The familiar rubble and dirt still littered the ground, and here too was a massive hole plunging deep into the earth, identical to the one in her own world.
It seemed the magician had just fought Kamijou-senpai as well, and he'd managed to defeat her.
'Kamijou-senpai's right hand really is something else,' Natsume thought with a touch of awe.
She'd long known this upperclassman possessed an unusual power, one capable of erasing all illusions in this world.
Though, Natsume wasn't entirely sure where the line for "illusion" was drawn. Did it include so-called supernatural abilities?
The fight had lasted less than three minutes from start to finish. That kind of efficiency was truly startling.
Come to think of it, Natsume felt an inexplicable familiarity with those hands, or more precisely, with the parasitic power residing within them. She always chalked it up to the influence of her past life memories.
Fellow student Kazakiri's condition wasn't great, but she was far more resilient than expected.
She recovered quickly from her quiet sobs, though her expression remained downcast.
Natsume Sonoko knelt beside her, somewhat at a loss for how to offer comfort.
"Let's just focus on finding a way out of here for now."
Not knowing what else to say, she decided tackling the immediate problem was best.
Natsume Sonoko helped Kazakiri Hyouka to her feet and consulted with Kamijou-senpai for a moment, only to find all the exits around them were sealed shut.
Their options were to wait for Shirai-san to come help, or wait for the external systems to restore power to the doors.
"Thank you very much for your help earlier."
Kazakiri Hyouka reined in her emotions, walked up to Kamijou Touma, and gave a slight bow, a grateful smile touching her lips.
"Don't mention it. More importantly, are you alright? Your body...?"
Kamijou Touma hesitated but asked out of concern.
"My body has returned to normal."
Kazakiri Hyouka nodded, not shying away from the topic, though her spirits seemed low.
Before meeting Index and the others, she had lived on the other side of this city, in a world she called the Imaginary Number District, only becoming substantial after encountering Index.
Having spent so long alone in that city of nothingness, while she was timid in social interactions, she possessed an inner strength greater than most.
"That woman in the Gothic Lolita dress wanted to start a war, so she deliberately created conflict within Academy City by attacking me and you, Kazakiri-san."
"But her goal wasn't necessarily to kill me or you specifically. As long as it served to create conflict, the targets weren't fixed. Now that she's given up on us, it means Index is in danger."
Kamijou Touma walked over to the nearby deep pit, a look of anxiety flashing across his face.
The hole was incredibly deep, dozens of meters straight down.
If he tried to chase the magician from the Anglican Church directly down this hole, Kamijou Touma would most likely end up in the hospital needing emergency care—unless he could find a rope or something to assist his descent.
If he didn't go this way, who knew how long it would take for the underground mall to become operational again.
"Creating conflict? The magic side is a mess."
Although Kamijou Touma had instinctively omitted some details about the magical side, making his explanation a bit abrupt and confusing—perhaps because he thought an esper wouldn't readily believe in magic—Natsume quickly connected it to magic anyway.
She knew who Index and that illegal intruder were, so she stayed quiet and didn't press for details.
So, this magician's goal was to create conflict between the science side and the magic side, using it to spark a war.
But were relations between the two sides really that bad? Index and Himegami-san seemed perfectly nice.
Another important point: the enemy's targets didn't seem to include the Level 5s that Academy City heavily promoted. This made a certain bun-haired girl glance thoughtfully at Kamijou Touma and Kazakiri Hyouka.
Perhaps in this intruder's mind, Level 5s weren't as valuable as one might think.
Kamijou-senpai was understandable, but did Kazakiri-san also hold significant value for Academy City?
"It's a shame the underground mall is sealed off, otherwise we could take a shortcut."
Just then, Kamijou Touma paced back and forth restlessly, unwilling to accept the situation.
"Even if you don't go, there might be another way to save her."
Kazakiri Hyouka, who had been silent nearby, lifted her head and spoke with great seriousness.
"To deal with a monster, you just need to use a..."
Kazakiri Hyouka took a slight breath, closed her eyes, and said slowly. She didn't need to worry about getting hurt, so jumping down this hole wouldn't be a problem for her.
But her words were cut off abruptly as her attention was caught by a disc of ice suddenly rising from the depths of the pit.
The ice pillar had a flat, oval surface, stopping a few centimeters above ground level.
A frantic whooshing sound of air currents could be heard, as someone controlled the winds to lift this platform.
Boarding the 'Ice Disc Express Elevator,' the group soon found themselves standing on solid ground again.
After landing, Natsume realized this area connected to an abandoned underground tunnel. Even if it hadn't been abandoned before, the magician's destruction would have put it out of commission anyway.
"Thank you so much! I'm going after her!"
Kamijou Touma let out a sigh of relief, nodded, and immediately sprinted towards the tunnel exit.
Worried his right hand might interfere with Natsume's ability, he had been careful not to touch the disc during the ride.
Kamijou Touma moved with surprising speed, a skill honed through countless chases. Within seconds, he had vanished from sight.
Kazakiri Hyouka also wanted to give chase, but Natsume grabbed her arm to stop her.
"Running is too slow, Kazakiri-san. Do you know what ice skating is?"
A determined look crossed Natsume's face. This narrow space wasn't suitable for flying; skating was the best option here.
"Ice skating?"
Kazakiri Hyouka sounded somewhat confused.
Stepping onto her makeshift ice skates, Natsume Sonoko pre-froze a path of ice ahead for the blades to glide on, making their movement incredibly smooth.
Kazakiri Hyouka adapted after a moment, managing a serviceable, if unpolished, technique.
Before long, the two girls had caught up to the running Kamijou Touma, then swiftly left him far behind, a clear testament to the importance of the right tools.
When they burst out of the underground tunnel, Natsume Sonoko finally saw the starlight in the sky and realized they were quite far from the underground mall now.
Over there.
At that moment, Kazakiri Hyouka pointed towards a spot not far away and hurriedly ran towards it.
Index and the others had already been brought out of the underground mall by Shirai-san, their last known position very close to this tunnel exit.
Natsume intended to follow, but the radar map in her mind suddenly registered a new person appearing out of thin air. Judging by the height and build, it was likely the invading magician.
However, the magician's target wasn't her, but instead moved directly towards the underground tunnel, apparently still aiming for Kamijou-senpai.
Without hesitation, Natsume headed straight for Index's location.
If it was Kamijou-senpai, the worst he'd get was a few days in the hospital. Even serious injuries could be treated by that Doctor Heaven Canceller. Index's side was far more critical.
She hadn't gone far when a powerful tremor shook the ground.
Sure enough, another four-meter-tall stone giant came into Natsume's view. Index lay weakly on the ground, muttering something, while Misaka-senpai and Shirai-san were nowhere to be seen—probably still helping maintain order back in the underground mall.
And there was Kazakiri Hyouka, who usually appeared so small and delicate, now straining with both hands to hold back one of the stone giant's fists, firmly pinning the creature's movement on the spot.
The contest of strength seemed to be a stalemate, and from the look of things, Kazakiri-san even had a slight upper hand.
Natsume Sonoko's eyes widened slightly. Kazakiri-san was incredibly strong.
But Natsume's own hands weren't idle. She quickly used her ability to pull both Kazakiri-san and Index to safety. Immediately, an absurdly fierce whirlwind manifested around the stone giant, lifting it straight into the air.
Natsume ascended alongside the stone giant. When they reached about two or three hundred meters, she shifted the wind's direction, and a powerful burst of air pressure erupted behind the creature.
Under the combined force of gravity and the thrust Natsume provided, the stone giant's descent accelerated rapidly until it finally crashed into a nearby vacant lot, creating a crater over a meter deep.
The 'Planet Throw' tactic was a success again.
Natsume Sonoko glanced at the completely dismantled stone giant, a faint sense of pride welling up inside her.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.