"Oh~ Aren't you... the Queen of Tokiwadai? Ohh, the sixth-ranked!"
At the pinnacle of Academy City's 1.3 million residents, the eight Level 5s were like global superstars. Even those who didn't care much would be stunned to encounter one.
"Hehe Sawamura-san, what's so surprising? Our dear Samuel here is the top-ranked Level 5"
"Ohh~ Really?"
"Well... sort of!"
Samuel was no longer a Level 5 but a genuine Level 6, having truly reached the realm of "a mortal grasping the will of the divine."
The so-called "will of the divine" referred to one's own soul, the essence of their ability.
Not a deity in the traditional sense.
Officially, though, he was still a Level 5.
"That's amazing! I'm just an esper..."
"An Ability is already impressive. What's your power?"
"I can summon things I draw."
"???"
"Like this..."
As a talented artist, Eriri naturally carried a sketchpad and pens. She pulled them out, quickly drew a flower, and Samuel sensed her AIM Diffusion Field activate.
The flower materialized from the page, while the drawing vanished.
"This..."
Shokuhou Misaki stared at the flower in disbelief. Academy City was full of oddities, but such an ability was exceptionally rare, even to her.
"Ohh~ That's incredible!"
Samuel was equally astonished. This was the closest thing to magecraft he'd seen among esper abilities.
But as he observed, a wicked grin crept onto his face. Leaning close to Eriri's ear, he whispered, "Kashiwagi Eri-sensei, have you ever used this ability for... heh heh..."
"No way! My ability's only Level 3, so I can only draw inanimate objects."
Eriri's flawless face flushed crimson, and she playfully pushed Samuel away, pouting like a flustered romantic.
"Oh~"
Indeed, the flower on the sketchpad was just a fake—a plastic imitation.
"...Committee Chairman Samuel, is it really okay to flirt with another girl in front of the one you asked out first?"
Shokuhou Misaki wore a smile, but it was a stiff, formal one.
"Who... who's flirting with him?!"
Eriri displayed her classic tsundere attitude.
Samuel's hand slid onto Shokuhou Misaki's, clad in her white spiderweb-patterned glove.
"What's that? Is my Misaki jealous? Come on, how about a kiss?"
"Get lost! Who wants your kiss?"
Samuel's hand was swatted away. Shokuhou Misaki took a sip of her drink, her manga-like eyes narrowing slightly. With a firm tone, she said, "Sawamura-san's family must be well-off, right?"
She could tell the girl before her still carried an innocent, untainted demeanor, much like her own peer. And this ability...
Even at Level 3, its research value rivaled a typical Level 4 spatial ability. For such a "treasure" to remain untouched by the darkness, there had to be a guiding light protecting her.
"Um... it's alright, I guess..."
"Her dad's the British ambassador to Japan, and her mom's from a local elite family."
Samuel knew what Shokuhou Misaki was getting at and answered directly.
"Hey!"
Eriri pouted, displeased at having her background exposed.
"Oh my! Quite the pedigree, huh? Samuel, you're not planning to live off her wealth, are you?"
"Not a bad idea. Misaki, why don't you sponsor me too? Add in Kaguya, Chika, and Miko... Hm, mooching off so many families might just make me the toughest freeloader around!"
"Get lost! Who's sponsoring you?"
"Or maybe I'll sponsor you?"
"Get lost!"
"..."
Feeling out of place, Eriri watched the clearly familiar banter between Samuel and Shokuhou Misaki. She couldn't find an opening to join in, leaving her momentarily awkward.
Sensing her discomfort, Samuel spoke up, "Eriri, you said before you wanted to repay me, right?"
"Oh?"
Shokuhou Misaki perked up, intrigued.
"Before... Yuu-kun... saved me... um..."
"How about pledging yourself to me?"
Shokuhou Misaki interjected abruptly.
"Eh... uh..."
The sudden remark sent Eriri's mind into a frenzy, her thoughts spiraling. Her face turned beet red, steam practically rising from her head.
Her CPU was clearly overheating.
"Am I the type to demand repayment for a favor?"
Stare~~
"I'm not! So..."
Samuel endured Shokuhou Misaki's piercing gaze to finish his sentence, then leaned close to Eriri's ear. "Kashiwagi Eri-sensei, how about drawing a special doujin just for me? No refusing—I did save you~"
"O-Okay~"
In her mental haze, Eriri instinctively agreed, then bolted away, her face burning with embarrassment.
"Ah! Such an easy girl to handle!"
Shokuhou Misaki propped her cheek on one hand, sighing helplessly.
"Well, that's what youth is all about, right? Isn't that what anime is—stories of girls and boys?"
"...I've seen plenty of stories about girls and boys!"
"Don't worry, usually... the extras don't make it to the next day."
"Hey, that's not very anime-like, is it?"
"Who said that? A great artist once called himself a 'Warrior of Love' and said, 'The cruelty of reality should be known to children, so they won't be harmed by naivety!' (Totally made up.) The fate of the overconfident... is to be found at the river's bottom!"
"..."
Shokuhou Misaki narrowed her captivating eyes, looking at the handsome young man radiating villainous vibes, feeling a mix of exasperation and amusement.
But she had to admit he was right. The powerless didn't deserve anything, because they couldn't hold onto what they had.
Beauty belonged only to the strong.
Even if the strong possessed many.
However...
Smack~~
Shokuhou Misaki slipped off her right shoe and, with a bright smile, delivered a fierce kick to Samuel's shin.
"Ouch! That hurt, Misaki~"
She didn't exactly dislike this kind of strong man!
Her beautiful eyes curved into crescents, but her foot didn't stop, occasionally landing more kicks on Samuel.
"Eh?"
Her ankle was suddenly grabbed as Samuel ducked under the table.
"Oh my! I had my suspicions, but you really do love spiderweb patterns! These things don't offer much defense, you know~"
Shokuhou Misaki's perpetually composed face flushed red, and her left foot stomped hard on Samuel's.
"Ah~"
***
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