Auto parts rained down like hail, slamming into the grassy slope near the parking lot and leaving craters of varying sizes.
Aside from hitting a few unlucky robots, they only managed to crush some flowers and weeds.
At the same time, the massive tornado began to disintegrate mid-air. The chaotic storm of sand and debris settled within mere seconds, leaving only a scene of devastation in its wake.
Riding the circulating updrafts, Natsume Sonoko bounded down as if stepping on invisible bricks of air, skipping and jumping her way to the ground while taking a moment to admire her handiwork along the way.
The moment her feet touched the ground, an assessment robot approached her head-on.
"Natsume-san, the evaluation process has now been fully completed."
A familiar voice emitted from the robot, immediately grabbing someone's attention.
"So it's over already."
Natsume Sonoko blinked, slightly dazed, as she mentally reviewed the several self-selected assessment tasks.
Letting Natsume Sonoko decide her own assessment projects might seem informal, but behind it lay a rigorous evaluation system.
Before each of Natsume Sonoko's chosen tasks began, staff would assess their difficulty and value, assigning a weight to each—essentially, a score.
The scores from the fixed tasks, combined with those from the self-selected ones, needed to add up to one hundred percent to fulfill the assessment requirements.
Unlike typical scoring systems, however, here you either earned the full points for a task or none at all—no partial credit. It was notoriously strict.
Although Natsume Sonoko didn't know exactly how many points were needed to become a Level 5, she figured more couldn't hurt.
Relying on just one move to meet the requirements would have turned it into an assessment like the Railgun's.
From the initial pressure cannon and shadow clones, to the wind barrier and the recent tornado, all the assessment tasks she had proposed were now complete.
To prevent any unexpected issues, Natsume Sonoko had made sure the tornado she proposed not only filled the remaining score quota but even exceeded it, effectively becoming a bonus.
The other assessment tasks, in comparison, accounted for very little—almost like padding.
Zooming back into the examination ground, Natsume-san was once again conversing with the robot.
"I ended up destroying the parking lot during the assessment… Is that going to be a problem?"
Natsume Sonoko spoke to the robot with a worried tone, hesitantly glancing at the scattered car fragments nearby.
"Don't worry. Those vehicles are all covered by ability insurance purchased by the research institute. They'll be fully compensated by the Kongou Insurance. As for the parking lot repairs, those will be funded by the Academy City education system."
Just as the robot finished speaking, another familiar voice came from behind.
Turning around, Natsume-san saw a personal transport vehicle stopping beside her. The female researcher known as Hirosue Asuka smiled as she spoke, a microphone-like device still attached to her neck.
"What a relief."
Natsume Sonoko let out a sigh of relief.
So Kongou-senpai's family ran an insurance business too, Natsume Sonoko's thoughts wandered absently.
"Hop on. We've still got places to be."
Hirosue Asuka waved Natsume Sonoko over, her attitude toward the bun-haired girl remarkably friendly.
Just like when they had arrived, Natsume Sonoko smoothly took her seat in Hirosue Asuka's vehicle.
After returning the small shoulder device to Hirosue Asuka, the Level 5 assessment was finally, truly over.
Though the final result lingered in her mind, she didn't feel particularly nervous. She sat silently, gazing out the window.
No matter how she looked at it, Natsume Sonoko was convinced she had passed.
"Aren't you curious about the assessment results, Natsume-san?"
Hirosue Asuka, while driving, glanced somewhat curiously at the distracted girl.
The car carrying Natsume Sonoko stopped at the initial preparation room, where she changed back into her original clothes before proceeding to the assessment control center.
The outfit she had changed out of was generously offered to the bun-haired girl, who promptly refused it.
Clutching the small bag containing the clothes, Natsume Sonoko stood expressionless amid a crowd of busy staff.
The air was filled with the busy clatter of keyboards and the murmur of conversations. Dozens of computers continuously recorded and calculated data. Although Natsume-san could understand the various data displayed on the screens, she still felt out of place standing there.
"Just wait a little longer. Only the analysis of ability stability during the assessment remains. The results will be out shortly," Hirosue Asuka said gently, standing beside Natsume Sonoko.
Natsume Sonoko nodded, idly staring at the control center's ceiling.
"Natsume-san, regarding ability development after reaching Level 5… do you have any thoughts?"
Hirosue Asuka suddenly asked.
Natsume Sonoko tilted her head, giving Hirosue Asuka a puzzled look. Why bring this up now?
"Natsume-san, you should know that although Level 5 stands at the pinnacle of Academy City, ability development has no limits. The thermal system holds immense potential; its value is no less than that of the top three Espers. It's capable of extracting nearly limitless energy from the natural world."
"Compared to other Level 5s, what you lack, Natsume-san, is resources. If you agree, I can apply to establish a thermal research institute dedicated to helping you develop and utilize your abilities."
As she spoke, a look of anticipation and fervor spread across Hirosue Asuka's face, her eyes gleaming as she watched Natsume-san take a slight step back.
"I'm sorry, but I already have my own plans."
Natsume Sonoko stared blankly at Hirosue Asuka, though her mind was racing.
They'd officially known each other for less than three hours, and already she was trying to trick her into being researched? Natsume Sonoko wasn't falling for that.
Remembering her past experiences being studied, she felt an almost illusory sense of those days dragging on forever, and she instinctively recoiled from the idea.
Of course, if it were someone like Kiyama-sensei, she might have considered it.
"So you already have your own plans. That's a shame."
Hirosue Asuka didn't seem angered by the refusal, merely sighing with regret.
After turning down Hirosue Asuka's request, Natsume Sonoko shifted her focus back to the Level 5 assessment results.
Another three or four minutes passed before a printed copy of the assessment report was handed to Natsume Sonoko. Classified as confidential, she wasn't allowed to take it with her.
"I passed."
"Just as I thought."
Natsume Sonoko skipped directly over the detailed results in the middle and looked straight at a specific section at the bottom of the report.
[Overall Evaluation: Level 5]
Seeing those words, an immense satisfaction instantly washed over Natsume Sonoko.
Not long after Natsume Sonoko completed her assessment, a confidential document titled [Esper Profile No. 8] was compiled and swiftly delivered via helicopter to the members of the Board of Directors.
Although not all members were present, more than half had gathered.
Beside a director named Kaizumi Tsugutoshi stood a high school girl—an acquaintance of Natsume-san's.
She naturally took the file from one of the directors, flipped through it, and a faint smile appeared on her face.
"The evaluation of the Eighth is complete. All that's left is the final signing and official issuance."
"And as per the Eighth's own request, her title will remain 'Temperature Control.' Though I personally think 'Thermal Hand' would be more fitting," Kaizumi Tsugutoshi said with a laugh.
The proposal for Natsume-san's Level 5 assessment had been submitted from the start by him and another director named Oyafune Monaka.
After the directors took turns reviewing the document, they each signed their names. The number of signatories exactly exceeded half of the Board's membership.
As the Academy City Board of Directors added their signatures one by one, the Eighth was officially recognized by Academy City.
Simultaneously, the official Academy City website received the news and began promptly publishing and updating its content.
There was a common saying within Academy City: the top seven Espers seemed to follow a certain rule, ranked according to their corresponding research value.
However, Natsume-san's rise to Level 5 had come somewhat late.
It was unlikely that Academy City would revise the existing Level 5 rankings just because a new one had emerged.
Thus, Natsume Sonoko became Academy City's Eighth.
--+--
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.