Striding down the street with an air of fierce determination, the four identical Misaka sisters drew plenty of stares from passersby.
In contrast, their leader, Natsume, seemed to fade into the background, attracting little attention.
In a country like Japan, where the declining birthrate was a growing concern, quadruplets like the Misaka sisters were an exceptionally rare sight.
Coupled with their uniform Tokiwadai Middle School outfits, they naturally caused many people to stop and stare.
"Toothbrushes, toothpaste, body wash, towels, and teacups." Natsume Sonoko counted off on her fingers, mentally reviewing their shopping list.
Each of the Misaka sisters was carrying a large bag of daily necessities.
As the Floor Manager of the dormitory, Misaka 10000 even had a large plastic bag hung around her neck, stuffed full of supplies.
Being the wealthiest among the Misaka sisters, a certain girl with twin buns had taken it upon herself to cover all these expenses.
The cost of daily supplies for twenty-four people wasn't actually that high; all in all, it came to around twenty thousand yen.
With some discounts applied, they managed to get everything for about seventeen thousand.
"Dorm Supervisor, Misaka 10000 believes we still need to purchase some blankets and pillows."
Her hands weighed down by heavy bags and a plastic bag dangling from her neck, the girl known as Misaka 10000 paused, her posture slightly stooped. A faint, inexplicable hope flickered across her face.
"Blankets? But those can be really expensive."
Like the Misaka sisters, Natsume Sonoko's hands were full of shopping bags. She hesitated at the suggestion.
She remembered seeing discounted blankets at a supermarket once—even the cheapest ones cost at least three thousand yen each. At regular prices, they'd be around five thousand apiece.
Just as Natsume Sonoko was wrestling with the decision, she noticed Misaka 10000 and the other sisters all looking in the same direction.
[Green Green Prairie Brand Wool Blankets - 50% Off Today! Free Same-Day Delivery!]
Spotting the blanket advertisement, Sonoko suddenly understood—the sisters had seen the ad.
The blankets in the advertisement looked much larger than ordinary ones, almost big enough to be used as carpets.
Riding back to the Misaka apartment in the delivery truck, Sonoko curiously rubbed one of the newly purchased furry blankets. They were heavy, super-sized, and felt incredibly soft to the touch.
"Misaka 10000 is very confident in her blanket-selecting skills."
Squinting contentedly, Misaka 10000 hugged one of the blankets tightly. The other Misakas also wore pleased expressions.
Through the Misaka Network, all six dormitories in the apartment had actually participated in selecting the blankets.
They had bought six blankets in total, one for each dormitory. Each blanket was large enough for seven or eight people to share, and the store even offered a one-year repair and cleaning service.
Each blanket cost around fifteen thousand yen, adding up to another ninety thousand yen in expenses.
Combined with the over two hundred thousand yen in rent due after signing the contract, her savings were about to plummet to five digits.
"By the way, is it really okay to just buy blankets?" Sonoko tilted her head.
To be honest, spending money wasn't that big of a deal.
She'd once blown all her savings on gifts for others. But a sudden unease washed over her—was she doomed to spend the next month mooching meals at the Tokiwadai dorm?
"Misaka 9985 is very satisfied," one of the sisters nodded.
"Is that so?"
Pushing her worries aside, Sonoko nodded slightly. As someone who often went without proper bedding or sleep, she didn't see it as a major issue.
The delivery truck soon arrived at the apartment building. A few cheeky individuals who had hitched a ride in the back finally hopped out.
All their bags were intact, and they now carried several heavy cylindrical objects—the six blankets, rolled up tightly.
By now, the Misaka sisters had already settled some kind of competition. Misaka 9982, the first sister Sonoko had met, had unsurprisingly lost to Misaka 9977 and was now squatting in a corner, poking the wall with a vacant stare.
"Everyone, come help carry these inside!"
Setting down her own bags, the self-appointed Dorm Supervisor, Natsume, directed the sisters to move their spoils.
The Misaka sisters were surprisingly strong—two of them could easily carry one rolled-up blanket together, seemingly inheriting their original's physical prowess.
After a vigorous half-hour cleaning session in the apartment, Sonoko even used her ability to sterilize the place with high heat.
Slowly unrolling the blankets, they soon covered the bedroom floor, instantly making the room feel cozier.
"Didn't expect them to fit perfectly."
Sonoko was pleased. The blankets matched the bedroom's size almost exactly, covering nearly every inch of the roughly twenty-square-meter space.
Besides the bedroom, the apartment also had a kitchen, a bathroom, a fairly spacious living room facing the entrance, and a storage room about half the size of the bedroom.
Though only sixty square meters in total, it felt fully equipped. Seemingly satisfied with the apartment, Sonoko decided to sign the contract the next day.
After all the hustle and bustle, the sky had long since turned dark.
The newly self-appointed Dorm Supervisor with twin buns certainly hadn't forgotten about their formidable actual Dorm Supervisor. Getting back on time was absolutely essential—otherwise, she might find herself on a 'guided tour' of the office tomorrow.
"I'm heading off now. As for everyone's meals tomorrow, I've already thought of a solution."
With a wave, not taking so much as a wisp of cloud with her, Natsume Sonoko resolutely embarked on her journey back to her own dorm.
Glancing back, she saw over ten Misaka sisters leaning over the second-floor railing. Their military-grade goggles reflected a sea of blue light as they all stared in her direction.
Walking down the road, a complex mix of emotions played across Sonoko's face.
The Level 6 Shift Project experiments had been canceled for the past few days. But whether tomorrow, the day after, or sometime soon, they would inevitably resume. This thought weighed heavily on her.
'Time is running short. Looks like I'll have to burn the midnight oil tonight.' Sonoko silently contemplated.
The Misaka sisters' food situation was still manageable, at least for now. The lower-numbered sisters still had some funds left.
As a last resort, she could have Misaka 9977 and a few others take turns impersonating 'Misaka-senpai' to eat at the school cafeteria.
Or she could ask Tsuchimikado to prepare an extra-large bento, though that would definitely attract attention.
The most critical issue was still stopping the experiments. It seemed the armed Skill-Out groups across Academy City were in for another bloody night.
As for the gang insignias she'd confiscated from the Skill-Out groups, aside from the ones entrusted to Misaka 9982, Sonoko had dumped them all into a storage room in the Misaka Apartments.
Rubbing her eyes, Sonoko forced herself to stay alert.
Dark circles under her eyes made her look like a panda.
The advice she'd once given a certain teacher about taking better care of their health now ironically applied to herself.
After all, a certain someone had sneaked out of the dorm again last night to 'deliver warmth' to sleeping delinquents.
"I think I got back around past midnight yesterday."
Just as she was lost in thought, the formidable Dorm Supervisor appeared ahead. Sonoko hurriedly lowered her body temperature and constricted her capillaries, trying to appear more energetic.
"Good morning, Dorm Supervisor!"
Sonoko put on a well-behaved smile and greeted her.
"Morning."
After passing by the supervisor, Sonoko quickened her pace.
Recalling the supervisor's stern expression—her intense gaze and slightly upturned nose—the flustered girl with twin buns made a mental note: 'So that's how you project authority, huh?'
--+--
After leaving the dorm, Sonoko went to the real estate agency from yesterday and signed the contract. No security deposit was required, but she had to pay the first month's rent in advance.
Wincing slightly as she handed over the money, Sonoko took a deep breath to calm her fluctuating emotions.
"Ah, it's Shirai-san."
Loitering near the agency entrance for a moment, Sonoko suddenly spotted Shirai on patrol.
According to Shirai's usual patrol route, she shouldn't have been this far out at this time. Something must have happened.
"So it's you, Natsume-san. Instead of studying in the library early in the morning, you're out wandering around again." Shirai stopped and gave Sonoko a calm look.
"Why would I go to the library? School's still on break." Sonoko glanced back, puzzled.
She'd finished her holiday homework long ago. Library visits could wait until the new term started.
"By the way, did another incident happen? I thought this area was part of the afternoon patrol route. Did they change it again?" Sonoko asked curiously.
"You guessed right. For some reason lately, someone in black—maybe a cloak?—has been randomly attacking delinquents across school districts. Now all the delinquents are crowding into our area."
"No assaults have happened here yet, and those troublemakers seem to be searching for something. But if this continues, it'll become a major problem."
Rubbing her temple wearily, Shirai found the recent surge in delinquents troublesome. Still, they were easier to handle than ability users, at least.
"So you're investigating this, Shirai-san?"
Natsume nodded, feeling a bit guilty inside. This was, after all, a mess she'd created. The thought made her face flush red.
"Not just that. There are also these prepaid cards in envelopes, and the internet is buzzing with related rumors. It seems like someone's trying to lure delinquents into specific corners."
Shirai gave the blushing Sonoko a puzzled look before continuing her analysis.
When she got serious, Shirai made for a pretty decent detective, quickly connecting the two incidents' purposes.
The online situation unfolded just as Sonoko had expected. Whenever something happened in reality, it would instantly trend on a certain website—a pattern she'd observed many times.
The online frenzy was even more intense than real-life events, attracting swarms of delinquents to District Seven, all dreaming of finding some gang's talisman and rising to become core members.
While the two were talking, groups of delinquents began emerging from nearby corners one after another. The density surprised even Sonoko.
'Looks like I've been quite effective.'
Sonoko thought seriously for a moment, counting roughly—she'd already 'visited' nearly thirty Skill-Out groups.
"By the way, the training camp and test dates are set for September this year."
"If you pass, Natsume-san, you might officially become a Judgment member."
Shirai finally mentioned the Judgment training camp, to which the distracted girl merely nodded repeatedly.
"Don't worry, I understand."
Natsume Sonoko declared solemnly, while thinking inwardly: 'There's no way I'm going to something as grueling as a training camp.'
After waving goodbye to Shirai, Sonoko headed straight for the small apartment from yesterday.
Arriving at the Misaka apartment, she found five sisters squatting in the yard, basking in the sun.
The apartment actually came with a small, over-ten-square-meter yard—more like a gap between the greenbelt and the building—without even a proper gate.
"Why are you all squatting here?"
Since the Misaka sisters looked nearly identical, Sonoko couldn't tell them apart.
"Misaka 9978 is attempting photosynthesis by absorbing solar energy," one sister looked up at Sonoko as she approached.
"Due to insufficient research funds, Misaka 9980 has entered a low-power energy-saving mode," another sister added.
Sonoko immediately understood. Checking the time, she saw it was almost noon.
Each Misaka's financial situation differed. For example, Misaka 9982 still had over ten thousand yen in savings, while Misaka 9983, with a higher number, was almost bankrupt.
Indeed, even as clones of Misaka-senpai, there were both savers and spendthrifts among them.
These varied personalities and differences only strengthened Sonoko's resolve to help the sisters.
Though still deeply worried about the Level 6 Shift Project, Sonoko also considered another immediate problem the sisters faced.
"I see. Well, there's something in Academy City called taste-testing events."
Sonoko paused for several seconds before speaking.
Forming a wedge-shaped formation, the group marched forward and soon arrived at a familiar supermarket.
"Sonoko, Sonoko! Over here!"
Shortly after entering the supermarket, Sonoko saw a girl in a white nun's habit waving excitedly in her direction, holding four or five empty sample cups in her hands.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, 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.