"Argh, Princess! Stop pulling at your sleeves! You're messing up the dress!"
"They're itchy!"
"You've got to bear with it! You'll be broadcasted all over the nation! Do you want to look like a slob out there?!"
"I get it, I get it, Maika! Sheesh!"
Mikoto grumbled as Maika fixed her dress, the maid fussing over small details like a slightly loose ribbon or a stray thread.
"I don't get why my speech has to be broadcasted all over the country," Mikoto continued to complain. "It's not like I have anything very important to say."
"It's your coming of age!" Maika exclaimed in exasperation as she rearranged Mikoto's long hair. "Of course it's important! You'll be announcing that you're the heir to the throne and will be the King and Queen's successor!"
"I really don't think it's that important," Mikoto groaned. "I thought everyone knew that already?"
"You're the one who has to make it official!" Maika tugged on a hair lock.
"Owww, watch it!"
"If you stop moving around, I might be able to get this done faster!"
"Okay, okay! You can be worse than the royal instructor sometimes."
Maika ignored Mikoto's jab. "Besides, once you've declared your position formally, you'll start having a long queue of potential lovers-"
"Whaaat?!" Mikoto's face turned bright crimson as she whipped her head around to face her maid. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Stop moving!" Maika berated her. "Obviously you need to get married soon so Tokiwadai has a future King-"
"Oh no, no, no. Papa and Mama never spoke to me about this!" Mikoto fumed. "What are you talking about?!"
"Oh…" Maika paused in doing her hair for a moment. "Maybe it was meant to be a secret." She shrugged and continued, readjusting Mikoto's crown. "But surely you must have noticed? There were more male guests invited today so you get a chance to meet potentials later."
"Uwaaahhh?!" Mikoto choked.
Maika sighed. She glared at the princess with a look of incredulity. "I can't believe you never thought about this before. You're the Princess of Tokiwadai, soon to be declared Crown Princess of the nation! You'll be Queen one day! Do you have no awareness of who you really are?"
Mikoto had no words to give. She felt as if her very soul had just been sucked out of existence.
"Mikoto, are you ready?" Tabigake's voice floated in as he approached. "Why do you look so flustered? They're almost ready for you, we've got to hurry."
"Your Majesty," Maika curtseyed.
"P-Papa!" Mikoto looked up at her father's stern expression. There were lines on his face that she hadn't noticed before. When had her father gained such a worried look over the years? She swallowed. She supposed there would be plenty of time to confront him and her Mama about what she just found out later. Despite the annoyance she felt, now was not the time to be causing a scene.
"Yes, I'm ready, Papa."
Taking her father's arm, they began to walk in sync to the main balcony that overlooked the main courtyard. From all the cheering that could be heard, Mikoto knew thousands were gathered, awaiting her speech and declaration for Tokiwadai's coming years.
"Good luck," Maika whispered from behind her.
Throat suddenly dry, Mikoto simply nodded in acceptance.
When they approached the balcony, Misuzu and her royal instructor were already there. The cheering of the crowd below grew louder, and Mikoto saw one of the large holograms in the sky showing a footage of where she would be standing very soon. It abruptly hit her only then that this was going to broadcasted all over the city.
"Give us your greatest performance, Mikoto," the Queen whispered in her ear as she passed by.
"Right." Mikoto didn't know why she was so bloody nervous. It was just a stupid speech which was going to be over in a matter of minutes. She was no stranger to being under public scrutiny. So why was her heart thudding like a jackhammer in her chest?
She gazed up at the King next to her. He looked uneasy, the frown lines on his face deepening with each passing minute. He was usually a man of few words, but it was odd that he hadn't so much as wished her good luck. Instead, he kept looking around with wary eyes as if searching for something.
"Papa, are you-?" Mikoto's quiet question was interrupted by a loud squeak of the microphone that resounded over the area.
"Citizens of Tokiwadai, I greet you with the blessings of the Pillar." It was Misuzu, addressing the crowd below. The people roared their greetings back, all attention over the country zoned on their Queen.
Misuzu showed no signs of being nervous in public as usual. In fact, she seemed to glow under the attention given to her. Mikoto gulped. She doubted she could be like that when giving a public speech. Her confidence was sinking fast.
"As you all know, it is my daughter, and our people's dear Princess Misaka Mikoto's birthday. As it happens, it is also our national day - to celebrate Tokiwadai's continued existence by the will of the Pillar."
There were further cheers from the crowd. Mikoto felt her shoulders sag.
"When my daughter was coincidentally born on our national day, I knew it had to be a good omen. What are the chances of two important events being on the exact same date? Our future is bright, citizens."
Misuzu flashed the crowd a dazzling smile. In her head, Mikoto could almost visualise some people below fainting with happiness from the simple, powerful act that her mother could pull.
"Today we gather here to celebrate, but to also hear our own Princess' declaration for the future of Tokiwadai!"
Mikoto's ears rang as a huge roar erupted from the crowd below. Misuzu turned around from the podium and approached her, beckoning. She started to walk on wooden legs when a firm hand on her shoulder held her back.
"Papa?" Mikoto turned her head around. Under the bright lights, Tabigake's face had a thin film of sweat.
"Mikoto," His voice was an urgent whisper, "no matter what happens, I-"
"Mikoto," Misuzu's firm voice called. "It's time."
Tabigake's hand dropped from her shoulder, and he said nothing more.
Torn and curious about what her father had been about to say, Mikoto hesitated. A gentle push against her back from Maika, and Mikoto found herself walking on stiff legs once more.
There would be plenty of time to ask questions later.
Stepping up onto the podium, she gazed down at the tiny faces of the gathered crowd below. She felt sweaty and unwell. Her heart was in her mouth, fluttering a thousand times per minute. Her hands shook. She wished she could sink into the floor and disappear.
'What the heck is wrong with me?'
She took a deep breath. Thousands of eyes were watching, all waiting for her to speak. It was just a stupid speech. It was going to be over soon. She hadn't prepared to speak for long anyway. The sooner she started, the sooner it would end.
"C-Citizens of Tokiwadai," Her voice was shaky, but it still boomed across the entire nation via the multiple speakers set up on all streets. She cringed inwardly at how overly loud it was, but continued. "I greet you with the blessings of the Pillar. I address you today as your Princess, to declare myself the heir to the throne."
Mikoto felt light-headed as she heard celebratory cheers and screams from below. No matter how hard she tried to hold in her nerves, she felt nauseous and shaky. It was only getting worse. Icy sweat ran in rivulets down her spine. She clenched her fists tightly, willing herself to stay strong.
'Just a bit more…'
"As I declare myself the Royal Crown Princess today, I wanted to speak to you all about the future of the nation. The future how I envision our great country-"
It was at that moment, Mikoto knew something was seriously wrong. Her body froze and she found herself stuck in place, unable to move a muscle. Some strange force seemed to take over her, and she found herself speaking foreign words that she had never prepared.
"-Is that of the reign of espers! It is wrong of us to treat the espers this way! They are not criminals! They are-"
In her head, Mikoto screamed at herself to stop, but her lips kept moving, controlled by some strange force as blasphemous words streamed out from her throat. The stunned crowd looked up at the smiling princess as she spoke, a deathly silence ruling over the Tokiwadai palace.
"-Not fodder for the monsters! The real monsters are there in the mirrors when we look at ourselves! Do you morons even have the mental capacity ability to do this-?"
A sudden sharp shriek from the loudspeakers pierced the atmosphere, slicing through Mikoto's ears. Whatever had controlled her suddenly lost its grip, and Mikoto found herself tumbling down onto her knees. Excruciating pain filled her head, and she curled herself into a tight ball on the floor, clutching her head with both hands.
"Mikoto!" Her father's voice was like a distant echo in her ears, lost in the shrieks from the loudspeakers as well as the screams that tore from her own throat.
"Don't move! Everyone freeze!"
In the haze of pain, Mikoto blearily opened her eyes. Something was strange. Everywhere she looked, there were numerous strange circuits and odd lights - in the air, hidden along the buildings. They were so obvious she wondered how she had never noticed them. She blinked, wondering if she was hallucinating. Her vision remained unchanged.
Her eyes darted around in confusion, finding Anti-Skill surrounding her. She let out a relieved sigh. Good, they were here. They'd put an end to this mess, whatever it was.
She tried to uncurl herself, shaky hands rising up to communicate with them despite the ringing pain in her head.
"I said, don't move!" One of the Anti-Skill officers barked. She found herself staring up at the barrel of a gun. Right at her face.
Mikoto's eyes widened. She suddenly realised all the weapons were pointed at her. Her throat constricted in fright as her heart skipped a beat.
"Wh-What?" Her voice was shaky as her jaws clattered together.
"Misaka Mikoto. You are under arrest for being an esper."
"NO!" She tried to stand up, but her shaky knees gave way and she collapsed back on the floor in a heap.
"Ghhh," she gritted her teeth against the pain. It felt like thousands of drills were trying to dig their way through to her brain. "S-Stop that noise," she forced out the words with great effort. "Stop that noise and I- I'll explain what happened-"
"No, that noise proves that you're an esper!" The Anti-Skill growled. "It's a special frequency that only espers react to."
Mikoto looked around in a daze. It was true, she appeared to be the only one affected. She looked down at the crowd. Her vision was so warped, twisted by strange blue lights and aqua lines, she could barely make out what was happening. However one thing she knew for certain was that it was chaos down there. The hologram screens were broadcasting everything that was occurring. She saw herself on the screen- a lying mess on the floor at gun point, a mockery of everything she was supposed to be today.
"Th-This is a mistake…" Mikoto groaned. "Someone made me say those horrible things… It wasn't me…"
"Save your excuses. The fact remains you are an esper."
"MIKOTO!"
There were yells and shouts as Tabigake came storming forth. A few of the unsuspecting Anti-Skill became knocked flat on their backs as the King threw them punches and kicks. His expression was enraged, but tense with utmost concentration. Another spinning kick at an Anti-Skill's head sent the man crashing onto the ground.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
"PAPA!" Mikoto screamed.
It happened in slow motion. The King stumbled forward, and collapsed onto the ground, unmoving.
"Mikoto!" This time, it was her mother. Mikoto whipped her head around and found Anti-Skill surrounding her family members, Maika and the royal instructor. The royal instructor was faring well on her own, but she noted that her mother's hair was being tugged by one of the officers in a rough grip.
A surge of anger pierced through her.
"Let her go!" Mikoto roared and charged forwards. She dodged an Anti-Skill's swipe at her head, and reached behind her mother's assaulter. Grabbing his neck in a headlock, she squeezed her arms around his neck as hard as she could. The man gurgled and let go of her mother.
With another roar, Mikoto kneed him in the groin and threw him aside. The officer coughed and struggled to breathe on the floor in foetal position.
"Mikoto, you've got to run away!" Misuzu grabbed her arm. Her hair was a mess where the Anti-Skill had pulled it.
"Mama, Papa is-"
"There's no time!" Misuzu hissed. Sure enough, more officers were surrounding them, some recovering from Tabigake's earlier assault with more reinforcements arriving.
"I'm not going to leave you both!" Mikoto growled back.
Misuzu's eyes narrowed. "You stubborn child."
Her hand rested on Mikoto's shoulder as they backed away from the approaching Anti-Skill. From the corner of her eyes, she saw that the situation looked extremely grim for both Maika and even the royal instructor. There were too many officers now to defeat, too many of them to outrun. This was impossible.
Her back hit the wall behind them. She felt clammy and unwell, the piercing sound still permeating in the air. Her vision wavered, the strange blue particles and lines around her making her reel in confusion. She gritted her teeth, willing herself to keep it together. She had no idea how they were going to get out of this situation.
"Grab the esper!" One of the officers growled out an order. "The Princess! She's the esper! Arrest her-!"
"Stop this, right now!" Mikoto yelled out, stepping in front of her mother protectively. Her head spun and her throat felt dry, but she continued to speak as strongly as she could. "I am the Royal Princess of Tokiwadai! This is a big mistake! Think about it with clear minds just for a moment! How could I possibly be-?!"
There was a sudden sharp prick on the back of her neck. She let out a gasp, shocked by the odd, numb sensation. It spread quickly all throughout her body. Her eyes darted around in confusion, wondering if somebody had sniped her from an unseen angle from behind. Her vision flickered as she swayed dangerously on the spot. A fierce heat boiled from within, and she felt like an angry volcano about to erupt. She sluggishly tried to turn to Misuzu to tell her to leave her be and run to safety. The Ant-Skill wanted her. If that was what it took to keep her family safe…
In the haze, she saw her mother reach out towards her and felt another sharp sting on her shoulder. The feverish heat increased a thousand-fold and a rattling scream tore from her throat as pain seared to a peak. She was burning from the inside out. Her vision was filled with volatile streaks of blue, and she heard violent crackles that thundered like whips. Distantly, people's screams rang in her ears in a terrible cacophony, which soon faded away as the heat also died to a soft simmer deep within her chest.
She felt weak. Empty. Burnt to fragile ashes by whatever that had seared her.
She blinked slowly as the blazing blue began to fade into darkness. The very last thing Mikoto saw was her mother's crumpled form at her feet before all disappeared to black and she knew no more.