Chapter 322: His Face Flushed Slightly
The Apostle's Cross, according to legend, was created as the highest-grade spiritual equipment, modeled after the cross built upon the grave of Saint Peter, one of the twelve apostles.
As long as this spiritual equipment is planted in the ground, everything within the range of its effect would be transformed into territory of the Roman Orthodox Church. Everyone and everything within it would fall under the Church's control.
Even if the decisions made by the Roman Orthodox Church were unreasonable, they would not be questioned but accepted with joy.
Moreover, every believer within this range would feel an overwhelming sense of happiness. Even if they labored all day, even to death, they would still feel joy.
To George, this spiritual equipment was essentially a large-scale tool for mental hypnosis and control.
"So, their real target is Academy City?"
At this moment, George also came to a realization.
The Roman Orthodox Church had used a fake Spear of Longinus as bait, pretending they were targeting a saint of the Anglican Church. In reality, it was a ruse to smuggle in the Apostle's Cross and plant it in Academy City, thereby turning the entire city into their territory.
"The target isn't just Academy City. They want to take over Academy City first, then unify its power and wipe out all other magical organizations—ultimately ruling the entire world."
Aleister revealed the true ambition of the Roman Orthodox Church in a single sentence.
Academy City was home to so many espers, including Level 5 ones like Accelerator, whose power surpassed even saints, not to mention its arsenal of hyper-advanced scientific weaponry.
If the Roman Orthodox Church were to gain control of all of that, the balance of power in the world would be completely shattered.
Aleister would never allow such a result. That was why he could no longer continue training Kamijou Touma and decided to have George take action to stop them and seize the Apostle's Cross.
"No problem."
George nodded and was just about to act when he saw Oriana taking off her damaged clothing, which had been torn in battle. She stood naked at the foot of the stairs, retrieved a pre-prepared handbag, and began changing her clothes right there.
"Let's wait just a bit!"
"The signboard has already been taken back by the other side, and the matter of the Spear of Longinus has most likely been exposed.
But it's fine. Leave it to big sister. I'll handle everything here.
In the end, everything will go just as we hoped. This city will become happy, and happiness will spread to every corner of the world!"
Oriana adjusted her fiery short camisole and ended her conversation with Lidovia.
Just as she was about to leave the underground stairwell and continue luring her previous pursuers, a figure suddenly appeared behind her.
"Miss, would you mind telling me where you've hidden the Apostle's Cross?"
"You tracked me down this fast? Looks like the Necessarius really has some skill."
Oriana's body tensed slightly before she turned around.
"No wonder. So it was you."
As a magician highly skilled in tracking and counter-tracking magic, being located this quickly—without her even noticing the proximity—truly surprised her.
But when she saw that it was Misaka Mikoto, one of Academy City's Level 5 espers, her astonishment subsided.
She figured Academy City must have noticed something and dispatched a Level 5 esper to investigate, using technological methods to trace her. That would explain why she hadn't noticed.
"Then let me see just what kind of level a Level 5 esper really is."
Without wasting words, Oriana immediately bit down on a card and began casting magic.
"Earth's Emblem!"
The ground rose in a wave of earth, five or six meters high, surging toward George, aiming to bury him alive beneath it.
A flash of electricity sparked from George's hand, and the wave of earth was blasted apart on the spot.
Unless absolutely necessary, he would avoid using conspicuous magic, preferring instead to rely on superpowers and his physical strength in combat.
Because if the magic world discovered that he could use both esper abilities and magic, it would cause massive upheaval.
Currently, the balance between the science side and the magic side was maintained by the mutual exclusivity—espers couldn't use magic, and magicians couldn't use esper powers.
If someone emerged who could use both, it would mean the two systems could be fused.
If magicians could acquire esper abilities, they could wield both magic and esper powers, making them vastly more powerful.
However, after watching Oriana's fight with Kamijou Touma and the others, he figured he could handle everything using esper powers alone.
He was now a Level 5 esper, the same as the real Misaka Mikoto, and in addition, he possessed Magneto's genes. His esper power had already surpassed Misaka's.
His electric attacks were stronger than hers, and like Magneto, he could manipulate metal. His metal manipulation strength had now reached 1000 tons—an increase of a hundredfold from before.
Part of that was due to the huge leap from Level 4 to Level 5, and part of it was due to his fusion with the Dragon Crystal and mastery of Dragon Slayer Magic, which had drastically improved his physical constitution.
"Impressive strength, but not much brains!"
As the earth wave scattered, Oriana's figure vanished and reappeared behind George.
It turned out the earth attack was mainly a cover. She knew some intel on Misaka Mikoto and realized the earth wouldn't have any real effect.
Her true aim was to get close and unleash a magic spell that couldn't be blocked.
"Earth's Emblem: Bloodline Burst!"
This was a magic spell that targeted the enemy's blood, causing it to swell within the blood vessels and rupture them from within.
Most magicians and espers didn't have significantly stronger bodies than ordinary people. If their blood vessels ruptured, they wouldn't necessarily die instantly, but they would suffer serious injury and be unable to continue fighting.
She had defeated many stronger magicians with this very spell.
As long as she didn't encounter freaks like saints with monstrous physiques, it was a safe bet.
"An interesting spell."
George turned around and looked at Oriana, a slight flush appearing on his face, though it quickly faded.
He had just felt his blood being affected by the spell, but his body now was akin to a humanoid dragon—such minor blood movement couldn't even begin to burst his vessels.
It would have to be dozens of times more powerful for it to have any chance.
Still, he was intrigued by a magic that could affect blood so directly.
Honestly, this delivery magician knew quite a few useful spells.
"How could this be?"
Oriana was stunned when she saw that George's face was just slightly flushed and otherwise completely fine.
She clearly remembered that the Level 5 esper Misaka Mikoto's ability was electricity, not some kind of physical reinforcement. There was no way she should have been able to resist that spell.
(End of Chapter)