"I see... Saten-san also used the 'Level-Upper'..."
After Uiharu left for Kiyama's lab, Kuroko and Misaka went to the hospital to treat their injuries.
While Kuroko was being treated, she received a series of messages from Uiharu, leading to the current situation.
"...So, where's Uiharu?"
"She said she was going to go straight to Kiyama-sensei's place after getting Saten-san into an ambulance. Uiharu-san was pretty shaken up, too."
"Uiharu-san, too." Those words implied that there were others who were also shaken.
"You know... a little while ago, Saten-san told me about her good luck charm."
"The good luck charm she always carries?"
"Yeah. She said her mom gave it to her. Thinking about it now... she seemed a little off then, and I'm sure she wanted to talk about a lot of things. Ugh, why didn't I notice...?"
"Onee-sama..."
Misaka didn't start out with the highest-level esper ability. In fact, when her power first manifested, she was a Level 1. She climbed to her current position through blood, sweat, and tears.
She was the type of girl who, instead of getting depressed about the difference in power between herself and others, would turn it into her own strength.
After becoming a Level 5, she had a certain status, and people kept their distance. Misaka also disliked the "price of fame," so she was somewhat of a lone wolf.
If not for Kuroko, she probably wouldn't have been involved in this incident with a group.
And from her own experience, she had a deep-seated aversion to people who made excuses and didn't try to improve themselves. She thought she'd never seen Saten in that light. But deep down, what did she truly think? She was trapped in that thought.
(When Saten-san told me that story, can I really say for sure that I didn't think, 'Then why don't you just try harder?' Maybe I just brushed it off, thinking it was the same old thing, just like everyone else around me...?)
"...I really said something irresponsible, didn't I?"
"Onee-sama..."
Misaka had always climbed higher and higher. It was impossible for her, who had the "talent to reap what you sow," which many people, not just Saten, wished for, to ever fully understand Saten's feelings.
This was the source of their misunderstanding.
Kuroko also looked down, saddened by Misaka's pained voice.
"So, Kuroko,"
"Y-Yes?"
Kuroko, who expected Misaka to be depressed, was taken aback by the unexpected tone of her voice.
"I'm going to properly apologize to Saten-san. Once we finish this incident."
"Oh, ah, y-yes, of course."
Flames of fighting spirit blazed in Misaka's eyes. And belatedly, Kuroko understood. The person she respected so much, "Misaka Mikoto," was not the kind of person to be defeated by something like this.
"As expected of Onee-sama. I'll follow you anywhere."
"Thanks, Kuroko... All right! Now we need to wait for Uiharu-san's message and restart the investigation. You focus on healing up."
Misaka stood up with force, but a voice from behind stopped her.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but do you have a moment?"
"Huh?"
A person in a white coat stood there. His face was somehow similar to a certain creature. Yes, just like a certain character Misaka loved...
"A-A real Gekota...!"
A frog-faced doctor stood there.
"Do you have a little time for me?"
Misaka and Kuroko were led into a room by the frog-faced doctor. Inside, multiple displays showed graphs with a pale blue light.
Kuroko also followed in a wheelchair, wanting to hear what was being said.
"What's wrong with this?"
"These are the brainwave patterns of 'Level-Upper' users. Brainwaves, like fingerprints, are unique to each person and can never be the same. However, 'Level-Upper' users show a common pattern."
Looking at it, they could indeed see parts of the graphs overlapping. They understood what the frog doctor was saying, but...
"Sure, but..."
"Does this have something to do with the incident?"
"In other words, it's as if they're being forcibly moved by 'someone else's brainwave pattern.' If that's the case, it would have a huge effect on the human body."
"I see... Is that the cause of the coma in the 'Level-Upper' users...!"
"...I'm a doctor. I'll get whatever my patients need."
The frog-faced doctor displayed a woman's face on the screen.
"This is the person who has the brainwave pattern common to the victims."
---------
"So, even that girl from the other day..."
Uiharu had arrived at Kiyama's lab. She surprised the receptionist by rushing in with a tear-streaked face.
Sitting on a sofa in Kiyama's room, she explained what had happened.
"It's my fault..."
"Don't blame yourself too much. Let's calm down. I'll make some coffee."
"There's no time for that!"
Kiyama gently soothed the panicked Uiharu.
"If you collapse, too, what good would that be when your friend wakes up? It'll be all right. Everything will work out in the end."
After confirming that Uiharu had calmed down, Kiyama went to a simple stove in the back to make coffee, as she had promised.
Left alone in the room, Uiharu looked around.
At that moment, she noticed a printout sticking out of a desk drawer. She knew she shouldn't, but she stood up and reached for it.
---------
"N-No way..."
Kuroko and Misaka were speechless at the person displayed on the screen.
"Hm? What's wrong? Do you know them?"
The frog-faced doctor's voice didn't even reach them. Of all times, why did they have to find this out now? It would have been better if it had been a little earlier.
"Uiharu is in danger!!"
---------
"You know,"
"Huh? What's wrong, Riko-chan?"
"I just realized something. Why didn't Kiyama-sensei mention synesthesia on the phone? She's a brain expert, it's her specialty. Didn't she think of it? If it were Riko, she could talk about her favorite games for two or three hours easily."
"R-Riko? You don't mean..."
---------
"This, too... and this... a paper on synesthesia...? What does this mean? Kiyama-sensei is--"
"That's not good--"
Uiharu slowly turned around at the sticky voice from behind her.
"--peeking at someone else's research without permission."
The culprit was Harumi Kiyama.
---------
Inside a moving car, with her hands tied, Uiharu was receiving a lecture. The driver and lecturer, of course, was Harumi Kiyama.
"First, 'Level-Upper' is a tool that builds a brain network by unifying multiple brainwaves, enabling high-level calculations. In other words, the ability enhancement is just a byproduct... By being incorporated into the same brainwave network, their ability range and calculation power temporarily increase. It's just a fleeting effect."
Uiharu, who interpreted Kiyama's words as saying that the ability enhancement had no value, was enraged.
"D-Don't be ridiculous!! So what are you saying!? You did something this grand just to give a lot of people false hope!! It's true that some people used 'Level-Upper' for twisted desires and malicious purposes... But! There were also people who used 'Level-Upper' with a sliver of hope!! As their last hope!! Did you do this to drive those people to despair!!"
She had heard her best friend's true feelings about this incident. She never wanted to hear them like this. How much her best friend had worried, and how much hope she had entrusted to 'Level-Upper.'
Thinking about that, Uiharu couldn't stay calm.
"Calm down. I told you, the level enhancement is just a byproduct. My purpose is something else entirely."
"...Huh?"
"I have no interest in other people's abilities. My goal is something much bigger."
"...What do you mean?"
"I've applied several times for permission to use the 'Tree Diagram' to simulate a very important experiment, but all my requests were rejected. I needed a substitute calculation device."
"...So you're trying to create a network with espers?"
"Yes. We've gathered about 10,000 people, so it should be fully functional."
"!"
Uiharu's thoughts froze at Kiyama's completely unreadable voice.
Ten thousand people. That number represented the total number of people who had fallen into a coma due to 'Level-Upper.' This, of course, included Saten, who had lost consciousness just an hour ago.
"Don't look at me like that. As I said, all I want to do is run a simulation. I'll release everyone once it's over."
"I don't trust you. Do you think I can so easily believe a criminal who caused such a major incident?"
"I don't. In that case, I'll entrust this to you."
With that, Kiyama took a memory card from her lab coat pocket and handed it to Uiharu.
"...What is this?"
"It's a treatment program to uninstall 'Level-Upper'."
"What!?"
"Of course, there will be no after-effects. Everything will return to normal. No one will be sacrificed."
"There's no convincing me that something with no clinical trials is safe. Besides, there have already been deaths among 'Level-Upper' users."
"That's a painful point. However, you, with your superior information processing skills, must understand. A virus is meaningless if it's not as easy, or even easier, to remove as it is to spread. Isn't that right?"
"Don't compare a computer virus to 'Level-Upper'!"
At that moment, a string of characters appeared on the car's navigation display.
"...That was faster than I thought. It's too quick for them to have started moving after our communication was cut off. Was your friend just that good, or is it another group...? Either way, it seems we just made it. I've programmed my lab PC to erase all data if it's not started with the proper procedure. The only documents left in the room were about synesthesia. Now, the only possibility of waking the 'Level-Upper' users is the one you're holding."
"!"
Uiharu didn't feel like Kiyama was joking. A cold sweat formed on the palm of the hand holding the memory card. If she lost it by accident, if she dropped it and stepped on it, Saten and the 10,000 other 'Level-Upper' users in a coma wouldn't recover--at least not until another technician could figure out the mechanism of 'Level-Upper.'
Seeing Uiharu's pale face, Kiyama spoke. It was a kind tone, one that couldn't be imagined from Kiyama's usual demeanor or the crimes she was currently committing.
"Take good care of it."
"O-Okay...!"
The car entered the highway. Its destination seemed to be fixed, as there was no hesitation in Kiyama's driving. However, she was forced to hit the brakes.
The road ahead was blocked by numerous cars and armed groups.
"...Security guards, huh? They move fast only when they have orders from above."
"Harumi Kiyama, you are a suspect in the distribution of 'Level-Upper' and are under arrest. Surrender peacefully!"
"What are you going to do? It seems your time is up."
The group was heavily armed. They were not opponents that Kiyama, who had rushed out in her clothes, could fight.
"As I said before, I created 'Level-Upper' as a calculation device that uses human brains."
Kiyama opened the car door and stepped out.
"But at the same time, it gave the users an interesting byproduct."
She closed the door and stood in front of the car. The guards, who thought Kiyama would surrender, re-aimed their guns.
Kiyama looked at the countless muzzles pointed at her and said,
"I'll show you something interesting."
With eyes stained a deep red.
---------
"What is this..."
The sight that Misaka and Yukina saw upon arriving at the scene was a group of battered security guards, a fleet of heavily dented vehicles, and a listless Kiyama standing there.
"Did the security bureau get wiped out?"
That couldn't be. There was no way a researcher like Kiyama could defeat a group of professionals without a single scratch.
And yet, that was the reality before them.
Misaka and Yukina's caution shot up at the unusual situation.
Then, they saw a familiar flower hair accessory in a sports car parked a little distance away.
"Ah! Misaka-san, look at that!"
"Uiharu-san!!"
The two rushed to the car. Uiharu seemed to be unconscious.
"Uiharu-san!! Hang in there!!"
"Rest assured. She only fainted from the aftershock of the battle."
Kiyama turned to face them. Kiyama, who clearly knew the situation, was completely at ease.
"My network doesn't include any Level 5s, but I'm sure you've never fought an opponent like me."
As the two prepared for battle, a communication from Kuroko came through.
"Be careful, Onee-sama!! Harumi Kiyama is an esper, a 'Dual Skill' who can use multiple abilities!!"
"Huh!? What are you talking about, Kuroko! It's theoretically impossible for a single person to use multiple abilities, isn't it!?"
Each esper has one unique ability. The nature of a scientific esper's ability is determined by their "Personal Reality," and while they may seem similar on the surface, they are all unique.
"Wrong. My method is different from the one you consider impossible."
A tornado appeared from Kiyama's hand. It grew larger and larger over time,
"You could call it a 'Multi-Skill'."
...and it was launched at the two girls.
"!" Sekkarou!!"
"Hmm. A 'divine vibration wave drive spell'? Unfortunately, the 'magic nullification spell' is useless."
Yukina swung the Sekkarou she had instinctively deployed, but the wind pressure easily lifted the two girls. After landing somehow, their semicircular canals were completely scrambled. Without a moment's pause, a barrage of fireballs attacked them.
Yukina had considered the possibility that Kiyama's words were a bluff, but that was easily disproven. She wasn't using a magic item.
Contrary to her relaxed tone, she didn't let up on her attacks.
"!"
Misaka shot electricity to neutralize the fireballs.
"She's really using multiple abilities..."
"Yeah, this is a real pain. Tina, are you not in a good sniping position yet?"
"Yes. Please wait a little longer."
Tina's voice came through the headset. The static suggested she was on the move.
The two, their dizziness subsiding, faced Kiyama. As a clear enemy.
"We'll defeat her!!"
"Let's go!!"
The final battle had begun.
--------------------------------------------
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