I, Kurumi Tokisaki, Am a Wanderer

"Level 5!!?" Misaka Mikoto stood up abruptly, her hands pressing against the table as disbelief filled her expression.

But... at the same time, it all made sense.

To resist Shokuhou Misaki's Mental Out and even "counterattack" it, there could only be one explanation—the person before her was also a Level 5 esper.

"So, Kurumi-senpai is the sixth of the seven Level 5 espers?" Misaka asked, her tea-colored eyes fixed on Kurumi as her fingers unconsciously stirred the silver spoon in her coffee cup.

"Not at all," Kurumi replied, resting her chin on her palm as a faint smile spread across her face.

Misaka fell silent.

She understood now. Sitting before her, smiling gently, was Academy City's yet-to-be-revealed eighth Level 5 esper.

After a long moment of silence, Misaka raised her head, her eyes alight with boundless fighting spirit. She looked at Kurumi with a gaze full of anticipation.

"If possible... Kurumi-senpai, could we have a match?"

"Why's that?" Kurumi asked, tapping her cheek lightly with her index finger, her smile taking on a playful edge. "Misaka... why do you want to fight me?"

"Because Kurumi-senpai is strong," Misaka answered simply.

What Misaka sought wasn't merely a fight, nor was it pure strength. She wanted to prove herself—to prove that the abilities she, Misaka Mikoto, had honed and taken pride in weren't hollow, but something worthy of admiration and confidence.

"—Hehehe," Kurumi chuckled.

As that smile widened, Misaka suddenly realized that the always-gentle Kurumi-senpai sitting before her might be far stronger than she had imagined.

And perhaps... she had another side Misaka had never seen before.

What exactly did Shokuhou Misaki see earlier? Misaka suddenly felt an intense curiosity.

The fear Shokuhou had displayed—what could frighten her like that?

Of course, there was no way Misaka could ask that big-chested girl about it, so she buried her curiosity deep in her heart.

The smile on Kurumi's face deepened. She stood up from her seat, stretching lazily. "Mmh~ah~~~"

The soft, alluring sound was enough to make even another girl feel weak. It was a charm unique to Kurumi Tokisaki—sweet and sultry.

"My, my."

"If little Misaka wants it~ sure, why not?"

Combat between Level 5 espers is strictly prohibited in Academy City.

Because the power of a Level 5 far exceeds that of the military, a fight between two Level 5s wouldn't be a mere battle—it would be war.

Even paralyzing or destroying Academy City wouldn't be out of the question.

But neither Misaka Mikoto nor Kurumi were the kind of girls who cared much about following rules.

Misaka led Kurumi out of the School Garden. As they left, the junior in charge of recording student departures kindly reminded her:

"It's getting late, Misaka-senpai. If you're heading out, please remember to come back early, or it'll be troublesome if the gates are locked."

Misaka hesitated for a moment. Am I... really that well-known?

It's not like I leave often—just 'occasionally' when I'm in a bad mood, to teach some delinquents a lesson. How did it end up like everyone remembers me for it? she thought, feeling a bit conflicted.

As the massive sun began to sink below the horizon, the fiery glow of the setting sun bathed the city. The two girls arrived at an abandoned park on the edge of the Seventh District.

They were nearing the Tenth District, where the tall barbed wire fence loomed in the distance.

The Tenth District was home to Academy City's only cemetery, as well as nuclear and bacterial research facilities and incinerators for experimental animals. As such, it was a place most people preferred to avoid.

With the school day long over, the area was nearly deserted as the two girls walked through it.

In the abandoned park, all that remained were rusted and dilapidated playground structures. Misaka Mikoto stopped in her tracks.

"The patrols for this area are scheduled for after 7 p.m., so don't worry, Kurumi-senpai. No one will notice us," Misaka explained to Kurumi.

No one will notice? Kurumi sighed inwardly.

Misaka was still too young, too naive.

A battle between two Level 5s? How could the higher-ups not be aware of it?

Unbeknownst to Misaka, individuals clad in special gear—most likely members of the dark side—were busy clearing the area, driving away any lingering delinquents to ensure no one was nearby.

It was obvious that this duel was being closely monitored, and perhaps... even anticipated.

"In Academy City, every Level 5 Esper is given a title based on their abilities," Misaka said as she crumpled an empty soda can in her hand, explaining to Kurumi.

"As for me, I'm called Railgun. Right now, I'm ranked third among the Level 5s."

"And, just like the name suggests—" She held the crumpled soda can tightly in her hand, assuming a throwing stance.

As Misaka finished speaking, an orange streak of light, like a straight lance, shot past Kurumi, silent but deadly.

Judging from Misaka's movements, that laser-like light was the crushed soda can she had just thrown.

BOOM BOOM BOOM—

The delayed sound of explosions followed, much like thunder rolling in after a lightning strike.

The shockwave swept toward Kurumi, causing her black dress to rustle and her bangs, which covered her left eye, to lift slightly, revealing a golden clock-like pupil.

"As long as it's moving at three times the speed of sound, even a coin can become a deadly weapon. Unfortunately, due to atmospheric friction, the range is limited to about fifty meters."

"That's me. NO.3—Railgun."

"Senpai... why didn't you dodge?" Misaka asked, her tone curious as she stared at Kurumi. Through the strands of Kurumi's loose black hair, Misaka thought she saw a glimmer of that golden left eye.

Is she just being overly dramatic?

With Kurumi-senpai's personality, that didn't seem likely.

It piqued Misaka's curiosity.

"Because... Misaka wasn't really aiming to hit me, right?" Kurumi responded with a soft laugh, gently sweeping her disheveled hair back before continuing.

"Misaka, do you really want to fight me?"

Misaka felt like this question held some deeper significance. She nodded firmly.

Blue-white sparks crackled around Misaka as her body began to emit a faint buzzing sound.

The ground beneath her feet rumbled and trembled, as if something was about to burst forth.

Not only that, the nearby white wind turbines began spinning in reverse.

This was the origin of the urban legend: When the wind turbine blades spin backward, something extraordinary is about to happen in the city.

The anomalous reverse rotation of the wind turbines was caused by the powerful electric currents Misaka Mikoto generated when she activated her abilities, which disrupted the surrounding magnetic fields.

"Hehehe..." A chilling smile spread across Kurumi's face. "Well then, I won't hold back."

Kurumi spread her arms, stepping lightly into a spinning dance. The arcs of her movement seemed to carve lines into the air itself.

Misaka Mikoto's eyes widened in shock as she stood frozen.

Her entire field of vision was dyed red...

The barren ground, the shrubs—all were stained with blotches of red and black.

Even breathing became difficult, as if the air had thickened into a viscous gel.

The crackling electric arcs surrounding Misaka's body provided some relief from the suffocating atmosphere.

A faint sizzling sound came from the air. In an instant, Kurumi obliterated every Airborne Circuitry (UNDER_LINE) and other surveillance equipment within a kilometer radius, driving out the agents of the dark side who had been monitoring them.

Accompanied by Kurumi's eerie, enchanting laughter, black and red shadows rose from the ground like living creatures, crawling and writhing over her slender form.

Then, like the tide retreating, the shadows scattered, leaving behind a resplendent Gothic-styled figure.

In Misaka's memory, Kurumi-senpai had always dressed conservatively. Except for her fair, delicate face, slender neck, and hands, her entire body had been meticulously covered.

But now, she was dressed in a stunningly revealing, seductive battle outfit.

The black-and-red corset hugged Kurumi's figure tightly, exposing her slender, velvety shoulders, her elegant collarbone, and a generous expanse of soft, creamy skin that left Misaka momentarily speechless.

The voluminous skirt, in matching black and red hues, flared out dramatically, accented by a large bow tied at her waist. Beneath it, she wore her signature smooth black stockings.

However, what caught Misaka's attention most was still that golden eye.

Looking at it closely now, it resembled a clock face, with faintly trembling hands ticking within.

"Hehehe..." Kurumi chuckled, her slender index finger tracing lightly over her lips.

"My, my... Misaka~~~ are you inviting me on a date?"

Danger! Danger! Danger!

Misaka's entire body felt like it was being assaulted by alarms.

Kurumi-senpai seemed like an entirely different person after changing her outfit—radiating a terrifying sense of threat and an even more intoxicating allure.

She was like a lycoris radiata, a red spider lily, beautiful but brimming with peril.

In this situation, Misaka chose not to recklessly attack with her Railgun.

She clenched her palm into a fist, then opened it again.

With this simple action, Misaka flashed a confident, unyielding smile. She narrowed her eyes and laughed softly.

From the soil within a 200-meter radius, black whips began to emerge like serpents. These were iron sand threads, manipulated under Misaka's electromagnetic control and drawn out according to her will.

The black snakes, each stretching tens of meters long, writhed and danced through the air like whips. The buzzing sound they produced, amplified hundreds of times, resembled a high-speed electric chainsaw.

This was one of Misaka Mikoto's signature moves—Iron Sand Whip Sword.

But wait... Did senpai just say "date"?

Misaka hesitated for a moment, her Iron Sand Whip Sword faltering slightly at the thought.

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