Underground Research Facility, District 10.
The control room was in chaos. Researchers in white lab coats paced frantically, sweat beading on their foreheads as they stared at the monitors. The data feed from the first outdoor experiment had gone dark.
"This can't be real! That monster... Accelerator... was actually defeated?!"
A research supervisor wiped cold sweat from his brow, his voice trembling.
"And the intruder took Subject 9982! This is a catastrophe!"
"Quickly! Back up the combat data and report to the Board of Directors immediately. Experiment 9982 has been compromised."
As one of the supervisors, he knew the penalty for failure. This project was a direct directive from Aleister Crowley. Absolute secrecy was required.
But the failure of the experiment wasn't the most terrifying part.
The terrifying part was the Anomaly.
An Esper had appeared who could counter Vector Manipulation. Someone who had physically beaten the Strongest Level 5. This discovery could shatter the power balance of Academy City.
"We absolutely cannot allow any external factors to interfere with the Shift. The timeline must be preserved."
Minutes later, a reply arrived from the Board.
"Supervisor! We have orders from above."
A junior researcher stood up, looking pale.
"They have instructed us to utilize the Misaka Network to triangulate the lost subject's position."
"They are dispatching a 'Dark Side' removal team to retrieve the asset and eliminate the intruder."
"The Dark Side?!" The supervisor gasped. "They're activating an assassination squad just for one intruder?"
It confirmed his fears. The Board would stop at nothing to ensure the birth of a Level 6. Even if it meant turning the city into a battlefield.
...
The Streets of Academy City.
Yuuya sprinted through the night, Misaka 9982 clutched tightly in his arms.
"Damn it... District 10 is too far from District 7. If only I had a Teleportation ability."
He was using Xiao-Li to maximize his running efficiency, but he was racing against time. The clone's breathing was growing shallow. Her body temperature was dropping rapidly.
He had a specific destination in mind.
There was only one place in this city where she would be safe.
The Seventh District Hospital. The domain of Heaven Canceller.
Heaven Canceller (the Frog-Faced Doctor) was a legend. His medical skills were so advanced he could reportedly distort the laws of God to keep a patient alive. He was the man who built Aleister Crowley's life support system, keeping the Chairman alive for decades.
Because of this debt, Aleister granted him a unique privilege: absolute autonomy.
No violent organization, no Dark Side squad, and no member of the Board of Directors dared to violate the sanctity of his hospital.
"Any other hospital is dangerous," Yuuya thought, his legs pumping like pistons.
Most hospitals in Academy City were under the jurisdiction of Yakumi Hisako, a member of the Board of Directors and a key supporter of the Level 6 Shift Project. If he took 9982 to a regular ER, she would be "processed" and returned to the labs within the hour.
Only Heaven Canceller could protect her.
District 7 Hospital.
Yuuya burst through the emergency doors, ignoring the 'Curfew in Effect' signs.
He ran straight to the familiar office at the end of the hall.
"Doctor! I need help!"
Inside the examination room, a short, stout man with a face uncannily resembling a frog sat on a stool, flipping through medical records.
He looked up. He didn't seem surprised to see a high school boy carrying a blood-soaked girl. In this city, he had seen everything.
He stood up immediately, his expression shifting from calm to professional focus.
"Doctor, please save her," Yuuya pleaded, panting heavily. "She's losing blood fast."
Heaven Canceller glanced at the girl, then at Yuuya.
"Such serious injuries... Don't worry, child. As long as she is not dead, I will bring her back."
His voice was calm and reassuring. It was the voice of a man who had never lost a patient he promised to save.
Nurses rushed in, placing Misaka 9982 on a gurney. They wheeled her into the emergency room. The red "Surgery in Progress" light flickered on.
Yuuya collapsed onto a plastic chair in the waiting area.
The adrenaline began to fade, replaced by a heavy exhaustion.
From the moment his System awakened this morning, his life had spiraled into chaos. He had challenged a Level 5, kissed a girl, threatened a researcher, and beaten Accelerator.
He looked at his hands. There was dried blood under his fingernails.
"I've crossed the line," he whispered.
"I'm no longer just a student living in the light. I've stepped into the Dark Side."
Even a fool would realize that by stealing a clone and beating Accelerator, he had declared war on the city's administration.
He closed his eyes. The image of kissing Misaka Mikoto on the riverbank flashed in his mind. He smiled faintly.
"Worth it."
...
One Hour Later.
Ding.
The red light turned off. The doors opened.
Misaka 9982 was wheeled out. Her head and arms were heavily bandaged, and an IV drip hung by the bed. She was sleeping peacefully, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm.
Heaven Canceller walked out behind the gurney, peeling off his surgical gloves.
He looked at Yuuya with a serious expression.
"I have a few questions for you, young man. And I hope you can answer them without reservation."
Yuuya stood up and bowed respectfully.
"Please ask, Doctor. I will tell you everything I know."
Heaven Canceller nodded. He looked down at the clipboard in his hand.
"That child... her physiology is abnormal. Her cell metabolism and division rates are almost 200 times that of a normal human. Her nervous system has intentional defects, and her blood is saturated with catalytic growth drugs."
The doctor's frog-like face was grim.
"I initially thought she was the Railgun, Misaka Mikoto. But judging by this data... she is a clone. A military-grade clone created with a strictly limited lifespan."
Heaven Canceller sighed. He had lived in this city since its founding. He knew the darkness that lurked beneath the scientific progress.
"Yes, Doctor," Yuuya confirmed. "She is a clone. One of 20,000."
"I see..."
The doctor closed the file. He didn't ask why they existed. He knew better than to ask questions that had no happy answers.
"Child, tell me what happened tonight. Although I am just a doctor... I am willing to listen to my patients' stories."
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