Dimensional Codex System: I'm really not a cultist!

”Alright, that’s it for today.”

Hearing Fang Zheng’s words, Lei Zi finally put down the sword in her hand and stretched long and hard.

”Whew... So let’s prepare lunch... Index, what do you want to eat?”

”Hmm... Curry!”

”Then let’s go buy the ingredients for curry, Mr. Fang Zheng, can we use the kitchen?”

”No problem.”

Hearing Lei Zi’s request, Fang Zheng nodded, then glanced at Rem.

”Rem, you go with them, let’s have curry today.”

”Yes, Lord Fang Zheng.”

There is no dedicated chef at Fang Zheng’s research institute. Usually, whoever has time cooks. Most of the time, Fang Zheng would cook himself. After Rem and Ram arrived, Rem took over the responsibility occasionally, Lei Zi would borrow the kitchen to make some of her specialty dishes. So, most of the time, the girls would gather at the research institute because, to them, it feels like a second home.

After leaving the research institute, the three of them quickly went to the nearby supermarket to start shopping. Because they were preparing for Fang Zheng, Rem, Ram, Mokuyama Haruo, Saten Reiko, and Index (mainly this one), they needed to buy quite a few ingredients. But Fang Zheng had generously said that the research institute would cover these costs, so Lei Zi was not shy at all.

”Index, do you want spicy or not spicy?”

”Hmm... I want sweet!”

”Then let’s go with sweet... Let me see, just these...”

While the three were selecting ingredients, a supermarket employee suddenly walked out. He came to the counter not far from the three, set down the goods, then picked up a loudspeaker.

”Today’s half-price sale promotion starts now, eggs are half-priced! Each person is limited to two boxes!”

These seemingly magical words almost instantly stimulated the nerves of all the customers in the supermarket. Men, women, old and young alike almost instantly crowded over, reaching for the discounted eggs as if they were robbing.

”I want!”

”I’m taking these!”

”These are mine!!”

If you saw this scene, you would likely find the online rumor that Japanese people always queue and obey order anywhere and anytime easily debunked.

”Whoa!!”

And Saten Reiko and the others were clearly collateral damage from this apparent chaos, pushed aside by the surging crowd. Poor Index, who had never seen such a spectacle, was brushed aside in a blink and could only wave frantically and shout.

”Lei Zi! Lei Zi!!”

”Index!!”

Lei Zi was also grabbing things while trying hard to push her way out, but there were simply too many people, making it impossible to squeeze out in a short time. In fact, their voices were completely drowned out by the noisy crowd, making it hard to hear anything. Just then, Index was knocked aside by an older woman, and with a scream, she fell backward.

Luckily, at that moment, someone caught Index from behind, preventing her from the misfortune of falling to the ground.

”Are you okay, little girl?”

”Ah, thank you so much...”

Index turned her head and saw that behind her stood a young man with a spiky haircut, wearing a white shirt, looking like a high school student. She lowered her head in thanks, and the spiky-haired youth scratched his head with a cheeky smile.

”It’s nothing, just lending a hand, well then...”

”Pfft.”

However, before the young man could finish his sentence, suddenly, Index’s nun outfit burst and turned into shredded strips scattered on the ground. The young girl’s body was thus exposed to the chilly air.

”.........”

”.........”

For a moment, the air froze.

And then...

”Noooooo!!!!”

Accompanied by a scream, Index quickly hunched down to cover her body, and just at that moment, Lei Zi managed to squeeze out. Seeing the scene before her, she was also taken aback.

”Index, are you okay!”

As she shouted, Lei Zi rushed to Index’s side, shielding her and glaring angrily at the spiky-haired youth.

”What did you do to this kid?”

”No, I, I just...”

Faced with Lei Zi’s questioning, the spiky-haired youth was dumbfounded and didn’t know how to explain. However, before he could open his mouth to say anything more, Rem suddenly rushed over like a gust of wind from the other side, grabbed the spiky-haired youth’s collar, and then with a heavy swing, threw him to the ground.

”Who are you? What do you want?”

”I... I...”

The people behind had also noticed something was wrong, and crowded around to see the scene, causing a commotion.

”What on earth is happening!?”

”Contact the Guard Officer immediately!”

Hearing the chaotic noises around him, the spiky-haired youth shouted helplessly while holding his head.

”So unfortunate—!!!”

”Tsk tsk tsk...”

Looking at the curled-up Index in an oversized T-shirt, Fang Zheng shook his head repeatedly.

”And then?”

”Then that guy was taken away by the Guard Officer...”

Lei Zi sighed helplessly.

”If I had been a little more careful, perhaps this wouldn’t have happened.”

Speaking of this, Lei Zi also angrily clenched her little fist.

”That person must be a really nasty Ability User to use their abilities to do such things to girls; it’s simply the worst!”

”Hmm...”

Faced with Lei Zi’s complaints, Fang Zheng remained silent for a moment. Clearly, Lei Zi had assumed Index’s clothes exploded because of the spiky-haired youth’s ability...

It’s hard to say she was wrong?

After all, the spiky-haired youth’s ability did indeed cause Index’s clothes to explode.

Regarding Kamijou Touma, Fang Zheng doesn’t feel bad about him, nor does he particularly like him. The reason is that this guy keeps saying he’s LV0... Haha, are you really saying this, and anyone would believe it?

If Kamijou Touma genuinely didn’t know he had this ability, then his words could be excused. But Kamijou Touma clearly knows he has this ability, yet still keeps LV0 on his lips.

What’s this?

It’s like a student who excels saying, ”Gosh, I didn’t score a hundred percent; this is such a failure, almost as bad as last place; I’m so ashamed,” while flaunting a ninety-nine-point exam paper around the streets.

Do you believe it, that the last one will definitely stab you to death with a knife.

He deserves to be chased by Misaka Mikoto every day.

Pretending is one thing, but acting like everyone else is an idiot is another.

So every time Fang Zheng sees the hedgehog-haired guy confidently announcing he’s a LV0 in the anime, he wants to laugh.

Can you be a bit less shameless?

You can insult your own intelligence, but please don’t insult others’ intelligence, okay?

As for Index...

Watching the tearful and sobbing Index, Fang Zheng sighed and went over to pat her little head.

”Don’t cry, just think of it as a destined misfortune.”

After all, it is indeed a fact.

Of course, afterwards, Fang Zheng also investigated the situation with the guards, checking Kamijou Touma’s current state. Although he was indeed arrested as a suspect, after reviewing surveillance cameras and library investigations, it was confirmed that he was just a Non-Ability User (laugh), so the guards concluded the accident investigation as an unexpected incident, and Kamijou Touma was released back home.

Of course, the discounted eggs he wanted to buy... were certainly out of the question.

But for him, it’s just everyday life as usual.

After that, everything returned to normal.

However, unlike in the anime, Index didn’t pin her robe of Cultivation with a hairpin, but instead, Ruiko helped her sew it back up. Of course, after being touched by the hedgehog-haired guy, the Mobile Church had lost its Divine Power protection, but as long as it’s worn simply as a robe of Cultivation, it was still fine.

And after the sun set, Ruiko left the research institute together with Index.

”Honestly, I never thought there would be such an excessive person, making a girl burst her clothes in broad daylight, what kind of person is this.”

Thinking of the incident during the day, Ruiko felt a bit indignant, while Index furrowed her brows, remaining silent.

”What’s wrong, Index?”

Seeing Index like this, Ruiko asked anxiously, but Index shook her head.

”No, I’m just thinking... how did he turn my Mobile Church like that?”

”Mobile Church... oh, you mean the robe of Cultivation, maybe it’s some kind of superpower, but even if you have superpowers, it shouldn’t be used like that.”

When saying this, Ruiko had long forgotten about her daily ”updraft” greeting to Hatsuharu every morning.

People are always double standard.

”But is it possible for ordinary superpowers to do such a thing...?”

”Hmm...?”

While they were speaking, the two had already reached the intersection, however... to Ruiko’s surprise, the normally bustling intersection was now empty, looking eerily like an eerie scene from a ghost film. Seeing this, Index’s face changed dramatically.

”Oh no, it’s the evacuation of idle people!”

”Eh?”

”Finally found you.”

Before Ruiko could react, she saw a tall figure walking from the other side of the street, a long-haired woman in ragged jeans and a white shirt, holding quite a long knife. Seeing this woman, Index immediately hid behind Ruiko in fright.

Watching Index shivering and hiding behind her, Ruiko gritted her teeth and looked at the woman in front of her.

”Who are you?”

”I am Kanzaki Kaori.”

The long-haired woman gazed at Index coolly and spoke.

”If possible, I don’t want to report the other name, simply put, I hope to take that child back to protect her.”

”Protect...”

Ruiko looked at Index, and Index remained silent for a moment, then walked out from behind Ruiko.

”I, I understand...”

”Wait, Index? Are you really okay with this?”

Although Index tried to act calm, Ruiko could see Index was clearly afraid of the woman in front of her.

”I’m fine, Ruiko, thank you.”

Hearing Ruiko’s inquiry, Index turned her head and smiled at her.

”It’s okay, I won’t have any problems, don’t worry.”

”Don’t worry...? But...”

However, at this time, the woman spoke again.

”If you’re willing to come with us, then I won’t take action against the girl beside you.”

”What, what are you talking about!?”

Upon hearing this, Ruiko couldn’t hold back anymore, hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed Index, pulling her behind herself.

”Who the hell are you?! Why are you trying to capture Index!”

”This has nothing to do with you.”

The long-haired woman clearly had no intention of answering Ruiko’s question, instead she gripped the knife hilt with one hand and suddenly swung it forward!

”—————!!”

A nearly invisible sword light swiftly flashed, sweeping towards the side of Ruiko. And at that moment, suddenly, dozens of fly blades condensed from wind shot out from the side, clashing against the sword light sent by the long-haired woman, accompanied by a deafening boom, a violent explosion instantly spread, blasting a huge pit on the road ahead.

”Who is it!”

The long-haired woman quickly turned around, staring at the direction from which the Wind Blades were sent, and very soon, she saw a girl with short pink hair, dressed in a maid outfit, walking out.

”Rem?”

Seeing Rem’s figure, Ruiko couldn’t help but be surprised, and Rem nodded her head.

”Mr. Fang Zheng asked me to follow you to prevent accidents, take the child back to the research institute first, leave this to me.”

”Alright!”

Upon hearing this, Ruiko didn’t hesitate to nod her head, then quickly grabbed Index.

”Index, let’s go!!”

As she spoke, Ruiko hurriedly grabbed Index, quickly running back along the road they came from.

”Are you a Mage too?”

The long-haired woman looked at Rem, her expression became extremely serious, she gripped her long knife tightly, raising it high. Simultaneously, Rem raised her hands, and the power of the wind condensed between her hands.

”Seven Flashes!”

”Wind Blade!”