Chapter 182: The Chairman’s True Worth (Part 2)
A few minutes later.
Kamijou, Shiren, Reicia, and Kihara’s Grimoire left the fast-food restaurant where they’d been hiding and were now making their way toward Aleister.
"But… there’s still this unpredictable side to him, isn’t there?"
While running at the back of the group, Shiren muttered in a faint, uneasy tone.
"It can’t be helped, but… we’re talking about Aleister here. If we give him time to prepare, it wouldn’t be surprising if his strength multiplied several times by the time we face him."
Her concern wasn’t unfounded.
Their opponent was someone who had repeatedly clawed his way back through sheer persistence—each time crafting new plans and gathering fresh resources. No one could tell what he might do if they took their eyes off him for even a moment. It was only natural that a heaviness settled in Shiren’s chest.
But then—
"That won’t be a problem."
Reicia, running just behind the lead, Kihara’s Grimoire, replied without hesitation.
"Aleister Crowley isn’t a monster, after all."
That statement carried a weight only Reicia could give—someone who had once fought alongside Aleister himself, an experience few in the world could claim.
"Aleister Crowley—whatever he truly is—thinks of himself as a strategist. In other words, he acts according to a plan he’s already laid out."
"…That’s true," Shiren nodded.
That was precisely why Aleister had once claimed to control the world under his so-called ‘Plan.’ It was today’s chaos—the festival of irregularities—that was the real anomaly. Normally, Aleister preferred to stay behind the scenes, pulling strings rather than standing on the front lines.
"Even with you, Kihara’s Grimoire, he handled things by moving Shiren. And in turn, Shiren tried to resolve it by sending me. Fundamentally, that man hates standing in the line of fire himself."
So then—if Aleister Crowley had reached a point where he no longer had any pieces left to move, and there was no immediate danger threatening him—what would he do next?
"Aleister will almost certainly try to gather new pawns."
Reicia spoke her conclusion with quiet certainty.
"Whether it’s another ‘Five Over’ or some dark side operative—it doesn’t matter. He’s lost nearly all of his flashy pawns, people like me or Kihara’s Grimoire. Which means right now, Aleister doesn’t have any ‘seeds’ left to grow new pieces. So, to be precise, he’ll start preparing to recruit again. He’ll exploit whatever tragedy came from this mess, whisper convenient information into someone’s ear, and reel them in. That’s how he operates."
Her words carried a chilling weight—especially coming from someone who had nearly fallen victim to that same manipulation herself.
And indeed, given Aleister’s past behavior, it was all too plausible.
"Which means we still have time," Reicia continued. "Before Aleister can twist another tragedy into a new pawn, we’ll strike first. We’ll force him to fight using his own body—use whatever that black-and-white haze is hiding as his last resort—and crush him before he finishes his recovery!"
Her fierce declaration swept away Shiren’s unease.
As they ran, Shiren’s lips curled into a small, relieved smile.
(…Yeah, this is why I need her. I lose my nerve sometimes, but when Reicia’s around, I can always get back on my feet. It feels like I can finally breathe again.)
It wasn’t just relief. Reicia’s insight had also triggered a memory—something only Shiren, who knew the “true history,” could recall.
"Aleister’s pattern of controlling the board through others… yes, that fits perfectly. In that case, the first person he’d reach out to now would likely be… Kihara Noukan. That golden retriever of his."
Kihara Noukan—Aleister Crowley’s old friend, and one of the few who truly understood him. In the proper timeline, he had been defeated by Kamisato Kakeru and used to manipulate Kihara Yuiitsu, but Aleister had also deployed him against Gremlin and the Magic Gods. In the ‘New Testament’ era, when Aleister’s resources had dwindled, Noukan had been one of his last remaining cards.
In short, whenever Aleister was cornered, he played Kihara Noukan.
"…Huh? You know that guy?" Kihara’s Grimoire asked, sounding mildly surprised.
"Yes, a little. I’m familiar with that particular card," Reicia replied smoothly.
Of course, Reicia Blackguard shouldn’t have had any access to information about Kihara Noukan. Saying something like that would eventually force Shiren to reveal her knowledge of the ‘true history,’ and once that happened, her information advantage would be gone.
But Shiren no longer cared. Aleister was running wild, the Right Seat of God was gone, and who knew if the Russian arc would even happen anymore? She even considered the possibility that she might end up fighting Othinus by October. At this point, holding back meant nothing.
"That anti-magic powered armor—‘Anti-Art Attachment.’ It has many functions, but its true purpose is to act as a terminal, a device that lets Aleister Crowley wield his power remotely."
"Ah… the thing that killed me, then," Kihara’s Grimoire said casually.
Shiren blinked.
"What!? Kihara’s Grimoire—you’ve seen that thing already!? Wait, that means the incident you were involved in… was at the Noukan level!?"
"Of course. I didn’t just try to capture the Ritual Contract Near Death Promise—I tried to wreck the main plan itself. Even putting it lightly, I basically grated his reverse scale with a cheese grater."
"Well, that’s what you get for asking for it," Reicia said with a casual nod.
The contrast between Shiren’s shock and Reicia’s nonchalant response was almost comical.
Still, anyone who had fought an A.A.A. unit firsthand was an invaluable asset. Knowledge was one thing—but experience was irreplaceable.
"…All right. We’re almost at the location Index and the others found for Crowley."
While running, Kamijou glanced at the map displayed on his flip phone.
Aleister’s location had already been pinpointed through the combined efforts of Index—who could sense magical power—and the strategists of the magic side: Stiyl, Kanzaki, and Oriana.
—The destination: a main avenue in District 7.
In the middle of a four-lane road, Aleister stood waiting.
Surprisingly, he wasn’t hiding, nor did he seem to be preparing an ambush. He simply waited there, in plain sight.
"…That’s unexpected. I thought he’d be lying in wait again, hiding behind another Five Over unit for a surprise attack."
"Ah, there’s no longer any need for that. While you were gathering your strength, I completed my own preparations."
The “human” in surgical garb spoke as he conjured a silver staff into his hand. His gaze swept across the surroundings in an instant.
"…The missing Level 5 espers and Kihara Nayuta must be operating as a separate unit. Most likely, they’re engaging the Five Over army I deployed. As for the magicians… given their condition, they’re probably incapacitated."
Aleister calmly analyzed the state of the battlefield, breaking it down piece by piece.
Indeed, Shiren and the others had already considered the possibility that Aleister might deploy a large number of Five Over units as his pawns. The reason they hadn’t discussed it earlier was simple—they already had countermeasures in place.
"But are you aware of what this means? At this point, your side’s ‘magic faction’ consists of only one—Kihara’s Grimoire. Which is to say, your defense against magic is practically nonexistent."
"You’re the one forgetting something, aren’t you?"
Despite the situation, Shiren met Aleister’s cold composure with a defiant smile.
And behind that fearless expression—
At the same time—
Academy City, an undisclosed location.
With a sharp metallic clank, the roof of a certain warehouse split open—peeled away as if by invisible hands.
Inside swarmed a vast horde of insect-like machines. Each one, in terms of pure output, rivaled or even surpassed a Level 5 esper. They were monstrous weapons—machines so powerful that a single unit could outperform an entire division. The crystallization of scientific intellect itself: Five Over.
And then—
BOOOOM!!
A giant of flames erupted, blocking their path.
"...Good grief. That woman really loves giving impossible orders, doesn’t she? Telling me to take this worn-out body and crush a horde of machines that can outgun the strongest espers?"
"But Shiren said it herself: science is fragile once it steps outside the bounds of reason. As long as we don’t fight on the same playing field, victory should come easily."
"Ahaha, it’s nice to be trusted, isn’t it? Makes me want to show off a little—even though that’s not really my style."
"Honestly... I was hoping to fight alongside Touma again this time, too."
Four magicians stood there. Each bore deep wounds, yet not one of them wavered, even when faced with the pinnacle of science itself.
"That’s why—all three of you!! I’ll take command! Let’s crush this swarm of machines and hurry to regroup with Touma and the others!!"
"………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………,"
"Stiyl. Stiyl. You’re making that face again."
"Ufufu☆ Ah, youth really is something beautiful, isn’t it?"
If heroes truly became strongest when fighting to protect what they cherished most—
"Devoted lambs, lend your strength to the wisdom of the mighty—Dedicatus545!"
"Those who bear the foundation—Basis104!"
"To the unsaved, extend salvation—Salvare000!"
"I’ll prove right here why my name means ‘the strongest’—Fortis931!!"
—Then these magicians, without question, were heroes.
Final Chapter: I Don’t Know What “Predetermined Harmony” Means - Theory_"was"_Broken.
Chapter 153: The Chairman’s True Worth (Part 2) — The_Fallen.
"They’re magicians. They wouldn’t retreat from the front lines over something that trivial."
It happened right after Shiren’s declaration.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!!!
A storm of lightning rained down from the heavens.
No—that wasn’t lightning. More precisely, it was AIM, materializing from each point of impact. In other words—
"And now, the Electromagnetic Control Phase = NEXT! If both Misaka-san and Shokuhou-san are here, then naturally this will appear!!"
Aleister swung his conductor’s baton, detonating the air itself to counter the attack.
But of course, that alone wasn’t enough.
"Yo, Chairman. If that’s all you’ve got as the Third Rank, the road ahead’s gonna be rough, huh?"
With wings of wind unfurling behind him, Accelerator sneered.
Even the explosions tearing through the air couldn’t touch him. Naturally—if Aleister was the one aiming, all he had to do was surpass that perception.
Accelerator slipped past Aleister’s awareness with ease and closed in on the "human" himself.
"So, what’ll it be? Wanna feel your nerve currents reversed—or your bloodstream?"
Right hand: poison.
Left hand: pain.
Like a demon ready to strike, Accelerator didn’t wait for an answer.
As Aleister ducked to evade both attacks—
"Then how about both, you idiot!! You’re not even worth using my hands on!!"
THUD!!!
His kick slammed into Aleister’s stomach, sending him flying like a golf ball launched into the sky.
As Accelerator watched Aleister go spinning upward, a girl peeked out from behind him.
"…Wow, as expected of Accelerator-oniisan. You really did go for a ‘non-lethal resolution,’ just like a proper Judgment ally should."
"That’s got nothing to do with it. I just wanted to make that bastard look stupid."
Accelerator muttered sullenly, but Nayuta smiled anyway, clearly pleased.
He snorted.
"…Besides, that wasn’t enough to hurt him. From the feel of it, he blocked it with something."
As if to prove his words true—
Aleister steadied himself midair, then gently descended to the ground.
A haze of white and black clung to his body like a living shroud… before drifting back into the air.
"My, my. Quite a mess you’ve made before we’ve even started the real operation."
Aleister sighed, glancing at the swirling haze beside him.
At that moment—BZZZZ!!—the haze crackled with bluish-white sparks. Everyone saw it.
"…Huh?"
The one who tilted his head was Kihara’s Grimoire.
Having once been nearly used by Aleister as the core of the Fallen Angel Ritual, he understood the structure of that black-and-white haze—of "Fallen."
The fall of an angel: inducing artificial rampage, forcing the angelic power—Telesma—into uncontrolled overload, creating explosions in the void. That had been the nature of Aleister’s spell.
And yet—
"What are you gawking at? Did you really think the ritual controlled by the King of this scientific city would be limited to mere Osiris degradation?"
Even Kihara’s Grimoire couldn’t comprehend what he was seeing now.
The black-and-white haze, now sparking faintly blue, began kneading itself together—
taking the form of a human being.
"‘Fallen’ refers to when programmed directives cross and short out, causing the angel to deviate from its prepared seat and rampage. Compressing and reproducing that is the limit of Osiris’s Catastrophe."
Even as Aleister countered Misaka’s next barrage with midair detonations, he continued speaking.
"But what happens when you apply the large-scale command interference of Christian origin to an entirely different law? When, instead of a single religious system, you reexamine the principles through the motion of the entire world itself? That, you see, is the true essence of magic."
His expression was that of a scholar peering into the abyss—
yet his tone was as innocent as a child’s.
The being before them could have been male or female, saint or sinner, monster or human—and it spoke:
"──For instance. What do you think would happen if we caused a ‘Fallen’ phenomenon within the AIM Diffusion Field itself?"
BZZZZZZZ!!!
Amid the storm of sparks—the boy rose to his feet.
Wrapped in both black and white, his figure faintly resembled a certain “white boy” from the past—
『Ahhhhh』
With what sounded like a newborn’s cry, he smiled.
"The answer is simple. Abilities… rise in rebellion. Just as the one who once bore the light—Lucifer—did."
"Wha—!?"
Accelerator’s movement stopped.
No—it wasn’t that he slowed down. He froze completely, as though his own ability had turned against him.
"You… damn bastard!!!"
The only reason Accelerator didn’t die in the next instant was because Misaka managed to intercept the white-and-black boy’s shockwave just in time—
and Nayuta hauled Accelerator out of harm’s way.
Had either of those failed, he would have been dead.
The very existence that once served as the core of Aleister’s grand “Main Plan” had been reduced to this.
"The beauty of this phenomenon," Aleister explained, "is that once a power rebels, it becomes independent until it’s dispelled. An ability that was once under someone’s control now acts as its own being."
It was, in other words—
a phenomenon eerily reminiscent of the boy who once stood at the end of the New Testament of the ‘proper history.’
The rebellion of power itself.
And with that rebellion, the Number One had been rendered powerless.
Yet Aleister continued, pressing the hopeless truth even further.
"…Now then, the neutralization of the First Rank is complete. So—shall I move on to the Third or the Fifth next?"
Meaning—the targets were not limited to just one.
"Hey, Kamijou Touma."
Aleister Crowley turned his gaze toward the spiky-haired boy, trembling in disbelief.
Perhaps it was pity—or perhaps pure cruelty—that twisted his expression.
"Tell me, won’t you? What is it that you vowed would never—ever—let me kill again?"
The city of science—Academy City.
Its General Chairman’s true worth now bared its fangs once more.
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