Chapter 6: Chapter 5
"Ehem. Well, to begin with, the manners", said the twin-tailed girl. "I am Kuroko Shirai, a first-year student at Tokiwadai Middle School. I'm a member of Judgment, 3rd Branch."
"Ah! M-My name is Kazari Uiharu, a student at Sakugawa Middle School, first-year", added the short-haired girl, bowing to the class. "177th Branch of Judgment."
"As you probably listened in the morning news, there were attacks from a high-leveled Ability User against Level 0s over the last week", continued Shirai.
"Since all of the victims were members of Skill-Out, we theorize that the suspect is an attempt of vigilante that looks for the Ability User's murderer."
A muttering became audible. The students were talking excitedly with their classmates on the desks next to them, both terrified and yet interested in the idea of having a criminal at school.
"Although his intentions are helping to capture a dangerous criminal" continued Shirai, "his methods are unacceptable. After confronting him once, I took note of his possible abilities. Using the Register, we intercepted several students with similar powers. The people we're calling will undergo an interrogatory."
"W-We're sorry that we have to do this" apologized Uiharu, bowing again. "But we must capture him to avoid more interference in Anti-Skill's investigation. They're studying these murder cases..."
Shirai, with a wooden document holder in her hands, read the first page of the document.
"Hinosaki-san, Kōrihi-san, come with us, please."
Ishiki was astonished. He stood up quicker than he wanted since it could reveal his nervousness. Maruo and Yukiko looked at him, as perplexed as himself. At the other side of the classroom, a girl with bright red hair slowly stood up from her seat.
An Hinosaki was a really beautiful, popular, and smart girl. It wasn't a surprise that she was practically deified by both students and teachers. Her long hair, tied with a single ponytail that reached down to her heels, shone as if it was a fire.
Shirai inspected both students with her gaze, stopping briefly on Ishiki. The girl's eyes looked directly at his facial bruises for a few seconds, though he felt them like an eternity. After that awkward moment, the girl made a gesture with her hand, asking for them to get closer.
The two students went out of the classroom, followed by the Judgment girls. They made a final bow to Kuroe, apologizing for their intrusion. While walking through the hallway, Ishiki gulped soundly. He felt his throat dry, and his hands were sweating as if he had hyperhidrosis. Shirai, who quickly walked to the front, looked so small and defenseless...
What if he got rid of her right there? After all, the short-haired girl didn't seem particularly strong, and Ishiki was sure that she'd just pee herself just by the fact of being suddenly attacked.
"You can calm down", whispered an acute voice in his ear. Ishiki jumped and looked back. His gaze encountered Uiharu's dark-brown eyes. The girl smiled at him empathically. "Is just a short questioning, and you don't seem like a bad guy. Try to stay calm and just say the truth, okay?"
Ishiki nodded, trying to calm down. Being nervous will just work to increase the suspicions on him, and assaulting two members from Judgment was a direct pass to a long time in prison. He wouldn't say the truth, definitely, since it would put him in trouble anyways. Not only he attacked several defenseless Level 0s, but also his actions obstructed the judicial procedure against him each time he ran away.
"Here is fine", said Shirai, stopping in front of another classroom.
"Ah, wait here for a moment, please", exclaimed Uiharu, advancing towards her companion. The girls entered the classroom and apologized for their intrusion, the same way they did with Ishiki's class. After some minutes they came out again, followed by an unknown, tall guy.
With his black hair, long down to his shoulders, the guy glanced at An with his yellow-colored eyes. The girl jolted a little, backing up one step. Ishiki thought that that unknown person had the appearance of a delinquent. Uiharu returned to her position at the end of the line, urging them to keep moving.
The five of them kept walking until they reached the stairs that lead to the floor below. Shirai informed them that they'll go to the gym since it was empty at that time. When they went out of the main building, the sunlight of summer fell directly over them, blinding the students momentarily.
When they arrived at the gymnasium, Shirai told An to come in with her first. Nervously, the red-haired girl obeyed, leaving the other three waiting outside.
"I hope she won't go too hard on her...", said Uiharu. "Shirai-san can be a bit... violent, although she is a kind person."
She said that with an indulgent smile, staring at the two guys.
I believe in the "violent" part. But "a kind person"?, laughed Ishiki to himself.
"Is hot today. D-Do you mind if I sit under this tree...?", timidly asked Uiharu, pointing at a wooden bench a meter from them, under a bright-green cherry tree.
"Go ahead", said the tall boy, giving her a nod of approval.
"T-Thank you! My apologies for the bother...", answered the girl, making a grateful bow and sitting on the bench.
"Do you want something?", asked the guy, moving his gaze from Uiharu to Ishiki.
"Eh?"
The guy was pointing at a vending machine, near the bench where Uiharu sat.
"Ah, no, but thank you for the offering", said Ishiki, smiling a bit. Although that unknown boy had such a dangerous look his politeness was remarkable.
The guy nodded again, his long hair shaking at the movement of his head, before going to the vending machine. From his position, Ishiki couldn't look what he was buying, since the back of the boy covered the window of the machine, keeping Ishiki to distinguish what kind of cans fell. He watched him take a couple of drinks after his purchase.
Going towards Uiharu with a firm pace, the guy offered her one of the cans.
"A-Ah! You shouldn't bother yourself with this...", said the girl, blushing a little while she took the iced tea drink. "T-Thank you!"
"Is important to stay hydrated when it's a hot day", responded the boy, giving the girl an unexpected smile.
Walking away from her, he returned to his place next to Ishiki, offering him the other drink.
"Hydrating is important", repeated.
Ishiki glanced at the can for a moment, reading the label, indicating that it was a green apple and banana-flavored iced tea. With a slight distrust, he took the can, thanking him. After tasting the content, he felt that strangely bittersweet flavor. It wasn't unpleasant, but it was still uncommon.
They were, after all, in Academy City, the crib of the highest technologyーwhich included the creation and testing of flavors and weird mixes in the food that was sold there. Restaurants and supermarkets were usually safe from that since their products were created inside the city. From livestock to dairy products and vegetables, everything was produced in enormous complexes, being reinforced with extra nutrients. From their arrival there it was nearly impossible for an inhabitant of Academy City to consume a product directly from the field.
Unfortunately, that left students and teachers a way for experimentation with the canned products and snacks from stores and vending machines that were distributed around the city. There were normal flavors, like lemon iced tea or green apple, but there were a lot of weird flavors waiting for unwary people to taste them, like the banana and carrot juices or sweet potatoes-and-berries flavored snacks. Ishiki felt grateful that his drink didn't taste that bad.
"Won't you drink something, too?", asked Ishiki, questioning himself if the guy gave his own drink to him out of mere pity.
"Don't worry. I can drink at any moment without spending a yen", answered the guy, raising his right hand and lightly shaking it in the air, with an elegant aura. Little by little, the empty space surrounding his wrist transformed into a water ring that, floating in an antinatural way, softly rotated in the air.
"Hydro Hand", explained before Ishiki's gaze. "I can control water from any source, or accumulate dew in the air to make a bigger mass of liquid."
"An interesting ability", commented Ishiki. It was his first time meeting an Ability User with that power. "But isn't it dangerous? How do you know if the water is potable?"
"Is easier than you think. I just make the water vibrate rapidly to heat it, killing off any form of bacteria it could have."
That said, the guy got his lips closer to the strange bracelet, transparent and constantly moving. With a weird air of elegance, he drank the water with a delicate, almost feminine, sip.
Once he finished drinking, the young man added:
"What is your ability? If you don't mind me asking. I know it might be incredible since I am a simple Level 1. I couldn't compete against a Level 4 ability."
"Wait, how did you know my ability is a Level 4?", asked Ishiki, feeling distrust again.
"Don't worry, don't worry. I'm not a stalker, I swear. Is just that your fame precedes you, Kōrihi-san. In this institution is not a secret that you are one of the three highest-leveled Ability Users that study here.
"Moreover, some people assure that with powers of your level you could've gone to a more prestigious school. Why coming to an academy created specifically for students of Level 0 to 3?"
Inside Ishiki's mind, three faces that he knew pretty well appeared. A tall woman, with black hair tied in a ponytail. A girl his age, with copper-colored hair and red eyes. A tall boy, with bright-red hair and gray eyes. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he instinctively parted his gaze, evading the question.
The black-haired guy smirked.
"They surely are people important to you, right? Don't worry, I won't bother you anymore. I just felt curious. By the way, I think I didn't introduce myself properly. My name is Kuromori Yamada."
Kuromori made another bow, like thanking Ishiki for listening to his chatter until the end. Before Ishiki could reply to the introduction appropriately, Uiharu spoke from the wooden bench.
"Thank you again for the drink. I promise to return the money to you later..."
"Don't worry about it", replied Kuromori. "Consider it as a citizen thanking Judgment for their good job."
The girl blushed one more time. Her face emitted heat, like the flames of a Pyrokinesis user.
The gym door opened again. An Hinosaki went out, notably calmer than before. Behind her was Shirai, with a serious expression.
"Kōrihi-san, come with me", said the girl.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
KameKenmeino
KameKenmeino Hydro Hand is written as 水流操作 (Suiryū Sōsa), which means Water Current Manipulation, but is read as ハイドロハンド (Haidoro Hando).
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone