Saten Ruiko walked aimlessly through the streets. Though her face was expressionless, the tight furrow of her brows revealed the turmoil inside. "Can it really... make me an esper too? But…"
She took out her phone, staring at it in deep conflict. The cause of her hesitation and inner struggle lay right there—a simple mobile phone containing a single, seemingly ordinary audio file. And yet, that file, known as [Level Upper], held the power to change her life forever.
"Didn't you say you'd give me [Level Upper]?!"
A shout from a nearby alley caught Saten's attention. Her curiosity toward anything related to [Level Upper] got the better of her, and she cautiously approached to investigate.
"Sorry, but the price just went up. If you still want it, bring another hundred thousand," one of two thugs sneered. They had cornered a slightly chubby boy against the wall, tossing a small music player up and down in their hands.
"Then give me back my money!" the boy yelled in frustration, his voice trembling with anger.
"Still got some fight in you, huh?" one of the delinquents growled, raising his leg and slamming a heavy kick into the boy's stomach. The boy crumpled to the ground, curling up in pain.
"That's all you've got?" They laughed cruelly, their voices echoing in the narrow alley as they continued to kick and punch the boy. "Quit whining and hand over the rest of your cash already!"
Just then, a blond-haired punk—clearly their leader—strolled over. "So, how much have your Levels increased? Wanna test it out on this guy?" he asked with a smirk.
As he spoke, he suddenly turned his head sharply toward the corner of the nearby building. There was no one there.
"…Must've been my imagination," he muttered before turning his attention back to the battered boy.
Watching from the shadows, Saten hesitated. What should she do? Should she call Selene-senpai? With her strength, she could easily handle the situation... But then again, that would just prove how useless Saten herself was. Why was her first instinct always to rely on others?
After a brief struggle, she made up her mind. "I'll just report it to Judgment or Anti-Skill first."
She pulled out her phone—only to realize it had died. Her eye twitched. "Seriously? Of all times…"
Hearing the boy's pained groans, Saten clenched her fists. Maybe I should just leave… she thought. There was no way she could take on three delinquents alone. But if she walked away now, she wouldn't be herself anymore. Her conscience simply wouldn't allow it.
"Stop it!" she shouted, stepping forward despite her trembling voice. "He's already hurt! Anti-Skill officers will be here any second!"
"Hah?" The blond leader turned toward her, eyes glinting with annoyance. He sneered as he approached, kicking the wall beside her. The impact left a deep dent. "What did you just say? Say it again!"
His jagged grin revealed missing teeth, and his uneven eyes made his face look even more grotesque.
Saten flinched instinctively, clutching her head. Before she could even speak, the blond grabbed her by the hair and yanked her forward. "A brat, huh? Pretty gutsy for someone with no powers. You think you can lecture us, you powerless piece of trash?!"
At that moment, a crushed soda can rolled across the ground—followed by a sharp, commanding voice filled with anger.
"Those who mistake borrowed strength for their own have no right to look down on others!"
The can struck the ground between them with a metallic clank as Shirai Kuroko appeared, her Judgment armband gleaming under the streetlight. "I am a member of Judgment! You are under arrest for assault causing bodily harm! Surrender peacefully!" she declared coldly.
One of the delinquents sneered, stepping on the crushed can. "Hmph. And who the hell are you supposed to be? Just another brat?" he said mockingly, placing his hand on Kuroko's shoulder as if to provoke her.
"Consider yourself lucky. After missing several chances to catch an illegal [Level Upper] deal in progress, I finally track one down—only to find my own friend getting attacked," Shirai Kuroko said coldly.
"Quit your nonsense!" one of the delinquents snapped, lunging toward her.
But Kuroko was faster. She pressed her left hand to his chest—her ability activated—and in the blink of an eye, the thug vanished, reappearing upside down as his head slammed into the pavement. He was out cold instantly.
"Today, I'm not in a good mood," Kuroko continued in a calm, detached tone. Those who knew her well would recognize that this blank expression was actually a sign of deep anger.
Another thug charged at her, hurling a handful of metal objects. Kuroko teleported out of their path, reappeared right in front of him, and swung her handbag directly into his face. The blow connected with a sharp crack, knocking him unconscious. The metallic clang of her projectiles followed as she pinned the hems of both thugs' clothes to the ground with her steel spikes.
"Interesting ability, isn't it?" the blond leader said, watching his subordinates fall one by one. Despite the situation, he grinned. "So that's spatial teleportation, huh? Never seen it in person before."
"You sound awfully relaxed for someone who's next," Kuroko replied coldly.
The blond laughed and tossed Saten aside like trash. "Judgment, huh? Perfect! I've been wanting to pay you people back for a while!"
With a twisted grin, he lunged forward, spreading his arms wide as if to grab her. "Let's see how tough you really are!"
"Hmph. In the end, you'll still lose miserably—" Kuroko teleported away mid-sentence, spinning to counterattack. But when she turned around, the blond was gone.
"What? He disappeared?!" she thought in shock. Her instincts screamed a warning. Footsteps—behind her!
She raised her bag just in time to block his kick. He circled around me without moving? No—it's like the space itself warped! she realized.
Reacting quickly, she pulled out a nail and fired it at him, but to her horror, it passed straight through his body. "I missed...? No, it went through him! My aim wasn't off—he's distorting space!"
Before she could analyze further, the blond's position shifted again. He appeared right in front of her and delivered a brutal kick to her stomach, sending her crashing into a nearby wall.
"Judgment?" he mocked, licking the edge of a small blade with a deranged smile. "In front of my enhanced ability, you're nothing!"
But as he stepped forward to finish her off, his expression twisted in confusion. Kuroko was standing again—completely uninjured.
"H-how…? That kick should've broken ribs—"
"Ugh... wait, why doesn't it hurt at all...?" Kuroko muttered, equally shocked. Then she noticed a glow from her pocket. The diamond-shaped crystal Selene had given her earlier was shining brilliantly. "Selene-senpai..."
The crystal floated from her hand. Space around it began to twist violently, and then—a massive door of light appeared, glowing with deep violet energy.
Before anyone could react, a towering figure nearly four meters tall emerged from the portal—a knight clad in silver armor, four translucent wings unfurling from its back.
With a sound like the air itself being torn apart, the silver knight swung a colossal hammer down toward the blond thug.
The scene felt eerily familiar. Acting on instinct, Kuroko shouted, "W-wait, Senpai! Don't kill him!!"
Though she despised the thug, she couldn't condone killing. That was a line she refused to cross.
BOOM!!!
The hammer slammed into the ground beside him with the force of a thunderclap. A nearby high-rise groaned as every window shattered from the shockwave.
Dust and debris exploded outward, the ground cracking like a spiderweb. A blinding wall of wind and dirt surged toward them.
Saten threw her arms up in front of her face, eyes and mouth tightly shut against the blast. The sheer power of it made her body tremble.
Kuroko froze in panic. "Oh no, oh no, oh no—! I knew Senpai's attacks would be this over the top!!" She glanced at the unconscious bodies of the other three victims and nearly screamed. "How am I supposed to protect everyone like this?!"
Suddenly, an invisible barrier materialized before them, blocking the incoming shockwave entirely.
Relieved, Kuroko exhaled. "Selene-senpai, you're here, aren't you?"
"Of course. You're sharper than I thought, Kuroko." The reply came from the center of the impact zone—a voice cool and composed, tinged with a faint but unmistakable edge of anger.
As the smoke cleared, Selene emerged, her short skirt fluttering from the lingering wind. Behind her stood the silver knight, who now held the blond thug by the collar like a rag doll.
At the last second, Selene had heeded Kuroko's plea and diverted the hammer's strike, sparing the thug's life—but the concussive force alone had nearly destroyed him.
She ordered the silver knight to toss the thug in front of Kuroko, then crossed her arms with a sigh. "Tch. You've got a big heart, Kuroko. Why bother keeping garbage like this alive? Turning him into paste would've been quicker."
"Ehhh!!!" ×3 (Kuroko, Saten, and the dazed chubby boy)
Realizing Selene was teasing, Kuroko ignored the terrified boy staring up at them and sighed helplessly. "Senpai, please don't say such terrifying things... That's not right."
"Alright, alright, I get it," Selene said with a wave of her hand. "So, what now?"
"Honestly... it's a good thing this building was already marked for demolition. You never do hold back, Senpai. This guy's barely clinging to life…"