After a long silence, Rhode silently stepped forward, intending to escape this place of trouble, but his coattail was pulled by a force, causing Rhode to stop and look back at Misaka Mikoto, utterly confused.
Her innocent expression immediately made Misaka Mikoto quite angry.
"You're not just going to leave me here, are you?"
"My apologies, I don't know people who relieve themselves anywhere they please," Rhode said, continuing to step forward, dragging the Misaka Mikoto behind him along.
"You… you, whose fault do you think this is?!" Misaka Mikoto's face was full of grievance, looking like she was about to cry again. Her pitiful appearance made Rhode feel a bit embarrassed, so he had no choice but to stop and lift Misaka Mikoto by the scruff of her neck, like a small kitten.
Looking at the Young Miss, who was still stubbornly gazing at him with a tear-filled, aggrieved expression, Rhode shook his head helplessly.
"Nue."
Rhode used the Ten Shadows Technique to summon a Shikigami. A large, owl-like creature emerged from Rhode's shadow, with orange feathers and a fierce white mask. Its enormous body, like a small mountain, stood before the two of them.
Casually tossing Misaka Mikoto onto Nue's back, Rhode commanded Nue to take flight.
As a giant shadow enveloped them, passersby instinctively looked up, only to be startled and fall to the ground.
"Mon… Monster…"
And so, Academy City's urban legends gained another entry: 'A giant bird monster that appears at night, reportedly witnessed by many.'
Rhode dropped Misaka Mikoto at the entrance of her dorm. Facing her furious glare, Rhode said indifferently,
"Are you throwing a tantrum, little girl? To be honest, if I truly harbored ill intentions, you would have been chopped into minced meat at the very beginning."
"…" Misaka Mikoto shivered, startled by Rhode's words, feeling a certain sensation returning to a particular area. But as the saying goes, one can lose the battle but not the spirit.
Misaka Mikoto pointed at Rhode and yelled,
"Don't get too cocky, you bastard! Next time, I'll electrocute you until you twitch like a frog!"
"To be able to provoke an opponent stronger than yourself like that, you're quite the little demoness," Rhode teased, pulling at the corner of Misaka Mikoto's mouth with interest.
The sensation was surprisingly pleasant. Rhode chose to ignore the Young Miss's murderous glare, filled with shame and indignation. Just before leaving, he instructed Misaka Mikoto,
"Oh, by the way, investigate the Railgun Clone Project. I'm sure it will be quite interesting."
Upon hearing this, Misaka Mikoto's pupils contracted, and she looked at Rhode in disbelief.
"What do you mean!?"
However, Rhode's figure had already vanished from her sight, leaving behind a bewildered and helpless Misaka Mikoto.
"By the way, I still don't know what that old man's name was."
Just as Misaka Mikoto was in a daze, a hand rested on her shoulder. The hand slowly applied pressure, making Misaka Mikoto wince in pain and snap back to reality.
"Ouch… Uh, Dorm Supervisor…"
Misaka Mikoto was about to scold the person when she met a pair of glasses. The white light reflected by the glasses made the person appear even more intimidating, causing Misaka Mikoto's legs to tremble uncontrollably.
"Hmph~ So you're coming back after curfew, Misaka? You're getting bolder and bolder," the mature woman's words made Misaka Mikoto's expression grow even stiffer.
That night, Misaka Mikoto believed it to be the most unfortunate moment of her life.
Rhode, walking alone on the street, looked at the Young Miss who had suddenly appeared before him and murmured,
"It seems the time has come."
The Young Miss had long red hair, tied behind her, somewhat different from twin tails. She wore a winter school uniform mini-skirt with metal buckles, her upper body only covered by white bandages over her chest, and a sports jacket draped over her shoulders.
"Sir, the Chairman wishes to see you," the Young Miss's faint words came, as if it were routine.
"Working late at night, that's tough. Then, I'll trouble you to lead the way, Young Miss Guide," Rhode said casually, gesturing for Musujime Awaki to lead the way.
This made Musujime Awaki feel a bit surprised. To be suddenly summoned by Academy City's highest leader, the person before her was unexpectedly calm.
'However, that's none of my business. I just need to do my job.'
Musujime Awaki stepped forward and placed a hand on Rhode's shoulder, then vanished into the night in the next instant.
Seventh District
The 'No Window Building', an iconic structure located in the very center of Academy City. Musujime Awaki led Rhode inside.
Within a life-support device, four meters in diameter, ten meters long, made of tempered glass, and filled with red liquid, a man was suspended upside down. He had long silver hair reaching his ankles and was wearing green surgical scrubs.
His appearance was neither male nor female, neither adult nor child, neither Saint nor prisoner.
"Welcome, visitor from another world."
"How convenient, things like the Aerial Surveillance Network. You've seen more than Hiruzen Sarutobi," Rhode remarked, causing Aleister Crowley to fall silent.
"By the way, aren't you bald?" Rhode said, as if joking, looking at the man's waterfall-like silver hair.
"I have always had long silver hair," Aleister was somewhat speechless by the person's erratic behavior.
"But in my world, Aleister Crowley was bald," Rhode pointed at the life-support device before him.
"…" Aleister Crowley fell into thought, wondering if the person he spoke of might be an alternate self from another world.
"Speaking of which, there's something I'd like to trouble the Chairman with."
"What?" Aleister responded.
"Could you let me see a technology-side angel?"
As his words fell, Aleister again fell silent. The person before him certainly knew a lot.
Before Aleister could reply, a figure imbued with golden light appeared in mid-air. Long golden hair, a tall figure shining with light, and loose white cloth covering its limbs and torso. Although its gender was impossible to determine, at least from its appearance, it looked like a female.
"A visitor from another world, interesting," a strange voice with static mixed in was heard.
Looking at the angel before him, Rhode's lips curved into a strange smile. His body emitted terrifying Curse Power like a raging tide. He formed the Yama Heaven Seal with his hands and slowly spoke in a low voice,
"Domain Expansion!"
As if releasing an abyssal beast, bones formed a giant throne and began to spread outwards. A deep roar from an abyssal beast emanated, and merely hearing the sound caused one's Soul to tremble.
"Malevolent Shrine!"