As autumn drew near, a faint desolation tinged the air, particularly noticeable in the flower beds near Tokiwadai.
Mikoto Misaka stepped through the muddy garden, leaving shallow footprints behind and trampling withered blossoms into the dust. Her figure grew increasingly distant from the student dormitory.
Natsume Sonoko had just slid open the window latch, producing a soft creak.
She was about to climb onto the windowsill for a freefall exit when she noticed something. Instinctively, Sonoko slowed her movements and quietly closed the window again.
'That was close—almost ran right into the Dorm Supervisor.'
She wondered why the supervisor was patrolling the flower beds so late. 'Had she noticed people sneaking out of the dorm here?'
But even if it were discovered, no one would suspect Natsume Sonoko. She was always exceptionally careful when going out.
--+--
Meanwhile, at the Yamanaka University Affiliated Research Institute in District 7.
A dazzling blue flash erupted. Powerful currents, carrying countless fragments of debris, rampaged through the facility, soon blasting a massive crater into the building's side.
Not bothering to conceal her anger, a mysterious figure wearing a Gekota mask stormed in from the side. The security team tasked with stopping the intruder was completely overwhelmed in the first direct confrontation.
Witnesses estimated that the team of over twenty personnel held out against the mysterious attacker for less than ten seconds.
No large-scale fire broke out, and there were no casualties. By the time the masked figure exited the institute, all equipment inside had been fried by electromagnetic pulses, effectively rendered useless.
The researchers, however, seemed to have anticipated the intruder's motives. They had prioritized transferring data from the instruments, allowing the hardware itself to be destroyed.
"That makes three," the masked figure murmured, glancing back at the institute. With a brilliant crackle of electricity at her feet, a powerful gust of wind propelled her high into the air.
Sirens wailed in the distance, and plumes of smoke rose high enough to be seen from afar. Having lost the trail earlier, Natsume finally spotted her target again, a complex emotion flickering across her face.
'It's Misaka-senpai.'
Sonoko looked up. A figure was dashing straight up the side of a skyscraper as if it were level ground, tiny arcs of electricity at her feet seemingly bonding her to the wall.
On the rooftop of the hundred-meter-tall building, Misaka was checking her phone for the next target.
After committing the address to memory, she was about to set off when she abruptly froze, her head tilting as if sensing something.
Misaka could perceive faint electrical currents and magnetic fields around her, just as Sonoko could easily sense heat.
This unique talent allowed Misaka to harness the limitless electrical energy in her surroundings, something the Sisters couldn't do without their auxiliary goggles.
In Misaka's vision, even the air carried subtle currents, ionized especially when temperatures rose.
These currents shifted with the air's movement, but in one particular corner, they were unnaturally still, as though suppressed by something.
Frowning slightly, Misaka suddenly accelerated, reaching one-third the speed of sound in under a second. She crossed dozens of meters in a flash, launching a sweeping kick toward that suspicious spot.
Infused with the formidable power of the Railgun, her leg—boosted by electromagnetic acceleration—shot forward with breathtaking speed.
"Misaka-senpai, it's me!"
Before her eyes could even process the movement, alarm bells screamed in Sonoko's mind. She hastily spoke up, simultaneously forming a layer of ice over her body.
It would probably block the kick, but the sheer momentum might still send her flying.
But her words were too slow. Before she could even finish the first syllable, the sweeping kick was already right in front of her.
Yet, it stopped just as abruptly. True to her legendary precision—rumored to be sharp enough to shave hair with a Swiss army knife—Misaka halted her kick the instant it touched the ice, having recognized the voice.
"Natsume-san? Why are you here?" Misaka exclaimed, her surprise evident.
"Well… there's a reason."
The light concealing Sonoko faded, revealing a girl wearing a Kaname mask—not the crude ice mask from before, but a store-bought mask of the magical girl Kaname.
"Kaname?"
Misaka's tone turned uncertain, her Gekota mask trembling slightly.
"So Natsume-san likes magical girl characters," she remarked after a few seconds' hesitation.
"But shouldn't you be resting in the dorm? Why are you here?"
Misaka's expression turned curious, and she rubbed the back of her head jokingly.
"Actually, I saw you sneaking out. And lately… you haven't seemed like yourself. I was worried, so I followed."
Sonoko stared intently at the Gekota mask, trying to sound serious.
"I see. I have been dealing with some… unpleasant things lately. But I just couldn't sleep and wanted some fresh air. Don't you think the night view here is beautiful? Sleeping through it in the dorm is such a waste."
Misaka's tone was deliberately light.
"You know, during the day I'm the proud Level 5 of Academy City. It's only normal to bend the dorm rules occasionally at night. You're the first to know this little secret, so please keep it for me."
She clasped her hands together pleadingly.
"Is that so?"
Sonoko sounded skeptical.
"Of course! Look, all the shops are closed. What else could I do besides wander around? Sometimes I just want to enjoy the night view." Misaka forced a laugh, sticking to her story.
But then she noticed Sonoko's gaze fixed on something behind her. Following her line of sight, the words died in her throat.
In the distance, the Yamanaka University Research Institute—part of Academy City—still smoldered. The fire was small, but the signs of an attack were clear.
"Natsume-san… you saw, didn't you?"
Hesitating slightly, Misaka's voice grew quiet, all traces of humor gone.
"I didn't see anything. It was already like that when I arrived."
Sonoko shook her head honestly. She truly hadn't witnessed Misaka attacking the institute.
"Is that so? That's good." Misaka felt a wave of relief. She had no idea how to explain this to her kouhai.
But then she tensed again. 'Hadn't she just admitted guilt by saying that?'
"Misaka-senpai, I already know. About the Sisters."
Sonoko decided not to hide it any longer. Sometimes, she wanted to do too much yet ended up accomplishing nothing.
She had initially thought to handle things alone, without involving others. But now, the idea seemed almost laughably arrogant. 'Had her growing power given her some sort of hero complex?'
Only high schoolers could save the world alone—and she was just a middle schooler.
"So you know. About my clones… ridiculous rumors, right?"
Misaka's smile was strained as she brushed sweat from her hair, speaking slowly.
"Misaka-senpai, that's not what I meant."
Sonoko spoke again, removing her mask to reveal a determined expression.
"I know about the Level 6 Shift Project, and the Radio Noise Project. So, Misaka-senpai, please… you don't have to keep doing this."
Sonoko felt uneasy. This version of Misaka felt unfamiliar.
"The Level 6 Shift Project? You really know?"
Misaka trembled, staring at Sonoko in shock, as if her most vital secret had been exposed. She was momentarily speechless.
"I'm sorry I got involved without your permission. But I made contact with the Sisters days ago and learned about the experiments from them. Please, listen to me."
Sonoko felt strangely nervous. This was the first time she'd been so assertive in front of Misaka, but she maintained a serious expression.
"Then you must know… that I provided my DNA for these experiments. Strictly speaking, I'm an accomplice. One of the murderers of thousands of Sisters. And not just that—I just destroyed another research facility."
Misaka looked up at the sky, avoiding Sonoko's eyes.
"You must be so disappointed. The third-ranked Level 5 in Academy City, the Railgun, Misaka Mikoto… is someone like this." Her tone was self-mocking, a rare weariness showing on her face.
"Misaka-senpai."
Sonoko was at a loss for words, but then her expression hardened. Even without the Sisters, she would stand firmly by Misaka's side.
"That's not true! Aren't you trying to stop the experiments now? So it's not your fault."
Sonoko looked knowingly at the Gekota mask on Misaka's face.
'It really looks like Dr. Frogface… Wait, why am I thinking about that now?'
"In my opinion, we shouldn't just destroy every institute involved—we shouldn't let the researchers off either! We need to make it clear that Academy City belongs to the students, not them."
Sonoko spoke with fierce determination, righteousness blazing across her face.
"But killing is wrong."
Misaka seemed tongue-tied, as if startled by Sonoko's intensity. For the first time, she felt her kouhai might be dangerously vengeful.
"...What are you thinking, Misaka-senpai? Of course I know killing is wrong." Sonoko met her gaze, and an awkward silence hung in the air.
Yet, even the awkwardness felt better than before. Misaka gradually calmed down.
On the anonymous skyscraper's rooftop, the magical girl Kaname and the Gekota girl continued their conversation.
Though high above the city, the wind here wasn't turbulent. Instead, it carried a sense of peace.
Finding a spot to sit, Sonoko put her mask back on. Beside her, Misaka adjusted her Gekota mask.
"So that's your plan, Misaka-senpai?"
After hearing Misaka's explanation, Sonoko understood her intentions.
As she'd suspected, through her connections, Misaka had learned about Radio Noise and Level 6 Shift Projects. She later obtained detailed data and a list of involved institutes.
But beyond destroying facilities, Misaka had devised her own plan.
She intended to infiltrate the Level 6 Shift experiment herself. Knowing the researchers' blind faith in the Tree Diagram, she planned to use her abilities to manipulate it into producing a false prediction.
For instance, that the project had a fatal flaw: if Accelerator fought the Railgun even once, it would irreparably damage the experiment, preventing the emergence of a Level 6.
Even if the researchers tried to recalculate, they could be stopped by destroying the Tree Diagram beforehand.
"As expected of Misaka-senpai."
Sonoko nodded vigorously. It was a solid plan—one that would solve everything at the root.
But she hesitated. In her fragmented memories of the story, she recalled that Misaka's plan hadn't actually succeeded.
'Was it because something happened to the Tree Diagram?'
--+--
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.