A Scientific Urban Detective.

Chapter 1016 Questioning
Misaki Shokuhou didn't explain further about her sudden challenge to a duel, but solemnly instructed, "Let's make this clear: even if your opponent is an unknown senior, you must take it seriously and not hold back!"

"Of course!" Speaking of battle, Misaka Mikoto's fighting spirit immediately soared. "I will definitely give it my all! However..."

Misaka Mikoto hesitated again: "What if we win... then what should we do?"

Misaki Shokuhou shrugged and spread her hands: "It's just returning to where you were. Nameless senior, give up your pipe dream and make a serious decision, shall you?"

Misaka Mikoto frowned: "This is troublesome, I'll probably turn back into myself again..."

I feel like things are better as they are now! Like I always say, it's always better to select all than to select none.

This may not reflect reality, but the truth is that what Misaka Mikoto truly cares about is a normal romantic relationship with Lin Wuming—relationships between men and women should be reciprocal.

Misaka Mikoto isn't yet so domineering or twisted as to think, "I just need to get Lin Wuming as a person"; what she wants is "genuine sincerity".

That's why she's caught in such a dilemma—unwilling to use extreme measures, yet unwilling to give up.

"I'm telling you guys..." Misaki Shokuhou suddenly sighed, "Can't you at least have some faith in the nameless senior? We've been together for so long, don't you know his strength? Do you really think we can win so easily?"

Misaki Shokuhou ultimately chose this duel plan because she had no chance of winning through any other means. Teaming up with others and forming a lineup of two Level 5s and two Level 4s—this was perhaps the only way to have a chance of winning.

"And needless to say," Misaki Shokuhou continued, "in order to achieve his ambitions, the nameless senior might unleash his potential and become even stronger! If we are easily defeated by him, our face and dignity will be in a terrible state, right? So~ we must go all out!"

“Speaking of which…” Misaka Mikoto looked at Shokuhou Misaki with a doubtful expression, “Can you really give it your all?”

“Of course,” Misaki Shokuhou said seriously, “I’m serious, and I’ll do anything to win!”

As the Queen spoke, the sound of rustling footsteps could be heard around them.

Misaka Mikoto and the other two turned around and saw that the members of the Shokuhou faction had gathered and were crowding around their queen.

Moreover, there was a faint starlight shimmering in everyone's pupils.

Now they couldn't help but believe it—if she really committed all her faction members to the battle, it would probably be a move that crossed Misaki Shokuhou's bottom line!
Seemingly shocked by Misaki Shokuhou's determination, no one spoke for a moment, and everyone fell into silence.

Only Shirai Kuroko quickly came to her senses, and while looking around, she silently counted something.

"Shokuhou-senpai..." After a moment, Shirai Kuroko suddenly raised her hand and said, "Have you gathered everyone from the faction here?"

"More or less," Misaki Shokuhou didn't hide anything, "Except for a few kids who aren't good at sports who stayed at headquarters, everyone else is here."

"Then..." Shirai Kuroko asked cautiously, "...who is with my sister's mother now?"

……

"Nameless, did you have a fight with Mikoto and the others?" Misaka Misuzu tilted her head to look at Lin Wuming.

Lin Wuming felt his head ache even more.

She was already having a headache because of Misaki Shokuhou's sudden "duel"; what she didn't expect was that after the two sides dispersed, Aunt Misaka Misuzu didn't go to Misaka Mikoto and the others, but instead came to her side and followed her...

“No, please rest assured, we didn’t have a fight,” Lin Wuming replied. “Is that so…” Misaka Misuzu pondered for a moment, then continued, “Then, did Mikoto and her friends have a fight? Because the unpleasant atmosphere you two had just left was really worrying.”

Before Lin Wuming could answer, she stroked her chin thoughtfully and asked, "And are they friends? Or just classmates? Or... are they rivals for each other's affections?"

"Auntie..." Lin Wuming didn't know how to explain for a moment, after all... what she said was indeed correct.

Misaka Misuzu, being an experienced woman and Misaka Mikoto's mother, knows her daughter very well and seems to have already seen through the complex relationships between them...

This made Lin Wuming feel even more embarrassed.

He wasn't shameless enough to say something like, "Please make your daughter one of my concubines," in front of someone's mother.

You really will get slapped.

"Don't worry," Lin Wuming had no choice but to downplay the issue, "it's just a minor problem, and it will be resolved quickly."

"A minor problem? What kind of minor problem?" Misaka Misuzu pressed on relentlessly.

"In short, I'm going to have a duel with Mikoto and the others."

Misaka Misuzu didn't seem particularly surprised upon hearing this: "I've heard about that before. A certain high school and Tokiwadai Middle School are going to have a match during the Daihasei Festival..."

“No,” Lin Wuming shook his head, “it’s even more private than that duel, it’s on a smaller scale, limited to a duel between just a few of us.”

"How can we even compare them?" Misaka Misuzu was also taken aback. Of course, she knew exactly who Lin Wuming meant by "the few of us." "You're all different genders and grades. There's no way we can compare individual events, right? We can't just..."

As she spoke, a look of surprise crossed her face: "Are we really going to fight?"

Lin Wuming nodded and reassured him, "Don't worry, it's just a friendly spar. We've had similar duels before, so nothing will happen."

Misaka Misuzu was even more surprised: "It happened before... Oh my, what exactly did that girl Mikoto do? Also, if I'm not mistaken, you and my Mikoto are a couple, right? I'm not wrong, am I? You two are a couple, aren't you?"

Lin Wuming nodded: "Yes."

"Besides Mikoto, those girls from earlier—I think they were Shokuhou-san, Tobi-san, and Shirai-san—were they the same, right?"

Although Misaka Misuzu's question was rather vague, she had clearly grasped the key essence of the issue.

Lin Wuming paused for a moment, then finally nodded: "Yes."

Misaka Misuzu raised her eyebrows quite noticeably, but to Lin Wuming's surprise, she didn't press the issue, but instead asked another question.

"If they're in a romantic relationship, why has it escalated to the point of needing a duel? Is this some kind of couples' activity that's recently become popular in Academy City?"

"..."

(End of this chapter)