At that moment, the screen happened to be showing Misaka Mikoto ridiculing various technologies in Academy City as "not worth much."
"If only I could get Index," she sighed on-screen. "I wonder how many points the one hundred and three thousand grimoires could be converted into."
"Since she wants knowledge from the magic side, then let's give her those one hundred and three thousand grimoires," said another voice.
"Points—so it's another kind of currency system?"
Aleister's lips curved with a faint smile. Very well, then—let him see what shape the Third will sculpt this world into.
"You're sending the heroine over so casually. Won't that affect your plan?"
A voice from the void resounded through the space, and what answered it were Aleister's calm words.
"The fate of the Imagine Breaker has already been decided. He must enter the trial, whether the so-called heroine exists or not."
"It's only a difference in the method."
"Compared to him, the heroine would clearly be more helpful to the Third."
The real world.
"Pfft!"
In the center of the battlefield stood a figure sheathed in silver-black armor, gripping a massive axe. Facing him was a powerful beast-type ability user.
Fangs, wolf ears, and a terrifying pressure rolling off his body—the opponent's strength was by no means weak.
And yet right now his face had gone pale. His eyes, fixed on that armored figure, were full of disbelief.
"As expected of the Snow Mastiff Armor. Not bad, this power," Firewing said, arms folded across her chest as she watched the armored figure at the heart of the fight with keen interest.
He was, after all, one of Vantora City's prodigies. She had, of course, recruited him into the Spirit Energy Bureau at the first possible moment.
Based on what she knew about Brandon White, now that his mindset had shifted, he had no interest in any internal power struggles on Earth. He would only ensure that Huaxia civilization would one day stand at the summit—be it against mutant beasts or against other nations.
No one would be able to block Huaxia's rise.
But the process? He would not involve himself!
Only this time, he had actually taken the initiative to leave his residence, rescue a pair of children, and even hand the Snow Mastiff Summoner over to the little boy.
In her eyes, that bordered on the impossible.
There was no doubt that the boy's potential had won Brandon White's acknowledgment—he had even been chosen by the Snow Mastiff Summoner itself.
Brandon hadn't had the heart to let him die so young.
And it did look that way now. Though only six years old—far too early for his talent to fully manifest—the Metal-element in his body was remarkably dense. He couldn't compare with those at the very top, of course, but he would have no trouble ranking into the second cohort.
Ordinarily, a six-year-old physique would never be able to summon the Snow Mastiff Armor—but this was a world with ability users.
She had directly arranged for a support-type ability user whose power could temporarily enhance a teammate's constitution to slip a "bug" into the system, boosting the boy's physique for a short time to well above his own baseline—how far above depended mainly on the enhancer's own aura density.
It wasn't some particularly mighty ability. For someone at Firewing's level, it was basically useless.
But for a little boy whose body had not yet had time to grow, it was more than enough.
The power he displayed had delighted her. Even the Spirit Energy Bureau's beast-type ability users could not break his defense; they were even suppressed in close combat, and once he summoned his weapon, they couldn't withstand a single strike.
If he grew to maturity, then even if he couldn't match Skyler Quinn, he would still be an absolutely vital combat force!
Speaking of which—why did Skyler Quinn get recognized by the Flame Dragon Armor?
Was it just because his ability happened to be "dragon"?
Firewing grumbled inwardly. Honestly, she felt she got along just fine with the Flame Dragon Armor herself.
Not that she was dissatisfied with the power of the Flame-Flame Fruit; the boosts it gave her physique were actually quite significant. Maybe it was because devouring the Flame-Flame Fruit had dramatically increased her affinity for fire, but the fire-type summons she called forth had clearly grown stronger too.
Still… she'd later sparred with Skyler Quinn and actually lost!
And Chris Frost was stronger than she was now, too!
Damn it. They had all started together—how had she suddenly become the one bringing up the rear?
In the end, all she could do was pick on Ethan Yates, that support-type, now and then.
She shook her head. A bit of griping was all it was; she didn't really care that much. These powers were meant to protect civilians anyway. There was no point obsessing over who ranked slightly higher or lower.
"The Flame Dragon and the Snow Mastiff Summoners have appeared," she said to herself.
"The chosen for Wind Eagle, Black Rhino, and Leaping Tiger haven't shown up yet. Are they still with Brandon White, or are they simply hidden somewhere?"
"And then there's Xingtian, Jingang, and Feiying; and Kuuga, Kabuto, and OOO—no trace of any of those Armors either."
"As for Ultraman and the like, forget it."
"Could it be that, across this vast Earth, among so many people, none qualify to meet their criteria of justice?"
"Or do they have other requirements?"
Firewing's gaze drifted to the little boy, who had already released his transformation and now sat obediently in a chair while undergoing a physical exam to make sure there were no hidden injuries.
"Same given name of Xi Zhao, with a rich Metal-element talent," she murmured.
"Is the world really capable of such coincidences?"
She shifted her eyes to the little girl hovering nervously at her brother's side. Her Water-element affinity was in no way inferior to her brother's. Her nickname, however, was Bingbing—not Binger. Otherwise, should they try summoning the Black Rhino Armor?
The more she thought about it, the more it amused even her. She must be getting punch-drunk—she was actually starting to care about coincidences in names.
Even if she were called Binger, so what? In Armor Hero, the character Binger had never transformed into the Black Rhino Armor either.
Time flowed by in a slow, steady trickle. Before anyone realized it, five days had gone.
Although mutant creatures still popped up now and then in Vantora City, repeated roundups had thinned their numbers; their appearances had grown fewer and farther between.
What surprised the public was that among the Spirit Energy Bureau operatives deployed, there was often a child only six years old—and wherever that child went, at least two healing-type ability users followed close behind.
"Boom!"
A terrifying punch, wreathed in razor-edged Metal-element, hammered into the body of a mutated giant rat. With a shower of dazzling sparks, the giant rat's body burst apart on the spot.
"…"
Xi Zhao glanced at the ability user in charge of recon beside him. Seeing the man nod, confirming no mutant beasts remained in the area, Xi Zhao finally released his transformation. The two healing-type ability users behind him hurried forward to check his condition.
"If we hadn't confirmed with the Dragon Emperor that Armor Summoners can gain partial energy feedback after slaying mutant beasts—enough to enhance their physique—"
"I would never have allowed you to transform this frequently."
"At the very least, I'd have had you train until you turned ten."
Behind Xi Zhao, a young man with delicate features heaved a sigh.
He was the Spirit Energy Bureau's ability user capable of enhancing a teammate's physique. His own talent was middling, and the aura he held wasn't enough to boost others by much. If not for the scarcity of support-type ability users, the Bureau wouldn't even have noticed him.
(End of this chapter)