Using an ability didn't require extra motions like glaring, but life always needed a bit of ceremony.
Compared to legendary skills like making someone pregnant with a single look, Natsume-san's gaze was actually much gentler.
Everything happened in an instant.
By the time the two figures leisurely floating in the sky noticed something was wrong, the situation had already escalated severely.
Fortunately, none of them were ordinary students; most were active duty members trained by Judgment, so there were no casualties, though some minor injuries were unavoidable.
"Natsume-san, are you holding up alright?"
Shirai-san couldn't help but express her concern.
Natsume-san hadn't rested since starting to draw water, and Shirai was genuinely worried about the girl.
Based on years of close observation and extensive research on the Railgun, Shirai-san had a pretty good understanding of Level 5 espers.
Taking her beloved Onee-sama as an example, if she used her ability for this long, she'd basically be down for the count. But the Natsume-san before her seemed to have remarkable stamina.
"I'm alright, just a bit tired," Natsume-san replied after tilting her head and thinking for a moment.
The drain on her processing power was completely manageable; she'd just expended extra energy striking poses earlier.
Coupled with the natural physical energy consumption from using her ability, she really was feeling somewhat fatigued.
Thankfully, Shirai-san was carrying her along during their movements, so Natsume-san's condition was much better than others might imagine.
"But now isn't the time to rest. There are still many places that need our help," Natsume-san suddenly lifted her head, looking seriously at Shirai-san. She was deeply concerned about everyone's situation.
Moreover, this was her idea. If anyone came to harm because of it, Natsume-san would never forgive herself.
Her words, however, seemed to have an unexpected effect on her companion.
Shirai-san fell silent for a second, her gaze towards Natsume Sonoko shifting slightly.
The usually lazy, gluttonous Natsume-san was actually more suited to be a Judgment member than she had thought.
'Maybe I'll be a little nicer to Natsume-san from now on.'
'Of course, that doesn't mean I'll ever give up on Onee-sama!'
Having sorted out her thoughts, Shirai-san gave a solemn nod, which left the sometimes slow-to-react bun-girl somewhat bewildered.
Holding onto Shirai-san's arm, Natsume-san had long grown accustomed to the sensation of scenes switching like slides during spatial jumps.
It was like flying—initially nauseating, but once you got used to it, it even felt pleasant.
The moment she detected her position changing, Natsume-san would immediately use her ability. Combined with her thermal map, she didn't worry about accidentally hitting allies.
Though they hadn't collaborated much before, their coordination this time was far more seamless than expected.
After multiple jumps covering nearly half the research exhibition venue, they'd created what resembled a miniature ice age, with Natsume-san's handiwork visible everywhere.
Before long, Natsume-san identified a pattern.
Stopping the Powered Suit in its tracks was simpler than outright destroying it.
Initially considering disassembling them into parts, she soon switched to freezing their limbs—more efficient and less draining.
It also preserved them as evidence of the rampage.
But no matter how efficient Natsume-san and the others were, they still faced a terrifyingly large army of Powered Suits.
Against such overwhelming numbers, even powerful individuals seemed less effective than one might expect, including Natsume-san with her extensive area of effect.
The 20,000 Powered Suits in the venue had been reduced to 8,000, and after the initial clashes, their numbers dropped below 7,000.
They kept destroying them, but new units continuously joined the assault.
The already exhausted Judgment members were gradually losing ground against the Powered Suit units surging toward the exits.
The Judgment wasn't the primary target; they just happened to be in the way.
Once these Powered Suits broke through the exhibition's gates and wreaked havoc on the streets, the dark organization known as 'STUDY' would hack into Academy City's network and declare this their latest achievement.
Thinking about it, this really was just a large-scale public experiment combined with a results presentation.
"We must hold the gates! Don't let these Powered Suits get through!" Konori-senpai looked disheveled, a small but bleeding wound on her forehead.
As she hurriedly applied emergency medication to stop the bleeding, she notified all members via earpieces and other communication devices.
The medication came in a tube, designed to disinfect, stop bleeding, and promote wound healing simultaneously.
It even prevented scarring, ensuring no unsightly marks were left—a special version created by Dr. Heaven Canceller exclusively for Judgment.
According to prior intelligence, there were five main exits from the research exhibition venue leading outside.
Due to some areas already being cleared, the number of Powered Suits heading toward each gate varied significantly.
But there was no time to strategically allocate personnel; all Judgment members had to secure their nearest positions.
--+--
At one of the exits, cleaning robots began appearing in large numbers.
The girl wore a thin raincoat, wielded her trusty laptop like a battle-axe, and faced the endless stream of Powered Suits with stubborn determination.
"Gate Three is secured. I'll handle things here," she declared.
Her fingers moved like the most agile butterflies, exploiting vulnerabilities in the cleaning robots' control systems to instantly hack the hundreds of robots around her.
Using several signal towers in Academy City's District 7, she could continuously summon nearby cleaning robots, just like when the cleaning companies conducted large-scale recalls.
Given time and access, Uiharu could raise an army composed of cleaning robots and even police robots.
Of course, this relied on having a network signal.
"This is Judgment! I absolutely will not permit you to take one step beyond this point!" she announced, almost talking to herself as she addressed the emotionless machines, her gaze firm with resolve.
Tugging sharply at the shield-shaped armband on her shoulder, Uiharu Kazari upheld the oath she swore when joining the Judgment.
Nearly every member had endured months of intensive training and study, along with various aptitude tests. No one could underestimate their willpower.
--+--
T/N: 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.