Given the choice, Natsume-san always leaned towards the safer option.
These safer methods didn't necessarily yield the best outcomes, but at least they prevented things from getting worse. That was just the kind of prudent girl Natsume-san was.
A bit of color had returned to her cheeks as her injuries improved, restoring some vitality to her complexion. Yet, her hands remained tightly clenched, betraying the tension coiled within her.
Almost simultaneously, Natsume Sonoko's gaze met Shirai-san's. Following the pre-arranged plan, the three of them split up and moved into action.
If their first strike missed, they would immediately retreat, putting distance between themselves and Kihara Gensei to prevent him from using Mental Out to counterattack.
This approach was somewhat reminiscent of assassins from ancient times.
Though that wasn't entirely accurate—Natsume-san and the others aimed to subdue Kihara Gensei, not assassinate him like those historical figures.
Splitting up was necessary. No one knew exactly how Kihara Gensei would wield Mental Out, or the full extent of what his ability could achieve.
Even though acting together with Shirai-san might have been faster, the potential risks also multiplied.
According to Murphy's Law, the thing you think is most likely to happen often does.
Natsume-san felt certain Kihara Gensei would use Mental Out to counterattack immediately, and this prediction proved quite accurate.
Almost the instant he detected the spatial teleportation, information about a certain Judgment member surfaced in Kihara Gensei's mind.
--+--
[Name: Shirai Kuroko]
[Ability: Teleport]
[Activation Condition: Physical Contact]
[Maximum Range: 81.5 meters; Maximum Mass: 130.7 kilograms]
[...]
--+--
Additionally, Shirai Kuroko's accuracy decreased as the effective distance of her ability increased.
Therefore, the assailants' direct line-of-sight distance likely wouldn't exceed eighty meters, possibly even compressed to around fifty meters.
Before this Level 6 Shift experiment began, Kihara Gensei had thoroughly investigated several Level 5 espers through various means, even preparing for potential scenarios.
His investigations included members of the Queen's faction; he even possessed information on Hokaze Junko.
Such research was fundamental for scientists like them. After all, you couldn't very well conduct experiments without understanding your test subjects—that would be downright incompetent.
Furthermore, the best way to deal with espers was to uncover their secrets in advance and target their weaknesses.
With proper preparation, even a Level 5 esper could be taken down in one strike. Three anonymous Level 5s would likely agree wholeheartedly.
Natsume Sonoko's ambush employed a similar logic, leveraging the unique properties of teleportation.
But their understanding of Kihara Gensei was far too lacking, so scant that they could only formulate a plan based on preconceived notions. The result, naturally, was failure. Kihara Gensei's technological integration was absurdly advanced.
Those large-scale, back-and-forth battles seen in Academy City typically only occurred in unprepared encounters or ambushes plagued by severely lacking or outright incorrect intelligence.
Of course, there were exceptions with some inexplicable Level 5s. The gap between individuals could be wider than that between humans and dogs.
Even if you meticulously gathered data and prepared in advance, sheer guts could still teach you a lesson in the end.
Violent air currents collided and compressed according to someone's will, churning the surrounding atmosphere into a chaotic, unpredictable mess.
Natsume-san input a slew of bizarre atmospheric formulae into her mind.
His eyes lifting slightly, Kihara Gensei gazed silently at the discolored sky. A powerful, inexplicably generated storm now masked all other movements.
Almost the moment he steadied himself, he pressed the metal remote in his hand. An invisible, peculiar wave instantly blanketed a vast area with a three-hundred-meter radius centered on him.
Although the teleportation had bypassed his Vector Control prototype suit, seemingly placing Kihara Gensei in a perilous position, in reality, his situation hadn't changed much, allowing him to counterattack with composure.
The girl named Shirai Kuroko had avoided vital areas of the brain, clinging to some pointless bottom line and morality. Such feeble hostility posed no threat.
This assault seemed as laughable as the Daihasei Festival itself.
Various rules and restrictions bound all who chose to remain in the light.
A flexible moral compass was something the average student of Academy City lacked. For someone like Kihara Gensei, who existed in a near moral vacuum, it was like a fish in water.
Espers who possessed great power but remained naive could only serve as experimental material to be picked over. Without a sufficiently hardened heart, they were easily consumed by the city's darkness.
But let's return to the matter at hand. Kihara Gensei's counterattack inadvertently allowed Natsume-san to breathe a small sigh of relief.
The threat of Mental Out lay in its unpredictable angle of attack.
By choosing an omnidirectional strike, Kihara Gensei had diluted the coverage strength in any single direction.
What could have affected an area several kilometers deep in a specific, flattened direction was now dispersed into a sphere radiating in all directions.
And the volume of a sphere increases exponentially with its radius.
Perhaps the total area he could affect simultaneously hadn't changed, but the effective linear distance it traveled was significantly shortened.
The brains of the Anti-Skill teachers rushing to support momentarily went blank. Even unrelated passersby were caught in the effect.
Meanwhile, Natsume-san and the others barely managed to evade Mental Out, which had been frighteningly close.
The flight skills a certain bun-haired girl had painstakingly honed for years once again proved their worth in the face of danger.
Unless Kihara Gensei could track the movements of Natsume-san and the others in real-time, obtaining their precise trajectories, controlling them with his ability would still require a degree of luck.
"They've already left? How surprisingly decisive."
"It seems a reassessment of the #8's personality is in order."
Kihara Gensei's expression held a hint of surprise, as if the information he'd extracted from the bun-haired girl's mind was still incomplete.
First, he'd obtained special intelligence about the #8 from Tsuchimikado Motoharu.
Then, she'd shaken off the Mental Out he'd imposed, and even managed to pinpoint his location while concealing her heat signature and form.
Kihara Gensei's interest in a certain bun-haired girl was growing increasingly keen—though for the person in question, this was clearly not a good thing.
"Shirai-san, what's the situation?"
Mixed with some static, Uiharu-san's somewhat timid voice came through.
The signal in the earpiece remained patchy; it seemed remnants of the electromagnetic disturbance caused by Misaka-senpai still lingered in this area.
"Not good. There's something seriously wrong with Kihara Gensei's setup. Our operation was unsuccessful."
"And, Uiharu, I think I've lost Natsume-san and the others. But given that guy's abilities, chances are eight or nine out of ten she's fine."
On the roof of yet another building, Shirai Kuroko spoke listlessly.
The large movements had aggravated her wounds, threatening to tear them open again. Waves of sharp pain forced her to lean weakly against the edge of the parapet.
Shirai-san gazed up at the sky, trying to spot her disheveled, pitiful-looking bun-haired teammate. But the other girl had clearly fled in a different direction.
"What about Onee-sama's situation? Really? You've already found Shokuhou Misaki?"
Shirai Kuroko's eyes instantly lit up.
The most troublesome aspect of Kihara Gensei was his insidious Mental Out ability. If it was Shokuhou Misaki, she might just have a way to deal with it.
--+--
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.