The Legend of Level 0 in Academy City

He certainly knew what the tea-haired girl said after she went inside.

Another fool who's gone mad with love! —That's all the long-haired girl could say with a sigh.

He himself felt that life had no meaning, and he couldn't understand these people who were clearly happy but willingly sacrificed themselves for others.

But for some reason, inexplicably, he felt that this behavior seemed very...

I don't know how to describe it.

Using a word like 'very handsome' to describe him would feel frivolous, while using the word 'interesting' would feel like he's doing more than just interesting.

If I had to put it into words, I could only say that it stirred a feeling of attraction in him.

Whether it was Inoue Eiwa's brain experiments for Shokuhou Misaki before, or Misaka Mikoto's act of voluntarily offering her heart now, it all gave him an impulse—an impulse to do the same.

However, he had no one to whom he could perform such an act.

He had no one he could give his life for.

"Furthermore, even disregarding whether your heart and that boy's heart are a match, the fact that male recipients have the lowest success rate for receiving female hearts means I would never use your heart!"

The solemn words of the Netherworld Soul Chaser once again entered the long-haired man's mind, and suddenly, his thoughts became active.

Does the success rate of male recipients receiving female hearts lowest?

So, can I do it?

If I were to donate my heart to that person, would that be enough to demonstrate my value in life?

Shouldn't that be okay?

That's true. Isn't the point of living to do what you want to do?

Now that you've thought of it, why not just do it?

With her long ponytail in her heart, she slowly lifted her feet, which had been standing there for an hour.

------

Inside the office of the Underworld Soul Chaser.

After being firmly rejected by Meito, Misaka Mikoto wanted to try one more time, clinging to her last hope that Meito could use her heart to perform surgery on her.

Just then, a neutral voice came from the doorway.

"Women can't do it, but I can, right? Doctor, how about I be the one to donate my heart?"

Upon hearing this, the Soul Chaser of the Underworld looked towards the door, his face darkening, and he sighed helplessly:

"Xi Ling, you child... what are you doing here!"

The boy with the long ponytail at the entrance is named Xi Ling, and he works at his hospital.

The Underworld Soul Chaser was very familiar with him; he was a boy who almost never smiled.

According to him, he was an orphan who grew up in a colorless world, whose life had no value and who did not know the meaning of his existence.

Therefore, the Underworld Soul Chaser felt sorry for this child and didn't have high expectations of him. As long as he completed a certain amount of oxygen production each day, he could move around freely, study if he wanted, and move around freely if he wanted.

However, the Underworld Soul Chaser never expected that he would cause trouble at this crucial moment.

"I'm not making a fuss, doctor. I know you've always taken good care of me, and you should also know that my life is colorless, and I've been searching for meaning in life."

Someone recently told me that the meaning of living is to do what you want to do.

This is what I want to do now.

My life has no value whatsoever, and my name makes no difference whether it exists or not.

If that's the case, why not give his heart to someone who needs it more?

The long-haired boy named Xi Ling calmly answered the questioning from the Underworld Soul Chaser.

"Xi Ling, you really are..."

When Mingtu Zhuihun heard the long-haired boy's words, his face immediately fell.

However, the young man paid no attention to the expression on Mingtu Zhuihun's face and interrupted him, continuing:

"Besides, Doctor, you know, right? That person... he has a reason to live!"

His world was wonderful, but now it lacked the heart that carried his soul.

My world is so dull. What's the point of having this heart if I have no soul?

I'd rather give him my heart.

I only hope that he can give my heart a new soul.

Faced with the stubborn boy and girl in the office, whom he did not know, Mingtu Zhuihun sighed helplessly.

"Say what you will. I don't have time to counsel you right now. Do whatever you want. Anyway, I'm not going to use your hearts for surgery."

Although the Soul Chaser of the Underworld clearly refused, the young man persisted, saying:

"Doctor, what is the difference between living and dying in your opinion? Do you feel that I am truly alive, living like this, so lifeless? The only time in my life I have the motivation to do something, and even you, doctor, can't grant me that?"

Mingtu Zhuihun shook his head without speaking; his medical ethics would never allow him to do such a thing.

Seeing this, the young man gave up trying to persuade the Underworld Soul Chaser and turned to leave the office.

The boy took a blood sample from Inoue Hideka's room and then took it to the laboratory for matching with himself.

Misaka Mikoto followed the boy closely, wanting to know what he would do.

Because Misaka Mikoto was by his side and the boy was holding medical equipment for drawing blood, Accelerator, who was standing next to Inoue Eika and acting as her heart, did not stop him.

Seeing the boy's behavior, Misaka Mikoto already knew what he was going to do.

So, Misaka Mikoto also donated her blood sample for matching.

Misaka Mikoto took to heart what the Ghostly Souls said about the issue of male and female hearts, but if a suitable donor still couldn't be found in the end, she would definitely donate her own heart without hesitation.

At the same time, Misaka Mikoto also realized that the boy was an internal staff member of the hospital.

This is probably why he has access to all the hospital's equipment and is quite proficient in using it.

In the end, both of them were a match.

Seeing this, Misaka Mikoto asked the boy:

What's the next step?

Misaka Mikoto was well aware that the boy wanted to die.

Although she doesn't have the energy to care about the boy's life or death right now, she won't stand by and watch anyone die because of Inoue Eika.

If someone had to sacrifice themselves, she believed without a doubt that it should be her.

Therefore, she will definitely stop the boy at the last moment.

"What to do? Heh!"

For the first time since he appeared, the boy smiled, and a touch of melancholy appeared on his handsome face.

"Please tell the doctor thank you for me, and then when that guy wakes up, tell him to live well for me. That's all..."

Pfft!

To Misaka Mikoto's astonishment, the boy who was speaking fell to one side.

"Hey!"

Misaka Mikoto stepped forward, supported the boy, and shouted loudly:

"Hey! What's wrong with you?! Hey!!"

------

Beep...beep...beep...!

The operating room lights went out, and Mingtu Zhuihun walked out looking exhausted.

Misaka Mikoto was waiting outside the operating room. Just now, she didn't know what had happened, but a boy named Yuurei collapsed to the ground.

Upon hearing the cries, the Netherworld Soul Chaser and the nurses rushed over and hurriedly pushed the boy into the operating room.

Seeing that the surgery was finally over, Misaka Mikoto looked anxiously at the Underworld Soul Chaser.

"Doctor, how is that person...?"

Thinking of what the boy said before he fainted, Misaka Mikoto felt a bad premonition.

"Sigh... brain hypoxia caused nerve cell death! Xi Ling... is now in a vegetative state! Oh well! In the end, I can't win against you young people!"

The Soul Chaser shook his head and sighed as he walked past Misaka Mikoto. Misaka Mikoto had a strange feeling that, just a moment ago, the once vigorous old woman seemed to have aged considerably.

The one with the long ponytail knows best what abilities the Soul Chaser of the Underworld possesses.

With his abilities, it wouldn't be difficult for him to cause his own brain to lack oxygen.

He was determined to die, and even the Netherworld's pursuit of his soul was powerless against him.

"Ugh!"

With another deep sigh, Mingtu Zhuihun, without turning his head, said to the assistants who followed him out of the operating room:

"Get ready! Perform a heart transplant immediately!"

Misaka Mikoto stood there, stunned and silent.

She felt guilty.

Because of a single playing card, two people have indirectly died.

Inoue Hideka fell into a coma, and the boy she had just met also became a vegetable, and now he is about to lose his heart.

Aside from her sister's incident, this was arguably the first time she had ever experienced the heartbreaking situation of a living person dying right before her eyes.

Misaka Mikoto felt a mix of emotions, unsure of what they were.

------

Outside the room where Inoue Hideka was.

Kamijou Touma sat alone on a bench in the corridor, head down, staring blankly at his hands laid flat on his thighs.

Da da da!