Hi guys. Miss me? I'm back with another long chapter. I wrote 1 third a week ago during my exam,and the rest this week. My exam...better to be revealed next chapter. Here comes another kevslave special.
PART 1
Flashbacks.
A flashback, or involuntary recurrent memory, is a psychological phenomenon in which an individual has a sudden, usually powerful, re-experiencing of a past experience or elements of a past experience. These experiences can be happy, sad, exciting, or any other emotion one can consider.
And quite a few people were having them that day.
In the night, Shokuhou Misaki wakes up on the hospital bed.
The room that she's in isn't a private single room, it's rather an ordinary 6 person ward that is separated by curtains for personal space. Of course, all the patients living in this room are all females, but of different ages. There's also a girl of similar age to her. She must have taken part in the 'Calvary match' too.
"…"
Misaki's lax expression shifts to the ceiling before she slowly moves her upper body up to sit on the bed.
"What are you doing in a place like this?"
The plain voice is directed at the edge of the hospital bed. The 3rd level 5 in her sportswear is sitting on the floor, her upper body leaning on the railing, as she continues to sleep on the edge of the hospital bed.
Misaki, who just woke up, looks like she wants to sleep, but she's surprised that her rival is sleeping at the edge of the bed. This person may have come here to see her injuries.
This girl seems to be sleeping overnight at a hospital. And seeing that she's staying here the entire time, must mean that she has a reason or something to say.
"Right now, the rumor has developed such that the mysterious level 0 who lurks around in the city has taken down the city's number 5." the brunette said out of the blue. Her sound quite drowsy due to exhaustion. She must be sleep-talking, because she was murmuring those words.
Misaki felt like waking her up. But she doesn't want to do it normally.
Poke!
She uses her slender fingers to poke the level 5's cheek, grinning as she does so. But seeing that Misaka doesn't wake up, she pokes a few more times.
Eventually, she heard a groan come from the body sleeping on the railings.
"Mmmm~I'll shock you to death~"
The 3rd level 5, Misaka Mikoto, wakes up, her eyes narrow.
"Ho…because the hospital staff mentioned that I can't use the bench during daytime, so I dragged myself to this bed. Such a comfortable bed…"
Her animal instincts seems to lead her to desire for a warm and comfortable bed.
However,
"Oi oi, This is a hospital. Don't come sleep here when you want to, I'll be the one scolded."
"How warm…"
Misaka doesn't seem to care as she presses her face against the quilt. As her face is placed near Misakii's thigh, there's an itchy feeling. This girl seems to be doing some hard work, as 70-80% of her consciousness is still in dreamland. After thinking for a while, Misakii opens a 1-metre tall mini ice box that's beside the bed.
"I'll use the ice from the freezer to wake you up, heh."
"SO COLD!"
"Hahahahhhaha!"
"What was that for!"
"Sorry ha! ha! ha! I can't resist the urge!"
The two end up quarreling like their usual selves.
"You're all right, right? I heard that the medics used some sloppy first aid."
"Actually, I had already lost consciousness when they were doing it. But every part seems okay, I should be able to recover fully."
Misaki says this as she adjusts the collar of her pajamas. Her eyes are shining. Her body, covered by this cloth, is wrapped in bandages in a certain manner over her chest and lower abdomen, but all the blood vessels that are used to maintain her life seem to have recovered.
A silence rang about suddenly.
Like a calm before a storm.
"Why are we acting all friendly and stuff!"
"I don't know! The moment just felt like joking!"
They both blurted something out. Everyone else in the room wakes up. Misaki backs away, lowers her head and apologizes. As if she can't stand everyone staring at her, she presses on the remote and closes the curtain separating them. Now the only people who could hear the two of Tokiwadai's best would be themselves.
"So..." Misaki started off the conversation, " Why are you here Misaka-san?"
After hearing that, Misaka grumbles and scratches her head with the back of her hand.
"It's not like I want to be here...It's just that someone I owe a favor asked me to..." in a flash, Misaka's face turned a bright red and whispered something like 'idiot'.
Misaki seeing her reaction(plus a bit of mind-altering) knew what she meant.
"Then how is Kamijou-san?" Misaki asked the boy she was fighting earlier this day. She's not the type of person who would care of another's well-being; but Kamijou's wounds looked severe. She couldn't stomach the feeling of herself murdering him in public.
"He's alright!" Misaki may have imagined it, but she heard irritation in that tone, "Seriously, he's getting harder to beat time after time. No wonder This gap between our skills are being harder to fill...but what's really monstrous should be his regenerating capacity. It's like a cockroach..."
"Wait Misaka!" the mental-out esper held her hand up and yelped in shock, "You're telling me...You are saying that you, Misaka Mikoto, the city's third strongest and ace of Tokiwadai one of the most eligible schools in Academy city has been defeated in combat, by a highschool boy of no level?"
"Yes. Misaka has been repeatedly defeated by a boy who is not known to you, which means he is properly not a high ranking esper". the electromaster said with a monotone way. MIsaki chuckled a bit at the joking manner of her schoolmate, "also it seems that his power revolves around negating other abilities, which is I may add is, at least in theory is impossible. Happy!"
She said with a harsh tone in the end. Looks like she can't take someone negating her powers over and over again. Misaki herself felt it first hand during the 'Calvary match'.
"Where is he anyway?" Misaki asked again. And once again, her fellow level 5 returned her question with a grumble.
"Mmm~that guy was here up until 10 minutes ago. He can't stop feeling responsible for putting you in here in such a terrible condition. But he got called to attend an after-party that was to celebrate the first day of the Tokiwadai sports festival. I can't believe that idiot, every single time I meet him he infuriates me; and what is with him and girls. What was it he called her, Kumokawa or something, why is it every time I see him he is with some new girl! A maid this time! Seriously!"
Just as the railgun in front of her was emitting steam and electricity, Misaki just hung her head down and looked at the thing on the patient's table. It looks like a red headband worn for matches like the Calvary match. But it wasn't hers. She was wearing a white one before the medics took it off so that they can examine her temperature. The one on the table was pure white with a strand of blood on it.
She took it up with both her weak hands. A bit of pain like electrocution was felt once she lifted it up. She must have been seriously injured. Even her nerves feel this numb, her legs should be worse.
It must be from Kamijou Touma.
The boy who's been sitting there for the past 5 hours since the match ended.
She smiled lightly at it, totally ignoring the complaints Misaka is giving about the girls surrounding Kamijou, a small murmuring that could could be heard from her cute lips.
"Kamijou-san you baka...you lost...don't do these kind things to me..."
PART 2
Going back 6 hours.
"Aoooooooooahhh!" Kamijou was still running towards the giant.
Misaki doesn't know what to do. She's just seeing a boy ruthlessly bending the law of physics and running to defeat her.
At the same time, the giant swings its other fist over.
He did it because his master's mind was in confusion. He had no choice but to erase the threats coming by.
The boy running by.
The boy has no doubts, no hesitation, no fear. He only has one trump card. He grips his right fist as hard as a rock.
BAM! The two fists collide with each other.
"Eeek!" Misaki shrieked closing her face in terror. Afraid that her defense would be broken and she would be sent flying about like the rest of her 80 mind-controlled servants.
But nothing happened. Actually...
Blood flows out of the boy's fist.
She can't say anything, nor do anything.
But she did smile. A develish smile indeed.
She has now found out that the boy who's trading fists with her last defense isn't that strong. He may be able to withstand hits and have harder fists than most people, the limit of the human body was impossible to overcome the force of this incredible giant. It may have been on Kamijou's fault too, thinking of restlessly swinging his fist at it, without thinking of the possibility that this might not be the aftereffect of an esper.
So now she's staring at the boy who could not escape the clutches of the gigantic man.
Kamijou's hands tried it's best to push the force that's pressing on to his body. The fist itself wa as large as himself.
His body lets out some cracking sounds, and a sharp pain spreads from inside the hands to the arms, as if a nail file was used to rub against teeth.
Like a landslide, the power that can make anyone despair exerts itself on Kamijou's body. The power of the giant's fist was absorbed by Kamijou, breaking his fingers. He supports himself off the ground as he gets pushed backwards on the asphalt road. The calves that are holding up against an unfathomable amount of pressure let out a terrifying sound, like branches of a tree about to get broken from the weight of snow on them. The sudden sensation of pain echoes through Kamijou's body, his calves feel like someone has been using a hammer to hit them.
The giant seems like it wants to thoroughly destroy this little resistance in front of it, as it increases the force.
"AH..AAAHHHHHHH!"
Kamijou shouted as he exerts more strength, his limbs expanding rapidly. the clothes on his body starts to tighten as his muscle index expands to a great heap. His body ready to shatter at any time.
"Guu...!"
Kamijou let out another wail. This time it could even reach the end of the other stadium; making the other Kamijou drop the cigarette from his mouth.
But the other Kamijou wasn't afraid of the voice his present self is making.
It's the power he's sensing that's making him shiver.
PART 3
"Hey brat!" a demonic and angered voice came from somewhere on the furthest end of the stadium's east side. But seeing that no one's here because they were swallowed by the tension of the match, no human heard those words spoken.
"Hey Kamijou brat! pick me back up! I hate being on this floor! I can even see that cockroach preparing to prance on me once I stop shaking!" The sound came from nowhere in particular. Just a cigarette that was on the floor. And that cigarette was also jumping and bouncing around like a grasshopper.
"Can't you here me!" it shouted once more at the vest wearing, glasses-bearer boy who's holding the railings of the stadium.
"Shhssh! Can't you feel that telesma leaking out from his right hand!" Kamijou shouted back with a more trembling and intense voice. Innocentius, in cigarette form, shut up once that was said.
"It's not that I can't sense it..." the cigarette on the floor stopped bouncing and got straight while on the floor, it has no face but it was surely sweating "It's just there's nothing we can do. We can't blow our cover now."
"FucK!" Genno slammed his fist at the meta lrailings, bending it instantly, "Why can't my misfortune go away! he can't unleash that power now. It would destroy nearly everything..."
He fell on his knees; his hands still hanging loosely on the railings.
"You...can't give in...not to her...not like me..."
PART 4
"Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!"
Inane laughter rang in one of the audiences seats. A lot of the girls who were sitting there were surrounding a small little girl in a shape of a semicircle facing the seats. They didn't know how to get close to her.
Because she was squirming on the floor like a sea bass that was left on the hot floor.
Tears and drool dripped from her mouth and eyes. Her eyes widened in fear, the intense laughter was not her wanting. but she couldn't hold it in. The laughter drummed into the ears of everyone there. They didn't know how to react, this wasn't the first time she had been acting up like this. But the intensity and gruesomeness of the sound was just too...insane.
"Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Help me Lessar!Ha!Ha!Ha!...Thiis power...Ha! IT'S JUST TOO GREAT...!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!"
The short-haired girl reached her hand that was constantly shaking. It was like the hand of a ghost trying to drag it's victims into the abyss. Even the comrades that has been with her from all these years hesitated to reach out for the hand that was searching for help.
But there was one who held that hand tightly.
"Hold on Lancis!" it was Lessar, the one who was called, "You can get through this. You have...hold it...for a little longer."
She's trying to comfort her friend who was wriggling on the floor. But she doesn't know how much her voice was trembling. Instead of making her friend feel better, it's making her worry even more seeing Lessar's face full of tears. The hands holding Lancis' were both cold and shaking.
"Ark!" a choking noise was heard from Lancis' throat.
"Quick lessar! She's biting her tongue!" Bayloupe who was on the sidelines this entire time shouted out.
Lessar herself knew best what to do.
Chomp!
Lessar's thumb was pressed in between Lancis' upper and lower jaw, preventing the red-haired girl to bite her own tongue while laughing.
But even with a hand in her mouth, there's still no stopping the malicious chuckles coming out.
"Bayloupe...what should we do?" Lessar asked with her face still staring at Lancis.
"She's detecting a large amount of magical energy...Damn, it's never reached this much before!" The head of new light clicked her tongue as she cursed herself for being so incompetent.
"What are we supposed to do?" Floris asked. Her face full of irritation. She's not that happy seeing her friend twisting and turning on the floor.
"We just have to wait. There's nothing we can do now..."
"Damn it!" Floris stomped her foot on the ground in miscontempt. She stared at the stadium that was now hosting one of the most dangerous battles she has ever seen.
"What are you doing Japanese-idiot...?"
"Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!"
PART 5
"Finish hiiim!,"
The fifth level 5 just says this one sentence.
After that, in front of Kamijou, the giant deals a horrendous blow. The giant's fist is swung horizontally, piercing into the boy's flank without mercy. The sound of this explosion would make one not expect that that thing was slammed into someone's body, and the boy who's sandwiched between the floor and the fist has his strength slowly sapped away. He can't even swing his decisively clenched fist at the beast in front of him.
Kamijou's back hit the hard wall of the arena. The sond shook the entire arena, caussing it to be nearly silent; except the insane laughter that made it suiting the situation.
"Pant! Pant!Pant!Pant!Pant!" Misaki was taking in air at a violent speed. She was sure that she would get killed back there. She had to thank the human limits that she didn't get finished by that boys last fist; it would make her lose the title of the queen of Tokiwadai.
"Pant! Pant!...ha...ha...ha!ha! ha!" Panting soon turned into laughter. Her eyes full of insanity, "Ha! ha! what am I thinking! How can a level 0 stand up to me! He'll just die like everyone else! ha! ha! ha!"
The queen had no feeling of royalty and elegance in her left. All anyone could see is an insane tyrant on the supreme defense mechanism.
"Kill that lowly civilian!"
PART 6
"Establish the Altar. The paper snow will now remove the corruption on the eight-sided Altar (Ladies and gentlemen, behold a magic full of tricks and mysteries!)"
"Designate the boundary. The 4 sides of the seal protected, treasures to be obtained from the 4 earths (Today's stage is over here! Let me begin with the cumbersome preparation!)"
"The folded paper will be the basis of this spell that's to be supported by the spirits (And now, allow me to introduce my comrades of the magic brigade!)"
"Commanding the four beasts. Black of the North, White of the West, Red of the South, Blue of the East! (Work faster, you idiots! Genbu, Byakko, Suzaku, Seiryuu!)"
"Offering the Altar. Summoning the force to stabilize the Altar (The pistol is complete, now it's time to load the bullet!)"
"At the early hours of 1-3, the wicked and wild witch with the nail will provide the motivation (This bullet shall be one so ridiculous powerful and violent!)"
"Using this boundary to replace the scarecrow (A seal will be formed on the pistol!)"
"Using thy God to replace the nail (A Shikigami will be cast on the bullet)"
That's what he was chanting a few minutes ago. He remembers it vividly.
But now Tsuchimikado was lying down with his face down on the floor. He had no strength to even stand because he used it all up in his last spell, the Shikigami pistol.
Using Shikigami representing the four guardian deities, and placing them in their proper place in the four directions, to create a ritual location, which would draw from the Power of the World. Motoharu chants a spell that would send a powerful long distance spell that turns the spellcaster as the gun for the power to be released.
It is capable of destroying an entire house, and has a long preparation time, but Tsuchimikado was able to pull it off with the help of his friend Aogami who held the most mobility within the three.
But now his effort would come to waste.
He could do nothing but gnash his teeth and curse himself for not being able to move.
"Kami-yan...get your sorry ass up"
PART 7
Aogami was damaged beyond recovery.
The entire half of his right flank was burnt to a crisp. His clothes were no different from a rag that was burnt and thrown into a muddy pond. His face used to full of cheer and jolly feelings. But now its nothing more than a person who's been through a train wreck.
He was damaged...but he doesn't regret anything...not at all.
He wasn't a one who knew much about magic, but he trusted his friend Tsuchimikado to be doing the right thing.
That's why he accepted three of the jobs of the most importance.
Diversion.
He threw the grenade that created the smokescreen to block the sixth level 5's vision. That slight hesitation of the level 5 meant for his friends closure the the fifth and escape from the sixth.
Restriction.
To avoid the level 5 to use his multiple abilities to shoot Kamijou down, a soldier must allow himself to take the hit and make the enemy unable to counter and end their plan. That's why after he threw the grenade, he also used it to hide his presence. The heat of the battle between Kamijou and the sixth was too great, Aogami was able to snaek up to him unnoticed.
Elimination.
It was only a matter of time before the sixth strongest would escape the boy's grasp. So he had to execute the last part of the plan.
Sacrificing himself for the cause of the team.
He needed to plant the coordinates and the preparations for launching the Shikigami gun. The environment surrounding the ritual area made it perfect for the gun to fire directly on the film canisters. But since the gun needed time to fire due to the long chant, Aogami made his best to keep holding on to this man.
Boom!
A bright light shown through his eyelids.
And that's all he remembers. His consciousness faded a long time ago.
Aogami placed all his hope in that last attack.
He would never know that his last hope was swung to the wall.
Then he said something. His body wa in a comatose state so most people would think that it's just sleep talk. But the words within that sentence held some meaning.
"No way Kami-yan. Don't die..."
PART 8
Drip!
The sound of water dropping on the floor was heard. Quite a few times too. The owner of the blood was a girl who was left to carry the representative of their team on her shoulders.
She placed her palm on her thigh and felt a stinging feeling. After twitching her brow a bit, she examined the spot on her hand that she just used.
It was sticky and gave off a blackish color.
"Fukiyose-san...are you alright!" The girl on her shoulders yelped as she saw the blood of her sempai. Fukiyose could feel her knees trembling by the side of her ear.
"I'm fine...unlike those two" Fukiyose turned her gaze towards a certain direction. Two forms of a girl in their uniform laid face-up, their weapons completely battered. From the point of view of the people outside the ring, they look as though they werenn't breathing. But actually their chests are going up and down, showing the sign of life within the two girls.
These three were attacked a few minute ago by a group of five people. All of them were elite espers; and their teamwork was impessive due to the mind-link caused by the ability of the mental-out user. The group of girls almost weren't able to maintain their defense as they were bombarded by the onslaught of powers and fists that were hurled at them.
Fortunately, like a miracle, the group that was attacking them moved towards Kamijou's side as he was showing signs of resistance.
They were saved by that momentary occurrence. But the girls were severely injured after the group of espers left, not excluding Uiharu, who got hit by a stray bullet shot from the side. The battle of this side was ended with a draw; leaving both sides at a loss of numbers.
Fukiyose herself was bleeding badly. She could fall any second if it wasn't for her stone-cold will. The experience of being in a battlefield called 'a certain high school's classroom' everyday made build up her endurance and stability to the very limit. Especially when the people she has to take of were the delta force, the three most experienced brawlers in their school.
After waving her head to shake of the haziness, she uttered somthing with a dry voice.
"We could last for atleast another half hour. Until then, that idiot should learn to stop lying around and just end this stupid fight."
"Umm..." Uiharu nodded. But her voice was filled with fear and uncertainty. The high-school girl couldn't know whether the little girl got through to her.
"Damnit" she bit her tongue, turning her lip a reddish hue "You'd better buy me a nutrition drink with lots of nutrients and vitamins once this things done. Or I'll kill you Kamijou Touma."
PART 9
Within the windowless building, a lone figure was walking in a half-lit passageway.
He was a boy who you could only explain as white, white, and white.
Academy city's strongest, Accelerator.
"!"
The so-called strongest jerked his head toward the stadium at extreme speed. A speed which people may think will break if he swung it any faster.
But there was something in his eyes.
His eyes were the same as a small predator that was staring at a carnivore which is more vicious and powerful. The albino could feel his hairs spring up as he could feel the vectors in the air constantly wavering and changing course towards a certain point. It was like a chain of rapids that meet up at a certain in the river and then slowly forming a dangerous whirlpool.
He gritted his teeth as the power showed no sign of backing down. The grip on the cane was harder and harder, until the hand that was holding on to it shed a small dash of blood.
"This power...the arena...Aleister...no...it's more like that bitch's" Accelerator started mumbling something in his throat. He seems to be talking about someone he resents so much, he would never end his rage just by killing that person.
Accelerator closed his eyes and sat down in a meditating pose. His curiosity led him to inspect the cause of this anomaly. Then he started what he does best.
Vector sensing.
Even if his eyes were blocked, he could sense everything around him clearly. He could feel the the vectors flowing around him like many streams and rivers that envelop this earth. It's a place where only a person like him would be able to see and feel.
Suddenly, he felt the currents slowly redirecting and heading out of the building. All of them flowing in order and separating into their own path at the same time; reaching a target that's in a distant away from the windowless building.
Accelerator remained still. He was waiting for a vector current that he could keep track easily. A hard task considering the amount of vectors flooding the air. He was patient. He waited, and waited, and waited, and waited, and waited, and...
There it is.
The level 5 grabbed on to that current like a fish. He's now tracking the flow of this energy.
He could see the vector twisting and turning. Slowly moving away from him.
It went through the wall of the building; passing the circuits, metal coating, and the hard concrete that constructed this entire building. After getting through all that, the vector continued on it's original path.
Accelerator could see it following a road that was full of cars in heavy traffic. The amount and thickness held no challenge for the city's strongest to keep track of the vector flow.
He could still see the vector swirling around and moving forward. It got through a few more walls of some buildings with in the industrial district. It's starting to follow this current. A drop of sweat fell from his temple. But he continued on.
The vector then soared out in an open space. Accelerator saw the surroundings around that vector. A million of other vectors were all over the place; all of them were heading to a single place.
The bird-nest caged stadium.
Accelerator was still watching as the vector he was tracking went through the metal frames of the arena. It went straight forward towards a wall on one side of a stadium. Then like a vacuum, the vector got sucked into that part.
It was so fast.
Accelerator's consciousness got swung as the vector was suctioned into a boy that was stuck to the wall. But he was still able to see the vectors in that area. They were all being sucked into the boy's right hand. It was like an empty vessel that was being filled.
Impossible, Accelerator thought.
He could feel that it was like a bottomless pit that could never be full even if you drop all the power in the world. It was certainly frightening.
The hand was like a separate living being from the owner. It would be considered a living being than an extension of the human body. It wouldn't be strange to call it a beast than a hand.
Yes.
The beast called Imagine Breaker.
Once he was able to completely focus at the sight at hand, he was able to make out something around that right hand.
A plasma-like energy is surrounding that hand that can negate any ability. It slowly shifted it's form and changed shape as it was absorbing more vectors into it. The image was vague. But Accelerator was able to make out a figure of a woman within that blurry.
But Accelerator's body shook like lightning.
His senses got flung back to the underground of the windowless building. He never went anywhere from the start. He has always been here for the past half minute.
The number one esper didn't utter any words, nor showed any close to emotion. He just went on towards a large metal door at the end of the passageway.
Without warning, he said a few words in the empty air.
"That fucker sure is getting ahead..."
PART 10
Above Accelerator for 150 meters, laid the world's most wickedest man.
The Windowless Building in Academy City.
This construct is made of a unique material, and can withstand the heat and shockwave caused by a nuclear explosion. It's Academy City's strongest fortress.
As there's no stairs, lifts or even ventilation, in this place where one can only access this place with the help of a teleporter, a 'human' is silently positioned in the middle.
The General Director of Academy City.
The 'human', Aleister Crowley.
"Hn."
He's in this dark room, which is rather large, and somewhat chilly. There's a large glass cylinder in the middle, and in it, there's red liquid. The glass cylinder is attached with numerous cables and wires of different sizes that cover the floor. They're attached to a rectangular apparatus on the wall. In this room that isn't illuminated, the green and red lights on the dashboard look like the shining stars in the night.
He's floating upside down in the cylinder.
The green surgical clothes sways silently in the fluid, the decolourised silver hair entangling it.
This person, it's unknown if he's a man or a woman, an adult or a child, a Saint or a convict. Anyway, only a word 'human' can describe him.
"To use that power to merely defeat a level 5?"
He mutters to himself.
No matter what Kamijou's abilities are. He wouldn't just learn this from someone and use it. The power needs to be acknowledges and allow the user to use it's power. But right now an immense pool of mana and telesma is overflowing the dashboard on his side. There must be someone else triggering the power
The mastermind controlling his right hand.
The secret behind Imagine breaker.
"…This situation got really big."
Aleister says in a tone that indicates that he can't stand this threat anymore.
"...I need to find the former owner"
It has been revealed that the Imagine Breaker can choose which person can wield it, as after being severed from the boy several times in the past, it has still remained in his possession. According to Fiamma of the Right, the current generation is still attached to Kamijou, referring to it as "the right hand is only the right hand when it is growing from his right shoulder," referencing his failure in obtaining Imagine Breaker from Touma in the past.
It is unknown who previously wielded the previous Imagine Breaker.
But that is what this man is seeking to find the answer of this question.
(If so, I have to bring forward our plan. Really, this isn't a simple plan to be used for these trivial matters.)
As Aleister thinks, a rectangular display appears on the screen.
It's a detailed world map, and there are 9,969 indicated red lights. This is a worldwide distribution of where the esper development programs are done. He intends to use these and the slumbering Imaginary Districts in Academy City to carry out a plan that will stop magical activity on a global scale.
However,
(The important Imagine Breaker's development is still unstable. Can I really use this?)
Aleister thinks, this is supposed to be a plan that's not meant to be pushed forward.
Can't be helped.
(If so…)
With this voice in his heart, a new display overlaps the map which shows where the espers are being developed.
What appears on the rectangular screen is a rectangular glass box.
A bent silver rod is floating in it.
(I may have to consider the possibility that I have to take action personally. Ho…hoho.)
In the darkness, the 'human' laughs.
Is that from the greatest scientist in the world?
Or is that from the strongest magician in the world?
Is he a man, or a woman?
An adult, or a child?
A Saint, or a convict?
What that person is thinking, nobody knows.
He just reveals a smile.
"That's a devious grin"
A voice was heard out of a sudden.
Aleister turned rolled his eyes to the side. His eyes is fixed into the front.
Golden long hair.
A shining, tall and thin stature. And loose white clothing that covered the body entirely. Though its gender cannot be definitely ascertained, at least the outward appearance looked like a female.
On its face is a expression that's full of happiness, sadness, grief and anger, but deep down it has emotions completely different from that of humans; it's an expression that is extremely calm.
An angel that cannot be explained by the Bible or theology is also the symbol of an element that is inside this world created by God and also outside of the hands of God. It is the beginning of the destruction of the fate established by God. Such blasphemous words were used against her.
"Aiwass...what are you here for?"
"Nothing much...just found something worth showing my face for"
The monster just chuckled as the director scowled at it.
Efficiency and value.
It seemed that was where the difference dividing those two monsters lay.
As opposed to Aleister Crowley, who judges things on their efficiency, Aiwass judges things on whether it has value or not.
"How's the situation?" the dragon asked.
"You should know best. I heard you used to be pretty close."
"I couldn't say we were close. But I also couldn't say we weren't joining in each others affairs at one point. It's more simpler to say that we're just two beings who joins forces for the benefit of both parties...unlike you of course. I haven't been able to make a good deal out of you"
"…Aiwass."
"It seems all three of those types of heroes possess something you do not. As such, it isn't surprising that you admire them. …After all, at that time, you were only able to fall and lament."
"Aiwass," Aleister said once more.
For just an instant, a slight distortion entered that human voice that sounded like the voice of both a man and a woman, both of an adult and a child, and both of a saint and a criminal. It was not quite like any normal human emotion.
Aiwass's expression did not change.
Perhaps Aiwass saw no value that made it worth showing interest in that.
"I will use anything I can. That includes you. You may find it amusing that there are slight errors in my plan, but let me tell you something. …There is no guarantee that your absolute superiority will last forever."
"I do not possess this power because I wished for it nor do I continue to hold it because I work towards that end," said Aiwass into the jar before her. "But fine. I suppose I shall appear here again when something else holds value and interest to me."
"Wait"
He forced out a command which made the strange being halt. It turned it's head a bit to hear this human speak.
"Have you found something that would amuse me Aleister?" it's voice was mocking yet cheerful. Either way, it's hard to tell with the complicated expression on it's face.
"She's coming out"
No matter what the situation, this being would never show emotion. But she clearly flinched after hearing that.
"It's impossible", it said something that it couldn't believe came out of it's mouth, "The prison I heard she was staying in is supposed to withstand even the apocalypse."
"The prison is more abstract than you think."
"You're telling me that Imagine Breaker is a prison?"
"You catch up fast as always," Aleister grinned with his eyes closed, "And she's attempting a jailbreak by bribing the warden with lots of power...hm..." He chuckled at the end of that remark.
"Dammit"
The dragon took no attempt to hide her agitation. She turned around and left the room in silence.
"I hope it's a good reunion with your baby-sister...Aiwass"
PART 11
"Fuck!"
Stiyl Magnus the magician from Necessarius coughed a llarge amount of blood. It looked like someone spilled a large can of red paint on the floor.
"Give up" A child's voice was saying that. The pyro-magician stared at him.
It was just a boy with shoulder length silver hair.
"You cannot defeat me magician from Necessarius. The difference in the art of rune magic and the essence of elements is just too great. You may have stood a chance if you were too train your pyro attacks for another decade." The boy said something unfitting of his age. But Stiyl himself stopped thinking of this boy as human a long time ago.
The instant Kamijou's match started, Stiyl sensed the presence of a powerful being descending on the roof of the stadium. He was in too much of a hurry, so there was no backup.
An easy task, he thought, taking out a single enemy.
He overestimated himself. The first step he took on the glass and metal-framed roof, was his first step towards never ending pain. Since he's been fighting this boy, it's been a one-sided fight. Everything was going too fast, Stiyl couldn't identify what magic he was using. He only saw streaks of white and black light flying through his blurry vision.
That meant he used light and dark elements as a basis.
The most powerful and hardest magic a magician could ever train.
The theory of learning both magical elements was already impossible. Both branches were already proven to have different characteristics; both in method of training and chanting techniques. One would certainly lead himself to ruin before he could even master the simple law of dark and light conversion.
Stiyl could only make one assumption out of all of this.
"Fuck...that's an esper power!" he roared with his vocal chords that were nearly shattered.
"That's right" the boy said raising both hands, "I am the experiment of the esper-magician hybrid, Ellis Destario. England should be happy and Academy city should rejoice." he said in a sarcastic and mocking tone. He must have some sort of history with both sides.
"You English bastards! You fucking stabbed me. You were the one who accepted the deal! How could you turn down that offer and hunt us down!" the boy's face was twisted. His sanity was nearly losing as he was roaring out in anger, "And you Academy city!"
"How dare you stand on the sideline and watch me die! Why didn't you fight back when you saw me die? Why! Weren't you the people who said 'You'll become humanity's greatest' and 'All will be fine'. YOU FUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCKKKKERRSSS!"
He screamed in a high-pitched voice. Stiyl couldn't believe his eyes. This boy was holding his composure and maintaining a calm expression for the entire fight. But right now he's turning into a lunatic insulting these two ruling factions.
The magician wanted to ask him how he was able to use both. But the situation said otherwise.
He had to end this.
"It's not the time for this." the boy suddenly stopped his insane roaring and looked at the stadium below. This sudden change of emotion made Stiyl halt his attack, "I have a job to do..."
"Job? Let me guess, it has somehing to deal with Kamijou Touma" Stiyl's lip curled into a smile. Quite a deadly smile to be exact.
"Not him directly. It's that hand of his." Ellis uttered once more a few words that a child wouldn't normally say, "The Imagine Breaker is a type of confinement of a certain immeasurable force. Letting it loose would cause trouble to our plan. I don't mind going head-on against it; but then collateral damage couldn't be avoided. My orders were to observe Kamijou Touma silently, while keeping the components of Othnius' plan intact."
"So you'll kill him"
"If the change of events compels me to do so."
"Too bad..." Stiyl took out a cigarette and lighted it. The blood made it hard for the stick to ignite, but he was able to pull it off.
"...you've got to wait in line."
PART 12
These two, who were fighting, didn't know one thing.
They were being watched.
By a certain bishop from a certain church.
She whispered something in the air. She seems to be talking to herself.
"This is troublesome..."
PART 13
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaahh!"
Kamijou does not know what he's doing; nor does he care. He 's receiving some anonymous power from his right hand. It's force it's so overwhelming, Kamijou could feel the pressure crushing his nerves. But he doesn't take it to mind.
His focus was only to one sound.
The soothing sound of a female whispering something into his ear.
The sound was both kind and enchanting. Kamijou didn't know whether he should listen to it longer, the only thing he knew is that this is the most wonderful voice he has ever heard.
"Touma..." That voice called, "Use me. Unleash the power from within."
"No...my answer the same as the other two times." Kamijou liked the sound of her, but he cut her off with a cold voice.
"Why Touma? Am I not enough? Do you really hate me that much?..." the sound changed to sadness and longing. Her voice felt sincere, as though she wanted to meet with this boy all this time and he rejects her.
"Not again...not again..."
Kamijou hears a sniffling sound accompanying a crying sound. Was she crying? Now Kamijou feels guilty. He knows very well the pain of being rejected. But letting her loose was just too much. No matter what her intentions are...he can't let her go.
"Please..I want to help you...like I always have...sniff..."
Fuck...why don't you die?
That's what Kamijou thought. But those words were directed at him. He wants to be the person who saves everyone in the end, the one who gives smiles to everyone, and not someone who makes people cry. But now he's the reason for making someone cry. Kamijou could imagine a girl sitting down on the floor.
Her arms were placed over her knees, and her head was tilted forward.
She sat silently and still, waiting...
Waiting...
…
Until...someone would come. And that someone is...
"Touma...Touma..."
He's making her cry. The one whose been wanting to meet him all this time. The one Kamijou knows is sincere in all her words.
"Please...please..."
Is Kamijou that sort of man.
"Allow me to..."
"Enough"
Kamijou cut her off. He could hear the sniffling sound end too.
"For just this time...do as you please..."
He doesn't know what he's doing, or even thinking. This is like a reflex. He has always been doing things with no reason anyone would understand. But that's what makes him adored by others.
That's Touma.
She isn't in front of Kamijou now. But Kamijou could imagine her smiling her heart out with her face dirtied with tears and jumping in joy. That's how he would like her to be. Then without warning, he heard a cheerful voice ring out in his head.
"Don't worry! I won't let you down!"
PART 14
Goose bumps, goose flesh, goose pimples, still bumps, chicken skin, Dasler Bumps, chicken bumps...no matter what it's called, Shokuhou Misaki is having it.
She felt something strange.
Nearly a second after she ordered her giant to attack, she felt the atmosphere changed instantly.
Goosebumps are caused by the contraction of small involuntary muscles, arrector pili. which are attached to the base of the hair and the under layer of the skin. The primary function for this phenomenon, and the reason why you most often notice it when you are chilled.
Another reason is a threatening stimulus from an outside presence.
She ordered her subordinate to cease his attack in the last second. A mere few meters away from the wall Kamijou was leaning on.
It may have just been her imagination; but she felt an odd pressure gripping her mind.
His right hand shone light.
But rather than the light from a flash grenade as before, it was a bluish energy that shone like fluorescent light.
Without warning, there rang out a sound like a woman's shrill scream.
Space trembled.
Not metaphorically.
Physically.
With Kamijou's Imagine breaker as the center, the air itself began to vibrate violently.
The energy's blue glow grew dazzlingly vivid.
The boy took a quiet breath-
And clenched his back teeth together.
A crashing sound roared.
Numerous sparks surged forth.
A sonic wave had erupted as though to blow away the vibrating air. The vibration soon came under control. But the energy glow continued blinking, reminiscent of the pulse in one's veins.
Kamijou gradually stood up right and stared at the hand that's embodied by a form of energy that is slowly taking shape.
It was getting sharper, fiercer, and more powerful as the time goes by.
The one sitting on the throne clicked her tongue.
The queen dare not risk to see what that new power holds. Kamijou Touma has changed the course of events this day too many times to count with that right hand.
The defeat of Sogiita Gunha.
The annihilation of the level 4 girls.
The demonstration in the arena.
The combination of attacks with the other two boys.
The power-up from the right hand.
And now...
Boom!
The fist was swung; utterly placing a hole into the wall. Smoke and rubble engulfed half it's fist, but Shokuhou was sure that Kamijou must have been crushed by that last attack.
Even if he slit through that fist, the amount of blood he has lost would already be the same amount at which a doctor would say 'dangerous'. There is a high chance that Kamijou himself would faint due to blood loss.
The giant pulled his hand out.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
And...
"Misaki..."
"Eek!"
Shokuhou turned her giant at a 360 degree angle. It was at a speed that might make him lose balance. But it was able to maintain it's foothold by using it's hand as a center of rotation.
The giant has already put his backside towards the wall Kamijou was at before. And he is now facing a more spectacular scene.
Kamijou Touma, the boy who should have been dead since the beating of the sixth level 5, is now standing with his back facing the giant.
How did he get there so fast?
Why does he look like he has the upperhand?
What is behind that arm?
These are the questions that people at normal people at these circumstances would ask. But Shoukuhou Misaki was at a state of confusion.
She has failed to crush this person once again. No matter what she throws at him, he would just make it disappear.
It's all too unreal.
Though she had no recollection of it, at some point she knew he was human named Kamijou Touma.
She wasn't a somnambulist—there was no higher-order existence manipulating her—Maybe the person she's facing now was just inside her head.
A Kamijou who wasn't Kamijou.
An existence with the same name.
Her head ached. A piercing pain, as if someone were stabbing her temples. The realisation of a being that surpassed the level of mere mortals.
It couldn't be!
That scenario was pure nonsense...!
Who would believe such a thing...!
This, too, was someone's fantasy!
He was her enemy.
He got in the way.
He tried to beat her.
He's standing up against her!
He must be ERAAAAASSEEED!
"Hey Misaki..." Kamijou Touma called her once more. This time she was just dumbfounded. What was this boy thinking?
" Do you have friends?"
It was a simple question like 'how's the weather', or 'what's your name'. But judging from the place and time it was uttered, it seemed very inappropriate. Merely seconds ago, they were gorging each other with all their might.
But Kamijou is now simply gazing the sky and asking her that casual question. He didn't care about the thing in the world.
What was stranger was who was the question directed at.
Shoukuhou Misaki. The queen of Tokiwadai Middile School. She was the least person in this arena to seem lonely. She has always been said to be escorted by her entourage around the school. It would look out of place if she was seen strolling alone somewhere without one or two people guarding her back.
"C,Course...I d,do..." She unintentionally blurted something out. Her voice was cracking like a broken record. She may be trembling by the force Kamijou is emitting. Even though all she sees is his backside.
"You think so", he said, "But that's a thing I disagree."
Disagree.
Why?
It was only her thoughts. But she must have moved her lips after hearing that.
"The word friend is a word that is thrown around a lot. People say to each other this and that, but it's really hard to tell who you can consider a friend...no, comrade."
"I've had my fair-share of the world and got myself quite a trustful bunch. That's why I can look into someone's eye and say that he or she is lonesome or not."
Of course, that was a lie. Except the Imagine breaker and his perception, Kamijou Touma has no other skills whatsoever. The plan he was about to execute needs a bit of lying though.
Kamijou turned a bit towards the right. Shokuhou can now see the right flank of the boy. His face that was reflected into her eyes seemed peaceful and calm.
"I have no right to say this, but...I think you want someone there beside you. Sorry for saying it..."
Absurd.
Completely absurd.
How can he say that! Me no friends? He must have hit his head or something!
I am never alone! And no run-down level 0 is saying otherwise. People are always around me; don't you see! They respect, love, adore, look up, and fight with me!
Is that not enough proof for you!
I'm not like Misaka Mikoto! I don't need three stupid people constantly hanging around me like a dog with it's toy!
I don't need someone who prances on me every time we meet.
I don't need someone to consult when I'm down.
I don't need someone to buy stuff, talk to, or laugh with me!
I don't-
"Then why are crying?"
Huh? Did she just say that out loud. It was supposed to be her inner thoughts. But she must have accidentally moved her lips as her train of thought went by. Kamijou Touma heard all of it.
But he said she was crying?
Shokuhou touched her cheek.
She felt something luke warm and wet drop down her face. What it it? It's impossible.
Tears.
The queen who is said to be behind the curtains of Tokiwadai, is actually shedding tears. And she can't control it too. No matter how much she kept trying, even when she tried to use her powers on herself, she just couldn't stop the liquid flowing down her face.
She had to admit it. Even though how much she wanted to deny it.
She was lonely.
Everyone who was with her till this point was mind-controlled or their memories were altered. And so, she treated them like servants, not friends. Having these many people around her made her feel like a queen.
However, there was an emotion flickering in her soul, something warm, yet still sad at the same time. This single thought tormented her subconscious, and left her to become this sad state.
Since when, she did not know, she started embracing her body with both arms and refuse to open her eyes. She bit her lip and hoped for this crazy day to end so that she'll wake up and assume that this was all a delusion.
Yeah..she'll just live like she has always been.
"You don't have to be alone."
Once again, it was as though he read her lips.
"I know it's not much...but it's a good start..."
What? What? What? What? What? What?What?
"I'll be your friend..."
By now, Kamijou has turned his full body to her. Outstretching his right hand that had a bluish hue towards like a handshake. Giving his small smile and caring eyes towards the Tokiwadai queen atop her golden throne.
He's just doing what he's good at.
What is Shokuhou's reaction?
"Friend...you...mine...what are you saying?..."
Shokuhou was stormed with many feelins. Happy, sad, angry, confused, flustered, disillusioned, enraged, understanding, she feels like all those are added into her brain. She could not tell whether that it was bad or good.
Her mind was in a blunder.
She moved both her hands to grip her head. This Kamijou has just said some words that could change everything. She is hesitating to reach that hand. That hand that seemed like it held her entire world.
She didn't know...
"SHUUUTTTTT UPPPPPPPPPP!"
She shouted out. No one expected it. She was going insane.
Her emotions-
no longer in control.
"You suddenly say that you're going to be my friend. You said you'll be beside me. BULLSHIT! Who do you think you are! Huh!"
What am I doing?
Why am I denying the only one who would care to come to me!
She is puzzled even by her own actions. She's the legendary mental-out user. How can she not control...no, how can she not even perceive her own actions.
It's like she's looking at someone else talking and shouting on a back of a giant. This is not what she wanted. She did not want to see a tyrant of such to be her. She did not want it, but it's already a reality.
"I see..", Kamijou muttered with a sigh, "You're afraid to accept ,huh?"
"WHO'S AFRAID!"
"People hate it to have their environment totally ruined. Because if they are in their own delusion that they created, they feel like the world is just right. But this right hand has ruined it many times. That's why you're afraid. You may have been like this for too long and too much, but you've got to trust me...I can save you."
"La!La! La! La! La! La! La! La! I CAN'T HEAR YOU! La! La! La! La! La! La! La!" She resorted to the most childish way possible. She just held both her ears and started shouting nonsense to block out Kamijou's voice.
"..."
He saw it was useless; so he stopped speaking. He turned around. He already gave his offer, she didn't turn it down, she's just taking some time thinking it through. Right now...she's still his enemy though.
"Turn back!"
She wailed out at Kamijou. She assumed that he was looking down on her and leaving the battle. Kamijou reacted with silence. He turned his face to the insane queen.
He moved his lips.
Saying a few light words.
No one could hear it.
But Shokuhou followed those lips and came up with these words.
[I'LL KILL YOUR ILLUSION]
Crash!
An ambient noise was heard.
All eyes were stuck towards the giant.
With in a blink of an eye, nobody knew how he did it but...Kamijou Touma attacked. He didn't
move his legs, he didn't face the giant, he only swung his right hand downwards.
The scene before everyone in the stadium was like a miracle.
With just some random swing. The upper part of the giant was ripped.
There was a mark of slashing coming down from the giant's right shoulder to his left hip. The slash looked as though a blunt knife cut through him like butter. Questions would be made on how a human hand can make a cut that large on a man that's over three meters tall.
Everyone dropped their gazes to what lay inside the ripped-open, sliced large man.
They were astounded.
What was supposed to be blood and gore leaking out of that cut...was unpresent.
It was replaced with something...less primal.
Sparks scattered within it, crackling.
Mechanical devices had been put inside it.
Originally it might have been about twice as large as a modem, but Kamijou's right hand went through it's shoulder, and eaten it whole. He shattered it. it wouldn't be of any use no longer. One could hear the irritating mechanical whirl that had been resounding in it.
"It's a robot!"
Someone within the crowd shouted it out. That was a trigger to the murmuring in the seats. Questions and opinions were flung around like crazy between the nosy spectators. But it did clear the doubt on how some of them never saw a human of that size trotting around Academy city.
Unlike everyone else, Kamijou felt nothing. He knew since a while ago that it wasn't human. Since the time he tried to look at it closely, or when he collided fists with e mechanical beast, he felt an intense feeling of iron and the noise of a machine moving under that artificial skin.
It made him not waste a second to execute this attack without worrying for casualties.
It was a sure victory.
He had two choices.
Eliminating her by pushing her to the ground.
Or taking her headband.
Either choice ends up with him winning. So the only thing he had to do is simple.
Choose...
PART 15
Two nuns are still present near the lines for spectators. They too are watching this spectacle. Both their eyes are locked on the boy who's right hand is giving off a light blue aura.
Little did they know...the position that they are in was off-limits.
"Sister Lucia...that was amazing...too cool!" the petite nun said in an excited tone. She seems to be sober now after eating a cake with liquor.
"Sister Angelene we do not promote such ruthless techniques!...But still...he was..." she was going to say something near the meanings of 'cool' or 'amazing', but restrained herself by holding her left hand to cover her face.
Her face had a tint of red, and her ears were getting hotter every second.
This type of thing has happened more than once.
"(No!No!No!No!No! I mustn't think of such indecent things. Especially with such a pagan. He belongs to Sister Agnese too. Yeah, yeah, Sister Agnese is aiming for him. As a good subordinate, I should be what they call it...a 'wingman'. No!No!No!No! That's not how a nun acts!...Ok! I'm going to forget everything around him! That's right. This is going too-)"
After thinking something to herself.
She peered through the gap between her middle and index finger.
His face was shown in the center.
"(No!No!No!No!No!No!No!No!No!No!No! Don't make that cool and powerful face. You're killing me. What should I dooooooo!)"
This was certainly not how Lucia would act. She was a cold and strict person. She could even hit her subordinates with no hesitation once the situation said so. But now she's burying her face in both hands and repeating the word 'No!' over and over.
"You know him?"
A noise was heard from above. Lucia was too busy denying something, that she did not feel this man step closer.
She removed her hands from her face and looked up.
This man was shirtless. It didn't look like he deliberately took off his shirt; it seemed as though his shirt was forcefully torn as there were some cloth between his armpit and neck.
The body of the man had a many major burn scars that may have happened several years before covered by ash and rubble from the current match. His face wouldn't make anyone say 'I've seen this guy before'. But there was something that made Lucia know who he was.
Two of the scars caused by slashing on his face.
"You're the man who was attacked by that magical circle."
"Good memory" he seemed injured; but he still smiled and complimented the nun. But his eyes shone a weird light. It seemed dangerous.
"Come with me for a while..."
"Huh-"
Before she could speak, a large rough hand grabbed her neck and recklessly pulled her up.
PART 16
Kamijou Touma was coming closer towards the 5th of the five. A few more steps till he reaches the giant. The giant was cut severly. He was no immobile, but it seems that he won't fall down. It was now like a statue with an abstract design.
Shokuhou Misaki was also useless. Her ability held no threat towards Kamijou. She also had no one to control. If she were to use the audience, they wouldn't be able to join due to the bird cage separating them.
Leaving her throne would also be unlikely.
She would lose the very second her feet touch the ground of the arena. But if she stays here, Kamijou would finally reach her with an easy leap. She didn't know if his power-up included agility; but it would be best to assume the worst case scenario.
Thump!
It was a light step, but the level 5 heard it like an echo. She didn't hear the crowd yelling at all. The only thing she was able to recognize was the heel of the basketball shoe colliding with the artificial dirt used to make the arena battle grounds.
Her breathing pattern started to go faster. It would be considered a light shriek than breathing.
"It' over" Kamijou was now two feet away from the immovable giant. It's eyes were now blank. The mouth was open, leaking a black fluid like a faucet. The incredibly large arms that are even bigger than Kamijou was now hung limp, harmless.
This thing showed no much a threat as the one sitting upon it.
Kamijou lifted his right hand, and he...
Swoosh!
Splat!
Something went through the air. A slight cut was made on his cheek. As the crimson blood started to drip down his neck, the level 0 turned around.
His eyes widened immediately.
"Just to let you know...", it was the 6th speaking, "You made me go this far"
Kamijou can see that the man was completely battered; but his face shows victory.
What made Kamijou worry wasn't the presence of the man. But the contents he was holding.
With a single hand, he was holding a girl by her neck.
Kamijou wasted no time to guess who it was.
Those eyes, that mouth, those clothes, it's all too clear.
"Lucia..."
He could see her struggling by holding his hand and kicking her legs. But the act was useless as the man restricting her with his bare hands was unfazed.
"Let her go! That's against the rules!" Kamijou shouted in rage as he faced the newcomer with eyes full of blood thirst.
"Against the rules?" he responded with a laugh, "The rule states that 'Any thing in the arena can be used as a weapon'. That zone is unauthorized, but they sat anyway. So they are, so to say, 'part of the arena'."
Kamijou could not deny that, but could also not accept the fact that their using human lives to win this game.
When he tried to confront the referee, he noticed that he was still under Shokuhou's control.
Trying to face Misaki and plead was also useless. She may help, but her mental state is not stable enough to make complicated decisions.
His teammates that are able to stand right now is also not capable of taking down such a oopponent. She would end up being sent to the emergency room. The level 0's priority righ tnow is to make the amount of casualties as low as possible.
Which means, he's on his own.
"Lift up your arm"
"What?"
He ordered Kamijou out of the blue.
"LIFT UP YOUR FUCKING ARM! or she dies!" he increases the strength holding the neck. She lets out a light scream, but then stops to look at Kamijou who is now making a troubled face.
"You don't seem convinced!" the 6th said. He looked as though he was supposed to increase the grip but he didn't.
"You want to know my power?" a challenging face was made. He was teasing Kamijou, but Kamijou's face got more pale.
"Ahhah...ahahhahahahah...aaah...haa...aa...ah!..."
It wasn't a loud shriek like someone screaming in pain. It was like a groan in tiresome. Lucia kept doing so in a weird manner. People would wonder if she was in pain or having pleasure.
But Kamijou looked at her while losing more color as he's looking at her. Lucia's life was slowly draining away from her body. Her face was like his, gently getting pale and lifeless.
"Power revolve" the man holding the neck of the girl was saying something.
"Everything in this world has energy. Water is used in hydro power. Gusts have wind energy. The earth has geothermal energy. And humans change that energy into electricity, sometimes they change it to thermal or for freezing. They only need a medium to change it with. My power allows me to make my body into a medium"
He placed his free hand on his chest. His eyes full of insanity.
"Then why can't I take a human's life force that's considered as the most resourceful energy."
"You...!" Kamijou wanted to curse and tear the one in front of him to pieces. But he saw Lucia slowly losing the strength to open her eyes.
"So lift up your arms. Then I'll let her go."
"How do I know you'll keep your word." he asked back.
"You don't", he said, "But it's not like you have that many choices. Your last attack may have a large impact, but it should have it's limits. The slashing seems to ignore the rules of cause-and-effect, but time is not controlled so I don't have to worry about being slower."
He was right. Kamijou himself was not sure whether he could use it twice. The power he received is still in use, but he would be called reckless if he were to use some random attack that could tear this arena in half.
He thinks and thinks.
His rage slowly getting higher and higher.
His arm slowly vibrating. The energy surrounding his arm changed into a more savage form.
Immediately,
An abnormal change seems to appear on his right hand. The blood flow around his body starts to increase, and it looks like a transparent glass statue had fresh blood spilled all over it, as an unbelievable object starts to shape itself.
What the energy around his arm is forming is not a weapon.
It's a head.
And it's a savage looking 5m large thing head that can only be seen in ancient legend-the head of a huge and almighty Dragon King.
The dragon head that should be transparent is dyed with blood. The boy raises it and swings it, and slowly opens the chin that has a row of saw-like teeth on it.
It's like it's saying that this is the real identity of the right hand.
The teeth are bared.
The teeth of a being that was 2 times larger than the time he fought against the alchemist.
On first glance, it may look like nothing happened, but in aspects that are invisible, it's starting to change.
It was supposed to be an energy that can't have senses. But the transparent Dragon King is silently glaring at Shoukuhou's uncle with both eyes. The same enraged eyes as Kamijou.
Then a shrilling sound was heard.
This time the queen could distinguish what sound it was. She assumed that it was a woman screaming. But no-
Rooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaarrr!
It's the dragon's roar.
The 6th just stood there. He did not feel any fear at all. He knows he has the upperhand as long as he does not react to the threats Kamijou is doing. He's now staring at the boy who's staring straight at him with a bloodlust.
But there's a sense of protection behind that wall of hate.
The feeling to protect others no matter what.
The same eyes he saw many years ago...
PART 17
She was tired.
That was all Lucia felt.
She hasn't done anything, but she feels like she wants to sleep and never wake. She suddenly was taken here by a man she barely knew, and was taken hostage. Of all things she expects of her life, being held by the neck and her energy drained was not one of them.
"Ahhah...ahahhahahahah...aaah...haa...aa...ah..."
She wants to cry after she made that voice. How can a person like her make such an embarrassing groan. She can never show up in public again.
But she can't help it.
The energy draining from her gave a ticklish feeling. It's like an invisible hand rubbing around her body and sucking the power away from her. A shriek would be better in her opinion though. Not this misleading moan.
She gazes her eyes towards the front.
Her vision came blurry. But she saw that person very clearly. He was different.
Since she's known him, he has always wore that face when he's trying to save someone and change a person world's completely. This time, he's not holding back.
More like holding back, he's just adding more power to his limit.
The dragon-king avatar laid on his arm. The dragon doesn't stop growing. The parts of the neck, body, and wings are slowly forming as he was letting out his anger.
The thing was supposed to transparent with blood exposing it's scales. But Lucia has noticed a small change. The scales are getting a light hue of color.
The scales around them look like jet-black blades overlapping each other a thousand times until it forms the shape of a living-being. The wings resembles a net-like wing of a bat. The eyes and fangs were sharp and threatening. But the blue flames seeming through it's teeth were the most frightening.
It was like a combination of a dinosaur and bat that was implanted with million of blades.
The nun then found out one thing.
Lucia uses a large carriage wheel as focus of her magic; the wheel based on the legend of Saint Catherine of Alexandria.
'The Legend of the Wheel'
These wheels have several nails or blades that can slice and dice Saints up. But in many legends, the wheel mysteriously explodes the moment it touches a Saint, like St. George who subdued a dragon or St. Catherine of Alexandria. Which implies that this wheel can even defeat a dragon.
That was all Lucia's delusions.
Her wheel would look like a toothpick once it is used against this nearly omnipotent being.
She finally knows how weak she was by gazing through this creature.
She looks down immediately to escape the beast's gaze. She allows the power to be drained from her and averted her eyes from the right hand. So that she's able to not see this monster any longer.
But her power didn't got sucked out.
It was strange. Why should he stop draining her life force? Unless...
She took her eyes forward. The monster was no longer there. The eyes that were looking her way were now gone. It was like waking up from a nightmare.
When she looked down, she saw him standing right there. Their eyes met. Their blue spheres were examining each other.
Lucia's blue eyes were tainted with a fog. It looked like as though her eyes were behind a dirty screen. While Kamijou's eyes were full of trouble and grief.
Why are you looking like that?
Both of them stared at each other. One one the ground and the other held by the neck.
But then...
He smiled.
He smiled at her.
He smiled at her with an unfathomable feeling.
It was just puzzling.
"(Why do you look like your peaceful?)"
Lucia wanted to ask that, but her throat was being held.
She wanted to know the meaning behind that smile.
"This should be the best"
Kamijou whispered and lifted his right arm to the side.
Wait! No! You're not following his orders are you! Stop! Let go!
She tried her best to struggle, but the energy left in her body was only enough the swing her legs slowly.
Come on! Use that dragon! You're an idiot! You pagans are all idiots!
She cried out in her thoughts all she wanted, but it was impossible to get it out loud. Her eyes were burning, her chest was throbbing, there's nothing she can do.
Kamijou showed no sign of retaliation. He did nothing but raise his right hand to the side.
Lucia felt that the vision of Kamijou was getting larger and larger. She looked down at her feet; the floor was moving.
The man holding her neck was going closer and closer to the boy.
Finally...her face was inches away from him.
She could see a shadow on Kamijou's shoulder. She can't turn her head, but she knew all too well that the shadow belongs to the arm of the 6th level 5.
Please...at least...clench that right hand into a fist...
The 6th swung his arm down like an axe...
….
…..
….
…
..
.
…...
"Aug-uh-"
The sound of an object gouging through flesh was heard.
The blood oozing down from his hand to Lucia's face.
Warm.
Red.
Warm red blood was coming out of his wound.
Lucia's eyes widened to it's fullest. Her neck turned in a robotic motion. She saw the arm of the level 5 pierced in to the right shoulder of the level 0.
Blood oozed out in a horrific matter.
But the horror does not end there.
The arm was pulled out.
Plock!
The sound just doesn't sound reasonable. Only the picture fits that noise.
It feels like a heated knife that sliced through butter, as Kamijou's right arm just sliced neatly down the shoulder.
His right arm is rotating in the air.
There's no pain, and he doesn't even feel hot. Kamijou just blankly stares at the right arm that got sliced off.
Blood basted out like a fountain from his bare shoulder for a few seconds.
Lucia had no time to look, she was forced into Kamijou's body. As though she had outdid her purpose and was no longer needed.
Her body was pressed against Kamijou's. Her face and body was tainted with red blood flowing from wounds all over his body.
Kamijou was no superhuman. He collapsed on the floor with Lucia on top.
He fell backwards on the hard floor. Lucia couldn't move.
She understood perfectly what happened-
But she was too mortified to move.
"I did...this..."
She was confused once again. She was the cause for Kamijou to be in such a state. Their bodies were touching; she knew that Kamijou's consciousness was fading away.
"Wake up...wake up..."
She held his collar and shook his body in a lying position. But Kamijou showed no sign of response. Her eyes were full of tears, she was sniffling, her lip was being bit until a drop of blood was shed.
"Get off!"
A girl's voice was heard from behind. Lucia, who was on top of Kamijou, was pulled up and pushed to the side. Two girls came to his aid. Two them were the only two members surviving except Kamijou.
Both of them were on each side of him, trying to keep him alive and close the bleeding.
Soon, Shokuhou Misaki also came down and tried to help. She kept saying things like 'I want to be your friend' over and over with tears dropping.
Even though she saw him as an enemy a while ago.
Lucia did not know what to do.
She looked back at the one who caused Kamijou to suffer. But she couldn't believe her eyes.
For her entire lifetime, she found out that this world is a twisted, demented illusion many people formed from their selfless deeds and greedy needs. She's been seeing the ones she loved most betray her and treat her like rags. So Lucia would not be surprised if something gruesome were to happen.
As if she were numb to everything because of what has happened to her.
But now she is struck with a different numbness.
A numbness that was made out of fear.
Drip!
A sound of a substance more thicker than water touched the floor.
Splat! Drip! Split!
More reached the ground. This time something resembling meat also fell to the ground.
Lucia was staring the ground from her crouching position.
So she only saw crimson water and flesh fall to the ground.
Lucia let out a yelp as she felt a sharp pain. Looking at the back of her
hand, she saw a red horizontal line running through it. But it wasn't her blood.
It belonged to the man who cut off Kamijou's right arm.
His bare chest and shoulders also had numerous wounds crisscrossing through them. The scars on him were in a specific pattern. All of them were in four lines. Lines that could only be made by intense scratching.
It showed insanity and struggling into one body. Like one person was going to rip the skin of that level 5 apart.
Despite the blood flowing from the scratch scars, she saw something truly mortifying.
Hanging limp on the middle of his chest,
the position of his heart,
was...
KAMIJOU'S-CUT-OFF-ARM.
"!"
Lucia screamed.
And like responding to it, the arm that was using it's four fingers to pin itself to the chest of the level 5, starting wriggling.
It was moving like a snake that bit a man's leg and was not able to remove it's sharp fangs.
But fangs were substituted with fingers...
"Arrrrrrrkkk!"
The man yelled as the hand was forcefully removed from the center of his chest. Four red lines gushed out. They went across Lucia's face; increasing more gore on her face.
There was the sickly sound of meat tearing, and bones shifting. A severed stump bled into the air, as a broken right hand was casually tossed in front of her.
She stared down at that right hand, paralyzed by indecision. What was she supposed to do at this point? What was she supposed to do…
The right hand, broken, battered, and seemingly dead lay before her...
But it was nothing but dead.
The thing was flopping on the floor like a fish that was recently thrown out of the water.
The body of the 6th fell down like a marionette some time ago, but Lucia had not take that to mind.
She can only stare at the hand that is not a hand.
She doesn't know what to do.
She wanted to run away from this crazy scene.
….
….
….
….
….
So she did.
She got to her feet, steadied her mind, and ran.
She didn't know where was the exit—she just wanted to get away from this scene as fast as possible.
She ran, and ran, and ran, and ran, and ran, and ran, and ran, and ran,...
and she heard a scream.
She turned her head quickly.
She was now quite a distance away from. But she saw what was happening perfectly.
Kamijou's right hand was strangling the 5th level 5.
It got there so fast and so quietly, no one would guess it was a hand.
Lucia could see the expression Shokuhou was making.
Her face looked pale as oxygen was being blocked. Her thin neck was engrossed with a hand that was dyed to the color of red. Her face was in pain and helpless. Tears and drool were mixed in to the situation making the scene look more gruesome.
Her voice didn't even come out.
Lucia ran right away to help her. She is gripped by fear, but her duty is always her first priority.
She was panting all the way. She had been brutally beaten in physical and mental health. But her legs are driven by impulse to aid those in need. If it were the her before, she wouldn't care about the life of a non-believer.
But two people changed her mind completely.
One of them is lying there.
Now she's standing atop the blonde girl. She stares at the two other girls—they were captured by shock. A moving hand with the mind of it's own maybe too much for them.
Lucia ignored those immediately and went to secure the hand. But someone beat her to it.
Someone's left hand grabbed the wrist of the cut-off arm . That arm that was strangling the neck before shook once and then became a normal hand. Lucia looked at the owner of that left hand.
It was Kamijou.
He was mumbling something inside his throat. It looked as though it was directed to that arm that was no longer moving. He then stared his weary eyes at Lucia.
And then formed a smile.
The same smile he gave to her when she was the number 5's hostage.
The smile that made her think that everything will be alright.
She just looked upon his face. Then she did the unspeakable.
….
….
….
….
Smack!
The sound of flesh hit flesh resounded for the umpteenth inside this arena. But this time was at a more high-pitch voice.
Lucia slapped him.
He lost consciousness completely right-away with a dry smile.
But then Lucia buried her face to his chest and fell asleep.
PART 18
A lot of things has happened during that flashback.
But to put it simply, Kamijou's team lost because Uiharu got off before Shokuhou to check on Kamijou's injury. Both teams suffered badly and almost all of them are in the hospital; otherwise the infirmary of a nearby school.
Kamijou's team suffered the most.
Aogami got a third-degree burn down from his neck to the lower torso. He has a fractured elbow and four broken ribs. He was in a comatose state for 3 hours after the attack.
Tsuchimikado's hamstrings were completely shattered. His left eye was not visible, and his right shoulder was loose. His organs were also slowly being produced by the uncertain auto-rebirth.
Himegami, Uiharu, and Saten took no major injuries. Only a few cuts and bruises. All of them were bandaged up and left the hospital to attend the after-party.
Fukiyose was more serious than the others. Her Latissimus Dorsi was pierced by an heated slab of metal. She needed an emergency operation to remove the glint of metal out of her muscle tissue.
Kamijou was beyond severe.
The human body contains approximately 6 quarts, or 5.6 liters of blood.
….
8 liters of Kamijou's blood was found around the arena and surgery room. That does not include the blood which was spilt on the doctor's surgery gowns. All the surgeons who operated on him looked as though they saw a ghost. They were informed that a teenage with a broken arm will be coming in. But when they removed the blanket covering his body, an arm was already there!
Other than this mystery, the police are investigating a brawl which accrued on the roof of the arena. All of them are wondering why burns and cards with weird symbols are scattered around the nested fence.
The 6th level 5 was in a life-or-death state when he was sent in. Doctors had to use the new equipment just to keep him breathing. The scratching was deep enough to reach his organs, so his body functions weren't working properly. It was a miracle he was fine afterwards. His room was for a single bed. Because the breathing apparatus, electric cords, and tubes filled the entire 6 tatami space. His condition would be better in the morning judging from the auto-rebirth speed.
Lucia got dragged out of the arena when the ambulance came. She wasn't awake, so Angelene had to use all her might of her tiny arms to lift her to the other church members. Lancis also was fine. She was extremely tired though.
The other contestants had a baseball match and a soccer match after the 'Calvary match'. Their injuries weren't as severe as the members in the 'Calvary match'. So all of them would be attending the after-party.
Accelerator's and Kakine's whereabouts were unknown until the end of the last match of the day. Both refuse to explain on where they were. The matter was not investigated any further.
And as for Shokuhou Misaki...
"It's been a long day hasn't it"
"Yes...in more ways than one."
The two level 5's of Tokiwadai were chatting with each other as one of them was sitting in a bed.
Shokuhou looked at the side of her bed.
There was a wheelchair seen in most hospitals. It wasn't modern or electronic like most of Academy city's advancements—it was just a simple, plain foldable wheelchair. She is guessing that it's from Kamijou again because of the apology note written on it.
Misaka saw that as a sign and dragged it to the bed.
They were als oheading for the after-party.
….another done. It feels great to write after an exam. I was going to write about the baseball and football, but decided to skip it and give it to you guys as a challenge. Don't worry, Accelerator and Kakine's whereabouts will be revealed in the next chapter or two. I hope you guys review. I'll post another one faster if the reviews keep coming. So pls review. THX everybody.
