Episode 10 - Silent Majority
Saten's friends are experimenting with their powers, impressed at how much stronger they've become thanks to Level Upper. Saten herself is awestruck at being able to use an ability for the first time — she is generating tiny wind currents to make leaves fly around in a circle. She reflects that her ability may be small, but she's overjoyed just to have one.
At Judgement, Uiharu and Kuroko are analyzing the Level Upper audio file. They call Dr. Kiyama and ask her if it's really possible to raise someone's esper level artificially. Kiyama says that something called a Testament might be able to do it. Meanwhile, Judgement receives reports of more Level Upper users running rampant with their powers. Kuroko heads out to deal with these incidents, which turns into a long and tedious job. She makes arrest after arrest, but ends up bruised and sore from all the fighting.
After Kuroko returns, Mikoto comes by and they fill her in on what Kiyama told them. Apparently, a Testament is a special device that stimulates all five senses simultaneously. Since Level Upper is just sound, Uiharu says she doesn't see how it could accomplish the same thing. Remembering her previous conversation with Kuroko, Mikoto wonders if Level Upper could be using synaesthesia in some way. When they call Kiyama again for her opinion, she agrees that it might be possible. Kiyama mentions that she's planning to ask permission to use Tree Diagram, Academy City's supercomputer, to analyze the data. Uiharu is excited by the idea of seeing Tree Diagram in action, and asks if she can come over to watch.
Meanwhile, one of Saten's friends has collapsed and fallen unconscious while practising her powers. A frantic Saten phones Uiharu, who is on her way to Kiyama's lab, and confesses that they've been using Level Upper. She blames herself, terrified that she's going to fall into a coma too. Uiharu tries to reassure her, promising that if Saten falls unconscious, she will come and wake her up no matter what. She turns and heads toward Saten's apartment, insisting that no matter what Saten's level is, or whatever happens to her, she'll always be Uiharu's best friend. Crying as she runs, Uiharu tells Saten that all of her friends, including Mikoto and Kuroko, are there for her. Saten, also crying, thanks her and disconnects. Uiharu eventually reaches Saten's apartment, and bursts in to find her lying unconscious on the floor, clutching her good luck charm.
Mikoto and Kuroko visit the comatose Saten at the hospital. Mikoto tells Kuroko about her earlier conversation with Saten, and blames herself for being insensitive. As the two of them walk through the hospital, a doctor with a face like a frog note comes up and asks to speak with them. He has been examining brain scans of the Level Upper coma patients, and has discovered that all of them have identical brainwave patterns — something that should be impossible.
Uiharu finally visits Kiyama at her office. She is still very upset about Saten, and Kiyama tries to calm her down. After a while, Kiyama goes to get some coffee; after she leaves the room, Uiharu notices a file on synaesthesia sticking out of a drawer.
At the Judgement office, Mikoto and Kuroko discuss the latest developments with Konori. Whoever is responsible for Level Upper must somehow be forcing all of the users' brainwaves into the same pattern — presumably their own. Konori runs a search for that pattern in Academy City's database, which records the brain scans of everyone who has ever undergone treatment. In the meantime, they discuss how this could be connected to increasing an esper's ability level. Konori suggests the analogy of creating a supercomputer cluster by linking multiple computers over a network. If the users' brains could be linked together, Level Upper might give them all access to increased computational capacity, thereby increasing their powers. She even suggests that the links could be created from the AIM diffusion fields surrounding all espers. As they ponder the ramifications of this theory, the database search comes back with a single 99% positive match: Dr. Harumi Kiyama.
Back in Kiyama's office, Uiharu is shocked to discover that the scientist has collected a huge amount of research on synaesthesia. Kiyama returns, smiles darkly, and says that it's not polite to go reading other people's research...
Kuroko tries to contact Uiharu, but her phone is disconnected. Konori gives orders to contact Anti-Skill and request Kiyama's arrest... warning that Uiharu might now be a hostage. Mikoto volunteers to assist, pointing out that Kuroko is still hurt from all her earlier fighting. Kuroko says that Kiyama should be no match for Anti-Skill; but Mikoto points out that, if Kiyama is really controlling Level Upper, then she potentially has thousands of hostages.
At that moment, a handcuffed Uiharu is with Kiyama in her car as it speeds on its way somewhere. She asks Kiyama why she would go to such lengths to artificially boost people's abilities. Kiyama replies that she has no interest in boosting abilities — she's after something much greater...
Tropes
- Affably Evil: Kiyama remains calm and polite even after she's outed as the culprit.
- Despair Event Horizon: Saten reaches hers after her friend falls into a coma. Not only does she see it as her fault, but she realizes the same thing is going to happen to her as well.
- Inelegant Blubbering: Uiharu is crying very messily during her phone call with Saten.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Saten blames herself not just for using Level Upper, but for dragging her friends into it as well.
- You Are Not Alone: The essence of Uiharu's speech to Saten over the phone, with a dash of You Are Better Than You Think You Are thrown in.
