The instant the massive AIM Burst shattered, a vibrant shockwave of deep blue ripples expanded outward, sweeping across the entirety of the district in a matter of seconds.
Because these ripples were purely composed of high-density fluctuations within the ambient AIM diffusion field, they caused no physical structural damage, merely inducing a brief wave of mild nausea and vertigo among nearby Espers. Aside from those directly present at ground zero, ordinary civilians couldn't perceive the phenomenon at all.
BUZZZZZZ—
Emitting a high-frequency harmonic hum akin to a malfunctioning electronic clock, a translucent triangular prism hovered silently in midair. Intricate, scrolling streams of holographic alphanumeric code wrapped around its geometric facets, constantly warping the surrounding light and air like ripples across a tranquil pond.
A dozen faint, ribbon-like tendrils of azure energy waved erratically from its vertices, instinctively attempting to siphon ambient AIM radiation from the environment to regenerate its physical vessel.
'What on earth is that...?'
Yomikawa Aiho swallowed the warning she was about to shout, standing completely dumbfounded behind her riot shield. A colossal monstrosity that had absorbed an entire company's worth of heavy rifle fire without a scratch had been effortlessly obliterated in seconds.
Her gaze locked onto the strange triangular crystal floating in the dust. That object had clearly served as the biological heart of the abomination.
Just as Yomikawa raised her service weapon to shoot the volatile artifact, Yuuya blurred through space, materializing directly in front of the prism and reaching out to grasp it with his bare right hand.
The moment his fingers clamped around the core of the artificial angel, an astronomical surge of thermal and conceptual energy flared outward—heat intense enough to reduce an ordinary human's arm to carbonized dust in a microsecond.
However, through the omnipotent authority of the Star Cup and his right hand, the connection between the core and the external AIM diffusion field was cleanly and absolute severed.
Fzzzt...
The scrolling holographic runes dimmed into static and vanished. The radiant blue luster faded rapidly, leaving behind a clear, dormant crystal that resembled a piece of refined glass.
By cutting its connection to the higher-dimensional subspace of the Artificial Heaven, the Angel Core fell into a state of deep hibernation. While it could theoretically reactivate upon touching dense AIM radiation in the future, the grotesque AIM Burst would never manifest from it again. The psychic link to the twenty thousand comatose users had been permanently uncoupled—and without their negative emotions acting as a medium to define its shape, the chaotic beast ceased to exist conceptually.
Angels, by their fundamental definition across the multiverse, were merely dense aggregates of energy bound within their respective Phases. Even within the celestial hierarchies of Christian myth, standard angels functioned as thoughtless automatons, executing commands strictly aligned with pre-set divine laws.
Only when summoned across a Phase boundary by a Magician would an angel assume an anthropomorphic form comprehensible to human perception. At that stage, it possessed basic cognitive faculties—yet genuine thoughts, an individual personality, and personal desires only developed when it secured a physical medium in the mortal realm. Even then, an angel merely mirrored the traits of its host to stabilize its presence; otherwise, the natural tension of the Phase would snap it back into the heavens.
In the entire history of Academy City, the only higher-dimensional entity capable of maintaining independent consciousness without a physical anchor was the Secret Chief itself—Aiwass.
"Fascinating... So this is the raw foundation of the system," Yuuya murmured, a satisfied smirk curling on his lips. "All those calculation cycles finally paid off."
With a thought, Yuuya assimilated the dormant Angel Crystal directly into his own spiritual vessel.
While the crystal was technically a physical anchor of energy, it originated from a higher phase, allowing an Esper of sufficient caliber to integrate it seamlessly into their personal calculation matrix.
Vvvvmm—!
The exact millisecond the crystal fused into his core, Yuuya's Personal Reality expanded exponentially, establishing a direct, administrative link with every ambient AIM field permeating the atmosphere. A subtle, radiant golden halo flickered briefly within his dark irises.
In his mind's eye, a vast, holographic sphere materialized.
It was a celestial projection of Earth outlined in delicate, luminous ley-lines. Most of the globe remained shrouded in dim shadow, but one specific geographic cluster blazed with blinding, concentrated radiance—Academy City.
Dotted across various continents were faint, solitary sparks of light: the Misaka Sisters currently stationed in specialized overseas research institutions.
'So this is the complete blueprint of the Artificial Heaven...' Yuuya thought, mildly impressed. 'Aleister has already laid down the invisible framework across the entire planet using the global network.'
By linking with the core, Yuuya obtained operational authority over the Artificial Heaven's energy reservoir. It granted him the theoretical ability to command the collective calculation outputs of every Esper within the network.
More importantly, it granted him access to raw Telesma—the sacred, angelic energy of the Science Side, an energy density far surpassing standard physical matter and directly rivaling the Archangel power of the Magic Side.
Currently, the only entity in Academy City capable of naturally commanding this energy was the core consciousness residing within the artificial phase—Kazakiri Hyouka.
Whoosh—!
Suddenly, Yuuya's perception shifted into a higher dimensional plane.
The physical street faded, replaced by an exact, ethereal mirror of District 7. The concrete buildings and wind turbines possessed a ninety-percent physical density, shimmering slightly under an artificial sky like an eternal mirage.
The Imaginary Number District—the Artificial Heaven, commonly referred to as the Mirage City.
Standing just a few paces away in the empty street was a teenage girl.
She had long, straight black hair with subtle brown highlights, delicate porcelain features, and thin-rimmed glasses that gave her an intellectual, bookish aura. Her short-sleeved white blouse, red ribbon tie, and navy pleated skirt—the uniform of Kirigaoka Girls' Academy—accentuated an exceptionally developed, hourglass figure.
Her large, expressive eyes trembled nervously like a frightened rabbit caught in headlights.
"W-Who... who are you...?" she asked, her voice shaking with a mixture of timidity and quiet, desperate anticipation.
"Me? My name is Takahashi Yuuya," Yuuya replied with a gentle, disarming smile, looking at the trembling girl with genuine amusement. "It seems an unexpected ripple in the network brought me here. Sorry for dropping in unannounced."
He hadn't planned on crossing into the phase so soon, but the unexpected synchronization had turned his earlier musings about Aleister into reality.
"N-No... it's... it's quite alright," Kazakiri stammered, taking a cautious step back behind the corner of a building, peeking out at him with blushing cheeks. "I... I was just startled. This is the very first time someone from the 'Other Side' has ever stepped into this place... so I'm just a little..."
"Shy?" Yuuya teased gently.
"I-It's not just that! It's just that I've never..."
Before Kazakiri could finish her sentence, a sharp, familiar voice echoed across the spatial barrier, pulling Yuuya's consciousness back toward the physical realm. His vision blurred into a sea of white light.
District 13 — Physical Reality
"Hey! Takahashi! Wake up!"
Yuuya blinked, his eyes adjusting to the bright summer sunlight.
He found himself sitting on the curb, leaning comfortably against the side of an Anti-Skill cruiser. Standing directly over him was Yomikawa Aiho, repeatedly tapping his cheeks with a gloved hand, her brow furrowed in deep concern.
A few meters away, Kiyama Harumi was standing in specialized alloy restraints, an Anti-Skill officer gently guiding her into a transport van.
"Ugh... Sensei, you're tapping a bit too hard," Yuuya groaned playfully, rubbing his cheek.
"You're finally awake, you reckless brat!" Yomikawa let out a heavy sigh of relief, crossing her arms as her stern facade cracked. "You made that massive monster vanish into thin air and then immediately collapsed on your feet! Do you have any idea how much of a scare you gave us?!"
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Give me powerstones.
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