"I've opened more than twenty chests, and finally... finally, I've gotten something useful."
Yuuya felt a wave of relief. His hard work (running away from store clerks) had paid off.
The legendary Glowing Golden Fried Rice made by Chef Mao (Cooking Master Boy) arrived just in time for lunch. It literally shone with a holy light.
The Aphrodisiac Dish from Totsuki Academy (Food Wars) would serve as dessert—though he'd have to be careful not to eat it in public, lest his clothes explode off his body.
However, the T-Virus...
Yuuya looked at the spiral tube of green liquid in his hand. A chill ran down his spine.
'This thing... capable of destroying the world... came from a measly Iron Chest?'
He quickly shoved it into the deepest corner of his system inventory. It was best if this thing never saw the light of day. If even a single drop leaked, Academy City—no, the entire world—would be finished.
The Peace Amulet blessed by the Hakurei Shrine Maiden (Reimu) made him think of a certain money-grubbing miko.
"There are no Youkai in this world, so this thing is basically a souvenir."
But the Bronze Chests? Those were the real winners.
"It seems Bronze Chests are where the real power starts."
Thunder Breathing (Total Concentration Breathing) from Demon Slayer. If practiced to its fullest potential, it allowed a human to move at godlike speeds and decapitate demons. However, Yuuya knew himself. He lacked the perseverance to train for years on a mountain. He preferred free abilities like Xiao-Li.
Gene Repair Serum.
Yuuya shook the semi-transparent vial in his hand.
'This is the MVP. It can repair genetic defects. It's exactly what the Misaka Sisters need to stabilize their shortened lifespans.'
Advanced Hacking Skills.
This was immediate power.
"System, integrate Hacking Skills."
A wealth of knowledge—coding languages, encryption methods, backdoor exploits—flooded his brain.
"I'll try it out later."
Academy City's network was tiered. Students used the "surface web." Research institutes and the Board of Directors used the "Bank," a deeply encrypted dark web. Once he breached that, the city's secrets would be his.
"Keep looking. I want to clear District 7 by evening."
Yuuya clenched his fist excitedly. The anticipation was addictive. He finally understood why middle-aged men got hooked on horse racing.
He opened his map.
Blink.
A Golden Icon appeared less than a hundred meters away.
"A Golden Treasure Chest? It wasn't there a minute ago... Could it be on a person?"
Yuuya raised an eyebrow.
Silver Chests corresponded to Level 4 abilities. Gold Chests... those likely corresponded to Level 5.
There were only seven Level 5s in Academy City.
"I have to check this out."
He pocketed his hands and walked briskly toward the signal.
District 7, Back Alley near the Game Center.
A girl with short, chestnut-brown hair stood with her back against a graffiti-covered wall. She wore the beige vest and pleated skirt of Tokiwadai Middle School.
She had her arms crossed, looking bored. One eye was open, the other closed in a wince of annoyance.
Surrounding her were several delinquents with dyed hair and bad attitudes.
'Are these guys blind?' she thought. 'Didn't they see the uniform? Tokiwadai's minimum admission standard is Level 3.'
'Or are they just assuming that because I'm a middle school girl alone, they can rob me? Naive. What a bunch of idiots.'
She glanced at the pedestrians hurrying past the alley entrance. They all averted their eyes, afraid of getting involved with Skill-Out gangs.
'Typical. No one's going to help.'
'If Kuroko were here, she'd have teleported them into the river by now.'
"Hey, Little Sister! You're so cute! Do you want to play with us? Hahaha."
"She's from Tokiwadai. That means she's a rich young lady (Ojou-sama)."
"Hey, Ojou-sama. If you have cash, share some with your older brothers. If you let us search you... we'll be very gentle."
Yuuya arrived at the mouth of the alley just in time to hear this cliché dialogue.
He looked at the Golden Treasure Chest floating above the girl's head.
'I knew it.'
'It's the Third Ranked Level 5. The Railgun. Misaka Mikoto.'
As expected, she was being hit on by delinquents. It was practically her daily routine.
These thugs—Skill-Outs—targeted students for money. Since most students were low-level Espers with weak powers, they were easy prey.
But they had picked the wrong target today.
"Sigh..."
Listening to their trash talk, Mikoto sighed helplessly. She hated using her powers on powerless thugs, but they were giving her no choice.
Bzzzt.
Blue-white sparks crackled across her bangs. She prepared to discharge a mild electric shock to scare them off.
"Hey guys! What fun game are you playing? Can I join in?"
A loud, cheerful voice interrupted the tension.
Mikoto paused, the electricity fading from her hair. She looked toward the alley entrance.
A high school boy stood there. He wore a white shirt and had a sunny, handsome face, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. His tone was strangely mocking.
'What does he want? Is he trying to help me?' she wondered.
"Huh? Kid, what did you say?"
Six pairs of hostile eyes turned toward Yuuya.
"You dare talk to us? Do you have a death wish?"
"No, no, no. You've all misunderstood!" Yuuya waved his hands innocently, walking deeper into the alley. "Actually, I want to join you. I've been wanting to bully girls for a long time."
"What?" The delinquents blinked, confused.
Mikoto's eyebrow twitched. She rubbed her forehead.
'Just how many idiots are there in this city? Is he actually trying to join them?'
"What I mean is," Yuuya's smile sharpened into a sneer, his eyes filled with pure disdain, "everyone here is trash."
The air in the alley dropped a few degrees.
"As men... healthy, strong men... setting your sights on a middle school girl's wallet? You're utterly despicable. I used to be powerless to stop things like this, but today? Today, I'm taking out the trash."
"You bastard! Are you looking for trouble?!"
"You have a problem with us, hero?"
"Say it again if you dare!"
The delinquents, enraged by the insult, turned their backs on Mikoto and surrounded Yuuya, cracking their knuckles.
Mikoto blinked, surprised by the sudden shift in aggro.
'He... he provoked them on purpose to draw their attention away from me?'
'Is he stupid? Or is he brave?'
"I've never seen such a request before," Yuuya chuckled, crossing his arms. "Well then, listen up. I'm not targeting anyone in particular. I'm saying that everyone here is trash."
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