"So envious... esper powers... If only I could have them too..."
A girl in a sailor-style school uniform, with black shoulder-length hime-cut hair and a white five-petal plum blossom hairpin, leaned against a roadside railing. She looked wistfully at the esper ranking list displayed on her phone screen.
Academy City Esper Level 5 Ranking:
1st: Selene von Habsburg – Space Manipulation – Codename: Will of Honkai
2nd: Accelerator – Vector Manipulation
3rd: Kakine Teitoku – Dark Matter
4th: Misaka Mikoto – Electromaster – Codename: Railgun
5th: Mugino Shizuri – Meltdowner
6th: Shokuhou Misaki – Mental Out
7th: Aihana Etsu – Unknown
8th: Sogiita Gunha – Psychokinesis (Gemstone)
Perhaps because of the changes Selene brought, the Level 5s of Academy City were far more publicly known than in the original timeline. Now, even a Level 0 with no ability could check the rankings, ability descriptions, and codenames on the official website.
"Ah... why am I just a Level 0..."
Saten Ruiko was born outside Academy City, but from a young age, she had longed to enter it and become an esper. She had even bragged to her little brother that she would one day become a superpowered individual.
Reality, however, turned out differently. Even now, she remained an ordinary Level 0 with no ability.
"You brat! Finally found you!"
A loud, rough, and angry voice suddenly reached her ears.
"Eh? Who—?!"
Turning around, Saten saw a group of delinquents approaching—guys with nose piercings, dyed hair, and flashy clothes, all looking furious.
The moment she saw them, Saten didn't hesitate—she turned and ran.
"Get back here, you brat!"
"Think you can escape this time?!"
"Last time you even called Judgment on us! This time, we'll show you what happens when you mess with us!"
The delinquents—Saten's pursuers—chased after her like cats toying with a mouse, laughing mockingly as they closed in.
"Not good... I can't... breathe..."
Saten's lungs burned as she ran. Her heart pounded wildly, sweat streaming down her face. Just as she turned a corner, her foot caught the edge of a stair.
"Ah—!"
Losing her balance completely, she fell hard onto the ground with a cry. Pain shot up from her knees as tears welled in her eyes.
"It hurts! It hurts so much...!"
"Well, well, brat—why'd you stop running? Come on, keep running!"
The delinquents surrounded her, cracking their knuckles, smirking viciously.
"E-eh..."
Saten lifted her head, her clothes and face dust-stained, fear flickering in her eyes. She forced an awkward laugh and stammered, "Um... could you kind gentlemen maybe let me go...?"
Uiharu, where are you? Please hurry... I'm gonna get beaten up...
"Let you go? After what you did to us last time? Not a chance!"
...
At that same moment, Selene was speeding down the road in her beloved sports car.
"Hm?"
The scene by the roadside made her frown.
A black-haired girl in a sailor uniform was being surrounded by a few punks who clearly weren't up to any good. Judging by their posture, they were about to beat her up.
In District 7, which was mostly filled with middle and high schools, there were always some rebellious dropouts—students who had lost hope of improving their abilities. Most of them were Level 0s who banded together, roaming shady corners and preying on the weak.
Judgment hated them, and they hated Judgment in return.
These dropouts saw Judgment as meddlers ruining their fun, while Judgment viewed them as disorderly troublemakers undermining the city's peace.
Because Level 0s received only a small monthly stipend—around 20,000 yen (about 130 USD—living in a high-cost city like Academy City was tough. Many turned to mugging or intimidation to get by.
As a result, incidents of delinquents bullying weaker students for money were a common sight in Academy City.
In such situations, ninety-nine percent of people would simply ignore what was happening—afraid of getting entangled with delinquents. The bystanders could only look away helplessly, and that indifference made the punks even more arrogant.
While their downfall was partly Academy City's fault, they were no longer victims. They had become perpetrators.
Selene didn't bother saying anything more—she simply stepped out of her car and walked toward them.
Snap. A crisp sound echoed as she snapped her fingers.
A spatial portal opened beneath the delinquents' feet.
"Ahhh!!"
Their screams echoed for a brief moment before vanishing entirely.
"U-uh!" Saten Ruiko, eyes squeezed shut, had crouched down with her arms over her head, bracing herself for a beating. Her body instinctively curled inward, trying to minimize the damage.
"Eh?"
But the expected kicks and punches never came. Instead, she heard terrified screams fade into nothingness. Cautiously, she opened her eyes.
"Where... did they go?"
The delinquents who had surrounded her just moments ago were gone. And standing before her—was a stunning figure.
Her first impression of Selene was simple: So gorgeous...
According to Academy City's records, Selene was fourteen years old, the same age as Misaka Mikoto. Yet her figure was nothing short of striking—a mature, curvaceous silhouette that rivaled even Shokuhou Misaki's. Her uniform fit snugly around her form, every line accentuating a body that didn't match her age.
Under the midday sun, the glare made it hard to see her face clearly at first. But as Saten's eyes adjusted and focused on the emblem on Selene's uniform, she instantly understood.
She's the one who saved me.
She froze in shock. In all her years living in Academy City, aside from Judgment, this was the first time a high-level esper—especially one from a prestigious girls' school—had ever saved her.
To her, high-level espers were all arrogant people who looked down on others because of their power. As a Level 0, she never expected to have any connection with them.
Still, despite her disbelief, Saten didn't forget her manners.
"Thank you so much!" she said, forcing herself to stand despite her aching knees. Crossing her hands in front of her, she bowed deeply, wincing slightly from the pain.
Stepping closer, Selene noticed the five-petal plum blossom ornament on Saten's head and immediately recognized her—the hime-cut girl was none other than one of the "Railgun Quartet": Saten Ruiko.
Seeing how Saten was struggling to maintain her posture because of her injury, Selene gently helped her up. Placing her hand over the scraped knee, she let a soft red glow spread across her palm.
Saten immediately felt the pain fade. The wound healed rapidly, leaving no trace behind.
She bent her knee experimentally—no pain at all. Overjoyed, she clasped her hands together and bowed ninety degrees again, flustered but sincere. "Thank you, senpai. My name is Saten Ruiko."
"No need to thank me," Selene said with a smile, helping her straighten up. "Just be more careful next time."
Suddenly, Selene paused as if remembering something. With a flick of her hand, another portal appeared above the street.
Thud... thud... thud...
The delinquents dropped out of the sky one by one, hitting the ground in a heap.
Eyes vacant, mouths foaming, bodies trembling—they lay sprawled across the pavement.
"They're not dead," Selene said calmly. "Just terrified. I let them free-fall for three minutes. You can handle the aftermath."
Then she turned to leave. "Well then... goodbye."
"Wait! Senpai, I haven't even asked your name—!"
Saten stood frozen, her mouth agape at the surreal sight. Before she could react, Selene was already gone.
"Ha... ha... Saten-san, I heard you ran into some delinquents—eh?! What happened to these people on the ground?!"
Uiharu Kazari's voice snapped Saten back to reality.
Seeing her friend arrive, Saten didn't bother explaining. The ever-energetic girl instantly switched moods, leaping up with renewed cheer.
"Uiharu~!"
Updraft!
"Saten-san? Hey—what are you—kyaaa! What are you doing?!"
The petite, flower-hairpinned girl flailed her arms as her best friend hugged her tightly. Though her tone was one of protest, her voice was so soft and sweet it carried no real bite.
"Sorry, sorry! I just can't help myself when I see you, Uiharu," Saten said with a sheepish grin, scratching her head.
Judging by that expression, she clearly knew she was wrong—but would absolutely do it again.
"Ugh... fine." Uiharu smoothed her skirt and sighed. "At least tell me what happened here, Saten-san."
"Oh, nothing much. Just that a senpai from Tokiwadai saved me," Saten said casually.
"Eh?! You mean that Tokiwadai—the elite girls' school full of rich young ladies?!" Uiharu's eyes sparkled as she grabbed Saten's shoulders and shook her excitedly.
"I think... yeah." Saten recalled the crest on Selene's chest and nodded politely.
"Ahhh!!!"