In the first round, Misaka was utterly defeated. Lin Luo, using a three-on-one advantage, wiped her out without even depleting one-fourth of Mai Shiranui's health, nearly blinding her with two massive attacks from his (Electro-Magnetic Eyes)!

Misaka gritted her teeth, filled with intense unwillingness. "Again!"

"No problem," Lin Luo chuckled wickedly.

The battle resumed. This time, Lin Luo switched to Athena, while Misaka swapped out her entire team. The result was just as tragic; not only was it three-on-one, but she ended up being (a total fool/losers).

... After this, the two played over a dozen more rounds. Although Misaka's skill had improved slightly after being crushed twice, Lin Luo's three girls were the cream of the crop, each devastatingly sharp and overbearing, effortlessly achieving VER (Victory) in three-on-one matchups.

Misaka seethed with hatred. She wouldn't have lost so badly normally, but Lin Luo was unbearably shameless. Every round he switched characters, rendering the enemy data she'd painstakingly collected completely useless in the next match. Furthermore, his tactics were utterly infuriating: if she chased him, he ran; if she attacked, he blocked; and if she stopped attacking, he unleashed his ultimate move. This was simply... too shameless, too infuriatingly cheap!

What angered Misaka the most was this...

"Alas, to strive for a single defeat and fail—life... is lonely as snow!" Lin Luo held his controller, gazing up at the ceiling at a forty-five-degree angle, a smug smile playing on his lips, yet his face radiated a profound melancholy, an overwhelming aura of emptiness and cold solitude.

That detestable man!

Misaka was so angry she nearly spat blood, her eyes practically spitting fire, wishing they could have a real-life brawl.

Lin Luo was thrilled internally. Although he hadn't played The King of Fighters in ages, he used to be quite the expert. Those guys he used to fight in middle school probably still suffered psychological trauma to this day. Dealing with a novice like Misaka? It was nothing more than easy torment.

As for whether "Kuroko-onee-sama" would be angry, he had no need to worry. Fighting and arguing were signs of affection; the so-called favorability level was built up through such bickering... Hmm, what kinds of things should he do during the stipulated punishment game to raise that favorability level?

This was a very serious question!

"One more round! I refuse to believe I can't beat you!" Misaka wouldn't accept defeat. For the sake of that damned punishment game, she had to win, no matter what.

"Kuroko-onee-sama, I sincerely admire your relentless spirit, little brother."

And so, the battle resumed.

... Misaka still lost miserably. After a few rounds, she truly became a . This surprised Lin Luo a little. Given the 'otaku' capabilities of "Kuroko-onee-sama," after just a few matches, it was clear she had advanced from an absolute beginner to an advanced novice. So why was she playing worse as she went on?

Lin Luo couldn't help but cast a suspicious glance. He noticed that Misaka's eyes, at this precise moment, were staring at both her own hands and the screen in a state of scattered focus. Her hands were also busy, constantly shifting on the controller, but the movement seemed oddly familiar?

Good heavens! Lin Luo jumped in alarm. Misaka transforming into a Misaka clone—what kind of situation was this?

"Done. Synchronization complete," Misaka suddenly said, blinking as her gaze returned to normal, a triumphant smile spreading across her lips.

Synchronize, what did that mean?

Lin Luo froze internally. Before he could ask, Misaka answered with action.

On the screen, two identical characters executed the exact same moves toward each other. However, one of the combatants was noticeably faster. In such a scenario, the slower one was obviously... the !

"Damn it! Kuroko-onee-sama, you're using psychic powers to play a game! That's cheating!"

Lin Luo protested loudly. He finally understood what Misaka was doing. She was using her computational ability to record his actions. Every move, every technique, was clearly imprinted in her mind. Then, simply by observing the movement of his fingers, she could predict his next input. At that moment, all she needed to do was execute the same input a fraction faster than him to completely overwhelm him.

Normally, something like this would be impossible in reality. Setting aside the feat of predicting his moves, just completely memorizing a person's hand gestures is beyond the capability of an ordinary person. Even the simplest task—simultaneously focusing on one's own actions and the screen—is something very few can manage!

But... Misaka was no ordinary person. She was a Level 5 Esper, the Railgun. This amount of calculation was less than one percent, no, less than one-thousandth of what she used when deploying her psychic abilities. As for evenly distributing attention between visual input... even the Misaka clones could do that; how could she not?!

Thus, thanks to Misaka's little cheat, Lin Luo was completely doomed!

"The rules didn't specify that you couldn't use psychic powers to play the game. If you have an issue, you can use yours too," Misaka said, tilting her victorious face up, laughing triumphantly, truly triumphantly...

Oh, for crying out loud, isn't she deliberately bullying me! He never expected that the Railgun also possessed a hidden, manipulative side.

"Alas, life is lonely as snow," Misaka looked up at the ceiling, exuding an even thicker aura of solitude.

Lin Luo wanted to cry but had no tears. Was this a case of lifting a rock only to drop it on his own foot?

"Shall we continue?" Misaka asked with a malicious smile. Originally, she wouldn't have resorted to such measures; games were meant for enjoyment, and using psychic powers diminished the fun. But who made Lin Luo so infuriating?

"Continue with what? Sister has already pulled out the psychic powers. If I keep playing against you, I'm just asking for a beating!" Lin Luo looked thoroughly dejected.

Misaka narrowed her eyes. "Oh? So you admit defeat?"

"Fine, I lose," Lin Luo said mournfully. He glanced at the clock on the wall—it was only nine o'clock. With the Railgun operating at her current peak master-level strength, she could probably torment him for a hundred rounds. He wasn't a masochist; he had no interest in self-inflicted misery.

"Then what about the punishment game?"

"Kuroko-onee-sama, just lay down the terms. If I so much as frown, I’m not a Level 5!" Lin Luo adopted an expression of noble sacrifice. Forget it; his favorability rating had increased by five points anyway.

"Hmm, what kind of punishment game should we play?" Misaka tilted her head in thought, pondering for a moment before saying, "Never mind, I haven't decided on one yet. I'll tell you later when I think of something."

Well, he’d just count it as a major demerit.

...

For the rest of the time, the two continued playing games. Without the pressure of a punishment game, Misaka stopped using her psychic powers, and Lin Luo stopped pretending to be aloof. They played together harmoniously.

The entire day was spent in the games. Although he didn't secure the punishment game, it was noteworthy that Misaka's favorability toward him had increased by over ten points, reaching the 'Liked' stage.

Lin Luo was extremely excited. At this rate, he figured he could 'conquer' the Railgun in just three days.

Of course, Lin Luo knew this was just wishful thinking. It was simple enough for a person's standing to rise from 'Neutral' to 'Liked' with a little shared time and common interests that brought shared joy—the favorability score would definitely jump significantly.

But this was only up to the 'Liked' stage. Reaching 'Trust' or even 'Intimate Understanding' was absolutely impossible without some extraordinary experiences. Of course, he couldn't rule out the possibility of true affection blossoming in the mundane, but did he have that kind of time?

Based on the favorability data provided in the Contract Manual, Lin Luo divided the relationship levels into five tiers, from lowest to highest: Stranger—Acquaintance—Friendship—Dating Potential—Passionate Lovers.

Given the Railgun's personality, Lin Luo felt it was highly unlikely to reach the 'Passionate Lovers' level in daily life. Even the legendary 'Player's Hand' might not possess such skill.

Alright, taking a step back, assuming his seduction ability surpassed that of the 'Player's Hand,' considering the Railgun's tsundere nature, even if she did fall for him, it would take at least three to five years... By then, his bones would probably be cold!

Sigh, did he need to change his approach?

(Vote for me~~~~)