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"You…"
Misaka Mikoto suddenly found it difficult to even get her words out, her breath catching in her throat.
"What… what did you just say?"
She didn't ask because she hadn't heard clearly; she asked to confirm it one more time, desperately hoping she had misinterpreted his meaning.
But Fang Li looked completely puzzled, as if he had no idea he'd just dropped a strategic bomb.
"What did I say? I said I think what I'm doing is a good thing, right?"
But that wasn't what Misaka Mikoto wanted to hear.
Even so, she no longer needed confirmation. Misaka Mikoto was sure. She hadn't misheard.
(If… if that's really the case…) *
Then perhaps, just as Fang Li implied, all those secret, dirty experiments being carried out in Academy City would finally be unable to continue. If nothing else, the "Level 6 Shift Project" that had plagued Mikoto for so long would be forced to halt.
After all, that plan required countless facilities and battlegrounds, over twenty thousand of them. Even if half of those could be done within research labs, the remaining half, over ten thousand locations, would have to be outdoors.
If so many sites became unusable because of Scorpius' interference, then wouldn't the "Level 6 Shift Project" be doomed to fail?
Thinking this far, Misaka Mikoto couldn't help but feel a sudden, fierce flicker of hope.
But shortly after, she snapped back to reality, shaking her head violently to dismiss the dangerous idea.
"You… you can't do this," Misaka Mikoto said hurriedly to Fang Li. "There are satellites watching over Academy City! If you really make such a big move, the higher-ups will find out immediately. The security forces and Judgment will definitely mobilize right away!"
This was no joke. If half the students in Academy City really ended up under Fang Li's command, dominating nearly half the city's territory, the Board of Directors would never sit idly by. At that point, it would definitely escalate into a full-scale suppression involving Anti-Skill and Judgment, a massive conflict that would engulf the entire city.
The chaos would be so huge that ordinary students and civilians would inevitably be affected. This was definitely not something to take lightly.
Fang Li, however, just stared at her blankly.
"I mean, I appreciate that you have that much faith in Scorpius' ability, to think they could take over half of Academy City's armed non-esper factions and all, but isn't that a bit too optimistic?" Fang Li said, half-laughing and half-exasperated. "We're nowhere near that point yet. Scorpius is the biggest group in the nearby area right now. Sure, they've got power, but it's far from a sure thing. The plan could just as easily fall apart halfway through."
Saying that, Fang Li took out his cellphone.
"Anyway, didn't that virtual image research incident just happen not long ago? The whole city still hasn't fully recovered from it."
Holding his phone, Fang Li looked at Misaka Mikoto, a faint, challenging smile on his lips.
"In a city where who knows how many shady experiments are going on in the dark, instead of sitting back and letting them continue unseen, experiments that might not affect the general populace, but bring tragedy to a few… wouldn't it be better to make some noise on the surface? To remind everyone that Academy City isn't some ranch for them to breed lab rats at will."
With that, Fang Li began quickly typing on his cellphone, composing a short message.
The message was simple: "Move out." Just that single line.
Ding!
Accompanied by a light ringtone, the message was sent.
Only then did Misaka Mikoto finally come to her senses, and realize the chilling truth.
Fang Li had already prepared everything. At this very moment, Scorpius' operation was already underway.
There was no way to stop it.
"So yeah, that's how it is," Fang Li said casually. After putting away his cellphone, he picked up the cola on the table, bit down on the straw, and waved a hand toward Misaka Mikoto.
"For now, you'd better behave yourself and stay in your dorm. Don't go wandering around at night."
"Otherwise… you might just get caught up in it."
Leaving those words behind, Fang Li turned and walked away.
Only Misaka Mikoto remained, sitting there, frozen in place, unable to figure out how to react for quite some time.
After leaving the open-air café, Fang Li stepped into a narrow alley. As if he had timed it perfectly, he once again pulled out his cellphone, held it to his ear, without dialing.
Even so, a voice came through immediately.
"How very dramatic of you."
Aleister's voice, mechanically filtered and unsettling, sounded in Fang Li's ear.
"I thought you'd act like before: quietly, while keeping everything concealed."
Even though what Fang Li was doing was an operation big enough to shake all of Academy City, Aleister's tone remained unchanged, as if none of it mattered in the slightest. For the Superintendent, even if the city's entire network of armed non-esper groups fell under Fang Li's control… perhaps it truly wouldn't make any difference at all.
Fang Li only smiled faintly.
"Didn't you say I could decide for myself how to handle this little 'meddling in other people's business'?"
Since that was the case, Fang Li naturally intended to go big. If Aleister had contacted him to interfere, that alone meant this development would benefit Aleister in some way.
However, if only Aleister gained from it, then Fang Li would merely be helping him out of goodwill, which clearly wasn't acceptable. Fang Li wasn't the kind to take a loss.
So, if Aleister intended to profit, Fang Li would make sure to profit as well. By turning Scorpius into the only armed non-esper organization in Academy City, a force powerful enough that no one could afford to ignore it.
And besides…
"Don't forget your promise," Fang Li said lightly. "Once the incident is over, you'll pay me with an original grimoire, a genuine Magic Path text."
"Don't you think you're asking for a bit too much?" Aleister's voice stayed calm. "Turning a blind eye to Scorpius' growth, that in itself should count as payment, shouldn't it?"
"You're the one who said I could choose how to carry out the mission," Fang Li replied coolly. "So the outcome that follows is merely a result of that choice. It doesn't count as a reward."
"…Very well." Aleister seemed to hesitate for a moment, then said, "If that was agreed upon from the start, then so be it."
With that, the line went dead.
Listening to the busy tone coming from the phone, Fang Li's expression didn't change, but inwardly, there was a trace of dark irony.
"How insincere…"
(End Of This Chapter)