In Academy City, the Paradise Project begins.

Page 5

Just as Higashino was about to answer, another explosion came from afar.

"It seems the situation is more serious than we thought."

Taking the opportunity, Higashino stepped forward and said sincerely to Kuroko, "Do you need any help?"

Hei Zi frowned: "You bastard, I already said ordinary citizens please..."

"Higashino Yu, Haru's boyfriend."

Higashino gave a perfectly timed smile.

"She must have mentioned me?"

Kuroko tilted her head, her mind a little confused: "Early spring... wait, how is that possible? When did she have... wait, no, I do think I heard her mention it."

"Just three months ago."

Higashino is talking nonsense in a serious manner, but his haters will automatically fill in the blanks due to his abilities.

"Speaking of which, she should be assisting with the investigation at the scene right now, right? I'm a little worried."

The power of the complete modification is indeed formidable; it can even alter the perceptions of those involved! It's a pity the cost was too high, otherwise I would have been invincible in Academy City!

Hei Zi looked at the stranger who claimed to be her friend's boyfriend with suspicion.

Although she did have the impression that she had a boyfriend in early spring, she had no memory of who he was.

She kept it a secret until early spring, never revealing any specific information about her boyfriend, only that they met outside of Academy City once.

Higashino knew she would be suspicious, but there was nothing he could do. His abilities didn't seem to be perfect yet, and there was no need to use them on Kuroko for the time being.

"Besides, I'm also an ability user, so I won't hold you back."

"Ok."

Kuroko eventually compromised. On one hand, she wanted to support Hatsuharu, and on the other hand, for some reason, she suddenly felt that she should trust the person in front of her.

"But you must stay close to me and obey all orders."

"of course."

Higashino nodded; he wasn't the kind of person who didn't know his place.

"But walking there is too slow, so why don't we..."

Before he could finish speaking, Hei Zi grabbed his arm: "Hold on tight."

Chapter 5, Zaizuka, look at me!

Thanks to Kuroko's abilities, the two quickly arrived at a shopping mall.

Higashino Yu's gaze cut through the chaotic crowd, locking onto the thin boy wearing goggles. It was Kaito Hatsune, the ability user who had caused the series of explosions, who was now furtively hiding behind a claw machine.

"Kuroko, he's behind that claw machine over there," Higashino Yu whispered.

Shirai Kuroko followed his gaze: "That's...?"

"Suspect." Higashino recognized the guy—the clown from Railgun, the cowardly wretch who wreaks havoc on innocent people with his incompetent rage.

"He's stuffing something into the doll." Kuroko squinted as he saw Kaito hand a frog doll to a little girl with pigtails. The little girl happily hugged the doll and skipped towards Haruharu Kazari.

"Not good!" Kuroko activated her ability instantly, but someone was faster than her.

"Get out of the way! Hatsu..." Misaka Mikoto's shout came from across the street. She was sprinting at an astonishing speed. But the distance was too great; there was no time to react.

Higashino Yu's pupils suddenly contracted. Time seemed to stretch out, and he saw: Haru turning around in confusion, a gentle smile still on her face; a little girl holding up a frog doll, her expression innocent and carefree; the doll's interior beginning to twist...

It was too late! Higashino Yu shoved Kuroko aside and rushed towards Hatsuharu with all his might. His power surged within him, and an unnatural ripple appeared deep in his pupils.

"Everyone, look at me!" This roar was like a thunderclap. Everyone within a twenty-meter radius, from the distant Kaito Hatsune, the little girl, and even Haru, all instinctively looked at Higashino Yu.

The world froze. In a fraction of a second, Higashino Yu's power erupted in full force. Everyone was enveloped in an invisible domain, and all those within it were affected by his power.

Higashino Yu stood still. Early spring, the little girl, and the frog doll were all frozen in place.

“Early Spring, give me the doll,” he said to Early Spring.

In early spring, a doll is handed out. Higashino Yu accepts this dangerous item that is about to explode.

"Now, this toy never existed." As soon as the words were spoken, the doll instantly turned into white particles and disappeared without a trace.

"...Haru!" Mikoto's voice finally came through. She stopped, panting, and looked at Haru, whose hands were empty, with a puzzled expression.

"Huh?" Haru blinked, looking around in confusion. "What was I about to do..."

The little girl stood there blankly, completely forgetting why she had raised her hands.

At a distance, Kaito Hatsuya's expression changed. He looked at the unharmed Hatsuharu with a puzzled expression, then looked down at his own hands: "I... what was I planning to do..."

"Gotcha!" Kuroko's figure appeared behind Kairi in an instant, and with a swift grab, he pinned him to the ground.

"Uh, why would I arrest him...?"

Higashino Yu quietly took a few steps back, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. This time, unleashing his full power had taken a heavy toll; his temples throbbed, and a metallic smell filled his nostrils.

"He's the prisoner from the void explosion, don't let him escape..."

"Senior Higashino!" Haru suddenly ran over, looking at him with concern. "You look terrible..."

"It's nothing." Higashino forced a smile, feeling a little dizzy. "I probably overused my abilities a bit."

Mikoto walked over, looking at Higashino suspiciously: "What just happened? I clearly saw..."

"Big Sister!" Kuroko walked over, escorting Kaito, but the question in her eyes remained. "I have him under control! What exactly happened?"

Mikoto's attention was diverted: "Ah, that's great! But that doll..."

"What doll?" Kuroko asked, looking completely bewildered.

Higashino Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although he still didn't understand what the ability he had just used was, at least he had escaped unscathed.

The sirens grew louder as the security convoy finally arrived. Aisui Yomikawa was the first to jump out of the car, visibly relieved when she saw the escorting officers.

"Well done, Disciplinary Committee member." She patted Kuroko on the shoulder, but her gaze fell on Higashino. "Are you... alright?"

Higashino Yu shook his head, but suddenly felt a wave of dizziness. The aftereffects of overusing his ability finally kicked in, and the edges of his vision began to darken.

"Senior Higashino!" Hatsuharu's exclamation was the last sound he heard before losing consciousness.

The smell of disinfectant. This was the first thing Higashino Yu noticed when he regained consciousness. A white ceiling, the rhythmic beeping of medical instruments, and the cool touch on the back of his hand—he was lying in a hospital bed.

"Ah! Higashino-senpai is awake!" Uiharu Kazari's face suddenly came into view, her eyes red-rimmed, as if she had been crying. Higashino Yu tried to move his fingers and immediately felt a sharp headache.

"Don't rush to get up." A calm voice came from the side. "Your brainwaves are abnormally active. The doctor said it's a symptom of overuse of your abilities."

Higashino Yu turned his head slightly and saw Yomi Kawa Aiho standing by the window with her arms crossed.

"How long have I been in a coma?"

"A full ten hours." Huang Quanchuan approached the hospital bed, looking down at him and scrutinizing him. "The doctor said your condition is very special, like the symptoms of exhaustion after using your abilities continuously for several hours."

Higashino Yu avoided her probing gaze and turned to Hatsuharu: "The culprit...?"

"They've caught him!" Haruhisa clasped her hands together, her eyes shining, looking at Higashino with admiration. "Thanks to Higashino-senpai for discovering the suspect in time, Kakeru Hatsuya has been detained."

The ward door was suddenly pushed open, and Misaka Mikoto rushed in: "Hey! What's wrong with that doll—" She stopped abruptly when she saw Higashino Yu, who was awake.

"Ah...you're awake."

Higashino noticed Mikoto's questioning gaze and her clenched fist. This Level 5 esper was clearly not as easily fooled as the others.

"Misaka-san!" Yomikawa frowned and said in a reprimanding tone, "No noise is allowed in the hospital."

Mikoto reluctantly loosened her fist, but her gaze remained fixed on Higashino Yu: "I just want to know why that frog doll suddenly disappeared yesterday."

"A frog doll?" Chu Chun tilted her head in confusion. "What doll?" She had completely forgotten the details of what happened.

"It was the one that the little girl wanted to give to Haru..." Mikoto suddenly stopped, her eyes widening as if she realized something, and said incredulously, "Wait...you don't remember?"

Huang Quanchuan's expression turned serious: "Misaka, what did you see?"

Mikoto's gaze swept back and forth between Higashino Yu and Haru, finally settling on Higashino Yu's pale face: "What did you do? Why am I the only one who remembers that doll?"

The air in the ward seemed to freeze. Higashino Yu could feel everyone's eyes on her, especially Huang Quanchuan—her eyes seemed to say, "You're a liar, what happened to the promised five seconds of hypnosis?"

This is troublesome... Higashino Yu let out a soft breath, deciding to take a gamble: "It's probably because you're a Level 5." He looked directly into Mikoto's eyes, with sincerity, "My ability seems to cause temporary amnesia in people nearby. This is the first time I've encountered this situation."

This explanation seemed reasonable. Mikoto's brow relaxed slightly, but the doubt in her eyes remained: "What's inside that doll?"

“Aluminum products,” Higashino continued to explain. “Kaito Hatsuya’s ability is to create explosions by twisting aluminum products. That doll was stuffed with aluminum sheets.”

Huang Quanchuan suddenly interjected, "Wait, if there really was such a dangerous item, why was nothing found during the on-site investigation?"

“Because I decomposed it.” Higashino Yu propped himself up, enduring the headache as he explained, “My ability is probably more than just hypnosis; it seems I can also interfere with matter on a material level. Although it only lasts for a few seconds, it was enough to make that doll ‘disappear’.”

This half-true, half-false explanation plunged the ward into a brief silence. Chu Chun's adoring gaze almost materialized, while Huang Quanchuan thoughtfully stroked his chin.

Mikoto stared at Higashino Yu for a long time before finally sighing, "Never mind... the matter is resolved anyway. I'll settle the score with you next time!" She turned and walked towards the door, intending to leave.

At this moment, Huang Quanchuan suddenly leaned down and whispered in Dongye You's ear: "Don't do such dangerous things next time. Remember to contact the security guard if there are any problems. Didn't I already tell you my phone number?" Her voice also carried some worry. Dongye had only used his ability for a short while and was already lying here.

"Do you understand now, 'Original Stone User'?"

Higashino Yu nodded slightly, watching Yomi Kawa leave the ward. When Haruya went out to fetch water, he finally relaxed, letting exhaustion wash over him.

I really acted impulsively this time. But if I hadn't gone, things might have really gone wrong in early spring. I guess I can't just blindly believe everything I read in the original story. What a hassle...

Rain began to fall from the sky outside the window. Higashino Yu gazed at the gloomy sky, his thoughts churning.

"If my abilities were to improve further..."

The door to the ward was pushed open, interrupting his thoughts.

"Higashino-senpai!" Haruhisa rushed in excitedly, carrying a fruit basket. "Kuroko said he was coming to see you and brought some gifts!"

Higashino Yu quickly put on a gentle smile: "Thank you for your help."

But deep down, he was already planning his next move. After all, in this city, someone with the ability to rewrite perceptions and even reality could do many interesting things... For example, like the "Gensokyo Paradise Project," I could also create a "School City Paradise Project."

Chapter 6 You idiot, you should give out perks when visiting patients!

"Boom boom boom——"

The ward door was politely knocked three times, then suddenly pushed open.

"Early spring! I've brought the gifts!"

Shirai Kuroko rushed in, carrying two bulging shopping bags, but stopped abruptly when she saw Higashino Yu sitting on the hospital bed.

"Oh, you're awake."

She squinted, eyeing the man she had only met yesterday with suspicion.

Saten Ruiko, who was following behind, almost bumped into Kuroko, who suddenly stopped. She was holding a large bouquet of sunflowers and peeked out from behind Kuroko: "This is...?"

"Senior Higashino Yu!"

Chu Chun stood up somewhat nervously and introduced herself with a touch of shyness.

This was the first time she had formally introduced her boyfriend, whom she had been dating for some time, to her friends.

"This is Saten Ruiko, my good friend."

Kuroko's questioning gaze swept across the ward, and she suddenly noticed Mikoto, who was still standing by the window.

Mikoto, who was originally planning to leave, noticed Kuroko and the other person entering the building when she passed by the window, and deliberately stayed in the room a little longer.

"sister!"

Kuroko immediately appeared next to Mikoto, nuzzling against her like a clingy kitten.

I didn't even notice my older sister when I came in; that's so rude of me!

"What brings you here too?"

Mikoto snorted softly, crossed her arms, and looked at Higashino Yu: "Of course, I'm here to see this mysterious 'Original Stone Ability User'."

She added meaningfully, "After all, what happened yesterday...it's hard not to care, and it's also thanks to him that Chuchun wasn't injured."

Of course, she was also very concerned about the fact that it was their first meeting the day before yesterday. The way he suddenly appeared in front of the vending machine was almost like a spatial ability, but the methods he displayed yesterday didn't seem quite like it.