"We understand," Stiyl said with a frown. This kind of blatant threat was infuriating, yet there was nothing he could do about it.
If a scientist were to step into the core territory of the Roman Catholic Church, those conservative elders would act even more ruthlessly.
"We will abide by your rules, and we ask that you grant us the appropriate authority to act," Kanzaki Kaori said politely. Although the other party's attitude made her uncomfortable, she understood that being allowed entry was already the greatest concession they could offer.
"The right to act appropriately, no problem." Kihara Amata spoke in a rough, thug like tone while picking his ear with his little finger, blowing on it casually, then lazily waving at the thirty or forty armed personnel behind him.
"Alright, that is enough. We are done here."
The sound of mechanical clicks echoed as the armed personnel adjusted their heavy firearms. They followed Kihara Amata in an orderly manner onto the transport truck, leaving behind a trail of exhaust fumes in front of Stiyl and Kanzaki Kaori.
"Cough cough cough! Damn it, what arrogance!" Stiyl coughed repeatedly, his face twisting as he choked on the fumes. However, he also felt a sense of relief. The inspection procedures in Academy City were like hell, and he had resisted the urge to turn around and leave countless times.
"We are finally inside. Do not act recklessly from now on." Kanzaki Kaori sighed, looking completely helpless.
"The enemy's combat strength is unknown, and we have no external support."
"I understand, as long as they do not provoke us first." Stiyl bared his teeth like a feral beast and flicked the ash from his cigarette onto the ground.
Kanzaki Kaori suddenly sensed a presence behind her. Her expression shifted slightly as she turned around with caution, only to see a red haired girl with twin tails, her chest bound with cloth strips.
"Who are you?"
Stiyl also turned immediately, a tarot card already appearing between his fingers.
"This is something Chairman Aleister asked me to deliver to you." Musujime Awaki spoke casually as she tossed over a file folder. After saying that, her figure vanished instantly, clearly irritated.
Early in the morning, before she was fully awake, she had been startled by Chairman Aleister's unsettling voice, ordering her to deliver documents to these two individuals.
Damn it, when will I finally be able to quit this job that gives me goosebumps?
"Abilities similar to that boy. Esper abilities in Academy City are truly unpredictable." Kanzaki Kaori said calmly as she received the file and opened it, carefully reading through the contents.
What is written here?
"This contains information regarding Index and that boy's location. That boy is currently in District 7 of Academy City, inside a student apartment assigned by a high school..." Kanzaki Kaori awkwardly handed the document over to Stiyl.
"We do not have a map of Academy City."
"More than Index's location, I am concerned about that man's unwillingness to cooperate with us." Stiyl's eyelids twitched as he read the ability analysis report. Being defeated instantly by the other party had nearly become a psychological shadow.
Although he could not understand the technical terminology used to describe the esper ability, simply reading the evaluation section was enough to make his scalp tingle.
"His ability has grown. Its upper limits have not yet been fully tested, but based on current data, he is ranked Level 5 and possesses enough destructive power to completely annihilate an entire city."
Is this not comparable to the destructive capability of a Saint? When a Saint releases their full power, they transcend human limitations and can conquer a city alone without difficulty.
He possessed power comparable to Kanzaki's, so being defeated instantly was understandable. If he were to truly fight Kanzaki, even a thousand versions of himself would not dare allow her to strike twice.
"Let us head to this location first." Kanzaki looked at a vehicle she had never seen before and hesitated briefly. Then she suddenly remembered that the Supreme Archbishop had mentioned that Tsuchimikado Motoharu was studying in Academy City and would arrive quickly if contacted.
She pulled out a flip phone from her jeans pocket, cold sweat forming on her forehead.
"So many buttons... It seems pressing this opens something called the 'phone book,' and then... I found it, Tsuchimikado Motoharu. Now what do I do next?"
After a long and anxious struggle, she finally managed to operate it, following the steps her former partner had once taught her.
"It is ringing! It is ringing!"
"Hello nyaa. Big sister, have you already arrived in Academy City, meow?" A peculiar voice came through the phone.
"Yes, yes, Tsuchimikado. We are currently at the entrance, but we do not know how to reach District 7, that place!" Kanzaki Kaori said awkwardly.
"I knew it, nyaa. I am already on my way to pick you up, so do not move. Big sister, I will be there soon."
...
Inside the hallway of a high school, Tsuchimikado Motoharu hung up the phone. He glanced toward the classroom, where Arata was being grabbed by the collar by Fukiyose Seiri, his expression turning strange.
"That guy Arata has actually gotten himself involved in a conflict between the magic side and the science side. This could easily escalate into a war."
He knew Arata quite well. This incident could only be described as an accident. Because Arata could fly, he likely left Academy City out of curiosity, then encountered Kanzaki and the others during their pursuit. There was no way he would ignore a girl being chased.
"Arata, why do you look so disheveled and covered in bite marks? Do you not think you need to explain this?" Fukiyose Seiri's forehead twitched with a prominent vein as she crossed her arms and glared sharply at him.
Those bite marks were small and delicate. It was obvious they came from a girl, and there were so many of them that even his uniform had been torn. Just what exactly had this guy done?
Why would a girl bite him like that?
"About that, it is a bit difficult to explain. To put it simply, an unwelcome guest stayed over at my place and ended up ruthlessly attacking the host. That is how this happened." Arata laughed awkwardly and scratched his head, looking embarrassed, as if he had been caught doing something suspicious.
Fukiyose looked at him with a cold and composed expression as she slowly raised her fist.
"Unwelcome guest? Staying over? Host?" After repeating those words, she sneered and punched Arata directly on the head. "You two timing cockroach."
Arata's lips twitched as he caught Fukiyose's fist in his hand.
"Two timing? That is a serious accusation. I do not even have a girlfriend, so how could I possibly be two timing?"
...
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