District 13. A Hidden Laboratory.
"Cleaning up factions that violate human ethics and morality... isn't that a thinly veiled criticism of my bio-research institutions?"
Board Director Yakumi Hisako frowned, her expression shifting between light and dark in the glow of her monitors.
"What is really going on here? All of the unethical experiments I've conducted were primarily at Aleister's behest in the first place. Is the General Superintendent planning to discard me now that I've served my purpose?"
Yakumi Hisako was the Board Director in charge of the medical and biological research fields in Academy City. Conducting bleeding-edge scientific research and medical experiments inevitably resulted in human sacrifices. To her, this was a basic, unshakable truth of progress that no one could change.
For science to advance and for medicine to develop, there had to be test subjects who took the brunt of the failures. Of course, the ethical prerequisite was that they were willing volunteers. But where in the world could they find thousands of willing volunteers to die for science? Hence, the "dark" methods.
She had been a member of the Board of Directors for decades, having joined Academy City shortly after its establishment. During that time, she had seen at least twenty other Board members "disappear" or be replaced—precisely because they had become an obstacle to Aleister Crowley.
However, no one on the Board actually knew what Aleister's true end-goal was. Therefore, no one knew exactly how to avoid hindering him.
"It seems we need to prepare several replacement parts for Rensa in advance," Yakumi said, looking at the young, heavily modified cyborg girl standing quietly in the shadows behind her.
Rensa was her masterpiece. The cyborg was the source of Yakumi's absolute confidence—the trump card that allowed her to remain calm and collected even when facing a purge from the General Superintendent. Even if she ended up at odds with the entire Board, she still had the power to resist.
Rensa was the culmination of her life's scientific research. In the highly specialized field of AIM Diffusion Field research, if Yakumi Hisako claimed to be second, no scientist on Earth dared to claim to be first.
Rensa could tap into the city-wide AIM Diffusion Field through a hypothalamic resonance link. By doing so, the cyborg could actively mimic and utilize the abilities of any Esper within a 200-meter radius. Pushed to her limits, Rensa could even simultaneously channel the abilities of the seven Level 5s in Academy City.
In theory, Rensa had the combat capacity to defeat the Level 5s one by one. But the cost of manufacturing and maintaining her was astronomically high, which meant Yakumi didn't have the funds to produce a second unit.
"Let the Superintendent send his new lapdogs," Yakumi sneered. "Even if an entire Dark Side unit composed of Level 5s comes for me, Rensa will crush them."
...
District 7. Outside the Movie Theater.
Yuuya and Gokusai Kaibi walked out of the theater into the cool evening air.
"Wasn't that movie interesting, Senpai?" Kaibi naturally linked her arm with Yuuya's, giggling softly.
"It was quite interesting," Yuuya smiled. "So, where are you planning to go next? Back to SCHOOL for a mission, or back to your apartment?"
Most missions carried out by the Dark Side factions occurred at night because high-level Esper combat was too conspicuous during the day, and it was easier to cover up the collateral damage in the dark.
"I don't usually take on combat missions. After all, I'm quite weak physically," Kaibi said with a smile.
"Really? Then do you want to come back to my place?" Yuuya lowered his head, whispering directly into Kaibi's ear. "Fulfilling the duties of a dedicated girlfriend will make my protective feelings for you explode, you know."
Kaibi gave Yuuya a playful look, acting coquettishly. "Senpai, we've only just started dating today. You'll lose points if you rush things like this."
"That's a real shame," Yuuya shrugged, looking utterly disappointed.
"Although that isn't allowed yet... this is still okay," Kaibi hugged Yuuya's arm tighter. She stood on her tiptoes and gently kissed him on the cheek.
"Is this enough for now? You're such a possessive Senpai, Takahashi-kun."
After saying that, she smoothly released his arm.
"Goodbye, Senpai," Kaibi waved, turning and walking down the neon-lit street.
"Am I flirting with her, or is she flirting with me?" Yuuya tilted his head, finding the psychological operative highly amusing.
'Speaking of which, this passive skill is really amazing,' Yuuya thought, looking at his hand. 'A true ladies' man.'
Yuuya knew very well why his interactions with the Dark Side girls were going so smoothly. The passive, hidden effect of his Ideal Farewell ability was that it constantly, subtly entangled the "red strings of fate" between him and the women he interacted with.
'This kind of absolute fate manipulation is really something to love,' Yuuya smiled to himself.
With his hands in his pockets, Yuuya prepared to head to the hidden hospital.
While the Level 6 Shift Project hadn't been officially halted by the Board yet, for all practical purposes, it was completely dead. Every single night, Yuuya used his Spatial Movement to instantly teleport to the designated experiment site, scoop up the scheduled Misaka Sister, and vanish in under two minutes.
The researchers were left completely helpless every single time. Who could possibly stop a Level 5 Teleporter?
Furthermore, Accelerator herself was completely passive about the experiment now. She would leisurely wait at the site with a can of black coffee, and simply walk away the moment the Sister didn't show up.
...
District 7.
After Yuriko had unleashed her planetary-scale power at the stadium a few hours ago, the entire Academy City network had been flooded with shaky smartphone videos of Accelerator effortlessly crushing a thousand Espers without lifting a finger.
The controversy and fear surrounding the Number One had completely peaked.
This caused the various Skill-Out thugs and glory-hounds who were originally preparing to ambush Accelerator in the evening to break out in cold sweat. Upon seeing the white-haired girl walking down the street, they automatically pressed themselves against the brick walls to make way for her, quietly dropping their clubs and knives before turning and running for their lives.
"No scumbags rushing in like idiots?"
Yuriko, carrying a plastic bag filled with canned coffee, glanced expressionlessly at the fleeing thugs in the alley.
Along her walk home, anyone who recognized her instinctively avoided eye contact and looked at her with pure, unadulterated terror.
'The situation has really improved... that bastard Yuuya was right.'
Yuriko thought to herself as she walked. 'Only when people clearly see a gap in power that is absolutely impossible to overcome will they accurately measure their own worth. No one will attempt the impossible.'
'If it's statistically impossible to win, and you still rush over to attack me... then you're either a complete fool or a madman.'
The massive farce that had impacted the entire city today had truly changed her daily life.
The curses, the noise, the screams of daily ambushes around her had finally vanished. There shouldn't be any more scumbags trying to disgust her with their pathetic attempts on her life.
A slight, genuine smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
But the very microsecond that smile formed, a vivid, bloody image of the Misaka Sisters she had brutally torn apart flashed through her mind.
GASP.
Yuriko's pupils contracted to pinpricks. She stopped dead in the alley, quickly covering her mouth with her trembling hand. She felt physically sick.
'No... no! Although my current situation has changed, the absolute facts of the past remain the same!'
'I am still a damned murderer! I am still a monster! How can such a basic, blood-soaked fact be changed just because the streets are quiet?! It's just self-deception! Ha... HAHAHA!'
Yuriko's red eyes flashed with a bitter, agonizing hint of self-mockery. The smile vanished, replaced by her usual scowl, and she silently walked back to her ruined apartment.
Because her apartment door had been blown off its hinges three days ago, the property management had come to repair it. After all, she hadn't damaged it herself; technically, she was the victim of that particular attack.
'In any case, I can never forgive myself,' Yuriko thought, staring at the new door. 'Perhaps, as that guy said... I must find a way to atone for my sins.'
Suzushina Yuriko looked up at the bright, uncaring moon in the sky.
...
District 7. The Hidden Hospital.
Yuuya had just arrived at the hospital, ready to spend some time checking on the rescued Misaka Sisters—perhaps feeding them or playing some fun games to help them socialize.
But to his utter surprise, his smartphone rang.
"Captain," Kinuhata Saiai's voice came through the speaker. "Therestina has been super captured. Shall we bring her over to you now?"
"Huh? You caught her that quickly? It's only been two hours!" Yuuya was genuinely taken aback by ITEM's high efficiency. "Where are you? Keep her secured. I'll come over myself."
He hung up, then quickly dialed Shokuhou Misaki's number.
"Hello, Little Bee. I have something important I need your mental expertise with."
.....
.....
.....
[AUTHOR NOTE: My some fics are somewhat shadow banned by webnovel like my Naruto fic. Can you guys help me? Just try any other fic of mine and and add to your library if you like them. Have a nice day.]
Support me and read advance chapters on patreon.com/ImmortalDaoWriter