"Ha ha ha…" Despite the physical pain that hadn't yet subsided, the clarity in her mind made Kiyama Harumi laugh. It was this feeling—the incomparable computational power of the brain.
Pointing a finger, she suspended herself mid-air, creating a transparent barrier that blocked all of Kakine Teitoku's attacks. "This meaningless trick won't work on me. I have more important things to do. Can we make peace?"
"Oh, you're confident now?" Kakine Teitoku said, waving his hand. With a sharp sound, the transparent barrier that Kiyama Harumi had created shattered instantly. "It might be a trick, but it's not meaningless."
"..." Kiyama Harumi, on alert, used teleportation to quickly escape Kakine Teitoku's attack range.
Watching the area engulfed in various energy attacks, Harumi couldn't help but reflect that even with the advantage of temporarily stepping into the realm of Level 5 through the use of Honkai Energy Enhancement Drugs, there was still a significant gap when compared to a 'professional' Level 5.
"With these little tricks, I've analyzed the constituent materials of your barrier. You didn't really think that by borrowing power to reach a Level 5 tier, you could defeat me, did you?"
"Of course not…" Harumi replied with a smile. "I never believed I could defeat you Level 5s. But if I want to escape, do you think you can stop me?"
"Rest assured, I have no interest in your reactor experiment center behind you. The earlier unpleasantness was a misunderstanding, and I can apologize for that." Ignoring the crimson in Harumi's eyes, she returned to her earlier calm demeanor.
Lowering her attitude voluntarily didn't bother Harumi at all; rationality had regained control. Now, she only wanted to achieve her goal, and if that meant admitting defeat, so be it.
"Of course, if you insist on interfering, I won't be afraid of you! To achieve my goal, I'm willing to do anything!" Harumi's voice carried a hint of madness, her eyes flashing red. "Even if it means opposing the First Ranked, I am willing to risk it all! I just want to save those children!!"
"Children?" Kakine Teitoku echoed, struck by a memory. Reflecting, he glanced at Harumi again, her determined figure bringing back memories of his own past.
Was he once like this too? Striving to protect those he cherished most—his childhood friend and Ringo? In Kiyama Harumi, Kakine saw a reflection of his former self.
Inexplicably, Kakine softened. After all, he was a villain, but not a complete scoundrel; he had his principles.
"..." Kakine Teitoku fell silent.
Seeing Kakine pause mid-air, Harumi wasn't sure what he was thinking, but she assumed he had agreed. Turning to leave, she heard his voice once more, causing her to remain cautious.
"You injected yourself with the Honkai Energy Enhancement Drug from the Tianming Research Institute, right? Although I don't know how you got it or what model you used…"
"I must warn you, using the Honkai Energy Enhancement Drug without professional equipment or specialist supervision comes with significant side effects. While the effects aren't immediate, especially for someone like you who's already exhausted, the enhanced physical condition is only temporary…"
"With this warning, you should understand the consequences," he concluded, no longer paying attention to the stunned Kiyama Harumi and turning to leave.
As he flew back, Kakine noticed Mikoto Misaka approaching in the distance. He chuckled at her persistence. The Fourth, still not giving up.
Meanwhile, Mikoto Misaka noticed Kakine Teitoku's figure in the sky and waved her hand. "Hey, where's Kiyama Harumi?"
"She's up ahead. Also, my name isn't 'Hey,' it's Kakine Teitoku, remember that, Fourth," he replied, landing and looking around for Mugino Shizuri. Finding no trace of her, Kakine wondered aloud, "Where's the Fifth?"
"Borrowing your phrase, my name isn't 'Fourth,' it's Mikoto Misaka. As for that fiery woman, she left earlier." Having received directions, Mikoto shouted back while running. "She knew she couldn't beat you, so she left."
Saying this, Mikoto quickly ran towards the location where Harumi was lingering.
...
"Kiyama Harumi, give up!"
In the ruins, Harumi, who had been contemplating Kakine's words, winced at the determined voice. This girl was persistent, clinging to her like a piece of gum.
Turning towards the sound, she saw Mikoto Misaka approaching, dust-covered but determined. Harumi sighed deeply, thoroughly worn out by her tenacity. "Sigh… not giving up yet? Do you really think you can stop me alone?"
"Of course! I will stop you!" Mikoto declared firmly.
Even though they were fighting seriously, Harumi had held back against Mikoto, unable to bring herself to harm her seriously.
Harumi merely glanced at Mikoto before disappearing and reappearing fifty meters away. "I have no time to waste with you."
"Hey, don't run!" In Mikoto's moment of frustration, a familiar figure arrived with a whoosh—Shirai Kuroko. "Onee-sama!"
"Ah, Kuroko, you're just in time. Let's chase her!"
The two shared a look and turned their attention to Kiyama Harumi, who appeared weary.
"This is troublesome," Harumi thought. With only Mikoto, she could exploit her lack of mobility to escape. But now that the teleporter, Kuroko, had arrived, the situation was different.
Though Harumi could use her Multi-Skill Ability to teleport, it was only by borrowing from low-level space ability users among the thousands connected to her. Even with enhanced brainpower, the process required time.
Thus, a chase ensued, with Mikoto and Kuroko steadily gaining ground while Harumi's stamina waned. Harumi could feel her body reaching its limits.
After battling multiple Level 5s, Harumi's mind was overwhelmed. Without the enhancement drugs, her body would have long since collapsed. Moreover, her methods were unorthodox, lacking proper equipment for stabilization.
Ultimately, the outcome was inevitable. With Mikoto addressing her mobility issue, she capitalized on Harumi's exhaustion, slipping past her defenses to deliver a point-blank electric shock…
...
"How could this be?!" Misaka was stunned. In that moment, she questioned whether she had been right to stop Harumi. She had never imagined that Harumi's creation of the Level Upper was to save students harmed by the Capacity Down experiment.
Beneath the polished surface of Academy City lay a darker, hidden side.
Watching Mikoto's dazed expression, Kuroko grew concerned. "Onee-sama?!"
At that moment, Kiyama Harumi, incapacitated by the electric shock, let out an anguished scream. "Ah!"
Clutching her head, she collapsed, roaring in agony. Simultaneously, Mikoto and Kuroko felt the air grow thick and oppressive.
What… was happening?
"This is… the network… it's out of control!"
With those words, Kiyama Harumi fell unconscious.
The excessive use of her Multi-Skill Ability, combined with the intense strain on her brain, had left Harumi's body in tatters. Even with the Honkai Energy Enhancement Drug keeping her going, recovery was impossible without proper administration, lacking a crucial element.
And Mikoto's electric shock had been the final straw—
[Level Upper] Network is out of control!