Proving your own memories are perfectly intact is a terribly difficult thing.
In this world, memories truly can be altered, and there are plenty of professionals who can do it. In the hidden recesses of the past, this very city almost spawned a terrifying brainwashing industry.
Still, things ultimately developed for the better, and luck seemed to be on Sonoko-san's side.
Unforeseeable futures were being constantly stirred by quantum butterflies, yet it all felt strangely familiar, like a sense of déjà vu.
To be honest, Natsume Sonoko hadn't thought of any good way to prove it. She was facing one of humanity's greatest philosophical puzzles: how do you prove you are who you are?
Just then, Misaka-senpai seemed to remember something, pulling a destroyed mosquito-type robot from her pocket.
The micro-robot had a long, narrow proboscis, and its thorax and abdomen were noticeably enlarged, seemingly to hold something.
It looked like it had taken a solid hit, with some of its intricate components now exposed.
"Not long after the match started, someone secretly deployed these things on the field. They're even coated with a material that reduces their radar signature."
Misaka-senpai explained, her face still clouded with clear annoyance, the prejudice against that overly-developed blonde girl evidently still strong.
However, her tone softened slightly when she broached the topic of a possible attack.
The biases in both their minds ran deep.
What started as animosity born of incompatible abilities had evolved into living in separate dorms and essentially avoiding each other forever.
Honestly, this kind of prejudice is both incredibly difficult and surprisingly easy to change.
Taking that first step to communicate is crucial. Misaka-senpai's side was actually easier to handle; her personality made her more inclined to trust others.
If it weren't for that, incidents like the Level 6 Shift Project and the Sisters wouldn't have happened in the first place.
In Natsume-san's opinion, the fact that the two of them had such a strained relationship was largely because a certain blonde girl was just too domineering.
Don't be fooled just because Shokuhou-senpai and I get along well. At school, she's the Queen, while Misaka-senpai is merely the Princess.
"I'm not sure if this mosquito robot is the 'attack' you mentioned, Natsume-san, but it was definitely there. Assuming it really was some kind of assault..."
Misaka-senpai's tone grew calmer as her gaze remained fixed on her kouhai.
This kouhai of hers was great in most ways, but her guard was far too low around certain people.
Even after all this time, it seemed Natsume-san still hadn't noticed the subtle clues hidden within her memories.
For students of Level 5 caliber, regardless of whether they possess specific countermeasures against Mental Out, a basic level of resistance still exists.
It's a simple conclusion: the more developed the brain, the less influence Mental Out holds.
And even if false memories are implanted, they can only overlay, not completely erase the brain's true memories. That's why it's possible to recover memories after brainwashing.
After all, you can't just copy someone else's memories into your own brain for safekeeping and then return them later—that could shake the very foundation of your own personality.
It's just that, aside from the brainwasher themselves, few people can actually retrieve those buried memories from their own minds.
"If it's real, then it proves what I said was right!" Natsume Sonoko's eyes instantly lit up, as if she'd found the solution to her problem.
There was no need to prove whether she'd been brainwashed or not. All she needed was evidence of the attackers or the mastermind behind them.
"Pretty much," Misaka-senpai conceded. She still didn't know who had deployed the mosquito robot, but seeing Natsume-san so certain and insistent...
Even with the possibility that the girl beside her had been brainwashed, the heart of the Railgun softened a little.
'After all, this is Natsume-san we're talking about.'
The seemingly prickly exterior of the Railgun was sometimes just an act. The life of a Level 5 isn't all sunshine and roses.
"Exactly, this is an attack! And it's a micro-robot, too. Now that you mention it, Shokuhou-senpai was also 'bitten,' though the model in her case was more like a hornet."
Just as she was about to launch back into her explanation about the brainwashing, Natsume Sonoko's spirits lifted upon hearing this.
Yet, a wave of caution also rose within her. These micro-robots posed a threat to her as well.
Made to look just like mosquitos, if their heat signature was similar too, even she might overlook them.
With so many small animals and insects around, she couldn't possibly drive them all away.
Fortunately, Natsume-san often chose to use her invisibility, which would also help her spot such things. A little extra vigilance wouldn't hurt.
"She was attacked too?" Misaka-senpai sounded genuinely surprised.
"Yeah, I just got back from the Reformatory. I found Shokuhou-senpai there, already attacked. The assailants and their powered suits might still be on-site," Natsume-san replied, a note of uncertainty in her voice.
She'd been worried that Shokuhou-senpai's actions at the Reformatory might cause unnecessary trouble, but so far, no official bodies like the Anti-Skill teachers had come looking for them.
Natsume Sonoko had a rough idea why. Either Shokuhou-senpai had already modified memories or issued commands to tie up loose ends, or the mastermind behind it all had cleaned up the mess for them.
Unless they were acting on orders from Academy City's higher-ups, the other side would definitely need to handle the necessary cleanup. The whole commotion there had probably been completely covered up.
The two opposing sides seemed to share a strange, unspoken understanding: keep the authorities out of it as much as possible.
Of course, a certain bun-haired girl was still too young and naive, completely lacking such awareness.
There was a time she'd even considered calling the Anti-Skill teachers for help, though thankfully, she'd given up on that idea.
"Oh, right! The security footage!" A smile immediately spread across Natsume Sonoko's face.
If the cameras had caught her and Shokuhou-senpai looking all disheveled and rushing back to District 7 from afar, that would be all the proof they needed.
After all, that particular senpai was the type to even skip PE class. If she could ride, she'd absolutely never walk, and they had looked pretty embarrassed then.
To be honest, Natsume-san had one more piece of absolute proof: the nanomachines inside Shokuhou-senpai's body.
She wasn't sure if Misaka-senpai could sense the nanomachines themselves, but she'd definitely be able to detect the electromagnetic signals they emitted.
--+--
Time slowly passed, the sun continuing its journey west.
Sitting on a stone bench not far from the competition grounds, Misaka-senpai borrowed Natsume Sonoko's phone.
Natsume-san just blinked, watching the girl beside her fiddling with her phone with a serious expression.
Misaka-senpai's own phone was a Gekota-themed feature phone, ill-suited for handling heavy data streams, a relic from the fringes of Academy City's mobile market.
Rumor had it she'd been thinking about getting a new one lately, but she couldn't bear to part with her limited-edition Gekota phone. Plus, her electromaster ability caused fewer issues with feature phones.
"Whoever deployed these robots probably knew about my ability, but they underestimated a Level 5. I initially thought it was Nagatenjouki Academy, but today's match was a last-minute change. There was no time to prepare something like this in advance."
And going to such lengths just for one match was clearly overkill; it was blatant cheating anyway.
Watching the phone screen working at full capacity, various images flickering and jumping across it, Misaka-senpai thought for a moment before speaking softly.
Luckily, Natsume-san's phone was a relatively high-end model from about a year ago, a deluxe version she'd specifically chosen at purchase. It could just about withstand this kind of punishment.
As for Natsume-san's suggestion to check the cameras, the Railgun was already about seventy to eighty percent convinced before she even started the search.
When it came to computers and networks, she was in a league of her own, the undisputed queen. It was nearly impossible to deceive her using anything that existed within the network.
The phone screen now didn't show the footage of a weary Shokuhou Misaki and her companion.
Instead, it had accessed the live stream from the earlier 'Balloon Hunter' event; the two of them were searching for whoever had released the mosquito robots.
"Found it. It's very likely this person." A hint of emotion colored Misaka-senpai's voice as she identified a very suspicious individual.
It was a figure in a Nagatenjouki Academy tracksuit, his build roughly 1.6 times that of the #5 Level 5, and his height about 1.3 times that of the #8 Level 5.
He had only stayed in the competition area for a short time before being escorted out for disrupting the event.
Misaka-senpai hadn't noticed this person's presence at the time. Even the camera spheres responsible for filming had only captured a few brief shots of him.
Continuing to review other records from the match and looking up information on their originally scheduled opponents, Misaka-senpai grew more and more certain.
This person's name was Baba Yoshio, a student from Kuza High School in School District 18.
Now that she thought about it, Tokiwadai Middle School had been matched against high schools twice in a row now.
Their original opponent's team had been short on members—many had gotten food poisoning and still couldn't assemble, and several substitutes had inexplicably dropped out, leaving them unable to field a full team.
That's why they were replaced last minute by Nagatenjouki Academy.
But this Baba Yoshio seemed to have an extremely strong desire to compete. Even after his team was disqualified, he still managed to sneak into the venue.
He was discovered not long after the match started, fully embodying the 'participating is what matters' spirit of sports.
"These micro-robots can reduce their radar signature, and they were deployed specifically during my match against Nagatenjouki... they seem to know me well," Misaka-senpai mused, staring at the image of the boy while muttering to herself.
"But it seems they looked down on a Level 5. Even if the Daihaseisai rules restrict my use of lightning, even if my attention was focused on others, it doesn't mean I couldn't observe my surroundings or counter-attack against these robots."
At a specific point in the phone's footage, Misaka-senpai dodged an opponent's attack, turned slightly, and casually swatted down a strange 'mosquito' with the sandbag in her hand.
An electromagnetic barrier surrounded Misaka-senpai, making it impossible for something like a mosquito to get close to her. She was naturally insulated from small animals and insects.
Furthermore, that electromagnetic field covering her body also acted as an early warning net, integrated with her own sensory radar observing her surroundings. Anything passing through it would be detected by her in advance.
--+--
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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