaval.
The moment the announcement spread across Academy City—
It exploded.
For the powerless, for those who had failed in esper development—
This was salvation.
A new path.
A second chance.
Talent no longer dictated everything.
Even Level 0s could now grasp power.
As a result, both Izumi and the Talent Workshop became objects of near worship.
...
Meanwhile, Uiharu Kazari and the others who had participated in the initial trials continued visiting weekly, learning and refining their control over Modern Magic.
After just over a month—
They had already reached the point of operating independently.
Basic spells such as Acceleration and Enhancement began spreading through the city.
Of course—
They weren't free.
CAD devices required significant resources to produce, and without money, magic remained out of reach.
Still…
This was Academy City.
A place overflowing with wealthy students.
Magic spread like wildfire.
Before long—
Modern Magic became a trend.
A culture.
A revolution.
And naturally…
It didn't go unnoticed.
From the shadows, the Magic Side observed in silence.
Unease spread among them.
They couldn't quite explain it—
But something about this "scientific magic" felt deeply wrong.
Then, as if to pour fuel on the fire—
Aleister made it public.
To the entire world.
Chaos followed.
Applications to enter Academy City surged globally.
Because unlike esper powers—
Magic had no age restriction.
Anyone could learn it.
All it required was time.
And that made it infinitely more valuable.
...
Inside the Windowless Building—
Aleister watched the world through countless screens.
A rare smile appeared on his face.
"The plan is proceeding smoothly."
"Now… let it ferment."
His eyes slowly closed.
Soon, unwanted visitors would begin slipping into Academy City.
Rats.
Which meant—
It was time for the Dark Side to move.
And expand.
Those who mastered Modern Magic would become new recruits.
Everything was falling into place.
All according to plan.
"Magic Gods…"
...
District 7 — Commercial Street
For once, Izumi wasn't in the lab.
Instead—
He was walking through the bustling streets of Academy City with Aiba Asagi.
The lively atmosphere, the glow of neon signs, the chatter of crowds—
It was a rare moment of peace.
Asagi stretched slightly, clearly enjoying herself.
"Feels like forever since I've just… gone out like this."
She smiled.
And right then—
A voice called out from behind them.
"Sensei? Izumi-sensei? Asagi-sensei?"
They both turned.
Standing there were two familiar faces—
Uiharu Kazari and Saten Ruiko.
And beside them—
Two more girls.
Izumi's gaze paused briefly.
Ah.
So it's them.
The two stepped forward quickly, excitement written all over their faces.
"Are you two on a date?" Saten asked bluntly, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Asagi chuckled lightly.
"Well, something like that. Even researchers need a break, you know?"
Then she glanced at the other two girls.
"And these are?"
The pair immediately straightened up and introduced themselves.
"I'm Mikoto Misaka. Nice to meet you."
"And I'm Kuroko Shirai. Likewise."
They even bowed politely.
After all—
Researchers held significant authority within Academy City.
And more importantly…
Izumi's presence was overwhelming.
Even Kuroko, who normally only had eyes for Mikoto, felt her heartbeat skip.
Asagi studied Mikoto for a moment.
That face…
Too familiar.
Of course it was.
The original.
The source of the Sisters.
The Level 5 ranked third—Academy City's Railgun.
A faint smile crossed her lips.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Aiba Asagi."
"And this is Izumi."
After exchanging introductions, Kuroko hesitated for a moment before asking the question everyone was thinking:
"…Are you the ones who developed Modern Magic?"