Hello everyone! I apologize if the last chapter was a bit boring, but it was necessary for Mikoto to learn the basics about magic. In this chapter, we cover some events just before WW3.

MarauderPrime12: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

GG Vegito: I'm happy you enjoyed this chapter!

Surayo: Yeah, I tried to have a bit of KaMikoto fluff in the midst of the information dump, and I'm glad it worked out.

BlueJack22: Yeah, it's certainly better than Biting Index.

Guest10032: Yeah, it's a big milestone for me! When I started, I originally planned to just end it after a few chapters of them hanging out together, and then I decided to at least extend it to Mikoto's confession, and now I'm hoping to extend it into NT and perhaps even GT. Hopefully I won't burn out before then. Mikoto is definitely ready to fight some magicians, and she'll have quite a few chances soon. Bribing Index with food is probably the easiest way to win her trust. Maika showing up when Mikoto eventually wears the Neko Maid uniform would be hilarious, especially if she finds out who gave that outfit to Mikoto. It's definitely tough sometimes to write a decent amount every day, but so far it's working out for me. I'm really enjoying your fic so far, and I'm looking forward to future chapters!

0 Jordinio 0: I think it's fine for the dialogue tags to come either before or after the quotes. But your suggestion about describing the characters' physical actions during the dialogue is really helpful, so thank you!

SuddenBetrayal: I'm glad you're enjoying this fic! The next few arcs are going to be pretty exciting, and there's one with some scenes that I've been especially looking forward to writing for quite a while now!

YoLO1992: I don't think I'll have another girl besides Kuroko fall for Mikoto. A jealousy plot involving Thor could definitely be interesting, though I don't know if Mikoto would respond to Thor in a way that would make Touma jealous, since she's pretty committed to Touma. Mikoto may indeed come to accept Index as a family member as they get closer.

Stryper88: I'm glad you found the explanation of magic interesting! Mikoto and Index can definitely teach each other a lot about their respective power systems.

fencer29: Oops, I may have mentioned Touma's healing ability a bit too many times. Your time travel theory is certainly interesting, and perhaps somewhat more plausible than him actually healing in such a short time. Yeah, Touma can't tell Mikoto much about the first fights involving Index. He could tell her about Stiyl, but you're right that she hasn't run into him yet. I'm glad you liked my explanations of the religious factions, I was also a bit confused about their classification based on my previous historical knowledge, so I wanted to show Mikoto questioning it based on her history knowledge. Yes, this is around the time that 50 Misakas attacked 50 facilities around the world to retrieve 50 Gemstones.

DBZLEGEND154: Yeah, honestly, the Magic Side is pretty confusing for me as well. The Science Side is a lot easier to understand since people generally know more about science than about religion and mythology. Mikoto was feeling a bit confused at times too, but hopefully she's now more prepared to fight against magicians.

Clearwing Yuta: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!

HunterX097: Yes, Mikoto took a lot of inspiration from Touma during the Jailbreaker Arc. By the way, the new Railgun manga arc just started, and it seems to be about Mikoto's past, when she was just a first-year at Tokiwadai. It'll be interesting to see some more of her backstory.

xellos540: Yep, that restaurant is a pretty popular place. Touma is definitely oversimplifying, but his general point is still correct. Mikoto is definitely better able to defend herself, though Touma can't really say that out loud for fear of offending Index.

The One who saw All: Yeah, Index is a pretty good teacher regarding magic, and her teaching Mikoto is already allowing them to get along a bit more.

Streetmud: Yeah, it was a calm chapter before the upcoming events of the British coup and WW3. Mikoto is learning to get along with Index as well as getting ready for future fights against magicians.

tython055: That's right, Mikoto met Lessar during her demonstration at the Russian Shopping Mall. It'll definitely be interesting if they meet each other again in Russia, since, as you said, they can't meet in England.

Mikoto was currently by herself at Joseph's. It was a half day of school, and she planned to have an early lunch before returning to Tokiwadai for the Ichihanaran Festival preparations. As she cut her steak into smaller pieces, she glanced around at the few other customers. She noticed her boyfriend's classmate Fukiyose sitting with another girl who was probably another of his classmates, as well as what seemed to be a PE teacher. At another table was a girl with glasses that seemed to be a hologram. Mikoto wondered with frustration, "Why are there so many girls with giant boobs here?" Her eyes then widened as deduced, "Wait, if everyone else here is like this, maybe there's something in their food that makes them grow!" Mikoto thus started eating the steak much faster than before.

As she ate, the girl thought back to what she and her friends had just gone through. After they'd gone though the jailbreak trial, Uiharu had been kidnapped. While trying to rescue her, they'd run into a girl, Shundan Kimi, who had somehow acquired a dragon in her right arm, which Mikoto had been unable to defeat until Uiharu weakened the girl using the AIM jammers. Even more incredibly, that dragon was one of the eight dragons that Touma had used to save her during the Daihasei Festival. Mikoto wondered, "Did that dragon somehow escape from Touma's right arm and join with that girl instead?"

Suddenly, her phone vibrated on the table. She wondered who was calling her, since she knew that Kuroko wouldn't be calling her at this time of day. Mikoto picked up the phone and saw that it was her boyfriend who was calling her. She quickly brought it up to her ear and said, "Hello?"

Touma immediately exclaimed, "Sorry, Mikoto, I'm trying to sneak into a subway station. Do you know how to open an electronic shutter door lock?"

Mikoto was really confused, "Wait, hold on! Why do you need to sneak into a subway station? Do you need to get into an area accessible only to employees?"

The boy replied, "No, there's just a shutter over the entrance. That's not too surprising, since it's an emergency situation and the last train would've left by now anyway."

The girl was even more confused now, "The last train?" It was not even noon yet, so it didn't make any sense for there to be a subway station whose final train would've already left by now.

Touma then realized why she was confused, "Oh sorry, Biri-Biri, I forgot about the time difference. Were you in class?"

Mikoto shook her free hand and replied, "No, I'm at a restaurant, so you're not disturbing me or anything. But where the hell are you that there's a time difference?"

The boy answered, "I'm in London." Indeed, he was with Index and Princess Villian in front of a subway station, hoping to use it to reach a special train car with a magic circle near Buckingham Palace. By destroying that magic circle, Touma would be able to prevent Princess Carissa from stabilizing Curtana Original, which she was currently using to launch a coup.

Mikoto's eyes widened in shock. She knew that Touma had been overseas before, but according to the news, the streets of the British capital were almost completely deserted, with people being forcibly gathered into large facilities, not even allowed to return to their homes. The British government hadn't made any official announcement yet, but it seemed likely that there was some sort of coup underway. The girl recalled how the Eurotunnel bombing had raised tensions between that country and France, and she quickly realized that her boyfriend had once again gotten involved in a dangerous incident.

In a worried tone, she replied, "How did you even get there, Touma? And what's going on, is there really a coup?"

Touma was a bit surprised that she knew what was going on in London, but he figured it was being covered in the news. He replied, "Yeah, one of the princesses has launched a coup, and we're all trying to stop it. As for how I got here, that bastard Tsuchimikado gassed me and Index at home and then dumped us at the airport. He stole all the money from my wallet and replaced it with British pounds, so I couldn't get back home. So we were forced to take a flight to London."

Mikoto rubbed her head in exasperation, "What kind of scumbag friends do you have, you idiot? But since he was the one who forced you to go, I guess this is an incident related to the other side, right?" Now that she knew that the UK was a major country on the magic side, it wasn't surprising that the royal family would be involved in magic.

The boy replied, "Yeah, it is. Anyway, I really do need help with this shutter lock. Can you help me?"

The girl sighed, "Sure, tell me what kind of lock it is." She wryly questioned herself, "Should I be pleased or annoyed that he's calling me for tech support?"

Touma soon sent her a picture of the lock in question, and Mikoto quickly replied, "That looks like a Marvelous Lock 225 Passive. If you remove two of the clasps below the panel, the maintenance jack should come out."

The boy was stunned at her fast response, "Hey, isn't the technology outside Academy City 20 or 30 years behind the technology inside? How do you know so much about the stuff used here?"

Mikoto lightly answered, "Well, Marvelous Lock is a company that makes locks for Academy City too, so that lock is just the same with lower specs. I wouldn't immediately know what to do with a lock that was entirely developed outside Academy City, but I'd probably be able to figure it out. After all, since outside technology is so far behind, even the security in a military research facility would be lower than on an outdated computer system in Academy City."

Touma sighed, "And here I am unable to even open a simple padlock."

Mikoto smirked and teased him, "Well, then you're at the technological level of the Edo period."

While the boy followed her instructions, he chuckled and fired back, "You're really good at breaking into things, aren't you?"

Mikoto blushed a little, replying, "Sh-shut up! It's not like I do that for any malicious reasons!"

Touma soon heard a noise from within the lock, and then the shutter began rising, opening up the entrance to the station. He feared it was way too loud, especially since there was no noise on the streets, but fortunately Carissa's knights didn't seem to detect it. He excitedly said, "It's open! Thanks, Mikoto, you're amazing!"

The girl smiled widely at his praise, and replied, "You're welcome." She had quite a few things she wanted to say to him, but instead merely added, "Just, please be careful, okay Touma?"

The boy was touched by her concern and smiled, "I will, I promise. I'll see you later, Biri-Biri!"

Mikoto replied, "Yeah, see you later." She then hung up the phone.

Over in London, once Touma put away his phone, Princess Villian said, "Amazing, to think that Academy City is so advanced that you can do that with just some help from a friend!"

Touma nervously chuckled, "Well, she's the strongest Electromaster in Academy City, so she's pretty reliable when it comes to something like this. And she's actually my girlfriend."

Villian felt a bit sad for some reason, but smiled and replied, "Wow, that's great!"

Index crossed her arms in annoyance and said, "Touma, do you really have to praise Short-Hair all the time?"

The boy replied, "Why wouldn't I praise her? She's awesome!" He was so glad that he was able to get Mikoto's help, and hoped that they would reach the special train car in time.

In response, Index merely sighed, knowing that there was no changing his mind on this matter.

Back in Academy City, Mikoto mulled over the major information she had just learned. She found it incredible that the United Kingdom, one of the world's most stable countries, was currently suffering a coup. But then she recalled some events that may have led to it. The Eurotunnel bombing had severely damaged the British economy, and there was even a treaty adopted by the European Union that made France the sole nuclear power in the EU and required the UK to relinquish its nuclear weapons to France for dismantling. Perhaps the princess who had launched the coup felt that the UK was losing too much of its power to France?

But Mikoto wondered why these previous events had even happened in the first place. The Eurotunnel bombing could've been a random terrorist attack, but what about that treaty? The UK and most of the other EU members were supposed to be military allies within NATO, and it was such a provocative act to ban the UK from having nuclear weapons, especially since they had become a nuclear power well before France. She remembered how she had previously considered whether the Right Seat of God might have been behind the Eurotunnel bombing. If they and the Roman Catholic Church were behind this, they would probably have the ability to influence many of the other EU countries, including France, into these provocative actions against the UK. Mikoto wasn't completely sure about this deduction, but it fit the pattern of previous disturbances around the world. In the end, she could only hope that her boyfriend would help resolve the situation and then return home safe and sound.

A couple of hours later, Mikoto was back in her dorm room, having finished her classes and festival preparations for the day. She had scheduled a video call with her mom, so she opened up her laptop on her desk and placed the call.

Her mother, Misaka Misuzu, appeared on the screen. The woman grinned as she saw her daughter's face, "Hello, Mikoto-chan!"

Mikoto waved and replied, "Hey, Mama! How are you doing?"

Misuzu replied, "I'm doing well! How about you, dear? How's school going?"

The girl smiled and replied, "It's going well, we're starting to prepare for the Ichihanaran Festival next month."

Misuzu said, "That sounds exciting!" She then got straight to the point, asking with a grin, "So, how is that boy, Kamijou-kun, doing?" She was eager to learn if her daughter had made any progress with the boy she liked so much.

Mikoto blushed profusely, knowing that it was finally time for her to tell her mom the big news. She nervously played with her fingers and replied, "H-he's doing great! Well, actually, about a week ago, I c-confessed to him, so now we're g-going out!"

Misuzu beamed in excitement, "That's great, Mikoto-chan! You finally overcame your tsundere nature and got the boy! Congratulations!"

Mikoto stammered, "W-wait, what are you talking about, I'm not a ts-tsundere!"

The woman chuckled, "Come on, back during the Daihasei Festival, whenever I asked you about that boy, you'd always deny that you liked him, even though it was so obvious!"

Mikoto sighed, knowing that her mother had a good point. She replied, "Yeah, that's true. Actually, someone I know told me that I should be most honest with him, and that's a big reason why I eventually got the courage to confess."

Misuzu gave her daughter a big smile and replied, "See, I was right! It's okay to be a little tsun, and I bet Kamijou-kun finds that side of you cute. But you must remember to show him your dere side too!"

The girl shyly twirled a lock of her hair and said, "Yeah, I've been trying to do that, and h-he seems to really like that side of me." Even before they had started dating, Mikoto had been trying to show him her sweet side, and it had worked out very well.

Misuzu replied, "Wonderful! So, what's he like as a boyfriend? Does he spoil you a lot?"

Mikoto blushed as she recalled previous moments that she'd had with Touma, especially how he often gave her such warm hugs or played with her hair. She shyly replied, "Y-yeah, he always takes good c-care of me."

The woman was glad that her daughter was in a happy relationship. She said, "That's great! I'm so proud of you, Mikoto-chan! I was sure it would take you much longer to confess to him."

Mikoto frowned as she thought about that possibility. If she hadn't gotten that nudge from Misaka 10032, it might have taken her months to tell Touma how she felt, and by then it might have been too late. She looked down and admitted, "To be honest, sometimes I feel it's too good to be true. Touma knows some other girls who are much more attractive than me, and I'm pretty sure they like him too. I sometimes wonder whether the only reason he said yes to me was because I was the one who confessed to him first."

Misuzu was a bit surprised that her daughter was suddenly bringing this up, but it made sense, since she knew about Mikoto's insecurities about her body. She tried to reassure the girl, "I think you're overthinking this, dear. He must have liked you at least a little if he agreed to go out with you, and you already said that he's a good boyfriend, right? You shouldn't worry so much about those other girls. After all, you were the one who worked up her courage to confess. Sure, you may still have some growing to do in certain areas, but you're still a beautiful girl! He already likes you just the way you are, so you shouldn't worry about hypotheticals like that."

Mikoto smiled at her mother and replied, "Thanks, Mama." She still had some doubts, but she knew that the woman was right. Touma had been nothing but sweet to her ever since they started dating, and even when Itsuwa was around, he had never taken his focus off of Mikoto.

Misuzu was glad to have cheered Mikoto up. She hoped that Mikoto and Touma would have a long and happy relationship. But now that the two of them were a couple, she considered whether to reveal a secret she'd been keeping from her daughter. She eventually said, "Dear, do you remember when you asked me why that boy had my contact in his phone?"

Mikoto narrowed her eyes, "Yeah, you said you met him one night in Academy City but didn't remember much because you were drunk. Did something else happen?" She knew that Touma didn't do anything to her mother, but it sounded like the woman was about to reveal something serious.

Misuzu answered, "Well, it was a few days after that big incident on September 30. I was worried about how dangerous the city was getting, so I actually was planning on taking you out of Academy City, Mikoto-chan."

The girl was absolutely stunned by this revelation, replying, "Really?". She had also been worried about the events of September 30, but Mikoto hadn't known that her mother wanted to pull her out. It made sense now that she thought about it, but Mikoto then asked, "Then what changed your mind? Because you never told me anything about that before now."

The woman grinned, "Well, I was actually kidnapped by a Skill-Out gang, and Kamijou-kun saved me. He wanted me to call you for help, but I didn't want to get you involved in that situation. It all turned out fine in the end, and I figured that with him looking out for you, I didn't need to worry too much about you being in Academy City."

Mikoto had to take some time to process this information, but she soon retorted, "Wait, you were kidnapped by an armed gang, and you decided not to call me for help?" After a pause, she sighed and conceded, "But I'm not surprised he somehow managed to save you." She couldn't blame her mom too much for that decision, since Mikoto had done the same thing before.

Misuzu replied, "Yeah, and that's why I think he's such a great match for you! You better hold onto him, Mikoto-chan!" She could tell that Touma made her daughter really happy, so she wanted to make sure that Mikoto didn't let go of him.

The girl gave her mom a smile and nodded, "Of course! Well, I have to go now, so I'll talk to you later!"

The woman waved and replied, "All right. Bye, Mikoto-chan!"

Mikoto waved back, "Bye, Mama!" She hung up the call and sighed, relieved that she had finally told her mom about her relationship with Touma. The girl also appreciated the advice she had received, and hoped that she'd be able to eventually overcome her insecurities.

Later that evening, Mikoto was walking with Misaka 10039 to Saten's dorm for dinner with her friends. It would be her first time hanging out with both her friends and one of her sisters, and she was looking forward to it.

Mikoto turned to her sister and asked, "So, anything new with you guys?" It had only been a few days since she last saw her sisters, but she was still curious about what they'd been up to.

"Misaka is actually glad you asked that, Big Sister, states Misaka with a smug grin." Misaka 10039 then leaned closer to Mikoto. "She and over 50 other Misakas were recently involved in a global military special operation, reports Misaka, whispering in your ear to keep it a secret, even though there's absolutely no one around us who can eavesdrop."

Mikoto had a hard time believing this, replying. "Huh? What are you talking about? Is this some sort of weird joke?" Her sisters were very fond of teasing her, but it seemed like her sister was being serious.

"No, it's not a joke, replies Misaka. There were about 50 Gemstone espers scattered around the world, and they were being targeted by the CIA for capture, explains Misaka, giving some background information. Therefore, one Misaka in a nearby location was assigned to retrieve each Gemstone and bring them to Academy City, adds Misaka, revealing the objective of the special operation."

Mikoto was stunned to hear that her sisters were used for something like this. "Wait, Academy City used you guys to scoop up all the Gemstones around the world? Were they that scared of other countries being able to develop esper powers?"

"Yes, they were worried that the Gemstones would be captured and used as lab rats, which is why we all agreed to help, answers Misaka. Because there was a need to retrieve all the Gemstones quickly and simultaneously, we were ideal for the job, since we can instantly communicate with each other and we're already stationed in many locations around the world, brags Misaka, proud of our success. Even though we are only Level 2 or 3, we were able to overcome all resistance and successfully retrieved all 50 Gemstones, who were all in different countries on all seven continents, including Antarctica, adds Misaka, emphasizing the scale of our achievement."

Mikoto was indeed very impressed as it fully sunk in just what her sisters had done. She gave her sister a big smile and ruffled her hair, saying, "Wow, you guys are all really impressive! I bet if all of you worked together, you could defeat an entire army!" It was amazing that even a lower-level esper could wreak havoc against outside security forces. However, Mikoto was a bit concerned about one thing, "But will the Gemstones be safe in Academy City? They could just as easily be treated like lab rats here."

"Don't worry, Big Sister, the frog-faced doctor approved this operation, so we're sure that the Gemstones will be treated well. However, there was one failure in the operation, reluctantly admits Misaka. She and the other Misakas in Academy City were supposed to protect Sogiita Gunha, the 7th Ranked Level 5, who is also a Gemstone. However, we were all defeated by a single intruder, who apparently went on to defeat the 7th Ranked in battle. Nevertheless, it seems that the intruder didn't intend to capture him, and he's made a full recovery, concludes Misaka, finishing her report."

Mikoto replied, "Well, it's good that everything ended well." She was troubled to hear that her sisters had gotten hurt, but was glad that they had recovered. At the mention of Sogiita Gunha, Mikoto recalled the time she'd sparred against him by the vending machine, though she hadn't known who he was at the time. "He caught my railgun with his teeth! Sure, I was holding back a bit, but he definitely seemed stronger than me. He should probably be ranked higher." And according to Touma, the other boy had helped him fight against her when she was being forcibly shifted to Level 6. "So he's a Gemstone, that explains why his ability was so weird. I wonder what kind of intruder could've beaten him? Could it have been a magician?" Mikoto had already seen first-hand that there were magicians stronger than Level 5's, so it was certainly a possibility.

The two sisters then continued walking towards their destination, with Mikoto reflecting on all the big events happening around the world.

Soon afterwards, they arrived at Saten's dorm building. Kuroko and Uiharu had already arrived, so the five girls sat down around the table to eat dinner. Mikoto and her friends had recently gotten out of the hospital after the fight against Shundan Kimi's group, so they were all glad to be able to get together like this.

Uiharu brought her hand up to her chin and said, "I'm still wondering what that dragon in that girl's arm was. I think it was able to use the energy from the black hole she created, but where did it come from in the first place? I don't think it was a result of her esper ability." She had seen the records of Kimi's esper development, but those hadn't really shed any light on the matter.

Saten then recalled, "You know, before all that happened, there was that urban legend about a white python that had escaped its owner and mutated into a giant serpent due to the toxic waste in the waterways. Perhaps it was referring to that dragon?" Once again, the girl had heard about an urban legend that turned out to be true, even the part about it escaping its previous owner, though she didn't know that.

Kuroko frowned, "I still can't believe she actually had a dragon in her arm, and that onee-sama was unable to defeat it." She had only briefly seen the dragon the first time Kimi had used it to escape with Uiharu. But Kuroko had been shocked to hear that it resisted even a multi-railgun barrage with large pieces of metal.

Misaka 10039 then took this opportunity to join the conversation. "Misaka is confused, what do you mean about this girl having a dragon in her arm, asks Misaka, a little frustrated at not knowing the proper background information."

Mikoto turned to her sister and replied, "Oh sorry, 10039-chan. So a few days ago, a group of people kidnapped Uiharu-san, and we chased after them in order to rescue her. The leader of the group was a girl who possessed this giant white dragon in her arm. I fought against her, but was only able to win after Uiharu hacked into the AIM Jammers and somehow weakened the dragon."

"Hmm, Misaka is not aware of any esper power that can produce dragons, muses Misaka. Could it be a special ability like that boy's right hand, wonders Misaka, searching for an explanation."

Mikoto knew that her sister was actually pretty close to the mark. She considered whether to reveal what she knew about the dragon. On one hand, it wasn't entirely her secret to tell, but on the other hand, her friends probably deserved to know about it after all they had gone through. In the end, she revealed, "Actually, I've seen that dragon before."

Uiharu's eyes widened, and she replied in shock, "Really, Misaka-san?"

Mikoto nodded, "Yes, though I only saw it briefly during an incident that Touma was involved in, so I think he'd know more about it. I can ask him if he's okay with telling you guys." She knew that if she and Touma told her friends about the dragon originally belonging to him, then she would have to explain what really happened during the Daihasei Festival, and in particular how her friends' memories had been altered by Shokuhou. Mikoto feared how her friends would react to that revelation.

Saten smiled at her friend and replied, "All right, that sounds fair." Realizing that Mikoto probably wouldn't say much more, she decided to change the subject, asking in a teasing tone, "So, how are things going with Kamijou-san?"

Mikoto blushed at the sudden question about her relationship. She looked down and fidgeted with her fingers, answering, "It's going r-really well! I mean, w-we've only been going out for just over a week, but we already have a pretty close bond. He's always really sweet to me, and I miss him whenever we're apart." The girl was really happy with her relationship. Not only had they done normal couple things, but they had even fought together as well, though it hadn't been that successful. Mikoto hoped that this could change in the future, though.

"Have you gone all the way yet, Big Sister, asks Misaka, curious about how far your relationship with the boy has gone, but also wanting to tease you a little."

Saten nodded with a big grin, "That's a great question, 10039-san! I want to know the answer too!"

Mikoto's face reddened even further, and she stammered, "Wh-what, don't be silly, we've only been k-kissing and c-cuddling a bit." For a few moments, she imagined going a bit further, having make-out sessions with Touma or perhaps even feeling each other up, but she then shook her head to clear herself of those thoughts before her head exploded.

Uiharu smiled at her friend and said, "Wow, that's surprisingly wholesome! With how long you've liked him, I was sure that you would've gone further by now!"

"Oh, I expected you to have gotten much bolder by this point, Big Sister, but it seems that's not the case, notes Misaka, pleased with your embarrassed reaction."

Kuroko frowned, not liking where the conversation was going. She requested, "Onee-sama, I know I've blessed your relationship with that gentleman, but it still hurts my heart to hear about the details. Could we please change the subject?" It would still take some time for her to move on from Mikoto.

Mikoto sighed in relief and smiled at her best friend, "Sure, Kuroko. We can talk about something else." She was glad for an excuse to change the subject to avoid further teasing from her friends.

Uiharu then started a new topic, "Have you guys heard the news about what's going on in the UK? Everything was suddenly locked down during the night, and people were speculating that there was a coup! But it seems things are back to normal now."

Mikoto replied with a nervous smile, "Yeah, I saw that on the news too, what a crazy situation! But at least it's over now, right?" She had been worried about Touma after his call to her that morning, since he was getting involved in stopping the coup. She was relieved that he seemed to have succeeded in stopping it, and she hoped that he'd come back home to Academy City soon.

"Yes, the Misakas stationed in London can confirm that there was an attempted coup by one of the princesses against the queen, and that it was defeated a few hours ago, reports Misaka, taking advantage of access to local information." Although the British government hadn't made any official announcements to the rest of the world, Queen Elizard had communicated with every single inhabitant of the UK when giving them the power to fight, so the existence of a coup was by now common knowledge throughout the country.

Saten then said, "It's kind of hard to believe that something like that could happen in a country like the UK. It's an advanced western country, after all."

Mikoto leaned back a bit and mused, "You know, I wonder if that princess who launched the coup thought that the UK was losing power to France and the rest of the EU. After all, there was that treaty that forced the British to give up their nuclear weapons to France. Maybe it's like those soldiers who tried staging a coup to prevent Emperor Hirohito from surrendering at the end of World War 2."

Kuroko frowned and replied, "I'm not sure that just having to give up nuclear weapons is equivalent to Japan's situation at that time. But in any case, if that's true, it's good that it was stopped before it led to a war against France." She knew how quickly situations like this could potentially lead to a large and long conflict.

Mikoto grinned, "Yeah, thank goodness for that!" Although Academy City probably wouldn't be dragged into a war between the UK and France, she knew that the possibility couldn't be completely ruled out. And in any case, Touma would definitely get himself involved, since a war between European countries would probably involve the Magic Side as well. But since that prospect had seemingly been averted, the girl looked forward to seeing her boyfriend again when he returned home from London.