Selene and Kuroko

The atmosphere in Seventh Mist was nice, but elsewhere, the mood was rather gloomy.

At the 177th branch of the Judgment Office.

Shirai Kuroko leaned against the computer desk, staring at the remains of a few toys and aluminum cans scattered on the table, her brow furrowed. It had been some time since the [Empty Space Bombings] incidents started gaining attention, yet the perpetrator remained at large, and several Judgment members had already been injured.

Thinking about this, Shirai Kuroko couldn't help but sigh, "Ugh! Has it been this long since the [Empty Space Bombings] cases started being investigated?"

Frustrated, Kuroko ruffled her hair, slumping in her chair, causing the teacup on her desk to rattle, "But other than these pieces of debris, we haven't found any relevant clues! The only powerful Esper fitting the profile has been in the hospital for three months with countless alibis!"

"Could it be that different perpetrators are using the same methods?" The slightly frowning Kiyama Harumi in front of the computer then chuckled, "But that seems impossible, doesn't it? No matter how you look at it, there's no apparent link between the incidents."

"..."

"Kuroko, why don't you ask your senior for help?"

After a moment of silence, Kiyama Harumi's sudden suggestion startled Shirai Kuroko, "Uh... there's no need to bother her..."

"Why not? I remember during that post office robbery incident, it was Selene who saved us, right? Didn't you go to Tokiwadai Middle School to find her? So why does it seem like your relationship with her isn't as close as with Misaka?"

Kiyama Harumi was curious. After all, she had been saved by Selene during that incident, and she wondered why Kuroko seemed closer to Misaka.

"Well, the truth is..."

"...There's actually nothing much to it. After the incident, when I entered Tokiwadai Middle School, I did go to find Selene-senpai to thank her..." Seeing Kiyama Harumi's curiosity, Shirai Kuroko rubbed her forehead helplessly but continued to explain.

"But during that time, Selene-senpai seemed to be rarely at school... Moreover, the first Level 5 I met wasn't Onee-sama."

"Huh? Did you meet the Level 5 psychological Esper from Tokiwadai's three big names?" Kiyama Harumi found it odd. The person Kuroko was closest to wasn't the one who saved her nor the first Level 5 she met at school.

"What happened? Are you afraid of Selene?"

Shirai Kuroko was silent because she did feel a bit intimidated by Selene. Her eventual close friendship with Misaka Mikoto was a coincidence.

"..." The story was long. Initially, when Shirai Kuroko entered middle school, she eagerly sought Selene out to express her gratitude, only to be stood up.

During that period, Selene was extremely busy, either flying or teleporting, hardly spending any time in her school dormitory, mostly staying at the Destiny Research Institute.

Because of this, Kuroko first drew the attention of Shokuhou Misaki, the brightest star in Tokiwadai Middle School, unlike Misaka Mikoto, who lived carefree and easygoing.

Selene seemed too lofty and unreachable, putting too much pressure on "ordinary people" like them. Although Selene's interactions were always graceful and polite, like textbook examples, every Tokiwadai student came from wealthy families and, through their upbringing, could sense the coldness behind Selene's gentle façade.

Naturally, Selene's relationships were more like "a gentleman's friendship, as subtle as water."

On the other hand, Shokuhou Misaki was more proactive. At the young age of 13, just entering first grade, she began forming her faction in Tokiwadai, with countless admirers.

When Shirai Kuroko entered middle school, she inevitably caught Shokuhou Misaki's attention—rare space manipulators were valuable, and Selene's influence made them even more esteemed.

However, Shirai Kuroko surprised everyone by declining Misaki's invitation. The Shokuhou faction didn't trouble her after that.

Eventually, when Kuroko finally caught up with Selene, she happened upon a battle between Selene and Misaka Mikoto.

At that moment, witnessing Misaka's struggle and refusal to give up against Selene's aggressive onslaught—the strength, determination, and aura of a never-say-die attitude, combined with her electrifying power—Kuroko felt a tinge of affection.

Later, after seeing big names like Sebastian, Shuji Matsuzaki, Aoki Yoichi, and Kihara Amata all treat Selene with utmost respect, Kuroko's heart changed.

As a member of Judgment, Shirai Kuroko was one of the most mature in the original quartet. By then, she understood the enormous gap between herself and Selene and realized she didn't like that lofty demeanor.

Kuroko believed "all life is equal," and Selene's status and attitude were at odds with her principles. Though she didn't hate or dislike Selene, her burgeoning feelings inevitably faded.

"That's how it is... let's end this topic. We should focus on the real issue at hand." Shirai Kuroko sighed deeply, leaning against the wall, "If we don't hurry, there might be more victims!"

"Understood." Kiyama Harumi nodded, noticing Kuroko's exhaustion. "Let's get down to business."

...

"Could it be someone who recently leveled up their ability?"

Faced with Kiyama Harumi's hypothesis, Shirai Kuroko immediately dismissed it. Having personal experience, she said, "No way, leveling up so quickly is impossible."

"If it's impossible to raise ability levels in such a short time, why not think differently?" Kiyama Harumi an eyebrow, "Consider the victims."

"The victims are diverse," Shirai Kuroko frowned, scratching her head. "Even nine Judgment members have been hit. What wouldn't the culprit do..."

"Nine!" Kiyama Harumi's eyes widened, her expression turning serious. "Kuroko, doesn't it seem odd that so many Judgment members were injured?"

Shirai Kuroko's pupils contracted.

"Could it be that this isn't random crime but targeted?" Kiyama Harumi suggested a terrifying possibility, "I've never seen an incident with nine Judgment members injured."

"So many Judgment members?" Shirai Kuroko seemed to grasp something, "Nine people, that's a lot. Out of around a dozen victims, having nearly half be Judgment members? Could it be..."

Shirai Kuroko and Kiyama Harumi exchanged glances, "Could the culprit be targeting Judgment members?!"

Though hard to believe, their strong intuition told them they might be right.

Just as they pieced together the culprit's true target, an alarm blared from Kiyama Harumi's computer.

"The satellite detected accelerated graviton activity!" Kiyama Harumi quickly checked the computer, fingers tapping the keyboard, "Hmm? The [Empty Space Bombings] location is..." As the address appeared, Shirai Kuroko and Kiyama Harumi's eyes focused simultaneously.

"Seventh Mist?!"