When something completely unexpected happened, Misaka-senpai immediately grew tense.
Without the neutralizer, both Janie and Febrie were in serious danger.
"I understand. I'll go make those guys hand it over right now."
Electricity crackled in her hair as Misaka-senpai clenched her fists, stomping with formidable intensity towards the tightly bound Motoharu Yobosaka and his crew.
Having personally experienced the power of those fists, Shirai Kuroko couldn't help but shudder all over.
Even though her calculation capacity hadn't fully recovered, Miss Railgun was still more than ready for a fight.
Several Dark Side members lounging in the corner of the room began to sense an ominous atmosphere.
"Wait! We just found the real neutralizer data, and the existing product has already been sent for by that girl from Sakugawa Middle School."
Noticing the strange tension in the air, Nunotaba Shinobu quickly called out to stop Misaka-senpai, explaining hurriedly.
"That's a relief."
All the fierce energy drained from Misaka-senpai's posture at once. A faint smile touched her lips as she let out a sigh of relief.
Janie and Febrie were playing together, Uiharu and Shirai were busy contacting Anti-Skill, and Nunotaba Shinobu was chatting with Misaka-senpai.
Meanwhile, a certain girl with twin buns had found a stool and sat down in front of the control panel's computer, utterly absorbed in whatever she was reading.
Every now and then, her mouth would fall open in an exaggerated expression of sudden understanding.
Natsume Sonoko's memories of the Railgun Febrie arc were finally becoming complete now that the incident was over.
Although these memories hadn't been much use during the event itself, seeing some strange wreckage outside the base had immediately reminded her of the 'memories' involving the replica Meltdowner beams.
She had only searched through the Dark Side's control console for a short while before finding exactly what she was looking for.
"Are these the materials for the replica Meltdowner beams? And combat data for the #4, Meltdowner herself?"
Shirai-san had, at some point, slipped over to the control panel. Leaning on Natsume Sonoko's shoulder, she peeked at the screen.
"Don't tell me Natsume-san, you're interested in that old hag?"
"I remember seeing her at the family restaurant last time. So Natsume-san likes that type. But I suppose where there's love, age isn't really a problem, is it?"
Shirai-san narrowed her eyes, looking as if she'd seen right through her.
Suddenly, she jolted, the arm resting on Natsume-san's shoulder unconsciously tightening its grip.
She had seen the #4, Meltdowner, too.
But she was nowhere near as impressive as her beloved Onee-sama. She also had that loud-mouthed blonde girl in a beret with her.
But if Natsume-san was interested... Thinking this far, a sudden light gleamed in Shirai-san's eyes.
"Shirai-san, please be quiet. I'm very busy right now."
Natsume-san glanced back at Shirai Kuroko, her hollow pupils seeming to speak volumes.
After spending so much time with Shirai-san, there were moments when she simply didn't know what to say.
"Natsume-san is so terribly serious," Shirai-san remarked with a slight sigh, sounding rather unwilling to drop the subject.
"I found the candies!"
Right then, the girl from Sakugawa Middle School came running in through the base's entrance, sweat dripping from her cheeks, completely out of breath.
Saten-san was holding a small bag, clutching it protectively in her hands. Seeing everyone gathered there, her face immediately lit up with joy.
"Febrie, Janie, here are your candies."
Saten-san crouched down, reaching out to gently ruffle Febrie's and the others' hair.
The sirens of armored vehicles began to wail. The base was located in District 18, so it was District 18's Anti-Skill team that arrived on the scene.
These Anti-Skill officers took Aritomi Haruki and his group away and cordoned off the surrounding area with caution tape.
Thanks to their status as Judgment members, Natsume Sonoko and the others only had to give brief statements before they were free to leave.
Uiharu-san and the others would later have to fill out follow-up reports, and probably even letters of apology, but Natsume-san had no such worries.
She had considered this very situation when she initially agreed to join Judgment, especially with a certain living counter-example, Shirai-san, constantly in view.
Shortly after, several girls with varied expressions emerged from the shadows deep within the base.
"Mugino, looks like we're a step too late. And here I was hoping to get some action."
Frenda poked her head out, taking in the scene littered with the haphazard wreckage of powered suits and replica Meltdowner beams.
"So, does that mean this job is considered complete?" Takitsubo Rikou's eyes looked languid, her mind seeming to be elsewhere.
"Ultra easy," Kinuhata Saiai remarked, arms crossed behind her head, sounding somewhat impressed.
"These should be the replica Meltdowner beams described in the intel, right?"
Walking closer, Frenda curiously examined the scrap metal before her.
"This is seriously irritating. Being ordered around, having our data collected... and the junk they built was taken out so easily by that Railgun brat."
Seeing the iron sand embedded like nails in the replica Meltdowner beams, Mugino Shizuri's face instantly darkened. She was furious.
With the apprehension of these Dark Side members by Anti-Skill, this incident was finally over.
Normally, Anti-Skill didn't interfere with the normal operations of the Dark Side. However, this time, the situation had threatened the surface stability of Academy City and the safety of uninvolved students, which squarely fell under Anti-Skill's jurisdiction.
After saying goodbye to Saten-san and Uiharu-san—
Febrie and Janie were temporarily placed in the care of Nunotaba Shinobu. Then, they picked up Juufuku-san from the science fair.
The group of Tokiwadai students who lived together finally headed back, all looking rather disheveled.
When they returned to the student dormitory, they were fortunate enough not to run into the Dorm Supervisor. Natsume Sonoko and the others collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
If the Supervisor had seen the state they were in, a stern lecture would have been unavoidable. Tokiwadai students had to maintain a proper appearance, after all.
Natsume-san recalled being scolded by the Supervisor once before just because the hem of her skirt had gotten a little wet.
Juufuku-san, having been at Tokiwadai Dorm for a while now, had also gained some firsthand experience of this.
"Ahh, I feel alive again."
In the bathroom of Room 210, hot water streamed continuously from the showerhead, washing away the suds from the twin-bunned girl's hair.
Natsume-san didn't have any severe mysophobia; she was just naturally tidy.
If she felt even the slightest bit sticky or grimy, she'd be uncomfortable all over.
Watching the suds swirl down the drain, the water splashing against the ornate metal cover, Natsume-san's mind wandered inexplicably to all the things she'd gotten up to today.
She'd really done a lot today.
By the time she stepped out of the bathroom, Natsume-san felt completely refreshed.
She'd briefly considered using her ability to dry her hair, but after a moment's hesitation, she picked up the hairdryer instead. It seemed like she'd barely used the thing since she bought it.
--+--
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.