At the hospital, Rowan and Misaka Mikoto were greeted by a long row of beds. Clone after clone lay inside, hooked up to monitors and undergoing examinations. Bodies forced to maturity in fourteen days were never going to be healthy. If the Sisters were to live normal lives, this stage was unavoidable.
It was already late. Mikoto had missed dorm curfew and had no desire to meet the wrath of her dorm supervisor, so she stayed the night in an empty hospital bed, waiting for results. Rowan stayed as well.
Unlike the other Sisters, he refused all physical examinations.
Whatever flaws this body once had were long gone under the layered fusion of his other selves. But letting Academy City's doctors get hold of his genetic data was a line he would not cross. One sample was enough to make the city's researchers lose their minds.
The next morning, the hospital's chief physician, Heaven Canceller, called them in.
"The situation isn't good," he said bluntly. "Rapid growth through drugs has severely shortened their lifespans. If nothing is done, most of them would only survive another two or three years."
Mikoto froze.
"Two… or three years?"
She had fought so hard to save them. Hearing that they were still facing death hit harder than any battle.
"Normally, yes," the doctor continued. "However, with long-term treatment, we can slow cellular division and stabilize hormone levels. With enough care, restoring a normal human lifespan is possible."
Mikoto exhaled in relief, only for her heart to tighten again.
"The problem," Heaven Canceller added, "is scale. There are over ten thousand of them. Academy City alone cannot afford the facilities or manpower required for continuous treatment."
Before Mikoto could speak, he went on.
"The Board has been informed. They are… furious. Funding will be provided, and the Sisters will be distributed among research hospitals across multiple countries for ongoing care."
Mikoto narrowed her eyes.
"Doctor, could you please stop pausing like that?"
She knew perfectly well the Board hadn't been ignorant of the experiment. No city-wide combat project involving supercomputers and Level Fives happened without approval. Still, what mattered now was the outcome.
With the Misaka Network intact, any attempt to quietly restart experiments overseas would be exposed instantly.
Rowan listened without surprise.
"They're still useful," he thought. "So of course they won't discard them."
Sending the Sisters abroad raised questions, but not ones he needed to answer. If the Board stayed out of his way, he would stay out of theirs.
For him, the priority was clear. Stay close to Mikoto. Push his ability further. Find out whether magic truly existed in this world and, if so, how to claim it.
"I'll come see you," Mikoto told the Sisters before leaving. She shook Rowan's hand lightly. To her, he was just another Sister, one who happened to be stronger and far more composed.
After she left, Heaven Canceller looked at Rowan.
"You're refusing an examination," he said. "By all logic, your lifespan should be just as limited."
"I'll handle it myself," Rowan replied.
That was the end of the discussion.
Outside the hospital, Rowan paused mid-step.
"Whoever's following me," he said calmly, "come out. Keep hiding and I might get annoyed."
A moment later, a blond man in a lab coat stepped out from behind a tree. Tattoos covered half his face. His smile was sharp and unhinged.
"You really are interesting," the man said. "More cautious than the original."
"Board operative?" Rowan asked flatly.
The man laughed. "Sharp. I'm Kihara Amata. Head of the Board's enforcement unit. I'm here with an offer."
He leaned forward slightly.
"How about joining us?"
...
Read up to 100 chapters ahead and access exclusive novels by joining my Patreon!
patreon.com/Zyxxar