Blue smoke billowed from around the corner like fireworks.
Kazari Uiharu gasped in surprise, quickly raising her arms to shield herself. Kuroko Shirai and Mikoto Misaka also instinctively moved to protect their faces.
"This smoke!" Arata exclaimed in surprise. Although he had also been startled by the explosion, what truly caught his attention was that the smoke had momentarily distorted his telekinetic barrier.
Hearing that hot-blooded, idiotic laughter, Arata was left speechless.
Integrity? In Academy City, that guy was probably the only one who constantly talked about integrity.
Level 5, Rank 7, Sogiita Gunha. A gemstone. The strongest Gemstone user in the world. His ability was unknown. It had traits similar to telekinesis, yet it was definitely not telekinesis, but rather an "unexplainable power." He was the most promising Gemstone among Academy City's Level 5s.
He had endured three strikes of "unexplainable power" from the quasi-Magic God Ollerus before finally collapsing unconscious.
Sogiita Gunha simply used his ability as if it were telekinesis.
What was going on today? Was District 7 really that small? It spanned over ten square kilometers, yet he had already encountered two Level 5s today. Including earlier, that made four Level 5s in total.
Kazari Uiharu and Kuroko Shirai reacted instantly and rushed forward.
As the blue smoke gradually dissipated, the horrific scene around the corner came into view.
Seven delinquents lay scattered across the ground, some thrown into the roadside greenery. A street sign had been twisted by external force, the shop window glass nearby was shattered, and the store clerks were slumped on the ground in terror.
A teenage boy with a well-trained physique stood with his arms crossed, watching someone slowly rise from the ground.
The boy wore a headband with the word "Integrity" tied across his forehead. He had on a red short-sleeved shirt, with his school uniform casually draped over his shoulders.
"You bastard, who are you to meddle in our business?" the blond delinquent, who had just stood up, glared angrily at the one who had interrupted them. Although he had been blown away earlier, it had only hurt slightly. That flashy ability did not seem as powerful as it looked.
"You damn brat, I'll teach you a lesson today."
The seven delinquents scrambled to their feet, pulling out butterfly knives and brass knuckles from their pockets, surrounding him.
"Wow, amazing! Truly amazing! To push such a slender girl to the ground without hesitation. I've never seen such courage before."
The hot-blooded youth crossed his arms, looking at the spineless delinquents with contempt.
"You bastard!" The group was instantly enraged.
"Let my spirit crush your rotten spirit!" the passionate youth shouted. Yellow smoke immediately surged from his body, forming ribbon-like streams that spiraled around him.
He uncrossed his arms and threw a punch. The swirling yellow smoke instantly formed an airflow, and a powerful gust of wind rose around him.
"Wait a moment!"
With a flash, Kuroko Shirai appeared between the two sides, accompanied by Kazari Uiharu.
"Huh?" The hot-blooded youth froze. It was the first time someone had ever stopped him in the middle of upholding justice.
"I am a member of Judgment. Please stop immediately. You are affecting civilians and have violated Academy City regulations," Kuroko Shirai declared loudly, tugging at her armband with authority.
"Judgment?" The blond delinquent shrank back slightly, but still spoke defiantly, "So what? I'm not afraid of you brats."
"Brat?" A vein bulged on Kuroko Shirai's forehead.
"Please, please stop and cooperate with Judgment," Kazari Uiharu said, her voice timid but her expression firm as she looked at Sogiita Gunha.
"Judgment? Oh! That's fine. I'm very good at things that demonstrate my guts!" Sogiita Gunha declared enthusiastically, then immediately threw a punch toward the delinquents.
"Power!"
A sudden gale forced Kazari Uiharu several steps backward. An explosion erupted without warning in the middle of the delinquents, accompanied by a loud bang as a yellow mushroom cloud rose.
"Fist!"
Like fireworks, the blast spread outward, filling dozens of meters with yellow, blue, and red smoke.
Mikoto Misaka's eyes widened in shock. Who was this person who used his ability without hesitation and with such an exaggerated display?
Sparks of electricity crackled across her forehead. Had those delinquents already been blown away?
"What a hot-blooded idiot," Arata muttered, staring at the massive mushroom cloud. The destructive power was not particularly high, but the visual impact was overwhelming.
"Ah!" Kazari Uiharu and Kuroko Shirai both stood stunned, mouths slightly open.
The smoke dispersed quickly, revealing the seven delinquents lying on the ground, foaming at the mouth and completely unconscious.
"You, you, what are you doing? Judgment was already handling this, and you still injured them. This situation is no longer something that can be resolved through mediation," Kuroko Shirai shouted angrily.
"You have violated Academy City regulations. Please come with us to the Judgment branch office to write a report," Kazari Uiharu added hurriedly.
"Injured them? Don't worry, I held back. Even if their spirit is rotten, they won't be harmed at this level," Sogiita Gunha said proudly, hands on his hips.
"Wait! Those delinquents were the bad ones. They tried to steal my wallet. This senior stepped in to help me," a middle school girl hiding near the shop hurriedly stepped forward to explain.
"We will sort that out properly. However, the damage to public property, the greenbelt, and the shop windows cannot be ignored," Kuroko Shirai replied firmly.
"But..."
"Haha! Compared to them, you showed great guts by not running away when I displayed my guts. You two Judgment members also have excellent guts. Well then, farewell!" Sogiita Gunha waved casually, completely ignoring her words as he turned to leave in a carefree manner.
"Who is that guy? He looks incredibly strong," Mikoto Misaka muttered, raising an eyebrow.
"Interesting… 'unexplainable power.' Let me see what kind of phenomenon could make even a quasi-Magic God give such an evaluation," Arata said quietly, his eyes flickering with curiosity. The very concept of something "unexplainable" was enough to draw his interest.
"Stop right there! Even if you're helping people, you can't cause this kind of destruction, hey!" Kuroko Shirai shouted immediately.
"Yes! I understand. Helping people is about having guts. No matter how much is destroyed, as long as those spineless people witness my guts, they will surely change their ways," Sogiita Gunha nodded earnestly.
"You bastard..." Kuroko Shirai's eyelids twitched violently. He was completely ignoring everything she said.
"Is that so, Sogiita Gunha? Then let me see what kind of guts you truly have."
...
Re@d adv@nce ch@pters on p@t
guilt_free_daoist
Jo!n d!sc0rd I!nk in synops!s.
GIVE ME YOU POWER STONES.