"Huff, huff~"
In the dead of night, Esther slumped in a corner, glancing around warily. Her heart was heavy with uncertainty.
She had escaped and shaken off her pursuers, but now what? Where should she go? What should she do? She had no answers.
She'd been in Academy City for nearly a year, yet it remained alien to her.
Beyond the Hishigata siblings, she knew no one. Beyond the research institute, she had no home.
"Oh~ Hey, pretty lady, why so tired? Wanna have some fun with us?"
A group of punks, passing by, were drawn to Esther's striking white research outfit. Her beauty captivated them instantly.
"Sorry! I don't have time to hang out. I have to…"
At sixteen or seventeen, Esther had lived in sheltered environments and missed the punks' true intentions, mistaking their words for a simple invitation.
She declined firmly. Though unsure of her destination or purpose, she needed to keep moving. She'd only temporarily lost her pursuers.
From what she knew of the city's dark underbelly, they'd soon lock onto her again.
She had to move quickly, find a corpse, and use her Necromancy.
But punks, no matter the place or time, were always the least perceptive.
"Hey! You're not going anywhere unless you hang with us!"
The punks formed a human wall, boxing Esther into the corner.
"Please move!"
"Come on, with me—"
A talisman on her body activated, channeling the combat instincts of a Pseudo-Soul into her muscles. Facing the "enemy's" "attack," her body reacted instinctively.
Esther crouched and swept her leg, toppling the punks in one motion.
"You little—"
"Ahhh~"
How could a group of punks stand against a mage? Her body's instinctive reflexes made Esther move like a leopard—swift and agile. She struck quickly, knocking them down.
"She's an esper?! Damn… let's go…"
The punks, the scum of Academy City, blamed their lack of abilities on fate, turning their uselessness into hostility. Self-abandoned and reckless, they bullied the weak and feared the strong—a pathetic bunch.
Anti-Skill typically dealt with them through warnings and education.
The Board of Directors, including Samuel, preferred to simply eliminate them.
Esther didn't bother chasing them. She continued down the road, searching for a hospital.
"Yo~ Need any help?"
A sudden voice put Esther on high alert. She spun 180 degrees, backing away to create distance.
A boy in casual sportswear, a Judgment armband on his shoulder, stood before her.
"Hi! I'm Samuel, with Judgment. Why are you out so late? Need assistance?"
"Judgment?"
Esther knew Judgment was a student organization maintaining order, technically under the same umbrella as Anti-Skill.
Most Judgment members were espers.
His appearance and sudden approach matched the profile.
"Um… can you take me to a hospital?"
Still unfamiliar with Academy City, Esther had no idea how long it'd take to find one on her own. She decided to ask the Judgment member.
"Hm?"
The boy vanished, reappearing beside her.
Samuel's hands moved like phantoms, manipulating Esther like a puppet before she could react, despite her enhanced body and reflexes.
"You're not injured. Why a hospital? If you don't explain, I'll have to detain you temporarily!"
Samuel's tone was stern, as if saying, "Confess and be lenient; resist and face consequences."
Esther realized how formidable he was.
"At least Level 4. I'm no match… Judgment questioning is within protocol… I'll just tell the truth."
After quick deliberation, she said, "I need to go to the morgue to find a corpse…"
"Hm??? Big shot, have a seat!"
"Eh?!"
A chair appeared from nowhere—the kind used for interrogating major suspects in group crimes.
Samuel, grinning, pressed Esther into the chair. Handcuffs sprang from the armrests and legs, securing her.
"Let's talk back at the station! We can take our time. Oh, and… you have the right to remain silent, but everything you say can and will be used against you! Man, I've wanted to say that line forever… You're the first!"
"What are you doing?! Are you with them?"
A lucky guess!
"No Judgment member in this city would let you off…"
Samuel sighed, exasperated. He'd never met such a naive mage.
"Ehe!"
With a cutesy squeal, a blonde girl skidded to a halt at the alley's entrance, pointing inside. "You can't escape! Eh? Boss?"
"…Useless. I had to step in myself. Frenda, no bonus this time!"
"Aaah! No, Boss! Punish me any way you want, just don't dock my bonus!"
Frenda clung to Samuel's leg, wailing loudly.
"And you, Mugino! Get ready for your punishment!"
"Hm? Not docking my bonus?"
"Didn't Frenda say any punishment but that? Money's no big deal—punishment's way more fun!"
Mugino Shizuri's eyes flicked to Frenda upon hearing Samuel's words.
"Ehe! :)"
"Ehe my foot! (What's with that 'ehe'?!)"
Spotting Frenda's cutesy act, Mugino fired a Meltdowner beam, slicing just in front of her to scare her.
"Frendaaa—"
"Boss, what's that yelling? I feel deeply targeted…"
The beam had only grazed past Frenda, but Samuel's words inexplicably filled her with a strange sense of malice.
"Oh~ Nothing…"
Samuel replied casually, extending a hand. An invisible force pulled the chair—where Esther was subtly trying to shuffle away—toward him.
Grabbing the chair, he vanished with her.
"Hurry back and get ready for your punishment!"
"Who wants that?! Let's go!"
Mugino Shizuri shot back defiantly, then sauntered off casually.
***
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