The Eighth Level 5 Esper? Misaka-senpai's steps faltered just slightly.
She'd caught whispers of it before—rumors drifting through back alleys and street corners that the Board of Directors was already making arrangements to select the eighth.
It seemed they weren't bothering much with secrecy; even some of the less critical details had already leaked out into the open. The only real mystery left was who the final candidate would be.
Chronologically speaking, the first seven could be considered Academy City's original batch of Level 5s—their emergence clustered tightly together, as if they'd collectively drained most of the city's accumulated research and resources since its founding.
After that initial wave, more than a year passed without a single new Level 5 appearing—until just recently, when news of an eighth began to circulate.
"Onee-sama, Natsume-san—I was shocked too when I heard. At first I thought it was just another baseless rumor, but Uiharu found that the Archives already have a blank file prepared for the eighth," Shirai-san said thoughtfully.
The Archives held records on nearly every esper in the city. Though they'd been glitching more often lately, their data was still mostly reliable.
Of course, accessing the full details of a Level 5 required extremely high clearance.
Normally, you could only view what had already been officially released—and since nothing had been announced yet, all that remained was an empty file.
Misaka-senpai's expression flickered with hesitation, and without thinking, she glanced toward Natsume Sonoko.
Could it be Natsume-san?
After all, the timing felt suspiciously convenient.
Not long ago, Accelerator had been defeated—and if you connected those two events, Natsume-san suddenly became a very plausible candidate.
Just as Misaka Mikoto turned her gaze toward Natsume Sonoko, she immediately caught a strange look flickering across that familiar bun-haired face.
Whenever Natsume-san was happy, she couldn't hide it at all—her emotions spilled out instantly for anyone to see.
It was just like during their last board game night: the moment she drew a good hand, her face would give it away before she even played a single card.
Now, walking along the damp pavement, Natsume-san pressed her lips together tightly, struggling to suppress something—desperately trying to return to her usual blank expression.
Hearing that her Level 5 file had already been created sent an unexpected flutter of joy through her chest, and despite her best efforts, her face began to twist into a barely contained grin.
But gloating too openly wouldn't do. A little restraint was still necessary—and Natsume Sonoko fully agreed with that sentiment.
"Natsume-san definitely knows something."
Misaka-senpai looked away, now certain.
Her initial suspicion had only been about thirty or forty percent—but the moment she saw that expression, it shot straight up to seventy or eighty.
"I heard from someone today—if the rumors are true, we'll find out for sure after the September physical exams," Misaka-senpai said.
"Onee-sama, Kuroko was thinking the same thing! Counting the days, the exams are less than five days away. I wonder which school the new Level 5 will come from."
Shirai-san rested a hand on her chin, frowning slightly—as if she'd suddenly transformed into a great detective once more.
"The school? I wouldn't be surprised if it's ours," Misaka-senpai replied, gazing up at the barrier shielding them from the downpour, her tone oddly distant.
"Our school!? Does Onee-sama have inside information? Could it be that Photon girl? No, absolutely not. Maybe one of the third-years, then?"
Shirai-san's eyes glazed over as her mind began running through names one by one. Before long, her expression turned serious.
If it really was someone from their school, there were over fifty possible suspects—coincidentally matching the number of Level 4s currently enrolled at Tokiwadai.
"Kuroko, I was just guessing. We'll know soon enough."
"And besides, it's getting late. We should head back to the dorms."
Misaka-senpai gave a small, exasperated sigh and waved her hand dismissively.
Natsume-san was certainly a strong possibility—but until it was officially confirmed, no one could say for sure. It might not even be a Tokiwadai student at all.
As Misaka-senpai and Shirai-san chatted beside her, the bun-haired girl slowed her pace slightly, lost in thought.
"Misaka-senpai, Shirai-san… last night, the Dorm Supervisor asked me to fill out a physical examination form."
"A physical exam form? Why would the Dorm Supervisor give you that?"
Shirai-san turned, puzzled, clearly not following.
Natsume Sonoko hadn't planned on hiding her Level 5 evaluation from anyone.
The reading circle had been the perfect chance to mention it—but they'd gotten so caught up in playing games that she'd completely forgotten. Still, it wasn't too late now.
"According to the Dorm Supervisor, it's for the Level 5 evaluation. Apparently, it came straight from the Board of Directors."
Her voice was quiet, but clear enough to hear.
"If it's a Level 5 physical exam form… I think I filled one out once too."
"Then congratulations, Natsume-san. I always thought you had it in you."
Misaka-senpai nodded knowingly, as if recalling something.
So that settled it—Natsume-san must be the eighth.
"Onee-sama! Are you two in cahoots? Are you keeping secrets from me!?"
Shirai-san stopped dead in her tracks, first stunned, then narrowing her eyes in suspicion.
After all, it hadn't even been five months since Natsume-san passed her Level 4 evaluation.
Becoming a Level 5 in just four months? That sounded utterly unrealistic.
Not to mention Natsume-san never seemed to study—she was always wandering off somewhere after class.
And yet, somehow, her grades remained consistently excellent. That part had always been baffling.
"Kuroko, I'm serious."
Misaka-senpai sighed lightly, exasperated.
"It's not some conspiracy, Shirai-san. You'll just have to accept reality. Besides, I've only been granted evaluation eligibility—it's not guaranteed I'll pass."
Natsume-san spoke earnestly, a flicker of visible worry in her eyes.
"Don't worry, Natsume-san. Just being invited to the evaluation means they've already decided. The physical is just to collect precise data—give it your all, and you'll be fine."
Misaka-senpai smiled warmly, her expression full of quiet encouragement. Her view on the matter was surprisingly similar to that of a certain goggle-wearing man.
"Really?"
Doubt still lingered on Natsume Sonoko's face—but Misaka-senpai's words carried weight, and her shoulders relaxed just a little.
"Onee-sama, what are you two even talking about? Kuroko doesn't understand a word!"
At that moment, Shirai-san's face crumpled into a pout, and she leaned heavily against Misaka-senpai—only to be swiftly smacked with a light chop to the head.
"Shirai-san, your reading comprehension needs work."
"Gwah!"
--+--
Tokiwadai Middle School Dormitory.
The three of them stood waiting by the dorm entrance. They'd already called the Dorm Supervisor and were just waiting for her to open the door.
"So the rumored eighth Level 5 is you, Natsume-san? It still doesn't feel right…"
Shirai-san rubbed her forehead, suspicion still etched on her face—and suddenly, a strange sense of crisis washed over her.
Unfortunately, that feeling didn't lead her to any useful conclusions. Instead, she clamped down hard on Misaka-senpai's arm and glared fiercely at Natsume-san.
"Even if you become a Level 5, there's no way you're taking Onee-sama away from me!" Shirai-san growled, her voice rough but brimming with intimidating resolve.
"Kuroko, you idiot…" Misaka-senpai froze, momentarily at a loss for words.
"Shirai, you're shouting loud enough to wake the dead. Want to have a little chat?"
Before long, the door creaked open to reveal a strange figure wearing a hydrating face mask—and speaking in a voice that was unmistakably familiar.
"Good evening, Dorm Supervisor!" ×3
A polite greeting was non-negotiable—it was practically Tokiwadai dormitory law, especially when face-to-face with the Dorm Supervisor herself.
"Come in. Keep it down—especially you, Shirai."
The Dorm Supervisor stood in her pajamas, face plastered with a mask, yet her usual aura of authority still shone through clearly.
"I never imagined the Dorm Supervisor used face masks…" All three girls found themselves momentarily distracted by the thought.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.