Two brilliant flashes of lightning—one azure blue, the other deep obsidian—clashed mid-air, splitting the sky with a violent resonance.
Although it was electricity, the force behind it felt more like two energy sources at war. Arcing bolts twisted like serpents through the air, and the collision illuminated the clouds above like a second sun being born.
But it was clear—Misaka Mikoto's signature blue current was being gradually overwhelmed by the intense black storm.
She had pushed herself to the limit. But the copy—Misaka Mikoto Alter—was simply stronger. Still, a short window was all she needed.
Qi Mu Nanxiong had been steadily approaching Misaka from the side using his telekinetic abilities to shift gravity around his body. In a heartbeat, he accelerated sharply, bending space with psychokinesis, and in one fluid motion, pulled Misaka Mikoto to his side—teleporting them both to safety in a single, seamless action.
Just then, Violet responded to Shen He's command across the bond they shared.
In an instant, only Misaka Mikoto Alter remained amid the shattered battlefield, her black electricity crackling wildly in the sky.
Silence reigned.
Then—BOOM!
A maelstrom of dark clouds crashed down from above, accompanied by a thunderclap that could have rivaled a tactical nuke in sheer impact. The sound carried rage—raw and unnatural.
But Misaka Mikoto had already been pulled away by Qi Mu. They now stood in the furthest alley reachable by his spatial jump—hidden between broken buildings and flickering signs.
I almost died…
That was the first coherent thought that passed through Misaka Mikoto's mind after regaining her senses.
But what came next was darker.
Even if I had died… no one would have known. No one would have cared. Not even my parents. They'd think that thing was me.
"Enough…" she muttered aloud, trying to banish the thought.
But her voice trembled, and her eyes brimmed with unshed tears. She looked like a kid on the verge of a breakdown—because, at the core, that's exactly what she was.
She'd always known she was outmatched. Still, the moment she saw the gap between her and her doppelgänger—the total lack of data, the speed of defeat—it shook her to her foundation. And now, her cover was blown. If this confrontation continued, she wasn't even sure she'd survive the next round.
"Meow~"
The sudden cry made her turn.
A tiny black kitten emerged from the alley's shadow, its movements cautious but curious. It approached, step by step, tail raised, ears relaxed—nothing like the usual panicked animals who detected her electric field.
Misaka stared.
She adored cats. But they'd always avoided her. The weak electromagnetic waves her body gave off made animals nervous and hostile. She'd tried to pet one only once in her life—only to get scratched.
Yet here this one was—fearless. It nuzzled her foot and rubbed against her knee, letting out a soft purr.
For the first time in ages, her thoughts slowed. She stared, mesmerized, and lowered herself slowly to the ground. Her hand trembled as she reached out and brushed the kitten's soft fur.
It didn't flinch.
It leaned into her touch.
Her breath hitched.
It actually worked…
Behind her, Qi Mu Nanxiong relaxed. He gave the kitten a small nod of gratitude.
He had used telepathy to call this particular kitten, one he had previously "negotiated" with via mental projection. To get it close to Misaka, he'd promised three boxes of high-grade dried fish. An easy trade.
Still... why am I the one handling this emotional scene again? Qi Mu thought to himself, sighing internally. Wasn't this the kind of situation the Two Rites or Jeanne should handle? They have more tact for these moments.
"Ahem."
–Scare!
The cough startled Misaka.
She jumped to her feet instinctively. The kitten bolted with a squeak, vanishing into the alley shadows.
Her sigh came out like a wounded groan. She looked down at her arms—and noticed she'd crushed her stuffed doll from Academy City in her grasp.
"Misaka Mikoto, right?" Qi Mu Kusuo finally spoke aloud, his voice slightly awkward from disuse. "I'm Qi Mu Nanxiong. The two who were fighting earlier—Violet and Shiki—they're my comrades."
"…I'm sorry!"
Misaka suddenly bowed deeply, her voice cracking.
"It's because of me! They—because of me, they were—!"
She hadn't seen them vanish. She assumed the worst—that her other self had killed them. Meanwhile, she, the weaker copy, had been saved.
"You don't need to apologize," Qi Mu replied, hands calmly at his side. "They're safe. Our master intervened in time and pulled them out."
"Huh? Really?"
Misaka's head snapped up.
"Yes," he confirmed with a nod. "They'll regroup with us shortly."
Relief visibly washed over her.
She still didn't know what the deal was with the other Misaka. But if no one died… that mattered. That mattered more than anything.
"We were actually coming to find you," Qi Mu continued, his eyes flicking toward the doll in her arms. "We posted a photo of that on our network—the Master figured it might be important to you. We didn't expect you'd run into your doppelgänger at the exact same time."
"I-It's not like I like it that much," she stammered, pulling the doll closer to her chest defensively.
She looked away, cheeks red.
"I just thought—if someone dropped this, they'd probably be sad, right? It looked expensive. So I… you know. Picked it up. That's all."
"…"
There was a brief silence.
Qi Mu mentally compared her to his own grandfather, who was even more tsundere than this.
Best to just ignore the awkwardness and move on, he thought.
"We may understand what's going on with the other Misaka Mikoto. You noticed it too, right? She has your memories. She thinks she's you. We need your help understanding her."
Misaka's eyes widened. "You mean… this has happened before?"
"Yes," Qi Mu confirmed. "You can ask the Master when she gets here. She'll explain everything."
Right on cue—Shen He was already en route.
After Qi Mu sent the alert, Shen He had activated her dimensional tether, pulling Violet and the Two Rites back to her through synchronized coordinate recall.
Since there was no time for detours, Kamijou Touma and Kanzaki Kaori stayed behind to guard Index, the key target of multiple magic-based factions in this arc.
Midway through her route, both Shiki and Violet responded to the beacon and joined her, using compressed teleportation jumps refined by Chaldea's new coordinate anchors.
"Are you two injured?"
That was Shen He's first question.
"Barely," Shiki replied, lifting her right arm.
Her sleeve was burned away past the elbow. She casually tore off the rest, revealing her bare forearm and drawing her long katana from her back.
With that look—half-saint, half-warrior—Shiki now resembled something out of ancient myth.
And the battle was far from over.
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