Riding the space elevator would let you leave Earth's surface directly, then enjoy a close-up view of all sorts of marvels out in space.
Natsu-san was really looking forward to that feeling. Even an ace pilot like her sotis dread of becoming an astronaut.
Of course, if anything went wrong out in the void, even Natsu-san would be done for.
Even if she anchored the air around her to keep from suffocating, the lack of atmosphere in space ant gravity just beca the centripetal force keeping her in orbit around Earth.
So Natsu-san would end up floating in outer space, just like any other piece of cosmic junk you might find.
She wouldn't die imdiately, though. She could probably hold out until Academy City launched a rescue shuttle.
All sorts of thoughts ran through her mind, and Natsu-san couldn't help but hesitate a little.
"That probably won't happen. There'll be thousands of people on this elevator tomorrow, after all," Natsu Sonoko muttered under her breath, her voice growing softer as she spoke.
Her ticket number was sowhere past five thousand, and the crowd attending tomorrow's opening ceremony would definitely exceed that number.
But if an incident did happen inside Academy City, the number of people affected could be enormous.
"They wouldn't have rigged that thing with a huge amount of explosives too, would they?"
From her current position, she could still see the massive elevator standing straight and tall.
Natsu-san's thoughts began to wander, connecting dots with what they'd just encountered at the shopping mall, letting her imagination run wild.
"That seems rather unlikely. Academy City has been conducting comprehensive inspections all these days, working alongside the security teams from Orbit Portal Company."
"No one can bring explosive materials anywhere close," Uiharu said, a handheld computer already in her grasp—no one had even noticed her pull it out—as various docunts about the space elevator flashed across its screen.
"You know, that reminds of an urban legend I heard," Saten-san said, tapping a finger against her chin.
"Look, doesn't this space elevator seem a lot like the legendary Tower of Babel? Just like in the myth, once that tower was completed, sothing terrible was supposed to happen. Maybe this is Academy City's crisis of destruction."
Saten-san's sources of information were always vast and varied, and she spoke with a certain gravity.
Natsu Sonoko, however, just blinked in confusion, clearly unfamiliar with the tale.
Even though Natsu Sonoko and Saten-san browsed the sa websites, the gap in the information they each possessed seed massive.
"The Tower of Babel?" Misaka-senpai nodded, as if she'd heard a similar myth.
The Tower of Babel was built by ancient humanity united, a tower ant to reach the heavens, but it was never completed.
Natsu-san, anwhile, jolted slightly, as if she'd thought of sothing.
Her train of thought was always leaping tracks, and often it helped her uncover crucial clues.
'Maybe this space elevator is connected to magic.'
Her mind was a bit of a ss, but she felt she'd grasped onto sothing.
Thanks to her frequent run-ins with a certain dumpling-headed girl and magic, she was considering possibilities the others hadn't.
A fla magician and three magical girls had attacked igo-senpai.
The shopping mall bombing and those weird, lted dolls. Orbit Portal Company specifically sending a protection team. igo-senpai, the opening ceremony's guest perforr, who'd lost all her mories from three years ago.
And that gothic lolita company president who claid to know her, who ntioned a replacent for Natsu-san that was nearly complete.
Even though Natsu-san didn't see what needed replacing, the replacent itself was likely this space elevator.
These events didn't seem strongly connected at first glance, but combined with the urban legend Saten-san just ntioned, it was different.
Just like in the myth, so people were trying to obstruct the completion of the space elevator, or the magic related to it, and igo-senpai was the key.
Maybe igo-senpai was part of the magic itself, similar to that glasses-wearing brat. Natsu-san had so experience in this area.
'As expected of Saten-san.'
Natsu-san stared blankly at Saten-san for a mont.
Within her own jumbled soul mories, this ordinary girl from Sakugawa Middle School seed to have titles like 'Script Reader'.
Script Reader. No matter how you thought about it, that was one hell of a skill.
Natsu-san had also tried to read the script via her soul mories, but she clearly hadn't found the correct key to unlock that wealth.
A mont later, Natsu-san decided to voice her suspicions, but then she hesitated again.
This ti, she had her own reasoning. Even if that Shirai-san character tried to ss with her, it'd be fine.
But magic? Probably nobody would believe that.
'Magic. I've added magic.'
She wanted to explain it that way, but she changed her approach slightly.
"About those weirdos we ran into yesterday, the one spouting flas… What does Misaka-senpai think about them?" Natsu-san paused for effect before speaking. The others turned their attention to her.
"I've been trying to think of him as an esper, but to my knowledge, the strongest pyrokinesis user in Academy City should be you, Natsu-san."
"My guess is those attackers ca from outside Academy City," Misaka-senpai said with so certainty.
His fla temperature was incredibly high, and he could summon a fire giant. That was very different from an esper.
Misaka-senpai couldn't say for sure that only Academy City could develop these special abilities born from fantasy.
"These outsiders coming to Academy City… I think it might be related to the Tower of Babel Saten-san ntioned."
"And the reason they attacked igo-senpai was to stop the space elevator's official operation. Not because she's a guest perforr for the opening ceremony, but for so other, unknown reason." Natsu-san explained, a look of profound wisdom on her face.
When igo-senpai was attacked yesterday, she had only just received the performance invitation from Orbit Portal Company
She didn't know how close this was to the truth, but it was what Natsu-san had settled on.
Maybe everyone else was still on the first floor, while Natsu-san had already raced straight to the third.
"So you're saying, Natsu, that once the space elevator officially opens, sothing bad will happen, just like in the myth, so those people want to stop it?"
Misaka-senpai said, sounding rather surprised, clearly finding the speculation far-fetched.
"But why target igo-senpai specifically?" Uiharu-san asked at that point.
"Perhaps because igo-senpai is special."
Natsu-san unconsciously furrowed her brow, propping her chin in her hand, mimicking a certain glasses-wearing elentary school detective she knew.
The sound of car horns filled the air as the group of girls ca to a stop at a street corner.
Natsu-san rarely played the role of the insightful problem-solver; this ti, she was performing well above her usual level.
-- --
T/N: 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.
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