The only people who could arrive at this place at this time, other than Lin Luo, could naturally be no one else... Although the experiment on the Sisters was planned by Academy City, this particular experiment today was his scheme.
He could have fought Accelerator before the experiment began; that way, Subject 10030 would not have been in danger. However, in order for the emotional programs within the Sisters to quickly sprout into seeds, he needed a catalyst.
And that catalyst was confronting death!
The emotional programs collected by Frenda were lingering attachment to life and the fear of death. Thus, when this program was implanted in their bodies, facing death might cause resonance, leading them to resist the experiment itself.
Although the probability wasn't high, the result exceeded Lin Luo's expectations. Under the terror of imminent death, the seeds of emotion within 10030 finally sprouted: she knew fear, she knew dread, she knew resistance, she knew how to cry... Of course, strictly speaking, this couldn't be called true emotion; at best, it was just a feeling, a mood, and one projected through the reflection of others. But with the accumulation of time, it would eventually lead the Sisters to birth genuine emotions—emotions belonging uniquely to each individual, not the Misaka Network!
In Lin Luo's view, if this sacrifice could lead them to learn true feeling, it was entirely worthwhile.
...
"You bastard..." Accelerator stared directly at Lin Luo, whose gaze met his without the slightest hint of fear.
Accelerator cracked a smile. "Heh, you're quite interesting... You were the one who canceled out my ability just now, right? That’s fascinating. I’ve never heard of Academy City having an esper with that kind of power!"
"You naturally haven't heard of it, because I am not an esper of Academy City."
"Tch!" Accelerator certainly wouldn't believe that. Outside of Academy City, one couldn't find a single person capable of using psychic powers anywhere in the world, let alone someone who could nullify his ability. An esper of Academy City? What a joke!
However, he didn't intend to press for details. The origin and identity of the other party were utterly unimportant to him, because the identity of someone about to die vanishes along with life itself.
"I don't know how you managed it, but you're the first person to ever cancel my power. Interesting. Very interesting! Gahahahaha!"
"The first? What an honor, Accelerator," Lin Luo smiled back, but it was a cold one. The two stood facing each other, the air thick with tension.
"So... let me make this a little more interesting, you jerk!" Accelerator laughed maniacally and lunged forward with a punch.
Swish! Lin Luo sidestepped Accelerator’s attack. Before the villain could press his assault, Lin Luo spoke up: "Wait a moment."
"Hm?" Accelerator frowned, but his body instinctively halted.
"That child is badly injured. I need to tend to her first," Lin Luo said, pointing to Subject 10030 lying on the ground.
"Tch, just a test subject..." Accelerator scoffed dismissively.
"She cries, she fears, she has a terror of death and a longing for life—such rich emotions. Even if she can't express them fully yet... Accelerator, do you truly believe she is nothing more than a test subject?" Lin Luo countered in a steady voice.
"Uh!" Accelerator paused, momentarily stunned... He had to admit, for a split second, confusion had clouded him, and he had asked himself if she really was just a test subject.
Though a sliver of resistance had crept into his mind, as Academy City's Level 5, N1, he couldn't simply yield. He sneered, "Tch! So what? I’ve killed over ten thousand such test subjects. Are you planning to avenge them?"
"If I could, I truly would!" Lin Luo’s low voice dripped with killing intent. The hostility he had been suppressing erupted fully at this moment. This enmity didn't originate from him personally, but from the entire Misaka Network.
The Misaka Sisters had been killed over ten thousand times; it was impossible for them to be unaffected. They just didn't know how to express it without self-awareness. This influence channeled into Lin Luo as an irrepressible hatred, making him wish to grind Accelerator into dust... However, due to his prior knowledge of the original "plot," Lin Luo managed to suppress this surge of emotion.
After all, in the original "plot," Accelerator was fighting to the death to protect the Misaka Sisters; he had killed nearly ten thousand, but he had also saved nearly ten thousand. Of course, this reality didn't negate the crime, and Lin Luo wouldn't forgive Accelerator for it, but for some deeper, underlying reason...
"Then try it, you bastard!" Accelerator prepared to rush forward again.
"Didn't I say, after treating this child first?" Lin Luo once again suppressed the hostility churning inside, watching Accelerator with a provocative air. "Or is it that Academy City's N1 esper lacks even that much magnanimity?"
"Magnanimity? You’ve got it twisted. I'm a villain," Accelerator grinned contemptuously.
"Even villains have their own code of aesthetics."
"Tch!"
While still maintaining an air of disdain, Accelerator clicked his tongue and stopped interfering with Lin Luo’s treatment. He closed his eyes... Not because of any supposed magnanimity, nor due to a villain’s aesthetic, but because his own mind was currently in turmoil.
Lin Luo walked over to the Misaka Sister and knelt beside her.
"It's alright now. Just sleep deeply, and when you wake up, all the nightmares will be gone." Looking at 10030, who was almost too exhausted to speak, Lin Luo said softly, tapping her forehead lightly with his finger, causing her to immediately pass out.
Her injuries looked severe... and they truly were severe. Though there were no immediately fatal wounds, leaving them untreated meant death was inevitable.
Lin Luo had no intention of using Sacred Healing on 10030. It wasn't reluctance, but the impending battle made him unwilling to casually squander Life Points... Misaka Sisters were different from ordinary people; their bodies carried inherent defects. If he used Sacred Healing on her, he wouldn't just be repairing the immediate wounds.
Though Sacred Healing could repair things in stages, this staging was only partially systematic; it couldn't be done arbitrarily, fixing only what and how much he desired.
To put it simply, 10030's body had multiple bullet wounds and severe muscle tissue damage. If Lin Luo wanted to repair her muscle tissue, he would inevitably have to repair the underlying defects as well, which required a significant number of points.
He wanted to protect all the Misaka Sisters, not just 10030. If fixing 10030's body consumed too many Life Points, leaving him unable to maintain combat effectiveness, then perhaps more than just himself would die!
To ensure victory in the fight, Lin Luo dared not waste even a single Life Point.
"I'm sorry, for the sake of everyone, for now, I can only preserve your life."
Lin Luo muttered to himself, then used magnetism to extract all the bullet fragments from 10030's body. After removing the projectiles came the bleeding control, which proved troublesome because he carried nothing like bandages. The only usable material was his own clothing...
...But he only had one shirt. If he used it on the Misaka Sister, wouldn't he be left naked?!
After three seconds of consideration, Lin Luo sighed. Forget it, saving a life comes first!
Thus, with a Rip!
...The Misaka Sister's clothes were torn in half!
Whose clothes weren't clothes? Considering efficient use, the bloodied rags on the Misaka Sister were clearly more suitable than his own, plus it was economical and wouldn't cause the Sister any discomfort... a perfect triple win!
After wrapping her upper body, he wrapped her lower body. Then came another Rip!, this time tearing the Misaka Sister's skirt.
The Rip! Rip! sounds caused Accelerator to open his eyes subconsciously. Seeing the Misaka Sister under Lin Luo’s hands now clad only in panties and a camisole, even his composure faltered, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
Sensing the burning gaze behind him, Lin Luo