Overhaul Rebirth Batch #3
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Academy City Weather Report! - 491
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A simple idea led to a simple outcome. Once certain key points clicked into place, even the most tangled problems began to reveal their underlying logic.
"If we consider Kazakiri-san as a highly complex, unconventional form of Personal Reality, then I think I can roughly figure out what the people behind the scenes have done to her."
Natsume-san furrowed her brow in concentration, then suddenly grabbed Index's arm as if struck by inspiration, speaking with renewed energy.
By breaking free from a human-centric perspective and setting aside the low-level physical vessel of flesh and blood, Kazakiri-san's existence became much easier to comprehend.
Wasn't she similar to what Natsume-san had once imagined an AIM thought-body might be like? A state where, upon becoming a Level 5, one might potentially use their power field to separate their consciousness from their physical form.
However, unlike the controlled or influenced thought-bodies associated with certain special espers, Kazakiri-san didn't possess a human body at all. Her vessel was the very Phase that supported all AIM diffusion fields.
"So it's that simple after all. We went in a huge circle just to come back to this. Kazakiri-san is essentially an esper who has a Personal Reality but lacks a human body."
"The essence of an esper is an ordinary person developing a Personal Reality, with the brain then providing the power to interfere with the reality of the universe. In truth, while espers have level distinctions, Personal Realities themselves aren't inherently superior or inferior—they're just different worldviews."
Natsume-san couldn't help but mutter to herself, not particularly concerned whether Index understood. She just felt a surge of confidence as she looked towards Kazakiri Hyouka again.
"The mastermind simply needs to treat her like any other esper, feeding various 'equations' to her 'Personal Reality' via the 'brain,' to precisely control Kazakiri-san's actions."
"That way, even though Kazakiri-san can think, has emotions, and possesses a personality, she can still be controlled by some hidden puppeteer, just like how an esper uses their abilities via their Personal Reality.”
”Plus, Kazakiri-san wouldn't even need computational power herself; she'd just be a mindless output machine, kinda like how I was basically a tool when Reiko-chan was carrying me around... Eh, don't mind that last part."
"However," the bun-girl interjected, laying out her reasoning methodically for the two girls, "since Kazakiri-san possesses self-awareness, deviations and accidents are probably inevitable.”
“Therefore, to maintain a certain level of stability, the people behind the scenes wouldn't want her to come into contact with the equations themselves. And lacking that crucial knowledge is precisely why Kazakiri-san can't even maintain her own existence."
Once they started considering Kazakiri-san from an esper's perspective, Natsume-san's extensive experience immediately paid off, making her train of thought clearer and smoother.
Setting aside for now the question of whether a disembodied Personal Reality consumes energy when used, Kazakiri-san—likely supported by the AIM Phase—clearly wouldn't have that problem.
Her inability to manifest properly in the real world was purely because certain people didn't want her to.
"Even if you refuse to let Kazakiri-san go, it doesn't matter now. Since we've figured out your little game, it's only a matter of time before we nail down the details."
"Once we identify the 'equations' and the 'method of transmission,' solving the problem becomes easy."
The bun-girl suddenly clenched a fist, her previously formal posture relaxing as she stood up, speaking with fierce determination.
As long as no one poured cold water on her ideas or pointed out any obvious flaws, Natsume-san felt pretty confident in her deductions—especially under the gaze of two pairs of eyes, one curious, the other admiring.
If the mastermind hiding in the shadows tried to send any information to Kazakiri-san via the 'brain,' they would never escape the perception of a certain bun-girl.
Unless they weren't using the two channels of the AIM diffusion field and the real universe at all.
While Natsume-san had never tried reading information directly from AIM field energy before, she knew the field could contain consciousness and data. Therefore, she could interpret them through the field Phase itself.
As long as the information sent by the other party could be understood by the field Phase itself, then Natsume-san could naturally understand it too. There was no clash of worldviews between her and the field Phase.
"Sonoko-chan, so cool!"
Index's mouth hung open in delight as she enthusiastically praised the bun-girl, who seemed to strike a pose every now and then.
She still didn't really understand, but simply helping to set the mood was enough.
"Heh, it's not that cool, really."
Natsume-san smiled sheepishly; she was still as susceptible to praise as ever.
--+--
"Sonoko-chan, I can't see Hyouka anymore."
Index followed closely behind the bun-girl, voicing her worries.
Her head kept turning to glance into the distance, as if hoping to catch a glimpse of Kazakiri-san's familiar form. Unfortunately, they were now nearly three hundred meters away. Even without buildings and crowds blocking the view, she'd probably only see a tiny speck.
Not to mention the other girl was just a semi-real, hologram-like existence.
"Index, the most important thing when executing a plan is to remain calm."
"Peering around everywhere looks far too suspicious. You have to remember, Academy City is full of surveillance cameras and all sorts of robots. You need to learn to blend in. In crowded places, you might even run into an overeager Judgment member asking if you need help."
"Besides, just relax. Whatever they try to do to Kazakiri-san won't escape my eyes."
Standing near a telephone pole at a street corner, directly facing the entrance of a food stall, the twin-bunned girl spoke seriously while holding a steaming container of food.
"I understand. I trust you completely, Sonoko-chan."
Index nodded emphatically from behind.
Even with the gauze wrapped around Sonoko-chan's eyes, her earnest tone made it impossible to doubt her.
To find a way to save Kazakiri-san, the two girls had decided to divide the work, each contributing their strengths to their small team.
Natsume-san was in charge of investigation and taking the initiative. Index handled logistics and morale boosting.
On the science side, Natsume-san was undoubtedly the main force; even Index with her 103,000 grimoires couldn't compare here.
"Some bad people are controlling Kazakiri-san. To rescue her from them, gathering intelligence is our first priority."
"To force them to reveal enough information, we have to first blend in perfectly, appearing as harmless passersby."
The bun-girl took a bite of the stir-fried noodles provided by the logistics department—i.e., Index—and raised a finger, speaking with utmost seriousness.
--+--
Academy City Weather Report! - 492
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A harmless background character—sounded just like the usual Natsume Sonoko.
But on second thought, something felt a little off.
No matter how you looked at it, a girl wearing Tokiwadai’s winter uniform with gauze covering her eyes stood out distinctly from the average passerby.
At the very least, to many people on the street, seeing a Tokiwadai student at this hour was unusual in itself.
Then again, considering even Natsume Sonoko herself wasn’t entirely sure what the next step of the plan should be, she decided to set aside such obvious contradictions for the time being.
As the distance between them and Kazakiri-san grew—from across the street to nearly half a district away—the two girls gradually settled into their roles.
They wandered from snack stalls to roadside stands, then from stands to food trucks.
Every so often, the two penniless girls would exchange glances, only to hesitate again at the thought of their meager funds. A strange sense of mutual understanding quietly grew between them.
But in the end, as the support personnel of their team, the girl named Index puffed out her chest with determination and pulled out a pitifully small number of high-denomination coins from inside her nun’s habit.
Index’s sources of income were simple: some came from Touma’s allowance, some she picked up off the streets.
She didn’t receive any scholarships; she was essentially one of Academy City’s undocumented residents.
As for the place where the little nun worked—they didn’t pay her at all. At most, she got two meals a day, with an occasional tip from a kind older sister.
“Two teppanyaki, please.”
Stubbornly lifting her head, Index declared firmly.
She wasn’t quite sure how a Level 5 in Academy City could end up in such a state, but it did give Index a chance to step up.
Whether it was to fund their undercover operation as ordinary passersby or to help fill out Sonoko’s thin, frail figure—she was fully committed.
“Amazing, Index-chan, you’re so reliable!”
A happy smile spread across her pale, smooth cheeks as a certain bun-girl accepted yet another snack from the vendor with satisfaction.
The stir-fried noodles she’d had earlier hadn’t been nearly enough to fill Natsume-san’s stomach.
Thanks to Index, Natsume Sonoko might finally get to boost her body fat today.
She’d heard that eating in the morning and at lunch didn’t lead to much fat gain—it was in the evening or right before bed that it piled on easiest.
For a girl trying to gain weight, that kind of knowledge was crucial. And since her appetite wasn’t huge to begin with, timing her meals became all the more important.
Plus, from what she’d subtly picked up from Shokuhou-senpai, strategies like sleeping right after eating, eating whenever hungry, lying down instead of standing when possible, and even sunbathing after meals could help with her current dangerously thin condition.
Also, given Natsume-san’s current financial situation, aside from dropping by the Judgment branch for occasional free meals, attending more of the tea parties organized by Shokuhou-senpai and the others wasn’t a bad idea either.
But none of that mattered right now—the joy of being treated by a friend was more than enough.
Come to think of it, Tsuchimikado-san was supposed to bring a nutritious lunchbox around noon. She could share it with Index then.
Speaking of Tsuchimikado-san, her brother lived quite close to Kamijou-senpai. Tsuchimikado-san often helped Kamijou-senpai with cleaning, so Index had already gotten pretty familiar with her.
“If we really do find a way to let Kazakiri-san live a normal life… what will the people behind the scenes do? Will more unsettling things happen?”
“Knowing what might be lurking in the shadows, Kazakiri-san likely can’t escape their control. The best outcome we can hope for is to secure her the right to live freely in the real world.”
As these thoughts drifted through her mind, the smiling bun-girl’s gaze grew distant.
The truth behind Kazakiri-san might touch upon the deepest secrets of Academy City.
Putting together certain urban legends and the information she’d gathered from Kazakiri-san herself, Natsume-san could roughly guess that the so-called AIM diffusion field Phase was probably the Imaginary Number District - Five Elements Institution—rumored to be Academy City’s very first research facility.
Unknowingly, Natsume Sonoko had already stepped into the deepest layers of Academy City’s secrets—and might soon cross paths with the groups that ruled over it.
There was no point questioning whether it was worth it. If you gave up just because something was difficult, you might as well not try to change anything at all.
“So troublesome… feels like we’re going to run into some really formidable people.”
“But no matter how powerful they are, restricting—or imprisoning—an innocent person like that is just wrong.”
Quelling the anxiety and nervousness hidden in her heart, a certain bun-girl tried hard to stay calm, but she had no intention of changing her mind.
In the end, Natsume-san’s initial goal was simply to help a friend. She hadn’t considered what kind of situations she might face.
Now, with her earlier determination and enthusiasm cooling slightly, she couldn’t help but ponder what might happen next—and who her opponents might be.
Perhaps this was part of Natsume-san’s recent growth.
Spending more time with Shokuhou-senpai had taught her that many things in this world didn’t operate on clear-cut logic—more often, it was about compromise and exchange.
Shokuhou-senpai had traded Kihara Gensei to Academy City in exchange for a degree of protection favorable to them.
She didn’t know the specifics, but she’d heard that Kumokawa Seria-senpai had helped too. By now, the whole incident had been completely covered up, with only a handful of people aware of the truth.
The rest of them went on with their lives at school as if nothing had happened.
“If I could master the power to control AIM diffusion fields… maybe I’d become more valuable.”
A certain bun-girl’s eyes glittered beneath her bandages as a thought struck her.
She didn’t particularly care about power itself, but just like the status of being a Level 5, its value couldn’t be ignored at times.
Unlike some espers who sought leverage over the Board of Directors to negotiate better terms, a certain bun-girl’s thinking remained simple and naive.
--+--
The outskirts of Academy City were marked by a towering wall that pierced the clouds, equipped with drone hangars and automated turrets. Numerous specialized security robots fitted with infrared and other detection tools constantly patrolled the area.
In an era dominated by long-range artillery, the usefulness of city walls had diminished almost to nothing. In most places, they existed only as tourist attractions.
But for the headquarters of the science side, this antiquated wall’s main purpose was to restrict the flow of people in and out, effectively forming a massive “prison” called Academy City.
Yet if this was indeed a “prison,” then the woman who’d disregarded all warnings and heavy artillery fire to break into Academy City—Vento of the Front—could only be called an intruder.
The outer wall of Academy City had already been breached, and Vento’s figure had long vanished from the perimeter surveillance feeds.
Along with her came not only strange, tentacled monsters but also magicians dressed in unusual attire.
Not far from the city, a magical unit from the Roman Catholic Church had assembled, ready to launch a full-scale attack on Academy City if ordered, in support of Vento and the others who had infiltrated.
In short, while Natsume-san was busy trying to save her friend, this absurd world seemed to be heading toward a tragic future.
What a shame about the commercial building Natsume-san’s family had just purchased—it might soon face a steep drop in value.
Let’s hope the small toy company had healthy enough cash flow to survive this major challenge.
The physical universe familiar to everyone in Academy City seemed confined to the three dimensions of space—length, width, and height—the three axes forming our three-dimensional world.
Very few could prove whether the fourth dimension or higher truly existed.
According to widely circulated intelligence, only the eleventh dimension was confirmed to be real.
The proof lay in the existence of spatial ability users, who could communicate with the eleventh dimension to achieve a form of spatial translocation. Among those around Natsume Sonoko was a girl capable of Teleportation.
But concepts like dimensions and realms were merely theories on the science side. Maybe even Natsume Sonoko didn’t fully agree with them.
Especially after she’d gained that severely limited, cognition-based pseudo-omniscient ability.
She hadn’t seen parallel universes that could be bent and stretched like membranes, nor a multiverse gathering them together, let alone any infinite multiverse clusters—only a single, bare, pitifully lonely universe.
This monotonous cosmic structure didn’t fit any grand, bizarre worldview settings. Even the “nothingness” outside the universe felt cramped and stifling.
In other words, Natsume-san couldn’t “see” the fourth dimension. Maybe even those unbelievably powerful beings—ones with energy enough to burst the universe—couldn’t see it either.
As for Phases—those miraculous constructs parasitically attached to the real universe—Natsume-san couldn’t equate them with dimensions. Instead, they felt like irrational, deeply “human” attributes attached to a single universe, even if they did expand the universe’s “width” in a way.
So, whether this fourth dimension was time or some measure of parallel universes, if no one had truly discovered it, then for all intents and purposes, it didn’t exist.
Even someone like Natsume-san had to accept this blatantly simple, almost crude structure of the universe.
Yet, based on entropy-driven theories and existing knowledge, the current universe was probably the most energy-efficient—or perhaps it was still in its early stages.
The Creator, whose existence was debatable, seemed like a rather mediocre designer.
But here we must return to the concept of dimensions. It wasn’t strange that theories of dimensionality could be formulated, but Academy City’s scientists knew that Teleporters communicated with the eleventh dimension.
So, where did the theoretical basis or evidence for this “eleventh dimension” definition come from?
Setting aside whether higher dimensions truly existed, the very idea that ability users could perceive information from higher dimensions was staggering.
Simply put, a two-dimensional paper-doll person could be manipulated and influenced by three-dimensional beings, but it would have no way of knowing this. Yet Academy City had accomplished exactly that through its ability users.
This pointed to one thing: a personal reality could randomly generate pathways to higher-dimensional worlds.
--+--
The Daidouji Group’s toy empire was facing a ruthless betrayal by genuine magical girls before it could even be established.
Both the fluctuating land prices and the foreseeable devaluation of the magical girl brand threatened to rise to levels the toy company couldn’t sustain, severely damaging its future market and prospects.
But compared to a certain fierce, delinquent-and-religion-infused cruel girl, such matters were mere annoyances for a certain bun-girl.
A blood-red tongue dangled a silver tongue ring, from which a chain with a cross hung.
The numerous rings piercing her face trembled slightly with her movements. Even without deliberately making a ferocious expression, her entire appearance radiated distortion and discomfort—a visual assault.
The pure white glow emitted by these rings, set against the backdrop of the destroyed buildings around her, created a strange sense of contrast.
Standing still, Vento of the Front maintained an air of cold detachment, looking down at the lifeless body of a certain Board of Directors member.
Each Board member managed a part of Academy City’s institutions and functions—essentially parts of the city’s brain. In Vento’s view, killing them would sow enough chaos in the ruling layer.
An unusual light flickered in her gaze, as if she were selecting her next prey.
Imagine Breaker, Index Librorum Prohibitorum, the Board of Directors, the Kihara family… Only at the very end of her list might a handful of Level 5 names be added.
A recently promoted, low-profile girl like Natsume Sonoko, with little intel circulating about her, clearly wasn’t on Vento’s radar—unless a certain multi-spy or Academy City itself leaked information about the bun-girl.
In reality, her prey had remained sufficiently vigilant.
The Board member she’d just killed, for instance, had resided in a bunker over a hundred meters underground. She’d had to breach the defenses completely to reach him.
But her biggest challenge now wasn’t breaking through their defenses—it was finding her prey’s locations.
Even with the Roman Catholic Church’s intelligence network supporting her, she couldn’t easily locate some targets—especially Imagine Breaker, who completely nullified all forms of divination and predictive magic.
But if she could make them come to her… that would be a different story.
“Run all you want. If I find you, you die.”
“It doesn’t matter who I start with. The end result won’t change. These people… they probably have no idea what they’re facing.”
A crazed smile spread across Vento’s face, the killing intent in her eyes impossible to suppress.
This intent wasn’t directed at any single individual, but born from a deep-seated loathing for the science side as a whole.
She despised the cold, natural laws they followed. If only the world were governed solely by magic, a world where everyone could be saved would be possible—not one where, when faced with death, you could only save one person.
Her features were originally bright and beautiful, yet she had twisted herself into a visage that provoked instinctive revulsion. The oppressive weight Vento of the Front carried—she had never once put it down.
--+--
Academy City Weather Report! - 493
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Given the disparities in perception and personality, compounded by the vastly different circumstances each person faces, a world of genuine mutual understanding was ultimately an impossibility.
In such a bleak reality, only power could truly settle the divisions born from these differences.
Whether it was the sparks of fate generated by the friction between Phases, or the lofty Magic Gods gazing down upon the mortal realm, the distinction between ordinary beings and them likely boiled down to a mere difference in power.
They could even rearrange the universe according to their whims.
Yet, faced with something as crucial as power, a certain girl who tended to just drift along still couldn't muster a stronger desire for it.
She merely adjusted her attitude based on reality and her experiences, adapting to her immediate needs.
However, compared to pursuing something as hollow and meaningless as power—which only gained tangible significance when measured against others or objects—the girl named Natsume Sonoko probably cared more about the ability users themselves, or rather, exploring the myriad possibilities along the path of an ability user.
Her earlier argument of treating power as a bargaining chip, in contrast, had left her feeling stifled and uncomfortable.
All her summaries of Personal Realities and formulas, all her joy in the growth of her computational power—these could all shed their layers of false pretenses and evolve into an exploration of the possibilities for ability users.
She should, at the very least, position herself as a seeker of the path.
Ah.
But then again, what was this 'path'? Was it just the road for ability users?
Where did such a thought suddenly spring from?
Restraining her scattered thoughts into a single, straight line, a powerful, almost oppressive thirst for knowledge surfaced in Natsume-san's mind.
It felt like her genuine desire, yet seemed at odds with her typically lazy self.
Engaged in meticulously analyzing Kazakiri Hyouka-san, unraveling the truth, Natsume Sonoko fell silent, stunned. Even the snack in her hands seemed to lose its flavor.
She was becoming stranger and stranger, and it left her feeling a bit at a loss.
As she 'focused intently' on monitoring and studying Kazakiri Hyouka-san from afar, she felt she was vaguely overlooking the other girl's human qualities, becoming immersed instead in the dazzling, wondrous, all-encompassing structure of her force field.
This was a terrible thing for her. It was impolite, and it didn't align with her values.
Was it the possibility of the Level 6 Absolute Ability embodied by Kazakiri-san that attracted her?
Or perhaps she had always been this kind of person—someone with an innately exuberant curiosity deep in her bones.
Even facing Misaka-senpai's frenzied rampage, she had the presence of mind to collect the precious data scattering from her, yet she felt nothing but disdain for the power that came as a mere byproduct.
Maybe she wasn't so different from some researchers after all. She just hadn't realized how she was meant to advance before.
"What's wrong, Sonoko? Does it taste odd?"
Noticing the change in the girl's expression, the little nun Index, holding onto the certain bun-girl's arm, asked with concern. From the start, she had defaulted to treating the girl beside her as someone who needed assistance.
Even though Natsume Sonoko seemed capable of monitoring the traces of a girl of uncertain authenticity several kilometers away, in Index's eyes, Sonoko was still an injured party requiring care.
"Ah, no, it's not that."
"It's just... I keep getting these random thoughts in my head lately. Sometimes I really don't know what to do. But don't worry, Index-chan. I can handle it."
Natsume Sonoko snapped back to attention and replied with a smile.
Standing quietly by the crossroads, the certain bun-girl relaxed her crescent-moon-like brows. She knew her thoughts had strayed again.
This deviation felt like randomly generated, chaotic thoughts in her head, but they genuinely made her feel different emotions.
Was it that Hitomi-san's memories acting up again?
At most, she was curious about the extent of an Absolute Ability's power and longed for the day a truly flawless natural science theory could be established.
But a 'seeker of the path'? That was just too strange.
This was probably just a minor nuisance caused by absorbing part of that woman's memories.
Yet, in a way, it resonated with something inside Natsume Sonoko herself, making it hard for her to even feel she was being influenced.
That long-deceased Hitomi-san, in her early memories, seemed to have striven hard to find evidence proving the universe wasn't real, filled with a rebellious spirit against the ancient past.
Perhaps that was the origin of this so-called seeker's mentality.
But Natsume Sonoko suddenly felt this speculation was a bit flimsy. She just didn't have enough information to draw a definitive conclusion.
"Thinking about it, that Hitomi-san and I are becoming more and more alike."
"Superficially striving hard for power, but deep down caring more about something else entirely. I suppose this is what they call a 'meeting of minds'."
Remembering something, Natsume Sonoko's thoughts drifted as she spaced out.
The more she peered into the other's life, the more her favorability rating shot up. Yet, she had to guard against the invasion of those memories, forcing a mutual separation.
But even while thinking, her attention remained firmly locked on Kazakiri Hyouka. She observed the vast ocean of AIM diffusion fields tightly enveloping Kazakiri-san like chains, tentacles, invisible bindings—that so-called AIM Field Phase and the Hidden Dimension.
While she wasn't confident she could definitely find the formulas and information implanted by the mastermind within that vast field, as long as that information reached Kazakiri-san, she could obtain the specific results directly from Kazakiri-san herself.
Because Kazakiri-san was the core. Any changes would be reflected in the core first.
"It's starting. The optical changes are trending towards normalcy."
"They must have input the optical formula controlling the core of the AIM field. The other party is gaining control over Kazakiri-san's optical existence."
Taking another deep breath, she poured her complete focus into the observation. Her petite, 145-centimeter frame suddenly went still, its care entirely entrusted to the little nun beside her.
For the first time, Natsume Sonoko felt she couldn't afford to waste computational power anywhere else.
Whether it was curiosity, a sense of responsibility for her friend, or something else entirely, it all compelled her to go all out immediately.
The moment she made contact, her brain kicked into high gear. A faint blush gradually spread across her cheeks, as if steam was about to rise from her head.
Combined with her overly thin face, she looked like a shriveled red apple.
Within seconds, she had to link up with Reiko's computational resources. Her own brain's processor simply couldn't handle the rapidly changing informational data on Kazakiri-san.
As she had thought earlier, Natsume Sonoko couldn't know where the other party would inject information and formulas from within the AIM field ocean. After all, Kazakiri-san was backed by an entire Phase. The only option was to compare and scrutinize all the information and data being fed back onto Kazakiri-san.
And this scrutiny nearly fried Natsume Sonoko's brain—and this was with preparation and actively filtering out vast amounts of AIM fields unrelated to optics.
The volume of data associated with Kazakiri-san was equivalent to a miniature version of the entire Phase's field. The certain information starved bun-head had been far too naive.
"Which data points are key? How many critical pieces of information have actually been altered?"
"Although the various data and information on Kazakiri-san are causing global changes affecting the Phase itself due to the newly input 'formula', the information actually causing the impact is only a minuscule part of it. Most of the data changes are merely the ripples and splashes caused by a stone hitting the water's surface."
Natsume Sonoko gazed 'directly' at the vast ocean of information, feeling a sense of overwhelming dread.
Once she actively started receiving the intelligence contained within the AIM field's informational ocean, things were completely out of her hands as the host.
What was more disheartening was that even though she could clearly observe large amounts of information being influenced and altered, merely identifying these changes consumed most of Natsume Sonoko's energy and computational power, leaving little leftover for analysis and reverse-engineering.
"Don't panic. Everything is under control."
"I can do this. I just need to find the right method."
Reining in her slightly nervous emotions, the certain bun-girl tried to maintain an optimistic attitude.
This situation was within her expectations. The possible outcomes were limited anyway—she could keep up, or she couldn't.
Even though she instantly utilized over sixty percent of Reiko's computational power and completely relinquished control of her own body to the care of the little nun, the situation remained grim.
This also demonstrated that this method of analyzing the 'formulas' input by the mastermind through big data wasn't very smart.
But that was normal. The certain bun-head was just an ordinary girl, after all. Being clever wasn't a requirement.
"Observing and recording data changes on this level simply isn't something a human can accomplish. At least, I don't think anyone can do it. That white-haired guy couldn't either. Just the changes in the optical information alone are giving me a headache."
"But what if I change my approach? Stop collecting all the optical field data. Hide most of the optical data again, like I did with the other AIM field types before, only keeping a portion that my own computational power can quickly analyze and reverse-engineer."
"Or even divide the part that needs observation into several sections. For example, treat the data of the force fields that ultimately interfere with the physical world on Kazakiri-san as the end point. Then trace back from the end point to the starting point of the 'formula'. Only calculate one part at a time, and find a 'path' that affects the entire core."
Silently observing the changes in Kazakiri-san in reality, something suddenly occurred to Natsume-san.
Simply put, it was about finding the Tree Diagram of the 'formula's interference with the AIM field energy. If the AIM field could receive the 'formula', then the series of changes triggered by the formula should spread out according to a pattern—from near to far, from simple to complex.
Of course, Natsume-san didn't know how the AIM field energy received and expressed the 'formula', and she found the chaotic information within the field a complete mess—most of it was the idle thoughts of ability users she didn't know.
But the truth, or the underlying patterns—those could be discerned simply by truly 'seeing' them once.
--+--
Academy City Weather Report! - 494
--+--
The world fell silent, light and shadow receded, and all tangible things dissolved into nothingness.
Anything that didn’t contribute to computation seemed to vanish from Natsume Sonoko’s mind, becoming insignificant specks in a vast, desolate world.
Put in terms of an ancient philosophy, this was probably the advanced state of being unburdened by material concerns.
Truth be told, it was rare for Natsume Sonoko to be so wholly, single-mindedly focused.
Holding her breath, clearing her thoughts, she felt like a fisherman out at sea, slowly reeling in his line from the boundless ocean, anticipating the final catch.
And as she struggled through this vast sea, certain obvious things gradually revealed themselves to her. She began to understand information contained within the AIM diffusion fields.
To her relief, the way the AIM fields expressed 'formulas' wasn’t different from her earlier conjectures. It was a phased process, moving from the simple to the complex, from the near to the far—quite consistent with the common sense of an ordinary person like Natsume Sonoko.
"Even by working backwards to the 'formula's' starting point this way, I can't see the original 'formula' itself, only the fragmented remnants of the 'formula' as it changed over time."
"To truly understand the formula's true form, I can't rely on these 'fragments.' I need to reinterpret the entire data region near the 'starting point,' filtering out the variances caused by the passage of time."
"However, compared to the monumental task of interpreting the entire path from start to finish, focusing the target just around the 'starting point' is much more manageable. It eliminates a huge amount of useless work and even allows some room for error."
She drew a quiet breath, the nervous tension coiling tighter within the bun-girl.
She felt she had gained some initiative, but the scale of the work remaining was still immense.
No matter what data the AIM field originally held, it had been drastically altered under the influence of the external 'formula.'
What she was interpreting wasn't just the data itself, but also the patterns of change and disturbance induced by the formula's influence.
But as long as the mastermind behind this gave her enough time to find the inputted 'formula,' then the goddess of victory would be waving at her.
"There's no time. Kazakiri-san looks more real now."
"The optical 'formula' input by that mastermind is changing. They're making some kind of adjustments."
The moment she pinpointed the 'starting point' path through reverse calculation, Natsume Sonoko realized she had no spare time at all.
This was natural, of course. Wasn't debugging all about checking for issues? And since no problems were found, they'd immediately move on to the next step.
Which meant the path she had just found would soon become useless. The ripples from the second stone would severely disrupt the changes here, unless they happened to drop both stones in the exact same spot.
"Then there's only one way. I stop interpreting in real-time and dedicate all my current computational power to recording and organizing the data from the 'starting point' section. Then, I'll put the observed data into Reiko's pending tasks."
As the thought formed, Natsume Sonoko prepared to postpone all the existing formula derivations running on the computer inside Reiko's body, instantly freeing up what would have been a month's worth of work for Reiko.
It was like switching from having to solve problems to simply copying the problems into a notebook to solve later. And this notebook was Natsume Sonoko's own brain.
She didn't know exactly how much capacity the human brain possessed, but just thinking about the 103,000 grimoires Index stored in her head showed that human potential was substantial.
She could even borrow Reiko's brain capacity, but Natsume-san wouldn't do that.
The internal data of the AIM field contained a mass of chaotic thoughts from others, which would severely interfere with Reiko's nascent consciousness.
Although Sonoko would only extract the valuable parts, she couldn't possibly catch everything. She was bound to record some of the chaotic noise—this was the risk she now had to face.
"Am I really going to do this?"
"If problems arise, I'll just stop immediately."
Natsume Sonoko comforted herself with these words. It was already hard for her to stop.
Whether for Kazakiri Hyouka's sake, or because of a certain sudden, awakened longing within herself, she chose to keep trying.
Things like this only happened once, and then countless times. Ever since she chose to accept that Hitomi's memories, her internal threshold had been gradually lowering. That was probably why she was being so decisive now.
As long as she remained the lazy, helpful, kind-hearted Natsume Sonoko, there was no possibility of being replaced.
It was like growth, in a way—a process akin to killing your current self, though nobody really paid it any mind.
Her anxious heart finally calmed as the first batch of data flowed into her mind. Natsume Sonoko was surprised to find that this data didn't cause nearly as much trouble as she had anticipated. Even the extreme emotions of other ability users were scarce.
Normally, AIM fields rarely carried data like memories, but were full of emotional content. Because the AIM field was energy unconsciously emitted by ability users, it was naturally influenced by their emotional state at the time.
Was it because many people were just like her?
Or perhaps the noisy thoughts in most people's field energy were just reflections of their daily lives.
The mundane day-to-day life of a certain bun-girl wasn't really any different from anyone else's in Academy City. She just occasionally ran into unpleasant situations.
Her worries and joys were simple and unadorned. Happiness came from eating delicious food; she didn't put on a pleasant face for people she disliked; for friends she cherished, she'd stand her ground no matter how scared she was; and her lack of money was just like most other students.
Even as a Level 5, she was more like a cog lost in the crowd—an unexpected benefit of her ordinary nature.
Hidden somewhere in the world, this was a power that could be called 'the everyday.'
Incidents like the previous Level Upper, which caused ability users' fields and emotions to run wild, seemed more like exceptions. Negative things could never truly replace the cherished daily life. And the resulting aggregates of negative fields were just insignificant parts of the vast ocean of fields.
Although there weren't many extreme emotions, the most prevalent feeling within was a longing to be a stronger ability user.
But this overlapped significantly with Natsume-san's own emotions. She too had climbed step by step from an ordinary ability user.
"It's like... everyone in Academy City is inside me now."
"That's not quite right either. I'm just witnessing the traces of many people's existence. Sounds pretty impressive when you say it like that."
Natsume-san couldn't help but let her thoughts wander as she worked to imprint the data into her brain, for the waves from the second stone were coming.
And this massive amount of information would be neatly arranged in a corner of her mind, waiting for a certain righteous shoujo to review it.
Having read the chaotic data within the fields and being exposed to the countless ordinary emotions contained within, the bun-girl seemed to have been granted an impenetrable armor, shielding her from severe psychological issues.
Under the impact of so many plain, ordinary emotions, the strong-willed might have their resolve eroded, the brave might turn cowardly, the faithful might become doubtful, and the ambitious might grow dull. Only the girl who was ordinary to begin with seemed largely unchanged.
This also represented a possibility: that Natsume Sonoko might eventually have a chance to harness this colossal field dragon, born from the convergence of ordinary ability users, without instantly losing her nature and will.
"If Kazakiri-san is the core of the numerous AIM field energies, an extension of everyone's collective will, then her existence represents the true inner nature of most ability users."
"Everyone in Academy City... they aren't actually violent or evil. Instead, they're naive and pure. People like that white-haired guy are ultimately a minority."
Upon touching this quasi-collective consciousness within the field, Natsume Sonoko clearly understood one thing, and a feeling of agreement welled up inside her.
Even if Kazakiri-san's personality could be artificially determined, it would ultimately end up on a similar path.
Because a field core was, by nature, an aggregate of everyone's thoughts.
Even the mastermind couldn't defy the overarching nature of the AIM fields to forcibly create a being with a will that contradicted the collective intent of the ability users—unless they wanted a tool that operated poorly and was plagued by chaotic thoughts.
So from the very beginning, their choices were limited.
Her mind gradually began to fill with data. The high-intensity input made Natsume Sonoko's head feel heavy and muddled.
But Natsume-san was, after all, a girl with similar experiences. Between reading the memories of a transmigrator and interpreting dream memories, she was already quite accustomed to this sort of thing.
Having circumvented the most worrying psychological issues, all that remained was Natsume Sonoko's own capacity to absorb the data.
Indeed, you couldn't compare people.
Index was, in some ways, not entirely human.
Recording such a vast amount of data in a short time, even for a Level 5 like Natsume-san, caused waves of nausea and discomfort. Her brain was sending warnings through her body, telling her this was dangerous.
Unfortunately, at this moment, Natsume Sonoko's body was almost beyond her control. Even sensations like nausea were significantly dulled, manifesting only as faint twitches in the stomach muscles of her 145-centimeter-tall frame.
Fortunately, the heavy, muddled feeling spread through both Reiko and Sonoko's bodies, making her realize the severity of her problem.
But by this time, she had already weathered three rounds of changes to the optical 'formula,' managing to collect sufficient data on the optical aspects.
Moreover, the other party seemed to have no further intention of adjusting the optics, giving the bun-girl some time to rest.
"I should have realized it sooner. If Kazakiri-san is an aggregate of the fields within the Phase, then naturally, my share is included too."
"Which means... that mastermind has been using my power through Kazakiri-san all along."
Her thoughts raced, and a distinctly uncomfortable feeling rose in the bun-girl' heart.
--+--
At a certain crossroads in District 18, the traffic lights had cycled through red and green several times. Even the passersby casting curious glances had changed over multiple times.
In this peaceful, utterly normal environment, Index, clad in her white nun's habit, flusteredly knelt on the ground, desperately shaking the bun-girl who had suddenly collapsed as if struck by a severe, unknown ailment.
Just moments ago, the two had been happily chatting about the local culture of District 18.
While they thought the variety of snacks here wasn't as rich as in District 7, the flavors seemed superior, and they agreed to visit more often in the future if they had the chance.
But in almost an instant, before Index could even react, the body of the girl beside her went limp as if all support had vanished, crumpling to the ground.
Thankfully, she didn't hit anything on the way down, avoiding secondary injury, though her newly issued winter uniform was now dirty.
"Sonoko-chan, this is so scary! Did you get a stomach ache? Is it food poisoning, like Touma mentioned?"
"Right! I need to get Sonoko-chan to the hospital!"
It was only after shaking her friend's arm until her own grew sore that the little nun snapped back to reality.
She couldn't just continue like this. She needed to do something. After all, they were a team.
Though she didn't know what was happening to Sonoko, taking her to the hospital was surely the right move. The people called doctors would know what to do.
Index thought of the place Touma visited every few days, a place whose smell of disinfectant was all too familiar. Her expression finally became more animated.
Wiping the worried tears threatening to fall from her eyes, Index tried hard to stand up and then attempted to lift the bun-girl.
Fortunately, due to her drastic weight loss, the girl's weight had dropped to a worrying level; there wasn't much flesh on her bones.
Even Index, who was similar in height and build, could barely manage to lift her, though moving was still a struggle.
"Hey, you there! Do you need help? My, what a surprising encounter. A nun, the rarest sight in Academy City."
"So, Miss Nun, are you and that Tokiwadai student friends?"
An unfamiliar girl's voice came from behind. When Index turned her head, she saw a short girl with golden twin tails carrying a red backpack.
She looked only about twelve or thirteen, no different from an ordinary elementary school student, and not very tall either—in fact, she was shorter than Index, barely on the same level as the bun-girl.
Index, you see, was a full three centimeters taller than Sonoko.
But whether it was her appearance or height, what immediately caught Index's eye was the green armband on the girl's arm.
So, she was a Judgment member, just like Sonoko.
However, at this time of day, few students were out and about. Most Judgment members were still in class. Running into one on the street was quite a rare occurrence.
"Let me help too."
"My name is Kihara Nayuta. I'm a new Judgment member."
The tall camphor trees lining the sidewalk cast deep, thick shadows, enveloping the few girls in this small, secluded space.
The air around them grew still in an instant. The movement of vehicles seemed to slow down, and if one listened closely, they could almost hear each other's breathing.
After offering her help, Kihara Nayuta placed her hand on the shoulder of the bun-girl. A faint curiosity and concern flickered in her eyes as she skillfully attended to the limp, paralyzed girl.
She was a genuine Judgment member, not some criminal impersonating one with a stolen green armband. That was the main reason she had stepped forward to help.
In fact, she belonged to Judgment Branch 49, a subsidiary of the Advanced Education Department.
However, this school had ceased formal operations several years ago. Even the Advanced Education Department itself was nearly defunct.
So, although she held student status, she didn't need to attend school until she transferred to a middle school.
And, just like her appearance suggested, she was actually still an elementary school student.
Someone like Natsume-san, who by age should be in elementary school but was actually in middle school, was the real rarity.
Come to think of it, this Kihara-san could choose to remain at this school in name only, as the institution held certification to operate classes from elementary through high school.
"So, this is the Sonoko-neechan that Banri-neechan mentioned? She looks the same age as me."
"The Level 4 who accidentally stumbled into Banri-neechan's world and saved them all... has now become a Level 5, a dazzling star high above in Academy City."
"Even more legendary than Misaka Mikoto, a true legend who rose from Level 0 to Level 5, climbing all six steps. You know, even the Railgun started out as a Level 1 when her ability was first developed."
Kihara Nayuta drew a quiet breath, her feelings complicated. A flood of information about the girl before her flashed through her mind, causing her to somewhat overlook Index, who was trying to continue the conversation.
Many people overlooked Natsume Sonoko's past, only seeing her dazzling present. But for many researchers hidden in the shadows, her past had long been dissected and laid bare before certain eyes.
Natsume-san easily empathized with lower-level ability users and even Level 0s because she was once one of them. This was also why she often carried a strange sense of melancholy.
Everyone worked hard, drinking bitter medicine together, having electrodes inserted into their heads together, being tormented to the brink together... yet only she had reached this point.
Those who hadn't experienced striving together with others, only to find themselves alone in achieving the dream, could hardly understand—especially a sensitive girl like Natsume-san.
"It looks like this Tokiwadai student collapsed suddenly."
Snapping back to attention, Kihara Nayuta slowly slid her backpack off her shoulders and took out a first-aid kit issued by Judgment.
--+--
Academy City Weather Report! - 495
--+--
For a Kihara, treating test subjects as disposable equipment was practically a birthright.
So, Kihara Nayuta, who held reservations about this and advocated for so-called 'perfect experiments' that even considered the safety of the test subjects, naturally became a 'defective' and misfit within the Kihara.
Even though she possessed research talent and an inquisitive spirit surpassing that of an average Kihara, her miserable, isolated situation remained unchanged. This forged her somewhat eccentric yet intensely obsessive personality.
And now, this 'defective' young lady was diligently trying to aid a certain bun-girl who had fallen into a peculiar state, for this was her duty as a Judgment member.
'To think I aimed to rescue the #8... how arrogant of me.'
'Someone like the #8 must know exactly what she's doing. Forcing an esper's brain into high-intensity calculations can only happen if the individual herself desires it.'
She couldn't even measure the girl's skin temperature properly; even simple data collection was proving difficult.
The thermal layer enveloping Natsume Sonoko's body was instantly causing trouble for Kihara Nayuta.
Although this Kihara student currently had no interest in researching espers, even the basic measurements required for medical assistance were stretching her capabilities thin.
As many researchers in the Kihara family said, within the sphere of the #8's vigilance, not even Accelerator could deliver a decisive blow. In a stalemate between the two, things would most likely end inconclusively.
But in reality, by targeting psychological weaknesses, even an ordinary passerby could achieve a one-hit kill.
The collective atmosphere deliberately fostered by Academy City's environment, along with its overstated safety measures, could lull many lazy and naive individuals into a false sense of security.
However, to the immense frustration of many researchers, after the recent attack targeting Natsume Sonoko within the School Garden, obtaining any additional data on the #8 from that area had become significantly more challenging.
Unless the #8 was naively beyond hope, one could imagine she would inevitably increase her personal security.
A test subject like the #8 was an exceptionally rare find, even among the Kihara clan. Just the nature of her ability implied immense research value.
'Still, I never thought I'd get to meet the #8 so easily this time, during a simple patrol no less.'
'Compared to that Railgun big sister who loafs around blatantly destroying public property, actively finding the #8 is quite difficult, even if you wait on the route between the School Garden and Tokiwadai Dorm.'
Kihara Nayuta's thoughts drifted, recalling her own numerous failed attempts to find the #8.
She seemed to harbor rather complex feelings towards the #8.
Furthermore, it wasn't just isolated members of the Kihara family like herself; even Kiharas with higher clearance levels found it hard to track the #8's movements reliably unless they mobilized the Dark Side and someone like that Takitsubo, an AIM Stalker ability user.
Her own ability was, in a way, just an inferior version of that Takitsubo big sister's, useless for large-scale target searches.
'A Judgment member, an esper, and she worked with Kiyama-sensei to wake up Banri-chan and the others. She accomplished everyone's dream... my dream too.'
'She's the kind of person who makes you want to cry from envy. But I can't seem to cry. Because having someone like the #8 wake up Banri-chan and the others... that was the best possible outcome I could imagine.'
Gripping the seemingly unconscious #8 tighter, Kihara Nayuta, overwhelmed by these strange emotions, couldn't help but lose focus.
She belonged to the Advanced Education Department, the same school Edasaki Banri and the others had attended, one of the students of Kiyama-sensei back then.
But Kihara Nayuta hadn't participated in that experiment herself, because she was a researcher, not a test subject.
She had also chosen to respect Banri and the others' wishes, though at the time, none of them knew the experiment was doomed to fail.
[We're the 'Child Errors', abandoned by our parents. 'Retaining the essence, discarding the dross.' Academy City took us in.]
[If we become Level 4s or Level 5s, we can repay Kiyama-sensei and Academy City!]
[First, we should become Judgment members, right? To take down the bad guys in Academy City.]
[Then let's all become Level 5s, become Judgment members, and protect Academy City.]
[But... can we, the ones others call 'defectives', really do it?]
'Of course you can.'
Kihara Nayuta remembered the words she had spoken to Banri and the others back then, staring vacantly into the gradually hollowing distance.
“Nayuta-chan, is it okay to call you that?”
“Sonoko-chan seems to be in a lot of pain.”
Index, standing nearby, spoke anxiously. She had no experience whatsoever in treating illnesses or injuries.
“It's fine. It's probably a stress reaction in her stomach muscles. Let's find a place for her to lie down flat, and I'll perform an emergency massage on her chest and abdomen.”
Kihara Nayuta spoke with serious determination.
It wasn't just her duty as a Judgment member. She held almost no ill will towards the #8, just a deep-seated frustration. This person before her had realized all the dreams she and Banri and the others had shared.
The reason she had previously tried to make contact was probably just to see what kind of person this fortunate individual really was.
Meanwhile, the majority of Natsume-san's attention had shifted over to Reiko's side. In this state, she couldn't even properly control her own body.
However, under the coverage of Natsume-san's observation, events on both sides couldn't escape her 'eyes'.
It's just that her focus was completely occupied with Kazakiri-san and organizing the data, so she didn't pay much mind to the Judgment member who had suddenly appeared.
Ultimately, she still trusted Index and the Judgment members.
'What a strange person. Most of her body is actually made of mechanical prosthetics.'
'The last one similar to her was probably that Kihara Gensei. Plus, her name also has Kihara in it... could they be relatives?'
Sound is a form of vibration, and thus falls within the range of what she could observe.
Natsume Sonoko felt a slight sense of oddity, but didn't feel any hostility rise up. Maintaining necessary caution, however, was inevitable.
No matter what the other party intended to do, she was confident she could instantly return to her original body. But doing so would mean completely abandoning the data changes concerning Kazakiri-san here.
And based on the observation of the opponent's leaking AIM diffusion field, she was probably around Level 3. But confident in her power as a Level 5, suppressing the other would be the work of a moment.
Maybe they could trade blows evenly in terms of flashy effects, but the moment she got serious, she could defeat her opponent instantly.
The 145-centimeter-tall girl lay flat on the soft lawn. The gauze tightly wrapped around her face concealed the dense bloodshot lines in her eyes and the bulging blue veins around them.
The muscles on both sides of her eye sockets also swelled up high, instantly ruining the gentle beauty of her entire face.
Every time she tried to maintain the connection with Reiko with all her might, she would immediately end up looking this ugly and frightening.
But if you considered this transformation the price for obtaining power, it seemed cheap and useful in comparison.
As a gentle, persistent force applied pressure to various parts of Natsume Sonoko's body, the increasingly strong physical reflex was gradually suppressed. At least she was spared the utter loss of face for a Tokiwadai lady—things like actually throwing up stomach acid or vomiting.
For someone Natsume Sonoko's age, maintaining a shining image was probably paramount, especially when friends were around.
'Sonoko-chan looks much better.'
Index plopped down loosely on the grass, watching the Judgment member's series of actions with worry until Sonoko's body gradually returned to normal, at which point she showed a lovely smile.
Even Kihara Nayuta herself couldn't help but sigh in relief.
She was just following the methods taught in Judgment training; she hadn't expected it to be so effective. In the work of rescuing classmates and protecting Academy City, the Judgment members' efforts were no less than those of the Anti-Skill teachers.
It's just like the difference symbolized by their armbands—Judgment represents the shield, while Anti-Skill represents the trident—this also represents Academy City's different attitude towards the two groups.
In any case, being able to help others out of difficult situations filled Kihara Nayuta's heart with a sense of pleasure.
This feeling was probably different from the overflowing sense of justice someone like Shirai Kuroko possessed, but both were aimed at protecting Academy City.
“Mm. But I can't guarantee the situation won't deteriorate further.”
'It all depends on this student's own choices. Although I don't know exactly what she's calculating, if you can't make a choice between some things, in the end, you'll only hurt yourself.'
Distractedly talking with Index, a pensive expression surfaced on Kihara Nayuta's face.
If she had sufficient instruments and time, she could naturally find a way to analyze the cause of the #8's abnormal behavior. But she lacked the means and the desire to do so, simply staying quietly by the side, silently observing the changes in the #8's body.
Seeming to remember something, she casually took a strawberry-flavored hard lollipop from her red backpack and offered it to Index, seemingly wanting to comfort this somewhat strange little nun.
Despite being the younger one, this Judgment member always seemed to act more mature.
“By the way, I still don't know your name.”
Sitting side-by-side with Index, the small red backpack resting by her feet, the #8 lay incapacitated a meter away.
The girl named Kihara Nayuta spoke almost without thinking, her golden twin tails swaying gently in the breeze.
The #8 and this little nun seemed to be very good friends. How typical of the most common kind of friendship found in Academy City.
--+--
Academy City Weather Report! - 496
--+--
The simple conversation between Kihara Nayuta and Index was but one ripple in the infinite disturbances of information surrounding Natsume Sonoko.
She resided in a place of limitless height and distance, having shed the narrow perspectives of the physical body and even of Espers. Simply attempting to view the world from the observer's standpoint felt like stepping into another, wondrous realm.
It was a pity that Natsume-san was, in the end, just an ordinary human.
No matter how special she might seem, if her own computational power was insufficient, if her brain couldn't bear the load, she would instantly be forced back into her original, confined, and inefficient senses.
The simplest yet most radical method to break free from these computational limitations was to have others perform the calculations in her stead.
Both the previous Level Upper incident and the current situation with Kazakiri Hyouka essentially followed similar paths.
While there was no concrete evidence, the fact that Kazakiri-san could now think and live normally was likely also aided by the brains of all Espers within Academy City, much like Kiyama Harumi-sensei during the Level Upper incident.
However, extrapolating from the impact of the previous Level Upper incident, Kazakiri-san, backed by the entire Imaginary Number District, must possess computational power far exceeding the former's by hundreds, if not thousands, of times.
After all, Academy City housed over two million people, while the Level Upper incident only affected about ten thousand, the vast majority of whom were Level 0s or low-level Espers.
Yet, judging by Kazakiri-san's current performance, she could hardly be considered a proper Esper, and was seemingly being used by the party behind the scenes merely as a platform to release 'equations'.
"To use a not-quite-fitting analogy, the current Kazakiri-san is incomplete."
"While she appears to be the core of the Imaginary Number District’s field, connected to its nearly infinite AIM diffusion field energy, she's actually bound by far too many restrictions."
Taking a brief respite from the arduous task of recording the data from the 'starting point' pathway, Natsume Sonoko finally found the mental capacity to ponder more.
And as the recorded data grew, a strange sense of déjà vu welled up within Natsume-san.
It was as if the entity inputting the equations from behind the scenes was always giving Natsume Sonoko breathing room, time to adjust her own state.
Starting from the initial optical 'equations', to the telekinesis and friction coefficients constituting skin tactile sensation, followed closely by the body temperature composition Natsume-san was familiar with—each phase was separated by an interval just long enough for her to catch her breath, allowing her to barely hold on until now.
This slightly eerie sense of déjà vu left Natsume Sonoko somewhat distracted, but no matter how she thought about it, it seemed unlikely, probably just a coincidence.
Although she was a beautiful middle school girl whom everyone adored, she didn't flatter herself that the mastermind would go to such lengths for her sake.
That would be far too kind.
More importantly, did the mastermind know she was secretly peeking into the Imaginary Number District and Kazakiri-san?
Natsume Sonoko observed the AIM diffusion field energy through her own unique perceptual ability, making leakage almost impossible.
The only conceivable possibility was her own physical body, currently being cared for by Index.
In fact, unless the other party had encountered or understood observational methods similar to her own, Natsume-san felt certain no one would ever guess, as this ability was far too unimaginable and unscientific.
And up until now, Natsume-san hadn't mentioned her observational ability to anyone.
On one hand, she truly didn't know how to explain it, and on the other, there was no need to do so.
"I'm just about at my limit."
"Even if I have computational power to spare, my body and brain can't take much more. I almost forgot about this problem."
Her rapidly processing brain seemed to finally take notice of certain matters. Natsume Sonoko jolted awake from her current fervent state and was forced to confront the fact that she was still a normal human.
How lamentable. The opportunities to save her classmates and investigate the potential of Level 6 were right before her eyes, yet she had to stop midway because of her physical limitations.
If Natsume-san had just slightly reduced the proportion of her consciousness residing within Reiko's body, she would have known just how dire the state of her own 145-centimeter-tall body had become.
The consciousness and attention shifted to Reiko's side had severely diminished her awareness of her own physical condition.
No longer busy recording the new round of 'equation' data, Natsume-san focused her attention on her own body.
Ultimately, her body was Natsume Sonoko's true capital.
And with the limited return of her consciousness, waves of intense swelling and nausea from her brain began relentlessly assailing Natsume Sonoko's nerves.
The consequences of neglecting her body erupted all at once, not even giving Natsume-san a chance for regret.
This very real agony instantly shattered Natsume Sonoko's last vestiges of endurance, even directly interfering with her computational power usage. The very link with Reiko began to waver and grow unstable.
When it came to pain, Espers were the least capable of enduring it, let alone an ordinary girl like Natsume-san with her wavering resolve.
The return of her consciousness immediately triggered more chain reactions.
As various unpleasant sensations flooded her brain, a certain bun-haired girl could bear it no longer. She sat bolt upright from the lawn, an expression of extreme discomfort on her face.
Despite the Judgment lady's diligent massage, which had soothed the agitation in her stomach muscles, the dizziness and swelling originating from her brain were unaffected by physical massage; this was a nausea stemming from the brain's nerves.
In an instant, the esteemed Tokiwadai young lady couldn't help but clutch her stomach and retch dryly, her face immediately turning pale.
The feeling of dry heaving was terrible, as if someone was stirring a knife inside her stomach, but at least she didn't vomit acid, saving her from losing face in front of her friends.
"Sonoko! You're finally awake!"
"I was so worried."
Index's voice reached Natsume-san's ears, but she had no energy to respond.
And before the echoes of Index's delighted cry had even faded from the air, the Tokiwadai girl, her mind filled with nothing but nausea and dry heaves, flopped back down onto the ground with a thud.
This is too much. I'd better take refuge in Reiko again.
Watching the bun-haired girl who had suddenly sat up, retched, and then laid flat again, Index and Kihara Nayuta looked at each other, seemingly unable to figure out what was going on.
Truly befitting of the #8. Always so hard to pin down, Kiyama Nayuto thought to herself.
Sunlight streamed through the window, its warm rays adding a touch of coziness to this not-so-spacious dormitory room.
A girl with slightly chubby cheeks suddenly opened her eyes wide, as if finally free from the brain-stuffing feeling of swelling. She couldn't resist rolling around on the soft 'Green Prairie' brand wool carpet.
"Ahh, this feeling of breathing again."
"I'm alive."
Letting out a forceful exhale, the bun-haired girl hiding within Reiko's body finally relaxed, a flustered sense of having narrowly escaped disaster washing over her.
Due to a small mistake, she had almost fallen into a major crisis, nearly crushed by the immense pain.
While constantly hiding in Reiko's body wasn't a real solution, Natsume Sonoko simply couldn't withstand the feeling of pain.
However, as Reiko's guardian, responsible for her three meals a day and even taking the initiative to handle things like bathing, she was quite accustomed to life with Reiko.
Moreover, to avoid affecting the normal development of Reiko's consciousness, Natsume Sonoko had been gradually reducing her interference with Reiko these days. The time to completely sever the link with Reiko seemed to be drawing nearer.
If not for her current reliance on Reiko's computational power, Natsume Sonoko's interference with Reiko would have dropped to an even lower level.
"Reiko, it's not lunchtime yet."
"Even if you're hungry, you have to remember to be patient, or you'll become a chubby girl. There's an upperclassman I know who didn't pay attention to her calorie intake, and now she weighs over 110 pounds."
"While it's true that girls your age look more fortunate with a bit more plumpness, it's still important to maintain good habits like eating on time."
Sensing a part of Reiko's thoughts, Natsume Sonoko patiently instructed her.
Having gained some experience in educating children, and after realizing her actions could influence Reiko, Natsume-san became very mindful of her words and deeds, ensuring she didn't bring any negative ideas over to Reiko's side.
Thoughts like 'the only important thing in life is eating' or 'the meaning of life is that there is no meaning'—Natsume-san declared those were things of the past.
She was a very positive and upward-striving good girl now. Probably.
"Sis, sis.."
Reiko's thoughts fluctuated continuously, engaging in a direct, almost barrier-free communication with the bun-haired girl that transcended language.
At times like this, Natsume-san could clearly perceive the other's thoughts and feelings, and also sense Reiko's dependence on her.
"Alright, I'll stay a bit longer today."
"After all, I managed to make a mess of things on my end. Not sure when the pain in my brain will fade."
Natsume-san's thought form let out a personified sigh and immediately responded to Reiko's thoughts.
"Reiko, you're full of energy today as well, I see. Misaka 9982 declares boldly while wearing a Gekota mask."
With a bang, a certain door in the Misaka dormitory swung 180 degrees, meeting the wall with a close encounter. There, hands on her hips, stood Misaka 9982, who had just witnessed a certain Reiko rolling about on the floor.
--+--
Academy City Weather Report! - 497
--+--
In the spacious courtyard of the Misaka Apartments, clusters of Sisters tilted their heads back, gazing up at the seven-to-eight-meter-tall, humanoid frog creature hovering mid-air with its arms outstretched.
Its round head featured two bulging eyeballs, a simple V-shaped line for a mouth, and the stubby little legs beneath its belly—one of the signature charming points of this Gekota-like being.
As a legendary life form that had captivated countless boys and girls of Academy City, an anomalous species among amphibians, its appearance instantly drew the attention of everyone present.
Even Reiko, who had been inside the room, caught sight of the somewhat eerie, giant green-skinned creature through the door left open by Misaka 9982.
Weird. Really weird.
But my take is, it's no match for Magical Powered Kanamin—or so claimed a certain Tokiwadai young lady who preferred to remain anonymous.
"A giant holographic Gekota?"
"I should've known it'd be Misaka-san. She actually found time to create something like this for the Sisters."
Reiko's face, which bore a seventy to eighty percent resemblance to a certain bun-haired girl, instantly took on an expression of sheer awe, as if to say that human potential truly knew no bounds.
Any previous comments about the human body's structure being too simple or its efficiency too low—well, consider them never spoken.
Natsume Sonoko had no idea Misaka-san possessed such skills. So, hacking could also involve modeling and programming on the side? Truly, the most versatile power in the modern world—electricity generation.
Besides, having recently stopped arbitrarily interfering with Reiko's body, she had naturally reduced her real-time communication with the Sisters as well.
She was falling behind on the Sisters' latest trends. Who would've thought that in just a few days, such a remarkable change had occurred?
"It's not just a giant Gekota. Onee-sama also designed a set of Gekota calisthenics. Misaka 9982 is very much looking forward to it and once again earnestly invites Reiko to join," said Misaka 9982, the tactical goggles on her forehead reflecting a faint green glow that interplayed with the Gekota mask on her face.
Though she couldn't see the Sister's actual expression beneath, it was surely one of 'Onee-sama is the best, I'm so proud.'
Moreover, towards this roommate of hers, Misaka 9982 harbored almost elder-sisterly feelings.
While Reiko could sometimes communicate, eat, and bathe normally, more often than not she required care like a genuine infant.
Despite being roommates, Misaka 9982 already felt a deep sense of responsibility.
"Eh..."
Hearing Misaka 9982's words, a certain bun-haired girl grew even more intrigued, and even Reiko's expression shifted to a thoughtful, pursed-lip contemplation.
Their seemingly rough-around-the-edges Misaka-san actually possessed a very delicate and gentle heart.
Creating a Gekota projection and designing Gekota calisthenics—in Natsume-san's view, this wasn't so different from her own act of buying two holographic projectors specifically for the Sisters.
The Daihasei Festival felt like a distant memory, yet it hadn't actually been that long.
The excitement hadn't even fully died down, still trailing behind the currently hot topic of Indian Poker. Various videos from back then were gradually spreading across Academy City's networks.
The Misaka Sisters, unable to participate in the festival—even being told by Natsume-san and the others to stay 'home'—couldn't join the activities like most students. This sense of isolation, of being out of place in society, could have severely negatively impacted the Sisters' newly emerging emotions.
That bun-haired girl, who gritted her teeth and spent almost all her money, probably didn't realize she'd done something truly meaningful. She just wanted to comfort the Sisters' disappointment at the time.
"I'll pass. Actually, I'm not really that into Gekota..."
Natsume-san's mind was currently filled with pressing matters: the manipulated Kazakiri-san, the Imaginary Number District, her own body's terrible condition due to her recklessness. She wasn't in the mood to watch a giant Gekota calisthenics performance.
Besides, she was a bona fide member of the Kanamin faction, destined to inherit her family's toy company and expand the grand domain of magical girls. How could she possibly defect to the Gekota side so easily?
It was a matter of principle.
The happy days when everyone would wield Lotus Rods, wear lotus combat boots, and don multicolored magical girl robes would eventually descend upon this Academy City, currently dominated by humanoid frogs.
"Actually, it's not completely out of the question."
"I don't dislike Gekota either."
Suddenly noticing the expectant gaze from behind the eyeholes of Misaka 9982's Gekota mask, the words that were about to leave the bun-haired girl's mouth were forcefully swallowed back.
Changing her mind for the sake of others' happiness—it wasn't the first time for a certain bun-haired girl. This was also part of why she seemed so ordinary.
She just couldn't bring herself to reject others' goodwill, especially when it came from a Misaka Sister—goodwill born from newly emerged emotions, filled with simplicity, innocence, and unadulterated purity.
Moreover, the current Natsume Sonoko couldn't return to her original body, nor could she continue observing and recording data related to Kazakiri-san. She had to wait until the intense reactions in her body and brain subsided.
No matter how much she wanted to take action, reality kept her firmly anchored here in Reiko—unless she truly stopped caring about her own withered, frail, delicate, and pitiful body.
The ordinary girl named Natsume Sonoko, before breaking free from her physical constraints and obtaining a new mind unbound by matter, ultimately had visible weaknesses and limits.
And such a brain, almost straight out of fictional fantasy, might only be possible after becoming a Level 5, gaining complete control over her AIM diffusion field energy.
Kazakiri-san's very existence demonstrated the possibility of such an energy-based brain.
Even if she could only obtain a secondary energy sub-brain generated from her own physical brain, it would significantly reduce the crippling impact physical factors had on an esper's combat effectiveness.
But that topic was digressing. For now, Natsume-san was just an ordinary Level 4 esper who had barely scratched the surface of understanding AIM fields.
And she was currently being pulled along by the hand (Reiko's) by Misaka 9982, following the Sister's hurried, cheerful steps towards the open space already crowded with other Misaka Sisters.
In this place teeming with Misaka Sisters, Reiko—the 'Natsume Sister'—stood out as the most eye-catching, immediately drawing the collective gaze of all the Sisters.
Fortunately, all the Sisters possessed excellent military discipline. Forming ranks, marching, obeying commands promptly—they were well-versed in such conduct, especially in a solemn occasion like this, which resembled a pilgrimage. Everyone seemed to maintain a sacred silence.
That Gekota obsession inherited from the Biri Biri-loving Onee-sama—it seemed it would never be cured.
However, the number of Sisters present clearly exceeded the total residents of this Building No. 1, the original version of the Misaka Apartments.
It seemed many Sisters who had moved to the nearby safehouse building provided by Shokuhou-san had also come here.
Probably because the Gekota calisthenics program hadn't been set up yet in that building, and some of the more curious Sisters simply couldn't wait.
--+--
Academy City Weather Report! - 498
--+--
Haaah~~
With a long, heavy exhale, it was as if she had expelled all the unpleasant emotions festering in her core.
The girl, her head swathed in thick bandages, supported by two amateur little nurses, finally managed to shakily get to her feet from the grass.
Her pale, slender arms hooked firmly over each nurse's shoulders for support, she looked utterly drained.
Judging by the details of her face exposed to the air, she seemed to have just come through a rather rough time.
Both the despairing, nauseating swelling in her brain and the consciousness battered by the collective emotions of numerous espers had seemingly returned to a state that appeared normal.
Perhaps Natsume Sonoko's constitution was just exceptionally compatible with this type of AIM field energy. Even though her mind was now filled with a jumble of inexplicable, chaotic thoughts, her core consciousness firmly suppressed them all.
Maintaining an attitude of seeking common ground while reserving differences, she kept everything neatly organized.
"My apologies, Index, for making you worry."
"And to you, Kihara…san, thank you for looking after me all this time."
A somewhat embarrassed, awkward smile spread across her face. Though a certain bun-haired girl had verbally entrusted herself to Index's care, she had actually collapsed suddenly. She must have given Index quite a scare these past days.
Furthermore, just earlier, she had been quite engrossed in watching the altered Gekota projection with the Misaka clones, so she had actually returned a bit later than intended.
And while watching that Gekota hologram, another thought had popped into her head: Kazakiri Hyouka-san's body… it really didn't seem any different from a holographic projection.
She remembered that Academy City already had holographic equipment capable of perfectly mimicking realistic texture and optical imagery.
The versions she bought for the sisters were just very simplified, neutered models, producing Gekota images that were merely ordinary optical projections.
That high-grade holographic equipment probably utilized technology similar to Kazakiri Hyouka-san's—so-called anomaly tech constructed from espers and AIM field energy.
"It's nothing, really! As long as Sonoko is okay, that's all that matters!" Index's eyes were wide open, blinking rapidly as she stared at Sonoko, her initially somewhat aggrieved and worried face finally breaking into a bright smile.
"That's a relief. I thought we might have to send you to a specialized ability trauma center," said Kihara Nayuta, who had finished packing her medical supplies carefully back into her backpack. Her serious tone carried a hint of uncharacteristic tension.
"But an esper of your level needs to be especially careful to maintain balance and restraint. If your powers went out of control and caused a rampage, resonating with other espers in the same system… while it might not trigger a city-wide earthquake, District 18 could certainly be thrown into chaos."
"Eh? Understood," Sonoko replied, 'staring' pointedly at this Judgment girl who seemed to know her background. She answered slowly, word by word. "That was just an accident. I'll be more careful next time."
In fact, much of her basic information was semi-public within Judgment, so being recognized wasn't particularly strange.
"Well, it's about time I should start my patrol." Clenching her teeth silently, Kihara Nayuta turned and began walking away.
Although she had mentally rehearsed scenarios like encountering the #8 Level 5 before, and had grown accustomed to her previously motionless state, actually conversing with her now made the peculiar emotions in Nayuta's heart grow increasingly intense.
This feeling was truly awkward. She found it somewhat difficult to face the existence of the #8. No matter what, the other party held an extremely special place in her heart.
But her steps suddenly halted about ten meters away.
Then, striding quickly, she returned to stand before Natsume Sonoko, drawing puzzled looks from the two other girls.
"I am Kihara Nayuta. I'm a friend of Banri-onee-san's." Kihara Nayuta took a deep breath, forcing the cold rationality characteristic of the Kihara family deep down, letting a normal human warmth and kindness shine through.
What was wrong with a failure of a Kihara like her having the same feelings as everyone else in Academy City?
"I am deeply grateful for your righteous assistance to the Advanced Education Bureau before! Allowing Academy City's 'failed products' to wake up with smiles… it holds extremely important meaning for me!"
Kihara Nayuta closed her eyes, then suddenly opened them, a blazing fire almost roaring out with her words.
Her red backpack jostled with the heaving of her chest, and even her golden twin tails fluttered somewhat wildly.
"Eh?! It's really nothing, that was so long ago. And Banri-chan and the others are my friends," the bun-haired girl stammered, hastily taking a few steps back, a little uncomfortable with the current atmosphere.
"Other people helped too, I didn't really do much."
She felt she'd seen eyes like that somewhere before… and the other girl had twin tails too… and come to think of it, the Judgment affiliation was also the same.
"It's not the same." A sharp light gleamed in Kihara Nayuta's eyes as she stepped closer to Natsume-san, continuing with utmost seriousness.
"To stand against powerful enemies for people you didn't even know, to not flinch even when facing an unbeatable opponent… I've looked into everything about Natsume-san."
"Wow, that's amazing, Sonoko!" Index tilted her head, not fully grasping the situation, but getting the impression that her Sonoko had done many good deeds.
"Ah, well, you see… about Banri-chan and the others, I did all that willingly. There's no need for thanks," Sonoko said, a flustered expression instantly appearing on her face.
Ignoring her still-weak body, she grabbed Index's hand and began heading towards the distant road.
"Index and I have some things to attend to, so we'll be going now. If you have the chance, feel free to visit me at the Tokiwadai Dormitory!"
She hadn't forgotten her current mission: to find a way to help Kazakiri-san break free from control.
Though, images of Misaka-senpai and Shirai-san's daily lives suddenly flooded her mind, causing an unnatural expression to flit across her face.
She felt very sorry for associating this Kihara Nayuta-san with Shirai-san—it was extremely rude and offensive—but the impression her resident teleporter had left on her was just too profound.
With their similar characteristics, Natsume-san immediately chickened out. This was probably all Shirai-san's fault.
"Understood." Though not entirely sure about the #8's somewhat odd behavior now, Kihara Nayuta simply stood her ground and nodded in response.
"Visit you at Tokiwadai Dormitory…?" she murmured, watching the retreating back of the hurried bun-haired girl, thoughtfulness stirring in her heart.
"No need to go through all that trouble. I'll just transfer to Tokiwadai next year."
She was twelve years old. Next year would be time to enter middle school anyway.
Becoming the #8's kouhai? That sounded rather perfect.
"Speaking of which, this year's Judgment training camp should be ending soon. Did Banri-neechan manage to get selected for Judgment, I wonder?" Remembering something, Kihara Nayuta muttered to herself, planning to visit Banri and the others either today or tomorrow.
--+--
Academy City Weather Report! - 499
--+--
Sunlight spilled over their shoulders, making them feel like free souls.
Dodging through the gaps in the shade, skirting the street corner food carts, a somewhat unsteady Natsume Sonoko pulled Index along for quite a distance, only stopping once they were completely out of sight of that Kihara Nayuta.
It was her first time feeling such intensely fervent emotions directed at her, and it left her feeling a little at a loss.
Although she clearly understood that classmate was probably thanking her for helping Banri and the others, her mind was still a jumbled mess. Thinking back on it now, she realized she might have done something incredibly foolish.
Deliberately avoiding someone who held goodwill towards her was, for Natsume-san, a stupid thing to do.
'It's all Shirai-san's fault for being such a pervert.'
'And with my thoughts just returning to my body, plus the overlaying of all those unfavorable factors, my head just isn't working clearly.'
Mentally reviewing what she had just said, Natsume Sonoko carefully considered if there had been anything rude, but fortunately found no problems.
'I'll just have to properly entertain that Kihara-san next time.'
'But I never thought someone would still remember something from so long ago, holding it silently in their heart. Even if I don't mind others' gratitude, I still feel a little happy.'
A smile instantly reappeared on Natsume-san's face, clearly belying her words.
When praised or thanked, Natsume-san's heart was actually quite pleased.
"Sonoko, you were really worrying just now. Was something wrong?"
Hands on her knees, breathing slightly heavily as she looked up at the certain bun-haired girl, Index finally found a moment to ask about Sonoko's earlier strangeness.
"Index, I think I've really found a way to let Kazakiri-san live a normal life."
"I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I want to give it a try."
Her expression shifting, Natsume-san thought for a moment before responding.
She didn't directly answer Index's question, because that period had been truly unpleasant, and there was no need to make her friend worry more.
As long as she could deduce the data of the 'formula' in her head back to its most primitive state, Natsume-san could understand how the person behind the scenes was using the AIM diffusion field energy.
Even if it was just a tiny part, it represented a new possibility.
It was a pity she temporarily couldn't record more data. The pain in her head had faded, but the messy feeling would take a long time to return to normal.
But with just the data Natsume-san had collected now, if she could hand the sorted-out formula to Kazakiri-san later, Kazakiri-san's situation should improve significantly.
Even if the other party only saw Kazakiri-san as a platform for ability release, since Kazakiri-san possessed the capacity for thought, she must necessarily possess some calculation ability.
If she could perform calculations on the formula like an esper, Kazakiri-san might be able to stay in the real universe for extended periods.
However, there was still a very serious problem: Natsume-san didn't know how the other party brought Kazakiri-san out of the Imaginary Number District. This was also an issue that needed solving.
But there were actually quite a few ways to gather AIM diffusion fields in reality. Natsume-san knew the simplest method was to gather everyone's fields, allowing quantitative change to trigger qualitative change.
Simply put, it required the anchoring of a large number of espers to manifest the AIM diffusion field energy in the real universe.
'So, if the subject is Kazakiri-san, who would need to be her anchors?'
Random thoughts churning in her heart, Natsume-san felt somewhat puzzled, but couldn't find an answer.
Anyway, she'd just have to play it by ear. A good plan needed to adapt to circumstances.
Perhaps when the mastermind behind this returned Kazakiri-san to the Imaginary Number District, she would be able to observe it directly.
--+--
Kazakiri-san was still under Natsume Sonoko's observation, and time was advancing from morning towards noon.
She didn't immediately choose to meet up with Kazakiri-san, because their plan was still in progress.
Although she couldn't record more data for a while, figuring out what the mastermind was trying to do was still very important.
During the time Natsume-san was unconscious, a full hour and a half had actually passed—no wonder Index had been so frantic.
But seeing Index now, happily clutching a certain bun-headed lunchbox, it was clear she had completely recovered.
"Tsuchimikado-san, sorry for the trouble."
Looking somewhat apologetically at the certain small maid who had specially come all the way to District 18, Natsume Sonoko said, her face slightly red.
"What else could I do? I can't very well let a secretly escaped injured person go without food, can I?"
"I knocked on the door at Room 210 for a full five minutes, but didn't see hide nor hair of Natsume-san. Who would have thought someone temporarily blinded would run off to another district over ten kilometers away."
"By the way, Natsume-san was really lucky today. Your Dorm Supervisor apparently has to stay on campus at Tokiwadai all day dealing with some trivial matter. Heard they're discussing new dorm rules for the external student dormitories. Otherwise, seeing Natsume-san in this state, she probably would have come to drag you back already."
Sitting atop a local cleaning robot in District 18, a certain properly seated, hands-on-hips small maid was speaking, her face wearing a look of feigned seriousness, though her tone remained as leisurely as ever.
In short, she was quite angry with a certain someone today. She'd only managed to track down this bun-headed girl defying the Dorm Supervisor's wishes after making a phone call.
And how had this Natsume-san character ended up hanging around with Index anyway?
Based on the time, Index should have been working her part-time job at the supermarket.
"So delicious!"
"Just eating Maika’s cooking makes me feel like I'm coming back to life. I really can't do without Maika, can I?"
A blissful Index spoke up, holding an already empty lunchbox.
She hadn't refueled for over an hour; if it had dragged on any longer, she might have collapsed from hunger on the street.
Fortunately, Sonoko's appetite wasn't big. She could only eat about a third of the nutritious lunch from the large box before she was full, and gave the rest to Index.
This was also because Tsuchimikado-san had specially used an extra-large lunchbox, probably wanting a certain bun-head to eat more since she'd been looking increasingly thin lately.
Pity Natsume-san's stomach was only so big; she simply couldn't eat much, especially since she'd already snacked quite a bit earlier.
"So thick-skinned, Index-san."
The small cleaning robot carrying Tsuchimikado Maika spun in a circle on the spot, her muttering mouth looking particularly noticeable.
In fact, she was already thoroughly familiar with Index.
Not only did this Index live near her brother Tsuchimikado Motoharu, lodging at Kamijou Touma's place, but she also seemed to have memorized Maika’s routes, always managing to run into this pitiful, perpetually hungry little nun at certain street corners.
Probably because the soft-hearted Maika always ended up feeding Index, their relationship had already warmed to a degree that made people take notice.
--+--
Academy City Weather Report! - 500
--+--
The blue-and-white maid uniform showed not a speck of dust, and the headband atop her head neatly pulled back her hair, leaving a smooth, gleaming, broad forehead.
Honestly, it was hard to look away from Maika's forehead.
A certain Index, who was secretly stealing glances at Tsuchimikado-san's forehead, couldn't help but think so.
Yet, after this crisp and efficient young maid had spent several minutes scolding a certain esper and the magical girl beside her, her sharp tone finally began to soften.
'Really, what can you do with them?' This was probably the fate of an excellent maid, after all.
Worrying over the friends by your side could probably be considered a form of happiness.
"Thank goodness. If the Dorm Supervisor found out, I'd be completely finished."
"Just thinking about the Dorm Supervisor's imposing presence makes my calves tremble."
Unlike Index, whose focus lay elsewhere, Natsume Sonoko's attention was completely captured by the news Tsuchimikado-san brought. Her expression shifted from flustered to surprised, finally settling into one of pure relief.
Having lain on the lawn for so long, she'd completely forgotten she'd sneaked out in the first place.
It started as not wanting to waste a perfectly good school day, then turned into searching for someone with Index, and now she was busy rescuing Kazakiri Hyouka-san from her unfortunate confined life—it had strayed far from Natsume Sonoko's original plan.
Luckily, the Dorm Supervisor was very busy and hadn't had time to bother with a certain bun-head convalescing in the student dorm.
"Hmph, for Natsume-san, this certainly is an emergency."
"Although that Dorm Supervisor probably wouldn't give a sick/injured student like Natsume-san too hard a time, some things are like dominoes. One careless move can trigger a chain reaction."
Crossing her arms, Tsuchimikado-san nodded in agreement.
No one had ever appeared in Tokiwadai Middle School Dormitory who dared to oppose that Dorm Supervisor.
As for those who habitually broke dorm rules, the cold wind at the entrance was their fate.
"Still, Natsume-san, you should hurry back to the student dorm. It's a very high-security location."
"Academy City isn't very peaceful today."
Holding up a finger, Tsuchimikado-san prepared to lay out a few things to persuade a certain bun-head who had sneaked out.
Of course, Tsuchimikado Maika wouldn't snitch to that Dorm Supervisor who always kept a stern face and subjected even the trainee maids to strict management. But out of concern for her friend, she felt it necessary to persuade her to return.
"Not peaceful?"
Natsume Sonoko looked skeptical. Had Tsuchimikado-san just stated the obvious?
Was there ever a time when Academy City was quiet and nothing happened?
Although the official propaganda claimed it was the safest place in the world, propaganda was just progapanda, often differing from reality.
Still, the Anti-Skill teachers in Academy City were very responsible, and there were many Judgment members working hard to stop incidents. To some extent, you could live here with peace of mind.
"Actually, I'm not too sure myself."
Tsuchimikado Maika's tone became hesitant, clearly unsure about her own words.
"It's my onii-san who told me. He said I should stay inside the School Garden all day today. And if I go back at night, I should find a close classmate to accompany me."
"He said the public order in Academy City would be terrible today."
Tsuchimikado Maika thought for a moment and continued, in passing repeating what her onii-san had said.
To bring food to a certain bun-head, Tsuchimikado-san had left the School Garden. And since she hadn't seen any terrible public order incidents yet, it made her a bit doubtful.
But as a little sister accustomed to relying on her onii-san, she still trusted his words unconditionally.
"Tsuchimikado-san's onii-san?"
Tilting her head, Natsume Sonoko immediately fell into recollection.
An image surfaced in her mind: a high school student who looked like a delinquent, exuding a sloppy aura, with spiky yellow hair, and if she remembered correctly, wearing sunglasses.
Spiky hair seemed quite popular among Academy City's middle schoolers.
Getting back on topic, Natsume Sonoko had heard about Tsuchimikado-san's onii-san from her many times before, but only officially met him that time at the top of the space elevator.
To be honest, he was a bit different from how Tsuchimikado-san had described him.
Moreover, his presence on the space elevator had puzzled Natsume Sonoko. Normal people, even if not running far away, wouldn't go to the epicenter of a disaster.
Plus, he had greeted her and Misaka-senpai so familiarly, even though it was their first time meeting.
But back then, Natsume Sonoko's mind wasn't on Tsuchimikado Motoharu at all, focused solely on handling the crisis that threatened the entire Northern Hemisphere.
Thinking back now, she remembered that Tsuchimikado Motoharu was with Kanzaki-san and that red-haired guy.
Since Kanzaki-san and the others were clearly from the magic side, did that mean he was a magician too?
"Eh."
"That's really strange."
Natsume Sonoko frowned, realizing things weren't so simple.
If her guess was correct, that Tsuchimikado Motoharu’s identity was probably quite unusual. But could an esper become a magician?
Basically, every student in Academy City had undergone ability development, right?
Turning things over in her mind, yet not taking it too seriously, Natsume Sonoko wasn't particularly interested in probing others' identities.
She had someone from the magic side, Index, right by her. Thinking of it that way, it wasn't so strange after all.
Only then did she seriously take Tsuchimikado-san's words about the city being 'not peaceful' to heart. Maybe some major incident had happened somewhere.
But what did 'public order will be terrible' mean?
Incidents that even Anti-Skill and Judgment couldn't handle?
Thinking this, a contemplative expression appeared on Natsume Sonoko's face. The number of aircraft that had flown over her dorm this morning was indeed much higher than usual.
Although aircraft and similar arms weren't directly under the Anti-Skill department, they were one of the armed forces that cooperated with Anti-Skill operations.
"Relax, Tsuchimikado-san. Have faith in the Anti-Skill teachers."
"Besides, I'm a Judgment member. No matter the situation, I can protect myself."
Shaking her head, the certain bun-head spoke up seriously, pulling a crumpled Judgment armband from her jacket pocket.
If something really happened that even the Anti-Skill teachers couldn't handle, then the situation must be truly dire.
In that kind of scenario, hiding in the student dorm wouldn't necessarily guarantee safety.
Simply put, Natsume Sonoko still didn't want to go back.
--+--