"That's about it," Azrael muttered, examining the tablet with careful deliberation.
The materials displayed on the screen were impressive: Gold-grade Red Material [Spirit of Electricity], Gold-grade Gold Material [Artificial Psychic], and Gold-grade Red Material [Vat of Trouble].
Since these were rewards for his achievement, Azrael naturally searched through the available options according to his requirements and potential needs.
Seeing Azrael complete his selection, the staff member calmly accepted the tablet back and retreated with professional efficiency.
This quantity of materials represented merely a drop in the ocean for the vast and supremely powerful organization.
Moreover, considering Azrael's current demonstrated potential and impressive background, no one would be foolish enough to interfere with such an important matter.
Within a short time, the specific materials Azrael had requested were delivered directly to him.
"My very first Gold-grade card," he mused with anticipation.
Azrael had contemplated many different possibilities for his inaugural Gold-grade card creation.
Before arriving here, he had carefully considered several viable alternatives, such as Aizen during his tenure as captain of the Fifth Division. Although, if Yoriichi's recent promotion was to be properly considered, then Aizen should technically be vice-captain now.
Alternatively, he could strategically move Aizen to a completely different division altogether.
He had also seriously considered Hisho from the renowned Collapsing Steel series.
In his previous life, working as an unemployed anime artist, he had inevitably come into contact with the widely renowned Mi family within the adult entertainment industry.
However, after thoroughly reviewing all the provided materials, he discovered none were particularly well-suited for either of the two characters mentioned above, ultimately leading him to choose a completely different option.
Gathering his scattered thoughts together, Azrael graciously thanked the staff member and returned home to begin his work.
Looking down at the four carefully arranged sheets of material spread out before him, Azrael took a deep, steadying breath, picked up his well-worn pen, and began drawing a brown-haired girl on the pristine blank card.
In a dreamlike trance, he found himself transported to a mysterious, otherworldly space.
[Please begin to write your story.]
[In this world, since ancient times, a hidden faction capable of handling unusual and supernatural events has existed in the shadows, known as the Magic Side.]
[In direct contrast, the Tech Side has become increasingly prominent and influential in modern times.]
[Academy City, the brilliant jewel of the Tech Side, was painstakingly built over fifty years by the enigmatic Chairman Aleister Crowley.]
[A young girl named Mikoto, originally seeking treatment for muscular atrophy, had her complete DNA profile recorded within Academy City's databases. But now, Mikoto, recognized as one of only seven Level 5 esper users in all of Academy City, had absolutely no idea of the terrible sin her DNA profile had inadvertently inflicted upon the world.]
Psychic powers were the revolutionary product of Academy City's cutting-edge scientific research, and within the vastly populated metropolitan city, only seven individuals possessed the extraordinary Level 5 esper abilities.
"A Certain Scientific Railgun" – that's the distinctive name of Mikoto's unique and formidable ability.
As the descriptive name clearly suggests, this power allows her to manipulate massive gigavolts of high-voltage electrical current, complex electromagnetic waves, and powerful magnetism completely at will.
Azrael paused thoughtfully at this crucial point in his writing.
He had seriously contemplated the intriguing possibility of Mikoto eventually becoming a true master of the "Magnetic Field."
But when thinking of the brown-haired girl, her body brimming with rippling muscle, her face twisted into a crazed expression as she desperately cried, "Azrael, I really love you so very much!"
He couldn't help but shudder involuntarily. "I'll definitely have to think that scenario over much more carefully."
He absolutely didn't want to be subjected to such a form of romantic insult.
On June 17th, Mikoto, a powerful Level 5 esper, encountered the mysterious Touma for the very first time, a boy possessing a truly enigmatic ability. Facing a right hand uniquely capable of completely neutralizing any esper powers, she suffered an extremely rare and humbling defeat.
It's particularly worth noting that at this specific point in Academy City's hierarchy, she was definitively ranked number three, positioned behind the notorious number one Accelerator and the formidable number two, Kakine.
On July 19th, Mikoto courageously faced Touma once again in combat, but ultimately failed to inflict any meaningful damage whatsoever, inadvertently causing a massive, large-scale power outage throughout the surrounding metropolitan area.
On August 10th, Mikoto discovered a mysterious and troubling plan that directly involved herself. Suddenly recalling her childhood DNA donation, she courageously infiltrated the heavily secured Seventh Research Institute to thoroughly investigate the suspicious "Mass Production Esper Project," only to learn that the controversial project had been officially frozen.
On August 15th, Mikoto, believing she had finally uncovered the complete truth, encountered the enigmatic Misaka clone number 9982 in the peaceful park, and learned of an ongoing, sinister experiment called the "Absolute Esper Evolution Project."
The so-called Absolute Esper represents a theoretical Level 6 Esper.
Using a non-godlike mortal body, they would be able to listen directly to the divine will itself.
The primary subject of this dangerous experiment was the notorious number one Accelerator.
Due to the huge disparity in power between the two combatants, Mikoto ultimately watched helplessly as Misaka clone No. 9982 was brutally murdered before her eyes.
Mikoto then made the decision to stop the entire experiment through a sophisticated cyberattack approach.
As someone who directly manipulates electronic systems, there exists virtually no firewall that Mikoto cannot successfully penetrate; she can even hack into heavily protected computers without requiring any physical cables whatsoever.
"What a terrible shame, this is Empire of Aetherlight," Azrael sighed deeply as he continued writing this section. "If this were America instead, this particular ability would be absolutely insane."
"But a normal Lore Cardian would definitely have some kind of countermeasure available, right?"
However, after successfully destroying approximately 70% of the targeted facility, Mikoto's bold actions unfortunately alerted the enemy forces to her presence.
The dangerous Number 4 Mugino led her specialized "tools" in a coordinated attack against her.
Ultimately, Mikoto successfully destroyed what she firmly considered to be the core facility of the operation.
On August 20th, believing that everything was finally over and resolved, Mikoto used her machine repair abilities to obtain a refreshing drink from a malfunctioning vending machine, and then unexpectedly encountered Misaka clone No. 10031.
On August 21st, with the crucial help of both Touma and various Misaka Sister clones, she successfully defeated the seemingly invincible Accelerator and permanently terminated the horrific experiment.
On October 30th, in Okinawa, the dangerous epicenter of the devastating World War III, Mikoto courageously detonated a strategic nuclear warhead in a desperate but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to rescue Touma.
"That marks the end of the Old Testament storyline," Azrael breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
The card was finally complete, and the subsequent New Testament plot developments were of relatively little significance for his purposes. Mikoto's powerful AAA form was clearly not something that could possibly be produced at the current Gold level.
As for the Amakusa Cult's legendary sage, Kanzaki, even with her incredible [God Splitter] mode activated, she was at minimum Diamond tier level.
And it had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Mikoto's storyline.
Not to mention godlike beings such as the omnipotent Othinus.
Azrael felt strongly that even a Sovereign-level card couldn't possibly produce such a being capable of controlling all universal laws and creating entirely new worlds from nothing.
Unless there existed even higher levels above the current Sovereign-level designation.
But as far as Azrael had known from his experience, that simply didn't exist, at least Lucian had never told him about such possibilities.
But thinking about it logically, if there really was a level above the current system, the secret realms on Earth would have ended long ago.
Suppressing these swirling, distracting thoughts, he carefully stored the completed card within his mind.
[A Certain Scientific Railgun - Misaka Mikoto]
Rank: Gold
Quality: Red
Category: Biological
Skills:
[Electromagnetic Control]: Able to manipulate high-voltage electrical currents, electromagnetic waves, and magnetism completely at will.
[A Certain Scientific Railgun]: Utilizing the precise principle of electromagnetic induction, it fires a projectile at an incredible initial velocity of three times the speed of sound.
[True Lightning]: Gathers massive thunderclouds to create a devastating lightning attack with a maximum output frequency of one billion volts.
Special Features:
[Vending Machine Repair Master]: Using a precise whip kick on any vending machine grants a completely free drink.
[Master Hacker]: For Mikoto, who directly manipulates electronic systems, there are no undecipherable pre-programmed scenarios and absolutely no impenetrable firewalls.
[Only My Own Reality]: Through deliberately distorted computational power, she interferes directly with reality itself, gaining supernatural powers. As a powerful psychic, Mikoto's "personal reality" far exceeds that of ordinary people, significantly enhancing her overall abilities.
[Level 5]: Psychics at this extraordinary level are capable of commanding entire armies. Even modern military leaders would be utterly defeated by those at Level 5. As the pinnacle of psychic ability, Mikoto's abilities receive a slight, all-around improvement.
Description: Even I can fight. Even I can be your strength!
Advancement: Gold-level [A Certain Scientific Railgun - Mikoto] → Emerald-level [AAA - Mikoto]
Bond:
When paired with characters from the [Accelerator] series, the effect [Academy City's Psychics] is activated.
When paired with characters from the [Kuroko] series, the effect [Onee-sama!] is activated.
After thoroughly reviewing the comprehensive card information, Azrael's anxious heart finally settled into calmness.
He had been genuinely worried that Mikoto wouldn't be strong enough for his needs, but judging by the detailed description, she certainly shouldn't be considered weak.
After all, a railgun is essentially a basic attack, and its actual damage output depends entirely on the material of the projectile being fired. While it's certainly not very lethal when using standard in-game currency, it's difficult to say what would happen if she uses other, more dangerous materials.
"Only my railgun lasts forever!"
Azrael couldn't help but laugh warmly at the thought.
And it's not just in direct combat situations; Mikoto's applications are also immense in everyday life situations.
Of course, Azrael wasn't referring to Pokémon battles or anything similar.
Electromagnetic Control not only serves as an effective radar system, but also allows Mikoto to effectively cosplay as Magneto.
But forget about achieving magnetic field control at this level.
That's also somewhat idealistic and unrealistic.
Shaking off his wandering thoughts, Azrael immediately summoned Mikoto into existence.
The brown-haired beauty appeared directly before him in the room.
"So small," Azrael instinctively blurted out upon seeing her in person for the first time.
Mikoto's eye twitched with annoyance, and she clenched her small fist and punched Azrael directly.
Azrael quickly grabbed the small, fair fist and soothed her gently, "It's perfectly okay, I like it small, too."
"You pervert!" Mikoto kicked at Azrael with determination.
"Your safety shorts are getting in the way of the view."
"Absolute idiot!"
The girl's bright blush was stronger than anything else in the room.
In the early morning, Azrael stretched his body thoroughly.
After washing up properly, he had the efficient Shadowkhan prepare and make breakfast for him.
He had deliberately woken up so early today because of something important.
Firstly, the school had officially notified him to return and investigate the available internship position, and secondly, Fredrika had informed him during the national competition that the Crimson Oath Society had developed new plans specifically for him.
He was already at the Gold level now, and continuing to learn at Pixar University wouldn't provide much improvement for his abilities. Some of the teachers in the Lore Cardian department were only at the Gold level themselves.
If Azrael wanted to give up his current position, there were plenty of schools willing to let him teach there instead.
But he didn't dare stop his progress. The Crimson Oath Society was like a sword of Damocles hanging precariously over his head, ready to fall at any given moment.
Add to that the current precarious situation on Earth, with its increasingly dangerous number of secret realms appearing.
"Time waits for no one," he thought seriously, not daring to pause for even a moment.
After finishing breakfast, Azrael decided to return to school to handle his business.
After all, he didn't know exactly what the specific arrangements of the Crimson Oath Society were, so he might as well check out what positions the school was offering.
At most, he could talk directly to Fredrika and see what the Crimson Oath Society thought about his future.
This was also his primary frustration. After all, he hadn't officially left the Crimson Oath Society yet, so he couldn't make such a major decision entirely on his own.
Of course, he could also claim it was his teacher Lucian's direct arrangement, and he assumed the Crimson Oath Society wouldn't have any serious objections to that.
"Come to think of it, now that I'm at the Gold level, shouldn't the Crimson Oath Society show some proper appreciation?"
Thinking of this possibility, Azrael stroked his chin thoughtfully.
It absolutely didn't make sense for him to have to toil like a Lore Cardian with no background, starting from scratch.
"I'll ask about that later when I get the chance."
Putting away his cards carefully, Azrael sat comfortably in a chair and let the Shadowkhan transport him towards the school.
Arriving quickly at his destination, he went straight to find Yagami. Normally, on-the-job training wasn't the principal's direct responsibility, but after all, Azrael was at the impressive Gold level now.
"Knock, knock, knock. Principal Yagami, it's me, Azrael."
Azrael knocked politely on the door to the principal's office.
"Azrael? Please come in immediately."
Pushing the door open carefully, Yagami paused his writing and looked up at the young man at the door.
"Are you here for the positions?"
"Please take a comfortable seat."
Azrael obediently sat on the reception sofa as instructed.
"The documents are all arranged on the table. Take a careful look at which one you'd prefer to go to."
Three official documents lay spread out before Azrael for his consideration.
He opened the first one with curiosity.
[Official Appointment Letter for the Director of the Secret Realm Office from the Cremont City Cardian Master Association].
The bright, large characters startled Azrael with their significance.
"Think about it carefully. These are all excellent positions with great potential. The school has put tremendous effort into securing them specifically for you," Yagami said with a genuine smile.
Azrael nodded appreciatively. "Thank you very much for all the training and support."
He could easily understand why Pixar University would do this for him. First, he was Lucian's direct disciple, so he was considered one of their own people. Second, he had just won the national championship for the school, so this was a well-deserved reward.
Putting down the first document, Azrael reached out and picked up the second with interest.
[Official Appointment Letter for Vice President of the Zhucheng Lore Cardians Association].
Azrael was genuinely shocked by this. Wow, he had gotten straight to Vice President level.
He knew about the position in the first letter of appointment; it was exactly the same one that Gustav currently held in Velkairos.
It was essentially an easy job with good benefits.
Who would have thought the second letter of appointment would be for Vice President directly?
But he quickly calmed down and figured out the key factor involved.
It had to do specifically with the size of the city in question.
A large, metropolitan city like Cremont had Diamond-level Lore Cardians available, so Azrael, merely a Gold-level Lore Cardian, naturally couldn't possibly hold a position like Vice President there.
Meanwhile, in a smaller city like Zhucheng, Azrael's level would represent the absolute ceiling, so the position he'd be assigned would naturally be correspondingly higher.
Calming down his excitement, he opened the third document with anticipation.
[Official Appointment Letter for Vice President of the Donglai City Lore Cardians Association].
Just like the second one, it was for Vice President as well.
Seeing him finish reviewing all three documents thoroughly, Yagami asked curiously, "How's it going? Do you have any initial ideas or preferences?"
Azrael stroked his chin thoughtfully, lost in serious thought. Each of the three places had its distinct pros and cons, and for a moment, he genuinely struggled to make a definitive choice.
Of course, the most crucial reason was that he still had to ask Fredrika about the Crimson Oath Society's specific arrangements for his future.
"Principal, would it be possible for me to give you a reply in a few days?"
Yagami wasn't surprised by this request. It was completely normal for Azrael to hesitate on such a major life decision with long-term implications. "That's perfectly fine. Just give me a definitive answer within a month's time."
Azrael nodded appreciatively and left the principal's office.
He was going to see Fredrika now to discuss his options.