Tonight, Academy City was in a state of unrest. At an hour when most students were already sound asleep, a powerful, violent organization had kicked into high gear.
Aside from the Anti-Skill branch stationed in District 7, units from the nearby Districts 18, 15, and 8 had also been mobilized tonight, all to sweep away the unstable elements within District 7.
The rumble of Anti-Skill armored vehicles was a constant presence, their heavy wheels rolling over the commercial streets—usually bustling with pedestrians by day—with a deep, thunderous roar that could be heard from afar.
The defeat of the street thugs was only a matter of time.
Against such a meticulously planned roundup, they had little power to resist.
After sitting on the rooftop for a while, Sonoko Natsume pulled her gaze back from an armored vehicle passing by in the distance below. She turned her head slightly, her eyes lingering thoughtfully on Misaka-senpai beside her.
"Natsume-san, is there a problem with my plan?"
Noticing her expression, Misaka-senpai also seemed to hesitate, turning to look at Sonoko Natsume.
"No, not at all. Stopping that experiment at its source is undoubtedly the best outcome. I was just thinking about something else."
Shaking her head gently, Sonoko Natsume quickly spoke up.
She didn't fully understand the current situation with the Tree Diagram, but she could only hope Misaka-senpai's operations proceeded smoothly.
With Misaka-senpai's abilities combined with her hacking skills, even if the Tree Diagram was in outer space, she should still have a way to force it to send a false prophecy and initiate self-destruction.
"Misaka-senpai, there's something I think I should tell you. It's about the Sisters."
"The Sisters are currently all living in an apartment in District 7. Tomorrow is the scheduled date for the experiment involving Sister 9977. In my opinion, we should do everything possible to prevent tomorrow night's experiment from happening. It would be best if we could delay it until after your plan is complete."
Sonoko Natsume hesitated for a few seconds before revealing everything about the Misaka Apartments. Misaka-senpai listened quietly to her explanation.
The Sisters were no longer in the dire straits of living in parks, but their living conditions hadn't improved dramatically either.
Someone was even planning to have them take on part-time jobs to earn money...
Most importantly, the experiment involving Sister 9977 was imminent. Even if Misaka-senpai's plan succeeded, Sister 9977 wouldn't survive. So, they absolutely had to stop tomorrow's experiment.
"So you're the Dorm Supervisor that Sister 9982 mentioned."
A look of dazed recollection crossed Misaka-senpai's face, as if she was remembering her encounter with Sister 9982 on the street, where she'd given her the Gekota badge she'd won from a capsule toy machine.
"Natsume-san, thank you, truly. But from now on, I'll take responsibility for the Sisters' living expenses. I have some savings. Since you've been the one helping the Sisters all this time, let me transfer ten million yen to you first."
Misaka-senpai looked at Sonoko Natsume, her eyes filled with gratitude.
Including the substantial stipend from Tokiwadai Middle School, Misaka-senpai's monthly scholarship was in the millions.
Unwilling to participate in most experiments and without any 'shadowy' side income, her earnings were actually on the lower end among the Level 5s.
While she sometimes spent frantically on limited-edition Gekota merchandise and wasn't much of a saver, her bank card still boasted a staggering balance.
Sonoko Natsume couldn't help but stare blankly for a second. Misaka-senpai was quite the little heiress.
'Ten million yen, just like that.' With that, the Sisters wouldn't need to follow the original plan of working part-time jobs.
But ten million yen was probably most of Misaka-senpai's savings, wasn't it? Thinking about it, Misaka-senpai didn't seem to care much about money.
Then again, with her ability, earning money in Academy City was probably the easiest thing in the world. It was arguably the most convenient power in modern society.
"As for tomorrow's experiment, I will go in place of Sister 9977. Since the researchers put so much faith in the Tree Diagram's prophecies, I'm going to make sure every single one of them becomes void." Misaka-senpai's face was full of determination, her entire aura sharpening instantly.
"You're going to take Sister 9977's place?"
While Sonoko Natsume was a little worried for Misaka-senpai's safety, she had to admit it was a good plan.
It also fit into Misaka-senpai's overall strategy.
Accelerator clashing with the Railgun would create a major flaw in the ongoing experiment, a prerequisite for fulfilling the false prophecy part of Misaka-senpai's plan.
Even if Misaka-senpai couldn't defeat Accelerator, she likely wouldn't be seriously harmed. The higher-ups of Academy City wouldn't allow the loss of a single Level 5.
Though, Natsume personally leaned more towards knocking all the Sisters unconscious and standing Accelerator up. After all, all the Sisters were gathered in one place now.
"Natsume-san, what's your bank account number? I'll transfer the money now."
Standing up, the Gekota mask on Misaka-senpai's face twitched slightly as she addressed Sonoko Natsume.
"Ah, there's no need to be in such a hurry! Since it's your money, Misaka-senpai, it's better if you handle it yourself. I'm sure the Sisters would be very happy to receive it directly from you."
Natsume waved her hands dismissively. No matter how you looked at it, ten million was far too much. It was better for Misaka-senpai to take responsibility herself.
"Me, do it myself?" Misaka-senpai murmured under her breath.
Standing under the night sky, the two masked girls looked like cosplay enthusiasts, gazing out at Academy City shrouded in darkness.
Misaka-senpai's plan was risky, but worth trying. However, sometimes, Sonoko Natsume preferred to have more comprehensive contingencies in place.
She already had a good idea of what she needed to do tomorrow.
After a short break, Misaka-senpai resumed her operations. She had marked five research institutes for tonight, with two remaining.
Those two, however, weren't in District 7. She'd have to travel to other districts. Given her efficiency, most of the time would be spent commuting. Even so, it would take less than an hour to finish.
At this rate, she could probably clear all twenty institutes involved in the Level 6 Shift Project in three or four days. But with the experiment scheduled for tomorrow night, Misaka-senpai planned to pick up the pace, aiming to take down at least half of the institutes today to disrupt the experiment's progress.
"Natsume-san, thank you for your help. But I still have things to do. You should head back first."
With a nod towards Sonoko Natsume, brilliant sparks flashed around Misaka-senpai's feet. In one powerful motion, she launched herself towards the building across the way.
The two buildings were nearly a hundred meters apart—a daunting distance.
But it seemed a powerful force field enveloped Misaka-senpai. The moment she leaped, immense magnetic force radiated from her body. Harnessing this power, she was firmly pulled towards the opposite building, covering the hundred-meter gap in the blink of an eye.
--+--
Tokiwadai Middle School Dormitory, District 7.
Just as Sonoko Natsume stepped out of room 210, she spotted Misaka-senpai, already fully dressed, waiting nearby.
"Good morning, Misaka-senpai."
Sonoko Natsume hadn't expected Misaka-senpai to be waiting for her so early in the morning. She could only offer a slight nod in greeting.
She had returned to the dorm before Misaka-senpai last night, yet Misaka-senpai seemed to be in better spirits.
"Natsume-san, I want to go see the Sisters." That was the first thing Misaka-senpai said upon seeing her.
Misaka-senpai had returned very late last night, but because of the Sisters, she hadn't been able to sleep a wink. The tension and suppression on her face were clear enough for her roommate, Shirai-san, to notice.
Walking towards the Sisters' apartment, Sonoko Natsume observed the somewhat distracted Misaka-senpai.
"Misaka-senpai, are you okay?"
Sonoko Natsume asked with concern. Ever since Misaka-senpai discovered the truth about the Sisters, her overall state had taken a turn for the worse.
"I'm fine. I'm just thinking about tonight's experiment." Misaka-senpai shook her head, indicating she was alright.
Along the way, the usually ubiquitous street thugs were conspicuously absent. Passing by several narrow alleys revealed no one, and even the envelopes containing stored-value cards that were usually hidden in corners had long since been found and taken during the thugs' recent rampage.
Even the local delinquent gangs in District 7 had been affected, too afraid to venture out recklessly. It could be said that District 7 was safer now than it had been in a long time.
When they arrived at the Sisters' apartment, most of the Sisters were present.
It was still morning, not yet lunchtime. The Sisters wouldn't collectively depart for the experiment site until evening.
Aside from Sister 9977, who was scheduled to participate, the only task for the other Sisters was to handle her remains afterward.
It was a thought that would drive any ordinary person to despair. But for the Sisters, whose emotions were still in a rudimentary stage and who didn't comprehend the finality of death, it was simply a matter of course.
"Subject has located Big Sister. Misaka 10001 expresses delight."
"Misaka 9982 received a gift from Big Sister. Misaka 10001 also desires one and pretends to have let this information slip accidentally."
Sitting on the planter by the yard, the previously blanking Misaka 10001 noticed Misaka-senpai's arrival and immediately walked up to her.
"Hello. It's nice to meet you all."
Misaka-senpai started to say something, only to find that the Sisters had already gathered at the entrance to the yard.
Being stared at by over a dozen pairs of identical eyes left Misaka-senpai flustered for a moment.
"Big Sister, this is not actually our first meeting. Misaka 10001 also possesses memories of meeting Big Sister."
Misaka 10001 tilted her head, explaining in her own way. In her understanding, if any single Sister met Big Sister, it was equivalent to all of them meeting her.
But they only shared the memories, not the Gekota badge that Misaka 9982 had received. This caused many of the Sisters to feel something akin to jealousy for the first time, even if they couldn't quite identify the emotion.
Perhaps because the Sisters' genes originated from Misaka-senpai, they all shared her peculiar fondness for Gekota. It was a remarkably strong genetic trait.
However, the observant Misaka-senpai also noticed with surprise that among the group of Sisters, there was a slightly incongruous figure, swept up and mixed within the crowd.
She was a little shorter than the Sisters, but not by much. Her distinctive twin buns were particularly eye-catching, and her facial features bore a striking resemblance to Sonoko Natsume.
Misaka-senpai looked at the Natsume-san beside her, then back at the out-of-place figure among the Sisters, a look of astonishment appearing on her face.
'Is this... Natsume-san's clone?'
A wave of irritation washed over Misaka-senpai. 'Academy City has gone too far.'
"Natsume-san, is she also...?"
Misaka-senpai turned back, her voice questioning.
"Reiko isn't a clone, Misaka-senpai. Do you remember that faceless... creature we encountered before?"
Sonoko Natsume shook her head and explained. Reiko's existence wasn't a secret—people would find out eventually. The only question was how she would explain it to others.
"That creature!? How is that possible?"
Misaka-senpai's face was full of shock, as if she found this fact hard to accept. The difference in appearance was just too vast.
The muscular, tentacle-covered monstrosity they'd seen just a few days ago transforming into a beautiful girl was... jarring, to say the least.
"Kiyama-sensei used my genes to complete hers. Strictly speaking, it was a form of treatment. But she isn't capable of independent survival yet, so I had her stay here where the Sisters can look after her." Sonoko Natsume said after a moment's thought.
There was nothing technically wrong with what Sonoko Natsume said. Once outside of her control, Reiko wasn't much different from an ordinary infant, as her consciousness hadn't truly begun to form yet.
Perhaps in a little while, when Natsume wasn't around, Reiko would start crying and fussing just like a baby.
"So that woman was responsible for this." Misaka-senpai nodded, seeming to grasp the gist of Natsume's explanation.
Compared to her monstrous form, the current Reiko was far easier to accept. It seemed that woman might have actually done a good thing here.
During the fight with Meltdowner at Heaven Canceller's hospital last time, Misaka-senpai had also spoken with the creature—or rather, with Kiyama Harumi, who was controlling it.
She'd learned that the creature was also one of Academy City's experimental subjects, controlled by Kiyama Harumi for some reason.
But Misaka-senpai's understanding was slightly different. In her view, Reiko was probably similar to the Sisters—a newly formed consciousness, with various information forcibly fed into her brain via some device. It didn't occur to her that Reiko's connection to Natsume-san ran much deeper.
--+--
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.