"Spare me. Just call me Selene. Hearing 'lady' from your mouth feels... off."
"Huh? Why would it feel off? Aren't you Tokiwadai's very own ojou-sama? I mean, on TV, all the butlers and maids call girls like you 'lady,' right?"
In the end, Kamijou Touma swallowed back the words "rich lady."
"Mmhm, you said it yourself. If we're friends, why be so formal? Unless... that's how butlers and servants address the head of the household. What, Kamijou, are you applying to work for my family? That can be arranged. The benefits are generous if you're willing."
"Is it because that little nun at home eats too much and your wallet's empty? Or did you step on your debit card again by accident? I offer full room and board, you know."
Kamijou's face twisted bitterly at the mention of his home situation. That little glutton was too much. On top of caring for her, his chances to rush for supermarket discounts had been reduced drastically, and his quality of life kept dropping.
It wasn't that the Kamijou household was poor. Far from it. His father, Kamijou Touya, worked for a large foreign firm as one of the eleven elite members of the company's "Securities Trading Countermeasures Division," dedicated to preventing hostile takeovers. They were solidly upper-middle class.
In addition to his Academy City monthly allowance, he regularly received funds from home—more than enough for a "normal" student to live comfortably. But against Kamijou Touma's constant bad luck? Nothing held up. Sigh, it was a tale of woe.
Faced with Selene's teasing, Kamijou couldn't help but cover his face.
They're really hitting it off, huh...
Watching the two chat and joke while shaking hands, Misaka Mikoto hugged the suitcase holding the new-generation Tree Diagram's central data processor and frowned ever so slightly. Her brows arched, and her mood soured.
Why is it that whenever he sees me, he acts like he's spotted a plague and tries to flee, calling me that stupid nickname "Biri-biri"?
But the moment he sees Selene, Kamijou Touma lights up like a blooming flower, calling her 'lady' with such politeness?
Recalling a rumor she had accidentally overheard, Mikoto's eyes filled with suspicion. Kamijou had once said he liked older, big-sisterly types like the dorm supervisor.
Could it be...?
She glanced at her own flat figure, then at Selene. Yeah, she lost on every front.
Ah! Mikoto panicked. This was a crisis!
"Ahaha... okay, okay. Selene, now that the fugitive's been captured, why don't we all go grab a meal together?"
Still holding the suitcase, Mikoto placed her hand atop the joined hands of Kamijou and Selene, blinking a little guiltily.
Jealousy? Hardly.
She wasn't that kind of person. It was just a momentary emotional twitch from a slightly tsundere junior high girl.
She was still just a middle school student. Even if she was a Level 5 esper, she hadn't seen the darkest depths of reality. You couldn't expect her to be that mature. If one had to compare her current mindset and behavior to something—
It was like when your favorite toy might be taken away.
"Onee-sama, how could you leave out Kuroko!" At that moment, a dark aura seemed to radiate from the girl who suddenly appeared beside Selene. She reached out and clamped her fingers tightly onto Kamijou Touma's hand.
"Humani—cough, I mean, Kamijou-san, I look forward to our continued association. Ohohoho..."
Shirai Kuroko gave a wicked laugh. Her twin pupils seemed to glint with blood-red light, and black resentment practically oozed from her body. Under her deadly gaze, Kamijou broke into a cold sweat, hastily let go of her hand, and backed away a few steps from this girl who looked like a walking landmine.
On the other side, seeing the faint curve of Mikoto's lips, Selene naturally picked up on her little thoughts.
"Oh, you changed your hairpin again. Looks like you're growing up."
When Selene had first met Misaka Mikoto, she wore a pair of Gekota-shaped hairpins. Later, they were swapped for a pair of plain, straight metal clips. Now, she had on a flower-shaped one. Clearly, the girl was lovestruck.
"W-What do you mean, 'grown up'? It's not like you're older than me or anything." Flustered by Selene's meaningful gaze, Mikoto shot back.
"Can you really deny it?"
Selene merely smiled and leaned in, blowing a warm breath against Mikoto's ear. As the latter let out a soft ngh~, Selene's mischievous voice whispered beside her.
"You like him, don't you? If you do, then go for it. Trust me, that guy's luck with girls is only just beginning."
"Mmmph—!"
Mikoto jumped back, heart pounding, casting a wary glance at Selene as if she were some kind of delinquent girl. She protested with feigned annoyance, "Selene, what is wrong with you? You're acting like Kuroko now... huh?"
Mid-sentence, Mikoto noticed something about Selene—the gentle aura that now wrapped around her like a soft veil. The faint pressure and distant air she'd once carried were gone. She was cool, but not cold. Everything about her, from tone to demeanor, had become more natural.
After a brief pause, Mikoto hesitated and murmured, "You're not... dating someone, are you? You've changed so much."
That caught Selene off guard. She stood frozen.
Sharp observation skills, that much was true. Nowadays, with Mikoto and the others, Selene was simply trying to see things through to the end. There were fewer schemes, fewer manipulations. And naturally, that made the distance feel smaller.
Thud!
"Ow... that hurt."
"My mother and younger brother will be coming to watch this year's Daihasei Festival," Selene said grumpily, lowering her clenched fist.
"Wait, you have a little brother? What's his name? Got a picture?" Mikoto rubbed her forehead, now curious.
"You'll find out soon enough."
...
In the few minutes they spent chatting, the sirens had grown louder. The thrum of helicopter rotors echoed over the block, and the sound of approaching footsteps followed.
"Freeze!"
"Hands up!"
"You're under arrest!"
Sharp, shrill blasts rang out like mechanical sobs. Cold, robotic voices followed. Several riot-control robots raised their weapons, surrounding Shirai Kuroko and the still-motionless Musujime Awaki.
Holding the suitcase containing the Tree Diagram's new processor, Shirai looked helplessly toward the light at the alleyway's corner and sighed. "Judgment really are the overachievers of public service..."
She raised her hand and displayed her Judgment armband. "Judgment."
"Verification complete. Shirai Kuroko, first-year student at Tokiwadai Middle School. 'Teleportation' Level 4 esper. Affiliated with Judgment, District 7, Subdivision 003..."
Strictly speaking, Shirai Kuroko didn't belong to Branch 177, but to Tokiwadai Middle School's internal third Judgment branch. However, she rarely operated with that unit, preferring to stay with Branch 177 alongside Konori Mii and Uiharu Kazari.
Why? Because everyone in the third branch was loyal to Shokuhou Misaki.
...
After the run, the heat in Mikoto's body had cooled down. It was already autumn. Wearing a short-sleeved summer uniform, she began sneezing repeatedly in the chilly night wind.
"Why leave Kuroko behind?"
"I don't mind staying either. But if you and Kamijou stick around as unrelated civilians, they'll haul you off for questioning. Want to spend the night in a holding cell?" Selene side-eyed her.
"Oh..."
Mikoto handing the suitcase to Shirai Kuroko for official submission didn't surprise Selene in the slightest.
That's just the kind of girl she was—naive, kind, and too quick to trust those around her. If Selene had wanted to deceive her, if she had been someone low and twisted enough to restart the 'Level 6 Shift Project' just for amusement, she could have. But...
There was no point.
No value in it.
"It's not September 30th yet, is it?"
Misaka Mikoto looked in surprise at the silver-haired beauty in front of her, who was already wearing Tokiwadai's winter uniform. If she remembered correctly, all Academy City schools transitioned uniforms on September 30th.
"That's not really the issue here."
Selene waved her hand. "I just don't like that chilly, drafty feeling. I really prefer the winter uniform. The headmistress gave me the green light."
"Tch, the perks of being a director, huh."
"Well, the incident's over. Any plans for tonight?"
"Huh?"
Caught off guard, Mikoto blinked and responded automatically, "You're not coming? It's just a dinner. Everyone's been so busy this month, and I've felt like the only one with nothing to do. Saten-san became a Level 1 esper thanks to your help. She's super motivated now and always training to develop her ability."
"I'll pass. Got other stuff to handle. Besides, not everyone can make it today. Let's save the full gathering for another time."
"Oh, uh, Biri-biri—I mean, Selene... I'll be heading off now. It's getting cold out here. I'm going to Komoe-sensei's place. Index is probably already impatient." Kamijou Touma shivered and raised a hand.
"Don't call me 'Biri-biri'!!"
"Well then, hope you all have a great night." Watching the pair bicker again, Selene shook her head, waved her hand, and in the next instant, disappeared.
...
"Tch. That little brat kept whining until I came out, and for what? Turns out some third-rate moron had already been dealt with."
On another street within a kilometer of the scene, a solitary figure strode down an empty avenue. Each footstep echoed alongside the rhythmic thud of a metal cane striking the pavement.
A white-clad figure walked slowly through the street, muttering with a raspy voice tinged with a faintly sinister tone. "Should've known better than to get involved. Just taking this form to reach here was already a pain. Damn it, such a hassle..."
"Hm?!"
Halfway through his return, a sudden new vector signature snapped him to full alert. "Show yourself!"
"So, Last Order sent you. Tch. Accelerator, I never thought a bastard like you would have such a soft side."
Raising his head, Accelerator's blood-red, gem-like eyes shrank the moment he saw the silver-haired Tokiwadai student step out. His face tightened.
"Selene."
"I thought you'd drown in despair."
She silently examined the cane-wielding, brain-damaged Accelerator for a few seconds. Her crimson eyes sparkled with teasing amusement. "Mm, this look suits you."
"Heh. Takes one to know one!"
With a crack of his neck, Accelerator smirked. "That perfect Tokiwadai schoolgirl act doesn't suit you one bit. Someone like you, a director admired by trash like Kihara Amata, playing house with that Railgun girl? I nearly burst a blood vessel laughing."
Even with severe injuries, brain damage, and a massive drop in power—falling from his former No. 2 position and becoming someone who couldn't even walk or talk properly—Accelerator refused to bow to Selene.
He wasn't some mass of leftover matter to be toyed with.
If she wanted to kill him, so be it! But Selene, allied with Board Chairman Aleister Crowley, clearly saw value in him. Accelerator wagered that she wouldn't kill him.
People like them, capitalists through and through, never discarded a product until every last ounce of value had been squeezed out.
"Oh? You talk big. Aren't you afraid I'll restart the 'Level 6 Shift Project'? You do know, don't you, that Last Order—if I wanted to, you couldn't protect her."
Vmmm—!
In an instant, the space-time around Selene was corrupted. Everything in the surrounding area turned into smooth, crystalline structures of violet-red. Swirling tendrils of red-black Honkai Energy surged upward around her, while a chilling aura of death washed outward in all directions.
Crack, crack, crack~
A massive wave of gravity poured down upon Accelerator, making his bones creak. He tried to parse and reflect it, but with his damaged brain, the necessary computational power simply wasn't there. The next moment, his vision spun in a nauseating haze.
That damn bullet wound... he couldn't fall now! That kid was still waiting for him. Accelerator's body swayed, barely holding up, but his bloodshot eyes remained locked on Selene.
Then, just as suddenly, the oppressive gravity vanished. The horrifying field dissolved as if nothing had ever occurred. The street was once again calm and untouched.
Tap, tap~
"I just love that look on your face—like you want to bite me, but you can't. Adorable."
Looking down from above, Selene ignored the murderous glare aimed at her. Her slender fingers clamped around his frail shoulder like iron tongs as she peered into his eyes.
"Look at you now... even Aleister looks sturdier than you."
"I'm not killing you because you still have your uses. But in your current state? Protecting Last Order is going to be... difficult. You know her very existence will draw countless eyes."
"I don't need your fake sympathy! I'll protect her!"
Accelerator growled through clenched teeth.
"Protect her? Do you even have that ability right now?"
Selene let out a small laugh, then leaned in close, whispering temptingly: "Fixing your injuries wouldn't be hard for me."
"And the cost is a bargain. All you have to do... is become the kind of mongrel you despise."
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