The armored vehicle's headlights cut bright paths through the murky air, illuminating a distinctive pair of bouncing black buns within their beams.
The Kanamin mask was gone at some point, and Natsume Sonoko's fair face now wore a look of focused determination as she assisted the Anti-Skill teacher in dealing with the sprawling mass of incapacitated criminals littering the ground.
While Natsume-san didn't necessarily agree with all the methods employed by Academy City's higher-ups, she held a genuine respect for the Anti-Skill teachers who worked hard to maintain the city's surface-level peace.
Thanks to the… exceptionally persistent effects of the stun gun, the criminals were still unconscious and likely would be for a while yet.
Unlike most people who called Anti-Skill after running into trouble, Natsume-san's habit was to handle the problem first then call them in.
This accumulated track record had, over time, earned a certain bun-haired girl a rather favorable reputation within the Anti-Skill system.
"Uiharu-san told you about the robbery, didn't she."
This came from Shirai Kuroko, who was standing nearby with her lips inexplicably puckered in a pout.
She was clumsily swathed in haphazard layers of bandages, her face pale from blood loss.
With multiple injuries on her right leg, her body swayed slightly, giving her a fragile, almost ethereal appearance, as if a strong gust might knock her over.
Even so, this girl named Shirai-san had gritted her teeth and pushed through all the way here.
"That's not important right now. Catching the culprits is what matters," Natsume Sonoko shook her head gently, her expression stating this was the most obvious thing in the world.
She seemed completely unapologetic, even a little self-righteous, about having essentially taken over Shirai-san's job.
A severely injured person really had no business being so stubborn about these things.
"Besides, Shirai-san, with injuries this serious, you should have gone straight to the hospital. Carrying on like this will only make everyone worry."
As she spoke, Natsume Sonoko's gaze drifted pointedly towards Shirai-san's wounds.
The ointment provided by Judgment had stopped the bleeding, but the wounds were deep, and every step sent ripples of pain through her muscles.
Just as Shirai-san tried to shift to hide them, she felt a warm current of air envelop her body, lifting her gently.
"I don't need your meddling," Shirai Kuroko stated flatly.
Though her body felt weak and unsteady, her voice was as resolute as ever.
"Heh. Shirai-san, you really are so immature."
Glancing at the Judgment armband on Shirai-san's shoulder, Natsume Sonoko couldn't help but shake her head and sigh.
"Speaking of which… you actually took them all down with a stun gun."
Her eyelid twitched involuntarily as Shirai Kuroko's eyes landed on the device in the other girl's hand.
"It was my first time using one, so I wasn't very experienced. I didn't expect it to work quite that well," Natsume-san replied with a somewhat embarrassed smile.
To complement her new 'toy,' she'd even created those light-construct buildings to trap Musujime Awaka.
Perhaps because her ability was just that effective against Musujime, the whole encounter felt almost too easy, making the elaborate light constructs seem a bit unnecessary.
"As much as it galls me that these creeps were defeated by a stun gun… I suppose the end result is acceptable," Shirai-san admitted, a wry smile touching her lips.
Supported by the air currents, she felt much lighter. Moving her body slightly, she felt a pang of resignation.
Her original plan had been to return every bit of pain she'd suffered in kind—an eye for an eye, within the realm of a lady's conduct.
But a certain meddling bun-head had already finished the job, leaving her with no choice but to stand down and head back.
Still… she really did owe her a great deal this time.
Shirai-san's thoughts drifted, her gaze lingering on Natsume Sonoko.
"Glad that's settled. Oh, by the way, I also gave one of them a good, solid punch on your behalf," Natsume Sonoko added quickly, as if suddenly remembering.
"How much could your punch possibly hurt? I was the one seriously wounded by that woman. At this rate, I might not even be able to participate in the Daihaseisai," Shirai-san grumbled, a note of genuine frustration in her voice.
"Ah! The stolen case! What about it?" Shirai-san's tension returned in a flash.
Compared to capturing Musujime Awaka and her crew, the contents of that case concerned her far more.
It was directly related to her beloved Onee-sama's safety.
"Some… passerby… ended up reducing it to that state."
Natsume Sonoko blinked, then pointed towards the pile of shattered remnants that was all that remained of the Tree Diagram. You couldn't have glued it back together if you tried.
"Shirai-san, this is no condition for an injured person. I've already called Misaka-senpai. We'll meet up at the hospital."
With matters here mostly wrapped up, Natsume Sonoko's tone turned serious. Letting a patient run around outside was unacceptable.
Now that she thought of it, Misaka-senpai had left the scene before her, yet she, Sonoko, had been the one to ultimately track down Musujime Awaka.
As the Anti-Skill armored vehicles departed, the responsibility for the after-action reports and incident paperwork would fall squarely on Judgment Branch 177.
With Shirai-san injured, the bulk of that work would inevitably land on Uiharu-san's shoulders.
Usually, it was Shirai-san leading the way, but now the roles were reversed. Natsume Sonoko, towing her 'dead weight,' flew through the air towards a certain university hospital.
"Curfew time has already passed, huh…"
Flying mid-air, the bun-haired girl glanced at the time. Even the severely injured Shirai Kuroko raised a brow in response.
The anticipation of danger was always worrying, but once she was face-to-face with it, her heart filled with courage.
That was just the kind of person Natsume Sonoko was.
As the time past curfew stretched from one minute to ten, a strange calm settled over her instead.
"Onee-sama! Kuroko is so happy to see you!"
The moment she spotted a certain Railgun at the hospital entrance, all the strength seemed to leave Shirai Kuroko's bones. With a zip of Teleport, she instantly relocated herself, clinging to Misaka-senpai.
The violent motion must have tugged at her wounds, sending a sharp stab of pain through her, which only made Shirai-san cling tighter, her face a mix of agony and bliss.
"Kuroko… you worked hard."
Misaka-senpai seemed like she wanted to say more, but a hospital gurney was already being wheeled over, forcing her to deposit the clinging Shirai-san onto it.
Lately, aside from school, the hospital had become the place Natsume-san visited most.
Doctor Gekota was a nice man, but frequenting the hospital was hardly a cause for celebration.
Tonight, however, there was no sign of Doctor Gekota. The night shift doctor was the one to examine Shirai-san's injuries.
The Judgment ointment would have had her mostly recovered after a few days of rest, but Shirai-san's long, arduous trip to pursue the culprits had reopened and worsened her wounds considerably.
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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.