Being Academy City's proud Level 5 esper—such a conspicuous identity only seemed genuinely useful when trying to win others' trust.
It was as if that dazzling, glorious shell alone made Natsume Sonoko's words carry more weight, even though she was still the same ordinary girl with shaky convictions and a wandering mind.
People living in this city were always so simple and naïve. To them, an esper just meant raw power—not someone necessarily strong-willed, courageous, or wise.
Only those who truly mastered their hearts, saw the world with clarity, and acted according to their beliefs could really be called special.
Heh, Index was right—I am a Level 5.
Finding a way to help every classmate in trouble is just what I should do.
Blushing, she scribbled some rather bold words on the ground, then puffed out her chest with exaggerated pride, showing off her flimsy convictions to Kazakiri-san.
When it came to espers, not bullying classmates was already considered pretty good behavior.
Natsume-san rarely flaunted her status as an esper. Aside from the generous scholarships and having her dreams come true, the title often brought unnecessary trouble.
But sometimes it did help rally people, reassure classmates, and boost morale. For Natsume-san, that was probably a form of… making the best of a bothersome trait.
"Even Kazakiri-san, who lives on the other side of the world, isn't free from the influence of Academy City's mainstream thinking."
Natsume-san mused to herself, keenly aware of the subtle shifts in Kazakiri-san's expression.
This peculiar sense of trust that came with being a Level 5 was something Natsume Sonoko had tested before on certain Level 0s.
What she hadn't quite grasped, though, was that many people didn't trust her because she was an esper—they trusted her because she took the time to talk to them sincerely, and so they felt comfortable relying on that esper status.
Maybe they couldn't become true friends, but treating people differently led to different outcomes. That was something Natsume-san didn't fully understand yet, even as she lived it out.
Whether it was tossing Juufuku Miho's ex-boyfriend into a trash can, or standing up for Shirai Kuroko by zapping Awaki Musujime, all those seemingly small things were what really built the little circle around Natsume Sonoko—not her identity as an esper.
As for Kazakiri-san, the sight of these two girls trying so earnestly to lift her spirits felt a little silly, yet endearing. She couldn't help but feel a swell of emotion and confidence.
Even if this sudden burst of faith came out of nowhere, it was still sweet to embrace.
--+--
The sun climbed steadily, and the shade in the small park shifted with it.
Having moved to a cooler spot, several girls sat cross-legged on the grass, deep in lively discussion.
A closer look would reveal that Natsume Sonoko was doing most of the chattering, one thin arm raised high, clearly in her element.
Index, beside her, tilted her head in a daze—she'd given up understanding about ten minutes ago, so she could be safely ignored for now.
Kazakiri-san hugged her knees, blinking curious eyes at the enthusiastic girl with the bun hairstyle across from her.
Though she couldn't hear the other side, the considerate Natsume-san made sure to caption everything, allowing Kazakiri-san to join the conversation smoothly.
"So we've figured out that when Kazakiri-san enters or leaves reality, it's always while her body is being manipulated."
"But because the control isn't instantaneous—it starts by eroding smaller aspects of her body, like canceling body temperature, skin sensation, and other functions, before finally removing optical interference—that means there's a window where Kazakiri-san can realize what's happening."
"That way, she knows how long she can stay in the real world."
The bun-haired girl, intent on uncovering the truth, sat with perfect Tokiwadai-like poise, resting her chin in her hand with an almost detective-like air.
She wrote out each possible scenario Kazakiri-san might face on the ground, and based on the other girl's nods and head-shakes, Natsume Sonoko gradually pieced together part of the situation.
Much of it overlapped with what she'd already suspected.
But only after Kazakiri-san confirmed it did those foggy guesses gain solid footing—such was the power of evidence.
No wonder Kazakiri-san had suddenly left without saying goodbye to Index last time.
It was because she'd realized her body was gradually being taken over, and she didn't want to go through a painful farewell—so she'd slipped away quietly.
Back then, Kazakiri-san could still control her body, but she couldn't stop its various functions from fading from reality. The AIM diffusion field energy from the Phase was no longer using her as its core to interact with the world.
So there really was a method of controlling the AIM field behind this city—and a highly sophisticated one at that, capable of fully manipulating the actions of an AIM-based being.
Moreover, the AIM field itself was inextricably linked to Personal Reality.
By now, Natsume-san was fairly certain: the AIM field was an extension of a person's reality into the physical universe—an untapped reserve of power belonging to espers.
Unconsciously emitted fields could carry an esper's thoughts; once they reached a certain threshold, they could become the esper's claws and feelers in reality.
But that raised a puzzling question for Natsume-san:
If an AIM field separated from the body could still be considered part of one's Personal Reality, could someone still use ability formulas through it? And would that consume the field itself?
Understanding this would likely shed more light on how Academy City controlled the AIM field—and by extension, Kazakiri-san.
Unfortunately, Natsume-san hadn't been able to gather enough data during Misaka-senpai's previous Level 6 shift rampage.
Trying to decode all that alone was just too much—it was practically the power of a "god."
She couldn't determine whether Misaka-senpai's frequent use of electrokinesis then came from her Personal Reality or from the AIM fields spread throughout real space—or both. And she knew even less about anything beyond that.
Maybe Academy City had collected more precise data, but clearly, poor little Natsume-san wasn't getting any of it.
There was one exception, though: Natsume-san had observed Kihara Gensei while he was in the Multi-Skill state.
Kihara Gensei, who wasn't even a Level 0, had developed an external AIM field through a brain-wave synchronization system like the Ability Body Crystal, allowing him to use others' abilities.
Considering that abilities were derivatives of Personal Reality, even without solid proof, Natsume Sonoko's leaning on the matter was clear:
It was possible to use ability formulas via the AIM field—maybe even assemble a new Personal Reality using someone else's AIM field.
So, did Kazakiri Hyouka, composed of vast amounts of AIM field energy, constitute a broader, more complex form of Personal Reality?
If so, then Kazakiri-san was more like a collection of countless people's thoughts…
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL