Chapter 689: The Emotions of the Three Tushan Sisters! Shocking Misaka Mikoto for a Whole Year!
Misaka Mikoto stared at the chat interface projected in her mind, suspecting that her auditory nerves—or perhaps her sanity—had finally short-circuited.
Time Reversal.
It was a concept thrown around in sci-fi novels and bad movies, but to witness it? To see a ruined world pieced back together, frame by frame, like a video tape being rewound by a god's hand?
"How... how can anyone simply reverse time on a planetary scale?" she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
But thinking back to the miracle she had just witnessed with her own eyes, logic failed her. The destruction, the death, the utter annihilation of the fox demon realm—it had all been undone.
It seemed that only the impossible concept of 'Time Reversal' could explain the reality before her.
But this was too exaggerated, wasn't it? Even for a Level 5 Esper, this was leagues beyond calculation. Misaka Mikoto's scientific worldview, already cracked, was now crumbling into dust.
[Misaki Shokuhou: Time reversal? Wait a moment. Are you telling me those people were literally resurrected by reversing the flow of time itself?!]
Misaki Shokuhou, who hailed from the same world as Mikoto, shared her incredulity. Her worldview was exceptionally consistent with Mikoto's.
After all, both of them were high-level Espers from Academy City. They dealt with calculations, mental phenomena, and physics. They had never had any contact with the true magic side, let alone divine intervention of this magnitude.
[Kushina: Don't be so surprised, you two. This is something Ren-kun can easily do. He's the Administrator, after all.]
[Exusiai: That's right! Let alone resurrecting the dead, I'm pretty sure creating an entire universe is just a Tuesday afternoon activity for him. Hallelujah!]
[Misaki Shokuhou: …]
[Ying Zheng: No, Exusiai is exaggerating slightly, but the sentiment holds. However, even knowing the Administrator's power, witnessing such a miracle firsthand is still astounding. It shakes the soul.]
[Durandal: That much is undeniable. It defies all tactical logic.]
Meanwhile, in another world.
In the mobile fortress known as Rhodes Island.
Skadi stood up abruptly in her bathtub.
Splash!
The sudden movement sent a wave of water cascading over the porcelain rim, flooding the tiled floor.
Her long, silver hair, heavy with water, clung to her pale skin. Crystal-clear droplets traced graceful, captivating curves down her body, sliding over her collarbones and dripping from her fingertips. The steam in the bathroom did little to hide the sudden intensity in her crimson eyes.
But Skadi didn't care about the mess or her nudity.
Her gaze was fixed intently on the holographic screen floating before her eyes. The word "Resurrection" echoed in her mind, drowning out the sound of dripping water.
Finally, her trembling fingers typed out the question that had haunted her for eons.
[Skadi: Can... can people really be resurrected?]
Skadi thought of the cold, dark depths of the ocean. She thought of the Abyssal Hunters—her sisters in arms, her family—who had sacrificed themselves one by one in the endless war against the Seaborn. She thought of the solitude that gnawed at her bones.
If they could be resurrected... If she didn't have to be the last one left walking on the shore...
There was one other person who had the exact same thought, her desperation piercing through the text.
[Ais: Ren. Can you resurrect my family? My father... my mother. I am willing... to give everything. Anything.]
[Misaki Shokuhou: Me too!!!]
The first person Misaki Shokuhou thought of was Dolly. The clone, the friend, the tragedy that had defined her hatred for the dark side of Academy City.
[Misaka Mikoto: Huh? You... Is there someone you want to resurrect that badly?]
[Misaki Shokuhou: You shut up! Don't speak to me!]
[Misaka Mikoto: …I was just asking! Do you have to be so fierce all the time?]
Misaki Shokuhou's anger surged the moment she saw Mikoto's name. It was irrational, perhaps, but the pain was raw.
If it weren't for this naive Railgun's complete lack of vigilance, how could such a tragedy have occurred? The DNA map, the clones... Dolly. And the thousands of other Misaka Sisters who were slaughtered in the experiments.
Although... deep down, Shokuhou knew the paradox. Without Misaka Mikoto, Dolly wouldn't have existed in the first place. It was a spiral of love and hate she couldn't escape.
[Emma: Alas, I once had such thoughts too. I wanted to bring back those we lost at the orphanage. But Ren told me to think clearly.]
[Emma: He asked if everything I'm doing now can be maintained until the end. Death is part of the cycle. To break it requires a price.]
[Emma: Ren has such power, yes. But that doesn't mean he'll casually help just because everyone is a group member. He isn't a genie in a lamp.]
[Ais: …]
[Skadi: …]
The chat fell into a heavy silence. The hope was intoxicating, but Emma's words were a bucket of cold water.
[Ren: Tsk, let's talk about this later. Stop depressing the chat. Anyway, there's no rush. I just want to have a good vacation in Tushan right now.]
One after another, they all wanted him to help resurrect someone. If he agreed to one, he'd have to agree to all. This was getting out of hand, and Ren had no intention of becoming a cosmic wishing well today.
Ren decisively refused to entertain the topic further.
Back in the Tushan Realm.
Tushan Honghong's eyes lit up as she looked at the man who had just saved her world. The admiration in her gaze was undisguised.
"Ren, do you want to come and see Tushan? The real Tushan?"
"Yes, yes! Ren Onii-chan, let's go in and see!" Tushan Yaya nodded repeatedly, her fox ears twitching with excitement. "Ren Onii-chan saved Tushan, we must thank you properly! We have the best wine!"
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Ren's lips curved into a playful, teasing smile. He looked down at the petite Yaya.
"Is that so? I seem to recall that this time, someone attacked me with ice magic as soon as I arrived. Someone tried to block me outside and called me an intruder, didn't they?"
"Uh… mm…"
Yaya froze. She remembered how she had acted so violently during their first meeting—frost growing on her fists, killing intent in her eyes.
Her face instantly turned as red as a candied apple. Steam practically erupted from her ears.
She stammered, twisting her hands together apologetically. "No, no! That... those were all misunderstandings before! I didn't know it was you!"
"Heh heh."
Ren chuckled, enjoying her flustered reaction. He reached out and ruffled her hair, messing up her bangs.
Then, he turned his gaze to Misaka Mikoto, who was standing awkwardly to the side.
"Do you want to come along? If not, you can return to your world directly. The portal is open."
"I…"
Misaka Mikoto was initially hesitant. She felt like a third wheel in a very strange fairytale.
But thinking that time in her world was still stopped thanks to the 'Doomsday Companion' feature, she changed her mind. Why rush back to a frozen world?
"Alright. Please take me with you."
She took a deep breath. "I... I'm also very curious about the Otherworld. And I want to see where these fox demons live."
The live broadcast ended.
Ren prepared to fully appreciate the scenery of Tushan.
And by scenery, he didn't just mean the trees and mountains.
He looked at Honghong in his arms, and Rongrong standing close by with her sly smile.
He definitely needed to properly 'study' how they grew up. After all, the lore stated that Tushan foxes grew through the power of emotion and love. He felt obligated to test that theory thoroughly.
…
Tushan was, in a way, a paradise.
Unlike the concrete jungle of Academy City, this place breathed.
Ancient cherry blossom trees dropped petals like pink snow onto cobblestone paths. Red torii gates lined the mountain trails, leading up to shrines that hummed with spiritual power. The air was sweet with the scent of nectar and unknown herbs.
It was beautiful. And it was serene.
Misaka Mikoto was quite happy strolling around by herself.
She had separated from the group to give them some space (and because the atmosphere between Ren and the sisters was getting too thick for her to handle).
"So this is magic..." she murmured, touching a glowing paper lantern floating mid-air. "No wires, no magnetism. Just... energy."
The beautiful scenery was very cleansing for the soul. It made the scientific rigor of her daily life feel distant.
After wandering for a while, capturing the sights in her memory, Misaka Mikoto chose to return to the place where Honghong had received them. It was a large, traditional wooden estate in the center of the sanctuary.
"Ren..."
As soon as she entered the courtyard, Misaka Mikoto heard Honghong's voice. It wasn't her usual commanding tone. It was soft. Breathless.
It seemed Rongrong was also still there.
"Ren-san... mmn..."
Since they were calling Ren's name, he must have returned too.
So, Mikoto walked in with big strides, her boots clicking on the wooden porch.
She wanted to ask if it was time to go back. She wanted to share her discoveries about the floating lanterns.
"Hey, I was wondering if—"
Bang!!!
She pushed the sliding shoji doors open forcefully.
And then... time stopped for Misaka Mikoto again.
Inside the room, the air was thick with a sweet, intoxicating aroma—the scent of fox pheromones and potent magic.
The four of them looked at each other.
Ren was sitting on the tatami mats, leaning back comfortably.
In his lap sat Tushan Honghong. Her majestic red and white robes were disheveled, slipping off her shoulders to reveal creamy, flawless skin. Her face was flushed with a drunken haze of pleasure, her fox ears flattened against her head in submission.
And clinging to his back, with her arms wrapped around his neck, was Tushan Rongrong. The usually calculating, squinty-eyed fox had her eyes wide open—revealing emerald irises swimming with affection. She was nibbling on Ren's ear, her nine tails intertwined with his arm.
They stiffly turned their heads toward the intruder.
Misaka Mikoto was stunned on the spot. Her brain simply refused to process the level of intimacy she was witnessing.
The flush started at her neck and exploded upwards, turning her entire face a violent shade of crimson.
"You... you... you guys..."
Her finger trembled as she pointed at Ren. Sparks of electricity—blue and erratic—began to crackle around her bangs. She stammered, unable to form a complete sentence.
Ren's expression was perfectly calm. Unbothered.
His relationship with Honghong and Rongrong had developed naturally. In the Tushan lore, physical size and magical power were dictated by the depth of emotion and love.
Their rapid growth and recovery were due to his love. He was essentially 'feeding' them mana through intimacy.
Ren only needed a simple test to confirm their feelings, and they couldn't hide it anymore. The attraction was magnetic, primal, and undeniable.
So, it was only natural for him to take them. To help them 'cultivate'.
"Hmm? What are you doing standing at the door, Biribiri?" Ren asked, his voice smooth, not moving an inch to cover the women clinging to him.
"Don't call me that! And put some clothes on!" Mikoto shrieked.
"Hmm? Sister?"
Tushan Yaya also arrived at this moment.
She walked into the hallway, holding a newly filled gourd of 'Infinite Wine'. She was very puzzled to see Misaka Mikoto standing motionless at the door, resembling a malfunctioning robot.
"Don't! Don't look!"
Seeing Yaya approach, Misaka Mikoto panic-spiked. She turned around, waving her hands frantically to stop the little girl. This was educational poison! It was too early for a child!
But it was too late.
Yaya sidestepped Mikoto and looked into the room.
"Sister, sister... Rong, Rongrong?!"
Clatter.
The wine gourd slipped from Yaya's small hand and hit the floor, spilling fragrant spiritual wine everywhere.
Yaya, like Misaka Mikoto, was stunned on the spot.
But inside the room, the reaction was different. Even with an audience, Honghong couldn't stop. The connection with Ren was too intense, too addictive. She buried her face in his chest, hiding her embarrassment but refusing to let go.
Rongrong, ever the thick-skinned one, merely winked at Yaya, though her cheeks were dusted pink. She lowered her head, nuzzling into Ren's neck.
Although Misaka Mikoto was completely dumbfounded, her survival instincts finally kicked in. She knew she shouldn't stay here.
"Let's go!" Mikoto grabbed Yaya's shoulder, intending to drag the child away from this scene of debauchery.
What she didn't expect was the heat.
A scorching, blinding light suddenly bloomed from Yaya's body. It wasn't fire; it was pure demon energy.
Tear! Rip!
The sound of fabric straining and tearing filled the corridor.
"Eh?" Mikoto stumbled back, shielding her eyes.
When the light faded, the small, petite child was gone.
In her place stood a stunning, statuesque beauty.
Her legs were long and slender, her curves were prominent and voluptuous, and her aura was no longer that of a brat, but of an ice queen. Her torn clothes barely clung to her matured figure, accentuating the sudden transformation.
It was Tushan Yaya... but grown up.
"Yaya... you too?!"
Honghong, peeking out from Ren's embrace, vaguely saw this scene. Her heart and body tightened simultaneously. She knew what this meant.
"I..."
Yaya looked down at her own hands. They were slender, elegant. She felt the weight on her chest, the height of her perspective.
She looked at her grown body with mixed feelings.
Why? Why now?
Because at that very moment, when she saw Ren, Honghong, and Rongrong tangled together in that intimate knot, something snapped inside her.
It wasn't just shock.
A strong, suffocating sense of envy and jealousy had exploded in her heart. It burned hotter than any fire, colder than any ice. It made her want to rush in there and push her sisters away. It made her want to be the one in his arms.
That jealousy forced Yaya to recognize the truth she had been denying.
Without a doubt.
She had fallen in love with Ren. The man who had defeated her, the man who had saved her, the man who had resurrected Tushan.
In Tushan, emotion is power. And because of the sheer intensity of this sudden realization—this overwhelming love and possessiveness—she grew up in an instant.
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