Seventh Pharmaceutical Research Center. Surface Corridor.
"SCHOOL refused the purge mission? Does that mean no one is going to deal with the intruder? This is bad."
"There's no need to worry. There is more than one high-tier unit in the Dark Side. The purge will continue."
"Who accepted it?"
"ITEM."
"Then I'm relieved. If the Atom Breaker is coming, that intruder is ash."
...
Ventilation Shaft.
Yuuya paused, listening to the voices fading away.
"ITEM, huh?"
Because Kaibi guessed he was a Level 5 Spatial User, Kakine Teitoku backed off. Kakine was pragmatic; he wouldn't risk his ambition on a wild card.
That left the other Level 5-led team.
ITEM.
Mugino Shizuri (Meltdowner). Kinuhata Saiai. Frenda Seivelun. Takitsubo Rikou.
"The tools..."
Yuuya's lips curled into a predatory smile.
"Very good. I'll take them all."
He had been looking for members for HARMONY. A high-firepower assault team like ITEM was exactly what he needed.
Snap.
[Ability: Move Point]
Yuuya vanished.
He visualized the coordinates he had extracted from the previous Silver Chest (Nunotaba's location).
Zip.
He reappeared deep underground.
The air here was sterile and cold. The hum of heavy machinery vibrated through the floor.
What came into view was a scene from a sci-fi nightmare.
Neatly arranged rows of cylindrical culture tanks stretched out like a forest. Each tank was filled with a glowing green alkaline solution. Floating inside each one was a girl.
They all had the same face. Misaka Mikoto.
Their eyes were tightly closed, curled in the fetal position, wires connecting to their bodies.
Even though he knew the plot, seeing it in person was a heavy blow.
"This is the factory..."
In the corner, three female researchers were operating a control panel.
Next to them, a Misaka Sister in a green surgical gown sat in a chair. She wore a heavy metal helmet—a Testament machine—downloading knowledge directly into her brain.
One researcher stood apart from the others, holding a clipboard. She had long black hair and sharp eyes that looked perpetually angry.
Nunotaba Shinobu.
She was writing something, but her pen hovered over the paper. Her mind was clearly elsewhere.
'I wonder how that guy is doing...' she thought.
The image of Takahashi Yuuya's wicked grin flashed in her mind.
'Why would he do this? He's a Multi-Skill user, sure. But fighting the entire City for clones?'
'He has no chance. The Dark Side will crush him.'
'The Misaka Sisters mean nothing to him. Why save them?'
'And even if he saves one... how can he save 10,000? Their bodies are unstable. They need constant maintenance. Taking them out is just a slower death.'
Nunotaba bit her lip. Her thoughts were a mess of guilt and logic.
Step.
She heard a soft footfall behind her.
"Hey, Researcher Nunotaba. Can I ask you a question?"
The frivolous voice made her jump. It sounded terrifyingly familiar.
Nunotaba spun around.
Her eyes widened.
Standing right behind her was a young researcher in a white lab coat. But the face... it was him.
"You... You...!"
She hurriedly looked at her colleagues in the distance. They hadn't noticed. She lowered her voice to a harsh whisper.
"Takahashi! How did you sneak in?! This is a max-security facility!"
"Don't be so surprised, Senpai," Yuuya chuckled, hands deep in the pockets of his stolen lab coat. "I have spatial abilities. Walls are just suggestions."
Nunotaba forced herself to calm down. 'Right. He's a teleporter. The Dark Side can't catch him easily.'
She hissed, "What are you doing here? Do you plan to steal the Sisters?"
"Oh~ Can I take them?"
Yuuya walked past her. He placed a hand on the warm glass of a culture tank. He looked at the clone inside, sleeping like Snow White.
"No!" Nunotaba grabbed his arm. "Their bodily functions aren't mature yet! If you take them out of the tanks now, they'll die immediately!"
"Is that so?" Yuuya didn't pull away. "How many are active?"
"15 are currently awake. Another 25 are in the final stages," Nunotaba admitted, her voice trembling.
"Listen to me, you idiot! Even if you take them, where will you put them? They need Academy City's medical tech to survive. Their cells degrade rapidly without maintenance."
"Taking them away is just killing them slowly! Unless you have a fully staffed hospital in your pocket, you're wasting your time!"
She was almost growling. The facade of the cold scientist was cracking.
She wanted to save them. She had tried to stop the experiment herself by distributing cash cards in alleyways (the "Silent Party"). But she knew the science. Escape meant death.
"Hehe..."
Yuuya laughed softly.
"What's so funny?!" Nunotaba clenched her fists. "Do you think this is a game?"
"No, Nunotaba. I'm laughing because I can see your conscience eating you alive."
Yuuya turned to face her. His expression shifted from playful to serious.
"Perhaps an hour ago... I would have used a clumsy method to steal them. I would have fought the Dark Side and run."
"But not now."
"Why?" Nunotaba looked at him in disbelief. "What changed? What can one person do against the Board of Directors?"
Yuuya leaned in close, whispering into her ear.
"Because I went to see That Guy."
"I just came back from the Windowless Building."
....
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