An uninvited guest arrived!
The voice did not come from either Shokuhou Misaki or Haramura Makoto.
Instead, it came from a figure clad in bright red knight armor—but this armor was far from ordinary.
From his feet to his knees, elbows, shoulders, wrists, waist, back, and chest, he had over fifty small wheels attached, resembling inline skates.
Not only that, but two miniature jet engines, about twenty centimeters in diameter and fifty centimeters long, were mounted on his back.
His face was obscured, but the man sped toward the two like a speed skater mid-race.
"Looks like another delinquent gang!"
Shokuhou Misaki had already risen when the knight suit spoke.
She glanced at Haramura Makoto, retrieved the remote she'd put away back into her hand.
The remote was her weapon—only when she held it was she truly safe.
"Even among delinquent gangs, differences exist. Besides, we're just sticking together for warmth; we haven't committed any serious crimes."
Haramura Makoto noticed slightly later than Misaki, but under her piercing gaze, he couldn't help but smirk.
When he focused on the approaching knights, now less than fifty meters away, his brows furrowed deeply.
"Red knight armor, this outfit…"
Muttering to himself, Haramura Makoto aligned what he saw with the intelligence his comrades had gathered.
"You must be 'Deadlock'!"
"You know us?"
The wheels screeched sharply against the ground from every direction—front, back, left, right.
They all wore red knight armor with full-face helmets.
Judging from body shapes, there were both males and females, with a wide range of ages.
Now, this gang called "Deadlock" surrounded Shokuhou Misaki and Haramura Makoto.
"You do look familiar too."
Behind the helmet, it was impossible to see the leader's expression.
But Haramura Makoto's face had darkened completely.
"Deadlock is a powerless gang formed within the last six months. Their main objective…"
"Is attacking espers, right? These losers can only vent their frustration through this."
Shokuhou Misaki's voice cut him off coldly.
She knew nothing about powerless gangs—or rather, she couldn't bother with such trash.
They were scum who blamed their own insignificance on others.
They were the ones who dissected her brain and cultured the External Brain.
Using her power to control and change their minds caused her no mental burden.
As for whether she trusted anyone?
Not entirely.
At least now, at Tokiwadai, thanks to her talent, the girls who idolized her as queen, she could place some trust in them.
She was sure she hadn't used her power on those girls.
But…
"There's no need for full trust. And if you don't want to use your powers, try seeing hearts like I do—without abilities."
He didn't preach grand principles.
Many things only become clear through experience.
For teenage boys and girls, denying their thoughts often only causes rebellion.
So he offered a solution that Misaki might accept, even if it cost him some effort.
"Really?"
Misaki's brows visibly knitted—he surprised her a bit.
"Well, some understand quickly, others never do."
"I wonder how quick you'll be, Shokuhou Misaki."
Haramura Makoto's smirk was clearly teasing.
"What to learn? No need, this Level 5 will die here today."
As his words fell, every member activated powerful jackhammers that roared deafeningly.
"Our target now is to eliminate the cancer of this city."
Whether or not the leader's helmet was psychic-proof was unclear, but he mockingly turned on the jackhammer, aiming it at Misaki and Makoto.
"Kill the espers."
The onslaught of weapon sounds shattered the summer night's peace.
A cage woven by mankind's malice trapped Shokuhou Misaki and Haramura Makoto.
"Kill the espers who took everything from us."