Chapter 325: The Realm Close to God
Early the next morning, George once again arrived at the stadium.
The Great Ba Star Festival was held continuously for a week, and today was the second day.
His goal today was to closely monitor Misaka Mikoto throughout, access the Misaka Network once her evolution began, and personally experience the entire process from Level 5 to Level 6.
Floating invisibly in the air, he saw Misaka Mikoto team up with Wannai Kinuho in a three-legged race and win.
Later, when Misaka Mikoto returned to the dormitory to change clothes, a Misaka clone who had remained in Academy City for treatment was mistakenly pulled into the next event, having been taken for Misaka Mikoto.
Following that, the Misaka clone was kidnapped by people sent by Shokuhou Misaki, and a series of events unfolded as Misaka Mikoto began to search for the clone.
George had already anticipated all of this yesterday when Aleister had provided him with intel, so he wasn't too surprised.
He didn't participate in the entire incident—only watched from the air.
Until dusk, when Kihara Gensei found the Misaka clone on the rooftop, and used her to control the Misaka Network through Misaka Mikoto's clone, luring Misaka Mikoto to the rooftop.
"The one chosen by Aleister hidden in the shadow of the first reserve—what would happen if you used this power as the detonator for your pure strength?"
Kihara Gensei pressed the button that controlled the Misaka Network. A purple-red thunderstorm formed in the sky and instantly poured into Misaka Mikoto's body.
The lightning power in her body began to surge crazily, her whole body wrapped in white electric energy, and even faint horns formed from lightning emerged on her head.
"That's about right."
George pulled both hands in midair:
"Plasma Railgun!"
A massive plasma cannon instantly vaporized Kihara Gensei, who was still immersed in the start of his experiment.
He had no intention of allowing Kihara Gensei to interfere with the upcoming connection to Misaka Mikoto to experience the transition from Level 5 to Level 6.
So he simply eliminated this biggest variable first, just to be safe.
Landing in front of Misaka Mikoto, George reached out and grabbed her shoulder, actively entering the Misaka Network, then entering Misaka Mikoto's consciousness, trying to assimilate with her as much as possible.
At the same time, the thunder robe formed from condensed lightning on Misaka Mikoto spread onto George as well.
George could clearly feel the level of evolution in Misaka Mikoto's physical abilities, along with every sensation she was experiencing during the evolution.
"Sorry, little sister, you're not welcome here."
Entering Misaka Mikoto's mental world, he discovered a girl trying to manipulate her mind into attacking the Windowless Building.
He walked up and grabbed her by the neck, tossing her out of Misaka Mikoto's mental world.
The girl's name was Kensei Kanori. She used to be friends with the Misaka clone No. 0, Tōri, and was one of the test subjects from the "Talent Workshop."
After Tōri's death, she carried out a terrorist attack on the Academy City Board of Directors and was imprisoned. Later, she was deceived by Kihara Gensei and sought revenge on Aleister by using the evolved Misaka Mikoto.
"Now we can properly begin the advancement!"
Using his psychic ability to drive away Kensei Kanori, George began experiencing the full process of evolving from Level 5 to Level 6 with Misaka Mikoto.
"One percent, two percent, three percent, four percent..."
When the evolution reached thirty percent, the thunder robe on both of them changed again. A halo of lightning faintly appeared above their heads, and colorful lightning ribbons that seemed almost tangible floated around them.
Mentally, George vaguely felt that he had grasped the essence of electricity. The lightning-based spells he had once learned suddenly became crystal clear and simple.
All previous confusion and questions about lightning spells disappeared in an instant.
It felt as though he had studied various lightning spells for hundreds of years with deep devotion.
If he stopped the advancement now, he felt that with this level of understanding, the power of lightning spells would be greatly enhanced when cast again.
Even those ancient lightning spells that once required minutes of incantation might now only take a dozen seconds to unleash.
"How did both of them get caught up in this?!"
The rooftop door burst open—Kamijou Touma and Gunha Sogiita rushed in.
But seeing both Misakas in the midst of their evolution made them momentarily freeze.
"Let's save them first!"
The two charged forward from either side, aiming to grab George and Misaka Mikoto.
Although George had his eyes closed, he was well aware of his surroundings and naturally noticed the two.
"Not yet."
While using the thunder ribbons on his body to constantly repel Gunha Sogiita, he also manipulated the steel bars beneath the rooftop to break through the ground and bind Kamijou Touma's feet.
Kamijou Touma's right hand could negate any supernatural power or magic. If it touched his body, it might end the evolution state immediately.
So naturally, he had to stop them.
As for Misaka Mikoto's safety, he was connected to her now. If things truly reached the limit, he would awaken her and stop the evolution.
Kamijou Touma found his hands bound by the steel bars from underground and immediately stretched out his right hand to cancel George's control over the bars.
Though the control was canceled, the deformed steel bindings still held, and he had to pry them open to move again.
This led to another problem. As soon as he pried open the steel on his left foot and moved to work on the right, George would rebind the left with the steel he had just removed. When he freed the right foot to work on the left again, the right foot would be entangled once more.
After observing Kamijou Touma's battle yesterday, George had noticed many of his weaknesses.
Kamijou Touma's right hand could indeed negate any magic or ability—but only the right hand. His body was stronger than an average person's but not to a superhuman level.
So as long as one outpaced the reaction time of his right hand, it was easy to gain the upper hand.
While Kamijou Touma was being endlessly tangled by the steel bars, Misaka Mikoto's evolution bar kept rising rapidly.
"Thirty-five percent, forty percent, fifty percent, fifty-one percent—this is the limit!"
When Misaka Mikoto's evolution surpassed fifty percent, her body began turning semi-transparent, her head replaced by countless stars, and the lightning around them turned black, enveloping them both.
At that moment, George felt as if he and Misaka Mikoto had touched the edge of godhood in this world.
But he knew they couldn't go any further. If they continued, Misaka Mikoto's personality would completely disappear, and the soul of this body he inhabited would suffer severe consequences, losing control.
Perhaps if they reached one hundred percent, he could catch a glimpse of the realm of a Level 6 god—but the price would be the destruction of both his body and Misaka Mikoto's.
Losing one avatar from a world like this was simply not worth the cost in the grand scheme.
(End of Chapter)