Even as a prototype, just activating its basic reflection units allows it to suppress an entire modern military unit in a head-on confrontation.
In other words, when operating normally, this Vector Control Calculation Suit temporarily grants the user combat power on the level of a Level 5.
Admittedly, that level is still at the very bottom among Level 5s.
No matter how advanced the suit's built-in computer is, it faces dual limitations of energy consumption and internal space.
Its endurance is worrying, and it naturally can't compare to a highly developed esper's brain.
This could probably be considered another version of a mass-produced Level 5 plan.
Just, the research subject changed from Misaka-senpai to Accelerator, and the product shifted from clones to calculation suits. The goal remained the same: mass-producing Level 5s.
But this plan is pretty much bankrupt now. Obtaining the relevant data and the long experimental cycle aren't the biggest issues; the greatest hurdles are still the endurance and the exorbitant cost.
Forget the production cost; just the daily maintenance and debugging of such a calculation suit could bankrupt the cash flow of an ordinary research institution.
As for endurance, unless it's kept at minimum output, running for several dozen minutes to an hour is considered good.
Reckless, unrestrained rampages like Accelerator's earlier one would probably drain its energy in just a few minutes.
Unless you could fit a miniature nuclear fusion reactor in the chest, this problem is hard to solve. At best, they can only keep optimizing it.
But even in current Academy City, technology like a miniature reactor probably doesn't exist. Their tech tree is just branched differently.
Academy City is filled with cutting-edge technology developed based on espers, so their interest in other technological fields is much smaller. The previous dark side organization, STUDY, chose to retaliate against society precisely because their research was neglected.
'The thermal currents are being repelled. This feeling can't be wrong.'
The moment she launched her attack, a surprised thought flashed through Natsume-san's mind.
Coordinating with Shirai-san's move, Natsume-san not only used her ability to outline Kihara Gensei's form but also attempted to invade his nasal passages with heated air, aiming to shock his brain into shutdown.
She didn't know if hot air could even affect Kihara Gensei—for all she knew, his internal engines ran hotter—but the girl with the bun hairstyle still made her own meager effort.
Somewhere along the line, the Kihara Gensei in Natsume-san's eyes had transformed into a semi-human creature clad in a shell of technology, his mechanization degree just far too high.
Before she could ponder the abnormalities on Kihara Gensei's body further, Natsume-san slightly clenched her hand.
The meaningless physical gesture, combined with the insertion of her mental calculation formula, instantly triggered a multitude of changes.
The sand and soil around Kihara Gensei churned violently, and a solidified hand of air shot directly towards the fallen body.
The timing was perfect, the very second after the steel needles pierced him and he fell.
But the moment it made contact, the hand uncontrollably dissipated, instead triggering a loud pneumatic explosion that sent debris from the collapsed structures scattering.
By the time the dispersed air currents settled, the previously fallen Kihara Gensei was already standing again.
His face still showed no trace of panic or displeasure, only a mysterious placid smile, as if he was signaling something to his attackers.
"Heh, a truly fascinating outcome," Kihara Gensei spoke.
His face remained calm, but one could faintly discern some intensely suppressed emotion beneath the surface.
The aged, indifferent tone suited an elderly man, but his voice carried an indescribable hint of delight.
That emotion wasn't anger at being attacked, but genuine joy, so strong he seemed to forget his own predicament.
Whether it was the Board of Directors' future reckoning or the trio of vengeful girls right before him, they were all insignificant.
He was a mad scientist, paranoid to the extreme.
While he felt some regret over the experiment being interrupted, the data collected was already more than sufficient.
Enough to revitalize several stalled projects, allow some research institutes to receive more funding from the Board of Directors and major corporations, and provide more reference data for super-weapons based on the model of Misaka Mikoto.
But the most fundamental gain was the precious data related to Level 6 espers. Setting aside the Third, who was the test subject, the contributions of the First and the Eighth could be called monumental.
His eyes involuntarily glanced skyward, but he found no sign of the attackers, only a blinding radiance.
"I'm curious, Natsume. How did you discover my presence?"
"Based on the information I obtained from your brain, you shouldn't have been able to detect me in this state. This setup, while a half-finished product, should have been sufficient to handle you."
Kihara Gensei's body was hunched over as he spoke, his tone somewhat self-absorbed, not really expecting an answer.
Currently, a wave of psychokinesis was supporting his body.
He ignored the dense cluster of steel needles inside him, acting as if they weren't even there.
These needles had disrupted the operation of many of his bionic organs, but most were meaningless decorations, merely there to let him maintain the sensation of being human and allow for normal movement.
Perhaps individual bionic organs needed to coordinate with normal organs, and damaging them would have a significant impact, but when most of the human body was gone, that impact diminished almost infinitely.
As long as the brain's energy supply was maintained, there wasn't much to worry about.
Contrary to what Natsume-san and the others believed, destroying his organs wouldn't strip him of his ability to resist. That was an error born of conventional thinking.
There was some effect, however. The needles had destroyed his mobility, forcing him to rely on his ability to substitute for limbs.
A portion of his psychokinesis was permitted passage by the calculation suit, allowing Kihara Gensei to remain standing.
In truth, after numerous severe lab accidents, very little of his original human body remained. Even his brain had been partially modified to adapt to the bionic systems.
Perhaps this physiological change was also why Kihara Gensei could so readily treat humans as experimental materials.
So, the cyborg identity was confirmed. Natsume-san couldn't really distinguish between bionic systems and a robotic body.
Yet, when he addressed her, he used her surname, perhaps feeling that he and Natsume Sonoko were not strangers.
Of course, this was one-sided. Natsume Sonoko didn't know him at all.
For Natsume-san and the others, using surnames was reserved for familiar acquaintances. The Dorm Supervisor often used 'Natsume,' 'Shirai,' and such without honorifics.
In the Dorm Supervisor's case, it also gave a sense of hierarchy.
Adding honorifics like '-san' sounded slightly more formal but also created more distance, while using given names directly could be considered quite rude.
As for calling someone 'Sonoko' or 'Kuroko,' that was probably reserved for very close individuals. [A/N: That's roughly how it's categorized, though it varies between people. The protagonist always uses '-san' this and '-san' that, so it doesn't affect much.]
"He's standing up!" someone exclaimed in surprise.
Ignoring Kihara Gensei's monologue, both Natsume-san and Shirai-san were startled.
Only the confused Reiko-san secretly grabbed her older sister's hand, which was even smaller than her own.
Bringing Reiko along wasn't the result of deep deliberation. At this point, keeping Reiko by their side was simply a bad idea.
The moment the attack seemed to fail, Natsume-san took control of Reiko's body, preparing to move her away from the area.
The trio began to disperse, wary of being wiped out in one fell swoop by Kihara Gensei.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.