Mikoto and Touma were now sitting next to each other on a couch, while the four sisters were seated in chairs surrounding them. Now that they'd gotten through their introductions, Mikoto wanted to start getting more information on what had happened that other night. She asked her sisters, "So what happened to you guys on September 30? We met Last Order earlier that day, and apparently she was kidnapped and injected with a virus that took control of all of you?"

"Yes, that is correct, answers Misaka 10032. Misaka didn't know that you were involved in that incident, so she is a bit surprised that you know about what happened to the control tower."

Mikoto elaborated, "Oh, I was only involved a little. I helped the girl who cured her virus by explaining how an electrical network based on brain waves works. I didn't even realize that it was the Misaka Network until I later learned about Last Order from him." She gestured towards Touma during the last part of her explanation.

The boy nodded, "Yeah, apparently Last Order's guardian lost her while fighting against her kidnappers. I found her later and tried to reunite her with him, but I got attacked by someone and told her to run away. I guess the kidnappers got to her after that." Touma had been a bit frustrated with himself that he hadn't been able to protect her. Thankfully, it seemed to have turned out all right in the end. He asked, "So, do you guys remember what happened when the virus forced Last Order to send commands to you, or were you knocked unconscious?"

"We weren't knocked unconscious, but we were barely able to move, replies Misaka 13577. We were forced to manipulate our AIM Diffusion Fields and concentrate them on a certain point within Academy City, elaborates Misaka 13577."

Touma replied, "Yeah, from what we could figure out, they were using you guys to summon Kazakiri Hyouka, a friend of mine who's made up of AIM fields. And she was being used to defend Academy City from the invasion that happened."

"Ah yes, we've heard about that invasion, and how it was causing lots of people to fall unconscious, reports Misaka 10039."

"Mi-Misaka thinks that if we were programmed to help protect the city, then it wasn't such a bad thing, says Misaka 19090, giving her opinion. But she would prefer to have been asked first, adds Misaka 19090 to clarify."

Mikoto knew that her sister was trying to look at the bright side, but reminded her, "You might have been used for a good reason this time, but if they can infect Last Order with a virus whenever they want, they'll definitely use you to do worse things."

"You make a good point, Big Sister, concedes Misaka 13577. However, Last Order is currently in the care of a very powerful person, so she won't be captured so easily in the future, argues Misaka 13577, glossing over the fact that the control tower has already been successfully kidnapped before."

Mikoto wondered, "How powerful could he be if he couldn't protect her that time? Though that idiot is the strongest person I know, and even he wasn't able to save her, so maybe I'm being too harsh. I guess Last Order's guardian might have been distracted by something else too." She asked, "Just who is her guardian anyway?"

"Her guardian is Accelerator, answers Misaka 10039 a bit nervously, hoping that Big Sister doesn't overreact."

Mikoto froze, and her eyes widened in fear. "Ac-Accelerator?" She couldn't believe what she just heard. Her mind flashed with images of Misaka 9982 and Misaka 10031 being brutally murdered. How could this be possible? Why was that little girl in the care of that monster that had murdered over ten thousand of her sisters, and why were her sisters seemingly okay with it?

Touma was also surprised by the revelation. "Has he really changed? Did he finally realize that they were actually humans who deserved to live?" Before he could contemplate any further, he looked to his right and noticed that Mikoto was starting to hyperventilate, with sparks emitting from her head. Worried that she might begin having a panic attack, the boy grabbed her hand with his right hand, both to comfort her and to turn off the sparks. He gently said to her, "Hey Mikoto, it's okay, he's not here." He squeezed her hand, trying to reassure her.

Hearing the boy's soft words and feeling his comforting grip on her hand pulled Mikoto out of her traumatizing flashbacks. She squeezed back on his hand and shyly said, "Thanks." She took a few breaths to calm herself down and then asked her sisters, "Okay, how on earth did that even happen in the first place?"

"About a week after the end of the experiment, Last Order was released from the lab, begins Misaka 13577. She made contact with Accelerator, but then she was kidnapped by Amai Ao, a former researcher on the project. He implanted a virus in the control tower which would have caused us to go on a rampage. Accelerator used his ability to remove the virus from her brain, but he was shot in the head while using all of his calculation power on her, summarizes Misaka 13577."

Mikoto still had a hard time coming to terms with the information. "So he saved her, huh? I guess he changed after all?" She was still pretty doubtful, but she didn't think her sisters would lie to her on his behalf.

Touma interjected, "Maybe he finally realized that you guys are real people, and not just wind-up dolls?" During his fight with Accelerator, Touma could tell that he didn't really regard the clones as actual human beings, which was why he seemingly had no qualms about killing them. If his point of view had truly changed, then it would make sense that he could choose to save them instead.

"You are correct, replies Misaka 10032. The very first Misaka, Misaka 1, was killed by a reflected bullet, rather than by any direct action by Accelerator. He was then told by the researchers that he shouldn't feel conflicted, since he hadn't killed an actual human, says Misaka 10032, explaining some more backstory."

The boy deduced, "Then after Misaka 1 died, the only way for him not to see himself as a murderer was to believe that she wasn't a real human human."

"Yes, Last Order realized that Accelerator did not really want to kill us. Rather, he had wanted us to say that we didn't want to die, but we didn't do that because we had not yet realized the values of our own lives, explains Misaka 10039."

Mikoto paused to consider that explanation. "I could sort of believe that. After all, I once got frustrated at them for letting themselves be killed in the experiment and wondered whether it was worth saving them if they were so willing to die." However, she firmly replied, "He should've still known it was wrong even without that! It shouldn't have taken this idiot's words and fists to knock some sense into him!"

"She does have a point there." Touma replied, "Yeah, he definitely should have figured that out before killing over ten thousand sisters, but at least he finally realized it. That's a positive step, right?"

Mikoto sighed, "I suppose so. After all, it's not like there was ever a chance of him being punished for his crimes." She then recalled a detail her sister had mentioned, "Wait, 13577-chan, did you say that Accelerator got shot in the head while removing the virus?" Now that she thought about it, that was something she hadn't thought was possible, due to his ever-present reflection. "But altering someone's brain so precisely does take a lot of calculations, so I guess he couldn't keep up his reflection."

"Yes, he did, affirms Misaka 13577. Although he saved Last Order as a result, he had extensive damage to his frontal lobe and was nearly reduced to a vegetative state, adds Misaka 13577, revealing critical new information."

"13577 is correct, adds Misaka 10039 upon seeing your shocked expressions. He was unable to function as a regular human, let alone use his esper powers, continues Misaka 10039, trying to preemptively answer your questions."

Mikoto was indeed shocked by the information, but she knew that damage to the frontal lobe would indeed lead to those consequences. She replied, "Wait, but he's okay now, right? You used the past tense, and he's Last Order's guardian now, so he can't just be stuck as a vegetable."

Touma added, "Yeah, I actually spoke to him on the phone when I was with Last Order and he seemed fine."

"The frog-faced doctor developed an electrode that connects Accelerator to the Misaka Network, explains Misaka 10032. Using our combined calculation powers, he can now function normally and use his esper powers for about 30 minutes before recharging, further explains Misaka 10032, while smirking at the irony of the situation."

"This entire situation is unbelievable." Mikoto placed her free hand on her head as she took in this information. "So let's see if I have this all correct. Accelerator killed over ten thousand of my sisters, but was stopped by this idiot here. Then, Last Order made contact with him, thinking he's not actually that bad a person. Last Order got kidnapped and had a virus injected into her. Accelerator saved her by using his ability on her brain, but he got shot in the head, so now he's completely reliant on the Misaka Network for basic functioning and his esper ability. And I'm just learning about this now, over a month later?"

"You've brilliantly summarized the events involving Accelerator and the Misakas, praises Misaka 19090, glad that her Big Sister is remaining calm."

"10032-chan was right. This entire situation is definitely ironic." After killing 10,031 of her sisters, Accelerator was now completely dependent on the remaining 9,070 sisters. Last Order could probably cripple him by simply cutting off access to the Misaka Network.

Mikoto let out a sigh and softly said, "So in the end, the monster who murdered my sisters is better at saving them than me. Some Big Sister I am." The girl thought she had mostly gotten over her feelings of self-doubt regarding her sisters soon after the end of the experiment, but they were now starting to return.

Her sisters were a bit too far away to hear her, but Touma wasn't. He asked, "Huh, what do you mean, Mikoto?" He wasn't completely sure what she was thinking, but he hated seeing her blame herself.

The girl elaborated, "Isn't it obvious? I completely failed in saving my sisters. The first one I met was number 9982, and I watched her get killed that same night. I spent a week wasting my time destroying research facilities, and meanwhile 49 more of my sisters were murdered. I eventually had to rely on you to save them, while I was completely useless."

Touma had a hard time figuring out what to say, so instead he tried squeezing her hand again, "Biri-Biri?" She had previously told him about her struggles to stop the experiment before he had first met Misaka 10031, but the boy hadn't realized that she still felt guilty about that.

Mikoto barely registered his reaction, instead continuing, "But it wasn't just that time! When they were infected during the Daihasei Festival, my efforts to save them just ended up with me getting controlled, and Shokuhou was the one that beat that old man and got the antidote. And the most recent time, it was that nun that saved all of them, while I couldn't even recognize that she was describing the Misaka Network."

"Shokuhou? Who's that?" The boy was confused by that mentioned name, but he could tell that Mikoto had been struggling with this for a while. Trying to console her, Touma brought his left hand up to her head and started stroking her hair. He said in a soft tone,"Hey, you're being too hard on yourself, Mikoto."

The girl blushed in response to his actions, especially since her sisters were also watching them. However, while it did feel nice to hear those words, she couldn't bring herself to believe them. "What do you mean? Everything I said is true!"

Touma shook his head, "Not really. You know, the only reason I found out about your sisters and the experiment was because you went through all that trouble of hacking and breaking into labs to collect all that information. If you hadn't done that, I wouldn't have been able to do anything in the first place. Plus, it was you who figured out how to get rid of Accelerator's plasma bomb. You, me, and all your sisters worked together to defeat him, so you should give yourself more credit!" As he concluded his argument, the boy gave her a smile, hoping that she would cheer up.

Mikoto smiled back at him, but then lowered her face. "I guess you're right, though I still think you were the main one who saved them. I probably couldn't have done much more against Accelerator. It's just too bad that I wasn't strong enough to properly fulfill my role as Big Sister." She gently pried her hand out of his grasp and crossed her hands together, looking down at her lap.

The boy frowned, seeing that she was still feeling bad about being unable to save her sisters by herself. He silently continued stroking her head for a bit longer, unsure of what to say to convince her that she wasn't a bad older sister. Touma removed his hand from her head, worried that he hadn't been able to cheer her up.

Mikoto then looked up and saw that one of her sisters had gotten up and was walking towards her. She then sat down on the couch next to her, on the opposite side from Touma.

"Mi-Misaka wants to tell you that you're a great Big Sister, says Misaka 19090, attempting to comfort you with a hug and rubbing your back. You're the reason that Misaka was born in the first place, and you've helped her figure out how to lead a normal life. Misaka wishes that you wouldn't be so sad."

Mikoto was a bit surprised by her sister's sudden hug, but she returned the embrace, wrapping her arms around her sister's back. She hesitantly said, "19090-chan?" The girl then noticed that her other three sisters had stood up and approached her as well.

"19090 is correct, you're an amazing older sister, concurs Misaka 13577, trying to cheer Big Sister up from her depressed state. Misaka is in awe of how far you've been willing to go for her sake, despite not knowing her for long, adds Misaka 13577."

"You were able to see value in Misaka's life even when she didn't, recalls Misaka 10039. Misaka is grateful to have such a kind older sister looking out for her, concludes Misaka 10039, hoping Big Sister understands her feelings."

"When the boy was temporarily down for the count, you protected Misaka and were willing to sacrifice your life for her, even though you were terrified, argues Misaka 10032. You may be a troublesome Big Sister who's bad tempered and likes childish things, but you're not a bad older sister, says Misaka 10032, giving a slightly tsundere response."

Mikoto began to tear up a little at her sisters' praises. She separated from Misaka 19090, stood up and pulled her three other sisters into a group hug. Looking at all of her sisters, including the one still on the couch, the girl said, "Thanks! You guys are the best little sisters a girl could ask for!" Not wanting her to be excluded, Mikoto added, "Come on, 19090-chan, join us!"

"A-all right, says Misaka 19090 as she joins the other Misakas surrounding Big Sister in a group hug."

Mikoto gave her sisters a big smile and told them, "I love you all so much!" This was actually the first time she had said that to her sisters. She was a bit surprised at herself for saying it so suddenly, but Mikoto did not regret revealing her true feelings.

"Mi-Misaka loves you too, Big Sister, says Misaka 19090, a little embarrassed but still reciprocating your heartfelt feelings."

"Misaka also loves Big Sister, adds Misaka 10032, a bit reluctantly but still honestly."

"Misaka loves her kind Big Sister too, echoes Misaka 13577."

"Misaka loves you as well, concludes Misaka 10039."

Touma silently observed the scene with a smile. "I'm glad they were able to cheer her up. I hate seeing her feel bad about herself. Biri-Biri really gets along well with her sisters, doesn't she?" He made eye contact with Mikoto and commented, "You guys are such a sweet family!"

Mikoto blushed heavily, "Oh no, I forgot he was watching the whole time, this is so embarrassing!" Nevertheless, she gave him a shy smile and replied, "Y-yeah, I guess so." The girl then separated from her sisters.

"Unfortunately, all of us are scheduled for tests soon, so Misaka must say goodbye for now, reports Misaka 10032."

Touma got up from the couch, "I see, I guess we should get going then, right Mikoto?" He was a bit sad they had to leave, but he had a lot of fun visiting Mikoto's sisters, and he learned some more information about Last Order and Accelerator.

The girl replied, "Yeah. I'll see you guys later!" Mikoto was happy that she got to spend more time with her sisters and with Touma, though she was still a bit conflicted about the information she learned about Accelerator.

"Misaka wants to thank both of you for visiting her and the other Misakas, says Misaka 19090 with a grateful smile. She hopes to see you again soon, adds Misaka 19090."

"Yes, and please remember to get the necklaces, nags Misaka 10039, hoping the boy doesn't forget."

Touma replied, "Yeah, don't worry, I'll get them for you guys." He had earlier agreed to get necklaces for the three other sisters, so the boy planned to do that soon. "Though with my luck, I'll end up having to get almost ten thousand necklaces for all the sisters. Hopefully Biri-Biri will help pay for them if that happens."

"Misaka is looking forward to it, concurs Misaka 13577. Goodbye for now, adds Misaka 13577, careful to be polite."

Mikoto and Touma then exited the room, leaving the four Misaka sisters to undergo their tests. Both of them were pretty satisfied with the visit. Mikoto got to see her sisters once again, and gained valuable information about Last Order. Touma got to meet three new sisters and see Misaka 10032 again, and he was able to observe Mikoto being a great older sister. Being aware that Mikoto's friends didn't know about her sisters, Touma was secretly pleased to be one of the only people to see this side of her.