After powering through some writer's block, I'm back again with another chapter! Sorry this took so long.
I'll be honest, I'm not too proud of this one. I think it's passable, but one of my clunkier works. Still, I'll let you guys be the judge.
It a big day for this story. Four years old and seventy-one chapters in, and we're still going. Here's to more chapters and arcs in the future.
For now, let's look at those reviews you all left in the last chapter.
zero fullbuster: Glad you liked it. Sorry this took so long.
DarkGath: Yes and no. That dragon is the same dragon we've seen from Touma in-canon. At this point, about as much of it is known of it as in-canon. There will be more to it here than in-canon, so I'll leave you with that little knowledge of nugget to theorize with.
Isokage: Sorry this one took so much longer. Shizuri and Accelerator will actually be meeting in this chapter, so I hope you like how that plays out.
Zatil Hidayah Spensa: Before we got to the Orsola Arc, we have a slice-of-life chapter here, where all the Level 5s close to Touma meet under one roof. How well it goes will be seen in the chapter. The Orsola Arc will start next chapter. More Esther is always good, as is addition lore. In hindsight, Touma probably should have reacted a bit more poorly to Hishigata's death. Still, he did what he could and everyone knew there was no way to get him to Heaven Canceller in time, so I'd like to think Touma would be able to be a bit more accepting.
Rekuta: Sorry this update didn't take nearly as fast. The scene with the Door was actually supposed to reference Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal rather than Naruto. Note the raised path and the door shaped like a face, rather than a sewer with jailcell bars. I intentionally skipped the Liberal Arts City Arc because it would have been redundant to do without the addition of extra characters, only really changing with the Railgang actually being able to recognize Magic. You can be sure that everyone from Academy City will be getting more involved with Magic and vice versa; that's kinda a pillar of this story. Another pillar of the story is closer character relationships, so you can bet for sure that Accelerator will be becoming a part of Touma's high school class. I appreciate the offer to use your OCs, I'd rather just create my own as the situation calls for them rather then adapt someone else's OC to fit my story. I feel it wouldn't do them justice. Besides, I'm already working with a whole slew of characters in STUDY who had so little characterization in Railgun S that they are practically OCs.
Nemonobody001: Thanks for the kind words. That's right, next up is the Orsola Arc, followed by the two Daihasei Festival Arcs. There might be an additional original chapter here or there if I feel the need to make one.
Anime-ted Life116: I mean, that can be said about 50% of all anime protagonists. They are either overpowered as hell, or super specialized that they only really work in the context of their own worlds. The offer made by the Door was something I had stewing for a while and is not meant to be in reference to the Magic Gods introduced in NT. It is something original that could be considered greater than a Magic God. More people know about Magic, which means things are only going to get a more crazy from here. Yomikawa is a responsible and understanding adult. An official cover story would be the best course of action given the information Touma gave her on the political climate. That said, there would be no records of what really happened, so I doubt Uiharu would be able to fish anything out.
azlil7: This chapter is a slice-of-life chapter, but it naturally still has significance as it establishes the relationship between the three Level 5s we've met so far without Touma acting as a intermediary. Shizuri is also going to have a more relaxed role in the coming Orsola Arc, but that could easily change mid-production. As for any hidden talents, Shizuri has none as the special trait of the Kamijou Clan is a high affinity for both Magic and Esper Abilities. Basically, descendants of the Kamijou Clan would all rank super high on Academy City's Parameter List if they weren't already Gemstones, and could perform Magic on a high level than most Magicians. This was something I came up with as a natural extension of the fact Touya performed Angel Fall completely by accident, and Shizuri is the fourth ranked Level 5.
GunsAndMagic: Happy you find the new lore so interesting.
5had0wHand: Looking at my story stats, the prelude to the Necromancer Arc, Chapter 63 Job for a Friend, was first posted on November 7, 2020. Kinda hard to believe it took me nearly a year to finish that arc, though 2020-2021 was a busy year for me. The Orsola Arc will be starting next chapter, with this one being a slice-of-life chapter to establish some new character dynamics. Yeah, Touma doesn't have to lie anymore, but that doesn't mean he's going to stop trying to keep her from getting involved. Still, opens a lot of opportunities down the road. Glad you liked all the additional lore I introduced. Raised paths and bridges in seemingly endless voids seems to be a reoccurring trend in fiction.
ahsoei: Glad you liked the chapter. Yeah, I remember that chat. You pointed out to me that I had mistakenly made Accelerator's time limit shorter than in canon. Thanks again for that.
H17 (Guest): Sorry this one took so long. I have to admit, the last chapter is up there in my top five arc finales, along side Sister and Silent Party. I knew I wanted Esther to stick around, but it had to be organic, thus I decided to have Touma debate with her on the matter but ultimately make the decision her own. Touma's a seasoned liar, even in canon. You'd expect him to tell a convincing lie when it calls for it. While Touma will learn about Yuri's expanded powers eventually, this particular moment was Yuri's and I wanted Touma being hurt to be one of factors that helped push Yuri past his limits. Glad you liked the chapter so much.
comrade-elmo1: So you think Esther left, do you? Well, we'll see about that.
LegallyRestricted: Sadly, Shizuri isn't going to get any new powers. In sticking with the established canon lore, having an Esper Ability, no matter how minor, bars one from gaining access to powers outside its purview. The familial quirk of the Kamijou Clan is that they have a naturally high inclination to both Esper Abilities and Magic. If a Kamijou is not born a Gemstone outright, it takes very little effort to coax that power out. Basically, a Kamijou is guaranteed to place high on the Parameter List. At the same time, any Magic a Kamijou performs will be much more powerful than that of another Magician with similar training. Note how Touya managed to cast a power spell like Angel Fall completely by accident. Magic may be based on Idol Theory, but a large part of how powerful a Magician is is up to their own affinity for the art. Academy City has some pretty intense PR, plus everyone in the city has always shown skepticism regarding Magic, so I'd imagine that most parties wouldn't pick up on the secret, or at the very least they wouldn't consider Magic an option. Unfortuantely, I don't have any plans for Shizuri to be too involved with Magic conflicts for at least a couple of arcs. The earliest that's happening is the Queen of the Adriatic Sea Arc.
DuckBoi: Happy you liked the chapter. Oh, you can bet that the Door will be showing up more in the future. It's going to be a reoccurring thing for the next couple of arcs.
janjakennen: Glad you liked the chapter. Esther, going forward, is going to be the go-to Magician for whenever Touma and those close to him in Academy City need so magical assistance, given that Tsuchimikado risks killing himself every time he uses his Magic and Index can't use it at all. Future arc that take Touma, and any other Judgement character for that matter, outside of Academy City are naturally going to be lacking the use of ODD and other STUDY developed gadgets, as per Academy City's policy with its technology. Fights will naturally be different from those happening in Academy City as a result. I actually haven't planned too much past OT, so the living situations of the Kamijou siblings and ITEM are going to be up in the air for a while. Shizuri will actually be doing something far less action packed during the Daihasei, and that's hosting her parents. She's not going to be too much focus in the main plot outside of getting convinced by Touma to do the Daihasei opening ceremony. Instead, she will be hosting her parents while trying to convince them that something needs to be done about the constant threats Touma finds himself facing, ultimately playing into her growth or realizing that Touma isn't the unfortunate little boy who constantly needed his big sister's protection anymore. Naturally, other girls are still going to be pining aver Touma after he ad Mikoto officially start dating. I write harem for the comedy, otherwise I wouldn't write it at all. Nunotaba, Janie, and Febri will all be appearing during WWIII Arc. They're roles will be minor in the grand scheme of things, but they will still play into the major takeaway of the arc. Oh, Touma and Shizuri will be having that full blown fight eventually. However, it might be happening sooner than you may think.
OnePunchPlayer: ...Wow. I know I have been gone a long time, but I have no idea what to make of what you wrote down.
Sentient Mop: Happy you liked the chapter.
MrQuestionMark: Always good to see you leave a review! The new lore has been something I have been working on for a long time, and it's been evolving in the background since first conception. When inserting additional characters, I want to make sure they get plenty of spot light, while not taking away too much form those that proceeded them. Staying close to the stations of canon has been a reoccurring criticism, but I assure you that big changes are in store, it's just a matter of getting to them.
mohamadstar94: Glad you liked the chapter. It was nice to have you along for the ride the last four years. Don't feel bad about dropping the story if it no longer interests you, assuming you came back to read the review response.
SaSaltyDog: Glad I was about to change your mind on this arc. Considering I stuck close to canon for the most part, I'd call that an accomplishment. Don't you worry. You're reading the work of bonified Kamikoto trash. There will be plenty of Kamikoto in the future.
Yuuji Akira: Happy to know my writing is doing you some good!
Komigakuo: Glad you liked the chapter. If I'm going to write Touma and Yuri as the best of childhood friends, I really have to sell it. Esther is going to be having more appearances in the future. She is, after all, the only Magician resident in Academy City not suffering from complications that keep her from using her Magic. Yeah, the events of the Liberal Arts City story were always going to be a noddle incident, seeing as it would have been redundant to cover them in the first place. Don't worry, you'll get your AccelXSaten, just you wait.
TrainerRed164: Glad you liked the chapter. Oh? Imagine Breaker's original form was an amulet and not an arm-like arrow? I never said that. Where did you possibly get that notion from? What makes you think my take on Imagine Breaker is any different from canon? That's the beauty of Imagine Breaker, there's so much unknown about it that there are a lot of gaps that can be filled in without technically breaking away from canon.
jayasimha: Thank you for the suggestion. I'll keep that in mind.
Justin Sewell1: Glad you like the story. Good luck with your own work.
Well, that's that. We've been doing this for four years now, so you all know the drill.
Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.
Chapter 71: Food for Thought
"How the hell did you afford a place like this?"
Those were the first words to come out of Yuri's mouth when he saw the apartment complex Touma Kamijou called home. While the two of them had been separated for about a decade, Yuri knew enough about Academy City's stipend system to know that there was no way Touma could afford to live in such a high-end apartment complex. A Level 0 like Touma, especially the Weakest Level 0, should be scraped for cash, desperately trying to catch every sale and coupon that came their way just to feed themselves. Unless Touma was lucky enough to win a lottery, and with Touma's luck that was practically impossible, there was no way in hell he could have scrounged up the funds to afford the apartment by himself.
"I've never seen an apartment complex so nice, says Misaka Misaka, marveling at the building in which The Savior lives in," Last Order said in awe.
"Seriously, how the hell did you pull this off?" Yuri asked his best friend, "I thought you were still dirt poor!"
"Well, technically I am." Touma admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, "I'm actually not the one paying for it. I happened to find my older sister not long after I found you. Once we reunited, she bought this apartment and I moved in with her. You know, to make up for lost time. It turns out she became a powerful Esper over the years, so she gets a ton of funds from Academy City."
"Still, even for a Level 4, a place like this would be pushing it." Yuri reasoned, "Was she so excited to be able to live with you again that she forget the basics of personal finance?"
"…Sort of?" Touma shrugged, "You'll understand when you meet her. She'll be eating lunch with us, of course."
Not wanting to go into further detail for reasons only Touma himself understood, the Level 0 led his best friend and his young charge into the apartment. As they rode the elevator up to the tenth floor, Touma could not help but feel anxious about the day's lunch plans. Touma Kamijou was an idiot in many fields, but if there was one thing he understood, it was people. He could tell when two or more people didn't like one another, and the Level 5s wore their hatred for one another on their sleeves. Shizuri and Mikoto's distaste for one another was palpable, and Mikoto had over 10031 reasons to hate Yuri's guts. Based on this trend, it was very likely that Yuri and Shizuri would hate each other on principle.
Despite the likelihood of this lunch meet going up in smoke, Touma was hopeful. The Level 5s he knew were like family to him, and in Shizuri's case, actual family. He wanted to hang on to the hope that they could all get along, for his sake at least. After all, Mikoto and Shizuri were able to get along mostly amicably once they learned of their shared relationship to him. Perhaps the same could apply to Yuri and Shiuri. After all, the two already some familiarity with one another in the past during their shared childhood, so things might go smoother.
Before long, the trio found themselves in front of the tenth apartment on the tenth floor, the very apartment Touma called home. Taking a deep breath, Touma opened the door, letting himself and his two guests in.
"Sis, I'm home!" Touma announced himself, "I brought over those friends I told you about."
"Sorry to intrude! Says Misaka Misaka as she excitedly kicks off her shoes!" Last Order called out.
Yuri simply gave a gruff hum to weakly mimic the sentiment.
Exiting her bedroom, Shizuri came out to greet the guests at the door. However, as soon as she locked eyes with the albino in the room, both of them froze in place. Touma could actually feel the tension in the air and the temperature in the room dropped to several degrees below freezing. Last Order felt it too, hugging Touma's leg for comfort as Accelerator was one of the sources of such tension.
"Sis, this is Yuri, my first friend from when we first came to Academy City. Yuri, this is Shizuri, my older sister." Touma introduced the Level 5s to one another, "You remember each other, right?"
"…Touma, when did your friend become such a brat?"
"…Touma, when did your sister become such a bitch?"
"…This is not going as well as I hoped." Touma sighed.
After the craziness that was Liberal Arts City, Mikoto was happy to be able to return to her own brand of normalcy once she and her friends returned to Academy City. She was also pleasantly surprised to find a care package from her mother waiting for her when she arrived, one filled with loads of prime meat. The package also came with a letter from her mother, and while it was always nice to hear from home, she could go without the teasing regarding the possibility of the nutrients of the meat aiding in her physical development, particularly in the chest region.
The teasing message aside, Mikoto was grateful for the food. While her dorm had its own kitchen and Mikoto was no stranger to cooking, she figured that meat this good was best prepared by the most skilled cook she knew. Thus, the Level 5 decided to lug the crate of prime meat to the Kamijou residence and have Touma cook something up for them for lunch. As a bonus, Kuroko, Uiharu, Saten, and Index were all preoccupied that day, and chances were Shizuri would be out of the house with work of some sort. If everything played out in her favor, it would be the perfect opportunity for her and Touma to have another attempt at a lunch date after their last attempt was interrupted by Aztec Magician Etzali. If Mikoto was going to sell herself as a girlfriend for Touma, she needed to take every opportunity she could get.
Standing in front of the Kamijou apartment, Mikoto gave a tentative knock, waiting with baited breath that Touma was the one to answer. To her luck, he did. However, the high school boy had an expression on his face that suggested that now might not be the best time to ask for a lunch date.
"Hey, Mikoto." Touma greeted, a somewhat pained smile on his face, "What brings you here?"
"I just got this care package from my mom willed with some great meat and was wondering if you could cook it for me, maybe even make it a lunch date." Mikoto explained, presenting the crate she was carrying, "Is now a bad time? I can come back next week if it helps."
"No, it's fine. It might actually be better if you come in now, like ripping off an old bandage. We just can treat this as another one of our trial dates." Touma insisted, "Besides, meat tends to lose its quality the longer you keep it frozen. Best that I cook this stuff now rather than a week later."
"…What are you not telling me?" Mikoto asked, sensing something was off when Touma compared his current situation to ripping off an old bandage.
"…You'll see when you come in." Touma replied, stepping aside to let Mikoto in.
When Mikoto saw what exactly Touma was so worried about, she was not sure whether to be surprised or not. On one hand, Touma had two Level 5s sitting across from one another at the kitchen table, glaring at one another. On the other hand, said Level 5s were Shizuri and Accelerator, individuals Mikoto was well aware of having histories with Touma, histories the eclipsed her own with him by about a decade.
"Sis, we have another surprise guest." Touma announced, gaining the attention of both Level 5s at the table.
"…Oh, it's the princess." Shizuri sighed, sounding more tired than angry, "You picked a real shitty time to drop by, Railgun."
"What's the Third Rate doing here?" Accelerator asked, sounding rather miffed.
"She came by unexpectedly with a crate of meat she wanted me to cook for her." Touma explained, "I didn't want to turn her down and risk letting all the meat go to waste, so she'll be joining us."
"Eh?" Mikoto asked, not liking the idea of her sitting within such close proximity to two of the three Level 5s she hated the most.
"Big sister is joining us for lunch!? Asks Misaka Misaka, thrilled by the prospect of having a meal with her big sister!" Last Order cheered, popping into view from behind Accelerator.
"Eh!?" Mikoto asked again, utterly confused by the presence of a ten-year-old version of her sitting in such close proximity to the Level 5 that slaughter 10031 of her sisters.
"It's a long story that would be better explained by Yuri." Touma replied, gently pushing her towards the dinner table, "Why don't you four all have a much needed chat while I prepare lunch?"
"EH!?" Mikoto cried out as she was dropped in a seat in between Shizuri and Accelerator.
By the time Mikoto had snapped out of her stupor, Touma had retreated into the kitchen to prepare their meal. The third ranked Level 5 could only let out a sigh as she was forced to accept that this was her reality for the time being.
"Rotten luck." Mikoto sighed.
"Yeah, he tends to spread it to people close to him." Accelerator agreed.
"Try living with him." Shizuri added.
With nothing better to do, Mikoto decided to take Touma's advice and try to strike up a conversation with the other two Level 5s. Specifically, she decided it was about time she directly confronted Accelerator, or as Touma called him, Yuri Suzushina, regarding his current situation. After all, he was Touma's best friend and she could keep avoiding him forever. And there was also the matter of the young Sister who seemed rather attached to the first ranked Level she and Shizuri manage to tolerate one another because of their shared relationship to Touma, Mikoto figured she could do the same with Yuri.
"So, Suzushina." Mikoto began.
"Just call me Accelerator." the first ranked cut in, "It keeps things simple."
"Alright. Accelerator." Mikoto started again, "What are you doing with one of my little sisters, and why is she so much younger than the rest of them."
"Misaka is the control tower of the Misaka Network, says Misaka Misaka, explaining her superiority over all other Misakas." Last Order explained proudly, "Misaka can rely commands to all other Misakas, and the thoughts of all other Misakas pass through her. Misaka's serial number is 20001."
"Basically, she's how the researchers behind Project Level 6 Shift controlled the other Sisters," Accelerator clarified, "She was never meant to be used in the experiment, so she was kept in an underdeveloped state. Eventually, a bastard of a researcher from the project tried to use her as part of a revenge plot, so she was let out to keep her out of harm's way."
"So how did she end up with you?" Mikoto asked.
"She sort of just tracked me down and I ended up dealing with the problem." Accelerator replied, fiddling with his choker, "I have this thing because I got shot in the head for my troubles. Now I rely on the Misaka Network just to function like a human being and use my Esper Ability at a fraction of the power of what I used to."
"Kills over half of the clones and now he needs the other half just to function." Shizuri chuckled, "What a joke."
"Watch it, Forth Rate." Accelerator snapped, "Just because I've gotten weaker doesn't mean you've gotten stronger. Even with a fraction of my previous power, I'm still the first ranked."
"Cocky little brat." Shizuri grumbled under her breath.
"Wait, if she's center of the whole Misaka Network, then…" Mikoto trailed.
"Don't remind me." Yuri clicked his tongue, "That's why I'm taking care of her. It's the least I can do to make up for putting her and the rest of the Sisters in their current situation."
"Hmph. Kid kills 10031 girls and now he thinks protecting the other 9970 will clean the red from his ledger and earn him redemption" Shizuri scoffed.
"You think I don't realize how ridiculous that sounds?" Accelerator replied, looking away, "I know no amount of good that I do will make up for all the pain that I've caused. That's why I'm going to do whatever I can to make up for it, to pay off as much as I can in the time I do have. Besides, it's the same for you, isn't it? Isn't that why came out of hiding and started living with Touma after a decade? To make up for all that lost time spent killing in Academy City's Dark Side?"
Shizuri's own silence on the subject spoke volumes.
"And don't think I'm going to give you an apology, Third Rate." Accelerator continued, "My debts lie with the Sisters, not you. No words I can possibly say will make up for what I've done, so I'm not going to waste my breath on them."
"He may seem dismissive, but he really does mean well, explains Misaka Misaka, understanding that Accelerator is not very good at expressing himself." Last Order declared, only to be met with a light chop on the top of her head.
"Don't speak for others, brat." Accelerator huffed, lifting his hand from her head.
"How could you strike such an adorable little girl!? Demands Misaka Misaka, baffled and angered by your brazen disregard for her well-being while claiming to be remorseful!" Last Order screamed as she started feebly pounding on her guardian's chest with her fists.
"It's called discipline." Accelerator declared, delivering another chop to the little girl's head, "Try to learn something from it."
The moment Accelerator finished his sentence, he found himself losing all his higher functions. Within seconds, his limbs went limp and he was unable to keep his balance, prompting him to fall off his chair and collapse on the floor.
"What just happened!?" Mikoto asked, baffled by the sight of the strongest Esper suddenly collapsing out of his seat.
"I revoked his access to the Misaka Network! Declares Misaka Misaka, taking pride in her superior status within the Misaka Network." Last Order explained, "That should teach you to not bite the hand that feeds you! Taunts Misaka Misaka, relishing in the course of action she had taken that the internet would referred to as 'big brained'!"
Seeing Accelerator collapsed on the floor like he was, the other two Level 5s in the room could not hope to keep their laughter in. While both Shizuri and Mikoto found it hilarious that the strongest Esper could be so easily controlled by a little girl, the latter was also treated with the knowledge that Accelerator's current situation was not dissimilar to one Touma regularly faced. While Touma had always managed to keep Index disciplined, there were the occasional incidents where she got riled up enough by his disciplinary measures that she would retaliate by biting his head. Despite his numerous experiences in high stakes combat scenarios and his near godlike reflexes, Touma could never hope to properly defend against the jaws of the nun-in-training. Accelerator being in pain was funny enough, but the knowledge that the Level 5's best friend often had similar experiences made all the funnier.
Once Last Order had decided that her guardian had suffered enough, she once again granted Accelerator access Misaka Network, allowing him to function as a human being once again.
"You two really are birds of a feather, you know that?" Mikoto mused as the First Ranked seated himself.
"Hm?" Accelerator hummed in inquiry.
"You and Touma." the Electromaster clarified, "You two look like total opposites in almost every way physically, yet your lives are almost mirror images of one another. Your relationship with Last Order is practically identical to the relationship Touma has with our friend, Index."
"Index? Like the part of a book?" Accelerator asked, "What the hell kind of name is that?"
"It's a long story I don't really understand myself." Mikoto replied, sweeping the issue under the rug.
"He wasn't always like that." Shizuri reminisced with a smirk, "I remember the day Touma and I first met you when we arrived in Academy City. For a kid who accidentally put people in the hospital when they touched him, he sure looked timid and scrawny. Nice to know at least one of those things hasn't changed."
"Bite me." Accelerator replied, "What about you? I remembered you being the sweet, doting type. That's not the vibe I'm getting from you know."
"Of course not. Why would I act like that around anyone other than my brother?" Shizuri scoffed, "What, do you want me to treat you like that too? I remember you getting all embarrassed whenever I treated you like that as a kid."
"Don't you dare bring that up!" Accelerator suddenly screamed, Shizuri apparently striking a nerve.
"What was that all about?" Mikoto asked, jumping from Accelerator's outburst.
"Oh, you'll get a kick out of this." Shizuri grinned, "Since Touma was his only friend when they were kids, he was totally socially inept. When ever I tried to take to him, he would always avert his eyes or hid behind Touma for safety. I had half the mind to think he had a crush on me back then."
"Like any guy would crush on you with your attitude." Accelerator huffed, prompting a mischievous giggle from Shizuri.
"… You two are surprisingly amicable." Mikoto observed absentmindedly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Accelerator asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't know. I guess I expected you both to be a bit more… violent, I guess?" Mikoto shrugged, "I mean, I've seen both of your tempers in action. You have to admit they're both pretty nasty."
"And yours isn't? Touma told me about how you used to shock him pretty much every time you ran into each other on the streets." Shizuri pointed out.
"And don't think I didn't noticed the condition Touma was in when he arrived at the trainyard that night. It was obvious he had just taking an serious electrical bombardment from you just before fighting me."
"W-well I don't do that anymore!" Mikoto cried defensively, prompting the other two Level 5s to let out a quiet laugh.
"You three appear to be getting along." Touma noted happily as he approached to table.
"If this is what you consider, 'getting along', I'd hate to see how you interact with your other friends." Accelerator scoffed.
"Trust me, the fist fights he gets into with his friends from school make your fight look like child's play." Mikoto said.
"Ha ha, very funny." Touma replied dryly, "Don't bite the hand that feeds you, because I just about finished with preparing lunch."
"What did you make? Asks Misaka Misaka, her eagerness to taste the Savior's home cooking." Last Order begged, practically jumping out of her seat.
A smirk crawling up Touma's face, the Level 0 quickly retreated into the kitchen before returning with a full plate in hand.
"Courtesy of Mikoto's generous donation, today's Kamijou Special is beef rib eye steak with a mixed vegetable garnish."
Once Touma placed the first plate down on the table, those already seated were able to get a closer look at the meal the Level 0 had prepared. Taking center stage on the plate was a large cut of rib eye cooked medium rare. On the side was a garnish consisting of sauteed asparagus, stewed carrots, and fried potato wedges. The fragrance of the steak was enough to make one salivate, so much so that the childish Last Order was willing to overlook the inclusion of vegetables to appreciate the main course.
Seeing that his loved ones were amply impressed by the first steak, Touma made a few more round trips to the kitchen to retrieve four more plates with an identical meal. He place each plate in front of one of the seats before seating himself between Mikoto and Yuri. After giving thanks, the lunch party began digging into their meal. With such delicious food in front of them, most of the animosity the Level 5 had with one another was mostly forgotten. Aside from the occasional scolding Yuri gave to Last Order regarding the importance of eating one's vegetables, the meal was peaceful.
"This is nice." Touma mused as he ate, "We should get together to do this more often."
"Are you sure about that?" Mikoto asked, "We barely managed to keep things civil this time. I'm not sure how much more silent killing intent my heart can take."
"Excuse me? Who exactly are you accusing?" Shizuri accused, feeling personally attacked by the Railgun's comment.
"See! This is exactly what I'm talking about!" Mikoto yelled.
"Why, I ought a…" Shizuri growled.
"Damn, you two are insufferable." Accelerator grumbled between bites, "You've known each other for a less than a month and you already act like in-laws."
"Oh, don't you start too!" Mikoto barked.
"You couldn't stand up to me in that train yard, yet you do so in this scenario from a crappy sitcom?" the first ranked sighed, "I'm starting to get why the brat is so backwards in the head."
Despite the rising tension around the table, Touma couldn't but let out a soft chuckle. The chuckled earned him some odd looks from everyone else, all of whom had the same question in mind.
'Why are you so happy?' everyone thought simultaneously.
"I'm sorry." Touma apologized, "It's just it's nice to see you all so honest with one another."
The three Level 5s seated at the table all exchanged a confused look.
"I realize all of you have some animosity between you. After everything that's happened, that's a no-brainer." Touma explained, "Still, I'm glad you're all willing to put up with each other for my sake, as well as air your grievances to maybe bridge the gaps between you. Even if you guys can't be perfectly fine with one another, it makes me happy to know you're putting the effort."
Despite the absurdity of the claim, the Level 5s seated at the table couldn't help but chuckle themselves. They all had their issues with one another, but they could all agree on one thing: Touma was worth putting up with each other for. That, and they all loved Touma's cooking. Having found some peace for the day, the rag-tag group of friends and family helped themselves to the meal Touma prepared.
And that's the chapter. Like I said, not one of my better works. Unfortunately, my writer's block is keeping me from coming up with a good end card segment, and I don't have any trivia for this chapter.
Instead, I'm just going to let you know that I will be binging the Orsola Arc to properly prepare for writing the next arc, so it may take a while. Until next time.