"Oh, you must be here to pick us up!"
"Dark Pool, Item! We're here to ensure your safety."
Mugino Shizuri announced expressionlessly to Hishigata Mikihiko and Esther, pulling out her phone to confirm the orders.
"Hm? The fifth-ranked Level 5? Quite the heavy hitter! I'm curious who's behind this one."
Hishigata Mikihiko flashed a fake smile. The eight Level 5s of Academy City were unmistakable to any researcher, being the pinnacle of the city's technological achievements.
These Level 5s were no longer mere test subjects; they were valuable assets of Academy City, untouchable by ordinary researchers.
Deploying a Level 5 meant, without question, someone from the Board of Directors was involved.
While the so-called Dark Pool could be hired, entrusting them with critical tasks was risky. After all, they weren't docile rabbits but wolves ready to turn at any moment.
Still... sending a Level 5 for personal protection? This trip was clearly not without its dangers.
"Let's go, Esther. We're moving!"
...
The large RV cruised down the road, with Esther sitting uneasily on a sofa.
Her unease stemmed from two sources. First, the occasional glances from Mugino Shizuri and the others, who lingered close by.
Second... she was having second thoughts. She no longer wanted to assist Hishigata Mikihiko... or rather, Hishigata Hirumi.
She had always known the truth—that the body wasn't truly Hishigata Hirumi. She'd just been clinging to a sliver of hope.
As the heir of the Rosenthal family, Esther was a skilled necromancer, capable of manipulating corpses and imbuing them with pseudo-souls.
These pseudo-souls, passed down through generations, were often named after mythical creatures or beasts.
The most powerful four were codenamed after ancient beasts: Qiongqi, Taotie, Taowu, and Hundun.
The Taowu talisman was embedded in Hishigata Hirumi's body. Esther knew necromancy could control a body but couldn't restore a soul. That body housed the Taowu spirit, yet she held onto a faint hope.
What if, before death, the Taowu spirit's power had preserved her?
No one could say for certain...
Was it possible? Indeed, there was always that one-in-a-million chance.
It was too small, though. Esther didn't believe Hirumi was still in there, so she resolved to escape and find another way to confirm.
Naturally, the surveillance from Mugino Shizuri and the others made her extremely uncomfortable.
As a necromancer, without a corpse to manipulate, her combat ability was roughly equivalent to an unarmed special forces soldier.
Having spent time in Academy City, she wasn't ignorant of what a Level 5 represented.
Their power could rival an army. Even with all her pseudo-souls, she'd stand no chance.
Thus, she found herself in an awkward predicament.
As for why she hadn't escaped before Mugino Shizuri arrived...
Hishigata Hirumi—or rather, Taowu—wouldn't have allowed it.
"What do I do?"
She could foresee that once they reached their destination, escape would be nearly impossible.
"Boom~"
The RV suddenly skidded, spinning wildly before crashing into a roadside barrier.
"All units, on alert! Frenda, stay in the vehicle! Kinuhata, with me!"
Tire skid? In Academy City, that was practically impossible, especially for a pseudo-official vehicle like Mugino's, with stability rivaling a tank. It wouldn't skid without reason.
And with autonomous driving powered by advanced AI, the chance of an accident was negligible.
Given Samuel had sent them, this was clearly an enemy attack.
"Tsume! Nice one!"
As Mugino stepped out, she saw four girls cheering.
"Scavenger?"
Also part of the Dark Pool, Mugino wouldn't normally know such minor players. But Samuel had access to all Dark Pool intel, and with Level 5s' near-photographic memories, she recalled them instantly.
Scavenger, a four-member unit. The one crouching in a sailor uniform with long black hair was Seike Taroumaru, with the Level 4 ability Friction Control.
The red-haired girl with a mask-like pattern covering her mouth was Iizumi Rita, with the reconnaissance ability Bird's-Eye Grasp.
The lively purple-haired girl was Sakuragi Naruha, with the ability Paper Telekinesis, essentially a form of telekinesis.
The most mature and composed was Yakumaru Itsuki, with the ability Liquid Ratio Conversion.
With her formidable computational power, Mugino quickly deduced that Seike Taroumaru had used Friction Control to reduce friction, causing the tires to skid.
"Tch~"
Mugino's brow furrowed. Green-glowing electron hybrids materialized around her, firing deadly beams forward.
The beams sliced through the road like a divine blade, splitting it in two.
Scavenger dodged in the nick of time, narrowly avoiding annihilation.
"Hey, hey, hey! What was that? Too strong!"
Iizumi Rita, sprawled on the ground, gaped at the massive gash carved by the green beams, the searing heat still radiating.
One hit would mean death or crippling injury.
"That attack... definitely not a typical esper. Level 4? Or..."
"Trash, remember my name: Meltdowner, Mugino Shizuri. Take it with you to—hm?"
"Mugino, capture them alive. That Iizumi Rita and Yakumaru Itsuki... they're interesting..."
"..."
The voice she despised crackled through her earpiece. Worst of all, she had to obey.
"Careful, it's the fifth-ranked Level 5! Use our combo!"
Iizumi Rita quickly alerted her team.
Seike Taroumaru placed both hands on the ground, her ability forming a circle around Mugino where friction dropped to zero outside it.
Sakuragi Naruha's clothes disintegrated into paper sheets, rapidly enveloping Mugino to form a coffin.
"Die..."
"Boom~"
Green photon walls erupted, obliterating everything in their path.
Mugino crushed Scavenger's combined attack with overwhelming force.
"Grab them!"
At Mugino's command, Kinuhata Saiai sprang forward, her Offense Armor reinforcing her body, aiming a punch at Seike Taroumaru's stomach.
"Friction to zero!"
Seike applied her ability to herself, nullifying friction so physical attacks struggled to connect.
Mugino frowned... and fired another beam.
***
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