Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "So, Ruiko-chan didn't win against Misaka Mikoto in the end?"
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "Yeah. Although our fight wasn't long and we didn't use our full strength, I think if we had continued, I probably would have lost."
Ruiko was significantly faster than Misaka Mikoto, but she couldn't close the distance. Mikoto's electromagnetic barrier acted as a natural restraint against her physical skills, and resorting to actual weapons felt like going too far.
Curly-Haired Boy: "Giving up halfway? You can't do that, Ruiko-chan! The warrior spirit will weep!"
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "I told you, I don't have anything like that!"
This is an Actor: "Why did you lose? Misaka Mikoto is essentially a junior high student just like you. It was merely a fight between two weaklings; how did you conclude that you would lose?"
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "...Weaklings?"
Curly-Haired Boy: "Pffft! There it is—An Ran's subtle metaphor!"
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "Uh... while it's true that Ruiko and Misaka Mikoto don't have much experience with killing, isn't calling them 'weaklings' a bit unfair?"
This is an Actor: "I am simply stating facts."
To Aizen, it was the absolute truth.
Curly-Haired Boy: "Hey, you aren't really putting yourself in Aizen's shoes, are you? You're just an ordinary person after all. And the power of that Railgun is definitely too much for Ruiko-chan to stop right now!"
This is an Actor: "Then why give her the chance to fire the Railgun? Is the Shunpo just for show? Combining Bakudo with Shunpo can obviously defeat such an opponent with ease."
Curly-Haired Boy: "You're talking nonsense, you bastard! You're making it sound as if defeating Misaka Mikoto is as simple as breathing!"
This is an Actor: "Is it not?"
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "An Ran-san, aren't you being... a bit hyperbolic? Although I admire your confidence and composure, Misaka Mikoto does possess significant skill."
At the very least, Konan felt that she couldn't withstand a direct hit from the Railgun. Well, not yet.
Curly-Haired Boy: "Humph! Even Konan said so, and you're still being stubborn? Gin-san recognizes Konan as the strongest in this group, even if only temporarily!"
Shark Face: "Oh my, oh my... the Group Leader is being underestimated."
The strongest in this group? Konan? Kisame nearly laughed himself to death. But he didn't expose the truth. After all, it was exhilarating to see the seemingly omnipotent Lord Aizen "defeated" in an argument. It was like discovering a whole new world.
Aizen wasn't angry. With his refinement and temperament, he wouldn't be upset by such trivialities. He simply continued the conversation. "For the time being? Does that mean Gintoki is confident he can surpass Konan?"
Curly-Haired Boy: "This isn't a question of confidence; it's a matter of fact. If I get just one more lucky lottery draw, Gin-san will definitely become the strongest in the world... no, the multiverse!"
This is an Actor: "I see—the strongest in the multiverse. I truly want to believe you, but when it comes to your luck with the lottery..."
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "It reminds me of the bear-patterned trunks?"
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "Hahahaha! The mental image is overwhelming! The strongest man in the universe, wearing bear trunks on his head... it's Sakata Gintoki-san!"
Shark Face: "Well, that lottery draw alone does make Gintoki-san the 'strongest' in the multiverse, in a certain sense."
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "The Strongest Pervert in the Multiverse?"
Curly-Haired Boy: "Shut up! Shut up right now! How dare you bastards laugh at me? You're finished! I declare you all completely finished!"
Book Artist: "Damn it..."
Curly-Haired Boy: "That's right, all of you must be destroyed! I have decided that when I become the King of the Multiverse, I will make every one of you sew pants at home every day—and they must be other people's worn-out pants!"
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "Sewing panties..."
Book Artist: "What the hell are you talking about? I mean this is doomed! [Image]"
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "Is this... a mouse?"
When the image was clicked, a strange, grayish-black creature appeared. Outwardly, it looked like an ordinary mouse, but it was dozens of times larger than normal, and the front of its head was armored with a layer of thick, black scales.
Book Artist: "I don't know. I just happened to find it in an alleyway. It ran so fast it disappeared in the blink of an eye."
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "That looks terrifying! What on earth did that mouse eat to grow that big?"
This is an Actor: "Fukushima nuclear wastewater?"
Curly-Haired Boy: "?"
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "Nuclear wastewater?"
Book Artist: "Phew... why would An Ran-san think of that?"
This is an Actor: "Because on my side of the Earth, the island nations are actually dumping nuclear wastewater into the ocean. If that's the case over there, it wouldn't be surprising to see such distorted species."
Curly-Haired Boy: "Hey, are you serious? Dumping nuclear wastewater into the sea? How utterly insane would someone have to be to do that? Are the leaders of your island nation actually animals? No, even animals know how to care for the environment!"
At that moment, Sakata Gintoki felt his scalp prickle. He looked at Kagura, who was nearby, with trembling eyes.
"Gin-chan, what's wrong?" Kagura, busy eating sour kelp, turned her head when she noticed his gaze.
"No, nothing," Gintoki replied, exhaling a breath of relief. "Kagura-chan... that stuff... maybe eat a little less of it in the future." He was genuinely afraid the girl who loved sour kelp might suddenly sprout four heads and eight arms. The scene was simply unimaginable.
Book Artist: "We don't have any of that here, do we? Besides, I haven't seen any reports of such creatures in the news."
Despite her words, Eriri wasn't entirely sure.
Curly-Haired Boy: "Maybe it wasn't reported because it was suppressed. Wake up! Those bigwigs don't want to see negative information that's detrimental to their rule!"
Book Artist: "So, what should we do? These things won't harm humans, right?"
This is an Actor: "Since they aren't appearing on the streets to bite people, the situation isn't too serious yet. But you must learn to protect yourself."
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "An Ran-san, do you mean these giant rats might actually attack humans one day?"
This is an Actor: "It's not just a rodent problem. Eriri, remember the news story you saw earlier? The one about the record-breaking anaconda?"
Book Artist: "You mean..."
This is an Actor: "Yes. The same gigantism, the same transcendence of the norm. Could they be caused by the same factor? If so, it would be a signal."
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "What signal?"
This is an Actor: "The world is changing."