"Ouch!"
The sudden pain made Uiharu Kazari cover her forehead with both hands.
"It wasn't me, Uiharu. I wouldn't do something so pointless," Yuuya said smoothly, withdrawing the finger he had just used to flick her forehead. Doing something that had absolutely no benefit was not in his nature. He wasn't the kind of sociopath who thrived on chaos just to see a good show.
Though he had to admit, teasing them was indeed quite fun.
Saten Ruiko blinked as she watched her Senpai and Uiharu acting so close, feeling a slight, inexplicable twinge of discomfort in her chest. Shaking it off, she asked in confusion, "Does Senpai know why those delinquents all suddenly got superpowers?"
She had also seen the rumors on the Academy City forums; there were countless posts from people showing off new abilities they had mysteriously acquired.
'I thought I was the only one who gained an ability because of Takahashi-senpai,' Saten thought, feeling a bit down. 'I didn't expect so many other people to gain them. It turns out I'm not that special after all.'
"Yeah, does Senpai have any clues?" Uiharu rubbed her forehead, no longer minding the flick, and looked up at Yuuya expectantly.
Academy City had suddenly seen a massive surge in crime, with many Judgment officers becoming targets of malicious revenge, and armed Skill-Out gangs actively hunting down espers. This matter had Judgment and Anti-Skill in a real bind, but they just couldn't find the missing puzzle piece.
"Keep up," Yuuya said, turning around and walking with his hands in his pockets.
Uiharu and Saten quickly followed a step behind him.
"Do you two remember that audio file, Level Upper, that I mentioned to you before?" Yuuya asked.
"I remember, but it's just an audio track, isn't it? And it's awful! I couldn't stand it after just ten seconds." Saten frowned as she heard him mention the song. The thought of that terrible, grating sound gave her goosebumps.
"I've heard it too. It really is an awful song," Uiharu stuck out her tongue shyly. Then, her mind connected the dots and her eyes widened incredulously. "Wait! Could that audio file be the culprit behind all the sudden esper crimes in Academy City?!"
"That's right. Those delinquents gained their temporary abilities by listening to that exact track," Yuuya said with a half-smile.
"It's real?! The urban legend..." Saten took out her phone in disbelief and looked at the audio file saved in her music player. A fleeting hint of eagerness flickered across her face; the rumors said that the Level Upper could raise anyone's ability level. If only she hadn't paused it...
"It's actually true? That's unbelievable! But why would the creator of such a groundbreaking ability-enhancing tool distribute it privately on the internet?" Uiharu immediately spotted the logical flaw.
If someone were to invent such a revolutionary mechanism, they would undoubtedly receive countless academic honors. There was no scientist in the city who wouldn't want that kind of prestige. However, the fact that Level Upper was spreading in secret and causing massive social security risks was something that deserved serious investigation.
"Who knows?" Yuuya shrugged.
Kiyama Harumi would definitely be exposed soon enough, but he had no intention of spoiling the show. A calculating glint flashed in his eyes.
'If I can obtain the core of that AIM Burst, I could theoretically interface it with the Misaka Network. That would give me the raw processing hub needed to leap into Level 6 in one step.'
Not only could he achieve Level 6 with it, but any Level 5 could theoretically be pushed to Level 6 using that network hub. Although a Level 6 wasn't an omnipotent God in the wider multiverse, it was the absolute trump card for Academy City, making the General Board of Directors behave much more respectfully.
'Those Board members aren't easy to deal with either,' he mused. 'None of the core directors are simple. They all know the dark foundation of Academy City and the secrets of the Artificial Heaven. They've even created weapons weaponizing the AIM diffusion field. The city can't function without politicians, but it is entirely possible to gradually brainwash them into obedient servants through psychological manipulation. I doubt Aleister would have any objections, since he views those board members as disposable pawns anyway.'
"Thank you so much, Senpai! Now Judgment has a definitive clue. As long as we find the creator, this entire incident will be solved!" Uiharu said with a righteous expression, though she quickly lowered her head shyly when she caught Yuuya's playful smile.
"I kinda want to try out the Level Upper now. It's such an amazing thing..." Saten murmured, staring at her screen, tempted to actually listen to it.
"Saten, you'd better not listen to the Level Upper," Yuuya warned, his expression turning slightly serious. "I've heard that people who use this thing inevitably fall into a deep coma, since it forcefully alters their brainwaves."
'Although the audio file itself isn't inherently fatal to the human body,' Yuuya thought, 'once Kiyama Harumi completes the unification of the network and the AIM Burst fully manifests, the users will inevitably be dragged into an unforgettable nightmare.'
Saten was startled and stared in shock at the audio file in her catalog. "So, the Level Upper is... actually that dangerous...?"
"Falling into a coma..." Uiharu was taken aback, her expression turning deadly serious. "Could it be that the recent surge in students mysteriously collapsing is due to the use of the Level Upper? I thought it was just severe heatstroke caused by the summer temperatures, but I never expected it to be connected to this!"
Previously, when Kuroko was arresting delinquents who committed crimes using their newly acquired superpowers, she had encountered two cases of the suspects suddenly losing consciousness. But hospital scans found no physical brain trauma, so it was brushed off as heatstroke.
'The situation is incredibly serious now,' Uiharu realized. 'I must report this to my superiors and Anti-Skill immediately!'
"Yuuya!"
At that moment, a somewhat anxious voice accompanied by rapid footsteps echoed down the street. Index appeared at the alley entrance. When she spotted Yuuya, she ran over with her cheeks puffed out, looking incredibly unhappy.
"Yuuya, you actually left me all alone and ran off!" she complained.
"Didn't I tell you I'd just be gone for a minute to check something?" Yuuya sighed.
"But you suddenly ran away! I felt completely lost in this unfamiliar place!" Index pouted angrily.
"Okay, my mistake."
"Senpai, who is this girl?" Saten became instantly wary upon seeing the silver-haired nun, especially after hearing her use his first name so intimately. 'Could she be his girlfriend?!'
"Ah? Friends?" Index looked at the two middle school girls standing behind Yuuya and became even more dissatisfied. He abandoned her on the street and ran into an alley just to chat up two other girls?!
"Yes, they're my friends. Girls, this is Index, a guest who is temporarily staying at my apartment," Yuuya introduced them casually. "These two are my juniors."
"My name is Uiharu Kazari!" Uiharu bowed politely.
"My name is Saten Ruiko." Saten introduced herself. For some reason, she felt a sense of relief upon hearing that the girl was just a 'guest' and not explicitly his girlfriend.
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Give me powerstones.
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