Misaka Imouto was acting quite angry.
Kamijou Touma trembled in fear at one side of the underground mall.
He had ended up buying her a cheap necklace that came out to exactly 1000 yen after sales tax, but be had a feeling Misaka Imouto had been frowning ever since. She would occasionally mutter something about a ring for her left ring finger. Kamijou wondered what she could be so troubled about.
"Um, Misaka Imouto?"
"…"
"If you really don't like the necklace, we can return it."
"Please do not steal anything else from Misaka, says Misaka in a quiet but earnest voice."
(So she actually does like the necklace?)
Kamijou was confused because he could not figure out what had Misaka Imouto so troubled. He was a bit worried about Mikoto who had yet to return from the store, so he really did not need Misaka Imouto being in a bad mood on top of it.
Kamijou decided to try to put her into a good mood and looked around.
"Hm? They're selling sweets over there. How about we get some, Misaka Imouto?"
The fact that he immediately went with food was likely thanks to the influence of the pure white nun named Index. Kamijou hated himself for being so influenced by her.
Meanwhile, Misaka Imouto expressionlessly looked up at his face.
"Are you trying to tempt Misaka with food? asks Misaka bluntly."
"Uuh…!?"
"But Misaka will respect the fact that you are doing so for Misaka's sake, says Misaka as she does you a favor."
Since she seemed to agree, Kamijou headed for the store.
Just like an ice cream shop, the small shop had its register directly facing the underground mall's passageway. It was selling small sweets in the shapes of animals like chicks and puppies. They looked a bit like takoyaki, but they were likely made from a pancake-like batter and likely had custard cream and similar fillings. They were similar to taiyaki with cheese and custard inside like Western confectioneries.
The metal plate had molds built in for the animal shapes.
A young woman of about college age smiled at Kamijou from behind the counter.
"Are you ready to order?"
"Is the flavor different for the different animals? Do they have different fillings?"
"No, no. If they weren't all the same, we could not get the data we need."
"…?"
"Um, people have designs they like unconditionally based on feeling rather than reason, right? If that is explored thoroughly enough, it can be used in the fields of clothing and makeup. This is something like a survey. We record statistics on what animals get chosen."
Kamijou took a step back and looked at the store's sign.
The sign for the obviously rented store had a university's name clearly written on it.
"Well, there's no harm in it, so whatever. …Now, which one should I get? The chick should be good."
"Okay. That's 54 for the chicks. Thank you."
Kamijou left the store still looking puzzled over whether 54 meant the shape was selling well or not.
The chicks were lined up in a clear package in two rows and five columns for a total of 10. Melted caramel had been poured on top of the yellow pancake-like batter. Two small plastic forks were prepared in place of toothpicks.
"Here, Misaka Imouto. Eat up."
"…"
Kamijou held the entire package out towards her, but Misaka Imouto froze in place while staring at the chicks.
In fact, it looked like she was looking the chicks in the eye.
"Um, Misaka Imouto…?"
"…"
Misaka Imouto gave no response to Kamijou's words.
With no change of expression, she began giving small clicks of her tongue.
(Come to think of it, Misaka Imouto has less experience with the world than someone who lost his memories like me. Maybe she doesn't know how to eat them.)
Misaka Imouto was poking at one of the chick's beaks with a slender finger while saying "Mh, what a well-behaved chick you are to not bite Misaka, says Misaka as she sighs in admiration."
Kamijou gently grabbed one of the plastic forks.
He then stabbed the fork into one of the chick's backs in order to lecture Misaka Imouto in how to eat them.
Misaka Imouto's shoulders gave a large jump.
"Th-the chick's round body!? shouts Misaka as she trembles in fear… Why is it so obedient? asks Misaka because the chick is not even crying out."
"Hm? What's with you, Misaka Imouto? If you aren't going to eat it, I will."
"E-eat it…!?"
While Misaka Imouto grew somehow uneasy, Kamijou popped the chick into his mouth with a puzzled look. As he chewed it, the sweetness of a Western confectionery filled his mouth.
"Oh, this thing's pretty good for being part of an experiment."
Meanwhile, Misaka Imouto felt a great shock over the fact that the chick's cute round eyes (made of chocolate) stared her directly in the eye as it was tossed into the boy's mouth.
".....................You ate it."
It was audibly chewed to pieces with a look on its face as if it was trying to say something.
Misaka Imouto began to tremble.
"Even if they are part of an experiment, Misaka cannot let you take these chicks' lives!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Mgh!? Wh-why are you sparking like crazy all of a-…!?"
Before Kamijou could finish shouting, bluish-white sparks flew from Misaka Imouto's entire body.
She was a part of Radio Noise.
Even with 20,000 of her, her power was no match for that of the Railgun.
But she could not be taken lightly.
1/20,000 of a billion volts was still 50,000 volts.
"Bwahh!?"
Kamijou had the misfortune of holding a fork in his left hand and the package of chicks in his right hand. The 50,000 volts struck him while he could not use either hand.
Even with Imagine Breaker, there was nothing he could do.
The unexpected attack sent Kamijou rolling across the floor of the underground mall.
The students coming and going through the passageway shouted out or cautiously whispered things like "Did you just see something spark!?"
"Ah!? says Misaka as she comes back to her senses at the sight of the scattered chicks!!"
Since it was the chicks and not Kamijou that brought her back to her senses, she must have really been stuck on them.
Misaka Imouto picked up the flipped over package and diligently put the chicks back to normal.
Her expression could not have been more serious.
Meanwhile, Kamijou unsteadily stood up from where he had fallen.
"U-ugh. Sorry, Misaka Imouto…"
Since he had apologized, Misaka Imouto turned an ear toward him while holding the package of chicks.
Kamijou Touma said, "I ruined the food. But thanks to the 3 second rule, I'm still willing to eat them."
As soon as he finished speaking, Kamijou was sent flying by a kick from Misaka Imouto.
Misaka Imouto let out some rare heavy breathing and Kamijou was completely unable to grasp what she was thinking. He guessed she must have just been really, really hungry.
And as Kamijou's head was filled with question marks, another familiar face approached him.
"Wait…What are you two doing!?"
It was seeing Misaka Imouto and not Kamijou that caused Misaka Mikoto to frantically dash over. In addition to her school bag, she also held a small paper bag with the phone company's logo on it. She had not actually gotten a new phone, so it must have held paperwork, the case for the expansion chip, and the mascot strap. Convenience stores and supermarkets were moving in the direction of not wasting bags for small items, but that trend seemed to have not yet reached that service store.
"But…"
Misaka Mikoto and Misaka Imouto.
The two of them truly could not be told apart. However, twins were not all that rare, so the Tokiwadai brand name may have been the reason they were drawing attention from passersby. Mikoto and Misaka Imouto were identical, but Kamijou could now tell them apart thanks to the necklace hanging from Misaka Imouto's neck. He was glad the plan had worked.
Misaka Imouto replied to Mikoto's question, "Misaka was forced to take a long detour through this underground mall in order to retrieve her stolen goggles, replies Misaka while her attention is stolen by the Original's frog mascots. Misaka has estimated Serial Number 20001's escape route and has compiled a list of firearms she can use in the counterattack, but none of it matters when compared to the frogs, says Misaka in an offhand matter."
"Stop that and explain yourself properly!!"
When Mikoto angrily put Gekota and Pyonko away in her school bag, Misaka Imouto's expression remained unchanged but a somehow sorrowful look appeared in her eyes. Her gaze then dropped to the package of chicks in her hands.
"…This Misaka will not be unfaithful, says Misaka as she double-checks on the chicks."
"What do you mean 'this Misaka'?" said Mikoto in annoyance, but it seemed she was a bit interested in the design of the chicks Misaka Imouto was holding.
However, Misaka Imouto used both hands to hold the chicks up against her chest.
"Original, you are already infatuated with those frogs, so you do not need these, says Misaka as she puts up iron defenses that she will keep up until she is in her grave."
"Mh. C'mon, you can let me see those chicks a little, right?"
"Misaka said you could not and she means it, says Misaka as she sticks to her guns. If you want them so badly, you should have him buy you some like Misaka did, says Misaka as she indicates who she means with her chin."
Mikoto turned toward Kamijou.
"…"
She remained silent for a while but finally took a deep breath and spoke.
"…Because you lost that punishment game, you have to do whatever I tell you, right?"
"Wait, what?"
"You have to stick with me all day today as if you are my personal device. So you will work your ass off to carry out all of my requests, right?"
"Why!? Why is the air around you ominously growing electrified!?"
"Because you are acting no different from normal!! You're in the middle of carrying out your punishment for me, and you're just calling out to whoever you like. Do you really like the idea of a little sister that much, you idiotttttt!?"
A billion volts roared out of her bangs, but Kamijou deflected it with a swing of his right fist. The pattern repeated two or three times before…
"Dahhh! I can't stand this!? Why do you have so much endurance!? Why can't you just let yourself get hit and knocked to the ground!?"
"Why are you so mad!? And if I complied with that request, I would die!!"
After ten or twenty more shots, Mikoto seemed to finally decide it was pointless and stopped the rain of lightning spears while panting with her shoulders moving up and down. Kamijou was just about to collapse to the ground, the underground mall was filling with comments of "Should we call Anti-Skill?" and "No, I don't want to get involved in this.", and Misaka Imouto was using her index finger to poke at the beaks of the confectionery chicks.
Misaka Imouto suddenly looked up from the chicks and said, "By the way, what are you doing here, Original? asks Misaka as she begins to gather information."
"Uuh…!?"
Mikoto's shoulders gave a large jump.
She was not doing anything particularly wrong, but she still averted her gaze from Misaka Imouto.
"W-well, we challenged each other to a punishment game during the Daihaseisai and I won. I was just dragging this idiot around for his punishment. Um, I guess I would have to go back to what happened during the Daihaseisai for a more thorough explanation."
"In other words, you are not being honest, says Misaka as she begins analyzing the information."
"Bh!? What information and what method of analysis led to that conclusion!? I-I'm being perfectly honest about everything here. I don't see what you could possibly think I'm being dishonest about! And what exactly are you saying would happen if I 'was honest' with this complete idiot!?"
Mikoto stabbed a finger in Kamijou's direction, but Misaka Imouto remained expressionless.
"Mh. Misaka does not understand how you can treat him so rudely, rebuts Misaka. He saved Misaka's life, so he deserves better than that, says Misaka as she smoothly asks for a correction."
"Uuh… B-but that has nothing to do with this situation. What's wrong with calling an idiot an idiot?"
"Oh, so you are stubbornly refusing to be honest? asks Misaka as a final check." Misaka Imouto peered into Mikoto's eyes. "Then this Misaka will be honest, says Misaka as she heads down a different path from the Original."
As soon as she said that, Misaka Imouto moved next to Kamijou and suddenly embraced his right arm.
Her flat chest pressed up against his elbow.
"Dwah!?"
Kamijou's heart pounded in his chest.
The sudden shock gave that pure boy trouble breathing and his panic kept him from noticing Mikoto silently flapping her mouth open and closed in front of him. The male students in the area were glancing over toward them occasionally, but he did not notice that either.
"Wh-wh-wha…"
As Mikoto watched on in astonishment, Misaka Imouto brought her body in closer as if to rub up against Kamijou's body while still clinging to his right arm.
"Look, says Misaka as she casually shows off the accessory she had him buy her."
"!?"
An odd snapping sound came from Mikoto's head.
Misaka Imouto was about to say more, but…
They heard the sound of small footsteps, and then…
"Misaka will embrace him from the opposite side, says Misaka as Misaka decides to join in because it looks fun!! Yay!!"
Now a girl of about 10 grabbed on and hung on to Kamijou's left arm.
Kamijou looked over in shock and saw a girl who had the exact same face as Mikoto just with a younger body. She was wearing the same goggles Misaka Imouto normally wore, but the elastic band was too loose so it was hanging around her neck rather than on her forehead.
"Who are you!? The little sister's little sister!?"
Kamijou asked about her identity while growing even more flustered at the feeling that went beyond flat and just felt hard.
But before the little girl could respond…
"Serial Number 20001, you have some guts to appear before Misaka so casually, says Misaka as she enters serious mode."
"Heh heh heh. Misaka has grown tired of that game, says Misaka as Misaka heads off to discover some new entertainment."
"Do you really think Misaka will let you escape!? exclaims Misaka as she pulls her submachine gun from her bag."
A dull metallic noise rang out, Mikoto practically did a spit take, and the little girl disappeared into the crowd at high speed.
"If you treat them rudely, Misaka will kill you, warns Misaka."
After whispering that into Kamijou's ear, Misaka Imouto gently handed him the chicks. She then charged into the crowd while carrying a gun that in no way looked like a toy.
He heard voices coming from beyond the wall.
"How can you call that being serious!? says Misaka as Misaka mocks you."
"Misaka has yet to even begin, says Misaka as she makes the final expansion to Misaka Full Boost!!"
Strange metallic noises continued to come from further into the crowd as if something was being assembled. Kamijou kind of wanted to take a peek at what was happening, but he was too afraid to approach.