Chapter 324: Approaching the Realm of God (Part Two)

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Early the next morning, George returned once again to the stadium.

The Daihasei Festival would run for a full week, and today marked the second day.

His objective was to closely monitor Misaka Mikoto throughout the day and connect to the Misaka Network at the exact moment her evolution began, allowing him to experience the entire process of ascending from Level 5 to Level 6.

Floating invisibly in the air, he watched as Misaka Mikoto and Wannai Kinuho teamed up for the three-legged race and claimed victory.

Later, when Misaka Mikoto returned to her dorm to change clothes, one of the Misaka clones—who had stayed in Academy City for medical treatment—was mistaken for her and pulled into the next competition.

After that, the clone was kidnapped by operatives sent by Shokuhou Misaki, leading Misaka Mikoto to begin searching for her. A series of interconnected events began to unfold.

George had already been briefed on these developments by Aleister the day before, so none of this came as a surprise.

He did not interfere at any point—he merely observed from above.

It wasn't until evening that Kihara Gensei confronted the Misaka clone on a rooftop. Through her, he seized control of the Misaka Network and lured Misaka Mikoto to the scene.

"Hiding in the shadow of the first-ranked candidate, Aleister's chosen successor... what would happen if this power were used as the ignition point for your pure strength?"

As Kihara Gensei pressed the button to activate control over the Misaka Network, the sky turned a deep purplish-red. Lightning surged down in torrents, all of it channeled directly into Misaka Mikoto's body.

The lightning energy inside her began to swell uncontrollably. Her entire body was engulfed in a glowing white electric field, and faint horns formed atop her head—crafted entirely from electricity.

"Now's the time."

Hovering above, George stretched out his hands. 

"Plasma Railgun!"

A massive blast of plasma energy instantly vaporized Kihara Gensei, who was still immersed in the thrill of the experiment's launch.

George had no intention of letting Kihara interfere through the Exterior Brain once he linked with Mikoto. It was better to eliminate the biggest variable upfront—it was the safest option.

Landing in front of Misaka Mikoto, George reached out and grabbed her shoulder, initiating access to the Misaka Network and diving into Mikoto's consciousness, syncing with her as much as possible.

At the same time, the lightning-woven armor that enveloped Mikoto extended to wrap around George as well.

He could clearly feel the extent of Mikoto's physical evolution—and every sensation that came with the process.

"Sorry, little girl. You're not welcome here."

Inside Mikoto's mental world, George discovered a girl attempting to manipulate her spirit, goading her into launching an attack on the Windowless Building.

He stepped forward, grabbed the intruder by the neck, and forcefully ejected her from Mikoto's mind.

The girl's name was Kihara Kanon. She was once a friend of Misaka clone No. 0, Dolly, and had been one of the test subjects at the "Talent Workshop."

Following Dolly's death, she launched a terrorist attack against the Academy City Board of Directors and was later imprisoned. Deceived by Kihara Gensei, she now sought to use the evolved Mikoto to exact revenge on Aleister, the chairman of the board.

"Well then, now we can focus on evolving properly!"

Using his psychic abilities to drive Kanon away, George began to fully synchronize with Misaka Mikoto, experiencing the entire evolution from Level 5 to Level 6 alongside her.

"One percent… two percent… three percent… four percent…"

As the evolution reached thirty percent, their electric armor transformed again. A glowing ring of lightning appeared above their heads, while radiant electric ribbons, almost tangible, spiraled around them.

On a spiritual level, George began to perceive the very essence of electricity. The lightning-based spells he had once studied now suddenly appeared in his mind with unprecedented clarity and simplicity.

All of his previous doubts and confusion regarding lightning magic instantly vanished.

It felt as if he had spent hundreds of years meticulously studying various forms of lightning-based magic.

If the evolution were to end now, he believed that, with his current understanding of electricity, casting those spells again would result in a significant increase in power.

Even those ancient lightning spells that used to require several minutes of incantation might now only take a few seconds to cast.

"Why are both of them evolving?!"

The rooftop door burst open as Kamijou Touma and Gunha Sogiita rushed in.

However, upon seeing both Misakas undergoing evolution, they hesitated in shock.

"Save them first, questions later!"

Without wasting a second, the two split up—one heading for George, the other for Misaka Mikoto.

Though George had his eyes closed, he was still acutely aware of his surroundings and noticed their approach immediately.

"Not yet."

He manipulated the ribbons of lightning coiled around him, striking Gunha and sending him flying back, while simultaneously forcing steel bars up from beneath the rooftop to bind Kamijou Touma's legs.

Kamijou's right hand had the ability to negate all supernatural powers and magic. If he were to touch George in his current state, it was entirely possible that the evolution process would be disrupted.

So George had to stop them at all costs.

As for Misaka Mikoto's safety, he was directly connected to her through the Misaka Network. If they truly reached a critical point, he would awaken her and forcefully terminate the evolution.

Kamijou, finding himself restrained by the steel bars, immediately stretched out his right hand in an attempt to cancel George's control.

While the power was indeed dispelled, the deformed and twisted steel remained wrapped around his legs. He had to physically pry the bars apart to move again.

But that introduced a new problem. Every time he freed his left leg and went to work on the right, George would simply rebind his left. And if he switched to free the left again, the right would get entangled once more.

George had studied Kamijou's combat style the previous day and had spotted many of his weaknesses.

Kamijou's right hand could indeed nullify any supernatural ability, but only the right hand. And while his physical body was above average, it was still within human limitations.

Therefore, if one simply acted faster than his right hand could react, he could be easily overwhelmed.

While Kamijou was being run in circles by the endlessly re-binding steel, Misaka Mikoto's evolution bar continued to rise with an intense hum.

"Thirty-five percent… forty percent… fifty percent… fifty-one—she's reached the limit!"

Once her evolution passed the fifty-percent threshold, her body began to grow translucent. Her head was gradually replaced by countless stars, and the surrounding lightning shifted to a deep black, encasing both her and George in its glow.

At that moment, George felt as though he and Misaka Mikoto were brushing against the edge of the divine—one corner of the godly realm within this world.

But he also knew they couldn't continue.

If they pushed any further, Misaka Mikoto's personality would be entirely erased, and the soul inhabiting his current body would suffer such severe backlash that he'd no longer be able to maintain control.

Maybe if he held on until one hundred percent, he could fully glimpse the realm of a Level 6 deity—but afterward, both his current body and Misaka Mikoto would be obliterated in the process.

Sacrificing a clone in this world just for that wasn't worth the cost.

(End of Chapter)