AN: And now for a somewhat shorter chapter. Enjoy!

Level Upper Part 3

The same day, Sunday July 17th, Saten Ruiko was sitting in a certain family diner, a little away from where Mikoto and Kazari had sat, not that she knew that, over a small ice parfait.

Suddenly, she felt someone was next to her, and looked to see the 'Demon King'.

"Do you mind if I sit?"

"Oh, now you ask?" she deadpanned. If she remembered Yomikawa's words correctly, she should be safe as long as she doesn't attack him or anything.

Not that she would. They both new she didn't have a snowball's chance in hell against him.

Sighing, she waved towards the seat opposite of her own, which he took.

"You wouldn't happen to feel like explaining-"

"Why I sat next to you before?" he finished for her.

...

Yeah, totally not creepy.

"I wanted your attention."

She stared at him. What was he, 14 with a crush?

"Well, you have it. But what for?"

"Your Level."

She grimaced.

"No, I don't want just any Level 0. You fit my criteria best."

Criteria? And how did he know what she was thinking, was he a telepath?

"Your attempts at progress have come against a cliff. And this place seems to lack the will to move you to the next stage, where they believe you will stay even if you reach it."

"Wait, what?"

What's this weirdo talking about? And he should lay off the whole 'dark and edgy' shtick, it's no longer in.

*eyebrow-twitch* "I can offer you two solutions, alternate paths up the mountain of power."

He reached into his pockets and pulled out small, flat, clear cases labeled 'Stairs' and 'Elevator'. Inside she could see tiny chips.

"The stairway to power is long and winding, though certainly better than crawling up a cliff," he spoke, laying the corresponding case down, "Take the steps one hour every day."

"Okay," she said, "What about this?" She pointed towards the other case.

"An elevator is smooth and straight," he answered, laying the item on the table, "but take heed – easy power has a difficult price." His asymmetrically colored face seemed to darken at that.

Was he speaking from personal experience?

The young man pushed both cases to Ruiko, one on either side of her half-finished parfait.

"Why give me two?" she asked, "Wouldn't it make more sense to give me the one you want me to use?"

He stared into her eyes with intent, the opposing sigils forming a disturbingly fascinating image.

"Do not take choice for granted. It doesn't end well."

"...So, basically, you wanted me to make my own decision?"

He nodded.

Still hesitant, she decided to pocket the cases for now. She would save that choice for later.

"That is also a viable choice," he said, "Now, if you'll excuse me."

She watched as his face hardened in concentration and-

*pak!*

He was gone with a sound that was, well, rougher than Kuroko's when she uses her ability.

'Teleportation?!'

She didn't know he could do that. Heck, she didn't even think he could. Just what kind of ability does he have?

And what did he mean with that nonsense at the beginning? She decided to write down as much as she remembered so that she could ask someone later.


The young man sat on a roof not far from the diner with closed eyes, looking like he was listening to music on the iPod he had taken from the Bomber, of which he had made a copy for Ruiko. Technically, he was, but he was more immersed in a sound only he could hear at the moment, the different layers and tones of it would seem like a cacophony to an amateur, but to him, it was one of the most beautiful 'voices' he has 'heard' in the entire world.

It would not do to say 'barring his family' because the only member whose 'voice' he had ever 'heard' had been unrecognizably twisted.

He then opened his eyes, training them on the long-haired girl as she left the diner, her mind swirling between the options he had given her.

Deciding, reluctantly, that he had heard enough of her for now, he stood up and made himself invisible, so none may see him moving around.


Mikoto and Touma were making their way to Judgment Branch 177 to return Uiharu Kazari's armband, after taking out the 'Graviton-Bomber' and clearing up the misunderstanding with the senior Judgment officer who had mistaken Mikoto for a recruit.

As they moved by a 24h shop, Touma saw the ATM and remembered: "Oh, yeah, I was going to draw out my weekly allowance. Otherwise I can't buy supper tonight."

Rolling her eyes, Mikoto waited while Touma used the machine. When she noticed him panicking after taking out the money, she asked: "Oi, what's the matter?"

"My card! It got stuck again!" The boy put his hands to his head, rubbing his hair in frustration. "Now I'll have to order another replacement at the bank, Fukou Da!"

Sighing, the Railgun put her hand against the ATM, and unleashed a few sparks into it, giving him back his card.

Immediately, he took the card out, grabbed her hand, and got out of there before the camera on the machine could get his picture as it blared in alarm.

"Thanksforgettingmycardbackbutnexttimetrynottobreakthemachine!" he yelled as he sped away, dragging the Level 5 along.

"I was trying to be gentle, it's not my fault these things are so fragile!" she yelled back with a red face.


Snickering could be heard as the 'Demon King' watched them speed past himself in an attempt to escape the vandalism alert.

"Excuse me," came a voice from behind him.

"Looking for your car, sensei?" he answered as he turned around.

The sleepy looking woman gave pause, eyeing him for a moment.

"There aren't that many other reasons why a studious-looking adult would speak to a random student," he supplemented.

She seemed to accept that and listened to his directions after describing the garage where she left her car at to the best of her ability.

In the middle of it, "It's hot," she said, reaching up for her shirt-buttons, only for him to interrupt himself and flash his eyes at her.

"Don't strip for the rest of the day."

Her eyes flashed with sigils identical to the red one for a moment, until her hands were back at her sides, well away from her shirt.

"?" She was confused about what just happened, as she couldn't remember.

"Sensei, why don't we take this somewhere with air conditioning, you look rather – sweltered," the young man offered.

"You just don't want to call me hot, is that it?" she remarked, almost in passing.

'I almost forgot that there's a reason talented scientists have less common sense than most people,' he thought, ignoring her comment and directing her to the same diner where he met with Ruiko.

"So, where were we...?" asked Kiyama Harumi after they seated themselves.

"Quick question, sensei," the young man interjected.

"May I borrow your Level Upper network?"

The woman's eyes widened marginally.

"I have the mind of a level 5 Telepath. Add in all the 0s, 1s and 2s in this network, and I can give you your calculations. In return, I'll use this network for my own purposes, which does not include any permanent harm towards the members."

"...Why?"

"I might have a soft spot for children. And I know what it's like to suffer because of power."


"Geez, Onee-sama, you really have to be more prudent with these things," sighed Kuroko, having gotten the full event relayed to her after the two arrived at the Judgment office.

"Like I told him," answered Mikoto, jabbing a finder at Touma, "it wasn't my fault!"

He sweat-dropped, silently blaming his bad luck, a notion which he knew over 90% of the city wouldn't agree with on principle.

"In the first place, why the hell are machines made in the metropolis of science still susceptible to electric 'attacks' of a few Volt!"

"Uhm, Misaka-san," interjected Ruiko, who had arrived right after them, "don't you think your basic output is a 'little' more than a few Volt?"

The Level 5 suddenly looked very guilty.

"Besides," added Kazari, who was working on her laptop, "it's not so much that you break the machines as that you set off the vandalism alarms, right?"

Mikoto glared at Touma for misinforming her.

"Eh? Is that what happens every time she does that?" he asked, shying away from her eyes.

"You mean you didn't know that? Just how uneducated are you, you ape?" commented Kuroko, vexed that he was here to begin with.

"I go to a perfectly 'normal' high school, thank you very much," Touma shot back, "I'm sorry I'm not as educated as the middle schoolers who have already covered the classes I have."

"Eh? Seriously?" asked Ruiko, looking at the two in question.

While Kuroko looked amused, Mikoto sighed in resignation, which basically confirmed what the high-school student had said.

The 'normal' middle school girls exchanged awed/dumbfounded looks.

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