Multiverse: Why does the world show a health bar? !

"Yo, you're still here? What, were you waiting for me, Board Member Neoka Norito?" 

The youngest board member, carrying the unconscious Kakine Teitoku, appeared in the apartment. 

District 15 was Academy City's commercial district, home to many massive mixed-use skyscrapers, each about 70 to 80 stories tall. Neoka Norito had made this place his base of operations. 

The lower floors housed cinemas and shopping centers, the middle floors were occupied by top-tier corporate offices, and the upper floors were high-end apartments. The structure was similar to the "Diamond" building where Li Mo had once lived. 

In fact, the straight-line distance between this place and the Diamond building was less than a kilometer. 

Kicking open the door, Li Mo could clearly see Neoka Norito sitting there. The man in his thirties was dressed in a flamboyant suit, the contours of which hinted at a muscular physique. 

"Isn't it rude to barge into someone's room without knocking?" 

"Sorry, force of habit. I don't have the patience for formalities with enemies. When it's time to act, I act decisively." 

Li Mo strode forward, tossing the unconscious Kakine Teitoku onto the sofa before plopping down next to Neoka Norito. 

"So, the #2 was defeated so easily by you?" 

"He's just a kid. Playing house with him didn't take long. Compared to the #1, he's still too green. Do you have any drinks here? I don't like red wine," Li Mo said casually. 

Neoka Norito pointed to a spot where Li Mo could see a can of cola. 

—No matter how the world changed, as long as Earth entered the modern era, this drink would always be around. 

"Li Mo, what are you planning to do with me?" Neoka Norito asked. 

His tone was calm, showing no signs of panic or tension. It was as if he were chatting with a friend. 

But the topic was about how the victor would deal with the defeated. 

Holding the canned cola, Li Mo sat next to Neoka Norito and asked, "Have you already accepted reality? I thought you might burn this place down to gain sympathy. Or maybe escape from the rooftop helipad. There's a helicopter there, right?" 

The top of this massive mixed-use building was a helipad for vertical takeoff and landing. With Neoka Norito's board member status, arranging a helicopter would be a trivial matter. 

"I've completely lost. Where could I escape to? I've already been abandoned by those people," Neoka Norito said, fully aware of the situation. 

The conflict between him and Li Mo could be seen as a clash between two factions within the Board of Directors. One was the conservative faction, wanting to maintain the status quo and manage Academy City through past inertia. The other was the reformist faction, aiming to impose restrictions on the increasingly rampant dark side. 

But this confrontation wasn't intense. After Shiokishi's death, the young man before him had redistributed the late board member's assets, particularly the massive profits from the "arms trade," which had captured everyone's attention. 

It was an exchange. The board member before him had used benefits to secure concessions from the others. Taking bribes and favors might work with others, but between board members of equal standing, it was bound to be messy. 

They didn't necessarily support reform; they were just ambiguous in their stance. Unwilling to confront directly, they let Neoka Norito take the lead. If he succeeded, great. If he failed, they'd stay silent. 

As for expecting their help after his defeat? The members of Academy City's Board of Directors weren't the type to have a "sense of camaraderie." 

Li Mo said, "It's a normal thing. Everyone's willing to add flowers to the brocade, but who's willing to send charcoal in the snow? On the other hand, Neoka Norito, why did you confront me head-on? I can't figure it out." 

"You were a rescue team member, and you climbed your way up step by step. Compared to others, you should understand the importance of weighing pros and cons, right?" 

Neoka Norito paused. The fact that the man before him was willing to negotiate instead of killing him outright implied something else. 

The reason for Shiokishi's death was known to the entire Board of Directors. The other board members' silence was largely out of fear. A barefoot man isn't afraid of someone wearing shoes, especially when the barefoot man is holding a deadly weapon. 

He said, "There are some things you have to do, no matter the cost." 

"Pfft—!" 

Li Mo laughed. 

He laughed without restraint. 

"Board Member Neoka, don't you think that's laughable? Fine, tell me, why shouldn't the dark side be reformed?" Li Mo asked, still chuckling as he looked at the man before him. 

This man in his thirties, who looked like a successful businessman—who would have thought he had once been a member of a rescue team? 

Rescue work was inherently a harsh profession, and in Academy City's complex environment, it was even more so. Chemicals, bacteria, electromagnetic waves, even unexplained sub-dimensional technologies, and esper rampages… In this densely populated city, there were countless hidden risks. 

Of course, these were the realities behind the scenes, not publicly known. 

"Why shouldn't it? The dark side exists because it has value. Do you know, Board Member Li Mo, that not everyone in this city can integrate into the mainstream environment?" 

Neoka Norito loosened his tie and continued, "You know I was once a rescue team member. I've saved countless people from all kinds of disasters—from raging fires, chemical-filled factories, to the eye of storms created by rampaging espers… But what happens after the rescue? What do you think happens to those saved people?" 

"They're surrounded by curious onlookers." 

"If they had evacuated earlier, if they had been more vigilant, they wouldn't have needed rescuing, wouldn't have wasted tax money. The rescued are pointed at by strangers whose names and faces they don't know… Did they do anything wrong? How could they have known they'd face disaster the next second? We can endure all this. But those we risked our lives to save… they 'disappear' after wasting away." 

Disappear. 

In this city, such occurrences weren't rare. In fact, they were quite common. 

Academy City wasn't just a city of light. The shadows in its unseen corners were darker than anywhere else. 

"That's why darkness is necessary. A darkness that allows people to quietly lick their wounds and then return to society is necessary!" 

Neoka Norito's tone was firm. He firmly believed in this principle. 

"Pfft—! I really can't help it, haha. Board Member Neoka, is this your reasoning?" 

"What are you laughing at?" 

"Leaving aside the long speech, let me ask you, Board Member Neoka. Under your logic, what does Maidono Hoshimi count as?" 

Li Mo's tone was mocking as he questioned the man.