I Am Honkai

In this Academy City, where high technology is always a topic of interest, the discussion about ability users never gets old. Standing at the top of ability users are the eight superpowers, who are the eternal center of Academy City.

Somewhere in the 7th district.

"Humming hum hum... hum hum hum..."

Humming a song, with a pop, she opened a soda. Leaning on the railing of the overpass, Misaka Mikoto was in a good mood.

But in the next moment.

"You look really cute." A thug-like man, with several black bands on his hand, leaned on the railing, looking at the brown-haired girl in front of him, grinning and saying.

"Yeah, why don't you let big brother take you out?" Another thug chimed in with a laugh, blocking the girl's way.

"Yeah, want to come play with us?"

Several thugs surrounded the girl.

At this moment, the No. 4-ranked superpower, Railgun, was cornered by a few punks.

It seems she has a special attraction for thugs. Selene, until now, has never been bothered by a single thug.

Although people around them were gossiping, they were afraid of causing trouble. With a look of disinterest, they quickly walked away after calling the Discipline Committee.

There was a faint trace of annoyance in Misaka Mikoto's eyes. These idiots, daring to talk to me, she couldn't help but sigh. "This city really never gets boring."

...

"A city with a total population of 2.3 million, 80% of whom are students, that's Academy City."

On a tour bus marked with {Academic City Open House for Next Year Applicants}. The tour guide was introducing the children visiting Academy City.

"Gathering the most cutting-edge scientific technology, in other words, it's a huge experimental city."

"It's said that the technology used in Academy City and its surrounding areas is 20 or 30 years ahead of the world."

"Question: What do you all learn here?"

"Superpowers!" The children answered in unison.

"To protect the important children, Academy City has a comprehensive security system and is very safe. Parents, please rest assured..."

"Ah!"

Suddenly, a flash of lightning passed, the tour bus braked suddenly, and the tour guide lost her balance.

"Ouch, what happened... the traffic light..."

...

In a secluded alley in the 7th district, the chaotic sound of footsteps was heard. A brown-haired man wearing a white knit cap was running desperately.

"Damn, how unlucky. What kind of monster is that guy."

Suddenly, a voice came from above. "Please stop."

Before the man could react, he was pinned to the ground.

A girl in a beige Tokiwadai sleeveless sweater, gray pleated skirt uniform, with a red bow tie, and brown twin-tailed hair stood over him. Her arm was adorned with a green armband with white stripes and a shield symbol.

She is a Judgement officer (Discipline Committee member).

"I am a member of the Discipline Committee. You're the thug reported in the incident, aren't you?"

With a sense of nobility, Shirai Kuroko tidied her hair behind her elegantly.

After cuffing the man to the alley's pipe with non-metallic handcuffs unique to the Discipline Committee, Shirai Kuroko hurriedly ran to the next area.

After a turn and a quick stop, Shirai Kuroko coolly identified herself. "I'm with the Discipline Committee, responding to a report. Please don't resist unnecessarily."

However, the scene before her seemed not to require her rescue.

The whole alley was filled with smoke, and there was a faint burnt smell. Electric sparks occasionally flickered on the ground, and the punks lying around were all twitching.

"Uh... this is... Onee-sama!"

Before long, the punks on the scene were taken away by the guards.

On the way back to Tokiwadai, Shirai Kuroko immediately began lecturing Misaka Mikoto.

"Really, how many times do I have to tell you to understand? Security in Academy City is our job as the Discipline Committee. Acting on your own makes things difficult for us..."

"Are you even listening, Onee-sama?"

Misaka Mikoto looked disgruntled. "As I said, there's nothing I can do. I already sorted it out before you came."

"If a student without authority causes trouble, they'll be noticed by higher-ups." Shirai Kuroko kindly reminded.

"Then there's no problem at all. If there's trouble, just ask Selene for help. Isn't she your 'higher-up'?" Misaka Mikoto said nonchalantly and walked straight to the vending machine.

Since last year's end-of-year test, Selene had some interaction with Misaka Mikoto. Anyway, Misaka Mikoto had a higher opinion of Selene than another Lv5 in Tokiwadai.

As Shirai Kuroko's expression gradually turned to horror, "You can't say that, Onee-sa..."

"Hee-ha!" Misaka Mikoto spun around and kicked the vending machine with a posture exceeding 90 degrees.

The safety shorts were clearly visible, causing Shirai Kuroko to crouch down in disappointment with her face covered. "Onee-sama, really, wearing such unfashionable things under your skirt again."

"Pfft... cough cough, what are you looking at? These are suitable for sports and warm..." Misaka Mikoto's face turned red with embarrassment.

Woouhm, woouhm.

Noticing the sirens approaching, before the security robots arrived, Shirai Kuroko hurriedly teleported Misaka Mikoto away.

On the rooftop, noticing the body check message displayed on the screen below the elliptical hot air balloon.

"Oh, right, there's a body check today."

So, the two began to rush back to the Tokiwadai campus.

...

Tokiwadai Middle School.

At this time, the students of Tokiwadai Middle School were undergoing the 'physical examination' conducted every semester.

On the sports field.

"Record: 78 meters 23 centimeters. The error from the specified position is 54 centimeters. Overall evaluation: Level 4 advanced ability user."

A girl in a sleeveless athletic shirt embroidered with the school emblem, with reddish-brown twin-tailed hair, looked at the limit line by her feet and sighed heavily.

"Error of 54 centimeters... the state is still not good, after all, the work of the Discipline Committee yesterday affected me..."

The girl was none other than Shirai Kuroko from the Discipline Committee.

After the test, just as Shirai Kuroko was about to leave, a voice chuckled from beside her.

"Oh ho ho ho... so many excuses, it seems you don't have much skill, Shirai Kuroko."

Really unlucky... hearing this familiar tone, Shirai Kuroko couldn't help but sigh again.

Slowly turning her head, appearing in front of her was a girl in the same sportswear as Kuroko, with unnaturally smooth waist-length black hair, an excellent figure among peers, wearing the signature "princess cut," holding a green Japanese folding fan to cover her mouth, chuckling as she looked at Shirai Kuroko.

"Kongou Mitsuko..."

"Looks like at this rate, I'll be the first to become a superpower user, Shirai Kuroko." Kongou Mitsuko giggled, a hint of provocation in her eyes, leaving Shirai Kuroko helpless.

"Hmph, please don't compare my abilities with yours," although feeling helpless, Kuroko retorted sharply, "Moreover, the way to grasp space in three-dimensional and eleven-dimensional spaces is fundamentally different..."

"I really can't stand your arrogant attitude as a first-year, you know?" Kongou Mitsuko ignored Kuroko's rebuttal and continued to chatter, "When I become the ace of Tokiwadai..."

"This guy... still the same, never listening to others." Shirai Kuroko clenched her fist, looking at her with a speechless face.

At this moment, a loud explosion came from the swimming pool at the back of Tokiwadai, causing the ground to shake. Kongou Mitsuko who was talking passionately, lost her balance and sat directly on the ground. Under the astonished gaze of everyone in the stadium, a water column dozens of meters high shot into the sky.

"What happened?"

Kongou Mitsuko, sitting on the ground, held her forehead and subconsciously asked.

"You might not know this since you just transferred to second grade this year." Shirai Kuroko, watching Kongou Mitsuko sitting on the ground, couldn't help but show a hint of a smile, "The one testing her abilities in the pool now is Tokiwadai's ace."

"The fourth in Lv5—Railgun!"

"If it weren't for the cushioning effect of the pool water, the destructive power couldn't be measured normally."

Looking at the water column that was raised again, Shirai Kuroko asked Kongou Mitsuko with a slight smile, "Do you have the resolve to take that attack head-on?"

Hearing this, Kongou Mitsuko remained silent, staring blankly at the rising and falling water column.

As to why the ace of Tokiwadai is Misaka Mikoto and not Selene.

An important reason is the joint petition of other prestigious schools, including the long-time rival Nagatenjouki Academy and other institutions that make up Academy's Nest.

They didn't want Tokiwadai Middle School to use Selene for promotion again. Once was enough, and any more would ruin their chances. The governing board also didn't want Tokiwadai to dominate alone, so they agreed to this proposal.

Thus, the ace of Tokiwadai became Misaka Mikoto.

And Selene became the ace of the entire Academy City.

Swimming pool.

A brown-haired girl was boredly tossing a coin up and down.

The mechanical voice recording Lv5 physical checks sounded at the right time.

"Record: Shell's initial velocity, approximately 1030 meters per second, continuous firing capability, eight rounds per minute, impact point distribution 18.9 millimeters, overall evaluation: Lv5 superpower user."

"Slight improvement." The girl casually tossed a coin, and it seemed to glisten in the sunlight.

"But why do I have to do promotions? Can't Selene and that guy handle it?"

...

Elsewhere, in the 2nd district, Destiny Institute, Lv5 physical examinations were also underway.

"Test complete." As the mechanical voice sounded, Selene snapped her fingers, and the portal in the air gradually disappeared.

"Auxiliary ability comprehensive record: Maximum diameter of a single portal, approximately 501m; maximum straight-line teleportation distance, 9121m; maximum number of controllable portals, 645; volume limitation, no weight or quantity limitation."

"Extended abilities: Healing, Void Explosion, Invisibility, Phasing..."

"Attack comprehensive record: Extremely destructive, high disability and mortality rate..."

"Library [archive] updated."

"Overall evaluation: Lv5."

"Important reminder: Do not use large-scale offensive capabilities within Academy City! Do not..."

Listening to the intermittent mechanical sound, a smile appeared on Selene's lips.

"Is it about to begin?"