[ Inside the truck, Misaka Mikoto's questioning continued, and Misaki Shokuhou shared all the information she knew with Mikoto.
"What you encountered were just hired hands. Their orders seemed to be eliminating you and retrieving the Sisters!"
Mikoto was puzzled: "Eliminating me?!"
Misaki Shokuhou continued, "You have a history of interfering with the Sisters' project, Mikoto-san, so they're wary of you."
Mikoto gradually pieced things together, a cold sweat forming on her face: "So that Sister became the victim in my place." ]
[ .....]
~ Projection of All Worlds ~
"Ha ha ha, 'history'... refers to blowing up several factory labs in one night and even clashing with the Dark Side group 'Item.' No wonder they want to eliminate 'Railgun'—she really does have a record."
The viewers from other worlds, upon hearing about this "history," immediately pictured Railgun rampaging through the night, relying solely on a single terminal and public phone booths to destroy multiple labs.
One could only say it's a miracle Mikoto wasn't arrested for all that. Moreover, the research institutions didn't seem to pursue the matter either, simply sweeping it under the rug while Mikoto continued living peacefully in Academy City.
~Detective Conan World~
"Is their world's legal awareness just... lacking? And the police's deterrent power seems way too weak."
From Conan's perspective, only Kamijou Touma seemed remotely normal—the only one who even considered calling the police.
But the police didn't seem to be of much use! When something happened, their first thought was to solve it themselves, never even considering reporting it to the authorities.
Should we praise their high level of initiative, or say they just never even thought about the police? And with the massive battle between Kamijou Touma and Accelerator, it's baffling that no one even investigated.
Could someone in the higher-ups be covering it up? But why?!
And most importantly, shouldn't they be wary of Kamijou Touma?! He defeated the so-called strongest, Accelerator! There were just too many unanswered questions.
.....
[ Though Shokuhou didn't know why they implanted nanobots in the Sisters, their basic objective was clear: "The Misaka Network!!"
"A network formed by the brainwaves of the Sisters. That LV of processing efficiency... something terrible would happen."
"So, to prevent the Sisters from being infected by the electrical virus, I found a way to destroy the pathway."
The more she learned, the more uneasy Mikoto became.
"What are they planning to do with the Misaka Network?"
But Shokuhou herself didn't know, only that it was nothing good.
"No idea. This time, the opponent is the advocate of the LV 6 Shift Project... Kihara Gensei!"
"Kihara Gensei..."
Mikoto's pupils contracted at the name.
"I've never met him directly, but I've heard his name several times. He was the one behind that project?"
A man who would stop at nothing in pursuit of truth, an elder in Academy City's research field. That old man wasn't petty enough to restart the project without a hidden motive. Misaki Shokuhou was now heading straight to Kihara Gensei's location!
"Why... didn't you tell me from the start? Why hide it from me, even erasing Kuroko's memories?!"
Shokuhou sighed helplessly.
"I just said you're being watched. If we teamed up openly, my existence would be exposed too."
She didn't trust anyone easily. After all, people's hearts were far darker than they appeared.
Mikoto, about to retort, suddenly thought of Kongou Mitsuko, who had been hurt because of her, and felt a wave of powerlessness. Reluctantly, she had to admit Shokuhou was right! ]
[ .....]
~ Projection of All Worlds ~
"So Misaki Shokuhou ended up bearing the blame for no reason, but now it all makes sense. That's why she erased their memories."
"I almost wronged her. Good thing I'm the type who believes beauty equals justice—I've always trusted Misaki Shokuhou completely."
Initially, thinking Shokuhou was a terrible person, her image here did a complete 180°. Now it was clear—she manipulated their memories to protect them.
Blindly getting involved would only lead to injuries, like what happened to Kongou Mitsuko, and that wasn't what she wanted.
.....
[ "Maybe I shouldn't blame you, but if we had teamed up from the start, Kongou-san wouldn't have been hurt so badly."
Mikoto was still hung up on Kongou's injuries. Had she known the truth earlier, she wouldn't have sent Kongou to gather intel.
"I'm also saddened by her injuries. In the end, she fought desperately against those machines I'm not good at dealing with—she was a huge help."
Shokuhou's tone completely set Mikoto off.
She stormed forward, grabbing Shokuhou's collar and angrily demanding answers—why...
Shokuhou, still seated, didn't mind the slight exposure from her stretched collar. Instead, she fired back,
"What if Kihara Gensei was wary of you and didn't show up? Or if you betrayed me and sold me out to them?!"
"Cooperation?! Trust?! Why would you believe in something so unreliable? Blindly trusting others is what led to the LV Upper and LV 6 Shift Projects in the first place!"
Shokuhou irritably swatted Mikoto's hand away and straightened her collar.
"I always delve into a partner's mind, their true thoughts. Depending on the situation, I might manipulate their emotions and actions."
"But I've never been able to read your mind. From the start, I never planned to team up with you." ]
[ .....]
~ Projection of All Worlds ~
"'Not good at dealing with machines'... yeah, Mental Out really can't do much against them."
"Gotta admit, the clothes are high-quality... but why the censorship?! Even blocking it from the blind?! Do they think I'm that kind of person?!"
Ignoring these side comments, the viewers from other worlds weren't as naive as Mikoto.
They instantly understood Shokuhou's perspective—someone who could fully grasp human emotions naturally knew how unreliable people could be.
~ Type-Moon World, ██████ Worldline ~
~ In the 7th singularity, Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia ~
"Because she can read minds, she knows the darkness in people's hearts. And because she knows that darkness, she can't trust those whose thoughts she can't read."
Merlin began to understand Shokuhou's reasoning. After all, the evil in human hearts ran deeper than imagined.
Thus, when facing problems, she sought to control others' thoughts and emotions, steering situations toward her desired outcome.
"Knowing people's thoughts is a double-edged sword."
Back at Chaldea, Romani Archaman typed away in an online chat with his beloved "Merlin-chan."
With this ability, trust became a farce from the start. Beneath humanity's polished exterior lay unfathomable darkness—though his dear Merlin-chan was an exception, of course.
~ A Certain Magical Index World, Academy City ~
"So that's how it is..."
Mikoto now understood that Shokuhou's resentment stemmed from her blindly trusting others and handing over her DNA, indirectly causing the tragedy of the Sisters' project.
But regarding the two projects Shokuhou mentioned, Mikoto couldn't refute them. She truly felt guilty about the past—or rather, toward the Sisters.
"I should apologize properly. I misunderstood her!"
Even if Shokuhou disliked her, she had acted in Mikoto's best interest and even saved the Sisters.
Unbeknownst to her, Shokuhou was currently crossing her arms, both annoyed and relieved that the censorship was in place.
She didn't mind Mikoto seeing, since they were both girls, but who knew how much that collar grab had exposed?! Without censorship, it'd be a disaster.
"That damn ELECTROMASTER!!"
.....
[ The scene shifted as the two arrived outside the lab. Mikoto's voice dropped low.
"Those who can't achieve anything without sacrificing others... I'll personally send them to their graves."
With that, she ran off on her own, leaving Shokuhou frantically reaching out after her.
"W-Wait!!"
After running for a bit, Mikoto suddenly stopped and turned back—only to find Shokuhou gone.
"Shokuhou?! She disappeared. There's only one path here—no way we got separated."
Mikoto tensed up immediately. This was the enemy's stronghold, after all.
"I've been tricked!!"
As Mikoto spiraled, Shokuhou came stumbling over like a zombie... or, more accurately, shuffling.
"I... told you... to wait!!"
Shokuhou braced her hands on her knees, panting heavily.
"Don't... get too excited alone... I brought you here, so... at least match my pace!"
Mikoto stared in disbelief at the utterly exhausted Shokuhou. Where was her usual composure? She looked like she might collapse any second.
"I... was just jogging."
Dead silence. Shokuhou hastily defended herself.
"It's not my fault! You and I have... different weights in certain areas. You have less air resistance. You wouldn't understand this struggle!"
Mikoto's face spelled out one word: "Bullshit."
"I think... you're just terrible at sports. Now that I think about it, I've never seen you in P.E."
Shokuhou's face flushed.
"Oh, so being athletic makes you special? Are you a child? No wonder your figure's so childish, too."
"That has nothing to do with my figure!"
Mikoto shot back, now equally irritated.
"And you—what's with the sparkly eyes? Straight out of a shoujo manga?!"
"I can't help it! They're natural!"
"Grrrr!!" The two struck ridiculous poses in the middle of enemy territory, hurling insults like children. ]
[ .....]
~ Projection of All Worlds
"In a way, Mikoto's statement could be considered a criminal declaration... but from another angle, it's the perfect crime."
How couldn't it be?! One could wreak havoc with electricity, while the other could wipe memories clean with Mental Out. Even if Mikoto went on a rampage, no one would notice.
"Pfft—Shokuhou's stamina is a joke, right?! She barely ran any distance! You'd think she ran a marathon."
"Well, she's carrying extra weight. Guess that explains why Mikoto's so fast—no 'airport' to slow her down!"
Seeing Shokuhou's half-dead state, no one doubted this might be her yearly exercise quota. She looked like she hadn't even run 100 meters—grandpa-tier physical stats with a baby's stamina.
~ JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Part 5: Golden Wind Worldline ~
"So this is how LV 5s fight?! Truly terrifying."
Even the usually composed Giorno Giovanna struggled to hold back laughter at the absurd sight.
Watching Academy City's top two LV 5s bicker like kids and strike bizarre poses, one might mistake them for Stand users!
Truly, when masters clash, they draw no blood. And Shokuhou, those starry eyes are natural?!
"Wait, aren't they in enemy territory?"
Even Narancia, known for his... unique intellect, sensed something off.
Why were they roasting each other?! The battles of top-tier espers were indeed extraordinary—a breathtaking LV 5 showdown... though he couldn't make heads or tails of it.
But they were smarter than him, so they must have their reasons.
.....