Part 6[edit]
(November 10th – Oahu – New Honolulu International Airport – From the security camera in a vending machine.)
Hamazura’s eyes opened wide as he peered around the corner.
The first thing he noticed was an unpleasant noise, like cracks running through glass.
“What’s with them…?” asked Kuroyoru in a wondering tone, while being held by the nape of the neck by an electricity-type esper who was looking for an opening.
It had happened just after the twenty or so men in black suits had charged at the girl in the dress while ignoring the airport workers, who were overcome with surprise at their sudden appearance.
Every single one of the men tripped and fell to the floor that was wet with wax. It was as if they had run across an invisible wire or some other kind of trap.
That was how it appeared to be, but that was not what had truly occurred.
Hamazura heard a few groans, and then the men let out even greater cries of pain. They were all grabbing at their leather shoes. To be specific, they were holding the end of their shoes with both hands.
It was as if every single one had suddenly had all of their toes snapped.
It was as if everyone’s feet had been broken within the range of some invisible explosion emitted from the girl in the dress.
Hamazura let out a voice of confusion.
“What the hell is going on?”
“Shh. She’s muttering something in French.”
The girl in the dress standing alone in the center of all the collapsed men was indeed muttering something.
“…Old lady of the pumpkin carriage. Please lend your power to pitiful Cendrillon. Give me the test of the glass slippers once more. Do so until all the arrogantly deceitful challengers hang their heads in shame.”
“Cinderella, hm? Is she a self suggestion-type Gemstone?”
Misaka Worst rationalized what she was seeing like that, but Hamazura felt something was off.
He did not detect the distinct scent of Academy City’s espers, and yet what he was seeing seemed to be following set rules.
That girl was a magician.
She was from Gremlin.
The girl who had named herself Cendrillon wielded the laws of a different world.
She was one of the those who had sent out Radiosonde Castle for their own personal objective.
Hamazura’s breath caught in his throat.
“What should we do?” Misaka Worst asked bluntly.
“I don’t know what she’s using, so I can’t tell where the safe zone is. Without knowing that, I wouldn’t suggest approaching her. …It would be best to find a way to attack her without approaching.”
“Misaka can think of someone that isn’t safe to attack even from a distance…”