Chapter 41

Night time…

Hinagiku and Mikoto is asleep now, the two had slept for quite a bit before but their mental fatigue hasn’t left them yet. After such a blood-curdling experience even if he did try to play tricks on them to lighten the mental load, there’s still some left…

Wu Yan’s on guard duty sitting beside the bonfire. There might be further raids from youkais, though probably not on the same scale as before, but one can’t be too cautious.As a man he feels like he must take the guard duty. Boring yes, but it’s worth it to watch the 2 moe creature sleeping. He’s an otaku so burning the midnight oil and whatnot he’s pretty blase to it.It’s very wide here, it has to be otherwise it can’t fit the youkai army. Other than this, besides the path they came sliding down of there’s only the big pa.s.sage he’s facing right now.He’s on guard for any potential gaps in their perimeter as well of course.jewel of heavenly palace must be right ahead of here…Looking at the seemingly endless pa.s.sage in front of him he pondered.As long as he can retrieve the jewel and then exchange it for the other half of the mysterious crystal fragment then Mikoto and him can leave this world!After summoning Hinagiku, he wouldn’t have much to do with this world anymore.Before transport event, he was very moe about Hayate the combat butler’s world, but that didn’t mean he’s satisfied now!On the system’s transcript world list, he recalls with perfect clarity each and everyone of his dream on it. How can he be satisfied before actually going through those places?He might bring Hinagiku back here but stop? No freaking way!Hayate the Combat Butler is but the first stop of his journey!“This is what you meant by night vigil? Going blank sitting here.”As his thoughts wandered towards the limitless boundary far away a voice drew him back, He lifted his head and saw railgun staring at him with a slightly upset expression.“Can’t sleep? Why are you up?”Awkwardly touching his head, he admits it’s pretty neglectful of him not to notice her approach in his musings.“N, I I just woke up, maybe I’ve slept too much before and can’t fall asleep now.”Casually throwing him off she sat by his side.“Maa, that’s the railgun I know, always on her feet.”He didn’t even think through his words and just blurted them out.Leering at him she snapped at him.“What do you mean by that! Are you saying I’m not feminine? What’s more, what’s up with railgun? Are you making fun of me?”Dryly laughing he presed his fingers agains this cheeks.“Come now, don’t angry at little ol me, let’s turn that frown upside down!”“Don’t sell moe in front of me! It’s disgusting!” (Tl: )Holding back the urge to hit him right in his face, if not for Hinagiku who’s still asleep she would probably have made him taste thunder.Though he’s laughing on the surface he’s actually relieved that she has recovered from her experience, he was afraid she It’s fortunate that his sacrifice from before wasn’t wasted….“Hey, don’t dodge the question, what’s up with calling me railgun (炮姐)?”Ignoring his idiot act, she pursued him because she still feels like he’s mocking her by calling her that.“Maa maa…”He scratched his face before continuing“You’re a super railgun no? Calling you railgun is merely out of respect.”She raised her eyebrow at him.“Why do I still feel like that’s not the whole truth?”“Don’t mind the details, details are for ⑨!”“No way can I not mind!”She retorted with high pitch.“Calling me sister and whatnot, you’re much older than me ya know, you uncle!” “Un.. uncle!”Electrified in another sense of the word, he’s pretty hurt at railgun who has evolved an element of being poisonous tongued.I’m only 20! I’m not some uncle! You half loli!This is what he’s shouting inside because if he did voice it out he’s pretty sure he wouldn’t be far from death’s door if he did so. That’s why he’s feeling frustrated right now.She’s pretty amused by his expression that looks like he just ate some s.h.i.t then she looked at the fire in front of her and began to tune out.Wu Yan who had recovered from some unknown time observed this change in her and for some reason can’t stop his urge of talking to her.“What’s the matter? Homesick?”He asked her with a light tone to see her nod in agreement and then shake her head again, he for one is confused that’s for sure.Perhaps perceiving his confusion, she threw him a glance and continued.“Actually, homesick is not the right for it, it’s like I’m not dissatisfied with my previous life or anything it’s just that in Academy City it’s go to school, go back from school, arcades and the likes….”Maybe it’s because she had her life merged with his or because she didn’t have any confidante before but she feels itchy like if she didn’t spill it all out she wouldn’t be satisfied.“On this world however, there’s a lot of exciting stuff, exorcist, youkais and whatnot…”When she reached youkai her tone became unnatural, maybe she recalled the battle from before.She recovered quickly however.“But now, I miss Academy City, my parents, my undercla.s.smen, although she’s …. an oddball…”It seems the trauma from Yuri girl is pretty bad…“In other words, you’re conflicted on whether to return or stay here to seek out more thrills.”He nailed it with that tsukkomi. At the same time he can’t help feeling vexed at her, as expected of railgun, thrill seeking and the likes it’s no wonder she seeks out those delinquents.“…It’s like what you said but somehow coming from your mouth, it feels kinda annoying?”“With your temper, the only time you’re pleased would be when you’re electrocuting other people right…”He muttered so while being very discreet.“What did ya say?”“Nothing!”Leered at by her he quickly shook his head put his hands up.She curled her lips and turned away pretending not to have heard anything.Life in Academy City being… normal is it?…He sighed inwardly, not sure how to break it to her.The thing about …The system already said that before he enters that transcript world, the character summoned is the one that exist a day before the start of the storyline! He doesn’t know where exactly this a day before storyline starts, is it scientific railgun or magical index? But at least during this two period she didn’t know a day before either of these 2 started about the existence of the sisters!One could see just how soft hearted she is when she fought for the sake of her sisters as if they’re very significant existences to her, going as far to put her life on the line to put an end to .And now that she’s summoned, even if the story inside her world is still frozen the misaka sisters are there already!How many has died on this particular day, that’s his real concern of which he isn’t sure about the answer.If she knows about this she would very alarmed right? This girl who thinks it her fault the sisters have to accept the fate given to them…But if he doesn’t tell her then it would be even more cruel, the sisters are sisters to Mikoto…To tell or not to tell that is the question…His face grew grim before looking at Mikoto. With a low voice and much hesitation he decided. “Mikoto….”Facing towards him and seeing the expression on his face she became puzzled.“What?”Sighing he turned serious and with a commensurate tone continued.“If… If I were to say that Academy City is not as heavenly a place as you imagine it is, what would you do?”“Not as heavenly aplace as I imagine?”Looking at his glum look she froze. As a lv5 and calculative abilities beyond normal level her IQ abosolutely isn’t low, in fact it might be higher than him by a lot. From how he puts it, it doesn’t seem like he’s saying it just for fun.Instantly she frowned while questioning him.“Yan, you know something don’t you.”“Well, I…”“Don’t try to play it down!”Before he could respond she stopped him with her palm.“I know that as the summoner and with such a fantastic thing such as system you might know a lot more stuff. Which is probably the reason why you didn’t just summon some other random people but me, it’s because you understood me that’s why you summoned me didn’t you?”Stunned he plainly laid it out to her.“That might not be so, at the time I was only looking for someone that can protect Hinagiku that’s why I chose the one most apt to do so!”This isn’t false, he might dig 2d characters a lot but he summoned for the sake of Hinagiku. Also, because she likes railgun as well but that’s part of the bigger picture.Not convinced with his argument she refuted him.“Before this if you have pointed the same things out I would have believed you but after spending some time with you, Yan. I have realized that every sentence and behaviour you exhibited feels very calculated and precise, I do not believe that you can do something like to someone you’ve just summoned if you didn’t understand her well!”“Maybe the system gave me all the necessary details? Just like how it gave you some of mine!”She grinned after hearing him.“After listening to you I am even more convinced that you understood me long before you summoned me!”Stunned by her response he helplessly laughed.“You used my words against me…”“Tell me, Yan!”Her tea colored eyes carried an intense seriousness.“Why did you say Academy City isn’t that good a place!”His head is hurting now, under her stern gaze he went silent before spilling the beans, about clones, sisters, accelerator and… the lv6 shift project… (Tl: raw says absolute esper plan, this might be big picture>> but going by what is at the start of this paragraph is most likely referring to the more specific plan of lv6 shift project rather than the overarching grand design.)Under his narration, her face went metallic green, filled with anger, and then when he arrived at the lv6 shift project, she turned ghastly white and after he’s done she lowered her head.“It’s… my fault…”Raising her head she looked overhead at the ceiling with blank eyes.This situation was within prediction…Standing up, he went over to her side and hugged her.Surprised she returned to her senses and wanted to struggle free, but before she could do that Wu Yan’s voice went into her ears which made her stop all actions.“Being altruistic is not wrong but Mikoto you must be realistic, relax, right now your world’s time is frozen, sisters will not be harmed for the time being, after we get stronger and hand Accelerator his a.s.s with a crutch we can go save the sisters!”Listening to him she went mum.Until a moment when he felt that someone moved a little inside his embrace did he break a smile…