Within the same windowless building, illuminated by a starlight-like glow, two figures materialized abruptly; one was a girl with fiery red twin-tails, and the other was a dark-haired boy clinging to her.

As if daring not to linger for even a second, the moment her feet touched the ground, the red twin-tailed girl vanished as if fleeing for her life.

"Tch." The boy clicked his tongue, showing a measure of disappointment, before directing his gaze forward. Opposite him stood a massive test tube, filled with crimson liquid, and suspended within that liquid was a... human wearing a surgical gown?

He floated there, eyes wide open, defying gravity with his head pointing down and feet up.

Though neither was entirely ignorant of the other's existence, this face-to-face confrontation was a first for both Aleister, the supreme ruler of Academy City, and Lin Luo, who had achieved victory in the preceding war.

"Your existence is an anomaly to me," Aleister stated, observing the person outside the test tube.

"And your way of life is equally incomprehensible to me," Lin Luo replied, almost deliberately sounding confrontational.

Aleister offered a slight smile... or perhaps it was a smile. "From the moment you first set foot in Academy City, I had taken notice of you..."

Lin Luo shrugged noncommittally; this revelation held no surprise for him.

"However, why you suddenly appeared in this city remains entirely beyond my comprehension..." He paused, and seeing no sign of explanation from Lin Luo, continued, "Although your presence introduced a variable into the plan, everything remained within my control—until you elevated an Esper to Level 3 and allied yourself with that remarkable magician. Only then did matters begin to veer in a direction I had not anticipated."

"Because of the Angel?"

"So, you are aware," Aleister responded with an inexplicable smile that seemed to conceal a thread of killing intent.

Lin Luo, however, felt no apprehension. In the past, speaking the secret of the Angel directly before the Hanged Man would likely have resulted in his immediate annihilation. But now, setting aside his own strength, simply having My King as a powerful backer granted him the standing to be an equal to the Hanged Man. If the other dared to make a move, he would have to face the King's wrath!

This was the very reason he dared to meet the Hanged Man alone. At the very least, he had conferred with Rin before coming; although her expression had been less than pleased then, she shouldn't make a mistake on a matter this critical... probably.

The flicker of murderous intent in his eyes vanished as Aleister smiled pleasantly. "Your action in raising an Unidentified Skill User to Level 3 immediately subverted my judgment of potential, effectively dismantling my Esper system. As for that marvelous magician, I investigated her extensively and discovered she belongs to no faction of the magical side; her magical framework possesses a fundamental difference—it is an existence more mysterious than mere belief. Furthermore, to link the Imagine Breaker and the Index together—that level of influence is something I can no longer ignore."

"So you decided to bring about the Angel's descent?" Lin Luo felt a pang of conflict. While he could indeed enhance others' abilities, it consumed his own life force, and the recipients were limited to Unidentified Skill Users, with a maximum ceiling of Level 3—it had no substantive, long-term effect. As for tying the Imagine Breaker to the Index, that was merely a tactic to contain the Hanged Man, yet it seemed to have backfired. What a vexing situation. Still, the Hanged Man discerning Rin's non-magical affiliation in such a short time truly attested to his profound capabilities.

"Well, there were minor reasons relating to other aspects as well."

Aleister's answer piqued Lin Luo's curiosity somewhat, but based on his demeanor, he showed no signs of elaboration.

"Then, ultimately, what is your objective?"

"You've known my objective since the very beginning," Lin Luo stated plainly, holding nothing back. "To fulfill Mikoto's wish and ensure the sisters can live safely and healthily in this world as normal people."

"Th-that's all?" Aleister's tone betrayed distinct surprise.

"With someone like you operating in the shadows, I hardly believe it's that simple," Lin Luo retorted frankly.

"And what are your views on Academy City?"

"Academy City... On the surface, it appears to be a paradise for the young, a playground for fantasy. But that's just the veneer; beneath it, it's darker than any other place in this world. However..." Lin Luo paused, his tone becoming serious, "No matter what Academy City is, I have no intention of making an enemy of it. Ultimately, this is where Mikoto lives, and it is the most suitable environment for the sisters' continued existence."

Lin Luo spoke this from his heart. With the King's involvement, their current fighting strength, while perhaps insufficient to destroy Academy City—after all, the Hanged Man's true power had never been revealed; in the original timeline, he defeated a half-crippled Fiamma with a single move, suggesting his power level was at least Angel-class. His current restraint stemmed from caution, not absolute fear of ABER.

But if a full-scale war erupted, they could certainly cripple the city, causing significant harm to the Hanged Man. But what benefit would that bring Lin Luo?

If Lin Luo acted destructively, he would instantly push many existing friends into opposition, perhaps even Mikoto. Moreover, the sisters originated from Academy City; if the city fell, they would lose a major protector. For beings as abnormal as them, surviving in the ordinary world would be precarious. If he were to leave this world, they would lose all their safeguards. If the magical side discovered their existence—a group capable of summoning Angels—Hmph, those people wouldn't hesitate to kill, especially clones!

"And you? What do you stand to gain from this?" Aleister couldn't help but press.

Lin Luo blinked, staring at him with an expression akin to looking at an idiot. "Me? Why would I need to gain anything?"

"Huh?!" Aleister was utterly dumbfounded. Was that even human speech? Someone acting purely for the sake of others, completely disregarding self-interest? It was one thing to have one Imagine Breaker with such a simple mind, but to have two was ludicrous. Even the Buddha might not be this benevolent; he was more saintly than saints!

Yet, Aleister did not believe Lin Luo was merely a soft-hearted pushover. The latter, after all, showed no mercy when it came to actual killing—take what happened to Amai Amanai, the grisly scene of her being consumed, which had sent a chill down Aleister's spine even while watching through the monitors.

This man could not possibly be a good person!

Aleister held no doubt in that judgment, yet he could plainly see that what Lin Luo said just now was entirely sincere, devoid of any calculation for personal gain, motivated solely by concern for the sisters...

This deeply confused Aleister. Of course, if he knew Lin Luo's true origins, he wouldn't be confused at all.

As for benefits, even offering Lin Luo the crown of this world would be meaningless; he couldn't take it with him. Achieving 100% success in winning Mikoto's heart and wresting the sisters away from the pickup artist—that was a godlike reward in itself!

"Very well. Then, what demands do you have regarding the sisters?"

"Let them return to Academy City."

"That is impossible."

Lin Luo understood this was unfeasible. Nearly ten thousand sisters returning to Academy City—living in the shadows might be manageable, but living openly would cause immense problems. Besides, letting them experience life across the globe to broaden their horizons wasn't a bad thing.

"Then nullify their Angel System."

"That is also unachievable. The descent of the Angel was due to the AI field within them; there is no 'system' in place. Unless they become Unidentified Skill Users or die, it cannot be removed."

"Damn it! This is no, that's no, then what the hell are we even negotiating about!" Lin Luo grew irritated. He was aware of the AI field, but since this was Aleister's designed plan, there must be a method to dismantle it! To claim otherwise was clearly an insult!

Even Aleister seemed momentarily speechless, unable to respond for a significant moment before he finally spoke, "Let's meet halfway then. Regarding the sisters' Angel System... Fine, let's call it a system. I cannot deactivate that component, but I can allow them control over half of the Angel's operational authority."

"Huh?" Lin Luo hadn't quite processed that. "The Angel actually has operational authority?"

Aleister: "..."

...

Half an hour later, Lin Luo was practically beaming, convinced the Hanged Man was, after all, a decent fellow.

"Then, one final question..." Having concluded the negotiations, Aleister finally posed the query most concerning to him. "Is that girl truly King Arthur?"

"What do you think?" Lin Luo countered with a smile.

Think what?! Aleister really wanted to retort this way. When King Arthur dominated the world in legend, he was still in diapers; how could he possibly know!

As the electrical signal lights around them flickered, the guide known as Coordinate Movement reappeared in the room, clearly displeased with her task. With a look of utter frustration, she grabbed Lin Luo's wrist and activated her ability.

Just before departing, Lin Luo directed a warm and friendly smile towards the cross-dressing figure in the test tube. "Oh, and remember to surface more often. Constant lurking might get you kicked out, you know."

That remark resulted in severe consequences; most immediately, the red twin-tailed girl, whose mental fortitude was somewhat fragile, nearly lost control of her ability, causing both of them to almost shift inside the test tube instead...

"Perhaps... I should kill him?" Pondering this question, the cross-dresser closed her eyes once more.

On the other side, having exited the windowless building, Lin Luo walked to an open patch of ground where no one else was present. He opened his mouth and smiled, "A first meeting, albeit abrupt, but how should I address you? Fūzaki Hinabusa, or should it be Sūz Windbreak?"

As he spoke, a large-chested, timid girl wearing glasses materialized before him, her expression laced with alarm. "Um... Um... You can see me?"

P.S. The arc concerning Academy City is now complete; there are about ten more chapters remaining. The small transition is finished, and the final few chapters will feature the main climax of this story—please look forward to it. Also, votes appreciated.