"What?"
"We asked the mastermind to be our consultant?"
Shirai Kuroko bit her lip, her tone laced with self-mockery.
She was the one who decided to consult Kiyama Harumi about Level Upper, never suspecting Kiyama was behind it.
"Tch… we got played."
"Well… no one could've seen this coming. Too much of a coincidence!"
Saten Ruiko tried to console—or rather, calm—Kuroko.
"But… good thing I didn't use it. No such thing as free lunch…"
Saten shivered at the thought. Learning that Level Upper users were falling into comas sent chills down her spine.
"Kuroko, let's catch her!"
Misaka Mikoto's eyes blazed with determination. The so-called Multi-Skill esper intrigued her, and she itched to test herself against Kiyama.
"No way! Onee-sama, you—"
"Alright, alright, I get it…"
Kuroko's protest cut off as Mikoto, already knowing the lecture, brushed it off with a sulky tone.
"Sigh! Kiyama Harumi is dangerous. Judgment HQ has forbidden us from getting involved, so Onee-sama, don't take risks either…"
"HQ? That's where… that Samuel guy is, right? Even he's chickening out?"
"No, Onee-sama, he's not the type to back down. He's probably planning something big… likely just keeping us out to avoid collateral damage."
Kuroko gazed out the window. Under the radiant sun, Academy City thrived like a flourishing tree.
But like a tree, the more vibrant its surface, the deeper and darker its roots, drawing sustenance from the shadows.
As a Judgment member, Kuroko didn't delve too deeply into the city's darkness—nor was she qualified to. She only knew it wasn't as perfect as it seemed.
Yet, their carefree lives were thanks to that capricious, unreliable, yet dependable branch leader.
Sometimes, accepting peace was a way of acknowledging his efforts.
…
"Hm?"
Kiyama Harumi landed in front of a ruined research institute, her face darkening from its usual stoic mask to a grim scowl.
Her eyes burned blood-red, as if a beast's last line had been crossed. Whirlwinds roared, fueled by her rage.
This was one of the safehouses for her former students—now comatose, reduced to "vegetables."
After an experiment, they'd all fallen into comas.
To save them, Kiyama had delved into brain research, forming hypotheses.
But when she requested access to Academy City's supercomputer, Tree Diagram, for simulations, the higher-ups rejected her.
Twenty-three times.
She'd applied twenty-three times!
In the process, she uncovered the truth. That experiment, tied to brain research, was designed to fail from the start.
Those students—orphans abandoned in Academy City, taken in as test subjects—were meant to be disposable lab rats.
As a researcher, the greatest taboo and failure was forming attachments to test subjects.
Kiyama was neither an exemplary researcher nor teacher…
"Teacher, we trust you!"
Those children, smiling as they lay on the "testbed," believed in her.
Kiyama failed them. They never woke, trapped in a near-impossible dream state.
She hid them, scattering them across Academy City's corners.
To save them, she needed a supercomputer like Tree Diagram.
If the city wouldn't grant access, she'd build one!
Level Upper!
A brain science expert, Kiyama studied AIM Diffusion Fields and created Level Upper.
Level Upper was a "neural internet," linking nearly ten thousand brains via the terminal, multiplying computational power to rival Tree Diagram.
Now, she could finally start treating her students.
But… their safehouse was destroyed, and the students' fates were unknown!
"Calm down! It's not confirmed!"
A breeze swept through the institute, her winds acting as hands, searching frantically.
Nothing…
No living beings!
"Aaaahhh—"
The gentle breeze turned into a divine roar, hurricanes ravaging the land, lifting the institute into the air.
Fury overwhelmed Kiyama's calm, decade-honed mind, her immense computational power spiraling out of control.
When calm, she controlled Level Upper, linking ten thousand brains.
But when her mind faltered, their thoughts and consciousnesses could backflow, corrupting her.
She wasn't fully lost yet—this was just one site. There were others!
She knew the city's higher-ups left no loose ends, but in desperation, people cling to "luck"—also called "hope."
She had to check the other safehouses…
"No need to rush, Kiyama-sensei. All the surviving children from that experiment are safe in a hospital. Don't misunderstand… I mean no harm!"
Space seemed to warp, time itself distorting.
Kiyama's emotions snapped to calm, her blood-red eyes scanning the surroundings. It was as if she'd left Earth, its rules vanishing.
"What ability is this?"
She stared at the figure ahead, her voice thick with doubt.
"World distortion! Modifying reality via AIM Diffusion Fields!"
"Incredible… No wonder you're Academy City's ace! Eternal Variable? I was curious about that title, but seeing you now… it somehow makes sense."
Samuel stood there, no Leumas, just plainly present.
Yet to Kiyama, it wasn't a figure—it was the entire world!
***
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