-||A Certain Reality Bringer||-

A Certain Smart-Mouth!

"Up, over, into the rabbit's...shit, how'd it go?"

Kamitatsu Kaito, with his dark yellow pupils that looked like dead fish and short, ear-length, spiked black hair that seemed to defy gravity, was the epitome of a typical high school boy.

And like any ordinary teenager, he wore a simple school uniform that looked like it had seen better days, complemented by jeans that were a bit more rugged than fashionable.

Truly any mother's nightmare.

With a swift motion, he tied his shoelaces and scanned the neon-lit cityscape around him. The towering buildings, the dazzling lights - it was all so mesmerizing and overwhelming, like trying to eat an entire buffet in one sitting.

Kaito had lived in Academy City for most of his life, but every time he looked up, he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the sheer magnitude of it all.
In front of Kaito laid two double doors that lead into a restaurant.


To be honest, he was starving and had no idea what to do with the extra money he had.


So, being the money-wise 15-year-old boy....


He decided to waste it all.


Just as he was about to head inside the restaurant, his eyes caught sight of another familiar face.

It was his good friend Kamijou Touma, whose hair seemed to be in a perpetual battle with gravity.



A porcupine would be envious of that level of spikiness.



The two had been friends for years, attending the same school and even living in the same small, dingy, dirty, dormitory.

Kaito greeted Kamijou, who looked a bit frazzled, like he had just escaped from an erupting volcano.

"Hey, Kamijou-kun! You running from the paparazzi or something?"

Kamijou, still catching his breath, managed to utter a few words between gasps.

"S-such misfortune! You wouldn't believe what just happened!"

Kaito chuckled. It wasn't the first time he heard Kamijou's catchphrase.


The guy had a knack for attracting trouble like a magnet.
Unlike most people, when it came to Kamijou Touma, Kaito would always assume the worst.

To not assume the worst when Kamijou Touma was around, was the same level as bringing a pin to a sword fighting tournament.

However, quite a long time had passed since the last accident, so Kaito's assumption wasn't as bad.

'Maybe he left his wallet?'

Before Kaito could ask for the full story, a group of thugs burst out of the restaurant, chasing after Kamijou.

Once again, fate had proved its power over Kamitatsu Kaito.

As Kamijou ran for his life, Kaito couldn't help but worry.

He knew that he and his friend shared a peculiar trait - a special kind of misfortune that seemed to follow them around like a loyal puppy.

"Kamijou?!"

"SUCH MISFORTUNE!"

Kamijou yelled his catchphrase as he ran, his misfortune clinging to his back.

Kamijou Touma had a strange side effect that came with his existence.

Misfortune.

Poor Kamijou could never be happy for more than 1 hour, as the universe absolutely hated him.

Kaito wasn't sure if he was friends with him out of pure pity, or out of genuine feelings.

The high schooler watched his friend run like a basilisk lizard when suddenly one of the delinquents crashed into him, sending him stumbling backward.

"Little shit!" the delinquent spat, his eyes filled with malice.

Kaito completely forgot about something else important.



He had the same level of misfortune as his friend.



Kaito felt a pang of fear rise in his chest as the delinquent slowly got to his feet, towering over him.

Perhaps the thug would appreciate a heartfelt "sorry" and let him off with a stern warning, like a strict kindergarten teacher scolding a mischievous toddler.

"Er-I'm sorry! Ple-"

He stammered, bowing his head in submission.
But before he could finish his apology, the delinquent let out a guttural yell of anger.

"Shut the fuck up!"

Once again, fate had shown its superiority over Kaito.
Without a second thought, Kaito sprang to his feet and bolted away, his heart pounding in his chest.


Kaito was not a professional runner, but when the only other choice was to get beaten down by a group of thugs, he turned into an Olympic-level athlete.


He could hear the sound of footsteps behind him as the rest of the delinquents chased after him, mistaking him for Kamijou.

Perhaps it was the gravity-defying hair?

Whatever it was, Kaito didn't care.

He was too busy trying to get a gold medal.

With a panicked expression etched on his face, Kaito quickly caught up to Kamijou, who was still running as fast as he could.

As they ran side by side, Kaito couldn't help but express his frustration.

"What did you do this time!?"

"I was trying to help some guys! They were about to get attacked by a level 5!"

Kaito shook his head in disbelief. Leave it to Kamijou to jump headfirst into trouble without a second thought.

"You're like a trouble magnet, Kamijou! Do you get a kick out of attracting danger?"

"What was I supposed to do, just stand by and watch them get hurt?"

"YES! That's exactly what you were supposed to do!"

The two boys continued running, their footsteps echoing against the pavement.



Kamijou pondered for a second as he ran.

Meanwhile, Kaito's heart pounded against his chest like it was auditioning for a heavy metal band.

His thoughts raced faster than a Formula 1 car, desperately seeking an exit strategy from this rollercoaster of misfortune.

As they ran, Kamijou's mind briefly toyed with the idea of a daring stand against their pursuers.

After all, Kaito had some boxing skills, and he wasn't entirely helpless in a fight.

Kamijou looked behind him, only to immediately shoot down the thought.

Kaito shot him a glance, his eyes a mix of determination and worry.

"What are you thinking!?"

For a split second, Kamijou looked like he had just witnessed a circus performance by acrobatic penguins.

But then he quickly regained his composure, or whatever was left of it.

"Uh, nothing, absolutely nothing!"

Kamijou chirped with a forced grin.

"Just admiring the cityscape as we run for our lives!"

Kaito was dumbfounded at the fact that Kamijou would dare crack a joke.

"Right, the cityscape! I'm sure it's very picturesque while you contemplate your life's choices!"

"You know me so well!"

"I wish I didn't at all!"

Kamijou then heard one of the delinquents shouting from behind him.


"Hey!! You fucking brat! Stop, you master runner!!"


It only angered Kamijou more to receive such a violent love call.


However, Kaito was the one to answer back.


"Shut it! Be glad I don't go back there and strike you and your monkey-level IQ out cold!"


That only angered the delinquents even more.


Kamijou turned to Kaito.


"Shut that manhole of yours, will you?!"

-✴-


The sound of the boys' racing hearts filled the air as Kaito and Kamijou finally caught their breaths, feeling the adrenaline still coursing through their veins like a wild river.

They had arrived at a bridge over a large river, which seemed to be the best area to hide.

They had managed to outrun the delinquents, at least for now, and decided to split up to throw them off their trail.

The darkness of the night concealed their escape, but they knew they couldn't let their guard down just yet.

Kamijou panted heavily, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

"I should... I should apply for the Olympics, huh?"

Kaito shot him a teasing grin between gasps for air.

"Yeah, Special Olympics. Let me know once you pass the 9-year-old on a wheelchair, will you?"

Their banter provided a brief moment of levity, but it was short-lived as the unmistakable sound of footsteps echoed in the empty alleyway, drawing closer to them.

The boys tensed up, exchanging a wary glance.

They couldn't see who was approaching in the darkness, but they could sense a strong presence.

As the figure stepped into the dim light, the boys could make out the silhouette of a girl. She stood there, her posture exuding a sense of authority that demanded attention.

"What were you doing?" the girl demanded, her voice cutting through the air like a knife.

Kaito felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the girl. She was a completely normal middle school girl, wearing a gray pleated skirt, a short-sleeved blouse, and a summer sweater. On the surface, she seemed harmless, but there was something about her that made him uneasy.


"Being a good samaritan by helping the delinquents?" She continued.

The girl's gaze fixed on Kamijou, and it was like she could see right through him.

"My friend, I underestimated your misfortune. It seems you are 'attract-attention-from-a-level-5' level," Kaito quipped, unable to resist a playful jab.
Kamijou rolled his eyes, clearly not amused.

"You know, sometimes I wish my misfortune only worked on attracting attention from the opposite gender."

"Anyways, she was going to att-"

Kamijou was going to say something, but before he could utter a word, a sudden explosion of electricity surged between them.

Reacting quickly, Kaito and Kamijou shielded themselves, their arms up as a blinding light enveloped them.

The powerful electric blast sent shivers down their spines, and the intense heat made them feel like they were standing too close to a bonfire.

As the light gradually faded, they could make out the silhouette of a figure standing before them.

It was the girl.

Her sharp gaze pierced through the darkness, and her voice cut through the air like a whip.

"Don't ignore someone when they're talking to you! Isn't that basic manners?"

Kaito and Kamijou exchanged bewildered glances, both unsure of what had just happened. The sudden display of power left them stunned and speechless."

"Did you take out those guys like that!?"

Kaito managed to blurt out, piecing together that the girl's electric attack must have been the reason they were able to escape the delinquents.

Amidst the crackling electricity, The girl retorted with a confident smirk.

"It seems you catch on quickly. Yes, I'm quite adept at taking care of useless level 0 espers," emphasizing her point with a flash of lightning behind her.

In Academy City, the dynamics were unlike those in any other city. Here, street thugs were not the ones to be feared. Instead, the real powerhouses were the espers, especially the top-tier students who were Level 5.

Kamijou, with an empty expression, couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for the defeated delinquents.

"I know you're one of the elite Level 5 Espers here, but maybe you should try being a bit more humble in your victories."

Kaito, still on edge from the display of power, chimed in,

"Yeah, being a bit less arrogant would suit you better."

The girl's scowl deepened, clearly not used to being confronted in such a manner.

"Shut up. If you couldn't even bend a single spoon after undergoing all sorts of crazy experiments like having drugs injected into your blood vessels or electrodes stabbed into your brain, what could it be other than a lack of talent?"

Kaito and Kamijou were momentarily taken aback by the candid remark.

It was true that Academy City had another side to it, where they used more subtle methods like Brain Development or Mnemonics as part of the Curriculum. But not everyone in the city was a super-powered manga protagonist.

In fact, just under sixty percent of the student population consisted of so-called "useless" Level 0s who could barely manage to bend a spoon with great effort.

Kaito let out an exasperated sigh, clearly unimpressed with the glorification of esper powers.

"I mean, why bother going through all the trouble of popping blood vessels just to bend a spoon? You've got pliers for that, and if you need fire, there's this nifty little invention called a lighter. And as for telepathy, well, we've got good old cell phones for that."

Kaito had a point, and Kamijou couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"Exactly! People get all excited about esper powers, but our objective goes beyond that,"

Kamijou chimed in, leaning on Kaito's shoulder for support.

The girl, one of the seven Level 5 espers in Academy City, twisted her lips in response.

"Oh, that objective you're talking about, 'Humans cannot calculate God, so we need to acquire a body that exceeds humanity before we can arrive at God's answer', right?"

She scoffed.

"That's just laughable. What's all this talk about the 'Brain of God'? Do you know about the military Sisters created based on an analysis of my DNA map? It seems these lucrative side effects are more important than that supposed objective."

As she spoke, an unsettling silence fell over the area, and the air seemed to change with her words. She continued, her tone tinged with darkness,

"Those are the words of someone strong, fearless, and cruel. Someone who was born with their abilities and doesn't understand the pain of earning them."

The river below the bridge seemed to respond to the tension in the air, making an unsettling noise.

It was evident that the girl had sacrificed a part of her humanity to attain her position as one of the Level 5 espers in Academy City.

Kamijou refused to accept her words, standing his ground with determination.

"Wait a minute! Look at the results of the annual physical examination. We're Level 0's, and you're a Level 5. Anyone on the streets can tell you who's stronger!"

He had a point. Academy City's esper development heavily relied on scientific advancements such as pharmaceutics, neuroscience, and cerebral physiology. Through the Curriculum, most could achieve some level of esper ability, even without innate talent.

This was coming from Kamitatsu Kaito and Kamijou Touma, both of who were literally labeled as USELESS by the city.

"Zero, you say," she repeated, her voice sharp as she pulled out an arcade coin from her skirt pocket.

"Have you ever heard the term Railgun?"

Kaito didn't miss a beat and answered, "A sort of weapon that battleships tend to use. It fires metal shells using superpowered electromagnets. It's quite similar to a linear motor train."

Observing the girl flipping the coin, Kaito had a sinking feeling about what was coming next.


"..."


"You're going to fire the coin at us, aren't you?"

"Spot on,"

"In that case, I choose Hea-"


Before Kaito could finish speaking, a blinding beam of electricity shot past the two boys with the speed of a laser. The noise that followed was like thunder, rumbling through the air with a slight delay, throwing Kamijou off balance.

Kaito and Kamijou turned back to see the aftermath of the attack. The asphalt on the bridge had been blown away as if an airplane had made an emergency landing on water. The lingering orange afterglow still burned the air like an eerie afterimage.

"Even a coin like this can be quite powerful when it's fired at three times the speed of sound. Of course, the coin melts after fifty meters because of air friction."

"So, you've essentially turned yourself into a railgun, neat," Kaito remarked, managing to sound impressed despite the danger they were in.
The suspension of the bridge creaked under the force of the attack, but the girl remained unfazed.

"Your praise will not get you anywhere."

"Duly noted."

Kamijou's anger flared up as he turned back to the girl.

"Damn! Don't tell me that's how you dealt with the delinquents!"

"Don't be stupid. I match my methods to my opponent. I don't want to become a homicidal maniac."

As she spoke, sparks flew from the girl's brown hair like an electrode.

"This was enough for those Level 0s!"

Bluish-white sparks flew from the girl's bangs like a horn and a spear-like line of lightning flew towards Kamijou.

There was no way to evade.

After all, he was up against an enormous bluish-white lightning spear shot from a Level 5's hair.

It was an experience like watching a thundercloud fire a bolt at light speed and then trying to dodge it.

As the lightning spear got closer, it made contact with Kamijou's arm.

Kamijou instinctively raised his right hand to protect his face as the lightning spear struck it with a powerful force. Sparks scattered in every direction, and the bridge's steel framework seemed to sizzle under the impact.

However, as the smoke cleared, the girl's eyes widened in disbelief.

"So, why are you completely unhurt?" she asked, her voice now laced with irritation.

Her fangs were visible as she glared at Kamijou.

The high-voltage current had been strong enough to burn the steel framework, yet Kamijou's right hand showed no signs of damage. It had somehow nullified the girl's electrical strike, which carried hundreds of millions of volts.

"Honestly, what's with you? That power of yours isn't listed in Academy City's Bank. If I'm a one in 328,571 genius, then you're a one in 2,300,000 disaster," the girl muttered in annoyance.

"If I pick a fight with an exception like that, I might be able to raise my Level, don't you think?"

"...But you always lose."

He received a response in the form of more lightning that shot from her forehead, well over Mach 1 at that.

However, it scattered in every direction the instant it met Kamijou's right hand. It was very much like a water balloon bursting.

That was Kamijou Touma's Imagine Breaker.

Esper powers ranged from the ones mocked on TV to the ones established with numerical formulas in Academy City. Anything using that kind of supernatural power, even if it were part of God's system, would be negated without question by that supernatural power of his.

As it was supernatural in origin, even that girl's Railgun ability was no exception.

However, Kamijou's Imagine Breaker only worked on the supernatural power itself.

Simply, he could negate an esper's fireball, but he was still vulnerable to the concrete shards broken by the fireball. Also, the effective range was only his right hand and wrist.

If the fireball hit him anywhere else, he would be burned.

The girl shot another railgun bolt towards Kaito, who watched in awe. As the lightning bolt made contact with his right arm, a strange and otherworldly warp sound echoed in the air.

To her utter amazement, the attack seemed to disappear into thin air.

Kaito smirked, revealing a newfound confidence. His ability was akin to a conduit, capable of storing and releasing energy.

With a flourish, he extended his right arm toward the sky, and in a dazzling display of yellow and orange, the exact same bolt of lightning shot up from his palm.

The girl stood there, dumbfounded and speechless.

"What... uh... how...?"

"My Reality Bringer," Kaito said with a knowing grin.

Similar to Kamijou, Kaito was still vulnerable to non-supernatural attacks. However, this time, it had been pure luck that the lightning bolts managed to hit both of their right hands.

And they were both well aware of that.


Kaito's smile turned upside down as he muttered a catchphrase of his own while watching the air crackle with electricity around the level 5.


"Misfortune strikes..."