Chapter 157: Battle Preparations
After that, the “Witch” vanished soon after.
What had unfolded in that frozen world of time was nothing more than a vision within Shiren’s mind. The mirror remained unbroken, and her fist bore no wounds. If she took the Witch’s words at face value, then so long as her influence ended there, everything was still safe. But if her presence continued to grow, pushing beyond the confines of Shiren’s mind—then the bad ending would be truly imminent.
That meant she had to act at once.
Reuniting with Reicia was the absolute first step. From there, she needed a way to at least restrain the runaway state of the Divine Contract, Niades Promise.
(…If only the Witch knew something about this, that would be ideal…)
But that was unlikely. After all, it was precisely because she had failed to control it that she had become the Witch in the first place. In other words, following her footsteps could never lead to avoiding the bad end.
(If that’s the case… then yeah, just me, Mikoto-san, and Shirai-san won’t be enough pieces on the board.)
How much of the Witch’s history overlapped with theirs was unclear. But if her “Restart” was the same, then the very first thing she would have done was gather allies. If so, then relying on as many people as possible was the bare minimum. Beyond that, Shiren would need to create new factors—advantages that could tilt the balance—if she wanted to avert disaster.
(Then the first person I should call is…)
Just as she reached that conclusion—
“Lady Blackguard! Can you hear me!?”
“!?”
From the device at her side, a sudden voice cut through the comms. It was Xochitl, and she sounded frantic.
“Adabana-san? What’s wrong?”
“Listen carefully. Calm down and listen to me… No, I need to calm down first…”
Xochitl’s voice shook, as though she was forcing herself to steady her nerves. Hearing that, Shiren deliberately matched her rhythm, controlling her own breathing.
She hadn’t shared her predicament with anyone besides Mikoto and Shirai. For Xochitl to be this shaken could only mean something extraordinary had happened. Running through the worst-case scenarios in her mind, Shiren waited.
Finally, in a trembling voice, Xochitl said:
“…The Windowless Building is about to fall.”
For a moment, Shiren couldn’t comprehend the words.
The Windowless Building… of course she knew what that was. Everyone did. It was the facility where Aleister Crowley, the King of the City, resided—the very core of the science side. An impregnable fortress that had shrugged off every weapon and even repelled the Number One’s rotational strike with ease.
But this next part made no sense.
(Fall…? Collapse? What the hell is she talking about…?)
“The Right Seat of God has appeared. Because of them, one-tenth of Academy City’s security network is already paralyzed… Thank the timing—if this continues, the damage will spread even further!”
“…The Right… Seat of God?”
She repeated it not out of ignorance, but refusal to accept it. Mistaking her denial for a question, Xochitl pressed on.
“Yes. Like Oriana Thomson from before, but these are members deeper within the Roman Catholic Church. I don’t know the details—I only just heard through the Dark Side’s intelligence net. But what’s certain is that they’re monsters far surpassing even the Canon case. I’m gathering more intel right n—”
“Stop! Stop the investigation immediately! Now! This instant!!”
Snapping back to reality, Shiren cut her off.
She didn’t know which of the Right Seat had arrived in Academy City, but if it was Vento, the worst-case scenario meant annihilation—for both the Members and GMDW. In the “true history,” Shiren knew that incident well. She understood Vento’s pain and sympathized with her. If they met, she wanted at least to reach out. But she also knew full well that such sympathy placed her in the minority. To either the Members or GMDW, Vento would be nothing but a threat. That meant guaranteed bloodshed. It had to be avoided at all costs.
And—
(…It isn’t guaranteed that it’s Vento this time…!)
In the original timeline, Vento had been the one to attack Academy City. Acqua had appeared as well, but only targeted Kamijou Touma, not the city itself. But this altered history could play out differently. With the Divine Contract Niades Promise, even the “C Document” incident that never occurred might bleed into this world, meaning Terra could be the one attacking instead. And though less likely, it wasn’t impossible that both Terra and Vento had arrived together.
If this was about balancing out events that never happened, then for neither of them to have appeared by now would be unnatural.
(…No, that’s probably pushing it.)
Cutting off the spiral of worst-case scenarios, Shiren forced herself to focus. Either way, if the Right Seat was here, conventional forces were powerless. Both Vento and Terra possessed overwhelming defenses against science-based weapons and carried incomprehensible offensive power. Vento, in particular, wielded a terrifying ability—merely being seen by her could strip an ordinary person of all strength.
(And even I don’t know what would happen to me if I actually faced her…)
In truth, Shiren wouldn’t be affected by Divine Punishment even if they clashed directly. But the one least able to see that clearly was herself. If Reicia were here, she could reinforce her confidence—but without her, Shiren had to assume she too might fall victim, and plan accordingly.
(That means… the first priority is to neutralize Vento, or at least stall her. The only ones who might manage that against the Right Seat are…)
Thinking it through, Shiren didn’t hesitate. She immediately placed a call.
“Hello. Is this Souji Kihara?”
—The first person was Kihara Souji.
No matter what path the “Witch” had walked, he was an extreme irregularity among Reicia Blackguard’s connections. After all, no “Kihara” had ever appeared in the “true history.” His kaleidoscopic knowledge was undoubtedly dangerous, but with less than two hours until the bad end, even that danger might become a lifeline.
The boy picked up after a single ring.
“Yeees!! Hello, is this Miss Blackguard!? Did you finally decide to help me with my experiments!?”
“…No. Honestly, you’re awfully energetic for this early in the morning, aren’t you…”
Shiren sighed in exasperation.
“By the way, Mr. Souji. Are you aware that Academy City is under attack right now?”
“Hmm? Oh, yes. What was it again? I believe there was a report that Amata-san used that magical technique called ‘Inheritance’ the other day. Something about that, right? Why?”
“…It would be very troublesome for me if those enemies were left unchecked.”
“Well, of course it would. I mean, it would be troublesome for just about everyone if they were left unchecked, wouldn’t it? So then?”
“For one day. As long as it doesn’t interfere with my body or mind—meaning no drugs, electric shocks, or hypnotic suggestion—I’ll cooperate with your experiments. You may study my vital signs and ability use as you like. In exchange, I want you to stall—or, if possible, neutralize—the magician I’m about to describe.”
“Killing’s off the table, I assume?”
“Naturally.”
“Figured. Hm… well, fine. I wouldn’t exactly enjoy seeing this city torn apart either. Let’s call it a shared interest!”
It was obvious from his voice that Souji was smiling with a knowing edge.
“So then, what are the details?”
“A young woman wearing a yellow, monk-like hooded robe. Her face is covered in piercings, making her appear hostile at a glance. She controls the wind, and possesses a spell that instantly knocks unconscious anyone who shows hostility toward her.”
“Ahh, I see. That explains why you’d ask a Kihara—we can carry plenty of killing intent without actual hostility. That makes sense. And am I going alone? I’d prefer that, since I’m not much of a people person.”
“No… there’s one more.”
Shiren hesitated for a moment before continuing.
“Kuriba Ryouko. I intend to borrow her assistance as well.”
Final Chapter: I Don’t Know Anything About Predetermined Harmony - Theory_"was"_Broken.
Chapter 131: Battle Preparations - Ready_to_Fight.
And so, after securing Kuriba’s cooperation, Shiren reached out to several other acquaintances.
By this point, she had likely contacted every single person available to her. And every one of them, without exception, promised their aid.
That was the value of the path Shiren and Reicia had walked together until now.
(…Ah. I’m grateful.)
The thought rose honestly. She was grateful.
Even in the middle of a crisis, she could reach out of the blue and people would still respond. Somewhere along the way, Reicia’s life had become filled with people like that.
And so, Shiren thought once more:
(I have to repay them properly. Smash apart the worst bad end, seize the best happy ending. That’s the greatest thanks I can give to the people who agreed to stand with me.)
With that resolve, Shiren came to a halt.
Leaving aside her own abnormalities, the larger crisis striking Academy City had already sent shockwaves through Tokiwadai as well. With three Level 5 espers gathered there, Tokiwadai Middle School was not only one of the city’s foremost talent development institutions, but in Academy City’s terms, practically a bastion of military strength.
To avoid needless interference in the chaos, Shiren, Misaka, and Shokuhou—along with several other espers—had gathered inside the School Garden to coordinate their response.
The conclusion they reached was simple: everyone else stays out of it.
For now, Shiren, Misaka, and Shokuhou would act on their own, while their respective factions focused on defense, ensuring the School Garden remained untouched in the confusion.
That decision was partly because not everyone was suited for combat, but it also came from Shiren’s warning: there might be an enemy who could incapacitate anyone who so much as directed hostility toward them.
Now, as Shiren was leaving Tokiwadai Middle School after the meeting—
“—Yo.”
A man appeared overhead.
At the sound of his voice, Shiren looked up with a wry smile.
“…I appreciate you rushing over, but you do realize this is a girls-only school…”
“Relax. A fancy school’s rules don’t apply to me.”
The boy landed soundlessly, speaking casually—then folded his wings away.
—The Number Two.
—Kakine Teitoku.
The one who, until moments ago, had been acting alongside Aleister now stood alone in the air before her.
“…I don’t think that’s really the issue here…”
Shiren, however, didn’t flinch at Kakine’s sudden appearance. If anything, her tone carried mild exasperation.
Even if common sense didn’t apply to him, school rules should at least be respected—but she swallowed that thought, offering a casual nod instead. Yes.
To the intruder who had appeared as if it were only natural, she spoke as though she had been expecting him all along:
“…First of all, thank you for agreeing to cooperate. And for coming into such a dangerous place…”
“Ah, don’t worry about that. I owe you a big one anyway.”
As expected, Kakine waved it off lightly, as if it were nothing.
Then he added:
“Anyway… I’m here to fulfill our contract.”
What… are… you hiding?
This Kakine Teitoku—he was indeed one of the companions Shiren had called upon.
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