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Whoosh...
A high school girl with two bunches of red hair, her upper body wrapped in cloth, a school jacket draped over her shoulders, and a mini-skirt completing the look, suddenly appeared in front of Kaito and Shinobu Kocho. She fixed them with a defiant stare.
"You two, someone wants to see you. Would you mind coming with me?"
Kaito looked the arrogant girl up and down, a mischievous smile spreading across his face.
"Oh my, it's so late. You want me to go with you? Are you taking me somewhere... dirty?"
"What did you say?"
Whoosh...
"I suggest you come with me, otherwise..."
The girl vanished and reappeared behind Kaito, pressing a stun gun against his back.
"Heh heh, little girl, have you ever considered a question?"
"What question?"
"Would Aleister, that old schemer, really send you to invite two ordinary people?"
As Kaito finished speaking, his figure flickered behind the girl instead, a Tetanus Sword (a rusty iron sword, a weapon that appeared in earlier chapters) now resting against her neck.
"Musujime Awaki, space movement is certainly convenient, but it's not invincible."
Feeling the cold metal at her throat, a chill ran through her and she swallowed hard.
"Gulp... Since you know the Chairman is looking for you, you still dare to treat me like this?"
"Hahaha! Musujime Awaki, aren't you overestimating yourself? To Aleister, you're just a tool. And trying to scare me by dropping that hanging man's name won't work either, because to me, he's nothing. But never mind, since I'm an uninvited guest, I might as well go see him."
As he spoke, the iron sword in Kaito's hand vanished, and he took two steps back. Feeling the blade disappear, Musujime Awaki's tensed shoulders finally eased, just a little.
"Then, let me take you two... hey, hey, hey!!!"
Before she could finish, Kaito waved a hand, and all three of them vanished from the spot.
A moment later, inside a windowless, doorless building, Musujime Awaki stared at Kaito and Shinobu Kocho in shock.
"You're a space-teleportation esper too!"
"Heh, you wouldn't understand advanced stuff like distorting space even if I explained it."
With that, Kaito led the way toward Aleister.
Five minutes later, Kaito stood before the being who was both male and female, both adult and child, both saint and prisoner.
"Aleister, speak. Why did you call us here?"
Suspended upside down in his life support device, Aleister answered in a voice that sounded both childlike and ancient at once.
"What is your purpose in coming to Academy City?"
"Purpose? To have fun, of course. We came in on a sightseeing bus."
Kaito said it with an almost insultingly sincere smile.
"Mr. Kaito, is it? You know what I'm asking."
"I'm sorry, I don't."
Kaito looked around at the vast empty space, then waved his right hand. A magnificent table with three chairs appeared out of nowhere.
"Shinobu, come sit. Oh, and you too."
He sat down first and picked up the teapot on the table, pouring himself a cup.
Off to the side, Musujime Awaki was trembling. Who exactly is this guy, daring to speak to the Chairman like that? Should I get out of here? If I hear something I shouldn't, I'm dead for sure.
"Musujime Awaki, you may leave first."
"Yes, Chairman!"
At Aleister's words, Musujime Awaki felt as if she'd been handed a full pardon, and vanished on the spot. Once outside, she looked back at the building, still uneasy, then teleported away again.
"Mr. Kaito, I'll be direct. Do you have any objective in contacting Kamijou Touma?"
Kaito held his teacup in his right hand, propping his cheek up with the other, and answered indifferently.
"Objective? None, when it comes to Kamijou Touma. But you owe me a large sum in copyright fees."
"Pfft!"
Shinobu Kocho burst out laughing at Kaito's shameless remark. She hadn't expected him to march straight up to the man in charge and openly demand royalties.
"Copyright fees?"
Even the ever-composed Aleister fell silent for a moment. Copyright fees? When did I ever owe anyone copyright fees?
"That's right. The words 'Academy City' were clearly invented by me first. Now you're using them without paying, isn't that just unauthorized use of my copyright?"
Kaito's face was a picture of righteous indignation, as if Aleister genuinely owed him a fortune.
"Mr. Kaito, if you won't state your purpose, I'm afraid I'll have to resort to less pleasant means."
Convinced Kaito was simply being unreasonable, Aleister decided to bring out something more persuasive.
"Unpleasant means? You wouldn't be referring to that angel, Aiwass, would you?"
"What!!! You actually know of Aiwass's existence?"
For the first time, a tremor crept into Aleister's usually unshakable voice.
"Academy City's top secret, code-named [Dragon]. An angel that neither the Bible nor theology can explain. Though personally, I think it's a bit overhyped. If it's really that amazing, why doesn't it just go wipe out the Magic Gods itself? Why do you insist on scheming your way through everything?"
Splash...
Aleister's mood churned as wildly as the nutrient solution in his life support device.
"Who exactly are you? Why do you know my objective?"
"You're asking, so I have to tell you? I'd rather not. Frustrating, isn't it? Frustrating?"
Kaito set down his teacup and pulled a face at Aleister. Beside him, Shinobu Kocho did the same.
"Aiwass!"
"Aiwass?"
"How is this possible!!!"
No matter how many times Aleister called, Aiwass's figure refused to appear.
"No need to look, he's right here."
Kaito extended his right hand, revealing a golden light shield no bigger than his palm. Inside it, Aiwass, dressed in loose white cloth, was hurling himself against the barrier again and again.
Seeing Aiwass caged, Aleister understood the tide had turned. His composure slid back into place, and he asked calmly:
"Sir, speak. What do you need?"
"What do I need... First, identities for Shinobu and me. Second, don't disturb me. And finally, pay up the copyright fee for the name 'Academy City.' That's all."
Aleister paused, momentarily thrown. He hadn't expected the demands to be so simple.
"That's all?"
"That's all. I'm not like you old schemers, I don't have that much nonsense in me."
"Very well. I'll have someone see to it."
Satisfied, Kaito nodded, and the light shield in his hand dissolved. The palm-sized Aiwass snapped back to full size, hovering in the air and staring at Kaito without expression.
"Alright, let's go, time to sleep! This table's a gift for you."
With that, Kaito and Shinobu Kocho vanished from the spot. Aleister looked at the magnificent table left behind and fell silent.
Then Aiwass spoke.
"You've likely provoked something beyond imagination. I can sense the other party is even more terrifying than the Magic Gods..."
"Is that so..."
Aleister's voice stayed flat, his face unreadable.