Chapter 5: Physical Checkup Day

That day, Kamijou and I parted ways like normal and went home.

He never did tell me what school he went to, and we didn’t exchange contact info either. I wanted to properly thank him, and I was genuinely curious about the official name of the so-called “certain high school” he attended… but, well, whatever.

Kamijou seemed to be living in poverty, so I thought maybe sending him some food might help a little. But he outright refused, so I let it go.

As for his contact info—I didn’t ask. I figured if we were meant to meet again, we would. After all, we just happened to act together for a brief moment by chance.

“…Yeah, not bad.”

That encounter was about two weeks ago.

July 20th.

A glorious day marking the start of summer break. I was in the kitchen that morning, busy cooking breakfast.

The sizzling sound of meat and its delicious aroma filled the air, only to be quickly sucked up by the four portable Micro Air Cleaners set up in each corner of the stove.

This room didn’t originally have an electric stove (as far as I can tell), and there’s no range hood either. There’s a fan in the bathroom to handle moisture, but this room has no reason to ventilate, so there’s no fan here at all.

That’s where the Micro Air Cleaners come in.

They were originally designed to absorb cigarette smoke, but I figured—smoke is smoke, even if it’s from cooking meat, right? With some tweaks to handle grease and oil, they got re-released for kitchen use.

I knew I owned them (I’m surprisingly well-informed about products like that), but I had no idea where I put them. I ended up spending half my day off looking for them… not that I’d ever admit that to anyone.

It’s been a while since I started my image change… but the other students haven’t really changed their view of me.

I’ve been bringing homemade lunches and cookies to the development site, bowing politely to classmates in passing—but the researchers ignore my bento, the cookies don’t get much of a reaction, and the students I greet usually panic and run away.

With summer break approaching, most classes were half-days, and the regular students were still avoiding me. Mikoto, of course, tried to help at every turn, but since I said I wanted to “settle things myself” recently, Kuroko’s been stopping her more often.

Apparently, there have been sightings of me going out shopping more often, carrying grocery bags, looking kind of… homemaker-ish. The dorm supervisor even warned me, so it’s probably true. When I told her, “It’s part of my image change,” she seemed to accept it.

Still… summer break, huh. Once it starts, there’ll be even fewer chances to interact with the other students. …No, if I remember right, the faction’s schedule said they were planning to wrap up their research theme during the break.

They’re still sticking together and haven’t splintered off yet, so maybe this summer break would be a good time to make a move.

…The only concern is, while I’m here waiting for them to be ready emotionally, what if they start thinking, “Why is she acting like nothing happened, without even offering an apology?” That’s the tricky part…

Well, judging by how they’ve acted so far, maybe I’m just being too paranoid.

Chapter 1 – I Don’t Know What “Inevitable Harmony” Means
Episode 4: Physical Checkup Day – System_Scan

So, what’s on my schedule for the first day of summer break? A full system scan and physical exam—packed from morning onward.

Apparently, this isn’t standard procedure for everyone, but in my case, there was the public humiliation by Mikoto and the whole suicide scare. I’ve gone through a series of events that would completely shatter anyone’s Personal Reality, so just to be sure, they decided to run a scan.

I figured that sort of thing should be done first, but… from the way the development officer looked, she’d been too scared to try.

Like, what if my ability output had tanked because of everything? I get it. Reicia had been incredibly capable. I’ve read her journals and reports, so I know pretty well what she could do. I understand why the developers were anxious. If a talent like that just broke down on its own, their futures would be shot.

So for the past two weeks, they’ve been cautiously giving me mental health support. Once they saw that I wasn’t emotionally unstable, they finally worked up the courage to do the measurements.

And honestly, I’m a little concerned too. My ability output might really have dropped… because I’m not the original person anymore. I don’t remember which volume, but I think Index once hinted that esper powers originate from something akin to the soul.

During the Sisters incident, Aleister said something about the soul influencing the strength of abilities too…

If that’s true, then using Reicia’s powers with my soul might mean the powers are now weaker.

Well, if that’s the case, then I’ll deal with it when it happens.

“…It’s been a while, but let’s begin the ability measurement.”

The development officer assigned to me opened the session with that line.

Her name is Kaira Semeumi. She’s got a strange way of speaking—formally structured, but with soft, feminine endings. She’s a young researcher, just over twenty, but apparently a top-tier elite. After all, she’s already the chief of my development unit at her age.

After spending two weeks with her, here’s my take: she seems composed, but she’s actually pretty timid. According to Reicia’s diary, she once offered advice like “Let’s take our time,” and Reicia branded her a “wishy-washy incompetent.”

Now that I’ve met her myself, I get it. You can’t expect someone like her to recognize Reicia’s inner desperation. She sounds calm, but she doesn’t have much true composure. She’s probably still lacking in experience, even if her skills are solid.

In front of me was a massive pit—10 meters wide, 20 meters long, so deep I couldn’t see the bottom. I remember what it’s for, but seeing it in person still feels overwhelming.

“…Right. I’m in your hands.”

I bowed my head lightly while thinking all that. Semeumi-san looked visibly uncomfortable. She’s probably still not used to how different I am from how I used to be.

I did apologize the first time we met, explaining that my attitude had changed, but still.

“…Even so, I do feel nervous after so long.”

I muttered, attaching the dedicated sensors—mainly for brainwave measurement—to various parts of my body while waiting for the targets to appear.

Though “after so long” isn’t quite right. This is technically my first time. Thanks to Reicia’s procedural memory, I haven’t forgotten how to use her abilities, but my episodic memory is completely blank—I have no recollection of ever using them myself.

That quiet anxiety slipped out into my wording, and—

“…You don’t need to worry. Even if the results aren’t great… we’ll support you.”

Semeumi-san said, her voice trembling slightly.

…Wow. Back when we (from my point of view) first met, she couldn’t even make eye contact with me. And now she’s saying something that reassuring? Maybe all those cookie deliveries I brought to the lab really paid off?

I gave a faint smile and responded coolly.

“…I’m counting on you.”

Right after she said that, the ground rose up.

From the bottom of the massive pit, a platform emerged—its surface gel-like. Resting on top of it was a machine that resembled a water strider.

Its name was HsO-02… nickname: “Water Strider,” if I recall correctly.

It used air cushions for movement, enabling fully three-dimensional maneuvering across land and water with four articulated arms—its selling point being its high mobility regardless of terrain.

This little water-striding bastard was the standard opponent used for my physical system scans.

The test? How fast and accurately I could target and destroy the thing as it darted freely over the gel-like surface.

It was a ruthless assessment of two key abilities: processing speed to identify the target, and the destructive output needed to neutralize it.

By the way, Reicia’s best record was 12 seconds. According to the specs, this water strider could hit 200 kilometers per hour—same top speed as a peregrine falcon—while also moving with the footwork of a world-class boxer. Smashing that thing in 12 seconds was nothing short of insane.

Now then… let’s see what I can do.

…Still, I do want to deliver results—for Semeumi-san and the rest of the team too.

Soon after, Semeumi-san and the staff left the testing chamber and moved into the monitoring room. A few seconds later, her voice echoed over the intercom.

“We will now begin the Physical System Scan for White-Black Serrated Blade – Jagged Edge. Reicia-san, please move to the designated position.”

As instructed, I stepped right up to the edge of the gel platform.

Then, I placed both hands on the gel-like surface.

“Are you ready?”

“OK.”

I gave a short reply. That was all the prep I needed.

“Then—experiment start.”

The moment Semeumi-san said those words—

A flood of calculations surged through my mind—

ZVAAATTTTT!!!

The gel ground split clean in two.

A deep, jagged rift shot across the surface like a tectonic crack, racing straight toward the Water Strider. But the Water Strider was fast, too. It weaved in feints, trying to throw off my aim and evade the attack with rapid sidesteps.

Too bad for it—just being fast won’t be enough.

I focused my gaze, locking onto the area around the Water Strider.

The single crack multiplied into eight, forking out like a spiderweb and surrounding the Water Strider.

And the instant those cracks reached its feet—

WHUMP!!

The air-cushioned machine lost traction as the ground beneath it fractured. Immobilized.

While it flailed helplessly, the eight cracks converged, winding toward the machine like living things. But they weren’t illusions—they were real cracks.

The Water Strider began to splinter apart, helpless against the force pinning it down—

And then, with a sharp CRACK, the cracks spread like wildfire.

BOOM! BOOM!
With explosive bursts, black smoke erupted into the air.

…Moments later, the blaring of a bell echoed through the testing chamber, signaling the end of the experiment.

Now then, I’m sure you’ve already figured it out, but let me go over it again—just to make sure everything’s clear.

My—no, Reicia’s ability is called White-Black Serrated Blade: Jagged Edge.

It’s an ability that severs material on a molecular level through touch.

From the point of contact, a “fissure” spreads out. And as long as there’s contact, it can travel across different materials as well. Naturally, if someone happens to be standing on one of those fissures, they’ll be sliced clean in half. Honestly, it’s kind of absurdly dangerous.

There are limits, of course—it doesn’t work on fluids like gases or liquids—but by creating fissures through solid ground, it can also be used for long-range attacks.

The word “fissure” doesn’t quite do it justice either—these things can go as deep as ten meters. It’s less a crack and more like a complete cleaving of everything in its path.

They move at speeds up to 200 kilometers per hour. Only one fissure can be generated at a time, but it can branch out into up to eight paths under Reicia’s control. Pretty damn impressive.

Naturally, it’s ranked as a Level 4 Strong Ability. And even among other Level 4s, it’s near the top.

Honestly, it’s no wonder Reicia got cocky. With this, she probably felt like she could take on someone like Shokuhou… well, okay, she'd probably get click’d☆ before using her ability. Yeah, no. Going up against a Level 5 esper is still suicide. Even Reicia said in her diary something like, “Once I hit Level 5, I’m totally gonna beat those jerks up.”

Still, for her, just knowing that someone ranked above her—even if she believed she’d surpass them eventually—was unbearable. Especially with how close her specs were to Level 5. She poured a ridiculous amount of money into developing her powers… and from what I hear, she’s still pouring money into them.

This whole extravagant Physical System Scan using the Hs series? Yeah, that’s part of it.

Apparently, even Reicia’s molecular-cutting power had its limits, so this was also a way to test materials that could withstand her ability, and to push the performance of the Water Strider to new heights.

In her diary, she wrote—quite proudly, I might add—that she leveraged her faction connections to get support from research labs. So that checks out.

The reason the test ground is gel-like is simple: it’s cheap to repair. The team working on the Water Strider agreed to cooperate mostly because they wanted a “target” that could function on gel terrain.

But, well, the catch is—whether Reicia’s ability improved or not, the Water Strider’s specs kept improving too. And even if her powers plateaued, her opponent kept getting stronger anyway. Her visible performance scores had started to drop as a result.

Not because she was getting weaker. The evaluation accounts for the Water Strider’s increasing difficulty. But with someone as prideful as Reicia, even the appearance of underperforming was probably unbearable.

…Honestly, I think part of that might’ve been the Water Strider dev team being spiteful too. I mean, if someone told you to hand over your prized machine just so they could smash it? Yeah, you’d say “Excuse me?” too.

Reicia probably didn’t care—she was “like that.” But the developers were probably grinding away at their upgrades out of pure Reicia-hate.

So yeah, in the end, half of it was self-inflicted. Her intense efforts to improve her environment for developing her ability only turned into pressure on herself. I wouldn’t be surprised if that pressure led to her later outbursts against her faction.

She was a difficult girl… Put in more effort than anyone, sure, but it was like effort was all she had. She couldn’t do anything but try harder. Incredibly capable, but terribly awkward.

So yeah, this kind of Physical System Scan isn’t cheap. But even I have no intention of putting a stop to this “expense.”

Too many people are involved. And even if it means nothing to me personally, I can’t just toss aside everything Reicia built up through all her work and effort—just because I think it’s pointless.

That’s why I intend to keep working hard at this development program—just like she did. …Even if there’s some absurd “Aptitude Rating Parameter List” hanging over my head.

“The results are in.”

After the test, while I was waiting in the prep room for the analysis, Semeumi-san appeared with a stack of papers in her hand.

“To be frank—you should be happy. Compared to the previous test, your ability’s speed, control, and destructive power have all improved dramatically. Destruction time was eight seconds. A remarkable improvement.”

“…!”

W-What!?

I was sure my ability would’ve declined, but…

Wait—hold on.

If we go by that earlier logic, then right now I’m made up of two souls: Reicia’s and mine. In other words, there are two origins of power inside me.

If that’s the case, then an increase in output isn’t strange at all. I completely missed that possibility…!

“…And there’s one more thing. It’ll be faster if you just look at the footage yourself.”

As she said that, Semeumi-san booted up the computer in the waiting room and began typing something rapidly. Soon, a live feed of the laboratory from earlier appeared on the screen.

And there I was too, crouching beside the gelatinous floor.

So this is... footage from the experiment earlier.

In the video, the moment I placed my hand on the ground, a sharp bigi!! crack suddenly formed and rapidly spread to surround the Water Strider.

Right after it caught the Water Strider—

“Here!!”

Semeumi-san paused the footage and zoomed in on the Water Strider.

There were already multiple “cracks” running across its legs...

“I’m going to play it in slow motion now, so watch carefully.”

With that, Semeumi-san started playback, frame by frame like a flipbook.

The “cracks” had wormed their way into the Water Strider’s leg parts like tangled scribbles—but then, just as they neared the base of one of the legs...

Before the cracks could actually reach the leg joint, they suddenly “jumped” to the spherical torso part.

Semeumi-san stopped the footage there and spoke with a hint of excitement.

“Do you see it? Normally, Black-and-White Serrated Blade Jagged Edge can only extend its power along existing cracks. But for some reason, it jumped—the effect transferred to a separate part.”

“………………”

“It’s unlikely that you’ve gained the ability to ‘propagate the effect without creating cracks at all.’ That’s not a very realistic explanation. We’ll need to research it further, but most likely, Black-and-White Serrated Blade Jagged Edge... has become capable of affecting gases, solids, and liquids—fluid matter itself!”

“…!!”

With that declaration, Semeumi-san grabbed my hand tightly.

“Congratulations, Blackguard-san.”

“...Thank you very much, Semeumi-san...!”

That handshake wasn’t like the kind between student and teacher.

If anything, it was more like a coach and athlete. A sense of solidarity between people striving toward the same goal.

…Even though I’ve only been doing this for two weeks, I still felt something deeply moving in that moment.

“Anyway, sorry to push you right away, but I’ve already reorganized the experimental schedule based on the assumption that your ability can now affect fluids. So, could you read through the new materials and head back to the testing area?”

“...Of course.”

To be honest, I really wanted a break, but... oh well.

Once Reicia-chan returns, this almost doping-like power boost might wear off... Still, if I want to help with developing Reicia-chan’s ability afterward, I need to work hard now and leave behind solid data.