Chapter 28: Hawaiian Adventure
Hello, everyone! Last time, Mikoto finally unveiled her Neko Maid outfit, and she and Touma intensified their relationship. Now, they're finally headed to Hawaii to fight against GREMLIN.
Toa Solaric: Yes, Touma had a very strong reaction to Nekoto! Mikoto's meeting with Misaka Worst will definitely be fun!
Sentient Mop: Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it!
acpeters: I'm glad you liked Touma's conversation with his mom, and yeah, Shiina definitely doesn't want Mikoto to go through all the trouble she has to keep Touya in line. Both Mikoto and Touma are definitely getting more confident in their relationship, and the Neko Maid uniform was a big catalyst too.
Tython055: Yeah, their bond is growing closer and closer. President Katze is definitely quite the character, and the two of them will soon meet him. Mikoto's conversation with Misaka Worst is definitely something to look forward to. I'm not sure I can make fully fleshed out original characters, but maybe I can have Touma and Mikoto interact with other Tokiwadai girls in some scenes.
Blankow: Yeah, I also really like writing these slice-of life scenes. The two of them are slowly deepening their relationship. The Hawaii arc is one I've been really looking forward to writing ever since I decided to extend this fic into NT, in large part because of the rings. Mikoto already had her conversation with Accelerator in Chapter 14 and saw him again in Chapter 25, so they won't be as tense with each other. It will indeed be interesting to see if Mikoto will join Touma in Baggage City.
Clearwing Yuta: Thanks, I'm happy you enjoyed the chapter!
Guest10032: Indeed, the Neko Maid outfit was a major catalyst for advancing their relationship. You're right, Touma is a bit more confident than Mikoto at this stage, so she's getting more confident over time. Yeah, I did want her to give him the homemade cookies eventually, and I figured this was the best time, since she was already cooking him something else. Indeed, there are a few days between the Hawaii and Baggage City arcs, so that's plenty of time for certain things to happen! Misaka Worst did say something like that in NT2 about Touma, but she did neve talk directly to him. I'm really looking forward to writing about the canon arcs with an established KaMikoto.
Stryper88: Yeah, Touma's conversation with his mom was short, but perhaps necessary for him. The Neko Maid outfit definitely helped them heat things up a bit, and they'll have plenty of chances to continue in the future. The ending of the Hawaii arc will definitely be interesting to see here. The subreddit is definitely a good source of ideas, so maybe I'll ask there if I can't think of more ideas. Touma would definitely prefer Mikoto not to be wearing shorts when they're alone together, and perhaps that'll happen in the future. Their fathers' reactions would be interesting, though they already know from their wives that their children are dating. Touya would probably be supportive, but I'm not sure how Tabikage would feel, since we don't know much about him in canon. Thanks for catching that, it was definitely a typo.
Azel: Thanks, I'm glad you found this chapter cute!
xellos540: Well, she called him Touma-san in the anime, so that's what I used here. Yeah, Shiina met Mikoto at the Daihasei Festival, before she was dating Touma. Touma will indeed encounter Shokuhou at some point, but his mom's advice also applies to a few other girls. Tsuchimikado did do something good here. Nyiri-nyiri is great, I wish I had thought of that. Aogami's Indian Poker dream happened in Episode 16 of Railgun T. Mikoto is indeed getting bolder. Thanks for catching that error about Tsuchimikado giving outfits to Kanzaki. The ketchup drawings were something I added after remembering that they were a thing. Yeah, the rating is still T, and Touma definitely wanted to feel her a bit more. I don't think omurice would be as suspicious, as it's a normal meal, whereas cookies are more likely to be a gift. I like both Nekoto and Mikoneko, so I used both. "Gentle kitten" is a cute pet name, though I'm not sure if Mikoto was being that gentle in this scene. Sorry that I made you one chapter behind, though I do hope you get to read this chapter soon.
f99: Yeah, things will continue to get more and more exciting! The Othinus arc is a bit further away, but I'm really looking forward to writing about that arc.
Bigboy101: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yeah, both of them are getting more comfortable teasing and being assertive with each other. They really are a great couple, especially with how much they trust each other. Mikoto did have a talk with Accelerator in Chapter 15, so she knows that he's trying to make up for his crimes, but she probably won't ever fully forgive him, even if she can be civil and work with him during fights.
The following night, Mikoto and Touma were now on their flight to Hawaii, having just boarded. They were sitting next to each other, with Touma in the window seat, and Mikoto to his right in the middle seat. Fortunately for them, the third seat in their row was empty, so the two of them had the row all to themselves. Touma was wearing his usual outfit, though without the outer shirt. Mikoto had also taken account of the warm Hawaiian weather, and was wearing a short-sleeved pink hoodie and a pair of pink baggy shorts.
As the plane was about to take off, a standard announcement was made on the PA system, telling passengers to fasten their seat belts, turn off all electronic devices, and make sure their seats and tray tables were fully upright. Mikoto was zoning out, barely listening to the words she'd heard multiple times before on flights, when she suddenly felt a hand on her head. She turned to her boyfriend and asked in a confused tone, "What are you doing, Touma?" Of course, it was pretty common for Touma to pat her head, but it seemed rather random in this case.
Touma rubbed her head and gave her a teasing grin, saying, "Well, they said to turn off all electronic devices, so I'm turning you off, Biri-Biri!" He was happy to take any excuse he could to touch her soft hair.
Mikoto blushed, enjoying his caresses, but she protested, "Come on, don't be silly. Besides, electronic devices don't really interfere with the flying of the aircraft anyway."
The boy chuckled, "Maybe, but you're way more powerful than a normal electronic device." After ruffling her hair for a bit longer, he moved his hand to her shoulder and pulled her closer to him. He had lifted the armrest between their seats, so the two of them were able to comfortably cuddle with each other.
As the plane began to take off, Mikoto relaxed against him and said, "So, I guess this is our first trip together, isn't it? I mean, we both went to Russia, but we weren't together the entire time. Maybe we'll be able to do some fun things before we get involved in the fight." She knew that Touma had recently gone overseas multiple times, and he'd usually gotten involved in fights soon after arriving in each country, but Mikoto wondered if this time might be different.
Touma thought for a bit and replied, "Yeah, you're right, it is our first trip. But I don't think we'll be that lucky. With my misfortune, I bet we'll be fighting as soon as we arrive at the airport."
Mikoto sighed and conceded, "Honestly, you're probably right about that. But maybe we'll have some time after the fight ends." In preparation for this trip, she had looked up some places she wanted to visit, so the girl hoped that they would have enough downtime to do so. She then asked, "So there are a lot of people coming with us to Hawaii, right? Birdway, Accelerator, and that Hamazura guy? Are they going on separate flights?"
The boy nodded, "Yeah, Birdway said that we should split up into separate flights to attract less attention from Academy City and from GREMLIN." He then smiled at his girlfriend and continued, "I'm actually happy about that, though, since I get to spend some alone time with you, Mikoto."
Mikoto suddenly felt warmer inside as she heard him say that. She gently grabbed onto his left hand and began caressing it with her thumb, replying, "Me too, it's nice that we get some time to do this before the big fight."
Touma then realized something important and said, "Oh yeah, once we land in Hawaii, everyone will be speaking English, and all the signs and announcements will be in English. You'll be able to translate for me, right?"
The girl grinned at him and answered, "Yeah, sure, don't worry about that, though you really should learn at least a little bit of English if you're going to keep traveling so often. But I hope you didn't just bring me along on this trip to be a translator for you."
The boy chuckled and teased, "Not at all, Biri-Biri. You're much more than a translator and a very strong electrical device to me. You're my wonderful and amazing partner!"
Mikoto laughed at his cheesy reply and said, "You idiot, I'm not sure if I'm supposed to swoon or cringe at that line of yours!"
Touma then replied, "Well, I guess I'll take you laughing as a good reaction."
By this time, the airplane had reached its cruising altitude, and the lights had already been dimmed, since it was now nighttime. The two of them had already eaten dinner before the flight, so Mikoto temporarily sat back up in her seat and opened the plastic bag containing her provided blanket, saying, "All right, we should probably get some sleep now, since we have a long day tomorrow."
Touma pulled out his blanket as well and replied, "Yeah, you're right." Both of them draped their blankets over their bodies. Once they were securely covered, the boy wrapped his arm around Mikoto's waist, and she once again laid her head on his shoulder.
As they both relaxed against each other, Touma casually noticed, "You know, technically, this is our first time sleeping together." He felt the girl's body stiffen as he said this.
The girl's cheeks reddened, and she stammered, "Y-yeah, sort of. B-but it's not like we're sh-sharing a bed or anything." She looked down at her lap and blushed even harder as she imagined lying down and cuddling with her boyfriend in bed.
Touma blushed as well as he imagined the same thing. Unfortunately, they both had to remain sitting in their seats, so they couldn't cuddle as much as if they were lying in bed together. Feeling a little embarrassed for blurting out that observation, he eventually replied, "R-right. Anyway, let's just get some rest."
Mikoto was all too glad to move on from that topic. She lifted her head and gave her boyfriend a quick kiss, saying, "Goodnight, Touma! I love you!" She then lay back down on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
The boy was a bit surprised at getting a goodnight kiss from his girlfriend, but he quickly returned the favor, kissing the girl on the top of her head and saying, "I love you too! Goodnight, Biri-Biri!" Pulling her a bit closer against him, Touma finally closed his eyes as well, and the two of them began to doze off, enjoying each other's warmth under the blankets.
It was now afternoon, and Mikoto and Touma had just arrived at Honolulu International Airport. Because they'd crossed the International Date Line, it was still November 10. Both of them had woken up about an hour before the flight landed, and they had eaten lunch on the plane. Now, as they walked out of customs and into the central lobby, Touma looked at his phone and said, "Looks like Birdway and the others aren't here yet, but this is where we're supposed to meet up."
Mikoto shrugged, "All right." She wasn't particularly enthusiastic about seeing the other members of their group, especially Accelerator, but it was something she'd have to deal with. She turned to him and commented, "I'm surprised you made it through customs without knowing any English. Though I guess it's not too surprising that the customs official knew Japanese."
Touma chuckled, "Well, a lot of Japanese people visit Hawaii, so that makes sense." As he looked around the airport, he wondered, "Hey, Mikoto, do you know why the Hawaiian flag has the British Union Jack on it? Did Hawaii use to be a British colony?"
Mikoto thought for a bit before replying, "Hmm, I don't think so, but I'm pretty sure that the British had explored Hawaii back when it was an independent kingdom. So maybe the Hawaiians decided to put the Union Jack on their flag because they had good relations with the British? And then the flag stayed the same even after Hawaii was conquered by the US?"
The boy was once again impressed by her knowledge, even if she was unsure about it. Before he could reply, however, he got an email from Birdway on his phone, and his eyes widened as he read it. He suddenly grabbed Mikoto's hand and began dragging her towards an area that was being waxed, as per an announcement, and exclaimed, "This is even worse than bad luck!"
Mikoto immediately protested, "Hey wait, where are you going? That announcement about the floor being waxed was actually a hidden anti-terrorism warning!"
Touma continued running and replied, "Birdway just sent me an email saying she set up a bomb!" Mikoto's eyes widened in shock as she heard this, not immediately understanding why Birdway would do something like that. As they approached the area, they saw a number of airport security men surrounding a suitcase.
The two of them hid behind a pillar, and Mikoto wondered, "Are some of those men actually GREMLIN magicians?"
Touma shrugged, "I can't tell who's a magician just by looking at them." He pulled out his phone and called Birdway, wanting to get some more information. She answered after a few rings, and he said, "We found the suitcase you set up, and there are a bunch of airport security guards around it. Do you really think GREMLIN will show up here?"
Birdway quickly answered, "They already have!" Touma didn't immediately reply, so she continued, "They're trying to make it past the guards using a spell, but it's easy enough to analyze and dispel it."
The boy wondered, "Are they altering their appearances and trying to mix in with the workers?"
Birdway replied, "Not there." She then loudly clapped her hands, and about twenty men in black suits suddenly appeared out of thin air, surprising both Touma and Mikoto, who soon recognized them as Birdway's subordinates.
The man in the center, Mark Space, pointed somewhere and said, "She's the one you need to focus on." As soon as he said this, a girl suddenly appeared out of thin air. She looked just like a beautiful fairytale princess.
Mikoto turned to her boyfriend and asked, "So, that's the magician we're fighting?" She wasn't too surprised that magicians could make themselves invisible, but she was a little surprised that there was only one enemy magician.
Before Touma could reply, the GREMLIN magician suddenly began chanting in French, "Fairy Godmother, please lend pitiful Cendrillon your power. Please give me the strict and cruel glass slippers test, which drove my wicked stepmother and stepsisters to despair."
As Mikoto translated for Touma, Birdway's subordinates all grabbed their shoes in pain, as if all of their toes had been broken. Mikoto then mused, "So she's modeled after Cinderella, from the fairy tale? I guess she's doing a spell related to the glass slipper that only fits her foot?"
This was further confirmed as Cendrillon spoke directly to Touma, which Mikoto translated, "My foot size is 22.5 centimeters. Thanks to this spell, if your feet are smaller, the spaces between bones are forcibly widened, and if they're larger, your toes are severed. But this time, it was just a warning, and their toes were only dislocated. Do I need to use the real version of the spell?"
Touma wasn't sure what to do. It seemed that the spell targeted everyone within a certain distance, so charging in could be risky. Birdway told him over the phone, "You and your girlfriend should try stalling for time. That was what my subordinantes did, though I'm disappointed they were taken out so easily. I see that Hamazura is firing a compressed gas gun, but that won't work. After all, in the fairy tale, Cinderella was given enough dancing skills to impress the prince." Indeed, Cendrillon was elegantly dancing and avoiding all the projectiles. Birdway continued, "She's fast enough that you won't be able to hit her with your right fist so easily, so just try stalling until my plan can come into action."
Unfortunately, Touma and Mikoto didn't have the opportunity to stall for time, since Cendrillon was quickly approaching them as she dodged the gas projectiles. Touma raised his right fist, but Cendrillon grabbed onto his arm and forced him into a bizarre ballroom dance. She then chanted, "Fairy Godmother, please send the pumpkin carriage quickly, before I wake up from this one-night dream." This spell caused a shockwave to spread across the floor, forcing Hamazura and the others to take cover.
Mikoto began emitting sparks from her head, preparing to fire an electric shock at Cendrillon as she approached. However, before she could do so, Cendrillon swung Touma around and used him as a human shield, so Mikoto couldn't use her ability without risking harming her boyfriend. Cendrillon then swept Touma's legs, causing him to fall to the ground, taking Mikoto with him. Cendrillon then sat down on top of them and prepared her foot-crushing spell, "Fairy Godmother, please give me the glass slippers. The distance is 500 meters and the number of people is unlimited. Please give me the strict and cruel glass slippers test, which exposes all the liars."
Touma noticed that Accelerator was hiding at some distance away, and realized that that was why Cendrillon chose such a high range. Not sure whether Accelerator's ability would work, Touma feared that this would be the end. It seemed that Cendrillon had realized that all of them were gathered in one place, and so she had decided to take them out all at once.
But suddenly, Touma heard Birdway's voice from his fallen phone, "You're still in the central lobby, right?"
The boy quickly replied, "Stay away, you need to fall back and come up with something else!" He didn't think that Birdway would be able to do anything in time.
Birdway cut him off, "That's all I need to know." Suddenly, the windows on one of the walls were smashed, and Birdway rode in on top of a large tanker truck filled with airplane fuel. Cendrillon stiffened as the truck approached, and Birdway shouted, "Hold down her legs!" Touma stretched out his arm and did just that, which slowed Cendrillon enough for the truck to hit her, and thanks to its high clearance, it passed over Touma and Mikoto, who were lying on the ground. The truck then crashed loudly into the opposite wall.
Birdway jumped down onto the floor and flipped her hair, saying, "There, I can't believe you let yourselves collapse so easily, it was tricky to maneuver the wheels around your bodies."
Mikoto and Touma slowly began sitting up. Birdway's subordinates were no longer shouting in pain, so Cendrillon's spell had probably been halted. However, the boy looked at Birdway in fear and trembled, "You monster, you might have killed her! And don't we need to interrogate her?"
Birdway sighed and gestured to the crashed vehicle, replying, "Don't worry, that's not even close to enough to kill her." Indeed, Touma saw the front of the truck move, as if something was pushing the metal panels away from the wall. Cendrillon soon appeared from the gap, her face covered with blood. Birdway noted, "Cinderella was a flawless princess in front of the prince, so just hitting her with a large mass won't be enough."
Mikoto was silently watching their exchange. Just like Touma, she had also thought that running Cendrillon over was overkill, but apparently magicians could reduce the damage to themselves with a justification based in the story. She wondered if Cendrillon had any weaknesses based on the story as well.
Birdway soon answered her question, "However, Cinderella's dress stops working at midnight. But instead of a change of date, you can also take it to be the end of a one-night dream." She spun her wand around, and coiled around it was a pocket watch, whose hands pointed to midnight. She finished, "Or in other words, dawn!" That instant, the fifty tons of airplane fuel in the truck ignited, immediately spreading an intense amount of heat and light throughout the central lobby.
Touma quickly grabbed Mikoto by the waist with his left hand and hid both of them behind a pillar. She was a bit startled, but she was still able to use her magnetism on a bunch of metal objects to shield the airport workers and themselves from the blast. Birdway's subordinates had already fled, knowing their boss would pull something like this. They couldn't see what happened to Accelerator or Hamazura, but they assumed the former would be fine and hoped the latter would be as well.
It took about 30 seconds for their vision to return, and they saw Birdway standing among the flames, dragging a defeated Cendrillon by the hair. Cendrillon's dress had partially melted, and there were burns on her skin, but she was in pretty good condition considering she was that close to the explosion. Birway said in a bored tone, "Well, that's the end of the opening battle."
Touma and Mikoto did not have any time to question Birdway or regain their bearings before the thousands of people in the airport started evacuating the area and running for the exits. The two of them held hands and tried to stick together at first, but they were soon separated in the massive crowd.
A bit later, Mikoto found herself separated from her boyfriend outside the airport. Only Birdway and Accelerator had remained in the airport, and they had tried to interrogate Cendrillon, but another GREMLIN magician had taken control of Cendrillon and had forced her to stab herself in the head with her wand, rendering her useless for information.
Instead, Mikoto was now with Misaka Worst, who she had seen with Hamazura earlier at the airport. Mikoto could tell that this girl was a clone of hers, though she was biologically older than her and her other sisters. Worried that Academy City was making more clones of her for nefarious purposes, she asked, "So who are you, anyway?"
Misaka Worst answered, "This Misaka's name is Misaka Worst, and she is fresh from the Third Season project. And unlike the other clones, she is Level 4."
Mikoto tilted her head and slowly repeated, "Third Season?" That sounded like a new series of clones, and she was very concerned about the higher-ups in Academy City continuing to exploit her DNA map.
Misaka Worst grinned and elaborated, "Yes, she was created to eliminate Accelerator, Last Order, and the old Misaka Network in order to create a new and improved one. She fought against him in Russia, but he eventually convinced Misaka to join his side. And don't worry, Big Sis, the project was canceled in the end, so this Misaka was the only one created."
Mikoto was shocked to hear all of that. She'd known from Touma that Accelerator had been in Russia, but she had no idea that he'd fought against this new sister of hers. She knew that Accelerator had resolved to never harm any of her sisters again, so it must have been traumatizing for him to fight against Misaka Worst. She didn't want to delve into that, so instead she asked, "So are you also connected with the Misaka Network?"
The other girl replied, "Yes, Misaka is connected to the Network, but she's a bit different. She is the outlet for all the negative emotions of the other Misakas."
Mikoto wondered, "Does that mean you feel all their negative emotions, like sadness and anger?"
Misaka Worst nodded, "That's right. Don't you find it odd that none of them ever felt any anger or hatred for Accelerator for what he'd done? It's hard for them to feel negative emotions, though they will get better over time. But for now, Misaka gets her amusement from those emotions and from annoying Accelerator and that brat."
Now that she mentioned it, Mikoto did find it odd that her sisters never expressed any resentment or fear towards Accelerator. Sure, they had a hard time expressing any emotions, but they at least always stated how they felt, and they never really said anything bad regarding the person who had killed over half of them. Not wanting to get into that subject, or how Misaka Worst was apparently living with Accelerator and Last Order, she instead smirked and said, "So, you get off on my other sisters' negative emotions, huh? Then I guess you're the evil clone that I had originally worried about!"
Misaka Worst laughed at her quip, "You're not wrong about Misaka, Big Sis. She really enjoyed all the other Misakas' jealousy when you started dating that boy, but unfortunately, now they're all happy and supportive of your relationship."
Mikoto was relieved to hear that her sisters were still supportive of her relationship with Touma. She replied, "Well, that's good to hear. And I guess you can't help how you were created."
Misaka Worst looked over at the other girl, who was now looking at a map on her phone to try to reunite with Touma and the rest of the group. Seeing an opportunity to tease her older sister, she said, "By the way, you have a lot of unrelated locations marked on your map. Wait, is that the main Cupid Arrow store?"
Mikoto yelped in surprise and quickly put her phone away, but it was too late, and Misaka Worst continued with a grin, "That store is well known for its engagement and wedding rings. Though they've also been adding new products recently because of poor sales."
Mikoto nervously observed, "For someone born so recently, you sure know a lot."
The other girl waved her off, "It's easy to find this information online. Anyway, Misaka heard that they perform a background check on their customers before selling them an engagement or wedding ring. So she doesn't think they'd accept an order from a middle school girl." She laughed and continued, "So...it must be that new product of theirs, the tag rings for lovers in less serious relationships!"
Mikoto's face reddened, but she fervently exclaimed, "Fine, you're right! When I learned we were going to Hawaii, I figured I could stop by and buy a pair of tag rings. What's wrong with wanting to buy a gift for my boyfriend?" It was a little embarrassing to be found out like that, but she didn't think there was any problem with her plan.
Misaka Worst mused, "Hmm, aren't those rings made of titanium? That's a bit unrefined for a gift, don't you think?"
Mikoto explained, "Well, titanium can be colored by electrolysis, and if two rings are made by the same process, their coloration patterns will match." She also recalled that there was a superstition that this prevented cheating. That wasn't really the reason why she wanted to buy them, but Mikoto did find that fact interesting, and she idly wondered if that was something that could be achieved with magic.
Misaka Worst then replied, "So you're going to use your own electricity to color the rings? Isn't that similar to putting one of your hairs in a Valentine's chocolate? The girl's probably the only one who'd find that romantic. Plus, won't he feel weird about the girl giving him a ring?"
Mikoto looked over at her sister with annoyance and protested, "What? D-don't be silly, I'm sure he'll like it!" However, she began to have some doubts, not really about it not being romantic or about reversing the usual gender roles, but about whether it was too soon for such a major present.
Misaka Worst could tell that Mikoto was starting to feel unsure. She sighed, deciding not to tease her older sister about that anymore. Instead, she smirked and said, "Anyway, Misaka knew that you look exactly like the previous clones, but still…"
Mikoto didn't like where this was going, and said, "What?"
The other girl finished, "What's the point of being the Original if you lose to your clone in so many ways?"
Sparks began flying from Mikoto's head as she asked, "Are you talking about breast size?" She of course had noticed that major difference from the beginning, but was too embarrassed to bring it up.
Misaka Worst chuckled and ignored the sparks, "Misaka didn't say that. Perhaps she was talking about height, but she sees that you seem to have a complex about your breasts."
Mikoto growled, "Now you've said it!" It seemed like this sister really enjoyed tormenting others, and she wished she had been able to stay with Touma instead.
A while later, Mikoto and Misaka Worst arrived at the Coral Street Shopping Mall. They were still trying to regroup with the rest of their group, but this was where the Cupid Arrow store was located, so Mikoto also wanted to take the chance to buy the rings.
Mikoto walked into the store alone, since Misaka Worst had no interest in coming along with her. Mikoto was fine with this, since she wouldn't have to deal with her sister's teasing. When she reached the counter, she said to the store worker, "Hello, I'd like to buy a pair of tag rings for me and my boyfriend."
The man behind the counter smiled at her and replied, "Ah, a gift for your lover, what a great choice! Do you know both of the ring sizes?"
The girl nodded and told him both her and Touma's ring sizes. Of course, she'd held hands with him enough times for her to know how large his fingers were.
The clerk then replied, "All right, now are you looking to buy the plain titanium rings, or do you want to have them colored? There are a wide variety of colors to choose from, and you can even make it multi-colored!"
Mikoto grinned and answered, "I'd like to make them both multi-colored, with matching patterns. But…" She then held out her fingers and produced a small spark between them, before continuing, "...do you mind if I do the anodization myself? I don't need a cathode or a voltage source, just the rings and an electrolytic solution.
The man's eyes widened, but he soon realized, "Oh, you're one of those espers from Academy City! Sure, be my guest!" He briefly stepped away from the counter to bring out everything she needed.
Mikoto picked up one of the rings with a small steel rod that the clerk had brought out and dipped the ring into the solution. She knew exactly voltage was needed to turn the metal into each specific color, so she used her ability to create different voltages on different parts of the ring's surface. As a result, she was able to turn it into a rainbow-colored ring with a complex pattern. Mikoto then pulled the ring out of the solution and repeated the process with the other ring, producing a matching pattern. Pulling the second ring out, she looked at both rings and admired her handiwork. She looked back up at the clerk and announced, "These look great! I'll take both of them!"
The clerk was amazed at how easily the girl was able to produce such intricate color patterns instantaneously, but he figured that it was to be expected of an Academy City esper that could control electricity. He offered her a discount on the rings, since she did the coloring by herself, but she insisted on paying the price for two colored rings, since she did use the store's solution.
After completing her purchase, she exited the store with the ring box in a small shopping bag. Mikoto had an excited grin on her face, and she couldn't wait to see her boyfriend's reaction when she gave him his ring. If he accepted it, and she really hoped that he would, then their matching rings would provide a strong symbol of their relationship, and would remind them of each other whenever they were separated.
Soon after rejoining her sister, Mikoto received a long text from Touma, who was apparently also at the mall, along with Birdway, Accelerator, Hamazura, and Kuroyoru. He said that there was a new GREMLIN magician with the power to control people, and that this magician was having normal people attack their group with guns by controlling their loved ones and holding them hostage. He suspected that the magician was using all the cameras in Hawaii to keep track of their location, so he asked Mikoto and Misaka Worst to jam the cameras around the mall.
Thus, both of them then began rushing through the mall and jamming the wireless signals. Mikoto sighed, "I can't believe we're just being used as human jammers. I wish we could be doing something a bit more exciting." She hadn't really gotten to fight against Cendrillon either, so she was feeling a little restless. She glanced around at some of the shops around the mall, wondering if she'd be able to get some more shopping in, though she realized that it was unlikely given the ongoing fight.
Misaka Worst grinned, seeing another opportunity to tease Mikoto, "You keep glancing over at that swimsuit shop, so why don't you take your own advice? How about a slingshot, or a micro bikini, or a Brazilian swimsuit?"
Mikoto immediately stopped running and became very flustered. She replied, "What's with this country, is there a rule saying the less cloth used, the better? But anyway, I already brought a swimsuit for this trip in my luggage."
The other girl, who had stopped next to Mikoto, ignored her reply and continued, "Hmm, it may be a problem for Misaka to wear a slingshot, because her breasts would be visible from the side. But for you, Big Sis, it'd be no different than gluing bandages around your body!"
Mikoto glared at her and clenched her fists, "Don't you dare say another word! Besides, I still have plenty of time to grow!"
Misaka Worst made her final jab, "If you're hopeful based on Misaka's figure, don't be so hasty. Misaka was grown in a lab using artificial drugs, so there's no guarantee you'll look like her when you get older."
This made Mikoto freeze in shock. She had indeed been hoping to grow in that area based on how her mother and now also how Misaka Worst looked, but it was true that there wasn't any guarantee. She sadly turned away and hugged her arms around her chest, not knowing what to say anymore.
Misaka Worst found that she wasn't enjoying her older sister's reaction as much as she thought she would. She sighed and said, "Come on, let's go continue jamming the signals. Misaka is a bit worried about a certain someone's choker electrode, but a malfunction would be somewhat interesting, so she'll focus on going all out with her jamming."
Mikoto sighed as well, "All right, let's go." She was relieved that her sister had decided to stop mocking her, but unfortunately, that didn't stop her own feelings of insecurity. For the moment, at least she could distract herself by continuing the task her boyfriend had asked her to do. Thus, she stuffed the shopping bag containing the rings into her pocket and continued rushing through the mall.