"What did you just say?" A large vein bulged on the forehead of the girl being scolded.
"It means exactly what I said. I do not even have a girlfriend right now, so how could I possibly be two timing anyone?" Arata replied with an innocent expression.
He was not lying. He did not have a girlfriend, but he did have over ten thousand pre selected Misaka Sisters as potential wives. As for Index, she was simply a glutton currently living in his home.
Speaking of lying, with an ability like "Words of Infinite Deception" that requires deception to activate, telling lies had become completely effortless for him.
"Coming to school looking so disheveled is an insult to the class image," Fukiyose Seiri said in a strict, class representative tone. She silently withdrew her fist. This guy had been getting more and more unruly lately.
He was not like this before. In her memory, Arata used to get along well with everyone while maintaining strong self discipline and principles. Ever since becoming a Level 5, however, he had grown increasingly mischievous.
"Then what about the bite marks all over your body? Did you get into a fight with a girl?" Fukiyose asked sharply.
"No, how could I possibly fight with a girl?" Arata's lips twitched as the image of Index clinging to him and biting him flashed through his mind.
"You are seriously troublesome."
Fukiyose radiated an aura of discipline and order. "There is absolutely no sense of routine in the way you handle things."
"Um, excuse me for interrupting."
A weak and hesitant voice, filled with unease, came from behind them. Arata and Fukiyose turned around to see Kamijou Touma standing there with an awkward smile, his hands clasped together.
"Hey Touma, what are you doing? Are you worshipping me like some kind of god?" Arata raised an eyebrow and joked.
"Lord Arata, please help this unfortunate Kamijou." Kamijou Touma bowed deeply at a ninety degree angle, looking utterly miserable.
"What happened? Did your bank card fall into a drain, your phone get stepped on and shattered, your wallet get stolen by delinquents, and your apartment suffer a short circuit that destroyed all your appliances? Or did your bank card got blocked after entering the wrong PIN too many times?"
"Uh..." Kamijou Touma looked as if he had been stabbed through the heart multiple times. He clutched his chest and staggered back two steps, unable to respond.
"Come to think of it, this is your first time borrowing money from someone, right?" Arata shook his head, then took out a bank card from his wallet and handed it over.
"Thank you. You really are my best classmate." Kamijou Touma accepted it with both hands gratefully. "I will return the bank card to you after I get a replacement ."
He had originally planned to borrow money from Tsuchimikado Motoharu, but Tsuchimikado had to support his younger sister and was even poorer than him. The only wealthy person in the class was one of Academy City's Level 5 espers.
"Sure." Arata waved his hand casually, then stroked his chin as he wondered whether he could use "Words of Infinite Deception" to obtain Kamijou Touma's Imagine Breaker.
There was no way to obtain it. That power was born from the wishes of countless magicians and gods, acting as a reference point to interfere with the world. However, it also contained other unknown factors and was no longer something purely derived from those wishes.
After those wishes were transferred, a power known as "Ideal Farewell" was born, something equivalent in nature to Imagine Breaker.
Although Arata was already a Level 5, this status felt somewhat out of place in this ordinary school, creating a subtle distance between him and others. However, his attitude of behaving like a normal person had earned him considerable popularity.
His ability, capable of striking with the force of a missile, combined with his approachable personality, had effectively turned him into an idol within the school.
"Alright, everyone, class is starting. Today I will be explaining the relationship between Schrödinger's Equation and esper abilities. Once you understand this, you should gain a better grasp of how to improve your powers. No falling asleep during class, understood?"
Komoe-sensei walked up to the podium, picked up a piece of chalk, and spoke in her usual sweet and gentle tone.
"Yes!" the entire class responded loudly, all eyes focused on Komoe-sensei.
The emergence of a Level 5 student had greatly inspired the school, motivating many students. As a result, several had even managed to raise their levels afterward.
Arata rested his cheek on his hand and watched Komoe-sensei act cute throughout the lecture. The idea that one could level up purely through hard work was nothing more than a narrative spread by Academy City's upper management to maintain control over students. The limit of an esper's ability is determined at the moment of development.
At best, one can only reach the level they were originally capable of. For example, he had been a Level 1 telekinetic ten years ago, and even after ten years, that core had not changed. Only his proficiency had improved.
The morning classes passed quickly, and before long, it was already noon. The intense midsummer heat turned all of Academy City into something resembling a sauna.
"Arata, did you not bring a lunchbox?" Fukiyose asked, noticing his empty hands. "If not, I have an extra one. Do not misunderstand, I just made too much so I could eat more during outdoor classes."
Fukiyose took out a pink bento box from beneath her desk and held it out. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her gaze remained firm.
"I did not bring one, but I was planning to go home to eat. Still, I will accept this one. Tomorrow, I will bring two portions so you can try my cooking. I am the world's number one chef."
Arata smiled as he confidently accepted the bento. A warm feeling rose in his chest. The box felt heavy, clearly prepared with him in mind. Normally, she only ate simple oat bread for lunch.
"Your bragging is getting more impressive. Fine, I will try the cooking of the world's number one chef and see if it really surpasses mine." Fukiyose said calmly as she picked up a piece of sushi from her own lunch.
"Of course, no problem. I will be going now." Arata smiled, then held the lunchbox and leaped out of the window, flying toward his apartment.
He had not prepared any food that morning. He wondered if the glutton at home was already starving. Index's spatial coordinates had not changed, which meant she was still at home.
Moreover, Tsuchimikado Motoharu had taken leave. As a double agent between the Anglican Church and Academy City, he must have gone to pick up Kanzaki Kaori and that delinquent priest.
Now things were starting to get interesting.
"This guy... his esper ability is way too convenient." Fukiyose watched Arata fly away, her cheeks puffed slightly. It would be a lie to say she was not envious, but this was not something one could obtain through envy. Espers were still human and needed to eat and sleep like everyone else.
In her mind, esper abilities were simply tools to make life more convenient.
As soon as Arata flew to a point near his apartment, he noticed three figures standing on the rooftop of another building, observing his window through binoculars.
Those three were Kanzaki Kaori, Stiyl Magnus, and Tsuchimikado Motoharu.
"Oh, interesting. I did not expect to run into you like this. Is Tsuchimikado Motoharu planning to have Kanzaki and that delinquent priest forcibly take Index away behind my back?" Arata could not help but curl the corners of his lips into a faint smile.
...
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