Academy City's Weather Report! (Toaru)

Chapter 454: Academy City Weather Report! - 454

Blinking a few times, all she could see was a faint, hazy glow. It looked like it'd still be a while before her basic eyesight returned.

She sensed the upperclassman's aggressive intent almost immediately. Forced back into fighting mode, Natsume Sonoko reacted instantly, using her beloved little backpack to block the oncoming laser beam.

Natsume Sonoko didn't know much about this senior's ability, and their paths had rarely crossed. But just from the other girl's obvious hand movements, Sonoko could tell her ability required some kind of tool or prop to use.

An esper who relied on external tools—that in itself was a major weakness.

Though she couldn't visually confirm what kind of tool the other was using, the lack of a physical projectile and the absence of heat upon activation suggested some kind of light-emitting device.

In the now chaotic classroom of Tokiwadai Middle School, Sonoko's tears kept falling, dripping onto her uniform and quickly dampening the sweater over her chest.

Yet, even in her disheveled state, she quickly assessed the situation and identified the most suitable course of action.

In an instant, the mass of air under Sonoko's control surged toward the other girl's hand.

The turbulent airflow gathered, forming a powerful thrust meant to dismantle her opponent's offensive capability in one go—to knock the tool right out of her hand, just as cleanly as she'd dealt with Kouzaku Mitori earlier.

She could have gone for a safer shock tactic, forcing hot air into the other's nasal and oral cavities, but Sonoko suppressed her frustration. She wouldn't let anger cloud her judgment.

In this groggy state, her precision with abilities was diminished.

She couldn't guarantee she could incapacitate her opponent without risking damage to the brain—after all, that organ was far too delicate.

Inducing shock was delicate work, something Sonoko had practiced extensively before deciding to make it part of her standard repertoire.

Even in the heat of battle, Sonoko held to her principles. She wouldn't use an ability that could potentially kill someone.

Then again, now that she'd regained some awareness and could fight—however clumsily—the situation was already shifting in her favor. That meant she could afford to choose her methods.

Whether she let Reiko take control of her body or relied on her own foggy mind, both were viable options.

Even if this Yumiya Iruka-senpai was a high-level esper, in a direct confrontation, she didn't pose much of a threat to Sonoko.

"She didn't let go…?"

Mildly concerned, Sonoko's tightly shut eyes seemed to still be watching the archery-uniform-clad girl not far away.

She was a little surprised by the other's stubbornness. Most people would have dropped their weapon by now.

That last burst of intense airflow had created sudden pressure equivalent to a rugby ball flying at high speed, yet the senior still clung firmly to that tool of hers, a bright red mark now visible on her wrist.

"When I was very young," the girl began, "my father told me: a hunter must never let go of her bow, even in death."

"If you're hunting a tiger in the forest, what kind of hunter throws away her weapon first?"

Yumiya Iruka flexed her wrist, ignoring the impact of the earlier strike, her gaze still fixed on Natsume Sonoko.

Just like her troublesome older sister, she shared the same family blood—she was still a capable huntress. She knew to scout the environment, to set traps wisely, and to analyze the gap between herself and her prey.

Although, she'd poured most of her effort into ability development, so her actual hunting skills lagged behind those of her ability-less sister.

"Senpai," a certain irritated bun-girl said bluntly, one hand pressed over her eye, gently massaging it. "If you're going to play the villain, you really shouldn't talk so much."

Right now, she really wanted to see a doctor, but she had to handle this situation first.

At the very least, she needed to escort this senior to the Judgment branch.

Sonoko was making a concession; under normal circumstances, she'd have sent her straight to the Anti-Skill headquarters.

Whether the other was a schoolmate or not, doing something like this was infuriating, and Sonoko's resolve had hardened.

She never believed that Tokiwadai students should be exempt from punishment if they did wrong.

It's just that criminal cases involving Tokiwadai students were rarely heard of in Academy City.

Of course, regarding a certain Misaka Mikoto-senpai—who'd visited multiple research institutions, destroyed countless facilities, and left chaos in her wake—Sonoko actually approved.

In her heart, that was an act of justice. Misaka-senpai was stopping experiments and saving the Sisters' lives. Sonoko's perspective on things always started from her own point of view.

Looking at it that way, Natsume Sonoko was quite self-centered, too.

The usually well-behaved bun-girl could definitely throw a heavy punch when needed.

In truth, Sonoko's obedience was only one part of her personality, mainly evident in how she acted meekly around teachers.

As for the rumors often circulating in Academy City—like how the #8 Level 5 held a serious grudge—those weren't baseless. She really did have a strong vengeful streak, even if she refused to admit it.

In other words, she held onto grievances. To this day, she still disliked that white-haired guy.

But strictly speaking, Natsume Sonoko was probably the easiest to get along with among the eight Level 5s. She seemed just like a normal person.

Back to the matter at hand. Just as Sonoko was thinking about hauling her senior off to Judgment, she immediately faced another problem.

Her attention shifted away from the archery girl speaking to her and toward several Tokiwadai students gathering around the classroom.

The scene gave Sonoko an absurd feeling, as if she were being surrounded by her own schoolmates.

That feeling grew stronger as more students approached, because their attitudes were far from normal.

Forget reporting the situation to Judgment—they weren't even acting the slightest bit concerned.

She shook her head slightly. The sudden attack had left her dazed, and now this scene made her wonder if she was still dreaming.

How had it come to this? It felt like overnight, the school she knew had completely changed. Here she was, surrounded by her own classmates inside the school.

"Senpai… are you being controlled?"

The realization hit her like a lightning bolt.

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T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL