Fainting

Level Upper incidents grew increasingly frequent. Gradually, however, the earliest users of Level Upper began falling into comas.

"Saten, are you even listening to me?" Uiharu Kazari puffed out her cheeks and asked in dissatisfaction.

"..." After hearing Uiharu Kazari's explanation, Saten Ruiko's recent joy over awakening her ability sank to the bottom.

Though she had long expected it, with the moment of coma drawing near, panic inevitably began to rise within Saten Ruiko.

"What do I do..." Saten Ruiko muttered softly.

"What do you mean, what do you do? You've been really strange lately, Saten. Even flipping... uh..." Uiharu Kazari complained with slight dissatisfaction, but instinctively stopped herself when she got to skirt-flipping.

A gust of wind blew up from beneath her skirt, lifting Uiharu Kazari's skirt hem. The coolness beneath it left her stunned.

"Strawberry pattern today, huh~" Saten Ruiko smiled at Uiharu Kazari, but there was something forced about that smile.

"This is? Saten's ability!?" Uiharu Kazari stared at Saten Ruiko in disbelief, then recalled the recent spread of Level Upper.

Every sign pointed to Saten Ruiko having used Level Upper.

"Saten, why?" Uiharu Kazari asked, her eyes full of concern.

"Why?" Upon hearing that, Saten Ruiko instead looked relieved. Then she broke into a bright smile and said, "Because I wanted supernatural abilities! So I could become someone like Misaka and Shirai—someone who can help others."

"Even without supernatural abilities, you can still help people, Saten!"

"No." Saten Ruiko shook her head, her gaze firm as she refuted her.

"It's different. Even if it sounds like I'm just saying pretty things, wanting supernatural abilities is more like my longing—or perhaps a desire. It can't be helped. I've always yearned to gain supernatural abilities. Even though this power is so weak that it means nothing in other people's eyes, the breeze in my hands right now still fills me with joy."

As she spoke, a breeze appeared in Saten Ruiko's hand, swirling from her palm.

Uiharu Kazari had no rebuttal. She herself was only a Level 1 esper, so she could understand Saten Ruiko's longing.

Click. The door was pushed open, and Shirai Kuroko walked in, with Suzushina Yuriko following right behind her.

"What are you doing just standing there? Saten, help me wrap my bandages. Uiharu, make a self-defense report for this senior." After handing a group of thugs over to Anti-Skill, Shirai Kuroko had dragged her exhausted body to Branch 177 together with Suzushina Yuriko.

"Okay, Shirai. Then, Saten, I'll leave it to you. The medical supplies are in the drawer on the left. Senior, please come with me." Uiharu Kazari immediately sprang into action.

"Sure, leave it to me. Shirai, take off your clothes." Saten Ruiko took out the medical supplies and instructed Shirai Kuroko, who had already sat down in a chair.

Upon hearing this, Kuroko tugged at her collar, but the movement pulled at her wound, making the girl grimace in pain.

"I'll do it. Shirai, raise your arms." Seeing this, Saten Ruiko hurriedly said.

Obediently raising both hands above her head, Shirai Kuroko let Saten Ruiko remove her uniform. The girl's fair skin, covered only by a bra, was exposed, but the large bruise across her left abdomen ruined the beauty of that pale skin.

"Whoa~ That's a huge bruise! Do you really not need to go to the hospital?" Saten Ruiko asked worriedly.

"It's fine. Even at the hospital, the treatment would usually be the same. At most, they'd tell us to rest more." Shirai Kuroko shook her head indifferently, apparently long accustomed to getting hurt.

"Judgment really has it rough." Saten Ruiko pressed alcohol-soaked cotton against the wound. The sharp pain twisted Shirai Kuroko's pretty face, leaving a tear at the corner of her eye as cold sweat streamed down her.

"S-Sorry..." Saten Ruiko hurriedly apologized at the sight.

"No, it's fine." Shirai Kuroko replied awkwardly. She had just acted so calm and casual, but the pain immediately put her in her place.

"Level 5!? And the number one!?" Uiharu Kazari's scream drew the other two's attention. Turning toward her, they saw Uiharu Kazari staring at Suzushina Yuriko with her eyes wide and body trembling.

"Huh? Level 5!? Who? This senior!?" Saten Ruiko cried out as well.

"That can't be right. Isn't the number one Accelerator?" Shirai Kuroko asked doubtfully.

"Accelerator is a codename, like Railgun." Uiharu Kazari countered.

"So this senior really is Accelerator, the number one!?" Saten Ruiko's beautiful eyes widened in excitement as she examined Suzushina Yuriko like some rare animal.

"Hey, is the report finished yet?" Suzushina Yuriko had looked impatient ever since entering the room. Being examined like this now, the fact that she had not exploded already proved how much she had changed lately.

"Wait, can I ask you a question, Senior!?" After tying Shirai Kuroko's bandages, Saten Ruiko walked up to Suzushina Yuriko, stars sparkling in her eyes as she eagerly asked, "Huh?" Suzushina Yuriko looked at Saten Ruiko without understanding.

"Is it true that you fought Mr. Rod and were defeated?" The moment Saten Ruiko's words fell, Suzushina Yuriko grabbed her by the collar.

A dark glint flashed through Suzushina Yuriko's crimson eyes as she asked in a low voice, "Only one person has defeated me recently, and only one person has ever done so. Hey! You know that guy?"

"How could you ask such a rude question, Saten?" Uiharu Kazari hurriedly stood up and motioned for Saten Ruiko to apologize at once.

Hearing that, Saten Ruiko realized the problem with her words. She gave an awkward smile and was about to apologize when her mind suddenly became muddled. Her eyes drooped, her head tilted to one side, and she collapsed unconscious.

"W-Wait, Saten!?" Seeing Saten Ruiko's condition and recalling Level Upper's side effects, Uiharu Kazari cried out anxiously.

"What's going on? Why is it so noisy?" At that moment, Misaka Mikoto pushed open the door and walked in. The scene before her left her utterly stunned.

Accelerator was gripping Saten Ruiko by the collar. Saten Ruiko, held in her grasp, had already passed out. An anxious Uiharu Kazari stood beside them, while Shirai Kuroko's upper body was wrapped in bandages, her face blank with shock.

BiliBili! Blinding blue-white arcs of electricity suddenly erupted. Misaka Mikoto's eyes burned with anger as she shouted, "You dared lay a hand on my friend!? Accelerator!?"