"Please, help! Judgment officers are being attacked by robbers!"
Uiharu Kazari shouted at the bank's entrance, overwhelmed by her own powerlessness.
She was just a Level 1, with no combat ability. Even boys her age could overpower her, let alone an adult esper robber.
Helpless, she could only plead for aid from passersby.
"Hmph…"
Samuel suddenly chuckled, a chilling sound that sent shivers down spines.
Konori Mii stared in shock. The calm, lake-like AIM Diffusion Field suppressing Katou Megumi was no longer restrained—it unfurled recklessly.
Samuel's AIM Diffusion Field now resembled a stormy sea at night, with howling winds and roaring thunder, swirling into towering waves.
This was merely the portion of his capacity he could freely control.
Equivalent to two Level 5s.
Nearby, a girl with short chestnut hair and a Gekota charm on her backpack glanced at Samuel.
He'd noticed her long ago—the first Level 5 program he'd collected: "Railgun," Misaka Mikoto.
But he had no time for her now.
Mikoto eyed him suspiciously. Though she couldn't see his AIM Diffusion Field, her electromagnetic senses picked up something amiss as the air seemed to gravitate toward him.
Samuel was furious—furious that robbers dared to hit his bank and assault his kouhais.
A pen flew from his coat. It looked ordinary, like any ballpoint pen—if it didn't fly.
Whistle~
Samuel gave a soft whistle.
Zing!
The pen's tip fired a one-centimeter-diameter spear laser, a military-grade weapon he'd designed.
Its range adjusted via energy input.
Currently, about twenty meters.
Samuel carved a circular hole in the bank's shutter, creating an entryway.
"I'll never… stoop to your level!"
Shirai Kuroko's voice echoed from within.
"You… huh?"
The robber noticed the cut shutter. It could aid his escape, but the one who'd done it was no ally.
"Well, well, you filthy scum. Not only do you rob my bank, but you dare hurt my kouhais? Tired of living?"
Samuel's AIM Diffusion Field formed a tangible shockwave, like a sea of blood crashing toward the robber.
"Illusion? Useless… die! This is my 'Absolute Constant Velocity.' As long as an object isn't destroyed or I don't stop my ability, it keeps moving in that direction."
An AIM Diffusion Field lacked direct lethality, affecting only other AIM fields or mental states.
If Samuel unleashed his full field, he could drive the robber insane.
But he didn't. He let the robber use his ability.
Samuel wanted to crush his delusions head-on.
The robber scattered steel pellets, each hurtling at Samuel at 127 meters per second.
"AT Field Shield!"
A solid energy barrier enveloped Samuel, shattering the pellets on contact.
As a scientist, it was reasonable for Samuel to carry a laser pen capable of piercing fifty meters and an AT Field Shield that could block missiles.
Other "safe" gadgets like a "Teleportation Ring," "Mental Shield Earpiece," "Mini Railgun," "High-Pressure Flame Lighter," and "Compact Turret Bot" were equally reasonable.
His Calculation ability and vast computational capacity didn't just let him emulate multiple esper powers—it granted him technological prowess.
Even without mimicking abilities, his tech alone secured his top-ranked Level 5 status.
"You can run. I'll give you forty-nine meters."
Light travels at nearly 300 million meters per second; his laser pen could hit in a millisecond.
"You… you…"
His trusted power broken, the robber instinctively retreated, fear gripping him.
Samuel smiled, slipping on a glove from his pocket.
"Mental Stinger Glove."
It amplified the mental sensation of pain in those touched—by about tenfold.
"Arghhh!!!"
A certain Railgun nearby shrugged, pocketed her coin, and left.
"Nice work, Shirai Kuroko! I've called an ambulance and doctors—they'll be here in five minutes. I've got business to handle, so I'll head out."
"You're…"
"Samuel-senpai…"
Uiharu clung to Samuel's waist, her fear erupting as she sobbed.
"Hey, hey, Uiharu… it's okay now."
"Samuel?"
Kuroko recognized the name. One of Academy City's eight Level 5s, the pinnacle among pinnacles.
Among those eight names, the only two-syllable one: the top-ranked "Eternal Variable," Samuel!
"Uh… can I go now?"
Katou Megumi crouched by the roadside, propping her face with one hand, watching Samuel entangled by Uiharu's embrace.
"I wouldn't recommend it."
Konori Mii stared intently at Katou, afraid to look away, sensing she'd vanish if she did.
"That's our Judgment Chief!"
Iino Miko gazed at Samuel with admiration, awed by his strength and "justice."
The hero-saving-loli scene passed quickly. Kuroko and Uiharu accompanied Konori-senpai to the hospital via ambulance.
Samuel resumed escorting Katou to the Judgment branch.
It was no longer an escort—she'd given up on running.
***
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