Chapter 20: Marionette Raider

“My apologies, I was delayed by a bit of a trifling errand.”

I said that as I visited the lab nestled in a corner of Tokiwadai Middle School.

—It was the day after we made peace with the members of "GMDW."

Now that we had reconciled, that meant everyone was free to use the facilities under Reicia-chan’s management. Which also meant that GMDW’s meeting spot had shifted from the courtyard back to our original lab.

Incidentally, the meetup time was never formally decided, but as a rule of thumb, everyone generally aimed to arrive by around 3 p.m. It’s what you’d call an unspoken rule. The way things are handled vaguely on the surface but actually enforced with strict discipline underneath somehow felt very characteristic of the ojou-sama world.

"Well, it’s not like there’s a set time or anything, so I don’t really mind… but did something happen?"

Yumetsuki-san, who had been managing things in my absence, walked over to me.

“GMDW” no longer needed my permission to use related facilities. This whole situation had more or less settled back into its original form, but that didn’t mean we had any reason to let the old, warped structure persist.

The one technically at the top of the organization was still me—rather, Reicia-chan—but as for the rights and authority, it had been partially delegated to Yumetsuki-san and Rinka-san. …That said, both of them are third-years, so we’ll also need to decide on successors, including for my own position. That’s another thing we’ve agreed to discuss together in between research sessions. Even after reconciling, our workload remained mountainous.

…Besides, there were other things still bothering me, too.

"It’s nothing serious. I just ran out of notebooks, you see. I went out to buy some, and it ended up taking more time than I expected."

"…Didn’t you already buy some just a month ago, Reicia-san?"

"I did indeed. …How did you know that?"

"Well, you know, back then we were all being pretty cautious, so… we might’ve been watching you. Or not. Maybe."

"Ah, I see."

"—A-A-Anyway! Aren’t you usually a tablet kind of person, Reicia-san?"

"From time to time, going analog can be surprisingly convenient."

Ignoring Yumetsuki-san’s puzzled expression, I turned to address the rest of the GMDW members who had all turned their gazes toward me as I walked in.

『Now then, let’s get cracking! Summer break is already entering the final stretch. Let’s finish our Independent Research with a level of polish that truly befits us, in preparation for the upcoming Academia Conference!』

At that declaration, the GMDW members all responded in unison.

But what united us wasn’t submission to me.

It was the sense of camaraderie—of partners all striving toward the same goal.

Chapter 2: Failure’s No Big Deal – Crazy_Princess.
Episode 16: Marionette Raider – Terrible_Hacking.

At the core of it, students in Academy City—especially high-level espers—also possess the traits of scientists. Due to the nature of their abilities, many have studied advanced technologies. Take Misaka Mikoto, for example—she’s probably the most distinguished electromagnetic scholar in all of Academy City.

As for me, thanks to Reicia-chan’s knowledge, I might just be among the world’s top five experts in molecular kinetic force. Well, without that level of understanding, being an esper wouldn’t be sustainable anyway.

The problem is, no matter how much knowledge you cram in, it doesn’t automatically make you a great scientist.

If I were to put it bluntly, it’s like in the worlds of art or literature. Sure, knowing the techniques gives you an edge, but people can still succeed without being the best. Ultimately, what matters most is inspiration.

So, what exactly are we researching?

"—Phew. How did the measurements turn out?"

"Yes. During the ability activation, we observed disturbances in the electromagnetic field—like residual waves."

"I see. This makes the 『intervention technology for molecular kinetic force』 feel much more within reach."

What we’re working on is a method to take a technology that currently only works on the micro scale using complex devices—or through espers—and expand it to the macro scale.

To that end, we’re measuring the abilities of our faction members and analyzing their ‘aftershocks’ to find a way to 『recreate the core phenomenon externally using scientific methods.』

…To put it plainly, we’re trying to replicate our faction members’ powers through science.

Especially my own ability, the black-and-white jagged blade "Jagged Edge." Right now, it can cut through virtually every known material on Earth, making it the strongest blade in existence. If we can recreate it scientifically, humanity would experience a major technological breakthrough—so our project is essentially the flagship research of GMDW.

………………I suppose that’s another way Reicia-chan’s powers helped her secure a leadership position in the faction. Honestly, I feel it more than ever now—her most unfortunate trait was how her ambition and arrogance were perfectly matched by her competence.

"But still, getting this done before late August is going to be a stretch…"

Looking through her materials, Rinka-san showed a hint of impatience. What happens in late August? The Academia Conference—a prestigious research presentation held annually around this time, featuring the top-performing students of Academy City. Originally, we—well, Reicia-chan’s group—had been planning to present there, too.

But because of the incident last month, all our research had been halted. So now we were racing to catch up in time. Normally, I’d be holed up in the lab from morning to night, but even so, I can’t afford to be absent for even a single day.

"That said, we’ve got most of the key data in hand. Now we just need to build out the theoretical framework. …At this point, we should be able to manage with sheer manpower to gather the remaining data."

"There was a time I honestly thought we were screwed, but somehow we’ve made it work…"

"Though with a deadline looming over us, I can’t exactly say I’m feeling relaxed about it!"

Maybe it was the sense of progress, but the mood in the lab had softened a bit.

"Don’t get too comfortable just yet."

At that point, I raised my voice to refocus the members.

No, it’s not that I didn’t want them to relax—it’s just that we weren’t out of the woods yet. And besides—

『This year’s Academia Conference seems to have Haruki Aritomi throwing himself into it full force. As proud students of Tokiwadai, we must ensure our results are nothing we’d be ashamed of.』

There was also the matter of appearances… Not that I personally care about that kind of thing, okay? But school rumors have a way of sticking, and to be blunt, if we put out something half-baked, the entire GMDW crew will be mocked.

It’s not necessarily a bad thing—that just shows how highly we’re regarded by those around us. “Ehh? I thought those people were super capable and worth respecting, but after all that infighting, this is the best result they could produce?” —If outsiders who know nothing about our efforts started spouting off like that, it would seriously get under my skin.

So to prevent that, we just have to work hard and produce results that meet expectations. I’m planning to push myself as hard as I can for that.

"Reicia-san, there's no point in getting so worked up about it, you know."

As I was gathering materials with a huff, reviewing the schedule and organizing the data, I suddenly felt a hand pat my shoulder. It was Yumetsuki-san.

"…Yumetsuki-san?"

"Even if you don’t need to panic, sure, we’re a bit tight on time, but we’re still moving along at a solid pace. Honestly, even if you suddenly collapsed from illness, we’ve got things structured well enough to keep going. You’ve just recovered, haven’t you? Pushing too hard isn’t good. How about taking a short break?"

"Even if you say recovered, it’s already been a whole month since I was discharged from the hospital…"

"I—don’t—care!! And anyway, as far as your mental health goes, I still have concerns! You’re acting like you’ve made peace with everything and come out stronger, but until I can personally confirm you’re stable, stop doing reckless stuff, got it!?"

"…U-Understood…"

When she put it like that, I couldn’t really argue. In reality, since what’s inside me has changed, I’m mentally fine—or at least mostly—but from the perspective of those who don’t know (including the whole suicide thing), I must look like “the one who got utterly wrecked by Mikoto, ended up hospitalized, and now seems to be carrying a lot of guilt toward the faction.”

No wonder people think I’m mentally fragile…

…And, it’s kind of nice, in a quiet way, that Yumetsuki-san can speak her mind so openly to me like this. That’s why I decided to take her advice this time.

"Then I’ll take you up on that. I’ll step outside for a bit and get some fresh air."

Saying that, I stood up from my seat.

Looking back, that small decision—may have sealed the course of my future.

“Phew…”

With a paper cup of coffee in hand, I stepped out of the lab.

As expected, midsummer was in full swing. Unlike the air-conditioned lab, the outdoors was hot and muggy—but strangely enough, I also felt a liberating sense of relief that outweighed the discomfort. I must’ve been more wound up than I realized.

Recognizing that, a thought hit me once again: I’m not some all-powerful being.

Sure, in my previous life I was a working adult. I could shrug off unpleasant things as just kids being kids. I could consider things with a wider perspective, more or less. If it were my student-era self that had possessed Reicia-chan, I probably would’ve emotionally aligned with her and painted the rest of the faction as villains.

But that doesn’t make me some all-knowing genius.

I mean, if I were that kind of person, I probably could’ve resolved the whole faction mess more smoothly—and saved Kamijou properly, too.

I really am just a small, insignificant person.

Things are running smoothly with the faction now, but that’s only because I’ve been doing what I can within my own limits. If I try to push too far, I’ll end up breaking down myself.

If I don’t properly gauge my limits—and then collapse just like that—well, that’s on me.

So I tell myself: I’ll be more self-aware from now on. I’ll notice before Yumetsuki-san has to point it out again.

“Mmm…”

With that in mind, I sipped my coffee. Cold coffee on a hot day—it really was a refreshing balm. Honestly, I never liked coffee much because of the bitterness, but maybe it’s something Reicia-chan’s taste buds are okay with?

“Well then…”

Having emptied the paper cup, I turned on my heel, ready to head back to the lab—

“Oh? Misaka-san.”

—and came face-to-face with Mikoto.

Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t seen her around since morning. Had she just gotten back?

“Good day to you. It’s rather unusual to see you in this area.”

『Misaka states, before casually grumbling, "Ahh, man, what a pain this system is," while tilting her head.』

“!?”

The moment I heard that voice, a switch flipped inside me.

This… this wasn’t Mikoto…!? …Wait—could it be one of the Sisters…? But then, what’s with this weird speech pattern…? …No, there’s no time to analyze this!!

“Ghh, who are y—”

『Misaka suggests that you stay down for a bit, as she readies her next move.』

The moment I deployed my black-and-white jagged blade, Jagged Edge—

—I was engulfed by a wave of ‘electrons’—one of the few natural enemies capable of penetrating my otherwise absolute shield, which severs all molecular bonds.

And just like that, my consciousness was severed, too.