An indescribable thickness permeated the room as she desperately gasped for air. She had woken up in a cold sweat, her body overheating while freezing at the same time. Her head is pounding for oxygen that doesn't exist.

It took a moment for her to realize what she had done and seconds more than usual to undo it.

She had almost killed herself in her sleep. Events from the previous night combined with less sleep than usual had resulted in her body trying to get rid of an enemy that doesn't physically exist which resulted in the oxygen around her turning into ozone. And well, humans can't breathe in ozone.

Her head was still pounding as the world around her shifted. Her heart is thumping at an irregular rate, her breath still shaky.

Collapsing, she stared holes into the ceiling.

"…"

That day, Misaka Mikoto did not leave her bed.

If you told Shirai that she was running away from reality, she would scoff and turn you away. And while knowing that you had not told her a single lie.

Even her superiors in Judgement didn't dare to interfere. The mood was quite obviously sour around her and earning the ire of someone like Shirai wasn't a smart idea.

So, she shifted through mountains of paperwork and caught a few dozen thugs in a matter of days. Anything she could do, she would do. As long as it wasn't sitting down and thinking. It didn't exactly help that summer vacation began, which meant that she didn't have 6 hours of work to sift through every day.

The beginning of summer vacation also meant that she had no means of contacting 'her', beyond tutoring sessions, which she had so previously dreaded. And that only occurred once every week (which she previously thought was too much). It would be a few more days before she would meet her again. And Shirai wasn't even sure that she wanted to see the Level 5 again. But if it meant getting to the bottom of an urban legend turned murder mystery, she would do it.

And so, her mind was in constant turmoil, trying to focus on the things in front of her while also trying to avoid the inevitable.

Level 6. The realm of godhood, where magic can finally be countered by science. The end goal of this massacre. Supposedly.

For basically everyone involved in the Level 6 Shift, it is the end goal. It is quite literally in the name, after all. For the higher ups, who orchestrated the entire thing, it is simply a good side effect, should it be achieved.

BEGIN LOG

There are 2 main reasons behind this project.

To see if the Railgun can be used as a battery to power up the Sisters and create a huge army of highly-combative Level 5s who obey any order and are able to exchange information quickly.

They will be experienced in information gathering and spying and with their network, they can instantly communicate information in high detail while being spread out on all 7 continents. As a result, the Sisters will be the most cost effective, highly efficient information source ever.

To achieve this, the clones will be put through battle scenarios and gain combat experience, all while learning to control their own power. At the same time, observers will research how identical AIM fields interact, and whether one can be used to power up another.

There has been a high correlation with mental instability and power level, which has been noted in the past. The Railgun is also easily manipulated by others. While it is unlikely she reaches Level 6, her power is very useful in the scientific department. Combine it all together, and Railgun becomes a very useful lab rat.

Railgun, in comparison to other Level 5s, can be easily manipulated. If Academy City is able to control her without impairing her cognitive ability, she will become very useful.

Electromagnetism is one of the fundamental forces of the universe, and the Railgun controls it. If she is able to control it on a much finer level than she currently does, she has possibilities to surpass even Accelerator in terms of research possibilities.

And because there is a correlation between mental instability and power level, with Railgun's (previously) high mental stability and high power level, it is thought possible that if the Railgun is less mentally stable, she will be able to control her power more finely.

As such, Railgun is the best candidate to participate in the combat scenarios.

END LOG

The papers crumpled as white lace gloves tightened its grip. "They really thought it all through, huh? Their greed ability is far too high." Misaki chuckled, devoid of any mirth, her starlit eyes scanning the papers again and again.

"Well, you of all people should know human nature the best. They reach for things they should not have." Misaki looked at the man who responded, her head slightly tilted, a slight grin on her face when she heard those words.

"Of course. Misaka-san isn't their only victim, you know?" She rubbed her head, "Seriously, who had the bright idea of trying to give my ability to everyone? They should know that not everyone has as high as a noble ability as me."

Keitz frowned with an eyebrow raised but didn't oppose. After all, the evidence lay right before him, printed on paper.

Misaki glanced back at the paper, "Reason 1… is Academy City preparing to go to war? But there's no point in bolstering the city's already superior technology. There's basically no one in the world that can win against Academy City." She squinted her eyes, "Unless there's another reason…"

"Oi, don't look at me. I know as much as you know. The higher ups are very careful in covering their tracks, as you know." Keitz let out another sigh. "So, what's your plan now? I'm sure that they've already noticed that I printed this without permission. I'm no longer of use to you and I doubt that any of the other researchers have more information than this."

Misaki smirked, curling a strand wisp of hair with a finger, "There is a certain underclassman at my school that may be of some use…"

The squeamish sound of flesh being torn and the rusty smell of blood.

A boy with white hair and red eyes bore witness to the sight. His frame was small and thin, fragile, one might say. If most people saw the situation, they would do a double take. After all, it was hard to believe that the boy was causing the pain and torment.

However, for those more familiar with the boy's capabilities, it comes as no surprise. "Accelerator, good to see you're having fun as usual." A middle-aged man in a suit tipped his hat in mock courtesy. "Now… would it be possible for you to consider an offer?"

Red eyes bore back into brown ones, "Hahhhhh?" He shifted his foot to stare at the older man. "Do you want to end up like him?" Accelerator put a little more force through the body under his foot and raspy scream resounded.

"No, no. I assure you, you'll find this offer quite intriguing. After all, don't you hate being bothered by thugs and nobodies?" He smiled, "This benefits everyone. And, you don't even have to lift a finger."

"…"

His silence was answer enough. After all, the man wasn't reduced to a bloody splatter on the wall. Which was an improvement.

"It's about the Railgun…"

"Are you sure this would work?" A worried face with anxiety written all over it spoke to her superior. "If the public finds out the truth of the whole matter, we will face immense backlash."

He let out a lighthearted chuckle that greatly contrasted her worried expression. "Which is precisely why we're giving it out, for free. Plus, there are already rumors and Mental Out is definitely going to capitalize on that. It's better if we control what the public thinks, early on."

"Are you sure, si-"

"Yes. Now, if you intend to waste any more of my precious worrying about pointless things, you might have to begin worrying about that contract of yours…"

In a world where money determines your survival, speaking against your superior at work was a huge no-no. And so, the woman immediately shut up. Any of her objections died down, with her eyes cast to the floor.

AN Note: Mmmm… chapters are shorter and shorter. I'm trying to make them longer without being redundant but it's difficult.

Ok, so plot is moving forward (YAY) and things are getting revealed. I'm still unsure of how the plot is going to go, but I think I'm slowly getting a better idea.

Regarding Touma's involvement, I'll be honest, I probably won't involve him that much. This story is mainly centered around the Level 5s. And since Railgun isn't Accelerator (whose basically unkillable), there are ways to get to her other than Touma. Which is also why she's a better candidate for killing (idk why Aleister didn't use her instead) since she can be more easily stopped. Touma's still gonna play a part, mind you, just not as much, you know?

Anyway, that's it for today