Academy City's Weather Report! (Toaru)

Chapter 469: Academy City Weather Report! - 469

Having gleaned a wealth of information from Houjou Arei's memories, Shokuhou Misaki was pondering how to deal with the potentially worsening situation.

Perhaps she could find more clues from the route her kidnappers had used.

The most conspicuous lead was likely the final destination of the kidnapping route: a thoroughly unremarkable abandoned factory.

Of course, there was also the matter of Houjou Arei's older brother.

He had suffered partial sensory dysfunction due to a lab accident, and more importantly, he seemed to have been a researcher at the Clone Dolly facility in the past.

However, he probably belonged to the Internal Evolution Project faction. As for the researchers involved in the Exterior project, Shokuhou Misaki was familiar with every single one of them.

The reason Houjou Arei had accepted the mission to kidnap her was because Mitsuari Ayu had made her believe that she had a method to restore Houjou Arei's brother to normal.

"Brainwashing is just one function of the Indian Poker; to the original researchers, it wasn't even considered a main feature, more like a scrap."

"Its most fundamental function is related to ability development—it was a means used within the Internal Evolution Project to create espers. So, is that Mitsuari-san planning to use these cards to create a new esper, or is she scheming something else?"

"But from what I know, including both the Exterior and Internal Evolution projects, the true goals of those adults already ceased to be about producing espers."

"Just like the incidental brainwashing capability on the Indian Poker, espers themselves are merely a byproduct of the real objective, like a candy used to stabilize students' emotions."

Shokuhou Misaki paced on the spot, her golden, silky hair swaying incessantly with the ambient air.

At that moment, memories of her own past at the Clone Dolly facility surfaced in her mind, a strange emotion flickering in her eyes.

The deep-seated darkness of Academy City is firmly rooted in its surface; the only difference lies in which set of rules applies.

Espers hold significant value within Academy City, but not as much as ordinary students might imagine.

To the big shots on the Board of Directors, the scarce number of espers are undoubtedly positive assets. Yet, if their numbers were to proliferate, they could just as easily become liabilities.

Having already acquired the experience and capability to stably produce espers, Academy City essentially no longer had a practical need to cultivate more.

With the screening via Curriculum and the investment of resources, espers could be produced probabilistically; cultivating them had long become an optional project.

In fact, for the sake of the city's security and stability, the Board of Directors was planning on reducing projects aimed at cultivating espers.

Many experimental projects that attracted student participation were actually just cloaked in the guise of esper development projects, their true purpose naturally being to make the lab rats obey docilely.

Espers like Natsume-san and Misaka-san, who were semi-wild or purely wild, were the exceptions. Of course, this category of exceptions didn't include a certain boy overflowing with guts.

"While I'd very much like to believe the adults in Academy City are all good people, the reality is, incidents like them deciding to dispose of me without hesitation right after completing the Exterior still happen continuously."

"Because of that, I find it hard to believe that the Internal Evolution Project, another program from the Clone Dolly facility, was genuinely intended to cultivate espers. What that Mitsuari-san truly aims to achieve is probably the real purpose behind the facade of esper cultivation—the true goal those adults had for the Internal Evolution Project."

"Then again, maybe that Mitsuari-san still sees the two as one and the same. After all, that head of chocolate-colored hair makes her look a bit foolish. It'd be perfectly normal for her to be deceived and misled by the adults."

A pensive look entered Shokuhou Misaki's starry pupils, a trace of sudden realization crossing her features.

This was her actual experience, and it had taught her to bare her fangs and confront the ever-present malice.

Even though the Clone Dolly facility had provided sufficient resources for Shokuhou Misaki to become an esper, in the very next moment, to protect herself, Shokuhou Misaki not only preemptively betrayed them but also dragged the entire research institute into the abyss of bankruptcy.

Yet, she suddenly felt a stir of anticipation.

She wanted to see if the one provoking her was still immersed in the lies woven by the adults.

If so, she would undoubtedly not hesitate to mock them, then ruthlessly retaliate for their act of sending people to attack her.

Even Natsume-san knew to toss people who disgusted her into the trash; how could she possibly show a pleasant face to someone who inexplicably tried to attack her?

"That does remind me. Perhaps I should focus on that experiment which concentrated a large amount of the Internal Evolution Project's resources, the one conducted under the pretense of cultivating an esper but ultimately resulted in an accident. I might be able to find some clues about their true objectives there."

"Moreover, that very lab accident was the one that caused Houjou Arei's brother's injuries."

As Shokuhou Misaki thought this, her train of thought finally became consistent, as if she had connected many pieces together.

Although she wasn't a member of the Internal Evolution Project, thanks to having read the memories of former members like Hokaze Junko and Yumiya Iruka, she quickly zeroed in on a specific accident that had occurred within the Clone Dolly facility.

It was after that serious lab accident that the Board of Directors cut funding for the Internal Evolution research project, leading to the complete collapse of the Clone Dolly research institution.

That was what later prompted the members of Internal Evolution, along with herself, to transfer to Tokiwadai Middle School.

Finding specific intelligence and data on that lab accident wouldn't be difficult for Shokuhou Misaki, as she had inherited many assets from the Clone Dolly facility, including those from Hokaze Junko.

This inheritance could also be seen as appropriation.

The bully esper Shokuhou Misaki had fully exercised her subjective initiative, using her Mental Out ability to secretly conceal things from the Board of Directors, among other actions.

However, currently, the remnants of the Clone Dolly facility she retained amounted to roughly just Hokaze Junko, an empty building, and some sealed experimental data and documents.

Facing the inevitable recyclable troops Academy City would send, Shokuhou Misaki had already personally destroyed the most crucial part of the inheritance: the Exterior, cultivated from her own cerebral cortex.

Thinking of this, Shokuhou Misaki prepared to search through the remaining Clone Dolly facility documents again.

But besides this thread related to Mitsuari Ayu, she couldn't neglect the task of tracking the circulation channels of the normal Indian Poker cards.

People like that experienced foreigner, Keitz, or Kouzaku Mitori, who had connections to the Dark Side, were suitable partners. Both avenues of investigation could be pursued simultaneously.

"I almost forgot. The matter concerning Hokaze also needs to be moved up the agenda."

Shokuhou Misaki frowned slightly, her expression tinged with hesitation as her gaze fell upon Hokaze Junko, who was currently tending to the injuries of one of the attackers nearby.

--+--

The afternoons in Academy City always brought a sense of comfort and drowsiness to those idling outside.

The lively cicada chorus of summer had faded, the ambient temperature was growing more pleasant, and the number of leisurely individuals enjoying life in the small parks had increased somewhat.

At this hour, club activities in most schools hadn't yet ended.

Aside from the steady flow of traffic on the roads, one could only see small groups of elementary school students walking together, along with some middle schoolers who had either skipped class or were simply members of the 'Go-Home Club'.

Shaking her head, Natsume-san always felt she was quite different from those skipping class or in the Go-Home Club.

Even though their actions might appear similar on the surface—and hers might even seem more slacker-like—she had a proper justification, one she could answer with full confidence and a puffed-out chest if anyone asked.

Not only was she currently an injured person with limited mobility, but she could also be considered engaged in her own club activity, something like an outdoor sketching trip.

Within the Urban Legend Investigation Club, Natsume-san was an indispensable member of the four-person team. Why, the next club president had already been decided to be her!

"So annoying. No matter how I think about it, she definitely did it on purpose."

"But it is Shirai-san, after all. Can't set my expectations too high for her."

On a pedestrian footbridge sparse with people, a certain bun-head girl sensed a certain spatial movement gradually moving away, a look of displeasure appearing on her face.

Still, she had at least managed to dissuade the other girl from involving the Dorm Supervisor, thus averting a new crisis in her life.

A severe security incident had erupted at her school. Perhaps the Shokuhou Clique would soon redefine it as some other kind of event, but it had undeniably resulted in numerous student injuries and the need for investigations.

Even if some of the affected students weren't from her own dorm, the Dorm Supervisor was likely going to be busy for a while. By not bothering her at a time like this, Natsume-san was really being considerate and thoughtful.

"Should I go find Juufuku-san now?"

"Because of the disturbance at school, her swimming club activities seem to be suspended. But as for being taken care of… I definitely don't need any of that."

Her eyebrow twitching, Natsume-san dismissed the thought.

Aside from the genuine convenience of having someone run errands for her, Natsume-san didn't want others worrying about her condition; it made her feel uncomfortable.

In fact, the bun-head girl, who knew Juufuku-san quite well, could easily imagine the other girl's worried expression. She opened her phone and sent her a smiley emoji, considering the school incident had been quite major.

[I'm fine, don't worry]

The bun-head girl, whose eyes were covered by bandages—making her overqualified to be a pirate in the Caribbean—sent messages one by one.

She noticed that quite a few Tokiwadai students she was on good terms with had already inquired about her situation.

Huh, there seemed to be a delayed help message in there too. Judging by the timestamp, it was sent around the time Shokuhou-senpai and the others were attacked. The sender, Natsume-san recalled, was a first-year student from their school.

After handling a few matters, Natsume-san's footsteps suddenly halted on the footbridge because an inexplicable person had just flown past rapidly overhead.

It was that Sogiita Gunha guy, wasn't it?

He seemed so full of energy every day. She really envied such a carefree life.

Sogiita Gunha flying overhead was just a normal part of daily life. After all, who could fathom what that boy, so full of guts, actually intended to do?

Rumor had it the number of incidents he'd helped with and resolved was comparable to that of a certain twin-tailed Judgment officer.

Perhaps guts and a sense of justice shared common ground in some aspects—things which a certain ideal-lacking, nihilistic bun-head girl distinctly lacked.

Sogiita Gunha's supersonic movement exceeded the visual capture limits of ordinary people. Fortunately, Natsume-san didn't rely on her eyesight to track such high-speed movers.

But as the trajectory of his movement vanished at the horizon, the bun-head girl seemed to snap back to reality as if suddenly realizing something.

After merely observing him briefly via AIM phase observation, Natsume-san had obtained some important information that greatly concerned her.

"No wonder this Sogiita-senpai is also classified among the ability users. I thought someone like him, a Gemstone, would be more unique."

"Turns out he's just like the most ordinary ability users, also emitting an AIM diffusion field. It's just that the AIM field he unconsciously releases is far more intense than that of a normal esper. At least, I haven't encountered an individual with a denser one than his yet."

Natsume-san, who had initially hoped to gather different data from a Gemstone, seemed somewhat disappointed.

She had even mustered her interest to do some scientific research work for once.

She'd heard that Gemstones, these special ability users, were products born from stimulation by the Earth's environment, quite different from the artificially cultivated ability users within Academy City.

Yet, from the perspective of the AIM field, they appeared quite similar.

A somewhat dazed expression on her face, Natsume-san leaned her hands on the footbridge railing, her body subconsciously slumping against it slightly, giving off an air of listlessness.

Now that she thought about it, a lot had happened today. It was only now that Natsume-san had a sliver of mental energy to recall the day's events.

But after thinking for just a short while, Natsume-san's teeth began to grind together audibly. One fist shot up into the air with force, drawing curious looks from passing elementary schoolers.

"Still makes me so mad. Even more annoying than that Shirai-san."

"Because of this attack, there's one fewer place where I can feel at ease."

"I really don't want to live a life where I have to rely on my ability for protection all day long."

Her face returning to an expressionless mask, Natsume-san simply felt weary at heart.

She adhered to the rules of the School Garden because she sought its protection—a sentiment that could extend to Academy City as a whole.

While at school, she could maintain a minimal release of her ability, not needing to constantly fill her surroundings with her radar. She only had to pay a small safety cost to stay there comfortably.

But now, Natsume-san was forced to expend more energy, paying the price for the potential malice of others to prevent another similar attack.

In the end, she wasn't like Shokuhou-senpai, who had been beaten down by reality to the point of only trusting people whose minds she'd read. Natsume-san still had quite a few aspirations for her own life.

So, when Natsume-san started envying others, it was most likely sincere.

--+--

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