For a moment—
Misaka Mikoto's mind went completely blank.
She stood frozen, staring at the girl before her—
A girl with the same face.
The same hair.
The same eyes.
A perfect mirror of herself.
"…Huh?"
Meanwhile, the girl inside the room paused her game and looked up.
That girl—Dolly (桃莉 / Dolly)—blinked in surprise.
"…Onee-sama?"
That single word sent a jolt through Mikoto's entire body.
"Y-you—!!"
Her voice trembled uncontrollably as she pointed at Dolly, eyes wide with shock.
Then—
She blurted out something so absurd that even Izumi, watching from the shadows, nearly burst out laughing.
"…Are you my mom's illegitimate child?!"
Izumi almost lost it.
That's your conclusion?!
But after a second, he understood.
Mikoto looked almost identical to her mother, Misaka Misuzu, and barely resembled her father. And Dolly… was practically a more mature version of Mikoto.
If Mikoto was still "under construction"…
Then Dolly was already well-developed—to the point she might even rival Misuzu in a few years.
No wonder Mikoto's brain short-circuited.
Dolly sighed helplessly.
"Onee-sama… this is our first meeting."
She gave a small, polite bow.
"My name is Dolly. You can also call me Mitori if you prefer."
Then she added dryly:
"And no, I'm not Mother's illegitimate child. If she heard that, she'd probably punch you."
Mikoto immediately turned red.
"H-ha… haha… sorry…"
She scratched her cheek awkwardly, then frowned again.
"But… why are you calling me Onee-sama?"
"…You look older than me."
Her gaze subconsciously drifted downward—
Toward Dolly's chest.
"…!"
Dolly followed her gaze, then puffed up slightly with a hint of pride.
"Well… how should I explain this…"
She sighed.
"Honestly, Onii-sama really dropped this on me out of nowhere."
At that moment—
Izumi's voice echoed directly in her mind.
"Tell her about the Sisters."
"She has the right to know."
Dolly closed her eyes briefly.
"…Honestly, he's such a troublemaker."
Then she gestured to a seat.
"Onee-sama, come sit."
"Let's talk properly."
Mikoto didn't interrupt.
She sat down quietly.
Dolly handed her a cup of water, then spoke calmly:
"…Do you remember, when you were younger… you provided your DNA map for research into muscular dystrophy?"
The moment those words left her mouth—
Mikoto's pupils shrank.
A cold, sinking feeling crept into her chest.
Dolly continued, her voice steady.
"That's right."
"I am the first clone created from your DNA."
"…Your little sister."
"And there are about twenty thousand others just like me."
"…What…?"
Mikoto's entire body froze.
Shock.
Fear.
Disbelief.
"All of you… clones…?"
Her voice cracked.
"That's impossible…!"
Dolly nodded gently.
"It's real."
"The Level 6 Shift Project—also known as the Mass-Produced Esper Project."
She folded her hands in her lap and began explaining.
"They analyzed your genetic sequence to recreate espers artificially."
"We were grown in chemical solution—accelerated development."
"In just fourteen days, we reach physical maturity."
"Then knowledge—language, ethics, motor skills—is directly implanted into our brains."
She paused briefly.
"…Originally, I died."
"But Onii-sama saved me."
Dolly continued, explaining everything she knew—
The purpose of the project.
The scale.
The cruelty behind it.
Even the ultimate goal.
She didn't hide a single detail.
And with every word—
Mikoto's body trembled more violently.
"…No… no… no…"
Her fists clenched tightly.
"They… they actually did this…?"
Electric sparks began crackling around her body.
Her anger was reaching its limit.
Dolly quickly reached out and grabbed her hand.
"Onee-sama—please don't get angry."
Her voice was gentle.
"Actually… we should be thanking you."
"If not for you, we wouldn't exist."
"And thanks to Onii-sama… the project has already been stopped."
"The other Sisters have been moved somewhere safe."
"You don't need to be angry anymore."
But Mikoto couldn't hold it in anymore.
Her face darkened.
Tears welled up in her eyes—
Then fell.
"I'm sorry…!"
"I'm so sorry…!"
"I'm so, so sorry…!!"
Tears streamed down her cheeks uncontrollably.
She could imagine it.
If Izumi hadn't intervened—
Those twenty thousand Sisters…
Would have been slaughtered.
Used.
Disposed of.
Her chest felt like it was being crushed.
"Why…?"
"Why would anyone do something like this…?!"
Dolly gently pulled her into an embrace.
"It's okay, Onee-sama…"
She softly patted Mikoto's back.
"It's all over now."
"Onii-sama only brought you here so you could know the truth."
"In the future… the world might change."
"This isn't something that can stay hidden forever."
Mikoto sniffed, wiping her tears.
"…Onii-sama…"
She looked up.
"You mean… Izumi-sensei?"
Her voice trembled slightly.
"…What exactly is going on?"
"What role does he play in all this?"
"Please… tell me everything."
Dolly nodded.
Without hesitation—
She began explaining everything about Izumi.
The truth.
His actions.
And the reason everything had changed.