In Academy city, there are six levels of classification of ability users.
- Level 0: Incapable, accounting for about 60% of students in this city, possessing abilities that are difficult to measure or have little effect.
- Level 1: Low-level, possessing abilities that are barely useful in everyday life, like bending spoons.
- Level 2: Slightly more powerful than Level 1, but still considered ordinary ability users.
- Level 3: Elite, possessing abilities useful in daily life, gaining recognition for their powers.
- Level 4: Extraordinary, capable of producing phenomena beyond the reach of external scientific technology, and possessing qualities valued by the military in combat.
- Level 5: Superpower, possessing abilities that can single-handedly fight against armies.
Similar to the food chain's ecological pyramid, as the rank increases, the number of ability users in each level decreases. Level 5 stands at the pinnacle, with only seven rare individuals among approximately 1.8 million students in the entire Academy City.
As a result, encountering a Level 5 is an extremely low probability in the city, but...
"Oh, you!"
"Eek!"
When waiting for an order at a usual family restaurant, I unexpectedly encounter one of those Level 5 individuals.
A few weeks ago was the first time I met her.
"Unlucky! Uwaaah!"
As I lazily walked through the town after classes, I heard a familiar voice. It was my friend, Kamijou Touma, dropping a bag from the supermarket on the ground, looking as if he had witnessed the end of the world.
"What are you doing, Kamijou?"
"Oh, Kiyotaka! Listen to this! After school, I rushed to get some eggs on sale, and they ended up squashed on the ground!"
In the egg carton he held, the shells, egg whites, and yolks had turned into a mess.
"...You're still as unlucky as ever. Well, I'll share mine with you later."
"S-Sorry. I'll make it up to you someday."
"By the way... weren't you on cleaning duty today?"
"Gulp."
"...You'll get yelled at by Fukiyose again."
"Ugh..."
"Hey! You!"
A high-pitched voice reached our ears, and Kamijou and I turned to look. There stood a girl with brown hair, wearing the uniform of Tokiwadai Middle School, a prestigious all-girls school. She was glaring at us, well, mostly Kamijou.
"Oh, it's the Biri Biri middle-schooler."
Biri Biri?
"Don't call me Biri Biri! My name is Mikoto Misaka! Today, I'll settle things once and for all!"
"What's with you, Kamijou? Do you know her?"
"Yeah, I helped her once when she was in trouble with Skill Out... I ended up canceling the electric shock she was about to unleash with my right hand, and she got fixated on me after that."
"I bet you said something rude as usual."
"Why does it seem like it's all my fault!?"
It appears that the aristocratic girl is holding a grudge against Kamijou for hurting her pride as an ability user. Despite that, their relationship seems quite frank, as they exchange playful banter.
"...Am I getting in the way here?"
"Yes, you are!"
...Yeah, I probably shouldn't get involved.
"I see... Then, I'll be going."
"No, no, no! Why are you trying to leave now, Kiyotaka-san!?"
"Well, because it has nothing to do with me."
"Of course, it doesn't!"
Feeling annoyed, I unintentionally showed a careless attitude, which turned out to be my downfall.
"Heh... Don't drag me into your childish quarrels."
That one sentence was a real minefield. A powerful feeling of killing intent was unleashed from the aristocratic girl in front of me. It was undoubtedly a strong one.
Sensing the danger approaching me, I reacted by reflex and jumped backward to avoid the electric shock she released. Kamijou, on the other hand, nullified the electricity with his right hand.
"Who, who's in a childish quarrel now?!"
Immediately after the unleashed electric shock, I effortlessly evaded, while Kamijou nullified it with his right hand.
"...Huh?"
"That was deadly! It could've killed me..."
"But you're fine because of that right hand of yours."
The aristocratic girl seemed more surprised that I easily dodged it than Kamijou, nullifying the shock.
Now, before things escalate further, I better make a quick exit.
"Alright, Kamijou, do your best!"
"Hey, wait, Kiyotaka-san!?"
"Hold on, you, with the brown hair! Don't you dare run away!"
Ignoring their calls, I ran away from the scene.
I never imagined that the Tokiwadai student who released the electric shock was the third-ranked Level 5, "Electromaster," capable of controlling electricity.
After that, I thought I wouldn't encounter that Tokiwadai student again (as Kamijou would be offered as a sacrificial lamb), but reality proved to be ruthless...
"Oh, it's you!"
"...No, you've got the wrong person."
"You expect me to believe that?"
I couldn't deceive her despite trying to act like a stranger. It seemed she remembered my face, despite me being rather inconspicuous. Why isn't Kamijou, the reliable one here at a time like this?
Today after school is a supplementary lesson briefing, so Kamijou, Tsuchimikado, and the Aogami supplementary group are not there.
"What's wrong with you, Onee-sama, why did you so loud...eh"
The short-haired Tokiwadai student was accompanied by three others, two girls wearing Sakugawa Middle School uniforms, and another one who was part of the disciplinary committee two days ago.
"Oh? This person is the one Shirai asked me to investigate, right?"
"Huh? Huh? Misaka and Shirai know this person, and even Uiharu?"
A calm looking girl with short black hair and a flower decoration on her head and a cheerful looking girl with semi-long black hair wearing a hair ornament that imitates white plum blossoms are looking at me.
"Let's introduce ourselves first. I am Shirai Kuroko, a first-year student at Tokiwadai Middle School and a member of the 177th Branch's Disciplinary Committee."
"Likewise, I'm Mikoto Misaka, a second-year student at Tokiwadai Middle School."
"I'm Kazari Uiharu, a first-year student at Sakugawa Middle School, and I'm also a member of the 177th Branch's Disciplinary Committee, just like Shirai."
"I'm Ruiko Saten, also a first-year student at Sakugawa Middle School, and I'm a friend of Kazari."
Since you guys introduced yourself, I have no choice but to do the same.
"Now it's my turn... I'm Ayakōji Kiyotaka, a first-year student at a certain high school."
"Why don't you mention the name of your school?"
"It's a confidentiality thing."
Because if I tell them, they might be ambushed in front of the school gate…
"If you stand still, you'll get in the way of the store clerk."
"That's true too. Well, onee-sama, Saten-san, Uiharu, shall we sit down?"
"Yes, sure."
"Okay."
Upon Shirai's suggestion, Misaka and her friends moved to another table. I ended up sitting next to them.
"So, how do you all know each other?"
asked Saten, the only one who seemed left out of the conversation.
"I just met the two Tokiwadai students and now I know their names."
"Then why did you meet face to face?"
It seems like this girl Saten is quite assertive and forward.
"The day before yesterday, I was one of the people who helped my classmate when he was involved with a delinquent."
"Hey, that's not what happened!!"
Shirai explained how she met me instead, how troublesome.
"…So, why did you check my bank or profile after that?"
"Eh!? I, I... I didn't do anything!"
"Well, just now, that girl over there Uiharu just said, (Isn't This is the person that Shirai-san asked to investigate)right?"
"What!?"
"Could it be that you're the information gathering specialist, or rather, a hacker among the disciplinary committee members?"
"How did you know!? Ha!"
The flower-decorated girl, Uiharu, hid her mouth with both hands as if to say that it was all over.
"Uh-i-ha-ru-!"
"I'm sorry Shirai-san!"
It seems like she fell right into my trap.
"Wow, that's amazing, Ayanokōji-san!"
Saten said.
"No, I just came up with it from the information I happened to hear."
Or rather, I'm just guessing.
"... So, why did you do that?"
When I asked Shirai, who was pinching the cheeks of her colleague who slipped her mouth, she cleared her throat lightly.
"I apologize if I made you feel uncomfortable. Actually, when I met you the day before yesterday, my intuition told me that you are not an ordinary person, so I want to confirm."
Some kind of wild intuition, I suppose.
"Sorry to disappoint you all, but I'm just an ordinary Level 0 high school student you can find anywhere. You didn't find anything when you looked into me, right?"
"That's true, but..."
There was no way any information about me would come up, especially from before I came to Academy City.
"~There's no way an ordinary high school student can avoid my electric shock.~"
"Hmm? Did you say something, Onee-sama?"
"No, nothing."
Misaka's murmured words seemed unheard by the other three.
"By the way, I'd like to ask you something, Ayanokōji-san."
"What?"
Saten asked with shining eyes as if to say the main subject.
"How did you meet Misaka-san?"
"Bufuu!? Gohogohoho!"
"Onee-sama!?"
Misaka herself seemed to be an unexpected question, and she choked on the ice she was drinking.
"...Why are you asking me that?"
"Well, I'm curious because I don't have many opportunities to get to know Misaka-san, who is a lady from Tokiwadai and is a level 5. In my case, Uiharu and I met through Shirai-san."
This junior high school girl named Saten, is full of curiosity.
"Uh! Uh, uh! We just happened to meet... well..."
Misaka is at a loss for an explanation. Well, it's hard to explain the part of the story where she follows a high school boy and challenges him to a duel (and she hasn't won even once)
to her female friend.
Should I send a lifeboat here?
"Ah... it seems like an acquaintance of mine said something rude to this girl before and made her angry. I just happened to be there when they were fighting."
"Hey!"
I didn't lie. I just skipped the explanation part.
"Heh, that kind of thing. Misaka-san, you have to make up with that person properly, right?"
"Eh!?"
"That's right, Misaka-san."
With the explanation just now, Misaka began to be warn Uiharu and Saten.
"Uh, yeah.
While saying that in a bright voice, Misaka glared at me with sideways glances.
I deceived them for you, so I want you to thank me on the contrary.
"Thank you for waiting."
While pretending not to notice Misaka's gaze, I ate the food brought by the clerk.
After today's class, Kamijou and I were strolling down the street.
"Well, it will be summer vacation in two more days~"
"Kamijou and the others are gonna be supplementary lessons."
"Hey, stop Kiyotaka. Kamijou-san trying to escape from reality!! "
Even if you escape from reality, supplementary lessons are already confirmed.
"Well, don't indulge too much in escapism, or you'll end up spending your entire summer vacation without doing your homework."
"Shit! Is that what a smart guy can afford!?"
"You could say it's about being efficient."
By the way, I'm already finished my summer vacation homework.
"Eh……"
"What up?"
Kamijo suddenly stops at the roadside. It looks like it's staring at a single point, so I followed its line of sight. Then there was a little girl in the lower grades of elementary school with a pink bag hanging around in the middle of the road.
"What's wrong? Are you lost?"
Kamijou approached the girl.
"……Eh?"
Perhaps surprised by Kamijou's sudden conversation, the girl looked a little puzzled.
"No, if you get lost, I thought I'd show you around."
You're as popular as ever.
"……Could it be a pick up?"
"Huh!?"
Kamijou opens his mouth to the girl's unexpected words.
"Kamijou... was that really your goal?"
Don't take it seriously.
"No, no, if you pick up on such a small child, you'll end up with jail!!"
Kamijou hurriedly denies it, but his hurriedness made him look even more suspicious.
For some reason, I thought of my classmate's Aogami pierce. If Kamijou is on the same level as him, we'll have to change our friendship.
"Well, let's put Kamijou's suspicion of being a pervert aside."
"Oi!"
"And why were you standing in the middle of the road?"
I'll ask instead of Kamijou.
"Well... I want to go to a shop called Seventh Mist, but I don't know the way."
"Alone?"
"Yes"
Seventh mist.
It's a store that's been a hot topic in Academy City lately.
It is a shopping mall that sells clothes that are popular among junior high school and high school girls and starting to sell their name.
"Hmm, then shall I guide you there?"
"Okay?"
"Ah, anyway, I'm free until the end of school time. What will Kiyotaka do?"
"... Well, I want to see the new clothes too."
"Then, I come too."
"Yay!"
We walked down the street together after guiding the girl to the clothing store.
20 minutes to walk. Arrive at your destination, Seventh Mist. Then I went to the clothing store inside the store.
"Thank you brothers for bringing me here. I'm coming."
"Oh. Don't fall."
"Yes!"
When she sees a clothing store, the girl runs ahead by herself.
"This is a relief... Huh?"
"What up?"
"No, look over there..."
Kamijou notices something. Looking in the direction Kamijou pointed his finger, there was Misaka checking in front of the mirror whether her clothes fit.
"What are you doing?"
"Huh!?"
When Kamijou spoke to her, Misaka's shoulders shook and she hurriedly hid her clothes behind her back.
"Why are you guys here!?"
"Why... is it bad?"
"Onii-chan"
A little girl with clothes came back.
"Ah! It's Tokiwadai's sister."
"Huh? Kana-chan"
It seems like they aren't meeting for the first time. What a coincidence.
Looking at the girl, Misaka recalled something and turned her gaze back to them.
"Oh, which one of you is her brother?"
"No, no, it's not like that. She said she was looking for a clothing store, so we just offered to guide her."
Misaka asked, and Kamijou answered.
"You know, big brother and his friends brought me here. I want to dress up and be fashionable like the people on TV."
"That's nice! You are already fashionable and cute enough even now."
"...Unlike someone in shorts."
Kamijou, don't say unnecessary things.
"What's with that attitude!? If you're serious, let's settle our old score right here, right now—"
"Wait, don't use your abilities in a place like this. If you want to do it, take Kamijou outside."
"Hey! Why are you offering Kamijou-san so easily!?"
Cause it's nothing to do with me
"...Oh, big brother, I want to see the next store!"
"Ah, okay, got it."
Pulling the hem of Kamijou's clothes, the girl urged him.
Now then, I'm going to leave this place too...
"Wait a minute"
When I tried to turn around and turn right, Misaka grabbed my shoulder from behind. Even so, it's a very powerful voice.
"Come to think of it, I had a little talk with you."
"...I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Oh? What happened to the cool big brother?"
"Oh, he seems to have a lot to talk about, so let's go ahead."
Kamijou, you sold me before you were sold.
"Isn't that Ayanokōji-san?"
"It's a coincidence that we met in a place like this."
After Kamijou and the others left, Saten and Uiharu came to switch places. Misaka quickly let go.
"You guys shopping too?"
"Yes, that's right. What about you, Ayanokōji-san?"
"Well, I'm just going with the flow... Though I was abandoned by my company a moment ago."
"Huh? So, are you a Botchi now?"
"Don't call me 'Botchi.'"
(Like I told before botchi mean loner or alone)
Being asked straightforwardly like that hits me quite hard.
"Oh, if you don't mind, would you like to go together? We happened to meet, so it might be fate."
"Huh?"
Suddenly, Saten made such a proposal.
"Oh no, it might be awkward for a high school boy to be with middle school girls."
"Huh? But isn't that something to be happy about?"
"Should I be happy about that?"
If it's Tsuchimikado or Aogami, he might cry tears of joy in this situation.
"Sorry, but I'm with someone else."
"I see. Oh, could it be your girlfriend?"
"No, just a male classmate. He'll be around for a while, so we might meet up later."
After saying just that, I left the scene. Even Mikoto wouldn't dare to make a move in front of the two of them.
After visiting several stores, Kiyotaka still hasn't caught up with Kamijou and the others. While walking for a while, he notices a student handbook-like object lying near his feet. He picks it up and confirms that it belongs to "Private Shidarezakura Academy" Probably a student inside one of the shops dropped it. He looks around and sees a girl in a school uniform walking while looking down at the floor. Assuming it's hers, he approaches her and calls out.
"Hey."
"Eek!?"
Startled by the sudden voice from behind, the girl jumps up, making a strange sound. She slowly turns around.
"Y-Yes? Do you need something?"
"Is this student handbook yours?"
"Huh?"
I showed the student handbook I picked up to the elegantly dressed girl with long black hair tied in twin tails.
"Oh, yes! That's mine!"
After receiving the student notebook, the girl held it tightly to her chest and let out a sigh of relief.
Even though you look young, that's big.
"Oh, thank you very much!
"I picked it up by chance."
Hurry up and find Kamijou and the others.
"More importantly, have you seen a high school boy with black hair and an elementary school girl with a yellow bag around here?"
"No, no, I've been looking for a notebook for a long time, so I'm sorry!"
"No, I'm not blaming you."
It can't be helped because I was absorbed in looking for the lost item, and maybe I didn't encounter it because it's a large building. There is no element to blame the girl who bows her head.
The only thing I can blame is the heartless sea urchin who abandoned me and left.
"Don't worry, you're not doing anything wrong."
Just as I was about to put my heels on, the announcement suddenly started playing.
{We apologize for the inconvenience, but due to a malfunction in the electrical equipment inside the store, we will be closing for the day.}
The repeated announcement from the store's broadcast system makes it clear that they want everyone to leave. It's probably a pre-prepared phrase to avoid causing panic during emergencies.
In the distance, Uiharu and the others are guiding the customers outside. There's a slight sense of urgency in their expressions.
Come to think of it, there have been a series of consecutive bombing incidents recently. They were attributed to incidents caused by Espers, where aluminum is used as a base to rapidly increase the velocity of gravitons, creating an explosion by dispersing it rapidly around the surroundings. In other words, it's an ability that can turn aluminum into a bomb. Lately, these incidents have become increasingly malicious, as they plant bombs disguised in harmless objects like teddy bears or children's bags made of aluminum to lower people's vigilance.
Nine members of the Disciplinary Committee have already been seriously injured in these incidents, prompting the school to issue warnings during homeroom meetings to stay away from suspicious individuals or items and contact either Anti-Skill or the Disciplinary Committee if seen. The situation has become quite serious.
So, does that mean this place is going to be bombed next?
As I turn around after being called out from behind, the girl with the bag who was with Kamijou rushes over. In her hand, she's holding an unfamiliar frog doll.
"Oh, it's the cool big brother! Huh? Who's this big sister? Is she your brother's girlfriend?"
"I-I-I-I-I !?"
"No, I just picked up something she dropped. What happened to the prickly sea urchin head?"
"Hmmm. he got a little lost."
What is that sea urchin head doing? Well, if he got separated, it can't be helped.
"So, what's that doll you're holding?"
"Earlier, big brother with glasses asked me to give this doll to the flower head sister."
"Can I see it for a moment?"
"Sure."
"E-erm... Erm..."
I glanced at the girl in uniform who was still freezing all the time while her face turned bright red and gave off steam. I took the doll from the little girl with the bag and inspected it. There's a recently-made seam on its back. I pull it open and peek inside, and there's an aluminum spoon.
It seems like I stumbled upon something significant.
A few minutes passed, and there was no one on the first floor except for Uiharu, who had led the evacuation, and Kamijou and Misaka, who were looking for Kana, the girl in the bag.
"Uiharu Uiharu listen please!"
"Check if everyone has evacuated. Get away from there immediately!"
Uiharu answered the call from Kuroko. Kuroko's tone indicated a sense of urgency, hinting that it was an emergency situation.
"In all nine previous incidents, disciplinary committee members were injured! Disciplinary committee members near the observation points! You are the target this time, Uiharu!"
"Wha-!?"
Learning from Kuroko that she was the target of the culprit, Uiharu was shocked.
At that moment...
"Big siiis! big brother with glasses asked me to give this to you!"
Kana, holding the frog doll, approached Uiharu with a smile. Upon hearing Kana's loud voice, Kamijou and Misaka felt relieved that she was safe. On the other hand, Uiharu noticed something when she saw the frog doll and jumped at Kana. Kana's frog doll falls when Uiharu jumps on it.
"Run away! That's a bomb!"
「「Huh!?」」
The moment Uiharu cries out, the frog doll makes an eerie sound, gradually distorting its shape.
(With my Railgun!)
Misaka immediately takes a coin out of his pocket and decides to destroy the frog doll.
But,
(Oops! Bad!)
Misaka slips her hand and drops the coin.
(Can't be in time……!?)
The moment the frog doll shrunk to its limit and Misaka thought it was all over,
brool!
It burst with a high-pitched sound like a popping balloon.
""Eh?""
"Huh? Huh? Won't it explode?"
The doll exploded, but there was no roar or blast, and the three unintentionally let out silly voices.
"Could it be a misfire?"
"I-I can't believe that! It's already demonstrated explosions many times and failed now..."
"Hey flower head big sister. What was the sound just now?"
While Misaka and Uiharu couldn't comprehend the situation, the ringtone of the mobile phone flowed from Kamijou's pocket.
"Ah, an email from Kiyotaka. What is this?"
"Hmm? What happened?"
Kamijou frowns at the screen of his mobile phone, and Misaka looks at the screen from the side.
"What the... 'When I went outside, I found a stranger. He might be the culprit of the recent bombing incident. I've attached a photo below, so please tell the disciplinary committee or Misaka nearby."
"Give me."
Looking at the bottom of the email, there was a profile photo of a male student with glasses, his face greatly distorted with frustration.
"Kana-chan, is this the person who gave Kana-chan the doll?"
"Yeah! It's this glasses-onii-chan!"
When Misaka checked with Kana, it was bingo.
"I'm going to catch the culprit!"
"Mi, Misaka-san!?"
Misaka goes after the culprit, ignoring Uiharu's restraint.
"Ah, uh, Kamijou-san don't like this atmosphere?"
It seemed that despite coming all this way, Kamijou Touma's presence didn't have much impact.
The culprit of the serial bombing incident was taken away in a security guard's car.
As I watched the scene from afar,
I decided to move away from there.
"Ah, cool big brother."
A girl with a bag came out of the store and headed towards me. After that, Uiharu, Saten, Shirai, and Misaka approached me.
"Is everyone okay?"
"Yeah! The doll exploded, but I'm completely fine."
"I see."
Well, I did my best to minimize the explosions.
From the information about the previous bombings that the disciplinary committee members were seriously injured, and the fact that the girl in the bag was trying to bring the bomb close to Uiharu, it was clear that the target was the disciplinary committee members.
Because it is dangerous, it would have been nice to dispose of it immediately, but the disciplinary committee's attention will turned to the fact that the event that should have happened did not occur, and the bomber will left unchecked.
Considering the power of the explosions, the culprit would likely set off the bomb in a safe place where they wouldn't be caught in it. That meant they might be hiding in the crowd of people who evacuated following the guidance.
To expose the faceless culprit, there was only one thing I could do: exploit their weakness.
Everything was going well until the very end when because his expectations went way off, which would probably show his agitation.
After modifying the frog doll, return the doll to the girl in the bag and guide her to "Give it to Uiharu after she finishes her work" then, I observe the surrounding crowd outside.
Since I spotted Kamijou and Misaka, who were probably looking for the bag girl, I included the plan of informing them through Kamijou's phone to the disciplinary committee and Misaka once they were found.
And as expected, the result turned out as I planned – Seventh Mist was left unharmed, and no one got hurt due to the bomb.
"Even so, Ayanokōji-san are the one who found the culprit, are you a great detective?"
"It was just a coincidence. I was told in the home room that if I saw a suspicious person, I should report it. I didn't think it was really a bomber."
"Eh? Is that true?"
How much does Saten want me to be a great detective?
"Come to think of it, why didn't you report it directly to the disciplinary committee?"
"It would take time for them to respond after sending them a photo, and I wanted to gather decisive evidence. Besides, I don't know Uiharu's email to inform her directly."
"Th-that's true."
It was a question I anticipated, so I had a prepared answer to tell Uiharu.
"Come to think of it, why did it fail only this time?"
"We investigater that later. Above all, thank you very much for your cooperation in arresting the culprit this time."
Shirai bows elegantly.
"Cooperation is an exaggeration."
I haven't done anything worthy of respect.
The girl in the bag pulled my pants as if she had run out of numbness.
"Hey, What happened to the girl you were with earlier?"
"Hmm? You mean her? She's not my girlfriend. I just picked up her student ID that she dropped in the store. It was the first time we met. We separated right after we got outside."
"Hey, you know, that girl had really huge breasts!"
"Huh? Didn't you say your companion was a boy earlier?"
"It's not her."
"Hey? Ayanokōji-san, do you like big breasts?"
"Wait a minute. You seem to be misunderstanding something, so please let's talk."
Thanks to the bag girl saying an extra word, the gazes of the girls around me turned into contempt.
I spent some time trying to clear up the misunderstanding, and by the time I finished I scolded Kamijou who had returned to the dorms earlier.
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