"Are you ready?"
"Ready!"
"Begin!"
With Samuel's press of a button, crystalline panels extended from the sides of the capsule chair, sealing it shut.
To give credit where it's due, Shinomiya Ganan was right: as the technological leader of Academy City, Samuel's methods for developing superpowers were unmatched by ordinary institutes.
Mainstream development techniques relied on drugs, electrical brain stimulation, and even psychological hypnosis.
These cumbersome methods often caused harm to both body and mind.
Samuel's approach, however, utilized the massive AIM Diffusion Field unconsciously emitted by his "Firewall" to resonate with the subject.
This method was standard across all Prometheus Group institutes.
While not entirely without risks, it was far safer than drugs or similar interventions.
Of course, upon successfully awakening an esper's abilities, the AIM Diffusion Field also directly uploaded and recorded their ability program.
Samuel wasn't running a charity. His primary goal was data collection. The humane approach was merely a byproduct of his desire to avoid damaging the "programs" of espers—his "property"—with side effects from drugs or other methods. Protecting his assets was only natural, wasn't it?
As Samuel activated the system, the familiar AIM Diffusion Field materialized, emitting peculiar fluctuations that stirred Shinomiya Kaguya's computational capacity.
Through this resonance, her ability was drawn out, akin to a Gemstone's self-activation.
Her heart rate accelerated, blood flow surged, oxygen supply overwhelmed her system, and her brain entered a state of overload.
Yet Shinomiya Kaguya's consciousness remained intact. She could clearly sense something dormant within her body awakening.
As the AIM Diffusion Field pulsed, her body responded, her own computational capacity resonating in kind.
The standard process involved "stimulating the brain to awaken the ability, which then draws out computational capacity."
Samuel's method reversed this: using the fluctuations of his "Calculation" ability to first elicit the subject's computational capacity, thereby awakening their ability.
Memories flooded her mind—her father's cold indifference, her brother's arrogance, and… her mother's dying sigh.
"Kaguya… if only you hadn't been born a Shinomiya. I'm so sorry."
From childhood, the iron grip of the Shinomiya family had dictated her life. In the past: etiquette lessons, mastery of various arts, which schools to attend, which people to associate with.
Now, without a word, she was brought to Academy City and handed over like an object.
The future held no light, still shrouded by the Shinomiya family's suffocating control. No matter how much she schemed or struggled, it felt like a mayfly trying to shake a tree.
A life as a tool—that wasn't the story she wanted.
"I'll break free. I'll use everything, harness every power, exhaust every ounce of my intellect to forge a future of my own."
A new vision unfolded in her mind. The past and present remained unchanged, but the future began to shift, though the outcome stayed the same.
Visions flashed—one after another, each depicting different struggles, yet all leading to similar endings.
In her relentless simulations, she began to make sacrifices, leveraging more resources, but the outcome stubbornly returned to the starting point.
No matter what she did, resistance seemed futile, and despair slowly crept into her heart.
But she didn't stop. In that moment, she resolved to defy her fate, to break free from "destiny."
True resolve meant carving a path of light through a world of darkness.
At any cost.
When she reached that point of determination, she finally saw it… a future where she could control her own destiny.
"Ohh! A Level 3 right from the start? Her ability is future simulation? Constructing a narrative through computational capacity and projecting outcomes? Interesting—it's somewhat similar to my Calculation!"
The moment Shinomiya Kaguya awakened her superpower, Samuel, resonating with her computational capacity, collected all her data.
He also gained a rough understanding of her ability and its mechanics.
Kaguya's ability was similar to Samuel's, yet fundamentally different.
Her power involved gathering existing information, setting a goal, and performing controlled, finite iterations to foresee the outcome.
This was merely a minor subset of Samuel's capabilities.
He dubbed her awakened ability "Virtual Future."
"Congratulations, Miss Shinomiya. You're now a Level 3 esper. As for your ability… I'm sure you're well aware of it."
"Of course…"
Kaguya was fully aware, her heart ablaze with passion for the bright future she had glimpsed.
Glancing at Samuel, the ice in her expression melted, replaced by a flicker of conflicted emotion. She spoke softly, "Um… thank you."
Her brief moment of shyness caught Samuel's eye, but it vanished quickly, as if an illusion. He knew it wasn't, but he didn't dwell on it, continuing, "No need to thank me. This is your own ability—I merely assisted. Alright, next… your turn, Miss Hayasaka!"
Gulp.
The blonde girl's hands clenched tightly, her knuckles whitening. Sweat beaded on her face, her nerves palpable.
This was a turning point in her life. Awakening—or not—and the nature of her ability would define her future.
One path led to paradise, the other to perdition.
"Please, go ahead."
"I understand!"
The girl took Shinomiya Kaguya's place in the capsule chair as Kaguya now observed the process.
The AIM Diffusion Field began to pulse, resonating with Hayasaka Ai's body.
"Level 1? Barely even that. Level 3 is likely her ceiling."
In that instant, Samuel foresaw her potential.
In Academy City's records, it wasn't unheard of for espers to rise from Level 1 to higher tiers. Samuel knew the future Level 5 "Railgun" started as a Level 1.
But such cases were rare. Of Academy City's 2.3 million residents, about 300,000 were espers, with only 30,000 at Level 3 or above. Currently, there were just two Level 5s, and even in the future, including Samuel, there would only be eight.
For Hayasaka Ai to break free, she'd need at least Level 4. Under normal development, her odds were slim—roughly thirteen percent. Not impossible, but close to it. A long shot, as some might say.