I'm tired..."
I yawned as I arrived at my destination.
As expected, the first day of summer vacation was spent being dragged around by everyone. Summer vacation starts in late July, but because of various events in August, it's impossible to get a real break on this island.
It would be a different story if we had plans to travel, but we don't. So, we really only have about ten days of vacation.
To make the most of that time, we had to go full throttle from day one.
I'm a little worn out because of it, but my main event is just getting started.
"Hello, Dr. Mikado."
"Oh, what's wrong? You said you had something you wanted to ask me suddenly."
My goal was to talk to Dr. Mikado, who was on duty at the hospital.
I couldn't come see her yesterday because of everything that happened, but that experience made me even more determined.
I don't know how this whole incident will end, but I'm not going to tell Yami anything about it until it's over.
"I'd like to ask you about Dr. Tearju Lunatique."
"Tier...? Why do you want to know about her?"
The name must have been unexpected for Dr. Mikado, too.
"You know about Mere, right? Mere Kurosaki. She's the girl who transferred to my school a while ago... though it's been almost two months now."
"Of course I remember her. You're the one who called me about her."
"In that case, you should know a lot, shouldn't you? Especially with all the chaos that's bound to happen in August. I want to gather as much information as I can."
This was also my honest truth. Depending on what I learned here, I might have to make my move before August even starts.
With this reason, she should be willing to tell me even things that are a bit difficult to talk about.
But still.
"Is that all?"
"Huh?"
Dr. Mikado asked again.
"Is that really the only reason?"
"Yes... well, it's not the only reason, but..."
"Tell me. If you do, I'll give you a proper answer in return."
"...Okay."
I told her everything. Everything, including the things Claudia told me to keep a secret and what Yami and I talked about last night.
"I can't believe that..."
"Please keep this between us. I know I'm a hypocrite for saying that after I just told you something I was told to keep a secret."
I know I have no right to talk, but I felt like I could trust Dr. Mikado.
"Don't talk about this to anyone else. Wait, more importantly, you guys are involved in an incident like that?"
"Yes, well, just me, really."
"So you're keeping it a secret from the other girls, too... I don't know what you're thinking, but this isn't a normal case."
"Of course, it's not."
It's an insane experiment to kill 20,000 people, even if they're clones. I'm not saying a simple murder is "normal," but 20,000 murders is completely off the charts.
"Sigh... You just don't get it. What you're involved in isn't a simple incident. You'll be dealing with the dark side of this island. You're getting into something you shouldn't... Oh, what's the use. But let this be the last time. If you get in too deep, you'll never find happiness. You can't just take on an accomplished scientist with a simple sense of justice."
"I understand. I'll take it to heart."
I couldn't make any promises, though. I could only say it depends on the situation.
"Well, that's enough of my advice. I'll keep my end of the deal, too."
Dr. Mikado crossed her legs.
"First, you said that Tier was involved in that experiment, right?"
"Yes."
This was the most important part. Dr. Mikado probably didn't know the actual details of the experiment, so she would only be able to give me her impression.
"Honestly, there's a pretty good chance she is."
"Huh? Really?"
I thought she would say something like, 'There's no way she'd be involved.'
"She's a good girl, but she's always been obsessed with her research... You could say she's naive and easily deceived. Even if she didn't join on her own, there's a good chance she was convinced to participate. She has a history with the Yami-chan incident, after all."
"Hmm..."
So she might have been tricked... That seems plausible.
"Sigh, to be involved in an experiment like that after the whole Yami-chan incident... Actually, Tier and I were college classmates, and right after we graduated, she was scouted by the research institution that made Yami-chan. I told her it was a shady place and to stop, but she went anyway."
"So she didn't make Yami as a weapon?"
"Tier would never have such a dangerous idea. Did Yami-chan not tell you anything about that?"
"Well, I kind of assumed that. I just wanted to be sure. Just in case."
That's a relief, but then it makes me even more curious about Claudia's words. Why would she be named as a ringleader?
"By the way, can you contact her now?"
"Yes, it would be more reliable to ask her directly."
"Well, I don't know if she'd answer right away."
"Tier's secrets aren't really secrets. You can find them out right away."
"I-I see."
She called her, but after more than twenty rings, there was no answer.
"She's not picking up."
"Do you have the right number?"
"A while ago... when your arm was cut, I used some artificial cells for treatment, and Tier was the one who made them. I should have been able to reach her when I contacted her to send them over."
She told me that Dr. Tearju doesn't live on this island. She continues her research while traveling from place to place.
She happened to be on the island when I was attacked by White Snake, but she left right after.
"Then she might be on the other side of the world, right? It could be the middle of the night for her because of the time difference."
"That's a possibility. I'll put a disclaimer in the email saying 'if Tier is involved in the experiment'... Actually, this is a good opportunity."
Dr. Mikado started muttering to herself.
"Hey, Yozuki-kun. Are you willing to help reconcile Yami-chan and Tier?"
"There's nothing better than the two of them getting along. If we can reunite them, of course I'll help."
"I knew you'd say that."
She's planning on inviting Dr. Tearju to the island. And if possible, she wants to get her to live here.
"That's the plan♪ I'll count on you. And don't you dare die in this incident, okay?"
"That all depends on whether Dr. Tearju is involved in the experiment."
And with that, the conversation was over. Time was running out, and I had to head to my next job.
"Oh, wait. One last thing. Here. This part of my head, is there anything wrong with it?"
"Hmm? Oh, you have a bump there. Did you hit your head somewhere?"
"No, I have no idea. What could it be?"
It's been hurting ever since I woke up this morning. Can you get a bump while you're sleeping...?
"A normal person would wake up if they got an impact like that, no matter how tired they were."
"You're right."
I tilted my head and left Dr. Mikado's office. I headed to my next job.
---------
"Sho, are you ready?"
"Yeah. I'm good to go."
It was a time that could be called the middle of the night. After talking to Dr. Mikado, I headed to the island's industrial block. This area is filled with factories that produce the island's most advanced chemical products. They're still operating and lit up even in the middle of the night.
I was going to attack one of them.
I could hear Claudia's voice through the comms in my ear. She would be supporting me as my operator and backup this time.
The armor I was wearing made a small sound as it activated.
The gray and dark blue armor gleamed dully in the moonlight. In my hand, I held an OTO Melara Boxer 57mm Shotgun.
I didn't want my identity to be revealed.
My usual abilities, like the Stand "Tusk" or the magic formula "Magia Elevea," are too distinctive, and people would immediately know who was responsible.
So, I decided to use the Arbalest for this mission, an ability I got in the past but haven't used much.
With this, my face is hidden, and my identity won't be revealed by my abilities.
"3, 2, 1—0. Begin the operation."
"Commencing assault!"
I accelerated instantly with an initial speed that surpassed human limits.
This research facility is a clone production factory. On the surface, it's a lab for artificial cells used for medical treatment. Many of the employees don't know the dark side of things and are unrelated to it.
With my perfect memory, if I knew all the names and faces of the bad guys, I could take out only them. But I couldn't investigate every single one of them.
I couldn't tell who was a good person and who was a bad person.
In that case, I would destroy only the clone production facility without killing anyone.
Just destroying the equipment would be a huge loss. It would be a terrible thing for the unrelated employees. What I was doing wasn't a completely just act.
But once I decide to do something, I'll see it through to the end.
"Intruder!"
"Stop him!"
"This isn't what we were told!"
"Powered armor?!"
As I charged in from the front, security guards appeared as if they were waiting for me. Judging by their identical protectors and assault rifles, they didn't seem to be ability users. There were five of them.
"That's more than we expected. Can you break through?"
"Of course!"
"I said stop!"
"We've contacted the Bureau! If you surrender now, we can still—"
I didn't slow down. I aimed my Beretta Kinji Model with an extended magazine, holding it in the hand opposite my shotgun.
"—Fire!"
They must have realized I had no intention of surrendering. Their guns spewed fire. The iron fragments heated by the gunpowder cut through the dark of the night. All of them rushed toward me.
But they would never reach me.
"!"
The Lambda Driver activated.
The air shimmered like a heat haze, and an invisible force field was formed.
The repelling force field reduced the impact of the bullets to less than a pebble.
Now it was my turn.
The bullets, which had been fired on full auto, performed with a power that surpassed their catalog specs. That protector shouldn't even dent from a handgun. But impossible things were happening.
No one could see it, but the power of all the bullets was being amplified by the Lambda Driver.
The bullets, which used even ricochets to attack from all directions, didn't allow for any resistance. The guards couldn't even attack me.
I subdued and knocked out the startled guards.
"Over there! He's there!"
More and more guards came from the back.
"They're still coming."
"That's too many. Are they on alert because of Misaka-san's attack?"
Then their protectors must have been designed for electricity. In that case,
"They've got the wrong guy. This won't work on me. Claudia, guide me to the target location."
"Understood."
"Fire! Keep firing!"
There was no need to dodge. I ran straight through.
It wasn't just bullets. The knives they swung and the fists they threw were equally useless against me.
Even just running straight, my body itself was a weapon wrapped in energy.
The security guards were mowed down without any way to resist.
"That's it. The target is beyond that door."
"Got it."
Every guard I'd encountered on my way here had been incapacitated, and I didn't lay a hand on the fleeing employees. The facility was in a complete uproar, like a table had been flipped over.
The sirens blared nonstop, and in the distance, I could hear the shouts of people running away in a panic.
If they've already contacted the Bureau, I can't waste any time. According to Claudia, someone I know is on the case, so it would be a huge problem if we ran into each other.
Unless it's a bank vault made of special alloy, nothing can stop my fist.
The metal door I had just smashed through was now stuck in the wall.
In the center of the room, there were some pots that looked like they were used for creating artificial life forms.
"Alright, let's begin."
I raised my gun and pulled the trigger.
---------
"...Yes. Yes. I understand. We'll be asking for a follow-up interview in a few days. Thank you for your cooperation."
"Understood!"
After finishing the handover, Fate and Tiana got into their car and left the scene.
After the factory was out of sight, Tiana spoke up as they stopped at a red light.
"What do you think about this one?"
"Hmm. It's probably a different person from the attackers from yesterday. The method of attack is completely different."
Fate replied, still holding the steering wheel. Her face wasn't that of Vivio's mother but of an officer chasing down a serious criminal.
The Bureau officers who had rushed to the scene after the report were Fate and Tiana—members of Special Task Force Section 6.
The real reason for Section 6's establishment was to prepare for the "3 years later" incident, but they needed an official reason as well.
Their role was to lead investigations from the Bureau's Academy Island branch. They were given a strong force and authority to handle this island, where science and magic intersect. That's what they were told.
Recently, Section 6 had been investigating a series of attacks on factories and data centers.
"I agree. Based on the evidence and the employees' testimonies, we suspected the culprit was a high-level electricity user."
"But today, a gun was used."
It was hard to believe they were the same person.
"And the power of that gun was insane. It would be impossible for a normal person to handle the recoil of a gun that could shoot through that wall. They said he was wearing powered armor, so he might have been using an ability, too."
"We can't confirm anything yet. Assuming there are two culprits, are they working together? Also, there are a lot of suspicious things about the research facilities that have been attacked."
Section 6 was slowly getting closer to the truth.
As they looked for a reason for the attacks and a commonality between the facilities, they found one. By piecing together their findings, they had reached the conclusion that it was an experiment involving Misaka Mikoto's military clones.
The previous attacker was an electricity user, so Misaka Mikoto, the origin of the clones, was the prime suspect. However, they were unable to contact her.
And that's when this mysterious new attacker appeared.
"Starting tomorrow, we'll pick out and investigate other facilities that are conducting similar research. We should also investigate the people around Misaka Mikoto, since this new attacker might be a friend of hers."
"Yes! Understood! Misaka Mikoto is our first priority."
The car with the two of them inside sped toward Section 6 headquarter
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