Shirai Kuroko had apprehended many criminals before. But a scumbag who didn't even hesitate to use a child as a bomb delivery tool—that was something even she rarely encountered.
Not to mention, the target this time had been her friend, Uiharu Kazari. With everything adding up, Shirai Kuroko's impression of the bomber couldn't be worse. Meanwhile, the moment Kaitabi Hatsuya, the captured culprit, realized there had been no explosion after so long, he understood—he'd been tricked. That toy wasn't even his bomb. Now that he was caught, there was little point in denying it. Accepting his fate, his gaze shifted to the Judgment armband on Shirai's sleeve, and his expression twisted with fury.
"You people! It's all your fault! Every time I was bullied by delinquents who relied on their powers, Judgment was either too late or never there at all! It's because of useless trash like you that I kept getting hurt! And now that I finally have power, what's wrong with taking revenge?!" The pure hatred in his words made Kuroko realize something important. "So that's why you've been targeting Judgment officers all along."
She recalled her own investigation—most victims in the recent Graviton bombing cases had indeed been members of Judgment. That's why she'd rushed here to warn Uiharu to be careful. And now her deduction had been confirmed. Yet, listening to Kaitabi's indignant accusations, Kuroko couldn't help wanting to retort. "Let me get this straight. The delinquents bullied you, and Judgment helped you. So, when you gained power… instead of going after the ones who hurt you, you decided to attack the people who tried to protect you?" Was this guy actually sane? Was he seriously suggesting that the people who helped him deserved to be blown up? Kuroko felt like question marks were popping over her head.
Admittedly, Judgment's habit of arriving late wasn't entirely wrong. After all, a typical Judgment team consisted of just three or four students, responsible for law enforcement over a huge area. They handled everything from lost children to traffic accidents to dealing with petty criminals. Being shorthanded was practically standard.
Even in peaceful times, there was always a delay between receiving a report and reaching the scene—usually at least ten minutes. After all, Judgment officers were still students; they couldn't drive. Only Kuroko herself, thanks to her teleportation ability, could respond quickly to emergencies. But even she sometimes failed to arrive on time. For ordinary officers running on foot, it was almost impossible to always be prompt.
So, if someone blamed Judgment for being late, Kuroko wouldn't necessarily argue. But the idea of targeting the people trying to help, instead of the actual aggressors—that was nonsense. Just as Kaitabi opened his mouth to argue, a calm voice cut through from behind. "Of course he'd go after easier targets. Compared to delinquents who'll fight back desperately, isn't it safer to bomb Judgment officers, who probably won't retaliate even after being hurt?" Su Mo approached the group, speaking plainly.
"The strong raise their blades against the stronger. The weak, against the weaker."
"A guy like him, even after becoming a Level 4, doesn't dare touch the people who bullied him. Even if he somehow reached Level 5, he'd still be trash."
Su Mo spared a glance at Kaitabi's prone figure, then looked away as if not even worth the attention. Turning to Uiharu, he asked, "Can you pull up his basic information?"
"Understood." Like an obedient student following a teacher's instruction, Uiharu quickly retrieved her portable terminal and began searching. With face recognition systems widespread in Academy City, it didn't take long to confirm the culprit's identity.
"Name: Kaitabi Hatsuya. Ability: Quantum Shift." Uiharu's voice hesitated for a moment as her eyes widened in disbelief. "Registered Level: 2?!"
"What? That's impossible!"
Although today's bomb hadn't detonated, traces left behind from the previous Graviton bombing incidents suggested that only a Level 4 ability user could have caused that level of damage. But according to the database, this guy was only Level 2.
"Did we catch the wrong person?" Uiharu wondered aloud. Hearing that, Kaitabi's face lit up with hope—he was just about to fabricate an excuse when Kuroko shook her head.
"No. We didn't. This guy confessed earlier."
"Then why doesn't the database match what we've seen?" she frowned, confused. "He was just tested recently, too. Even if he hid his level, dropping by two whole ranks seems impossible." The disparity between the records and the reality was baffling.
"Come to think of it," Uiharu murmured, tapping her chin thoughtfully, "a lot of criminals caught recently seem stronger than their registered levels." Indeed, there had been a recent surge in ability-user crimes, with many culprits showing powers that didn't align with their official records. Could there be a common thread? As everyone pondered this puzzle, Su Mo spoke casually.
"Have you heard of something called Level Upper?"
"The Level Upper from that urban legend? I've heard of it!" Saten Ruiko immediately perked up, raising her hand excitedly.
"According to the rumors, it's a device that lets you raise your power level just by using it! Not just on the forums—even at our school, that's a really popular rumor!"
Being an urban legend enthusiast, Saten was naturally familiar with it. In truth, as a powerless Level 0, she couldn't help but feel drawn to the idea herself. Even a useless Level 1 ability would be better than nothing. But before she could indulge her hope further, Uiharu interjected skeptically.
"Surely that's fake, right? If such a thing existed, Academy City would've mass-produced it long ago." As a good student, she instinctively dismissed urban legends as nonsense. Little did she know that, in Academy City, urban legends often turned out to be real.
"I also think it's unlikely. That would basically be cheating." Mikoto agreed, frowning slightly. As someone who had worked hard to reach her current level, she had little sympathy for those seeking shortcuts.
"Even Misaka-senpai says so…" Saten's voice trailed off, disappointed. She had harbored a small hope, but if even a Level 5 like Mikoto thought it was impossible, then surely the Level Upper was—
"Level Upper exists." Su Mo's quiet declaration stunned everyone except Index, who remained indifferent. Mikoto, being both a Level 5 and a student, found herself shocked. Su Mo, however, wasn't just a Level 5—he was also a teacher. His words carried far more weight.
"Su Mo-sensei… you're serious?" Mikoto stammered. "It's actually possible to raise your level… using some tool?" Overwhelmed, she stepped closer in disbelief, only for—
Thwack! Su Mo calmly knocked her on the forehead with a light karate chop.
"Ow! That hurt!" Misaka Mikoto clutched her forehead, glaring up at Su Mo with puffed cheeks. Tiny sparks of electricity flickered at the tips of her hair as she glared at him, looking for all the world like an angry Pikachu. Seeing her defiant expression, Su Mo gave her another chop to the head. "Misaka, it's obvious you've not been paying attention in class."
"Besides training yourself and strengthening your AIM diffusion field, there's another method to increase your power," Su Mo explained patiently. "That method is—enhancing your computational capacity."
"Human brains have a natural limit to their processing power, which can't be increased through brute force development. That's why we, as ability users, are constantly refining our calculation formulas."
He continued, "By optimizing those formulas, we improve how efficiently we use our limited mental resources, effectively boosting our abilities. Meaning, even if your fundamental power doesn't change, you can still strengthen your abilities through increased computational efficiency."
Everyone listening nodded in understanding. Saten Ruiko, in particular, had stars in her eyes. Though she'd heard teachers mention refining formulas before, this was the first time she understood why. The explanation made sense, and Su Mo's calm confidence left her in awe. As she thought to herself, if only a teacher like Su Mo could tutor me directly… maybe even someone as hopeless as me could finally reach Level 1.
Among everyone present, Saten's longing for power was undoubtedly the strongest. The others, meanwhile, were starting to guess where Su Mo's explanation was headed. "So…, Su Mo-sensei, you're saying that level upper enhances computational power?" Mikoto asked while still holding her head.
"That's the only reasonable explanation," Su Mo nodded.
"Compared to directly manipulating the AIM diffusion field, enhancing the brain's processing efficiency is much easier." Though both methods were technically possible, Su Mo thought silently to himself. Then, shifting his gaze toward the restrained Kaitabi Hatsuya, he added, "However, there's no trace of any available drug that boosts computational power." His eyes glinted as he stepped forward. "Unless, of course… you carry level upper with you."
Smiling faintly, he reached out and removed the earphones from Kaitabi's ears, shutting off the music playing from them. "Earphones?" Shirai Kuroko frowned, confused. "Why is Su Mo-sensei taking his earphones? Level upper couldn't possibly be… just a piece of music, right?" Ah, what a perfect flag to raise.
"Why do you assume I'm not suspecting that level upper is exactly that—a piece of music?" Su Mo countered calmly. "Eh?" Kuroko blinked in disbelief. "You're serious? You're saying… listening to music can enhance computational capacity?" Everyone else wore similarly skeptical expressions.
Seeing this, Su Mo smiled faintly, launching into another impromptu lecture. He began explaining concepts like synesthesia and brainwave synchronization, casually laying out the probable mechanism of level upper as if it were mere speculation. But to the astonished listeners, it was anything but casual. Su Mo's explanation not only sounded logical but also frighteningly plausible. A technology they'd dismissed as an urban legend… was now unfolding in front of them with clear, understandable reasoning.
Kuroko and Mikoto stood frozen in shock. Uiharu Kazari and Saten Ruiko, meanwhile, gazed at Su Mo like he was a living god. "So this is the level of teachers at an elite school…" Uiharu found her admiration for upper-class life growing even stronger.
"Su Mo-sensei is incredible!" Saten's respect deepened. If I could study under a teacher like him… who would need something like level upper anymore? The thought drifted into her mind.