"Th-thank you…for saving me..."

A timid voice came from behind Kanzaki. It was Index, peeking out, the white habit of her nun's attire fluttering softly in the breeze.

Rei Ao's expression softened. He crouched down to meet the silver-haired nun at eye level.

"Little nun, Index—is that okay if I call you that?"

"Y-yes, that's fine!"

"If you want to thank me, how about letting me borrow your 103,000 grimoires some other day?" he asked with a narrowed smile.

"Eh?!"

Index's face went pale.

"B-but normal people who read them will—"

"Relax, I'm not exactly what you'd call normal."

"Ugh…I… I…"

Index was at a loss, clearly torn. Seeing that, Kanzaki felt a flashback to how she herself had been teased by Rei Ao and could only give a wry smile.

"Rei Ao-san, please don't joke like that."

Rei Ao stood and casually patted his shoulder, referring to himself: "I'm actually not joking." Of course, at any time, he could extract the contents of those grimoires directly from Index's memory if he really wanted.

"Anyway, what do you plan to do now? Gonna find that Anglican Archbishop to settle the score?"

Kanzaki gripped the hilt of her sword.

"I need to get justice for Index."

"Even if you go, you won't get anything out of it."

"Don't forget: in addition to being a Saint, you're also the Pope of the Amakusa-Style Remix of Church."

Rei Ao's comment was a friendly reminder. As the Pope, Kanzaki couldn't fully oppose that archbishop—unless she was prepared to disregard the fate of the entire Amakusa church.

Kanzaki's expression darkened. That was precisely her dilemma. As Pope, she had to think about her people's survival. As a Saint, she longed to fight for righteousness. Both roles weighed her down like shackles, leaving her paralyzed.

"How about this," Rei Ao suddenly proposed, "You and Index stay here in Academy City for now. After all, this place is under my control now—nobody will dare bother you."

Index's eyes lit up. "Really?!"

"K-Kanzaki…"

Kanzaki wavered, glancing at Rei Ao. She saw no deceit in this powerful, mysterious man's gaze. Finally, she gave a tiny nod.

"Then…we'll impose on you."

Rei Ao flashed a grin. His eyes indeed lacked deception—but they held strong possessiveness.

"Let's get out of here first. We'll talk details later."

With a snap of his fingers, everyone's figures vanished on the spot.

…

The freezing of time ended as Rei Ao left.

"Hah!!"

Stiyl suddenly gasped for air. The rune cards he clutched scattered across the ground. He stared around, dazed.

"Kanzaki? Index?"

Night had fully fallen. The factory lay dark and empty, only him remaining. He vividly recalled confronting those science-side espers with Kanzaki a short while ago—when the sky hadn't been nearly so dark.

"What the hell is going on? Where did everyone go?"

It felt like the world had changed in the blink of an eye, making him antsy. Just as he prepared to cast a tracking spell, he noticed a slip of paper at his feet. He bent down to pick it up and recognized Kanzaki's handwriting:

"We're staying in Academy City for now. We're safe, so don't worry."

It contained part of the "truth" about Index.

"You've gotta be kidding me!"

Stiyl trembled, burning the note to ash in fury. The night breeze swept through the abandoned factory, offering no answer to his maddened roar.

…

At the Talent Workshop, lights burned brightly late into the night. Rei Ao leaned against a metal workbench, wearing a playful smile, while six girls stood before him:

Kanzaki Kaori, gripping her Seven Heavens Seven Swords with a troubled frown.

Index, curiously glancing around.

Kuroko Shirai, still wary of Rei Ao.

Shokuhou Misaki, twirling her golden hair, eyes gleaming with curiosity.

Awaki Musujime with an indifferent expression.

Mikoto Misaka, looking anxious, sneaking peeks at Rei Ao now and then.

"I'm sure you have plenty of questions," Rei Ao said with a snap of his fingers. "I won't bother explaining; you can find out yourselves."

[Ding! You have selected the chat group sub-channel to grant permissions to Shokuhou Misaki, Awaki Musujime, Kanzaki Kaori, Kuroko Shirai, Index!]

"'Chat group?'"

Kuroko murmured, suspicious. "Is this some kind of new scam? Hah, I won't fall for—"

She abruptly cut off…because a strange translucent screen appeared, listing every person present, including her own name. Knowledge about the "chat group" poured into their minds. One by one, shock lit up their faces.

While they were immersed in their astonishment, Rei Ao quietly walked over to Mikoto, leaning in to whisper:

"Time to fulfill our deal, Mikoto."

Mikoto visibly tensed, her ears flushing bright red.

"I-I know."

While the others busied themselves discovering the chat group's miraculous functions, she and Rei Ao slipped away from the main room.

…

In a rest area at the far end of the Talent Workshop:

Mikoto Misaka stood with her back against a closed door.

Thump, thump, thump!

Her heart felt like it might burst from her chest. The room wasn't large—just a sofa, a small coffee table, and closed curtains. A single gentle light above provided a soft glow.

"I specifically picked this room. Feels suitable, don't you think?" Rei Ao asked with a teasing smile.

"N-no!"

She tried sounding tough, but her voice came out barely above a whisper. Rei Ao casually sank onto the sofa, his smile brimming with amusement.

"Hard to believe the great Railgun is nervous. That's not like you."

"S-shut it!"

Her cheeks burned like ripe apples.

"I'm just… I'm just…"

Her voice dwindled to almost nothing.

"This is… my first time doing something like this…"

Rei Ao stood, slowly approaching her. As he drew near, Mikoto caught a faint scent reminiscent of a starry sky—something mysterious. She retreated until her back was pressed fully against the door.

"Our trade stated 'body usage rights,' correct?" she stammered, avoiding eye contact. "S-so shouldn't we just get it over with? I… I still have to handle the matter of the Misaka Sisters…"

~~~

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