The Self-Cultivation of a Mastermind is Truly Important.
So even when faced with a situation like this, one must maintain at least a semblance of composure, preferably with a slight smile plastered on their face.
Yeah, that looks much more normal now.
A certain girl, now enveloped in an inexplicable radiance, turned back to look at the stunned crowd and rubbed her head somewhat apologetically.
"Everyone, please stop staring at me. I'm not really sure what's happening either."
A certain bun-girl blinked her innocent eyes, her grip on the wooden bow tightening slightly.
She hadn't figured out how to explain this to everyone; in fact, she had no idea how to explain it at all.
About her past life... she wasn't ready to tell anyone yet, especially with some rather questionable characters present.
"Natsume-san, thank goodness."
Misaka let out a sigh of relief. Seeing the bun-haired classmate safe and sound, a smile surfaced on her face.
She wasn't concerned about why Natsume-san could pick up that wooden bow.
Having even witnessed a certain high school boy's right hand, nothing much surprised her anymore. Things were finally moving in a better direction.
"Tsuchimikado, did you get it wrong?"
Stiyl's cigarette butt fell to the floor as he frowned at the dumbfounded Tsuchimikado Motoharu.
Just moments ago, Tsuchimikado Motoharu was explaining how the engravings on the bow were extremely difficult to deal with, only for someone to pluck it off the next second. It was straight out of a cheap novel.
"It's impossible for me to be wrong."
"This situation... perhaps the 'Achilles' Heel' accidentally damaged a crucial part of the engravings. Or perhaps she's carrying something that can suppress the Relic."
A sudden silence fell. Tsuchimikado Motoharo took a few more good looks at the bun-girl.
Ordinary Tokiwadai Middle School uniform, a pretty ordinary magical girl charm bracelet on her wrist, and what seemed to be a magical amulet around her neck—but that definitely shouldn't be enough to do this.
And if he hadn't thoroughly checked this Tokiwadai girl's profile, Tsuchimikado might have wondered if she was some kind of special Saint.
Most Saints had similar abilities: superhuman physical prowess, extreme speed, senses far beyond ordinary people, and the like.
But there were also Saints whose blood could heal, and Arisa, due to the power in her singing, was also suspected to be one.
So, a Saint who could suppress rituals through touch was theoretically possible.
However, the crucial point was that Saints could use magic from birth, possessing far more magical power than ordinary magicians. For such an existence to develop esper powers was simply a waste of resources.
Developing them would basically mean infinite weakening, let alone developing them into an esper—that was nearly impossible.
After Stiyl ruled out the Saint possibility, he successively eliminated several other options as well.
Not everyone knew about Natsume-san's past, and no one would guess that an esper could be connected to a magical-side Relic.
The two were practically incompatible—even if an esper got one, without magical power, they couldn't use it.
The trophies Natsume Sonoko confiscated from those few Magical Girls could only be used as ordinary fans and brooms.
"Natsume-san, could you let me see the Relic?"
Kanzaki Kaori's face was also full of astonishment. It took her a moment to accept this reality.
Based on her understanding, this was a complete suppression of the Relic's manifestations. Her first thought also went to Saints, but she arrived at a similar conclusion as Tsuchimikado and the others.
"So this thing is called a Relic."
Natsume-san nodded and handed the wooden bow over.
The moment she let go, the scattered luminous energy reappeared, once again drawn to the magic circle within the space elevator, startling the bun-girl into hurriedly grabbing the bow back.
"It seems the bow's suppression is entirely dependent on her," Stiyl remarked.
Natsume-san, now holding the bow again, looked nervously at the magicians around her, afraid they'd discover she was the mastermind behind it all.
As for the bow glowing when she let go, Natsume-san wasn't too worried. She could just ask Kamijou-senpai for help after leaving the space elevator.
Natsume-san had no psychological barriers about asking for help. Helping each other out was just normal, wasn't it?
She wasn't like Misaka-senpai, who would keep things bottled up inside, though she did hide things from everyone sometimes.
This wooden bow, apparently created by her past self, would be better off cleanly disappearing.
"While the bow issue is temporarily resolved, we need to deal with the magic on the space elevator immediately."
Tsuchimikado Motoharu didn't dwell on Natsume Sonoko's abnormality, instead focusing on the remaining problem.
As mentioned before, he was very much in favor of dismantling the space elevator.
But in the time before its destruction, he also wanted to study this massive spell properly.
The external Ring of Light had stopped expanding, but its coverage was already astonishing. Even if this matter was resolved smoothly, the ensuing troubles would be numerous.
Fortunately, those were things they, as magicians, didn't need to worry about.
As the cold light once again spread around them, inexplicable figures began appearing one after another from who-knows-where.
A 'gutsy' boy who'd previously failed to get her phone number, a white-haired villain full of malice who'd still rushed over, and what seemed to be a strange animal.
Natsume-san tilted her head. She seemed to catch something strange in her mind—a dog, it seemed, wearing some kind of equipment.
How odd. Did someone bring a dog to the space station?
While dogs are man's best friend, this was really hard to understand.
"Natsume-san, are they friends of yours?"
Kanzaki Kaori asked with some concern, her gaze sharpening slightly.
Though not specifically targeted, she could sense the thick anger and madness emanating from one of them.
"Not really familiar."
Natsume-san shook her head. The 'gutsy' boy with the headband was barely an acquaintance.
The white-haired one... she knew him too, but Natsume-san felt it was better not to.
But against her wishes, both their gazes swept the room and landed on the certain bun-girl.
Accelerator glanced at Misaka-senpai too; he naturally knew the #3 Level 5 of Academy City. They had the kind of friendship built from demolishing a building together.
"You're that... what's-her-name from last time."
Sogiita Gunha scratched his head, feeling like he'd seen her somewhere but unable to recall.
It seemed just like forgetting the phone number; he hadn't remembered the certain bun-girl either.
Normally, Natsume-san would have shown displeasure, but now she had little time to bother with others' reactions.
With everyone's voices buzzing in her ears, Natsume-san was shocked to find the arm holding the bow growing heavy.
The bow had reached its breaking point, unable to withstand the immense power within any longer.
Not long after Natsume-san took hold of it, the magical energy inside began to run wild.
Threads of light seeped from between her fingers, and clear cracks began to spread across the bow's surface.
It was, after all, a disposable Relic, never designed to be maliciously disrupted. Even soothed by its creator, it had reached its limit.
"This is bad. We absolutely cannot let the Relic be destroyed here!"
Tsuchimikado Motoharu was the first to react.
But before his words fully faded, a substantial pressure erupted, spreading out in all directions.
Natsume-san felt her body grow light, as if a familiar power was gathering in her hands.
Although the wooden bow, its vessel, was on the verge of destruction, the power within remained undiminished as it settled into Natsume Sonoko's grasp.
It felt as if just a slight pull on an invisible bowstring could release that overwhelming, sky-blotting force.
"That power has returned?!"
"You promised! You promised!"
Ladylee Tangleroad stood up agitatedly, ignoring the hostile glares around her, and stumbled forward, only to collapse weakly before Natsume-san.
Simultaneously, the Ring of Light extending across the Earth began to change.
The brilliant pillar of light reappeared, but this time, instead of absorbing energy from the bow, it converged relentlessly into Natsume-san's hands.
The energy taken from the bow could be reclaimed by its original owner anytime before that arrow was fired.
As the radiance in her hands grew more brilliant, the cold light outside grew increasingly thin.
It receded from the Pacific Ocean back to Japan, from Japan back to Academy City, from Academy City back to the space elevator, and even more light converged into Natsume-san's hands.
The arrow had taken form. It had reached the point where it must be fired.
And this immense energy was firmly controlled within Natsume Sonoko's grasp, completely free from the space elevator's pull.
--+--
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.