"Why are you leaving?" Misaka Mikoto asked, confused by Selene's sudden decision to go. With Saten Ruiko now fully recovered—and having even broken through the limits of a Level 0—shouldn't they be celebrating together? Why leave now?
"Yeah, Selene-senpai, do you have something urgent to take care of?"
"I told you already, I still have matters to deal with. It's not really something I can tell you all about..." Selene smiled faintly at their reluctant expressions. "Anyway, that's that... I'll be going now. Bye."
With that, Selene's figure vanished in an instant.
"Senpai, wait, I still—" Saten Ruiko called out as she came to her senses, but Selene was already gone. Her face dimmed slightly. "...I still haven't properly repaid her yet..."
"It's fine," Misaka reassured. "Selene probably went to handle something related to her group. She's got a big organization to run, unlike us with nothing to worry about. Let's just go celebrate ourselves for now—we can invite her to make up for it later."
Seeing everyone's mood sink after Selene's departure, Misaka Mikoto took the lead, encouraging them all to go relax together.
Although her expression remained calm, Misaka couldn't help but recall Kiyama Harumi's earlier words—"She and you are not the same kind of person." A faint unease lingered deep within her heart.
Selene... just what kind of person are you really...?
...
Second District — Schicksal Research Institute.
"Milady, Kakine Teitoku has already secured a considerable amount of uranium, plutonium, and other radioactive materials. They're stored in the underground containment facility of Plant No.1. However, he said this is the maximum he can acquire within current conditions," Sebas reported.
"No problem. I wasn't expecting too much anyway—it's just the more, the better. I'll store those radioactive materials in the Imaginary Space later," Selene replied.
"But, Milady, what do you need all those radioactive materials for? Even if you plan to build a nuclear bomb, without proper industrial infrastructure, it's impossible," Sebas asked.
"Who said I was going to build one? I just want to study its principles..."
Selene trusted Sebas unconditionally—he was her familiar, his life and death bound to her will. Betrayal was impossible.
"Still, speaking of nuclear bombs... now that's an interesting idea." A faint smile touched Selene's lips.
Her Herrscher Core had now fully stabilized. The new dominion authority—Herrscher of Fire!
Selene's anticipation for her new power was sky-high. The Herrscher of Fire symbolized the fires of destruction, its ability tied to the control of the strong nuclear force—renowned for massive destructive capability and wide-area annihilation.
The last Herrscher of Fire had turned the entire Australian continent into a sea of fire within just one week of awakening. Physically, it was the most devastating Herrscher ever recorded.
But unlike those brute-force Herrschers, Selene prided herself on her knowledge, refinement, and substantial intellectual arrogance.
To her, it wasn't enough to merely control nuclear fire. Why stop there? If the strong nuclear force governed fission and fusion alike, then her true ambition was to harness nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, solar flares, nova eruptions, and even supernova explosions.
The quickest way to achieve this would be to experience those bursts of energy directly, then replicate their energetic signatures through mimicry—provided her energy level was high enough.
The problem, however, was obvious. In a well-ordered modern society, where could one possibly go to observe such nuclear reactions firsthand?
As for flying into space to witness solar flares—completely out of the question. Even assuming she could survive the journey, a single miscalculation could accelerate the Sun's fusion rate... which would be catastrophic.
Selene herself might survive—but the Earth wouldn't.
So, one step at a time. No rushing toward godhood overnight.
Still, once she reached the stage of nuclear weapon research, even her vast corporate network seemed insufficient. Radioactive materials were one thing—but the facilities required to process them were another matter entirely.
Forget affordability—international treaties and surveillance alone made Selene's head ache.
That left only one viable path: stealth, subterfuge, and a touch of deception.
"Hmm? Got it! Sebas, do this... and then like this..." Selene's eyes gleamed as she laid out her plan.
"Understood, Milady. Please await good news." With those words, Sebas' pupils turned into vertical crimson slits, and in a ripple of distorted air, he vanished from Selene's office.
As a familiar born from Selene when she held the power of the Herrscher of the Void, Sebas naturally possessed a portion of her spatial abilities. While his teleportation range wasn't great, short-range jumps through the Imaginary Space were easily within his reach.
As for where Selene had sent Sebas to obtain a nuclear weapon, it wasn't difficult to guess. On Earth, who possessed the most "mushroom bombs"? The USSR. And after the great split, who inherited most of USSR's legacy? Russia, of course.
And why send Sebas instead of going herself? That, too, had a reason. Selene was still young and might not handle things discreetly enough—leaving traces wasn't an option. It was far safer to entrust such tasks to the experienced and cunning Sebas.
I'm just looking out for my senior and being careful with my work. Totally not being lazy, Selene thought to herself with absolute self-assurance.
"Alright, then it's time to handle some prep work. I wonder if Aoki has finished preparing the machine tools and all those design blueprints yet..." she muttered, suddenly feeling motivated.
Picking up the phone, she dialed. "...Hello, Aoki? The task I gave you last time—how's it coming along? ...Hm? All ready?! Oh, good. I'll be there shortly."
Setting the phone down, Selene glanced at the clock hanging nearby and sighed in disbelief. "Wow... they really worked that fast? It's only been a few days, and they've already prepared so much material..."
An absurd thought crossed her mind. Could it be... that I'm the most idle person in the entire Schicksal Group? That can't be right. When I was hanging around with Misaka Mikoto, I felt like I was actually busy for once...
"...I wonder how Shuji Matsuzaki's side is coming along."
Realizing something, Selene immediately called Matsuzaki. "...Hey, Matsuzaki, aside from the storage of the T–R formula, how's the acquisition of basic medical industrial equipment going?"
"According to the quota you provided, T–R storage has reached 80% completion, while the acquisition of general medical industrial equipment is still ongoing..."
...
"Alright, keep at it," Selene said after listening to his report, then hung up the phone.
This was where the importance of being a Director of the Board in the General Council truly showed. She could openly purchase radioactive materials under official pretenses and boldly buy up industrial machinery without raising suspicion.
Compared to ordinary citizens with no authority or backing, her convenience was beyond measure.
"Well then, time to check on their progress..." Selene murmured, standing up. It was time to pay Aoki Youichi a visit.