"It's nothing much. But really, why are you so late today?" Misaka Mikoto asked, clearly a little displeased by Selene's tardiness.
"Don't even mention it. Sebas dragged me into a full day of meetings—endless banquets and formalities. It was exhausting," Selene sighed, rubbing her temples.
"Wow, so that's what the life of a rich lady is like? I'm so jealous!" Uiharu Kazari said with sparkling eyes.
"Oh, really?" Selene raised an eyebrow, amused by her words. She decided to tease the girl a little. "How about you give it a try, Uiharu?"
"N-no thanks!" Uiharu waved her hands frantically. She had only said it on a whim—living that kind of life for real? No way.
Seeing the four girls sitting there looking drained and lifeless, Selene tilted her head curiously. "What's with you guys?"
"How should I put it…" Kuroko sighed. "We ran into a rather… peculiar person."
Uiharu, looking all sweet and innocent, made a cutting remark without hesitation. "Even weirder than Shirai-san?"
That sharp jab earned her a glare from Kuroko. "Can you not say unnecessary things?!"
"Oh, right—here." Remembering something, Selene reached into her pocket and handed Kuroko a small, diamond-shaped crystal.
Kuroko took it, studying it carefully. It was a perfect rhombus, each side about the length of a thumb, with a deep violet hue that shimmered faintly with threads of crimson light. "Hmm? What's this?" she asked curiously.
"Think of it as insurance," Selene said mysteriously. "Keep it with you at all times, alright?"
...
Lately, Selene had noticed something strange about Saten Ruiko. The girl often seemed distracted, lost in thought, or like she wanted to say something but couldn't bring herself to. Especially after today's lunch with Misaka and the others.
According to Kuroko, there had been a brain science expert present at the lunch—someone Misaka and the others had invited to help them understand the mechanics of [Level Upper]. The woman was apparently named Kiyama Harumi.
"Kiyama Harumi, huh?"
Misaka and her friends had mentioned that it was a shame Selene hadn't been there to meet her.
Selene immediately knew the reason—Kiyama simply didn't want to see her. After all, Selene was a member of Academy City's Board of Directors.
Selene was fully aware that Kiyama Harumi was the mastermind behind the [Level Upper] incident. But she had no intention of exposing her—at least not yet.
Her reasons were threefold.
First, if she revealed Kiyama's identity now, given her current position, others might misinterpret it as a signal that Selene wanted to take action against her. She wouldn't need to lift a finger—her subordinates, or those seeking to curry favor with her, would target Kiyama immediately, offering her as a trophy.
If that happened, Kiyama's students would be doomed.
Second, Selene herself was curious. She wanted to see just how far Kiyama's experiment could go—a neural network of ten thousand minds connected together, enhanced by Schicksal Research Institute's T-R series strengthening serums.
That's right. Unlike in the original story, Kiyama had secretly acquired a large quantity of T-R series enhancement drugs. Of course, all of that was under Selene's tacit approval—after all, Shuji Matsuzaki would never have dared to sell the serum without her permission.
Third, Selene wanted to give the main group of four girls a valuable experience—a chance to grow. And, while she was at it, to send a subtle warning to the people pulling strings behind Kiyama.
Kiyama Harumi was merely a pawn.
Thinking this, Selene concluded that Saten Ruiko must now be struggling with the decision of whether or not to use [Level Upper].
After meeting Kiyama, Ruiko had fallen into deep conflict over the choice. Misaka, worried about her, went to talk with her. The two discussed the charm Ruiko always carried—its memories and the hopes it symbolized. Misaka, trying to comfort her, had said, "Your Level doesn't really matter." But instead of easing Ruiko's pain, the words had only deepened her feelings of inferiority, solidifying her resolve to use [Level Upper].
"Well, it's getting late. We should head back to the Judgment branch. There's still a pile of reports to file… huh? Where's Onee-sama?" Kuroko stretched, turned around—and froze. In the mere moment it took her to yawn, both Misaka Mikoto and Saten Ruiko had disappeared.
"Sigh… Selene-senpai, did you notice where Onee-sama went?" Kuroko asked, glancing at Selene, who was leaning back on the sofa, seemingly lost in thought.
"Hm? No idea." Selene blinked and smiled mischievously. "Maybe your precious Onee-sama went off to meet her secret lover~"
"Impossible!! Onee-sama would never abandon me! Honestly, Senpai, please stop joking about things like that!" Shirai Kuroko instantly exploded in protest.
Before Selene could even reply, Uiharu Kazari jumped in on the fun, her tone deceptively sweet but her smile darkly mischievous. "Hmm~ Not necessarily~ That spiky-haired boy from last time seemed to get along very well with Misaka-san, you know~"
"AAAAHHH! Where is that ape?! I'll kill him!!!"
"Ah—Shirai-san, please calm down…" Uiharu tried to soothe her, though her laughter betrayed her amusement.
...
"I really can't give up... I haven't used it yet, so as long as I don't tell anyone... it should be fine, right?" Saten Ruiko murmured to herself. Ever since she had parted ways with Selene and the others, an agonizing turmoil had been twisting inside her heart.
She had run off to a quiet place under a bridge, clutching her phone tightly, her expression full of conflict. "...I worked so hard just to find this."
"What's wrong, Saten?" came Misaka Mikoto's voice. Noticing Saten's distracted state and sudden disappearance, Misaka had followed her here.
Saten's eyes flickered with panic as she turned around. "Misaka-senpai? Why are you here...?"
"We're friends, aren't we? You suddenly disappeared, of course we'd be worried. Did something happen?" Misaka asked gently.
Saten hesitated for a long moment before finally speaking, her voice trembling. "Originally, I lived outside Academy City. Because I longed for esper powers, I came here—carrying my family's expectations with me. But... Misaka-senpai, do you think a Level 0—someone with no ability at all—is a defective person?"
"The expectations from my family... they're really heavy sometimes."
Hearing that, Misaka immediately understood—this was the root of it. Saten's yearning for power wasn't something new.
Among her close circle of friends, even if they weren't all Level 5s like Selene and Misaka herself, there was still Uiharu Kazari—a Level 1. Only Saten was a complete Level 0, powerless. It was no wonder she felt inferior.
"Of course not! Your Level doesn't matter at all!" Misaka denied firmly. "To me, Saten is Saten—whether you have powers or not, you're still my friend! I'm sure Selene and the others feel the same way."
"But... I'm useless without any power. When trouble happens... it's always you guys who protect me..." Saten said softly, her eyes filled with sadness, her voice growing fainter.
Then, before Misaka could say anything more, Saten suddenly turned and ran. "Misaka-senpai, I'm fine! I'm just heading home for today... Goodbye..."
"Saten…" Misaka whispered, watching her retreating figure. Her hand twitched as if to chase after her, but she stopped herself.
"...We're not really in a position to lecture her. Anything we say would just backfire," Selene's calm voice came from behind. She stepped out from the shadows where she had been quietly observing. "That's exactly why I didn't try to talk her out of it."
Hearing this, Misaka fell silent. It was true. A Level 5 telling a Level 0 that 'power doesn't matter' was like a billionaire telling a struggling worker that 'money isn't important.' No matter how kind the words sounded, it would always come across as hollow—a kind of effortless privilege that only deepened the wound.
She clenched her fists tightly, looking toward the direction Saten had run. For the first time, Misaka truly understood the distance between them.