Domain Expansion. Malevolent Shrine

After a long silence, Rod silently stepped forward, intending to flee this troublesome place. But a force caught the hem of his clothes, stopping him in his tracks. He turned back at Misaka Mikoto with a baffled expression.

That innocent look immediately made Misaka Mikoto furious.

"You're not seriously going to just leave me here, are you?"

"Sorry, but I don't know people who pee and poop wherever they please." As Rod spoke, he continued walking forward, dragging Misaka Mikoto along behind him.

"Y-You bastard, whose fault do you think this is?!" Misaka Mikoto looked utterly wronged. Seeing her pitiful expression as though she were about to cry again, Rod felt a little embarrassed himself. He could only stop and lift Misaka Mikoto up by the back of her neck like a kitten.

Looking at the girl's aggrieved, tearful yet still stubborn gaze, Rod helplessly shook his head.

"Nue."

Using the Ten Shadows Technique, Rod summoned a shikigami. A huge owl-like creature emerged from his shadow, with orange feathers and a fierce white mask. Its enormous body stood before them like a small mountain.

Rod casually tossed Misaka Mikoto onto Nue's back and commanded it to take flight.

As a gigantic shadow swept over them, passersby instinctively looked up, only to be so startled that they fell to the ground.

"M-Monster..."

And so, Academy City gained another urban legend: "A gigantic bird monster that appears at night. Rumor has it there have been quite a few witnesses."

After dropping Misaka Mikoto at the entrance to her dormitory, Rod faced her vicious glare and spoke with complete indifference.

"Throwing a tantrum, little girl? Seriously, if I'd actually meant you harm, I would've chopped you into pieces from the very beginning."

"..." Startled into shivering by Rod's words, Misaka Mikoto felt a certain place starting to act up again. But as they said, even if you lost, you couldn't lose your spirit.

Misaka Mikoto pointed at Rod and shouted.

"Don't get cocky, asshole! Next time, I'll shock you until you twitch like a frog having spasms!"

"Still provoking someone stronger than you... you really are a bratty little girl." Rod teased, tugging at the corner of Misaka Mikoto's mouth with interest.

It unexpectedly felt rather nice. Rod ignored the girl's mortified, murderous glare, but just before leaving, he gave her one final reminder.

"Oh, right. Look into the Railgun Clone Project. I'm sure you'll find it interesting."

Misaka Mikoto's pupils contracted as she stared at Rod in disbelief.

"What do you mean?!"

But Rod had already vanished from before her eyes, leaving behind only a bewildered and helpless Misaka Mikoto.

"Come to think of it, I still don't know that old man's name."

Just as Misaka Mikoto stood there in a daze, a hand landed on her shoulder. The hand slowly tightened, snapping Misaka Mikoto back to her senses with pain.

"Ow... uh, Dorm Supervisor..."

Just as Misaka Mikoto was about to berate the newcomer, she met the glare reflected from a pair of glasses. The white light flashing off the lenses made the woman seem even more imposing, causing Misaka Mikoto's legs to tremble uncontrollably.

"Oh? Returning after curfew, Misaka? You're getting bolder and bolder." The mature woman's words made Misaka Mikoto's face stiffen even further.

That night, Misaka Mikoto believed it to be the unluckiest moment of her entire life.

Walking alone down the street, Rod looked at the girl who had suddenly appeared before him and muttered.

"Looks like it's time."

The girl had long red hair tied behind her head, somewhat different from twin tails. She wore a winter school uniform miniskirt with metal buckles, her upper body wrapped only in white bandages covering her chest, with a sports jacket draped over her shoulders.

"Sir, the Chairman of the Board wishes to meet you." The girl spoke flatly, as though she were merely carrying out routine business.

"Working even at night—hard on you. Then please lead the way, Miss Guide." Rod said casually, signaling for Awaki Musujime to lead him.

This surprised Awaki Musujime somewhat. Summoned by Academy City's highest leader without warning, this man was unexpectedly calm.

But it's none of my business. I just need to do my job.

Awaki Musujime stepped forward and placed a hand on Rod's shoulder. In the next instant, they vanished into the night.

District 7

The "Windowless Building," Academy City's iconic structure located at its very center. Awaki Musujime brought Rod inside.

Within a life-support device four meters in diameter and ten meters long, made of reinforced glass and filled with red liquid, floated a man upside down. He had silver hair that reached his ankles and wore a green surgical gown.

He looked both male and female, both adult and child, both saint and prisoner.

"Welcome, visitor from another world."

"Quite convenient, this AIM Stalker thing. Compared to Hiruzen Sarutobi, you've seen much more."

Rod's jab plunged Aleister Crowley into silence.

"By the way, aren't you supposed to be a bald old man?" Rod said jokingly as he looked at the waterfall-like silver hair before him.

"I have always had long silver hair." Aleister was left somewhat speechless by the other man's erratic remarks.

"But in my world, Aleister Crowley is a bald old man." Rod nodded toward the life-support device before him.

"..." Aleister Crowley fell into thought, wondering whether the person Rod spoke of might be an alternate-world counterpart of himself.

"Speaking of which, there's something I'd like to trouble the Chairman with."

"What is it?" Aleister replied.

"Could you let me see one of those scientifically engineered angels?"

As soon as the words fell, Aleister fell silent again. The person before him knew quite a lot.

Before Aleister could answer, a figure suffused with golden light appeared in midair—long golden hair, a tall body shining with light, and loose white cloth wrapping its limbs and torso. Its gender was impossible to determine, but at least from its appearance, it looked female.

"A visitor from another world. Interesting." The strange voice was laced with static.

Looking at the angel before him, Rod's lips curled into an eerie smile. Terrifying cursed energy, like raging tidal waves, poured from his body. His hands formed Yama's Hand Seal, and he slowly spoke in a low voice.

"Domain Expansion!"

As though an abyssal beast had been unleashed, bones formed a massive throne and began spreading outward. A deep roar from some abyssal monster rang out; merely hearing it made one's soul tremble.

"Malevolent Shrine!"