The documents handed out by Asagi Aiba clearly outlined the details of the experiment.
And the moment the girls read the explanation—
—they froze.
"...This has to be a joke, right?"
"Magic?"
Ruiko Saten stared blankly at the papers in her hands, her mind completely blank.
Magic? Seriously?
It wasn't just her. Every single person in the room wore the same stunned expression.
Even more so for Frenda Seivelun, who worked in the dark side of Academy City.
"That's impossible… There's no way an experiment like this would be allowed in Academy City."
She knew better than anyone how hostile the relationship between the Magic Side and the Science Side truly was.
And yet—
now the Science Side was stepping into magic?
Asagi let out a small sigh before calmly explaining:
"This world has always had magic."
"But traditional magic relies on mysticism—something beyond scientific understanding."
"What we're developing is different."
"Our 'Modern Magic' doesn't rely on mystery at all."
"It uses scientific methods to reproduce magical phenomena."
She paused briefly, glancing at their confused faces.
"There's no point explaining everything in detail right now. Just follow the procedure—we'll show you."
Standing beside her, Izumi smiled faintly as he observed the group.
"Alright, that's enough explanation."
"Asagi, let's begin."
"First, we test the compatibility between low-level espers and non-espers."
"Then we compile the results."
The experiment officially began.
The girls were first assigned living quarters within the facility. Though the institute appeared empty, aside from Izumi and Asagi, there were others deeper inside—
Dolly and Chiyu Yurii remained in restricted sections.
Once preparations were complete, Asagi began the first phase:
Understanding Modern Magic.
Only after grasping the basics could they proceed to the next step—
Using their own AIM-based calculation ability to activate pre-programmed magic sequences embedded in a CAD (Casting Assistance Device).
The theory worked.
Perfectly.
The magic programs within the CAD were fixed.
Anyone capable of interacting with psions could activate them.
And by matching magic types to each individual's natural affinity—
they could cast spells.
Take Kuroko Uiharu—no, more accurately, Kazari Uiharu.
Her Level 1 ability, Thermal Hand, allowed her to maintain temperature.
Based on that, Asagi assigned her temperature-related magic.
At first, she struggled.
But soon—
"I… I did it…!"
A faint fluctuation of heat gathered in her hands.
A basic thermal manipulation spell.
Her power—
had jumped from Level 1 capability to something comparable to Level 3.
Her eyes trembled.
"T-This… this is real…?"
Meanwhile, Aomiya Misaki—no, rather, Aomiya Kiyomi and others tested their own affinities.
And then there was Ruiko Saten.
A Level 0.
A complete non-esper.
"...Let me try this one."
She selected a wind-type spell.
Activated the CAD.
Focused.
And—
BOOM!
A powerful gust erupted from her position, whipping through the room.
Her hair and skirt fluttered wildly as the shockwave dissipated.
Silence followed.
Then—
"...I did that?"
Her voice trembled.
She could feel it.
That power—
came from her.
The room erupted into shock.
Non-espers… using power?
This completely overturned everything Academy City stood for.
The hierarchy.
The system.
The very concept of "talent."
One by one, the girls began experimenting.
Acceleration magic.
Weight manipulation.
Sensory enhancement.
Even low-level spells drastically increased their combat capability.
For espers, it was like becoming multi-skill users.
For non-espers—
it was nothing short of a miracle.
Standing in the observation area, Izumi watched silently.
He had chosen these girls carefully.
Some were skilled in programming.
Some in engineering.
Some in explosives.
Some in analysis.
They weren't just test subjects—
they were future developers.
If Modern Magic was to spread, people like them would be essential.
At that moment—
Asagi suddenly froze.
Her fingers moved rapidly across the keyboard, eyes widening.
"Izumi—look at this!"
Everyone turned toward her.
"What is it?" Izumi asked.
Her voice trembled—not with fear, but excitement.
"A new discovery!"
She pulled up the data.
"The non-espers… when they use Modern Magic…"
"Their brain's calculation ability is increasing."
Silence.
Then—
"It means Modern Magic and esper abilities resonate with each other."
"They grow together."
"The stronger the magic becomes—the stronger the esper potential becomes too!"
Her breathing quickened.
"This completely overturns the Parameter List theory."
"No—more than that—"
She looked at them, eyes shining.
"As long as they continue using magic…"
"They can keep evolving."
"Level 5—"
"Even Level 6…"
"—is no longer impossible."
Silence filled the room once more.
But this time—
it wasn't disbelief.
It was something else.
Something far more dangerous.
Hope.