Mizusu Agency Hospital.
Thanks to its ample space, the hospital had taken in the large number of people who fell unconscious after using the Level Upper.
The ever-present smell of disinfectant hung in the air, and clean, gentle light filled the wards.
As the Level Upper treatment program played, the patients lying in their beds began to improve one after another, with the less severe cases already starting to wake up.
Saten-san was in pretty good shape. She'd only just fallen unconscious and hadn't even been changed into a hospital gown before the whole Level Upper incident came to an abrupt end.
After a doctor's examination, she was declared perfectly healthy, her brainwaves had returned to normal, and everything was looking up.
The only thing was, the ability she'd gained through the Level Upper was now gone.
"Saten, you're better already? Are you feeling okay anywhere? I couldn't find you anywhere in the whole hospital, I was so worried!"
Uiharu-san had rushed to the hospital too, and after searching the entire place, she finally found Saten Ruiko on the hospital rooftop, breathless from running.
"Yep, I'm totally fine. Just a little sleepy, honestly didn't get enough shut-eye," Saten-san said with a grin, seeming completely recovered.
"I'm back to normal now. Including the part about not being able to use abilities."
Saten Ruiko placed her hands on her hips and gave a firm shrug of her shoulders, showing Uiharu her perfectly healthy body. But her eyes couldn't quite hide the guilt and disappointment lurking within.
"Saten..." Uiharu-san murmured softly, still a bit uneasy.
"I'm sorry. I made everyone worry."
Saten-san suddenly turned around, her tone turning somber, and immediately pulled Uiharu—whose body had gone a bit stiff—into a tight hug.
"I'm sorry. I got hung up on something stupid, cheated behind everyone's backs, and ended up hurting people close to me. I was so scared... scared that something bad would happen to everyone because of me."
"Don't say that, Saten. Everyone cares about you a lot."
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot." Still holding Uiharu tightly, Saten-san suddenly said something utterly baffling, making Uiharu look up in confusion.
A gentle breeze swept past, and that familiar updraft—now confined to this not-so-spacious rooftop—made an appearance. The dark blue, patterned pleated skirt of Sakugawa Middle School's uniform began to flutter.
"Eep?" Her brain short-circuiting for a moment, Uiharu finally snapped back to reality, her cheeks puffing out and flushing bright red, followed immediately by a flustered shriek.
"It's blue and white stripes today!" Saten-san announced loudly, her whole face suddenly beaming with inexplicable radiance.
"Why!? Why would you do something like this!?"
"It's just a normal way of saying hello, you know."
--+--
In the ruins of the AIM Research Institute.
Natsume Sonoko was describing the recent events to Tsuzuri-sensei. Seeing the doubtful look in Tsuzuri-sensei's eyes, a hint of displeasure flickered across a certain someone's face.
"Natsume-chan, you're saying a tentacle burst out of the ground and snatched away Kiyama Harumi?"
Tsuzuri-sensei's face was beaded with sweat; losing a prisoner was a major responsibility for her.
"That's right. It was really fast—whoosh—and she was gone. It startled me too," Natsume Sonoko stated firmly, pointing to a large hole in the ground.
"What? The prisoner escaped?!" Tsuzuri-sensei borrowed Natsume Sonoko's phone and carefully called Yomikawa-sensei, only to be immediately met with a roar from the other end.
Yomikawa-sensei was the captain of the Anti-Skill squad, Tsuzuri-sensei's direct superior.
Seeing the crestfallen look on Tsuzuri-sensei's face, Natsume Sonoko felt a wave of sympathy.
The world of adults really seemed tough.
"Okay, I'll head back right now." Tsuzuri-sensei returned the phone to a certain someone, her expression gloomy, as if she once again felt she wasn't cut out for Anti-Skill work.
Natsume Sonoko watched Tsuzuri-sensei with some concern. Just then, Shirai-san landed steadily on the ground ahead, alongside a somewhat frail-looking Misaka-senpai, who seemed to have drained quite a bit of her stamina.
"Onee-sama, perfect landing."
Like a graceful lady, Shirai-san elegantly declared, holding Misaka-senpai's hand.
"Cut it out."
Misaka-senpai swatted away Shirai-san's wandering hand, sounding annoyed.
"What a shame, Onee-sama, and you have so little stamina left," Shirai-san murmured reluctantly, withdrawing her hand.
"Natsume-san, are you okay?" Misaka-senpai, noticing the bandages on Natsume Sonoko's foot, asked with concern.
"I'm managing. It just hurts too much to walk," Natsume Sonoko replied, her face a picture of misery.
"Are you friends of Natsume-san's?" Tsuzuri-sensei had naturally noticed the two newcomers and hurried over to ask.
"I'm Judgment Officer Shirai Kuroko. Though I'm reluctant to admit it, this one is indeed my friend," Shirai Kuroko said, producing her armband.
"Hello, I'm Misaka Mikoto."
"That's great! Could you help me get Natsume-san to the hospital? The ambulances can't get through here yet," Tsuzuri-sensei asked, her face reddening.
Dressed in a hospital gown, a certain someone lay quietly in the hospital bed. Roughly a full day had passed since she was admitted yesterday.
Natsume Sonoko, smelling the hospital disinfectant, with a few band-aids on her face and her foot swathed in layers of bandages, was intently staring at her phone.
"Patients really shouldn't overuse electronic devices, you know."
Saten-san's familiar face popped up right in front of Natsume Sonoko, and she promptly snatched the phone away, making Natsume Sonoko sit bolt upright in a panic.
"Oh, you're chatting with someone? Name's... Juufuku Miho? Sounds kinda familiar," Saten-san said, stroking her chin with an air of importance.
"Saten, stop bothering the patient and give Natsume-san her phone back immediately," Uiharu-san said, a hint of anger on her face as she held a fruit basket in one hand and a crepe and shaved ice in the other.
"Sorry," Saten-san scratched her head and returned the phone to Natsume-san.
"Understood. Thank you, Doctor."
Shirai-san's voice came from outside the door. The hospital room door opened again to reveal Misaka-senpai and Shirai-san.
"The doctor said you can be discharged today. You're really lucky. They said the initial wound treatment was very professional and prevented any complications. You just need to rest up for a few days back home," Shirai-san reported matter-of-factly.
"That's a relief. I really don't like staying in the hospital," Natsume Sonoko said, feeling relieved. The dorm was definitely more comfortable than the hospital.
"Speaking of which, Natsume-san, we have one good news and one bad news for you. Which do you want to hear first?"
Misaka-senpai sat on the edge of the bed, her expression a bit peculiar and mysterious.
"Good news and bad news? I'll take the good news first," Natsume Sonoko said, curious and eager.
"You're so impatient," Shirai-san said with a sigh.
"The good news is your bicycle has been found. Yesterday, while Uiharu-san was investigating the list of Level Upper users, she happened to spot the two people from the clue photo. According to Anti-Skill's verification, they were indeed using their abilities to steal bicycles," Misaka-senpai explained, glancing toward Uiharu-san.
"Hehe, I said I'd help find your bike," Uiharu-san said, slightly embarrassed.
Natsume Sonoko's spirits instantly soared. Perseverance really pays off! The day had finally come. The joy of recovering what was lost welled up in her chest.
"As for the bad news... The Dorm Supervisor found out you didn't return to the dorm last night and is demanding a personal explanation."
At this point, Misaka-san's face took on an awkward look. She'd been so exhausted yesterday that she crashed as soon as she got back to her room, completely forgetting to inform the Dorm Supervisor about Natsume's hospitalization.
As for Shirai-san, she'd been busy all last night with the Level Upper aftermath. By the time she returned, it was past lights-out.
The Dorm Supervisor promptly 'wrung her neck' and tossed her out of the dorm. She wasn't let back in until late at night, a pitiful sight.
"No big deal. I'll just get a note from the hospital."
Taking a deep breath, Natsume Sonoko silently reassured herself, thinking there might still be a way to salvage the situation.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.