"Dolly won't wake up until the current phase of her treatment is complete," Yuuya said, looking at the immensely relieved Kozaku Mitori.
"Thank you." Mitori looked at Yuuya with genuine affection. Her purple eyes, moist with tears, and her warm, relieved smile made Yuuya feel quite accomplished.
"Just a verbal thank you? That's too meager. At least give me a kiss on the cheek!" Yuuya said expectantly, tapping his face.
"No way~" Mitori immediately made a face, pulling down the corner of her eye and sticking out her tongue sarcastically. "Seriously, how can you say something like that without blushing or skipping a beat? Did your brain rot from reading too many manga?"
"Heh, it's just my nature. You don't understand the level I operate on," Yuuya said indifferently, leaning against the wall. "No matter what world or place you are in, there is only one absolute theme: the strong prey on the weak. Whoever is strongest makes the rules. When you possess invincible power and nothing can match you, your perspective on the world, your words, and your actions become completely different."
At this point, human nature, freed from the fear of consequence, becomes infinitely amplified. The rules, morals, and laws touted by society become meaningless. This is called acting on impulse—because nothing in the world can threaten him in the slightest.
Yuuya's tone was incredibly arrogant, but what he said was the absolute truth.
Hearing his words, Mitori was moved. She opened her mouth, then pursed her lips.
'He's right,' she thought. 'With invincible power, one can do whatever they want. What do other people's thoughts matter? Any schemes or tricks can be shattered with a single punch if you don't like them. But how many people in this world have that kind of power? If I were that strong, Dolly's tragedy would never have happened.'
"So, I've made my decision. From now on, you're mine," Yuuya said, casually lifting Mitori's chin with his finger without hesitation.
A pulsing 'vein' mark appeared on Mitori's forehead. She looked at him like he was an idiot. 'This guy is hopeless,' she thought. She opened her mouth and bit down hard on his finger again.
"Ouch!" Mitori's teeth rattled, and she shivered all over, having completely forgotten that this guy's body was unnaturally durable. "Are your fingers really made of iron?!"
"That's just my ability," Yuuya said with a shrug. With the passive protection of his System's Star Grail, who could hurt him? Unless he willingly lowered his defenses, he'd be perfectly fine.
"You really are a pervert... but fine. I've joined your Dark Side unit," Mitori rubbed her sore cheek and smiled. The darkness in her eyes had faded, and her all-consuming hatred for the General Board of Directors had diminished considerably now that Dolly was safe.
"Welcome to the team. Now that you've joined my secret service, you're officially my subordinate."
"Who's your subordinate?" Mitori scoffed playfully.
...
Mitori wanted to stay by the incubation chamber for a while, and since Dolly couldn't be moved, Yuuya left the hospital early. He had a 7:00 PM appointment with Gokusai Kaibi.
The District 7 Commercial Street was the busiest shopping hub in the sector, filled with high-end boutiques and the city's largest arcade center.
'It's already 7:00. Exactly the time I agreed to meet up,' Yuuya thought, glancing at his smartphone.
So much had happened in the few hours since 4:30. The impact was still rippling through the city. Pedestrians on the streets were excitedly murmuring about the five Level 5s clashing over Accelerator's challenge post.
For the general public in Academy City, a Level 5 was still a distant, mythical concept. Although Espers made up about 40% of the population, most were low-level. An ordinary student would be shocked to see a Level 4, let alone a Level 5.
Yuuya arrived near the agreed-upon movie theater.
"Senpai! I've been waiting for you for so long! Making a girl wait is so irresponsible!"
When Gokusai Kaibi saw Yuuya, she walked over with her hands behind her back, flashing an unusually friendly smile. Her gorgeous, highly fashionable dress accentuated her charm and easily attracted the stares of the pedestrians around them.
"Sorry, sorry. Something came up and I was delayed. But thankfully I'm not late," Yuuya said with a hint of an apology.
'Does she think I don't know she knows exactly what I've been up to?' Yuuya mused. The impact of the stadium fight was huge, not to mention her boss, Kakine Teitoku, getting beaten to a pulp by Yuriko.
"I'm not complaining, Senpai. Your timing is just right," Kaibi waved the two movie tickets in her hand.
"Speaking of which, Kaibi-chan, you are my first date here. It's the first time a cute girl has ever invited me to a movie," Yuuya said, casually dropping a flirtatious line.
"Senpai, you shouldn't tease me like that~" Kaibi smiled slightly.
Internally, however, she was quite shocked. 'He just got into a massive war at the stadium, yet here he is strolling around like nothing happened. He doesn't look like he even lost a single hair. That's terrifying.'
According to SCHOOL's latest intel, he was a Multi-Skill user possessing several Level 5 abilities simultaneously. Even the incredibly strong Sogiita Gunha had been fought to a standstill. It was unbelievable that such a fantastical anomaly existed in Academy City.
'We've discovered a tremendous secret,' Kaibi thought. 'I must get along with him, or at least pretend to become good friends to extract more intel.'
"Ahem. Kaibi, stop pretending~ What's your real purpose?" Yuuya leaned in close to her ear, instantly tearing away her disguise. "The psychological operative from SCHOOL."
Kaibi's expression froze for a fraction of a second, but she quickly masked it with a sweet smile.
"So you already know who I am, Senpai~ The hacker who helped Accelerator last night... that was you, wasn't it?"
Given his mysterious nature, she had long suspected that Yuuya was directly connected to General Superintendent Aleister. She couldn't think of anyone else with that kind of technological backing. Since he was that deeply connected, it wasn't surprising he knew her true identity.
"That's right. Our first meeting was a bit too sudden. But don't think that just because you're cute, my suspicions are dispelled. You're not planning to assassinate me during the movie, are you?" Yuuya teased, smoothly wrapping his arm around Kaibi's slender waist.
There was no need to be excessively polite when dealing with Dark Side operatives, since they all approached him with ulterior motives anyway.
Kaibi's cheeks flushed slightly. She playfully glared at him.
"Senpai, you're really moving fast! I don't have any dangerous thoughts at all. I just really wanted to go on a date with you. I'm a very innocent girl."
"Innocent my foot! You haven't told a single truth tonight," Yuuya scoffed dismissively.
"That is the truth, Takahashi-senpai! If I really wanted to harm you, I would have tried it when you hugged me last time," Kaibi whispered quietly, leaning into his side.
"Really? Just a simple date? I still don't believe it. Tell me your real purpose. Don't lie, or I might have to get very rough with you," Yuuya joked, knowing he'd be a fool to trust a member of Kakine's faction so easily.
.....
.....
.....
Support me and read advance chapters on patreon.com/ImmortalDaoWriter