"By the way, how's the investigation into those serial bombings going?"
Natsume Sonoko asked curiously. She'd been so busy searching for her stolen bicycle lately that she'd hardly paid attention to the earlier bombing cases.
"We already caught the culprit," Shirai replied, leaning her head on one hand while shaking a drink with the other.
"His ability was originally Level 2 Quantum Shift, but something boosted it to Level 4. Thankfully, it didn't cause any major chaos."
She continued after a moment's thought, "Thanks to Maeda-senpai's ability, we managed to look back in time near the bombing sites and spot the suspect. Though we had some trouble during the arrest, overall it went pretty smoothly."
Shirai didn't mention she'd taken quite a fall during the capture, even if she wasn't injured.
"The criminal's ability was dangerous," Uiharu said with a shudder. "He could turn aluminum cans into bombs, and even use small items like spoons, keys, or keychains to cause significant explosions."
"According to the latest Anti-Skill investigation, he used some item called the 'Level Upper' to enhance his ability," Shirai added.
"There have been many ability-related incidents lately because of that thing. Seriously, some people get powers and immediately turn to crime."
Seeming troubled, Shirai sighed, her face clouding with worry.
With the appearance of the Level Upper, the Judgment workload had increased dramatically. Worse yet, they were now dealing with higher-level abilities, making everything more dangerous.
"I see. You've really been through a lot, Shirai-san." Natsume Sonoko nodded sympathetically.
"The Level Upper? Our dorm's strict supervisor specifically warned us not to use it," Misaka-senpai chimed in, apparently recalling how terrifying the supervisor had been during last night's announcement.
"Can the Level Upper really enhance abilities?" Saten murmured quietly from where she sat.
"Natsume-san, what about your bicycle theft case?" Shirai looked up at Sonoko with exasperation.
"You've been investigating alone again these past few days, haven't you? Ordinary citizens should just wait patiently in their dorms for results. Stop always trying to show off and handle everything yourself."
"Alright, alright, I know my limits. You're such a busybody, Shirai-san. Are you my mother or something?"
Natsume Sonoko narrowed her eyes, meeting Shirai's scrutinizing gaze without backing down, her tone defiant.
BOOM!
A tremendous explosion erupted out of nowhere, shaking the ground noticeably.
The blast lasted only seconds before everything fell silent again. Everyone grabbed tables or chairs to steady themselves, exchanging bewildered looks.
"Was that an explosion somewhere?" Misaka-senpai asked with concern.
About a minute later, Uiharu's phone suddenly rang, playing an ordinary folk tune.
"Uiharu Kazari speaking. Oh, Konori-senpai? Yes, yes, I understand." As Uiharu answered, her expression grew increasingly grave, making the others curious.
"What's going on?" Saten asked, puzzled.
"Shirai-san, there's been a major explosion at a nearby research institute. We need to help Anti-Skill evacuate the area." Uiharu put away her phone and urgently explained.
"In broad daylight? How could this happen? Uiharu, let's move!" Though complaining, Shirai swiftly fastened her Judgment armband and hurried off with Uiharu toward the location Konori-senpai had sent.
"I'm coming too!" Misaka-senpai grabbed Shirai's arm insistently.
"Really, this has nothing to do with ordinary citizens!"
"We can all help with evacuations. It's not just Judgment's responsibility," Saten declared firmly, stepping forward.
"I'll help too," Natsume Sonoko added quietly, raising her hand.
--+--
School District 7, Advanced Weaponry Research Institute.
Violent explosions rang out one after another. Debris flew everywhere, injuring several passing students.
The once-tall research building had been reduced to broken walls and rubble. The ground had even sunk dozens of meters, forming a massive underground cavern nearby.
Wreckage of security robots, shattered by the intense shockwaves, littered the streets. Their internal components sparked violently.
Anti-Skill responded with their usual speed. Within ten minutes of the explosion, several armored vehicles and dozens of Anti-Skill members arrived on scene.
Since this was School District 7, the responding officers were once again Yomikawa-sensei and Tsuzuri-sensei.
"Captain Yomikawa, we've confirmed the perpetrator is still inside," Tsuzuri reported softly.
"Tch, this time they've really done it. Almost destroyed an entire shopping district. What were the higher-ups thinking, building such a dangerous research facility in a busy area?" Yomikawa said angrily, watching the continuing explosions. The intense heat reached them even from a distance.
"Why are there students nearby? What are they doing here?" Yomikawa frowned, noticing several students assisting injured pedestrians.
"They're Judgment members from nearby. I'll tell them to leave." Instructor Tsuzuri jogged toward the Judgment members.
"Please, you're just students. You need to leave this area immediately," the soft-spoken Instructor Tsuzuri urged anxiously upon reaching the casualty area.
"Wait just a moment! Natsume-san is almost done stopping the bleeding!" Uiharu sat on the ground, sweating profusely as she helped lift a severely injured person onto a stretcher.
Following Tsuzuri's gaze, she saw a small girl with a bun hairstyle, covered in dust, kneeling on the ground staring intently at a wound.
After a moment, the bleeding coagulated.
The girl looked flustered, seeming a bit out of her depth. While there might be complications later, with no better medical options available, they had to make do.
Natsume Sonoko's ability couldn't affect the human body directly, but it could influence surfaces indirectly, including human skin.
"I'm almost done here too." Several pedestrians had been severely injured, but with Misaka-senpai's defibrillation ability, most were now out of immediate danger.
"What exactly happened here?" Natsume Sonoko's mind reeled.
The peaceful city life she knew seemed like just moments ago, yet turning a few corners had revealed this horrific scene.
Unlike the predetermined plots in anime, the real Academy City always held unexpected events.
Misaka-senpai, Shirai-san, and Uiharu-san remained remarkably calm. Though Saten-san had been scared initially, she quickly settled down.
In contrast, Natsume Sonoko had overestimated her own mental fortitude. Even now, fear lingered in her heart.
Searing flames surged skyward, bringing waves of blistering heat that greatly annoyed Sonoko.
"Huh? The heat's gone here."
After experiencing the previous heatwaves, Instructor Tsuzuri found the suddenly pleasant surroundings strange.
Unbeknownst to her, because of Natsume Sonoko's presence, the scorching heatwaves were cooled into gentle breezes before reaching them.
"All units, alert! Live ammunition authorized!"
Instructor Yomikawa stared sternly at the explosion's epicenter, his brow deeply furrowed, eyes wide and fixed on the flames burning within the underground cavern.
Then, from within those very flames, a grotesque humanoid figure emerged.
It wasn't entirely humanoid—only vaguely possessing human-like limbs.
This monster was covered in broken wires or conduits, with a stone the size of a human face embedded in its chest. A glimpse of the exposed stone revealed mysterious engravings.
Its head was completely deformed, making one doubt whether it still had a head at all.
"What kind of monster is that?" Natsume Sonoko stared in horror at the creature not far away. Just by appearance, it looked like some final boss monster.
On the roof of a shop untouched by the explosions.
A tall, slender girl with fluffy light-brown hair observed the scene through binoculars.
"Mugino, is that thing our target?" exclaimed a girl in a beret and black miniskirt, with voluminous blonde hair.
"That's a monster cultivated from alien meteorite cells and that guy's DNA. Our target isn't the monster itself, but the stone in its chest."
"We went through all the trouble of using the Nectar to make it rampage. I'm still bitter about how things fell apart a year ago," the girl called Mugino bit her lip, seemingly recalling some past event.
"When do we move? There seems to be a troublesome person over there," a junior high girl with a brown bob cut asked while yawning, pointing toward Misaka-senpai in the distance.
--+--
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.