I, Kurumi Tokisaki, Am a Wanderer

The concept called "human," the realm known as "human," is akin to a glass filled to the brim with water.

What would happen if you added one more drop?

A long, long time ago, the Chairman of Academy City, suspended upside-down in his sealed tower, posed this question to a young girl.

"Based on the phenomenon of surface tension, the water level in the cup would curve slightly downward. While the water is added, it wouldn't overflow," the girl answered after a brief pause.

"..." Aleister fell silent.

"Pfft—" A laugh erupted from the corner of the room. A red-haired girl, loosely draping the winter uniform of Kirigaoka Girls' Academy over her shoulders with her chest barely covered by a few strips of cloth, couldn't hold back her amusement.

The sight of the great chairman being stumped was unexpectedly entertaining for her.

Sensing the gazes of the two conversing figures, Awaki Musujime gave a slight bow.

"I'll leave you to it then, Mr. Chairman. Let me know when you need me to 'lead the way,'" she said before vanishing into thin air.

She was the so-called "Guide."

"Then let's put it differently. If you replace the drop of water with a pebble..."

"That depends on the size of the pebble and the cup," the girl countered.

[Would you stop nitpicking?]

Aleister scrutinized the girl.

"Fine, fine. I think I understand your point now," the girl replied with a soft laugh. "So, what is it that you actually want from me?"

"I need someone to vacate that position," Aleister stated bluntly.

"Huh?"

"I need someone who is alive but does not exist."

...

In a room painted a bold orange-red, the word School was scrawled across the back wall in sweeping strokes of a brush.

This was the secret base of the dark organization School.

A brown-haired boy dressed in a high-end purple suit lounged on a sofa, waiting idly.

His polished leather shoes rested on the coffee table, while the wall-mounted TV played a movie featuring a loli protagonist swinging a comically oversized sword. The boy's demeanor was casual and irreverent.

This was Kakine Teitoku, a Level 5 esper.

Among all the espers, he had once ranked second in power, wielding the ability Dark Matter. But now... he was third.

A girl in an elegant, short, and delicate dress returned to the base.

Kakine Teitoku gave a playful whistle. "Why so late getting back?"

"I ran into another client while dropping off Yumiya Rakko and made a bit of extra cash," Measure Heart replied, sitting on the armrest of the sofa and slipping off her high heels.

She glanced at the TV, where the loli protagonist wielded her impossibly large sword, and couldn't help but quip, "Boss, are you sure you're not a lolicon?"

"Tch." Kakine Teitoku switched off the TV, steering the conversation elsewhere. "Had yourself a good time, huh?"

"Nothing indecent, just talking," Measure Heart replied nonchalantly. "Even if I were short on money, I could just reduce little Yumiya's mental distance to zero. Not that it'd matter if I didn't."

Hah. Kakine Teitoku yawned, clearly uninterested in the inner workings of his subordinates' relationships.

Measure Heart cast a sidelong glance at the boy before beginning her report on the newly crowned NO.1.

Yumiya Rakko was an earnest child by nature, prioritizing her missions above all else because they were the only thing that gave her a sense of self-worth.

"NO.1..." Practically sprawling on the sofa, Kakine Teitoku raised his right hand, staring at his fingers.

"Where the hell did this person even come from?"

The boy suddenly clenched his fist as if trying to grasp the pale light emanating from his hand.

"It's decided! We'll make a move tonight."

"A move, huh?" Measure Heart's expression remained neutral. She had joined this dark organization for her own particular reasons, and even if her boss ended up dead in some ditch, it wouldn't mean much to her.

Still, he was a Level 5 esper. Not to mention, he could fly. If he really wanted to escape, there weren't many who could stop him.

"Yeah," Kakine Teitoku confirmed.

"Ah, even getting an audience with that bastard Aleister is already next to impossible." He grabbed at his hair, gnashing his teeth. "Being the 'Second Substitute' was bad enough; now that I've fallen to third, it's hopeless."

"But... if I can just kill the Number One, if I can take my rightful place at the true core, that bastard Aleister won't be able to ignore me. Then I can confront him directly, right?"

"Do you have the confidence to defeat this Number One?" Measure Heart asked.

Beep—

Kakine Teitoku turned on the television again. This time, it wasn't displaying a scantily dressed loli wielding a massive sword. Instead, the screen showed a girl holding twin pistols, her delicate face twisted into a near-maniacal grin.

Measure Heart shuddered.

She had seen this girl not long ago—a poised and elegant young lady, a true high-society princess. But what was displayed on the screen now sent chills down her spine.

"My 'underground contacts' secretly obtained footage of her battle with Accelerator, as well as an analysis of her weaknesses. Trust me, I'll reign supreme over all of Academy City."

Kakine Teitoku stood up, brimming with confidence as he declared his intentions.

Measure Heart didn't offer any words of encouragement or awe. Instead, she remained remarkably calm. "Do as you please, but I'm not going to join you in this insanity tonight."

"Hah?"

"I just have a feeling," she said, "that if I really used my ability to become the person she's closest to, she might spare my life."

The girl picked up the remote, zooming in on the screen.

"But... I also feel like she'd devour me."

That deranged, almost pathological smile.

She wasn't about to gamble her life. If something went wrong, Kakine Teitoku would probably ditch her without hesitation.

Not that she was any different. She had no right to judge him.

"Doesn't matter. I've got that idiot; he's enough." Kakine Teitoku never expected much from Measure Heart in terms of combat power anyway. At best, she was a meat shield with a Glock.

"If there are any results, let me know. All this is for securing negotiation rights with Aleister." Of everyone in the organization, her objective was the closest to Kakine Teitoku's.

"Yeah, yeah." He yawned and walked away.

Measure Heart reclined on the sofa, replaying the footage of Kurumi's fight against Accelerator.

Suddenly, she froze the video and zoomed in on Kurumi's face.

The still frame was exceptionally clear. Those heterochromatic eyes—one crimson, the other gold—gleamed with mocking amusement, as though they were ancient clock faces from Roman times.

Staring at those eyes, an unusual sensation rose in Measure Heart's chest.

Her boss was going to crash and burn.

...

"A living... yet non-existent person?" The girl looked up at the contradictory figure of Aleister Crowley, who seemed to embody both genders and no discernible age.

Aleister did not respond directly but instead brought up another report, projecting it before the girl.

"Based on the calculations of 'Power Curriculum Program' and the 'Designer of the Tree Diagram,'" Aleister began, "with just four years of training, your sister could become a Level 5 esper. Her ability, 'Akarin,' could evolve into the Level 5 'Existence Erasure.'"

"What do you plan to do to my sister!" the girl suddenly shouted, her voice sharp and full of alarm as her eyes widened at Aleister.

"Many have come here, and I've seen all kinds of expressions on those who face me," Aleister said with a tone that carried a hint of menace. "But you are the first to look at me with such eyes."

Exhaling slowly, the girl tried to calm herself. She was speaking to Aleister Crowley, the director of Academy City—the person who stood at its absolute pinnacle. She was nothing more than a pawn on this grand chessboard.

"What exactly is your goal?" she asked. "If this is about my sister, I shouldn't be the one standing here."

"That is because," Aleister replied calmly, "according to calculations, you are a better fit than your sister."

"My ability is the Level 4 'Idol Manifestation,' completely opposite to my sister's," the girl countered with composure.

Both she and her sister were natural Gemstones—individuals born with innate abilities. However, unlike the shy and timid Rikuto Mika, who resembled a skittish kitten, this girl was a natural-born star, someone destined to draw the spotlight.

"That's why you are required for another experiment," Aleister stated in that ambiguous voice, neither male nor female.

...

Rikuto Mika stood uneasily in a park within the Eighteenth District, clutching her phone tightly.

The wind turbines behind her turned slowly in the night breeze. The time was approaching midnight, and a crescent moon hung in the northeastern sky.

She had been instructed over the phone to meet someone here. The caller seemed to know everything about her, as if they had uncovered every detail of her life.

Nagatenjouki Academy had strict privacy measures for its students. Even simple acts like getting a haircut required visiting designated salons to prevent DNA information from being collected by malicious actors.

This was why Rikuto Mika felt so unnerved.

Her phone was pre-set for emergency dialing, ready to call someone who gave her an immense sense of safety.

Tap-tap-tap—

Her phone suddenly vibrated. Startled, she checked the screen.

But at that moment, she felt something brush against her cheek.

Zzzzz—

Her phone, as if slashed by a razor-sharp blade, was cut cleanly in two. The upper half fell to the ground, along with a small lock of her pink hair.

Rikuto Mika's eyes constricted in fear, narrowing to pinpoints as she stared ahead in terror.

"If I were you, I wouldn't think of using my ability to escape right now," said a slouched boy as he stepped out of the shadows.

His lifeless eyes were hidden behind peculiar goggles. His messy black hair looked like it hadn't been cut in ages, sticking out like untamed weeds.

The goggles resembled a bizarre Saturn-like ring encircling his entire head, bristling with plugs and dangling cables.

He was Yobou Banka, a Level 4 esper with the ability "Telekinesis," and the final member of the dark organization 'School.'

Raising his right hand, which had just mimed a cutting motion, Haragi's gesture had been enough to sever Rikuto Mika's phone in an instant.

He tilted his head, motioning for Rikuto Mika to look at the device wrapped around his neck, resembling a bandage.

"I think you should recognize this," he said, pointing at it. "A little gadget, kind of like a spring-wound bandage, developed by your Nagatenjouki Academy."

"The essence of your ability is actually withdrawing your own sense of existence, right? In other words, you don't actually leave the area, and there's no real defense."

Yobou Banka rotated his right hand slightly, his movements accompanied by a dreadful sound.

Creak—

Behind Rikuto Mika came the sharp, grating noise of metal being torn apart.

She turned her head in stunned disbelief, only to find that the massive wind turbine behind her had its metallic surface ripped open and twisted into an unrecognizable shape. The entire enormous windmill was contorted, resembling a pretzel.

Yobou Banka was demonstrating his power.

"I've already pre-set the program," he said with a grin. "If my eyes lose sight of the target, this little gadget will activate instantly."

"After that, my ability will focus on the point of vision, destroying everything within a 25-meter radius."

"So, what do you think? Want to try it out? Let's see if you can run faster than my ability can catch you."

Rikuto Mika clutched the remnants of her broken phone tightly in her hand, her lips pressed into a thin line.

She began to regret her reckless decision, wishing she had reached out to inform Kurumi-senpai beforehand.

Mii~~Miii-wooo—

The phone rang persistently, but Kurumi, busy playing video games with Moyu, ignored it.

However, the caller seemed extraordinarily patient, as the ringtone continued incessantly.

Then, a small, short arm reached over and picked up the phone.

It belonged to a tiny girl dressed in a white gothic dress adorned with elaborate lace, paired with thigh-high white stockings and dainty white shoes.

"Incoming call! Incoming call!" she grumbled discontentedly at the main Kurumi body.

"Then you answer it," Kurumi said without even turning her head.

The little girl pouted deeply.

Stupid main body, so mean! She was supposed to have her turn to play.

She had thought the main body would answer the phone so she could take over the game, but now Kurumi wasn't even bothering to pick it up.

"Hello! Who is this?" the annoyed loli Kurumi snapped as she answered the call.

"..."

On the other end of the line, Teitoku Kakine hesitated, glancing at the information in his hand. Somehow, this didn't feel right.

"Get your elder sister to answer. I want to talk to Kurumi Tokisaki."

"I am Kurumi Tokisaki!" the loli version declared, placing her hands on her hips, her soft, childlike voice ringing with indignation.

"..."

Teitoku Kakine was silent.

Fortunately, at that moment, the main Kurumi took the phone from her, motioning for the little one to take over the controller.

The loli's eyes lit up with excitement, and she immediately climbed across the bed.

But as she glanced at Moyu's expression, something felt off.

On the screen, the character Kurumi had been controlling was down to its last sliver of health, surrounded by a screen full of bullet hell projectiles, with no room to maneuver.

Although the game was paused, resuming it would mean an instant, unavoidable death.

"Argh! Stupid main body! I'm going to bite you to death!" the loli Kurumi yelled, throwing herself angrily toward Kurumi.

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