Chapter 53

During the day, after seeing the children undergoing rehabilitation at the hospital, Misaka Mikoto had a dream that night. It was about the time she had submitted her DNA profile to assist with the hospital's treatment for muscular dystrophy.

"Just a dream... why would I have such a dream?" Misaka Mikoto was puzzled, as it had been several years since that happened.

Perhaps Misaka Mikoto did not realize that this dream would bring about a much more terrifying nightmare.

To prepare for the upcoming September "Wide Area Social Visit" event, Misaka Mikoto planned to go shopping for some travel essentials. Shirai Kuroko suggested a very narrow alley. However, to their surprise, the shortcut that Shirai Kuroko said "had few people" was actually very crowded.

With no choice, Shirai Kuroko used her ability to carry Misaka Mikoto forward. But when they landed, she stepped on a can and fell to the ground, only to find an envelope under an air conditioner.

"Huh?"

Taking out the envelope, they found that neither the recipient nor the sender was written on it. Opening it, a card fell out.

"A savings card?"

The two returned to Branch 177 with the savings card and discovered an issue: the savings card had been deliberately distributed, and not just one. So far, 56 cards had been handed over to the Student Council, and an unknown number had not been turned in.

What was the purpose of distributing the savings cards? This was a question on everyone's mind, but the person distributing the cards was very careful, leaving no fingerprints on either the cards or the envelopes.

Due to this incident, people began appearing in various deserted alleys, and some students encountered delinquents. Seeing the situation escalate, Shirai Kuroko decided to stay and investigate, while Misaka Mikoto went shopping alone.

On the street, Misaka Mikoto met Saten Ruiko.

"Ah, Misaka! Really, what was that about earlier? You just walked away without a word?"

"Earlier?" Misaka Mikoto was puzzled; hadn't she just been at Branch 177?

"Don't pretend, Misaka. Didn't you pass by the entrance of [Seventh Fog] just now? I even went to say hello, but you ignored me."

"I don't think the person you saw was me..." Misaka Mikoto didn't realize that a dark quagmire was slowly closing in on her.

The two quickly moved past this topic and began discussing the most popular topic at the moment: the savings cards.

Saten Ruiko was also looking for savings cards and had already found several. Ignoring Misaka Mikoto's reluctance, she dragged her to search for more savings cards.

The day passed slowly, and after parting ways, Misaka Mikoto overheard some delinquents talking about tracking down the person distributing the savings cards. She called Shirai Kuroko to help her cover her absence from the dorm and followed the delinquents to an abandoned building.

On the other side, Saten Ruiko still felt something was off. She called Tokiwadai Misaki to verify Misaka Mikoto's whereabouts in the afternoon. Still uneasy after getting the answer, she called Shirai Tsukuyomi.

Living in the same room, Saten Ruiko had noticed the strange behavior of Shirai Tsukuyomi and Shokuhou Misaki. As a Level 4 air manipulator, she could sense that they were talking about something whenever she took a shower, but because her control wasn't fine enough, she couldn't reconstruct the sound waves and thus didn't know what they were saying.

The last time Shirai Tsukuyomi and Shokuhou Misaki were not at home, they had given Saten Ruiko a sleeping pill, which she had sensed with her ability in the bathroom. At first, Saten Ruiko thought she had lost to Shirai Tsukuyomi, but the next day, the truth and the resolution of the chaotic event were vaguely mentioned by Misaka Mikoto, which raised many questions.

Moreover, when Shokuhou Misaki said she was going shopping, she did buy some sweets, but Saten Ruiko, who had been using her ability to monitor Shokuhou Misaki, knew that after receiving a call, Shokuhou Misaki went to another ward and did something she didn't know about. What could be so secretive? Who called Shokuhou Misaki?

Now, believing that she hadn't hallucinated in the afternoon, Saten Ruiko felt a conspiracy involving her friend and couldn't just stand by.

It was time to confront the issue. She was already a Level 4 ability user and not just someone who could hide behind Tsukuyomi!

Shirai Tsukuyomi found it strange that Saten Ruiko was calling at this time but still answered.

At that moment, they were discussing Shokuhou Misaki and the [External Brain]. Protecting their members was always their top priority.

As for how to permanently solve Shokuhou Misaki's problem, it would involve another deal with Aleister. As for the content of the last deal? Shirai Tsukuyomi didn't fully trust Aleister. Did he really not have ulterior motives? After all, Touma was also his friend, but Touma was a core part of Aleister's plan. So, Aleister's words should be taken with a grain of salt.

"Rui, what's up?"

"Tsukuyomi, I saw someone who looked a lot like Misaka. I don't think I was mistaken, but it wasn't Misaka. Can you tell me what's going on?"

...Shirai Tsukuyomi was silent. He really didn't want Saten Ruiko to know about this. He had planned to have Touma stop it, as Aleister's ultimate goal was still to create an artificial heaven.

However, thinking about the countless deaths of the Misaka sisters, Shirai Tsukuyomi felt helpless. To protect Saten Ruiko, Shokuhou Misaki, and Shirai Kuroko, he had to feign ignorance, even though his conscience troubled him. But he wasn't Touma; he was Shirai Tsukuyomi. In Aleister's eyes, he was a potential threat, and if he overstepped, Aleister would eliminate him, even at the risk of mutual destruction, especially now that he had so many ties.

But from Saten Ruiko's call, Shirai Tsukuyomi sensed something different, a tone that said, "I know you know." Recalling carefully, he finally realized his mistake; he had underestimated his girlfriend.

A Level 4 air manipulator, with a bit of creativity, could develop many uses. He had exposed too many vulnerabilities. Saten Ruiko must have realized he was hiding something, and given her personality, this confrontation wouldn't end there; she would keep pressing until she got answers.

Since that's the case, I'll tell her. If Rui leaves because she can't bear the darkness of Academy City, it might be for the best.

"Rui, come to me. I have something to tell you."