This time, the ones Izumi sent out to attend school were not just two.
Alongside Shokuhou Misaki and Mitsuari Ayu—
He also sent out:
Hokaze JunkoKiyama HarumiYumiya Rakko
For the first time—
The children of the Talent Development Institute stepped into the outside world.
With just a brief notice to Aleister Crowley—
Their enrollment documents were immediately prepared.
As for Yuri Chiya and Dolly—
Izumi chose not to send them out.
Yuri Chiya's fragile condition made excessive activity dangerous.
As for Dolly—
Her identity was far too sensitive.
A clone of Misaka Mikoto.
Revealing her existence publicly would cause unnecessary complications.
This move—
Sending out two Level 5s and three Level 4s—
Was deliberate.
Since Izumi took over, the institute had remained silent.
No publications.
No results.
To outsiders—
It was as if the place had vanished.
So now—
He intended to make a statement.
Soon—
The news would spread.
A single institute—
Producing two Level 5 espers.
That alone would shake Academy City.
After all—
Up until now, there had only been six Level 5s in total.
And that didn't even include Misaki and Ayu.
Izumi stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Then—
Taking the compiled data prepared by Aiba Asagi—
He stepped forward.
And vanished.
In the next instant—
He appeared before Aleister.
The man in the life-support cylinder opened his eyes.
"…Is there something you require, Izumi-san?"
Izumi didn't waste time.
He tossed the data over.
"Take a look."
"I'm planning to carry out this experiment."
"If there's no issue—help me promote it."
Aleister raised a brow, then had the documents retrieved mechanically.
As he read—
His expression shifted.
First—
Confusion.
Then—
Shock.
"Using modern technology… to achieve magic…"
"Anyone who has undergone esper development—even failures—can use it…"
He murmured under his breath.
This "modern magic"—
Was eerily similar to esper abilities.
It modified informational constructs—
Altering reality itself.
Much like the AIM Diffusion Field.
AIM Diffusion Fields—
The faint energy emitted unconsciously by espers.
Each individual's field was unique.
Modern magic—
Manipulated those informational structures.
In other words—
It could potentially influence or reconstruct AIM fields.
If this worked—
Even Level 0s could gain power.
For Academy City—
For the entire Science Side—
This was revolutionary.
Aleister's eyes lit up.
"…Tell me what you need."
"I will fully cooperate."
To him—
This was more than useful.
It was a weapon.
If modern magic spread—
It could replace traditional magic.
Destroy the foundation of the Magic Side.
Make the "mysterious" no longer mysterious.
Izumi smirked faintly.
"Looks like you're quite eager to see this implemented."
Aleister didn't hide it.
"My goal is simple."
"To destroy the Magic Side."
"To tear apart every phase created by the Magic Gods."
"And return the world to a pure physical state."
"Magic… should not exist."
His voice remained calm—
But firm.
"However, achieving that is extremely difficult."
"But this…"
"This scientific magic presents another path."
He tapped the document lightly.
"This proves that everything magic can do… can be explained through science."
"No mystery required."
"It all follows physical laws."
His gaze sharpened.
"Imagine this—"
"While magicians spend years mastering spells…"
"On the Science Side, the same result can be achieved with a device or program."
"The impact alone would shatter their entire foundation."
Izumi raised a brow slightly.
"So you're laying everything out for me?"
"Aren't you afraid I'll interfere with your plans?"
Aleister shook his head.
"I don't know your true purpose."
"But I see no conflict between us."
He had observed Izumi carefully.
Everything he did—
Was aligned with the Science Side.
And now—
With this data—
Aleister had made his conclusion.
Izumi neither agreed nor denied.
There truly wasn't any conflict.
If anything—
Their interests aligned.
Because—
He had already decided.
This world—
Would be merged into his own.
But doing so wasn't simple.
The authority of this world—
Was held by the Magic Gods.
They controlled phases.
Reshaped reality.
Restarted the world as they pleased—
Like game administrators.
To merge it—
Izumi would have to remove them.
Or force them out of their phases.
Otherwise—
They would resist.
Desperately.
And if they overturned everything—
Even he would find it troublesome.
After a brief pause—
Izumi spoke:
"You're right. There's no conflict between us."
"But once your plan succeeds…"
"My plan may go far beyond your expectations."
"Just don't regret it later."
Aleister's eyes flickered.
"…Then tell me."
"What is your purpose in this world?"
"If possible—I'd like to understand it."
"Better to resolve any issues before they become conflicts."
He stared straight ahead.
"With your level of power…"
"There shouldn't be anything in this world that interests you."
And that—
Was what he couldn't understand.
Why had Izumi come here?
What was he truly after?