Kakine Teitoku felt an almost uncontrollable urge to laugh.
Even though he looked down on those working in the "Item" side of the Dark Side, watching them get dragged into trouble like this was oddly satisfying.
Thinking about the so-called eighth, he couldn't help recalling what had happened last time. There had been no proper mission briefing at all. Through his own channels, he had already investigated the background of the eighth-ranked Level 5, and had also obtained a significant amount of information regarding Accelerator's "Level 6 Shift Project."
"The Board of Directors always pulls this kind of stunt. But something like this that brings them no benefit at all… this is obviously Aleister's doing. The third-ranked mass-produced clones… what exactly is that man trying to achieve?"
Kakine Teitoku fell into deep thought.
In Academy City, every esper, from Level 0 to Level 5, was nothing more than a test subject. The only way to break free from that status was to obtain the right to stand on equal footing with Aleister.
Even now, he had yet to find that opportunity.
The conditions were already there, but he lacked the chance to act.
However, Accelerator… and now the eighth-ranked Level 5… both clearly possessed the qualifications to stand before Aleister.
A multi-skill esper capable of wielding multiple Level 5-class abilities such as telekinesis, time manipulation, and spatial control. And also connected to Accelerator, the core of the Level 6 Shift Project.
"…Forget it." Kakine Teitoku's expression darkened.
"Hahaha! This is hilarious, absolutely hilarious. Where did this rookie come from? Just became a Level 5 and already thinks he's invincible? I'm dying here."
Mugino Shizuri lounged by the poolside in a thin swimsuit, crossing her legs as she read the mission briefing and burst into laughter.
"What is it, what is it? Mugino, Did you find something interesting? Let me see!" A petite blonde girl with fluffy hair and bright blue eyes ran over, holding an iced cola, and leaned in close.
"The reason Mugino is so happy is obviously because she grabbed another mission from the Dark Side. Lately we've been getting a lot of high-paying jobs. It's been a while since we could relax like this in a pool," said a girl with a short brown bob, floating lazily in a swim ring.
"Huh? Assassinate the eighth-ranked Level 5 with telekinesis? Wait, what? Assassinate a Level 5? What kind of ridiculous mission is this? We're supposed to fight another Level 5 and kill them? That's not even our job!"
The blonde girl stared at the screen in disbelief.
"Assassinating a Level 5… what kind of joke is this? Let me see." The bob-haired girl immediately swam over and leaned against the poolside to read the details.
"The eighth-ranked Level 5 has illegally taken control of over forty research facilities, severely disrupting the balance of Academy City and forcing multiple projects to shut down…"
"That eighth… total idiot. But still a Level 5. We're not his opponents. Mugino, are you really going to take this mission?" the bob-haired girl asked seriously, clearly feeling the pressure.
"This is completely outside our operational scope."
This wasn't a mission meant for ITEM.
Their primary role was to monitor and restrain the excesses of Board members and suppress unrest among other Dark Side factions.
Eliminating external threats or directly assassinating major targets like this was usually handled by other units.
Even worse, ITEM wasn't the strongest Dark Side group. If they clashed with something like SCHOOL, they would be crushed without resistance. Kakine Teitoku had already proven that multiple times.
Mugino had never admitted defeat, but she absolutely regarded him as her worst enemy.
"Hmph. So what? It's not like we've never gone beyond our authority before. The higher-ups never punished us anyway. And besides…" Mugino sneered.
"I've never killed a Level 5 before."
"Hah. The target is only the eighth-ranked. Mugino is ranked fourth. Their abilities and experience are on completely different levels. ITEM has a record of killing a Level 5 now," the blonde girl declared arrogantly, hands on her hips.
"Who issued the mission?" the bob-haired girl asked cautiously.
"Anonymous. Obviously. Those bastards would never reveal themselves. But they did provide detailed information on the target's abilities," Mugino said as she scrolled through the data.
"A Level 5 like this… I can handle it."
"Whoa! Fifty million yen?! That's more than our last several jobs combined! We can live comfortably for a long time after this!" The blonde girl grabbed the laptop excitedly, her eyes practically turning into currency symbols.
"They even tracked his phone signal. Looks like everything's ready. Let's move out immediately."
"Understood."
"Got it."
"I'm not done soaking yet…" the girl floating in the pool muttered lazily.
"Stop soaking. Finish this job and you can soak all you want," Mugino said coldly.
"…Fine."
The 22nd School District was home to the largest concentration of wind turbines in Academy City above ground, while its buildings were entirely underground.
It formed a massive circular underground complex with ten levels, each covering roughly one square kilometer.
The ceiling of each level displayed a simulated cosmic starfield, while the lighting created the illusion of being inside a spacecraft.
Without the streetlights lining the roads, one might truly believe they were floating in outer space.
"This is only my second time here, but it still feels amazing," Saten Ruiko said excitedly, her voice as lively as a songbird.
"I heard this place has the largest bathhouse in Academy City. Also one of the famous urban legends, the eleventh underground level, and the train that never stops."
"Wow! Science is incredible. Magic could achieve something similar, but I've never seen anything on this scale," Index said, blinking in amazement as she looked around curiously.
"For me, this is my first time here… but the eleventh level isn't just a legend. It actually exists," Arata said mysteriously, crossing his arms.
...
Re@d adv@nce ch@pters on p@t
guilt_free_daoist
Jo!n d!sc0rd I!nk in synops!s.
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