In Academy City, the Paradise Project begins.

Page 77

"Hey, isn't this Dr. Higashino? And Misaka-san too?"

Aiho Yomikawa, dressed in a security guard uniform, walked in.

Her sharp gaze swept over the two of them, lingering especially on Mikoto's flushed cheeks and Higashino Yu's.

"Tsk tsk, every time I see you, you're always with a different beautiful girl. You're really popular with girls."

"Teacher Huang Quanchuan!"

Mikoto sprang up from the bench like a startled rabbit, her face flushing even more, and hurriedly explained.

"P-Practice, please don't misunderstand! We were just... we were sparring! We just finished!"

"Oh? Sparring?"

Huang Quanchuan raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over the slightly messy battle area and Mikoto's obvious exhaustion and panting, before settling on Higashino with a knowing smile.

"To exhaust the Railgun like this, you must have gone all out, kid?"

"Huang Quan Chuan Sang, what a coincidence! Are you here for training too?"

Higashino stood up, walked over to Mikoto, and casually patted her shoulder (Mikoto stiffened slightly but didn't flinch), then spoke to Yomi Kawa in a generous manner.

"As for Misaka and me, we did just have a friendly sparring session. She's very strong, and I didn't win easily."

He specifically emphasized "friendship" and "not an easy victory," acknowledging the relationship while also saving face for Mikoto.

"snort!"

Mikoto turned her face away and muttered softly, "Who said we're close?" But the warmth from Higashino Yu's hand on her shoulder and his words from earlier made her feel a little less embarrassed and annoyed. Instead, she felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

"You seem to have a lot of female friends, even though you've only been in Academy City for a short time."

Huang Quanchuan remembered that when he found him, he had just arrived in Academy City and had made so many 'friends' in less than a month, and even became a Level 5.

"As for me, I heard that a new batch of training robots arrived here, and I plan to come and give them a try."

As she said this, she looked at Higashino and suddenly seemed to remember something, asking with a hint of anticipation, "But Dr. Higashino, seeing how energetic you are, Misaka-san must have rested enough, right?"

She stepped forward, her eyes filled with a challenge: "Want to have a pure hand-to-hand combat spar with this 'ordinary person'? The rules are simple—no special abilities allowed! Just your fists, legs, and reflexes. How about it? Let me see if your physique is all you're good for."

Upon hearing this, Mikoto's eyes lit up instantly, her previous embarrassment replaced by intense curiosity.

Although Higashino used physical techniques in his fight with her, he was basically supported by his abilities. Higashino Mikoto, who did not rely on his abilities at all, was very curious!

What level would that guy, who always handles attacks with ease and uses all sorts of unbelievable methods, be if he relied solely on physical combat? She immediately looked at Higashino Yu, her eyes filled with the expectation of "Say yes! Let me see!"

Seeing the fighting spirit in Huang Quanchuan's eyes, and then noticing Mikoto's "watching the show" expression, Higashino decided to grant her wish.

After transmigrating, he indeed didn't engage in purely physical combat. His abilities were enough to solve any problem, and if his abilities couldn't solve anything, his physical skills would be of little use.

Normally, he would use his abilities to assist his physical combat, just like in Mikoto's battles. But Yomi Kawa's suggestion undoubtedly stirred up a long-lost sense of excitement for pure combat in him.

Before he transmigrated, he had trained and learned some martial arts. Otherwise, living alone in a place like Japan, he wouldn't have gotten into a fight at an izakaya and ended up with an ear scar that's still there.

"OK."

Higashino readily nodded, took off his cumbersome jacket, revealing a close-fitting black sports vest underneath, with clearly visible, well-proportioned, powerful muscle lines.

He twisted his neck, making a slight clicking sound, and his eyes became focused and sharp, quite different from his usual demeanor.

"Huang Quanchuan, how can I refuse your 'invitation'? It's a good opportunity to stretch my muscles. Let's stick to the rules as you said: disable all abilities, and stop short of a direct confrontation?"

"That's satisfying! Let's stop here!"

Huang Quanchuan's eyes lit up. She also took off her guard jacket, revealing a similarly loose-fitting vest underneath. The muscles in her arms and shoulders were smooth and powerful, clearly the result of extensive training. She walked to a relatively open area, assumed a standard fighting stance, and exuded a calm and unwavering presence.

"Come on, Higashino! Let me see what you've got!"

Mikoto immediately grabbed her strawberry milk, retreated to the edge of the training field, found the best spectator spot, and sat down, her eyes fixed on the two players in the field, her face full of excitement and anticipation.

She wanted to see just how tough Higashino really was, aside from his troublesome abilities!

Chapter 102 Intense Hand-to-Hand Combat with the Big Sister

The two quickly arrived at the center of the training field and stood facing each other.

Mikoto held her breath, her gaze fixed intently on Higashino. She was also curious about how much energy Higashino had left after their battle, and whether he could defeat Yomikawa-sensei without using his abilities.

"Are you ready, Higashino?"

Huang Quanchuan grinned, his aura suddenly becoming fierce.

"No problem, we can start anytime."

Higashino slightly lowered his waist, his center of gravity shifted, and he stood with his legs spread apart like a stake, staring intently at Huang Quanchuan.

After he was ready, Huang Quanchuan made his move!

She moved with incredible speed, closing the distance in an instant. A swift jab aimed straight at Higashino's face, followed by a fierce low kick to his lower body!

Higashino did not retreat. He leaned his upper body slightly back, narrowly avoiding the fist. At the same time, he tightened his supporting leg and used his strong shin to block the sweeping kick.

Bang! A dull thud of flesh colliding rang out.

They parted ways in an instant! But Huang Quanchuan's offensive continued relentlessly. Hand strikes, elbow strikes, knee strikes! His movements were swift and cunning, targeting joints and vulnerable spots, each strike containing immense power.

Her sharp eyes and experience allowed her to anticipate Higashino's possible evasive maneuvers and block his escape route.

Higashino displayed astonishing close-quarters combat instincts and flexibility, engaging in a fierce and evenly matched battle with Huang Quanchuan.

He doesn't try to block every attack; instead, he relies more on small swings, twists, and even joint locks to counterattack.

He would sometimes dart into Huang Quanchuan's blind spot to launch a sneak attack, and at other times he would use wrestling techniques to entangle his opponent's attacking arm.

The moment when Yomi Kawa attempted to grab his shoulder using a standard takedown technique, a scene that caused Mikoto's mood to change for the first time occurred.

Instead of dodging, Higashino wrapped his arm around the inside of her arm and pressed his body close to hers!

The two were frozen in an instant, almost touching, with Huang Quanchuan's forehead nearly touching his chin.

His arm was tightly wrapped around the upper part of her arm, while his other hand seemed to casually rest on her waist to control her.

"Tsk!"

Huang Quanchuan's eyes narrowed, and he immediately bent his knees and sank down, using his core strength to spin around and execute a standard over-the-shoulder throw in an instant! The immense force propelled Dongye's body into the air!

However, instead of being completely thrown off, Higashino's body was propelled by the centrifugal force of the rotation, and his legs slammed hard onto the exposed side waist and back of Huang Quanchuan as he spun around, while his arms, which had been flung away, swung back like steel whips.

Snapped!

Her fingertips narrowly grazed the edge of Huang Quanchuan's cheek, leaving a very faint red mark.

Using their opponent's force against them, the two separated again, each taking a few steps back.

Huang Quanchuan's chest heaved violently as he looked at Dongye, whose vest was already soaked with sweat, outlining the contours of his well-defined muscles, and was somewhat surprised. Not only was his opponent fighting on par with him, a professionally trained security guard, but he was even subtly gaining the upper hand, and his breathing hadn't changed much at all.

"Your physical skills are surprisingly good!"

Huang Quanchuan wiped the red marks from his cheek, his fighting spirit growing even stronger.

Where did you learn your kung fu?

She felt like she was dealing with a beast with top-notch fighting skills, whose strength was far beyond what someone of his physique should possess.

As for the other party secretly enhancing their abilities, she hadn't thought about it. She didn't believe that Higashino would do such a thing; it would be pointless.

"Well, for some special reasons, I was taught by my parents' friends. I have to say they were quite capable."

Although those "friends" had ill intentions, he did learn a lot from them, and if he had the chance to go back, he would definitely offer them incense.

He shook his slightly numb wrists, his gaze sweeping over Huang Quanchuan's vest, which was soaked with sweat and clung to his body, outlining the beautiful lines of his back muscles and his firm waist.

To be honest, the figure of such a mature woman is completely incomparable to that of a young girl like Mikoto.

Mikoto, who had initially been watching with great interest, began to experience a subtle change in her mood, with a bittersweet feeling quietly welling up inside her.

The moment just now, when their faces were almost touching, their skin was in contact, and their strength was clashing, strongly impacted her vision.

The way they're sparring...it's so strange...it's just a fight...why are they using wrestling techniques...they've even hit Mr. Huang Quanchuan's chest...

Mikoto felt her cheeks getting hot, and her heart was beating faster than usual. Watching Higashino and Yomi Kawa entangled, a strange sense of irritation rose within her.

She took a deep sip of the milk, which was no longer so cold, but the sour taste seemed impossible to suppress.

"Oh, it seems your parents' friends are quite professional. But I won't give up so easily, let's go again!"

Huang Quanchuan let out a low shout and charged again. This time she changed her strategy, feinting a punch before crouching down and lunging forward, attempting to grab and throw Dongye's legs!

Higashino quickly stepped back to dodge, but Huang Quanchuan seemed to have anticipated this. This lunge was actually just a feint; the real killing move was a fierce knee strike launched by the momentum of the lunge!

The target was Higashino's lower abdomen, where his center of gravity had become slightly unstable after he moved!

The angle was tricky, and the timing was ruthless! Once it hits, it will be difficult for him to withstand the blow.

Higashino's pupils contracted slightly. At the critical moment, he slid backward almost flat on the ground, narrowly avoiding the fierce knee that grazed his abdominal muscles.

He pushed off the ground with both hands, unleashing astonishing power from his core, and kicked hard at Huang Quanchuan's knees that were supporting his body!

Huang Quanchuan's expression changed, and he abruptly changed his move, pulling his knee back.

The two moved swiftly, one above and one below, one attacking and one defending, their movements exploding with a powerful and exhilarating collision of strength and skill.

Mikoto, watching the intense duel, felt no excitement whatsoever.

At first, she was engrossed in watching and even felt her blood pumping, but at some point, both of them started to habitually use a lot of wrestling techniques.

Wrestling techniques are fine when used by people of the same sex, but when two people of the opposite sex use them together, it can be quite suggestive.

Intimate contact was inevitable. Even though she knew they were just fighting normally, Mikoto couldn't control the wild thoughts in her mind.

Damn it... Why is my heart beating so fast... This idiot, if you're going to hit someone, why get so close! And Teacher Huang Quanchuan too... He's not careful at all... His chest was touched... And what's with him rolling around on the ground (actually, that's not what happened), there was absolutely no need for that!

"stop!"

Higashino once again crossed and restrained Huang Quanchuan's wrists. The two struggled with each other until their bodies were pressed tightly together again, their foreheads almost touching. Higashino spoke first.

He finally noticed Mikoto's unusual behavior while watching the game.

Her eyes were practically spitting fire; if the fight continued, the girl next to her would start generating electricity.

"Let's end it here, Huangquanchuan Sang."

He voluntarily let go of her hand and took a step back.

Huang Quanchuan also breathed a sigh of relief and withdrew from her stance. If the fight had continued, she probably wouldn't have been able to hold on. It would be too embarrassing to be easily defeated by a junior who was a few years younger than her. She wanted to retain some dignity as a senior.

However, playing against Higashino was really stress-relieving; it swept away all the fatigue (mentally) I had been feeling from work these past few days.

She wiped the sweat from her chin with the back of her hand, her eyes filled with admiration and a hint of lingering desire as she looked at Higashino Yu.

"Phew...that was exhilarating! You're really strong, Higashino! With your skill level, you'd be among the top tier in the security force."

"Haha, you flatter me."

He grabbed a towel from the chair next to him and wiped his face, then turned his gaze to Mikoto on the sidelines.

Mikoto noticed Higashino's gaze, abruptly turned her face away, and forcefully squeezed the empty milk carton, making a cracking sound. Then she stood up abruptly, her cheeks still flushed suspiciously, and her voice carried a hint of petulance that she herself didn't realize: "You guys are done fighting? Then I'm leaving!"

After saying that, before the two could react, she rushed towards the exit of the training field, almost like a gust of wind, her steps so fast it was as if she were running away.

Looking at her slightly flustered back and the crisp sound of the empty box, and recalling her gaze that had barely left her side and her current "escape," combined with the intense confrontation scenes in the room, it was clear that the girl was already quite jealous.

If he hadn't stopped fighting in time, he would either have been interrupted by the girl's electric shocks or she would have run away because she couldn't stand it.

She seemed so excited before the battle, but she broke down as soon as she started watching. Girls are so fickle; you can never guess what they're thinking.

Huang Quanchuan glanced at the closed door, then at Dongye's helpless expression, slapped him on the back, and burst into laughter.

"Hey, Higashino, you're not deliberately fighting so 'intensely' with me in front of this girl, are you? Haha, Misaka-san's expression...tsk tsk, kind of cute!"

She has a good eye for observation. Although she is also a single person who has never been in a relationship, she can understand girls' feelings very well. After all, she has been through that age.

From an outsider's perspective, there were indeed too many intimate actions during the fight. Although it's not clear about the specifics of their relationship, Mikoto definitely has feelings for Higashino, so it's understandable that she might feel a little jealous.

"'Intense' and all that? You're the one who's being dramatic, Mr. Huang Quanchuan. You don't care about the difference between men and women at all."

When she first visited Xiaomeng's house, she was still somewhat wary of herself. Unfortunately, when she demonstrated her abilities in front of Xiaomeng and Xiaomeng, it was already destined that this wariness would gradually disappear over time.

Just like Xiaomeng, who clearly developed feelings for him during the last game of Werewolf. And Huang Quanchuan will gradually trust him, just like he is now.

However, this trust could perhaps be strengthened further.

Higashino really likes older sisters. Compared to girlfriends who still need to be nurtured, mature fruits that can be picked sooner are also very tempting.