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*****
"I do not belong to this world, but the situation is complicated. Even if I explained it to you, you might not understand."
George gazed at the headmaster hanging upside down in front of him. Stroking his chin, he sat down on the ground and asked,
"And who are you?"
"I could feel the immense magical power you just unleashed. You must be a renowned magician.
"A magician who also happens to be the headmaster of Academy City and the founder of the Esper system... That reminds me of someone."
Having inherited the memories of Shirley, an intelligence officer from the Puritan Church, George naturally knew a great deal about this world's magical history and its key figures.
One magician, in particular, left a strong impression on him. His magical name was Beast666, and his real name was Edward Alexander—hailed as the greatest magician of the 20th century.
A man closest to becoming a Magic God.
Today, roughly 20% of the world's magicians are his direct disciples, and nearly 50% have been influenced by him in some way. He was also one of the founders of modern magic.
However, he was known for having a terrible reputation and later betrayed the magical world, defecting to science. This act led to him being hunted down by the entire magical community.
According to historical records, Edward Alexander was surrounded and killed on December 1, 1947, in a rural area of England.
"Footprints Revealed—Edward Alexander!"
Verifying his guess was simple. Without hesitation, George cast a tracking spell.
Sure enough, the spell's target pointed directly at the headmaster hanging in front of him.
Regardless of whether it was a real name, an alias, or a nickname—so long as the name belonged to a person, the tracking spell would locate them. The only exceptions were if they were dead or sealed away.
"An interesting spell—no incantations, no formations, no runes. It doesn't mimic divine miracles, yet it precisely pinpoints its target.
"But since you now know my identity, you should also understand that I cannot let you leave here alive."
A cold gleam flashed through Aleister's eyes.
He hadn't expected Clone No. 9981 to deduce his true identity just from the burst of magical power he had unleashed—and even confirm it using a special spell.
Yet, George showed no fear. Instead, he chuckled and said,
"There's no need for that. I have no interest in your past, nor in why you created Academy City. I have no intention of revealing your true identity to the Church.
"What I'm interested in is increasing my own power—whether by advancing to Level 6 as an Esper or by learning the magic of this world."
Since he had chosen to expose the headmaster's identity, it meant he had a plan in mind.
"Why don't we work together? In your current state, you clearly don't want your identity exposed. There are certain matters I can handle for you, and all you have to do is teach me your magic.
"It's a win-win for both of us."
If Aleister truly was Edward, one of the pioneers of modern magic, then there was no need to seek out the Church. This man likely possessed knowledge of all magic in this world.
If he was willing to teach, George could learn far more from him than from even 100,000 grimoires.
"You make a fair point. But keeping you alive poses a risk. Your existence introduces uncertainty to my plan. Perhaps the safest option is to kill you now."
Aleister showed no interest in accepting George's proposal.
To him, if Misaka No. 9981 was an unknown factor who had discovered his true identity, then despite his decent strength and potential usefulness, he still wasn't a reliable asset.
The most secure course of action was to eliminate Misaka No. 9981 immediately, ensuring his plan remained on track without any unforeseen disruptions.
"The problem is—you might not be able to kill me so easily. If our battle causes you to reveal your presence, wouldn't that be even more dangerous for you?"
As Aleister's killing intent grew, George remained calm.
Aleister, however, simply smirked.
"I doubt our fight will last long. A few seconds will be more than enough."
Even if Misaka No. 9981 possessed the strength of a Saint, Aleister could defeat him in just a few moves without significantly exposing his presence.
"That's not necessarily true."
George cast a temporary Undetectable Extension Charm across the entire hall, instantly expanding the space by hundreds of times.
"Animagus!"
In the next second, he activated his Animagus transformation. His body rapidly expanded, morphing into a colossal 500-meter-long dragon.
In this form, both his physical strength and magical power were vastly enhanced.
Most importantly, dragons possessed exceptionally high magic resistance. No matter how powerful Aleister was, he was still a magician. His magic attacks would be significantly weakened against George's new form.
"Now, do you still think you can take me down so easily?
"And this isn't even my limit—this space just isn't large enough to accommodate further transformation.
"So, I suggest you reconsider my offer. We can work together and both benefit."
George's thunderous, draconic roar echoed throughout the hall.
"Your true form is a dragon?"
Aleister stared at the towering 500-meter dragon before him, momentarily stunned.
It wasn't that George's dragon form had surpassed him in power—
Rather, it was the sheer impossibility of a dragon existing in this world.
This world was structured with a physical universe (the foundational physics phase) layered with numerous religious and mythological phases.
Magic allowed the manipulation of energy from these phases, enabling effects that defied physical laws.
However, mythical creatures didn't inherently exist in this world. They could only be replicated through magic—such as the creation of magical dragon-like energy constructs.
But the dragon before him was undeniably a living being, something that should not exist in this world.
It could only have come from another phase of existence.
"Not a Magic God, not a demon, not an angel... but a dragon. Interesting."
His instincts told him that even if he went all out, defeating the dragon before him would inevitably expose his presence.
Furthermore, their battle would likely cause considerable damage to Academy City.
"Fine. You've convinced me—I agree to this partnership."
After a brief moment of contemplation, Aleister made his decision.
Indeed, the threat Misaka No. 9981 posed had influenced his choice.
But more importantly, he was aware that his upcoming plans would face numerous unpredictable interferences.
If he could harness Misaka No. 9981's power, things would become much easier.
Besides, if his plan progressed as intended, it wouldn't be long before his identity was exposed anyway.
As long as George wasn't a Magic God or a demon, collaboration was an option.
(End of Chapter)