Shokuhou Misaki understood what Ren meant. Somehow, through this strange magic, he could resist her abilities. It seemed there were still many dangers she wasn't aware of.
"Done talking. Come over?" Ren smiled.
"Are you joking? I'm going back to sleep." Misaki had learned what she needed to know and planned to leave.
"You're already in your pajamas. Let's sleep together." Ren stood up, wearing a lewd grin.
"Ren, calm down. What you're doing is illegal." Misaki stepped back repeatedly. Her heart raced, though it seemed more like anticipation than fear.
"Hehe." Ren kept moving closer.
Since Misaki was physically weak and hadn't brought her remote, she couldn't resist. Soon, he held her like a pillow.
After the first time, Misaki quickly got used to it, even finding a comfortable position to sleep. She felt safe resting in his arms.
In the following days, life became stable for them. The first year passed without any major incidents. Changes did occur, though.
The Misakas were becoming more human. The Number Two grew more irritable, while the Number One was worse than a delinquent. On the surface, Academy City remained peaceful.
As for Ren and Misaki, they occasionally slept together. Once they had their first time, it led to a second, a third. They slowly got used to it.
When summer vacation came, Misaki would have to stay in the dorms in her second year. She hadn't lived on campus in her first year because of Ren, but now there was no reason to avoid it.
"Tomorrow is the start of summer vacation. Want to leave Academy City for a trip?" Ren asked as he drove.
"Sure, but let's go shopping first." Misaki wanted to buy a swimsuit. She didn't want Ren to be distracted by other girls. Mature women didn't bother her; a lolicon wouldn't care about older women.
Boom—
A car crashed into theirs. Fortunately, it hit from the other side, and Ren reacted quickly. They were mostly unharmed, though minor injuries were inevitable.
"Cough, cough… a car accident?" Misaki coughed, noticing her white socks torn and blood seeping through. She was slightly hurt.
Ren immediately healed her. He was angry. Sensing the surrounding atmosphere, he said, "No, this was a deliberate attack. Misaki, it's aimed at you."
"Aimed at me?" Misaki was puzzled at first, but the next moment, she understood. A group was approaching their car, wearing metal helmets.
As a researcher, Ren had sharp eyesight. If Misaki used her abilities, their bodies would likely be controlled by these machines, and the attack would continue.
For physically weak Misaki, these enemies were deadly.
Shokuhou Misaki didn't waste any words. She pressed a button on the remote, and the people paused briefly before continuing to approach the two of them.
"Still no luck. Ren, it's your turn now." Misaki put away the remote. She knew Ren's strength well enough not to worry about this kind of attack.
"All right, but we need to keep moving for a while. We have to wipe these guys out completely, or the trouble will never end." Ren opened the door and carried Misaki, dashing far away.
The helmeted men exchanged glances and gave chase.
"Luring them won't help. You just take them down and remove their helmets. I'll find their boss." Misaki said calmly.
"Almost forgot." Ren patted his head. He had overlooked the advantage of the mind-reading ability, then darted into an alley.
"Are you also an esper?" the lead helmeted man asked Ren. His speed earlier was far beyond that of a normal person.
"Does it matter? Who sent you, or is this a hunt for espers? Never mind, you don't need to answer." Ren said, then unleashed his power, vanishing from their sight.
The lead helmeted man hurriedly raised his gun, aiming at Misaki. This was the perfect chance to take down a Level 5.
But before he could fire, his hand moved strangely, contorting on its own. He realized his arm had broken, and their intel had been wrong.
He had assumed only one researcher—a non-esper—was with them. But now it was clear: the duo had both speed and strength beyond their capability, and with a psychic ability on top, they were unstoppable.
"Wait…" the helmeted man surrendered immediately.
But Ren didn't give him the chance. These non-espers had no way of acquiring psychic equipment. There was definitely an esper or researcher directing them from behind.
The rest, seeing their companions defeated so easily and even having their limbs broken, panicked and scattered.
Ren quickly caught them one by one. He ignored their pleas, knocking them out and dismembering their limbs. He had no mercy for those who had hunted them.
He was even planning to finish them off afterward. If they had attacked from another direction, Misaki might not have survived, and that was unacceptable.
"Did you find their boss?" Ren asked Misaki.
Misaki shook her head. "They must know my ability well. They never showed their face, only used calls, and even altered their voice."
"Trouble. Were they being directed by someone else?"
"Not exactly. They only provided the equipment. Should we deal with the ones who came with them?" Misaki asked.
"I see." Ren understood. These people would follow the plan exactly as intended. No extra cost was needed. For this powerless group, just dreaming of defeating a Level 5 and earning the respect they deserved was enough motivation.
"What should we do?" Misaki looked at Ren.
"Don't worry. Since they're hiding and won't show themselves easily, and with me around, there's nothing to fear." Ren said, though he still planned to investigate a little.
"Let's go back." Misaki smoothed her skirt. Unfortunately, the car was gone, but in this Academy city, lack of cars was never really a problem.
"Yeah, what a dull day." Ren sighed and started hailing a taxi.
Taxis in Japan were expensive, but they had money, and they got home safely without incident.
"Welcome home, Misaki. What happened to you?" Dolly cheerfully opened the door but froze when she saw Misaki's white socks were torn and her hair slightly dirty. It was clear she had been through something.
"Some thugs were chasing me," Misaki admitted without hiding anything.
"Thugs?" Dolly didn't really understand.
"Level 0s," Misaki explained.
"Misaka knows all kinds of martial arts and can easily handle thugs. I can be Misaki's bodyguard," Misaka 8790 volunteered, looking at her expectantly.
"No need. It's already taken care of. Thank you," Misaki said, smiling at the two Misakas.
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