With a flip of her hand, clouds gather; with a turn of her palm, rain falls—a perfect description for Academy City's rising star, Natsume Sonoko.
Right now, she was truly learning what it meant to race against the clock.
Flying side-by-side with the serene second-year senpai—who remained lost in her own world—along a fleeting path of light, one rode above it while the other was encased within, maintaining a steady distance between them.
This pale, stark path of light might not be enough to escort Misaka-senpai out of the danger zone, even after accounting for numerous factors.
Short on time, Natsume hadn't been able to prepare any extra contingencies, like setting up air cannons in advance to clear the area.
But Natsume's very presence was the best countermeasure available.
Her perception could pierce through the positions of AIM diffusion fields, and her control over Meltdowner allowed her to sever them. The only question was whether her current condition could handle the task.
Amidst the thousand-degree heat, the girl named Misaka Mikoto finally ceased her forced evolution.
Stripped from the Misaka Network, her ascent toward becoming a Level 6 was abruptly interrupted. Though she lost the chance for greater power, she would survive as a free individual.
The radiance enveloping Misaka-senpai gradually faded, revealing her smooth forehead and skin. Her short, chestnut hair was slightly frayed, but her breathing returned to normal.
"Thank goodness, it doesn't look like there's any organic damage," came the girl's cheerful voice.
Straining to spread two pairs of delicate, tornado-like wings, their semi-transparent feathers appeared almost pure white in the dim surroundings.
A tall girl, quick-eyed and swift-handed, caught the falling Misaka-senpai the moment the Meltdowner beams vanished.
Having inherited some genes from her original monstrous physique, Reiko possessed considerable strength—so much that two or three ordinary Sisters couldn't restrain this girl who stood only 160 cm tall.
Even without the aid of an updraft, Reiko could single-handedly lift a certain seemingly underdeveloped girl with a bun hairstyle.
However, controlling her body wasn't as effortless as wielding her abilities; she was rather clumsy.
Miss Reiko fumbled a bit while catching Misaka-senpai, nearly dropping a certain 'tool-user' in the process.
Fortunately, Miss Reiko valued her main body greatly. Holding one girl in each arm, she tightly embraced the two thoroughly disheveled young women.
Some obvious issues had arisen with Misaka-senpai.
The Tokiwadai track suit she had been wearing earlier had long since turned to ash, unable to withstand the power of a Level 6, leaving her senpai without a stitch of clothing.
This inexplicably reminded the girl with the bun of some manga that Tsuchimikado-san had secretly shown her—so fighting really could make clothes disappear.
But Natsume wasn't paying attention to that; she wasn't Shirai-san, after all.
Blinking with mild concern, she noted that Misaka-senpai showed no bruises or obvious wounds, making organic damage unlikely—a relief.
Though fairly confident, forcibly accelerating with her senpai to save time had been risky. Natsume hadn't had many options.
It was a great relief that she wasn't injured.
Their escape from the danger zone proceeded relatively smoothly.
It seemed the protective charm she carried close had worked—luck was on their side.
By the time the Meltdowner beams faded and Natsume caught her senpai, they had nearly reached the edge of the deep radiation zone.
It wasn't exactly where Natsume Sonoko had anticipated, but it was within the margin of error.
With a little care, they could traverse this area normally without having to battle those force fields again.
Even after leaving the main radiation zone of the energy sphere, Natsume didn't slow down—the farther, the safer.
Soon, a roar of rushing air echoed behind them, followed by a deafening explosion.
Freed from external control, the dark sphere finally collapsed and detonated. The shockwave it generated in that instant could affect several kilometers.
But, forcibly suppressed by Accelerator, who altered the direction of the internal energy release, the massive energy surge shot skyward in a volley, like a spectacular display of black fireworks.
A real man never looks back at an explosion.
But Natsume, mid-flight, couldn't resist glancing back—her love for spectacles hadn't changed one bit.
Speaking of which, there was supposed to be a grand fireworks display in Academy City tonight.
"Misaka-senpai, there's a fireworks show tonight. If we can make it in time, let's go watch it together."
Gazing down at Misaka-senpai's face, Natsume Sonoko murmured to herself.
They landed on the rooftop of a skyscraper several hundred meters away. The commotion had quieted somewhat here, though the ripples of the aftermath were still visible not far off.
The feeling of solid ground underfoot brought Natsume a wave of relief and joy.
As her taut nerves suddenly relaxed, the joy of rescuing Misaka-senpai surfaced before waves of intense weakness assailed her without hesitation.
After a moment's thought, she decided against returning her consciousness to her main body—Natsume knew her original form was in terrible condition.
Truthfully, Natsume was just afraid of the pain.
--+--
No response, still no response.
Misaka-senpai floated peacefully on the updraft, alongside Natsume Sonoko's hovering main body.
Her senpai's breathing was steady, her heartbeat regular, but she seemed to have fallen into some kind of coma, unresponsive to external stimuli.
Natsume squeezed Misaka-senpai's arm firmly, then pressed the philtrum below her nose, mimicking first-aid techniques learned in P.E. class.
Abruptly, Natsume's eyes widened as she considered the possibility of fading consciousness, a flicker of panic crossing her face.
Though fairly certain Misaka-senpai was only near the threshold of losing consciousness, not completely over it, she couldn't guarantee her senpai would be fine.
"Let's find Doctor Heaven Canceller."
He was the first person Natsume thought of—the doctor with superb medical skills.
Given her own poor condition, Natsume also considered contacting Shirai-san, whose mobility was even faster.
Controlling Reiko's body, she fumbled for her phone, only to find it wouldn't turn on—probably destroyed in the initial electromagnetic storm.
Natsume's beloved smartphone was officially declared dead.
But suddenly, the body holding the phone stiffened slightly as a familiar voice reached her ears.
"Sonoko..."
Misaka-senpai, who had somehow opened her eyes, was tilting her head, gazing at Natsume Sonoko's main body floating beside her.
Her fingers gently traced the skin of Natsume's main body, covered in blisters and burns, then rested on those still frighteningly crimson pupils, whispering softly.
"Senpai, are you okay?"
Relieved to see Misaka-senpai awake, Natsume spoke hesitantly.
This time, she used her own main body, the red in her eyes fading slightly.
She wasn't good at comforting people, hesitating before finally uttering something inconsequential.
"I could feel the buildings being destroyed, hear the screams of the crowd. But at that time, only revenge could satisfy me. All I thought about was avenging the dead Sisters, carrying out my own justice."
"If I had really destroyed Academy City, would you have hated me, Sonoko?"
Misaka-senpai's gaze was somewhat vacant, as if seeing through space to the destruction she had caused.
"Even for you, Misaka-senpai, there's no justification for doing something that terrible."
"Shirai-san would have been heartbroken too. Everyone who cares about you would have been devastated." Natsume hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Whether Natsume wanted to admit it or not, only Misaka-senpai's intent to destroy Academy City could have triggered the subsequent chain of events.
Though others had manipulated the situation, it also stemmed from something Misaka-senpai's heart desired.
That monster trying to destroy Academy City, even if it had lost its reason, was essentially Misaka-senpai herself.
"Destruction only brings disaster, only harms those who can't protect themselves. Those high and mighty, creating injustice and disregarding lives, never get punished. Misaka-senpai, if espers only bring disaster, then what purpose do we have?"
"Those who abuse their abilities have no claim to justice."
Natsume said softly.
--+--
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.