"I can't believe Level Upper is just a song? Can a mere song really boost someone's abilities?"
In the 173rd Branch, the Judgment office, Shirai Kuroko and Uiharu Kazari were hard at work.
Uiharu sat at the computer, her slender fingers dancing across the keyboard, lines of code appearing rapidly.
Kuroko stood beside her, eyes fixed on the phone plugged into the computer. Its screen flickered as the song Saten Ruiko sent—Level Upper—was transferred and analyzed by Uiharu.
"Any progress, Uiharu?"
Kuroko's gaze shifted to the screen as Uiharu's typing stopped, signaling a result.
"…No issues? That's odd. It seems like a perfectly ordinary song, nothing special."
"It's from Saten-san, so it shouldn't be a problem…"
"Could Saten-san have been tricked?"
"Tch… it's not impossible! Alright, esper powers are tied to brain research. Uiharu, contact Kiyama-sensei. She's a brain science expert—she might have some leads."
"Got it!"
Kiyama-sensei, full name Kiyama Harumi, was a quirky researcher they'd met by chance, somewhat lacking in common sense but holding a prestigious degree in brain science.
Uiharu dialed her number.
"Hello, Kiyama-sensei! It's Uiharu. We need your help with something…"
As Uiharu spoke with Kiyama, Kuroko studied Level Upper, musing, "Hm… Level Upper… can it really enhance abilities? No… given the situation, it seems it can. But why spread it in secret? Is there a cost? Or… something else?"
"Um, Kiyama-sensei, is it really possible to boost abilities with just audio software?"
Uiharu posed the question.
"Well… it's not impossible! If it's a learning device, maybe!"
In the AIM Research Institute, Kiyama Harumi toyed with her earphones, chatting with Uiharu.
"Learning device? Those exist?"
"Of course… but it's classified, so I won't say more. Send it over, and I'll look into it. I'll let you know if I find anything!"
"Thanks for the trouble!"
The call ended. Kiyama opened her phone, where a looping audio app stood out.
"Learning devices? Those are all in the higher-ups' hands… Oh? Typical… Anti-Skill only moves this fast when ordered from above. Guess it's time for me to act."
Dark circles shadowed Kiyama's eyes as she glanced out the window, spotting Anti-Skill agents swarming the building.
She opened her computer, accessing a source file—Uiharu's breakdown of Level Upper's code.
Beep beep beep~
As she prepared to work, the screen went black…
"Tch… they hacked my computer in an instant? Nice… even for this, they're using Tree Diagram!"
Kiyama's eyes narrowed, a beastly hatred flashing through them.
"Kiyama Harumi, you're under arrest~"
Boom~
Her eyes turned blood-red, a whirlwind swirling in her hands. In the small office, a massive gust erupted.
The blast shattered the glass, scattering papers. The Anti-Skill agents who'd just entered were blown back, crashing into walls and passing out.
"An esper?"
Leading the team was Yomikawa Aiho, stationed downstairs. The third-floor windows exploded, and a figure floated in the air.
Kiyama Harumi!
"Hmph~"
Kiyama had no intent to kill, at least not these agents. But seeing them, her resentment for their "inaction" drove her to act.
With a wave of her arm, a fierce gust slammed into the ground, the shockwave tossing Anti-Skill agents off their feet.
"Attack! Deploy anti-esper tactics!"
Rat-tat-tat-tat
Tranquilizer darts fired at Kiyama.
Clang clang clang~
An invisible barrier deflected the darts.
"Multi-ability esper?"
Yomikawa wasn't a researcher or an esper, but as Anti-Skill's captain, she was experienced enough to notice.
The initial attack and the defensive barrier were clearly two different abilities.
"Not a multi-ability esper. My power differs from that impossible concept. Call it… a Multi-Skill esper."
As Kiyama spoke, she attacked again, her right hand clenching, unleashing an invisible force at the agents…
Zzt zzt zzt~
Electromagnetic flickers sparked in the air, startling Kiyama.
"Electromagnetism? No… an AIM Diffusion Field? They're disrupting my abilities with an AIM field?"
As a scholar of brain science and AIM fields, Kiyama quickly understood.
This was Anti-Skill's anti-esper strategy, using special devices to create a "magic-ban" zone.
"Tch… no time to waste here, or I'll attract troublesome players!"
Kiyama's form blurred, vanishing in an instant.
"Teleportation? A Multi-Skill esper?"
Yomikawa stared at the spot where Kiyama disappeared, murmuring to herself.
…
Kiyama Harumi, the mastermind behind the Level Upper incident, has fled.
The Level Upper incident has left nearly ten thousand people comatose, likely due to Kiyama controlling their brains, trapping them in deep dream states.
Kiyama Harumi is highly dangerous, a self-proclaimed Multi-Skill esper with multiple Level 4 abilities, including but not limited to Aerokinesis, Teleportation, and Barrier.
All Judgment and Anti-Skill members: report sightings immediately. Do not engage!
***
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