It's a bit late, but here's a new chappie. Please enjoy~
Chapter E16: BLOCK.
"So, it really was just a promise, huh." (Itsuki)
"Ueeh~ I kinda got my hopes up, you know. How boring~!" (Naru)
It took us quite some time to explain all that transpired. But when our explanations finally broke through to their romance-addled brains, Naru and Itsuki settled back down on their respective sofas to think.
They seemed to be pondering about what we mentioned earlier.
Anyway from what information I got from them Academy City was undergoing a major crisis.
One day, roughly a month ago, that ginormous sphere suddenly manifested in the skies above Academy city.
Ever since then the mysterious {Energy Drain} that appeared in its wake, has made the entire Japanese archipelago inhospitable for espers.
What's even more mysterious is that the phenomenon has actually caused the city to be physically disconnected from the rest of the world.
With no way in and no way out, at this point, Academy City was no different that a temple.
Except there were still living, breathing people inside it.
It is unknown how this situation came to pass, but as expected, this fact was not something that exactly boded well for its roughly 2.5 million inhabitants.
While the issue of {Energy Drain} could be solved by the usage of Powered Suits, there was still a severe crisis of resources.
Not to mention there were not even many Powered Suits around.
As a result, the vast majority of espers were forced to retreat into underground fortified bunkers called "Arks" for survival.
These bunkers existed roughly 3 kilometers below the city surface and were lined with lead.
In effect, AIM diffusion fields were oddly similar to radiation; so lead-lined buildings were able to stave off effects of {Energy Drain} to a certain extent.
Much like the building we were currently in.
But that being said, it was not possible to reconstruct the entire city.
Eventually most esper organizations were disbanded, and the remaining Powered Suits were taken into possession by Judgement and the Anti-Skill.
The surface was temporarily declared a forbidden zone.
Even with lead-lined buildings, it was incredibly dangerous to roam the surface without protection; so there was nothing a normal esper could do to remedy the situation.
Academy city had fallen into a quagmire of stagnation.
However, life on the surface was not something that could be discarded as a whole.
Despite so many espers pooling their minds and efforts together, the arks were still a far-cry from being self-sufficient; there was a limit to the resources produced.
Therefore, Anti-skill had to take it upon themselves to man important on-the-surface production factories, to run supply chains, and to handle the city's crippled yet vital infrastructural systems.
Patrolling the city was also one of Anti-Skill's jobs. Judgement, on the other hand, was tasked with maintaining law and order within the ark.
Anyway, thanks to their efforts, an atmosphere of makeshift peace and safety had been assured for the surviving students.
It was a fragile thing and there was no guarantee how long it would last before it all came down crashing like a collapsing tower of Jenga, but temporarily it was still a reprieve.
But that being said, it wasn't like all the espers were staying underground.
Utilizing extrajudicial resources, several small pockets had not only emerged on the surface, but were also able to remain active and operating there.
One of these groups were the SCAVENGERs— the gang Iizumi Rita led. They were one of the many small-scale organizations that were able to keep operating on the surface.
"Assistance… Is that all you wish from Leader?" (Itsuki)
The girl named Itsuki asked me with a curious expression. The tone of her question, especially the last part, made me feel like she was insinuating something specific.
I nodded my head.
"But rather than assistance, it is information that I seek your group." (Touma)
"Group, huh. Well, whatever. You're one weird Level 5… I'm telling you." (Naru)
The weirdo half-naked girl— Naru piped up while playing with tablet thingamajig. Aloof and happy-go-lucky, she didn't pay much attention to all this fiasco. Perhaps she was what people called a "birdbrain?"
"…" (Iizumi)
I suddenly felt Iizumi glance at me.
Was she worried about how I would react?
I wasn't inwardly surprised but I choose not to respond to Naru's comment.
"...Um." (Itsuki)
The brown-haired girl pondered for a short while, before a smile formed on her face.
"…If it is only that much, then there will be no problems." (Itsuki)
"Yup yup~" (Iizumi)
"…" (Touma)
The moment the group agreed to my terms, the atmosphere relaxed in an instant.
I was getting ready for the eventuality where things didn't go my way, but after seeing everyone smile, I too couldn't help letting go of all the built-up tension within my body.
It was as if a persistently aching tooth had come loose or something.
"Sorry for the trouble." (Touma)
"No worries, Aihana-sama! It isn't every day someone like us gets to host a Level 5." (Itsuki)
"Can someone fetch me a can of melon soda?" (Naru)
I guess it was true that birds of a feather flock together.
Anyway, I shook off the distracting thoughts and gave a grateful nod to the eagerly-waiting group.
"Speaking of which, Leader, there should be no problems taking Aihana-sama to the "basement" now, right?" (Itsuki)
Iizumi nodded.
Basement, huh?
The basement was no different from the room upstairs.
It had strong concrete walls, and the only source of illumination was the flashing electronic monitors. The screens displayed some maps and statistical data.
Complete with a small arcade, a vending machine, a cash dispenser, and an air vent, the room felt oddly cyberpunk and hi-tech.
In the middle of the room, there was an oval steel table. It was pretty clear that the room had been repurposed to accommodate this extra setup. Atop the table were blueprints of what I presumed to be the city's drainage system. In the corner of the room, there was a fog machine for the holo-projector.
However, none of these were as weird as the glittering pink golfball-sized "sphere" that conspicuously sat at the table's corner.
It resembled a large paperweight, but I couldn't care any less.
The SCAVENGERs seemed to have brought me here with some ulterior motive.
While I was sure their intentions were not hostile, I did not exactly wish to relax my guard.
There were probably some problems regarding the issue of information-sharing that I mentioned before.
"Welcome to our humble BUNKER!" (Itsuki)
Not unexpectedly, it was Itsuki that began with the introductions.
Like I figured, this room was something like a hideout within a hideout.
Um. What was the word? A man-cave, perhaps.
But humble, huh?
While the entire HQ seemed to be lined with lead to stave off the {Energy Drain}, this room was actually nuke-resistant.
I might have looked down upon SCAVENGERs a bit too much. It was crystal clear that these kids had some excellent backers.
Or perhaps they just moved in to occupy an empty building.
"So why did you bring me here?" (Touma)
"A-About that… Aah!" (Iizumi)
Iizumi appeared to be hiding something. It seemed like my conjecture of them facing some unknown difficulties with my request was not so unfounded after all.
"It's this thing." (Naru)
Naru said while playing with the small pink ball.
"Yes. It's called the Advanced Regional Ground Unification System, code name A.R.G.U.S. It operates as a relay station between the numerous "shadows" that operate in Academy City's darkness and its higher-ups." (Itsuki)
A doomsday communication device. I see. Also "shadows" were apparently how groups that operated within Academy City's darkness came to view themselves.
"Any official information that we can have, it all comes from this device. It can be used as a satellite modem, but most importantly it is used to issue commands and instructions. Every shadow that operates on the surface has one of these things." (Itsuki)
"It serves to establish… *ahem* a hierarchy… of sorts. If you know what I mean." (Iizumi)
"Man, I'll just go and get myself a melon soda. All this heavy talk is killing my poor brain-cells." (Naru)
"I understand."
Ignoring Naru, it was clearly understandable that safeguards would be placed on information during these chaotic times.
Like a wise man once said, knowing is owning.
But where was the problem?
"The thing is. We are a bit too low on the "power" totem pole. So our device serves only as a receiver. There is no upload function at all. It was not considered necessary. We can receive orders with no problems, but not vice versa. They analyze the results of our work via other means." (Itsuki)
I was curious about what "other" means they employed to conduct field surveillance, but it was probably a problem for another day.
"You don't have the required authorization?" (Touma)
"Y-Yes. And quite sadly, no. Basically, we are just the cannon-fodder unit." (Iizumi)
"I see…" (Touma)
"But you don't have to worry about that too much, Aihana-sama. It is not like we do not have any ideas to work with at all." (Itsuki)
"There is a rumor amongst the shadows. Rumors that A.R.G.U.S is regulated by a single, invisible super-organization. It takes no sides, but its influence scales upto even the Board of Directors." (Iizumi)
A super-organization, huh? I see.
It was very much likely that this shadow administration is somehow responsible for the situation plaguing Academy City.
Not to mention, they might even be connected to Leah Herzig, and thus, by extension, to the mysterious man who took Elaine hostage.
But there was a certain point that bothered me specifically…
"What stops people from disregarding commands issued by A.R.G.U.S?" (Touma)
"We don't have much of a choice on these matters. Disregarding A.R.G.U.S means rebelling against Academy City itself. We cannot have their enforcers breathing down our neck, you know." (Itsuki)
"Also, the pay is good." (Naru)
"You get paid for doing their work?" (Touma)
I asked Naru.
"Well, of course, duh. Business is risky and you really have to stick your neck out there. Ain't no one gonna do anything if the dough ain't good. *sluuurp*" (Naru)
"…" (Touma)
That sounds sensible as well.
"What are these enforcers you mentioned?" (Touma)
"About that. Enforcers are the hands and feet of the "Organization." They do all its dirty work and is tasked with keeping all the small groups in line." (Itsuki)
"There are five of them." (Iizumi)
"While the identity and whereabouts of the Organization's core members are closely guarded secrets, the enforcers, quite obviously, are privy to them." (Itsuki)
I understood the logic behind that.
With all information being regulated by the Organization, the only way to reach them was through people they directly interacted with: these enforcers of theirs.
Therefore, if I infiltrated and interrogated key members of these five enforcing organizations, there was a solid chance I could dig my claws deep into that elusive super-organization.
"Also… I'm sure that their A.R.G.U.S ball will prove to be a lot more useful than our own." (Iizumi)
"…I see." (Touma)
It seemed like I'll be visiting these enforcers pretty soon.
The only question was: which one?
"While I'm sure that Aihana-sama can and will wipe the floor with these lowly creatures. It is always good to have some extra information at hand. Ehehe~" (Itsuki)
Looks like Itsuki was pleased with herself.
I already knew what she planned for me to do. Only an idiot would not notice it at this point.
She wanted to use me to take down the enforcers and pave an easy way for the SCAVENGERs to the top.
But I did not mind. As long as I keep getting information I needed, I couldn't care less about who ended up where on the power pecking list.
"We have compiled a lot of information on these five organizations over the past two weeks." (Itsuki)
"You've been observing their movements? Why?" (Touma)
I simply asked. I could already guess an answer to that question.
"They are large predators that prey on weaker groups like us. Better safe than sorry, you know. It is far easier to come up with an escape strategy against an opponent we know rather than one we don't." (Itsuki)
"…" (Touma)
Like I figured, SCAVENGERs had already scouted out the enforcers. Being the underdogs, they were excessively vigilant, and caution was something I figured would come naturally in this line of business.
Their desperate plan to take down the enforcers seemed to be in the works for quite a while now. It appeared my arrival caused them more benefit than harm.
Anyways…
At Itsuki's gesture, the monitors in the room all lit up simultaneously. It displayed the member profiles of various groups.
The five groups: they were called GROUP, SCHOOL, ITEM, MEMBER, and BLOCK.
The five enforcers were really "not" trying to stay hidden.
If anything, they were flexing their powers to keep everything and everyone in order through fear, intimidation, and brute-strength alone.
An applaudable strategy.
However, because of this exposure, their information was not something that wasn't easily accessible.
I could understand them. The hubris of the strong.
But this was undoubtedly the heel to their Achilles.
Anyway, it saved me a lot of trouble.
I just needed to take out one of these five to reach the core of the matter.
"So, Aihana-sama, what do you wish to do next?" (Iizumi)
Indeed, what did I plan to do next?
Well, that part was pretty obvious, wasn't it?
"Let's get going, then." (Touma)
Since I had spent the entire afternoon at the SCAVENGERs base, I wasn't planning on wasting any more time.
And considering that I had my work cut out for me, for now… I had no further use for SCAVENGERs.
However, for some mysterious reason, Iizumi offered herself as my guide.
Well, whatever.
Anyway, I decided to drill one point clear into her head.
"Even if battles break out, you must not interfere. I shall take care of everything. Understood?" (Touma)
I did not plan to kill anyone in the upcoming battle, nor did I wish for anyone to die for my sake. If possible, I even wanted to avoid even accidental deaths.
"…Y-Yes." (Iizumi)
The closed Power Suit, however, seemed to reply rather shyly. I felt like she was misunderstanding something important.
In any case, since I agreed to her accompanying me, I hurriedly took off. A few steps behind me, the Power Suit did its best to chase after me.
Our first target was located in District Number 17.
The Power Suit wasn't by any stretch of the word "slow," but keeping up with my supersonic speed was apparently proving to be somewhat challenging for it.
As such, I had no choice but to stop and wait now and then so it could properly catch up.
This was one of the reasons I wished to do these kinds of things alone.
Also, wasn't she supposed to be my guide?
"We can see it now over there." (Iizumi)
After arriving at the designated place, the Powered Suit began checking out the map of the district, and then, pointed at the faint outline of a tall building far away from us.
I nodded my head, having already thought as much.
This entire district was an industrial zone, and it was pretty difficult to miss a building that big.
"Please wait." (Iizumi)
Iizumi's Powered Suit separated from its centaur-like contraption, and she suddenly began rummaging through it. Soon, a plastic device rested in her hands. I asked her what that was.
"What is that?" (Touma)
"This is a RENSA MKII Advanced EMP-disruptor. Since we plan to infiltrate them, this thing can render their Power Suits, you know… totally obsolete."
The Powered Suit almost turned into a light bulb as she said that.
For a ragtag group, the SCAVENGERs really possessed some good stuff.
Espers were locked inside their Powered Suits, so they were rendered unable to properly wield their powers lest they wanted to damage their suit.
As such, a device that caused Suits themselves to malfunction and break down could be considered a "strategic" resource.
"Oh, I see…." (Touma)
Oh, but that gave me an idea.
"…Thank you for your concern, but I guess it wouldn't be necessary. Then, I'll be going now. Meanwhile, you just wait here and man the device." (Touma)
I told her as so, and with a burst of supersonic speed, headed towards the distant building.
"P-Please, wait!" (Iizumi)
The Powered Suit stood there in stunned silence. It took a moment before I heard her belatedly call out to me.
So… this was the power of a Level 5!
In a very short amount of time, the building belonging to BLOCK was burning in flames.
*Rumble*
On the forefront, was a monster as huge as a mountain thrashing around wildly.
Just a slight push from the beast, and the building's reinforced gate and walls caved in without offering any resistance whatsoever.
Bloody hell, just what was that ability? That thing was easily thrice the size of our "BARBIE."
I literally had to send out a squad to recover my jaw from the floor.
Powered Suits came rushing out of the building in confusion. But they were all instantly wrecked by Aihana-sama.
It was an unbelievable sight.
However, despite the madness of the unfolding situation, it was clear that no one was dead.
The brunette Level 5's precision in wielding his powers were borderline surgical.
The situation was completely under his control.
The Suits were incapacitated, but the pilot capsules were not breached or damaged.
It was a perfectly organized mechanical slaughter.
"…Ahgh!' (Iizumi)
I was so shocked that I spat out something that could either be a gasp or a moan.
BLOCK's building looked several times more impregnable than our own, a given considering we were considered cleanup and corpse-disposal, while they were one of the reigning enforcers.
Yet in face of a Level 5's overwhelming might that building was powerlessly crumbling down. I could only swallow down my own nervous saliva at the sight.
If I hadn't surrendered…
...then SCAVENGER's base might have been burning down to cinders just like the BLOCK's HQ right about now.
It was understandable how "BARBIE" was unable to put up much of a fight against him.
How could anyone fight against a monster like that?
Just imagining it made me dizzy. At the same time, I thought we got a very lucky break.
Kaboom!
A deafening explosion was heard as the building finally gave up. Seconds later it capitulated to the ground, completely razed.
Yup! We were incredibly lucky!
As I wiped the sweat drops trickling down to my chin, I breathed a sigh of relief. We had managed to skirt past a calamity.
It appeared we had bid on the correct dark horse.
I had been quite liberal with this place.
Due to fear of causing their Suits any damage, the pilots were unable to use their esper abilities.
The Suits hindered them greatly, but they couldn't function without it due to {Energy Drain}.
Armed with this knowledge, I literally pushed BLOCK between the devil and the deep blue sea.
First, I used {Imitate: God of Fire— Surtr} to slowly superheat the entire structure.
As the temperature of steadily rose above hospitable degrees, the building slowly turned into a microwave open.
Hence, the Powered Suits had to make an appearance.
From then onwards, it was only a matter of dispatching them.
Manipulating the rods and cones in my eyes to match that of a reptile's heat vision, I was able to identify and tag all living beings via their "cooler than the surroundings" heat signature.
And analyzing their collective behavior, I was able to identify the location of their A.R.G.U.S ball.
Releasing the beast of Gluttony to act as a diversion, it took me only five minutes to nab the ball, and come back to Iizumi, who I found was waiting for me with a rather haggard face.
There were no casualties. Everyone seemed to have evacuated the disaster using the emergency underground exit.
So all-in-all… it was a job well done.
With BLOCK taken down, that was one off the list.
"E-Excuse me, Aihana-sama?" (Iizumi)
"I told you, please stop calling me that." (Touma)
"Y-Yes." (Iizumi)
Iizumi hesitated somewhat after I curtly replied to her, but eventually, she spoke up again.
"Excuse me… Uhm… Sir. " (Iizumi)
It seemed she was far too sensitive around me.
" …Fine. What is it?" (Touma)
"Is that thing really what I think it is?" (Iizumi)
"Oh. Yup. This is BLOCK's relay device." (Touma)
It was considerably larger than the one SCAVENGERs had, but I was affirmative that this was the thing we were looking for.
"Ah. That so? That was fast. Like really fast!" (Iizumi)
Iizumi seemed to mutter the last part under her breath. Was she talking about how I accomplished the mission in such a speedy fashion?
"So… did you, you know, face any difficulty while facing them?" (Iizumi)
"Difficulty? What do you mean?" (Touma)
"BLOCK's HQ is, um... was rumored to be an impenetrable structure armed with state-of-the-art AIM Jammers." (Iizumi)
"Oh, you mean that nuisance." (Touma)
"…That "nuisance" was marketed as Anti-Level 5, however, though." (Iizumi)
"Mhm. Is that so?" (Touma)
No wonder my AIM was suppressed completely when I entered the burning building.
Quite unfortunately for them, I simply opted to use my Joyeuse to plow through them.
It appeared that AIM disrupters do not disrupt mana channels.
"Anyway. I have the cargo. This thing is sufficient for you guys to provide me with the required information, no?" (Touma)
"Yup~ Probably. Anyway, let's return to the base first!" (Iizumi)
It seemed that Iizumi had no idea about how A.R.G.U.S balls worked. That means it was probably Itsuki who was the group's techwiz.
Instead of Iizumi, I should have asked her to tag along.
With no option but to be satisfied with her not-so-certain answer, our co-working assignment drew to a close in barely an hour.
Our return to the SCAVENGER's base proved to be largely uneventful.
The mission itself was a cinch.
Even without their Powered Suits, BLOCK possessed only a single Level 4 esper.
So, it was not really surprising they went down without causing me much of any problem.
Speaking of which, I wonder why such a weak organization was be selected as an enforcer.
It didn't make sense.
The whole situation somehow reeked of deceit, lies, and fabrication. Almost like it was a bait—a trap of sorts.
Anyway, I decided not to give it much thought.
There was no use of thinking about that now.
If it was a trap, I have already triggered it.
Might as well clench my teeth and face whatever comes hereupon after.
Not to mention that since I was able to retrieve what I wanted and there was no loss of life on either sides, the situation, to be completely honest, had no "real" downside for me actually.
Even if this mission proved to be a dud, all I had to do was hit another group.
"…" (Touma)
But still I couldn't help but sigh at the thought.
I felt my emotions were making my instincts rusty.
Soon the two of us entered the HQ, and once again, we found ourselves standing in the now-familiar nuke-resistant bunker.
"You took care of them already?" (Itsuki)
"W-Wow! Talk about being lightning fast!" (Naru)
Their surprises were warranted. Not even a complete day had passed since I arrived in Academy City and I had already taken down one of the dark side's commanding organizations.
Anyway, I opted not to respond to their surprised faces.
"Who is this guy?"
In addition to the three— Iizumi, Itsuki, and Naru, there seemed to be a fourth member present in the room. It was a face I was not acquainted with. A black-haired Yamato Nadeshiko of Japanese descent, it seemed.
"Seike, while you were out on recon, we met—" (Iizumi)
"This thing can help us bypass the information lock, correct? I would appreciate it greatly if we wasted no further time."
I could not care about the identity or presence of a fourth SCAVENGER. All I needed was information on the parent Organization, and that's about it.
Elaine was in danger, and I was trapped in a temple.
There was no time to waste.
"On it!" (Itsuki)
"Buuu~ you're no fun~" (Naru)
"…" (Touma)
My tone seemed to have come out unnecessarily belligerent, but I genuinely wanted to drive home the urgency of my situation.
"…" (Seike)
It seemed like the brunette Yamato Nadeshiko had enough sense not to butt in as well. I appreciated her gesture.
Itsuki tapped the SCAVENGER's sphere and it suddenly produced an extendable cable from underneath it. She then pulled the cable and connected it to the bigger sphere we obtained from BLOCK.
[Initializing porting procedure. Sequencer KC10X4 requesting permission to port into Sequencer E10FG.]
"Affirmative." (Itsuki)
[Status: Null_Array_Setup: Complete. Standing by for authorization.]
As a mechanical voice called out, both the balls lit up like strobe lights; a barely audible electrical hum filled the room.
Itsuki tapped something on a nearby keyboard.
[Authorization: Complete. Administrative Privilege: Granted. Do you wish to clone the Sequencer?]
Something was wrong, I could tell. My instincts were flaring!
"W-Wai—" (Touma)
"Yes." (Itsuki)
The moment she said yes, the atmosphere changed.
Chilling killing intent descended upon the room as I felt myself in the crosshairs of a predator.
"Wow. I can't believe it. Someone really triggered the fail-safe! I can't believe I lost a bet!"
It was Iizumi that spoke up, but I knew better.
"You. Who are you?!" (Touma)
I asked looking deep into the girl's eyes.
Eyes were said to be windows to the soul. And currently, Iizumi Rita's eyes, or rather… her mind, did not belong to her.
The atmosphere was borderline oppressive. The entire group was frozen solid.
Their eyes were vacant as they stared at me blankly.
This is...
I could feel something wriggling in my cerebrospinal fluid. Some external force was trying to take control of my brain by manipulating its liquid membranes.
{Imitate: God of Lightning— Indra.}
Through electricity, I was able to retain my sanity. I will not allow my neural maps be stolen or tampered with.
But whatever this ability was, it was still far beyond the reach of a conventional Level 4.
If nothing else, we were still deep within a lead-lined AIM-proof nuclear-bunker, you know.
"These electric barriers are so uncool." (Iizumi?)
Having understood my plight, the girl "Iizumi" whined coquettishly.
It was a very untrustworthy gesture.
But, for some mysterious reason, I couldn't help but smile.
Her sparkling eyes reminded me of someone very close to my heart.
They were eyes that faintly glittered like stars in the faint electronic light of the room.
I think I might already have a handle on this person's identity.
Author Notes and Guest Reviews:
Mr. X:
Thanks a lot for your review as usual. It always warms my heart to see it ^^
Now to answer the questions asked this time around.
1) Oh. I see… My bad jaja. The mistake was completely on my part, so please don't apologize. I got a bit confused :D
2) Yup. Something like that. BLOCK was decimated in a paragraph. But that's just normal considering BLOCK is probably even weaker than MEMBER. At least MEMBER had the kinda cool Professor, and Yoshio's Danes were dope. But in this story, one more group will show up, and I feel like it will be SCHOOL considering I want to bring Kakine and Suzushina (Yup… Accel is a girl haha) into the mix.
3) Um. {Energy Drain} results from that mysterious "moon-sized" ball chilling out in the skies above Academy City. As for the real reason, it will be extrapolated in the next few chapters. Academy City arc is quite short. So the wait wouldn't be too long, even with a slightly slower pacing of my releases :))
4) Yup. Misaki is already well in the process of making her appearance. It seems like she has something to do with the selection of BLOCK as the enforcers. Misaka and Tsuchimikado, however, while I'm sure this arc will affect them directly, it is highly unlikely they would make a physical appearance.
That is it for this week's chapter. And once again, thanks a ton for your review. Your support is highly motivating :D
Moving on…
Not much in this chapter apart from bashing a minor organization. The next one will have more intrigue and fighting as the story will reach the core of Academy City itself.
By the way, I did some research into how memories are stored in human brains. Memory is stored in brain in two sections. Short term (like deciding what dress to wear) and long term (like languages, swimming, driving etc).
Short memories are stored in pre-frontal lobe, wheras long term ones are in hippocampus.
The funniest thing is that, despite what we think, memories aren't stored cohesively in our brains.
It is divided into innumerable segments, and all of these are encoded in a system of neurons which fire in a specific pattern when the said figment of memory is recalled.
To demonstrate using a example, suppose a virgin has a fortuitous romantic encounter.
A small group of neurons in the brain that will record the romantic buildup leading to that person's first kiss. Yet the actual memory of the kiss is stored in a completely different part of the brain. Then there are other parts of the brain that store locational information, mood, the resulting race of emotions etc the person felt at the time.
Therefore, the thing is... memory is a very complicated affair.
Also our mind can "theoretically" store petabytes of data, a figure that can be compared to the entirety of data processed by Google.
This is what makes Mental_Out so awesome.
Because to read a person's mind is very much different than simply watching a movie. There are literally millions of neurons involved in just a single memory frame.
Controlling people is no different. I can't even imagine how much calculations are needed to control 14 people at a whim.
Conclusion: Shokuhou Misaki is awesome! Pity, she's a glass cannon though :))
Oh, and on a completely unrelated note, by the way, I was thinking of giving a name to that ball in the sky. Apparently, my original name for it— Nether Star— feels too cringey and Minecraft-y to me now. It doesn't even Toaruistic for that matter, too.
So... if you have any super-awesome suggestions in that department, please lem'me know as well ^^
Anyways, see you next time jaja.
Toodles.
~VG outto~
[P.S: My first career has begun. Even if it is a mere part time time, it is still work nonetheless. Bid me luck! Hope I can face life with a billionth of what Kamachi-sensei has blessed Touman with :D]