'With duty done, she brushes off her robes and departs, her deeds and name concealed in the depths.'
Once again, Natsume Sonoko had quietly purified the gradually corrupting bad culture of Academy City, maintaining her low profile and leaving no name behind in her good deed.
The legend of the 'Stripping Woman' had been circulating on the urban myth websites for quite some time, lingering on the trending lists for nearly half a month.
Yet, it was only today that Natsume Sonoko truly came face-to-face with the legend herself.
To put it plainly, this legendary figure gave off an immediately gloomy vibe at first glance. Her eyes were hollow and somewhat dull, as if lost in thought who-knows-what, enabling her to carry out bold actions without the slightest hesitation.
Upon closer inspection, her lower eyelashes were remarkably thick, paired with faint dark circles around her eyes. She looked perpetually sleep-deprived, as if she might collapse into deep slumber any second.
This strange woman had striking features and a good figure, but combined with her gloomy expression, she seemed rather difficult to approach.
"It's so cold; I need to get out of here." Battered by the chilly wind and unable to bear it any longer, the strange woman abandoned her inappropriate idea of taking off her shirt in public. Instead, she headed towards a luxurious-looking car parked nearby.
Though she didn't know this strange woman well, Natsume Sonoko knew a bit more about her than the average passerby.
This information came from an unknowable place, comprehensible only to certain indescribable beings.
Before her transmigration, Sonoko hadn't finished watching A Certain Scientific Railgun T since it was still ongoing, but she had at least completed the first two seasons.
Her impression of this strange woman, who played a role in connecting parts of the main storyline in the first season of A Certain Scientific Railgun, was quite vivid.
Coupled with her highly distinctive appearance, even at their first meeting, Sonoko immediately recalled numerous scattered details.
As usual, Sonoko still didn't know the other party's name, and details like her address, age, or marital status were complete mysteries not even worth mentioning.
Without delving into specifics, Sonoko thought carefully; she still knew the general outline of the related plot.
Pushing up her non-existent glasses, a thoughtful glint appeared in Sonoko's eyes.
'Just as I thought, there's only one truth.'
She now pretty much understood everything—what lay hidden behind these events, and when the secrets buried deep within would finally surface.
This strange woman before her was not only the embodiment of the 'Stripping Woman' legend but also the creator of the Level Upper, which was spreading like wildfire online.
She was the mastermind behind the future incident that would leave nearly ten thousand people, including Saten Ruiko, unconscious; the only teacher a few orphans could trust; and simultaneously, the developer of the Level Upper treatment program.
"That strange woman? Leaving so soon already?"
Just as Sonoko's thoughts returned from their digression and her mind started working again, the legendary figure had already gotten into the car, started the engine, and began driving towards the road where Sonoko stood.
Instinctively, Sonoko took a few steps closer to the sidewalk, watching as the car slowly passed by her.
Through the car window, Sonoko could still see those hollow, vacant eyes inside the vehicle. Their gaze was plain, yet it seemed to conceal countless inner turmoils.
The strange woman seemed to notice Sonoko's stare, turning her head. Their eyes suddenly met.
Uncharacteristically, Sonoko didn't look away, staring straight back. But as the car moved, she soon lost sight of the other.
'Can this person really be considered a villain? But she's the one who caused so many people to fall unconscious.'
Standing there, Sonoko felt rather troubled, her mind in disarray. Although she felt she should do something, she couldn't figure out what, exactly, would be best.
Feeling the weight of her laptop bag, she unconsciously set it down on the ground to give her arms a rest.
With her slender arms and legs, she got tired after just a short walk. It was truly much more troublesome without her bicycle.
Her gaze followed the car as it drove out of her ability's range, soon disappearing from sight. Although, for some reason, formulas had already been constructed in her mind, she ultimately didn't take any particular action.
'Ahhh—knowing too much really isn't a good thing. I'm just an ordinary student, after all.' Sonoko rubbed her head in frustration.
Fortunately, she had only seen the Railgun storyline.
If she knew the contents of the main Index series, wouldn't she be miserable every single day?
Sonoko didn't consider herself particularly special, and her personality wasn't exactly reassuring. If only she could be like those protagonists in some novels—starting out at Level 5, decisive and slaughtering all opposition—she wouldn't have to feel so conflicted and troubled.
Walking along the road, a trace of worry still lingered on Sonoko's face, a stark contrast to the cheerful person who had ridden her bicycle to the ATM to check her savings that very morning.
By the end of the day, not only was her bicycle missing, but her mind was also preoccupied with what promised to be a particularly troublesome matter. The only consolation was the brand new laptop she had just bought.
[Saten-san, are you doing okay lately? Nothing's happened, right?]Worried about Saten-san, Sonoko sent a message.
[I'm totally fine! That's a weird question, Natsume-san 😊]came Saten-san's reply.
She wanted to ask Saten-san about the Level Upper, but after some subtle probing revealed nothing amiss, Sonoko finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Although the Level Upper incident would ultimately be resolved without major disaster, Sonoko still didn't want her friends getting caught up in such dangerous events.
[Are you free soon? Remember what I promised Uiharu-san last time? I was thinking of inviting you all to visit my dorm. How about this Friday?]Organizing her words, Sonoko sent another message.
[Sure! Uiharu's been wanting to see it for ages. Is it really okay if I tag along too?]
[Of course! Both Saten-san and Uiharu-san are my honored guests 👐]
--+--
"Natsume-san, you've seemed a bit down these past few days?" Misaka-senpai stood at the entrance of a shaved ice shop, watching Sonoko, who was intently studying the menu.
"Uiharu-san told me you recently lost your bicycle, Natsume-san. Do you need my help?"
Accepting a strawberry shaved ice from the shop owner, Misaka-senpai asked Sonoko with concern.
Just like the usual Misaka-senpai. As the Railgun, ever the helpful citizen, she offered her assistance without Sonoko even having to ask.
"Owner, I'll have the blueberry one, please. As much shaved ice as possible, and extra thick blueberry syrup."
Having made her choice, Sonoko pointed to the blueberry shaved ice on the menu and told the owner.
"Don't worry, Misaka-senpai. Uiharu-san and the others, along with the Anti-Skill teachers, are already helping with the bicycle matter." Sonoko looked up at Misaka-senpai, waving her hand dismissively.
"So that many people are already on it. But as the saying goes, many hands make light work. Besides, I'd like to teach those petty bike thieves a lesson myself."
Misaka-senpai scooped up a large spoonful of shaved ice, swallowing it down before speaking.
"Well then, thank you very much for your help, Misaka-senpai. But we have other plans for today." Sonoko pushed aside her troubled expression, revealing her usual, slightly spacey face.
"Actually, just today, I invited Uiharu-san and Saten-san to visit my dorm."
Sonoko said, while mixing her shaved ice and blueberry syrup together with a spoon. Perhaps she thought it tasted better blended.
"Really? I remember Uiharu-san mentioning it to me once before. It's perfect timing; everyone can come visit my dorm too."
A look of understanding appeared on Misaka-senpai's face as she nodded.
"Also, today is a special day worth commemorating. Let me count... it's exactly the one-month anniversary of when we met, Natsume-san."
Misaka-senpai counted on her fingers, saying somewhat seriously.
Sonoko ate her shaved ice, her mind wandering a little. Counting the days, it had indeed been a month since she met Misaka-senpai and Shirai-san.
In that case, today was also exactly one month since Shirai-san moved into Misaka-senpai's dorm.
No wonder Shirai-san had been acting a bit mysterious lately; it must be because of this anniversary.
"It really has been a month. Time flies." Unconsciously, quite some time had passed since Sonoko enrolled in Tokiwadai. She felt fortunate to have made so many new friends in that period.
"Where are we meeting Uiharu-san and the others?" Misaka-senpai asked.
"Around 4 o'clock at the Exchange Plaza. It's only a little past 2 now, so we have about an hour and a half left." Sonoko checked the time on her phone and replied.
"Let's head over early. We shouldn't keep them waiting too long."
--+--
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.