With the threat finally eliminated, Mikoto was about to celebrate when Shirai Kuroko suddenly appeared beside her via teleportation. "Amazing! As expected of you, Onee-sama! That Railgun blast didn't just strike the Dream Beast—it pierced straight into my heart!" Kuroko's eyes sparkled with obsession as she launched herself toward Mikoto like a deranged fangirl.
"My heart, my soul—they all belong to you, Onee-sama!" With the practiced ease of someone used to this nonsense, Mikoto electrocuted Kuroko on the spot.
"Can you just stop already?!" Mikoto sighed, pressing her hand to her forehead.
"But Onee-sama, how can I possibly change my love for you? And this tingly sensation… isn't this proof that our hearts are connected?" Kuroko, now twitching on the ground like a stunned frog, managed to mumble through her spasms. Just as she was preparing to continue her confession, her gaze landed on something that froze her completely. Su Mo… and Misaka Mikoto… holding hands.
"W-wait a second! There's no way… Onee-sama is actually holding hands with Su Mo-sensei?!"
"No! I absolutely won't allow this! Even if it's you, Sensei, I won't let you steal my Onee-sama!"
Realizing that her beloved Onee-sama was holding hands with a man—her own teacher, no less—Kuroko spiraled into despair, wailing like someone whose heart had just been shattered by betrayal.
"Ah!" Only then did Mikoto remember. The Illusion Beast was gone. There was no reason to still be holding hands. Blushing furiously, she yanked her hand free and turned toward Kuroko, her face as red as a tomato.
"Y-you idiot! What nonsense are you spouting again?!" Another electric shock sent Kuroko writhing in "pleasure" on the ground once more, though she didn't seem particularly upset about it. Watching the two girls bicker, Su Mo quietly stepped away and made his way toward Kiyama Harumi.
"You're Su Mo… the teacher who figured out the principle behind the Network from the very beginning, aren't you?" Having seen Su Mo's abilities firsthand, Kiyama immediately recognized him.
"That's right," Su Mo nodded.
"Then what are you doing here? Why bother with a failure like me?" Kiyama's voice was bitter, her tone filled with defeat. "Hasn't the Illusion Beast already been dealt with?" Kiyama Harumi, who had lost everything and whose plan had ended in failure, didn't see herself as having any remaining worth. She had already given up. But then, she heard Su Mo's calm reply.
"I'm here to recruit you." Su Mo looked at her seriously as he spoke. "My research institute happens to need a neuroscientist familiar with AIM diffusion fields."
"Recruit me… a criminal?" Kiyama let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. "Impossible. After all this, I'll probably be locked up somewhere." She had already accepted that fate. Even if they decided to execute her, she wouldn't complain. But Su Mo simply shook his head.
"As a scientist, it seems you don't fully understand Academy City. Though the city is geographically within Japan, it's effectively an independent territory. And since it isn't a nation, it doesn't have laws in the traditional sense—only security regulations. Naturally, there's no death penalty."
"Granted, what you did was serious. Even without casualties, your actions were a severe violation of the city's regulations." At that point, his tone changed slightly.
"—However, thanks to Academy City's conveniently corrupt bail system, I can have you released whenever I like." In the original timeline, Kiyama Harumi had indeed been released soon after. In Academy City, how criminals were treated depended entirely on their usefulness. A top-tier researcher like Kiyama would never be truly discarded. As long as someone paid enough, bail could be secured. And Su Mo wasn't lacking in funds.
Hearing this, Kiyama's expression shifted for the first time. She looked at Su Mo in surprise, her eyes uncertain. Even if she regained her freedom, after failing so completely, did she really still have the ability to save her students? Su Mo could read her doubts clearly. So, he offered her a condition she couldn't refuse.
"If you agree, I can provide you with enough computational power to run your research—far beyond what your Network was capable of." At those words, Kiyama's restraint crumbled.
"Are you serious?" After all, everything she had done—spreading the Level Upper Terminal and building the Level Upper Network—had been to acquire sufficient computational power. Though the Network barely met her needs, she herself had fallen short, defeated before she could carry out her calculations. But if Su Mo truly possessed what he claimed, then… she would gladly sell herself to join his lab.
"Of course I'm serious," Su Mo said flatly, glancing at her. "Or did you think the study device blueprints you used were your own work? That paper came from my research institute." In truth, the Level Upper Network was just a low-tier version of the Misaka Network. Compared to that, the Misaka Network's computational power was far superior. Hearing this, Kiyama fully believed him.
"I'll join! As long as I can save those children, I'll do anything!"
"Welcome aboard." Su Mo smiled softly. "Just follow the process with the Anti-Skill officers. I'll handle the rest." At that moment, Anti-Skill officers approached, ready to take Kiyama—the mastermind of the incident—into custody. With Su Mo's promise in her heart, Kiyama silently bowed her head and allowed herself to be taken. And then, a familiar voice rang out.
"Su Mo! You caused way too much trouble this time!" Anti-Skill officer Aiho Yomikawa approached, holding her head in frustration as she looked over the devastated site. The ground had been stripped clean over an area several times larger than a football field. Such massive destruction… if it hadn't been to protect Academy City itself, she doubted expenses would even be reimbursed.
"Compared to the lives of over ten thousand students, this much damage isn't that bad, right?" Su Mo replied calmly.
"…Fair enough."
Yomikawa nodded reluctantly. Ten thousand lives… this outcome wasn't so bad after all. After exchanging a few casual remarks, Su Mo's phone buzzed. Glancing at the screen, he saw a message from Misaki Shokuhou. It was just a single, playful phrase: "All done (〃▽〃)!!!" Seeing it, Su Mo smiled faintly in satisfaction.
....
....
A few minutes earlier.
Uiharu Kazari had just received the memory card from Kiyama Harumi—the key to severing the Level Upper Network and disabling the Illusion Beast's regeneration. As she climbed the stairs, hurrying toward the Anti-Skill officers to deliver it, she suddenly noticed someone standing near the staircase at the edge of the clearing. It was a girl wearing Tokiwadai Middle School's uniform. Her honey-colored hair shimmered like gold, while her strange, star-patterned pupils glittered beneath her lashes. She wore elegant white lace gloves on her hands. Uiharu instantly recognized the girl standing there like a noble princess.
"You have good taste." Reading Uiharu's thoughts, Misaki Shokuhou smiled sweetly. She had originally assumed Misaka Mikoto's friends would be the annoying type. But both this girl and Saten Ruiko seemed like decent kids. They even knew to admire her beauty. Clearly, the problem wasn't with her—it was with Misaka Mikoto herself.
"I guess it's your fault we don't get along, not mine."
"You're… Shokuhou-senpai?" Uiharu didn't grasp Shokuhou's hidden thoughts. She simply recognized her as the Level 5 esper they'd met once before. Normally, her inner "ojou-sama complex" would compel her to greet such an elegant upperclassman. But now, she had a critical mission: to deliver the memory card and help sever the Illusion Beast's connection to the network. Otherwise, Su Mo-sensei and Misaka-senpai would still be in danger. Naïvely unaware of just how powerful those two actually were, Uiharu felt genuinely worried for their safety. Sensing this concern, Shokuhou's impression of Uiharu improved further. Being worried about that zappy brat was a negative, but worrying about Su Mo was a solid plus in her eyes.
"That's right. It's me." She chuckled softly.
"Uiharu-san, would you mind giving me that memory card?" Of course, Uiharu minded! She was about to say so. But before she could react, Shokuhou casually pulled out her remote control and pressed a button. Instantly, Uiharu's expression changed. Her pupils shimmered faintly, forming star-like patterns. Without hesitation, she respectfully handed the memory card to Shokuhou.
"Good girl." Smiling, Shokuhou accepted the card and carefully checked its specifications. Shokuhou Misaki took out an identical memory card from her handbag and handed it to Uiharu Kazari.
"Remember, you never met me." With that, she pressed the button on her remote once again. Uiharu's gaze returned to normal in an instant. Looking around blankly, she didn't even notice Misaki standing beside her. As if nothing had happened, she rushed toward the Anti-Skill officers waiting around the corner.
"I have to get this memory card to Anti-Skill as soon as possible!" She thought urgently, unaware that the card in her hand had already been swapped.
"Mission complete." Misaki flashed a satisfied V-sign, clearly pleased with herself. She was just about to bask in the glow of her success when she happened to glance back—only to see Su Mo standing in the middle of the clearing, still holding Misaka Mikoto's hand. Instantly, her mood plummeted.
Of course, she understood why Su Mo was holding her hand: to restrain Misaka. After all, Mikoto was immune to Misaki's own mental manipulation. If Mikoto had followed Uiharu over, it could've easily disrupted her entire plan. Restricting her movements had been necessary to ensure success. Knowing that was one thing. Feeling jealous was another.
"Misaka, you really are my biggest rival." Helpless to vent her frustrations at Su Mo, Misaki could only shift her annoyance onto Mikoto. Perhaps it was human nature to bully the weak and fear the strong.