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

Facing Mugino Shizuri’s attack, Emilia hurriedly raised her hand. Soon, a chilly aura began to spread, quickly forming into an ice shield in front of her. Mugino Shizuri’s Atomic Beam pounded directly on the ice shield, shattering it into fragments.

”This......”

Emilia was taken aback, looking at the shattered ice shield in front of her. She never imagined that people in this world could possess such powerful strength!

”Hmph, an ability user who manipulates ice?”

Watching Emilia’s counterattack, Mugino Shizuri snorted coldly, then waved her hand again. With her movement, a light orb once again emerged by her side.

However, Emilia didn’t intend to just take hits passively. She raised her hand, and dozens of ice shards spun and emerged from the air, blasting towards Mugino Shizuri. Mugino Shizuri had no intention of retreating either; she suddenly waved her hand, and intersecting beams of light shot out, colliding with Emilia’s attack, filling the entire corridor with scattering gas and debris for a moment.

”Interesting, really interesting!”

Seeing this, Mugino Shizuri grinned, showing an increasingly dangerous smile. She could tell that the opponent’s demonstrated strength was at least that of an LV4 Great Ability Holder, possibly even close to LV5! However, she had never heard of her in Academy City... Hmm, the language she spoke wasn’t English; she wasn’t sure which country it was from, but it was definitely not someone from Academy City.

After all, coming to study at Academy City without knowing Japanese would be asking for trouble, wouldn’t it?

But anyway, she had found an interesting opponent.

Let me play with you!

Thinking of this, Mugino Shizuri reached into her clothes, took out a rectangular piece of paper, and tossed it into the air. Seeing her actions, Emilia was stunned for a moment. Then she saw Mugino Shizuri extend her hand and casually point at that piece of paper. A green beam of light shot out from Mugino Shizuri’s side, hitting the paper, and then—it exploded instantly!

Oh no!

Watching the storm-like beam rush towards her, Emilia was also shocked. She hurriedly raised her hand, releasing the ice crystal barrier once more. But this time, her ice crystal barrier didn’t last long before the overwhelming beams shattered it completely. And at that moment......

”Great Earth Mother Goddess, please grant me strength to protect the lost lambs! Holy Shield!”

A golden barrier instantly appeared in front of Emilia, and the barrage of attacks, like a violent storm, was completely blocked by the golden shield.

”Miss Cleric!!”

Seeing the breathless Cleric of the Goddess running over, Emilia also breathed a sigh of relief.

”Where are Miss Misaka and the others?”

”I, I don’t know... I just went to find them, but they’re not there...”

”What? What should we do!?”

”In any case, let’s get out of here first!”

The Cleric of the Goddess, as the leader of the adventurer team, was not new to this scenario. After glancing at the aggressive Mugino Shizuri and others on the other side, she grabbed Emilia’s hand.

”Let’s take this child back to the research lab and get help from Ram and Rem! The Holy Shield can hold for a while, let’s go!”

”Okay!”

Emilia didn’t hesitate; she nodded vigorously, then picked up the girl, and the three of them quickly turned and fled.

”You think you can run? It’s not going to be that easy!!”

Watching the three turn and flee, Mugino Shizuri fired her Atomic Beam again. But to her surprise, the beam hit the strange golden shield without any effect, as if sinking into the ocean!

What kind of trick is this?

”Nunotaki! Break it!”

”Got it.”

Hearing Mugino Shizuri’s command, Nunotaki Saiai nodded, stepped forward, and punched the golden shield. Then......

”Bang!”

Nunotaki Saiai flinched and quickly stepped back.

”Mugino, this thing is really tough!”

”Tch!”

Mugino Shizuri ruffled her hair, then turned around.

”Get in the car, have Takitsubo track them... hmm?”

However, to Mugino Shizuri’s surprise, after they turned around, they discovered that at some point, a golden shield had appeared behind them as well, completely trapping the three there!

Seeing this, Mugino Shizuri raised her hand again, firing her Atomic Beam at the golden shield, but once more—there was no reaction at all.

”Damn it!!!”

Confronted with the golden shield before her, Mugino Shizuri was infuriated, not only failing to capture anyone but also being trapped!

”Takitsubo, take this and keep an eye on them for me!”

”.........”

Rihou Takitsubo caught the Body Crystal tossed by Mugino Shizuri but didn’t consume it immediately.

”What’s the matter?”

”Those two people just now... are not ability users.”

”...Huh? What are you talking about?”

”It’s true.”

Rihou Takitsubo looked at Mugino Shizuri and shook her head.

”I completely didn’t perceive any AIM force field from them, which means they’re just ordinary people.”

”Are you kidding? Ordinary people can lock us in here?!”

Facing Takitsubo’s response, Mugino Shizuri was also dumbfounded. If she wasn’t familiar with Takitsubo’s words, she would’ve thought the other was bluffing. That girl manipulated ice, and the one who arrived later created such a strange barrier, clearly they are ability users. How could there be no AIM force field?

”But our target has an AIM force field...”

While saying this, Takitsubo swallowed a Body Crystal and then suddenly widened her eyes.

”I’ve locked onto her.”

”Great!”

Hearing this, Mugino Shizuri nodded.

”Once this strange entity disappears, we’ll go capture her!!”

At this moment, neither Mugino Shizuri nor the others noticed the pitch-black alien silently clinging to the wall in the shadow above them, staring at them unblinkingly...

Meanwhile, Miss Cleric and Emilia took the girl and left the alley.

”Are we heading back to the institute now?”

”Yes, fortunately, I remember the way!”

Miss Cleric nodded. Having often ventured to caves and underground ruins to fight goblins, she had honed her ability to memorize paths, otherwise even if they hadn’t been defeated by goblins, they might have long since gotten lost in the dark depths.

Although Misaka Mikoto introduced the city’s Discipline Committee and Guard Officers responsible for maintaining order, the language barrier made communication impossible. Furthermore, they suspected the girl might be connected to the 10,000 Little Misakas Fang Zheng got involved with earlier, so they decided to take her back to the institute to seek Fang Zheng’s help.

But speaking of which...

”This world doesn’t seem so peaceful, does it?”

Emilia couldn’t help but express her thoughts, while Miss Cleric was evidently more accepting.

”No matter what, the people of this world don’t face the threat of goblins, and that’s already quite good, isn’t it? As for conflict between people... it’s inevitable.”

”Yes...”

Hearing Miss Cleric’s response, Emilia sighed.

Even in such a world, ultimately... do people still fight among themselves?

Though Miss Cleric and Emilia intended to wait for Misaka Mikoto and the others to return, Miss Cleric’s barrier could only last for a minute. If it disappeared before they returned, the situation could worsen.

Given the woman’s vicious demeanor from earlier, who knows if she’d attack in public, dragging ordinary people into the fray. Thus, they quickly turned away from the park and walked towards the institute.

Not long after the three left, Misaka Mikoto returned with Megumin and Felt.

”Seriously, can’t you slow down... what if something happens...”

Misaka Mikoto was exasperated. Earlier, Megumin and Felt, fascinated by the strange park contraptions, decided to play hide-and-seek and dragged her into it. Little did she know they weren’t playing ordinary hide-and-seek: one jumped ten meters up to the treetops, the other vanished directly, leaving her searching for ages before finally spotting Felt and chasing after her.

However, Felt was not so easily caught, having Divine Protection of the wind, she ran swiftly. They darted around the park, forcing Misaka Mikoto to use electric acceleration to eventually capture Felt.

Throughout the chase, Misaka Mikoto pursued Felt, while Megumin cheered them on, and Ais kept a watchful eye on Megumin to prevent her from accidentally releasing Burst Magic, leading them far from the area. Upon their return...

”Where are they?”

Staring at the empty bench, everyone was stunned.

”Could we have taken the wrong path?”

Megumin asked in confusion, but Felt shook her head.

”No, look, the clothes we bought are still there.”

”Then where are the captain and Emilia?”

”...?”

Misaka Mikoto was equally puzzled. Although she’d only interacted with these girls for half a day, she had somewhat understood each one’s personality. If Felt was overly lively, Megumin too absorbed in her fantasies, and Ais incomprehensible, then Miss Cleric and Emilia were clearly sensible, well-behaved, and unlikely to leave without informing them.

Fortunately, Misaka Mikoto was not completely at a loss.

She quickly took out her mobile phone and contacted Kuroko Shirai.

”Hello? Kuroko? Hmm... I have a favor to ask you...”