176 Chapter 166 Level 6
A/N: You guys are gonna hate me for this chapter and perhaps even drop the novel at this point lmao.
(Author POV)
Level 6.
It's something many people in Mikoto's homeworld would kill to accomplish, and due to the intervention of a certain slime, a girl who no one thought would be able to reach that level has taken their first step into that enigmatic Level 6.
But it's in another world, so… rip.
To put it in simple terms, if an esper becomes Level 6, they basically become a God, a Higher Being. Their forms change and they become capable of calculations that use non-human logic, making it so they can possibly bend reality.
I mean, I'm not an expert on Toaru, so I'm not sure, but yeah.
But still, such a process is eerily familiar, don't you think? Kind of like how Rimuru became a Higher Being upon entering this world under the influence of [Heavens Feel].
Now, I don't know what this process would've been like back in the Toaru world, but this is the Tensura world right now so this is technically an "Evolution".
Once you reach the highest ranks on the evolutionary ladder, for example, True Demon Lord or Saint, you will receive a "Protection". Rimuru himself received the Crest of Space since he "somehow" had a great affinity with space.
Gee, I wonder who gave him that…
And now, Mikoto is getting her own Protection.
The reason Bryce can beat the shit out of everyone is because of his vast magicules and his Storm Crest, his Protection. In a way, it protects him and grants him authority over anything related to Storms, so he is Mikoto's direct counter.
Mikoto herself is also the strongest among those under Rimuru. She received plenty of help from him and continued to train using the methods he gave her every day for months.
This, along with her own [Limit Breaker] Unique Skill that boosted her growth even more made it so she can floor Accelerator in under a minute.
In fact, if not for Bryce's Storm Crest, Mikoto could probably defeat him by herself. Granted, there's only a 50/50 chance and she could die, but it's possible. Please note that Mikoto hasn't reached the final stages of her evolution just yet, and she's merely an Enlightened.
And if Mikoto were to get a Protection of her own, that uneven playing field due to the Storm Crest will get evened out. With everyone else's help, defeating Bryce is only a matter of time.
If only there wasn't a teenie tiny problem…
<<Individual Mikoto Misaka is undergoing evolution… ERROR. Requirements not met. Due to Unique Skill [Limit Breaker], the evolution is unable to be halted. Processing… ERROR. Requirements not met. Unique Skill [Limit Breaker] is forcing the evolution process… ERROR. Requirements not met. Unique Skill [Limit Breaker] is forcing the evolution process… ERROR. Requirements not met. Unique Skill [Limit Breaker]… ERROR. Requirements not met. [Limit Breaker]… ERROR. Requirements not met… ERROR. Requirements not met… ERROR… ERROR… ERROR… ERROR… ERROR…>>
The Voice of the World makes a reappearance!
But aside from that, yes, Mikoto is in a bit of a pickle.
[Limit Breaker] removed her "Level Cap" and is forcing the "evolution" into Level 6 due to Mikoto's own desire for power to beat Bryce's overinflated ego into the ground and then teabag him afterwards.
Mikoto wants to do more than that, but I will keep those details to myself for your sake.
The problem here is that Mikoto doesn't meet the requirements. Specifically, she doesn't have the mental capacity to facilitate the "Calculations of God", a core trait of a Level 6 Esper and the reason why Level 6's are so strong.
Fortunately, Rimuru's shitty luck decides to step in just this once to save his waifu.
Just kidding, he ran out of luck the moment he summoned Mikoto. This is just plot armour at work.
[Raphael] Skill Orb. It's the crystallisation of Rimuru's old Ultimate Skill [Raphael, Lord of Wisdom] that he broke to facilitate the creation of [Manas: Illyasviel], our resident loli imouto.
Specifically, it has everything EXCEPT its Ego.
And now Mikoto's other Unique Skill makes an appearance.
<<… Requirements not met. Unique Skill [Limit Breaker] is forcing the evolution process… Unique Skill [Harmony] is forcing the evolution process.>>
A golden orb suddenly appears in front of Mikoto's chest. It's the [Raphael] Skill Orb that Rimuru gave her just before she returned to Avalon.
Where it came from, no one knows, nor is it important.
What IS important is what's happening next.
<<Unique Skill [Harmony] is assimilating [R?phae?, L?rd o? Wis?om] with individual Mikoto Misaka… ERROR. [R?phae?, L?rd o? Wis?om] is in an incomplete state. Unique Skill [Harmony] is assimilating [R?phae?, L?rd o? Wis?om]… ERROR…>>
You get the drill. Such notifications are repeating over and over again inside Mikoto's head, but she barely registers them.
But then something changes…
<<Unique Skill [Harmony] is assimilating [R?phae?, L?rd o? Wis?om] with individual Mikoto Misaka under the effects of Unique Skill [Limit Breaker]… Success. Replacing lost elements with individual Mikoto Misaka's psyche…>>
And so begins a near impossible occurrence. A skill is fusing with someone beyond the level of a Skill and a User.
In this case, the User is BECOMING the Skill and vice versa.
The golden orb hovering in front of Mikoto slowly sinks into her chest and dissipates into energy, spreading throughout her body but mostly concentrating on her mind.
<<Individual [Mikoto Misaka] is undergoing evolution. Unique Skill [Limit Breaker] is forcing the evolution process. Unique Skill [Harmony] is forcing the evolution process… Requirements met, beginning the evolution.>>
Mikoto's overflowing aura of blueish-white magicules that pierces the dark clouds begins to grow smaller. Its intensity, however, doesn't lessen a single bit and only increases.
Stronger. Stronger. Even stronger.
Mikoto is now easily growing into one of the most powerful people in the world on the level of Bryce… No, shooting past Bryce and on the level of Milim herself.
Her aura solidifies and turns into something similar to pure lightning, yet at the same time, not. It's something more ethereal, more beautiful.
It covers her more sensitive parts and her arms and legs as her tattered Tokiwadai Uniform randomly decides to give up and disintegrate. Above her head, something similar to a majestic crown of energy appears. With the excess energy, "wings" appear, although it's hard to call it that. But they don't subtract from her charm at all.
(Image here: imgur.com/a/CJyLFOd)
.
.
.
Unfortunately, things just HAD to go wrong at this moment.
<<Protection: BiriBiri Crest has been obtained.>>
(A/N: Shoutout to AntiLoliLewding for the crest name idea lol)
And with that, Bryce lost that vague sense of superiority he had over Mikoto. Instead, when he looks at her, he doesn't see someone he "loves", someone beneath him, but rather an "equal"…
And he hates that.
For once, he felt threatened.
Sure, before, he could've died a few times in the last few minutes, but he never felt threatened. It's an instinctual feeling all True Dragons have since they know they will just resurrect somewhere else.
Granted, it won't be "HIM", but you take what you can get.
But now, he no longer feels that sense of security. He feels threatened.
He will die if he faces her, in the truest sense of the word.
He doesn't know this, but it's because his Storm Crest was stolen, but Mikoto's BiriBiri Crest was earned through luck, dedication, and months of hard work.
Mostly luck, but it was HER luck. Not someone else's.
Because of this, her Crest is superior, and since storms and electromagnetism are linked to each other, just like how Bryce sealed Pikachu out, Mikoto can seal Bryce's True Dragon Rebirth.
Don't question it, it makes sense in my head. Just chalk it up to bullshit anime logic.
And so, Bryce made a decision that sealed his fate (not that he knows that).
He attacked Mikoto in the middle of her evolution, her weakest moment.
Flashing forward towards Mikoto, his dark lightning hand embedded itself into her chest, and just like Shion…
He ruptured her heart.
Bryce- "Deprive!"
With a twisted smile no one can see, he activated his Unique Skill. He knows he won't be able to take everything in such a short time, but if he gets a little rough, he can take a little something for his "troubles".
Rimuru teleported into the Mirror Dimension at this very moment.
.
.
.
Rimuru- "NOOOOOOOOOOO!"
He quickly exercises his control over space and teleports Mikoto into her arms, carrying her in a princess carry.
Rimuru- "Come on, stay with me… you're gonna be okay… come on…"
Mikoto's ruptured heart gradually healed itself after taking in magicules from Rimuru, but the damage has already been done. Furthermore, her soul was damaged due to Bryce's Unique Skill. It's as if he tore a piece off.
Unable to stay conscious anymore, Mikoto looks up at Rimuru's face one last time, his panicked words only sounding like muffled echoes in her ears.
Mikoto- "Ahh… I… still have to… bake… cookies…"
*Snap!*
That was the sound of Mikoto's bracelet breaking. It's the bracelet Rimuru gave her on the day she was first summoned that has a little gekota accessory on it.
And although no one heard it, any trace of Rimuru's composure snapped at that moment as Mikoto's consciousness drifted into nothingness.
And so, Bryce is hereby officially fucked.
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Name: Rimuru
Race: Origin Slime
Protection: Crest of Space
Title: Highest Tier Spirit, Leader of the Monsters, Onii-chan, King of Avalon, Master of Headpats, Procrastinator King, The Nutcracker, socially awkward cringe slightly chuuni slime, Dragon Slayer, Sensei
Manas: [Manas: Illyasviel]
Ultimate Skills: [Belzebuth, Lord of Gluttony] [Ahura Mazda, Lord of Creation] [Scathach, Lord of Runes]
Unique Skills: [Spatial Ruler]
Intrinsic Skills: [Infinite Regeneration] [Universal Shapeshift] [Universal Sense] [Enhanced Replication] [Universal Thread]
Extra Skills: [Lord's Ambition] [Thought Communication] [Control Natural Elements] [Control Magic] [Control Gravity]
Resistances: [Cancel Pain] [Resist Melee Attack] [Cancel Natural Elements] [Cancel Ailments] [Cancel Spiritual Attack] [Resist Holy/Demonic Attack] [Natural Attack Resistance]
Equipment: Yamato, Limiter Ring
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A/N: Ok so people were saying "omg stop saying Mikoto is so beautiful and stuff, ur simping for her too hard".
My answer?
*ahem*
No.
Let me know if I missed anything.
Also consider dropping some power stones!
