Chapter: 44. The Suspected Target
Tonight is a moonless night.
The sky is deep and dark, with a few stars occasionally breaking through the thick clouds, flickering with a cold light.
“What a tremendous destructive force; it might even be the level of an A-class esper, right?”
The aftershocks of the explosion still ripple through the ruins, and the smell of gunpowder lingers in the air, refusing to dissipate.
Staff from Ark Academy are on-site conducting various magical energy tests and evidence collection.
They observe the ground that was once flat, now forming a huge crater.
“I wonder how the student who was attacked is doing…”
“With this level of assault, it can’t be good for them. How did such an attacker get onto this island?”
“This matter is probably beyond the capability of the student council and the disciplinary committee to handle.”
“That’s true; the strength of this attacker surely far exceeds that of ordinary students.”
…
The staff at the scene, along with the assisting students, couldn’t help but begin whispering among themselves.
Not far from the crime scene, a few solitary street lamps swung, emitting weak and irregular light, as if they could be extinguished by the wind at any moment.
The dim light illuminated the serious expression on Mana’s beautiful face.
“What is going on?” Mana’s voice was very low, so soft it seemed it might be blown away by a breeze, but the emotion contained within was as hard as a sharp sword, directed precisely at the Azure Dragon standing next to her.
As the president of the student council, the Azure Dragon arrived at the crime scene at the earliest opportunity and remained in place, partly to assist with the investigation and partly to prevent the attacker from suddenly returning, ensuring there was enough combat strength on-site.
At that time, Mana was still training in Zone Zero as usual, and only arrived late after a member of the student council contacted her.
“From any perspective, this is a blatant murder.” The Azure Dragon replied calmly, looking at the massive pit nearby.
The marks left behind that resemble a small meteor crater suggest that the attacker had no intention of leaving any survivors.
What the Azure Dragon is concerned about, however, is who the attacker’s true target was.
If such destructive power had been unleashed in a bustling urban district, especially in Ark Academy without prior warning, the casualties would be unimaginable.
Yet, the attacker chose to launch the first attack in such a deserted area.
From this alone, one can infer the attacker’s targets – “the two students caught up in this attack.”
One was Natsukawa Fuuko from the Special Class, and the other was Hoshimiya Nagi, from the Elite Class.
The former’s profile is quite ordinary; as a very average member of the Special Class, it is hard to fathom why she would be targeted. The latter, as an ordinary person unrelated to the extraordinary world, is even less likely to be the target.
The remaining conclusion is—
Beneath the seemingly ordinary exterior of these two girls, there must be some crucial clue hidden.
Based on the situation at the scene and the report left by one of the involved parties, “Tsukimi Kanade,” the Azure Dragon attempted to deduce the events when his phone vibrated with a notification.
It was a new message alert.
“I have good news and bad news.” The Azure Dragon said to Mana.
“Is it time for teasing me?”
Mana responded with slight anger, her gaze icy towards the Azure Dragon.
He shrugged, seemingly indicating he was just trying to ease the atmosphere a bit.
“The good news is that neither Fuuko nor Nagi, as the parties involved, have lost their lives.”
“So what’s the bad news?”
“……The bad news is—”
The Azure Dragon did not finish, instead raising his head to look at the stars in the night sky while handing the phone screen to Mana.
The message displayed was incredibly eye-catching—
【Hoshimiya Nagi has been confirmed to have awakened her powers】
Mana merely glanced at it, quickly averting her gaze as if unable to accept it.
The Azure Dragon also intuitively took back the phone.
Neither spoke.
It seemed that as long as they did not utter it, it would not become reality.
If she was merely caught up in an extraordinary incident, becoming a Special Class student awaiting evaluation, she still had the right to return to normal society and continue living as an ordinary person.
But if she had already awakened her powers, it meant she was no longer entitled to a normal life.
Even if not sent to the frontlines, she would always have to live in places arranged by Special Security Assessment Metrical Authority (SEMA).
In other words, at this moment, the path for this girl was confined to a very small area.
After a long moment.
Mana was the first to break the silence filled with confusion between them.
“I will never forgive that guy—”
“You shouldn’t use such violent language, Mana-chan.” The Azure Dragon closed his eyes and opened them again, his usual humble and friendly demeanor replaced by a cold and sharp attitude, “But I share the same sentiment as you—”
“…You really know Nagi, don’t you?”
“Not only Nagi, but I also know you, Mana-chan.” The Azure Dragon finished speaking and moved to greet another rushing member of the student council, seemingly with no intention of explaining to Mana.
“President, there’s something strange—” The incoming member of the student council was panting, holding a piece of white paper.
“I just went to the hospital to check on Nishikawa and Hoshimiya’s conditions, and I suddenly found something concerning in the hospital records…”
“….” The Azure Dragon silently took the documents from the other person.
“Um, that Tsukimi, he was clearly one of the parties involved in this attack case, but just minutes before the incident, he had a registration record at the hospital…” the student council member continued speaking.
“Keep in mind that the distance to that hospital is such that even by car, it would be impossible to get there in just a few minutes, and according to his student records, Tsukimi Kanade hasn’t awakened any powers, so—”
At that critical moment.
The Azure Dragon interrupted the student before him.
“Enough, I understand this matter. And—”
The Azure Dragon paused, as if having made a resolution, slowly spoke, “Could you please keep this matter a secret for now?”
“Eh? But… I understand, President.” The member of the student council initially seemed puzzled, but upon seeing the Azure Dragon’s serious expression, whether out of respect or fear, could only instinctively nod.
“…..Tsukimi…..Kanade….. could it be you?” The Azure Dragon folded the documents in his hand and placed them in his pocket while murmuring softly in his heart.
—————–
“Kanade, are you okay?” Nagi ran towards Kanade with a worried expression.
However, Kanade had stumbled and fallen heavily to the floor in a disoriented manner.
“Ah, no, I’m fine…” Kanade said as she propped herself up.
Then, from an upward angle, she became transfixed by the piece of fabric partially visible in front of her.
The next moment—
“Ah! Blood, blood! Kanade, your nose is bleeding—”
Nagi anxiously knelt in front of Kanade, and then she seemed to think of something.
“Um, Kanade, wait… if it’s this time…”
Nagi slowly placed her hand in front of Kanade’s still-bleeding nose and whispered to herself, as if cheering herself on.
“I’m okay, I can do this, I can do this…”
With Nagi’s words, a burst of light appeared at her fingertips.
It was an extraordinary glow, one that belonged solely to this world of the supernatural.
Illuminated by this light.
Kanade could distinctly feel the hot flow from her nose stop.
But it also made her face once again become serious and solemn.
Nagi’s actions made Kanade realize for the first time—
—Little Nagi has truly arrived in this perilous world…
—None of this is a dream.
