Hello, everyone! In the previous chapter, Touma, Mikoto, and their allies defeated St. Germain. Now, they'll enjoy a respite before the events of NT13.

Isokage: Thanks! If you're referring to NT13, that will begin in the following chapter, and will be pretty eventful.

Rekuta: Yeah, Mikoto was helpful there, though there weren't actually any traps to watch out for. Hamazura turning the tables on Touma was an interesting aspect of NT12 for sure. I'm glad you also enjoyed the scene at the end. Mikoto will tell Saten what happened to Frenda while giving her the present, and Saten will definitely be pretty sad. NT13 will be a pretty big moment in the story, and I'm looking forward to writing it.

xellos540: I think Index is in pretty decent shape. St. Germain gave "Aihana" the ability to use the doors, and the reason he didn't tear them to shreds is because he was afraid of Index and Othinus showing up. Touma does know that, since Saten mentioned knowing Frenda when she learned about the Sisters. I think Ayu was sent to a correctional facility, but I guess Shokuhou is making sure she's at least treated decently and getting the help she needs. Touma was in the room with Mugino in canon, but I don't think they really talked to each other. Mugino didn't really react to the nickname, since she just wanted to leave. Kanou already learned previously that Mugino had killed Frenda, and Touma was probably surprised as well, though he didn't say anything. They couldn't buy the dollhouse afterwards because the densely packed crowds forced them outside.

Stryper88: Yeah, that was my favorite scene to write in that chapter, so I'm glad you enjoyed it. NT13 will definitely be a pivotal point in the story, and there will be some differences from canon.

It was now the following afternoon, on December 2. Mikoto had asked Saten to meet her after school, so they were now sitting on a bench near a food stand. They had bought some crepes, and were starting to eat them.

After taking a few bites, Saten began the conversation, "So, what's up, Misaka-san? Oh, is it true that you and Kamijou-san fought against a magician in the Dianoid yesterday?" She'd heard this from Kuroko, who Mikoto had told about the incident the previous night after getting home.

Mikoto finished her current bite before answering, "Yeah, his name was St. Germain, and he was able to control carbon and take control of people. So he had a major advantage in the Dianoid." She then paused for a bit before continuing, "Anyway, that actually has to do with why I wanted to meet with you today, Saten-san."

Saten tilted her head and replied, "Oh?" She was curious about that, since Mikoto had told her that there was something she wanted to show her.

Mikoto began recounting, "So, when battling against that magician, we ended up fighting alongside the 4th Ranked Level 5 and her team, as well as a boy who had been friends with Frenda. And we found out what happened to Frenda."

The girl observed Saten's eyes widen in surprise. Mikoto knew that the news would probably sadden her friend, but she continued, "So it turns out that ITEM was fighting against another dark side organization, and Frenda was forced to give up information by someone using a psychological esper power. Meltdowner thought that Frenda had betrayed her, so she killed her."

When she heard this, Saten tensed up, and showed a distraught expression on her face. Up until now, she had thought that Frenda had perished in a battle during her unsavory line of work. And while that was technically true, it was horrific to learn that Frenda had perished at the hands of her own teammate. Saten thought, "Frenda said that her boss was harsh, but this is completely insane!"

Saten folded her hands in her lap and looked down at them, reminiscing on the times she'd spent with Frenda, such as when they had met up for dinner, as well as the time they'd spent fleeing from a crazy assassin. Despite the dangers, she didn't regret meeting Frenda, and Saten just wished that she could've had the chance to say goodbye to her.

Mikoto silently placed her hand on her friend's shoulder and rubbed it, in an attempt to comfort her. She did this for a few seconds, until Saten looked back up and gave her a small smile.

Mikoto then pulled out a box and showed it to the other girl, saying, "So the boy I mentioned earlier wanted to check Frenda's apartment to find possible clues about what happened to her. And when we went there, we ended up finding this."

Saten looked at the box in her friend's hand, noting that it was a present, wrapped in wrapping paper and a ribbon. And when she looked closer, she saw a small card with her own name on it. She looked up at her friend and asked, "What's this?"

Mikoto explained, "Her apartment had a bunch of birthday presents for the people she knew. There was one for that boy, and also this one for you, Saten-san."

On hearing this, Saten's eyes widened, and she stared intently at the present. She slowly reached out and took it in her hands. Her eyes began to water as she realized that this was the last trace of Frenda's friendship with her. Saten pulled the gift in against her chest, cherishing it as much as possible.

After a bit, Saten placed the gift in her lap and told her friend, "Thanks, Misaka-san."

Mikoto smiled at her and replied, "You're welcome. So, are you going to open it?" After seeing that Kanou Shinka had received a pocket watch, she was curious what Frenda had gotten for Saten.

To her surprise, Saten shook her head, saying, "Nah. She wanted this to be a birthday present, so I'll open it on my actual birthday."

Mikoto chuckled, knowing that the other girl's point made sense. Kanou Shinka's birthday had actually been the previous day, so it was fine for him to open it then. However, she noted, "All right, but your birthday is in March, right? That's a long time to wait."

Saten smiled and replied, "Well, after what happened to Frenda, the least I could do is wait until she intended to give it to me."

Mikoto simply replied, "I see." The two girls sat in silence for a moment, and Saten thought back again to her past encounters with Frenda, feeling more nostalgia and sadness.

Eventually, wanting to switch to a less somber topic, she looked over at Mikoto and asked, "So, did you have any time to do any Christmas shopping before the battle?"

Mikoto sighed and shook her head, "I didn't get to buy anything, unfortunately. But it did give me some ideas for what to get my sisters for Christmas! I'm going to get necklaces for the rest of them, but I still need to think of some extra gifts to send everyone."

She said this nonchalantly, but she was startled when Saten grabbed onto both of her shoulders and exclaimed, "You're buying presents for all 10 thousand of your sisters?"

Mikoto nervously looked around at the other people in the area. She then harshly whispered, "Shh! Don't say that out loud!"

Saten placed her hands together and slightly bowed, saying, "Sorry, sorry."

Mikoto sighed and just replied, "Just be careful. Anyway, of course I'm going to get presents for all my little sisters! I know it'll be tough, but I can afford it, and they deserve it!"

Saten smirked at Mikoto and said, "It sure must be nice to be rich! But seriously, that's amazing, Misaka-san!" She was in awe of how thoughtful of an older sister Mikoto was.

Mikoto smiled, thinking of all her sisters spread around the world. She said, "Thanks! I'm planning to meet with 10032-chan later so I can set up a way to get everyone's necklace preferences."

Saten nodded, "That's a good plan, that way they can all get the ones they want, and you'll have the other gifts as a surprise. But have you thought about what other gifts to get them?"

Mikoto rested her head on her hand and replied, "I'm not completely sure yet. I want to buy things in bulk, but still make them unique in a meaningful way that they would like. But I don't really know what each of them likes and dislikes."

Saten thought for a bit before replying, "Well, maybe you should think about the kind of gift you would like to get. Your sisters are similar to you in a lot of ways, so they might like some of the same things you do."

With this suggestion, Mikoto thought about gifts she would like receiving herself. "Anything with Gekota is great, and I think my sisters like him too. Maybe something like my phone strap, or the badge I gave to Misaka 9982?" She also brought up her hand to the lightning bolt hair clip that Touma had bought her, though she warned herself, "No, it has to be unique for each of them."

Eventually, she sighed and admitted, "Well, I can figure it out later."

Saten knew that it would be a lot of work for Mikoto to prepare it all, so she offered, "Hey, I'd be happy to help you pack the presents once you have them all. And I'm sure Uiharu-sam and Shirai-san would help too!"

Mikoto smiled at her friend and replied, "Sure, I'd love your guys' help!"

By this point, the two girls had finished their crepes, so they stood up to throw their trash away. Saten asked, "So, do you have any plans after meeting your sister?"

Mikoto nodded and answered, "Yes, I'm going on a date with Touma to the Learning Core. We're going to visit a few of the sites there." She was looking forward to visiting that place without it being the site of a fierce battle.

Saten gave her a grin, "Sounds fun! Well, I have to get going, so bye Misaka-san!"

Mikoto waved at her and replied, "Bye, Saten-san!" She began walking away from her friend and towards the hospital, where she would be meeting her sister.

A little while later, Mikoto met up with Misaka 10032 at the hospital. They made their way to the courtyard and sat down on one of the benches.

Misaka 10032 was the one who opened the conversation. "So, are you and the boy all right, Big Sister, asks Misaka, recalling what she heard about what happened at the Dianoid."

Mikoto was touched that her sister was worried about her, but she reassured her, "Don't worry, 10032-chan, we made it out just fine, without any big injuries. What about you and the other three? How are you guys doing?"

"Misakas 10032, 10039, 13577, and 19090 are doing well, reports Misaka. We have procured a Christmas tree for our room, and we're looking forward to decorating it."

Mikoto gave her a smile and excitedly replied, "That's great! Actually, speaking of Christmas, I have a favor I wanted to ask you."

"Ah, so there was an ulterior motive for this visit, concludes Misaka, narrowing her eyes. So, what do you need Misaka to do for you?"

Mikoto rolled her eyes at her sister's teasing and retorted, "Come on it's not like that! The thing is, I was thinking about what gifts to get you all for Christmas."

Misaka 10032 tensed up in her seat. "Really, asks Misaka with a shocked expression on her face. She and the other Misakas didn't expect to receive any presents, since there are too many of us, admits Misaka in an embarrassed tone."

Mikoto grinned, reaching over her sister's goggles to ruffle her hair, saying, "What are you talking about, of course I'm getting gifts for all my little sisters! In fact, I'm going to get necklaces for the rest of you."

"Misaka is genuinely touched by your generosity, Big Sister. But if this was your plan, why are you spoiling the surprise? As you know, many of the other Misakas are currently following this conversation. In addition, what about the Misakas like this one who have already received a necklace, wonders Misaka, suddenly worried about not getting anything."

This concern didn't surprise Mikoto, who quickly replied, "Don't worry about that, I'll be getting you all more gifts in addition to the necklaces, so everyone will have something to be surprised by." The girl then pulled out her phone and navigated to her email app, explaining, "Since the six of you that Touma and I have gotten necklaces for got to pick which types of charms they wanted, I set up a spreadsheet so everyone can list their preferred type of necklace, as well as their shipping address."

She emailed the spreadsheet to her sister, and Misaka 10032 pulled it up on her own phone. She quickly filled in the address of the hospital in her row. "Misaka will make sure that they all fill it out, assures Misaka, giving a salute."

Mikoto patted her shoulder and said, "Thanks, 10032-chan!" She then stood up from the bench, causing her sister to look up, and continued, "I'm meeting up with Touma for a date soon, so I'll see you later!"

"See you later, Big Sister, says Misaka while waving." Mikoto gave her a nod before heading out of the courtyard.

As soon as Mikoto was gone, the Misaka Network was thrown into chaos, with Sisters from around the world reacting to the news.

"Big Sister is buying all of us Christmas presents, repeats Misaka 10039 in an amazed tone."

"She really is such a kind and thoughtful person, gushes Misaka 19090, having a warm feeling in her chest."

Last Order decided to also jump into the conversation. "Big Sister is so great, shouts Misaka as Misaka twirls around in excitement!"

On the other hand, Misaka Worst was in a different mood. "Ugh, you're causing Misaka a headache with all these happy emotions! And just because Big Sis is getting us each a cheap trinket."

"Don't be such a jerk, chides Misaka 10046. She is excited to receive her necklace, not having received one from Big Sister despite also living in Academy City."

"Misaka wonders what we will get besides those necklaces, muses Misaka 13577."

"Hmm, she might get us all some sort of Gekota merchandise, even though it's a childish character, hypothesizes Misaka 10032 in a tsundere manner."

"10032, don't pretend that you dislike Gekota, retorts Misaka 10777. But anyway, how should we make a fair set of choices? Surely there aren't 10 thousand unique types of necklace charms, guesses Misaka 10777, glad that she was able to secure her bear necklace early."

"Misaka is also glad to have secured her turtle necklace early, says Misaka 13650, also unsure about how to resolve this conundrum."

"Who the fuck cares if some of us have the same charms on our necklaces, asks Misaka 10089. Whatever we want, we should go for it without regret!"

"While 10089's language is harsh, Misaka thinks she makes a good point, says Misaka 19559. For example, many of the Misakas stationed in the US want a necklace with a bald eagle or an American flag."

"That is accurate, reports Misaka 16360. She guesses this is also true for the ones who are asleep on the East Coast."

"We could get necklaces with similar charms that are not completely identical, in order to ensure their individuality, suggests Misaka 18000."

"No other Misaka can choose a heart-shaped necklace, forcefully demands Misaka 10032, determined to preserve her special status with respect to the boy."

"That's fine, agrees Misaka 19999, deciding it best not to argue. But can she get a bear necklace too, just like 10777?"

"Misaka would also like a bear necklace, counters Misaka 20000. And though we are stationed far away from Misaka 10777's Russian facility, it could be confusing if both of us stationed in Novosibirsk get similar necklaces."

"You could get different kinds of bears, suggests Misaka 10782. Unfortunately, Antarctica has no bears, so perhaps she will go for a penguin necklace."

"Will Big Sister deliver all these presents herself, asks Misaka as Misaka imagines her as an esper type Santa."

Misaka Worst quickly threw cold water on Last Order's dream, "No, you brat, that's impossible, and Santa isn't real anyway!"

"The evil one is unfortunately right. Even with just under 10 thousand presents to deliver, rather than hundreds of millions, a Santa Big Sister would need to travel around the world at many times the speed of sound directly from facility to facility, explains Misaka 10044. Even with Academy City's supersonic jets, it's too much distance to cover."

"Yes, she will probably just mail the presents to us, concludes Misaka 18820."

"18820, isn't it well past midnight in Florida, questions Misaka 10854? You should be in bed."

"Misaka is a Florida Woman, she can go to bed whenever she wants, boldly states Misaka 18820."

"By the way, what should we get Big Sister in return, wonders Misaka 19002, bringing up a very important point."

"We could each get her a Gekota item, proposes Misaka 15687. She knows from her research that there are well over 10 thousand different types of Gekota merchandise. Thought this may post a problem if she has many of those items already."

"Hold on, cautions Misaka 10774. Will Big Sister be able to store all that in her room? She can afford a storage unit, but then she wouldn't be able to enjoy the presents at all, warns Misaka 10774."

"We could obtain coins of different currencies from the countries we're all stationed in, suggests Misaka 16770, noting that they don't take up too much space and can be used for railgun ammunition."

"But Big Sister would never destroy our presents by using them for railguns, notes Misaka 14458."

Misaka Worst then made her own suggestion. "Ugh, Misaka is getting tired of your yammering. Instead of giving her 10 thousand different things, let's just work to make one overall present."

Last Order quickly chimed in. "Wow, so you do care about Big Sister, says Misaka as Misaka notices you including yourself."

Misaka Worst retorted, "Shut up, Misaka is only doing this to get all of you off her back."

"The mean one has a good idea, judges Misaka 10032. However, she's just realized something. The boy can't afford to get us all presents, but he and Big Sister might give us those presents as a couple. So we will also need to come up with a present for him, concludes Misaka 10032."

"We could create a magazine with pictures of us in swimsuits, suggests Misaka 15151. Boys like that sort of thing, right?"

"15151, shouldn't you be asleep too, asks Misaka 14002? Anyway, Misaka is admittedly intrigued by that idea, and thinks he would enjoy it, but she is certain that Big Sister won't like it."

"That's too bad, sighs Misaka 18829. It sounded like a fun idea. After all, we all have the same body that he has already seen naked, and he would get to see it in different colors and styles of swimsuits, notes Misaka 18229."

"Well, we have a few weeks to brainstorm about this, so Misaka is sure that we'll find the right gift ideas, says Misaka 14014 in a determined tone."

"All right, we will all work together and make the best Christmas presents ever for Big Sister and for the boy, declares Misaka 10032."

All the Misakas then shouted in unison, "Agreed!"

Soon afterwards, Mikoto had met up with Touma at the Learning Core. Since that facility had many different sites, they had figured that it would be a fun place to have an afternoon date. Plus, since those sites were meant to be educational, all of them were completely free.

Mikoto had asked Touma if he'd made sure that Othinus didn't hitch a ride, and he had assured her that he'd completely patted himself down to make sure. After ensuring that they would in fact be alone together, they decided to first head to the aquarium, which was located in the underground area. While walking together with their hands intertwined, Mikoto updated her boyfriend, "So I sent my sisters a spreadsheet where they could choose the type of charm they want. I bet it'll get completely filled out within a day or so."

Touma squeezed her hand and replied, "That's great! Hmm, come to think of it, maybe I should be getting them presents too. Though I can't afford separate gifts for all of them like you can."

Mikoto brought a finger up to her chin and mused, "Well, that's true, but here's an idea. Maybe we can get them the gifts as a couple. We could even make a Christmas card together!"

The boy nervously scratched his cheek, and skeptically said, "Maybe, but I don't know if I'd deserve half the credit for those gifts if you're the one who's spending most of the money and doing most of the work getting them."

Mikoto frowned, thinking to herself, "Yeah, I can't blame him for feeling that way." She offered, "Well, if you want, you can help me pick out some of the necklaces from the online store. You're the one who started that trend, anyway. I'll still have the other gifts, and we can work together to pack them."

Touma smiled at her, appreciating her effort to include him in the process. He agreed, "Sure, we can try that. Though with your abilities, it would probably be more efficient for you and Shirai-san to do the packaging."

The girl chuckled and replied, "Maybe, but we'll see."

The couple soon reached the aquarium and started milling around the different exhibits. Mikoto enjoyed telling him about how electric eels can stun their prey, and how sharks can detect tiny electric fields coming from other fish and navigate using the Earth's magnetic field. Touma didn't know as much about the fish, but he loved listening to his girlfriend passionately talk about them, and learned a lot from both her and the exhibits.

At some point during their tour, Mikoto began to sense something unusual. She concentrated on the direction it was coming from, and she muttered, "Wait, I feel something like my own power nearby."

Touma's eyes widened, and he replied, "Oh, maybe one of your sisters is here?" He knew that she could sense her sisters' presence in this same way, and that it was how she had found Misaka 9982.

Mikoto nodded, "Yeah, probably." She began jogging through the hall in that direction, leaving Touma to follow behind her.

When Mikoto got closer to the source of the electromagnetic powers, she soon stopped in front of two girls. One girl was standing right in front of the glass panel, pressing her face against it. She definitely looked like a clone of Mikoto, but she was wearing casual clothes and had long hair. And while Mikoto was stunned to see a Sister she hadn't known of before, she was equally shocked to see that the second girl was Shokuhou Misaki.

When Touma reached the scene, he was also surprised to see a long-haired clone of Mikoto, though he had no idea who the girl accompanying her was. But he could tell that his girlfriend was troubled by the sight in front of her. Mikoto asked in a completely confused tone, "Shokuhou? Wh-who is she?"

Shokuhou was equally shocked at seeing Mikoto and Touma at the aquarium. It was already heart-wrenching enough to be around the happy couple, but there was a bigger issue this time. Dolly had wanted to visit the aquarium yet again, so Shokuhou had decided to bring her here. Although Dolly wasn't as obviously a clone as the other Sisters, there was still the chance that people could notice the similarity with Mikoto. Normally, Shokuhou could use her ability to prevent people around them from realizing the fact. But in the current situation, she winced and thought, "Urgh, why do they have to be here? The two people I can't use my power on."

Dolly looked over at the couple approaching her, and her eyes widened as she examined Mikoto. Although the other girl had shorter hair, her face was the same as her own, and Dolly could sense a stronger version of her own power. She looked over at her friend and asked, "Misaki-chan, who's this?"

Mikoto thought to herself, "Wait, she's close enough with Shokuhou to use her given name?"

Touma looked between all three girls and asked, "Okay, what's going on here?"

Unable to think of a way out of the situation, Shokuhou sighed and said, "Fine, but not here. Let's find a place with more privacy ability."

She led the other three to a side room away from the exhibits, and they sat down in some chairs. Shokuhou announced, "I can make sure that no one disturbs us. But anyway, Misaka-san, Kamijou-san, this is Dolly. We were in the same research lab in our childhoods. Dolly, this is Misaka Mikoto, the girl who...who you were cloned from."

Mikoto and Touma looked at each other and silently nodded. Mikoto thought, "Well, with that name, it's certainly obvious that she's a clone." She smiled at Dolly and said, "Nice to meet you, Dolly."

Dolly looked over silently at Mikoto for a bit, digesting this information. But she soon stood up with her fists pumped out and exclaimed with a wide grin, "Oh, so you're my Big Sister!"

Mikoto nervously chuckled and replied, "I guess so." She glanced over at Shokuhou and quickly realized, "So this is why she cared so much about what happened to my sisters during the Daihasei Festival."

Shokuhou frowned as she watched Dolly warm up to Mikoto immediately. It was perhaps a little petty of her, but she was annoyed that Mikoto, who hadn't bothered to look into if there were any other clones of herself, was being so well-received by Dolly.

Meanwhile, Dolly recounted to Mikoto, "When I was in the lab, they told me that if my treatment went well, I would have lots of little sisters!" She added in a sad tone, "But I never got to meet any of them."

Mikoto was surprised that Dolly had been told about the subsequent Sisters, but she was happy for the opportunity to tell her more about them. Mikoto took out her phone and showed Dolly the photo Touma had taken of her with Misakas 10032, 10039, 13577, and 19090. She said, "This is me with four of our little sisters."

Dolly looked at the picture with awe and exclaimed, "Wow! That's so cool!"

Mikoto excitedly said, "They're great, and I'm sure they'd love to meet you!"

Touma gazed over at his girlfriend with an adoring smile, thinking to himself, "No surprise she's getting along with Dolly already." It made sense, since she was now more used to being a Big Sister.

Then, Mikoto took one of Touma's hands in hers and said, "Oh, this is my boyfriend, Kamijou Touma."

Shokuhou clenched her fist, feeling pain in her heart as she heard the word "boyfriend." But Dolly didn't notice, instead just asking Mikoto, "Woah, what's he like?"

Mikoto glanced at the boy with a smirk, and said, "He's very kind and determined, but he can be a stubborn idiot sometimes!"

Touma playfully elbowed her and retorted, "Hey, I don't think you can scold anyone for being stubborn, Biri-Biri!" This just caused Mikoto to roll her eyes. She then glanced over at Shokuhou, starting to realize something.

Shokuhou tried to ignore the pang in her chest as she watched the couple banter with each other. She was interrupted from her thoughts by Mikoto, who quietly asked her, "Shokuhou, can I talk with you in private?"

Shokuhou wasn't too surprised to hear this. It made sense that Mikoto would want to ask her about Dolly away from the girl herself. She was absolutely dreading this conversation, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to brush Mikoto off. So she sighed and replied, "All right, Misaka-san."

The two girls got up and walked a few meters away from Touma and Dolly. Mikoto crossed her arms and asked Shokuhou in a nervous tone, "D-did something bad happen with Dolly?"

Shokuhou was not expecting Mikoto to have deduced that fact so easily. She narrowed her eyes and sharply questioned, "Oh? What makes you think that?"

Mikoto sighed and replied, "Don't be coy. It's starting to make sense, why you were so harsh to me when we first met last year. I think you even said at one point that you were disgusted to see my face."

When she said that last part, Shokuhou noticeably flinched. Mikoto saw this and elaborated, "Look, I was disgusted to see my own face in the mirror when I was trying to stop that horrific experiment. So I get it."

Shokuhou clenched her fist and replied in an agitated tone, "Fine, you really want to know what happened, Misaka-san? Those awful researchers brought me in to make sure Dolly was cheerful enough to give good data after her previous friend disappeared. And then she ended up dying, because they couldn't even properly take care of her!"

Mikoto reeled back in shock, her face pale. With her fist in front of her chest, she muttered, "But...if she died, then who's…" Her brain didn't take long to figure out the answer, and she continued, "No, you mean…"

The other girl slowly nodded, "Yes, that girl is Dolly's sister. She only woke up after that incident during the Daihasei Festival."

Tears began to form in Mikoto's eyes, and her heart began to break. She thought, "So I was responsible for yet another of my sisters dying." The girl let out a sardonic scoff and muttered, "No wonder you hated me from the very start."

The other girl looked away from Mikoto, considering how to respond. She eventually replied, "It's true, while I can't give you too much blame ability for being tricked as a child, you never bothered to follow up on what they actually did with your DNA map until it was much too late for too many of those girls."

Mikoto turned away from Shokuhou and replied in a distraught tone, "I know. This doesn't mean much now, but I am sorry."

Shokuhou just sighed and said, "Well, at least Dolly's sister is alive. She has all the memories of the original Dolly, and she mostly sees those memories as her own."

Mikoto silently pondered that situation. It seemed like the two Dollys formed their own brainwave network like the Misaka Network. But while her sisters shared all their memories too, they were alive at the same time, so it was clearer that they were all separate people. On the other hand, since one Dolly had died before the second one had awoken, perhaps they could be thought of as one person whose consciousness had been transferred between two bodies.

Seeing that the other girl wasn't saying anything, Shokuhou observed, "Well anyway, it looks like Dolly is already getting along with you. So in the end, just like with Kamijou-san, you'll get a happy ending."

Mikoto noticed Shokuhou's tone getting a little bitter near the end of her remark. She realized that Shokuhou was worried about Mikoto "stealing" Dolly from her. She turned back to face the other girl, nervously grabbed onto one of her own arms with her other hand, and softly said, "Look, Dolly is not going to stop being your friend. I don't know the details, but you were the one who saved her."

Shokuhou sighed, feeling a bit uncomfortable. She began walking away and said, "Whatever, let's just go back."

Mikoto felt conflicted about the conversation ending so abruptly, but she was already a little surprised at how much Shokuhou had willingly revealed. So she just followed the other girl back.

When they returned back, they saw Touma and Dolly engaged in conversation. Touma looked up at his girlfriend and said, "Hey Mikoto. Dolly was just telling me about her favorite parts of the aquarium."

Dolly excitedly exclaimed, "Yeah, I really love watching the dolphins! I hope I can visit the ocean someday with Misaki-chan!"

Mikoto smiled at her sister and replied, "That's nice, I love going to the beach!" She idly recalled how Misaka 10032 had also wanted to visit the ocean when she'd woken up after the incident during the Daihasei Festival.

Touma then said, "Oh Dolly, did you know that your Big Sister is the Level 5 Railgun?"

Dolly suddenly stood up and grabbed onto Mikoto's arms, saying in an amazed tone, "Wow, just like Misaki-chan, that's so cool! I'm only a Level 3, but I can shoot railguns with my hair." As she said this, she emitted some electricity from her head, raising up some long strands of her hair into makeshift rails.

Touma looked up at Dolly and exclaimed, "Woah, that's awesome!" He knew that the other Sisters weren't able to use railguns, and that even the Level 4 Misaka Worst's "nailgun" was more like a coilgun, so this was very impressive on Dolly's part.

Mikoto nodded in agreement, "Yeah, it is! Maybe you can show me sometime."

Dolly replied, "Sure, that sounds great! Can I meet our little sisters?"

Mikoto gave her a wide grin and answered, "Sure! Let's exchange our phone numbers, and I'll try to set it up soon."

She and Dolly took out their phones and exchanged their contact information. Shokuhou felt conflicted about this. She had tried to keep Dolly a secret, but now she had met Mikoto and Touma, and she now wanted to meet the other Misaka Sisters. But after thinking about it for a bit, she decided that it would perhaps be good for Dolly to meet her other sisters.

Once they were done exchanging phone numbers, Mikoto grabbed onto her boyfriend's hand to help him up. She turned to the other two girls and said, "All right, I'll let you two get back to it. Touma and I should get back to our date."

Dolly waved and replied, "Bye Big Sister!" Shokuhou silently waved goodbye as well, and the couple talked away from them.

Mikoto and Touma began walking out of the aquarium. Now that she was alone with her boyfriend, the girl looked down at the ground and said in a guilty tone, "So, another of my sisters died because I didn't think to look into what happened with my DNA map."

Touma wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. He said in a consoling tone, "Hey, don't forget, it's because of you that Dolly is alive in the first place."

The girl smiled a bit, softly replying, "Thanks, Touma. I'm a little annoyed that Shokuhou kept Dolly a secret from me, but I guess I can understand why she did it."

The boy paused for a moment, before replying, "Oh, Shokuhou's the name of the other person we were with?"

Mikoto looked at her boyfriend with a confused expression, before replying, "Yeah? She was the one you saved just recently!"

This was new information to Touma, but it seemed he should have known it, so he just replied, "Oh! Yes, of course, of course!" He wasn't sure if he'd forgotten, but he didn't want to make a big deal out of it.

The girl narrowed her eyes at him and thought, "That's weird, it's the second time he's forgotten her name." Mikoto wasn't sure what was going on, but she was starting to feel there was something she was missing. However, she decided to drop the subject for now.

The two of them continued walking for a bit, and she then asked, "So, how did you think Dolly looked with long hair?"

The boy was a little surprised by that question, but he honestly answered, "I thought she looked really pretty."

Mikoto nodded, "Yeah, me too!" She paused for a moment, twirling a strand of her hair, before nervously asking, "Hey Touma, would you like it if I grew my hair a little longer?" She generally liked her short hair, since it was easier to take care of, but perhaps it would be good to change things up a little.

Touma softly combed his fingers through the ends of her hair and mused, "Hmm, I love how you look with short hair. But I wouldn't complain about having more of it to play with!"

The girl laughed and replied, "All right, maybe I'll grow it out a bit and see how I like it."

After leaving the aquarium, Mikoto and Touma went on to visit a couple of other sites in the Learning Core. They first went to the museum located in the Lightning Rod. Mikoto was especially interested in the art exhibits, since she knew about many famous artists and could recognize the different art styles. Touma didn't find it as interesting, but he enjoyed looking at some of the paintings and sculptures, as well as just being with his girlfriend. He also enjoyed the natural history and science aspects of the museum.

Once they were done exploring the exhibits, it was starting to get late, so they grabbed a quick dinner at the museum's cafe.

Their final stop was the planetarium. They went into the domed theater and sat down next to each other. Touma gently grabbed onto Mikoto's hand and began caressing it, while Mikoto laid her head on Touma's shoulder.

It didn't take long for the show to start. The hemispheric dome above them had a digital screen that displayed vast and high-resolution images of planets, stars, constellations, and galaxies, with explanations by the voice-over.

Touma was really fascinated by the experience, and enjoyed learning more about astronomy. During the show, he occasionally stole some glances at Mikoto, whose eyes were always fixed straight up. He could tell that his girlfriend was just as enthralled by the show, especially since she had always been fascinated by the stars in the night sky.

Once the show ended, the two of them headed back outside. Now that they could finally talk again, Touma commented, "Wow, that was really cool! Especially seeing those constellations from different points of view other than from Earth."

Mikoto excitedly nodded, "I know, right? It just goes to show how the constellations we see are actually made up of stars that are so far apart." She paused to think for a moment, and added, "It's interesting that they can probably be used in magic, though."

The boy replied, "Probably. Oh, speaking of that, do you ever check your horoscopes? They seem to be rather popular, even in this city of science."

The girl shook her head and chuckled, "No, not really, I never believed in that stuff. My sisters are really into horoscopes, though."

Touma gave her a confused expression and asked, "Wait, really? What birthday do they use for themselves? Do they just use your birthday?" The Misaka Sisters had been grown in the lab, so they didn't have a particular birthday.

Mikoto laughed as she recalled what her sisters had told her on this subject. She replied, "No, it was actually a funny story. They got into an argument on what exact day they could be considered to have been 'born.' In the end, they never resolved the issue, and instead went for blood type horoscopes, and argued about who had the best type AB horoscope."

The boy laughed as well as he listened to that amusing story. He said, "Well, it's true that they probably don't have exact dates of birth. But wouldn't they need to pick birthdays for documentation, and just for having a day to celebrate?"

The girl replied, "Well, they're not out in the open, so there's less need for documentation. They definitely should have birthdays to celebrate, though."

Touma suggested, "Hmm, if they take your birthday, May 2, you won't have to get them Christmas and birthday presents too close together."

Mikoto brought her hand up to her chin and mused, "I certainly wouldn't mind sharing my birthday with my sisters, but they might want to have their own separate birthdays." She wondered if she should bring that up with them at some point.

It was now past sunset, so Touma wondered, "Should we head home now? It's getting close to curfew."

Mikoto held out her hand and replied, "Actually, there's something else I wanted to do tonight. But we don't have to do it if you don't want to."

Touma gave her a smirk and replied in a teasing tone, "Well, if you're putting it that way, I assume you're not talking about sex."

The girl rolled her eyes and lightly elbowed him, "It's not that!" She became a little nervous, eventually saying, "I was thinking we could have another sparring match at the same place we had one back in July."

The boy was a little surprised by her request. He replied, "Oh, you mean the riverbank we fought at before I lost my memories? But weren't you satisfied with your win over me in Denmark?"

Mikoto answered, "I was, I was. Honestly, it's partly for nostalgic reasons, but I'd also like to practice my fighting skills. Going against St. Germain was fine, but you're a much stronger opponent. I figured we could have a nice, low-stakes, friendly sparring match."

Touma thought about her proposal, absentmindedly rubbing his head. Eventually, he smiled at her and answered, "Sure, Biri-Biri. I'll take you on!"

The girl was ecstatic at this, and she quickly pulled him into a hug, and gave him a kiss on the cheek, exclaiming, "Thanks Touma, you're the best!" Touma was a little startled by this, and blushed in response, but he quickly returned the hug.

After embracing for a few seconds, they pulled apart and began heading for the train station, so they could make their way to that riverbank.

Mikoto and Touma were now at the riverbank for their sparring match. Touma took the opportunity to get a good look around, seeing the grassy expanse next to the river, as well as the bridge passing over it. Even though he had no memory of this place, it somehow still felt familiar to him.

The boy looked over at his girlfriend with a smirk and requested, "Hey, so let's keep this battle non-lethal, okay? Please don't slice me up with your iron sand or fire your railguns at me." He knew that she had subconsciously held back with her electric attacks that time on that iron bridge, but he couldn't help but rib her a little.

Mikoto crossed her arms and replied with a grin, "Of course, of course! And please don't send out your dragons to eat me, okay?"

Touma chuckled and said, "Sure, that won't happen as long as you make sure not to cut off my arm."

The girl shrugged and told him, "Don't worry, I know not to make that mistake." She then bent her knees slightly and got into a battle stance, asking, "Ready, Touma?"

Touma mirrored her stance and slowly nodded, "Yep, so go ahead and give me your best shot, Mikoto!"

With that invitation, Mikoto made the first move. She immediately gathered some iron sand from the ground and formed it into a sword, which she held in her right hand. The girl then started running towards Touma, brandishing her weapon.

Touma had expected this sort of attack, so he began backing up away from her. When she got close enough to swing the sword at him, he weaved and dodged around her. Although she would ensure that the sword would hit him as a blunt surface, the boy knew that it would still cause a lot of damage. On the other hand, if he could touch it anywhere with his right hand, he would be able to neutralize it completely.

The girl wasn't surprised that he was easily able to dodge her attack. The last time they had fought here, she had extended her iron sand sword into a whip in an attempt to reach him at a further range, but Mikoto knew that this would only give him a larger target for his Imagine Breaker.

Instead, she went for a sneakier tactic. She used her magnetism to gather some additional iron sand at the ground around Touma's feet, attempting to trip him. The boy quickly noticed what was happening, and began dodging both her sword and the whips that kept appearing around his feet.

However, Touma's luck eventually ran out, and his foot caught on one of the iron sand tendrils. He tucked in his head and turned his fall into a roll, eventually stopping in a sitting position.

He immediately reached out his right hand and attempted to grab onto Mikoto's leg, hoping to trip her up in return and negate her ability to destroy her sword. However, the girl reacted quickly, kicking his chest to force him back.

She then brought her iron sand sword down, hoping to deliver a knock-out blow. But Touma reached out his fingers again and brushed against the skin of her shin. He sighed in relief as he saw the sword disintegrate back into independent particles, which harmlessly fell towards the ground.

Mikoto immediately jumped back to give herself some distance, and re-formed the iron sand sword. Meanwhile, Touma took the opportunity to stand back up.

Both of them let out heavy breaths and gave each other excited grins. Touma said to her, "Hey Biri-Biri, I'm surprised you haven't used any lightning attacks yet."

The girl just shrugged and replied, "Eh, I wanted to test out my iron sand abilities to begin with. But, if you insist, I can add in some electricity too!" As she said this, she sent a lightning spear towards him.

Touma began running towards her, negating the lightning spear along the way. He was now going on the offensive, and he could deal with her weapon if she tried to use it against him.

However, Mikoto decided to try out a new tactic. When the boy started to get close to her, she created an intense flash of lightning directly between them, while covering her eyes with her free arm. This move succeeded in temporarily blinding Touma, who was forced to use his left arm to cover his own eyes.

The girl then swung her iron sand sword at him from his left side. Touma, instinctively sensing what was about to happen, frantically twisted his body so the fingers of his right hand could reach the weapon and once again destroy it.

Mikoto smirked, since Touma had reacted exactly how she had expected. With him unable to see, and with her right hand now empty, she simply used it to punch him in the chest, knocking him backwards.

But Touma instinctively grabbed onto her wrist with his right hand, pulling her down along with him. Thus, they both fell towards the ground, with Mikoto landing on top of Touma. Both of them groaned in pain, though Mikoto was glad to have the softer landing.

Touma was slowly starting to regain his vision. He wrapped his left arm around the girl's waist. His right hand was trapped in between their bodies, so he started moving it around, feeling something soft within it.

Mikoto's cheeks reddened as she realized exactly where he was touching her. She raised an eyebrow at him and asked, "Really, you're choosing now of all times to feel me up?"

The boy blushed as well as he learned what his hand was doing. He nervously gulped and replied, "S-sorry. But if I let go, you'll be able to shock me!"

The girl scoffed, "How convenient for you." The two of them looked at each other for a moment, before laughing a bit at how they were in a somewhat similar position as they had been back during their fight in Denmark.

Mikoto placed her hands on his shoulders and mused, "Hmm, I can't use my abilities now, so how should I fight against you." She brushed her thigh between his legs and softly whispered in his ear, "You're pretty vulnerable down here. Should I use my knee to finish you off, and punish you for groping me?"

Touma's eyes widened in fear, and he pleaded, "H-hold on, there's no need for that!" The girl just smirked and continued rubbing her leg against him, as if she was toying with him and waiting for the right moment to strike. With that soft sensation, he couldn't help but let out a moan, even knowing that that pleasure could turn into pain at any moment.

The boy decided to try his own sneaky tactic. He raised his head and planted a kiss on her lips. Mikoto's eyes widened, but they then closed as she began kissing him back. Touma took the opportunity to flip her over, so that he was now on top of her. He used his hands to pin her arms down and pinned her legs together between his legs, immobilizing her completely.

When they finished kissing, Mikoto moaned and looked up at him, asking in an annoyed and flustered tone, "Did you really just use a kiss to distract me?"

Touma smirked and replied in a smug tone, "Hey, you always wanted me to take every opportunity in our fights, right? And don't act like you weren't trying to seduce me into giving up."

Mikoto looked to the side and pouted, muttering, "Fine, I guess you have a point." She tried to escape from under his grasp, squirming with all her might. However, the boy just tightened his grip over her and pushed her harder against the ground.

The boy leaned down and whispered in her ear, "So Biri-Biri, do you surrender?" He also started nibbling on her ear, hoping to entice her.

The girl bit her lip and closed her eyes in pleasure. Eventually, she whispered back in his ear, "Alright, you win, Touma. Go ahead and take me as your prize."

Touma, seeing how vulnerable and submissive she looked pinned under him, needed no further invitation. He leaned down and began passionately making out with the girl, sticking his tongue into her mouth.

The two of them continued this for a while, before finally separating to catch their breath. A part of Touma wanted to continue ravishing her right then and there, but he decided that doing it in public, even in a place no one would likely see them at, wasn't a good idea. So instead, he finally got up and released her.

Touma sat down on the grass, and Mikoto decided to get up and sit down in his lap. The boy wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled his face into her hair, muttering, "Wow, that was some fight."

Mikoto chuckled and replied, "For sure." They both took the opportunity to catch their breaths. Feeling very tired, they cuddled together while looking at the beautiful night sky. The girl relaxed against him and muttered, "I love you, Touma."

The boy kissed the top of her head and replied, "I love you too, Biri-Biri."

The couple stayed in that position for a while before finally heading back home. It had been a long day for them, but they had enjoyed every single moment of their date.