I, Kurumi Tokisaki, Am a Wanderer

A forbidden technique capable of destroying the entire world.

Yobou Banka couldn't help but feel a wave of despair. Was this necessary? All he wanted was to drag that little girl back to "be a guest," and now it seemed the entire world was about to perish along with him?

"Just kidding~" Yumei Mika said playfully, her smile mischievous.

Yobou Banka exhaled a long breath of relief.

And then he heard Yumei Mika shout.

"Starlight—"

A dazzling white light enveloped Yobou Banka's vision.

In the final moments before he lost consciousness, he only caught the girl's last spirited cry.

"—Breaker!"

...

...

Kakine Teitoku kicked Yobou Banka aside with one swift motion.

This useless waste couldn't even say who had defeated him.

It was as if someone had hollowed out his memories, leaving behind a jumbled, fragmented mess of distorted and broken images.

Was it that "Mental Out" user?

But Kakine Teitoku surveyed the devastation around him. The entire landscape looked as if it had been plowed over.

He quickly dismissed the idea.

While that individual could dominate every mental phenomenon in Academy City, her destructive capabilities in reality were nowhere near this scale.

"Useless." Kakine Teitoku sneered coldly, grinding Yobou Banka's ability-enhancement device under his polished shoe until it shattered.

"You're no longer of any use."

Through another pair of eyes, he saw it—a girl slowly walking toward this place.

When it came to hacking abilities—without considering esper powers—Uiharu Kazari's skills were unparalleled in Academy City.

Even Tree Diagram would only require a bit of preparation if she truly wanted to hack into it.

Her fingers clacked away at the keyboard, her thoughts becoming ever clearer.

Her curiosity about the so-called "dark side" grew, and on impulse, Uiharu downloaded a full dossier on it.

Locking onto Kakine Teitoku's location was as simple as snapping her fingers. Earlier, the dark side's exceptionally high security levels had merely delayed her.

"Kurumi-senpai... I've found it."

"Good."

The location matched perfectly with the one Kakine Teitoku had provided earlier. That guy had been surprisingly truthful.

It was a park in the 18th district, not far from Nagatenjouki Academy. Even on foot, it would take less than half an hour to reach.

This place was not unfamiliar to Kurumi; she had been here before. However, she hadn't recognized it immediately from the photograph because the damage in the image was so extensive.

Kurumi advanced directly toward the location, her expression icy and her eyes deep and unreadable, like the depths of a bottomless well.

Kakine Teitoku had been waiting for her the entire time.

The nearly six-foot-tall teenager bore a dark expression, though a self-assured smile curled at the corners of his lips.

Kakine's gaze locked onto Kurumi, blazing with heat, chaos, and madness.

"You finally came," he said, reinforcing the "Saturn's rings" device at his feet with another touch. Kakine shook his hand, stepping forward to confront Kurumi.

"The Academy City's newly crowned Number One? How exciting," he said, his voice dripping with anticipation. "I can't wait to cut you down."

Gone was the frivolity in his tone; Kakine now exuded the aura of a weapon poised to strike.

...

"Oh," Kurumi replied flatly, her gaze lowering, seemingly studying the tips of Kakine's polished shoes.

This guy was too tall, and she disliked tilting her head up to talk to people.

"Kakine Teitoku?" Kurumi murmured, searching her memory for the information she had once read about him.

"Yo," Kakine responded, his mood brightening.

He disliked being addressed as "Number Two" or "Dark Matter" and much preferred when people used his real name.

"In light of you calling me by my name, I'll go easy on you later," Kakine quipped, his smile tinged with smugness.

"In light of that statement," Kurumi countered, tilting her head slightly to the left as a smile crept across her lips, "you're going to die a very ugly death."

From beneath her asymmetrical bangs, her golden eye shimmered like flowing liquid.

Abandoning her usual elegance, Kurumi strode forward boldly, heading straight for Kakine with firm, purposeful steps.

Her posture was resolute, her gait brimming with a sense of charge, as if she were rushing headlong into battle.

Her arms stretched straight at her sides, palms open.

It was as if she reached into the void and grasped something invisible. In an instant, Kurumi pulled a flintlock rifle and a short pistol out of thin air, both accompanied by the clatter of inky-black chains that coiled around her wrists.

Black and red shadows surged behind her with each step she took, the ground reverberating like the heartbeat of a colossal beast.

A suffocating aura of majesty and terror spread through the air, pressing down heavily on Kakine, who now wore a grim expression.

He saw the ominous shadows behind Kurumi rise like an unending tide, swelling until they consumed the girl entirely.

When the tide receded, Kurumi stood transformed, dressed in an entirely new outfit.

Astral Dress: Elohim.

The final traces of shadow billowed out like a swirling cloak, leaving only a collar encircling her neck.

The seductive and revealing black-and-red Gothic spirit attire, even though Kakine Teitoku had seen it once in a video, delivered a powerful impact when Kurumi appeared before him in person. The stark contrast between her excessively fair, radiant skin and the attire was so striking that he couldn't help but marvel.

Bzzz, bzzz, bzzz—

The phone in his pocket vibrated. Kakine Teitoku took it out and glanced at the screen. It was a call from that annoying Measure Heart. He immediately declined the call, turned off his phone, and shoved it back into his pocket.

Kurumi advanced step by step, her pace quickening until she broke into a run. Her momentum was like a sword aiming directly at Kakine Teitoku's brow.

Kakine Teitoku met her charge. He stomped heavily on the ground, as if intending to shatter it.

Whoosh—

A powerful gust of wind erupted.

Using the force of the wind, Kakine Teitoku launched himself like an arrow from a bow, shooting toward Kurumi.

The violent gale lifted the sparse grass and debris, forming a spiraling vortex that hurtled toward Kurumi with incredible speed.

Kurumi leaned back slightly from the impact of the wind but did nothing to counter or avoid the attack. She took it head-on.

The cost? Her health bar dropped by a mere ten points.

Oh, right. Kurumi's current health points stood at 120,000.

She straightened herself, letting her head and arms hang loosely.

Kurumi smiled at Kakine Teitoku, raising the flintlock in her right hand. With an almost casual motion, she swung the weapon like a cane and struck Kakine Teitoku.

Bang—

A thunderous crash resounded, accompanied by a dull, heavy sound, as if the weapon had struck solid rock.

Kakine Teitoku was sent flying backward, landing in a massive crater behind Yobou Banka, kicking up a large cloud of dust.

Kurumi didn't follow up. Instead, she aimed her flintlock at the area and repeatedly pulled the trigger.

Golden bullets flew out one after another.

From within the haze of dust emerged a massive shadow, inching closer to Kurumi.

Kakine Teitoku stepped out from the cloud of debris, encased in a white eggshell-like barrier. The shell was riddled with bullet holes but was rapidly repairing itself.

"That hurt..." Kakine Teitoku groaned, covering his face.

...

...

Meanwhile, The girl carrying Rikuto Mika dashed through the rooftops, heading toward Nagatenjouki Academy's dormitory.

With every flicker of movement, she covered nearly a kilometer.

After just a few spatial jumps, she had returned with Rikuto Mika to the student dormitories of Nagatenjouki Academy.

Such distance and speed in movement could easily be compared to that of a Level 5 esper.

But just moments ago, she had used what seemed like magical techniques straight out of an anime.

Due to the nature of personal realities, all espers in Academy City possessed only one ability.

The concept of a "multi-ability user" existed solely as an urban legend.

Yet, Yumei Mika had made it a reality.

To pursue her will, to embody human essence.

In the name of science, she constructed her personal reality, projecting her abilities into the tangible world.

This was the fundamental nature of Academy City's superpowers.

It was, in essence, a form of magic grounded in individual belief.

But what if the reality constructed by a superpower wasn't rooted in the "self"?

Would it result in the collapse of the individual... or lead to a higher form of transcendence?

Yumei Mika expertly carried Rikuto Mika back to the young girl's dorm room, gently placing her on the bed. Her actions were so natural, it seemed as though she had done this countless times before.

Yumei Mika kissed Rikuto Mika's forehead, her pupils reflecting the girl's figure. Then, her very existence was instantly erased.

An invisible hand moved the world, tearing her from all records, contexts, and even memories.

When she had returned from an experiment that had spiraled out of control, her ability had evolved into the Level 5 power of "Idol Manifestation."

With herself as the idol, the world seemed to revolve around her.

If she idolized "magical girls," she could shout out the names of flashy moves and unleash dazzling ultimate attacks.

But when she idolized Rikuto Mika... she became a ghostly girl who existed yet didn't, erased as if by the world itself.

Glancing at her watch, she noted she still had a few minutes.

Yumei Mika pulled a chair over and sat quietly by Rikuto Mika's bedside, watching the sleeping girl with a serene smile.

...

...

Emerging from the dust, Kakine Teitoku was encased in a cocoon-like shell.

The white barrier was no match for Kurumi, who shattered it with ease. Kakine clutched his arm, blood flowing from the wound and staining his suit a deep crimson.

However, this wasn't a serious injury for Kakine Teitoku. Using his ability like a bandage, he temporarily sealed the wound, solving the problem.

Lowering his hand, the bleeding had completely stopped.

The cocoon-like shell around him trembled slightly before unfurling behind him like flower petals, forming six angelic wings.

In the night sky, the white wings glowed brilliantly.

"Oh ho!? Shooting a bird?" Kurumi suddenly laughed, clearly amused. This was something she was well-versed in.

"I'm not a bird, damn it!" Kakine Teitoku retorted angrily. With a single beat of his six wings, he soared into the sky. These wings weren't merely decorative; they were fully functional.

Hovering midair, Kakine Teitoku closed his eyes, stretched his arms wide, and brought his legs together, his body forming a perfect cross.

The first pair of wings covered his eyes, the second pair managed his flight, and the third pair shielded his legs, resembling the Seraphim described in scripture.

With the crescent moon positioned perfectly behind him, Kakine Teitoku's figure transformed into one straight out of myth.

He opened his eyes, and the moonlight that filtered through his outstretched wings seemed to transform into deadly beams. The grass and branches caught in the light withered and yellowed at a visible pace, ultimately turning into small, pitch-black remnants.

Kurumi, standing directly in the moonlight, furrowed her brows as black and red shadows gathered in front of her.

Kakine Teitoku hovered in the air, warily guarding against Kurumi's bullets. His gaze was locked on the black-and-red sphere on the ground, his expression tense.

Flapping his wings, Kakine Teitoku whipped up a fierce wind, scouring the ground and exposing everything beneath the surface.

He had reviewed the researchers' analysis of Kurumi's abilities. Her bullets had a unique property that bypassed defenses—even Accelerator's vector reflection. He had experienced this firsthand just moments ago.

Additionally, Kurumi wielded shadow-manipulating abilities and possessed a peculiar invincibility power.

However, based on the analysis of her fight against Accelerator, it was clear that her invincibility was intermittent rather than continuous.

To defeat her, a relentless, uninterrupted attack was necessary.

Kakine Teitoku grew increasingly cautious. This battle was critical for him.

But then, a teasing voice from behind broke his concentration.

"What made you think... I couldn't fly?"

Kurumi descended from the air, delivering a powerful kick to Kakine Teitoku's back.

How she had approached, or when she had done so, was completely beyond Kakine Teitoku's awareness.

Was this even about whether you could fly? When did you learn to teleport?

Kakine Teitoku felt a surge of frustration as the wings on his back disintegrated into countless white feathers, and he plummeted toward the ground.

The moment Kurumi touched those feathers, Kakine Teitoku gave a perfect demonstration of the phrase "art is explosion."

Each of those fluttering feathers, composed of Kakine Teitoku's unique material—something not of this world—was infused with the property of detonation.

The night sky erupted in a blaze of brilliant white light.

Kakine Teitoku plummeted rapidly toward the earth, a violent gale swirling in his wake as his six wings regenerated instantly.

With a soft beat of his wings, he turned midair and gazed up at the sky.

Through the incandescent glow of the explosion, he caught sight of a massive circular shadow.

Kurumi's figure emerged slowly. Her legs were slightly bent, her body floating midair. But most striking of all was the enormous golden clock behind her.

The ancient Roman-style clock stood as tall as two people, identical to the one in her eye.

Kakine Teitoku froze for a moment.

What... is this?

It wasn't in the data.

But he reacted swiftly, regaining his composure almost immediately.

Stay calm. This isn't a big deal.

And even if it is... panicking won't help.

Click.

The sound of a clock hand moving reverberated across the sky.

"Aleph—First Bullet."

The long-absent Zafkiel gleamed once more. Kurumi's figure vanished instantly, and in the next moment, the sole of a small boot loomed ever larger in Kakine Teitoku's vision.

Kurumi gave him no time to react. Her boot slammed down on Kakine Teitoku's head, dragging him forcefully from the sky.

Boom!

Kakine Teitoku crashed heavily into the ground.

But heavier than the impact of her heel was Kurumi's merciless taunt.

"My, my, how are you~ this weak?"

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