Genuine intelligence naturally couldn't be handed over so freely to this Railgun.
Placing the electronic device in her hand to the side, Shokuhou Misaki took a delicate sip of the black tea set before her. In her heart, she still didn't trust the Electromaster sitting across from her, and her face appropriately showed it.
A paranoid, persecution-complex wasn't easily cured; it was a deeply ingrained flaw.
Furthermore, according to gossipy tidbits she'd picked up, this Misaka-san had also used Indian Poker. There was no guarantee the other girl's mind was still in a normal state.
"My apologies, Misaka-san."
"The fact that I'm willing to meet with you this closely already means I'm taking a considerable risk."
"While you might not be fully aware of yesterday's events, with your abilities, you can't possibly miss the information spreading through the networks. So you should know, someone like you, who has used Indian Poker, is highly likely to be a dangerous individual harboring latent, extreme violent tendencies."
Leaning back lazily in her chair, a mischievous smile played at the corners of Shokuhou's eyes. She made a show of pulling a remote from her bag.
This 'Golden Glitter' seemed to relish this feeling of provocation. What a terrible personality.
It was a good thing Natsume-san had mostly seen a different side of this golden-haired upperclassman, otherwise the perfect image he held of her would have crumbled to dust immediately.
"You're as much of a pain as ever, you know that?"
"No matter what reservations you have, blocking information is really infuriating. Would letting everyone know the truth really affect your precious position in this school?"
Tiny arcs of electricity sparked across her forehead. The muscles around Misaka-san's mouth tightened into a strained, yet still polite, smile.
This feeling of having to hold back was awful. She really wanted to hit her with a ten-million-volt jolt, let Shokuhou Misaki experience a taste of a certain Kuroko's daily life.
"Queen—! Misaka-san...!"
"Let's all talk this over properly, please! Have some biscuits...!"
Flustered, Hokaze Junko inserted herself into the conversation between the two Level 5s. A deep blush spread across her cheeks, her expression a mix of embarrassment and anxiety. She was holding a tray of freshly baked biscuits, hurrying over.
Clearly, she was also among those who had used Indian Poker; even Misaka-san's card had come from her.
To secretly observe this meeting between the two espers, Hokaze-senpai had temporarily set aside the complicated affairs of her clique, constantly stealing glances in their direction.
Come to think of it, this complicated faction girl still seemed to hold onto her previous idea.
Even though the idea involved pushing someone she cared about toward someone else, Hokaze Junko was determined to see it through, her resolve seemingly strengthened by the previous day's attack.
The Queen was fragile. She needed more protectors.
In contrast, her former inferiority complex toward Level 5s had faded considerably after a battle where she'd fought all-out and successfully protected her Queen.
"Junko-chan, you're too soft. That stammering tone doesn't suit you one bit."
"Use that brute strength of yours and pin Misaki-chan and Mikoto-chan to the table, then force-feed them each half a biscuit! Junko-chan worked so hard to make these!"
A certain ghostly young lady, puffing her cheeks in clear dissatisfaction, desperately offered Junko all sorts of advice, annoyed that the two girls were so busy talking they were ignoring Junko's biscuits.
"Though, it's not as if I can tell you nothing at all."
Changing her tone, Shokuhou Misaki placed her hands on the seat, adjusted her posture to sit up properly, and rested her chin on her interlaced fingers, looking as if she was hesitating to speak.
"What do you want to say?" Misaka-senpai's brow furrowed.
"Among yesterday's attackers, there was one named Houjou Arei. From what I've learned, her brother works at a certain university hospital, and he happens to be a former researcher of the Clone Dolly facility."
"If we're to speculate on who might be connected to the distribution of Indian Poker, he is the most likely candidate."
Shokuhou Misaki spoke after a moment's thought.
After acquiring Houjou Arei's memories, many clues had connected, quickly leading her to her brother, whose senses had been damaged in an experimental accident.
She had a pretty good idea of what kind of opponent she was facing now; she just didn't know how they would make their move.
But before they initiated their plan, putting in more effort was definitely not wrong. In this regard, she could indeed make use of Misaka Mikoto's power.
If Misaka Mikoto really did have any latent violent tendencies, it was better she take it out on those guys.
According to experimental data, most people bewitched by Indian Poker would sober up after one good, thorough venting session.
However, it was more likely that the one hiding in the shadows, that Mitsuari Ayu girl, had already completed all her preparations, which was why she'd so brazenly sent people to attack her.
"You want me to investigate this person?"
"You just want to slack off yourself, don't you?"
Misaka-senpai's face showed clear dissatisfaction. This was completely different from the information she had been expecting.
A researcher from the Clone Dolly facility—was there a necessary connection to Indian Poker?
Even though she was baffled, Misaka-senpai still considered it seriously.
From the start, Misaka-senpai had wanted to understand why Natsume-san had been attacked.
In other words, this Railgun was here to stand up for her kouhai. Investigating the source of the Indian Poker was the key to finding the mastermind.
Just thinking about her kouhai, both eyes wrapped in bandages, looking so pitiful, made Misaka-senpai's blood boil, which was why she wanted to get involved in this matter.
"Are you saying the Indian Poker originates from that research facility called Clone Dolly?"
"But Clone Dolly is where you used to be, right? So yesterday's attack was actually aimed at you."
Catching on immediately, Misaka Mikoto spoke with a tone of dawning realization.
This fit Misaka Mikoto's earlier suspicions. While her kouhai sometimes stayed out all night and occasionally got into street fights, she was genuinely a kind girl.
If the problem lay with Shokuhou Misaki, then it was much easier to accept. Her kouhai had probably just been caught in the crossfire.
Meanwhile, in an abandoned building that was once part of the Clone Dolly facility, a girl named Mitsuari Ayu stared at several wide-screen monitors. They densely displayed the locations of various cards they had distributed, like a vast net connecting to the entire Academy City.
A look of yearning adorned her face, as if she was dreaming of an imminent future, or perhaps reminiscing about something.
However, it seemed some unexpected events had occurred within Academy City, forcing her to slow down her plans.
Launching her plan while the adults were overwhelmed sounded good in theory, but it would inevitably provoke a direct counterattack from the Board of Directors.
Those lofty adults could smile and overlook her various actions because her plan, in essence, was still validating the experimental projects they had once sanctioned. She had even prepared herself for punishment.
But if she chose to initiate her plan under these circumstances, those adults would no longer tolerate it. The chance of success would be almost zero.
Walking on tiptoe through the deserted, abandoned building, her chocolate-brown hair swaying slightly, the girl with her fingers locked behind her back moved slowly, pursing her lips.
The windows, firmly boarded up, allowed little outside sunlight to filter in. The dim light cast a gloomy, eerie feeling over everything.
This place was also a relic of the former Clone Dolly, but it wasn't the same building that housed the Exterior. It was merely one research base for the Internal Evolution project, abandoned after Clone Dolly collapsed.
Accustomed to this loneliness and desolation, Mitsuari Ayu's gaze was cold and aggressive, yet it also held troubles and sorrows she couldn't easily share with others.
When you got down to it, she was only middle-school age.
But someone like her was destined to have no place in a bustling, normal school. The moment she immersed herself in that false atmosphere where 'hard work guarantees success,' her heart would contort with pain.
They started from a similar place, yet she and that golden-haired girl standing in the sunlight had walked toward completely different futures, a chasm named 'Level 5' thoroughly dividing them.
Someone like her could only lurk in the city's dark corners, barely surviving, doing what she believed was right.
Then, as one of Clone Dolly's remnants, she would make one final effort for the dreams of a group of failures, seeking redemption.
"Everyone from Internal Evolution... they're all unhappy now, aren't they? No matter how lively the environment, no matter what changes happen around them, that past can't be erased."
"Junko-chan couldn't become a Level 5 due to her physical limits. Chisaki-chan fell into a long coma after an experiment. And I... I gave up my chance to become a Level 5."
"Kotori-chan still didn't develop a power even after her brain was damaged. Iruka-chan lost an eye in an accident. Toomine-sensei had her heart pierced by shrapnel... Such a tragic ending, it's a despair that makes you want to break down. Everyone from Internal Evolution... failed."
Kicking aside some debris at her feet, the smile gradually faded from Mitsuari Ayu's face, leaving only helplessness and uncertainty.
Her eyes fell upon the classroom they used during the Internal Evolution days. One figure after another flashed in her memory. She leaned against the doorframe, just like she used to, but the children she had cared for were long gone.
"If even one person had succeeded... then everyone's sacrifices would have meant something."
"This kind of complete, utter defeat... I can never accept it. What does this cold city even think of all the sacrifices so many people made?"
Snapping back to reality, Mitsuari Ayu struggled to suppress her emotions, leaving only a fiercer flame burning in her heart.
She would redeem their past. One of them would definitely become a Level 5 and fulfill everyone's dream.
Even if that person wasn't her.
"And besides... this is a revelation."
At that thought, a look of yearning surfaced once more in Mitsuari Ayu's eyes.
Just when she was about to give up completely and accept this tragic outcome, Indian Poker had suddenly appeared within the city.
This legacy, stemming from Internal Evolution, was connected to the 'Ideal Ability' experiment that had caused the severe accident at Clone Dolly—the experiment to create what they called 'God.'
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T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL