Rei Ao took a step forward.

Nunotaba Shinobu immediately felt an invisible pressure weigh down on her entire body. Her knees buckled of their own accord, and she collapsed to the floor. It wasn't just psychological fear—every cell in her body seemed to be prostrating before a higher-dimensional being, compelled to worship.

"Become one of my subordinates, or vanish like the others."

Rei Ao's voice was soft, yet it exploded like thunder inside her mind.

"Choose."

Nunotaba's throat tightened. She once thought she'd lost her will to live, but now, truly facing the threat of death, she realized a part of her still clung to life. What shocked her most was that this man, calling himself the Superintendent, emanated an aura far beyond any "esper" she'd ever imagined.

"Why…me?"

She bowed her head, hearing how hoarse her own voice was.

"Because of your conscience," Rei Ao replied coolly.

"Conscience?"

She was startled. She didn't fully understand. Then Rei Ao spoke:

"As someone aware of the Level 6 Shift Project, you sympathized with the Misaka Sisters and tried to protect them, didn't you?"

"…"

Nunotaba was dumbstruck, gaping.

"I…"

She had indeed felt that way. Unlike her fellow researchers who treated the Sisters purely as experimental subjects, she couldn't fully accept that perspective. That must be what Rei Ao called "conscience."

A bitter smile curved Nunotaba's lips. Even she never expected that this insignificant sense of guilt would end up saving her life.

"What do you want me to do?"

Rei Ao smiled in satisfaction. That was her answer.

"A wise choice."

"Starting today, you'll obey Shokuhou Misaki's orders directly."

Before Nunotaba could process it, Rei Ao's figure began turning transparent. Just before disappearing, he left one final remark:

"I'll send the Talent Workshop location to your phone. Come report in, and don't delay."

Once the laboratory fell silent again, she realized her entire back was soaked in cold sweat.

"Don't worry."

The remaining Shokuhou offered a faintly sympathetic smile.

"Compared to dying, what you're about to witness will be the truly scary part."

She was sure Rei Ao had now set his sights on this girl. No doubt, she'd be treated quite…roughly in certain ways. But Shokuhou herself had no room to mock Nunotaba, since she too would soon have to fulfill her own trade.

…..

Headquarters of the Anglican Church – the Most Secret Prayer Room.

Stiyl slammed open the heavy oak door. Having learned the truth, he'd rushed back here to confront Archbishop Laura, who had deceived him.

"Archbishop! About Index's memory—!"

But his enraged shout ended as abruptly as it began. The scene before him made the towering red-haired priest recoil as though struck by lightning.

He saw his revered Archbishop Laura on her knees, forehead pressed to the floor, golden hair cascading over the sumptuous carpet like a waterfall. And perched on the high-backed seat that should have been the Archbishop's was…

"Yo, Stiyl,"

A black-haired young man with iridescent eyes waved at him casually.

"You're three minutes earlier than I predicted."

"It's you!"

Stiyl recognized him. It was that man he'd briefly faced before, Rei Ao—though Stiyl, frozen in time back then, never learned his identity. He couldn't fathom why Rei Ao was here.

"What are you doing?"

Whatever his anger toward Laura, it now refocused on the man forcing her into this position. Stiyl's fingers clenched rune cards, but a sharp sense of danger stopped him from attacking. A suffocating pressure filled the room, the air thick as syrup.

Rei Ao smirked.

"You raced back quickly, but too bad—there's no place for you here."

He merely gave a light snap of his fingers.

"!!!"

Stiyl felt the world spin; the view warped like ripples in water. When it cleared, he found himself standing outside the Church headquarters, out in the main plaza. The passersby, oblivious, seemed not to notice his sudden appearance, as if he'd been there all along.

"Damn it!"

Stiyl cursed, spinning around to rush the main gate—only to find no matter how he ran, the distance never shrank.

He's twisted space!

Realizing this made his blood run cold.

…

Inside the Prayer Room:

Rei Ao looked down at Laura, still kneeling on the floor. A cold sneer curled his lips.

"Get up. Stop pretending."

His tone turned icily forbidding.

"I didn't come all the way here to watch you act pitiful—show me your true self."

Laura's body trembled. Slowly she rose. That fair face, which always wore a saintly smile, now looked white as paper, though she forced an attempt at composure.

"Rei Ao-sama jests."

She dared not show the slightest disrespect to this man who appeared abruptly, crushing her with absolute power. Closing her eyes, then reopening them, black runes spread beneath her skin. The gentle archbishop's countenance grew eerily bewitching, no longer holy but demonic.

"Coronzon—or should I say, 'the Great Demon'?"

Rei Ao mused, eyeing her with interest in this form. By now, her eyes had turned completely black.

"You're a Magic God… Everything must bend to your will," Laura—rather, Coronzon—murmured, fully aware of Rei Ao's godlike status.

Rei Ao rose, his iridescent eyes reflecting the twisted visage.

"As expected of someone so cunning,"

He seized Laura's chin.

"I only came for three reasons. First, that nuisance Aleister's in my way, so I cleaned him up. Now Academy City belongs to me."

Fear flitted across Laura's face for real. As a Great Demon on par with Aiwass, she sensed the horrifying power in Rei Ao. This was no ordinary Magic God's might, but something older and more fundamental.

"What else do you want?" she asked, her voice tight.

Rei Ao's grin spread, so cold it made even a demon shudder.

"Simple. Second, you become my property. Third, you never again scheme against Index or Academy City."

His hand slid down Laura's neck.

"Of course, in exchange, I'll let you live."

Suddenly, Laura felt a dark runic energy from Rei Ao's touch burrowing into her very soul, forging a binding more dreadful than any demon's contract. She tried resisting on instinct, but it was no use.

"Ah… You're truly… a cruel master…"

Her voice wavered with resignation. Her eyes reverted back from full-black to human pupils, yet the whites were marbled with black veins.

Rei Ao shoved her roughly onto the prayer altar, the archbishop's robes dissolving silently into fragments under his magic.

"You gave Index a collar, so I'm giving you one in return. Fair, no?"

He whispered in her ear.

"And now…fulfill your duty as the dog who's been collared."

The command in his voice admitted no defiance.

~~~

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