Bonus: The Fate of the Personality Awakening Plan

—At the same time, Kamijou Touma—

"...You sure this is the place?"

"Yes. Unit 19990 should be confined here, Misaka explains."

Kamijou, Mikoto, and one of the Misaka Sisters had made their way to an abandoned research facility in District 7.

Despite the “abandoned” label, Kamijou seemed skeptical that this could actually be the enemy’s base. However, both Mikoto, the Electromaster, and the Sister could sense faint electromagnetic signals being emitted from the devices still operating within the premises.

"Looks like they’re up to something inside. Seriously, skulking around like this... what pathetic excuses for villains. Back then, even Reicia was way more upfront and dignified about it."

As Mikoto muttered in disgust, her mind involuntarily replayed the image of Reicia from those days—prideful to a fault.

She wasn't trying to romanticize Reicia’s behavior. What she did was undoubtedly a manifestation of her own twisted flaws. Her oppressive stance toward the other girls, fueled by an ugly desire for self-assertion, deserved condemnation.

But she hadn’t done it to put others down. She had just been fighting desperately to protect her place in the world. The gears simply hadn’t meshed right. If someone had just realigned them, oiled them properly... none of this would’ve happened.

(And who failed to realize that? Mikoto thought. Even though we kept clashing, even though I kept watching her, who was it that stubbornly labeled her as nothing but evil?)

It wasn't until everything was too late that Mikoto finally understood. She’d happened to be at the bridge when she saw a familiar girl jump. In a panic, she’d used magnetism to pull her back—but the girl was soaked to the bone and slept like the dead.

...Even though she was already drenched, no matter how Mikoto tried to wipe them away, the tears at the corners of her eyes just wouldn’t stop.

Mikoto reflects.

If Reicia could hear those thoughts, she'd probably reject them—maybe even get mad.

『That was my choice, my will, my fault! I haven’t fallen so far that I need someone else to shoulder my mistakes! Honestly, don’t insult me like that！』

...Mikoto could practically see it. Reicia, red-faced and fuming, then awkwardly trying to patch things up with some clumsy follow-up.

They’d only just reunited a short while ago, yet Mikoto already felt so close to her that she could picture the scene clearly in her mind.

And that’s exactly why—this was something Mikoto needed to come to terms with for herself.

No matter what anyone else said, no matter how Reicia herself might deny it, Mikoto—arrogant or not—wanted to be the one who noticed her pain and supported her.

She couldn’t back then.

She wouldn’t let herself fail again.

"...Because she's my friend."

"Hey, hey, Misaka."

As Mikoto tightened her grip into a fist, Kamijou gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don’t forget I’m here too."

"Exactly. Misaka is present as well. Or rather, aren’t we all already acting like we’ve rescued Unit 19990? Misaka points out this glaring issue."

"Of course we are."

Mikoto scratched her cheek awkwardly.

"These small-time crooks? Just the opening act. We've still got one hell of a 『Big Bad Villainess』 to deal with after this."

Chapter 3: No Such Thing as a Clean Getaway – (N)ever_Give_Up.
Bonus: The Fate of the Personality Awakening Plan

And Mikoto’s confidence—wasn’t arrogance.

"...Y’know, I keep forgetting, but you’re ranked third out of the seven Level 5 espers in Academy City..."

Kamijou muttered, half exasperated.

Thanks to Mikoto’s hacking abilities, the facility's security was rendered utterly useless. Even the patrol bots they ran into were immediately hijacked and neutralized. In short, modern automated defense systems had a terrible matchup against Mikoto.

It had been almost five minutes since they entered the premises. As for Kamijou, all he’d done so far was banter with the Misaka Sister and tease Mikoto to lighten the mood. Normally, with him, this kind of infiltration would take ten pages to get inside, another ten for the trouble that follows... but this time, it was moving at the pace of barely three lines.

"...Man, this is unlucky."

Well, technically lucky right now—but in terms of his usual misfortunes, he couldn’t help but feel suspicious.

"What are you mumbling about? Let’s wrap this up and go help Reicia. We still need to collect all the experiment data too."

"Feels like a total bonus stage—Misaka munches on some senbei borrowed from the night guard’s room."

"You what!? So that’s what you were doing when you disappeared earlier!?"

"You guys... you do realize this isn’t a school trip?"

Mikoto said with a sigh, but even then, she didn’t let her guard down. Through electromagnetic scanning, every object within a thirty-meter radius was practically dancing in the palm of her hand.

Which is exactly why she noticed the abnormality immediately.

"...!! You two, quit fooling around! They're coming!"

The moment she said it—

BOGOAA!!
The building’s outer wall exploded like cheap Styrofoam.

"Ahhh, seriously, this the place? Dammit, that ceiling bastard’s really crawled into some dump like this... pathetic. Way too sloppy for someone like him to hide in—huh?"

And then—

Their eyes met.

Those red pupils alone were enough to snap Kamijou out of his casual mood in an instant. There was a clear, dangerous meaning behind them—at least, to Kamijou.

"...You’re—"

"Accelerator...!"

Kamijou didn’t immediately leap at him—partly because of how badly he’d been burned by long-range attacks in their last fight.

But more than that—Accelerator didn’t look hostile.

He didn’t have the face of someone here to ambush them. Rather, it looked like he’d barged into the facility with a whole different agenda of his own.

"...What the hell do you want?"

"That ain't any of your damn business."

Accelerator spat back the words.

"...You're lucky, you bastards. I'm not in the mood to deal with trash like you right now. Get lost. Before I change my mind."

He gave a lazy wave of his hand, as if dismissing them entirely.

Misaka looked wary, but to Kamijou, it seemed like Accelerator really had lost interest in them.

Which meant—he, too, had a reason to be in this lab. That could only mean one thing—probably...

"……………Good luck, Accelerator."

"...Hah?"

"I don't forgive what you did in the past. ...But maybe who you are now... maybe you're finally starting to act like a real ‘strongest’?"

"You..."

"So yeah—go for it. If it’s the current you, I might actually cheer you on."

With a grin, Kamijou started walking forward.

Leaving a dumbfounded Accelerator behind, the spiky-haired boy moved ahead, with Misaka giving him a slap on the head as she and Misaka Imouto followed him deeper into the lab.

"...Tch. Screw this. Either that guy’s screwing with me, or that so-called hero has no damn eye for people."

The white-haired, red-eyed boy’s grumbling faded behind them.

The rest of the journey was surprisingly uneventful.

Sure, there were security robots, absurd science weapons, and even a boss-level researcher, but Misaka took care of everything herself. If Kamijou had been alone, it would’ve been enough for an entire volume's worth of fighting, but that’s Level 5 for you. She basically cleared everything in a single move.

The scientist didn’t even get to finish his grand speech before he got zapped and restrained. For Kamijou, who lives by the “talk first, punch later” motto, it was... kind of pitiful, honestly.

Maybe the lab’s defenses were thin because they were too busy dealing with Accelerator breaking in at the same time.

Anyway, after squeezing the location out of the researcher, they arrived at where Number 19990 was being held.

"This way, says Misaka, doing her best to serve as the group's navigator and differentiate herself from the useless spiky-haired one who just tagged along."

"Hey! Hey!! You really don’t need to rub salt in the wounds of the already heartbroken Kamijou-san!!"

In truth, without Kamijou around, Misaka and Accelerator would’ve probably tried to kill each other the moment they met—so his presence was actually pretty critical. But neither of them seemed to notice.

With a hiss of air, the door opened—and there it was. A tank, like an oversized beaker, filled with fluid, and floating inside—

A single girl.

Number 19990.

Naturally, she was naked.

"Aaaaand here comes the righteous kick for the wholesome development of our youth!!!"

"GAHHHHH! MISAKA-SAN!? THAT WAS TOTALLY UNJUSTI—GWOH, WHY IS LIFE LIKE THIS!?"

Delivered without a moment's pause, her spinning kick smashed straight into Kamijou’s neck (GAHHHH), sending him flying into a desk (GWOH)—and with Mr. Unlucky out of commission, Misaka strode quickly to the tank and tapped on the computer beside it.

"Why don’t you just read those documents over there, says Misaka, pointing to the scattered papers from the crash while ripping down some curtains to use as makeshift clothes for the naked sister."

"...This treatment is just cruel... This is misfortune... I miss dungeon RNG..."

While Kamijou moaned and sifted through papers, Misaka frowned—mainly from jealousy—and smoothly hacked into the system, unlocking everything and pulling Number 19990 out of the tank.

"...Ah, Onee-sama...?"

"It’s okay now. We’re here."

As Misaka Imouto roughly tousled Number 19990’s hair, she simultaneously used the curtain to cover the girl’s exposed body. Once Misaka Mikoto confirmed that, she called out to Kamijou, who had been sifting through the documents.

"Hey, what about over there!?"

"...Yeah. I found something pretty huge."

Kamijou's voice trembled slightly as he responded.

"Huh? What is it? What’s wrong?"

Mikoto approached him casually, but Kamijou silently handed her a booklet.

At first, Mikoto looked puzzled. But the more she read, the more her expression hardened.

Make-Up Program: Personality Excitation Report

With the remaining ten thousand Sisters, it is practically impossible to realign the experiment, which has already been fundamentally derailed.

Therefore, we propose the incorporation of the so-called “unforeseen variable” into the experiment.

By integrating the “unforeseen variable,” we aim to trigger mutual annihilation between interfering factors and restore the experiment to its original, stable course.

To that end, we will analyze and systematize the conditions under which the “unforeseen variable” emerged, and then seal that emotional data within the subject to stimulate personality excitation.

By injecting emotional data into the esper’s Personal Reality, we cause a disturbance within their AIM Diffusion Field. The key to this program is tuning the wavelengths so they resonate with one another, amplifying the disturbance.

In other words, it’s the same principle as creating a large wave by subtly shaking a tray of water.

Through this resonance, the subject’s Personal Reality—via the AIM Diffusion Field—will transform into a more solidified, enhanced state. This is the ultimate goal of the program.

The program is not broadly applicable. Unless specific constants are recalibrated to match each subject’s emotional data and calculation patterns, it will likely fail to operate correctly.

...Out of what remains of my conscience as a researcher, I leave this final note: this experiment is fundamentally a failure.

To use the earlier analogy, executing this program causes the water in the tray to slosh over the edge—meaning, the esper’s power will go out of control.

Unless the “container” is large enough, exceeding its limits will naturally result in death.

—However.

If—if—this program could be run successfully, the subject’s level of consciousness would rise dramatically, achieving a form of “excitation” far beyond simple power growth.