When Luke and Krul walked out of the experimental room and checked the time, it was already past four in the afternoon.
Krul stretched her body.
"Let's spend the rest of the time wandering around outside, and we'll eat out tonight."
Luke nodded; there really wasn't anything good to eat at home, and he'd just end up eating frozen food again.
"Krul, Luke!"
Krul and Luke turned to look and found Misaka Mikoto greeting them.
"Misaka, you haven't left yet?"
Luke was a bit surprised. Logically, the tests for the other Level 5s should have been much faster than their first-time examination. Why was she still here?
"You actually really know them!"
Just as Misaka Mikoto finished greeting the two, a female voice rang out from behind her.
Shokuhou Misaki walked up to Misaka Mikoto's side, looking somewhat surprised.
After completing her test, she wanted to wait for Luke and Krul to come out so she could get to know them and see what kind of people could occupy the second and fifth ranks of the Level 5s. If possible, she also wanted to make contact with the first rank, Accelerator.
As it turned out, she waited for a while and didn't run into those two, but she did run into Misaka Mikoto.
As the two Level 5s of Tokiwadai, Misaka Mikoto and she were naturally often compared, so she had always viewed Misaka Mikoto as her rival.
Misaka Mikoto indeed didn't get along with Shokuhou Misaki, especially hating it every time she saw Shokuhou Misaki's impressive bosom.
But the two weren't exactly mortal enemies; it was just that neither could bring themselves to back down, so every meeting inevitably involved some mutual sniping.
When Misaka Mikoto learned that Shokuhou Misaki wanted to contact Luke and Krul, she couldn't help but show off that she was already friends with them.
Shokuhou Misaki naturally didn't believe it, which led to the scene of the two waiting here for Luke and Krul's testing to end.
Shokuhou Misaki stepped forward very elegantly, politely extending her hand to Krul and introducing herself: "Hello, my name is Shokuhou Misaki, ranked seventh among the Level 5s."
She had just observed them for a moment and knew that the relationship between Luke and Krul was definitely unusual—perhaps they were a couple—and Krul's aura also had a very queen-like vibe, so they should get along quite well.
Slap!
Before Krul could respond, Misaka Mikoto slapped Shokuhou Misaki's hand away and blocked the path between them.
"What bad idea are you cooking up now?"
Shokuhou Misaki rubbed the spot that was slapped and flicked her hair.
"Making friends, of course. If you can be friends with them, why can't I?"
Misaka Mikoto stared at Shokuhou Misaki for a moment, gave a light snort, and pulled Krul along to leave.
"Don't listen to her. She always acts all high and mighty; she's such a handful."
Krul thought the interaction between Misaka Mikoto and Shokuhou Misaki was quite interesting, so she didn't speak and let Misaka Mikoto pull her along.
Krul looked back at Luke, who gave her an 'OK' gesture and didn't follow. He still had to wait for Accelerator. If he guessed correctly, given such a good opportunity, the Board of Directors would likely send someone to contact Accelerator.
Shokuhou Misaki stomped her foot in anger seeing Krul pulled away by Misaka Mikoto. Noticing Luke still in place and looking toward a room, it seemed he was waiting for Accelerator.
Shokuhou Misaki came up to Luke and said quickly, "If you want to be friends with me, you can come to Tokiwadai to find me!"
Then she chased after Misaka Mikoto and Krul. The point of contention between her and Misaka Mikoto was still Krul! She wanted to become friends with Krul right in front of Misaka Mikoto!
However, after only chasing for a short distance, she lost them. She leaned on her knees, gasping for breath, her chest heaving violently with each respiration.
"D-Damn it, they run so fast! My stamina can't keep up... whew, whew... I'd better go back first."
Seeing that Shokuhou Misaki couldn't keep up, Misaka Mikoto couldn't help but snort triumphantly.
"That annoying girl didn't follow. Wait, Luke didn't follow?"
Only then did she realize Luke wasn't there.
Krul waved her hand.
"He's waiting for Accelerator."
Misaka Mikoto was slightly surprised. So Accelerator had come too; Luke must have dragged him along.
Although they hadn't interacted much, she knew Accelerator had a personality that hated trouble, yet Luke always seemed able to persuade him.
Actually, as long as one was thick-skinned enough to ask Accelerator, he would basically agree.
Girls were just too concerned with their dignity.
At that moment, Misaka Mikoto's phone suddenly rang. She answered, and Shirai Kuroko's scolding voice immediately sounded.
"Onee-sama! Where did you go? Leaving me all alone to guard an empty bed—you're too heartless!"
Misaka Mikoto looked at Krul guiltily, hoping she hadn't heard Kuroko's easily misunderstood words.
Seeing Krul's expression remained normal, she breathed a sigh of relief and spoke softly into the phone with a red face.
"Kuroko! What nonsense are you talking about! Didn't I tell you? I have a special examination."
"But this is taking way too long, isn't it?"
"It's a long story. Anyway, I'm with Krul right now."
"Ah? Even though you already have me, Onee-sama is still out there dallying with others?!"
"Alright, have you eaten? Let's eat out together, with Krul."
There was a moment of silence on Shirai Kuroko's end before a somewhat dejected voice came through.
"Fine, I'm coming right now."
Although Misaka Mikoto thought it was a bit strange, she didn't pay it much mind and hung up the phone.
Krul: Guess if I heard that or not.
Inside the Tokiwadai dormitory, Shirai Kuroko sat on the bed wearing sexy lingerie. She looked at the disconnected phone and sighed deeply, looking around the room.
"Sigh, my meticulous preparations."
The dormitory, which originally looked quite plain, could now be described as very flamboyant. Purple lighting shrouded the room, creating a distinct atmosphere, and there was a faint fragrance in the air that made one feel a bit flushed upon smelling it.
Then, in just three minutes, Shirai Kuroko skillfully returned the room to its original state, changed into her school uniform, and left the dormitory.
On the way, she even saw Shokuhou Misaki, who looked unhappy and was walking back toward the school.
So the examination really did last this late?
Thinking no more of it, Shirai Kuroko rushed toward the address Misaka Mikoto had given her.
Even though it was a little early for dinner, it didn't matter much.
Inside the research institute, Luke finally waited for Accelerator.
"Where's your girlfriend?"
Accelerator saw Luke but didn't see Krul, which he found a bit strange.
Luke smiled.
"It's fine, she left with Misaka. I was waiting for you."
Hearing that he was being waited for, Accelerator rubbed his neck.
"So idle. It's not like I can't find my way out."
Suddenly, he remembered something. Combining it with what the person who just looked for him said, he stared at Luke and asked, "Luke, did you already know something?"
Luke played dumb.
"Know what?"
Accelerator wasn't buying it.
"Stop pretending. You only asked me ten or so days ago if I wanted to become a Level 6, and today you dragged me here for testing, and as a result, someone came to talk to me about exactly that! It can't be such a coincidence."
Hearing this, Luke thought, 'As expected,' and then asked curiously.
"So how did you answer?"
Accelerator squinted his eyes at Luke's posture.
"You definitely know. I said I'd decide whether to participate after I saw the specific situation."
Luke nodded and asked again.
"Then did they say when you'd go see it?"
"No, they said they'd notify me. How much do you know?"
Luke first shrugged, then raised his right hand, leaving only a very short distance between his thumb and index finger.
"A little bit."
Then, Luke explained all the details of the 'Level 6 Shift Project' to Accelerator.
The more Accelerator listened, the more peculiar his gaze became as he looked at Luke.
"You call this 'a little'?"
Then Accelerator thought for a moment and made a decision.
"Then forget it. Even if they're clones, with Misaka Mikoto's face, I'd feel creeped out killing them. Twenty thousand experiments, what a pain."
If it were a stranger's face, plus the fact that they were clones that could be manufactured at will, the current him could indeed kill without any psychological burden.
But if he recognized that face, he really couldn't quite bring himself to do it.
Luke, however, shook his head.
"No, you have to participate."
Accelerator was somewhat puzzled.
"Why? Can I really become a Level 6?"
Luke wanted to put his hand on Accelerator's shoulder to start his persuasion, but as soon as he touched him, he was sent flying by the reflection.
After landing steadily, Luke rubbed his nose in embarrassment.
"Ahem, a small accident. You have to participate! You just go all out and kill them, and I'll just save them."
Accelerator felt that Luke's method wasn't very reliable.
"Then does the experiment still have any meaning? Wouldn't it be the same if I just fought the original Misaka Mikoto in one hundred and twenty-eight different scenarios and you saved her one hundred and twenty-eight times? Besides, if I know they won't die, my mindset when I attack will be different."
Luke was lost in thought, trying to figure out how to trick Accelerator into doing the experiment.
If Accelerator didn't participate in this experiment, how would Last Order 'accidentally' meet him?
If Accelerator refused the experiment and it was forced to freeze, Last Order would just run straight to Misaka Mikoto to be adopted. Then who would fill the role of Accelerator's 'child bride'?
Well, 'child bride' wasn't accurate; it was more like raising a daughter.
Accelerator frowned as he watched Luke show a weird, motherly smile.
Is this guy reliable?
Luke snapped out of it.
"Don't worry about it, I've agreed for you! Anyway, you have nothing to do. Fighting hundreds of times a day with someone to clean up afterward—where else can you find such fun?"
Accelerator glared at Luke.
"Tch, if you like it so much, I'll let you have it. I'll do the saving."
Luke shook his head like a rattle. If the 'God-Slayer' accidentally found out and misunderstood, he'd be the one getting punched in the face. He still didn't know if his buffed physical strength fell within the range of the Imagine Breaker's effect; it probably did.
In the end, Accelerator thought about it and reluctantly agreed. He also wanted to see if this would really allow him to advance to Level 6.
Ding-dong.
Luke pulled out his phone. It was a message from Krul. After replying, he looked at Accelerator.
"Well, now it's just us two grown men going to eat. They're almost finished."
Accelerator walked out indifferently.
"Whatever."
"As a local, do you have any food recommendations?"
"Spicy fried chicken."
"...Don't you get tired of eating that?"
On the other side, after the girls finished their ramen, they started wandering around Academy City. Anyway, it was still early before Tokiwadai's curfew.
Shirai Kuroko swallowed her saliva as she watched Misaka Mikoto and Krul—one holding oden and the other holding takoyaki.
"Didn't we just finish eating?"
Misaka Mikoto swallowed the food in her mouth and took out a skewer of oden to hand to Shirai Kuroko.
"This old man's oden is delicious! Try some!"
Is Onee-sama going to feed me personally?
Shirai Kuroko had a look of being overwhelmed by favor, acting all fidgety.
"For me? Actually, I didn't want to eat that much. It's just that you two are eating a late-night snack right after dinner—aren't you afraid of getting fat? Although I'm still controlling my figure, since Onee-sama insists I eat it... here I come!"
Snap!
The sound of upper and lower teeth colliding rang out. Shirai Kuroko took a large bite of thin air while the air wasn't looking.
It turned out Misaka Mikoto had already pulled back the extended oden.
"Oh, so you want to lose weight. Okay then."
Watching this scene, Krul couldn't help but smile. Back in the world of seraph of the end, she never had friends, and her loyal subordinates only held respect for her. Only her brother and Luke could bring her special feelings.
She felt that life wouldn't be boring in the future.
Walking along, the three of them arrived in front of a beverage vending machine.
Misaka Mikoto suddenly asked, "Do you want a drink?"
Shirai Kuroko realized something and had a bad premonition.
But Krul had already nodded casually.
Misaka Mikoto smiled slightly, then her aura changed. She kicked the vending machine without hesitation, the movement so large that the safety shorts she wore under her skirt were completely visible.
Suddenly, five or six cans of drinks fell out.
Fearing Krul would misunderstand, Misaka Mikoto picked up the drinks and explained, "This machine swallowed a lot of my money; I still haven't broken even yet."
Beep beep beep!
An alarm sounded, and Misaka Mikoto shouted.
"Run!"
The three quickly left the scene, and soon several robots ran over.
"Vending machine alarm! Vending machine alarm!"
As one might expect, they found absolutely nothing.
Another ten or so minutes passed.
Accelerator and Luke were walking aimlessly on the street. It was already dinner time, but the two 'kings of fast food' didn't know which place was good.
Luke couldn't help but complain.
"Accelerator, if you ever can't make it in life, you're basically disqualified from being a tour guide."
Accelerator glared fiercely at Luke.
"Shut up! I told you already, it's fine to just go home and eat instant food!"
"That's why you're in sub-optimal health."
"..."
Accelerator was powerless to refute.
Accelerator noticed a vending machine nearby and just happened to be thirsty.
Accelerator pulled out a yen bill and stuffed it in, but nothing happened.
"Huh? Bad luck, this machine is broken."
Accelerator felt a bit unlucky, but he could only accept his misfortune and prepare to leave.
Luke looked at this vending machine and then at the surroundings. It looked very familiar. He squinted his eyes; if he wasn't mistaken... Bang!
Accelerator heard the commotion behind him and turned back to see the vending machine's dispensing slot starting to spew out drinks; there were already a dozen or so cans.
Luke picked up two cans and shouted to Accelerator, "I didn't hold back my strength properly, run!"
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Accelerator couldn't help but curse, "Are you an idiot?"
Beep beep beep!
"Vending machine alarm! Vending machine alarm!"