Honkai: Man(Sludge) From Future

Yukinoshita Yukino had been keeping a close eye on the situation in the former Israel-Palestine region.

It wasn't that she had a deep understanding of geopolitics or a particular interest in international affairs; she simply wanted to know how many people had died and what the plan was moving forward.

But the internet was far quieter than she had expected, and the silence filled her with a sense of unease.

Her current situation was similar to when Hachiman Hikigaya had accidentally stumbled upon the truth of Academy City.

Even without knowing the full story, the few scraps of information that had leaked out were enough to keep her pondering for a long time.

First, they sold Honkai Fission Bombs, then they occupied another country.

Yukinoshita Yukino could almost believe that Academy City had dropped the bombs themselves.

What on earth are they trying to achieve? she wondered.

Soon enough, the famous S-rank Valkyrie who got her position through connections, Theresa Apocalypse, provided an answer.

Academy City was planning to open a global psychological treatment center in Jerusalem.

For a moment, Yukinoshita Yukino's mind went blank. She suspected their principal must have gotten something wrong.

Why was Theresa standing in a place like that, saying such shocking things?

Why had Academy City, a place specializing in biotechnology, suddenly pivoted to studying matters of the mind?

'Wait!'

Yukinoshita Yukino remembered.

Academy City had always been at the forefront of psychological research. They had even developed the Stigma Battlesuit trials, a system specifically designed for mental training.

'Could it be that their research on Stigma Battlesuits was all for this purpose? But... where would they find so many people in need of psychological treatment?'

Yukinoshita Yukino wasn't so sure anymore. Having passed the Stigma Battlesuit trials herself, she had already crossed that threshold in her own mind.

But there were still many who tried to use Stigma Battlesuits and couldn't even pass the first trial, forcing them to switch to other models.

As a manifestation of a person's will, it was natural for Stigma to differ, because the people from whom they were born were different.

Working backward from this, Yukinoshita Yukino vaguely sensed the intentions of Academy City's upper echelon.

'If the promotion of Stigma Battlesuits is to further centralize control over reproductive rights, then what comes... after?'

'After centralizing power, they must be planning to do something with it, right?'

Yukinoshita Yukino didn't believe that an organization, after centralizing power, would just sit back and do nothing. This meant that Academy City's capture of Jerusalem was likely a premeditated plan.

These actions were all for a purpose that lay beyond the centralization of power itself.

But she didn't know what it was. She didn't know, she couldn't control it, and she certainly didn't have the power to influence it.

'Even someone like Raiden Mei can't control the course of events. What can I, the unwanted second daughter of a local councilman, possibly do? To be precise, I haven't even passed the third stage of Stigma synchronization.'

Yukinoshita Yukino had made great strides in her combat abilities, but she hadn't had much success in synchronizing with her Stigma Battlesuit.

She didn't want to give up on the Kaslana Stigma Battlesuit. It was, after all, the one Academy City had long established as the strongest.

If you were going to do something, you should aim for the best, shouldn't you? That had always been her philosophy.

Theresa's speech was over quickly. She didn't say much, and what followed was mostly a Q&A with reporters. There was nothing much to see; most of the reporters' questions were just about their own vested interests.

Yukinoshita Yukino switched the online stream to the next related topic.

It was about the opening of Academy City, something that was no longer a secret within the city itself. All they were waiting for was the regular summer vacation. But this time, the wait filled Yukinoshita Yukino with a new sense of worry.

Having stayed in Academy City for a long time, one inevitably becomes sensitive to power.

This sensitivity was an all-encompassing development, not the vague atmosphere she had felt in her old high school, but a palpable, naked boundary of power that pressed in from all sides.

It was like a razor-sharp wire; the slightest touch would cut and injure you.

Yukinoshita Yukino was trying to find her place within this slightly oppressive sphere of power. What was especially different from the outside world was that the only punishment in Academy City was the revocation of power.

The opening of Academy City was a matter of concern for everyone inside. Some wanted to go out and reconnect with family and friends they hadn't seen in a long time, while others wanted to bring their families and friends in to see what life was like here.

Some wanted to show off, while others were mentally exhausted by this strange environment.

Academy City also intended to let go of some who couldn't adapt and bring in others who wanted a better life.

Yukinoshita Yukino had been in contact with her sister recently. She also often checked up on news about her old classmates.

Her own sister was an awful siscon; Yukino had even found a tracking device her sister had left on her bag.

Yukinoshita Yukino hoped her awful sister would never be able to set foot in Academy City.

But as much as she disliked her sister's ways, after so long, she couldn't help but want to chat with her, to tell her about how she had grown at school.

What she didn't know was that her teacher, Shizuka Hiratsuka, had already spilled everything about her growth to Haruno.

Academy City's opening policy was very thorough. Not only were all aspects of daily life completely open, but they even allowed foreigners from the outside world to enter.

From Yukinoshita Yukino's perspective, the people here seemed completely unconcerned about issues like biotechnology leaks or theft.

Thinking of this, she felt a strange pity for those who had tried to flee Academy City a year ago.

What were they running from? They only had to endure for a year, and then they could leave whenever they wanted. Academy City wouldn't even have tried to stop them.

In the end, those people were still being treated like Furrys, sweeping the streets.

'It seems Academy City is very insistent on the extent of this opening. I just don't know if we'll run into any trouble when we go out in the future. And will there be any restrictions on us, the users of Stigma Battlesuits.'

Sure enough, just as Yukinoshita Yukino was thinking this, the section on Stigma Battlesuits was brought up.

'Users wishing to use Stigma Battlesuits outside must wear specially supplied armor, and... huh? There will be specialized personnel working in joint law enforcement with the Far East Metropolitan Police Department to handle crimes committed by Stigma Battlesuit holders?'

'This is...'

Yukinoshita Yukino narrowed her eyes. She had found the real story in the news.

Has Academy City already extended its reach into the law enforcement departments of the Far East?