The ornate gothic princess dress was neatly folded and stuffed into a box, buried beneath the bed alongside a hoard of other useful and useless collectibles.
Back in her dorm room, Natsume Sonoko brushed away a bead of sweat that wasn't really there, eyeing the increasingly cramped storage space with mild concern. She wondered if there was still room for one more suitcase.
Thankfully, she had a room to herself. If she'd had a roommate, she'd have been utterly lost.
"If it doesn't fit, I can just stash some stuff at the Judgment branch office," she mused. "And I could probably leave a few things with Juufuku-san and Shirai-san in their dorms too."
Having figured this out, a look of sudden realization dawned on Natsume Sonoko's face. She remembered she even had a desk waiting for her at Judgment Branch 177.
The thought of just scattering her belongings around or haphazardly shoving them into corners was unthinkable. She had no desire to see the dorm matron's terrifying glare.
"You know," she thought, "if I ever need to sneak out of the dorm, wearing that princess dress might not be a bad idea."
Pondering new uses for her collection, Natsume Sonoko bit her lip thoughtfully.
No matter how you looked at it, gothic style was a world away from her usual self. Even if her invisibility failed, she wouldn't have to worry about her identity being exposed immediately.
--+--
Day Four of the Daihaseisai. Overcast.
Having missed two full days of events due to injury, the removal of the bandages finally signaled Natsume-san's return to the games.
While Tokiwadai had unexpectedly lost two of its top Level 5 aces, leading to a slight increase in workload for some students, the school's performance in the events had, against expectations, surged ahead, even managing to overtake Nagatenjouki Academy in the points standings.
Natsume-san preferred not to comment too much on this particular development.
The three-legged race venue was bustling with noise and excitement. Being an outdoor event, the competition area was separated from the spectators by little more than two caution tapes.
Several spherical camera robots buzzed around the area, one particularly persistent one circling over a certain girl's bun-haired head, trying to capture a good shot of Academy City's #8 Level 5.
But technology has its limits. Affected by the subtle distortions of air and light around her body, Natsume-san's face seemed to be artificially blurred, as if filtered. Only the dark, swaying bun was clearly visible amidst the shimmer.
"That's so strange, why can't I see Natsume-san's face clearly?"
A cry of surprise from Uiharu Kazari in the crowd instantly drew the attention of Banri and Haruue Erii beside her.
"Yeah, it's like watching an old movie! Natsume-neechan is so interesting!" Edasaki Banri said, widening her eyes before suddenly giggling.
"Don't mind her. It's probably some nonsensical paranoia of hers, or maybe she just finds it convenient to look like that."
Shirai Kuroko made a dramatic entrance in her wheelchair, chin resting on her hand, her expression thoroughly unimpressed.
Separated from her Onee-sama, the teleporter's mood was decidedly foul, her words dripping with listless energy.
Had she not overheard that a certain someone's event was nearby, she wouldn't have bothered coming to watch Natsume-san compete.
Speaking of which, where was Saten-san?
Lifting her head, Shirai Kuroko glanced around, finally spotting Saten Ruiko hurrying over, arms laden with bottles of soda.
Meanwhile, at the starting line of the three-legged race, the "Mosaic Girl" had already adjusted her light-bending parameters. Learning from a past mishap, she made sure she didn't appear to be missing a head this time.
She ignored the various odd stares from her surroundings. Using abilities was perfectly legal during the Daihaseisai, so she wasn't breaking any rules.
Firm in her unique method of self-preservation, Natsume Sonoko held her head high amidst the chaotic world, steadfastly enduring the gazes of those who didn't understand.
"Natsume-san, it looks like one of our opposing teams is from Kibougamine's High School section," whispered Hanazono Mei, carefully poking Natsume Sonoko's arm and snapping the other girl out of her reverie.
The girl beside her looked nervous. To her eyes, the bun-headed girl appeared completely normal.
Although they had a Level 5 on their side, the age difference still made her feel some pressure.
The Daihaseisai operations committee had to coordinate participants from hundreds of schools and account for all sorts of unexpected incidents, leading to frequent last-minute changes. You couldn't be sure of your opponents until the event actually began.
With the point gap between Tokiwadai Middle School and Nagatenjouki Academy still narrow, a single loss could reverse their standings. This weighed heavily on the conscientious Hanazono-san.
"Relax, our strategy is foolproof," Natsume-san declared, a serious expression surfacing. "It doesn't matter who our opponents are."
The inflated confidence of a Level 5 filled the girl's head as she vigorously rotated her shoulders, going through the motions of a final warm-up with great earnestness. She seemed utterly certain of their victory.
Their so-called "strategy" was simple: Hanazono-san would be responsible for gathering real-time intel on their opponents, while Natsume-san would power through, carrying Hanazono all the way to the finish line.
As expected, Natsume-san herself was subject to certain restrictions during the event.
Most of these rules were in place to protect the surrounding spectators and the other participants, limiting the scope and intensity of the abilities she could use. For Natsume-san, this just meant toning things down a bit.
The waiting period always felt longer than the race itself, and prolonged warm-ups grew tedious.
When the starting pistol finally fired, even Natsume-san straightened her expression, focusing.
However, Natsume-san's reactions were always a beat slower than everyone else's. While her brain registered the sound of the gun first, her body took its time to follow through.
Fortunately, her teammate was more responsive. A surprising strength emanated from Hanazono's small frame. With their legs firmly tied together, the bun-headed girl found herself being forcefully dragged forward, just managing to keep pace with the leading group.
"Look out, ahead at the corner! Someone's planning to use their ability there!" Hanazono called out, detecting the anomaly in their opponents not long after the race began.
"Understood, Teammate Hanazono!" Natsume-san replied, her face turning serious.
She had already dialed back her own sensory perception, choosing to rely on her partner for this aspect.
Natsume Sonoko could have easily lifted both of them and half-flown, half-run to the finish line, but that would have missed the point entirely.
For the bun-headed girl, what mattered were the training sessions spent with Hanazono-san, not the final score. If she'd cared about the competition that much, she would have accepted the dorm matron's earlier offer of a leave of absence.
And so, with both feet firmly on the ground, Natsume-san became, for a moment, almost ordinary.
--+--
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.