The living room once again fell silent. Selene no longer felt like going out for a drive. She needed time to think about how to handle "Number Two."
Kakine Teitoku's recruitment had been an unexpected result of her earlier plans. At the time, Selene had only intended to extract more benefits from the situation—by crippling him first, then healing him.
Because Kakine's value was something Academy City could never abandon, Selene was confident that the Board of Directors would discover the traces of her power while treating him.
What she hadn't expected was that this experience would awaken Kakine's desire for greater strength, ultimately leading him to join her faction of his own will.
Originally, Selene's attitude toward the "Number Two" had been one of indifference—you don't bother me, I don't bother you.
But that was no longer possible. Since Kakine Teitoku was now one of her people, regardless of his loyalty, Selene had to set the tone appropriately. Unless he sought his own death, she would stand by him.
Selene wasn't one to interfere in others' affairs, but when it came to those under her wing, she was fiercely protective.
Her opinion of Kakine Teitoku was simple: a completely failed version of Accelerator.
Think about it—Accelerator's turning point in life was Last Order, his only ray of light. Without her, if Last Order had been consumed by Academy City, what would have become of Accelerator? He likely would have fallen completely into the abyss.
Kakine's life, by contrast, was tragic. While Accelerator had Kamijou and others to pull him from the darkness—and Last Order to redeem him—Kakine had no such salvation. In the end, he drowned in the dark, unreconciled and broken. One might say he was the reflection of Accelerator, the one who never received redemption.
The first time Selene saw Kakine appear in the original history, she had thought he might be someone with a tragic past—a man seeking revenge against Aleister, someone detached from both killing and mercy.
But after learning everything, she came to see him differently. Kakine Teitoku was a version of Kamijou who failed to save Index, a version of Accelerator who gained and then lost Last Order, a fallen avenger whose life ended in failure—a poor soul left hollow inside.
He could have been redeemed. His childhood friend and Yuzuriha Ringo were the two people he most wanted to protect. But after both were killed in Academy City's experiments, Kakine's descent into darkness became irreversible.
He had attacked Yomikawa Aiho because she had tried to save the darkened Accelerator—an act that denied Kakine's own existence and value. Like Accelerator, he had fallen into the dark, but unlike him, he had never found the light again. The abyss around him swallowed everything, until nothing remained.
To most people, Kakine Teitoku was simply another villain, a ruthless and arrogant esper of the Dark Side. Yet, he wasn't without his redeeming qualities—he avoided dragging civilians into battle whenever possible, and if his mood was good, he might even spare his opponents.
Moreover, in terms of ability, Kakine's power ranked among the highest in the original timeline. If Accelerator and Sogiita Gunha were excluded from the equation, Kakine Teitoku could have single-handedly defeated all the other Level 5s combined.
But what Selene admired most about him was not his power—it was his ambition and complexity.
Kakine had long seen through Academy City for what it truly was—a massive experimental ground where everyone, himself included, was nothing but a test subject under Chairman Aleister.
Many Level 5s knew this truth, but how many dared to act on it? To stand against it? Perhaps only Kakine Teitoku had the courage to try and change that system.
His intentions were clear: seize the Tweezers, eliminate Accelerator—the core of Aleister's plan—and gain the power to negotiate directly with the man himself. His scheme had been intricately detailed and nearly flawless. Had he not been defeated by Accelerator in the end, the entire Academy City might have been shaken to its core.
But now, Selene could not allow him to repeat that path. A personality correction was necessary.
...
Meanwhile, in District 2, inside the Schicksal Research Institute.
Before Kakine could even finish marveling at the convenience of spatial abilities, Shuji Matsuzaki—having already been notified—rushed forward excitedly to welcome him into the lab and begin the process of physical enhancement.
When Selene had informed him that the third wielder of Dark Matter had joined Schicksal and was about to undergo Honkai Energy augmentation, Shuji had nearly lost his composure in exhilaration.
"Really? Boss, the third one has joined us! That means... he can also assist in our research, right? Could it be that—"
"Phew... Sorry, Boss. I got carried away."
Selene could understand Shuji Matsuzaki's excitement completely. In terms of research potential and theoretical upper limits, Dark Matter ranked among the most valuable abilities in all of Academy City. The ability to manipulate "matter that does not exist in this world" meant breaking through technological barriers and material constraints with ease. For any researcher, it was a temptation impossible to resist.
Inside the laboratory, Kakine Teitoku lay flat on the enhancement platform, finally unable to bear the intensity of Matsuzaki's gaze.
"Hey! I know you're excited, but could you not look at me like that? It's seriously uncomfortable."
"Ah, sorry, sorry—habit," Matsuzaki apologized, chuckling awkwardly.
Once the rush of excitement subsided, he gradually calmed down and began focusing on the actual preparations.
"I heard you once fought the Boss?"
Kakine didn't bother dodging the question. There was no reason to hide anything now that he was one of Selene's people.
"Yeah, we fought," he admitted flatly. "But it was a one-sided slaughter. I got beaten half to death. If Selene hadn't been merciful, I'd be crippled right now."
From his tone alone, one could faintly imagine the miserable state he had been in. Seeing that, Matsuzaki wisely didn't pry any further and shifted the topic back to the enhancement process.
"So, how long until this thing is ready?" Kakine asked.
"Almost done," Matsuzaki replied. "This machine's only purpose is to help you absorb the Honkai Energy faster. Normally, you could just swallow the Honkai Crystal directly, but absorption would be much slower and might cause buildup inside your body. Generally speaking, the best time for absorption is right after intense physical strain—or serious injury."
He added casually, "Just a heads-up—this is your customized enhancement version. It's going to hurt."
That had been Kakine's own request. Though anesthesia was available, he had insisted on staying fully conscious. He claimed that since he hadn't truly felt it the last time, this time he wanted to experience everything in full detail.
As Matsuzaki spoke, the preparations were completed. He picked up the control tablet beside him, tapping rapidly across the screen. With a faint hiss, the glass chamber lowered into place—signaling the start of the enhancement.
A sharp sting accompanied the insertion of the intravenous injectors. Kakine remained conscious, feeling a cold stream begin spreading from his arm.
Thump, thump.
As his organs began to respond, the chill flowed rapidly throughout his body. The pounding of his heart thundered in his ears. Beyond that, he could even hear the rush of blood coursing through his veins like a roaring river.
The creaking of his bones. The gurgling of his organs. All the minute sounds within his body were magnified endlessly in his mind.
He dared not move a muscle—afraid that any disturbance might disrupt the process.
Suddenly, the coolness transformed into a searing, unbearable pain.
"Urgh—!"
A muffled groan escaped his throat as he clenched his jaw tightly, his muscles straining, veins bulging violently across his forehead.
It felt as though his entire body was being immersed in acid. His skin and bones were dissolving; his flesh boiled from within. Even his soul seemed to be on the verge of being torn apart. That was Kakine Teitoku's most vivid sensation.
Gradually, just when the indescribable agony was about to crush him completely, a cool sensation began to flow from every corner of his being.
Moments later, the pain faded—replaced by an almost euphoric sense of clarity that made him want to shout aloud.
With a hiss, the glass chamber lifted once more. The enhancement was complete.
Kakine sat up slowly. His entire body felt overflowing with power, his mind clear and sharp. The world around him seemed more vivid than ever, and his mastery over his ability—Dark Matter—had grown noticeably stronger.