I, Kurumi Tokisaki, Am a Wanderer

The charming girls on their way to Nagatenjouki Academy naturally attracted plenty of attention.

It wasn't just because of "living vase" Uiharu Kazari; a significant portion of the attention was directed at Saten Ruiko.

Her white fitted blouse wasn't a high-end brand, but it accentuated her figure perfectly. The real eye-catcher, however, was her striking pair of blue jeans.

From the top of her left thigh down, the entire pant leg was cut away, leaving her entire smooth, fair thigh exposed. The girl's graceful curves were on full display—provocative to a stunning degree.

Those jeans were an online purchase from England, reportedly a limited-edition "Saint Kanzaki's Replica."

Uiharu Kazari remained somewhat dazed along the way, so much so that she didn't even notice the playful children running around nearby.

An ice cream scoop landed right on her skirt.

Faced with the nervous little girl clutching her hands timidly, the two friends couldn't bring themselves to scold her. They suggested heading to Kurumi's dorm room to clean up instead.

...

Kurumi sat with her eyes slightly narrowed, her lips parted just enough to lightly lick her fingertips, a teasing smile on her face as if savoring something.

Her expression, both alluring and mesmerizing, was utterly captivating.

Her dazzling crimson eyes shimmered with a hint of seduction.

"A fairy…" Saten Ruiko murmured to herself.

Yet, she had to admit that Kurumi's demeanor was indeed spellbinding.

If she were a boy, she'd definitely fall for her. No—she wasn't sure even girls could resist.

But staring at Kurumi, Saten Ruiko couldn't help but recall the words she had once said to her:

"Having power… also requires having the resolve to bear it, the resolve to pay the price for it."

...

"Even the bathroom here is so~~ fancy! It's way more luxurious than our dorms!" Uiharu Kazari exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as she clasped her hands together in admiration.

Saten Ruiko, clearly used to her friend's antics, sighed helplessly.

Still… at least this shift in focus was better than the brooding, sighing, and general unease Kazari had displayed earlier.

"Although…" Uiharu sniffed the air delicately. "Why does it smell like cucumber-flavored potato chips?"

Click—

Kurumi froze for a moment.

"Good morning, little Uiharu… and little Saten," came a sluggish voice.

To Saten Ruiko's stunned disbelief, a disheveled version of Kurumi emerged from the bedroom. Her entire demeanor was listless, her steps unsteady as if she might collapse at any moment.

She glared resentfully at the elegant Kurumi seated calmly in the room, biting her lower lip in frustration.

"T-Twins?" Saten Ruiko stammered, her gaze shifting to the new Kurumi.

Her eyes traveled downward.

Underneath her loose sleepwear, subtle glimpses of soft curves and smooth skin revealed a far more casual, lazy charm compared to the dignified and enchanting version sitting before her.

"Why is your outfit not properly worn again?" Kurumi remarked.

"Huh?" Moyu raised her eyebrows, tugging at her sleepwear. "But I am wearing it properly, see?"

Kurumi's frown deepened.

"I even put on my panties, okay?" Moyu said, grabbing the hem of her sleepwear and lifting it slightly. "Want to check for yourself?"

"..." This one was clearly being deliberately provocative.

"How... how scandalous," Saten Ruiko stammered, covering her eyes with her hands but leaving her fingers spread wide, her eyes darting between them.

When Moyu finally adjusted her hemline, Saten immediately looked disappointed.

She had been curious to see what kind of panties it would be.

Saten shifted her gaze to Uiharu Kazari, only to see her friend spring back to life, clutching her skirt defensively and staring at Saten with wide eyes.

"Uiharu's back to normal… That's good," Saten remarked.

"An unflustered Uiharu just isn't the same; lifting her skirt wouldn't feel right," Saten declared with dangerous determination.

"By the way… is that Kurumi-senpai's little sister?" Saten whispered to Uiharu.

Uiharu raised a finger proudly. "Wrong! That's also Kurumi-senpai."

She had already witnessed Kurumi's abilities during the Shirai Kuroko incident.

Leaning closer to Saten, Uiharu whispered conspiratorially, "Kurumi-senpai has a power similar to creating clones."

"Which means~~ Kurumi-senpai is the one behind that urban legend you mentioned before—'the girl who appears simultaneously across the 21st district streets, identical-looking and wandering Academy City.' That was her all along!"

"Whoa!" Saten's excitement skyrocketed, and she was on the verge of rushing over to shake Kurumi's hand. "See, Uiharu! Urban legends are real!"

"Then maybe the rumor about women stripping on the streets or the supposed item that can boost your abilities just by using it… all of it might be true!"

However, as she mentioned the latter, Saten's expression visibly shifted.

"It's just a coincidence one turned out true," Uiharu replied with a resigned tone.

Kurumi, uninterested in the girls' chirpy conversation, dismissed Moyu from the room and picked up the remote control to change the TV from the endlessly looping "Game Over" screen.

"Huh?" Kurumi's eyes narrowed in confusion at the television.

The screen showed a familiar, desolate landscape. A twisted, battered wind turbine stood prominently.

A black-and-red comet streaked down from the sky, trailing a white beam of light, and struck the ground with explosive force.

As the camera focused, it became clear the person filming had an odd fixation, zooming in on the snow-white expanse of a girl's bare back. A sinking feeling rose in Kurumi's chest.

"Raaahhh—!" A beast-like roar erupted as white wings flared violently amid the rising wind.

Kurumi abruptly cut the power to the TV (physically).

"Well, since Uiharu's skirt is all sorted, how about we head out for some fun?" Kurumi suggested with a serene smile, addressing Uiharu and Saten.

Internally, however, she had already sentenced Moyu to a swift demise. Although this time, Moyu was innocent.

Heaven bear witness—on that night, dozens of Kurumi clones had crowded together to watch it unfold.

"Alright," Uiharu agreed.

She felt as though she'd missed something important but instinctively knew asking about it might lead to something terrifying.

Casting a quick glance toward the bedroom, Kurumi smoothed her skirt and left with the two girls.

...

"Have the higher-ups reached a decision?" a female voice inquired.

"No."

"Then what's to be done about that list?"

"It must be dealt with… something like that, if it falls into the hands of someone outside Academy City, would be far too dangerous."

"But we have no leads whatsoever."

"Then start with that little girl. Matters of the dark side should be handled by the dark side."

A cold laugh punctuated his statement.

...

It felt as if a pair of eyes were watching her from behind.

Sitting in the Judgment Office's 177th branch, Uiharu Kazari reflected on her experiences over the past two days.

She had seen similar stories on urban legend black websites—people sensing an eerie presence, as though someone was staring at them.

But Uiharu felt her situation was different.

And it all started when she accessed that dark list in the "Library."

The Dark Side.

That name lodged itself in her throat like a fishbone.

She felt like an ordinary citizen in a movie, accidentally stumbling upon an earth-shattering secret and living each day in fear, unable to reveal a single word to anyone.

Two days ago, when she had gone out with Kurumi-senpai, Uiharu had considered asking her about the Dark Side.

After all, Kurumi-senpai undoubtedly knew much more than she did.

But when the words reached her lips, Uiharu chose to swallow them back.

She buried everything deep inside, distracting herself with routine tasks at Judgment.

With Shirai Kuroko on leave for a week to travel to Russia for Academy City's ability demonstrations, Uiharu found the 177th branch quieter than usual.

Kuroko had been buzzing with excitement, mumbling about a "honeymoon" and completely abandoning her usual aristocratic demeanor.

Well, not that Kuroko ever truly acted like a proper lady anyway.

Without her, the 177th branch felt incomplete.

To maintain normal operations, Konori Mii even dragged her reclusive, love-stricken roommate out of hiding to help.

"Uiharu, is something on your mind?" Konori leaned over Uiharu's desk, her figure accentuated in a way that her modest uniform usually concealed.

"N-No, nothing at all," Uiharu stammered, clearly uneasy. But Konori, perceptive as always, saw through her immediately.

Still, Konori didn't press the issue. "Once you're done here, head home and get some rest."

"Huh? B-But..." Uiharu glanced at her unfinished work.

"It's nothing too difficult. Back when you and Kuroko weren't here, that roommate of mine and I managed just fine." Konori sighed. "Kids these days—always so much on their minds."

"Alright, that's final. Take the rest of the day off and relax."

After some hesitation, Uiharu reluctantly accepted Konori's kindness.

...

Adjusting her shoulder bag, Uiharu stood outside the 177th branch, feeling slightly out of sorts.

She usually left with Kuroko, who often offered her a lift. As a Level 4 Teleporter, Kuroko's assistance made things far more convenient than walking.

Across the street, a poised blonde woman sat waiting. She didn't look like a student or an Asian, an uncommon sight in Academy City.

She seemed to be waiting for someone.

With her early departure, Uiharu assumed Saten Ruiko was still busy with her baseball club activities. Deciding to return to Sakugawa Middle School first, Uiharu clutched her bag tightly and started walking.

Across the street, the blonde woman lifted her head, her expression devoid of emotion, resembling a machine. She fixed her gaze on Uiharu Kazari as the girl walked away.

Sakugawa Middle School wasn't far from the 177th branch—it was only a short walk. Uiharu wore a worried expression, feeling increasingly weighed down by the sensation of being watched.

Taking a small compact mirror from her bag, she stopped at a crosswalk and began applying lip balm, using the mirror to nervously observe her surroundings.

It was a trick she had read in detective manga. In those stories, the genius girl detective would always use this method to catch whoever was following her.

But reality was far more disappointing than fiction—at least, Uiharu couldn't spot anyone tailing her.

The only person who occasionally glanced her way was the owner of the pizza shop behind her.

Still, the unsettling feeling didn't fade. Instead, it grew stronger and more oppressive.

Unnerved, Uiharu changed her route.

She wasn't even sure if someone was truly following her. Maybe it was just paranoia, the result of stumbling upon something she shouldn't have seen.

Truth be told, she was confident in her computer skills. In Academy City, there were only a handful of people capable of challenging her expertise head-on.

A woman walking her dog. A worker replacing a billboard.

Uiharu felt as if her mind were playing tricks on her—she began suspecting everyone she saw of following her.

After taking a long detour, she ended up back at the same crosswalk.

The pizza shop owner was lounging on a chair with a hat covering his face, but Uiharu couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

Through the steady stream of passing cars, her eyes met those of a foreign-looking man with brown hair waiting to cross on the other side of the street.

His eyes were sharp, like those of a hawk.

No... they were cold and mechanical, devoid of emotion. The sight sent a chill down Uiharu's spine.

And then, suddenly, she realized something was wrong.

The blonde woman, the pizza shop owner, the woman walking her dog, the worker...

They all had foreign features.

The Seventh District was primarily a residential area for middle and high school students. There weren't many ability development institutions or research facilities.

As for tourist attractions? There were almost none. The most notable location, the School Garden, wasn't even open to the public.

So why were there so many foreigners here?

Uiharu thought back carefully to those people, recalling the sinister gleam in each of their eyes.

Coincidence? Could there really be so many coincidences in this world?

Without drawing attention to herself, Uiharu discreetly pulled out her handheld device from her bag and logged into her Judgment account.

She suddenly remembered she had a better tool than a compact mirror—Academy City's surveillance cameras covered nearly every street, and she had access to them.

Quickly, she accessed the nearby cameras and began reviewing the footage.

This was a task she was well-practiced in. Usually, she pinpointed the trouble spots and informed Shirai Kuroko, who would then handle the situation.

Sure enough... she spotted a familiar face.

The blonde woman who had been outside the 177th branch.

It wasn't just one person following her—they might be working as a group.

Uiharu's eyes filled with fear, her heart racing like a startled deer.

Beep—

The crosswalk light turned green, and the brown-haired foreign man began walking toward her.

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