Misaka Mikoto stared intently at Arata, who stood twenty meters away, her body crackling with electricity as she remained on high alert.
The first time I fought a Level 5, I knew nothing about him except that he was a Level 5 with telekinetic abilities. However, I had seen many telekinetic espers before, and telekinesis is simply the ability to manipulate objects with one's mind.
It is like controlling objects with an invisible hand. If it directly interferes with my body, I might lose. So I have to keep releasing electricity continuously to prevent being directly restrained.
"What's wrong? Didn't you want to fight a Level 5? Now that it's actually happening, you're hesitating. Are you scared of losing?" Arata teased, noticing that Misaka Mikoto had been staring at him for several seconds without making a move.
Misaka Mikoto was not the type to charge in blindly with her powers. She was highly analytical.
"Seriously! You talk like you're unbeatable. I won't lose. I'm ranked third among the Level 5s, and you're eighth. You better be ready."
Hearing this, Misaka Mikoto became irritated and declared confidently.
Numerous blue arcs of electricity surged into the sky from her body, forming a dazzling electric net. A bolt of lightning as thick as an arm fired from her forehead, shooting toward Arata like a spear.
How could I be afraid of losing? My power is unmatched. I am the Railgun.
Before the attack could land, Arata's pupils flickered with a faint crimson light. In that instant, his predictive ability allowed him to see what would occur two seconds later. The lightning spear would only graze his left shoulder.
"How considerate. That attack was just a probe to see if I could dodge, wasn't it? Otherwise, you wouldn't hold back like that." Arata smiled and casually reached out toward the incoming lightning.
Boom!
A violent explosion erupted, and thick smoke instantly engulfed Arata's position.
"Did it hit?!" Misaka Mikoto was startled, only relaxing slightly when the smoke quickly cleared, revealing Arata completely unharmed.
A faint scorched mark remained on the ground, with wisps of burnt residue still rising.
The arena floor was made of non-conductive material rather than standard concrete.
"So he redirected my current into the ground. If that's the case, then I'll stop holding back." Misaka Mikoto's fighting spirit flared. She clenched her fists as her output increased, lightning dancing around her like living sparks.
She touched her forehead as if gathering a concentrated discharge and hurled it forward. This time, a massive lightning spear as thick as a barrel surged directly toward Arata.
"Wow! This is intense. Now I'm getting fired up!" Sogiita Gunha shouted energetically.
"So this is Misaka-senpai's ability... incredible!"
From the audience, Uiharu Kazari watched in awe. She had always heard that Level 5 espers could rival entire armies, but witnessing it firsthand was overwhelming.
"Oh no, with that much power, why isn't Arata-senpai dodging?" Uiharu cried out anxiously as she saw him standing still.
"Relax. A Level 5 isn't that easy to defeat. If that idiot isn't dodging, it means he can block Onee-sama's attack. Even if it's annoying," Shirai Kuroko said with clear dissatisfaction.
Between espers of the same level, unless it involved spatial manipulation or unknown phenomena, instant victory was nearly impossible.
Furthermore, the Level 5 ranking system was not purely based on combat strength. It also reflected research value and overall utility.
In other words, A being ranked above B and B above C did not necessarily mean A could defeat C.
The blinding electric light illuminated the entire arena. Countless arcs of lightning surged wildly across the field.
At the center of it all, Arata stood calmly with his arms crossed. A dome-shaped telekinetic barrier surrounded him, isolating the lightning completely. No matter how fierce the current, it could not penetrate.
"...That's unbelievable." Uiharu muttered in shock.
"What ridiculous guts! He actually blocked it head-on." Sogiita Gunha stared without blinking.
"What? My electricity is being blocked? Telekinesis can actually stop it?" Misaka Mikoto thought seriously. For the first time, her seemingly invincible ability had been countered, which only fueled her competitive spirit further.
Arata looked at the dissipating lightning and smiled faintly. The lingering smell of scorched material made him cough slightly before speaking.
"My telekinesis isn't the same as what you've seen before. Its precision reaches the level of microscopic control, even down to electronic scale. It can block currents approaching 800 million volts. Anything below that threshold will be completely nullified by my telekinetic barrier."
"I see. Anything below 800 million volts gets blocked." Misaka Mikoto smirked coldly. "But my output can exceed 1 billion volts. That means you've already lost."
Her final words were nearly shouted as her power surged to a billion volts. The surrounding surface emitted a sharp burning smell as she charged forward.
"That's not necessarily true." Arata smiled and used telekinesis to propel himself forward, closing the distance rapidly.
"Ha!" Misaka Mikoto halted suddenly, unleashing a barrage of lightning directly at Arata.
This time, the attack struck the barrier. The dome-shaped defense became visible, but under the increased voltage, it shattered in less than a second as the current surged through.
"We've got him!" Misaka Mikoto showed a victorious expression, but it froze instantly.
Arata did not dodge.
He allowed the lightning to strike him directly.
In the next moment, the current reversed direction, traveling back along its original path.
"My turn." Arata smiled faintly and reached toward Misaka Mikoto. His telekinesis instantly locked onto her, attempting to seize control of her body.
"Not good!" Misaka Mikoto felt an invisible force grip her. Her expression changed sharply as electric arcs burst from her body.
"It seems directly restraining a Level 5 isn't that simple." Arata frowned slightly as he felt interference. Both of them possessed powerful AIM diffusion fields, and her electromagnetic output disrupted his control.
"Your ability is seriously annoying." Misaka Mikoto said, staring at Arata with caution. The invisibility of his power made it especially troublesome.
"Misaka, direct electricity won't work on me. Just use the Railgun." Arata said casually.
"You bastard!" Misaka Mikoto snapped, clearly irritated by his relaxed attitude. "If you want to see it, then watch carefully!"
As she spoke, she pulled out a coin from her pocket.
...
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