"Did the doctor say anything else? Why do you ask so suddenly, Natsume-san?"
Misaka-senpai took a step back, her pupils slightly dilated, her expression clearly off.
"Onee-sama, you seem a bit strange."
Shirai-san, who had been hesitant, now stepped forward, squinting her eyes as she advanced on Misaka-senpai with a somewhat aggressive air.
Under this inexplicable pressure, Misaka-senpai retreated repeatedly—a rare sight—and was quickly backed into a corner by Shirai-san, a far cry from her usual imposing demeanor.
"Don't come any closer, Kuroko, you're too near."
The Railgun's fair skin flushed pink. She instinctively pushed away the encroaching Shirai-san, taking a moment to steady her somewhat rapid breathing.
'Was my expression really that obvious? For Kuroko and the others to notice so quickly...'
"As I thought, Onee-sama is hiding something from us."
Observing Misaka-senpai's completely uncharacteristic behavior, Detective Shirai adjusted her non-existent glasses and reached a final conclusion.
The Misaka-senpai of usual would never have been so easily cornered by her.
Shirai-san's eyes suddenly lit up, a lecherous-looking grin spreading across her face.
"Onee-sama's back is unguarded!"
She abruptly used her Teleportation ability to land behind Misaka-senpai, only to be met with a jolt of electricity that sent her sprawling onto the floor.
"Can't Shirai-san see that Misaka-senpai is in a bad mood?"
Shooting a glance at the Shirai-san now stuck to the floorboards, Natsume Sonoko felt a slight headache. Sometimes, Shirai-san really seemed to lack situational awareness.
Even though Misaka-senpai seemed visibly upset, her combat abilities hadn't diminished in the slightest.
The room carried the faint, sharp scent of ozone after the electric shock. A certain someone summoned a gentle breeze that carried the smell away, finally restoring the hospital room's air to normal.
"Even if Misaka-senpai won't say it, I can probably guess. So, my earlier assumption was correct, wasn't it?"
Natsume Sonoko shot another glance at the smoking Shirai-san, her face still wearing a thoughtful expression.
"Misaka-senpai, is Febrie's condition really that serious?"
Uiharu-san looked at the fidgeting Railgun, a flash of urgency crossing her face.
"Misaka-san, allow me to explain. Although Misaka-san wants to shoulder this burden alone, one person's strength has its limits. Insisting on that path can lead to regrettable outcomes."
A familiar figure appeared in the doorway as Doctor Heaven Canceller suddenly entered.
"Besides, there are many excellent students present here. Misaka-san could try relying on everyone, instead of always thinking she has to handle things by herself."
Heaven Canceller continued, his gaze passing over each face in the room.
"Doctor."
A series of emotions flickered across Misaka-senpai's face. She stepped aside, clearing a path for him.
"I'm sorry to say that I am powerless regarding Febrie's illness. The reason Febrie recovered her health previously was entirely due to the medicine she brought with her."
As soon as Heaven Canceller spoke, tension filled the room.
He was known for being able to cure any human ailment, even snatching lives back from death's door, but he was powerless against the non-human.
Even a master like Heaven Canceller had the limits of his expertise.
"How can that be?"
"Is Febrie suffering from a serious illness?"
"Medicine... you mean those candies?"
The room grew noisy with overlapping questions, everything becoming suddenly bewildering.
"I analyzed the proteins that constitute her body and found they are composed of substances not naturally occurring in this world. Outwardly, and in terms of bodily functions, Febrie is no different from an ordinary person. But in reality, Febrie is an artificial creation, made from chemical materials."
"However, once Febrie's body undergoes metabolism, it secretes a set quantity of a toxic substance. Continuous accumulation of this toxin is fatal. The candies she carries are the neutralizer for this very poison," Heaven Canceller explained concisely.
"So, Doctor, you're saying Febrie can't live without the candy?"
Saten-san hurriedly checked the amount of candy Febrie had left. Counting the one in Febrie's mouth, there were only three remaining.
"Three candies... if she has one per day, that would just last until the day of the Research Exhibition."
Natsume Sonoko said, furrowing her brow, but then she paused. 'Was that a coincidence?'
"It's just as Natsume-san guessed. Febrie really is..."
Uiharu-san murmured, her heart aching as she gently stroked Febrie's long hair.
"Candy? Poison?"
Febrie, who had been listening, tilted her head in confusion.
Even though everyone was talking about her, Febrie herself didn't seem to fully grasp the situation, unable to understand such complex matters, much like any other child her age.
"To obtain more of this neutralizer, or to find a way to cure Febrie, we must start with the people who created her. From what I know, the researchers involved in this project are connected to the Dark Side. There are several clandestine organizations in Academy City, ones that even Anti-Skill cannot freely interfere with."
Heaven Canceller spoke with a tone of lament, shaking his head somewhat despondently.
He walked to the bedside to check on Febrie once more, and then quietly left the room, closing the door behind him.
"So... the enemy this time is the Dark Side?"
Natsume-san was slightly stunned. She immediately thought of Yumiya Rakko-senpai. 'Could it be the organization behind that senpai? But probably not, right?'
Natsume-san had met a few members of Yumiya-senpai's organization. They didn't seem like the type to be involved in research.
Especially that person—she'd caught a distant glimpse of him once when she'd sneaked out of the student dormitory—the #2 Level 5, Kakine Teitoku.
According to Doctor Heaven Canceller, even Anti-Skill couldn't intervene with these kinds of organizations.
It wasn't that they wouldn't handle serious crimes committed by the Dark Side, but rather that they couldn't interfere with the Dark Side's normal operations.
A clear line divided the light and the dark. If anyone crossed that line, the positions of both sides would become entangled.
And some missions undertaken by the Dark Side would breach this bottom line, causing significant damage to the surface-level Academy City, especially when ordinary people got caught up in it.
After all, Natsume-san had previously managed to deliver two individuals from the Dark Side to Anti-Skill herself. She wondered what had become of them now.
"Then, the most important thing right now is to find the people who made Febrie," Uiharu-san said with determination, suddenly standing up.
"I remember Kongou-senpai got a look at one of their faces," Saten-san immediately chimed in.
"And that person showed up at the Research Exhibition venue. They might even be one of the participants. After all, ordinary people wouldn't go to such a boring place," Natsume-san suggested.
She'd unintentionally spoken the blunt truth. Those purely academic discussion forums were just too dull, in Natsume-san's opinion. If it involved abilities, maybe she'd have some interest.
After just a brief discussion, they already had some leads.
"The other party is part of the Dark Side, the kind even Anti-Skill can't touch. Everyone... you really don't need to get involved," Misaka-senpai, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke.
Just as Misaka-senpai seemed about to say more, the still slightly charred Shirai-san reappeared behind her.
"Onee-sama, that's too harsh of you to say!"
"When Uiharu and the others were kidnapped by the Dark Side before, Onee-sama rushed in without a second thought for your own safety! Are you the only one allowed to take risks?"
Struggling to her feet, her scorched clothes starkly visible, tears welling in the corners of her eyes—whether from pain or something else—Shirai-san's face gradually grew serious. She stepped forward and grasped Misaka-senpai's hand, speaking with righteous conviction.
"We all found Febrie together. There's no reason for Misaka-senpai to bear this alone. There are things we can do too."
At that moment, Saten-san also responded with equal seriousness.
"If Misaka-senpai—no, if any of us runs into trouble, I'm always ready to help."
A faint smile touched Natsume-san's lips.
'When everyone is feeling sad and worried, and everyone is willing to put in the effort for this cause... how could I possibly stand by and do nothing?'
This power of hers... if she didn't use it in a way that felt right to her, then it would just become a burden from the start. If that were the case, its only value would be securing a generous scholarship.
Speaking of scholarships... the next payout still seemed so far away. She already had her eye on a pretty nice home-model holographic projector.
--+--
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.