So now it's the middle schoolers' turn to save Academy City, huh?
Natsume Sonoko couldn't help but gaze up at the sky—still as clear and pristine as ever.
Next to her, Shirai-san was as frantic as an ant on a hot skillet, completely unaware of what it meant to keep a level head in crisis. Sonoko couldn't help but shake her head and sigh inwardly.
Though danger seemed imminent, Natsume didn't feel particularly nervous.
No matter how you looked at it, a missile of this caliber should be well within Academy City's defensive capabilities.
Their anti-air systems had probably already locked on.
While its speed of seven kilometers per second was astonishing, considering it was still thirty-five thousand kilometers away, they had over an hour to spare—more than enough time for Academy City to respond.
Fresh from the exhilarating carnage of the 'Six Wings' incident, Natsume-san found herself harboring a strange, newfound confidence in the city's technology.
This was just another routine occurrence.
"Shirai-san, there's no need to be so tense. I'm sure everything will be fine."
Natsume Sonoko gave Shirai-san's shoulder a reassuring pat, attempting to comfort her upperclassman in Judgment.
Now that she thought about it, this very senior had been the one to facilitate her entry into Judgment. Looking back, Sonoko still felt the motives behind it weren't entirely pure.
"We've got news!"
Shirai-san's voice rang out a bit too loudly, drawing glances from those around them.
--+--
Today, Academy City was unusually quiet. There were no Gundam-esque robots rocketing into the sky, nor the usual spate of violent incidents between people.
At the dark-side hideout, the group had split into two teams.
Nunotaba-senpai and Febrie remained behind, preparing to awaken Janie, who was on the verge of a power lapse.
To prevent any unforeseen disasters, Misaka-senpai had set her sights on intercepting the missile.
"To rescue Janie from her lapsed system, we need your help, Febrie."
"Febrie and Janie are nearly identical individuals—your brainwaves are the same. I'll synchronize your brainwaves with Janie's, Febrie. You must try to wake her up."
Inside the hideout, Nunotaba Shinobu crouched down and gently ruffled Febrie's hair, her tone a mix of encouragement and quiet hope.
It was similar to the Misaka Network connecting the Sisters, but since Febrie and the others weren't Electromasters who could convert brainwaves into electronic signals, Nunotaba Shinobu had to rely on specialized equipment to bridge the gap.
"Shinobu-chan."
Febrie licked the lollipop in her hand, tilting her head as she processed the information.
"Febrie understands. Febrie will wake up her sister."
She narrowed her eyes, a sweet smile spreading across her face.
Just as the awakening process began, Misaka-senpai was already racing through the streets of District Seven.
"The method for intercepting the missile has been calculated. Misaka will now allocate processing power to tracking the missile's trajectory."
The voice of Misaka 9982 once again came through Misaka-senpai's phone.
"Based on current conditions, there is only one viable method to intercept the missile: destroy it in flight using a high-output Railgun."
Misaka-senpai gritted her teeth, suddenly quickening her pace.
It was the same principle as surface-to-air missiles: calculate the trajectory, lock onto the target, and strike with precision.
To launch a high-output Railgun shot capable of reaching an altitude of thirty thousand meters, they would need to transport both a sufficiently large projectile and the Railgun herself to that height.
Since the theoretical size of the required projectile exceeded Shirai-san's teleportation limits—and they'd have to bring a certain Railgun along—Shirai-san's spatial movement ability was rendered useless.
The only ones capable of pulling this off were Natsume-san and Kongou Mitsuko-san.
"But according to the Sisters' calculations, finding a ferrous object suitable for Kongou-san's ability is extremely difficult. Ordinary iron objects can't withstand the force of at least several thousand airbursts."
"And even if we found one, by the time it reached thirty thousand meters, it would no longer be viable as a proper projectile."
Countless thoughts raced through Misaka-senpai's mind, but her resolve was already firm.
So it seems we have no choice but to rely on Natsume-san again—to use her ability to transport both the projectile and myself to the stratosphere, thirty thousand meters above.
Thirty thousand meters was nothing in the grand scheme of the atmosphere, whose outermost layers extended a thousand kilometers from Earth's surface. Yet, only the most advanced aircraft could reach such altitudes.
To have to depend on Natsume-san once more… it felt strangely familiar.
"So that's how it is. I don't have any objections."
"Though I've never been to thirty thousand meters before. I've thought about going up to take a look when I was bored, but I always turned back after a few kilometers."
Natsume Sonoko rested her chin in her hand, muttering softly to herself. But in the next instant, both she and Shirai-san vanished into a shimmer of fragmented space.
Before she could utter another word, the world before her eyes splintered into disjointed fragments. The rapid, disorienting shifts in location forced a certain bun-haired girl to swallow her words and stay quiet.
Under the effects of spatial teleportation, the two of them flickered like blurred phantoms, their positions constantly changing.
By the time Shirai-san finally came to a stop, they had arrived inside a theme park in District Seven.
"Shirai-san, why are we here?"
Natsume Sonoko was momentarily puzzled, but as she turned her head, her eyes fell upon a steel locomotive serving as a recreational attraction in one corner of the park.
And standing near that steel locomotive were Kongou-senpai, Uiharu, and the others.
"This big toy should be more than sufficient, don't you think?"
Kongou-senpai held her folding fan in front of her cheek. A middle-aged office worker in a suit and tie stood beside her, apparently explaining something.
"Ah, Natsume-san, you're here. This is the most suitable object in the vicinity to use as a projectile."
Uiharu let out a sigh of relief and pointed toward the locomotive.
"A standard locomotive weighs well over a hundred tons, but this one is just for recreational purposes. It's less than half the weight of a real one—only about fifty tons."
Uiharu explained the details.
"Fifty tons… Yeah, that should be manageable."
Natsume Sonoko blinked in mild surprise. She'd never transported such a large solid object before.
It sounded heavy, but it was nowhere near the scale of the buildings Accelerator had once tossed around. Even the rain cloud she'd lifted previously far exceeded this weight.
She walked up to the locomotive and examined it carefully for a moment. Placing her hands beneath it, she gave an experimental heave—just as she expected, it didn't budge an inch. Her first attempt to lift it had failed.
But then, a violent gust of wind erupted around her, sending leaves spiraling through the air. Just as she was about to try wrenching the locomotive free from the ground, she suddenly remembered—this locomotive was still someone else's property.
"It's settled. I've purchased this locomotive."
Kongou-senpai's voice reached her ears.
In that moment of distraction, Natsume-san exerted her power, and the locomotive—along with clumps of soil and tangled roots—slowly began to rise into the air.
--+--
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.