The next day.
Yuuya looked at the soundly sleeping Suzushina Yuriko with a gentle expression in his eyes. Although she was technically the strongest Esper in the city, her physical body was actually weaker and more fragile than that of an ordinary person due to her overreliance on her ability, and she didn't have much of a figure at all. But now that she was his woman, he didn't really mind.
Furthermore, the ability obtained from unlocking Yuriko's chest was indeed worthy of its tier, being a whole level higher than standard Level 5 superpowers.
Looking at the Treasure Chest hovering in his System space, it was shining with a brilliant, blinding light.
[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for opening a Platinum-tier Treasure Chest and obtaining a Platinum-tier Unique Skill: 'Imperial Privilege EX'.]
Imperial Privilege EX, hailing from the Fate universe, elevated the Emperor's power to the level of divine authority in human history. In an empire, the Emperor's word was no different from a god's decree; if the Emperor called a deer a horse, the deer conceptually became a horse.
Skill Effect: Powers and skills that the user does not originally possess can be temporarily acquired through Imperial Privilege. This includes swordsmanship, fine arts, tactical command, strategy, esoteric knowledge, and even Divinity from mythology. Since the rank is 'EX' (unquantifiable), there is practically no limit to the range of abilities that can be acquired, though the absolute power output of the acquired skill cannot exceed the fundamental level of the Imperial Privilege itself.
'Holy crap... Imperial Privilege?! I actually got this thing!' Yuuya took a deep breath, his hand over his heart. 'No wonder it's a Platinum Treasure Chest! Now I can temporarily acquire literally any ability, technology, or art that falls below the Platinum tier. I could instantly know how to pilot a fighter jet or build an atomic bomb!'
This ability was simply too overpowered. Although the upper limit of the replicated abilities couldn't be higher than his own base level, within that massive range, it was practically an omnipotent skill.
'Merge immediately,' Yuuya commanded internally.
Instantly, the concept of the skill integrated into his mind. He felt a fleeting illusion of absolute, imperial authority—as if he could reach out and grasp whatever he desired in the world.
The illusion quickly faded, leaving the raw utility of the skill behind.
"Then... I can use Meltdowner!" Yuuya muttered to himself.
His mind went blank for a microsecond as the skill activated. A strange sense of new 'common sense' and complex particle physics flooded into his vacant mind.
BZZZ...!
Electrons in the ambient atmosphere rapidly gathered, violently clashing to form a highly unstable, glowing green sphere of light hovering just above his palm. A harsh, electric buzzing sound vibrated through the air.
'I really can use it? Heh, now I truly am an omnipotent Esper. I wonder what the General Board of Directors would think if they saw this?' Yuuya stroked his chin, canceling the sphere. 'Imperial Privilege is neither Magic nor a standard Esper superpower. It doesn't belong to either faction; it's a conceptualized, inherent skill.'
'It functions exactly like an innate talent. In this world, a person born with an innate talent is classified as a Gemstone. I always used that as a convenient excuse to hide my Multi-Skill, but I never expected that I would essentially become a true Gemstone.'
Sensing the violent, high-energy activation of an Esper ability in her room, Yuriko woke up. Her crimson eyes snapped open just in time to see Yuuya casually dispersing a beam of Meltdowner into the morning air.
'That green ray just now... could it be Meltdowner?! Does this bastard already possess the superpowers of the other Level 5s in Academy City?!' Yuriko looked at Yuuya as if he were a complete monster.
As for the Number Seven, Sogiita Gunha, his Gemstone ability was simply too incomprehensible. Gemstones possessed entirely unique, illogical abilities that couldn't be easily replicated by standard Esper calculations.
"Then... let's try Dark Matter!" Yuuya muttered excitedly.
But nothing happened. His expression stiffened slightly.
'Is Dark Matter also classified as a Platinum-tier ability? Or perhaps even higher?'
The fact that Dark Matter could theoretically be used to create the spear of the Magic God Othinus, and could fabricate matter that originally did not exist in the universe, suggested that its conceptual tier was indeed incredibly high—likely surpassing the current limits of his Imperial Privilege.
However, Kakine Teitoku's final outcome in canon wasn't good; he was forever doomed to be Aleister's backup plan. Aleister highly valued the concept of Dark Matter, but unfortunately, Kakine himself was too disappointing and mentally fragile to execute it properly. On the contrary, Vector Manipulation was physically grounded in common math, but Yuriko was simply too strong and had a much higher computational potential than Kakine, ensuring she remained the absolute cornerstone of Aleister's primary plan.
"..." Yuriko watched silently from the sofa as Yuuya suddenly froze, her brain's calculations racing.
'Could it be that this guy gains new powers just by muttering their names aloud? No, that's impossible. There must be some underlying, horrifying mechanism I don't understand yet.'
"Then, let's try Mental Out," Yuuya muttered to himself.
His mind went blank for a second. When he opened his eyes, his pupils had completely shifted, morphing into the distinct, golden starry-eyed pattern that was the absolute signature of Shokuhou Misaki.
He turned around and locked eyes with Yuriko.
The scientific principle of Mental Out was actually absolute moisture control—manipulating the proportion of secretions, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid in the target's brain, thereby indirectly altering the bio-electrical currents to modify neurons, achieving abilities such as mind reading, memory modification, and absolute obedience.
'Yuriko hasn't activated her passive Reflection yet while she's resting. Let's see if I can peek at her thoughts.'
"Has this monster acquired some other ability?" Yuuya repeated her exact inner thoughts out loud with a smug smirk.
Yuriko's expression changed instantly.
"This guy acquired a psychological ability—" Yuuya continued reading aloud, before suddenly stopping as a barrier snapped into place. "Hey, hey, don't rush to activate your Reflection," Yuuya complained with dissatisfaction.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? Are you trying to modify my memories?!" Yuriko hissed coldly, her reflection shield fully active. 'This guy actually gained Mental Out,' she thought furiously. She remembered perfectly well that it was the signature power of the Number Five.
"I'm just testing out the new ability I acquired. Don't be so nervous. I have absolutely no interest in altering your memories," Yuuya said, the golden starry pattern in his eyes fading back to normal. "But... if you want, I can erase any of the unpleasant, traumatic memories you have from your past in the laboratories."
"I will not allow anyone to tamper with my memories," Yuriko said with a dark, uncompromising expression. Those memories, even the agonizing ones of the Sister clones, made her who she was.
"What? We're friends who've been through thick and thin together, Yuriko. You can trust me," Yuuya said with amusement.
"Wait... 'ability you just acquired'?! Do you honestly think you can just obtain any ability you want out of thin air?!" Yuriko's eyes widened, her expression stiffening as the terrifying implication set in.
"Of course. For example, I might want to gain time manipulation next. Or perhaps even the Divinity of mythological gods," Yuuya said mysteriously.
'Time manipulation abilities... Academy City doesn't have any Espers with that power yet. I wonder if Imperial Privilege can actually replicate it without a reference,' Yuuya pondered internally. 'And what exactly does 'Divinity' feel like? I'll definitely have to try and acquire it later.'
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