BOOM—!
"Uiharu, let's go!"
Immediately, Saten Ruiko turned on her heels, and Uiharu Kazari forgot all about maintaining her Judgment 'dignity' as they both sped toward the source of the explosion.
Just as they turned the corner of the corridor, they saw several medical personnel in white lab coats sprinting past, carrying a student competitor foaming at the mouth on a stretcher.
They were moving so fast that they nearly collided with the oncoming Saten.
"Whoa! What the heck—an injury this serious on the very first day...?"
Using a gust of air to push off the wall, Saten gracefully shifted her body like a wind spirit, narrowly avoiding a head-on crash.
"Excuse us, please clear the way! It's an emergency! Thank you for your understanding!"
Watching the medical team disappear down the hall, Saten clutched her chest and let out a breath. "Was that a terrorist attack? Right here in the Daihasei Festival? At the main venue, no less..."
"That's the uniform and emblem of Habatobi High School. According to the records in the [Bank], they should be competing against Tokiwadai right now... Ah, sir, what happened here?"
Standing near the corridor's edge, trailing behind Saten, Uiharu muttered to herself as she recalled the data. Just then, seeing another group of medics rushing by with a stretcher, she quickly stepped forward and asked.
Spotting her Judgment armband, the lead medic gave a brief response while passing by.
"Not a terrorist attack. It was an in-match injury. While the Director claimed she had everything under control and the students don't show visible trauma, the school leadership insisted on transporting them to the hospital for observation to prevent any latent damage."
"So, it really was the right choice not to take part in those overly intense matches..." Satisfied with her decision to volunteer for Judgment duties—a perfect excuse to skip competitive events—Saten nodded.
"Speaking of the Director... Ah! It must be Selene-senpai!" Her eyes lit up as she grabbed Uiharu and ran toward the white light at the end of the corridor.
Oooooh—!
The moment they stepped through, the scene exploded into view. A deafening cheer erupted across the stadium.
"Wow, this is way livelier than the venue at our school." Holding her head and plugging her ears, Saten squinted into the overwhelming sight—
Spent casings and impact marks everywhere, ball-collecting robots flipped and shredded, turf fragments scattered across the field, scorched flower beds on the sidelines, smoldering and broken soccer goals, and dirt debris littered across the area...
A hot wind blew by, carrying with it the acrid scent of burning.
Utter devastation.
Seeing high school athletes lying motionless across the field, Saten rubbed her eyes. Was this a war zone?
"Help! We need help!"
Amid the frantic cries, the school's principal and teachers shouted from the sidelines, clearly distressed, while another group of white-coated figures dashed out from the prep area.
It was evident that the Academy City administration and Operations Committee were fully prepared for such minor medical incidents during the Daihasei Festival.
It was the same every year.
After all, expecting a bunch of hormone-charged students wielding superpowers to show restraint—especially when fired up with school pride—was wishful thinking. One rough move in a contested play and the other side might immediately lose their temper.
With superpowers involved in a massive athletic festival, every year hospitals across Academy City's districts would be filled to capacity. From scraped knees to broken bones, injuries of all kinds were par for the course.
They had plenty of experience with this.
The only difference from previous years was that injuries usually took time to build up. This year, it had escalated on the very first day...
"Whoa..." Leaning on the railing, Saten Ruiko peered down at the field. Half the turf still looked intact, and the Tokiwadai Middle School players were already exiting in an orderly fashion.
"Saten-san, look, it's Selene-senpai!"
Hearing Uiharu's voice, Saten followed her finger.
"Oh oh! It really is Senpai. Never thought someone like her, who always seemed to prefer quiet elegance, would participate in such a fiery athletic event."
On the green field, a silver-haired, crimson-eyed beauty in a black-and-white vest had just finished her event. Unlike the other girls with sweat-beaded faces and flushed cheeks, Selene looked as calm and radiant as ever.
Returning to the sidelines, Selene lifted her slender white neck, rested her chin on one hand, and let out a bored yawn.
Toot toot—!
With the sharp whistle blow, the referee declared: "Dodgeball match, Tokiwadai Middle School versus Habatobi High School, 24:0, victory to Tokiwadai!"
Dodgeball was the group event Selene had just participated in. Their opponent, Habatobi High School, while not as famous as Tokiwadai, was still a formidable school that accepted both espers and academically gifted students. Unlike Tokiwadai, it didn't require Level 3 powers as a minimum for admission.
Importantly, they placed great emphasis on physical training. In past Daihasei Festivals, Hashiba had performed decently. But getting completely wiped out at the start? That was a first.
Propping her cheek on one hand, and under the gaze of an ominously cold stare from somewhere in the VIP section, Selene subtly lowered her crossed legs. Then she lazily grabbed a sports drink and leaned back in her chair, chugging with a decadent flair.
"Let me ask again. Do you want me to heal you?"
"N-No need! We were just too weak! Hiss hiss... Next year, we'll... We definitely won't lose like this again!"
Still being carried on a stretcher, the class president of a Habatobi High School class, who had just issued a challenge to Selene, struggled to flip over and shouted with a flushed, pained face.
Right as he did, the side of his ribs—barely grazed by a volleyball earlier—flared with pain, causing him to curl up.
Stubborn to the end. But not unpleasant.
Seeing this, Selene burst into laughter and gave a slight wave, signaling the medics to take him away.
Indeed, the environment changes people—at the very least, it affects one's mood. With her heart open to the moment, Selene felt a youthful energy returning. Back in the Empire, she was constantly surrounded by stiff, bristle-haired politicians. It was far too serious.
After wrapping up the solo throwing events in the morning, Selene had immediately moved on to the group dodgeball match.
That's right, the good old-fashioned game where you score by hitting your opponents with the ball. The team with the most points before time ran out would win.
The moment it was officially announced that Selene would not be using any form of superpower in the match, the student community erupted. The entire Academy City's student population lit up like a powder keg!
She said it herself—no use of any superpowers or derived abilities.
You're telling us this girl, a spatial esper and elegant noble lady, despite her graceful development, doesn't have that much muscle. Her physical stats can't be that high, right?
Not everyone knew that Selene had once physically overpowered a Saint from the magic side, Kanzaki Kaori. Most people thought this was the closest they'd ever get to being on equal footing with her.
A once-in-a-lifetime chance!
With every district and TV channel live-streaming the event, Selene's declaration was out in the open. No matter how badly she lost or how frustrated she became, it was unlikely she'd retaliate. After all, the law can't punish everyone. She couldn't possibly take on that many people.
The schools had long been suffering under Tokiwadai's dominance!
Even Accelerator wished he could represent Nagatenjouki Academy and give Selene a good—ahem—seeing little Misaka nearby, the man silently corrected himself: give Tokiwadai a good match.
AIM diffusion field detectors had been moved to the field's edge for real-time monitoring. Instantly, a vibrant and excitable atmosphere enveloped the city.
It might sound inappropriate, but who didn't want to take a shot at the Number One? Everyone was furious at her arrogant attitude. "I won't use any abilities. Feel free to use yours."
Sure, she was the strongest spatial esper, but that statement practically screamed, "You're all trash."
Selene: I'm not! I didn't say that! Don't slander me! I just wanted the games to be more fun!
But Selene knew full well that she drew hate. She wasn't Franklin—not everyone would like her.
With that in mind, schools across the city began eagerly sharpening their blades.
A gamble! High risk, high reward!
The first to step up was Habatobi High School. They even followed formalities, cautiously confirming multiple times before officially issuing their challenge. They wanted a fair and strong match, and asked Selene to honor her word and give her all.
Somewhat cunning. They made their request in front of everyone, emphasizing her promise to not use powers. And Selene gave them exactly what they asked for.
Unlike in the earlier throwing events, where she gradually and politely outperformed opponents, Selene now raised the bar all at once.
Opening with a power spike right after gaining ball possession, the dodgeball blasted a crater the size of a person into the turf with a deafening boom. Players were sent flying.
Even the class president of Hashiba—a towering figure over 1.8 meters tall—was a tough guy.
Though his face twitched and his legs trembled, he gritted his teeth and refused to surrender, desperately trying to score. The result? One hit to the chest, and he was hurled off the field.
Smack! Smack-smack!
In the stands, visitors rose in applause and admiration. Losing to Tokiwadai wasn't shameful. Beating them would be a shocker.
And to endure against the ruthless Number One without giving up until the very end? That too was a kind of victory.
Thanks to last year's recruitment promo video from Tokiwadai featuring Selene's end-of-year assessment, almost every visitor to Academy City had seen it. A glamorous and powerful esper like her was the ultimate boss to beat.
"Wow! Senpai, I just watched your match replay. I didn't know you were that physically strong on top of your ability mastery."
Seeing the adorable flower-headed girl running up with a mini-computer in hand, Selene waved with a smile. "Hey, Uiharu, Saten. Hmm, I get Uiharu skipping class matches because she's in Judgment. But you, Saten, what's your excuse this time?"
"Ehehe~"
Trailing behind Uiharu, Saten stuck out her tongue and clasped her hands together, pouting playfully. "The class doesn't need one more Level 1 like me. Helping my scatterbrained friend here is a duty of friendship."
"Hmph! Who are you calling scatterbrained? And besides, weren't you just—mmph!"
Before Uiharu could finish her soft, powerless protest, Saten pulled her aside and clamped a hand over her mouth, hurriedly changing the subject. "Senpai, how did you throw that volleyball so powerfully using only your body?"
"Want to learn?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" ×2
Both girls nodded eagerly like pecking chicks.
With a tap of her toe, Selene flipped the volleyball into the air and backflipped up. "Alright then."
Impromptu, she stepped forward with precision, her ankle as smooth as white marble. "You can't just use your arm. Shift your weight and rotate your hips like this..."
Holding the ball, Selene slowly twisted her waist. The skirt swayed, her toned thighs tensed, and her slender waist stood out in clear definition. "Transfer that force to your shoulders, and then—like this!"
As the words fell, Selene launched the ball toward the center of the field. With a boom of kinetic force, the air exploded, sending both girls staggering back.
BOOM—!
They looked at each other in a daze and read the same thought in each other's eyes:
Nope. We can't learn that.
...
"She's holding back."
In a hotel suite, a blonde woman in a red dress crossed her arms, watching Selene's live broadcast.
"Madam Katie is in the audience at the main venue in District 7. Shall we arrange a meeting with her, Your Highness?"
"No rush. The ones who should be worried now are the Vatican. As for us..."
The woman pointed at a scene on a magical parchment display, showing a commercial district where a gray-haired girl and a blonde boy could be seen.
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