"Aleister wants to see me again? What is going on this time?" Arata raised an eyebrow as he looked at his phone. He truly did not want to meet Aleister again.
What was floating inside the life support tube was merely a damaged physical body used to maintain his existence in the material world. His true strength was terrifying. Although he stood at the pinnacle of humanity, he was in no way weaker than a Magic God.
Aleister himself likely felt uncomfortable inside the windowless building where he stayed. It was probably because he disliked such a dim and enclosed space.
Last time, Arata had left a spatial marker here. In the next instant, he arrived within that strange space that could barely be called a room. He walked toward the enormous life support tube at the center, frowned slightly, looked at Aleister who was no different from the last time, sighed, and spoke in a half joking tone.
"Chairman Aleister, what brings you to summon me again? Are you planning to increase my subsidy? Although the current allowance is already sufficient, I certainly would not mind receiving more."
Aleister looked at the boy who was visiting this place for the second time, someone who had already been identified as a key factor in the world's future. His expression did not change in the slightest.
"Funding subsidies fall under the responsibility of the Board of Directors. If you require additional support, you may submit an application to them. I invited you here because there is something I wish to discuss with you. I believe someone who has obtained omniscience should have already received the revelation."
Arata silently raised an eyebrow. This Aleister was still trying to test him even now? He stroked his chin thoughtfully. What omniscience was he talking about? Arata had merely bluffed earlier because he knew the plot, yet Aleister had interpreted that as some kind of omniscience.
For Aleister to personally invite him here was extremely unusual unless he had nothing better to do. Matters concerning the scientific side would normally be handled by issuing orders directly to the Board of Directors.
Therefore, this must involve the magic side.
The magic side had not yet found a reason to openly confront Academy City, nor had they figured out Academy City's hidden trump card.
The unknown was always the most frightening factor.
So... could it be Index?
Index had arrived in this island nation a year ago. She entered Academy City on July 12 and later met Kamijou Touma on July 20.
Because of Arata's actions during this period, a butterfly effect might have occurred.
"Index!" Arata muttered as a slow smile spread across his lips. She was essentially a gluttonous mobile library, carrying one hundred and three thousand grimoires. Aside from being an irresistibly cute silver haired girl, she possessed more than ninety percent of the magical knowledge in this world.
"That is correct," Aleister replied calmly. He did not bother explaining anything. Since Arata supposedly possessed omniscience, there was no need for explanations.
"So Chairman Aleister, you are actually willing to give me such an enormous treasure? Are you not afraid that I might defect to the magic side?" Arata squinted slightly, genuinely puzzled about Aleister's intentions.
Knowing that he was capable of learning both magic and esper abilities, Aleister was still willing to hand over nearly ninety percent of the magical knowledge contained in the library.
"Compared to the magic side, I believe you prefer the scientific side," Aleister said quietly while looking at Arata.
He had already predicted countless possibilities and possessed a form of omniscience even admired by Aiwass. Therefore, he naturally knew about the existence of the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, the vast treasure of magical knowledge carried by the girl known as Index. Since that knowledge held little practical value for Academy City itself, presenting it as a gift would not cause any loss.
Moreover, accumulating and mastering that enormous amount of magical knowledge would take an immeasurable amount of time. By the time Arata revealed that he possessed two entirely different systems of power, both science and magic, Aleister might already have openly declared war on the gods.
In that case, it would be better to let Arata owe him a favor.
"Compared to the lifeless religious world that specializes in brainwashing people, I do prefer this vibrant city. I would never place my faith in those religions. They are not worthy of my belief."
Arata chuckled and shrugged. One day he would eventually reach the level of those Magic Gods himself. What he felt toward them was not reverence but only caution toward their overwhelming power.
After all, that kind of power could overturn every law of reality. If he were to truly encounter such an existence, he would certainly not sit still and wait for death. The Void Star: Tai suu was not merely decorative.
However, the key problem was that if he truly activated the Void Star: Tai suu with his current level of strength, even if he managed to seal a Magic God, he would immediately lose consciousness due to extreme exhaustion. At that moment he would be placed in tremendous danger.
"Well then, goodbye!" Arata said as his figure instantly disappeared from the spot.
Silence returned to the space. Aleister quietly watched the place where Arata had vanished. His calm and expressionless eyes revealed a faint trace of complicated thought.
Back at home, the Misaka Sisters were watching television programs with great curiosity, appearing fascinated by everything they saw.
"A magical girl show. I never expected to watch something like this with my roommate." Arata took two bottles of cold drinks from the refrigerator, sat down on the tatami mat, and handed one of the drinks to Misaka Mikoto.
"Although it is just a cheap cold drink, you have not had something like this since you were discharged from the hospital, right? Home is where you should relax and enjoy yourself."
"Why is a magical girl called a magical girl and not a science girl, asks Misaka." Holding the cold drink with both hands, Misaka paused for a moment before asking a very simple question.
"Because magical girls use magic," Arata replied with an amused smile.
"Why magic?" Misaka asked again with a blank expression.
"Because it is magic. That is simply how it is. Alright, that is enough questions, you curious little ones. Once Nunotaba Shinobu finishes establishing the emotional system within the Misaka Network, you will start showing many interesting expressions. I am really looking forward to that." Arata's hand unconsciously slid around the Misaka Sister's arm and gently wrapped around her waist, pulling her slightly closer to him.
"Hmm. I still have not opened the three one star cards I received from the research institute earlier. They should probably contain nothing more than ordinary daily items."
Three cards appeared in his hand as he muttered to himself.
"The Gate of Babylon is slowly turning into a warehouse for daily necessities."
"Ding! Congratulations host. A one star card has been activated and you have received 200,000 YEN."
"Ding! Congratulations host. A one star card has been activated and you have obtained a Lucky Koi."
"Ding! Congratulations host. A one star card has been activated and you have obtained the technological item Missing Person Glasses."
The Missing Person Glasses were a technological gadget originating from the world of Doraemon. By recalling the memory of a specific person, an arrow would appear on the glasses pointing toward the direction of the individual being searched for.
"Huh! Another gadget from Doraemon. This is actually very useful." Arata's eyes lit up. Just when he needed to find someone, the solution had conveniently appeared.
...
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