Chapter 70: The Time of Triumph

The final event of the first day was the cavalry battle.

Each school fields three horse formations, each made up of four students. In total, twelve riders from four schools clash at once, snatching at each other’s headbands in a chaotic melee—the perfect spectacle to crown the climax of day one.

Since it’s twelve participants per school, not everyone from Tokiwadai could join. After some back-and-forth with the factions and power balance, our team, GMDW, managed to secure the slot. …Though, since we only have ten members, that means two spots had to be filled from outside the faction.

"I look forward to working with you, Mikoto, Hokaze-san."

"Yeah, leave it to me!"

"I’ll do what little I can to help as well."

Given all the rumors flying around lately, it wouldn’t have been right—pressure-wise or otherwise—to drag ordinary students into this with GMDW. So instead, we had Misaka Mikoto, the lone wolf, and Hokaze Junko, the number two of the Shokuhou faction, agree to team up with us.

Honestly, I hadn’t expected Hokaze-san to come on board, but after I explained things to Shokuhou herself, she simply said, “If that’s the case, then fine,” and gave us her approval.

Well, it’s not like Shokuhou doesn’t stand to gain anything from this plan, after all.

"Shall I go over the strategy one more time?"

"This time, the plan is to counter all the bad rumors someone’s been spreading about you guys. That’s why we’re sticking to support—am I right?"

"When I first heard the strategy, I was honestly shocked… Is it really going to be alright? Surely you don’t mean…"

"It’ll be fine."

Hokaze-san’s uneasy words were cut off by Reicia-chan’s firm reassurance.

It wasn’t the usual overconfidence Reicia-chan is known for. This time, I too could say with certainty, just like her, “It’ll be fine.”

Why?

No real reason. If I had to put it into words—

Because we’re the ones doing it.

Chapter One – No Wind Blows for a Cooperage – Psicopics.
Episode 59: The Time of Triumph – Best_future.

"…………Look, here she comes."

"That girl… the one who tried to kill herself…"

"I heard she was being bullied…"

"By those kids around her? …Which means, even now…"

"And she’s walking in with that calm face… seriously, that’s the worst."

As expected, the voices rising from the audience seats were an incessant buzz, the kind you’d rather block out entirely.

Judging from the tone, there wasn’t much criticism aimed at Tokiwadai itself.
Most likely, the higher-ups had already pulled strings to make sure no fatal blame landed on them. The result: all that hostility and malice ended up being directed squarely at GMDW.

…Which is rotten, yeah. But at the same time, it works out in our favor.
If the only thing we need to address is “the negative feelings aimed at GMDW,” well—that’s something we can actually solve ourselves.

That’s just how public opinion works.

They’re outsiders. They don’t know the details. And because they don’t, all they can do is cobble together what seems like a “correct opinion” from the scraps of information they do have.

…But flip that around, and it means their judgment can be overturned any number of times.

Don’t dismiss those careless voices as merely careless. Those floating votes—those unstable impressions—can just as easily be turned into “our strongest allies,” depending on how we handle it.
And we still have the means to do exactly that.

"…………"

The opposing team must have heard the rumors as well. Whatever they felt about it, they all wore stiff, tense expressions.

Most likely, they’d been instructed with something along the lines of: “They’re dealing with a rough situation, but don’t think about it—just focus on the match.”
Well, honestly, we preferred it that way too.

If they let it throw off their condition, we’d feel a little bad about it.

"Listen carefully, everyone. What we must do remains absolutely unchanged—from start to finish."

Without turning around, only speaking across her back, Reicia-chan called out to us.

When I think about it—what we’ve been doing all this time really came down to just one simple thing.

"Put everything you have into the match before you! Leave the rest to me—I will handle it!!"

“To give our all in the competition.”

…Ironically, that ended up being the perfect embodiment of Shokuhou-san’s order.
Not that we ever intended it that way.

"All right!! It’s time for the final event of the Middle School Division in District 7—‘Cavalry Battle’! And this one’s a four-way showdown between four schools! Things are heating up! Ah, and the commentary will be brought to you by yours truly, Pirate Radio DJ, and—"

"And by me, ‘Bare Navel Headband.’ …But seriously, even now, can we not do something about that name?"

"Oh, come on, it’s just the right kind of name to bruise your pride a little—good vibe, don’t you think?"

"The only one happy about that is your sister."

The familiar banter of the announcer and commentator signaled the start of the match, echoing in my ears as I took position at the very front of our formation. Of course, Reicia-chan was the rider. Supporting her as the horse were Yumetsuki-san, Rinka-san, and Chido-san. Originally, the plan had been to split everyone along their usual factions like in the ball toss, but since Mikoto-san and Hokaze-san were joining this time, we adjusted the roster a little.

And well… this was the commander’s horse. If anything deserved prestige, it was this. Pulling in faction leaders made the most sense. Not that team assignments really mattered this time, though.

Drawing in a deep breath—

"Please listen to meeeee!!!!"

At the same time, I unfolded a “Rift” to create an invisible wall separating the three opposing schools. A voice that shook the air, and the sudden appearance of the Rift. In the silence those two created, we continued.

Making the competition our stage? So what. Making things personal is a villainess’s special privilege.

"Right now, there’s a rumor circulating that I attempted suicide in July. That is… true."

Immediately, a stir broke out—not only in the stands, but among the students gathered on the field. Of course it did. To hear the very person at the center of it all openly acknowledge the scandal—no one would expect that. But we couldn’t falter here. We pressed on.

"It was born of my own selfishness… I suffered a collapse. I acted willfully, disregarded others, and in that failure… I threw myself into the river. But!!"

We cast our gaze across everyone willing to listen. Some had their phones out, recording me as I spoke. …No doubt these words were already making their way onto social media.

"Beyond that collapse, I found a meeting—an encounter. One I could never have had if I hadn’t run from reality. Thanks to ‘her,’ I was able to change. Thanks to her, I’ve made many friends."

And those words weren’t Reicia-chan’s alone. I too was changed because of her. I too gained many friends. Yes—my death was real, and it was sorrowful and irreversible. But even that led me here—to meeting Reicia-chan.

"To those who heard the story and worried for me, to those who grew angry for my sake—I am deeply grateful. But please, look at me now! The me standing here today is who I am because of that collapse!"

The crowd… didn’t respond. Not yet. More likely, they hadn’t decided how to react—or maybe they simply couldn’t process what we were saying. Apparently, there’d even been rumors going around that Reicia-chan was bullied. If people believed that, then this moment looked like a victim defending her bullies. No wonder they didn’t know what to do with their raised fists.

That’s why words alone would never be enough. One speech from some girl they’d only just seen on the field today wasn’t going to move the hearts of the crowd. What we needed was impact. Something undeniable.

"Announcer! Commentator! Especially you, commentator! Surely you’d know—just how far would the output of my White-Black Serrated Jagged Edge have to grow to be judged an esper Level 5!?"

"Hah…? …Wait, you don’t mean…! ………Right. If your ‘Rift’ could cut even light itself, spreading across the entire sky above this arena… If you could do that, then there’d be no doubt—you’d be recognized as an esper Level 5."

Immediately, behind us, ninety-eight pairs of vast black-and-white wings appeared. No—this was no mere wing, but a Rift that cut even through light, filling the entire sky.

"—Well then, what about this?"

"Wha—whaaat!? From behind Tokiwadai’s Reicia Blackguard… enormous wings have sprouted!?"

"No! That’s a Rift…! That damn villainess, Villainess. To pull this here, at this timing…!"

The murmur of the crowd swelled into a roar that could only be called an ovation. Of course it did—after all, she had just fulfilled the very condition the commentator laid out for becoming a Level 5 esper. A brand new Level 5. That alone was enough to shake the entire Academy City. And now, of all times, it had been unveiled here before everyone—no wonder the reaction was explosive.

With this, our minimum goal of “protecting GMDW” was surely accomplished. The person herself had declared openly, “GMDW never bullied me, they’re precious friends,” and now that very person had manifested as a Level 5. For Academy City’s students, that was the ultimate success. Why linger on rumors when you could celebrate the birth of a new Level 5?

But for us, the real objective wasn’t over.

"I am… a split personality!!"

……She really blurted it out.

"Even after diving into the river and being saved by Mikoto—by Misaka-sama—I had still given up on reality. I was afraid of facing the faction friends I had treated so cruelly. And before I knew it… a new personality was born inside me."

Truth be told, this was what Reicia-chan’s frustration had been about all along. She had jumped into the river in a suicide attempt. People pitied her for that. But that wasn’t the point. What mattered was what followed—the encounters, the growth. Yes, no one should have to go through that kind of collapse, but not everything that comes from it deserves to be dismissed as “just a tragedy.” The connections formed from that moment were ones she could never have gotten otherwise. They were painful, yes, but also treasures of her life.

And that was what we wanted the world to hear. To resist the narrative of “at least something good came from misfortune.”

"My new personality… Shiren… made peace with the friends of my faction in my place. She atoned for the sins I had committed, and built new bonds for me."

The spectators had fallen silent now—so silent it was eerie. Well, of course. It’s one thing for a new Level 5 to appear. But a Level 5 announcing she has a split personality? That would shake anyone.

"After resolving everything, Shiren disappeared. As though that had been her role all along. But I… I didn’t want that. I wanted to keep living together with this other self that had awakened inside me."

Now that I heard it put into words, it did sound strange.

"When you think about ‘split personality’ as an illness, I imagine many of you find this odd. That someone would choose not to be cured. But… there were friends who accepted even my selfishness, and supported me. Because of their support—because of them—I was able to reach this power, this Level 5."

At those words, we glanced toward Mikoto, who was standing within our camp. Among the Level 5 espers, Mikoto was an iconic figure. The only one who had clawed her way up from a low-level ability to become a Level 5 through her own effort alone—she was nothing less than the epitome of self-made determination.

"That is why Black-and-White Serrated Jaggid Edge is not mine alone as a Level 5 power."

We were different from her. On our own, none of us could have ever aspired to reach Level 5. But with the strength of our comrades, we had managed to stand on that stage. If hers was the pinnacle of self-effort, then ours was the pinnacle of mutual effort.

"My selfishness, supported by my friends… Shiren, who changed me… and even that suicide attempt where I first met Shiren—all of it!! All of it is what makes me who I am now!!"

Crack, crack—the black-and-white Rift in the sky groaned. The intricate currents of air it created converged into a single point… and then gave birth to a single, dazzling light.

"There is no such thing as a memory that is only sad in my life! Now—look! Look upon our Level 5! And judge for yourselves—are the reports being broadcast right now truly just retellings of a tragedy!?"

With that, the stage was set. We dispelled the translucent Rift walls separating the four schools, and smiled with defiance.

"Thank you for your attention. Now then—let us show you once more. The new esper I have become, born together with my comrades."

At those words, the three rival schools launched their combined assault toward Tokiwadai as if on cue. That, too, was the signal.

ZJADODODODODODODODD!!!

The “light” birthed in the sky—more precisely, fragments of plasma heated to a hundred million degrees through compressed air—came pouring down like rain. Compared to that, the combined assault of the three schools was less than nothing. Their attacks were crushed, as effortlessly as cheap umbrellas breaking in a storm.

Of course, I could never pull off something this delicate on my own. I could just about manage to control air currents and create plasma, but that’s where my ability ended. I’m not Accelerator, after all—I can’t just push it around and boom. And even if I could, it’d be far too dangerous to try.

The reason we could achieve this was thanks to Yumetsuki-san’s power. Her ability, Thermal Severance Ion Spray, was the power to manipulate ions. With it, she could generate and control searing plasma—or, more practically, directly manipulate plasma itself.

On its own, plasma could only be used for intimidation or wholesale slaughter. But with Yumetsuki-san guiding it, it could be tempered into a “competition-appropriate attack.”

"Somehow, I can’t help but feel just a little jealous… it makes me look like nothing more than your right-hand flunky…"

"We’ll think of something together for you as well, Rinka-san."

Saying that, we continued to let the rain of plasma fall upon the ground. To be honest, our strategy was simple: stall for time with the Rift’s shield, and once the plasma was formed, our victory was practically guaranteed.

Blasted by the shockwaves as the plasma struck the ground, the enemy riders were blown apart one after another, collapsing their formations and dropping out of the match. …When I think about it, this is actually ridiculously dangerous. But then again, that’s DaHōSeisai for you—flames, lightning, and all sorts of things flying everywhere are just par for the course.

"I don’t really get all the details, but… you look lively enough, so doesn’t it all seem to be going well?"

"If she says she’s happy, then that’s enough. Outsiders harping on it any further would just be tasteless."

"Go, Reicia! And you too, that second personality called Shiren! Show us the Level 5 you’ve built with your friends!"

The cheers from the crowd were all positive now. The so-called “floating votes” were always like this—depending on how you moved, they could be swayed to your side. Cutting people off from the start by shutting your heart was just a waste.

"…So, did we even need to come here?"

"T-To think… really, an actual Level 5… th-this is incredible…"

"There is meaning, of course. Misaka and Hokaze—members of the ‘Shokuhō Faction.’ With two Level 5 espers of Tokiwadai standing witness to my ‘blooming,’ no less."

It wasn’t just about prestige. It was about credibility. As long as real Level 5 espers themselves, and the people closest to them, weren’t dismissing her with a “nah, she’s nowhere near that level,” then from the perspective of the very first authorities on the matter, it meant she was genuine.

And besides—

"…The real show begins now."

Watching the final rival rider get blasted away by the plasma storm, I whispered quietly.

Thus, Tokiwadai Middle School claimed victory without losing a single rider, without capturing even a single headband, and solely through the mass crash-outs of every other school—an unambiguous win by default.