"You're not my opponent. And I'm having trouble controlling my ability right now. You'll get hurt," Ye Fei said with slight impatience.
"That's a different matter. It's better if my opponent is capable. Otherwise people will say I bully Level 0s."
The leader spoke calmly. She crouched down, pressed both palms against the ground, and shouted, "Take this!"
Ripples spread outward from where her hands touched the asphalt, expanding to a radius of five meters.
The solid road surface instantly turned viscous, like thick asphalt slurry. Anyone standing on it would sink if they were not careful. For an ordinary person, it would be almost impossible to maintain balance.
Wrapped in Telekinesis, Ye Fei instantly leapt three meters away from the distorted ground.
The abilities in Academy City are incredibly diverse. Because every esper's Personal Reality is unique, no two abilities are exactly the same.
"Hmph. This is my ability, Purgatory Field. It turns non metallic solids into a viscous state like asphalt, and I can freely control it," the leader sneered.
"This is also my first time using my full power. I'm not targeting you. I hope you know when to stop."
Ye Fei sighed, his eyes sharpening as he focused on the ground in front of her.
The air between them distorted violently. A white explosive shockwave burst outward. The asphalt road detonated instantly, and gravel shot in all directions.
After glancing at the stunned leader, Ye Fei shrugged and walked away lightly.
After a long while, the leader finally regained her senses. She collapsed onto the ground, staring at the massive crater before her, and forced a bitter smile.
"Level 4… huh? That's really frustrating. If I were Level 4, maybe I wouldn't feel so crushed…"
A pit half a meter deep and three meters wide lay before her.
...
An hour later, the sun had gradually set, and dusk bathed the technologically advanced city in shades of orange and violet.
Ye Fei searched on his phone for the location of the Seventh Pharmaceutical Research Center, the largest facility responsible for mass producing the Misaka Sisters and the site where the first batch of outdoor experiment subjects had been dispatched.
"After ten years of silence, I'm finally about to enter the field of vision of Chairman Aleister and the upper echelons. But if I want to leave, no one can stop me."
Standing atop a building, Ye Fei observed the Seventh Pharmaceutical Research Center through a pair of binoculars. A faint smile curved his lips. If necessary, he would not hesitate to eliminate a few inhuman researchers who had long since lost their conscience.
Once he interfered with a core project like this, the Board of Directors would undoubtedly dispatch their hidden forces.
Fortunately, he had placed more than a dozen spatial markers along the way. Even if he encountered Accelerator, he could retreat instantly.
On his way here, he had also collected additional cards, gaining several useful firearms and technological devices. The binoculars in his hand were one such item.
...
Meanwhile, deep within the underground facilities of the Seventh Pharmaceutical Research Center, an elevator slowly ascended, carrying two young girls.
One was a young researcher with messy black curly hair, wearing a white lab coat over a Nagatenjouki Academy uniform. His complexion was pale and unhealthy, and he stared at the data displayed on the tablet in his hand before glancing at the girl beside him.
That face was one he had seen countless times before.
"Do you have any questions about the external field test?"
The tea haired girl in a Tokiwadai Middle School uniform asked in an emotionless tone, her eyes slightly vacant. Yet her body swayed subtly from side to side, as if filled with anticipation.
"Is the air outside sweet, or is it spicy?"
"According to available data, the air outside is described as pleasant. However, Misaka prefers sweet flavors, declares Misaka."
The researcher, long accustomed to this peculiar speaking style, shook his head.
"You'll understand once you experience it yourself."
The heavy metal door opened. A wave of heat rushed in. The fading sunlight forced both girls to squint.
Although dusk had arrived, the temperature had not dropped.
"The sun is really strong today. I hate summer," the researcher muttered, shielding his eyes.
He turned and saw the tea haired girl standing still, gazing silently at the setting sun.
"Are you disappointed?" he asked.
"No. That is incorrect."
The tea haired girl slowly clasped her hands before her chest.
"Various scents are stimulating Misaka's nasal cavity, filling Misaka's heart…"
"The ever changing wind brushes past Misaka's hair and skin."
"The sunlight rests upon Misaka's cheeks, and Misaka can feel its warmth."
She closed her eyes, quietly experiencing the breeze as she shared her first impressions of the outside world.
"The world… is dazzling."
The researcher's pupils shrank as he listened.
"They think the world is dazzling…? Could it be the learning device malfunctioned? No, that's impossible. The learning device could never input such subjective insight. This is cognition. Are they… really just experimental tools?"
He questioned himself desperately, yearning for an answer.
Having witnessed countless cruel experiments, he had long perceived the world as distorted and ugly.
Yet compared to him, these so called clones seemed more human.
After a long silence, he glanced at his watch.
"We still have two hours. Since we're already outside, do you want to get something to eat?"
"Ordinary food? Misaka is prohibited from consuming non specialized nutritional products, reminds Misaka."
"Is that so…"
The researcher fell silent.
...
"Phew…"
On a distant rooftop, Ye Fei exhaled slowly as he watched the two figures emerge onto the rooftop platform of the Seventh Pharmaceutical Research Center.
"So it really is May 20. Good. Time to prepare."
He put away the binoculars. The pocket watch sized Imperial Arm flashed briefly in his hand, and in the next instant, he vanished.
To prevent these inhumane outdoor experiments from being exposed and causing unrest, Academy City always conducted them at night.
Security personnel would establish multiple warning perimeters under various pretexts. Even satellites would be activated to monitor the area, ensuring that no civilians wandered in by accident.
If anyone did intrude, they would be eliminated without hesitation to preserve secrecy.
...
Elsewhere.
A thin white haired boy casually crushed an empty coffee can and tossed it into a trash bin. He glanced lazily at the display screen of the experiment terminal.
"Tsk. Is it that time again? Outdoors this time? That's new."
He clicked his tongue.
"But can killing twenty thousand really make me invincible? I've already killed nearly ten thousand, and I don't feel any stronger. Or did I get stronger without noticing? Tsk…"
The strongest Level 5 esper of Academy City narrowed his crimson eyes, waiting for the next experiment to begin.