Chapter 198: Nunotaba Shinobu’s warning…
"This is impossible!"
Wu Yan only responded with a smile. Well, his face anyway, his heart is still feeling heavy because he knows all too well who this person before him is.
Nunotaba Shinobu is one of the major contributors to the sisters' thought and their network, it would be quite accurate to say that she's half the reason the sisters are here today.
Mikoto didn't know who she was but since she heard the word lv6 shift program, she knew that this devil of a plan is beginning again and she's anxious about it.
"Is what you're saying true? Tell me!"
Mikoto shouted at her out of unrest. If not for Wu Yan & company, she might have already grabbed her by the collars.
Wu Yan held Mikoto back by her hand and dragged her back to his side before consoling her.
"Mikoto, relax. Give the girl a chance to speak."
"Yan…"
Mikoto looked at Wu Yan with a worried expression on her face. She then nodded and backed off, she still kept her eyes on Nunotaba Shinobu though.
With cold eyes, Nunotaba Shinobu watched everything proceed until Mikoto calms down. She then turned back to Wu Yan.
"It seems Misaka Mikoto trusts you very much…"
He laughed but said nothing in response. Instead, he asked her with a low voice.
"Fill me in. Why is the lv6 shift program back in action? The sisters' supply dwindled to a very low level, insufficient to complete the program, at least that's what the status quo was last I checked?"
Nunotaba Shinobu took a good look at Wu Yan and she can't help but wonder where did this youth obtain classified information like that. How did he know about the program and the sisters? Even more so, how did he know the sisters were stolen…
"Actually, I don't know the reason…"
Nunotaba Shinobu said after thinking for a bit. Her words were calm but one could just sense a hint of helplessness in it.
"You don't know why?"
Wu Yan lifted an eyebrow. She didn't know the reason why the program which wouldn't be able to yield any result had been restarted?
Perhaps another one of Aleister's backup plan? If so, what is it?…
Seeing Wu Yan thinking hard about the problem, Mikoto felt a bit pained. This is all her fault, she had an indirect play in this plan. Wu Yan is not only trying to save her hope, he's putting himself to work on saving the sisters.
Mikoto knew this was all for her.
A smile found its way onto Mikoto's face as she grabbed Wu Yan's hand. She stared into Wu Yan's eyes with her tecolored eyes. There was a never before seen warmness within those eyes…
Wu Yan almost lost himself in those warm tecolored eyes of hers. This is because she had never used eyes like these on him before.
The soft eyes didn't last long of course. Mikoto turned away in a flush of bashfulness, tinging her face red and amusing Wu Yan to no end.
Mikoto turned towards Nunotaba Shinobu and hesitated a bit before continuing.
"You… Why are you telling me all of this?"
Nunotaba Shinobu stayed silent, she didn't answer Mikoto's question. Instead, she turned back towards Wu Yan.
"Originally, I had a plan to give the sisters mature thought processes and leverage the original's disinclination towards the experiment to bring an end to this experiment."
"But, the sudden appearance of [Hunter] led to the stealing of thousands of sisters. Said individual also used some form of method to cut off the connection between those sisters and the Misaka Network. This means that we have lost all contact with the stolen sisters. It was decided that this plan would be deeply buried up."
"[Hunter?]"
"[Hunter], that is the codename the higher ups of Academy City gave to the mysterious individual who stole the sisters. His identity remains a mystery and there appear to be no leads at all pertaining to this individual. Hence, the codename."
Wu Yan bitterly laughed. Much to everyone's surprise, Nunotaba Shinobu broke a smile as well and her tone took on a more favorable tune.
"I was worried about what [Hunter] would do the sisters, what his objective was and the like…"
"But now!"
Nunotaba Shinobu looked at Wu Yan before continuing.
"I think I can stop worrying now, [Hunter] probably won't hurt them…"
Busted…
Wu Yan shrugged. Nunotaba Shinobu is not on his sh*t list, she might have participated in the lv6 shift program in the past but she showed regret for what she did, didn't she? It was out of guilt that she decided to save the sisters.
Wu Yan didn't try to pull one over here. Instead, he grinned.
"Oh yeah, [Hunter] won't hurt them!"
As if a heavy burden had been lifted, she used a serious tone on Wu Yan.
"If, [Hunter] decides to pursue the remaining sisters, take note of a certain person!"
Wu Yan narrowed his eyes.
"Let me guess, Ippou Tsuukou?" (Tl: the raws rarely use accelerator, it mostly uses the kanji for Ippou Tsuukou, using it here just once before switching back to accelerator.)
"Yes."
Nunotaba Shinobu nodded.
"Accelerator is a person whom I have never met before but I heard his power has the potential to develop further had [Hunter] not stole the sisters. In a way, [Hunter] is limiting his shifting progress, Accelerator probably won't like him very much."
Nunotaba Shinobu stopped for a bit before continuing.
"Moreover, there is a huge chance that he will be involved in the [Hunter] suppression mission."
Wu Yan closed his eyes before laughing.
"Well, it was just a matter of time…"
Nunotaba Shinobu was stunned.
"You're not afraid?"
"Afraid?"
Wu Yan looked at everyone around him, Mikoto, Hinagiku, Ikaros, and Astrea in particular…
"With these girls here, I was never afraid in the first place. hell, I am not even afraid of that bird-person!"
Nunotaba Shinobu fell into silence once more before she helplessly told him.
"Well then, I wish you good luck…"
Nunotaba Shinobu walked away and as everyone stood there watching her figure disappear, they were deep in their own thoughts as if digesting the information Nunotaba Shinobu brought with her. Thoughts only they themselves would know…
"Yan, what do you think we should do?"
Hinagiku broke the silence as Mikoto, Ikaros, and Astrea turned towards Wu Yan. Mikoto tightened her grip on his hand before continuing in a serious tone.
"Don't think about doing this solo style again!"
Wu Yan bitterly grinned as he nodded.
"Even if I wanted to brute force my way through this alone I don't think I can last until the end. Don't worry, you girls have roles to play in the upcoming fight."
Wu Yan thought for a bit before continuing.
"The most important thing right now is how the hell did lv6 shift program get restarted. We need information on where the experiment is going to be held at. Ikaros, this is your forte, please hack into their database and obtain the relevant information."
"Yes, Master!"
Ikaros didn't hesitate as she answered him. Every word Wu Yan says to her is an order.
Wu Yan laughed when he saw how everyone is all fired up.
"Of course, that's for when we get back home. For now, we can still enjoy the midsummer festival!"
"I concur!"
Astrea shot her hands up first, she instantaneously returned to her seat and continued chowing down. Everyone started dripping cold sweat just watching her.
Seeing as Mikoto still seems to be conscious of it, Wu Yan whispered into her ears.
"That's enough, don't think about it too much. The programs restarted and worst case scenario the sisters are all dead. At that point, we will just have to resurrect them with the genetic life infusion, easy peasy!"
Mikoto glanced at him and nodded, her expression relaxing although a bit of worry still remains. At least death is not the end for her sisters.
"Rather than that, I think you should focus on your stage performance later."
Wu Yan shook his head while grinning. He continued with an implicative tone.
"If you don't do well, you know what is going to happen to your ass, it's not a figurative statement."
Cold sweat started dotting Mikoto's face…