Returning from Tokiwadai's dining hall and bidding farewell to Misaka-senpai and the others, Natsume Sonoko slammed the door to Room 210 shut with a 'thud'.
She opened the dorm window and peered outside. Then, with careful steps, Natsume-san stood on her own windowsill, looking down at everything below. It seemed she was planning on sneaking out again.
To avoid detection by the ever-present surveillance cameras or security robots, activating her transparency mode was the most basic first step.
She had no particular fondness for jumping from heights.
As a window on the second floor opened as if by ghostly means and swiftly closed again, a strange, unnatural gust of wind spread out instantly along the wall's surface before vanishing. It was followed by a brief, localized disturbance in the air, like a surge of displaced air.
The commotion caused by her flight grew smaller each time.
Natsume was nearly perfectly merged with her environment. If it were a windy day, this integration became even more concealed.
The wings on her back were smaller than usual, so they didn't provide her top speed, but they were well-suited for quick turns and maneuvers close to the ground, actually improving her mobility.
Flying through the air, heading in the direction where Reiko was, Natsume-san's gaze held a trace of unreadable seriousness.
While Reiko's ability wasn't weak, Natsume-san didn't feel comfortable letting Reiko make direct contact with those factions. So, going herself was absolutely necessary.
Meanwhile, in a dark alley near the Misaka Apartments, a thoughtful glint also appeared in Reiko's eyes as she found several branching paths ahead.
Lacking Natsume-san's vast ability range, her own scope was pitifully small. Relying on her thermal vision, she couldn't determine which way the person she was following had gone.
After a moment's thought, she headed down the path where the air temperature was relatively higher.
Perhaps thanks to a stroke of luck, the branching paths ultimately converged in the same direction. Following this route soon led her to a nearby road.
After pursuing for a bit longer, Reiko finally spotted the figure who had been sneaking around observing the Misaka Apartments.
That figure turned its head, scanning the surroundings as if looking for someone.
They wore a brownish-black men's suit, with spiked-back blond hair, green pupils, and the face of a foreigner.
"A foreigner?"
Surprise flashed across both of Natsume-san's faces simultaneously.
While foreigners here for visits or study were common sights in Academy City, this was the first time she'd seen one as a suspicious enemy.
'Could it be another group like [Science Association], a force from outside Academy City?'
If that were the case, Natsume-san felt a bit more at ease. At least it wasn't some move from within Academy City itself.
But there wasn't much time for thought. In just an instant, the scene before her changed.
A boy in a puffy feather coat appeared from nowhere. It happened fast, in the blink of an eye.
He just suddenly materialized behind the foreigner, a saw held in his hand like a weapon.
The foreigner's position was outside Reiko's ability range, so she couldn't sense the boy's appearance, but her eyes accurately recorded it all.
The weather was getting cooler, but not enough for a puffy feather coat yet. This boy's attire was also somewhat suspicious.
"Another spatial mover?"
While hurrying over on her... 'steed'... Natsume-san's mind spun, confused again by the situation.
'Were they from two different factions?'
And lately, it seemed like an unusual number of spatial ability users were popping up.
His movements were quick, suggesting some training.
The boy raised the saw high, a cold, grim expression on his face. Without a word, he swung it down directly at the foreigner.
A certain meddlesome bun-girl immediately felt the urge to intervene.
But the foreigner was faster. He pivoted sharply on his left foot, his right leg sweeping out in a low, powerful arc that instantly connected with the boy's stomach.
The saw was sent flying from his grasp. The boy, hit by the tremendous force, was thrown backward, his body curving unnaturally. He tumbled several times on the ground before finally skidding to a halt meters away.
"What a lackluster opponent."
The blond foreigner twisted his ankle in the air nonchalantly, seeming very confident in his single strike.
When he went over to check, he found the boy was already knocked out cold.
The foreigner then reached down and picked the boy up, apparently not planning to just leave him there.
This swift, efficient attack gave the certain bun-girl quite a scare.
While she'd seen Shirai-san's close-quarters combat many times, it still seemed somewhat lacking compared to this foreigner.
His instant reflexes weren't inferior to high-level ability users like Natsume-san herself.
If Shirai-san were in that situation, she'd probably get hurt, just like what happened yesterday.
Exiting the alleyway, the foreigner tossed the feather-coated boy into a car parked by the roadside, started the engine, and drove away quickly.
After swapping shifts with Reiko, the main body of a certain Natsume Sonoko finally caught up.
Hovering about ten meters above the road, she followed closely behind the foreigner's car.
She didn't make a move immediately. Natsume-san wanted to see where this foreigner was going.
After passing through several traffic lights, and even spotting a few Judgment members maintaining order on the streets, the car finally stopped at a location in District 7.
A subterranean garage door opened, and the car slowly drove inside.
Looking up at the sign prominently displayed on the building, Natsume read the name: Futaba Trading Company.
"The counterattack is more fierce than anticipated. It seems they've dispatched core personnel this time. I caught this one at the surveillance point. I'll leave the next steps to you."
Taking the elevator to the top floor of the building, the blond foreigner dumped the boy onto a smooth section of the floor, speaking calmly to someone in the room.
"Such remarkable efficiency. Choosing to cooperate with you was indeed the correct decision."
"So, what kind of memories should we craft this time? And they need to conform to Misaka-san's behavioral logic... I suddenly have a rather splendid idea."
A starry-eyed girl stretched lazily by a vast wall of transparent floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out at the scenery outside. A slight, knowing smile played on her lips.
--+--
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!
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