"It's 9:00 PM. Curfew time. All students please note that private commercial facilities will soon be closing. Please avoid lingering outside."
The announcement echoed throughout District 7, forcing many students to reluctantly start heading home.
"Thanks, Misaka." Arata waved his hand and smiled at Misaka Mikoto.
"It was nothing." Misaka Mikoto waved casually like a boy.
"Oh no. The dorm supervisor is doing room inspections half an hour early today."
Shirai Kuroko suddenly realized something. Her whole body trembled and her face turned pale with fear, like a rabbit that had suddenly spotted a lion. She grabbed her twin tails and screamed.
"What!" Misaka Mikoto's expression instantly turned just as terrified, as if she had seen a ghost. "We're doomed. We're doomed..."
She immediately grabbed Shirai Kuroko's hand and spoke urgently.
"Hurry, Kuroko. We have to get back right now."
"Hold on tight, Onee sama!" Shirai Kuroko grabbed Misaka Mikoto and instantly teleported away. Only a faint afterimage remained before disappearing completely three seconds later.
Arata glanced at the two large bags of clothes in his hands and smiled slightly.
"I wonder what your expression will be when you discover this plan. But by then the experiment will probably already be over."
However, nothing could be guaranteed. Plans never completely keep up with reality.
At the same time.
Accelerator had already returned to her apartment.
It was not the dormitory assigned to her during the experiment. Instead, it was an old and run down apartment building where moisture had long since seeped into the cement walls.
The room was very simply furnished, almost like a boy's room. The kitchen was covered in a thick layer of dust, clearly showing that it had not been cleaned for a long time.
Accelerator leaned back on the sofa with both hands behind her head while watching the news on an old television. Several empty coffee cans were scattered across the table.
At this moment, she did not look like someone filled with murderous intent.
She looked like an ordinary girl.
"Is the Absolute Level 6 Shift Project actually just a cover for something else? Damn it... is that really the case?"
She closed her eyes and fell deep into thought.
When it came to calculation ability, she was confident that no one in the entire Academy City could surpass her.
Thinking about it carefully, she had originally joined the experiment simply to escape her miserable life.
But nothing had improved.
Instead, everything had only become worse.
"The Level 6 Shift Project cannot truly allow you to evolve to Level 6. If you want to know the truth..."
"Damn it!"
Accelerator kept recalling Arata's words. She clenched her teeth and her expression became slightly ferocious.
"But thinking about it carefully... although the calculation came from Tree Diagram, the supercomputer that claims it can predict the Earth's weather for ten thousand years, and although fighting strong opponents can indeed increase one's level quickly..."
"Twenty thousand clones that are only equivalent to Level 3 cannot possibly achieve that result."
Her expression constantly shifted as her mind raced.
"With my calculation ability and vector control, even if the other six Level 5 espers attacked me together, it would only take a little over a thousand moves for me to kill them all."
"Wait."
"Did their sweet lies make me subconsciously ignore something?"
Accelerator frantically used her calculation ability, trying to extract an answer from Arata's words and from her own memories.
Suddenly she froze.
Her pupils trembled slightly.
Wait.
The experiment seemed to be doing something completely unrelated to the supposed objective.
Those researchers had created something called the Misaka Network.
According to them, it was meant to create a shared calculation network that could assist her ability and reduce the calculation time of the experiment.
But...
If that research was truly so valuable, why were the Misaka Sisters treated like disposable trash and slaughtered one after another?
Wasn't that simply an attempt to hide the real purpose?
So the Misaka Network must have another function.
And that function was the real key.
"You must continue the experiment until August 20."
Those disgusting words echoed in her ears again.
"So that's how it is."
"So that's how it is."
"It simply means that there still are not enough of those puppets."
Accelerator covered her face with her right hand. Her crimson eyes trembled behind her fingers. Her left hand gripped the sofa so tightly that the fabric twisted under her fingers.
Her breathing became rapid.
After a long moment, she finally spoke in a hoarse and almost hysterical voice.
"What a ridiculous joke."
"Those bastards are carrying out some disgusting scheme, and they used me as a pawn to do all those revolting things."
She had already realized the truth.
Those people never truly cared about the Level 6 Shift Project.
Their true goal was simply to produce enough Misaka Sisters.
Once a sufficient number existed, the experiment would naturally end for some convenient reason.
"What a joke."
"Is this the plan of the people who control Academy City?"
"Even if I do nothing. Even if I simply exist quietly in this city..."
"Those bastards will still reach out and manipulate me whenever they want."
Fortunately, the old apartment building had excellent soundproofing and did not disturb the nearby residents.
Accelerator breathed heavily. Her bloodshot eyes were filled with deep killing intent as she spoke in a hoarse voice.
"The people sitting at the top of this city are watching their disgusting plan unfold while using me as their pawn."
"They sit comfortably in luxurious rooms drinking wine while watching us struggle."
"They laugh while treating us like laboratory animals."
"As long as they control this city, those filthy bastards can manipulate everyone however they want."
"Do not get arrogant."
"I will crush all of your plans."
Accelerator had never directly opposed the upper echelons of Academy City before.
But now that she understood she was nothing more than a disposable pawn, the rebellious fire in her heart slowly reignited.
"Is that guy also resisting those bastards in his own way?"
Accelerator remembered every encounter she had with Arata.
Were they waiting until August 20?
That scoundrel wanted to wait until the Misaka Sisters finished being produced before taking action?
Accelerator suddenly covered her mouth. Her bloodshot pupils trembled violently.
She vomited the coffee she had just drunk.
Images of the Misaka Sisters she had killed flashed through her mind one after another.
Those memories clung to her consciousness like ghosts.
"So what about them...?"
"Ugh..."
"I will definitely kill all of you."
...
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