Looking up at the golden-lit sky, Aizen's lips curled into a faint smile. "Just as I expected, they've arrived."
"Who is that?" Konan asked curiously.
"Ah, just an old acquaintance," Aizen replied casually, not breaking his stride.
An old acquaintance?
Konan raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
For Aizen to call someone an "old acquaintance"… they must be someone extraordinary.
Just who could it be?
Ah, I really want to talk to Anzen about this, but now isn't the time. Damn Aizen—why is such a little brat so sneaky? He's made me too scared to even open the chat freely!
Konan grumbled in her mind, unaware that the so-called sneaky brat was casually spying on the group chat.
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: So, in the end, Gin still didn't catch that underwear thief?
Curly-haired Guy: Yeah, that guy slipped away like a monkey. Damn it, why would someone with skills like that waste them on being a pervert?
Doujin Artist: Before you say that, could you at least take that bear-print underwear off your head? You sound really weird talking like that.
Shark-Faced Guy: Wearing underwear on his head?
Hoshigaki Kisame was stunned. As the newcomer, he had no idea what kind of nonsense he had just walked into.
This is an Actor: That was an item Gin won from a lottery draw. You can think of it as armor.
Shark-Faced Guy: Oh, I see. That makes a little more sense now.
Curly-haired Guy: Shut up, you annoying brat! I don't do that anymore! Now I just tie the bear-print underwear to my chest!
Scarlet Lotus Fairy: And somehow, that makes it *less* perverted?
Doujin Artist: No doubt about it—it's still 100% perverted.
Curly-haired Guy: Tch, you guys are just jealous, aren't you? Admit it! You're all just jealous! That's a legendary item, okay? A *legendary* one! You low-luck losers wouldn't understand!
Doujin Artist: The hell did you just say? You're the low-luck loser! Your whole family is!
Shark-Faced Guy: Whoa, it's getting heated. Shouldn't the group leader step in?
This is an Actor: This is just how they are. It's a sign of their deep friendship.
Shark-Faced Guy: Oh, I see.
Curly-haired Guy: Shut up! Who's "deep friends" with this annoying brat? Stupid little blonde mutt!
Doujin Artist: Ha! Says the scruffy old man with silver hair that smells like an old dude. You're way too old to be eating sweets all day—why don't you just go home and drink your mommy's milk?
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: Uh… I think this is escalating. They're straight-up insulting each other now. Are we sure this is fine?
Scarlet Lotus Fairy: Just ignore them. More importantly—Ruiko, how's your investigation going?
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: No progress at all.
Saten Ruiko was currently wandering near the storage warehouses in District 7. Unlike the lively crowds during the day, the area was quiet at night.
That was exactly why she had come here.
The Absolute Ability Project experiments had to be happening in places with few people around. That's why Saten Ruiko decided to start her search in District 7, the closest area to her home.
Scarlet Lotus Fairy: Take your time. You can't rush things like this.
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: Yeah, I know.
"Hey there, little lady."
Just as Ruiko sent her message, a casual voice spoke up from behind her. "What's a girl like you doing out here this late?"
Ruiko frowned slightly and slowly turned around.
What she saw was a group of rough-looking teens, wearing earrings and nose rings, their outfits screaming "trouble."
These kinds of guys were pretty common in Academy City. A special kind of night-time pest—delinquents.
"Oh, and she's a cutie too."
"Looks kinda young, but she's got a nice body."
"Yeah, she's just my type."
The moment Ruiko turned around, their eyes all lit up.
Taking a slow breath, Ruiko spoke softly, "Walk away. I don't want to hurt you."
She wasn't just bluffing. After all, she had won 1,000 points in the lottery when she first joined the group.
Back then, she had planned to save them and exchange for an ability she liked later.
But now, to make sure her search for the Misaka clones went smoothly, she had gritted her teeth and spent all 1,000 points.
Shinigami powers, Shunpo, Kido, Taijutsu, the Nine-Sword Style, Ancient Tomb Sword Techniques… Saten Ruiko was no longer just a normal middle school girl.
Right now, even if she ran into a Level 5, she could put up a fight. And if she gained more battle experience, she might even win.
But of course, these delinquents had no idea who they were dealing with. To them, she was just some random girl talking nonsense.
And so, they burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, that's hilarious!"
"You don't want to hurt us? But *we* really want to hurt you."
The delinquents moved closer and closer, and a few of them, unable to hold back, reached out toward Ruiko.
"Well, guess there's no other choice." Ruiko let out a helpless sigh. In a flash, she vanished from where she stood.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
A series of dull thuds echoed through the area, and within moments, everything was silent again.
The silver moonlight poured down.
The once-arrogant delinquents were now sprawled out on the ground in all directions—some with their eyes rolled back, others twitching uncontrollably.
Saten Ruiko glanced at them before looking off into the distance. "Looks like there's nothing here either. Guess I'll have to try my luck somewhere else."
"Ruiko?" Just as she was about to leave, a voice suddenly called out from behind her.
That voice was very familiar. Too familiar.
Ruiko's instincts told her this wasn't going to end well. Stiffly, she turned around. Sure enough, standing before her was a short-haired girl with tea-colored hair. "Misaka… Miss?"
"I never expected you to be this strong, Ruiko!" Misaka Mikoto's eyes lit up like she had just found a rare treasure. "Alright, let's fight!"
"I'm busy with school. Gotta go!"
Without hesitation, Saten Ruiko used Shunpo to vanish. Was she kidding? This power wasn't meant for fighting people!
And to top it off, her opponent was an LV5 esper. That made her even more nervous.
Behind her, Misaka Mikoto stomped her foot in frustration and shouted, "Wait! Get back here!"
Only after completely shaking her off did Ruiko finally breathe a sigh of relief. She pulled up the group chat for help.
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: Is Anzen-san here? Help me! I think Misaka's got her eyes on me!
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