The soft black hair gave off a delicate fragrance as Kongou gently folded her ornate fan. She adjusted her messy hair before standing up and walking into the examination classroom at the teacher's call.
Kongou was first in line, and naturally, Natsume followed as the second.
By this time, the queue had grown significantly. Behind Natsume, seven or eight students had gathered, forming a small crowd. It was now exactly eleven o'clock.
Natsume leaned slightly to peer into the physical examination classroom. There was no curtain obstructing the view. She could see Kongou seated across from the teacher, her signature fan in hand.
For some reason, Natsume's heart tightened with unease, half-expecting her senior to say or do something unusual.
However, her concerns proved unnecessary. Kongou simply used her fan to partially conceal her face, maintaining her usual composed demeanor. The test proceeded smoothly, wrapping up in just two minutes as the teacher guided her through the steps.
The examination was quite entertaining to watch. The teacher handed Kongou a small triangle instrument and instructed her to play a melody using her ability.
To Natsume's surprise, the tune was none other than Tokiwadai's familiar class bell. As the final note resonated through the room, it marked the end of Kongou's test and the beginning of Natsume's turn.
Kongou collected her physical examination form from the teacher and strutted out of the classroom. Her confident, almost smug expression caught the attention of the students waiting in line.
"This test was far too simple. What a letdown," she remarked with a proud smile. Then, with a dramatic flair, she added, "Were you all mesmerized by my music?"
"..."
"Next!" the teacher called out, cutting through the silence.
Natsume chose not to respond to Kongou's antics and quickly stepped into the classroom. She noticed that the triangle had already been put away.
"First-year student Natsume Enako. Ability: temperature control," the inspector announced, glancing at the form before looking up at Natsume, who had just taken her seat.
"Alright, Natsume-san," the inspector said with a warm smile, "please lower the temperature of this glass of water—just enough to turn it into ice water." She placed a glass of water from the dispenser on the desk in front of Natsume.
"Got it. That's no problem," Natsume replied confidently. She took a quick look at the glass, and almost immediately, the surface of the water began to freeze naturally.
Natsume Enako's test went smoothly, finishing a full minute faster than Kongou's.
However, when Natsume stepped out of the classroom, Kongou was nowhere to be seen.
Glancing at the word "Passed" marked on her physical examination form, Natsume headed straight to the playground. The basic telekinesis test felt more like a demonstration of abilities.
In reality, the remote operation evaluation for telekinesis users was the true measure of their skill level. If an ability user surpassed a certain performance threshold during this test, their ability rating could naturally improve.
As Natsume made her way to the Tokiwadai playground, she passed by the open-air swimming pool again. It was still devoid of swimming club members; instead, a variety of testing machines and equipment had been set up. A guard was stationed at the pool's entrance, ensuring no unauthorized entry.
"It's Misaka-senpai." Natsume's eyes widened slightly as she spotted her. Misaka stood in front of the swimming pool, looking somewhat bored. Several men and women nearby appeared to be specialized Level 5 inspectors.
In her hand, Misaka idly tossed a few coins—undoubtedly the ammunition for her signature railgun.
"Okay, the equipment is ready, Misaka-san. You can start the test," the lead researcher called out, signaling to both Misaka and the technicians operating the machines.
The area surrounding the swimming pool had been cordoned off, leaving Natsume to watch the proceedings from a distance.
*Bang!*
A dazzling beam of light pierced the clear sky, as blue-white electricity crackled above the swimming pool.
The sound of the railgun's energy striking the water echoed loudly, akin to a sudden clap of thunder in broad daylight. A massive column of water, nearly 40 to 50 meters high, erupted into the air. The shockwaves from the powerful impact rippled across much of the campus.
Despite the pool serving as a buffer, the kinetic energy of the railgun was immense. Those who had come prepared to observe the test were still rattled, with some being knocked off their feet.
Natsume, who hadn't anticipated the sheer force of the blast, lost her grip on the sapling she had casually been holding for support. She fell to the ground, feeling the vibrations reverberate through her body. Struggling, she managed to get back on her feet.
*Bang!*
Another colossal water column shot into the sky, and the resulting shockwave sent Natsume staggering to the ground again.
After enduring eight consecutive powerful impacts and waiting over ten seconds without hearing the sound of shells hitting the water, Natsume finally rose cautiously from the ground. She glanced at her pleated skirt, now stained with mud, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Record: initial shell velocity, 1030 m/s; continuous firing capability, eight rounds per minute; impact point distribution, 18.9 mm. Comprehensive evaluation: Level 5."
The broadcast announcement echoed from the swimming pool area, while Natsume, distressed, tried to dust off her skirt.
"You truly live up to your reputation, Senpai," Natsume murmured as she finished patting the dust away. Hearing Misaka's results, she couldn't help but feel a mix of admiration and awe.
The precision of Misaka's railgun—eight consecutive shots with impact points distributed within a mere 18.9 mm radius—was a clear testament to her unmatched skill and dominance as a Level 5 esper.
As Misaka's test concluded, Natsume reminded herself not to lose focus. Today marked a pivotal moment for her: the opportunity to be promoted to Level 4.
After exchanging a quick greeting with Senior Misaka, who had finished her test, Natsume headed toward the locker room near the playground.
For physical activities on the playground, including even a brief physical examination, Tokiwadai students were required to wear the school's gymnastics uniform. Natsume recalled how she had worn the same uniform a few days earlier while helping weed the area with Misaka and Kuroko.
Tokiwadai's gymnastics uniform consisted of a sleeveless round-neck shirt adorned with red stripes on the cuffs. Two red stripes, a round neck, and a V-neck, overlapped on the collar. The school emblem was proudly displayed on the left chest.
Natsume's uniform had been stored in the school's locker room. After changing into it, she reported to the teacher to begin her ability test.
On her way, she spotted Kongou in the distance, engaged in what appeared to be a heated conversation with Kuroko. The atmosphere between them seemed far from friendly.
Come to think of it, Kongou was indeed known for her prickly personality, and Kuroko was also quite assertive on most occasions.
It took Natsume five minutes to locate her testing area. She arrived at a corner of the playground, where a straight sand track stretched ahead.
The track featured a white line marking the starting point, with temperature detection targets positioned at 20-meter intervals. The farthest target was 140 meters away from the start.
Nearby, several computers were set up, likely connected to the temperature detection devices for recording test data.
Nearby, a range of firefighting equipment and several teachers holding fire extinguishers stood close to the monitoring point. It seemed they had little confidence in Natsume or other temperature-related ability users.
Currently, another student was undergoing testing—a fire ability user. This detection point had originally been designed specifically for fire users. Natsume's temperature control abilities and related tests were only possible due to their shared category of abilities.
Under Natsume's astonished gaze, the fire ability user formed a 30-centimeter-diameter flame ball in midair, carefully controlling it as they aimed for the fourth target. However, the ball fell just short of its mark, landing near the target instead.
Although the flames quickly extinguished after hitting the sand, they left behind a noticeable charred spot. A teacher clutching a fire extinguisher nearby exhaled in relief, glad no further intervention was required.
Despite the previous student's somewhat underwhelming performance, Natsume's confidence remained unshaken.
As she handed in her physical examination form, several teachers visibly relaxed. It seemed they were relieved she wasn't an impulsive fire user prone to causing chaos.
"Senior Natsume Enako, proceed with the first step of the test," one teacher announced.
"Use your ability to influence these detection targets as much as possible. Once you reach the limit, maintain the temperature of the farthest target at 50 degrees Celsius," the supervising teacher explained, signaling Natsume to begin her remote evaluation.
"Yes," Natsume replied calmly, nodding at the group of teachers.
Unlike the previous fire user, Natsume didn't rely on dramatic hand gestures. She merely stood there, appearing almost idle.
Several teachers exchanged puzzled glances until the first temperature target started transmitting feedback data. Soon after, the second, third, fourth, and fifth targets followed suit, responding in sequence.
One teacher, donning a simple protective suit, hurried to the fifth target with a handheld thermometer. After assessing the area, he marked the farthest position where the temperature variation could still be detected with a white line.
Although the first phase of the test was complete, Natsume's evaluation wasn't over yet.
At the teacher's request, she began focusing her ability on the nearest target, alternating between heating and cooling it.
The temperature around the target rose rapidly, making the surrounding air feel almost scorched, a clear demonstration of her precise control over heat.
The surrounding temperature began to rise sharply, and waves of heat radiated outward, causing everyone nearby to sweat uncontrollably.
"It's so hot," one of the teachers couldn't help but exclaim.
"Alright, that's enough, Natsume Enako. You can end the test now," said the teacher conducting the evaluation, enduring the oppressive heat while closely monitoring the data on the computer screen.
As the graph stabilized and the peak point was confirmed, the teacher promptly called for the test to conclude.
The Far Beyond Operation Assessment was designed to measure only a few key aspects of ability, providing a general evaluation rather than an in-depth analysis typically conducted at professional research facilities.
"It's finally over," a teacher sighed in relief, wiping sweat from their brow. Several others echoed similar sentiments, feeling as though they had just endured a grueling ordeal. Despite being a controlled demonstration, the surrounding temperature had climbed to over 50 degrees Celsius, making the heat nearly unbearable.
Natsume withdrew her ability and stood calmly, though a trace of nervousness was visible on her face as she awaited the results. Curiously, she showed no signs of discomfort from the intense heat, a result of her natural ability to maintain a stable temperature layer around her body when using her powers to the fullest.
"Level 4, perhaps? I'm a bit nervous," Natsume murmured to herself, her heartbeat quickening with anticipation.
The results were announced:
"Record: Temperature control limit range—103.56 meters; temperature change limit—101.33 degrees Celsius; temperature deviation—6.51 degrees Celsius. Comprehensive evaluation: Level 4."
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I'm reading this fanfic as I go, so I have no idea what lies ahead for Natsume. But honestly, her ability seems incredibly overpowered—being able to lower someone's temperature with just a thought is borderline broken!