Chapter 14: Kuroko that has a strong sense of justice

The 7th District is the largest among the 23 districts in Academy City. With its spacious, clean streets, a comprehensive public transportation system, and a thriving commercial area, it serves as the hub for most of the city's junior high and high schools.

Tourists are often spotted in this bustling district. Not far away, a familiar tourist bus slowly made its way through the streets. Through the bus windows, parents and children could be seen laughing and enjoying their time together.

"What's wrong, Natsume-san? Do you have something on your mind?"

Misaka and Shirai walked ahead, while Natsume lingered behind with the Sakugawa duo. Lost in her thoughts, Natsume kept her head lowered and stayed silent until Uiharu-san, ever attentive, voiced her concern.

The ice sculptures that Natsume had gifted to Uiharu and Saten had already melted, but as they did, the bond between the group had inexplicably deepened.

"I'm fine. It's nothing," Natsume replied hastily, snapping out of her thoughts and turning back to reassure Uiharu.

"Natsume-san, is that ice sculpture part of your ability? Is it some form of ice control?" Uiharu asked curiously, stretching out her hand and looking wistfully at the melted sculpture.

"Ice control? That's incredible! Can you create ice whenever you want?" Saten chimed in, her voice filled with wonder as she looked at Natsume.

"No, it's temperature control. I just condensed the water in the air into ice," Natsume explained earnestly, clutching her schoolbag with both hands as she walked alongside them.

"That's amazing! No wonder it always feels cool when we're near you. So it's temperature control," Uiharu said, her face lighting up with admiration.

Abilities like temperature control were both practical and impressive. Uiharu herself possessed the ability to maintain constant temperatures for objects she touched, but her skill had not advanced since elementary school.

Ahead of them, Shirai's voice carried over. "Onee-sama, you can't just spend all your time playing video games and reading novels in stores. Why not try something more fitting for your status, like flower arrangement or piano lessons?"

"It's none of your business. Those kinds of things just aren't my style," Misaka replied dismissively, her tone tinged with irritation.

On the busy streets of the 7th District, Natsume and her friends walked noisily amidst the bustling crowd. Passing by them were a group of students from the Household Management Girls' School. Natsume recognized them—after all, these were the students who prepared three meals a day for the residents of Tokiwadai Middle School.

Natsume Enako enjoyed the meals she prepared. They were healthy, nutritious, and delicious. The meticulously crafted Tokiwadai Middle School nutrition meals she made could even sell for 40,000 yen each in certain places.

However, she noticed that the maids from the Household Management Girls' School seemed to have no holidays. Seeing one of them looking dusty and tired, Natsume guessed she was on her way to a field study. Real maids didn't get breaks—it seemed to be the purpose of their school.

"They have it tough," Natsume thought to herself, feeling a bit emotional. While the courses at Tokiwadai Middle School were demanding, it wasn't to the extent of having no days off. Students still had the opportunity to engage in club activities that benefitted both body and mind.

Just then, her gaze fell on an unusual sight. A girl was carrying a giant can of mackerel—one that was far larger than her own body. The can covered her head and upper body, leaving only long golden hair faintly visible. She was dressed in a miniskirt and stockings, and she staggered awkwardly under the weight of the oversized can.

"Hey, what's that flyer?"

"It looks like a new crepe shop in the Exchange Plaza. The first 100 customers get a souvenir of Gekota," Uiharu's sweet voice chimed in as she held up the flyer.

"What kind of cheap gimmick is that? Who would fall for something like this these days?" Saten remarked casually. As she spoke, she accidentally bumped into Misaka, who had stopped abruptly in front of her.

"Ah, I'm so sorry!" Saten quickly apologized, startled.

"What's wrong, Onee-sama? Are you interested in the crepe shop? Or perhaps... the gift?" Kuroko teased, leaning closer to Misaka with narrowed eyes.

"What are you talking about? How could I be interested in a frog? It's a frog—an amphibian! There's no way a girl would want something like that!" Misaka replied anxiously, turning her face away from Kuroko's probing gaze as she hurriedly tried to explain herself.

Could it be that she's embarrassed to let Kuroko's friends and fans see her immature side?

Natsume couldn't help but recall a recent conversation she had with Misaka, where they talked about Gekota for nearly 20 minutes. At the time, Misaka had seemed completely unguarded.

"Is it because I look like someone who would still like Gekota? No, that can't be it," Natsume mused to herself.

As Misaka continued her frantic explanations, she didn't seem to realize that the pendant hanging from her schoolbag—a Gekota charm—had already exposed everything.

At the Seventh District Exchange Plaza, in front of the newly opened crepe shop, a long line of people stretched out into the street. Unfortunately, a sightseeing bus had parked nearby, adding to the congestion.

"There are so many people. Did we come at the wrong time today?" Misaka crossed her arms and looked at the crowd with a hint of concern.

"I'll go find a seat first," Kuroko said as she surveyed the busy scene.

"I'll come too," Natsume added quickly. After walking for so long, her feet were sore and tired. She urgently needed a place to rest.

"I'll join you. Saten-san, we'll leave our share to you," Uiharu-san said with a smile before following behind Kuroko and Saten.

Eventually, they found an empty bench nearby. Natsume gratefully sat down, leaning back to rest. She rubbed her sore calves and stamped her feet lightly, trying to improve the circulation in her legs.

Not long after, Misaka appeared in front of them, looking radiant and pleased with herself. Behind her, Saten carried a few crepes.

Misaka had successfully collected the small Gekota-themed gifts that came with the crepes. Her collector's soul was satisfied, and her face glowed with happiness.

"Misaka-senpai is so easy to please," Natsume thought to herself, recalling how, just moments ago, Misaka had looked completely dejected after thinking she'd missed out on the gifts.

Saten-san, showing her kind heart, had given her crepe to Misaka, instantly curing her incurable collecting obsession.

At the same time, someone with an unusual method for weight loss—one that involved avoiding all sweets—sat nearby, looking longingly at the crepes.

The crepe tasted amazing, and Natsume was very satisfied. After just a few bites, she felt her lost energy returning.

Meanwhile, Misaka and Kuroko were engaged in a lively debate about natto milk-flavored crepes, while Uiharu and Saten chatted about how unladylike Misaka could sometimes be.

"Yeah, Misaka-senpai is such an easy-going person," Natsume chimed in, agreeing wholeheartedly with their assessment.

"Don't you think something feels off?" Uiharu suddenly said, her tone filled with unease. She pointed toward a nearby bank with its doors shut tightly.

"It's strange. Under normal circumstances, banks don't close their iron gates during the day," Natsume said, nodding thoughtfully.

As she finished speaking, everyone turned their attention to the bank with its unexpectedly closed doors.

Suddenly, an explosion rang out, and the iron gates were blown apart. Thick smoke billowed from inside the bank, and scattered debris littered the road.

Through the hole created by the explosion, three criminals emerged from the smoke, carrying bags of various sizes. Their faces were obscured by black cloth.

As the smoke began to dissipate, the bank's alarm blared, and chaos erupted among the crowd.

"Everyone, stay calm! Don't run around—gather here quickly!" the tour guide on the bus shouted. Though visibly shaken, he focused on protecting the tourists and children.

The supposedly impeccable security system of Academy City hadn't prevented the crime. The city, despite its advancements, was far from completely safe.

Shirai immediately sprang into action. She pulled out her Discipline Committee armband and, with a swift motion, popped the last bite of her natto milk-flavored crepe into her mouth. Uiharu also reacted quickly. As Kuroko's partner and support, she knew exactly what needed to be done.

"Yes, that's right. A bank robbery has occurred in the Seventh District Exchange Plaza. Please dispatch security personnel immediately," Uiharu reported urgently, speaking into her mobile phone.

Misaka stepped forward, ready to assist, but Kuroko stopped her. "This is a matter for the Discipline Committee. Ordinary citizens, even ones as capable as you, shouldn't interfere," she said firmly.

"It is our duty as Discipline Committee members to maintain the peace in Academy City," Kuroko continued, stepping onto a nearby bench. She leaped over a flower bed and strapped on her armband with resolve.

In reality, the authority of the Discipline Committee was limited to maintaining order within schools—they had no jurisdiction outside of them. Technically, Kuroko was just an ordinary citizen in this situation.

But Kuroko's strong sense of justice didn't allow her to stand idly by.

"Stop right there! I'm placing you under arrest for property damage and robbery," Kuroko declared, standing boldly in front of the three tall and burly criminals. Her voice was unwavering, her courage apparent.

"Hahaha! Are you serious? Did they send a little girl like you? Don't they have any real Discipline Committee members?" one of the criminals scoffed, bursting into laughter. His companions joined in, mocking Kuroko openly.

Several criminals burst into unrestrained laughter after hearing Shirai's declaration, their mocking tone causing Natsume Enako to feel a wave of disgust.

"Damn it, why can't I move my feet?" one of the burly robbers grumbled as he attempted to step forward to teach Kuroko-san a lesson. However, just as he tried to take a step, he realized the soles of his shoes seemed stuck.

With a sudden pull, he lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground.

A faint mist rose from the surface beneath him, forming a thin layer of ice that connected his hands, feet, and body to the ground. Immobilized, he struggled fruitlessly.

"Damn it!" The other two criminals quickly noticed their own shoes were similarly frozen to the ground. They began tugging and yanking at their feet with all their strength, desperate to free themselves.

Kuroko-san, startled by this unexpected turn of events, looked down at her own feet and realized they weren't frozen. Her gaze instinctively turned to Natsume Enako, who stood a short distance away, her calm demeanor betraying nothing.

An instant later, a ripple of invisible energy distorted the space around Kuroko-san. In a flash, she disappeared, teleporting into another dimension.

When she reappeared in reality, she struck with precision, her foot landing squarely on the face of one immobilized criminal. His face met the ground with a loud thud, forcing it into an awkwardly close relationship with the icy surface.

The ice worked its magic again.

The man's terrified eyes widened as he realized the skin on his face had fused with the frozen ground. A small exertion of force might leave him needing a hospital visit—and possibly reconstructive surgery.

"Who's causing all this trouble now?" The last criminal standing clenched his fists, a look of steely determination settling over his face. It seemed he was prepared to take desperate measures.

A fireball suddenly flickered to life in his palm, and he aimed it at his shoes, trying to melt the ice that had trapped him. Despite his effort to control the flames, half his pants were nearly scorched in the process.

Although the fire managed to free his shoes, the surrounding ice crystals continued to grow, relentlessly pursuing him and attempting to freeze his feet again.