"Hey, Natsume-san, you're not pulling my leg, are you?" A hint of suspicion flashed across Shirai's face.
"Of course not, don't you underestimate me."
Along with some background noise, Sonoko Natsume's voice came through, mingled with the gentle gurgle of the river—a river currently blocked by someone in the middle, disrupting its flow.
Sitting atop a powered suit, Shirai had tossed her blood-stained coat aside. Behind her, Uiharu was carefully tending to her wounds.
"Alright, it's a good thing I had first-aid supplies on me. Otherwise, your injuries could've gotten much worse, Shirai-san."
Uiharu gently squeezed a gel from a tube, applying it meticulously around the inflamed, nearly festering wound. Shirai let out a low grunt of pain.
This medication hadn't yet been widely distributed among the Judgment members. Rumor had it it wouldn't become standard issue for another few months. But Shirai had somehow gotten her hands on a considerable amount, so Uiharu carried some with her.
The gel was highly effective—it disinfected, stopped bleeding, and promoted healing, suitable for most external injuries.
The inventor of this wonder gel was none other than the well-known Dr. Heaven Canceller.
"Shirai-san, you're too reckless, pushing yourself with such serious injuries." Uiharu's eyes glistened with tears as she looked at Shirai's wounds, her tone both worried and scolding.
"Uiharu-san, you're there too? Is everything okay on your end?" Sonoko Natsume's voice came through the phone's speaker.
"Natsume-san, we're fine here. We've also alerted the Anti-Skill officers; they should be arriving soon." Uiharu leaned closer to the phone to speak to Sonoko.
"That's good. I'll hang up now then. Judging by the distance, Anti-Skill will probably reach me first."
"One more thing, Sonoko. We found something on Therestina, that woman from MAR. Well... I'm not entirely sure, but it seems like it might be a sample from the Ability Body Crystal experiment."
Shirai continued, having looked up related information and gained a basic understanding of these 'Body Crystals.'
She held a precise glass container, about the size of a thumb, filled with liquid. A red crystalline substance floated inside.
"A 'Body Crystal' found on Therestina?" Sonoko let out a surprised 'Huh?!'
"Really?!"
"Of course, it's true."
After hanging up, Sonoko felt a complex mix of emotions—unexpected, but also a sense of relief.
She carefully examined the high-definition photo Shirai sent. It seemed legitimate, no issues apparent. It looked like this was indeed the original sample.
She'd been worried about potential problems with the data she'd gathered. But now that the original sample had been found, it was best to use that as the benchmark. Fortunately, the final version of the suppression test hadn't started yet.
Snapping out of her thoughts from the news, Sonoko finally turned her attention to the two uninvited guests before her.
Sonoko ran to the riverbank, stepping methodically onto the frozen surface.
The river began to flow, and a high-powered firearm surfaced—clearly the one belonging to Kinuhata Saiai. An icy hand reached up from the frozen water, offering the gun to Sonoko.
She fiddled with it a couple of times. Based on movies, TV shows, games, and anime she'd seen, it didn't seem too difficult to use. She just wondered about the recoil.
Good. Another piece of evidence secured.
With witnesses like Banri and the others, these powerful weapons would serve as physical proof.
The bob-haired girl, looking up at the sky in frustration, couldn't see Sonoko.
She only saw her own firearm floating in the air, being handled clumsily, its muzzle waving around aimlessly. It was obvious the handler had no military training.
Kinuhata knew the destructive power of her own weapon well.
Even in her normal state, her nitrogen armor couldn't withstand continuous shots from it. A look of helpless resignation crossed her face.
"Um, could you let us out? I'm starting to freeze. I promise I won't try anything," said Takitsubo Rikou, her hair damp, her body encased in thick ice.
Her body temperature was dropping rapidly, her face flushed an unnatural red. She genuinely seemed to be suffering from the cold.
"Huh? Takitsubo, what are you saying? We're members of the Dark Side. We can't negotiate with the enemy. That's so lame," Kinuhata said, staring at Takitsubo in astonishment.
Influenced by the AIM diffusion fields of others, Takitsubo's words and actions were more erratic than most.
By sensing different AIM fields, she sometimes possessed an inexplicable 'sixth sense,' and she valued these intuitions greatly.
Sonoko was surprised. Setting aside the gun she'd intended to hand over as evidence to Anti-Skill, she looked curiously at this languid girl with her short, blunt bangs and summer tracksuit.
"You could detect me earlier? Is it related to your ability?"
Sonoko responded naturally, pausing for a moment before actually engaging in conversation with Takitsubo. Somehow, the two of them had connected.
"My ability is 'AIM Stalker.' I can sense others' AIM diffusion fields. That's how I knew where you were," Takitsubo explained without holding back.
"I see. No wonder."
Sonoko's mouth opened slightly in understanding as she nodded. She'd had her suspicions, but now it was clear. So there really was an ability user who specialized in the AIM field system.
"Alright, I can let you out. But you have to stay in one spot. Take one step out of line, and I won't be polite. And I'm absolutely not letting that violent one next to you out," Sonoko said, glancing at Takitsubo.
After a moment's hesitation, she nodded.
Takitsubo looked fragile, but her grip strength was surprisingly strong. Weird.
"Okay," Takitsubo said, looking up at Kinuhata.
Someone shaved off half the ice sphere, freeing Takitsubo. The sphere was now much smaller, but its structural integrity had actually increased.
"Do you have a hairdryer? My hair's wet; it's uncomfortable," Takitsubo asked, gazing toward an seemingly empty spot.
"So troublesome."
Sonoko shot a glance at Takitsubo but took a moment to dry her hair and clothes using her ability.
"Are you waiting for Anti-Skill?" Takitsubo asked, running her fingers through her hair in the air as if feeling for something caught in it.
"None of your business. A captive should know their place. Once you're inside, focus on reforming yourself. Try to be a better person," Sonoko said, giving Takitsubo a displeased look.
"I understand," Takitsubo replied cooperatively, nodding. It seemed this would be the first time their group, 'Item,' would be delivered en masse to the Anti-Skill headquarters.
Although the Dark Side organizations were directly under the Board of Directors, they weren't part of the same system as the city's surface-level security forces. Things were likely to get complicated.
But that was a problem for the higher-ups. Perhaps she could finally get a few good nights' sleep undisturbed.
The roar of armored vehicles sounded in the distance. Sonoko quickly stood up. They're finally here.
The convoy had just passed along the road when a concerned citizen flagged them down.
"Officers, I'd like to report a crime! There's been an attempted mass kidnapping of minors, and the perpetrators are armed with high-powered weapons!"
Sonoko emerged from the interplay of light and shadow, waving both arms energetically to stop the line of armored vehicles.
There weren't many famous Anti-Skill teachers in Academy City. Once again, it was Yomikawa Aiho and Tessou Tsuzuri who arrived. Perhaps due to the number of suspects and involvement of special departments, a significant number of armored vehicles had been dispatched.
"Alright, we'll take these individuals in for questioning," said Yomikawa, a woman with a strong sense of justice. She promptly escorted Takitsubo into one of the vehicles.
As for the girl Kinuhata Saiai... her weight alone nearly flattened the tires of the armored van. Sonoko had to melt most of the outer layer of ice, leaving Kinuhata's head, contorted in a grimace, poking out of what now resembled a large ice jar.
"Hey, did you get a look at that Tokiwadai girl?" Kinuhata grumbled, seemingly eager for a rematch with a certain bun-headed girl.
"I saw a little."
"Actually, I saw her too. Turns out she's just a shrimp. I'm so pissed. I'll definitely teach that kid a lesson next time," Kinuhata said, her cute face full of displeasure.
"A Tokiwadai student, short, at least Level 4, ability suspected to be thermal-based. That actually narrows it down quite a bit," Takitsubo noted.
Kinuhata seemed really serious about this. Such a competitive personality. She hoped Kinuhata wouldn't be too badly crushed.
If Takitsubo hadn't been there, Kinuhata might not have been able to detect their opponent at all.
"But still, we completed our mission. I wonder how things are going on Mugino's end," Kinuhata said, her expression brightening slightly at the mention of their completed task.
Mission accomplished. The armored vehicles sped off towards Shirai's location, where another group of criminals awaited.
Sonoko waved goodbye to Yomikawa and the others. She learned she'd have to go to the Anti-Skill headquarters tomorrow to write some report. More trouble. Why did being a good Samaritan have to be so much work?
And although a certain bun-headed girl had tried hard to avoid it, she'd still gotten entangled with this strange organization called 'Item.'
But if she had to do it all over again, the righteous Sonoko Natsume would still not stand idly by.
After all, she, Sonoko Natsume, was a master of stealth and evasion, an artillery mage specializing in hit-and-run.
Combined with Shirai, a seasoned assassin and all-around tool for support, they could handle pretty much anything.
With matters here concluded, Sonoko immediately headed for Heaven Canceller's research institute.
According to the information she had, it seemed Misaka Mikoto had gotten into a fight with that fierce woman known as Meltdowner.
Compared to her own relatively soft combat style, the battle there must be intense. The research institute was probably facing demolition-level problems.
Even though the institute's equipment had nothing to do with her, a certain bun-headed girl felt her heart ache at the thought. Such fine equipment! Such superb supercomputers! She'd even been afraid to touch them before, worried she might break something.
Whether motivated by a desire to help Misaka or to salvage the equipment, Sonoko immediately employed her recently self-invented 'superman-style' flight mode, pushing forward against the night wind.
"What's that? A human-shaped bat?"
Sonoko passed by a tall building, staring puzzled at a dark silhouette not far away. The thing was hanging upside down from the eaves of the top floor, about a hundred meters up. A faint glint, perhaps from glass or something else, reflected off it.
But she quickly understood, looking at the human-shaped bat with surprise. So it was this senpai, still out gathering material so late at night.
Truly, Academy City's nights were eventful, even the skies were full of surprises. She really was still too naive.
"That's strange. The light's getting distorted."
Someone flew silently past the large bat. The Tokiwadai student known as Hata Ranko suddenly pulled her camera back, seeming to notice an issue with the lighting.
Before long, Sonoko arrived at the location of Heaven Canceller's research institute.
Sonoko stared, speechless with shock.
The area in front of the institute looked like it had been pummeled by a pile driver, riddled with deep holes. The earth was churned up like a construction site, blackened in places, with some soil nearly vitrified.
As for the institute itself, its walls were pockmarked with scars from battle. On one wall, there was even a gaping hole large enough for two people to walk through.
"Where's Misaka-senpai?" Only then did Sonoko realize she couldn't see any sign of Misaka Mikoto.
Where did everyone go?
Just then, a series of dense explosions sounded in the distance, accompanied by the loud, chaotic echoes of shipping containers being tossed about by shockwaves.
"The container yard nearby." Recognizing the sound, Sonoko immediately looked toward its source.
There was a storage yard filled with discarded containers near the institute. It seemed Misaka and the others had moved the fight there.
Just as she was about to head over, she detected body heat inside the institute. Someone was still there.
Entering the building, Sonoko found Kiyama Harumi half-sitting on the floor, her eyes bloodshot.
Sonoko understood immediately. These were the side effects of using the 'Level Upper.' Kiyama was using it to control something.
"Kiyama-sensei, are you alright?" Sonoko had just helped Kiyama up when she heard footsteps approaching.
"Doctor, you're back." Sonoko turned to see Dr. Heaven Canceller.
"Yes, it seems things are reaching a conclusion over there as well," the doctor said, looking out through the hole in the wall toward the distant commotion. A massive steel container was being used by Misaka as a projectile for her Railgun, impacting the ground with a deafening roar.
Just like Sonoko by the river, Misaka could wield greater power in a place abundant with metal objects.
Don't just see a field of containers. See an arsenal of Railgun ammunition.
--+--
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.