《Esper Academy [Urban Fantasy, Slice of Life]》


 Prologue: The Day Trouble Starts

    My breathing was uncontrollable. My body was heavy, and my mind was cloudy. I didn''t know what to think or do.


    Since I gained power, I had never felt this weak before.


    Was this just a dream? My body felt sluggish. If it''s all just a dream, then I could wake up and go back to my normal life.


    Voices came from all directions. I could barely make out what they said.


    Some voices called my name. Some called out the name of the girl, whose condition wasn''t any better, standing across from me. It sounded like a chorus of angels were trying to reach us.


    ''How long has it been?''


    Two years? Or three years? Or just a short one year?


    Clashing and fighting against the one dubbed as the genius among geniuses. The battle between me and Sibyl never seemed to end.


    Everything ended in either her victory or a draw. For once, I wanted to win against her.


    ¡°You... Can still exert your Psion once more, right?¡±


    ¡°Heh! I should be the one saying that.¡±


    I didn''t know how she managed to say that while looking like a broken doll. Speaking must be painful enough in her condition.


    ¡°You haven''t had any time to recuperate yet!¡±


    I could only laugh dryly. It was true that I hadn''t had a chance to rest, but I couldn''t afford to lose this fight. Reaching this point was arduous and I didn¡¯t want to lose my chance.


    Two and half years since I entered this novel world where I only read the prologue and the ending, oblivious of the story and plot. Heck, I didn¡¯t even know the main character¡¯s appearance or name.


    One thing I knew was that I had to be strong to survive in Academy City Cypherion.


    This was from an experience after living in this world, not some meta knowledge.


    In this tournament, I had faced all sorts of opponents. There was no telling who would come out on top. That''s why I needed to put up a good fight, no matter who my opponent was.


    I couldn''t let anyone beat or underestimate me.


    Not even in this final against his rival.


    ¡°Ready your Psion, Sibyl.¡±


    ¡°You too, Ciel.¡±


    We readied themselves for the next clash. My mind was prepared and my body responded to my thoughts. I was ready to unleash my last Psion attack.


    Sibyl''s Psion circled her body, turning into a bright red color similar to her hair, forming a fiery halo on top of her head. Her eyes were sharp and focused. She looked like a demon ready for battle.


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    Meanwhile, my Psion wrapped around me. A withish golden halo should¡¯ve formed behind my head, as I could feel its warm presence.


    I stood tall and proud, showing no fear or hesitation. Showing a weakness at times like this would put me in a disadvantage.


    Wind formed in the arena. My hair refused to calm down and fluttered wildly.


    As we locked gazes, I felt a sense of rivalry and respect. We had fought countless times, knowing each other¡¯s skill well. That was why I respected her.


    Talented but a hard worker. I admired that part about her.


    And now I wanted to prove myself by defeating her. I wanted to show the world that I was strong. So people wouldn¡¯t bother me.


    With a deep breath, I controlled my Psion. Like water, it flowed in my body and manifested by my imagination. It gathered around my palm, creating a spiral of golden light.


    Sibyl also formed a vortex of Psion on her palm. She grinned mischievously after managing to copy my technique.


    Without any warning or agreement, we released our attack at the same time.


    A brilliant red light and a spiraling golden light collided, creating a spectacular display of colors. The energy was so powerful that it sent shockwaves throughout the arena, shaking the ground and knocking down anyone who stood too close.


    The spectators¡¯ breath hitched. Dust rose in the arena, preventing anyone from seeing anything.


    In the end, the battle had to end with one person standing victorious.


    Sibyl, my rival and a fellow Psion Master, fell to the ground in defeat. She had used all of her Psion and left nothing left to keep standing.


    Meanwhile, I still stood on his ground. My lips were upturned in a smile, ignoring my battered body that was on the verge of collapsing. I had won the battle.


    With this, I could finally fade into the back of the story. I would be known as the Esper who beat Sibyl, the genius among geniuses.


    Despite the victory, I couldn''t help but feel a sense of sadness and regret. I didn''t know why I felt this way, but it was like a hole had been created inside.


    Maybe I regretted my decision? Should I continue standing beside Sibyl?


    I will be in my second year soon. I thought as I raised my head.


    The clouds swimming in the blue sky looked so free yet so sad.


    The announcer''s voice was fading in my ears.


    Ah, I ruptured my ears.


    Everything was silent and only a loud ringing sound remained.


    I couldn''t hear what people were saying around me or feel the touch of the health officer that checked my condition. It was like I was in a bubble, detached from the world around me.


    Maybe I will study more. Or just live a normal daily life. I remembered this novel''s genre is romance. There will be many sweet things so it''s better to just fade into the background, just as planned. It''s just a light novel, after all.


    I had done enough fighting and struggling. I felt like I had fulfilled his purpose in this world and didn''t need to do anything else.


    Being the strongest student would bring me trouble. But I couldn¡¯t help it. When I had power, I wanted to prove to myself that I could be the strongest if I tried.


    Not for anyone, but for myself.


    I will let Sibyl take the title of the strongest after this.


    It wasn''t worth it for me to be the strongest student. I was better suited to be a helper, standing in the background and supporting the main actor.


    I had achieved his dream of being a Psion Master and proved my worth. My future would be secured with this.


    Also, I was ready to move on with my life and become a regular student at the Academy City Cypherion. My objective in this fight had been fulfilled.


    ¡°The winner is Ciel from [Rakuen Academy]!¡±


    "I... Won."


    Feeling exhausted, I slowly closed my eyes and let exhaustion take over my body.


    Finally, the novel''s main story would start without me. I didn''t need to interfere anymore.


    When my presence was forgotten by everyone, I would slowly interact with the world again and blend in as a normal person.


    Or so I hoped.

 Chapter 1 – Life Never Follow One’s Plan

    New semester has arrived for Academy City. Many new students filled the island, bringing with them hope and ambition. Freshmen with newfounded energy gathered.


    Cheery atmosphere filled the campus as friends reunited and students began exploring their new school grounds with cherry blossoms as the background.


    Among the crowd, there was a boy with white hair. He was handsome and elegant, with an air of confidence surrounding him. With a white uniform that showed [Rakuen Academy] emblem on his back.


    On his upper arm, he wore an armband with the word ¡®Cypherion City Student Council'' on it.


    Despite his high status in the Academy City, he seemed calm and collected, not letting the attention get to his head.


    That was me, looking more absent minded than usual due to exhaustion.


    ¡°What a good day to start the semester, right?¡±


    Beside me, a tall girl with fiery red hair was smiling. She had an air of authority and elegance surrounding her. Her green eyes sparkled with mischief and excitement.


    Unlike my white uniform, she was wearing a black uniform with a red tie, indicating she was a senior student in the academy. She also had the same armband, which meant that she was also a member of the Student Council.


    Her name was Sibyl, a second year from [Kireinas Academy], a well-known and prestigious Esper School in the Academy City. She''s a Psion Master like me and has been my rival for as long as I could remember.


    ''Why did this happen?''


    Suppressing my sigh, I stared at her with a blank expression. I hadn''t expected this development to occur when he decided to fade into the background.


    ''I should have never underestimated the novel world.''


    In hindsight, it was my own fault for letting my guard down.


    After the competition was over and I recovered, the Headmaster decided that I was the perfect candidate to be appointed as their representative to take part in the Academy City''s student council, an organization that took care of everything related to all Academies in Cypherion.


    I accepted only because I owed the Academy everything. The benefit given to members of the Student Council allowed my debt-ridden academy to operate until today.


    ''And here I am, becoming a Vice-President for the Cypherion Student Council. What the heck did I do?''


    For the record, the President was Sibyl. She came from a more prestigious school than me, so it was natural.


    The novel story would start soon, and the trouble that made novels interesting would unfold. But now, I had a responsibility as a Vice-President and needed to act accordingly.


    I couldn''t slack off anymore.


    ¡°Seems like the new students are still lost and confused. We should go help them,¡± Sibyl said, her smile never fading.


    In a time like this, she was always ahead of everyone in terms of responsibility and diligence. I admired that part about her the most.


    I have no choice but to follow her, right? I followed her to the entrance of the Academy City where many new students gathered. And I can''t fade into the background anymore. In that case, I just have to pull my weight here. At least this will help me with my future career... Hopefully.


    The first day of the new semester was always busy, especially so for Cypherion student council members. They had to welcome and guide new students, solve any problems, and ensure everyone was well-adjusted to their new surroundings.


    We helped new students to find a Test Center where they would conduct a full body test. Everyone, without exception, had to visit this place first before their Academy.


    The goal of this test was to know how fit your body was, how good your body reacted to Psion, and how strong your mind was.


    In fact, this test would be conducted monthly for the students to record their growth. I also finished my test a few days ago and got my latest result.


    [Ciel Rune]


    Body Fitness: C


    Psion Reaction: A


    Mind''s State: S


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    Unique Ability: Daydream


    Esper Level: Psion Master


    At first, my stats were pretty terrible, landing me in the worst Academy in Cypherion. However, due to sheer will and hard work, I managed to reach Psion Master, the second highest theoretical level an Esper could achieve.


    Some researchers believe there was a level above Psion Master, but it was just a mere theory right now.


    I really didn''t expect to reach this level in a short amount of time. But I guess it''s just a perk of being a reincarnator. My Mind''s State being S is unusual, though.


    Students in Cypherion were known for having strong minds, but an S was rare, even among them. I didn''t know why I had an S rank. Maybe I was just lucky with my body.


    ¡°The new students are really something, huh? They have so much potential,¡± Sibyl said, breaking the silence between us.


    ¡°Yeah, it''s hard to believe we were once like them,¡± I said.


    Looking around, I was amazed and nostalgic at the sheer amount of excitement I could sense from these freshmen. When I first arrived at Academy City, I also felt the same excitement.


    ¡°At least they''re eager to learn and try their best. I hope they won''t get discouraged by the hardships of the Academy City." She let out a small sigh. ¡°The first year was hell.¡±


    ¡°Well, the first year is always the toughest.¡±


    What was more important than that, though, I was glad there was no incident in my first year besides fighting with Sibyl.


    Remembering that I was in a novel world, an exciting event and a start of a story was always the perfect recipe for a disaster.


    ¡°Hey, Sibyl, what are you doing here? Have you come to see me?¡±


    A loud voice echoed from behind, prompting us to turn around.


    There was a tall boy with brown hair and green eyes, grinning at us. He was wearing the same black uniform as Sibyl, indicating that he was also a student from [Kireinas Academy]. Upon seeing me, his expression soured and he muttered under his breath.


    ¡°What, he''s here too?¡±


    A sense of tension filled the air. I sighed. I had no energy to deal with this guy today. This boy''s name was Leon, and we had met a year ago in a bad situation.


    He¡¯s jealous of me because I got Sibyl¡¯s attention.


    Looking at Sibyl''s strained expression, she seemed like she wanted to go away but couldn''t. Her sense of duty was preventing her from letting out her real thoughts out loud.


    Well, let''s have her handle this.


    ¡°It seems some new students need help over there. I will go first.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    After saying that, I walked away from the scene, ignoring her attempt to stop me. Her deep stare showed how betrayed she felt.


    Sorry, that''s your school mate, so handle him well. I thought as he strode away toward a gathering of noisy new students. Let¡¯s see what they need.


    My excuse wasn''t without any basis as there were several groups of new students chatting with each other in a circle, looking confused and lost.


    Let''s focus on my duties.


    When I was close to them, I managed to hear what they talked about.


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    ¡°C-Can''t we just report it to the Academy? Or to the Academy City''s student council? We can''t hide this forever.¡±


    ¡°I-I''m scared...¡±


    Upon hearing the conversation, I slowed down and listened to their conversation. I had a bad feeling about what they were talking about but one thing was certain.


    A problem arose, just like I feared.


    Ruffling my hair, I sighed and approached them.


    ¡°What''s wrong? I heard something about reporting to the student council here. Is there anything I can help with?¡±


    The group I approached, composed of 5 students, looked surprised at my sudden appearance, but they soon recognized my armband and became even more flustered.


    Only one guy stepped forward, a tall and muscular boy who seemed to be the leader of the group.


    ¡°Um, actually... We have a problem. Can you please help us?¡±


    ¡°I know that much and offered help.¡± I replied with a gentle smile. I shouldn¡¯t come out like a scary senior in our first meeting. ¡°Please, tell me what''s wrong.¡±


    The group of new students seemed to hesitate before one of them spoke up.


    ¡°We were exploring the school grounds when we found this. I don''t know whether this is just a prank or a warning, but it''s really scary.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    The new student gave me a paper with a message written on it. I frowned and took the paper from the guy''s hand, reading its content. It already smells like trouble before I read it.


    ¡°Hm... Interesting.¡±


    There was only one line written on the paper, but it sent chills down my spine.


    <Beware of the Academy City.>


    ¡°Someone had left this for us when we were walking around the campus earlier.¡±


    ¡°So, it''s a warning message. Or a prank.¡± I mused. Right now, I wasn''t sure what this paper meant, but I knew that this could be a serious problem if left alone.


    ¡®Meaning we have to take care of this and my workload will increase.¡¯


    ¡°It seems that you''ve caught onto it too.¡±


    A voice interrupted them, causing them to turn around. The new students recognized the voice¡¯s owner and exclaimed.


    ¡°P-President?¡±


    ¡°Wow! It''s Sybil, the Fiery Fairy.¡±


    Standing behind them was Sibyl and Leon. Sibyl seemed troubled, while Leon looked annoyed. She waved a similar paper to the one I held in her hand.


    Looking at her waving it around made him sigh in defeat.


    ¡°Ciel, we have some work to do,¡± she said as she dragged me away. ¡°Sorry, Leon. You go back to school. Leave this to the student council.¡±


    ¡°H-Hey, wait! I can walk on my own. Hey!¡± I exclaimed in surprise. She was too strong for him to resist without using Psion. But if I used it, there was a chance she would get hurt.


    Why is she so pushy? It''s not like her at all.


    I was pushed toward a secluded area behind a building, and Sibyl started pacing around angrily.


    ¡°I knew something was off!¡± She shouted and stomped the ground.

 Chapter 2 – Attack on Academy City

    ¡°I didn''t think someone would stir trouble in a new semester! Ugh¡­ If I knew the person who caused these problems, I would burn them to crisp!¡±


    I sighed and sat on a bench nearby. I wasn''t sure what had gotten into her, but it looked like she was having something in mind. Something big and troublesome that made him resign in fate.


    ¡°First of all, what are you talking about? And you should calm down. Sorry for leaving you with that guy, okay?¡±


    Sibyl glared at him and opened her mouth, but she didn''t say anything. It looked like she was trying to organize her thoughts.


    It will take time.


    As Vice-President, I needed to support the President, and in this case, Sibyl. Although we were once rivals, we had been together for the past year, so I knew her well enough to trust her judgment.


    In addition, she was a powerful Esper and had a keen eye for danger. She couldn''t have brought me here for no reason.


    ¡°I found another paper just like this one. Or more specifically, Leon gave it to me.¡± Sibyl said as she took out a similar paper from her pocket. It was crumpled but still legible.


    <Beware of the Esper.>


    ¡°He found it near the Test Center. It seems that someone left it there on purpose.¡±


    I looked at the paper in her hand. The content was slightly different, but the font used to write it and the point it tried to convey was similar.


    It warned the freshmen, new students to be wary of other Espers.


    And what defined Esper? Academy City.


    These two related to each other and couldn¡¯t be separated.


    ¡°Members of the


    also found something similar in a few places. Tina reported it to me earlier.¡± Sibyl pointed at the earphone in her right ear. ¡°It seems that this warning message is being spread around Academy City.¡±


    Warnings to Espers and a warning to the Academy City. It didn''t make sense, but it sounded like someone was trying to send a message because it went too far for a mere prank.


    I folded my arms and considered what Sibyl had said.


    ''It''s not clear what their aim is.'' He thought. ''But it''s definitely suspicious.''


    The Student Council''s job wasn''t to investigate crimes or prevent trouble. They were just students who handled issues within the Academy City such as planning events and ensured nothing happened.


    Solving trouble was the Public Moral Committee¡¯s problem. They dealt with delinquent or dangerous students, as well as keeping public order. This case was included in the latter case.


    So, it wasn''t our job to investigate these warnings, but we couldn''t ignore them either. If this turned out to be a serious matter, the Academy City¡¯s opening ceremony could be affected and put the new students in danger.


    ¡°So...¡± Sibyl looked at Ciel with a serious expression.


    Both of us had known each other for at least a year since they started studying at the Academy City. We had fought each other countless times and were always neck and neck in terms of skills and talent. Well, Sibyl win for the latter, but I caught up by relying on hard work and tricks.


    If anyone could understand what she currently thought about, it would be me.


    ¡°Haa... Fine. I will try to figure this out. You take care of the new students and protect them.¡±


    Having two of the strongest Espers in the Academy City in the student council wasn''t ideal. The second strongest was supposed to enter PMC, but Sibyl was already a candidate for student council president at that time, so it was impossible.


    I was the anomaly one.


    Also me... Well, they didn''t even consider me considering my personality, so the spot of PMC''s president was currently taken by a third year student called Travis, a Psion Master and the third strongest Esper based on the tournament result a few months ago.


    ¡°I know you can handle this. Even though we''re rivals, I can count on you for this matter.¡± She said with a smile. ¡°You''re a reliable Vice-President.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your trust.¡± My voice was filled with sarcasm and I rose from the bench. ¡°Just don''t rely on me too much. I am not a machine, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Sorry about this, Ciel. But you¡¯re the only one I can trust with this.¡±


    ¡°¡®Kay. I will report to you if I find something useful.¡±


    After saying that, I returned to the main street of Academy City. I raised his head, appreciating the clear sky and warm sunlight on my face.


    This would be a good day if it wasn¡¯t for this trouble.


    Imagine lying around sunbathing while reading a book. How great would that be?


    But now, let alone sunbathing, I had to move my legs to investigate.


    Do I have to look around the whole Academy City?


    Not that it wasn''t possible, but it would take too much time.


    Even if it was called a City, the whole Academy City was an island big, spanning over hundreds kilometers. There were more than a dozen Academies, each with its unique style and features.


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    I had to narrow down my  search area somehow.


    Wait a minute. I have a starting point. He mused and stroked my chin. This is within a novel world, and everything revolves around the protagonist. If I find him, I will probably be led to the source of these warnings.


    In the novels he read before, there were always characters that acted as catalysts for events and turning points in the story. Some of them were innocent or unaware of their actions, while some were key figures that pushed the story forward.


    Since I knew I was in a novel world, I had been wary of the existence of the protagonist and their impact on the story. I tried to distance myself from them and faded into the background, but it seemed like I had failed wonderfully due to my personal interest.


    And now, I have to continue influencing this world¡¯s future. Finding the protagonist and helping them solve the problem would be the most ideal route to keep the Academy City¡¯s peace.


    There was one problem.


    The prologue and the ending I read doesn''t say anything about the protagonist... Argh! I should''ve read it further. Now that plan is void too. It would be good if the protagonist is a spiky-haired man with a tsundere girl chasing him while shooting an electricity. But it won''t be so simple, no?


    Nowadays, a novel''s protagonist''s appearance didn¡¯t look so different from normal people. And there were too many unique-looking individuals in Academy City that it was hard to pinpoint just one person.


    No other choice. I had to explore and search for clues on my own. I didn''t have any idea where to start, but I had to start somewhere.


    One clue can lead me to another. Just like a thread of fate.


    So, I decided to walk around, in some inconspicuous places that would catch anyone''s attention.


    I didn''t have much time to waste. I used my knowledge of the city''s layout and my experience in dealing with problems for the last year to narrow down my search area.


    ¡°If I were the guy spreading a warning that could put me in trouble, where would I be?¡± I asked himself while activating my Esper ability.


    [Daydream activated.]


    Daydream. Just like its name, my ability was vague at best. I also didn¡¯t know the limit of this ability yet, but I dare not to try.


    I put up a notification like this, inspired by games, with my own ability to keep myself vivid and not try to push the limit. I could track my own condition subconsciously with this.


    At one point, I had to be bedridden for days for trying things outside my limit. My brain burns and I had a lingering headache for 3 whole weeks after that.


    However, as long as I stayed within the limit that I vaguely guessed, my ability was pretty useful.


    By activating Daydream, I put myself in a trance state and my imagination could manifest in reality.


    Esper fundamentally used Psion to create an imaginary field where they could manifest their ability. And my Daydream¡¯s imaginary field was¡­ pretty vast yet limited.


    Whether it was something from a book I had read or something I had seen. It could be used for illusions or dreamlike illusions.


    But at its core, it was a support Esper ability that allowed me to have vivid dreams and visions, making it very useful for any kind of situation.


    The limit would be myself and the world around me.


    What I did right now was to believe that I was a famous detective, one who was good at searching for clues. I focused on my memories and the story of the great detectives I had read, channeling my Psion and creating the invisible imaginary field around me.


    Once that was done, I opened his eyes and looked around.


    The scenery around me had changed, and I could see things that normal people couldn''t see. Like tiny lights or threads of fate connecting each other, forming a clue I didn¡¯t realize before.


    It was due to my versatile Esper ability that Sibyl trusted the investigation to me while she protected the new students from any hidden threat.


    Let''s use this.


    [Detective¡¯s Eyes activated.]


    [Psion, Stamina, and Mind¡¯s condition at top form. Ready to perform.]


    Ideas entered my mind as I ran around, following these tiny lights and threads, looking for more clues. It was like seeing through a magnifying glass, looking at the little details hidden within the scenery.


    Detective¡¯s eyes. That was how I named this ability I gained from daydreaming as a detective. Clues could be seen as light. Simple yet useful ability. But it made me in a drunk-like state so I didn¡¯t quite like using it often.


    Anyway, I judged that the important thing wasn''t the message, but who spread them.


    Following the trails left behind by the culprit could lead me to the mastermind behind the warning.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    After running around for a while, I found another form of light. It was hard to see at first, but I recognized it as a Psion trail left behind by someone else.


    [Daydream Ended. Returning to reality.]


    [Your Psion¡¯s reserves: 99%]


    Deactivating my Daydream, everything turned normal once again. My stamina was slightly drained from my ability activation, but it wouldn¡¯t affect my overall strength.


    Where is it?


    Crouching down, I found a similar paper put near a flower pot on a bench in front of the the #7 Test Center.


    I took the paper and frowned. The content was similar to the one that Sibyl showed him.


    <Beware of the Esper.>


    Examining the paper, I tried to look for the trail I saw earlier.


    What was that about the Psion trail?


    There were only two things that left a Psion trail.


    First: by using a Psion.


    Second: by activating an Esper¡¯s ability.


    Usually, no one could detect a Psion trail without any specialized equipment. It was only possible when I was in Daydream state. Even now, without the imaginary field, I couldn''t feel or detect anything.


    However, I was sure that no one I saw around this place had used a Psion before. If there was someone using an Esper ability, I would detect them immediately when I was in daydream state earlier.


    Then, there was only one other possibility.


    ¡°Oh no!¡±


    At that moment, the paper in my hand suddenly glowed brightly and exploded.


    Boom!


    ¡°W-What?¡±


    ¡°Aaah! Run away!¡±


    ¡°Evacuate the area! There is an explosion!¡±


    New students ran around like little ducks right after the explosion rang. The staff in Test Center #7 gave out instructions to ensure no one panicked.


    [Psion¡¯s defense is damaged. Durability: 95%]


    Sighing, the halo behind my head that showed an activation of Psion technique disappeared. I managed to avoid injuries because I used Psion to create a layer of defense around my body. It couldn¡¯t fully protect me, but I minimized the damage I received with it.


    I¡¯ve been had.


    ¡°That explosion earlier¡­¡±


    I recognized it. There was only one person I knew who had such ability at a powerful level. And that someone was a part of an organization that always caused trouble in Cypherion.


    ¡°The Esper Resistance.¡± I clicked my tongue and held my head.


    I could feel a headache and sleepless night incoming.


    More importantly than that, I dusted my clothes off casually as I looked around. The tip of my uniform was charred slightly, making me frown. Looking at the burnt part, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh once again.


    Luna will scold me for this.

 Chapter 3 – Dealing With a Fox

    [Thank you for your report, Ciel. I have given the details to Tina and have PMC to secure all papers in the area. What do you want to do now?]


    ¡°Rest. I will return to Rakuen Academy and welcome the new students. There is only Luna and I who can welcome them, you know? The others are¡­ Well, I don¡¯t think they can face new people.¡±


    [Ah, you¡¯re right. I will take care of the rest, so you can clock out now.]


    ¡°Okay. Good luck with your patrol.¡±


    I ended the communication with Sibyl and took off my earphone.


    Finally I had an excuse to skip my job in student council. But now, I had to face the next problem that haunted me.


    Standing in front of a slightly dilapidated building, with cracks on the wall and holes on the roof, I swallowed nervously before stepping inside the gate.


    Face me with Sybil, the strongest Esper in the Academy City, and I wouldn¡¯t be afraid. However, Luna¡­ She was¡­ different.


    ¡°I have prepared my excuse. I am able to face that demon wearing the face of a beautiful girl.¡±


    After steeling my mind, I took a step forward only to freeze when cold blue eyes met with mine. A girl around my age stood under a withered tree, arm crossed and feet tapped against the ground repeatedly. Her green hair was tied into a double bun.


    From the frown in her face and the way she looked at the burnt part of my uniform, it was clear that she was pissed.


    ¡°So?¡± She asked coldly, scrutinized me from top to bottom, waiting for my explanation.


    I ruffled my hair and looked to the side.


    ¡°Well, I was caught off guard and a paper exploded right in my hand. It¡¯s not my fault this time that my uniform got burnt.¡±


    ¡°... Sigh.¡± Luna sighed and held her head, ¡°We have no money to fix your uniform anymore, you do know that right? All the money the main student council gave us and your reward already went to buy the new student uniform as well as fixing the class. Our budget this month is already in the red!¡±


    No budget?


    Did we use that much money already?


    As a vice-president of the Cypherion Student Council, I was given incentive so I could focus on my duty, study, and development of my Esper ability.


    The money was by no means a little. I was given 25 thousand Silas monthly. In my old world, it was equivalent to 10 thousand dollars.


    Also, I got more than 200 thousand Silas from winning the tournament a while back.


    And she said we used them all already?


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Luna nodded and then ruffled her hair, ¡°The renovation cost more than I thought. Not only that, those three people actually bought something with the money! Aaargh! And you will need a new uniform too. Why does everyone spend so much money when we¡¯re so broke?¡±


    This time, I couldn¡¯t help but hold and shake my head too.


    These people! How could they use the money?


    It was meant to be used for our monthly meal as well. If there was no money, how could we eat? What could we use to buy groceries and pay for electricity?


    Still, at least some of the money went to renovation. I was curious how many new students we had so I asked Luna, only to be met with her averting her gaze.


    ¡°Luna, why did you look away? How many new students did we get this month?¡±


    ¡°...ro.¡±


    Her voice was too small to the point I couldn¡¯t hear her. I leaned closer to listen better.


    Noticing that I couldn¡¯t hear her well, she gritted her teeth and repeated.


    ¡°Zero! Some of them ran away saying that they would enter another school after seeing our building¡¯s condition. Those who stayed took a look inside and decided to move too after meeting that guy! Aaah! Hahaha¡­Hahaha! Should I just destroy the school? Hey, Ciel. Tell me. Should I?¡±


    A strange aura emanated from Luna as she laughed crazily. When she became like this, it would be wise to step back and wait for her to calm down.


    Just like I thought, she exhaled a sigh a few seconds later and facepalmed.


    ¡°There is no other choice¡­ Ciel, introduce me to that place. I will accept your proposal from a month ago.¡±


    Hearing that, I narrowed my eyes and asked in a serious tone.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Nodding slowly, Luna looked at me with resignation in her eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t want to do it, but we have no choice. You have done enough and gave us all your money, so it¡¯s my turn to work.¡±


    I could relate to that. I also didn¡¯t want to rely on other people too much. Even now, I tried my best to repay my debt to my savior who took me in when I was confused about being dropped in this new world.


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    That¡¯s why¡­


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go to that place.¡±


    Where the nightmare and dream merged becoming one.


    ***


    ¡°Welcome home, Master and Mistress~¡±


    Upon arriving at the location, a maid with cute and frilly clothes greeted us while posing cutely. Looking past her, I could see a cafe interior decorated with mostly cute things and other maids servicing customers.


    If you guessed that this was a maid cafe, then you¡¯re correct. And I was one of the regulars here.


    ¡°Ah, Ciel! You came again.¡±


    The maid who greeted us beamed when she realized it was me. Then, she looked back for a second before clapping her hands.


    ¡°Sorry, we didn¡¯t know that you would come so your usual seat is used. Do you mind if you use another one for now?¡±


    ¡°No worries, Aria. I am here to meet the manager because I found someone interested to fill the empty spot.¡±


    ¡°You found someone?¡± The blue-haired maid finally realized Luna who stood behind me while fidgeting nervously, ¡°Wow, she¡¯s so cute! Please follow me. I will take you to the manager.¡±


    Saying that, Aria walked inside. I followed her with Luna trailing right behind. We were taken into the staff only area and stopped in front of an office door.


    Aria knocked on the door softly.


    ¡°Manager, Ciel is here to meet you. He found someone willing to fill the position.¡±


    ¡°Ask him to enter.¡±


    ¡°You heard her. I will leave first then, I still have jobs to do. Bye.¡± Aria walked away while waving her hand.


    Sighing, I knocked the door reluctantly. To be honest, meeting the manager in the office always made me feel a bit odd, but I had no choice.


    ¡°Manager, I am entering.¡± I announced my presence and pushed the door.


    The reason behind my reluctance, a pink world, greeted us. Floor, walls, bookcases, desk, couches, even the ceiling, everything was dominated by pink. Even the posters of girls posted on the walls were also dominated with pink.


    Sitting behind the desk, Manager turned to us upon hearing the creaking of the door. Her pink hair tied in a twintail swayed slightly. An impressive asset that couldn¡¯t be hidden by her maid outfit swayed when she moved.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here. Is she the one?¡± Her sharp, blue eyes looked at Luna as if she was looking at a prey. ¡°Tall and athletic. Her face is definitely a pass, but we need to change that hairstyle. Yes, she will do. Good job, Ciel.¡±


    She assessed Luna immediately without hesitation. Luna got so surprised that she tried to shield her body with her arms. A futile attempt, seeing how much area her arms could cover.


    I often wondered if the manager knew any tact at all. She didn¡¯t try to hide her desire to get girls to work for her.


    ¡°Hey, Luna. Introduce yourself.¡± I quietly whispered as I elbowed her.


    ¡°O-oh, right. Cough. My name is Luna from Rakuen Academy. N-Nice to meet you, manager.¡±


    ¡°Her voice is cute too. Alright, hired!¡±


    Tak!


    The manager slammed the desk with her hand and grinned. No hesitation at all in her words as if she already knew Luna from inside out.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Even Luna was surprised by the manager¡¯s decisiveness. Hiring someone in Cypherion usually involved an interview and background check to ensure the new employee never had any trouble or law breaking record.


    It sounded simple, but on this island where Espers gathered, and students who loved to use their powers anywhere, not breaking the law was pretty hard. Fights often broke out and facilities often got destroyed.


    The hiring procedure was simple. The manager took out the contract and had Luna read it. Her eyes widened in surprise at the salary.


    ¡°Being a maid is rough, you know? It¡¯s normal to get paid that much. I just hope you can work hard.¡± The manager said, ¡°Also, I only accept you since Ciel introduced you. If you mess up, I will have him take the responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please do so!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± I retorted at their words. Why should I take responsibility if Luna messed up?


    Anyway, Luna agreed readily and signed the contract. She would start working tomorrow. Because she was still a student, her shift would start in the evening, 4 hours of work everyday so as to not bother her study.


    After everything was finished, I planned to return to the dorm and laze around. However, the manager stopped me.


    ¡°Ciel, you stay here for a minute. I have something to talk about with you.¡±


    I looked at her straight in her eyes for a second and nodded. Then, I told Luna to return first and stayed with the manager.


    When she left, I sat before her and raised my eyebrows, prompting the pink-haired manager to speak.


    ¡°Were you hurt anywhere? That explosion was pretty strong, no?¡±


    ¡°...!¡±


    Suddenly, the manager asked such a thing. The atmosphere became heavy, an exact opposite to the lightheartedness of the pink room. She leaned against her hand and played with her hair.


    I mentioned that every job required a background check when they hired a new employee. Manager was a strange person by nature, but that didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t do her homework. She wouldn¡¯t trust anyone even if I recommended them.


    The only reason why she skipped the background check, despite meeting a new employee, was simple. She already knew everything.


    ¡°The Resistance got you good, huh? 56 new students already pulled their registration and left Cypherion after realizing that it¡¯s not just flower and Psion in the Academy City. Also, our sales decreased lately due to the rumors flying around here. To be honest, I am a bit troubled.¡±


    Anywhere I go, troubles always follow.


    In a year that I lived in Academy City, I had more near death experiences than the 18 years I lived before. Having experienced that, my instinct of trouble was honed to the point I could smell them just by a simple hint.


    ¡°What do you want me to do, manager?¡± I sighed in resignation.


    Maid Cafe ¡®Angel¡¯ Manager, Ameri Newman. A terrifying, fox-like woman who had one of the vastest information networks in Academy City. She even knew about me being attacked two hours ago without moving away from this room.


    How did I get acquainted with such a woman, I myself didn¡¯t understand. She just suddenly appeared in my life at one point when I dealt with The Resistance.


    Because I also owed her debt, I often received her request to pay them.


    I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s just two years older than me. This is why I want to fade in the background. I rolled my eyes and listened to her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s nothing hard for you. Also, if you do well with my request, I will give you information about your attacker and why they spread those papers. Honestly, my request is also related to that. Isn¡¯t it convenient for you? Sibyl will be troubled if you don¡¯t accept my request.¡±


    My interest rose hearing that.


    Related case? Maybe The Resistance¡¯s plan was more intricate than what I expected. And she had to bring up Sibyl to convince me.


    I don¡¯t like the fact that I can¡¯t help but dance in her palm.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡± I said, ruffling my white, tangled mass of hair.


    ¡°I know you will say that. You¡¯re the best man ever, Ciel.¡± Ameri giggled, her eyes narrowed like a fox.

 Chapter 4 – Angel Wings

    Spring came at a full swing in Cypherion. Cherry blossom petals swayed in the air, spreading the welcoming nuance into the artificial island.


    Busily moving around, Cypherion Student Council ensured everything had gone smoothly without any incidents. They, alongside the Public Moral Committee, gathered all papers with warning without any exception.


    A victim had appeared already so they couldn¡¯t slack around.


    In the center of that, on the top floor of skyscrapers with a large oak tree growing on the roof where the student council¡¯s office was located, Sibyl sat behind a desk monitoring all reports that arrived. She sent out instructions to all student council¡¯s members as well as from the branches in each academy.


    Tapping sounds echoed inside the vast room with only a long table with chairs surrounding it in the middle of the room. Occasionally it stopped, only to be resumed after a grunt.


    ¡°It¡¯s too many.¡± Sibyl gritted her teeth, ¡°How can something like this happen at once, without anyone knowing? There must be an ability involved in this. Teleportation? Instant movement? Or super speed?¡±


    Such Espers existed, but not many. To spread the papers in hundreds all over Cypherion, they had to be Psion Expert, or even Psion Master like her. Espers three levels under that, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced, would have their Psion drained before they could even circle the island.


    ¡°Or they use some kind of vehicle to spread them.¡±


    Either way, the perpetrator behind this large-scale terror attack had the ability to do what Sibyl judged as something impossible without sufficient manpower or capital.


    Sibyl didn¡¯t only try to finish her job, but she also contacted people she knew to collect information. Many met with a dead end due to the lack of evidence.


    Should I go find it myself? It will be faster that way.


    When she almost went to find the perpetrator herself, the door to the office was opened. She narrowed her eyes in displeasure and raised her head, raising her voice at the new presence.


    ¡°Who entered without permission? I already told anyone not to bother me this time!¡±


    ¡°My apologies, president. But there is an emergency.¡±


    A black-haired male student with a student council armband entered with hurried steps. He pushed his round glasses up and stopped in front of Sibyl¡¯s desk.


    ¡°Blake? What¡¯s the emergency?¡± Sibyl immediately composed herself upon hearing the word emergency. She looked at the student council member in front of her seriously and prompted him to speak.


    Gulping nervously, the student called Blake reported with a shaky voice, ¡°C-Ciel¡­ He destroyed a building.¡±


    Sibyl shouted and slammed the desk, ¡°What?!¡±


    Bam!


    Ciel destroyed a building? While such a thing wasn¡¯t impossible, Sibyl never expected it to happen. Especially not that lazy person who preferred to sleep instead of doing his work as her vice-president.


    Then again, he never made any move without any reason. He might even solve a problem by aiming at its core alone without any help because he didn¡¯t want to put the others in danger.


    Such was a boy called Ciel, her rival as well as the person she trusted the most in Academy City.


    ¡°Tell me the location! Fast!¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes. It¡¯s in District 13 near the shopping area.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± She rose from the seat and put on her armband, fastened it to her uniform, ¡°Inform all the members in District 13 and 14, including those from PMC, to gather and prepare to fight immediately. Go!¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, President.¡±


    They both moved quickly without wasting any time.


    As for what happened with Ciel, it started a few minutes ago.


    ***


    ¡°Haa¡­¡±


    I sighed as I sat down on the corner of the roof, feeling the wind brushing against my face.


    Right now, I was in District 13 to finish manager Ameri¡¯s request. It wasn¡¯t something complicated, but it didn¡¯t mean the request was easy either. When I listened to her earlier, I realized the novel¡¯s story truly started this year.


    ¡°Esper Resistance managed to gather astronomical funds from an unknown source. They used the secret underground passages to spread the papers around Cypherion. Of course, not all papers could explode, but it was enough to keep the Student Council busy.¡±


    Manager Ameri explained in detail. She even gave me a document that described the sequences of events happening starting when the tournament ended until this morning.


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    ¡°Two Espers, a twin, are responsible for the explosion. They can turn anything they touch into an explosion. The closer they are to the target, and depending how big the medium is, the bigger the explosion they can trigger.¡±


    ¡°Both twins have the same ability?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You might know them as the Bomber Twins. They are pretty famous among the dark side.¡± The manager said seriously, ¡°Their rank is Advanced Psion Esper. I don¡¯t know whether they have gotten stronger or not because the last time they appeared was a year ago.¡±


    She casually exposed the culprit¡¯s identities without batting an eyelid.


    ¡°Now, about my request. There is this place where Esper Resistance gathered. The problem is, they used Maid Cafe as a front, and they are wearing skimpy clothes to get customers. They also slander us when talking to their customers, as if targeting us. How dare they!¡±


    For the first time ever, manager Ameri showed intense anger. She gritted her teeth and slammed the desk.


    She must be mad that her place got slandered.


    ¡°How dare they destroy a maid cafe¡¯s reputation by acting like sluts! My kids are pure, cute, and innocent! The worst thing is, they aren¡¯t even a real maid cafe, just a front used for the activities they did! Hey, Ciel. Don¡¯t you think they don¡¯t deserve to live?¡±


    Correction, it seemed like she was just a mad woman. I knew she loved a maid, but to think she would go this far.


    However, I understood where she came from. Due to their conduct, maid cafes gained a bad reputation and that decreased manager Ameri¡¯s sales. Though I guessed the main reason was that the guests loved to visit this new maid cafe more due to their risky costumes, I kept silent and only nodded.


    It¡¯s not wise to take the anger on my enemy¡¯s behalf. I silently thought as I kept listening to her rambling.


    After everything was finished, I moved to the said location and am now here. Manager Ameri¡¯s request was actually pretty urgent. Without customers coming in, her information gathering would be hampered, which would affect my future request.


    So I decided to finish this as soon as possible.


    ¡°Is that the maid cafe?¡± I mused as I looked at a fashionable building decorated cutely.


    Two girls, wearing skimpy maid outfits with short skirts and open shoulders dress showing off their cleavage, stood in the front holding a sign while waving at the customers.


    Some students got baited and entered with silly smiles. Their gazes clearly stopped at the maids¡¯ chest area, making me shake my head.


    ¡°Their marketing is truly good.¡±


    In the end, Maid Cafe Angel only lost to the pure marketing strategy, not because of some kind of ruse from the Esper Resistance.


    Still, the fact this new maid cafe was the place where they gathered was enough of a reason for me to destroy it.


    ¡°According to Ameri, they have an underground room where they gather. Today, at 1 PM, they will gather before moving out for their next plan. As long as I can confirm their existence, I can move to destroy this building immediately.¡±


    Waiting for them didn¡¯t take as long as I initially thought. Just a few seconds later, a van stopped in the parking lot not far from the maid cafe. Three people emerged from the vehicle and entered the building from the backdoor.


    No matter how you see it, they were suspicious. From their all-white outfits and the fact they only brought one box with them, they didn¡¯t seem to be doing delivery either. Which meant, they were Esper Resistance¡¯s members.


    Rising from my sitting position, I stretched my arms and legs to prepare for any fight. It had been a long time since I had a proper fight. There should be an Esper with Advanced Psion level at the least inside the building.


    Maybe the Bomber Twins are inside. If that¡¯s the case, then I welcomed it with open arms. I could apprehend them while finishing Ameri¡¯s request. Two birds with one stone.


    Anyway, using Daydream to destroy the building would be too much. I knew there were innocent people in the front area, drinking and enjoying the maids¡¯ company, so I had to be careful.


    ¡°A simple Psion¡¯s technique will be enough.¡±


    Psion. An energy presented in every Esper¡¯s body that served as a fuel to bring out miracles. It was slightly different from an Esper¡¯s ability. Unlike it, no imaginary field needed to be created to bring it out. And it wasn¡¯t necessarily unique like Esper¡¯s ability where everyone would have a different effect even when they had a similar ability.


    Instead, Psion was more common. A halo that acted like a reactor would appear over our head whenever we used Psion. The color also depended on one¡¯s personality. For some reason, my halo and Psion¡¯s color was whitish golden, a pretty yet color that stood out a lot. At night, I became a walking neon and easy target for my enemies.


    Though I had to admit, I quite liked it as it looked similar to my hair.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not overdo it.¡±


    As a Psion Master, I had complete control over my Psion. I could move even the smallest particle to minimize the waste in my technique. I waved the Psion into a compressed ball and aimed at the back area.


    The 15cm ball trembled in front of my palm before launching toward the target like a cannonball. A sonic boom rang and soon followed by a crashing sound when the Psion ball hit the building, destroying the wall and the important pillar.


    Crash!


    A large hole formed on the wall as if a car crashed into it. People immediately fled, having experienced many emergency situations before. An attack like this wasn¡¯t uncommon at all for people living in Cypherion.


    Following the citizens and students, three people as well as two maids exited through back doors. They didn¡¯t try to hide the fact they were Espers any longer and blatantly used their ability to block the alley with a wall of dirt.


    Seeing it, I no longer hesitated. Enough evidence about them being a part of Esper Resistance had been recorded by cameras in every nook of cranny in the Academy City.


    [Daydream activated.]


    I put my hand on my pocket and used Daydream. Imaginary field expanded around me, and white wings sprouted behind my back. Layered feathers and soft golden glow radiated from the new wings.


    [Angel Wings activated.]


    [Psion, Stamina, and Mind¡¯s condition at top form. Ready to perform.]


    With a thought, I moved them. Weight disappeared from my body as my wings lifted me up, moving straight toward fleeing Esper Resistance¡¯s members.


    Due to Daydream, my clear thoughts became slightly muddled and I couldn¡¯t use complicated Psion technique, but I could manage with some simple ones like earlier as I was used to being in this state. FIghting them should be totally doable.


    I glided down the tall building straight to the alleyway. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t bring myself flying up fast enough thanks to my weight, so gliding was the only fast movement I could manage. Nothing came without limitation.


    From the air, I could see five people running toward a van parked near the street. I folded my wings, letting gravity finish the rest of the work, and landed right in front of them.


    Thud!


    Now I have to work.

 Chapter 5 – Nickname

    Every famous Espers in Academy City had a nickname designed for them by the board directors who oversee everything using an advanced AI from rumors and the said Esper¡¯s ability.


    And mine, Delusional Angel, was taken from my pure white appearance and my ability. It made me look like a crazy delusional person on drugs, which was why I didn¡¯t like it.


    More importantly, it sounded cringe!


    ¡°Why is he here? Isn¡¯t he supposed to be busy taking care of these papers?!¡±


    ¡°This is bad. We can¡¯t win against him. He¡¯s on another level!¡±


    ¡°If we fight against him together¡­¡±


    They began to mutter such things as if I didn¡¯t stand here.


    How rude. They really had no education at all. All Esper Resistances members were either those failing in their Academies or drop out due to breaking laws. They really were a bunch of troublemakers that spread terror in Cypherion, trash among trash.


    Because they showed their hostility and showed off their halos in response to my warning, I didn¡¯t need to hold back. White halo appeared behind my head. I controlled my wings and channeled my Psion through them, moving each feather to face my enemies.


    The feathers detached themselves from my back with a flap and launched themselves toward the people before me at an incredible speed.


    Woosh!


    Countless feathers flew and the maid who created the wall earlier exclaimed.


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    The beige halo behind her head shone and she put her hands on the ground. A tall, sturdy wall of dirt rose in front of them to block my feathers, but¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s useless.¡±


    Every feather had a power similar to a bullet behind them. The wall only managed to stop a mere few before it was filled with holes and crumbled down. I could see my enemies already fled without any trace.


    They know they can¡¯t beat me so they just cover my vision and run, huh? One of them surely has teleportation or a super speed ability to run that fast. Not even I can do that.


    In a battle, I couldn¡¯t use my Detective¡¯s Eyes to trace their Psion trail, so I only relied on sight and my senses. I never thought proud members of Esper Resistance would run away, though.


    I sighed and ruffled my hair, deactivating my Daydream. Maintaining Angel Wings¡¯ form took Psion and stamina as I utilized both my ability and Psion technique to move them freely, so I couldn¡¯t keep it for a long time.


    This was also one of my ability¡¯s weaknesses which I was aware of.


    [Daydream ended. Returning to reality.]


    [Your Psion¡¯s reserves: 97%]


    Still¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I have to chase after them, though.¡± I mused as I began to walk out of the alley.


    There, I saw a crowd of people dressed wearing vests with PMC written on the chest circling the fled enemies. The three guys and two maids were handcuffed with special equipment that disturbed their imaginary field and Psion use, rendering them weak.


    I had already guessed the Public Moral Committee would arrive as soon as I made that commotion. They were always fast at times like this but they couldn¡¯t solve any problems before it happened, leaving the student council to take care of it.


    ¡°Good work.¡±


    I waved my hand at them and their representative, a short-haired girl with glasses, saluted at me.


    ¡°Good work for you too. Thank you for your fast response.¡± She said, lowering her hand, ¡°Though we would appreciate it if you don¡¯t destroy the public facility, Vice-President.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re always so stiff, Tina.¡± I addressed the girl casually.


    Tina Rosecraft, PMC¡¯s secretary as well as the second team leader, responsible from District 13 to 15 out of 21 Districts in Cypherion. She was the definition of a strict, follow the rules to the T student.


    I am not good with her. I laughed wryly, hiding my inner thoughts. ¡°I will count on you to deal with them. I think they are the ones responsible for spreading the papers around Cypherion, but interrogate them just in case.¡±


    ¡°We will do that.¡± Tina answered, gesturing for the PMC members to take them away, ¡°And I will send the document regarding reparation to the student council.¡±


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    My lips twitched at her words. Why did she have to be so strict with everything? Sibyl would chew me out if I added more work to her. That or I had to handle this personally.


    ¡°Tina, we can talk about it right now. This building isn''t civilian owned, right? Esper Resistance bought it to do their activities, which means it¡¯s a terrorist base. Dismantling it isn¡¯t a problem and I don''t need any documents.¡±


    ¡°From the data I received, they only rent this building for 3 months.¡± Tina pulled out a tablet and fiddled with the screen, ¡°Hence, we need to send compensation to the building owner and fix it. Everything needs a document so the board director can process it.¡±


    They only rented it?!


    Damn Esper Association! If they wanted to have a base, couldn¡¯t they just buy the building instead of renting it?


    ¡°What is¡­ going on here?¡±


    To make things worse, Sibyl appeared right after Tina said that. She looked at the hole I made and then turned at me.


    ¡°Ciel-¡±


    ¡°Fine, I will handle the document.¡± I sighed in resignation. I already knew what she wanted to say before she finished.


    In the end, I worked until night in the student council office under Sibyl¡¯s supervision. She stayed with me until there were only two of us.


    I gritted my teeth at the  Academy City¡¯s students¡¯ diligence. Please let me slack off for a moment!


    Though, in a positive light, Sibyl told me that my blazer would be fixed using the student council¡¯s money because it was burned from the job. She was really kind in an unexpected place.


    ***


    Sun went down, casting its last light over Cypherion¡¯s skyscrapers. Darkness engulfed the whole artificial island for a second before being cast away by fluorescent lights.


    Now, the whole Academy City was lit brightly, as if day had arrived for the second time. However, underneath these bright lights was shadow, dark enough to engulf anything dared to touch it.


    Still, the darkest shadow didn¡¯t always stay underneath the light. Sometimes, the place above the light would be the darkest spot, hidden by the glorious warmth.


    ¡°Hnn~¡±


    In the now empty student council¡¯s office, a red-haired girl moaned on the couch where her colleague¡­ No, maybe calling him her rival and best friend might be a better fit to define their relationship.


    Yes, just best friend, nothing more and nothing less.


    ¡°Ah, Ciel¡­¡±


    Her green eyes mixed with crimson color held a hint of madness as she clutched into a slightly burnt white blazer in her hand. She sniffed deeply, taking the lingering aroma into her nostril before sighing in content.


    After a while, she put the blazer into a ziplock and secured it in her bag. Her lips curled up like a crescent moon, beautiful yet mysterious.


    ¡°This will be number #3. I have yet again found an unexpected collection.¡± A cheerful voice, vastly different from her usual serious and cold one, rang in the room. ¡°He¡¯s so cute. He doesn''t want to work, yet he¡¯s worried about a peaceful life and ends up destroying a hidden base.¡±


    Ciel Rune, a normal yet abnormal boy.


    At first, Sibyl thought he was just another student in the Academy City. Just another Esper with no strong point. Another student with common Esper ability who would just fade into this large artificial island.


    His existence was a mere ant in a large colony compared to her who was praised as a genius and excelled in everything when she was first tested.


    Physical Fitness, Psion Reaction, and Mind State. She had achieved a triple A in these three, and added with her being Advanced Psion in the test, putting her at the cream of the crop.


    Not to mention, her Esper Ability being Sun Flare, a step above the normal Pyrokinesis in terms of temperature her fire could reach.


    A true personification of the elite among the elites.


    With her fame grew, so did the emptiness she felt. There was no joy in everything she did. And because of her position, no students wanted to be friends with her. Some tried to get close, but they had ulterior motives, so she drove them away.


    Then when she met him again, he seemed to be different. In fact, he didn¡¯t care about her reputation and acted like a normal person. They fought due to differences many times. Of course, she won easily, for the first few fights.


    Slowly but surely, he got stronger. His use of ability became unpredictable due to his versatile mind. Before she knew it, she enjoyed his company every now and then. She also began to look forward to their next meeting.


    Then, at the peak of their rivalry at the Esper Academy Tournament, she was defeated. The title of strongest Esper in Cypherion she obtained in her first year was robbed.


    But she didn¡¯t feel disappointed. Instead, she felt freedom. All of it was thanks to Ciel, that¡¯s what she thought.


    ¡°He will visit this office often now. At least until the culprit behind the terror is apprehended.¡±


    Which meant more time to spend together, just the two of them, in this cramped office where she held the highest authority over everyone including him. Not that she would force him to do something he didn¡¯t like. But she might use that authority to tease him every now and then.


    Ring ring ring~


    At that moment, the telephone on the desk rang. Sibyl looked at the old, traditional cable telephone and sighed. Everytime this secure line rang, a trouble big enough for the board director to notice would happen or already happened.


    Sibyl hated yet loved it at the same time. She hated being ordered around like a slave to the Cypherion¡¯s higher ups, but loved the fact that having trouble meant more time to spend with Ciel.


    The darkness has reached out to her.


    With a sigh, her cold demeanor returned and she took the call, listening to the information given to her.


    [Student Council President, there is a mission your organization has to accept. Clearance level: B and above.]


    Hearing that, her brows furrowed and light disappeared from her eyes. Her guess was right on the money.


    ¡°I am listening, board director.¡±


    [Good. The details will be sent through the usual way. We¡¯re counting on you.]


    ¡°I understand. We work for Cypherion¡¯s safety.¡±


    [Don¡¯t disappoint us.]


    With that, the call was cut off and Sibyl sat on her seat. Cypherion¡¯s scenery lay out on the window behind her, a city more advanced than anywhere else in the world, where wonder, dreams, and danger mixed into one pot.


    As they said, the darkest spot is right under the light.


    ¡°I understand Ciel¡¯s desire to laze around now.¡± She muttered, her lips curled into a mocking smile.

 Chapter 6 – Cypherion’s Dark Side

    Sunlight seeped through the open window of a small yet comfortable room. The curtain ruffled from the breeze, dancing to greet the morning. It hit my face and roused me from my sleep.


    For some strange reason, I felt a bit hot even though spring had just arrived. The blanket felt stuffy. There was no room to move at all and I felt something soft yet heavy on top of me.


    Did I put two blankets last night? I couldn¡¯t really remember because I hit the bed as soon as I returned. Or did my cat jump onto me this morning? Must be the latter.


    ¡°Urg, Coco, move away. I will feed you soon.¡± I said groggily and opened my eyes slowly.


    When I looked down, I saw a naked girl hugging me while pressing her body against mine. Her long black hair hid most of her skin, but it couldn¡¯t hide her curvy and sexy experience.


    As I thought before, it¡¯s my cat.


    ¡°Coco¡­ Move away.¡± I tried to wake her up by shaking her body, but she only grunted and hugged me tighter.


    ¡°Come on. If you don¡¯t wake up now, I won¡¯t make breakfast for you.¡±


    Upon hearing that, the girl raised her body suddenly while looking half-asleep. Drool dripped from her lips, which she wiped using her arm, her panic apparent from her voice.


    ¡°I-I am awake.¡±


    Even so, she still sat on my body so I couldn¡¯t move. My meager physical strength was nothing compared to her. Her bare abs showed how strong she was.


    This girl was Coco, my senior and she wanted to treat me like a cat every morning. Her hair was even shaped like cat ears.


    ¡°Move away from my body. You¡¯re pressing me down.¡±


    ¡°Hnn?¡±


    Coco tilted her head at my request. I had to admit, she looked cute doing that, but I had to move now.


    ¡°No breakfast.¡±


    ¡°I am moving away!¡±


    As expected, the threat worked pretty well against her. She disappeared from my sight and appeared at the corner of the room, sitting on her knees with her hands on her thighs like a good girl. I would appreciate it if she covered her bare body.


    Sighing, I stretched and headed to the bathroom first. Coco followed me, just like the usual, and we washed our faces. At first, I was flustered, panicked, and happy when a pretty girl intruded into my room. But now? I got so used to it that I even wished she stopped.


    It¡¯s just tiring waking up like this. And she¡¯s only here because she likes the food I cooked, nothing more.


    After that, I made the breakfast I promised as a bribe. Nothing too fancy, just a simple fried rice from yesterday¡¯s leftover added with sunny side egg and sausage. Even so, Coco looked pretty happy and we devoured it instantly.


    ¡°You need to wear your clothes properly. Are you sure that you¡¯re a year older than me?¡± I said as I helped her get dressed.


    ¡°It¡¯s troublesome to wear it in the morning.¡± Coco said, throwing her face away, ¡°And I am indeed your senior. You should call me big sister.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve returned?¡± I exclaimed as I stepped back, nodding at her.


    Once again, I felt like I should introduce her. She was Coco, my senior in Rakuen and an Advanced Psion user, an Esper with an ability called Possession. Every morning, or when she was hungry, she would be possessed with a cat and acted like one until she was full.


    And now, she returned to her usual self and got dressed.


    ¡°Thank you as always, Ciel. You¡¯re the only one who I can trust with my morning self.¡± Coco smiled seductively and looked at him, ¡°Should I give you a reward? But again, you aren¡¯t even excited when I press you down. I am slightly disappointed. Am I not your type?¡±


    ¡°Oh, please. You remembered everything from the first time we met and asked that?¡± I rolled my eyes, my voice filled with sarcasm.


    Even when she got possessed, she remembered everything that happened. Which meant, she knew my flustered reaction and the fact that I did try to accept her advance, only for her to return to normal and smirk mischievously after she ate my bread.


    Let me say this. There was no way someone wouldn¡¯t be interested in Coco. Albeit everything and her sudden possession, she was a beauty that could turn everyone¡¯s eyes on her when she walked down the street.


    ¡°Hahaha, I am just joking. But really, I am thankful to you. Thanks to your money, we can eat that A5 wagyu. That was so delicious.¡±


    ¡°Wait, A5 wagyu?¡± My ears perked at a certain word she mentioned, eyes narrowed staring at her. ¡°Did you¡­ use my money to buy it?¡±


    ¡°The meat was melting in my mouth.¡± She licked her lips and smacked her tongue.


    T-this girl! I screamed in my mind. Poor Luna, having a senior like this. The precious money that should¡¯ve gone to renovate our school went into buying A5 wagyu and filling this glutton¡¯s stomach.


    Calm down, me. What happened can¡¯t be reversed. I can only think of something that can make her pay for it.


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    Like working or helping me to pay for her meal.


    Then, an idea came to me. For a brief moment, I considered this a bad idea, but then I needed some help today.


    Free labour sounded good.


    And so, I decided to grab this opportunity.


    ¡°Hey, is the meat that good?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Yeah. It melted into my mouth with an explosion of umami. I wanted to invite you and Luna too, but you were busy yesterday so we went alone, just the three of us.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Must be nice, right? I wish I were there with seniors to enjoy the beef.¡±


    ¡°You should. It only takes around 2 thousand Silas each person so we can go next month when you get paid. Everyone is looking forward to it too.¡±


    ¡°I see. So it¡¯s just 2 thousand Silas, huh?¡± I nodded and approached her when her guard was down. Then, I took her arm and held it firmly, ¡°Then we can go now. Do you want to eat more with me, senior Coco?¡±


    I flashed a smile and sealed the deal. Her eyes literally shone upon mentioning beef and she nodded repeatedly like a broken toy. The sight of her cat ear-like hair was unreal but cute.


    Now, I secured my slave- I mean free labour.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go. I need to stop by the student council first if you don¡¯t mind. I have some documents I have to finish first.¡±


    ¡°I will help.¡± Coco cut me off and wiped her drool, ¡°So the beef comes faster.¡±


    It seemed like I found a cheat code.


    ***


    Located in the center of Cypherion, District 10, the student council office could be seen from far away. The tree growing on the building made it a pretty good landmark for the locals to know where they were going.


    The building wasn¡¯t used solely for the student council but also for the public moral committee. That¡¯s why, many students with different uniforms enter and leave the building in real time. Some wore red armbands like me, while some wore blue armbands, the proof they were PMC¡¯s members.


    Meanwhile, guests were given lanyards and an ID with them. I gave Coco the ID I prepared. She was also wearing Rakuen Academy¡¯s white blazer like me, but she wore it sloppily. The blazer was unbuttoned and rested on her arms.


    Public moral committee, in charge of everyone¡¯s conduct, eyed her intently. However, upon seeing me walking next to her, they averted their gazes immediately. For some reason, they didn¡¯t want to get close or have anything to do with me except for a few people.


    ¡°Ciel, are you bullied?¡± Coco, noticing the strangeness, asked me worriedly.


    My lips twitched at her genuine worry. If she used that worry to think about our monetary situation, I would appreciate it more. Rather, she asked where it hurts.


    ¡°I am not bullied,¡± I replied shortly, ¡°I also don¡¯t know why they evade me, but it¡¯s always like this everytime I visit. However, they do follow my instructions when we¡¯re on duty, so there is no problem.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what people call bullying?¡± Coco tilted her head after telling me a bitter truth.


    Even though I know that! She doesn¡¯t need to tell me directly! I complained in my mind and decided to ignore her.


    A top student in Cypherion getting ignored and bullied. Who would¡¯ve thought about that? But I was used to it so I didn¡¯t think too much. I had a few friends and a maid cafe to heal my wound. That¡¯s enough.


    We entered the elevator and went to the top floor where the office was located. Someone without permission wouldn¡¯t be able to reach the top floor but the armband I wore had a chip embedded in it that served as my identification and pass to enter the floor.


    When we reached our destination, the door opened, and the office lay in front of my eyes. Two people were inside. Sibyl, just as I expected, sat behind her desk as usual. But there was also Tina, an unusual visitor at this time.


    Is she reporting about yesterday¡¯s incident? I thought but quickly shook that away.


    From the heavy atmosphere in the room, I guessed that there was something more, a pressing matter they didn¡¯t like yet couldn¡¯t refuse.


    ¡°Are they hungry?¡± Even Coco, who never met them before, could feel something wrong with them.


    Two pairs of eyes looked at me as I entered the office. I quickly averted my gaze, turned around, and waved my hand.


    ¡°It seemed like I entered at the wrong time. Excuse me.¡±


    Woosh!


    Just when I took a step away, a red Psion ball brushed past my hair and bounced off the elevator¡¯s door, disappearing like a wisp in the middle of night. I shuddered and turned my head slowly like a broken robot. Cold sweat drenched my back like a fountain.


    There, Sibyl smiled like an angel with fire dancing on her palm. The fire formed a skull, as if sealing my fate if I dared to take one more step away from her.


    ¡°Ciel, where are you going? Also, please explain why you bring an outsider into the office in such an important time. Can you do that for me?¡±


    I nodded at her. Making her mad in this situation wasn¡¯t ideal, so let¡¯s just listen to what she wanted to say right now.


    ¡°Can I leave?¡± Coco whispered to me as we sat on the couch.


    Sorry, but you¡¯re here with me. I shook my head to answer.


    And then, I explained why I brought Coco with me, assuring that she was trustworthy.


    ¡°If she can¡¯t stay, then I will escort her back for now.¡± I offered, but Sibyl shut down my proposal immediately.


    ¡°No, if you trust her, then she can stay. We will need all helping hands that we can trust in this mission.¡±


    Upon hearing the word mission, my brows furrowed and my smile disappeared. I narrowed my eyes on Sibyl.


    ¡°The old fucker try to use you again?¡± A curse escaped my lips, surprising Tina and Coco who had never seen this side of mine.


    I meant, I tried my best not to curse. But when it came to these old broad directors, my limiter essentially disappeared. They thought that we, Espers who lived in Cypherion, were their slaves, giving unreasonable command by saying it¡¯s for the Academy City¡¯s safety.


    Yet, their hidden plan was the initial cause for everything.


    In short, they treated us like their janitors who took care of the aftermath of their problems.


    ¡°Language, Ciel.¡± Sibyl scolded, ¡°But yes, Tina brought the details for me because Travis is busy.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± I asked, growling in displeasure, ¡°What kind of a mess do we need to clean up?¡±


    Sibyl and Tina exchanged glances. The latter nodded and handed me a paper document, something rare in the Cypherion where everything used technology.


    I read it carefully. There were some disturbing images that made me squint my eyes, but I continued until I reached the third page and exhaled,


    ¡°I am sorry, senior Coco. But can you return by yourself today? I am afraid I can¡¯t buy you a meal today.¡±


    Coco tilted her head at my words, confused why I suddenly changed my tone. But that was just a front. I knew she realized why I said that.


    And Sibyl, who had observed since earlier, spoke.


    ¡°Ciel, we need every trusted person-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t argue with me about this, Sibyl.¡± I cut her off and glared at her.


    Yes, I wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to argue with me in this, even Sibyl. Need a helping hand? If needed, I could force myself to handle this alone.


    I didn¡¯t want to drag anyone in this. Not this case.


    Why? It involves Cypherion¡¯s dark side. These old men really made a mess.

 Chapter 7 – Smell

    After a little bit of persuasion, and some snacks in the office, senior Coco saw herself off. Her cat ears sprung up in happiness and she bid me luck before Tina escorted her down.


    Only me and Sibyl were left in the room.


    ¡°... Are you mad?¡± Sibyl asked in a low voice, enough for me to notice her fear. ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    Although they appear strange and unique, people from my academy are all normal students. They didn¡¯t know or need to get involved with the dark side of this Academy City. I made sure they wouldn¡¯t get involved.


    And to answer Sibyl¡¯s question¡­ I was indeed mad. I got angry at my friend for suggesting I drag senior Coco to the dark side just for one mission, just because we needed a helping hand.


    One or twice might not be a problem. But those living in the darkness would inevitably notice her presence, noting her as one of my acquaintances, leading to a massive headache in the future.


    No matter what, I wouldn¡¯t endanger my benefactor, those who saved me when I was confused, scared, and despaired.


    Anyway, I calmed myself down and exhaled audibly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± I said, leaning against the couch, ¡°Sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°No, I was at fault.¡± Sibyl shook her head, biting her lower lips, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have proposed that. If anything, I wanted to ask for a student council member to help. But unfortunately¡­¡±


    ¡°You think there is a mole among us.¡± I finished her sentence and saw her nod slightly.


    Now that was interesting and disturbing. A member of student councils, consisting of talented students recommended by their own academies, worked together with a terror organization. If the news leaked out to the public, our reputation would take a hit and that would lower our credibility.


    ¡°PMC has finished their interrogation.¡± Sibyl started, moving toward the tea maker in the corner and started brewing one, ¡°Among the five people you caught, two of them are confirmed to be the Bomber Twins. Then they confessed their plans and confidently said there is a mole in this building.¡±


    ¡°How sure are we that they aren¡¯t telling lies?¡±


    ¡°Travis used his ability and confirmed it.¡± Sibyl said. She put tea on the table and sat across from me. ¡°Right now, he¡¯s trying to get detailed information from them, that¡¯s why he sent Tina to deliver the mission instead.¡±


    Travis had confirmed it, huh? I mused, sipping the tea prepared for me. If it¡¯s that guy, then I could trust the information.


    The current third strongest Esper in Cypherion and the president of the public moral committee, Travis. He¡¯s a Psion Master like me and Sibyl. His ability didn¡¯t really fit for battle, that¡¯s why he lost to us. And it was scary to think despite that, he reigned as the acknowledged third strongest.


    Anyway, he was trustworthy, at least in my and Sibyl¡¯s opinion.


    Still, that meant this case was really bad.


    ¡°Esper Resistance¡¯s main base has been destroyed.¡± I looked at the first page of the document again, ¡°Many corpses had been found with holes in their bodies. According to the report, there is a Psion Trail belonging to the same Esper in the location.¡±


    Photos included in the document showed the bodies covered in blood. The numbers were enough to form a pool, making me nauseous though I had gotten used to it by now.


    This was one of the reasons why I asked Coco to return earlier.


    ¡°The culprit is most likely having the ability to bend light and an experimental subject¡­ So these old men used yesterday¡¯s incident to test the result of their experiment and in the end it rebelled so we need to clean their mess.¡±


    I sighed at the conclusion I drew from this case. We planned to catch the members of Esper Resistance one by one, starting with the 5 people yesterday by tracking their Psion slowly.


    But the board director saw this as an opportunity to conduct the test they loved and, in the end, the result was both satisfactory and not.


    ¡°They are really obsessed with their puppet game.¡± I gritted my teeth and threw the document to the table.


    Without saying anything more, I stood up and walked to the elevator.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Sibyl asked with a lower tone, ¡°You¡¯re not going alone, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I am going to a maid cafe.¡± I waved my hand casually and entered the elevator. I felt like I could hear her sighing in relief when the door closed.


    ***


    I didn¡¯t lie when I said that I went to the maid cafe.


    ¡°W-W-Welcome home, Master!¡±


    What greeted me when entering was a clumsy maid, her face was really red. With her green hair tied in a double bun, she looked like a freshly plucked tomato.


    ¡°Wow.¡± I could only let out an amazed voice when I saw her. ¡°You really don¡¯t fit to be a maid, Luna.¡±


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    ¡°... Shut it.¡± She bit her lower lips in embarrassment.


    Really, seeing her like this lifted my tension. I chuckled and teased her. The chance of doing something like this to Luna was close to 0, so I used it pretty well. However¡­


    ¡°Enough. Do you want to drink or just visit to tease me?¡±


    ¡°Well, I was thinking of having some parfait.¡± I answered and stopped my teasing. Any further and Luna would explode. But, that didn''t mean I wouldn¡¯t continue a little. ¡°So, will you show me my usual table, cute maid?¡±


    ¡°Cu- You!¡±


    Realizing that I teased her again, Luna raised her hand, only stopped when she saw Aria glaring at her from the side.


    Hah! I win. I smiled smugly and urged her to escort me to my table.


    While gritting her teeth, she took me to the table in the corner and muttered dangerously.


    ¡°Just wait until we return.¡±


    Wow, it seemed like I went a bit too far. I shuddered after seeing her off with an expression befitting a demon. Replacing her, Aria approached to take my order.


    ¡°Wow, do you like that girl, Ciel? I never saw you tease someone that much.¡± She asked curiously, glancing at Luna whose expression returned to normal and greeted another guest.


    Unlike when she was with me, Luna managed to do her job well.


    ¡°I just like teasing Luna. She¡¯s the only classmate I have in my school, you know?¡± I answered with a chuckle.


    ¡°Right¡­ I wonder how your school operated with only 5 students.¡± She said, ¡°In fact, it¡¯s one of the 7 mysteries in Cypherion.¡±


    ¡°We have our ways.¡± I answered mysteriously. I knew the reason, but keeping it a secret would be more interesting.


    We talked a little before I ordered.


    ¡°I¡¯d like some sweet parfait and the maid¡¯s service, please.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Please wait a minute.¡± Aria bowed and left.


    The sweet parfait in this store was the best. It was cheap, delicious, and the fruits were brought fresh from outside the island everyday. Nothing beats a cheap but delicious sweet.


    More importantly¡­


    ¡°Thank you for waiting, this is your sweet parfait and the maid service. I have written words filled with love in the paper.¡±


    Aria put down a chocolate parfait with various fruits sticking out from the cream and a white paper on the side. She left after I thanked her and gave me space to enjoy my parfait alone.


    However, I didn¡¯t touch the drink and read what was written in the paper first. A single sentence, consisting of only numbers, was written on it.


    [35.65851309505097, 139.70225836220342]


    It was a coordinate.


    After remembering these numbers, I crumpled down the paper and put it in my pocket.


    Their maid service Is truly the best in Cypherion. I didn¡¯t need to explain what I needed and they already knew about it. I mused and enjoyed my parfait.


    ***


    Following the coordinate, I found myself in District 13 again. Skyscrapers dominated this district. Many malls and high rise specialized buildings stood proudly with all their ads displayed on the front.


    I was slightly surprised that the coordinate led me to this part of District 13. Nothing here screamed suspicious except for blinking neon lights at night that turned this place into a city with a cyberpunk vibe.


    Maybe that¡¯s enough to make this place suspicious. I looked at the building in front of me, a wholesale store I often visited to buy snacks.


    Yellow LED sign ¡®WholeSnack¡¯ welcomed all visitors. Combined with the catchy music inside and cheap products, this place became people¡¯s favorite choice if they craved something.


    And under this place, the massacre happened. Besides that, nothing unusual could be seen. People still entered and left the store with smiles just like the usual.


    It¡¯s not like I doubted maid cafe Angel¡¯s information gathering skill, but now I had a doubt about it. Also¡­


    ¡°I thought I told you to return?¡±


    I looked at the black-haired girl next to me. Her cat ears-like hair moved slightly upon hearing me, and she turned around, meeting my gaze directly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence.¡± She said, ¡°I definitely didn¡¯t follow you walking toward WholeSnack and wanting to get some. Definitely not.¡± She nodded and tried to convince me.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you listen to my conversation with Sibyl earlier?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just an excuse so you won¡¯t have to treat me? You can¡¯t fool your senior, Ciel.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Wow, this was far from what I expected. I knew she was a glutton, but not to this point.


    However, she was seen with me now. The store¡¯s cameras recorded everything. Even if she turned back, if I went and investigated the case, she would undoubtedly get involved. People from the other side would seek her out to either get revenge if I succeed or as a threat material.


    Sighing, I realized there was no other choice but to finish this case together with her. Senior Coco¡¯s ability might be useful to investigate the scene.


    ¡°Let¡¯s enter for now.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Coco exclaimed with an excited tone.


    She followed right next to me, literally skipping in happiness.


    Looking at her like this, I felt a pang of guilt. I tried to whisper to her the exact situation, but she didn¡¯t believe me and took some snacks once we were inside. There was really no tension at all.


    We strolled like customers, only drawing some attention from a few people because it was rare to see students at this time, as everyone should¡¯ve attended the opening ceremony in each of their academies.


    Well, this was unexpected, I tried to look around but found nothing strange, just the usual store that operated like normal.


    Is it really here? I asked myself once more. Now my doubt doubled from before, especially since no one recognized me. The Esper Resistance bunch surely recognize my uniform and appearance. Even so, no one looked at me strangely.


    That¡¯s until we passed a door with ¡®Staff Only¡¯ sign put on it.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Coco¡¯s nose suddenly twitched and she stopped, closing her eyes to smell better. Her head moved left and right to find the source of the smell she suddenly sniffed.


    Then, she opened her eyes and looked at me seriously.


    ¡°It¡¯s blood.¡± She whispered, ¡°And a lot of it. The smell is so thick that it stands out even among these delicious smells.¡±


    Maybe bringing her was the right idea after all.


    ¡°Where does it come from?¡±


    ¡°Over there.¡±


    Coco pointed at the door without hesitation. Her ability, Possession, allowed her not only to inherit the characteristic of something that possessed her, but also felt supernatural being in the world.


    It was the so-called Supernatural Esper ability, derived from supernatural belief that she manifested to the real world with her imaginary field that she couldn¡¯t control.


    ¡°Not only blood, but there are also a lot of vengeful spirits down there.¡±


    Hence, she was able to feel and see the spirit of the massacre victims from the report.

 Chapter 8 – Shadow At the Top

    After getting confirmation from Coco and remembering the extent of her ability, I decided we didn¡¯t need to go to the actual crime scene to investigate.


    We left the store after I bought some bribes¡­ I meant some snacks for Coco to get her help. We moved to the dark alleyway behind the store where dumpsters lay. Pungent smell filled the area, causing the senior to pinch her nose and grumble in displeasure.


    ¡°Why are we here?¡±


    ¡°This place is the closest to the underground area where the crime scene happened. Can you try to communicate with the vengeful spirits and get some information? I will forgive you for using my money to buy beef if you do that.¡±


    ¡°And one yakiniku.¡± She added, ¡°You promised to take me eating.¡±


    ¡°... Isn¡¯t that snack enough?¡±


    ¡°Meals and snacks are different, though?¡± Coco tilted her head.


    Cute, but annoying. I spent enough money to buy a decent meal for her snacks, thinking that she would be satisfied with it. To think she wouldn¡¯t even consider that a meal¡­


    ¡°Fine. Help me and I will have Sibyl treat you to something tasty. Her family is rich, so she will probably treat you to something similar to the wagyu you ate before.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    With that, we began to work. Coco actively spread her imaginary field and sat on the box on the side, closing her eyes to activate her ability. I stood by to handle something unexpected.


    Purplish black Psion rose like smoke from Coco¡¯s body as a halo with similar color hovered behind her head. Her Psion moved very slowly unlike mine, gathering in a space and forming a shape resembling humans with no distinguishable parts like eyes, ears, and mouth.


    A ghost made from smoke appeared. And it crept into Coco¡¯s body through her nose, ears, and mouth after its body was complete, Her body trembled and her head shook uncontrollably like a person having a seizure.


    After a few seconds, she stopped and opened her eyes, which turned strange. Her left eye had changed. The white sclera belonging to normal humans had turned dark and the black iris turned white.


    This happened when she used her ability willingly, trying to contain the spirit possessing her without losing control. She only gave up a little bit of freedom, allowing the spirit to access part of its memory and her mouth.


    ¡°A-A-Aaah!¡±


    As a result, we could use it as an interrogation method for corpses. Their memories were  retained due to Coco¡¯s strange ability, but that came with the problem.


    ¡°N-No no no no no! I am sorry. I am sorry! Please don¡¯t kill me!¡±


    Tears dropped from Coco¡¯s left eye, and half of her face was distorted in fear. She laughed maniacally with her left mouth while the right side remained calm.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± A calm voice, different from the distorted one, rang as she grabbed her left face with her hand. ¡°Answer my question and I will allow you to move on. We will also exact your revenge if you cooperate with us nicely.¡±


    Wow¡­ This is so bizarre. This was my first time watching it directly. I knew she could do this because she told me, but seeing it directly gave a different feeling altogether.


    ¡°Answer all his questions honestly. Only then will I help you forget everything.¡±


    Sweet honeyed words were given to the vengeful spirit. I didn¡¯t fully understand how her ability works, so I just watched without saying anything.


    Her left-side expression seemed to ease slightly upon hearing that.


    ¡°C-C-Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°I promise.¡± Coco said with a resolute tone.


    Even I would trust her if she went this far. Of course I would leave a part of myself to doubt her, but just answering questions was something I would do for her. After all, the spirit had already died and couldn¡¯t do anything himself.


    Gripping the last straw, the white iris turned to me and widened. The pupil dilated, dyed in a color of fear. Similar to earlier, the left side¡¯s expression twisted. This time, cold sweat poured out like a waterfall.


    ¡°Aa-aaah! N-No no no no! Forgive me! I-I-I didn¡¯t say anything. Forgive me. Please kill me! Aaaah¨C¡±


    The spirit¡¯s reaction was worse than before after seeing my face. It even tried to escape by leaving Coco¡¯s body. The dark smoke disappeared like a morning fog. Coco¡¯s face returned to normal just right after.


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    ¡°He¡¯s gone.¡± She muttered, ¡°Strange. My instinct told me that it was going to be dangerous and released the possession automatically. It had never happened before even when the spirit got scared. There must be something that triggered his trauma.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t it clear that the spirit got scared shitless after seeing my face?


    Am I that scary? I didn¡¯t think so. I stroked my chin and hummed, Then the only explanation to this is that the spirit¡¯s trauma is related to me, or my face. The moment the spirit saw me, he sweated bucked. That¡¯s an exaggerated reaction even from a trauma.


    Which meant the spirit must¡¯ve suffered a lot that he would react that strongly. I clicked my tongue at the lack of information.


    ¡°Can you ask another spirit?¡± I asked Coco and she shook her head.


    ¡°If I do it again, and the spirit reacts similarly, I think I would be affected by it. Besides, I called the spirit with its most memories intact. The rest are just a bunch of normal vengeful spirits without mind.¡± She explained.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t force her to take the risk too.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s return. We shouldn¡¯t stay in this place for too long.¡±


    Coco¡¯s mind condition worried me. She would need a check up spoon to ensure nothing happened after earlier.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s return.¡± She agreed and stood up, flashing a bright smile at me, ¡°I wonder if I can request sushi. I wanted to eat the authentic one, hehehe.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I guessed I was too worried about nothing.


    ***


    Slowly but surely, the blue sky turned orange, then purple took over before darkness shrouded everything.


    Fluorescein light flickered in a room with round tables. No windows or doors could be seen, only glass panels floating above each seat, totalling 15, present in this yet eerie room.


    After all the glass panels glowed brightly, a monotonous mechanic''s voice rang from each speaker.


    ¡°How¡¯s the situation of project Z-281?¡± The A panel spoke, the letter on the glass changed to blue.


    Following that, the D panel replied.


    ¡°The first stage was a failure due to the Delusional Angel, but we have gone and used plan C, releasing that to silence everyone.¡±


    ¡°That? Is that already completed?¡±


    Even when only a mechanical voice rang in the room, the shock contained in that question was apparent.


    ¡°It¡¯s not completed yet. However, it¡¯s enough to imitate the former strongest. Only the top 7, the known Psion Masters could hope of stopping that.¡± D panel explained and chuckled, ¡°Right now, Delusional Angel is bringing the Shaman to investigate the case behind Fairy¡¯s back.¡±


    ¡°That irregular is doing something as he pleases again.¡±


    ¡°It would be good if he followed our instructions and cleaned up the evidence in that underground mall. Maybe he can clean those Resistances while he¡¯s at it.¡±


    ¡°Truly troublesomes.¡±


    Many voices expressed their discontent at the current situation and Ciel¡¯s unexpected action. Their discussion continued, circling about project Z-281 and something they called by that without mentioning its name.


    Nothing concrete was produced in the meeting. However, the purpose of this meeting had always been to check each other and confirm the ongoing plans concocted by one of the members.


    ¡°Very well. Then tonight¡¯s board director meeting will end here.¡± A panel, acting as the leader of the meeting, ended the discussion. ¡°Let¡¯s meet again at the next opportunity.¡±


    One by one, the panel stopped glowing. They lowered to the table and disappeared underneath. After all panels disappeared, the ground swallowed the table and everything disappeared, leaving an empty room without any way to enter or leave.


    However, just a few seconds later, the D panel rose once again and glowed. Its only light flickered in the dark room, illuminating its surrounding.


    ¡°Come out.¡± A mechanical, monotonous voice rang from the speaker.


    Following that, footsteps echoed. The sound was light, almost impossible to hear even in the quiet room. It continued, approaching the D panel.


    Slowly, a silhouette appeared. Pure white, almost pale, feet stopped. The hospital gown he wore stopped below his ankle, reaching the ground. The handsome boy, looking pretty young and short, hummed and played with his white hair.


    ¡°Hmm~ I finished what you asked me, father.¡± He said in an excited voice.


    ¡°Good job.¡± The speaker rang, ¡°I am proud of you, Angel.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe.¡±


    A naive laughter escaped the boy¡¯s lips. He looked genuinely happy, his lips curled upward and his eyes narrowed in pleasure.


    ¡°So, father.¡± His upbeat tone made him look like a child, not just a young boy. Curiosity glinted in his golden eyes as he continued, ¡°When will I be able to meet my older brother? You said I would be able to meet him this afternoon, but I waited for a long time and no one was there!¡±


    ¡°A strange cat suddenly bit your brother¡¯s hand, so he can¡¯t come to the designated place. But, don¡¯t worry. Next, you will be able to meet him. You just need to follow what I say.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± The boy called Angel exclaimed in excitement. Black wings sprouted behind his back alongside pure white halo, ¡°I-I can meet with brother?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Just follow this map and deliver something for me in a month. There, you will definitely meet your brother.¡±


    The glass panel¡¯s display changed, showing a map of District 20 where some small academies and residential areas were located.


    This area was also close to the factory area, making it pretty noisy and having some trucks passing by.


    One part of the map was given a red pinpoint, right at the center of a certain academy located at the outskirts of District 20. That academy, looking small compared to others in the same area, stood out due to its name.


    ¡°Rakuen Academy!¡± Angel shouted loudly and laughed, his wings flapped uncontrollably and sent feathers flying everywhere. They were solid and sharp, embedded everywhere all over the room. ¡°I will be able to meet him in a month. I am so excited!¡±


    ¡°Huff¡­¡±


    A sigh rang from the speaker before the panel disappeared and darkness conquered the room.

 Chapter 9 – New Students Conference

    A few days had passed since I investigated that store with Coco. When we returned that day, Coco¡¯s condition became a bit unstable and she spent a lot of time sleeping, sometimes in my room while being naked and possessed by a cat.


    That day, after we finished our investigation, I returned to the student council building with Coco and found out that the mission was cancelled, with the reason that the culprit had been caught.


    Was it reasonable and made sense? No.


    But am I happy with that? Yes.


    Because I didn¡¯t need to worry about anything else anymore. Everything ended nicely, with the mystery being a mystery. It was better for me that way as I hated troublesome things. I just had to believe the old fart¡¯s words because Sibyl decided to do exactly the same as me.


    Anyway, I had a free day after being released by Coco¨C whom I bribed with a box of sushi¨C and decided to enjoy my time walking around District 11, the entertainment district. This was also where the maid cafe ¡®Angel¡¯ was located.


    Neon light flickered in a room with dim lighting. Clanging and dinging, the room was filled with festive sounds.


    [You win!]


    ¡°Hahaha, take that, loser!¡±


    I laughed wholeheartedly at a kid I just beat at a fighting game in an arcade. His face that looked like it almost burst into tears was priceless and funny, making me laugh louder.


    Don¡¯t call me a sadist or heartless. This kid laughed at me a year ago when I just started and knew nothing. Now, I was an expert and laughed back at him. Taste my 1,000 match training!


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re cheating!¡± He shouted hysterically, ¡°T-There is no way you can hit a 5-combos twice in a row. You used your Psion or your ability to do that! I knew it!¡±


    ¡°As if I¡¯d need to use my ability to beat you. Hahaha, losers should just cry like one. Here, a napkin, if you need to blow your dirty nose.¡±


    ¡°I will tell my brother about this. He will beat you up! Waaaa!¡± The boy ran out of the arcade while crying.


    I watched him while crossing my arms, looking all smug and victorious. What if he called his brother to beat me up? I was the strongest Esper in Cypherion.


    Heh, I will allow him to try. Showing is believing, after all. I calmed myself down and exited the arcade, And one can¡¯t get stronger without sacrificing something. This time, I sacrificed my money and time, but it¡¯s well worth it.


    Sun illuminated the Cypherion¨C sparkling light reflected on the skyscrapers¡¯ glass panels¨C shone brightly like gems. People walking on the street wore umbrellas or hats to avoid heat. No one went bare skinned like me.


    If I had no event that required my presence as Cypherion¡¯s student council representative, substituting Sibyl who attended another event with the Cypherion¡¯s scientists, I would definitely stay in my dorm and sleep while having my air conditioner on.


    Unfortunately, there was a conference that gathered all the academy''s top students in the Cypherion Hall located in District 10.


    ¡°It¡¯s so hot.¡± I complained while fanning my face, sweat dripping from my forehead. ¡°Strange, it¡¯s early Spring but why is it so hot?¡±


    Suddenly, dark clouds brewed in the sky, drifting faster due to the wind, which added the strangeness of the weather.


    Pristine drops of water began to fall. Starting slowly, it became denser and denser until nothing was left dry. I ran to the nearby building and took shelter from the sudden downpour.


    ¡°What the?¡± I looked at the heavy rainfall in disbelief, ¡°The weather is really strange. High temperature in Spring and a sudden downpour? What¡¯s next, a lava rain? This morning¡¯s weather forecast told me that it would be sunny all day!¡±


    Maybe if an Esper with the ability to create or control lava appeared and rampaged, that might be possible, but nature wasn¡¯t so fickle that such a thing happened naturally.


    No matter how absurd this world was, science and nature acted similarly to Earth.


    ¡°Should I skip the conference?¡±


    After all, the conference only needed the representative, aka me, to deliver some words to the new top first year students in order to rouse their competitive spirits. But there was a reason why I agreed to substitute Sibyl in this event.


    ¡°I wanted to attend the party. There would definitely be many foods that I could bring back to the dorm and share with Luna and Coco.¡±


    Free food was worth the trouble of having to go to the formal event I disliked.


    But with this heavy rain, I had a second thought of going to the conference. Unlike students from good schools that had chauffeurs to chaperone them to the Cypherion Hall, or those with enough money to take the bus or monorail, I had to walk there.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Still, I planned to go there. I also had another objective of agreeing to attend the conference.


    I still want to find the novel¡¯s protagonist.


    There was a big chance the protagonist was one of the new top students. Usually, they would be in either the best or worst academy. It was the rule of being a protagonist, or so to speak.


    ¡°I have no choice.¡±


    [Daydream activated.]


    [Angel Wings activated.]


    [Psion, Stamina, and Mind¡¯s condition at top form. Ready to perform.]


    Pure white wings sprouted from my back and moved very slowly over my head, right under the whitish golden halo, shielding my whole body from the rain. Truly convenient.


    The hall was close to where I was, so I ran to reach it faster. Many cars stopped in front of the building, making it pretty easy to find despite its low height compared to the other buildings around it.


    When I was close to the building, I found out that the rain had subsided. I planned to erase my wings and entered through the backstage, but it was unfortunately too late.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Someone noticed me and raised his voice, drawing attention from the surrounding students gathering in front of the hall. Suddenly, many eyes looked at me. I felt like a near-extinct animal getting observed from all directions, which felt slightly unpleasant.


    ¡°Ugh.¡± I involuntarily let out a groan and deactivated my ability.


    [Daydream deactivated.]


    My wings and halo disappeared and I appeared normal again. Still, their gazes remained. I observed them and noticed the majority of their gazes contained respect and some had fiery rivalry, something I often saw in Sibyl.


    What a pure, innocent, and naive first year student. I smiled and waved at them. At least I had to make a good impression as the student council¡¯s vice president.


    However¡­


    ¡°Kyaa!¡±


    ¡°Look, look! He¡¯s waving his hand on me!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the strongest Esper in Cypherion, Ciel!¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect them to be so enthusiastic greeting me that I had to cover my ears. They are too loud, for god¡¯s sake. I am not an actor or a model, why are they screaming like that?


    Looking around, I tried to spot an opening before they could circling me and stopping me from advancing. I managed to see it and immediately ran into the building, with the crowd following me like zombies from behind.


    I quickly went inside after showing the staff my armband and caught my breath.


    ¡°Damn, first year students are crazy. Why did they chase me like that?¡± I complained, not expecting someone to hear and answer me.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of your reputation?¡± A raspy, low voice rang from the side alongside a figure clad in red uniform, ¡°They probably look up to you after hearing your story. A normal student that climbed to the top in just a year, who wouldn¡¯t idolize someone like that?¡±


    I looked at him and he swiped his dark hair back and fixed his glasses. His act looked pretty arrogant, but I only smirked in response.


    After all, he was one of my few friends on this island. There were only a few people who wanted to get close to someone from a bad academy, after all. So I was grateful for him to accompany me sometimes when I wanted to hang out.


    ¡°What the heck are you talking about, Darius? They idolized me?


    There was no way they would idolize someone like me. Sibyl or Travis, I could understand. They were strong, good looking, and studied in a good academy, unlike my bottom rank Rakuen Academy with only 5 students.


    ¡°They do. In fact, you have many fans, you know? Look here.¡±


    Darius pulled up his phone and showed me a forum that only students could access. This was where all students gathered, conversed, and sometimes found themselves problems. Because I didn¡¯t like problems, I seldom use the forum. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t know that my names popped up more frequently than I thought.


    ¡°For real?¡± I asked, and he nodded in response. ¡°Crazy. Did they really know what kind of person I am? To think they would idolize me, who often visited maid cafes and bullied a little kid in an arcade.¡±


    ¡°So you knew you bullied a little kid? Why don¡¯t you stop doing that?¡±


    ¡°Why should I? It¡¯s fun.¡± I chuckled, to which he responded with a sigh.


    Seemingly used to my response, Darius decided to move on and asked me to follow him. I nodded and we went inside the hall.


    ¡°Still, there are plenty of strong new students this year. There is also someone who has reached Advanced Psion like Sun Princess in the past. The Academy City will probably become more rowdy after this.¡± Darius said, sighing in exasperation.


    I understood his feelings. With more Espers arriving at the Academy, especially strong ones, those who claimed the thrones in Cypherion would try to seek them out of amusement or a simple show of power to make them understand their position.


    That¡¯s why I called the new first year students naive and innocent. They hadn¡¯t experienced the real danger this city had yet.


    Also¡­


    ¡°There is someone at Sibyl¡¯s level already?¡± I asked, curious about this individual.


    Reaching an Advanced Psion level in their first year, especially when they just entered high school was amazing. It was worth a headline of any news, just like when that girl appeared like a comet in the past.


    ¡°Yes. And there¡¯s not only one, but three of them.¡± Darius answered with a worried tone.


    Not just one but three.


    I remembered the incident a year ago when Sibyl became a headline in every news. Espers who felt threatened by her presence tried to stop her growth and even bombed the Cypherion Hall on the day of the conference.


    Maybe that¡¯s why Esper Resistance spread those papers back in the opening ceremony. The strange incident in their main base might be related to this too. Maybe the culprit that the board director, self-proclaimed, found was in fact one of these three new students.


    I stopped on my track and looked at Darius, who also stopped with me, seriously.


    ¡°Can I go home?¡±


    ¡°No. Please stay.¡± He put his hand on my shoulder, gripping it tightly so I wouldn¡¯t escape. ¡°I, and students from Godhaven that acted as security, have checked every corner and didn¡¯t find anything suspicious. So you don¡¯t have to worry about any explosion or attack.¡±


    No, if you said that, my worry would increase.


    ¡°But my stomach hurts.¡±


    ¡°We have medicine inside.¡±


    ¡°I can feel someone calling me. I think senior Coco caused trouble back in the academy.¡±


    ¡°Luna took a day off from her job to take care of your academy, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    ¡°But¨C¡±


    ¡°Ciel, just give up.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    In the end, I couldn¡¯t find any good reason and got dragged to deliver a speech. I promised that I would punch Darius if something happened later. After all, he was the one unnecessarily raising the flag.

 Chapter 10 – Top Students’ Conference

    The conference was held in a large hall enough for more than 3 thousand people.


    Sitting area was divided into three levels, the first to third floors. They were distributed according to the academy¡¯s rank, with the higher ranked academies sitting on the third floor and the lowest on the first floor.


    Academy City pushed competition as it roused improvement. Hence, they rewarded those who were competent in what they did and punished those who couldn¡¯t do anything. Carrot and stick, the board director loved such things to the point they went too far sometimes.


    I had experienced it myself so I knew better than these naive first year students who smiled like fools in heaven.


    ¡°It¡¯s always unpleasant to see the clear discrimination that all academies suffer like this. This is why I hate events like this.¡± I clicked my tongue as I peeked at the hall from the backstage.


    Darius, who knew what I went through last year, smiled wryly and closed the curtain.


    ¡°You know they will realize that soon. There is never a quiet day in Academy City.¡± He said, ¡°Besides, the ones gathering here are those who will be pushed to the spotlight. They should¡¯ve experienced something similar outside, such as the Esper development program their family has.¡±


    ¡°Poor guys.¡± I shook my head and headed inside, ¡°By the way, what should I say in the speech? To be honest, I didn¡¯t prepare anything.¡±


    ¡°I knew you would say that, so I already prepared the material.¡± Darius snapped his finger, prompting another student from Godhaven academy to bring a paper to him. ¡°Here, you can use this as reference.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you prepared this?¡± I took the paper and looked at the content. A neatly arranged speech was written on it. Without a doubt, a lot of effort was put into making this. ¡°You saved my ass, Darius.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. President was the one who told me to prepare it, saying that you would surely forget about it.¡± He answered while scratching his cheek.


    I smiled wryly upon hearing that. So it was Sibyl who told him to prepare it. She knew me too well to the point it was scary. What if she stabbed me with a flaming knife if I somehow messed up in the future? Just thinking that sent a shiver down my spine.


    ¡°You will go up after Kireinas Academy¡¯s Dean finished his speech as the headmaster representative. I will call you when it¡¯s time.¡± Darius explained and went further inside, probably to continue his job as the staff.


    I waited backstage while reading the reference, trying to remember as much as possible to come out as natural.


    Even if I was unwilling, I had an image to uphold.


    After a while, I could hear the Dean¡¯s speech was approaching the end. Applause echoed loudly, signaling the end of the speech.


    At the same time, Darius appeared and prompted me to go to the stage.


    ¡°Ciel, prepare yourself. It¡¯s almost your turn.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Standing up, I put the paper down.


    I took a deep breath and walked to the designated place, waiting for Darius¡¯ signal to come to the stage. Somehow, this made me a bit nervous. Appearing and speaking in front of a crowd was different from fighting while being watched by thousands of people.


    Still, being nervous didn¡¯t change anything. I failed to see why I should feel this way over a simple speech. In the end, they would probably either fall asleep while listening or just talk with friends.


    That¡¯s why, I would just keep it short and simple. My job was to tell them to enjoy their school life and strive to improve their ability, that¡¯s all.


    ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±


    I expected to meet Kireinas Academy¡¯s Dean as I walked to the stage, but on the contrary to my expectation, the exit was through a different place, so I couldn¡¯t meet him. I exhaled in relief. I was bad at dealing with her.


    Standing on the stage, I could see the vast hall lay in front of me. Hundreds of gazes landed on me as I stopped behind the podium. I swept over them and held the podium, furrowing my brows and appearing impassive to look serious.


    The silence was suffocating, knowing that I had to be the one to break it only added tension to myself. Man, can I just say a word and leave now?


    Maybe not, maybe two or three sentences, something I wanted to relay to these greenhorns.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Hello, everyone. I think I don¡¯t need to introduce myself, but it seems I have to, according to what the paper given to me said.¡± I started the speech rather casually and noticed some students laughed in the distance.


    Good, that was the reaction I was hoping for. Let¡¯s continue it.


    ¡°As you know, my name is Ciel Rune, a second year student from Rakuen Academy and a Vice-President of the Cypherion Student Council.¡±


    Nothing different contained in my speech compared to the others. Maybe what made it rather unique was the fact I spoke like a friend instead of being stiff and formal. When I glanced at Darius on the side, he gave me a little nod, which meant it was okay to continue like this.


    ¡°... Competition will definitely be harsh, but that doesn¡¯t mean you should hate your rivals. Other students aren¡¯t your enemies, but friends. You will realize what I mean in the future, but to put it simply, enjoy your school life while it lasts. That¡¯s it from me.¡±


    As soon as I finished speaking, applause broke down, louder than the previous one. Students stood up, clapping their hands vigorously. Why? I couldn¡¯t understand where the excitement behind my speech was.


    I smiled wryly at them and turned around. It was time to leave.


    But just as I took a first step, my instinct refined through countless battles warned me that I had to put on my Psion defense as soon as possible. I didn¡¯t fight my instinct and my halo radiated a bright glow on top of my head, and Psion covered my body like a blanket.


    And just a split second after that, the floor under me exploded, fire surged out like being spit by flamethrower, engulfing the stage entirely.


    ¡°Noo!¡±


    ¡°Kyaa!¡±


    ¡°Run away!¡±


    Panicked voices echoed from the surrounding and hasty footsteps followed suit.


    ¡°Ciel!¡± Darius shouted worriedly, but he didn¡¯t need to worry.


    [Psion¡¯s defense is damaged. Durability: 82%]


    My mental notification informed me that I was fine. Because of how hastily I put the defense, it became slightly fragile and had some imperfect spots, burning my uniform and skin. I groaned in pain, but I managed to hold on and activated my ability.


    [Daydream activated.]


    [Angel Wings activated.]


    Burst of light surged out from my wings as I infused Psion into it, flapping them rapidly to put out fire and chased away smoke. I managed to contain the fire and put them out before it burnt the hall.


    After a second, the smoke disappeared. I regained my vision and looked around, noticing all the students trying to run away in panic.


    Flapping my wings, I managed to gain a bit of height and raised my voice.


    ¡°Calm down!¡±


    My voice drowned by panicked shouts. I glanced at Darius, and he immediately knew my intention.


    Bright, brown halo with a tribal design made its appearance behind his head. His Psion surged, channeling into his ability and strengthened its effect.


    ¡°Everyone, calm down.¡±


    His voice rang in the rowdy hall. It was quieter than mine, but somehow I could hear it clearly as if he was right next to me.


    ¡°There is no need to panic. Ciel contained the explosion and prevented the fire from spreading further. There is also no further danger with him being here, so stay calm!¡±


    Darius continued and the effect became apparent very clearly. The students stopped and looked at me, standing on top of a chair with my wings folded over to shield myself from their gazes.


    This was his ability, a form of wide-ranged Telepathy. Unlike what happened to me, these students should¡¯ve heard Darius¡¯ voice right inside their minds and had the urge to follow that word.


    The reason why Darius¡¯ voice only rang near me and not inside my mind was because I shielded myself from such thing with my own ability, that which also acted as an automatic notification to report my actual condition.


    Having someone invading your mind wasn¡¯t exactly the best idea in this city, after all.


    Now, after the crowd calmed down, I told them to follow Darius¡¯ instructions with care. I noticed some students had a different act of conduct earlier and made a mental note of them. Maybe they were the three Advanced Psion that Darius mentioned earlier.


    I left the matter to Darius¡¯ discretion and went backstage. This incident¡­ I got involved in another trouble after all.


    I should¡¯ve not come here. I sighed in regret as I deactivated my ability.


    The darkness backstage and the sight of running staff made me lament this situation more. My mind raced to connect everything that happened from the welcoming ceremony until now.


    Without a doubt, the explosion earlier was similar to the paper one. An Esper ability that caused an explosion by using an ordinary object.


    Why did I come to such a conclusion? Because I trusted Darius¡¯ investigation. He wouldn¡¯t miss an object as conspicuous as a bomb. There was storage under the stage, storing many normal things, and paper surely was one of them because it was used to note schedules.


    But it was strange, because the Twin Bomber who had the ability to turn paper into explosive materials was now under PMC¡¯s care. Which meant, there was another Esper with a similar ability roaming out there, possibly the real culprit behind the opening ceremony¡¯s explosion.


    Then there was also the strange mission from the board manager. I investigated using my own method, utilizing Coco¡¯s ability to gain information directly from the victim. But the victim reacted strangely upon seeing my face, as if I were the one who killed him.


    And now this.


    I left the building quietly, trying not to alarm anyone. Sunlight seeping out between the dark clouds, hitting my face with its warmth and bringing me back to reality.


    What a day. Can it get any worse than this?


    The answer was yes. Because I was now certain.


    There is someone targeting me. And he¡¯s working with the Cypherion¡¯s dark side.


    In the end, I couldn¡¯t escape from Cypherion¡¯s darkness. The entry was free, but there was no exit. Now I clearly understood that I clearly underestimated the hidden meaning behind the words the Headmaster told me.


    ¡°Man, I want to visit the maid cafe now.¡± I ruffled my hair and began walking.