"You okay, Natsume-san?"
The school day was over, and club activities weren't on her agenda.
Natsume Sonoko floated a mere five centimeters off the ground, her legs aching and her whole body feeling weak and limp.
She drifted lightly, head bowed, struggling to keep up with Misaka-senpai.
"I'm fine. I'll just apply some ointment when I get back."
They had reached the school garden's entrance. Natsume-san took her student ID from her bag and swiped it at the checkpoint.
"If it's too much, don't push yourself. You can always explain the situation to the P.E. teacher," Misaka-senpai said, having noticed the unusual state of the bun-girl, her tone laced with concern.
Tokiwadai's training regimen did take student physique into account, and the intensity was generally moderate. But for those unaccustomed to exercise, it was still quite a challenge.
And for a small number of students, the school actually permitted a reduced physical load.
"Mhm."
Natsume Sonoko nodded in response, but her mind held little intention of giving up.
If everyone else could do it, Natsume-san believed she could do it too.
"I really owe you one today, Natsume-san. I'm still not quite used to dealing with Shokuhou-san."
Misaka-senpai's footsteps suddenly halted as she looked up at the azure sky.
"Don't mention it. Shokuhou-senpai is actually a pretty good person."
"As soon as I brought it up, she agreed. She'll help delete Febrie and the others' memories of the experiment today or tomorrow."
Natsume Sonoko also stopped, a pensive look crossing her face.
It was just like before, when Natsume Sonoko had wanted to ask Shokuhou-senpai to erase the experimental memories from the Misaka Network, to free the Sisters from the shackles of that experiment.
The contents of those experiments were an unbearable cruelty to any sound mind and body. Being covered in tubes, placed in cultivation tanks, treated as disposable tools… those memories were better off gone.
Having experienced many things of this nature, Natsume-san's thoughts suddenly turned to her own Reiko.
Clones, bio-androids, even synthetic humans like Reiko—if they could develop human emotions and harbor hopes for all the world's beauty, they should be treated as proper human beings.
Calling them tools was just too cruel.
Although Natsume-san borrowed computational power from Reiko's side, she would absolutely never allow herself to become the kind of person who spouted rhetoric about humans being mere tools.
Perhaps one day, Natsume-san might even choose to sever the link.
Speaking of which, it had been almost a month for Reiko now, hadn't it? Of course, that was counting from when Reiko first gained consciousness.
Shaking off her thoughts, Natsume-san refocused her attention on Misaka-senpai, who was still gazing at the sky, lost in who-knew-what thoughts.
"Though that woman puts on a high-and-mighty act, she can be surprisingly reliable sometimes."
A complicated emotion flickered across Misaka-senpai's face before she started walking again.
Come to think of it, Misaka-senpai didn't have a good impression of her same-year, Shokuhou Misaki, and the feeling was likely mutual on Shokuhou-senpai's end, though Natsume-san wasn't entirely clear on the reasons.
There were even rumors that, to avoid living under the same roof, one lived in the School District 7 dormitories, while the other resided within the Tokiwadai dormitories inside the School Garden.
"Shokuhou-senpai acting high-and-mighty?"
Natsume Sonoko beside her couldn't help but ponder.
Natsume-san had been a little afraid of Shokuhou-senpai at first, but after getting to know her, their relationship had become quite good. Though, she'd never actually seen this supposedly high-and-mighty side of Shokuhou-senpai.
"What's that?"
Misaka-senpai, looking up, spotted a hot air balloon—or rather, an airship—flying across the sky.
The airships constantly broadcast weather forecasts and current news, and they could be seen all over the city.
According to some dubious gossip, these airships supposedly housed Academy City's high-altitude laboratories.
[Gaul Successfully Launches Spaceplane]
"Is something wrong?" Natsume-san asked, puzzled.
"I think some other country launched a spaceplane yesterday too," Misaka-senpai said, shaking her head.
"The space industry's really booming lately," Natsume-san remarked with a sense of wonder. Maybe America would launch one tomorrow.
"It's not just spaceplanes. They've even built that outrageous thing, the space elevator," Misaka-senpai suddenly added with a sigh.
"Space elevator?"
"It's in School District 23. I heard it's scheduled to start official operations before the Daihaseisai," Misaka-senpai explained.
"Eh, seems like everyone's busy these days."
--+--
A certain university hospital.
Several Sisters were undergoing cellular adjustment within cultivation tanks, breathing apparatuses on their mouths, their bodies submerged in a pale green liquid, surrounded by numerous whirring instruments.
The cellular adjustments had been going on for nearly half a month. The state of the Sisters' cells was gradually improving, but it would still take some time to reach a relatively normal level.
Natsume Sonoko smiled and waved at the Sisters in the tanks. Even inside, the Sisters could perceive the outside world.
"Is Doctor Heaven Canceller here too?"
Just as they entered Janie and Febrie's hospital room, their eyes fell upon Heaven Canceller, who was holding a medical chart.
He looked the same as always, his face bearing a gentle smile, the hair on his head gradually thinning from his arduous work.
"Natsume-san, and Misaka-san."
Nunotaba Shinobu sat in the corner of the room, wearing a black and white dress that, at a glance, rather resembled a maid outfit.
"You're here," Heaven Canceller said, turning towards them.
Sitting on Febrie's bed, Natsume-san couldn't resist gently pinching Febrie's little cheeks, placing the cakes she had just bought on their bedside table.
Though, Febrie and Janie's bedside was already piled high with toys and snacks. It seemed Saten-san and the others had already visited.
"Sonoko, cake!" Febrie's face immediately broke into a blissful smile, while Janie peered over curiously, blinking her eyes.
"Yep! Sonoko-oneechan and Mikoto-oneechan bought them specially. They're the special ones."
Natsume Sonoko grinned.
"Even with the neutralizer formula and the 'Chemicaloid Project' data, we still haven't found a treatment method?" Misaka-senpai asked, her voice tinged with disappointment after Heaven Canceller had left.
If that was the case, then Janie and the others would have to rely on the neutralizer indefinitely to survive.
"But Doctor Heaven Canceller also said that Janie and the others need a full examination at a specialized bio-lab before we can find a treatment," Nunotaba Shinobu said softly, stroking Janie's head before addressing Natsume-san and the others.
"Couldn't a lab within Academy City do it?" Misaka-senpai asked hesitantly.
"They could, but I'm not comfortable with them receiving treatment inside Academy City. I'd prefer they leave," Nunotaba Shinobu shook her head.
"And after everything that's happened, who knows how the city authorities would handle it."
Academy City was never as pristine as it appeared on the surface.
Misaka-senpai and Natsume-san exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement.
From the 'Sisters' to the creation of Febrie and the others, Academy City seemed filled with all sorts of fanatical researchers.
And judging by the level of power Janie and the others had displayed—even if it required some instrumentation—reaching Level 5, entrusting Febrie and the others to unfamiliar researchers within Academy City was truly unsettling.
Even the Sisters who remained in Academy City were only a source of comfort because Doctor Heaven Canceller was overseeing their care.
"If it's about the aftermath with Academy City's authorities, Uiharu and I have made some preparations. It shouldn't be a major problem," Misaka-senpai said, a slight smirk forming on her lips.
Last night, Misaka-senpai and Uiharu had secretly modified all the electronic records related to the incident, steering the outcome in a direction favorable to Nunotaba Shinobu and the others.
"But it won't be easy for Janie and the others to leave Academy City," Natsume Sonoko finally spoke up, having remained quiet during the discussion.
The last time large groups of Sisters left Academy City for cellular adjustment around the world, it had tacit approval from the city's Board of Directors. But that didn't mean Febrie and the others would receive the same treatment.
--+--
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.