In the spacious courtyard of the Misaka Apartments, clusters of Sisters tilted their heads back, gazing up at the seven-to-eight-meter-tall, humanoid frog creature hovering mid-air with its arms outstretched.
Its round head featured two bulging eyeballs, a simple V-shaped line for a mouth, and the stubby little legs beneath its belly—one of the signature charming points of this Gekota-like being.
As a legendary life form that had captivated countless boys and girls of Academy City, an anomalous species among amphibians, its appearance instantly drew the attention of everyone present.
Even Reiko, who had been inside the room, caught sight of the somewhat eerie, giant green-skinned creature through the door left open by Misaka 9982.
Weird. Really weird.
But my take is, it's no match for Magical Powered Kanamin—or so claimed a certain Tokiwadai young lady who preferred to remain anonymous.
"A giant holographic Gekota?"
"I should've known it'd be Misaka-san. She actually found time to create something like this for the Sisters."
Reiko's face, which bore a seventy to eighty percent resemblance to a certain bun-haired girl, instantly took on an expression of sheer awe, as if to say that human potential truly knew no bounds.
Any previous comments about the human body's structure being too simple or its efficiency too low—well, consider them never spoken.
Natsume Sonoko had no idea Misaka-san possessed such skills. So, hacking could also involve modeling and programming on the side? Truly, the most versatile power in the modern world—electricity generation.
Besides, having recently stopped arbitrarily interfering with Reiko's body, she had naturally reduced her real-time communication with the Sisters as well.
She was falling behind on the Sisters' latest trends. Who would've thought that in just a few days, such a remarkable change had occurred?
"It's not just a giant Gekota. Onee-sama also designed a set of Gekota calisthenics. Misaka 9982 is very much looking forward to it and once again earnestly invites Reiko to join," said Misaka 9982, the tactical goggles on her forehead reflecting a faint green glow that interplayed with the Gekota mask on her face.
Though she couldn't see the Sister's actual expression beneath, it was surely one of 'Onee-sama is the best, I'm so proud.'
Moreover, towards this roommate of hers, Misaka 9982 harbored almost elder-sisterly feelings.
While Reiko could sometimes communicate, eat, and bathe normally, more often than not she required care like a genuine infant.
Despite being roommates, Misaka 9982 already felt a deep sense of responsibility.
"Eh..."
Hearing Misaka 9982's words, a certain bun-haired girl grew even more intrigued, and even Reiko's expression shifted to a thoughtful, pursed-lip contemplation.
Their seemingly rough-around-the-edges Misaka-san actually possessed a very delicate and gentle heart.
Creating a Gekota projection and designing Gekota calisthenics—in Natsume-san's view, this wasn't so different from her own act of buying two holographic projectors specifically for the Sisters.
The Daihasei Festival felt like a distant memory, yet it hadn't actually been that long.
The excitement hadn't even fully died down, still trailing behind the currently hot topic of Indian Poker. Various videos from back then were gradually spreading across Academy City's networks.
The Misaka Sisters, unable to participate in the festival—even being told by Natsume-san and the others to stay 'home'—couldn't join the activities like most students. This sense of isolation, of being out of place in society, could have severely negatively impacted the Sisters' newly emerging emotions.
That bun-haired girl, who gritted her teeth and spent almost all her money, probably didn't realize she'd done something truly meaningful. She just wanted to comfort the Sisters' disappointment at the time.
"I'll pass. Actually, I'm not really that into Gekota..."
Natsume-san's mind was currently filled with pressing matters: the manipulated Kazakiri-san, the Imaginary Number District, her own body's terrible condition due to her recklessness. She wasn't in the mood to watch a giant Gekota calisthenics performance.
Besides, she was a bona fide member of the Kanamin faction, destined to inherit her family's toy company and expand the grand domain of magical girls. How could she possibly defect to the Gekota side so easily?
It was a matter of principle.
The happy days when everyone would wield Lotus Rods, wear lotus combat boots, and don multicolored magical girl robes would eventually descend upon this Academy City, currently dominated by humanoid frogs.
"Actually, it's not completely out of the question."
"I don't dislike Gekota either."
Suddenly noticing the expectant gaze from behind the eyeholes of Misaka 9982's Gekota mask, the words that were about to leave the bun-haired girl's mouth were forcefully swallowed back.
Changing her mind for the sake of others' happiness—it wasn't the first time for a certain bun-haired girl. This was also part of why she seemed so ordinary.
She just couldn't bring herself to reject others' goodwill, especially when it came from a Misaka Sister—goodwill born from newly emerged emotions, filled with simplicity, innocence, and unadulterated purity.
Moreover, the current Natsume Sonoko couldn't return to her original body, nor could she continue observing and recording data related to Kazakiri-san. She had to wait until the intense reactions in her body and brain subsided.
No matter how much she wanted to take action, reality kept her firmly anchored here in Reiko—unless she truly stopped caring about her own withered, frail, delicate, and pitiful body.
The ordinary girl named Natsume Sonoko, before breaking free from her physical constraints and obtaining a new mind unbound by matter, ultimately had visible weaknesses and limits.
And such a brain, almost straight out of fictional fantasy, might only be possible after becoming a Level 5, gaining complete control over her AIM diffusion field energy.
Kazakiri-san's very existence demonstrated the possibility of such an energy-based brain.
Even if she could only obtain a secondary energy sub-brain generated from her own physical brain, it would significantly reduce the crippling impact physical factors had on an esper's combat effectiveness.
But that topic was digressing. For now, Natsume-san was just an ordinary Level 4 esper who had barely scratched the surface of understanding AIM fields.
And she was currently being pulled along by the hand (Reiko's) by Misaka 9982, following the Sister's hurried, cheerful steps towards the open space already crowded with other Misaka Sisters.
In this place teeming with Misaka Sisters, Reiko—the 'Natsume Sister'—stood out as the most eye-catching, immediately drawing the collective gaze of all the Sisters.
Fortunately, all the Sisters possessed excellent military discipline. Forming ranks, marching, obeying commands promptly—they were well-versed in such conduct, especially in a solemn occasion like this, which resembled a pilgrimage. Everyone seemed to maintain a sacred silence.
That Gekota obsession inherited from the Biri Biri-loving Onee-sama—it seemed it would never be cured.
However, the number of Sisters present clearly exceeded the total residents of this Building No. 1, the original version of the Misaka Apartments.
It seemed many Sisters who had moved to the nearby safehouse building provided by Shokuhou-san had also come here.
Probably because the Gekota calisthenics program hadn't been set up yet in that building, and some of the more curious Sisters simply couldn't wait.
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T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL