The sudden shift in conversation felt a bit jarring.
"The matter of the Sisters?!"
Natsume, who had been quiet until now, exclaimed in surprise.
"Indeed."
Dr. Heaven Canceller lowered his gaze slightly, looking at the two of them.
"After receiving the information, I reviewed some data this morning. The Sisters' bodies are clones created from Misaka's cells, further accelerated to maturity through various drugs."
"This has made their already short-lived cloned cells' lifespan even shorter. Now that the experiment has been terminated and the Sisters' situation is temporarily in limbo, if they are to live normal lives, they will require cellular-level modifications. Each individual will need long-term adjustments."
Dr. Heaven Canceller thought for a few seconds before continuing.
"Modifications? Do you have a method, Doctor?"
Misaka-san asked urgently, while Natsume beside her blinked, watching with concern.
"Many research institutes possess the technology for cellular adjustment. However, given Academy City's current capacity, they can only accommodate a small fraction of the Sisters, especially since there are over ten thousand of them still alive."
Dr. Heaven Canceller frowned, speaking with a hint of apology.
"But I've heard a rumor from the Board of Directors. Perhaps the Sisters could be sent outside, to affiliated research institutes for the necessary adjustments."
He paused, recalling a document passed down from the higher-ups.
Just judging by the document alone, it seemed like the board members had somehow grown a conscience.
"Sending them to external institutes…"
Natsume listened intently. According to the doctor, this was indeed a possible solution.
She was actually quite worried about the future of the Misaka Sisters herself, much like a certain clumsy prophet would be.
"So, does this mean the Sisters won't face... disposal or anything like that? Are they all going to be free?"
Natsume asked suddenly, remembering what Nunotaba-senpai had said—that the Sisters still in their cultivation pods might face destruction.
"Yes, all the Sisters will be released. They'll be registered as important assets of Academy City. They might even become the city's poster girls someday."
"Though they're termed assets, they won't be treated any differently from ordinary students, so you needn't worry, Misaka. And as the DNA donor, you, Misaka, will likely be granted a certain degree of guardianship rights," Dr. Heaven Canceller added.
"I understand."
Misaka-senpai gave a slight nod. This outcome was far better than what she had initially feared.
"If this plan is formally implemented, I will apply to personally oversee the adjustments for any Sisters who remain in Academy City," Dr. Heaven Canceller concluded with a nod.
Watching the doctor's retreating back, Misaka-senpai finally seemed to process everything.
Meanwhile, Natsume picked up her phone again, her expression shifting oddly.
Just as the doctor had said, last night's incident was already trending on some niche sites.
It had attracted a massive amount of attention, with view and post counts skyrocketing, leaving the second-place topic in the dust—it practically screamed 'lonely at the top'.
With just one or two blurry photos and some suggestive eyewitness accounts, part of the truth had been pieced together. There was even a bizarre post from someone claiming to be involved.
'It's fine, not a big deal.'
Natsume thought to herself. There was no mention of the Level 6 Shift Project, nor of Misaka-senpai. They'd just caught Accelerator in some shots.
Inside the hospital room, the strong smell of disinfectant hung in the air.
--+--
On Banri's bed, a box lay opened.
Natsume had handed her gift to Banri—a small pink pig she'd named Peppa.
"Thank you, Sonoko-neechan."
A happy smile spread across Banri's face as she hugged the toy, waving its arm towards everyone.
"Alright, now for my gift."
Misaka-senpai stepped forward and quickly unwrapped the packaging, revealing a school uniform inside.
"Ah, it's our school's uniform!"
Uiharu looked surprised, her gaze shifting to Banri on the bed.
"That's right! We'll be schoolmates soon, Uiharu-san," Banri said with a grin, a hint of pride on her face.
Banri's physical condition had improved greatly, and her physical rehabilitation was nearly complete. She was almost ready to be discharged and start school.
Her enrollment had been settled too—she'd be attending the same school as Haruue and Uiharu. Once the new term started, she'd be joining the first year of Sakugawa Middle School.
"Congratulations! I'm getting another classmate."
Saten-san said cheerfully, rubbing the back of her head, though the thought of school starting soon brought a tinge of melancholy.
"Alright then, let's have some cake!" Haruue, who had been sitting quietly, pulled out a cake from beside her.
Out in the hospital hallway, a bit of cake smudged the corner of Natsume's mouth as she savored the memory of Haruue's increasingly excellent baking skills. 'The happiest thing in life is eating sweet things,' she thought.
She was carrying seven bottles of drinks. She'd placed last in their round of jan-ken-pon, gloriously earning herself the errand of buying drinks for everyone.
Thump-thump-thump!
The sound of heavy footsteps echoed, kicking up a small gust of air. Three suspicious-looking individuals were running down the hallway.
Natsume glanced over curiously. Two were dressed in orderly uniforms, and one was wearing a patient's gown.
'Is running around in a hospital really okay? They're definitely going to disturb people.'
"Don't move! Come with us quietly, or I'll shoot!"
Things took an unexpected turn. Abruptly, one of the three stopped.
A pistol appeared, pointed directly at the head of a certain bun-haired girl. A man with a scarred, menacing face threatened her.
"Boss, we got a hostage! She looks weak, no threat at all."
"Good work! Let's get to the roof, quick! A helicopter's waiting for us there. The Anti-Skill teams are catching up!"
The leader nodded encouragingly at the scarred man, as if praising a job well done.
The said hostage peered at the three with curiosity, even licking the last bit of cake from the corner of her mouth. Her face held a vacant look, as if deep in thought.
Natsume quickly pieced it together: two accomplices, disguised as orderlies, were breaking a patient out of Anti-Skill custody.
"Move it, don't dawdle. Hey, are those drinks?"
The scarred man said impatiently, noticing the drinks Natsume was holding. He reached out with one hand to grab them.
--+--
Roughly two or three minutes later, Anti-Skill arrived on the scene.
Three men lay strewn across the hallway. Two were foaming at the mouth, and the other was convulsing uncontrollably, likely from hypothermic shock. A few handguns lay discarded in a corner.
"Natsume-san, you took so long!" As soon as Natsume Sonoko returned to the room, Saten's face popped up right next to hers.
"Ran into a little something on the way," Natsume said, handing out the drinks to everyone with a slightly embarrassed smile.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.