Academy City, a world of forbidden magic.
"No way!!! An angel?"
Misaka Mikoto looked in disbelief at the pair of angelic wings that had appeared behind Saten Ruiko.
"Onee-sama, has... has Saten-san awakened some special superpower?"
Shirai Kuroko also looked at Saten Ruiko with a shocked expression.
"It's not a superpower, it's magic."
Haruue Erii explained proudly.
"Magic?"
Hearing the word "magic," Misaka Mikoto and Shirai Kuroko were both full of questions.
You're telling me about magic in Academy City, a place focused on technology?
Did I not wake up properly today?
"This... I don't know how to explain it. It was all Teacher Zhong Chen. That parchment he gave me..."
As Saten Ruiko recounted the story, Misaka Mikoto and Shirai Kuroko went from initial questioning to surprise.
Then from surprise to shock.
"You mean the Chairwoman of Academy City personally sought you out?"
Hearing Shirai Kuroko's words, Saten Ruiko nodded gently.
"What did you two talk about? And what does the Chairwoman actually look like? I'm super curious!"
"Me too!"
Looking at the three pairs of expectant eyes before her, Saten Ruiko thought of the upside-down fellow and couldn't help but blurt out a complaint:
"He's an upside-down fellow. It's really hard to say what he looks like specifically. He's just... just... just very abstract! Yes, very abstract!"
Unable to describe Aleister's appearance, Saten Ruiko had a flash of inspiration and thought of a very vivid and descriptive word.
"Ab... abstract? What kind of adjective is that?"
"Oh, well, it's just a feeling that can't be put into words."
"What we talked about wasn't much, just that I shouldn't reveal the existence of magic... Oh no!!!"
At this point, Saten Ruiko quickly covered her mouth, realizing she was wildly revealing the existence of magic.
"Never mind, Misaka-senpai and Shirai-san, you two absolutely must not tell anyone else!"
After hearing Saten Ruiko's words, the two nodded in unison.
"Is that all you talked about?"
"He also said something about making me the eighth Level 5 esper."
"The eighth!!!"
Shirai Kuroko stood up in shock and shouted loudly after hearing this.
"Oh, Kuroko, what are you shouting about..."
Misaka Mikoto covered her ears, looking at Shirai Kuroko with a disgusted expression.
"Uh... sorry, sorry. I just thought this news was too astonishing."
"I never thought Saten-san would go directly from Level 0 to Level 5. Congratulations!"
"Yes, Ruiko, congratulations!"
"Hehe, Saten-san will be a Level 5 from now on, and I'll know two Level 5s!"
Looking at her three good friends who were genuinely happy for her, a touch of emotion flashed in Saten Ruiko's eyes.
At the same time, she thought of the man who had bestowed all this upon her.
Ding ding ding ding... As four phone notification sounds came, the few of them picked up their phones to check the messages.
The messages were official announcements from Academy City.
"Congratulations to Saten Ruiko, a first-year student from Sakugawa Middle School, for successfully advancing to Level 5, becoming Academy City's eighth esper."
The message also announced Saten Ruiko's ranking and ability description.
"Saten Ruiko, Esper Ranking Second Place, Ability Unknown, Title [Angel's Wing]!"
"Wow, Angel's Wing, what a romantic title!"
"It really fits Ruiko's current image."
"Uh... I actually still don't have a sense of reality about it. Level 5 and all that, it feels like a dream."
Saten Ruiko scratched her cheek shyly after hearing their words.
"Oh, Ruiko, you'll have to get used to it..."
Leaving aside the quartet celebrating Saten Ruiko becoming a Level 5.
At this moment, Academy City was already in an uproar. One must know that it had been a long time since a Level 5 esper had been born.
In an underground laboratory, Kihara Gensei, who had a surgical mark on his left brain, was ecstatic after receiving this news.
His aged face was filled with excitement.
"Hahahaha, a new experimental subject. I wonder if she has the qualifications to touch the realm of gods."
"Someone, send people to contact this young girl. I want her to willingly lie on my experimental table."
"Yes, Director!"
The staff member who received the order quickly went out.
At the same time, in Tokiwadai Middle School, Shokuhou Misaki, the leader of the Queen faction, also received this astonishing news.
"A Level 5, and ranked second right after appearing?"
"Queen, this person named Saten Ruiko's ability is probably extraordinary, it's unknown!"
Fubuki Junko, with her purple curly hair, said with a solemn expression to Shokuhou Misaki, who was holding a teacup.
"A new Level 5, how interesting. Junko, go investigate her information."
"Yes!"
After Shokuhou Misaki finished speaking, she took a light sip of her black tea, her eyes narrowed slightly, not knowing what she was thinking.
"Damn it, where did this Saten Ruiko come from? She actually surpassed me and was ranked second!"
Kakine Teitoku shouted loudly at the members of [SCHOOL] before him, his face distorted.
"This..."
Looking at the enraged Kakine Teitoku, Saiai Haimi pursed her lips, ultimately swallowing the words she wanted to say.
Yomikawa Aiho and Kinuhata Saiai also stood by silently.
"Tch... Sooner or later, I'll take her and Accelerator down together!"
It could only be said that Kakine Teitoku's shock was truly significant.
However, what he didn't know was that if he fought Accelerator, there was still a sliver of a chance.
But to contend with Ruiko, that was simply a fool's dream.
"A new Level 5? Hmph... boring!"
Accelerator, with a pale face, lay in his dilapidated home, glanced at his phone, then tossed it aside.
And relative to the reactions of these Level 5s, one old fellow was practically going mad with joy.
"Hahahahaha!!! This is a blessing from heaven for an old man like me!"
"You guys, buy some firecrackers and set them off at the school gate! I need to make some calls."
Suzuki Junya, the principal of Sakugawa Middle School, looked at the new arrivals before him and ordered with a beaming smile.
"Alright... Principal!"
With that, the few of them walked out with helpless expressions.
"You know, how did we end up like this?"
"I, the dignified former Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division, now an elite in the Imperial Intelligence Bureau."
"How did I fall to guarding a gate for someone!"
Ace grumbled as he walked.
"That's enough from you. We two were completely caught in the crossfire because of you, and you're still complaining."
"Besides, isn't this your family's inherited trade?"
Rob Lucci sighed, then glanced at Ace and said.
"What do you mean, my family's inherited trade? Who in my family guarded a gate!"
"Heh... Didn't Whitebeard work as a security captain in Academy City (Monster Country Federation)?"
"You're his son, so isn't it an inherited trade..."
"My goodness!!! Can it be calculated that way?"
Ace looked at Rob Lucci, who was calculating the firecracker money, with an incredulous expression.
"Don't bother me, I'm checking if there's still money for firecrackers, and I don't know if they'll reimburse us!"
Katakuri, standing nearby, looked at his two teammates, one who had become a huge sucker, and the other who had become a penny-pinching miser.
His expressionless face finally couldn't help but twitch...