The Sky Above Academy City.
A massive broadcasting blimp floated slowly through the evening sky, its colossal LCD screens flashing a breaking news alert to the millions of residents below.
[ANNOUNCEMENT: ON MAY 28TH, AT A CERTAIN HIGH SCHOOL, THE EIGHTH LEVEL 5 IN ACADEMY CITY WAS CONFIRMED.]
[Name: Takahashi Yuuya]
[Ability: General-Purpose Spatial Movement]
[Classification: Space Master]
Standing outside the hospital, Yuuya looked up at the screen.
'Thankfully, the announcement didn't include a photo,' he thought, crossing his arms. 'Otherwise, it would look like a bounty poster.'
However, the text alone was enough. The entire Academy City was abuzz. The birth of a Level 5 was the ultimate promotional tool for the General Board; Level 5s were more famous than pop idols in Academy City. Sometimes, the city even invited them to demonstrate their abilities overseas to attract foreign investment and prestige.
Down on the streets, the chatter was deafening.
"Another Level 5 has appeared! There are eight of them now!"
"A Spatial Level 5! That's amazing! Teleporters are so rare to begin with!"
"A Certain High School... wait, which school is that? Isn't that just a normal school in District 7?"
...
The School Garden. An Ice Cream Parlor.
"A Spatial Level 5! Another Level 5 has appeared... wait, isn't that similar to your ability, Kuroko?"
Misaka Mikoto, enjoying a crepe and ice cream, looked out the glass window at the glowing blimp in the sky. She blinked, resting her chin on her hand.
"It seems like a lot of big things have happened lately," Mikoto muttered. "First, the city's network was hacked, and Accelerator posted that insane challenge letter. Then the schools imposed travel restrictions to keep us inside, and now... the Eighth Level 5 appears out of nowhere."
"It's like a harbinger of disaster. Everyone is baffled."
Mikoto took a bite of her ice cream, oblivious to the storm brewing across the table.
"A Spatial... Level 5...?"
Shirai Kuroko's eyes were practically bulging out of her head as she stared at the blimp. She slammed her hands onto the table, standing up abruptly.
"Eh?" Mikoto jumped, startled by the sudden violence. "Is it really that surprising?"
"I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE THE FIRST LEVEL 5 SPATIAL USER!" Kuroko shrieked, her voice cracking.
She angrily grabbed her own twin-tails, pulling them in frustration as she glared at the name on the screen through gritted teeth.
"I've already made great progress in my System Scans! But suddenly, I've been surpassed by some nobody?! Damn it!"
"I-It's not that dramatic, is it?" Mikoto said, embarrassed by the stares they were attracting.
"It is dramatic!" Kuroko slumped onto the table, dramatically grabbing Mikoto's hands. "Only by becoming a Level 5 can Kuroko be truly capable of fighting alongside you as an equal! To be surpassed for no reason by someone I've never even heard of... it's a tragedy!"
Mikoto's lips twitched. A few blue arcs of electricity crackled across her bangs.
"You're being too loud... you're disturbing the other customers..." Mikoto blushed, feeling the weight of the entire parlor's gaze.
"ONEE-SAMA!"
Snap.
Kuroko instantly teleported out of her seat and directly into Mikoto's lap, burying her face in Mikoto's chest.
"Kuroko has been severely traumatized by this cruel world! Only Onee-sama can heal my deepest wounds! So please, Onee-sama, envelop me in your loving embrace—!"
"Um, excuse me, miss, you're disturbing the other guests," a waitress said politely, sweating nervously.
Mikoto's cheeks turned as red as a tomato. She raised her fist.
BANG!
"OUCH!"
...
District 7. A Shopping District.
"So, he really is a Level 5 Spatial User."
Gokusai Kaibi, a core member of the Dark Side organization SCHOOL, strolled through the neon-lit shopping district. Dressed in a glamorous, high-fashion dress that made her look older than her years, she looked up at the blimp's notification and smiled slightly.
'Takahashi-senpai has revealed his Level 5 status now? I suppose he feels he no longer needs to hide. What a mysterious person.'
Kaibi pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts.
'How about I ask him out on a date and properly develop our... friendship?'
As a Level 4 whose ability, Measure Heart, allowed her to dictate the psychological "distance" (affection and trust) between people, Kaibi was a master manipulator. But she knew that in the Dark Side, Level 4s were ultimately commonplace and expendable.
Level 5s wielded the true power.
Only a Level 5 could command the absolute attention of Academy City. Furthermore, a Spatial Level 5 was the ultimate escape hatch. If SCHOOL's leader, Kakine Teitoku, ever went crazy, or if she was targeted by a rival faction, Takahashi Yuuya could teleport her to safety instantly.
To live securely in the Dark Side, one had to cultivate the right friends.
'But thinking about how hot-blooded and impulsive Takahashi-senpai is... I'm a little hesitant~' Kaibi mused, tapping her lip.
She felt a bit conflicted recalling their previous encounter. She had used Measure Heart to make him feel a strong bond with her, but his resulting fervor had been almost overwhelming. She had hastily adjusted their psychological distance to a "platonic friendship" to maintain a safe boundary.
Even after the adjustment, he still remembered her deeply, almost like a protective older brother.
'Pursuing one Level 5 after another without genuine reciprocation is dangerous,' she calculated. 'After all, I can only adjust the level of affection; I can't mind-control his specific actions or morals. If he finds out I'm manipulating him, a Level 5 could kill me instantly.'
'But... accepting his pursuit naturally is also an option.'
Having a Level 5 Spatial User wrapped around her finger was a temptation too great to ignore.
After a moment of hesitation, she typed out a text message and hit send.
Her survival was more important than her hesitation.
...
Heaven Canceller's Hospital.
Inside the ICU, the Frog Doctor and Kiyama Harumi were carefully transferring the comatose Child Errors into the hospital's secure life-support pods.
Yuuya, having finished helping with the heavy lifting, was standing in the hallway. He was just about to teleport back to his apartment to check on Suzushina Yuriko when his phone buzzed.
He opened the text.
[Sender: Gokusai Kaibi]
Takahashi-senpai, do you remember me? It's Kaibi~ Want to go to the movies together after school tomorrow? A friend gave me two tickets~ It would be a waste if we didn't go!
"Oh~ I didn't expect to hear from her so soon."
Yuuya looked at the text message, a slight smile playing on his lips as he pictured the girl in the glamorous dress.
'So, knowing that I'm officially the Eighth Level 5, she's trying to secure my favor? She really knows how to play all sides to stay safe.'
He knew exactly what she was doing. Kaibi was an opportunist. But he didn't mind; her ability was incredibly useful, and she was a vital link to the inner workings of SCHOOL.
He quickly typed a reply.
Okay. I'll definitely come, Kaibi-chan.
Miles away, standing under the neon lights of the shopping district, Kaibi smiled as she received the reply. She turned her gaze toward the nearby movie theater, her plan set in motion.
...
District 7. The Windowless Building.
In the impenetrable fortress devoid of doors or windows, the supreme ruler of Academy City floated upside down in his life-support tube.
Usually, Aleister Crowley received reports in absolute silence.
But tonight, the Windowless Building welcomed a rare, furious guest.
"Aleister!"
A man marched into the cavernous room, his voice echoing off the walls.
"What exactly are you planning?! What is this scheme with the Eighth Level 5 and the Accelerator challenge?! I demand a clear answer from you right now!"
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