Misaka-senpai's idea of building a satellite-dish-like receiver to pick up nanomachine signals sounded pretty solid.
The ponytailed girl, who didn't know much about this field, only had a vague understanding of it. Still, trusting her senpai completely, she nodded along in agreement.
Even if she couldn't grasp all the technical details, the plan felt workable—at least in theory.
If this method could help locate Shokuhou-senpai, it would be far more convenient than asking their club's member, Maeda-senpai, for help.
"Hey, Senpai, you seem pretty confident about this."
Glancing at Misaka's slightly flushed face, Natsume couldn't help but hesitate inwardly.
Now that Misaka-senpai had her own plan, Natsume decided not to insist on her own idea.
She had never once doubted this senpai's expertise in electromagnetism—it was an impression built up over a long time spent together.
Truth be told, Natsume wasn't the type to assert herself strongly. She was good at listening to others' opinions, or to put it another way, her personality was somewhat reserved.
Though she enjoyed writing opinion letters or voicing her views, she never got upset or held a grudge if someone turned her down. That was part of why so many people liked being friends with her.
Of course, a certain Judgment member who seemed to enjoy riling her up was an exception.
A gentle breeze brushed against her skin, sending Natsume's dark hair swaying lightly—a sight just captivating enough to briefly distract her two mostly recovered eyes.
Even with the faint scent of gunpowder lingering in the air, the smell of the free shampoo provided by Tokiwadai Dorm still clung to her.
Natsume rarely spent extra money on things her dorm already supplied—a thrifty habit that helped her save a decent amount each month.
For now, her injuries were temporarily treated. The pain was still intense, but it was gradually fading.
After only about five minutes on the rooftop, Natsume had recovered a bit of both stamina and computational power.
After discussing their current situation with Misaka-senpai and mentioning Kihara Gensei's strange behavior, both girls felt a growing sense of unease.
Just as Natsume had thought, this incident was far from over.
The first time they had formally encountered Kihara Gensei, the three Tokiwadai students had been nearly wiped out. That lesson was still fresh in their minds. Right now, the only one with any real ability to resist him was Natsume Sonoko herself.
So until Kihara Gensei was dealt with, Misaka-senpai absolutely could not face him again. The Misaka Network was still in an aggregated state and could reconnect to her at any moment.
"Misaka-senpai, we should split up—"
Just as Natsume Sonoko was about to explain, a sudden heat signature appeared in her mind.
Her gaze fixed blankly on the rooftop of a building about a hundred meters away, where a familiar girl in a wheelchair had just arrived, the dark green shield-shaped armband on her shoulder clearly visible.
These building rooftops were like resting platforms, offering a brief respite for an injured Judgment member whose abilities might be acting up.
In fact, teleporters often preferred traveling at high altitudes with fewer obstacles—not only to reduce the risk of crashing into walls, but also to attract less attention.
After all, Judgment members weren't idols or celebrities; more exposure only meant more danger.
Natsume herself disliked having her photo appear on TV or school pamphlets—it made her feel insecure.
In the blink of an eye, the wheelchair and the girl vanished, completely overlooking the trio hidden in the shadows all along.
"It's Shirai-san."
Natsume's mind registered it quickly, but her body lagged behind. By the time she eagerly turned to tell Misaka-senpai, the figure had already teleported away.
"We have to get in touch with Shirai-san first."
The two exchanged a glance, the same thought forming in both their minds.
Kihara Gensei was still nearby, and his insidious Mental Out ability could target Shirai-san at any moment. Natsume Sonoko and the others didn't believe for a second that Kihara hadn't already investigated everyone close to them.
And with Accelerator in the mix too, unexpected clashes could break out among any of the three parties.
Nearby, however, Miss Reiko was floating on an updraft, chin propped in her hands, curiously observing the two peculiar girls.
Misaka-senpai occasionally glanced at Reiko too. Though she didn't know much about her, she recognized her as the muscular, headless creature from before.
Now, freed from Natsume Sonoko's active control, Reiko had returned to her original form, staring wide-eyed and innocent, mouth slightly agape as if to say she was hungry.
"I don't have anything on me. Once we're done here, I'll buy you some takoyaki," Natsume said.
Finally grasping the meaning behind Reiko's open mouth, Natsume patted her pockets awkwardly.
The only thing resembling food she'd had earlier—a trial-size packet of that "Smart One" supplement—was long gone, dropped who-knows-where.
But then Natsume Sonoko's eyes widened slightly, because the moment she finished speaking, Reiko nodded thoughtfully, as if recalling the taste of takoyaki.
It seemed Reiko could understand some of what she was saying now, leaving Natsume Sonoko momentarily lost in thought.
She'd noticed similar changes during their mental communication, but seeing it manifest so clearly in reality was different.
Reiko had only been "born" about two months ago. Was her growth being influenced by Natsume herself? It was hard to say whether that was a good thing or not.
In truth, Reiko's brain and body were developing normally. Thanks to Dr. Kiyama Harumi's modifications, she even retained some of the original's regenerative abilities. She was physically healthier than Natsume herself—all she lacked was time to learn about the world.
But it seemed Natsume was accelerating that process, and through their time together, she'd also filled Reiko's head with plenty of strange ideas.
"I need to interfere less with Reiko."
Making this silent resolution, the bun-girl—who was self-aware enough to realize she might be a bad influence—sighed inwardly.
But this also reminded Natsume of another issue: Reiko's identity still hadn't been settled.
That was important too—it would determine whether Reiko could live a normal life in Academy City.
Meanwhile, subtle electrical currents infiltrated the building's internal network, and an email was swiftly sent to Shirai-san's phone.
With a startled cry, the teleporter—who had just arrived at the building closest to the battlefield—vanished from the spot without warning.
--+--
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.