A Certain Magical Index: The Primal Spirit Descends to My Side

In the afternoon, at the 177th branch of the Disciplinary Committee of Academy City. The cool air from the air conditioner kept out the sweltering heat, and a thin layer of condensation formed on the windows.

Shiori Haru sat in front of the computer, her fingers flying across the keyboard, a dense barrage of pop-up windows appearing on the screen. The screen displayed case reports, crime scene photos, and witness statements from headquarters.

"Confirmed." Shiori Uiharu pressed Enter, zooming in on a document on the main screen. "Between 12:00 and 1:00 noon today, three attacks targeting Tokiwadai Middle School students occurred in succession near the old shopping street on the west side of the 7th School District. All three victims were first-year students. Two of them were robbed of their belongings, and the third narrowly escaped more serious harm but was fortunately discovered by a passing student who called the police."

Shirai Kuroko's fingers tightened. Tokiwadai Middle School—that was the school she and her older sister attended. Those first-year students who had just enrolled, those juniors who would bow to her in the corridors and say "Hello, Shirai-senpai."

"The suspect's identity?"

"According to eyewitness accounts and intelligence provided by security personnel, the attackers had spider-patterned markings on their bodies." Chu Chun pulled up another file. "These markings belong to an armed but incapacitated group called 'Big Spider.' Their main area of ​​operation is the border area between the 7th and 10th school districts, and they have approximately 30 to 50 members."

"Can you pinpoint the location of the gathering?"

"Analyzing." Chu Chun's fingers flew across the keyboard, the map on the screen zooming in and out, red dots being marked one by one. "Abandoned warehouse area on the west side of District 7, Building 4. At least twelve people matching the description have entered and exited in the past week. Thermal imaging shows that there are currently about twenty-five to thirty people gathered inside."

"This is it." Shirai Kuroko grabbed the disciplinary committee armband from the table, turned and walked towards the door. "Hatsuharu, notify the security headquarters to request backup. I'll go to the scene first to observe."

"Wait!" Haruharu Kazari stood up. "It's too dangerous for you to go alone! There are at least twenty-five people!"

"I'm just going to observe; I won't act alone." Shirai Kuroko clipped her armband to her left arm and reached for the doorknob.

The door opened by itself.

Shirai Kuroko stood frozen in place. Standing outside the door was Misaka Mikoto, panting heavily, beads of sweat still clinging to her forehead. Her short, brown hair was slightly disheveled, and her chest heaved violently, clearly indicating she had run there. In her chestnut-colored eyes burned a fury that Shirai Kuroko knew all too well.

"Big sister? What's wrong...?"

"Kuroko!" Misaka Mikoto grabbed Shirai Kuroko's wrist. "A first-year junior has been attacked! Is it true? Who did it?"

"Yes, yes, we have identified the suspect..."

"Where?"

"Abandoned storage area on the west side of School District 7..."

"take me."

Before Shirai Kuroko could answer, Misaka Mikoto had already grabbed her wrist and turned to leave. The force was astonishing, leaving no room for refusal.

"Big sister! Wait! I haven't..."

"No time to wait, let's talk as we walk!"

Pulled along by her, Shirai Kuroko was practically dragged along, running all the way out of the branch office and down the stairs. She wanted to say, "We need to wait for backup," but seeing her older sister's tense profile and those unwavering eyes, all the words stuck in her throat.

The abandoned warehouse area is located at the westernmost end of the Seventh School District, adjacent to the industrial area of ​​the Tenth School District. Wild grass grows wildly from the cracks in the asphalt, and several empty warehouses stand gray in the afternoon sun, their walls covered with rust and graffiti.

Misaka Mikoto and Shirai Kuroko crossed a damaged barbed wire fence. Hot winds swirled up dust from the ground, carrying the smells of rust and rotting wood. In the distance, rough laughter could be faintly heard.

"Over there..." Shirai Kuroko lowered her voice, pointing to a two-story concrete warehouse. The warehouse's exterior walls were severely weathered, the windows were boarded up, and the main entrance was made of thick, welded-on iron plates. In front of the warehouse, three thugs wearing flashy T-shirts were sitting around an overturned shipping container, drinking canned beer.

Misaka Mikoto strode forward and headed straight for the warehouse.

"Big sister!" Shirai Kuroko quickly caught up.

They walked to a spot about twenty meters in front of the warehouse. The three thugs simultaneously looked up, one of them squinting at them for a few seconds before grinning with a malicious smirk.

"Yo! Isn't this the young lady of Tokiwadai? What's this? Why did you come all the way to a place like this? Are you lost or looking for your brothers...?" Before he could finish speaking, he saw the green and white disciplinary committee armband on Shirai Kuroko's left arm. His smile instantly froze.

"Disciplinary Committee member?" He jumped off the container, his right hand stealthily reaching for his waist, while simultaneously letting out a sharp whistle towards the warehouse.

The warehouse side door was suddenly pushed open. Dozens of thugs poured out, fanning out and partially surrounding the two men. They were armed with iron pipes, wooden knives, daggers, and baseball bats bound with chains, and all had spider tattoos on their left arms.

Shirai Kuroko's heart skipped a beat. She subconsciously touched her armband, then realized that she had completely forgotten to take it off while being dragged out by her older sister! This was such a silly mistake, but it was too late to take it off now.

"A disciplinary committee member?" someone in the crowd scoffed. "A middle school girl wearing an armband dares to come to our Spider's territory?"

"Oh dear, that expression is terrifying~ But I'm warning you, we have a very powerful boss backing us up!"

Misaka Mikoto ignored these words, her gaze sweeping over the crowd before her, her voice cold and steady: "At noon today, in the old shopping district, were any of you among those who attacked the Tokiwadai students?"

"Huh? Who are you? Just because you're the young lady of Tokiwadai doesn't mean you're so great..."

A streak of blue-white lightning shot from Misaka Mikoto's fingertips, grazing the thug's ear and striking the shipping container behind him, leaving a charred hole. The aftershocks of the electric arc crackled in the air, filling the air with the smell of electrolyzed air.

The entire room fell silent for a moment.

"I'm asking you a question..." Misaka Mikoto's bangs bounced up due to static electricity, and her chestnut eyes reflected the flashing electricity. "Are you here, or not?"

"It's...it's an ability user!" someone cried out in terror.

"What are you afraid of! She's all alone!" The tall, thin thug at the head of the group brandished his iron pipe, his voice trembling noticeably. "Brothers, let's go!"

The thugs looked at each other, then simultaneously raised their weapons and surrounded the two men.

Shirai Kuroko's right hand slipped under her skirt, her fingertips touching the steel needle sheath strapped to her leg. Three steel needles—though outnumbered, if combined with her older sister's electric shocks to block their path…

Before she could even move, Misaka Mikoto had already raised her right hand. Her five fingers spread open, and a blue-white ball of electricity suddenly expanded in her palm.

"Since they won't talk, then beat them all down and ask them."

Just then, a lazy, slightly helpless voice came from the side.

"Oh my, in this sweltering heat, why are so many people surrounding two middle school girls? Is it some kind of sports meet?"

Everyone froze in their tracks.

A man emerged slowly from the shadows of the abandoned office building next door. He looked to be around twenty years old, wearing a slightly faded black leather jacket, seemingly naked underneath, revealing his well-defined collarbones. His bright red hair was permed into loose curls, strikingly bright in the afternoon sun. One slender hand held a carton of Musashino milk, the straw in his mouth, making a soft slurring sound. His other hand was casually tucked into the pocket of his leather jacket.

He walked between the two sides, took a leisurely sip of milk, then tilted his head and glanced at the group of thugs holding weapons.

"So many people beating up two girls, and both of them are girls. If word gets out, how will the thugs in District Seven ever show their faces again?"

"Who the hell are you?" the tall, skinny thug pointed the iron pipe at him. "Mind your own business! This is our Big Spider's territory! If you know what's good for you, get lost!"

The red-haired man removed the milk carton from his mouth and wiped his lips with the back of his hand. "What's that?"

"Stop pretending!" The thug swung the iron pipe and smashed it down on him.

Shirai Kuroko instinctively wanted to make a move, but the red-haired man was faster.

Instead of retreating, he took a step forward. His body slightly turned to the side, the iron pipe grazing his nose and missing its mark. He pulled his right hand from his pocket, grabbing the thug's wrist, while simultaneously pressing his left hand onto the man's shoulder. With a clean and swift joint lock, the thug screamed, the iron pipe slipped from his grasp, and he was forced to his knees.

"Before hitting someone with an iron pipe, at least practice your grip strength." The red-haired man released his grip, kicked the iron pipe aside, and put his right hand back into his pocket. "Too light. You can tell he just drinks beer and doesn't eat."

The remaining thugs exchanged bewildered glances. The red-haired man before them had subdued their companion with a single hand; such strength was definitely not that of an ordinary person.

"What are you all standing there for! Attack together!" someone shouted, and seven or eight thugs rushed forward at the same time.

The red-haired man sighed and gently placed the milk carton on the abandoned air conditioner unit next to him.

Then, his figure moved.

Pure martial arts, every step he took was timed to exploit the gaps in his opponent's attacks, every strike aimed at joints and vital points. It was as if he could see through everyone's movements in advance, weaving between iron pipes and wooden swords, his hands slapping, hooking, and twisting, each strike sending someone screaming and falling to the ground.

In less than two minutes, all seven or eight thugs were lying on the ground, clutching their wrists or knees and groaning in pain. The red-haired man, however, didn't even pant. He dusted off the dust on his leather jacket, walked back to the air conditioner unit, picked up a milk carton, and took another sip.

"Good," he nodded in satisfaction, then turned towards the warehouse. "Is there anything else inside? Let's come out together, so I don't have to go in and look for it."

A flurry of footsteps echoed from inside the warehouse, followed by a fading sound, indicating that the remaining thugs had likely escaped through the back door.

The red-haired man tossed the empty milk carton into the nearby trash can, then turned to look at the two of them. "As expected, Musashino milk is the best!"

"You two are really brave, daring to venture into a place like this between just the two of you. Even if you're superhumans, there's always the risk of something going wrong, isn't there?"

"I don't recall ever asking you for help..." The electric light around Misaka Mikoto slowly dissipated, and she looked at the red-haired man with surprise and a hint of admiration in her eyes.

"Thank you for your help," Shirai Kuroko said, loosening her grip on the steel needle, but she remained vigilant. Since they had helped them, she felt she should express her gratitude, so she gave a slight bow.

"Ah... I'm really sorry! One of my former friends has a girl with a chest about the same size as yours, and I can't just leave her like that..." The red-haired man laughed heartily, and his sunny smile made the two girls in front of him look at each other in bewilderment.

"This is the first time someone has directly mentioned my breasts, but I don't feel disgusted..."

Shirai Kuroko shook her head, clearing her thoughts. This man was strolling around here, so he was very likely a resident of the area. Furthermore, he hadn't used his abilities in the battle, so he might be a powerless individual. Therefore, his information should be more accurate than directly checking the library.

"I'm Shirai Kuroko, a member of the Disciplinary Committee. Do you know of any organization nearby called 'The Giant Spider'?"

The red-haired man tilted his head, seemingly deep in thought. Then he shrugged. "A giant spider? Never heard of it."

Shirai Kuroko frowned slightly. Those thugs had clearly been shouting "Our Great Spider's territory," yet he said he'd never heard of it? But he was there to help, so she couldn't directly question him.

"So, do you know of any other similar incapacitated armed groups in this area?"

"Well..." The red-haired man put his hands back in his leather jacket pockets, his lazy smile returning to his face. "I advise you guys not to mention that name around here."

Why?

"Because some titles, if spoken aloud, will cause trouble." His tone remained nonchalant, but something flickered slightly deep in his eyes. "Especially when wearing the disciplinary committee armband."

He turned around and walked towards the edge of the abandoned area, his back casting a long shadow in the afternoon sun.

"I'll be going now. You two girls should head home early; staying in a place like this for too long will make you smell like rust."

"Wait!" Misaka Mikoto called out, "At least tell us your name!"

The red-haired man didn't stop; he simply raised a hand and waved casually. "Nothing worth remembering, just someone passing by."

He walked through a gap in the barbed wire fence at the edge of the abandoned area, his tousled red hair shimmering in the sunlight before disappearing around the corner of the old street.

In an abandoned building, Tokisaki Kurumi sat on a gleaming sofa, while the man who called himself Kurozuma Watari knelt at her feet. His whirlwind steak hair was disheveled, and his face was covered in bruises, making him look somewhat frightening.

"Oh? You mean everyone here has had their superpowers developed?"

"Yes... everyone here has developed their abilities, but because they don't have a way to express them, they're considered to be powerless..."

"So... what were you referring to this morning about a decline in abilities?"

"That was commissioned to me by a research institute... They said it was for testing its effectiveness against superpowered individuals, which is why our recent target was Tokiwadai Middle School, where even the lowest level is 3..."

"I see..." Kurumi Tokisaki sheathed her flintlock pistol, wearing a school uniform that didn't exist in Academy City. "Could you do me a favor? I just need to find one person."

"Sure, sure, sure!" The burly man immediately crawled forward two steps, patting his chest. "I can't guarantee anything else, but finding people is my specialty! As long as they're within Academy City, I'll definitely find them for you!"

"Oh my gosh~ That's really hard work~" Tokisaki Kurumi lowered her head, her face gradually approaching the burly man. "How long will it take?"

"Within a day! No! We must find it before tonight!"

"Well..." Tokisaki Kurumi pulled out a photo. In the photo, a girl with long gray hair was wearing a white hoodie and black pants, carrying a bag of vegetables.

"Um... I'll go find it right now!" The burly man scrambled out of the room, leaving only Kurumi Tokisaki sitting on the sofa, chuckling softly.

"Now... I'm ready, Primal Spirit~"