"Who exactly are you, to dare slander the Chairwoman!"
Hearing Zhong Chen mention Aleister, the middle-aged man's face finally showed a hint of fear.
Only a true big shot or a madman would say such things.
And Zhong Chen's sudden appearance here clearly indicated he was no madman.
"You are not yet qualified to know who I am, Ruiko, let's go. There's no need to waste time with these scumbags. Someone will deal with them."
"Okay!"
Ruiko obediently nodded, intending to leave with Zhong Chen.
"Stop, you... Ah!"
"Liang Ren!!!"
"This..."
Thud... The remaining few people fell to the ground in horror, looking at the pile of ashes beside them.
"Does anyone else want to stop us?"
Zhong Chen's eyes coldly swept over the people on the ground as he asked indifferently.
"You... please proceed..."
"Yes, yes, yes..."
The people on the ground shook their heads frantically when they heard him. Zhong Chen didn't say anything more, glanced at them, then looked at the stunned Saten Ruiko.
"Ruiko, don't just stand there, let's go."
Zhong Chen nudged Saten Ruiko, who was staring silently at the ashes.
"Oh, oh!"
Saten Ruiko, snapping out of her daze, hurried to follow Zhong Chen out of the room.
On the way out, Zhong Chen, walking ahead, said to Saten Ruiko with his back to her:
"What, were you scared?"
Hearing Zhong Chen's words, Saten Ruiko quickly nodded.
Everything that had just happened was indeed a bit too stimulating for an ordinary middle school student like her.
"I was a little scared, but I'm fine now. After all, Teacher Zhong Chen only killed bad people!"
A relieved smile appeared on Zhong Chen's face when he heard Saten Ruiko's words.
"Little girl, don't trust me too much. I'm not a good person."
Hearing Zhong Chen's words, Saten Ruiko's face broke into a bright smile. She raised her head and said loudly:
"Hmph, even if Teacher Zhong Chen is a bad guy, in my heart, you're a good bad guy!"
"Hahaha, what kind of adjective is that? A good bad guy? So are you saying I'm good or bad?"
A glint of mischief flashed in Saten Ruiko's eyes. She quickened her pace, overtook Zhong Chen, then turned around, hands behind her back, and said to him:
"Teacher Zhong Chen, in my heart, you are good. As for the rest, I'm not a police officer, so it's not my business!"
After speaking, Saten Ruiko seemed to remember something, and a worried expression appeared on her face as she continued:
"Are we really okay just leaving like this?"
"After all, you just..."
Before Saten Ruiko could finish, Zhong Chen waved his hand indifferently and said:
"It's fine. You won't see this research facility again tomorrow."
"Why?"
"You little girl don't need to know so many 'whys'."
"Oh."
Five minutes later, Zhong Chen brought Saten Ruiko outside the research facility.
Looking at the empty parking lot outside, Ruiko muttered dejectedly:
"Oh no, this is terrible. Looks like we'll have to walk back."
Hearing the little girl's words, Zhong Chen asked with a puzzled expression:
"Ruiko, don't you fly? Why do you have to walk back?"
Saten Ruiko remembered that she was an angel and could fly only after Zhong Chen's reminder.
"Hehe, I forgot!"
"Uh... that's certainly your style. But even if you couldn't fly, it's fine. Teacher Zhong is an omnipotent being."
With that, Zhong Chen pulled a spatial capsule from his pocket and threw it to the ground.
Bang... As a puff of smoke dispersed, a hovering sports car appeared before the two of them.
"This... this... this car is actually hovering, how amazing!"
Ruiko's eyes sparkled as she looked at the cool, hovering sports car.
"Hmph, this is the latest release from the Monster Country Federation, the Maglev Fully Automatic Faralou Sports Car!"
"Teacher Zhong Chen, your Monster Country Federation is truly all-powerful!"
Zhong Chen's lips curled into a smug smile when he heard this, then he walked to the driver's side of the sports car.
The car door opened automatically, and Zhong Chen effortlessly sat in the driver's seat.
"Get in, Teacher Zhong will take you on a joyride. I guarantee you'll be the coolest kid in Academy City!"
"Hehe, then I won't be polite!"
Ruiko quickly walked to the passenger seat and sat down.
"Teacher Zhong, let's go!!!"
"OK!"
Whoosh... As the vehicle started, the Faralou shot out with a swoosh, leaving behind only the girl's startled cry...
"That man is back. What do you intend to do, Aleister?"
Aiwass floated in the air, speaking softly with an unchanging tone.
"A step too late, perhaps... The magic power within that Saten Ruiko is different from everyone else's."
"Even the Demon Gods don't possess such magic power. Although it's not particularly strong, its nature is extremely unique, as if it doesn't belong to this world."
Aleister replied expressionlessly, then as if thinking of something, continued:
"That research facility can no longer exist. All related personnel need to be dealt with, and that Saten Ruiko needs to be properly appeased."
"I hope that man is satisfied with all of this, otherwise..."
Aleister didn't finish the rest of his sentence, but Aiwass understood his meaning.
If he wasn't satisfied, then everything would be over. What other consequences could there be?
"I have a question. Since you knew it would provoke that man, why did you still do it?"
Aleister's eyelids twitched slightly at Aiwass's question, and he explained indifferently:
"Because it benefits my plan."
"Is that so... that's certainly your way of doing things."
This time, Aleister said nothing, but slowly closed his eyes, as if deep in thought.
At this moment, on the elevated bridge, Misaka Mikoto finally found Haruue Erii, who had fainted in a blue sports car.
"Haruue, pull yourself together!"
Hearing Misaka Mikoto's anxious voice, Kiyama Haruue, not far away, said with her back to Misaka Mikoto:
"Please rest assured, she only fainted from the aftershocks of the battle. Her life is not in danger."
"Misaka Mikoto, one of only eight espers in Academy City."
"Even you haven't encountered an opponent like me, have you?"
Kiyama Haruue turned around, her white coat swaying in the wind.
Her left eye was bloodshot, and heavy dark circles under her eyes showed her exhaustion.
Misaka Mikoto, upon hearing her words, was first startled, then shook her head with a serious expression.
"No, I have."
"You have?"
Kiyama Haruue looked at Misaka Mikoto with surprise.
"Yes, it's my friend, Saten Ruiko. She can use many different abilities."
Misaka Mikoto didn't mention magic because Saten Ruiko had told her to keep it a secret, so she substituted it with 'abilities'.
"A newly promoted LV5, huh... It seems she possesses extraordinary abilities."
"But never mind, none of that is important now."
"Do you think you can stop me, who is using the brains of ten thousand people, with just yourself?"
After Kiyama Haruue finished speaking, she looked at Misaka Mikoto with a cold expression.
"You ask if I can stop you? Of course I can!"
As soon as her voice fell, Misaka Mikoto's figure charged towards Kiyama Haruue...