Academy City's Weather Report! (Toaru)

Chapter 465: Academy City Weather Report! - 465

As a repeat offender with a history of frequent overnight absences, often found in the company of troublemakers like Shirai Kuroko and Misaka Mikoto, Natsume Sonoko was a person of special interest under close observation.

Though this particular bun-haired girl hadn't yet reached the point where the dorm supervisor would summon her parents, considering her mother would soon obtain access passes to Academy City, and given the supervisor had indeed contemplated such measures—statistically speaking, it was only a matter of time before that future became reality within her three years of middle school.

Fortunately, the timeline for parental summons had its limits.

To prevent that particular future from materializing, Natsume Sonoko constantly measured her position, adopting a more flexible posture in life.

Ears to the ground, alert to every sound, ready to move quickly, always watching her back—behind that humble, placating smile beat the heart of someone just trying to get by.

If the dorm supervisor paid her too much attention, Natsume-san would be in for a world of trouble.

"Is that really true?"

"But the dorm supervisor does love taking care of people, you know. She volunteers every week at Asunaro Park. She probably wouldn't find looking after you too much trouble."

A sly smirk playing on her lips, Shirai Kuroko walking beside her muttered thoughtfully.

Just like herself, Natsume-san had witnessed the supervisor's formidable authority and was likewise terrified of her.

Despite being lazy and averse to physical exertion, every morning when wake-up time came, she obediently rose and washed up without a hint of rebellion.

As for Natsume-san's claim that losing her eyesight didn't affect her much, Shirai Kuroko remained skeptical.

Her eyes were tightly bandaged—how could she see anything? It had to have some impact. Espers weren't superhuman, after all.

But her understanding of Natsume-san's abilities was limited; perhaps there really was a way to compensate for vision loss. She didn't press the issue.

"But if you don't want the dorm supervisor taking care of you, are you planning to have my idle, free-time-rich Onee-sama look after you instead? You certainly have ulterior motives, you creep."

Eliminating the supervisor as an option, Shirai Kuroko's brow furrowed as she keenly detected a whiff of threat.

That's right. Onee-sama had been incredibly accommodating back when she herself was in a wheelchair and mobility-impaired. Was this round-headed girl plotting something similar?

Given Onee-sama's personality—the type that couldn't refuse others—seeing Natsume-san in such a pitiful state, she'd probably fall for it instantly. Not a single moment of let-up was possible.

"Alright, you should head to school."

"I'll ask Juufuku-san to take care of me."

Natsume Sonoko suddenly felt a wave of helplessness, speaking with exhausted resignation.

Shirai-san could somehow drag everything back to Misaka-senpai. Such an obsessive fan was truly terrifying. Natsume Sonoko had zero desire to continue this conversation.

Rumor had it that a certain Railgun sometimes woke in the night to the faint sound of drool being wiped away, occasionally finding a large, brown-haired head sneakily hovering near her pillow.

Thankfully, Natsume Sonoko was just an ordinary, run-of-the-mill esper, and she still didn't have a roommate, thus sparing herself Misaka-senpai's particular brand of trouble.

"Juufuku-san? That transfer student you've gotten so close to lately, right? Now that you mention it, your hairstyles are quite similar."

"But shouldn't she technically be your senpai?"

Stopping in her tracks, Shirai-san remarked with some interest, her nose twitching slightly.

Though she wasn't particularly invested in the friendship between Natsume-san and Juufuku Miho, the record of the latter's assault case against Tokiwadai was still filed in the Judgment Branch 177's electronic archives. The first victim had been Kongou Mitsuko, a second-year.

Come to think of it, she had found it strange that Tokiwadai Middle School would accept a girl with such a record.

Yet the other party had indeed met all the transfer requirements and passed Tokiwadai's entrance interview. Procedurally, there were no issues.

As for the school being so willing to gloss over the previous assault incident, perhaps the board members had their own considerations.

Anyway, as long as Natsume-san didn't go bothering Onee-sama, that was enough.

And this second-year senpai who could capture Natsume-san's attention... Shirai Kuroko felt an odd sense of goodwill towards her, enough to mostly overwrite the negative impression left by the assault case.

Private Tokiwadai Middle School. Only about ten minutes had passed since the large-scale student unrest had ended.

The Anti-Skill reinforcements from District 7 were still processing their entry permits for School Garden. Only the Anti-Skill teachers already stationed at Tokiwadai could respond to the scene quickly.

Furthermore, as male Anti-Skill officers and male students weren't permitted entry into the School Garden, the responding team was almost entirely female.

In practice, however, this rule didn't apply to the Garden's major investing bodies or the General Board.

--+--

The scene shifts to the vicinity of the clique building. The queen of her faction, Shokuhou Misaki, remained sprawled on the sofa.

It seemed the queen was still recovering her stamina and spirit. The fruit platter and pastries beside her were mysteriously half-eaten, but her presence could be ignored for now.

Her original uniform in tatters, Hokaze Junko had changed into a fresh Tokiwadai uniform. She was surrounded by over twenty furious members of the Shokuhou clique, all sharing the same indignation.

Just moments ago, the uncrowned queen of Tokiwadai Middle School, indeed of the entire School Garden, the leader of the Shokuhou clique, had been targeted in an attack originating from within their own school.

The consequences included the queen's current incapacitated state, the gymnasium doors and part of a wall being blown away, among other personnel and property damages.

"Hokaze-sama, the number of assailants has been confirmed. Thirty-five students participated in this incident."

"Eleven are first-years, nine are second-years, and the rest are third-year senpai."

Hesitating for a moment, Makigami Komaki, who had just obtained the confirmed data, reported, a slight tremble audible in her voice.

She was a member of Judgment Branch 003 and also part of the Shokuhou clique. With these overlapping roles, it was most appropriate for her to handle this internal school incident—a matter of procedural correctness.

After speaking, Makigami Komaki took a deep breath. The data before her was deeply unsettling.

Without a reasonable explanation, Tokiwadai Middle School was facing a massive upheaval, potentially with even more severe consequences than the attack itself.

Gathering to assault fellow students on campus, engaging in large-scale ability-based combat, even inflicting varying degrees of injury on two Level 5 espers—the best outcome for those involved would be expulsion from Tokiwadai.

In more severe cases, they could face juvenile court and be sent to reformatory schools. Especially since this incident occurred within the heavily secured, high-clearance School Garden, and the targets were two of Academy City's prized Level 5 espers.

Considering Tokiwadai had fewer than two hundred students total, one could imagine the massive ripple effects a case involving this many students would create.

"Understood."

Hokaze Junko nodded, her expression already grave, clearly understanding everyone's concerns.

The assault case was only half-over. The Shokuhou clique's stance from here on would be the key factor determining the incident's outcome.

After all, the Shokuhou clique wasn't just the victim this time; it was also the most powerful student organization within Tokiwadai. As for that other round-haired victim, she'd been labeled a mascot from the start.

"Kobayashi-san, please liaise with the school board. Request a delay in issuing access permits to Anti-Skill. Even though they are the assailants, we cannot let Anti-Skill take them away just yet."

"Additionally, we need to request authorization to investigate and collect evidence from the relevant dormitories in both the School Garden and District 7 dormitories. We must also maintain real-time recording of the investigation process."

"Based on crucial information provided by our queen, the assailants were likely influenced by Indian Poker. Therefore, used Indian Poker cards should be found in their dorm rooms."

Hokaze Junko spoke deliberately, her gaze solemnly sweeping over the crowd before her.

Simultaneously, she felt a wave of relief. She, too, found it hard to believe her schoolmates would truly do such a thing.

After her incapacitated queen secretly relayed this information, Hokaze Junko fully understood her queen's intention.

Her queen had chosen to protect her schoolmates, even if they were the assailants.

By having them investigate first to define the incident's nature preliminarily, coupled with their status as victims providing credibility, this assault case might potentially be reclassified as a dangerous technology dissemination incident, similar to the Level Upper case.

--+--

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