I, Kurumi Tokisaki, Am a Wanderer

The sky was a hopeless swirl of black and red. The dim world seemed to make Kurumi-senpai's skin more delicate, like freshly whipped premium cream.

Misaka Mikoto wasn't someone who cared much about appearances, and she firmly believed that she had nothing to do with the indecent romantic trends circulating within Tokiwadai.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have repeatedly rejected that clingy first-year kouhai.

Yet, as she gazed at the black-dressed dancer before her, with a touch of exquisite makeup, Misaka found herself struck by how beautifully someone could smile.

It wasn't a feeling born of infatuation or desire—it was like witnessing ten miles of cherry blossoms in full bloom, a sight so captivating one couldn't look away.

Shaking off her moment of awe, Misaka pushed against the oppressive weight of the City of Devouring Time and took a heavy step forward.

Her legs felt as if they were filled with lead, and her body was stuck in a quagmire. A sense of powerlessness welled up within her.

Kurumi-senpai... just this immense, oppressive world alone would be enough to earn her a place among the Level 5 espers.

Misaka steeled herself as blue-white electrical energy began to flow from her bangs, encircling her body. Simultaneously, she used the electricity to stimulate her muscles and nerves.

With this double enhancement, her body became as fast as a lightning bolt. Taking another step forward, she dashed fiercely toward Kurumi, the black Iron Sand Whip Sword swirling into a storm behind her. The tilted compass of iron sand sliced toward Kurumi.

The pain of needle pricks assaulted Misaka's senses. Her entire body was tense, and she had to maintain a constant state of heightened evasion to retain her mobility.

The stabbing pain reminded her of the early days of her ability development, when cold steel needles pierced her body and large quantities of mixed drugs were injected directly into her veins. Perhaps the difference in physique between her and her mother could even be attributed to the aftereffects of those treatments.

Unlike the naturally gifted high-level espers, Misaka Mikoto had clawed her way up from being a Level 1. She was more stubborn than anyone.

The mere dozens of meters between them closed in an instant. Through the gaps in the vibrating black chainsaw of iron sand, Misaka caught a glimpse of Kurumi's eyes.

They were like roses blooming under the moonlight.

For a fleeting moment, countless thoughts surged in Misaka's mind.

Could Kurumi-senpai actually be all show?

What if the Iron Sand Sword really injures her?

Then, everything turned to illusion in an instant.

Facing Misaka's sudden charge, Kurumi simply raised her hands, palms open.

With her movement, black and red shadows surged up from her feet, curling around her like living creatures. The shadows enveloped Kurumi's body, pulling her slender form into their depths.

The storm of the Iron Sand Whip Sword swiped through empty air, though this outcome wasn't entirely outside of Misaka's expectations.

With a light touch of her toes, Misaka was already standing in the spot Kurumi had occupied moments before.

She didn't falter, because in Academy City, bizarre esper abilities were nothing unusual.

Even in Tokiwadai, there were espers who could send their bodies into imaginary space, leaving only a phantom in their place.

Misaka swung her right hand upward, the storm-like Iron Sand Whip Sword twisting into countless rapidly vibrating fine black needles that spread in every direction.

Thwip-thwip-thwip-thwip—

In an instant, everything within a radius of dozens of meters around Misaka was utterly annihilated. Not a single intact object remained.

Faint electromagnetic waves spread outward, reflecting back to Misaka and alerting her.

She whipped around.

Kurumi was now standing precisely where Misaka had been moments earlier, smiling softly.

—Shadow Trickery.

Misaka reacted quickly, raising her left arm.

A nearly billion-volt current surged forth, crackling and snapping like thunder. The electricity seemed to leap directly from Misaka's bangs as it coursed toward Kurumi. With a small flick of Misaka's left index finger, the attack—a brilliant blue-white lance of light—shot toward her.

This was the Lightning Spear.

Though less powerful than the Railgun, the Lightning Spear had the advantage of an extremely fast start.

Simultaneously, Misaka reached into her pocket and pulled out a gleaming silver coin.

Clink—

Clink—

Chains unraveled, coiling around the black and red Gothic-style arm guards Kurumi wore. A pair of antique flintlock firearms, one long and one short, appeared in her hands.

The longer, minute-hand-like flintlock pointed carelessly at the ground, while the shorter, hour-hand-like pistol tilted upward before Kurumi crossed them defensively in front of her.

—Distant Guard.

The Lightning Spear collided with Kurumi's defensive stance. Blue-white arcs of electricity danced and stretched outward, but Kurumi's figure remained unmoved.

The scene was reminiscent of how Misaka's Electromagnetic Barrier negated the effects of Mental Out.

In truth, though the Lightning Spear boasted a terrifyingly high voltage, its current was relatively low. It was a tool Misaka often used when sparring with delinquents in various forms.

Guns?

Misaka stared at Kurumi in confusion.

Were they weapons derived from her ability? Or firearms compensating for some inherent lack in her powers?

Probably the former... After all, who would still use such outdated powder-based weapons in this day and age?

Well, it doesn't matter.

The silver coin flipped into the air, and Misaka's tea-colored eyes glowed with pride.

This was her most prized ability, the power that had earned her the title Railgun.

Lightning erupted from her bangs, enveloping Misaka in a cloak of thunder. Then, the instant her thumb flicked the coin—

A searing orange-red blade shot forth amidst the leaping electricity, slicing toward Kurumi.

The heat trails left by the coin's friction with the air were visible as fiery streaks.

Crack crack crack— The sound of cement shattering echoed through the air.

The orange beam resembled a laser, and the sheer force of the residual shockwaves tore apart the concrete along its path.

Chunks of shattered cement flew outward, and the ground rippled like waves, flipping to either side.

—Railgun.

The Railgun traveled at over three times the speed of sound. The mere dozens of meters between Misaka and Kurumi vanished in less than a heartbeat.

This was Misaka's signature move, using magnetic induction to accelerate a coin to over three times the speed of sound.

Since Misaka's electromagnetic force constantly adjusted the trajectory and further accelerated the coin in flight, the Railgun continued to gain speed right until impact.

But as this electrifying attack surged toward her, Kurumi's mind suddenly entertained a bold idea.

Raising the flintlock in her right hand, she aimed it directly at the oncoming projectile, a blast powerful enough to pierce a tank.

Though Kurumi hadn't yet invoked the power of Zafkiel, at this moment... time seemed to slow to a crawl.

Her heart steadied as she held the gun firmly, its barrel aligned perfectly with the incoming Railgun.

Misaka's Railgun has one fatal flaw—its coin projectile burns up due to friction after traveling beyond 50 meters. Thus, with a coin as ammunition, its maximum range is limited to 50 meters.

But... what if the coin was intercepted?

In the fraction of a millisecond, as the wind rushed past, Kurumi pulled the trigger.

—Lethal Shot.

A bullet radiating dark red light streaked forward. In Misaka's disbelieving eyes, the tiny projectile intercepted and pierced through the Railgun's trajectory.

The spinning bullet emerged from the orange-red light, brushing past Misaka's side and stirring a faint breeze.

With its core destroyed, the Railgun lost all its power. The orange beam dissipated into nothingness, cutting off mid-flight. Only the residual gusts of wind remained, lifting strands of Kurumi's ink-black hair.

"—Did I... lose just like that?"

The Lightning Spear was useless, and even the Railgun had been directly intercepted by Kurumi-senpai.

A sense of helplessness welled up in Misaka's heart.

Ever since she had become the NO.3 esper, ever since she had earned the title Railgun, it had been a long, long time since she had tasted the sting of failure.

But... no matter what—whether out of stubbornness or foolishness—there was one thing she would never do:

Admit defeat.

Absolutely not!

She still had one last card to play!

Using electricity to stimulate her nerves, she pushed her body beyond its physical limits. Whether her body could withstand it or not didn't matter—after all, there was that frog-faced doctor in the Seventh District who could heal almost anything.

Exceeding her physical limits with blinding speed, Misaka broke through the oppressive field of the City of Devouring Time. The blue-white sparks surrounding her body grew so intense that they resembled plasma.

Like a maglev train, each step Misaka took covered several meters. But with every step came waves of stabbing pain that swept through her body like a flood.

Even the world seemed to dim around her.

"Too reckless! Far too reckless!" Over the roaring thunder, Misaka could faintly hear Kurumi-senpai's soft, gentle voice.

Kurumi, too, was charging toward Misaka.

In Misaka's vision, Kurumi's refined face grew larger and larger, only to vanish like a shadow in an instant.

Her body's cells screamed in protest. Misaka took a deep, steadying breath.

She knew she wouldn't survive prolonged combat. This had to end quickly.

Her flickering vision made it impossible to track Kurumi-senpai, but electromagnetic waves could.

Through the reflected signals, Misaka saw Kurumi reappear behind her, swinging her flintlock like a sword, aiming the stock at the back of Misaka's neck.

"Gotcha!" Misaka twisted her body like a darting fish. In Kurumi's astonished expression, she lunged forward and hugged her tightly.

Clinging to Kurumi's chest, Misaka panted heavily.

The constant high-speed maneuvering and emergency braking had placed immense strain on her body, making this embrace both awkward and painful.

"Hah—"

Wearing a confident, carefree smile, Misaka shouted:

"—Witness the true lightning strike!"

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