Compared to the nearly choice-less Kazakiri Hyouka, Natsume Sonoko found herself in a far more favorable position.
Whether she wanted to face reality or not was entirely up to her; at the very least, it seemed to her that she still held some degree of initiative.
As for the various schemes and covert attempts aimed at her, they remained largely under wraps.
Their actual impact was confined to a small circle, and many of these situations weren't even known to Natsume Sonoko herself.
Understanding her own position in this way, it was easy to see why Natsume-san went about her days with such a cheerful, carefree demeanor.
Similarly, towards Kazakiri Hyouka, who had little control over her own circumstances, a certain bun-girl found herself developing a particular sense of concern.
Perhaps it could be called sympathy, or maybe it was friendship—regardless, Natsume Sonoko cared deeply.
And once Natsume-san set her mind on something, passive emotions like turning a blind eye simply didn't exist. Her courage tended to shine through unreservedly in matters like these.
"Index is completely impossible to communicate with right now. She's like a tribeswoman from some primitive clan, flailing her arms and legs—how is anyone supposed to understand what she means?"
"Putting it that way might be a bit rude, but in a situation like this, we definitely need to establish a better method of communication. Something like writing or pictures, maybe."
Watching the frantic yet helpless Index with some exasperation, the aforementioned bun-haired girl demonstrated her credentials as a high-risk asset of the science side and a model middle school student. She was, after all, a master at deciphering Martian scribbles and using standard fonts.
Natsume-san wasn't entirely clear on the environmental differences between their two sides, nor did she know if Kazakiri-san could hear the air vibrations from their end. But since they could communicate visually through eye contact, it suggested that Kazakiri Hyouka adhered to the optical rules of the physical universe.
Perhaps the light-based AIM diffusion field used to construct her physical form was playing a role, while the AIM fields responsible for substantializing her body—like telekinesis or friction coefficients—were either inactive or operating at a low maintenance level.
So, theoretically, if there was a way to control the various field energies associated with Kazakiri-san, maybe it would be possible to bring her to a state where she could appear normally in the physical universe.
'If only we knew how Academy City controls the AIM fields to make Kazakiri-san switch between that half-real, half-illusory state, then most of her predicament would be solved.'
'Furthermore, if there's a core that allows the field to manifest in reality, and that core carries the corresponding types of AIM fields, then we could use AIM fields to create a simulated human body.'
Thoughts suddenly surged in her mind. Natsume Sonoko knew that controlling AIM fields would mean the difference between heaven and earth for an esper, representing a completely new future.
However, while the principle of using AIM fields to generate a human body was easy enough to grasp, Natsume-san knew very little about the actual knowledge required to manipulate AIM fields.
Likewise, Natsume-san had never systematically studied the composition of the human body, and no one would have provided her with such information.
She was just an ordinary Level 5 esper without an affiliated research institute.
'If Academy City can create a being like Kazakiri-san and maintain the long-term stability of her core, then they must have cutting-edge research achievements in this area.'
'Maybe Level 6 isn't an impossible goal for Academy City after all. Kazakiri-san already touches upon that level of power. If humans can't reach that stage on their own, then Kazakiri Hyouka must be the backup plan.'
Natsume-san couldn't help but think this, a strange feeling stirring within her.
Although she considered Kazakiri-san as Academy City's backup plan for the Level 6 project, she wasn't entirely confident in that assessment. Perhaps it was the espers like herself who were the real spares.
At that moment, her gaze seemed to pierce through the thick bandages, fixing directly upon Kazakiri Hyouka.
Without a doubt, if she wanted to get closer to that kind of power, Kazakiri Hyouka was a tremendous treasure trove for her—or rather, an irreplaceable teacher.
She didn't know exactly what knowledge she could gain from the other girl, but observing from both the Phase perspective and the microscopic perspective of the AIM fields might yield some unexpected results.
Returning to the present, Natsume-san cleared her mind.
Unraveling the secrets hidden within Kazakiri-san wasn't, in her view, as important as solving Index's current distress right now.
Besides, following Natsume-san's usual principles, she'd likely be held back by concerns over invading others' privacy. But she'd already seen through Kazakiri Hyouka on practically every level, and a suitably guilty smile crept onto her face.
Whether it was the core or the various elements constituting her body, Natsume-san had seen it all, completely and without obstruction.
This was also a brand-new experience with AIM field energy for Natsume-san—witnessing a human body constructed from field energy through her Phase perspective, her brain processing the relevant information and naturally forming certain images.
It really wasn't her fault! She could only observe the other party through her Phase ability right now.
Plus, Kazakiri-san emitted no heat, making thermal perception useless, and she couldn't use her own eyes to see at the moment.
'I'll find a chance to apologize to Kazakiri-san later.'
Then again, that wouldn't work either. Natsume Sonoko couldn't explain the whole 'Phase perspective' thing—it was even more far-fetched than the talk about reincarnation she'd had with Index earlier.
But Natsume-san, lost in her troubles, didn't dwell on it for too long. She simply decided to consider Kazakiri Hyouka a close friend.
After all, they were both girls, and if they were good friends, then it was even less of a problem. Once her eyes were healed, this awkward situation would be over.
More importantly, she wanted to try—to see if there was a way to let Kazakiri-san truly appear in the reality of this universe. To do that, understanding her existence was necessary.
Natsume Sonoko felt that what Kazakiri-san cared about more was whether she could communicate and live with everyone normally.
"Index, let's get out of here for now."
Her expression slightly awkward, Natsume-san spoke up.
A small crowd of onlookers had begun to gather, and the sound of Anti-Skill patrol car sirens seemed to be approaching in the distance.
Trying to communicate with Kazakiri-san here was just too inconvenient; Natsume-san had never enjoyed being the center of a spectacle.
Fortunately, it was still school hours, so the crowd wasn't too big, and it would be easy to shake off the surrounding gawkers.
As soon as the words left her mouth, Natsume Sonoko grabbed Index's hand and then tried to guide Kazakiri Hyouka's path using gestures they could both understand—like jabbing a finger emphatically in a specific direction, pointing towards a small park not far away.
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T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL