"So that's how it is, Nunotaba-senpai. You're involved in a secret experiment, and they've cut off your outside communication."
A certain bun-girl wore a strange expression, unable to hide her surprise as she spoke.
She still didn't fully grasp the situation, but Nunotaba-senpai certainly didn't hold back.
It figured, coming from the girl who'd once dared to oppose the Level 6 Shift Project all on her own.
A vague foreboding, born from fragmented memories, stirred a flicker of concern in Natsume Sonoko for this senior she barely knew.
Yet, curiosity about what Nunotaba would say next burned even stronger.
If Nunotaba revealed her location in the next second, Natsume-san just might charge straight in to rescue her.
"But, Senpai, if you're in any trouble, maybe I can help," Natsume-san offered after a moment's thought, her voice tinged with hesitation.
The moment Natsume Sonoko finished speaking, everyone present, including Aritomi Haruki, fixed their eyes squarely on Nunotaba Shinobu.
One person seemed to want to cut the call short, but was stopped by another.
"It's nothing serious. The experiment here requires my assistance, so I'm temporarily unavailable. If I truly need Natsume-san's help, I will find a way to contact you."
Nunotaba Shinobu's reply was delivered with an expressionless face, her tone detached and calm.
"Is that all? Alright then."
On the other end, Natsume-san felt she understood. She had gained a clearer picture of Nunotaba-senpai's predicament.
It seemed the people holding Nunotaba-senpai were right there with her.
She hated troublesome affairs, but if she could eliminate a problem at its root, it was far better than letting trouble seek out her and her friends.
While she hadn't heard anything explicitly negative from Nunotaba-senpai, Natsume Sonoko's habit of assuming the worst kicked in, fueled in part by those lingering memories.
Past experiences parsing these memories had taught her they rarely heralded anything good.
"Well, I should hang up now. I still have work to do here."
"Eh? Wait a moment, about..."
Natsume Sonoko started to ask about Febrie, but stopped herself.
If her hunch was correct, Febrie was definitely connected to Nunotaba-senpai. But since Nunotaba-senpai hadn't mentioned her, it was probably best not to bring it up.
Besides, Nunotaba-senpai had already said she would make contact if she needed help.
'Make contact'... did that mean through Febrie?
Natsume-san tilted her head, as if remembering something.
She recalled Febrie constantly murmuring her name and Misaka-senpai's name.
So that was it! The hidden distress signal!
As for Nunotaba-senpai's work, Natsume Sonoko's thoughts turned to the Sisters.
The technology derived from Nunotaba-senpai's thesis—the Personal Reality apparatus, a device for fabricating personalities.
Was Febrie a being similar to the Misaka Sisters?
--+--
Beep, beep, beep—
The dial tone buzzed in her ear. Nunotaba-senpai handed the phone back to Aritomi Haruki and glanced around, meeting the gaze of numerous eyes fixed upon her.
"The connection on the other end has been severed," one of them announced.
He had been using a computer to monitor the entire conversation, preventing the other party from using the call's pulse signal to trace their location.
As for locating them via the phone number itself when not in a call or using data—that was currently impossible.
"Nunotaba-san, why did you mention the experiment?" Aritomi Haruki asked, his tone serious.
"I am a researcher. Being invited to participate in an experiment is the most normal thing imaginable."
"Furthermore, I was sold here by the Dark Side. I have nowhere else to go."
Nunotaba Shinobu's earnest reply was meant to convey her loyalty to 'STUDY'.
Any attempt to escape would be tantamount to challenging the bottom line of the entire Dark Side, making it impossible for her to remain in Academy City.
This was likely the reason many members of the Dark Side could never leave—they simply had no choice.
"It's getting late. I should probably head back."
Putting her phone away, Natsume Sonoko schooled her expression and leaped from the hundreds-of-meters-high perch.
Through repeated flight, her original acrophobia had long been cured. After experiencing such grand vistas, jumping from skyscrapers felt like taking the stairs.
But she didn't head back to her dorm. Instead, she set off in the direction of Saten-san's place.
Since she had more or less confirmed that Febrie's appearance was a distress signal, the next step was to figure out what was happening. She just needed to make it back before lights-out.
--+--
At A Certain University Hospital.
She never made it to Saten-san's house, detouring instead to this hospital mid-journey.
This hospital was also one of the facilities where a number of the Misaka Sisters underwent cellular adjustment. Reiko-chan visited here often. The most famous doctor here was the Frog-Face—no, it's Heaven Canceller.
Mentioning 'Reiko-chan'—she was still toiling away, delivering packages, as her speed was considerably slower than Natsume-san's own.
While at Saten-san's home, Febrie had suddenly collapsed, running a high fever soon after, and was rushed to this very hospital.
"Natsume-san, you're finally here!"
At the hospital entrance, Misaka-senpai and the others were waiting anxiously. Febrie had been admitted for some time, but they still hadn't received any concrete news from the doctors.
Besides Misaka-senpai and the others, even Kongou-senpai was present.
"Kongou-senpai, what are you doing here?"
Natsume Sonoko blinked, slightly puzzled.
"Of course I'm worried about Febrie! And this time, I came to inform Misaka-san and the others that Febrie is in grave danger."
Kongou-senpai's fan rested against her face, a barely perceptible seriousness flashing in her eyes.
Natsume-san had unknowingly become a Level 5... truly a friend worthy of recognition by Tokiwadai's Kongou Mitsuko herself.
She remembered when Natsume-san was just a clueless first-year.
"Natsume-san, don't think you can afford to slack off just because you've become a Level 5. I intend to catch up, you know."
Kongou-senpai suddenly snapped her fan open, revealing a face full of determination.
"I understand. Let's both do our best, Kongou-senpai."
A pleasant smile graced Natsume-san's features as she nodded in reply.
As the conversation returned to Febrie, Natsume-san soon learned the news Kongou-senpai had brought.
It turned out that while helping out at the academic exhibition, Kongou-senpai had not only met Febrie but also overheard talk of someone intending to harm her, planning to 'retrieve' Febrie.
"Regarding Febrie, I have some new clues as well. I just spoke with Nunotaba-senpai on the phone."
Natsume Sonoko glanced at the group, a hint of hesitation in her eyes.
"Natsume-san, are you saying that Febrie's consciousness might be artificially created?"
After listening to Natsume Sonoko's account, Misaka-senpai's fists clenched slightly, a thick, palpable anger radiating from her.
Was Febrie another product of some cloning experiment? These kinds of experiments just never seemed to end.
"If that's the case, it would explain why the other party is trying to retrieve Febrie."
Uiharu-san, who had been looking up information on Nunotaba Shinobu on her laptop, suddenly looked up at everyone.
--+--
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.