With a loud bang, a research institute was instantly engulfed in flames. A person completely enveloped in electric sparks slowly emerged from the corner. Judging by her floating steps, she must have been extremely tired, but she didn't seem to have suffered any harm.
"Phew! Ha! I've used up a lot of stamina, but this is only the second one. It's far from enough."
Dragging her tired body, Mikoto began to advance to the next laboratory. This night was the beginning of her nightmare, and also the start of her growth, no longer confined to a beautiful daily life, but facing the darkness of Academy City head-on.
But now, Kuroko in the dorm was going crazy. Her beloved Onee-sama still hadn't returned to the dorm. What happened? Did she go on a date? No, that's not right! Yowane Onee-sama was in the dorm, and Onee-sama wasn't, which meant they weren't together. She heard that Onee-sama rejected Yowane Onee-sama's 'confession.' Does that mean Onee-sama has someone she likes?
Staying out all night like this, could it be…
"Onee-sama has a man outside?"
"No… no… no… Calm down… calm down, Kuroko, you need to calm down. Maybe she just ran into something and can't leave for a while. Yes, maybe!"
Anxious Kuroko, dressed in her pajamas, paced back and forth in the room like someone suffering from 'deep well ice' (a play on words for mental illness). She muttered to herself, then her expression suddenly changed, and she started scratching her ears and head, finally having to comfort herself.
"Onee-sama! Please come back, Kuroko is so worried."
"But, Onee-sama's scent, heh! Heh! Heh~!"
After comforting herself, Kuroko flopped onto Mikoto's bed and said worriedly. But the next second, a 'hentai' expression appeared on her face, drool dripping from the corner of her mouth. On Mikoto's bed, she inhaled the lingering scent of a young girl from yesterday, entering a state of ecstasy.
"Kuroko."
The moment the dorm supervisor opened the door, Kuroko made two movements: she stuffed the teddy bear (Mikoto's) under the covers and instantly teleported to her own bed. Before the dorm supervisor even walked in, Kuroko obediently walked to stand in front of her.
"Excuse me, Dorm Supervisor-sama, is there something you need?"
"What about Misaka Mikoto?"
"Onee-sama might be a bit tired and went to bed early."
The dorm supervisor pushed up the glasses on her nose. Kuroko couldn't see her eyes beneath the lenses, but she had no choice now but to lie. Otherwise, she would lose academic points. It didn't matter if she was penalized, but Onee-sama might have to write a reflection, and that was something she wouldn't allow.
"...Go to bed early."
Fortunately, the dorm supervisor didn't come closer to check this time. She just told Kuroko to go to bed and then closed the door and left. Kuroko instinctively replied, then stared blankly at the closed door. The next moment, Kuroko slumped onto the floor like a deflated balloon. Fortunately, the floor was carpeted; otherwise, she would surely have been chilled.
"Please come back quickly, Onee-sama!"
Kuroko, kneeling on the floor, looked out at the dark night and whispered.
"Bang~, bang! Bang~!"
At this moment, Mikoto, whom Kuroko was thinking about, was wreaking havoc in another laboratory, then destroying the files on the computers.
"Ha! Ha ha~ ha~~ ha!"
Heavy breaths escaped Mikoto's mouth one after another. She had completely overdrawn her physical strength. At this point, a dozen people with guns could probably take her down. She was too weak and needed to rest.
"This is the last one."
Entering another control room, Mikoto gave the computer inside a'shock therapy' session. After completely deleting the files, she began to retreat. Her newly bought clothes were now in tatters, and her body was in excruciating pain, but her eyes remained firm.
"My mistake, I must fix it, even if it costs me my life, I must stop this experiment."
Finding a public restroom, Mikoto changed back into her school uniform and walked down the largely empty street. Suddenly, she saw a large billboard of Yowane. Looking at Yowane, who was wearing a long cheongsam and silently 'watching' her, Mikoto lowered her head and murmured with clenched fists.
After speaking, she began to walk towards the dorm. With her superb calculation abilities, Mikoto returned to her room without incident. She didn't close the door, and seeing Kuroko asleep on her bed, Mikoto sat on a chair to rest.
"Eh~! Onee-sama, when… when did you get back? I was so worried about you!"
"Uh, sorry, Kuroko, I made you worry."
Mikoto, who hadn't slept well, really wanted to throw Kuroko out at that moment, but hearing Kuroko's words, the bit of morning grumpiness from being disturbed instantly vanished, replaced by guilt.
"Today, we also made plans with Yowane to have morning tea together, so I can't sleep anymore."
"Then let's go!"
After a quick wash of her face, Kuroko pulled the somewhat haggard Mikoto and headed towards their agreed meeting place.
"Good morning, Mikoto, and Kuroko."
"G-good morning, Yowane."
"Good morning, Yowane."
Yowane was currently sitting cross-legged on a mat spread on the lawn, smiling as she watched the two arrive. Kuroko stammered a reply to Yowane, while Mikoto's response was a bit listless.
"Please sit."
Yowane, of course, knew the reason for Mikoto's fatigue. Although the'scandal' between them hadn't completely blown over, the 'misunderstanding' had been cleared up. Still, Mikoto felt a bit awkward seeing Yowane and didn't continue speaking after sitting down.
"I... I'll go get the pastries. You... you two start without me!"
With that, Kuroko ran off, not even hearing Mikoto's attempts to stop her. Now, only the two of them remained, and the atmosphere was a little awkward.
"Please~!"
Taking two teacups from a small basket, one for Mikoto and the other for Kuroko's spot, Yowane poured the black tea into the cups and handed one to Mikoto. Mikoto thanked her for the kind gesture, took it, and took a sip.
"This black tea is amazing! Where did it come from?"
"A friend gave it to me. Drink more if you like it, it has a calming effect!"
Seeing Mikoto's surprised expression, Yowane smiled and explained. Although the black tea was a high-quality tea, the most important thing was the water used to brew it. This was the holy water from the Elven Homeland, which Yowane had found in gate of babylon. This was perfectly suited for Mikoto's current physical condition.
"Suddenly, I feel so calm. It really is good tea…"
Mikoto took a delightful sip and praised it, but the next moment, she fell into darkness.
"You're such a strong-willed child. Get some good rest! This tea can directly repair your fatigued spirit and internal injuries."
Watching Mikoto sleeping in a sitting position, Yowane put down her tea, looked at Mikoto's peaceful sleeping face, and sighed. Then, she gently laid her down, resting Mikoto's head on her own white-clad thighs. She lightly tidied Mikoto's messy hair and whispered something into Mikoto's ear before remaining still in that position.
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