AN: Hello readers!
I have returned with the last chapter that will be out for a while depending on the time I'll have as I get my college work starting next week.
It could potentially be a chapter or two every 2-4 weeks, but we'll see how it goes I guess.
Other than that, I hope you enjoy the chapter I'll leave you off with for a small while as we finally start to dive into the mystery surrounding the Level Upper.
As always, please leave a review on anything you liked, think I should work on, or just any questions in general! I enjoy reading them and I will answer them at the end of the next chapter:)
Disclaimer: I do not own A Certain Scientific Railgun/Magical Index or any of its characters...the only things I own are:
1. My characters and
2. my ideas
Chapter 22: More Questions Arise, The Level Upper?
July 19th, 4:30PM
After she had returned with Asher and sat on the bench next to both Shirai and Misaka, Saten took a bite of the frozen treat that she had been patiently waiting for to try. When she took her first bite of the lemon flavor shaved ice, she was immediately filled with a sense of happiness that was quickly covered in regret from how much she had in her mouth as her mind froze over with a brain freeze.
She cringed loudly from this sensation, hearing the soft chuckles of Misaka and Shirai next to her as Asher sent her a silent sideways glance as she enjoyed a mouthful of her own shaved ice.
"Yeah we feel your pain too." Misaka remarked amusedly as she looked over at their friend. "That happened to me and Kuroko just a second ago as well."
"Even though you know it's about to happen, for some odd reason you can't stop eating it." Saten replied before her face lit up. "Oh! Did you get strawberry?"
As this conversation went on, Asher mind was wandering off into another place, staring blankly into her cup as she couldn't help but run through what Shirai had told them before relating to the Graviton incident. She had been going about this for a small while now, mostly during the downtime she had when she had been laying on the bench as she waited for Shirai and Misaka to return from the Ice stand before.
She had been sort of distracted from it after they had returned as well as when Saten had made an appearance, finally feeling the heat that had been coming off of her face from that time cooling off after it had decided to continuously blush without her control.
But now with another drawn pause to get herself to be able to think while the others interacted with each other, she couldn't help but feel on edge.
It doesn't make any logical sense that Kaitabi is anything other than a Level 3 or 4. It doesn't feel right not knowing what is up with that. she thought as she tightened her grasp on the foam cup in her hands.
The contents were shaking ever so slightly in response to the trembling of her fingers, not even realizing that it was even happening.
Nothing is adding up more so in comparison to yesterday, when Kuroko explained the whole bombing situation to me. The destruction that occurred at the Green Mart was substantially less than the one that occurred within Seventh Mist.
If I had been in the right mind and had maintained some logical sense, I would have noticed before that the fluctuations that his esper ability gave off were completely off from what it should have been. It was way too easy for me to actually pick him off if he was a Level 2 as he wouldn't of had that much of effect on the area around him for me to feel…nervous overall of the power that was backing it.
That would have to mean that something is either wrong with the database, or….He really did have a dramatic increase in power that was not reported to it which is something that most would completely throw out of the equation for how illogical it sounds but…
Given that…I went through something very similar to that makes me continuously think that something like it might be possible…
That h-he just might…
No…
No, he can't be a part of this either. I'm just looking into this too much.
I'm...j-just overthinking, indirectly giving me this sense of unease that he is involved.
He can't get me...He's not here...He is not here and won't be able to use me ever again.
But again if actual evidence confirms what I'm thinking can be true to some extent, then…
I might have to get her to arrange some sort of meeting...with-
Her thoughts were immediately shattered when she felt an immensely cold object on the right side of her face, unable to hold back a soft yelp at the jarring feeling as a massive chill went through her entire body.
When she looked over at the culprit, she saw Misaka sitting in between her and Saten, wearing a smile on her face as some concern wavered in her gaze.
"Are you doing okay over here?" Misaka asked as she quirked her eyebrow. "I don't think I've ever seen you stare at your shaved ice so intently before."
After a few moments of a hesitant silence, Asher steeled her eyes quickly to not reveal it to the Electromaster next to her as she let out a sigh and leaned back into the bench she was sitting on.
"Yeah I'm alright. Just drifting off in my thoughts like I usually do on occasion." Asher replied, trying her best to keep her voice from portraying otherwise. "Though, they did come to a harsh end with whatever that was you did to my face."
Misaka laughed a little under her breath, making Asher content in the notion that she hadn't caught on to the underlying anxiousness in her tone, knowing for a fact that if she knew anything relating to it that she would immediately talk her out of doing something that she knew herself to be borderline crazy and illogical.
"Well it almost looked like your brain shut off to conscious thought of what was going on around you. I thought that maybe a small shock to your system would get it up and running again." Misaka said warmly.
"Hey are you ready Misaka?" Saten asked from next to her. "It's your turn to take a taste!"
Asher's face fell in slight confusion as she saw Shirai come into view who seemed to be bursting at the seams at both the sight and thought of whatever they were about to do.
What did I end up missing now? She thought with a sweatdrop before deadpanning right after at what happened just seconds later when the teleporter let out a shriek.
Apparently (mostly on Shirai's end), Misaka and Saten had offered the other to taste their respective shaved-ice flavor.
It was to the renowned teleporter's dismay from witnessing such a thing, seeing Misaka amorously exchange what she thought to be about as close you could get to a kiss from seeing Saten's spoon dive right into Misaka's mouth as she felt a jealous sweat pouring from all over her body.
"WHA-WHAT!? WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING!?" Shirai asked in utter disbelief, loud enough to cause Asher to cringe at her volume.
"Tch, we should be asking why you're screaming way too loud…" Asher winced under her breath as she fixed her volume with the two girls in question turning to Shirai in confusion.
"What's wrong, Kuroko?" Misaka asked with a mouth full of ice in her mouth.
"Yeah, we're just tasting each other's flavor." Saten stated obviously, pressing a bigger storm into Shirai's body as her body shook even more than before.
"Y-You're t-tasting...each o-other's flavor?" Shirai muttered repeatedly before stiffening in shock that she hadn't thought of doing that before.
Shirai hastily went over to Misaka with a scoop of her Strawberry ice, wearing a large smile on her face in anticipation for her to have a turn in this exchange with her 'beloved.'
Before she could even get the words out, however, she heard Asher let out a heavy sigh as she sent her a stoic sideways glance.
"It seems your perverse affections for MK have clouded that judgment of yours once again, Kuroko. I might be lacking in all the logic of why her and Saten did it, but it's even more so with you. What's the point in exchanging flavors with her if by what I recall, you got the same flavor as she did?" Asher asked bluntly, making Shirai immediately pale at the gesture.
There was a moment of pause until all of them sweatdropped at the sight of Shirai teleporting a small distance away as she pounded her head into the pavement below her.
"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Why am I so stupid!?" She shouted to herself.
Both Saten and Misaka sat there stunned as they blinked at what they were witnessing. Though, Asher couldn't help herself again in that instance, deciding to take advantage of what the esper had just said out in the open.
"That's a question I've been trying to answer myself for a little over a month now. Even though the evidence is sky high at this point…" Asher remarked stoically as she looked off to the side, hearing the pounding a little ways in front of her immediately turn into grumbles of frustration.
"GRRGH! I tried to give you a few passes before, but that comment was not needed in this situation whatsoever, Zierdan!" Shirai yelled as she pointed towards the esper who looked back at her and sent her a deadpanned look.
"But you were the one who admitted it yourself." Asher sighed as she took a bite of her Lime-shaved ice. "I was just adding my own view into something that I saw as logically-sound coming out of the mouth it rarely comes from when you're like this."
"What is that supposed to even mean!?" Shirai exasperated as her face heated up with her eye twitching in response to it.
Both of the girls who were witnessing this exchange let out a nervous laugh, wondering how the situation turned from them so quickly.
"Hehe, sometimes I forget that they're actually friends and not an old married couple." Saten said aloud as she looked over at Misaka. "Have they always argued this much? Sometimes I wonder if bridges are burned in such interactions, but it always seems like they sweep it under the rug right after."
"Haha, well…To be quite honest with you, these arguments are tame in comparison to the ones I had to sit through when they started to get to know each other." Misaka replied as Saten's eyes widened in surprise. "There was always some part of me that wondered if I should get Anti-Skill involved during some of them, making this basically pale in comparison."
"Anti-Skill? Were they really that bad?" Saten asked as Misaka nodded her head.
"Uh-huh, sadly." Misaka responded. "They couldn't even sit in the same room together for five seconds before they came at each other's throats. To say the things they said to each other were brutal is an understatement."
"Yikes, I could maybe see Shirai doing something like that 24/7 if someone crosses her the wrong way, but Asher? I don't really see her having the will or energy to put that much effort in something like that for too long." Saten said before laughing a little from seeing Misaka sweatdrop at that comment. "But from the look on your face, I'd say otherwise."
"Y-Yeah, her mouth can get her into trouble. Most of the times it's just her being her where she doesn't mean to do it purposefully. But when she actually goes for it, she can make you wish she hadn't, because she doesn't hold anything back if you push her to that extent. She's not a huge fan of her time being wasted like that." Misaka stated, nearly flashbacking to her being on the receiving end of it yesterday.
["Like you're one to talk. How am I supposed to listen to hypocrisy when you allow your temper to get the best of you nearly every day on the smallest things and throwing little tantrums like a naïve child?" Asher questioned as the air around them began to get heavier.]
That's going to take a while to heal from. It's been awhile since I've dealt with her like that. I knew she was angry but not to the extent that she would come for me like that…
"Anyway," Misaka continued as her expression fell slightly with Saten listening to her intently. "Zierdan…She…was going through a lot of things during that time. It caused her to nearly shutdown everything completely, only allowing a select few that she trusted entirely to break through the walls that she built around herself. Others that tried, poked, or prodded received the coldest part of her personality in which she would either ignore them or tell them all the reasons why she didn't like them….why they shouldn't like her or want to like her. One of the aiding factors that prompted her roommate to leave even though that girl shouldn't have been there in the first place from all the crap she tried to pull over Zierdan's head…"
"And then Kuroko came into the picture and became my roommate, practically cementing us as friends right from the get go, even if how it happened was unprecedented in every right. I thought if Zierdan could see that I trusted her, then those walls she put up in order to protect herself from getting hurt in the way that she did, would slowly but surely fall by starting a friendship and talking with someone around her age other than me and someone else we're both familiar with…"
"It technically worked as she's been the most open than she has been in years in some respects since they've become friends. But she didn't make it easy along with the fact that both of their personalities clashed in the worst ways possibly. Leading me to do an intervention of sorts at one point in an attempt to settle it somehow…."
About a Month Ago…
Misaka nervously glanced between the two annoyed espers in front of her, seeing them both crossing their arms as they looked away from the other.
'Well this is going a little better than I thought it was going to. I mean, at least they aren't arguing with each other…yet,' she thought, laughing under her breath quietly from her own anxiousness.
She was currently siting in a booth with both Shirai and Asher within Joseph's in an attempt to find common ground between the two. Ever since Shirai had replaced her old roommate by 'convincing' her to leave, Misaka had been trying to do something that was starting to look close to impossible.
Especially since the only reason why they were here in the first place was due to the fact that she had tricked the both of them that they were going to eat lunch together alone with just her, already sitting in their respective corners.
On one hand we had Shirai: a girl who did her best to uphold the rules (to a fault) and the law through her affiliation with Judgment, diligent in her work and didn't care for those who didn't put in 100% at a task handed to them, not very fond of arrogance and people being condescending towards others or especially towards herself, and can be fairly closeminded at times.
And then there was Asher: a girl who never really cared for the rules to an extent to always come close to breaking them though made it up with her intellect and logic, lazy or unmotivated on most occasions unless she's pushed to use her energy, doesn't tend to trust other people she didn't know all that well easily, and could be one of the bluntest people in the world who wasn't afraid to tell someone that they were either annoying or getting on her nerves in the most soul-crushing way possible.
On paper, they seemed to be complete foils of each other but somehow the core of the problems with their relationship was situated around the qualities that they both shared with each other. Since they were both pretty blunt in their own ways, it amplified the differences that they had with each other from bringing it to the others attention in the worst ways possible, leading to arguments that only ended when Misaka herself waived the white flag.
After she had gotten to know Shirai, they honestly became friends quickly even with her sometimes perverse affections towards her. She had hoped that Asher would have grown to be more comfortable around her as well and not as hostile as she had been all this time, but she had avoided being around her in any way she devised for that to happen.
This honestly was the last thing she could come up with in order to somehow settle this tension between her roommate who would be here throughout all of their years of Tokiwadai, and her closest friend who would always have her back for years to come as they would have to find a way to interact civilly with each other before they would force Misaka into an early grave at one point or another.
"Soooooo," Misaka said aloud. "You two are probably wondering why I brought you here today..."
"I thought it was going to be a refreshing lunch with just you, Sissy, only to be surprised to see the anti-social Level 5 esper of laziness actually have the energy to leave that room of hers for once." Shirai scoffed as she moved a piece of her hair out of her face.
"That makes two of us, since I don't think I have enough energy to waste on talking to the annoying pervert behind me. I'm surprised she hasn't gone and arrested herself from all the illogical things she does 24/7. Seems like Judgment is starting to lack in the logic department nowadays to trust someone like Shirai Kuroko to actually do her job." Asher sighed as she closed her eyes.
"Hey now, guys don't-"
"What are you trying to imply, Asher!?" Shirai exploded as the both of them failed to hear whatever Misaka was trying to say to stop this from progressing any further.
"Isn't it obvious?" Asher asked. "I'm implying that someone who gets easily distracted by confessing an illogical amount of affections towards MK in the immoral ways as you do, honestly shouldn't play the role of trying to uphold your version of so called 'justice' within this city."
"GRRH! That's not true!" Shirai yelled before a wide smile grew on her face as she laughed a little to herself. "Oh hehe, but how could someone like you even know when you're the exact representation of why Academy City needs diligent and hardworking Judgment officers like myself to make sure someone with such flawed logic as you do in which makes you fail at knowing how to follow the rules at times?"
Asher's eyes snapped right open from hearing that as anger began to boil enough to show it within her normally stoic features.
"Now Kuroko you shouldn't have-"
"On what grounds can you say that any bit of my logic is flawed? I could be potentially reading this the wrong way, but it sounds like you're insulting my intelligence to bring it down to the point of ignorance." Asher grumbled as she sent daggers to the teleporter next to her.
"I'm surprised you were actually able to pick up on some of that since you tend to not be able to pick up on social cues with that blunt and untalkative overall personality you have. I thought I was going to have to break it down for you to make it easier for you to analyze it but even then I knew you were going to struggle in some regards to that." Shirai replied smugly as a vein popped on Asher's head.
"Ohhhh really now?" Asher said with a rare but strained smile coming on her face as her eyebrow twitched. "I'm somewhat amused that someone who just came out of grade school actually has enough nerve to say something like that to me to my face, considering most people within my year are scared into silence from me just looking at them. I don't know if you're brave or downright stupid in some way that you're not afraid of pissing me off like you just did without any care of what may happen to you."
"To be quite frank with you, I've never really found you or Sissy all that intimidating. Especially since it seems that stoicness of yours always seems to be an act on how you're really feeling. It's not like you to already be skipping to use such profanity towards me. Have I gotten one of the laziest human beings within Academy City to use that energy of hers to actually get upset?" Shirai pressed, seeing Asher's form beginning to shake slightly as heat began to creep up into her face.
Misaka sweatdropped as she watched the both of them go back and forth while she was left powerless to stop any of it as Shirai was too stubborn to back down while Asher was now motivated to use her stubbornness to argue and finish the girl by any means necessary.
She was actually quite surprised that Shirai was able to get Asher to actually argue with her despite being that she was fairly patient in respects to most people since said people didn't know what buttons to press for that to happen. It seemed like when Shirai accidentally stumbled or learned of one to press into her nerves to get her to talk, she would rapidly press it into oblivion as Asher came back with ones of her own from using what she knew about the teleporter to purposefully get her as irritated and annoyed as she was with her.
The only person other than herself that she knew of that could get Asher riled up like this was Shokuhou but at least with her she knew there was a chance at one of them conceding to defeat…
While this battle seemed to be endless to the extent that neither of them would be able to settle each other's frustrations with the other by practical means.
She was snapped back into reality when she heard Asher slam her hand on the table as she got up to leave.
"I'm done with this. Go on with this lunch of yours. I'm going back to my room to go eat in peace and quiet and away from the bothersome noise beside me." Asher grumbled as she began to stomp away.
"Hey wait Zierdan!" Misaka called out as she got up real quick and grabbed her arm. "Can you please stay and at least try to be civil with her?" She looked back at Shirai. "And you too, Kuroko. You both need to try and at least have some semblance of a conversation that doesn't end by the both of you coming for each other's throats."
"Does she even have the capacity to do something like that, Sissy?" Shirai questioned as she took a sip of her tea as Asher herself snarled quietly under her breath in frustration. "It seems like she runs away from any social environment she's put in and can't ever find it in herself to actually try and talk to such a standard as that."
Misaka felt a chill go down her back as she saw Asher's face darken in that moment, seeing her hands clenching at her sides before the pressure completely went away when she released a heavy sigh.
"What's the point in trying to put myself into social environments when they're all just going to end up ending the same way?" Asher asked in a low voice that brought Misaka's and even Shirai's attention from hearing something hidden within her tone. "Other than Mikoto, I've never found anyone else who actually wants to just talk to me in order to get close enough for me to trust them and to not end up using me for their own amusement…"
"They either want help with working something out, annoy me enough to say that they got me to react to their illogical behavior, or one of Mikoto's annoying fans that only want to talk to her because she's the Level 5 Railgun, not in wanting to start something like a friendship with her let alone myself…The rest just avoid me altogether while she's also somehow alienated now as I have been for my entire life."
She turned to look over her shoulder and sent one of coldest looks to Shirai who recoiled at the sight of it since she had never been on the receiving ends of such looks as it almost felt like her blue eyes were piercing her soul.
"To be honest, you're basically the embodiment of all three of those things along with others that I can't stand being around." Asher continued as a shadow fell on her face. "You may be a lot better than that other roommate she had by actually wanting to be around her, but the only reason you want me to talk to you is because for that reason entirely since I'm close to her and you want to stay in her good graces. Not because you want to get to know me just like everyone else. I've learned the hard way that it's highly illogical to trust someone when all they're going to do is throw you away in the end, so I don't feel comfortable putting energy into a one-sided affair like this one."
Shirai's eyes widened before she looked off to the side with a hurt expression on her face.
"Well if that's how you really feel about me then I guess there's no point in trying to change your mind since you are reluctant at even attempting such a thing." Shirai said solemnly enough that Asher herself could detect it. "There's probably nothing I or even Sissy could do to fix that, so like you said, what's the point in even trying?"
Before Misaka could call out to her, Shirai disappeared from her seat and teleported to who knows where as she was left alone with Asher still in her grasp.
She sat there stunned from the amount of resentment and underlying sadness that was within Asher's tone, knowing it was both intended to stop Shirai's strides in believing that they could be friends in the near future while also being unintended due to the massive amounts of distrust that had filled the esper due to the state her stepfather had left her in.
Ever since she had recovered in the hospital several months back and gradually received some of her memories back from Shokuhou's headscans, Asher had been more closed off than ever before, nearly resorting back to how she was when they were younger. She would still talk to Misaka somewhat normally, but other than that she refrained from engaging with anyone else unless they were a teacher/adult or pushed her buttons enough for her to retaliate.
"I-I'm sorry if that upset you…Mikoto, b-but… I just can't do this. I can't fully bring myself to like her." She heard Asher shakily say as she gently went to brush Misaka's hand from her arm as she kept her gaze from looking over at her. "Everybody already hates me anyway so what's the harm in another doing so? Wha-What's the use in letting her in if it's just going to happen eventually? I don't have the patience…o-or the energy to entertain something like that anymore no matter how much you say she's different. S-Say she'll understand me like you d-do. That's ju-just…n-not even possible at this point after all I've done…What I'll always be labeled as."
"Zierdan you-"
Misaka couldn't even get the words out before Asher disappeared right in front of her, most likely cloaking herself through the use of light manipulation.
Leaving her within the restaurant by herself…
She could feel her hands shaking ever so slightly before they stopped as she let out a sigh and went over to the table and sat some change on it.
'What am I going to do to even fix something like this?' she thought as she left through the doors of the restaurant.
Saten's eyes widened from hearing a small summary of what happened, not even realizing or thinking that Asher had been even more secretive and closed off even more so in the past.
She thought that everyone hated or would end up hating her? She thought as some sadness and sympathy came across her face.
That no one would be able to understand her like Misaka does?
But why would she…
"She's okay now. Or at least she's getting there…"
Saten stiffened from hearing that, looking over at Misaka who wore a small smile on her face as if she knew what she was thinking about.
"I'm sorry if that bummed you out. I know it's probably something hard to hear. I hope one day she'll let you know the reasons behind why she thought that, but right now if you had asked she probably would have glazed over a lot of the details to make it seem like it was less than what it actually was." Misaka remarked. "Anyway back to what I was saying, even though the intervention didn't seem to work, something I guess happened that day I wasn't really aware of that brought them close enough to at least try for some semblance of a civil relationship, leading up to the point how we are today."
When Misaka had just left it at that, Saten could tell that there was more to the story than she was letting on. She really wanted to pry into it right then and there but knew that the Electromaster would either just wave her suspicion off or it was an uncomfortable/sensitive topic for her to get into.
So, she just nodded to what had been said to her as a smile came on her face, looking back at the two espers who had been arguing all of this time wearing small smiles of their own.
After Misaka had been able to break up their "disagreement," they each finished up their shaved ice as they enjoyed each other's company.
After a while, a small realization made its way known to the Tokiwadai girls, just noticing then how Saten was missing her usual Sakugawa counterpart.
"Hey, where's Uiharu? I just realized that she wasn't with you." Misaka said, being the first to voice this.
"Oh, she stayed home instead of going to school today. Apparently, she came down with some sort of cold." Saten explained as she grabbed the white bag sitting next to her. "I was actually just on my way to drop off some medicine for her."
"Is it that bad to require something like that?" Asher questioned stoically as Saten shook her head.
"No. From what she says, she doesn't think it's all that serious." She stated as she looked at the bag in her hand. "But I am well aware how annoying colds can be. You guys can come along with me if you want." She continued with a smile as she looked over at them.
Not really seeing any harm in going since they weren't all that busy, Misaka, Shirai, and Asher followed Saten to go visit their sick friend.
Uiharu's Dormitory
Uiharu was laying down in her bed when she heard a few knocks on her door, raising her aching body slightly to see Saten bringing along Misaka, Shirai, and Asher over to visit her.
"Here we are!" Saten said happily as they left their shoes at the door. "We were all wanting to check up on you."
"Sorry if we're intruding./Hope this isn't a bad time." Shirai and Misaka said respectively as Asher sent a silent wave from afar.
"Aw thanks guys. That's so sweet." Uiharu rasped as they took a seat on the floor at the small table in the center of the room.
Asher let out a heavy sigh as she laid her back against the floor, closing her eyes immediately as each of them let out a soft chuckle at the sight.
"I'm glad to see that you're doing better Asher, though when did you end up getting out of the hospital today? Was it in time to go to school?" Uiharu asked as Saten went to go grab the thermometer for her.
"Oh yeah, I was meaning to ask that as well." Saten called out.
"Nope, MK and Kuroko got me out of there about an hour ago." Asher replied as she cracked an eye open. "Going on Day 4 without going to that draining place. I can't even get my naps in like I used to, since some of the teachers seem to not like it for some reason or another even though it makes me easier to deal with. It's not even against the rules in the handbook."
"I'm surprised you took the time to even read the handbook, Zierdan. But I guess I shouldn't be since that's probably how you find loopholes." Shirai commented as she took a sip of her tea. "And anyway, I would say it's an unspoken rule to not sleep during a lecture you're supposed to be listening to."
"What's the point in listening if I already know most of the material?" Asher asked, prompting Misaka to facepalm next to her.
"Keyword: 'most' of the material." Misaka groaned. "Z, even with you being a fast learner and knowing more than most people in our class, that doesn't mean you can just sit there trying to nap 24/7. Almost makes you even going there pointless for the time you try to blatantly attempt it. I'm starting to run out of paper clips and binder clips to throw at you from afar, while Miss Watanabe is probably losing out on some years of her life from reading the numerous anonymous complaints since she seems to be the only teacher there that you fully listen to."
Asher was going to retort back though found that there was probably no way of convincing the Electromaster otherwise, staying silent as she let out a small sigh and turned over on her side.
Saten let out a soft chuckle as she pulled herself up the ladder to check Uiharu's temperature.
"Alright, it says 37.3." she contemplated aloud before looking at the sick girl below her. "Well that's just a little high, meaning you should keep staying in bed for the time being. And, be sure to cover yourself up, so you don't catch a chill."
"Well you know Saten," Uiharu began as she turned herself over a little. "That might be more preventable if you'd stop flipping up my skirt every day of the week."
"Hey! Don't give them the wrong idea!" Saten shouted as a blush fell on her face, not seeing the amused looks that Shirai and Misaka were sending each other. "I mean as Uiharu's best friend, I just want to make sure she's wearing her panties every day. Making it my duty and mission in order to make it so."
Even though Shirai and Misaka could tell it was some sort of joke, Asher turned over and sent her a confused glance as Uiharu rose up quickly in embarrassment.
"Does she not-"
"Of course, I wear panties! Every day!" Uiharu hastily panted, immediately cutting off Asher from saying anything else.
"Yes, we wouldn't have thought otherwise." Misaka reassured. "Now please lie down before you get worse, Uiharu."
As Uiharu relented in her dismay and conceded to laying back down, Saten hopped down from the bed to go and grab a cool towel for her.
After a few moments of lying there, a question popped up into Uiharu's head as she sent a sideways glance over to Shirai as she was drinking more of her tea.
"Oh! I've been meaning to ask you, Shirai, have there been any other developments in the Graviton attacker case?" She asked, prompting each of the girls near the table to stiffen as Asher sat up from the floor.
"Kind of. There is one thing, but it hasn't been really much of help for this situation though." Shirai remarked as she let out a small sigh. She sat her cup down on the table as she closed her eyes. "We know that the person who was responsible has a level 2 ranking…"
"But what he did couldn't have been anything but Level 4 stuff." Misaka added as she sat her head into her hand.
"The destruction and the amount of power he used during the attack yesterday just can't coincide with a such a low level as that." Asher stated as she scooted herself closer to the table. "Even if the one at Green Mart was of a lesser extent in comparison, the lowest level I would consider at minimum to come close to do even that is a Level 3. Making it of the illogical sort for that annoyance to be lower than that as well."
"So, from what you're all saying, the only development we have is the discovery that there is even more about the situation we don't understand?" Uiharu questioned.
"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up." Shirai replied.
Asher looked over at Misaka in that moment and saw how deep in thought she was, tapping her on her shoulder to snap her out of it.
"Is there something on your mind MK?" She asked, seeing Misaka's eyes narrow as she played around with a piece of her own hair.
"Yeah, you could say that. I actually just thought of something." She responded before looking over at Saten at the sink. "Hey Saten, didn't you mention something to me before about a machine known as the Level Upper?"
Asher's eyes widened slightly from hearing that as Saten sent the Electromaster a surprised glance.
"The Level Upper?" Asher contemplated aloud. "Now, that's something new I haven't heard of before."
"While you were recovering the other day, I saw Saten out of the blue one afternoon and we sat and talked for a little bit. From what I remember, it relates to one of the Urban Legends she likes to talk about from time to time." Misaka explained as realization appeared on Saten's face.
"Oh right!" Saten said as she wrung out the towel in her hands. She walked over and handed it to Uiharu before sitting down at the table between Shirai and Asher. "To put it into perspective, it's a device that somehow can automatically raise your ability level for you."
"It raises a person's ability level?" Shirai repeated aloud in disbelief.
Asher's gaze narrowed from hearing that, feeling herself getting nervous as they went along in which prompted her to rub the back of her neck before sending a sideways glance in Saten's direction.
"Is there any evidence that it actually exists?" Asher questioned.
"Well, I honestly don't know. It's only a rumor I saw on the net." Saten nervously replied as Shirai and Asher seemed to bore holes into her soul from their intense gaze. "It's all totally unsubstantiated, though, so there probably isn't any reason to be concerned about it."
"So there's no proof that it actually exists?" Misaka questioned, seeing Saten shaking her head.
"None at all. All the stories I've read up on it are all mixed up. Meaning it's nothing more than just an urban legend, really."
"Oh well, I guess it couldn't be that convenient…" Misaka remarked before feeling unsettled on seeing the faces that both Shirai and Asher were making next to her. "Hey, is there something wrong you guys?"
Asher and Shirai looked over at each other from afar, knowing that they were probably thinking about the same thing.
"Yeah there's just something off about this that I can't quite put my finger on. And it's really starting to bug me every moment I can't figure it out." Asher said as frustration leaked into her voice, looking off to the side of the room as she sighed. "It just keeps making me think that there's something wrong with the database in some way for some of the events we've went through so far…"
"For example, the Graviton case in itself just brought up more questions than logical answers as to why the power of the attacks increased in such a short time period. But now, if something regarded right now as a legend were put into the equation, it would surprisingly make more sense for something like that to happen even if its existence is up for debate." She finished as Shirai hummed in agreement.
"Even if it may be hard for me to think something like that actually exists, I can also agree with Zierdan that there's something fishy going on." Shirai said with upmost seriousness in her voice. "The truth is, this actually isn't the first time a person's level as shown in the databank doesn't match what they've actually done. Like Zierdan said, we've seen situations like this more than once with Kaitabi Hatsuya being a more recent addition. That girl with the funny eyebrows and stun gun and the bank robber who was a pyrokineticist along with the sound based esper that Zierdan went up against that same day…"
"I'm using those as examples because those are a few that you and Zierdan are familiar with, Sissy. But Judgment has also recorded even more instances of this occurrence of an Esper's ability not matching their attack." She finished, as stunned looks came across Misaka's and Saten's face as Asher remained silent.
"Wait, are you both saying that …" Misaka began.
"The Level Upper could really be out there somewhere?" Saten finished with some layer of hope in her voice.
"It wouldn't be an illogical assumption to make." Asher remarked mostly to herself as her eyes narrowed in thought.
Though what would become of something like that is something that remains to be unseen…with its creation and whoever would create something like this being a mystery to all of us. We don't even know if something like this is true, but why am I getting so on edge about it already? she thought as her face became shadowed under her hair.
It's all I've been thinking about in the back of my head this entire time it was brought to our attention no matter if I'm doing something or talking to the others. Nothing is letting the unease escape me to the point I even notice how anxious I'm getting just thinking about it.
I can't get this thought out of my head that…
It reminds me of the waveform device that Silas used on me so many...many times…which is something I don't want to ever think can even be possible to be used on others than myself because that's a hell no one should ever be put through.
The only reason my power heightened and progressed the way it did was because that device was specially designed to tap into my AIM field and wavelength. Mine and mine alone…
But again, there's still that slight chance that whatever is happening could potentially involve it one way or another.
Which won't end well in any way I try to analyze it if that truly is the case.
Asher bit the side of her cheek at that thought, though did it subtlety as the others didn't seem to notice it as Misaka looked over at Saten in front of her.
"Is there anything else you can tell us about it?" Misaka asked, snapping Asher back into the conversation as they waited intently for whatever Saten was going to say.
"Huh, let's see." Saten paused as she put a finger up to her face. "Well, there is something but that could also just be another rumor. I heard about people who use the Level Upper post to some kind of message board somewhere online."
"Do you happen to know which one it is?" Asher pressed, sending Saten further into thought.
"Ummmmm," She hummed. "I don't really know. Let's see-"
"Here take a look Saten." Uiharu said from above, gaining all of their attention as she had a laptop within her hands. "Could it possibly be this one?"
"Ah yes! There it is!" Saten cheered.
"Good job Uiharu!" Shirai said in disbelief as Uiharu sent them both a smile. "Now if only we could determine their identities and where they decide to hang out."
"Hmmmm, well I can't speak for their identities," Uiharu began as she put a finger on one of their more recent chats. "But as for their hang outs, it seems they frequently go to a restaurant called 'JonaGarden' within the 7th District."
Before any of them could really let that piece of information set in, Misaka abruptly got up from where she was sitting and practically ran to the door.
"Thanks a lot for this, Uiharu!" She said hastily as she put her shoes on, sending her back a smile that both Shirai and Asher caught right away that indicated nothing good to come about it.
Great. She just can't help herself, now can she? They both thought with a deadpan as she ran out the door.
"I'm gonna look into it!" She continued. "I hope you get well soon!"
As she slammed the door back, Shirai promptly teleported to the outside to run after the Electromaster to make sure she didn't do anything reckless.
"Hey, get back here! This is a job for me to do, Sissy! Not you!"
This abrupt exit left both Uiharu and Saten in a stunned silence, looking over at Asher as she released a sigh and slowly rose up from the ground.
"Ugh, I'm sorry on their behalf for how illogical their dismissal was from this conversation. Something that I could tell that much, surprisingly, even if I'm not much of a social type of person." Asher sighed as she took her time putting on her own shoes, hearing both of the girls laugh a little from behind her.
"It's okay Asher, but thanks for the sentiment though. It was nice seeing you today." Uiharu said warmly with a smile.
"Likewise." Asher remarked without turning towards her before stopping in front of the door. She turned back to look over at them with a small smile on her face. "Well I should probably go trail them down before they go off and do something of the illogical sort. So, I guess I'll see the both of you later."
As they waved goodbye and she shut the door behind her, Uiharu looked over at Saten and said, "She seems to be in a great mood. But, do you think that they're all going to be okay?"
"Yeah, with those three, we don't have anything to worry about." Saten said with an unreadable emotion within her voice. "I mean Shirai's a Level 4. While Misaka and Asher are both Level 5's. What could they even need us for, right?"
Silence fell between them for a few moments as Uiharu's face fell slightly.
"Yeah I guess so…"
"Say, Uiharu..." Saten continued along as an avid glint appeared in her eyes, looking off to the side as she had Uiharu's full and undivided attention.
"What if we could get a hold of the Level Upper?"
Word Count of Chapter: 7850 |Page Count: 14 pages |Reviews: 75 | Followers: 54 |Favorites: 42
Review Replies
JintoLin:
Chapter 19
(Sorry that I didn't reply to this in the last chapter. The review didn't pop up until right after I uploaded it lol)
Yeah, I nearly thought against showing Asher at such a low point such as that. But at the same time and as sad as it was, it seemed granted as she had reached her breaking point with Kamijou helping her through it by canceling out her ability. Kaitabi happened to be caught in the crossfire for setting the fire that tipped her over the edge at that point. Thankfully with Shirai, she wouldn't have done something she was going to ultimately regret and blame herself for later when she cooled off.
Chapter 21
After the emotional/dark roller-coaster I've put all of you through for multiple chapters now, I thought it would be nice for a more light-hearted/laid-back chapter to return. Concerning the hospital visit, she was more along the lines exhausted to the extent that it didn't register with her that she could have left at that point when she wanted to. She didn't set her alarm, so there was nothing that could stop her slumber easily.
Saten's antics with Asher have returned after probably being missed for the long while they haven't been seen. Even if her "reluctant heart" makes it hard for her to admit it, Asher has warmed up to Saten gradually ever since chapter 2, always connecting her to Misaka in some ways from how casual she is with her without any form of hesitation in doing so.
Yeah, Saten's outlook on her self-worth is a big and also sad thing regarding this arc. Asher's own self-worth has also been another highlight/addition that gives a similarity between the two even though one of them isn't aware of it as of yet.
Thanks!
LostNeko120: I thought this chapter was the perfect time to give Saten some time to shine and bringing back a ship that had been lost in the bag for a while.
Not gonna say when (since I'm not sure when it will happen from the amount that I write each chapter) but Yomikawa and Yoshikawa will get their times to shine at some point. Komoe maybe to a lesser extent for now, but that will also come.
Yeah, I know I know….Asher becoming one with Touma's harem may not be seen highly in the eyes of some (including her), since she's probably building her own in the eyes of some at the same time. If this ship were to be a possibility, it would probably be one of the hardest ones to happen since the power that Saten, Uiharu, and Shirai seem to have to ignore his charm is planned to befall her at least for right now.
You're welcome and thanks:D
Blankow: Thanks! The light-heartedness from the earlier chapters has finally returned to some capacity, as it was probably missed after that dark/emotional rollercoaster from the last couple chapters.
More little peaks into Asher's past will be incoming. They probably wont be in every chapter, but it will replace the Logs that were present within the early chapters. As you all found out, Zierdan isn't of the creative sort. It's honestly either on par or even worse than the Sisters' with Misaka there to act as a buffer.
Chapter 23 may or may not (since I haven't written it out yet) start July 20th at some point. That's all I've got for now on that end as my lips are sealed.
Through many trials and tribulations, Asher would probably take angry Misaka over the Head resident as well. She scares her enough to at least collect enough energy to follow the rules more so around her….on occasion.
I'd say Saten's friend maker ability could have the potential to reach level 6 as she seems to have a limitless pool of it, even for the toughest of people. I'd also agree at this point that Saten has bonded just a touch more with Asher than Misaka, since she can tell that she needs it and knows she likes it even though her "reluctant heart" prevents her from fully showing it.
A ship has been refreshed and put back into the bag for as long of a time Saten has been out of the picture, bringing the chance or apparent harem of Asher's gradually more into existence.
I know I've spoiled you guys for a while, but hopefully it will return at some point. Thanks for the good luck as I'll probably need it with my never-ending battle known as procrastination:`)
gaidzani: Thanks! With a renewed focus in trying to make more of an effort for her friends, she has opened up more in comparison to how she was before, but still keeps things to herself to not prevent the others from being concerned for her or something else entirely.
She has gradually grown to like Saten ever since chapter 2, even if she tries her best to not indulge her too much to show it willingly. She reminds her of Misaka, showing her some part of her true self because of that fact. Asher tends to change depending on who she's around with the shyer side of her showing in reaction to Saten's relentless teasing and praise.
You will see more flashbacks as they will more than likely replace the logs that had been done in the beginning chapters. They probably wont be in every chapter, but they will be there to give Asher's, Misaka's, and other's past some prominence.
You're welcome! I like reading your reviews and have not been offended by any of them to any extent. Thanks for writing them as it helps me to see the overall views you guys have for the narrative I'm doing and helps me develop my writing over time.
Thanks for wishing me luck for university where my time management skills will be ultimately put to the test from my on going battle with procrastination:`)
Thanks for your reviews!
-PurpleClover99
