Seeing Selene—who almost never resorted to physical violence—striking a frail-looking man, Shirai Kuroko immediately realized that he must be the perpetrator behind the series of [Graviton Bombings] incidents.
Though she herself wanted to beat him senseless, as a member of Judgment, such actions were strictly forbidden. Watching the man about to be strangled to death, she gritted her teeth and stepped forward, forcing herself to speak.
"Selene-senpai, please stop."
Selene turned her glowing crimson eyes toward Kuroko, and the sheer killing intent radiating from her froze Kuroko's blood. Her whole body trembled as she swallowed hard, feeling as though her very soul were shivering.
"You want to save this kind of scum? I remember he injured quite a few Judgment officers. Are you sure about that?"
"I... I am sure," Kuroko said firmly, despite the fear in her heart. "Even if I want to hit him too, as a member of Judgment, I can't allow myself to break the rules."
Selene stared deeply into her eyes for several seconds before sighing. The suffocating pressure dissipated, and the air around them seemed to thaw. "Your kindness will likely be wasted on him. Repaying hatred with kindness, huh? I couldn't do it. Just don't regret it later." With that, she dropped the man unceremoniously at Kuroko's feet.
Perhaps it was this sense of conviction that made Selene hold some degree of respect for Kuroko. Despite her eccentric habits and occasional abuse of authority, Kuroko was someone who possessed a strong sense of responsibility and justice.
"This is why I joined Judgment. I don't regret it," Kuroko said, looking down at the pale, trembling man. After a quick facial recognition scan, she finally identified him. "He's... Kaitabi Hatsuya?"
Over the past few days, Kuroko had worked tirelessly to track down leads on the [Graviton Bombings] incidents. She knew every esper with powers related to quantum acceleration by heart. So the realization stunned her. "Kaitabi Hatsuya was only a Level 2! How could he cause this much destruction? That doesn't make any sense!"
At that moment, Kaitabi groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. A stabbing pain coursed through his body, forcing a weak cry from his lips. "Ah! It hurts... What happened...?"
His memory was fragmented. The last thing he recalled was hiding in the shadows and watching a little girl hand a toy to Uiharu Kazari before activating his ability. After that, something had grabbed his throat, and everything went black.
When his vision cleared again, he saw a girl standing in front of him—wearing a flower-shaped hair ornament, completely unscathed. His pupils contracted sharply, and his expression twisted. "Th-that's impossible! How are you still alive?! That was my full output! It's impossible!!"
Hearing that, Selene's patience snapped. She stepped forward and kicked him square in the stomach. Though she held back, the impact still sent him rolling across the floor, crying out in pain.
"I can't stand it," Selene said coldly, glaring at the man writhing on the ground. "You don't show even a hint of remorse. You used a child—a child—to carry out your sick plan!"
"Ugh... wh-what's... going on?" Kaitabi gasped, clutching his abdomen as he struggled to his feet, staring blankly at the group before him.
"What's going on is simple," Kuroko said, stepping forward confidently. "As a Judgment officer, I hereby place you under arrest, you bombing maniac!"
"What?! That's impossible! I already escaped!" Kaitabi said in disbelief, still trying to bluff his way through. "What are you talking about? Why are you arresting me—and why did you attack me?!"
"Don't play dumb, you coward." Selene's tone was sharp and full of disdain as she looked down at him.
"You've achieved destructive power equivalent to a Level 4, yet you still don't dare to stand up to the bullies who tormented you. Instead, you blame Judgment for not saving you in time. Isn't that cowardice? And worst of all—you used a child for your revenge. Do you have even an ounce of courage in you? Pathetic. I don't even want to waste words on a coward like you."
"Weakness isn't what's frightening. What's truly terrifying is cowardice!"
"You don't understand anything! I'm not a coward—shut up!" Kaitabi Hatsuya roared, his composure shattering as he yanked a pile of aluminum spoons from his backpack. Throwing them wildly around, he activated his ability in a frenzied outburst. He had lost all reason, consumed by a twisted mania.
"All of you useless Judgment trash, die! Just die!"
"Danger!" Uiharu Kazari cried, instinctively shielding the little girl behind her and squeezing her eyes shut. Nearby, Kamijou Touma and the others tensed, bracing for the inevitable explosion.
But after several seconds... nothing happened.
"Huh?" Uiharu slowly opened her eyes. The spoons lay scattered harmlessly across the floor. "Why didn't it explode?"
Selene's voice came cold and disdainful. "So, you're not only cowardly, but also stupid. Aluminum spoons? A child's trick. In my domain, did you really think that would work?"
She had already erected a spatial barrier around him—his quantum acceleration couldn't propagate beyond it, rendering his power useless.
With a snap of her fingers, Kaitabi's satchel vanished into thin air. His eyes went wide with horror as Selene stepped closer, her tone icy and merciless. "Uncontrolled, indiscriminate attacks like that? That's terrorism, plain and simple."
"Damn it! My ability—it's not working! Who the hell are you?!" he stammered, trembling as he realized he couldn't even sense the aluminum around him anymore. "This... this isn't ordinary Spatial Manipulation! You... you're—"
Then, recognition flashed across his face, followed by a desperate, broken laugh. "Hahaha... you're the Number One... the [Will of Honkai], aren't you?" he muttered, his eyes bloodshot, body trembling with manic energy.
"So it's finally the turn of the first-ranked Level 5, huh? It's always the same... every time I try to do something, someone stronger crushes me! I hate it! I hate all of you!"
"It's all your fault! You people with power—it's always you! Judgment, espers—every last one of you! I'll kill you all—!" His rant was abruptly cut off as Selene slapped him across the face, sending him crashing into the wall.
Just as Shirai Kuroko was about to intervene and stop Selene from continuing her assault, Misaka Mikoto quietly stepped forward.
"All that talk about power, power... you make me sick." Her voice was calm but sharp as lightning.
"If you're a man, then grit your teeth!" She grabbed Kaitabi by the collar and slammed a fist into his face, hard enough to make his vision blur.
"You had that coming," she said coldly. "Honestly, you should be grateful Selene-senpai was the one to stop you. If it were her doing the hitting, we'd be cleaning up what's left of you."
As Misaka turned and walked away, Kuroko crouched beside the dazed man. "She despises people like you—those who use power as a shield instead of a responsibility."
"Do you know something?" Kuroko continued, her tone softening. "Tokiwadai's Railgun wasn't always a powerhouse. She started as a low-level esper—what you'd call a failure. But she worked harder than anyone else, and that's how she reached where she is now. Even if she were still Level 1, I'm sure she would've stood between you and danger all the same."
Kaitabi froze at her words, his gaze wavering. Slowly, his head dropped in shame. "Then... what about the Number One?"
Caught off guard, Kuroko blinked, her attempt to play "good cop" derailed. "Uh... Selene-senpai's always been Number One, I think..."
Hearing her name, Selene sighed and approached, leaving a single remark in passing.
"You're not beyond saving yet, so here's some advice—being weak isn't a sin. Being cowardly and foolish is."
She paused, her crimson eyes narrowing slightly. "If you had a grudge, why didn't you take it out on the ones who actually hurt you?"