Chapter 19: New chapter

Whispers and mumbles filled the air along the highways as people's eyes remained fixed on the big ad screen on the skyscraper. The last vestiges of sunlight had disappeared, leaving free rein to the street lamps and the colossal advertising screens, illuminating the surroundings. On the screen, the announcement of the city's new Level 5 esper, designated as Number 8, shone brightly. Everyone had their own opinions as their eyes remained locked on the towering advertisement screen. But they all shared one common thought: What would happen next as a new Level 5 esper emerged? And it was an understandable concern. After all, this announcement felt like the birth of a new nuclear weapon. "Hey, isn't that the same girl on the ad screen?" "Yeah, you're right. She has the same body build and the white hair too." "You're a Level 5, right?!" In a certain spot amidst the crowd, two girls stood out and drew the attention of those around them. They had similar features, with the only differences being their hair color and attire. One had long, shining white hair and was dressed in a maid uniform, while the other had short brown hair and wore the famous Tokiwadai summer uniform. "It's just coincidence, misaka is just a level 3 esper, says misaka as she tries to correct the misunderstanding" Misaka-10000 held her hands up in an attempt to calm the crowd around them, while her sister seemed lost in deep thought. Despite her efforts to clarify, the people around didn't seem to hear her. They bombarded the clone with their questions, their curiosity, and excitement too overwhelming to be quelled. It seemed like everything was spiraling out of control until a certain girl snapped and exclaimed in a clear, authoritative voice, "She's not a Level 5!" The voice belonged to the rank 3 Level 5 esper, the electromaster Misaka Mikoto. Electric shocks crackled around her body, causing the crowd to step back involuntarily. Their attention had been so focused on the white-haired girl that they hadn't even noticed what the other girl was wearing – the famous Tokiwadai summer uniform. That realization made it clear that she was not someone they wanted to mess with. In a furious gesture, Mikoto grabbed her sister's hand and pulled the clone away, making their way out of the crowd, leaving behind the whispers and murmurs of those who had mistaken the situation. "S-sis?...SIS!!" Misaka-10000 tried to call for her sister, but Mikoto seemed to ignore her—or it would be better to say she didn't hear her in the first place. As she led her through the empty streets, A face filled with a mix of fear and anxiety. "What is the meaning of this? Why did she have to become one?" Mikoto mumbled under her breath as she led her sister, the clone, to an unknown destination. (The original goal behind the whole clone project was to create a Level 5 esper out of the DNA of an already Level 5 one... the project was shut down after they concluded that it was impossible. But what about the whole situation now?) She tightened her grip on the clone's hand as they turned a corner in the hallway. (If they found out, the entire project could be resurrected, and more clones might lose their lives while new ones would be created... No, with this announcement, they surely knew about the whole situation a long time ago.) She came to a sudden stop in the dark hallway. (But I don't understand. Why would they announce the existence of something like that? They certainly wouldn't want the people of Academy City to know about such a project, let alone outsiders. Revealing that they were able to create a Level 5 esper through cloning could lead to undesirable consequences... What exactly is happening here?) Mikoto turned toward the clone in front of her, which on the other end tilted her head to one side, waiting for the original to ask. She was already expecting what was coming. "Since when?" "Right after it was Misaka's turn to face the number one esper of Academy City known as Accelerator, explains misaka" "And How" "Misaka doesn't know exactly As Onii-sama knows, Misaka, who is talking right now, has the series code 10000, which means she was supposed to die long before the boy known as Kamijo Touma succeeded in bringing down the entire project - Misaka-10000 was supposed to be killed by Accelerator and that exactly what happen to misaka" "WHAT-" "But, for some reason, Misaka was able to come back to life and gained a power that allowed her to regenerate any injury by accelerating the cell healing process with electricity. This power also gives Misaka super strength and speed." (Is that why her hair became like that... No, more importantly, I need to make sure of something.) "After everything was set and the project to rehabilitate you began - did anything unusual happen?" The clone paused for a moment to gather her thoughts before continuing. "A few of those responsible for the failed project (Level 6 Shift Project) were among those responsible for our rehabilitation, and they were particularly interested in Misaka. They had already figured out about Misaka's power through the AIM signals, so there was no point in hiding it. But for some reason, they didn't seem to care about that anymore. They devised a plan for Misaka to be rehabilitated outside Academy City, specifically in England, but..." "But?" "The whole plan was abruptly canceled, and it was decided that Misaka would stay inside the academy with no right to leave without permission from the higher-ups. However, unlike her other sisters, it was decided for Misaka to not undergo rehabilitation and to have the full right to live as a regular student or esper inside the city." Mikoto reached for her chin, processing the whole situation before concluding. (The original individuals responsible for the Sisters project no longer have any influence in this situation. Now, everything is in the hands of Academy City. A similar project is unlikely to be revived, as they have lost interest, and even if there were individuals still interested in the project, the Academy City supercomputer has been destroyed along with the Tree Diagram. There's no point in worrying about such matters. Instead, I should focus on...) With the thoughts heaving her head, Mikoto sighed as she lifted her head to the night sky, avoiding the emotionless glance of the clone. (Close Crap...) The clone mumbled under her breath. Part 2: Walking away from the massive glass window, a certain Number 2 found himself resting on the soft couch. "So they didn't lie after all." "We paid them so much, they should know better before messing with me." A beautiful girl with blond-colored, wavy hair said as she rested her hand on the couch, playing with the man's hair. The Number 2, Kakine Teitoku, responded coldly. "So what now? Are we going after her too?" "No... for now, we'll see what Aleister is planning." The blond woman, Gokusai Kaibi, left Teitoku's hair and started striding around him with both hands behind her back. "That's odd. All you need is to take the clone patterns and calculation methods of Accelerator. Why do you care about what Aleister is planning? He doesn't have anything to do with you, right?" "It's a bait." "A bait?" "I don't know why, but he wants us to target her. Knowing she's a Level 5 esper with accelerator thoughts implanted in her, she would be wild to control. Not just us, it's bait for so many factions. After all, so many would be interested in someone like her for various reasons. She's a treasure for research. That's why For now, we have to watch how things play out and decide what to do next." "Hmmm, I see." (Did he become wiser since that little girl's death? Usually, he would charge directly without thinking about dependencies.) Resting his hand on his chin, Teitoku sank into deep thought. (Why would he do something like that? Aleister is a man of benefits; he wouldn't risk something like that if there wasn't a significant gain behind it. So, what is he planning to do? There is nothing to gain from inside the academy except the conflict between the factions over her, but what about outside? A Level 5 clone... is it a way of pressuring someone?) While The Number Two processed his next move, a certain Number One didn't seem to care as he wandered around the streets of Academy City. A little brat was jumping around him, talking nonsense nonstop. He locked his eyes on an ad screen from afar, deep in thought, before letting out an "Ohh!" sound. "No wonder she was a little stronger than I remember she was... anyway, time to get back." "Hmm, why are you mumbling to yourself? says misaka as misaka is confused by Accelerator's strange behavior" "None of your business. Now, it's time for bed. Let's go." "So mean!!! says misaka as misaka frowns" In another part of the city, within District 11, inside a typical dormitory, a certain boy with spiky black hair found himself in a battle against a new enemy—his TV. Just as the countdown clock hit 1, the TV screen suddenly went blank, leaving him staring at the reflection of his typically grumpy face. "Come on, you were working perfectly the whole year. Why suddenly today?" he muttered. He continued to hit the old TV, hoping it would miraculously start working again. He checked the back of it, searching for the source of the problem, but it was to no avail. "Come on, you can take my luck for the next week, just work—" And miraculously, it did start working again. However, the announcement was already over, and all that was left on the screen was the anchor of the weather forecast. "Touma! I'm hungry!" "Mew!" Replied the little nun on the bed, followed by the "meows" of her cat. "I made some soup for us; it should be ready any moment now," Touma responded as he sighed, his disappointed eyes still fixed on the old TV. (Can I get my week's worth of luck back?) "Touma..." "Hmmm?" He turned toward the little nun, finding her sniffing the air as if trying to smell something. "Something is burning." "!!" Touma rushed into the kitchen, and his fears were confirmed as he was met with a cloud of smoke billowing from the stove. He quickly turned off the burner. (So the answer is no...) Part 3: Japan and England had a time difference of about nine hours. At this moment, it was the middle of the night in Japan, but in London, it was still evening. Due to their different latitudes, the English sunset came earlier during the autumn and winter seasons. The sky over London was already beginning to turn purple. In the Vatican, within the grandeur of St. Peter's Basilica, the sound of footsteps echoed. "Pathetic. That was all it took for it to break apart?" Said a young man with a lanky physique, striking golden eyes, and fiery red hair as he approached a corpse, leaning against the broken cobblestones. This corpse belonged to the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, and it had met its end at the hands of one of God's Right Seat - Fiamma of the Right. Fiamma looked back and forth between his right arm and the entity growing from his shoulder. Then he spat on the ground, as though he'd tried to start a car with a faulty engine. "I had planned to initiate my plan later on, after creating a reason to ally with the Russian Orthodox Church against Academy City. But that idiot has gifted me the perfect opportunity! HAHAHHAHHA!" The blood-soaked Roman pope collapsed against the outside wall of a house. Fiamma hadn't bothered to conceal the explosion. Now there was a huge disturbance in the area, with people thinking it was a terrorist bombing. An ambulance siren wailed somewhere, but the loud voice didn't reach the ears of the young man as a playful smile was playing on his face, his eyes locked on the purple sky. "Ahh~~ I can finally erase the sins of humanity, all thanks for the existence of that mere clone" Part 4: Little Venice, London. Lola Stuart, the archbishop of the Anglican Church and its highest authority, lay on a boat, taking a nap. The boat floated along a man-made river controlled by several gates. Although named after Venice, it only vaguely resembled the city. It lacked the city-on-the-water ambiance and was simply a dock where three rivers converged. Behind the scenes, this place was designed to replicate Venice's geography from a magical perspective. However, this was a closely guarded secret. "I would have at least preferred a rowboat..." Lola muttered in boredom as she glanced toward the rear of the boat. A man, presumably the captain, was there, and the boat was equipped with a small engine. But the captain had come with news, interrupting her tranquility. She had managed to slip away from St. George's Cathedral, and this man was now disturbing her peace. Lola frowned but motioned for him to continue. "We have a report, ma'am." The captain proceeded to deliver the information. "We have evidence of internal strife in the Roman Catholic Church. The pope appears to have been involved. We don't know if he's alive. We've confirmed they transported him to a hospital, but the situation is unpredictable." "..." He mixed in speculatory information based on eyewitness reports from Rome and the flow of magic power, detailing this alleged "internal strife." "Judging from the massive quantity of magic power we observed inside the Vatican, the damages should have swelled too many times what it did...Please give our calculations a bit more time, ma'am. We may have been mistaken somewhere." "Hmph. You won't find anything. An entire city stands behind His Holiness. The outcome is as clear as a burning fire." With her expression concealed from the captain, Lola turned away and muttered to herself. "If it meant killing one 'person' to save many, what would you do?" The captain couldn't fathom the true meaning of those words or understand her emotions when she said them. Lola Stuart appeared much younger than she was, and her experiences were beyond what regular people could comprehend. This was why the captain struggled to grasp her thoughts. "Ah, I wonder how she will feel when she learns that she will lead the entire world into a new war..."