Saten Ruiko stepped onto the stage first. Her opponent was also a Level 4 Wind User. In terms of raw statistics, their combat power was nearly equal, but when it came to actual battle experience, the disparity was vast. The moment Lin Luo’s command to begin fell, before her opponent could even react, Saten Ruiko used the wind to launch herself, rapidly circling behind the other girl. Her right hand shot out, unleashing a torrent of wind force directly into the opponent’s back. With a muffled groan, the girl tumbled off the platform. Saten Ruiko wins!

On the second stage, Uiharu Kazari was the first to enter. Her opponent was a Level 4 Water Manipulator, ranked in the middle tier among these girls. As soon as the match started, the opponent drew a powerful jet of water from the adjacent pool and fired it directly at Uiharu. Uiharu Kazari stood perfectly still. In the past, such a torrent would have surely swept her from the stage, but now, spurred by Lin Luo, her fighting spirit had awakened, changing everything. Just as the jet of water was about to hit her, a brilliant light flashed in her eyes, and the entire stream instantly froze solid. “Ah!” the water-controlling girl cried out in shock, clearly unprepared for her attack to be completely blocked. Instinctively, she launched another powerful stream, this time increasing the intensity. It was useless. She could control the force of the water, but she couldn't control its temperature. Uiharu Kazari could freeze the flow with a mere thought—no matter how much force was behind it, it was rendered completely ineffective. In the end, the water-controller could only surrender. “How is this possible! She actually won?” “Incredible. She used to be the dead last one.” “Right? It’s so strange. Her ability level is still Level 3, but she feels… sharper.” “Exactly. She seems much fiercer now. I thought it was just my imagination.”

Saten Ruiko’s victory surprised no one; after all, her ranking was decent, and she was evenly matched with her opponent—either outcome was plausible. However, Uiharu Kazari’s victory sparked intense discussion among the girls below. It was almost unbelievable that the bottom-ranked student could pull off such a comeback, winning so effortlessly. If Uiharu Kazari’s level hadn't remained at Level 3, they would have suspected cheating. Yet, they did notice something dissonant: Uiharu’s demeanor during the match was no longer weak, but possessed a certain assertiveness, akin to Kinuata Saiai and the others. “Hehe.” After winning, Uiharu immediately rubbed her head and gave a slightly goofy smile before stepping down. The “fierce look” that had astonished the other girls had completely vanished, reverting her to her usual gentle and fragile appearance. This was natural. While Lin Luo had successfully severed her timidity, it didn't alter her core personality. In everyday life, she remained exactly as she was; only when fighting did she discard her timid inner self to become decisive and brave. One could almost call it unconscious trickery—playing the weakling—since her usual appearance made her incredibly easy to underestimate. How could such a soft-spoken girl possibly fight?

Uiharu Kazari’s brief sensation passed, and the focus shifted to the third stage. Kinuhata Saiai took the platform, and as one of the top three espers in Academy City, her match drew considerable attention. Her opponent was a Level 4 Telekinetic, ranked in the top twenty, appearing fiercely determined despite being seventeen or eighteen. Yet, facing the fourteen-year-old Kinuhata Saiai, a hint of apprehension flickered in her eyes. Although Kinuhata had transferred to Tokiwadai after the disbandment of ITEM, she conspicuously avoided wearing the school uniform, sticking to her usual attire from her time in the dark side—a yellow hooded jumpsuit, hands tucked casually into her pockets, looking utterly relaxed even on a battlefield. This very ease only heightened the pressure on her opponent. With the signal to start, the telekinetic girl attacked first, commanding a dozen iron balls the size of school shot puts to barrage Kinuhata Saiai. Under her power, the balls flew with lightning speed, their trajectories invisible to the naked eye, carrying incredible destructive force—a direct hit to a vital point would certainly be fatal. But Kinuhata Saiai merely stood there, unmoving. The whooshing sound of the iron balls whipping through the air seemed to register neither in her ears nor her eyes; not the faintest hint of a fighting spirit showed in her gaze. Then, all the iron balls slammed into her body—chest, abdomen, thighs, arms, even her head—each impact met with a dull thud. But it was useless! Her ability allowed her to manipulate the nitrogen in the air, forming a five-centimeter-thick layer of super-dense nitrogen film around her body. In terms of pure defense, Kinuhata Saiai’s durability nearly rivaled that of a Level 5 esper... the Nitrogen Armor was certainly not an empty boast. “This is so… boring.” Kinuhata allowed the attacks to wash over her, yet the opponent couldn't even breach her defense. After half a minute, she finally grew impatient, let out a languid yawn, and then, completely ignoring the iron balls blocking her path, charged forward like a miniature tank in her small frame toward her opponent. CRASH! A heavy impact sent the opponent flying backward off the stage. Fortunately, the platform possessed automated safety measures; otherwise, such a violent collision from Kinuhata Saiai would have left the telekinetic girl with multiple broken bones. Everyone considered this outcome a given; no surprises here.

Next came the fourth match: Takitsubo Rikou. Lin Luo had specifically sought out a worthy opponent for her—the sixth-ranked Mind Ruler. This girl, who favored wearing elegant dresses, was one of Kakine Teitoku’s most capable subordinates. Her Mind Ruler ability allowed her to quantify the psychological distance between two people and actively adjust her internal connection to others—a variant of Misaka Mikoto’s broader mental manipulation abilities. While lacking raw offensive power, it was an exceptionally troublesome skill. She also used this talent to earn tips by engaging in conversations with male guests in high-end hotels during her downtime. To defeat her, most espers needed to strike quickly and incapacitate her before she could establish control, lest they fall into a grueling struggle. However, Takitsubo Rikou had no such worries. Takitsubo Rikou’s superpower was Ability Tracking. She could locate and lock onto an esper’s data profile based on the residual AIM diffusion field from previous memory traces. Not even escaping to the solar system could shield someone from her tracking. Furthermore, she could directly interfere with an opponent’s ability, causing it to spiral out of control, potentially leading to a violent rampage. Her power was arguably the most unique among all espers. If she could successfully reach Level 5, she could freely manipulate the superpowers derived from the AIM diffusion field—enhancing, weakening, altering, swapping, or even creating multiple espers—thereby becoming the true monarch who commanded all the functions of Academy City. Alas, potential is one thing; reality is another. Both the Tree Diagram’s calculations and the experimental simulations using the Body Crystal showed Takitsubo Rikou’s possibility of reaching Level 5 as zero. Her ability was too specialized. Even with extensive assistance from Misaka Mikoto, she remained stalled at Level 4. Her only advance was the ability to utilize her Level 4 capacity to its absolute limit without needing the Body Crystal. Of course, unleashing her full strength came with a personal toll; staying completely unaffected meant her limit was about eighty percent of her total capability.

As the two girls stepped onto the stage, the gorgeously dressed girl offered a seemingly harmless, smiling expression, while Takitsubo Rikou remained expressionless and drowsy, appearing ready to fall asleep at any moment. Neither displayed the slightest hint of aggressive intent. To an outsider, it might look less like an esper battle and more like an acting competition, but everyone present knew the fight had already begun beneath the surface. The Dress Girl was meticulously adjusting the psychological distance between herself and Takitsubo Rikou. If successful, she could compel Takitsubo to willingly concede. Meanwhile, Takitsubo was using her tracking ability to subtly interfere, aiming to disrupt the adjustment process so that the opponent would defeat herself. The surface of their battle showed nothing, but underneath, currents churned fiercely. Only Lin Luo could truly judge who held the advantage. In Lin Luo’s estimation, although both abilities were exceptionally unfair, Takitsubo Rikou had a slight edge. The Dress Girl’s psychological adjustments were failing to gain dominance, while Takitsubo’s tracking was slowly infiltrating. Victory was only a matter of time. What a pity... Lin Luo sighed inwardly. It was a shame for such a unique power to be eliminated this way, but this event wasn't just a match; it would directly alter the trajectory of their lives, forcing him to accept the outcome. “Ah, I surrender.” The result matched Lin Luo’s prediction. Minutes later, the Dress Girl recognized the tide had turned and voluntarily gave up, knowing that if she continued, she risked complete breakdown and potential backlash from her own power. Since her opponent conceded first, Takitsubo Rikou did not press the attack, withdrawing her ability. “What a shame. I’ve finally met a cool and strong instructor, and I was hoping to nurture some feelings and reel in a catch, but the opportunity slipped away so quickly. Sigh.” The Dress Girl’s gaze flickered toward Lin Luo as she walked off stage, looking genuinely disappointed—though whether her words were sincere was anyone’s guess.

The fifth match followed, featuring Ketsuubou Tanski against another Tokiwadai girl. There was no suspense. Ketsuubou Tanski’s reputation as the strongest below Level 5 was well-earned. The instant the match started, the Tokiwadai student, without even attempting an action, was instantly moved off the platform by Ketsuubou—a one-second match.

The final match of the first round featured Frenda. Her ability, Explosive Master, allowed her to convert objects into various bombs, giving her formidable combat strength. Her weakness lay in the permanence of the conversion; if her intellect faltered, enemies could repurpose her leftover bombs against her. Her prior fight with Mikoto served as an example, where an issue with her intelligence allowed Mikoto to exploit a remnant bomb, leading to a narrow victory over Mugiho Shiri. Her opponent this time was also a Level 4 Tokiwadai girl possessing Quantum Velocity Shift, an ability that could also generate explosive devices. Their fighting styles were similar. However, in terms of combat experience and the sheer variety of explosives, Frenda held an absolute advantage. After a loud, chaotic exchange of mutual detonations, the Tokiwadai girl was blasted off the stage.

Thus concluded the first round. There was no pause; the competition immediately looped back into the second round, with the remaining contestants facing off. Each round eliminated six competitors. After six rounds, 36 students would be out, leading to the seventh round where the winners would fight amongst themselves. Lin Luo had meticulously arranged the pairings for every stage. The six individuals he had pre-selected could not encounter opponents strong enough to defeat them. As for the three strongest—Kinuhata Saiai, Takitsubo Rikou, and Ketsuubou Tanski—their strength meant the opponents mattered little, so they swept through the early rounds smoothly, reaching the final stage.

The protagonist of the first match in the final bracket was Saten Ruiko once more. This time, however, luck was not on her side, as she faced a Level 4 Earth User, a master of Earth Control… Earth counters Wind—a natural nemesis! After data simulation, the arena was transformed into a dry, earthen expanse, a semi-real phantom space. While outsiders only perceived a visual spectacle, Saten Ruiko, immersed in the environment, felt genuinely standing on solid ground. She was at a disadvantage in both ability matchup and environment, facing an opponent ranked in the top ten, immediately filling her with gravity. At the start, Saten Ruiko followed the principle of striking first, unleashing dozens of gales, but to no effect. Her opponent had witnessed her strength in previous rounds and was not careless, constructing an earth wall for defense the moment Saten Ruiko attacked. The pervasive wind was blocked. Then, stone spikes shot up from the ground, aiming for Saten Ruiko. Saten Ruiko used wind manipulation to boost her speed, dodging the incoming spikes, barely maintaining an unwinnable stalemate. As for offense? Forget it. The opponent was shielded by the earth wall, and she couldn't breach it. But mere evasion wouldn't secure a win; constant running would only lead to eventual defeat. In a normal match, losing would be acceptable, but Saten Ruiko did not wish to disappoint Lin Luo’s expectations and help. Drawing upon the combat experience he had gifted her, she quickly formulated a counter-strategy: the opponent’s sustained output couldn't last forever. If she could just stall until the opponent’s power waned, she could seize the moment for a final, strongest blow to claim victory. Her prediction proved true. After more than ten minutes, the opponent’s power visibly slackened. Saten Ruiko seized the opportunity, unleashing everything—Maximum Output Tornado! Under this assault, the already loosened earth wall immediately crumbled. The undiminished tornado hurtled toward her opponent. But! “I knew you’d try that. I’ve been waiting for it!” the Earth User grinned, deliberately showing a weakness. Just as the tornado struck, a solid earthen wall erupted, easily blocking the attack. But Saten Ruiko smiled too. “I was waiting for you to do that. Watch out behind you.” “What?” The Earth User froze, reflexively glancing behind her. A slight breeze immediately swept past, lifting her skirt and revealing pink, teddy-bear patterned panties. “YAAAH!!!” The girl shrieked, instinctively covering her skirt with both hands. That momentary distraction caused her earth wall to collapse, and the tornado blasted her clean off the stage. Saten Ruiko wins!

This outcome caused everyone present to break out in a cold sweat, and even Lin Luo was speechless for a moment… Truly worthy of being the Skirt-Lifting Maniac; she managed to devise such a tactic. Still, she hadn't disappointed him in the end. Lin Luo had deliberately arranged such an opponent to test whether Saten Ruiko could master the experience he imparted, and the result showed she had done exceptionally well.

The next match featured Uiharu Kazari. She faced no natural enemy, only an esper with superior speed. But no matter how fast a body moves, it cannot outpace intent. Once her body temperature was forcefully altered, she instantly fainted and lost.

The following match was far more exciting: Kinuhata Saiai against Kurohaisui. Both were Nitrogen Users and had undergone the Dark Five Experiment, optimizing their abilities via Accelerator’s deep-calculation modes, though Kinuhata focused on defense while Kurohaisui specialized in offense. Based on the original timeline, Kinuhata Saiai could not defeat Kurohaisui, as the latter’s strongest attack could reach Level 5 magnitude. However, having trained beside Misaka Mikoto and Accelerator for two years, Kinuhata’s maximum defensive capability had also reached Level 5. After an intense struggle, the spear was ultimately defeated by the shield. Kinuhata Saiai secured the victory by the narrowest of margins!

The remaining three matches held little appeal, as the stronger contenders had already been eliminated. Takitsubo Rikou, Ketsuubou Tanski, and Frenda all secured easy wins.

After the matches concluded, Lin Luo fulfilled his promise, presenting each loser with a gift—valuable jewelry or magical tools. This act earned him favor from most of the participants. Although some had already guessed the underlying rules of the competition, they showed no resentment and left satisfied.

Once everyone had cleared out, Lin Luo turned his attention to the six victorious girls, excluding Shirai Kuroko, and stated solemnly, “Although you have won this selection tournament, I need to witness the absolute limits of your capabilities. Therefore, you must participate in one final contest. And your opponents for this match will be…” As he spoke, Lin Luo waved his hand, and an exact replica of himself materialized opposite the six girls. Facing their stunned gazes, Lin Luo explained, “This is my combat automaton. All six of you must work together to take him down.”