Ren's memory was exceptional. He quickly memorized the general route of their target, who eventually disappeared into District Ten, a well-known industrial area.
Compared to other districts, surveillance was sparse, making it a suitable place for research.
Stroking his chin, Ren confirmed the rough location. It would have been better to be more precise, as District Ten was vast, being an industrial zone.
At that moment, Gokusai Kaibi walked over and said, "We have a visitor."
"Huh? Who?"
"Number Three," Gokusai Kaibi replied, feeling frustrated. The people they kept encountering were far beyond her ability to handle.
Ren recalled the visitor's abilities—she is a cheat in this Academy City. Since the surveillance had been tampered with, Ren decided to let them in.
The visitor appeared, surprising Ren. They wore the uniform of Tokiwami Middle School, goggles on their head, and eyes that looked almost lifeless.
"You're the sister?" Ren asked.
"Yes. Misaka's code is 5303. Nice to meet you, Brother Ren. I've wanted to see you for a long time. Misaka is happy to express her thoughts honestly," Misaka 5303 said plainly.
"Today, we'll need your help, Misaka."
"Yes. Misaka is glad to assist. I can locate the general position through the Misaka Network and provide guidance," she replied.
"Good. Let's go," Ren said, driving off with the two girls. They sped toward District Ten. Since the intruder had broken in, a physical confrontation might occur, and delaying would only make things worse.
In District Ten, traffic was noticeably lighter, and surveillance footage was scarce. The intelligence in Ren's hands could only confirm that the target had vanished within the district.
"Turn left at the next intersection. From here, Misaka will guide us. Apologies for the directions being so vague," Misaka said from the passenger seat.
Ren didn't hesitate. Following her instructions, he drove deeper into District Ten. Gokusai Kaibi felt her life flashing before her eyes. In the time she had followed Ren, she had already embarrassed herself beyond measure. She had never lost composure like this before.
Whether being dragged along by Ren or speeding recklessly, her adrenaline surged uncontrollably.
Turning this way and that through the industrial area, they arrived at a tall building. Ren got out to inspect it. Tire tracks and fresh footprints indicated someone had been here recently.
"What now? We're not just barging in blindly, right?" Gokusai Kaibi had a bad feeling.
"Of course we are. We can't give them time to react," Ren said. He had long anticipated the trouble that exposure could bring. There was more than he expected, and the target had already crossed his bottom line.
"Misaka is confused. We should hack their surveillance first, then proceed. Misaka suggests this," she said.
"No need. It's a good chance to show you my strength," Ren said, stepping out of the car.
"I really don't want to see it again…" Gokusai Kaibi sighed deeply, but as if making up her mind, she followed him.
The three of them entered the surveillance area. They already knew the target's approximate location. The first-floor door opened automatically, revealing an empty room.
"An ambush, perhaps?" Gokusai Kaibi said, suspicious.
At that moment, a huge screen flickered on, showing an elderly man.
"Enemy? Misaka wants to launch an attack."
"Don't act rashly." After stopping Misaka, Ren looked at the big screen and said, "I know you can hear me. Where are Shokuhou Misaki and the others?"
"This should be our first meeting, right, Ren? Don't rush. They're all on the very top floor. Since you've come here, it means you're willing to take part in the experiment." The old man finally spoke.
"What if I refuse to cooperate?"
"One of them is already injured. And all I need to do is press this button to release poison gas. Three seconds is enough to kill them. Are you sure you want to do that, Ren?" The old man took out a controller with a smiling face. Ren wouldn't refuse. Everything was going exactly as he expected.
"Kihara Gensei. I will kill you." Ren made his declaration.
"Hahahaha. You'll have to find me first. There's nothing here except testing machines. Ren, feel free to destroy as much as you like. These robots can all send data back to me." Kihara Gensei laughed loudly.
"How do I know you won't go back on your word?" Ren stared at the screen. The remote was in the other man's hands. Three seconds to reach the top floor and find the right spot was clearly not enough.
"Ren, people should be treated properly. That way, things won't end in mutual destruction. Everything is for the sake of science. If you cooperate actively, there would be no need to use such methods. But it doesn't matter anymore. Next, please use all of your strength. Otherwise, the consequences…" Kihara Gensei didn't finish his sentence, wearing an expression that said everything without words.
The video feed cut off.
A large number of robots appeared around them and began closing in on the three.
"No good. My ability doesn't work." Gokusai Kaibi sounded helpless. Back when she followed Kakine Teitoku, she was as imposing as could be. Now that she was with Ren, she felt like nothing more than a decorative vase. That made her extremely unhappy.
"Misaka has no weapons, and her ability is only Level 2. Hand-to-hand combat will probably be ineffective. We can only retreat. Misaka has made a judgment based on the current situation." After saying that, Misaka moved to Gokusai Kaibi's side, lifted her by the waist, and quickly retreated.
Clearly, the robots were targeting Ren. They made no attempt to stop the girls from leaving.
Ren looked around. The entire floor was almost completely filled with robots. Even the stairs leading down were blocked.
Gunfire erupted.
Machine guns roared as bullets poured down like rain. No matter how dense the barrage was, not a single bullet could touch Ren.
Inside a certain experimental building.
"Still can't detect him? Ren, I'm becoming more and more interested in you." Kihara Gensei showed an excited expression. These instruments were capable of detecting speeds beyond the speed of sound.
Which meant that Ren had actually broken the sound barrier in an instant.
That left him in disbelief. Under such speeds, it was extremely difficult for a normal human to survive.
"His strength even exceeds that of Gemstone ability users." Seeing yet another parameter exceed the detection limit, Kihara Gensei's interest in Ren deepened further. A divine tier. At that moment, the thought crossed his mind.
"He can even use weapons?" When Kihara Gensei saw Ren snatch an iron sword from a robot, he began observing seriously.
In the end, whether it was physical ability, swordsmanship, speed, or even powers he had never seen before, everything far exceeded his imagination.
Robots on the first floor, second floor, and third floor all failed to stop him. And to obtain these conclusions, an enormous number of machines had to be sacrificed just to arrive at the result of "undetectable."
There was also someone else watching everything.
Aleister Crowley.
He truly wanted to know what made Ren so special. He was not Kamijou Touma, yet he was still an existence of extreme peculiarity.
"What do you plan to do?"
"Just suppress Kihra a little. Ren isn't someone they can touch."
He was becoming more and more interested in Ren. This was the first time he couldn't see through someone.
Likewise, a person like this was hard to control. Seeing that Misaki and others weren't a problem, he didn't care.
After all, as long as there was something tying them here, they would inevitably be restricted by him and eventually become his ally.
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