Buzz...
With the slight hum of the grand castle's metal gates, the gears, shafts, and hydraulic rods meshed and rubbed together, the members of the former dark organization, School, including Kakine Teitoku, slowly walked out of the massive, multi-tiered Gothic building with the servants bidding them farewell.
Blue skies and white clouds, the brilliant sun hung high above. On either side, the branches and leaves of tall, sturdy trees split the warm sunlight into fine golden specks.
"A normal life..."
Kakine Teitoku walked up the steps made from large stone slabs. He tilted his head back, squinting slightly, and raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun. The dappled light filtered through his fingers, a little dazzling, but at that moment, he felt an unprecedented sense of exhilaration.
Standing here, the garden's fountain sculptures were arranged along the descending steps, and flowerbeds filled the space between the main buildings. A large plaza surrounded the palace.
At the outermost ring of the estate, beyond the delicate, shallow iron fence gate, stood a towering gate over twenty meters high and sixty-five meters wide, with three arched towers adorned with gold and silver reliefs. Under the scorching sun, the bronze floral sculptures on the rooftop gleamed brilliantly.
"Hey, captain, are you really..."
Yobou Banka, the 'Saturn Ring' boy wearing specially made protective goggles, looked at Kakine Teitoku with a complicated expression, trying to say something, but eventually stopped himself. This was Kakine Teitoku's choice; he had no right to interfere.
Within SCHOOL, Yumiya Rakko was a powerless individual, and frankly speaking, he wasn't that important. Gokusai Kaibi, on the other hand, was more like a collaborator, less a subordinate, even though, in the original work, Gokusai Kaibi had voluntarily quit the organization. Perhaps Yobou Banka was the only one with some special attachment to Kakine Teitoku, stemming from his past challenges.
Before challenging Kakine Teitoku, Yobou Banka had been quite confident, especially dissatisfied with the classification of espers. He considered himself to be on par with a Level 5 esper and aimed to be one himself. After failing to challenge Kakine Teitoku, he seemed to have a different view of the Level 5s and, through various coincidences, eventually joined Kakine Teitoku's team.
"Yobou, SCHOOL is disbanded. I'm no longer your captain. It's time for you to leave the dark department as well. Working at the Schicksal Research Institute is a far better option than living in constant fear of death in the dark department..."
With that, Kakine Teitoku stopped, turned around, and with one hand in his pocket, he patted Yobou Banka on the shoulder.
"I don't want to lose my few real friends."
When he said the word 'friends,' he immediately laughed heartily. In that moment, he felt the magnitude of his own change over the years.
Before Selene came to Academy City, he had been suppressed by Accelerator, who had nearly no advantages (he thought of himself as the Number One). With unequal resource distribution and being undervalued, coupled with his years spent on the dark side of society.
At that time, he had been proud, hypocritical, arrogant, and unrestrained. His attitude was that of 'break it if it's broken.' Even when his SCHOOL companions died, he hadn't cared.
But after being overwhelmingly crushed by Selene, almost becoming paralyzed, and seeing Accelerator reduced to a 'patient,' followed by constant setbacks, the gap between them growing wider, he started to feel more at ease.
To some extent, he had started to mimic many of Selene's mannerisms. Initially, he had thought of Selene as a person like himself—proud and hypocritical. The only difference was that he didn't disguise it, while Selene was a master of disguise and performance.
As for the idea, as in the original work, of trying to climb to a higher position by killing Accelerator to have an equal conversation with Aleister Crowley, that idea had never crossed his mind.
What was he thinking? If he were to kill, it would have to be the Number One. Right now, Accelerator was just the second in line. Killing him wouldn't serve any purpose. But to kill the Number One? That would be a death wish. There might be a chance of victory, but the gap between them was still considerable. He might consider it, but for now, he preferred to enjoy a few more normal days of his own.
"I understand." Yobou Banka tightened his grip on the invoice in his hand, which bore Selene's signature and seal.
Kakine Teitoku's meaning was clear: after SCHOOL disbanded, he was not to join another dark organization. He was to completely retire from the dark side and focus on his new role at the Schicksal Research Institute.
With Selene's backing, unless he severed ties with her, no one would dare come after him, and the upper echelons of Academy City would naturally leave him alone.
The invoice in his hand could be seen as a parting gift. Just moments ago, facing the option Selene had provided, Yobou Banka chose to stay under Selene's wing and join the Schicksal Research Institute in District 2. His telekinetic abilities suited the work there.
Meanwhile, Gokusai Kaibi and Yumiya Rakko also held their own invoices. However, the two of them were fending for themselves now.
Yumiya Rakko, a powerless individual, was still a middle school student. She hadn't completed her education yet. She had no abilities and her academic qualifications were insufficient. Her keen hunting instincts were her strength, but unfortunately, Selene had no need for mercenaries. Thus, Yumiya Rakko was advised to go back to Shidarezakura Academy and focus on her studies.
To put it in Selene's more tactful words:
"You crave attention and friendship, but that's also because you always put your sniper and dark department missions first, missing many opportunities to bond with your classmates. It's time to end your dark department career and start a new life. Try talking to your classmates more."
In short, Selene's message was: "You're too weak. I don't have time for you. Go back and study."
As for Gokusai Kaibi, it was due to personal reasons. Selene didn't mind.
Walking along the main road, bordered by grassy lawns and lined with avenue trees, they passed through the massive marble gates resembling an 'Arc de Triomphe,' and the view before them opened up. They had officially stepped out of Selene's estate.
Though it was noon, with the sun shining brightly, in District 7—the most densely populated area of Academy City—especially with the Daihasei Festival approaching, the broad streets were surprisingly empty, dotted only by a few streetlights.
In contrast, there were numerous cleaning robots, security robots, and heavily armed riot control robots patrolling the area. No wonder this district was known for its top-notch security. Delinquents and petty criminals were practically nonexistent.
"Well then, goodbye."
With that, Kakine Teitoku took the lead, stepping out from the shadow of the gate into the sunlight. He waved his hand, shoved his hands in his pockets, and left without looking back.
The remaining three exchanged silent glances before parting ways. Each had their own new path: some reporting to their new assignments, some continuing to earn extra income, and some returning to school.
At that moment, the dark organization SCHOOL, the most powerful underground group in Academy City, officially disbanded.
Buzz~
Inside the sunroom, the faint sound of the French press heating up was the only noise.
Selene's eyes glowed with a red light as she watched Kakine Teitoku walk away.
It seemed he was heading to the shopping district. From the looks of it, he was off to buy daily necessities for that girl, Yuzuriha Ringo. With bonds and attachments, and with my explicit approval, it was like clutching at a lifeline—doing everything possible to take care of her...
At this thought, Selene couldn't help but laugh softly.
What is this? Accelerator and the final piece, Kakine Teitoku and Yuzuriha Ringo? Two of the top three Level 5s in Academy City are now looking after children.
Oh, I'll be taking care of a child soon too. Not only should I introduce Alyssa to Mother Katie, but Mother Katie also wrote back saying she'll bring her brother Ferdinand along to cheer for her sister at the Daihasei Festival.
With a smile, Selene pulled her gaze away, slowly closed the curtains, and walked to the desk to dial a number.
Elsewhere, in a secret, low-profile 'research facility' in one of Academy City's districts...
A man wearing a white coat, thin and tall, with golden buzzcut hair, and a black tattoo on the left half of his face, exuding a volatile demeanor, was reclining with his feet propped up on the desk, mockingly flipping through documents related to the 'Tree Diagram Information Reception Center', 'Musujime Awaki Monitoring Report', and 'External Organization Entry Analysis Report' for Academy City.
"They have no idea what they're getting into. The Judgment members and the security officers have already taken over. Let's see how good they are. I've sent people to keep an eye on them…"
Leaning back in his rotating office chair, the man pressed his foot on the desk phone, ready to speak. But before he could, another strange communication device on the desk suddenly rang.
This piqued his curiosity. This was the direct line to the Academy City Board of Directors. Who could it be?
Click~
"Kihara Amata, it's me, Selene."
The moment he heard the voice, Kihara Amata's playful expression vanished. His feet hit the floor, and he moved his chair closer to the desk. "Miss Selene? What can I do for you?"
"To be precise, it's not me, it's Kakine Teitoku. He has decided to no longer participate in the dark side's activities. SCHOOL is disbanded immediately. Spread the word." Selene spoke calmly, tapping her finger on the wooden desk.
"You're in charge of the dark side's operations, and you're the expert in this field. You're well-informed and up to date, so tell them: the dark department team SCHOOL is gracefully exiting. The market is theirs now." Selene put extra emphasis on the word 'gracefully,' pausing for a moment before continuing, "Of course, if any former SCHOOL members decide to join another dark group or actively engage in dark side matters again, the above won't apply."
"Haha... Miss Selene, you flatter me. This small matter will be handled without issue. Don't worry." Kihara Amata did not ask why Kakine Teitoku was leaving. He nodded and assured her that it would be taken care of quickly.
Conveying new intelligence and managing the dark world—this was part of his job, though some dark groups were more unpredictable and difficult to handle.
As a member of the Kihara family that dominated Academy City's dark world, Kihara Amata controlled the Hound Dog, the dark organization directly under the Academy City Board of Directors, Aleister Crowley. He was the bridge between the official Academy City and the underground world, possessing an extensive intelligence network.
Talking with Selene, especially a noble like her, was surprisingly smooth. No matter what others thought, Kihara Amata found it effective and efficient. As long as you didn't get on her bad side, communicating with her was a pleasant experience.
He was known for his brutality and disregard for human life, but that didn't mean he was a sadist. He had a certain flair for language that made things go smoothly, especially when the other party was more powerful.
Of course, if it were a Board member like Oyafune Monaka, whose ideas were entirely at odds with his own, Kihara Amata's attitude would have been completely different.
In his dealings with the second, third, and fifth-ranked espers, their frantic mania, egotistical arrogance, and unpredictability were almost unbearable (in his eyes). Especially Accelerator—comparing him to the Number One was like night and day, and Kihara Amata had little patience for the former.
Perhaps, unknowingly, Selene had indirectly influenced Kihara Amata's already poor attitude toward certain Level 5 espers under his charge.
"Well, good work." With a slight smile, Selene ended the call.
Cough, cough. For some reason, Selene always found it quite easy to communicate with people like Kihara Amata, despite their negative traits.
She was a beneficiary of Academy City's rules, not a struggling challenger. Regardless of what others had done, as long as they treated her well and didn't provoke her, she didn't mind showing kindness. As part of Aleister's line, giving Kihara Amata a favorable attitude didn't cost her anything.
"But... the file on his desk was about the Tree Diagram Information Reception Center, wasn't it...?" Selene mused.
Click~
With a thought, Selene instantly appeared atop the castle's Gothic spire, standing on one foot. Her pupils contracted as she observed the 'Orihime 1' satellite suspended in low Earth orbit above Academy City, with the Tree Diagram still intact atop it.
At that moment, Selene's phone rang again.
She pulled out her phone, and the caller ID clearly read: 'Misaka Mikoto.'
Ding~
"Hello? Hey, not another meeting, please..." Selene first heard a muttering sound, followed by, "Ah, it's connected! Selene, are you there? Quick, use your unbeatable top-tier spatial ability and figure something out!"
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