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Chapter 109 - CHAPTER 109:Opening of the World War

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Facing the golden treasure chest in his inventory, Shen He felt a knot of tension wind through his chest.

For this battle, he had already consumed most of his remaining battle cards. Only one intermediate time-limited enhancement card was left, insufficient to face Misaka Mikoto Alter head-on—especially when considering the certainty that she held the power of the Holy Grail or was deeply connected to its corruption.

He needed a trump card. Something to flip the situation on its head.

Open the treasure chest!

There were no extravagant effects, no cinematic sparkles. The treasure chest simply vanished from his backpack—replaced by a golden card glowing faintly with energy.

Advanced Time-Limited Enhancement Card!

"Whew…" Shen He exhaled, the relief flooding his body like slipping into a hot spring after battle. The risk had paid off. While the drop rate for enhancement cards from golden chests was high, there had always been the chance he'd end up with a nine-hour delay card or a skill with limited utility. That would've been a disastrous loss.

But there was only one shot. This needed to be saved for the final boss—for the true battle over the corrupted Holy Grail.

"Next…" Misaka Mikoto looked at Shen He, eyes clear but cautious, holding unspoken expectations.

"We need more intel." Shen He shook his head, frustration leaking through his voice. "We've used up the items that suppress spiritual seals. Our battle strength is declining fast. If we run into another encounter on the level of Misaka Alter or the crazed saint again, we're done. But... is there a method to restrain saint-level movement?"

Based on what Shen He knew, the entity known as Aqua of the Rear—the former Bishop William, a saint who had long fought for the stability of the world—had been corrupted. Yet if he could be severed from the madness of the Holy Grail, there was a chance to regain him as a valuable ally.

But first, he had to be neutralized.

"Yes." Shencrahuoori responded confidently, voice laced with divine certainty. "Saints like Aqua can borrow divine-level authority only because they share aspects of the Son of God's vessel. However, that also exposes their core weaknesses—three things: the cross, the sacred nails, and the crown of thorns."

These three relics symbolized [The Passion of the Christ], the execution of the divine Son. Even a saint can be spiritually suppressed if nailed to the cross and bound with these elements—divine punishment enacted on divine flesh.

"Then let's move." Shen He scanned their surroundings. "Imprison him first. Once we secure this place, I'll lead you all to a safe zone to recover."

The rest of the group nodded in agreement.

They rejoined Kamijou Touma and his companions. Shen He led them out quickly before reinforcements could arrive.

Three to four minutes later, Bee Eater Etsu, accompanied by several other esper squads, arrived on the scene—only to find nothing left but a cold battlefield. No signs of combatants, no prisoners.

"We're too late…" Bee Eater gritted her teeth, biting down frustration. She regretted refusing Kamijou Touma's earlier proposal—maybe things wouldn't have spiraled like this if she had listened.

Elsewhere, Shen He brought the group to a concealed experimental base beneath an abandoned district—a former dark science research facility tied to Academy City's Level 6 Shift and Kakine Teitoku-related projects. Though no longer active, its reinforced barriers and power shielding provided the perfect refuge.

Cold surgical tables, suspended weaponry, and sinister instruments lined the walls—echoes of twisted science—but the base was now filled with nearly a thousand refugees: students, ability users, and civilians alike, all seeking shelter from the escalating war.

"Where's Kushiro Maku?" Shen He asked, recognizing the place immediately. "Who's coordinating logistics now?"

Moments later, Kushiro Weiko emerged, face lined with fatigue. She had taken charge after evacuating her class and was now maintaining the internal order of this makeshift shelter.

"You saw what happened up there." Shen He spoke quickly. "We held the line, but we're injured and need rest. Give us one room. We've brought food and supplies—we won't burden you."

"…Got it." Weiko nodded. She wasn't one to waste words. Shen He had already been providing daily rations for the shelter. She owed him.

As she turned to leave, however, her gaze lingered subtly on Misaka Mikoto—dressed in a casual jacket, baseball cap, and mask. Suspicion flickered in her eyes.

"You're not exactly low-profile like that," Misaka Mikoto muttered under her breath once she left. "It's obvious you're hiding something."

"Too many people have seen your face," Shen He replied grimly. "If the Misaka Network senses you… even the weaker clones may attack."

He turned back to the restrained Aqua of the Rear, who had been nailed to a replica cross fashioned from experimental alloy. Alongside him, restrained by psychic shackles, were Kihara Gensei and Vent of the Front—once major forces in the war, now neutralized.

Shen He doused Aqua's face with a bucket of water. The saint awoke with a grunt, the pain from the divine nails barely registering.

The suppression of his saintly power wasn't the true problem. The real pain came from the divine decree placed on him—the Judgment of God, a restriction reinforced by Jeanne d'Arc's divine punishment earlier.

"You understand your situation." Shen He stepped closer. "William. Who corrupted you?"

Silence. A long pause as Aqua's gaze slowly cleared.

"…I don't know," he finally said. "I was drawn to the source of the chaos, to investigate the epicenter. But near the instigator of the war… I was infected by an unfamiliar force. Its essence—was close to divine wrath. Like a false 'blessing' warped by the Grail."

"Think carefully." Shen He pressed. "There must've been someone near you. You don't just fall like that."

"…Dozens of students. Clone sisters. Someone might have slipped through unnoticed."

Shen He frowned. That confirmed it. Misaka Mikoto Alter was not acting alone. But it likely wasn't her who took the Grail—she was an effect, not the cause.

"Mikoto," he turned to her and Accelerator. "In your tracking of Misaka Mikoto Alter, did you find anyone unusual near her?"

"Yes." Accelerator spoke up first. "At the site of Last Order's original imprisonment, some of the Sisters talked about the 'side room' of their elder sister. And if their memories mirror the original's… then that 'side room' is probably suspicious."

"—That's not what that means!!" Misaka Mikoto turned beet red. "That perverted Heizi started that rumor! You can't trust anything she says!"

Knowing Shirai Kuroko's obsession, Mikoto couldn't entirely deny the possibility that she had made a wish using the Grail to create an eternal companion in Misaka Mikoto Alter…

"Could Kuroko have made a wish on the Grail? To keep you by her side forever… and it created that twisted version of you?" Shen He asked.

Even Misaka Mikoto fell silent at that. She couldn't comprehend the full power of the Grail, but knowing Kuroko's devotion, the theory made uncomfortable sense.

"And even Hatsuharu Shiri has reportedly stayed with Misaka Alter constantly," she added hesitantly.

"List Shirai Kuroko as a suspect," Shen He said decisively. "She's not a main player. And what little character depth she has revolves around obsession. That's suspicious enough."

Their next priority was recon.

"William," Shen He turned back to Aqua. "How many magicians or high-level espers are under Misaka Mikoto Alter's command?"

"…Magicians, just me and Vent of the Front," Aqua replied. "As for espers… I don't know. Our only directive tonight was: destroy Kamijou Touma and everyone near him."

"To target Touma?" Shen He's expression tightened.

He mentally reviewed the timeline. The war's chaos, the Holy Grail's manifestation, the sudden shift in battlelines—something didn't add up. And only he could piece it together from this vantage point, like reading a script from a god's-eye view.

Everyone waited in tense silence.

Then—

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Urgent knocks slammed into the door.

Misaka Mikoto immediately pulled on her hat and mask again.

"Kushiro Veil, what's happening?" Shen He asked.

Veil's panicked face appeared in the doorway.

"There's an army attacking Academy City!"

She shoved a phone into Shen He's hands.

A student's video had hit the internal network. Dozens of Apache helicopters hovered over the city's perimeter, gunfire lighting the sky. Ropes dropped from above as armored U.S. soldiers repelled down. Explosions echoed from the western district.

The screen overflowed with comments.

"Apache confirmed."

"U.S. Army—no mistake!"

"I'm an American! I'm in dorm AH-12, District 7! Come rescue me!"

Shen He scrolled through, thoughts racing.

Of course. The global powers had been watching from the sidelines—waiting. After such an apocalyptic battle, both sides were drained. The Americans had chosen this moment to strike.

The world war had begun.

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