When they arrived at the hospital, the building was still running only on emergency power due to the blackout. The backup generator had to prioritize surgeries and critical patients, which made Misaka Mikoto feel somewhat guilty.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. After speaking with the doctor, neither she nor Shirai Kuroko received any good news. The theory Misaka had come up with earlier about psychological trauma was immediately dismissed.
Both Misaka and Kuroko sighed in relief at the doctor's conclusion. Deep down, neither of them wanted to believe that a Level 5 was responsible. After all, such a large-scale mental assault could only have been done by one of Tokiwadai's other two Level 5s.
"We've had several patients admitted this week with the same symptoms. Quite a few of them were transferred from Anti-Skill," the doctor explained.
Hearing that, both girls froze. Then, remembering Selene's warning, they quickly asked the doctor to show them the list of patients.
As they scanned the names, they found several familiar ones—people who had been involved in the incidents from a while back. They looked at each other, eyes wide with shock.
They had discovered the common thread linking all of this together. Everything that had happened suddenly made sense.
"Selene was right. [Level Upper] definitely has something wrong with it!" they both thought at once.
"Unfortunately," the doctor continued, "our equipment and staff are limited. So, we've invited a specialist in brain physiology from outside to assist."
Just then, a person in a white lab coat approached. "Thank you for waiting. I was invited by the director of Mizuho Medical Institute to assist with this case…"
When Misaka looked up and saw her, she was startled. "Wait, you're…!"
"...Kiyama Harumi."
After a long while, Kiyama Harumi finally finished her rounds. Stepping out, she immediately noticed two girls sitting on a hospital bench, playfully bickering with each other. Her tone was calm. "You two are still here."
"But seriously, it's so hot. Don't they turn on the air conditioning even in midsummer here?"
A passing hospital staff member quickly explained, "Apologies, ma'am. The power went out suddenly last night, and electricity hasn't been fully restored yet. The backup power is being used for the patients."
At that, Misaka's mouth twitched again. How many times had she been blamed for this today? She felt a deep sense of guilt. "Right… that makes sense."
"Ah, I see. It's an emergency, after all. Still, it's really hot in here," Kiyama added casually.
The first half of her sentence was fine, but the second half gave Misaka an uncomfortable sense of déjà vu. "Wait… don't tell me…"
Sure enough, to Misaka's horror, Kiyama Harumi, under the stunned gaze of everyone around, casually took off her lab coat—and then her blouse. "Ah, much better. Don't you two think it's hot too?" she said, one of the ribbons on her shoulder slipping loose.
"Sh-she's doing it again!" Misaka cried, her face turning red with both embarrassment and dread. The memory of that afternoon's incident was still burned into her mind. The nerves in her forehead twitched wildly.
"Ahhh!" Shirai Kuroko was also speechless. "Y-you can't just take off your clothes in public! What if there are men around?!"
"What's the problem? I'm still wearing underwear. That's basically the same as a swimsuit, isn't it?" Kiyama replied calmly, as if the two girls were overreacting.
"That's not the same! Underwear and swimsuits are completely different things! Put your clothes back on right now!" Kuroko's voice rang through the entire hospital lobby.
"We have something to ask you, Professor Kiyama," Misaka quickly interjected before things could get worse.
"Sure, I don't mind," Kiyama said. "But it really is too hot in here."
At that, Misaka's mouth twitched yet again. Ugh! Another indirect complaint! I swear, next time, I'm never overusing my powers again, she vowed silently.
...
At a certain café.
The three of them sat down and began their discussion.
"Phew, that's much better. Now then…" Kiyama said, taking a sip of her drink. "Back to the topic from earlier—if the exposure level's the same, why is a swimsuit acceptable but underwear isn't?"
"Th-that's not what we're talking about…" Misaka muttered helplessly, while Kuroko sighed. The two now had a clearer understanding of just how lacking Kiyama Harumi was when it came to basic social norms.
"[Level Upper], huh? What kind of system is it exactly? What does it look like? How do you use it?" Kiyama asked, leaning forward with interest.
If Selene had been here, she would have had to admit—Kiyama Harumi's acting skills were truly top-tier. After all, the woman herself was the mastermind behind the [Level Upper] incident.
For the two inexperienced girls, who had yet to see the darker side of society, there was no way they could see through her flawless performance.
In response to Kiyama's calm questions, Shirai Kuroko laid out everything she and Misaka had discovered. "We haven't fully investigated it yet, but for now, all we know is that it's some kind of audio software."
"So, you're suspecting that this so-called [Level Upper] might be the cause behind the comas?"
"Yes," Kuroko confirmed firmly.
"Then, why come to me with this?"
"Since [Level Upper] is an audio program, even though we haven't obtained a copy yet, the fact that it can increase a person's Level implies that it may be capable of directly interfering with the brain's functions," Kuroko explained. It was merely a theory, based on deduction rather than evidence. "So, if we manage to find [Level Upper], we'd like your help, as an expert in brain physiology, to analyze it."
"No problem," Kiyama replied with her usual composed tone. "In fact, I was hoping to ask for your cooperation as well. As a researcher in brain physiology, I'm quite interested in this [Level Upper] myself."
However, before Misaka and Kuroko could celebrate Kiyama's agreement, the woman tilted her head slightly. "But, speaking of which, there's something I've been wondering since earlier…" She pointed toward the window with mild curiosity. "Those girls out there… are they your acquaintances?"
"Eh…?" Both Misaka and Kuroko turned their heads—and froze when they saw Saten Ruiko's face squished flat against the glass.
...
"Huh? A scholar of brain physiology?" Uiharu Kazari asked curiously, looking up at Kiyama Harumi. Then a thought struck her, and she turned toward Kuroko in shock. "Wait, does that mean there's something wrong with your brain, Shirai-san?"
"You're here just to cause trouble, aren't you?!" Kuroko snapped, giving her a glare. "We're talking about [Level Upper] here!"
"Selene-senpai told me to try to get my hands on a copy of [Level Upper]. Ugh, where am I even supposed to find one…" Kuroko groaned, tugging at her hair in frustration at the thought of Selene's assignment.
"Oh, that thing…" Saten Ruiko, who was eating ice cream beside them, was about to say something—but Kiyama Harumi suddenly interrupted her.
Hearing that Selene wanted [Level Upper], Kiyama immediately tensed. Has my plan been discovered? Could it be those higher-ups in the Board of Directors? Trying to probe for more information, she asked casually, "Why does Selene want [Level Upper]?"
"Oh, that? Selene-senpai said she wants to get a copy and try to analyze its structure—to solve the problem at its root."
"Why? And how does she plan to do that?" Uiharu asked curiously. The idea of cracking [Level Upper] fascinated her.
"You forgot already? Senpai runs her own research institute. She'll just assign it to her team—she doesn't have to do it herself," Kuroko replied matter-of-factly. Then, after a brief pause, she sighed. "Though honestly, that might take quite a while…"
"So, what you mean is… you're planning to protect the users of [Level Upper] in the meantime?" Misaka asked, easily guessing Kuroko's train of thought. When it came to these matters, she always preferred a cautious approach.
"Yeah. Since we don't know how long it'll take to find a solution, we need to take preventive action first. It's already been confirmed that using [Level Upper] causes serious side effects—and even induces criminal behavior in some cases."
Hearing that, Saten Ruiko froze. Her hand, which had been reaching into her bag for something, stopped halfway.
"Huh? What's wrong, Saten?" Uiharu asked with concern when she noticed her friend's strange expression.
"N-no, it's nothing," Saten stammered. Her face turned pale, her movements flustered—and in her haste, she accidentally knocked over her drink, spilling it all over Kiyama Harumi's skirt.
"Ah! I'm so sorry!" Saten panicked, bowing frantically as she tried to find napkins. "I didn't mean to—!"
The scene felt oddly familiar. Misaka and Kuroko exchanged glances, both feeling an ominous sense of déjà vu.
"Don't worry about it," Kiyama said flatly—and before anyone could react, she stood up and, to everyone's horror, unzipped her skirt right there in the café. "It only got my stockings wet anyway. I'll just take them off—" She had already pulled one halfway down.
"Ahhh!!!" Kuroko screamed in outrage. "I told you already!! You can't just strip in public!!"
"But considering my unimpressive figure, I doubt any man would get improper thoughts from looking at me," Kiyama said calmly.
(For the record, Professor Kiyama, that's quite an understatement.)
Kuroko's furious voice echoed throughout the café. "Put your clothes back on right now!!"
The other three girls simultaneously covered their faces in embarrassment.
"People have all kinds of preferences. Even without men around, there might be wom—hmm?" Kuroko's scolding was abruptly cut off by the sound of her phone ringing. "Hello? Ah, Selene-senpai! Yes, yes, we're at—"
Upon hearing that Selene was on her way, Kiyama immediately realized she had to leave. If they met face-to-face, there was a high chance her identity would be exposed. Staying might yield more information, but she couldn't take that risk—there were more important things she still had to accomplish.
She quickly stood up, excusing herself under the simple pretense of going home to change clothes. "Well then, I'll be heading back. If you find any new information, please share it with me."
Not long after Kiyama left, Uiharu suddenly looked around with curiosity. "Hey, could that Kiyama-sensei be the 'Stripping Lady' from the rumors?"
"Most likely," Kuroko sighed, slumping over the table. She was utterly exhausted by Kiyama's outrageous behavior. But when she noticed Selene approaching from a distance, her eyes immediately brightened. "Over here!"
"Hi there. I think I just heard something about a 'Stripping Lady'? You girls talking about urban legends again?" Selene asked with a teasing smile.