Takahashi Yuuya returned to his apartment, opened the door, took a shower, and then lay down on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
'So much happened today! But if I go to school tomorrow, I'm afraid the whole class is going to keep their distance... except for Fukiyose, of course.'
After all, a massive incident had occurred, and the shaky smartphone videos of him fighting against the Number One and Sogiita Gunha were now going viral on the internet. Although he had the official registered title of 'Space Master', anyone in Academy City who knew a little about Esper powers could see from the footage that he wasn't using a simple spatial ability.
However, it was easy to explain all of this by attributing it to the unexplainable nature of a Gemstone. The General Board could easily cover it up by saying the Eighth Level 5 was a Gemstone who had suddenly awakened multiple powers.
Ding.
A notification chimed. A hefty fine had just been sent to his email, demanding payment to cover the medical expenses for the injured challengers and the structural damage to the stadium.
'Honestly, it was Suzushina Yuriko who damaged the stadium, so why should I be charged a portion of it?' Yuuya grumbled.
However, considering that Yuriko was technically one of his subordinates now, he had no choice but to pay the fine. It amounted to the equivalent of about twenty of his gold bars. Even with his vast System wealth, it was a steep bill.
Furthermore, Komoe-sensei would definitely drag him into the faculty office tomorrow for a stern reprimand, followed by a long, tearful lecture on the ideals of being a good student.
...
The next day, just as he had predicted, all the students in his class actively avoided his gaze. They weren't overly terrified, but they subconsciously kept a very respectful distance from him.
Fukiyose Seiri, however, marched right up to his desk and interrogated him with a whole bunch of questions about what had really happened yesterday.
Of course, the general public didn't know the dark specifics of the incident; they only knew the official story—that Accelerator had provoked all the Espers in Academy City, which led to a massive brawl.
After school, Komoe-sensei kept him behind in the faculty office until 7:00 PM before finally letting him leave.
The following days were much more uneventful. He spent his time checking on the Misaka Sisters, and almost every day he would encounter beautiful girls who needed help, slowly building his bonds with them.
Three days after the Accelerator incident, something significant occurred.
Misaka 9223 unexpectedly crossed paths with Saten Ruiko and the two became friends. Shortly after, Saten accidentally witnessed 9223 interacting with other Misaka Sisters. Her curiosity and doubts exploded, leading her to secretly follow them until she discovered the horrifying truth of the cloning project.
Eventually, Saten's snooping was detected by the remaining covert researchers. To prevent the Level 6 Shift Project from being fully exposed to the public, the researchers dispatched a clean-up squad to eliminate Saten. Fortunately, she was rescued by Yuuya just in time.
Yuuya officially befriended Saten Ruiko that day. He strictly warned her that she must not tell anyone—not even Uiharu or Mikoto—about the clones, otherwise it would lead to her immediate assassination by the Dark Side of Academy City.
...
Time passed quickly. Before he knew it, it was July 1st, only twenty days away from summer vacation.
During that month, Yuuya encountered Misaka Mikoto every now and then. Each time they met, it ended with Mikoto furiously trying to challenge him to a duel, and Yuuya casually brushing her off by saying she was no match for him. This made Mikoto grit her teeth in anger every time she saw him, but she was helpless.
It was impossible to start a full-blown Level 5 fight in the middle of a crowded street. Her reason for relentlessly challenging him was simple: she was still furious about their first meeting in the alley, and she demanded to know how he had copied her signature Railgun.
After Shirai Kuroko asked Uiharu Kazari to hack the lower-level databases and confirm his identity as a 'Multi-Skill' user, Mikoto's fighting spirit only grew stronger.
However, through their frequent, bickering interactions, Mikoto slowly learned that Yuuya wasn't actually a villain. She saw him casually help girls in trouble on multiple occasions; he just had a very capricious, teasing personality. This realization changed her overall opinion of him considerably.
...
"It's the weekend again."
Yuuya stretched as he looked out the window at the rising sun, drawing back his curtains.
There were only twenty days left until summer vacation, which meant Index would be arriving in Academy City very soon. Right now, Index was likely still wandering somewhere near Tokyo.
'Has the plot already started...?'
Yuuya opened his smartphone and habitually used his System-enhanced hacking skills to browse the hidden forums and important events happening in Academy City today.
He happened to see a strange audio file posted on an underground music forum.
The title of the audio file was "Level Upper".
'Academy City is about to be in an uproar for a while,' Yuuya smirked, recognizing the catalyst for the next major canon event.
'However, I need to discuss Index's arrival with Aleister first.' Yuuya's mind raced.
After all, Index herself was the Index Librorum Prohibitorum—a living library containing 103,000 Grimoires. She was the ultimate asset of the Magic Side. It was absolutely forbidden for Magicians to step foot into the Science territory, let alone bring their most precious artifact.
...
Unbeknownst to Yuuya, the matter concerning Index was currently brewing in a high-stakes standoff between Academy City and London.
The Windowless Building.
Hanging upside down in his life-support tube, Aleister Crowley stared at the holographic screen floating in front of him. This time, it wasn't displaying security feeds of Academy City. It was a secure, trans-oceanic video link—a direct meeting between the supreme head of the Science Side and the supreme head of the English Puritan Church.
"Hello? Testing, testing. Is that it? This unfamiliar box is really giving me a headache. It took me a terribly long time to connect. Science stuff is just too troublesome."
On the screen appeared a stunningly beautiful blonde girl with a bewildered, innocent face, seemingly completely ignorant of modern technology.
"Aleister, for a poor girl like me who knows nothing about this unfamiliar territory, this machine called a 'communicator' is really frustrating. It took me several days just to figure out how to turn it on! Next time, could you send a simpler one? That would make communication much easier, right?"
A sweet, heavily accented voice echoed from the speakers.
"This is the simplest communicator available in Academy City. It is a deprecated product from forty years ago that the city no longer uses. Did you not read the detailed instruction manual I included in the package... Archbishop Laura Stuart?"
Aleister's calm, unwavering voice carried through the connection.
"Huh? Is that so? But I couldn't understand the strange symbols written on that paper at all! I'm quite interested in this machine, though. If General Superintendent Aleister is willing to share some basic knowledge with me, I think we can discuss our affairs much more easily."
The Archbishop on the screen combed her impossibly long golden hair with her fingers, smiling slightly.
"Are you saying you want access to our scientific knowledge?" Aleister asked.
"No, it's just idle curiosity. I merely want to learn a bit more about Academy City. I promise I won't let anyone else see it, and I'm only asking for the basics. I don't think it will cause any trouble for General Superintendent Aleister."
"Basic knowledge is not a problem," Aleister replied smoothly.
"Excellent. Then... have you heard of the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, General Superintendent?" Laura Stuart's smile widened as she held up a photograph to the camera.
"I'd like to hear more," Aleister said.
"A young girl named Index, carrying a total of 103,000 Grimoires in her perfect memory, fled the Church a year ago. Due to a tragic case of amnesia, she has recently wandered into the immediate vicinity of Academy City," Laura said, her blue eyes narrowing slightly. "I hope Academy City can temporarily look after her on behalf of London."
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