Mikoto's dreams were a bit disturbed that night. That night, in her deepest nightmares, she was back in the dusty sands of the BoB, fighting Death Gun.. her photon sword clashed against Red-Eyed XaXa's thin Starship Metal Estoc.
Through the winds.. and the sands, their blades clashed again and again.. as the burning flames of the wrecked Banshee nearby threw terrifying shadows against the desert floor.. shadows that all shaped themselves into laughing ghoulish figures.
"You're never going back Railgun!" XaXa growled in his staticky warped voice. "You're trapped in that place.. in that Virtual World.. just another guinea pig for another bunch of invasive scientists.. who knows? Maybe they'll make 10,000 more sisters out of that Fluctlight of yours?"
"SHUT UP!!" Mikoto roared. "I defeated you!! You're finished!! You can't hurt me anymore.
"Can I!?" XaXa said. "I told you, the both of us are two halves of a whole. We will continue to fight until one of us or both of us are dead.. we are the heaven and hell of this story.. only time will tell whether heaven rises.. or hell burns all!! Just you wait.. you WILL BURN!!!"
XaXa's Estoc drove straight through Mikoto's chest at that moment..
"Misaka! Misaka! wake up!!"
Mikoto awoke with a start, sure that Red-Eyed XaXa had just stabbed her.
Selka put a hand to Mikoto's forehead worriedly. "You're burning up.. are you okay?"
"N-nightmare." Mikoto muttered. "It's okay.."
Selka smiled at Mikoto. "You remind me of my sister.. she used to be the one who studied under Sister Azariya in the Sacred Arts before me.."
"Oh?" said Mikoto. "Your Sister Alice sounds nice.."
"I-I don't usually talk about her.. not with anybody.. Eugeo doesn't even smile anymore ever since she was gone.. but.. you remind me so much of her, I guess I can't help it.."
"She was the one that used to bring Eugeo bentos and disappeared.. wasn't she?" Mikoto said.
"Yep.. I joined the church in her stead, cause I felt somebody needed to fill her shoes." said Selka. "But.. everyone keeps on trying to compare me to her.. and the thing is, I'm nowhere near as good in the Sacred Arts as she is.."
"Well, it's not like I've seen any Sacred Arts so far besides the Stacia Window thingy." said Mikoto. "But, you're working so hard.. and you've shown such kindness in your work, so I know you're doing wonderfully."
"H-how would you know?"
"I just do." said Mikoto. "Call it a gut feeling."
Selka smiled. "Anyways.. I came to wake you, because it's almost time for morning worship, and you're the Priestess's Caretaker, so it's your duty to get her ready.."
"Oh, right.." Mikoto said grumpily. "Erm.. what do I do?"
"I have a list here." said Selka, giving Mikoto a sheet of paper. "It also holds instructions on how to do some of the ceremonial preparations. I have your clothes ready right here."
"Thanks." Mikoto said.
After getting dressed, Mikoto walked over to the bed next to hers and nudged at the lump under the blanket. "Yo.. Yuniko.. get up.. Yuniko."
"Hit her head with a book or something.." Nox appeared on Mikoto's shoulder in kitten form, almost like a shadow. "Something really really hard."
"That's.. evil." Mikoto muttered. "You don't like her?"
"I'll admit, I've grown a little fond of you." said Nox. "And I find blackmail distasteful."
"Hey! Ms. Priestess or whatever!" Mikoto shook Yuniko awake. Yuniko sat up drowsily, letting the blanket fall off her head..
YOU ARE READING
Railgun Online Book 4: Alicization Beginning
Hayran KurguOne bright sunny day, Mikoto Misaka and her cousin Shino Asada decided to meet their friends Kazuto and Asuna at a diner in Academy City. While there, they are attacked by a mysterious magician named Vento of The Front, who gives them a cryptic warn...
