An insistent pressure on her arm was impossible to ignore, and a noticeable awkwardness flitted across Natsume-san's face.
For some reason, Natsume-san just couldn't get used to these kinds of intimate gestures, even though they all knew each other so well.
The golden-haired girl beside her began to glow faintly again, the dazzling patterns in her pupils like stars in the night sky, pulling one irresistibly into a strange mental whirlpool.
"What a coincidence, running into you here, Misaka-san. I heard you lost the Balloon Hunter event—what a shame. I'd thought with you on the team, it would've been a crushing victory."
Shokuhou-senpai let out a deliberate sigh, the corners of her arched eyebrows giving her a vaguely mocking air.
An unknown aura slowly unfurled from her, spreading across several meters around them.
It sounded like a normal conversation, but Natsume-san, whose arm was currently being held captive, was already growing tense.
She probably had an idea of what was coming.
"Shokuhou Misaki, I don't have time to argue with you right now. There are some things I need to ask you."
Maintaining a surface calm, Misaka-senpai's temples throbbed slightly.
Every conversation with Shokuhou Misaki ended badly; they just clearly didn't see eye to eye.
"I've already heard the details from Natsume-san. I can't believe you've been pinning the blame on me all this time. But let's set that aside for now. What's the deal with those people searching for the Sisters?"
A thread of dissatisfaction ran through her tone, but there were no overtly aggressive moves. Misaka-senpai was keeping her temper in check remarkably well this time.
Her understanding of Shokuhou Misaki came entirely from their past encounters.
Given how often she'd been deliberately targeted, managing to speak civilly was an accomplishment in itself.
"I see. So it seems you've chosen to believe what Sonoko-chan said. But doesn't it occur to you that everything could have been arranged by me?"
"While Sonoko-chan's memories are difficult to alter directly, by leveraging events that have already happened and adding a little... polish, even a Level 5 might struggle to notice. Mixing nine parts truth with one part falsehood is the most sophisticated brainwashing technique, after all."
"Even if I can't breach your electromagnetic barrier right now, making you believe something isn't exactly a difficult task for me."
Watching Shokuhou-senpai veer into what seemed like self-sabotage, the girl with the bun hairstyle's mouth fell open. She wanted to say something, but no words came out.
'After finally managing to shift Misaka-senpai's perspective a little, now is not the time to be counterproductive! This is hard enough as it is!'
And why did Shokuhou-senpai have to make it sound so chillingly plausible? It sent a shiver down Natsume-san's spine. The Mental Out ability was just downright unfair.
If Shokuhou-senpai packaged herself right and added an Accelerator-esque villainous smile, she'd be the perfect 'lovable and charming villain'—no doubt about it.
"So, you're admitting it then?"
As she said this, a few sparks crackled on Misaka-senpai's forehead.
If Shokuhou Misaki had really orchestrated everything, arranging that attacker and the subsequent events was entirely within the realm of possibility.
"I admitted no such thing. Misaka-san, your temper remains as... distinctive as ever."
"But if you're looking for a fight, Misaka-san, one-on-one I'm at a disadvantage. However, Sonoko-chan is right here by my side. Are you confident you can handle Temperature Control?"
A smile played on Shokuhou-senpai's lips, lending her an air of confidence.
If a real fight broke out, Natsume-san would surely prioritize protecting her, the more vulnerable party. After all, compared to the Railgun, she was at a comprehensive disadvantage.
"Shokuhou Misaki, if you want to test me, I'll gladly oblige."
A furious Misaka-senpai took a large step forward, her sharp gaze locked intently on the golden-haired girl.
The air temperature dropped a few degrees, the atmosphere thick with the acrid smell of gunpowder.
"Senpai, please stop this. I have a match to get to soon."
Natsume-san emphatically poked the troublesome blonde senior beside her, a deep sense of helplessness washing over her face.
'Their relationship really is just that terrible.'
'After such a serious incident, Shokuhou-senpai still has the mind to joke around. She really is an enigma.'
As for that earth-shattering self-sabotaging comment from a certain senpai earlier, Natsume-san's mind was overflowing with complaints.
'Unless trust itself is the manipulated element...' A part of Natsume-san's consciousness remained anchored with Reiko.
Even if she couldn't pinpoint what exactly had been altered, she could still perceive the changes in her own memory.
"Shokuhou-senpai, have you found out anything about the mastermind? The ones searching for the Sisters?"
Her other hand shot out to hold back Misaka-senpai. The bun-haired girl, deeming it a necessary measure to prevent escalation, decided the best course was to redirect everyone's attention and get the blonde to actually answer the questions.
"My allies have already retrieved those... items. But Sonoko-chan, are you absolutely certain you want this person to know? She's the one who provided her DNA map, leading to this whole mess in the first place."
"I know Misaka-san disrupted the Level 6 Shift Project, but that doesn't automatically mean her stance on this matter will be the same. Given the choice, I wouldn't want her involved in this at all."
Shokuhou-senpai's tone took on a sarcastic edge, a cold glint showing in her starry pupils.
The psychology behind sabotaging the Level 6 Shift Project could be multifaceted—anger at being treated as experimental material, for instance, didn't necessarily equate to sympathy for the Sisters, the by-products.
One might even seek to exploit the Sisters for gain.
Human nature was far too complex. No one could truly understand another based on appearances alone.
Until she knew a person's true thoughts and principles, Shokuhou Misaki trusted and relied on no one. Depending on the severity of the situation, she wouldn't hesitate to influence others' emotions and memories.
"Didn't we already agree? To let Misaka-senpai join us."
"Misaka-senpai genuinely cares about the Sisters! She visits them every few days!"
The bun-haired girl hurriedly spoke up.
'Both senpais are so stubborn!'
'This is exhausting. Is this the legendary 'sandwich state'?'
"True enough. I was listening very seriously to Sonoko-chan's opinion at the time."
Shokuhou Misaki suddenly rested her chin on her hand, a deeply thoughtful expression drifting across her face.
"My initial plan was to subdue the mastermind while Misaka-san drew their attention, but they've already become aware of me. It seems a direct confrontation is our only option now."
"And if we're going for a direct confrontation, you would be quite useful, Misaka-san. While not particularly accomplished in the intellect department, you're surprisingly proficient at fighting. It really does make the decision difficult."
Shokuhou-senpai spoke hesitantly, unable to resist shaking her head.
"Difficult? You never had any intention of accepting me from the start, did you? I guess we really are just incompatible."
Misaka-senpai fell silent for a few seconds before continuing, a sudden clarity dawning on her.
She understood the self-sabotaging words now. This girl saw no reason to trust her, and therefore didn't particularly care about her stance.
Furthermore, if this really was Shokuhou Misaki's scheme, it seemed like an awful lot of trouble to go through, weaving such an elaborate web.
At least for now, Misaka-senpai couldn't fathom her motive for doing so, just as she couldn't understand Shokuhou Misaki's reasons for caring about the Sisters.
"Not at all. Despite all those reservations I just listed, I suddenly find myself quite hoping you'll join us."
In a complete shift, the previous expression vanished from Shokuhou-senpai's face, replaced by utter seriousness and a trace of barely perceptible gravity.
"Anyway, given the current situation, Sonoko-chan has told you everything. Even if I refuse, you'd either follow secretly or end up alerting the enemy. And Sonoko-chan believes in you so much; I can't let her down. That's also the reason I'm willing to discuss this with you now."
Shokuhou-senpai stretched lazily, as if it didn't matter much, and took the opportunity to ruffle Natsume-san's bun again.
"Eh?"
Hearing Shokuhou-senpai's words, a blush unexpectedly spread across the bun-haired girl's face. 'So Shokuhou-senpai cares that much about me...'
"The one secretly searching for the Sisters is a senior figure in Academy City's research circles, Kihara Gensei. He's also the proponent of the Level 6 Shift Project. His target is undoubtedly the Misaka Network."
"Furthermore, the experiments he's led have driven numerous espers and research institutions to ruin. He's a man who will stop at nothing in his pursuit of so-called 'truth'. Whatever his true intentions are, the outcome will undoubtedly be disastrous."
Shokuhou-senpai explained methodically. She, too, had been startled upon learning this.
After verifying the information from two separate angles and confirming its accuracy, Shokuhou-senpai had immediately sent the Queen's Brigade members away and came to seek counsel with her reliable ally, Natsume Sonoko.
Even if Kihara Gensei couldn't be considered part of Academy City's official power structure, his influence ran deep.
That name represented a great many things, things that Shokuhou-senpai, with her knowledge of the city's dark side, found particularly concerning.
If their opponent was this man, then it was no surprise he could anticipate her moves.
A shrewd old fox with his level of experience was far beyond any ordinary person. Using Misaka Mikoto as a distraction wasn't likely to be easy.
"Moreover, I've discovered that aside from faking Kouzaku Mitori's death to get her out of the juvenile correctional facility, he also took several Level 4 espers and even more Level 3 espers with him under the guise of research."
"I don't know his purpose for this move, but if we consider the existence of 'Deadlock,' his forces might be far more powerful than I initially estimated."
Here, Shokuhou-senpai fell silent.
She didn't explain what 'Deadlock' was, but Misaka Mikoto had been a Level 5 for some time now; she naturally knew about certain things by now.
This was probably the real reason she had no choice but to let Misaka Mikoto join. She needed more combat power to fill this significant gap.
After all, she couldn't just drag unrelated people into such a dangerous affair.
Two Level 5s might seem like a lot, but she herself was too easily countered, especially with that ability-neutralizer on the enemy's side.
--+--
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.