On how PhDs become human evil

Countless bolts of lightning shot out from the thunderous vortex, striking Bai Jie like a rain of arrows. The scorching lightning left trails of azure blue in the air, creating a blue net of light.

As the strongest Electromaster in Academy City, Misaka Mikoto immediately understood just how powerful the electric shocks released by the fantasy beasts were; even she estimated that she would have to use all her strength to overwhelm them.

"Bai Jie! Little—"

"Boom!"

Before Misaka Mikoto could finish her warning, a crimson storm suddenly erupted from Bai Jie's body! An ear-piercing roar accompanied the storm's appearance, and a destructive impact instantly descended upon the wasteland! It shattered the lightning and the fantastical beast together!

"Yu——————————!!!"

The neighing of a horse echoed under the sky, and to the utter astonishment of Misaka Mikoto and the other two, a two-horned horse with a crimson mane appeared in mid-air.

The Ninth Familiar of the Fourth Progenitor: Deep Crimson with Two Horns.

Looking at the highway, which was almost completely destroyed by the impact, Bai Jie sighed: "Sigh, these guys are powerful, but can't they be a little more restrained? They've demolished another bridge."

The Fourth Progenitor's familiars were all destructive maniacs with incredible destructive power. Even though Bai Jie had suppressed his power as much as possible, the attack from Twin Horns of Crimson, while shattering the lightning and destroying the fantasy beast, still destroyed the highway. If Bai Jie hadn't changed its attack trajectory in time, Misaka Mikoto and the others would probably have been caught in it.

Recalling the Twin-Horned Deep Crimson, Bai Jie looked at the place where the Fantasy Beast had been: "Well, although it's said to be the resentment of 10,000 people, it's only to this extent. It's not even lv.5, so it can't cause any big waves."

------------

On the highway, looking at the scene of disaster that resembled the aftermath of a natural catastrophe, Misaka Mikoto and the other two all wore expressions of relief, as if they had survived a calamity.

"That guy... he actually had that kind of thing hidden away?"

"What exactly is that horse? Is it a telekinetic ability? But its destructive power..."

Misaka Mikoto and Shirai Kuroko were utterly shocked. Having lived in Academy City since childhood, familiars, being magical creatures, were completely unknown to them. All they could do was try to understand them using their existing knowledge.

After the initial surprise, Kiyama Harumi couldn't help but smile bitterly: "I didn't expect that ten thousand people could be defeated with a single blow after their abilities went out of control. There really are monsters everywhere in Academy City."

"Well, that should solve it."

To Misaka Mikoto's words, Kiyama Harumi shook his head: "Not yet. Although it has been destroyed now, the Phantasmal Beast exists in connection with the Phantasmal Mage. As long as its connection with the Phantasmal Mage remains unbroken, it will regenerate countless times until the Phantasmal Mage users' spirits can no longer support its regeneration."

Kiyama Harumi's voice wasn't very loud, but unfortunately, Bai Jie's hearing was also superhuman. When he first heard that the fantasy beast would keep resurrecting, he was thinking of killing it until it couldn't be resurrected anymore, but Kiyama Harumi's second half of the sentence made him give up that idea.

If the fantasy beast were completely killed, all ten thousand students who were unconscious at this moment would be brain dead.

"Glug glug..."

Where the fantastical beast had been destroyed, a small ball of flesh suddenly appeared, and then rapidly expanded to the same size as before at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye!

"Hmm, it's already starting to revive." Looking at the revived fantasy beast, Bai Jie curled his lip. Immortality was very convenient for him, but it was incredibly troublesome when the enemy was immortal. "Hey! Misaka! Hurry up and get a solution! I'll hold them off here!"

As they spoke, magic circles appeared around Bai Jie, and countless chains surged towards the newly reborn fantasy beast like a tidal wave—

"Crack crack crack crack crack crack crack!"

Chains coiled around the bloated body of the fantasy beast like serpents, binding it tightly like a rice dumpling. But the instant the chains wrapped around it, Bai Jie clearly felt something explode from within the fantasy beast!

"boom!"

The chains suddenly shattered, creating gaps in the chain's encirclement. From the exposed bodies of the fantastical beasts within those gaps, tentacles shot out rapidly, like spears swiftly piercing towards Bai Jie!

"laugh--!"

The crimson flames rose up, and the Fire Realm Incantation, which omitted the incantation, gave rise to a raging fire that burned away all sins, forming a golden-red barrier around Bai Jie. The tentacles of the fantasy beast were instantly burned to ashes the moment they touched that barrier!

P.S.: After experiencing thirty deaths of Madame Butterfly and becoming completely withdrawn, the four consecutive deaths of the Fire Bull made me even more withdrawn. I'm too scared to even play Sekiro now.

Section 516, Question 16: Do you have the courage to associate with the devil?

On the highway, looking at Bai Jie, who was entangled with the fantasy beast by chains and the Fire Beast Spell not far away, Misaka Mikoto looked at Kiyama Harumi: "Now you can tell me, how do I break the link between the fantasy master and the fantasy beast?"

"...I have an audio file in my car that can be used to uninstall Phantasm. If I play it and let those Phantasm users hear it, I should be able to break the link between Phantasm and Phantasm Beast."

Upon hearing what Kiyama Harumi said, before Misaka Mikoto could speak, Shirai Kuroko had already rushed into Kiyama Harumi's car and pulled out a small storage disk from the glove compartment.

"Big sister, we found it!" Shirai Kuroko shouted, holding up the storage disk. "But playing it... this place is too far from the center of Academy City!"

Yes.

Users of the Phantasm Master are all slumbering in the core school districts of Academy City, while this is only on the outskirts of Academy City. Even if Shirai Kuroko teleported back without stopping, it would still take several minutes, and in those few minutes, the Phantasm Beast could very well...

"I think the fantasy beasts shouldn't cause any more trouble."

Misaka Mikoto looked at the fantasy beast that Bai Jie had chained up and said.

"And Kuroko, you've already contacted the security personnel, right? At their speed, they'll arrive in a few minutes at most. Then we can use their authority to broadcast the audio throughout Academy City."

"I see, but before that..."

Even without Shirai Kuroko's explanation, Misaka Mikoto had already shouted to Bai Jie, "Bai Jie! Hold on for a few more minutes! The security guards will be here soon, and then we can play the music to dispel the Imagine Breaker!"

Bai Jie, who was entangled with the fantasy beast, felt a sudden tremor in his heart when he heard Misaka Mikoto's roar.

(Hold on for a few more minutes? Misaka Mikoto, you're overestimating me! Do you even know how exhausted I am right now?!)

Honestly, Bai Jie felt that Misaka Mikoto was asking too much of him. In the current situation, let alone holding on for a few more minutes, Bai Jie felt that even holding on for one more minute was very risky.

Of course, this doesn't mean that Bai Jie can't beat the Fantasy Beast.

On the contrary, he is now trying his best not to accidentally kill the fantasy beast.

As mentioned before, even a casual fireball spell from Bai Jie could destroy an entire street, and that's with him suppressing his power to the limit. Therefore, in Academy City, Bai Jie has to think twice before using any offensive magic.

The current situation is similar. The Fantasy Beast may be a troublesome creature, but for Bai Jie, it's something he can easily eliminate with a flick of his wrist. It might not even be able to withstand a single punch from Bai Jie. And if the Fantasy Beast dies, its resurrection will consume the students' mental energy.

Therefore, Bai Jie is now trying very hard to restrain his power, lest he accidentally use too much power and cause the fantasy beast to die suddenly.

"I'm never going to lay a hand on a guy like that again. Honestly, this feeling of being restricted is so annoying!"

Not only the chains, but Bai Jie also has to suppress the power of the Fire Realm Curse to prevent it from spreading to the Fantasy Beast. After all, if it comes into contact with the flames of the Fire Realm Curse, the Fantasy Beast might be sublimated in an instant.

"GGGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

The fantasy beast, bound by chains, roared, and dozens of ice spikes condensed beside it, shooting towards Bai Jie.

This guy actually dared to court death?!

"I was already exhausted trying not to kill you, and you still dare to provoke me?!"

The instant this thought crossed Bai Jie's mind, he lost control of his power, and the chains binding the imaginary beast tightened abruptly—

"Sizzle—!"

The fantastical beast was torn into countless pieces by the chains.

Oh no, I'm doomed, I've died again.

"Bai Jie, what are you doing?! Why did you kill it?!" Misaka Mikoto cried out in a panic.

"Is it my fault? I was risking my life to kill it! What could I do if it attacked me on its own accord?"

"Then you should restrain yourself a little more!"

"Don't force me! I've already given it my all! How much more do you want me to suppress my efforts?!"

Watching Bai Jie and Misaka Mikoto arguing across the distance, Shirai Kuroko shook her head with a wry smile: "This is clearly something that threatens the safety of Academy City, so why don't you feel any sense of crisis at all?"

“It’s because of that boy,” Kiyama Harumi said, leaning against the car. “Although it was our first meeting, the moment I saw that boy, I had a feeling—that he was omnipotent.”

"All-powerful... Teacher Bai Jie isn't some god, how could he be all-powerful?"

In response to Kiyama Harumi's remarks, Shirai Kuroko scoffed, "If Bai Jie is truly omnipotent, wouldn't he be a god in mythology?"

If Bai Jie knew that Shirai Kuroko was commenting on him like that, he'd probably be so angry he'd beat her up.

God? How could someone he took down in a few moves be on the same level as him?

"Oops, my hand slipped again! How can you be so squishy! Build some tank items, you bastard!"

Bai Jie accidentally killed the fantasy beast.

"Don't let your guard down, you idiot! Hold back your power a little longer!"

Misaka Mikoto encouraged Bai Jie like a cheerleader.

.......

Finally, by the time the guards arrived, Bai Jie had already killed the Fantasy Beast more than twenty times, and even after it revived, the Fantasy Beast seemed somewhat listless.

————————————————————————

In the evening, at a restaurant in the Seventh School District.

"Haaaaaaah..."

Bai Jie was unusually exhausted, slumped on a table, uttering white breath, too lazy to even touch the plate of spaghetti in front of him.

Across from Bai Jie, Misaka Mikoto looked at him and said, "Hey, you just fought a fantasy beast, is it really necessary to be this exhausted?"

"I'm telling you... if you try to contain an ant in a space of less than five cubic centimeters without hurting it, you'll understand how I feel. Fighting someone while holding back your strength is truly torture."

After a moment of silence, Misaka Mikoto asked, "Hey, Bai Jie, I've asked you this many times, but... who exactly are you?"

"Huh? Didn't I already say, the human evil and magic king who was just passing by?"

"What is human evil? What is the King of Magic? And what does 'just passing by' mean?" Misaka Mikoto fired off three questions in quick succession. "I initially thought you were joking, but what happened today... you really..."

Seeing Misaka Mikoto's incredibly curious expression, Bai Jie smiled and said, "Well, since you're so curious, I might as well tell you, but—do you have the courage to associate with demons?"

Section 517, Question 17: Time to Answer

Do you have the courage to side with the devil?

Last night, after leaving those words, Bai Jie left the restaurant, seemingly to give Misaka Mikoto enough time to think.

Misaka Mikoto spent the entire night pondering this question.

"To associate with demons... what does that mean? Does it mean his true identity is dangerous?"

Judging from Bai Jie's performance so far, it's not hard for Misaka Mikoto to guess that Bai Jie's background is quite astonishing.

First, there's the portal that appeared with him and then vanished without a trace. Second, there's his body, which withstood his lightning strikes head-on without injury. Then there's his relationship with the chairman. Finally, there's Bai Jie's demonstrated knowledge and abilities, and that inexplicable power called "magic."