Chapter 420: Hunting (1)

After navigating through the alleys and dropping Uiharu off at her home, Yuki continued towards Saten's house, which fortunately wasn't too far away.

Saten felt a bit uneasy having a guy on guard duty at night; it was a first for her. To alleviate her discomfort and nervousness, Saten began talking about various urban legends in Academy City, where she first heard about the Eighth.

There were quite a few urban legends, such as Level Upper, the boy with the ability to nullify other abilities, etc.

"Ah~ so jealous~ I wish I had powers too."

With the widely known Level Upper, Saten sighed and placed both hands behind her head. After all, Level Upper was a kind of network that helped low-level espers enhance their abilities.

Saten was surrounded by high-level espers like Mikoto, Kuroko, and now with Yuki and Yami, making her friends increasingly powerful espers.

She remained an ordinary student, without any abilities, like a human surrounded by superhumans.

"I don't think you have to worry about this, but I understand how you feel."

Yuki clearly understood the sensation of being less than others, having experienced much in his first life, though he preferred not to go into details.

"But let me give you advice, don't seek Level Upper; not everything is as it seems..."

"..."

Saten blinked, not understanding the implication, but Yuki was serious. Level Upper had been circulating among its underworld associates, and to date, everyone who tried it fell into a coma. Yuki didn't want this fate for Mikoto's friend.

"So what do I do? How can someone like me, Level 0, improve?"

"If you want your powers to improve, maybe I can help you."

Suddenly, Saten's steps halted. She gazed intently at Yuki for a few minutes, various emotions reflected in her eyes, each conveyed in a single look.

"Really?"

"..."

Yuki didn't reply, just smiled. There was no need to answer; his smile made it clear. Saten lowered her head and smiled; there was hope.

"It's really mysterious, Yuki-san. Thanks for everything..."

It had been a pleasant evening, but it was time to part as she had reached her home.

"Don't worry; this is what I must do."

"Yuki-san, about your help, let me think about it..."

"That's fine; take your time."

Entering her house, Saten turned her head once more. Yuki's figure disappeared into the night, and she sighed, shaking her head.

Being close to Yuki was challenging; he exuded a strange aura that instilled confidence, like a friend who had always been there. She couldn't keep her guard up in his presence.

It was so confusing that her mind was in chaos. Saten knew it wasn't just her; even Uiharu had fled without hesitation when they parted.

Being close to Yuki is quite dangerous... Very dangerous.

"Misaka-san..."

Saten also thought about how difficult Mikoto had had it all these years, being with that guy.

He truly was an interesting guy...

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[Found something interesting, won't be sleeping, don't wait up]

Sending a message through his phone, Yuki smiled. He circled around the alleys, getting closer to the Sisters' experiment sites.

[Okay]

Yami responded quickly, curious about the identity of the intruder, but she didn't press further.

Closing his eyes slightly, Yuki entered his spiritual world. Before proceeding, he needed to ensure his two spirits were still asleep.

Both Est and Eggy had entered a deep sleep a year ago during the Demon King's awakening. Although they didn't undergo instant changes, over time, being tied to his soul, they were affected by the residual power of the Demon King. Perhaps it was because Black Rock Shooter had eliminated the Demon King's influence with her dream power that these two avoided deep sleep last time. Unfortunately, Black Rock Shooter was gone this time.

Est had experienced this before, and now Eggy also entered a profound sleep. Yuki wasn't sure why this change occurred, but he could see noticeable changes in their energy and aura. This was more apparent in Eggy, as the Demon King's energy was eliminating her absolute power energy system and integrating into the multiverse. As for Est, she had chosen to sleep, and her qualitative leap in energy was remarkable. At this rate, Est would become a mid-level Destroyer. Est knew the future was unpredictable and needed to be as strong as possible. She was Yuki's weapon and, as his weapon, wouldn't let her master fall.

Because of this, Est was willing to give everything for her master.

Seeing both women sleeping like babies, Yuki sighed in relief.

Until these two woke up, Yuki would handle the dirty work...

"Well then, how long do you plan to keep following me? Aren't you going to reveal yourself?"

Opening his eyes, Yuki crossed his arms and smiled.

During the day, Yuki felt the penetrating gaze of an individual. As he was on a date with Mikoto, he acted as if nothing was happening.

When shopping with Yami, he also felt it and thought it would be good to deal with this "rat." Even Yami offered to do it, but they couldn't due to Saten and Uiharu.

Now that he was alone, this gaze was no longer concealed, and it was quite annoying.

*BANG

Suddenly, an energy beam shot out of the darkness, successfully hitting Yuki.

Or so it seemed, as Yuki leaped backward, avoiding the attack.

"Well, it seems you're not a member of the Fan Club."

Smirking, Yuki brought a hand to his lips, looking directly into the darkness.

"Heh~ so you managed to dodge that~ not bad, pretty boy~"

The sound of high-heeled footsteps followed, and from the darkness emerged a curvaceous figure. This figure primarily wore a tight black suit covering her entire body, and on her face, a large gas mask.

"Ohh"

Yuki squinted as he saw this figure; after all, her suit was covered with nanomachines, and there was a small electromagnetic field around her.

*Shiii

*BANG

However, it wasn't over yet. Yuki couldn't continue speaking when white ribbons around him began to ignite, and several dolls exploded.

"Did we get him?"

"I don't think so..."

Two more small figures appeared, muttering as they assessed the explosion. They had triggered traps previously set in this area, hoping to at least injure Octavo, but unfortunately, it didn't work.

"With it being like this, eh?..."

Once the smoke cleared, Yuki appeared with several pink crystals covering him like armor.

This surprised the trio of women; the Virus could crystallize blood, and in this moment, Octavo had crystallized his blood to prevent the explosion from harming him.

"It's an honor that three lovely girls come after me. Truly a pleasure~"

With the crystals disappearing from his body, Yuki bowed slightly and continued.

"I guess you're here for the secrets of my body, right, Miss Shizuri Mugino?"

"Do you know who I am?"

Being called by her name, the larger figure trembled. The fact that this guy could recognize her surprised Mugino.

"Of course, who wouldn't know the powerful Level 5, Meltdowner, leader of ITEM?"

"..."

Mugino remained silent but crossed her arms. It seemed her reputation as a mercenary was quite good.

"Not just you, but your subordinates too, Miss Frenda, Miss Saia, and I suppose Miss Rikou was the one who had been spying, correct?"

Pointing to each of them by name, these girls couldn't help but take a step back. Even Takitsubo, who was still hidden, was pointed out, making their previous operations seem pointless.

"Now that we know each other, spare us the effort and come with us, pretty boy. This big sister will treat you very well~"

Smirking beneath her mask, Mugino licked her lips. Octavo wasn't a bad choice for some fun before completing the mission.

"Sorry, but I'll have to decline."

Yuki wouldn't be foolish enough to accept this invitation.

"But since three little lambs approached my doorstep, it would be impolite not to take them."

Licking his lips, Yuki's eyes gleamed with desire. Today, he would make sure to spank these girls' backsides.

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