The world's never short on people. Even though Natsume-san hadn't shown up, that afternoon's event was still packed to the brim.
"Something's happened."
Screams rang out from a park near the competition grounds. A handful of medical staff and Anti-Skill members stood guard on the scene, staring in shock at a girl drenched in blood.
"What happened? Who attacked her?"
An unfamiliar Anti-Skill officer lowered his head as he questioned those present. Komoe-sensei, her face pale and trembling, gestured weakly as she described the assailant, tears streaming uncontrollably down her cheeks.
"It was a foreign woman—blonde hair, revealing clothes, and then… her face suddenly tensed up, and Himegami-san started bleeding all over."
Komoe-sensei's voice grew heavy with grief, but she forced herself to continue describing the woman's appearance.
"Understood. We'll dispatch Anti-Skill immediately."
The Anti-Skill teacher's expression tightened with frustration as he set up the caution tape and began dispersing the crowd.
Work today seemed unusually hectic.
Even with the extra deployment of security robots, incidents of all sorts had erupted simultaneously across the city, leaving them critically short-handed.
"It's Himegami… but why?"
In the crowd, Kamijou Touma stared in disbelief at the girl collapsed on the ground, his fists clenching so hard they turned red.
"She might have been mistaken for a pursuer by Oriana. Battles between magicians often aren't easy to contain," Stiyl said calmly, his eyes fixed on the pendant around Himegami's neck—a charm with effects similar to the Walking Church.
According to the intelligence they had gathered, Stiyl and the others were currently pursuing Oriana Thomson, a magician who had infiltrated Academy City as a "delivery girl." She was here to trade a religious artifact known as the "Croce di Pietro."
Legend had it that this artifact could kill a Saint instantly, regardless of distance, simply by being aimed at them.
--+--
"So an attack near the competition grounds left a girl severely injured, on the brink of death…"
Learning this news, Natsume-san couldn't help but feel a little somber.
She walked along the lively, bustling street, long since parted from her two upperclassmen. More than twenty minutes had passed since the three of them had been together.
Only now did Natsume-san remember to check the reason her match had been postponed—though in the end, she had missed the rescheduled event as well.
What she didn't know was that the girl who'd been attacked was Himegami Aisa, someone she had met before.
And then there was that "Six Wings" aircraft she'd seen earlier, the Anti-Skill vehicles parked near the student dorms, plus the things she herself had been dealing with… and it was only the first day of the Daihaseisai. This city was a little too lively already.
Just then, Natsume-san's phone rang. The ordinary smartphone that had been temporarily repurposed as an information hub was finally back to its usual duties.
"I almost forgot about Mom…"
She sighed quietly to herself. Time never seemed to be enough—it was too easy to let things slip your mind.
"Sonoko, are you still busy?"
The voice on the other end hesitated briefly, as if unsure whether to bother the bun-girl.
"By the way, you missed your matches twice in a row today. Luckily, someone from your school stepped in for you."
Though she spoke slowly, Tomoyo's voice was full of concern.
And rightly so. Anyone would worry if their child suddenly said they had something to do, vanished for two hours, and even skipped out on a competition.
"Yeah, but someone filled in for me?"
Natsume Sonoko's eyes lit up. That was a relief.
"It really wasn't on purpose, you know? I just ran into some… complicated stuff. It took a lot just to deal with part of it, and I can't just leave it half-finished."
She chose her words carefully, speaking earnestly. She truly meant what she said.
Still, Natsume-san wondered who had taken her place. Was it someone Hokaze-senpai arranged?
"Being a Judgment member sure is tough," the woman on the phone sighed, seemingly recalling the excuse Natsume-san had used when she slipped away earlier.
"Oh, and I ran into another friend of yours today! A cute girl with a flower hairpin—she even mistook me for you."
"Eh? That must be Uiharu-san, the one I told you about before."
Everyone was busy. The villains were busy scheming; the ordinary high schoolers were busy trying to save Academy City.
Together with Misaka-senpai, Natsume-san had successfully escorted the Sisters to a certain safehouse.
The so-called safehouse was a fully enclosed building, originally used for research. Nowadays, its usage rights undoubtedly belonged to Shokuhou-senpai.
The building looked quite impressive—more than enough to accommodate all the Sisters' daily needs.
Several floors even had interior gardens, a sports field, and a swimming pool. It had elevators, too; everything was modern and high-end.
But since Shokuhou-senpai only paid minimal maintenance fees, the cleaning inside was seriously lacking. The elevators creaked ominously, and there were some… unsettling creatures around. Cockroaches, for instance.
Still, if Natsume-san had had a building like that back then, she wouldn't have had to worry about housing the Sisters at all.
Then again, the girls of Tokiwadai were all ridiculously wealthy. Even if a certain bun-girl became a Level 5, among these young ladies, she'd only be considered moderately rich.
"Anyway, it's definitely safer than the Misaka Apartments," Natsume-san tilted her head, lost in thought.
She didn't oppose gathering the Sisters in one place—it was advantageous for their side. Even the area arranged by Doctor Heaven Canceller couldn't be considered completely safe.
But then she thought about the lack of security around that building—not even a security robot in sight—and a strange look crossed her face. That place hardly seemed like a "safehouse" at all.
Maybe her idea of a safehouse was just off. Well, might as well trust Shokuhou-senpai and leave it at that.
"I really wanted to keep investigating that forum's offline hideout with Misaka-senpai. It'd be safer with two people."
After hanging up, Natsume-san sighed inwardly.
After escorting the Sisters to the safehouse, she had volunteered to help investigate the forum.
But Misaka-senpai, now in casual clothes, had turned her down. When it came to hiding her identity and blending in, this senpai had a strangely unshakable confidence.
The offline hideout was open year-round—no need to sneak in. Just change your clothes, fix your hair, and walk right through the front door.
Natsume-san was better off staying to watch over the Sisters.
But with Reiko-chan around, Natsume-san could keep tabs on the Sisters anytime. After staying a while, she headed out again—this time to find Kiyama-sensei.
--+--
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.