On the broadcast screen, the display was split into several small windows and one main window.
The main screen was directed by the producer, always showing the most intense battle scenes. The smaller screens followed other well-known contestants for coverage.
And above the giant screen—
A young man and woman sat inside the commentary booth, serving as live commentators for the match.
"We can see that, under the joint efforts of multiple schools, Tokiwadai Middle School's contestants have actually fallen behind.
This joint alliance includes schools such as Ninoude Attached Middle School, Habatobi High School, Kirigaoka Girls' Academy, and others.
A bad start for Tokiwadai! They've already lost seven contestants. At this rate, they might lose their chance to defend the championship throne!
Tokiwadai's Wannai Kinuho has run into trouble. The alley ahead is covered in sludge, thanks to the opponent's ability! So, what choice will she make?"
Wannai Kinuho was a first-year student at Tokiwadai Middle School—truly one of Academy City's golden elite.
Her ability was Water Current Manipulation.
But right now, the alley in front of her was filled with sludge. Since the sludge was not a simple liquid, she couldn't isolate the liquid part from the mixture.
If she barged in like that, she'd inevitably dirty her shoes.
And once combat began, she might end up in an embarrassingly sorry state.
After a moment of hesitation, Wannai Kinuho and her partner chose to take a detour.
In truth, the enemy they were pursuing was merely a Level 1 esper, whose ability was only to generate some sludge on the surface.
Such a power wasn't even close to being able to alter the terrain—
Yet thanks to a proper grasp of a Tokiwadai ojou-sama's "weakness," he managed to successfully force them into rerouting.
And then—
Wannai Kinuho and her partner stepped right into a trap.
They were ambushed and easily eliminated.
"Too bad! Wannai Kinuho has fallen into a trap and been eliminated! Tokiwadai has run into a rare and serious disadvantage!"
The commentators raised their voices, for Tokiwadai—this ultra-elite noble school—usually displayed dominating performance in every event.
To see them in such a losing position was truly unusual.
"Wait, let's switch the camera to Tokiwadai's ace! Railgun!"
The commentator suddenly noticed something on another feed and cried out.
At that very moment—
Misaka Mikoto, in pursuit, had chased someone into a narrow alley.
But after reaching the depths of the alley, her target suddenly stopped, turned around, and sneered at her.
Then, more than ten people surged out from the front and rear of the alley.
"Railgun! Today you won't escape!"
As one of them shouted, the group charged toward Misaka Mikoto.
But despite being ambushed, Misaka Mikoto showed not the slightest hint of panic.
She raised her hand upward in a pulling motion.
The next instant, she shot upward along the alley wall.
The ambushers were stunned.
Misaka Mikoto's ability was electricity—but as everyone knew, electricity generated magnetism. With enough calculations, she could manipulate magnetism with her power.
And above alleys, there was always some kind of metal fencing.
Using magnetic force, Misaka Mikoto could perform three-dimensional movement across metallic terrain.
As she ascended, she tossed out a superball.
Next came a sharp popping sound.
The ball ricocheted through the alley at impossible angles and speeds, bursting the balloons above many heads with ease.
The principle, of course, was magnetism.
She had coated the ball with iron sand.
By relying on the rebar in the surrounding walls, she could alter its trajectory.
And with her Level 5 calculation ability, designing a guided ricochet path was child's play.
"Wow! Railgun has broken through the ambush with ease, eliminating sixteen enemies in one sweep! As expected of Tokiwadai's ace! A Level 5 esper, her mastery of her power is truly godlike! At this rate, even if the joint schools gain a small upper hand, it'll be nearly impossible to pull Tokiwadai off the throne!"
The commentators continued with fervor.
And indeed, most of the audience thought the same.
Even if powers weren't allowed to directly harm the human body, the gap between Level 5 and Level 1–2 was simply too vast—an insurmountable gulf.
How could anyone hope to take down Misaka Mikoto?
After all, despite being a Tokiwadai student, Mikoto had nothing in common with the word "ojou-sama."
Always fishing for trouble outside school, Misaka Mikoto certainly didn't lack social experience.
"Tsk tsk, looks like that girl probably won't lose after all."
Shokuhou Misaki said with a trace of disappointment.
"Of course! Onee-sama will never lose!"
At some point, Shirai Kuroko had teleported over near Haruto and the others, responding proudly, delighted at her Onee-sama's display of brilliance.
Misaki glanced at Kuroko, then silently turned away.
Back in her early days, she had even tried inviting Shirai Kuroko into her faction. After all, spatial ability users had immense strategic value and were extremely rare.
And a Level 4 like Shirai Kuroko was practically of strategic-class importance.
But Kuroko had politely refused.
At first, Misaki had been unwilling to accept it.
But later…
She was rather glad she hadn't pulled Kuroko into her camp.
That yuri pervert!
Meanwhile, Haruto shook his head.
"No… she'll probably lose."
Both Misaki and Shirai froze.
Kuroko wanted to snap back—if it had been anyone else, she would have retorted sharply.
But since it was Haruto, she suddenly held her tongue.
Even so, she still didn't believe her Onee-sama would lose.
Time passed.
The Balloon Hunter match gradually entered its climax.
"Kinuhata Saiai has been eliminated, but she managed to take down three more contestants before going out! But now, unfortunately, Tokiwadai has only one remaining contestant—Misaka Mikoto! Railgun versus twenty-seven contestants from the joint schools! What will happen? Let's wait and see!"
Inside the arena, elimination announcements could be heard.
Though Mikoto was now alone, she showed no sign of discouragement.
Instead, her fighting spirit only burned brighter.
As she wondered what trap her opponents might have set, she found twenty-seven contestants waiting for her, lined up across a plaza.
Seeing this, Mikoto frowned.
A trap?
She scanned the ground and air carefully.
"Stop looking, Railgun! There's no trap!"
Someone shouted.
Mikoto was suspicious.
"Everything we've prepared has been for this moment—to face you head-on! Only in a fair and square confrontation do we have any chance of defeating you! That much, we know!"
And indeed, after careful observation, she found no trace of any trap.
Looking again at those twenty-seven—
Most were Level 1 and 2, with only a single Level 3.
Mikoto didn't think sheer numbers could bridge the gap.
But the next moment—
"Charge! Just rush her and physically restrain her abilities! The rules forbid us from harming people anyway!"
With a roar, the twenty-seven charged.
Mikoto froze for an instant—then widened her eyes.
They were in a plaza, with almost no metallic objects to move upon.
Even with her overwhelming ability advantage—if they all piled on her, and she couldn't directly hurt them…
She quickly pulled iron sand from the ground to shield her balloon, and with frantic calculations, used iron-sand-coated superballs to eliminate opponents.
But—
"Eliminated! Misaka Mikoto has been eliminated! Against twenty-seven charging opponents, Railgun has finally fallen! Though she managed to take out nineteen of them, Tokiwadai has been completely eliminated! For the first time in history, Tokiwadai has lost in the Balloon Hunter event!"
The commentator shouted excitedly.
Tokiwadai had lost.
What remained was infighting among the surviving joint-school contestants—but that drew little attention.
Shirai Kuroko stared at the screen in shock.
Her Onee-sama had actually lost!
But Haruto had foreseen it all along.
Traps couldn't beat a Level 5.
But the rules could.
Mikoto had been too overconfident.
If she had set up a favorable terrain from the start, there was no way she could have lost. But with an overwhelming power advantage, few ever bothered with extra preparation.
Just as Haruto was about to look away, his eyes narrowed slightly.
On the broadcast feed, at the edge of the plaza, a figure peeked out of an alley—watching Misaka Mikoto.
Logically, the competition area should have been cleared.
No one but contestants was supposed to be there.
And yet, all remaining contestants were already on the plaza.