The calm surface of the pool was suddenly broken by a burst of electric light that tore through it like a thunderclap. A long line of water split down the middle from one end of the pool to the other. It remained apart for several seconds before slowly merging back together. Yet traces of electricity still lingered in the air, heating the space around them.
Chestnut-colored medium-length hair floated gently through the air, with strands of blue lightning crackling between the locks. A long thunder serpent coiled around her body, and under the sunlight, she looked like a goddess wielding lightning.
This was the power of the Railgun. Even without any destructive force, its visual impact was undiminished. If one stood close enough, they could even smell the ozone in the air—an astonishing experience.
Behind her stood several girls who had already changed into the outfits of their chosen cosplay characters. They stood frozen, small mouths slightly open, eyes wide in disbelief at what they had just witnessed.
From that moment on, Chu Lian's actions replayed in their minds as if in slow motion.
Standing by the poolside, she pulled a coin from her pocket and tossed it upward. Then, raising her right hand, she caught the falling coin between her thumb and forefinger, forming a launch platform.
Instantly, blue-white lightning began leaping around her, as if cheering or perhaps rejoicing that it finally had a chance to emerge.
She raised her right hand seriously, tilting her head slightly. The coin between her fingers became the center of all the gathering lightning.
Finally, Chu Lian parted her cherry lips and softly uttered four words: "Railgun..."
There was no sound. All they saw was a flash of white, and then the pool's surface had been split by electricity. The scent of ozone still lingered in the air. The sheer intensity of it was simply breathtaking.
"Th-this... this... this..." Compared to the three who had special abilities, Li Xiu'er and Cai Ya were undoubtedly the most shaken.
Such a display—akin to a large-scale weapon—manifested in the hands of a human.
And the one who caused all of this was Chu Lian, who had never shown any sign of possessing special powers. It dealt a heavy blow to their worldview.
"It's just a special visual projection device. This ability only looks powerful, but it's purely for show and has no actual offensive capability." Fortunately, Chu Lian had a barely acceptable excuse prepared. This was also why she had previously handed the high-tech camera to Li Xiu'er—she had anticipated this situation.
As long as she pinned it all on some fictional "black tech" workshop, this lie could hold up for now.
She held up the bracelet on her wrist and explained, "This is a Kampfer Bracelet. As long as you wear it, it can materialize imagined abilities and simulate them as realistically as possible."
"Before using it, a supercomputer inside must record the abilities, then spend a long time calculating how to reproduce them. Due to its high energy consumption and precision requirements, a final product hasn't been developed yet. Mine is a one-time-use disposable item—expensive and not particularly useful."
Chu Lian knew this explanation wouldn't truly convince them, but if it could buy her some time, that was enough. Once they had more exposure to these things, they would gradually get used to them.
As for the Kampfer Bracelet? She had indeed exchanged for it not long ago. Though it technically included all the functions a Kampfer should have, for now it only allowed for transformation and didn't increase her combat power.
All those things she said? They had nothing to do with the bracelet—they were just a smokescreen.
"Kampfer Bracelet: YOOOOOOOOOO, kid, want one? Just wear it, and you can go from man to woman—with a huge chest, no less! Exchange price: 23,333 Integrity Points. Ability: Spend 10,000 Integrity Points to use Kampfer's transformation ability to alter some external and personality traits. (Note: The transformed appearance differs from the original series. Do not compare.) Spend 30,000 points to specify traits, but cannot change appearance or height."
"Special Ability: Due to restrictions on Integrity Point exchanges, items obtained through this method cannot have any direct or indirect harmful capabilities. (Exemption for items with combat power under 5.) Therefore, only transformation ability is available through this exchange. However, the bracelet inherently has power-enhancing potential, so when the Skill Exchange menu unlocks, you can spend 3,000 Goddess Points, 10,000 Dream Points, and 50,000 Integrity Points to restore the removed capabilities."
[Note: Full exchange requirements for Kampfer Bracelet via Item Exchange: 30,000 Item Points, 10,000 Dream Points, 50,000 Integrity Points.]
Fortunately, before arriving here, she had already spent 10,000 Integrity Points to have the system replace all nearby surveillance footage with visuals that erased any display of special abilities. Otherwise, even this one move would have brought security rushing in.
"Try touching it, and you'll see if I'm lying." As she spoke, Chu Lian took a step back, and the lightning serpents on her body suddenly went wild, making her long hair flutter as if caught in the wind.
She raised her hand, and a few lightning snakes stretched out toward the five girls like serpents seeking to coil around prey.
The electricity she projected wasn't as fast as real lightning, but it was still beyond the girls' ability to dodge. So, as the electric arcs swept toward them and evasion became impossible, all five instinctively closed their eyes, resigned to fate.
But after a while, no pain or electric shock came. Curious, they slowly opened their eyes—only to see blue-white arcs jumping across their skin without causing even a hint of pain.
This discovery sparked their interest. They boldly reached out to touch the arcs, and even Li Xiu'er joined in.
Just as Chu Lian had said, the lightning didn't harm them at all. It truly was all for show.
Seeing Chu Lian's beaming smile, Li Xiu'er suddenly mustered her courage and asked, "Chu Lian, could you try striking the ground with that lightning?"
"Of course..." Upon hearing her request, Chu Lian had the sudden urge to grab her and smother her with kisses. She could die from how much she loved Xiu'er right now. Just when she was struggling to find more convincing justification, Xiu'er had handed her the perfect opportunity on a silver platter.
She retracted all the lightning, then stomped both feet on the ground. Instantly, a bolt of bluish-purple lightning struck down, thunderous in force but completely harmless to the ground.
This demonstration finally put the girls at ease, and they temporarily accepted Chu Lian's explanation. All except for Chu Chu...
"Seriously, why is it just fake lightning and not the real thing? I was hoping for my dear sister's loving lashings—to experience her special affection in endless pain..."
Though Chu Chu was merely muttering to herself, the others clearly heard her.
The nearby girls instantly stepped away from her, putting distance between them. Meanwhile, Chu Lian strolled up with a smile and stood before her. "You want my lashings?"
Hearing that, Chu Chu froze—was her dear sister really going to grant her wish? That would be amazing! She nodded enthusiastically: "Mm! Mm-hmm! Just like that! Sister, please don't hold back—go all out..."
"Oh? As you wish..." Chu Lian stepped forward, reached out, and firmly groped her ample chest. Chu Chu involuntarily tilted her head back, her cheeks flushed as she let out a suggestive moan: "Mmm~ harder..."
With a cold smirk curling at her lips, Chu Lian grabbed her by the collar and flung her into the pool again.
This time, however, was different from the last. As Chu Chu flew through the air, Chu Lian pulled out a coin and launched a Railgun shot straight at her.
BOOM~SPLASH... Two loud sounds rang out in sequence. The first was the Railgun landing on Chu Chu mid-air, and the second was her crashing into the water.
Though both times used the Railgun, the effect this time was different. The first shot was merely the simulated ability through the Dimensional Barrier. This time, it came with an added trait: "Big Sis' Loving Punishment," which instantly triggered Chu Chu's masochistic side.
Seeing the water splash, Chu Lian clapped her hands and turned around with a smile. "Alright, let's head to the next scene. It's too hot here, not very comfortable. The remaining shoots are indoors—we'll save the outdoor ones for the afternoon."
Thanks to Chu Chu's dramatic interruption, Li Xiu'er and the others stopped asking about Chu Lian's abilities. The timing just didn't feel right anymore. Since Chu Lian said it was all just tech, they decided to let it go.
Taking Li Xiu'er's hand, Chu Lian led the group toward the nearby science building. The next scene was the iconic moment of Misaka playing the violin.
When people are busy, time flies by.
Stretching her back and glancing at the girls slumped around her in exhaustion, Chu Lian realized it was nearly the end of the school day. Not far away, the makeup artists and prop staff looked equally drained—they had been running around with heavy equipment all day. No wonder they were worn out.
Still, the sight made Chu Lian laugh. A bright, contented smile lit up her face.
From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding a one-hour lunch break, she had spent eight hours dragging them to over a dozen locations. Half an hour per spot on average, and she had finally captured all the scenes she wanted.
If not for the tight schedule—cramming several days' worth of work into one—they wouldn't have been this tired. It was the rushed pace and lack of rest that drained them.
The images captured by the high-tech camera came with built-in effects. No post-processing needed—they were ready to publish.
Still, before posting, she needed a bit of time to prep.
First, she would post a Weibo update: Cosplay complete, post-processing underway, release scheduled for tonight.
Then she needed to make two videos. The first would be a beautiful image montage of all the cosplay photos:
Herself as Misaka Mikoto—cool and gallant, a proper onee-sama;
Chu Chu as Shirai Kuroko—hentai vibes to the max, perfectly in character;
Li Xiu'er as Saten Ruiko—the blushing skirt-flipping maniac;
Ruriko Nana as Uiharu Kazari—cute and energetic flowerpot girl;
Lux Lyle as Shokuhou Misaki—white stockings and shapely legs, overflowing allure;
Cai Ya as Kiyama Harumi—girlish yet mature, irresistibly charming.
Some other characters, like the Ladykiller Kamijou or Accelerator, were automatically filtered out. In Chu Lian's words: "My cosplays don't include men. Even if a man shows up, they must be a woman." So unfortunately, those two were ignored...
That night, Chu Lian sat at the edge of her bed, gently stroking the small screen of her high-tech camera, a soft smile on her face.
It's the second day without you by my side. I completed my first cosplay role, and made one more step toward progressing the second main quest. Did you see it? Tonight, I couldn't feel your presence... I couldn't sleep...
Good night, Ayase...
As for the twitching, humanoid figure locked outside the door? Sorry, no idea who that is.