( BONUS CHAPTER )
"Perfect combination," Russell muttered, reviewing his selections on the tablet.
Gold-level [Spirit of Electricity] (Red)
Gold-level [Artificial Esper] (Gold)
Gold-level [Trouble in a Jar] (Red)
Since these were tournament rewards, he'd naturally aimed for top-tier materials. The staff member accepted the tablet without reaction—this amount was trivial for the Federation's resources. Besides, after Russell's performance and with Blake Whitmore's backing, questioning his choices would be career suicide.
The materials arrived within minutes.
"My first Gold-level card," he breathed, equal parts excitement and anxiety.
He'd considered many options. Aizen as 5th Division Captain came to mind first—though technically, if Yoriichi got promoted to captain, Aizen would be vice-captain. Maybe assign him to a different division? He'd also considered Feixiao from Honkai: Star Rail. As an unemployed artist in his previous life, he'd memorized every Hoyoverse waifu.
But the available materials didn't suit those choices. Time for Plan C.
Back home, Russell spread the materials across his desk, steadied his breathing, and began drawing a brown-haired girl on the blank card. The mysterious space embraced him.
[Please begin story compilation.]
[In this world, two factions wage secret war. The Magic Side, handling supernatural phenomena since antiquity. The Science Side, rising to prominence in modernity. Academy City, technology's crown jewel, was founded by Aleister Crowley over fifty years ago. When young, Mikoto Misaka donated her DNA to help cure muscular dystrophy. Now one of only seven Level 5 Espers, she remains ignorant of the sins spawned from that donation.]
[Espers represent Academy City's scientific triumph. Among millions of residents, only seven achieve Level 5. "A Certain Scientific Railgun"—Mikoto Misaka's designation. She commands billion-volt currents, electromagnetic waves, and magnetic fields at will.]
Russell paused, struck by a horrifying thought. Could she develop "Magnetic Field Rotation" like those Hong Kong manhua?
The mental image of petite Mikoto with bulging muscles screaming "RUSSELL! I LOVE YOU WITH THE POWER OF 999,999 HORSE MAGNETIC ROTATION!" made him physically recoil.
Let's... preserve her original character.
[On June 5th, she encountered Touma Kamijou, wielder of Imagine Breaker—a right hand negating all supernatural phenomena. Against this power, the third-ranked Level 5 tasted defeat. Only Accelerator and Kakine Teitoku ranked above her.]
[July 19th brought another clash with Touma. Despite triggering a district-wide blackout, she inflicted zero damage. August 10th revealed conspiracy—remembering her childhood DNA donation, she investigated the "Mass Production Ability Plan," finding it frozen.]
[August 15th shattered illusions. Meeting clone Misaka 9982 exposed the "Level 6 Shift Project"—creating an Absolute Being who could hear Heaven's will with mortal flesh. The subject: Accelerator. Mikoto watched helplessly as he murdered 9982.]
[Mikoto turned to cyber warfare. As an Electromaster, no firewall could stop her—she could hack air-gapped systems through electromagnetic manipulation alone.]
Shame this is the Daming Federation, Russell mused. In pure tech societies, she'd be god-tier. Though competent cardmakers probably have countermeasures.
[After destroying 70% of facilities, she drew retaliation. Mugino Shizuri, fourth-ranked Level 5, led ITEM against her. Despite opposition, Mikoto destroyed what she believed was the core facility. August 21st brought false relief—until meeting Misaka 10031 and Accelerator. With Touma and the Sisters' aid, they defeated Accelerator, ending the experiments.]
[October 30th, amid World War III's Russian theater, Mikoto sought Touma...]
"Old Testament ends there," Russell exhaled. The New Testament's A.A.A. form exceeded Gold-level. Saints like Kanzaki required Diamond minimum. Magic Gods like Othinus? Even Palace-level couldn't create reality-rewriting entities.
Suppressing speculation, he examined his creation:
( IMAGE HERE )
[A Certain Scientific Railgun • Mikoto Misaka]
Level: Gold
Quality: Red
Category: Creature
Skills:
[Electromaster]: Commands high-voltage current, electromagnetic waves, and magnetism at will.
[Super-Electromagnetic Cannon (Railgun)]: Accelerates projectiles to 3x sound speed via electromagnetic induction.
[Real Lightning]: Summons billion-volt lightning strikes from gathered thunderclouds.
Characteristics:
[Vending Machine Repair Master]: Specialized kick extracts free drinks from any vending machine.
[Master Hacker]: Direct electronic manipulation bypasses all encryption and firewalls.
[Personal Reality]: Overwrites reality through personal calculations. Level 5's reality far exceeds normal parameters.
[Level 5]: One-person army classification. Modern military helpless against Level 5 Espers. All parameters enhanced.
Introduction: "Even I can fight! Even I can be your strength!"
Advancement: Gold [Railgun • Mikoto] → Emerald [A.A.A. • Mikoto]
Bonds:
With [Accelerator]: Activates [Academy City's Strongest]
With [Kuroko Shirai]: Activates [Onee-sama!]
Russell's tension evaporated. He'd worried about her power level, but this was perfect. Railgun's output scaled with projectile material—game coins were effective but limited, while other materials offered unknown potential. Real Lightning surpassed even Kirin, with faster charging and greater power.
"The lightning dancing on your fingertips is my eternal faith!" Russell laughed, quoting ancient fan mantras. Beyond combat, Mikoto offered electromagnetic radar and Magneto cosplay potential.
Shaking off strange thoughts, he summoned her immediately.
A brown-haired girl materialized, electricity crackling around her.
"So tiny," Russell's first thought escaped verbally.
Mikoto's eye twitched. Her fist connected with his arm, sparks flying. Russell caught the small white hand, saying consolingly, "It's fine. I prefer petite anyway."
"PERVERT!" She aimed a kick.
"Your safety shorts are visible."
"IDIOT!"
Her blush outweighed any annoyance.
Next morning, Russell rose early with purpose. Two matters demanded attention: Northgate's job placement discussion, and the Society's "new arrangements" Misty had mentioned during nationals.
At Gold-level, attending classes was pointless—some professors were only Gold themselves. Plenty of schools would hire him as faculty. But the Society loomed like Damocles' sword.
"Time waits for no one," he muttered. Motion meant survival.
After breakfast, he'd visit school first to review options, then consult Misty about Society preferences. His dual allegiances meant major decisions required careful navigation. Though Blake's name carried weight—the Society wouldn't openly oppose his teacher's arrangements.
"Shouldn't the Society reward Gold-level achievement?" Russell mused. Starting from scratch like a nobody seemed insulting. "I'll inquire."
Shadowkhan carried his ornate chair toward campus. He went straight to President Ding—normally not the principal's responsibility, but Russell merited special handling.
"President Ding, it's Russell."
"Come in!"
The president looked up from paperwork. "Sit. The options are there—review them."
Three documents awaited.
[Appointment: Director, Secret Realm Office, Heron Island Cardmakers Association]
Russell blinked at the prestigious position.
"The school pulled strings for these," Ding smiled. "All excellent opportunities."
"Thank you for the cultivation." Russell understood—he was Blake's disciple and fresh championship winner. Northgate would ensure his success.
[Appointment: Vice President, Seven-Star City Cardmakers Association]
Straight to VP? Then understanding dawned. Heron Island had Diamond-levels; Gold-ranks couldn't reach VP there. But Seven-Star City? He'd be the ceiling, hence the higher title.
[Appointment: Vice President, East-Haven City Cardmakers Association]
Another VP position in a smaller city.
"Any preferences?" Ding asked.
Russell stroked his chin thoughtfully. Each had merits and drawbacks. More importantly, the Society's input remained unknown.
"May I respond within a few days?"
"Take a month if needed. This decision shapes your future."
Russell nodded and departed.
Time to see what Misty—and by extension, the Society—had planned for their newly minted Gold-level asset.
(End of Chapter)
300 , 500 , 1000 Each milestone will have 1 Bonus chapter.