Long Live Money in Anime Crossover

"What, do you really want to die?"

The smile on Theristina's face vanished, replaced by coldness. She said, "If I continue to increase my power, you will all instantly become corpses. Or do you intend to perish together with me?"

"Tsk tsk," Theristina looked at Mugino Shizuri with a half-smile and said, "Fourth one, I never knew you were such a caring person. Rumor has it that you are a volatile and neurotic woman. It seems that the report is not entirely accurate!"

"I was originally thinking about what methods I could use to make you obediently submit, but now I don't have to do anything at all."

Theristina placed her hand on the shoulder of Takitsubo Riko, who still seemed to be in shock, and said, "It's fine if you don't believe me, and I don't expect you to. Unfortunately, your lives are now in my hands, so you'd better behave."

"Otherwise..."

Theristina grabbed Takitsubo Risa's hair and pulled it up little by little, saying, "I'll let you taste something more painful than death."

"Don't you believe me?"

"You little brats from the Dark Guard think you've seen all the bloodshed in the world just because you've killed a few people? Haha, don't be ridiculous. You can try it, anyway, in my hands you're just a bunch of weak girls."

"The hounds around you are ruthless villains from the battlefield. I think they wouldn't mind letting you taste the hell of the battlefield."

Upon hearing Theristina's words, a sinister smile crept across the faces of several members of the hound squad, a smile that instantly sent chills down the spines of the girls.

Mugino Shizuri, his face ashen, was at a loss for what to do.

"Takitsubo..."

"It's alright, Mugino."

Takitsubo Riko struggled to say, "They probably just want to use my abilities. I'll be fine. Everyone, just wait for me to come back. It won't be long."

As she spoke, Takitsubo Riko moved in the direction Theristina was pointing, which meant that she was obeying Theristina, and then turned around and walked into the laboratory.

"Not bad, you're quite obedient."

After saying that, Theristina gestured with her chin towards Mugino Shizuri and the other two, and said, "Take them where they belong. Kihara Kazuta is also waiting for them. If they dare to resist, you can teach them a lesson."

"As ordered!"

Under Therista's amused gaze, Mugino Shizuri and the other two, their eyes filled with hatred and worry, were taken away, while Takitsubo Riko seemed to have truly submitted, following Therista into the laboratory.

What do you need me to do?

Theristina remained silent. Kihara Gensei walked over, handed a document to Takitsubo Risa, and said, "This is the personal AIM position data of Kanemoto Teitoku. Your goal is to help Kanemoto Teitoku restore his chaotic AIM position to its original state, nothing more."

Upon hearing this, Takitsubo Riko's pupils contracted, and she said, "I can't do that. My abilities aren't that strong at all, even if I took the Body Crystal!"

"That just means you haven't taken enough body crystals."

Kihara Gensei wore a strangely benevolent smile. If one ignored the madness flashing in his eyes, he might actually have a somewhat benevolent appearance.

“We have a sufficient amount of body crystals here, and I have also given you a new calculation formula for how your abilities operate. In addition, if your computing power is insufficient, we can provide you with the ability to use the Illusionist. The computing power of 100,000 people is more than enough for you to squander.”

Theristina took out headphones and a whole bottle of body crystals. The body crystals were blood red, which was obviously very different from the body crystals that Takitsubo Riku normally used.

The difference made Takitsubo Riko smell the scent of death.

"Can I refuse...?"

Takitsubo Riko, who had been dozing off, finally opened her eyes wide, filled with panic and unease. Takitsubo Riko, who usually seemed a bit dazed, wasn't truly ignorant; her behavior was largely due to her abilities.

As someone who can directly sense and control the AIM field, Takitsubo Riko is constantly under pressure from the AIM field emanating from the 230 million people of Academy City, much like a magnet in a huge magnetic field, always under stress.

Therefore, Takitsubo Riko's ability to maintain this low level of sensitivity is a form of self-protection for her body and mind; otherwise, if Takitsubo Riko became sensitive, she probably wouldn't have been able to withstand the pressure.

Aside from the side effects of this ability, Takitsubo Riko is just an ordinary girl, and compared to Mugino Shizuri and the other two, Takitsubo Riko is probably more innocent and pure.

The only reason she stayed in Item was because it was her refuge. She had nowhere else to go but Item, and for this small refuge, even if it meant plunging herself into darkness and knowing that frequent use of body crystals would cause her body to collapse, she never backed down or wavered.

This is what Riko Takitsubo is like—able to unleash tremendous determination for small wishes, even though such determination may not necessarily be a positive one.

Faced with Takitsubo Riko's pleading question, Kihara Gensei smiled and shook his head, then pointed, and footage of Mugino Shizuri and the other two appeared on the large screen in the distance.

"I regret that we cannot, child. We need your strength, we need you with your enhanced abilities to use your life to awaken Emperor Huangen."

"Don't be angry, don't be afraid. Although you will be sacrificed as a expendable item for our scientific experiments, your companions will live well and will not suffer any mistreatment."

"Otherwise..."

In the scene, Mugino Shizuri and the other two are escorted into a small research room by the hound squad. Kihara Kazuta has been waiting inside for a long time. Seeing Kihara Kazuta's clenched fists and malicious smile, Takitsubo Riko quickly asked, "What are you going to do to them!"

“It’s nothing,” Theristina replied, “It’s just that they’ll use the Fantasy Guardian like you for now. The difference is that you need to increase your computing power to work for us, while they are only temporarily serving as carriers of the Fantasy Network.”

"Don't worry, they'll be fine, they'll just be unconscious for a while. They'll wake up after everything is over."

As she spoke, Theristina handed the information on the Phantasm Master to Takitsubo Riko. Takitsubo Riko's body trembled slightly, but she still bravely read through all the information, and her face relaxed a little.

These people... seem to have no reason to lie to her about this. After all, she's being used as a expendable resource and needs time to build up her strength before she can unleash her power. Moreover, it seems that currently, apart from Takitsubo Riko, no one else can awaken Kane Teitoku.

Having understood her own value, Takitsubo Riko also realized what she could do. She wasn't naive enough to think these people would let her go, because only by obeying and living to serve Kihara Gensei and Theristina could her value be realized.

"You have to ensure their safety, and... I need to keep an eye on them and not cut off the camera."

Takitsubo Riko's request surprised Theristina slightly. She looked at her grandfather, while Kihara Gensei nodded and said, "Good terms, let's do it this way. Since this child cares so much about her friends, when she suffers physical pain, seeing her friends will make her a little stronger."

"After all, this kind of bond and friendship between partners really touches an old man like me."

Theristina smiled wryly. Her grandfather was truly mischievous; countless people had been ruined by him, including even his granddaughter, Theristina herself. Kihara Gensei, practically the embodiment of a villain, had probably forgotten what it meant to be moved for decades.

"In that case, put on these headphones. We need some time to connect you to the fantasy network and enhance your computing power. After that, we'll conduct the experiment."

Takitsubo Riko did not refuse and obediently put on the headphones. A strange noise came from her ears, and Takitsubo Riko immediately felt that her brain seemed to be stimulated, and her abilities began to fluctuate.

This change heightened her stress, making her want to fall asleep again. However, this time, Takitsubo Rigo resisted the urge to sleep and instead kept her eyes wide open, staring at the familiar figure on the screen.

Watching her companion's figure.

"This is the last thing I can do for everyone. Goodbye..."

……

"To wear, or not to wear?"

Kihara Kazuta, a sinister smile on his face, tossed the earpiece into Mugino Shizuri's hand and said, "You can choose not to wear it, and I won't kill you. But... without your abilities, how much fighting power do you actually have left?"

Kinuhata Saiai and Frenda also looked at Mugino Shizuri. Frenda looked terrified, and even Kinuhata Saiai was pale. At this moment, no matter how much Kinuhata Saiai habitually pretended to be mature, this scene also made her feel scared.

"What if we don't wear them... do you think I would ask that?"

Mugino Shizuri suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly, which made Kihara Kazuta's smile disappear, because he felt that he had lost an opportunity to vent his anger, and he could not vent the anger of losing the fight.

As expected, Mugino Shizuri continued, "You certainly won't kill us, because we're still useful. But if we struggle and resist, you'll take the opportunity to humiliate us, won't you? It seems that humiliating a superpower is something that gives you a lot of pleasure."

After saying that, Mugino Shizuri put on his headphones and said, "I won't give you that chance."

Not only will Kihara Kazuta not have the chance to humiliate Mugino Shizuri and the other two, but Theristina will also not have the chance to abuse Takitsubo Riko.

To avoid being mistreated by Takitsubo Rigo, I'll just have to obey for now.

242 Mugino Shizuri's Determination

"Tsk!"

Kihara spat out a few words, and seeing Mugino Shizuri so happy, he was speechless for a moment.

As Mugino Shizuri said, as a powerless person, Kihara Kazuta naturally felt a great sense of accomplishment from teasing and trampling on a Level 5 esper. Moreover, toying with Mugino Shizuri also allowed him to vent the anger he had just felt, which was exactly what Kihara Kazuta wanted.

Unfortunately, Kihara Kazutaka, who was wearing a walkie-talkie, knew what was going on inside the research institute. Takitsubo Riko was watching Mugino Shizuri's side; if he really dared to do something, there was no guarantee that something wouldn't go wrong on Takitsubo Riko's side.

Now, awakening Emperor Kane is the top priority, so Kihara Kazuta can only suppress his anger for the time being.

"I'd like to see how long you can keep quiet. Don't worry, I have plenty of patience."

After saying that, Kihara Kazuta waved his hand, and the members of the hound squad left the small laboratory. The sound of an electronic lock being locked could be heard outside the door, clearly indicating that this place had become the prison for Mugino Shizuri and the other two.

"Mugino!"

Frenda grabbed Mugino Shizuri's arm, her hands full of fear. Unlike before, when she was just pretending to be scared to get closer to Mugino Shizuri, this time Frenda was genuinely afraid.

After all, Flanda was just a high school student.

Not to mention Kinuhata Saiai, who was standing blankly on the other side of Mugino Shizuri. Kinuhata Saiai looked calm and expressionless, but Mugino Shizuri knew the fear in Kinuhata Saiai's heart.

"Come here."

Mugino Shizuri reached out and grabbed Kinuhata Saiai's arm. Kinuhata Saiai's body trembled violently, but she did not resist. She was pulled by Mugino Shizuri and obediently sat down next to him, clinging tightly to him.

The three girls huddled together.

"Mugino, what should we do?"

Kinuhata loves to ask questions in a low voice, seemingly having forgotten even her own habit of adding the word "super" to everything she says to express her tone.

Mugino Shizuri didn't answer immediately. Instead, he raised his head with a gloomy face and looked at a camera above him, which was obviously filming everything about the three girls without any scruples.

Kinuhata Saiai and Frenda followed Mugino Shizuri's gaze and saw the location of the camera. The two instinctively shut their mouths, because they knew that everything they did was being monitored.

Let alone discussing how to deal with the current situation, the two of them didn't even have the courage to speak when they thought about Takitsubo Rigo being captured and who knows what she would be done to.

Sensing the fear in the two girls beside her, Mugino Shizuri felt increasingly anxious and uneasy. She felt a sense of responsibility on her shoulders that was almost crushing her, a responsibility that compelled her to do something.

But... what can she do?

"A very smart choice. Now all you have to do is stay here obediently, otherwise the decision your friends made for you will have been in vain."

At that moment, Theristina's voice suddenly rang out in the laboratory, startling the three girls. Mugino Shizuri said directly, "You can see us. How's Takitsubo doing with you? Tell me!"

Hearing Mugino Shizuri's urgent tone, Theristina clicked her tongue in amazement and said, "It seems you really care about your subordinates. Is your usual demeanor just a facade, a way of telling others that it's pointless to target your subordinates, and thus protecting them?"

"A good idea, but unfortunately I've seen through it!"

Theristina laughed heartily a few times, then said, "Little girl, stay safe and sound with your friends. Don't make them nervous. Otherwise, if they cause any trouble because they're worried about you, it won't be good for anyone."

Theristina's words made Mugino and the other two's eyes light up. Then, Takitsubo Riko's voice came over and said, "Thank you, Mugino, thank you all, Kinuhata and Frenda, I'm fine, I'm alright."

Takitsubo Riko's voice sounded relaxed, as if one could imagine the smile on her lips. However, Mugino Shizuri detected a slight tremor in it, a tremor that didn't match the words Takitsubo Riko was saying at all.

"I'm doing the same thing as everyone else right now, putting on my headphones and preparing to use the Phantasm Hand. After that, I'll connect to the Phantasm Network, which will greatly enhance my computing power."

"I need to use my abilities to conduct an experiment here, to coordinate with the second experiment, so I am not in danger, everyone can rest assured."

After saying that, Takitsubo Riko's voice disappeared, and it was replaced by Theristina's voice, saying, "You heard it, are you relieved and at ease? Then just wear your headphones and provide more computing power for Kanetsugu. Mugino Shizuri, as a LV5, you are of great help to Kanetsugu's awakening."

"So stay quiet, your companions are watching you!"

Both Therese and Takitsubo Riko's voices disappeared, clearly indicating that Therese intended for Takitsubo Riko to later reassure Mugino Shizuri. Although she had put a bomb collar on Mugino Shizuri, Therese was still clearly worried about her.

It seems she really suffered a lot in her battle with Misaka Mikoto, and has developed an instinctive sense of awe for Level 5 espers.