A/N: Hello to all my readers!
I want to let you know about a change to my upload schedule. Since this novel has quite long chapters, I've decided that starting tomorrow, I will be uploading 5 chapters per day.
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"Well? Does it feel strange?"
"No, it's fine."
I repeatedly open and close my right hand, which is touching the outside air for the first time in a while, to check its condition.
My right arm had been numb because of the anesthesia, but on my ninth day of hospitalization, the anesthesia administration finally ended and the device was removed from my right arm.
The tissue repair using artificial cells is complete. I'll be discharged in a few days after a final check.
My right hand is back to normal, almost as if it never left my body. There's no scar either.
"According to the machine scans, it's completely healed. But since we used an unapproved method, it's better to be overly cautious. You'll be hospitalized for a little while longer. You can move around as you like starting today, but don't cause any trouble. I've been busy lately."
With that, Dr. Mikado pushed a cart with a machine on it and left the room.
If anything, I should move it around to make sure it works as it should.
I put my watch on my wrist and went for a walk, which I hadn't done in a long time. I enthusiastically left my room and started exploring. I had a look around during my previous hospitalization, but right now I just feel like moving.
It's a hospital, so it's not a particularly interesting building, but I'll probably be here a lot in the future. It's a good idea to memorize the layout.
Since then, everyone has been visiting me every day. But they won't talk about the quest. It seems like this time I won't have to get involved at all. They'll probably handle it on their own. By the way, if I don't participate in solving the case—if the girls handle the quest by themselves—my gacha points won't increase.
Well, I guess that's okay sometimes. I'll just wait patiently. Yeah, maybe I'll go to the convenience store and get something to drink.
I was feeling relaxed, but then I had an unexpected reunion.
"Oh."
"Oh, you!"
"Huh? What's wrong, Onee-sama?"
At the entrance of the convenience store, a pair of people were just opening the door to go out: Mikoto Misaka and Kuroko Shirai.
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I bought a bottle of Afternoon Tea at the convenience store and headed for a designated area in the hospital. Two girls with stern expressions were sitting there. Needless to say, it was Misaka and Shirai.
When we ran into each other, they told me to come here. I had nothing to hide, so I readily agreed. This is a hospital, and I'm a patient, so there's no way a stereotypical duel is going to happen here.
...or so I thought...
The expressions on their faces were three times as scary as I expected. I understood why Misaka's face was so scary, but I had no idea why Shirai's was. This was the first time I'd met Shirai, so I briefly introduced myself and mentioned that I was hospitalized.
"So, do you need something from me?"
"Yes, well. Do you know about the series of Gravity Bombs that happened about a week ago?"
"Oh, that. I remember."
With everything that's happened, I almost forgot, but I resolved that incident in the commotion on the day I was last discharged. No, I didn't actually resolve it. I just disposed of the doll that had become a bomb.
As she started talking, the strained look in Shirai's eyes relaxed and her tone became flat.
"I heard you helped a friend of mine, so I'm here to thank you."
"Oh, you're welcome."
I honestly returned Shirai's sincere thanks. I don't like meaningless humility. The friend Shirai was talking about was probably Kazari Uiharu, the one with lots of flowers in her hair.
"By the way, why are you at the hospital today? You don't look like you're injured. Are you visiting someone? I'm assuming you didn't just come to thank me, right?"
I immediately tried to probe for information. It's always good to get information when you can. Besides, they wouldn't normally come to a hospital, so something must be going on.
"Yes. But... no, maybe I should tell you. It's also related to the series of Gravity Bombs."
Hmm? The culprits of the Gravity Bombs should have been caught... Don't tell me...
"The culprit of the Gravity Bombs, Hatsuya Kaitabi, has fallen unconscious."
"...Seriously?"
"Yes. And the cause is unknown. We're currently having her examined in detail by a specialist in that field."
Hatsuya Kaitabi falling unconscious means that the side effects of Level Upper have started to appear.
The series of Gravity Bombs is just a small part of the Level Upper incident. It's the small matter before the big one. And in this world, I have no idea what's going to happen.
...Should I get a little more involved here? I'm sorry, everyone.
"Could it be related to the Level Upper?"
"!! How do you know that?"
"I have some acquaintances who are investigating it. I've been getting some information from them."
Shirai's expression suddenly became serious, and she leaned closer to me. In this world, the words "investigating" and "getting information" have a lot of power. If you say that, the other person usually can't say anything back.
"You have some very talented acquaintances. I mean, Level Upper is a common urban legend... but at least this time, the case is so credible that it has resulted in an official request."
The perpetrators of recent ability-related incidents have apparently shown a difference in ability that can't be explained by the word "growth" when compared to their records. And Level Upper has become famous as an online urban legend.
It seems they've selected students to investigate the connection between these two things. Misaka and Shirai are among them.
"Can't I join..."
"Of course not. The quest deadline has already passed."
"...Even if Onee-sama says so, it's not very convincing... Besides, you're a patient. It's impossible."
I know, right.
Mikoto Misaka and Kuroko Shirai are both characters from A Certain Magical Index. Both of them have powerful superpowers.
Misaka, in particular, is an Electromaster, the highest level of ability in that field, Level 5. She can shoot a billion volts of electricity, manipulate magnetism by applying her electric power, and even extract information. She can even launch metal projectiles at several times the speed of sound, a technique known as Railgun.
Honestly, she's one of the people I feel like I can't win against in a straight fight.
"I don't know how much confidence you have in your arm, but you don't need to force yourself to get involved when you're still injured."
My injury's already healed though.
Her words are a bit harsh, but Misaka has that much power. With her abilities alone, she could easily be rated as S-rank.
Speaking of abilities, it's late, but let me introduce the new abilities I've acquired.
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Knight of Honor
A Noble Phantasm possessed by the Servant Lancelot in the Fate series.
This Noble Phantasm is a materialized version of the anecdote where he won a battle with just a stick from an elm tree when he was forced to fight bare-handed. It allows him to treat anything he holds, even a simple steel pole, as his own Noble Phantasm.
Dendrobium
A weapon that appears in Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory.
It is a mobile weapon formed by the RX-78GP03 Gundam "Stamen" docking with the Armed Base "Orchis." The Orchis has a mega beam cannon that can sink an entire battleship with a single shot, an I-Field Generator that can block long-range beam attacks, weapon containers with numerous heavy weapons and missiles, and beam sabers on the claw arms for some close-range combat. If you don't know what it looks like, you can look it up; it's very cool. The Stamen is the core unit of the Dendrobium, and you pilot the Orchis by wearing it like a powered suit.
The size and other aspects have been adjusted to make it easier to handle. You can also just summon the beam cannon and weapon containers. The ammo is supplied indefinitely, but be careful because the unit won't automatically repair itself if it's damaged.
By the way, Dendrobium is the name of a flower. Some flowers can be quite dangerous.
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These are the two. Knight of Honor seems like it will be very useful for expanding my fighting style.
The problem is the Dendrobium. I haven't summoned it yet since I'm in the hospital, but I'll have to be careful when I use it. If I fire it without thinking, it could cause even more damage than the Caliber. I'll need to practice... even though I have no idea where to.
"Well, I guess... with the world-famous Railgun, Mikoto Misaka, around, there's no need for me, is there?"
Shirai's face looked annoyed at the way I said it. She probably didn't like how I emphasized the "Railgun" part.
Then I noticed the look in Misaka's eyes had become unpleasant. It wasn't because she was annoyed by what I said. It was as if she had been waiting for this topic to come up, like she'd finally latched onto her prey...
"Right... you made quite a scene at the shopping mall, didn't you?"
"Huh?"
"Now that you mention it... the destruction from the Gravity Bombs... that was Onee-sama's Railgun, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, it's embarrassing, but I got flustered and dropped the coin."
"That was my full power, my full power. I was confident in that attack."
"Full power? So in that instant before the bomb exploded, you immediately used a full-power attack? But you weren't even out of breath when you got close to it, were you?"
"I can't tell you about that. It's a trade secret."
So this was her goal all along.
Misaka has a high-level ability, but perhaps as a side effect of that, she said in the early stages of the original story that she was annoyed by people who were stronger than her. It looks like she's completely set her sights on me.
When I kept looking her straight in the face with a brazen attitude, she gave up and relaxed. I was relieved, but then she took her cell phone out of her pocket. It seems she hadn't given up at all.
"Hmm... Oh well. Let's exchange numbers. It might be inconvenient if we can't contact each other later."
"WHAT?!"
I scowled at her sudden suggestion. Shirai's mouth was so wide open I was worried her jaw would dislocate.
"O-O-Onee-sama? Wh-What are you suddenly saying...? T-To exchange numbers with a gentleman...! Kuroko...! Kuroko is...!"
"Alright, alright. Don't act like that. You get your phone out too. Don't make a face like you don't want to."
Misaka responded dryly to the panicked, trembling Shirai. She must be used to handling Shirai.
Misaka nimbly operated her phone with the frog strap. Looking at the phone and Misaka, who were both silently held out to me, I reluctantly took out my own phone. The number exchange was over in a few seconds.
While we were exchanging numbers, Shirai kept hitting her head on the corner of the chair. I hope she doesn't get an injury that needs to be treated.
"You're still here, are you?"
A sweaty woman in a white coat called out to us at just the right time. With pale, dark circles under her eyes, she was far from looking healthy. Her white coat showed she was a doctor, but she looked like the one who needed to live a healthy life.
However, that was just a general reaction. Something completely different was going through my head.
Harumi Kiyama...!
The main culprit of this Level Upper incident. This is a note about the original story, but she is the most suspicious person. It was only natural that my awareness shifted when such a person appeared before me.
Unaware of what I was thinking, Shirai continued the conversation.
"Yes. We wanted to ask Dr. Kiyama something."
"I don't mind. I've already submitted his diagnosis to the director, so I have some time now. Is he with you too? He didn't seem to be here a moment ago..."
"Oh, no. He's an outsider, and... huh?"
At some point, the shirt Dr. Kiyama was wearing was half off. No one did anything to her. She was just saying "It's hot" and taking off her clothes.
I froze at the shocking sight, and in no time, her upper body was only covered by a black bra.
Shirai, who was the first to regain her composure, confronted Kiyama.
"Why are you stripping in a place like this?!"
"Why? Because it's hot, obviously..."
"There are gentlemen here!!"
"Is it still not okay even though I'm wearing a bra...?"
"Of course it's not okay!!"
Misaka's bangs were crackling with electricity, and she said,
"I think you're the one committing a public indecency here."
"I think that's the other way around...?"
She came up to me.
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After I escaped from Misaka and Shirai made Kiyama put on her clothes, they finally went to a nearby family restaurant so Kiyama wouldn't take them off again because of the heat. They finally had a calm environment to talk.
"Hmm, now that you've calmed down, can I start talking? It seems the number of people has increased after all."
"Unlike that gentleman earlier, these two are involved."
"Is that so? Then, where should I begin?"
Kiyama started to talk in a low voice. There were four girls at the table with her. Two were Misaka and Shirai.
And the other two were Asuna and Kurumi.
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