Chapter 20 :
"…"
In the dark room… not really a room but somewhere that didn't even exist in the reality. This place had nothing but a boy in middle who was curling himself. The boy was sitting on some kind of surface that sending a wave which spreading wide around every second. Below the surface, it could see some kind of scale clearly. With this darkness around the boy, he couldn't see anything far from his feet. But can see or not, the boy didn't care. He hugged his knee tightly as his eyes filled nothing but despair.
"…So dark…"
The boy mumbled to himself. Even it's the mumbling, the surrounding echoed his own sound reminding the boy was all alone.
"…So lonely…"
His words only grabbed his heart in the old wound. The fact that he already realized for centuries hit hard in his mind, the fact about no one was here except him. Now, the only thing the boy could do was curling himself tighter.
"…So cold…"
These three words were mumbled again and again more than a million times. This nightmare of the boy never ended. It was last longer as long as this world fell down to the deep despair.
Like they always said, if you're good, the place you stayed will be good. And if you're bad, your place will go bad as well. With the Evil seed, people were filled with many worst things. The world was slowly dying from day to day. No one could understand the meaning of the 'hope'. In fact, people lived a life without figuring it. All the effect was fallen to this dimension.
… This dimension… where every single soul met together at the end.
…The nightmare of this boy continued on endlessly… until…
"…
…La la la… La la…
…There's no truth or lie…"
Some noise reached his ears.
"…Even when the sun dissolves at dusk…"
The sound still continued on. But within this place, of course, there's no possible this kind of sound could be heard. The boy's still hugging himself, didn't even give an attention.
"…Dawn will break, and morning will come…"
For him, this sound was nothing but some kind of illusion.
"…Even when the star dissolves at dawn…"
Finally, the boy looked up, realizing he really heard something. He looked around but it's only the same thing he had seen. Dark and dark and dark… over and over…
"…I will still be able to notice your shine…"
At this time, the boy certainly was sure it wasn't his self-thought. He stood up and listened intently, realizing it was the song coming out from nowhere. However, the song stopped, making him confuse by looking around. Was this really an illusion sound? In the moment of finding an answer, another song could be heard in the distance again.
"…Lalala…Lala…Lala…la…
…Common time, gray cloud overcasts… the sky…
…The storm rages on the horizon…
…Soon, the sun will shine … wicked… and strong…
…Turn to a gorgeous blue…"
Some light appeared behind the boy, making him turn to see with a surprise. With the sudden light in the dark surroundings, he couldn't help but to cover his eyes first. As he slowly opened his eyes again, he saw something in the light… It was the long hazel-haired girl who sat on the bench, in middle of the rainbow flower field, singing a song there. No matter how wonderful the tone of song was, the girl expression showed only the sadness.
"…If the sun, sky're …collateral…
…Why just keep only despair…
…When always there's… a tomorrow … Don't fear…
…Stand strong… as the sun …"
"…" The boy stared at the girl for a moment. Many question popped up in his mind. Who was she? How could she appear in this dimension? Why did the girl who sang a nice song look so depress? But all the questions, he already knew the answer. Because this world was hopeless, of course. However, noticing the song content, he stared at the girl again.
"…Stand strong… Like the sun… Like the sky… Like the star…"
He repeated himself. To watch the girl and to listen this song. He clenched his fist. His eyes looked forward at the light. The black serpentine lines appeared along his arms. His heart now finally could be beat. His blood began to boil… Now, he determined to do something… rather than mumbling these favorite three words forever.
"If this world has no hope. I will create one myself… No… I will BE the hope myself."
And his legs brought him into the light…
"L-Loki."
With one glance of his devil eyes, even the strongest Espers of Academy had sudden flinched with alert. Everyone froze in place and stepped back even before their instinct told them. A fear was replacing the confidence of power in their heart.
Whatever happened before, the man in the black before them had changed. To be the Level5 Esper, neither or the strongest of Academy City, they never met someone who had this dangerous feeling before. They completely had no strength to stand before this man in the black. Somehow they could feel only this intense glaring of red reptile eyes of him would instantly kill them if they stared at it long enough.
As same as this spiky-haired boy, his body was shaking non-stop. But, in the same time, his heart just told him the opposite thing. This was the reason why he could still remain his position and could be gazing into his eyes with less effect even his face was already pale and full of sweats. The Level0 boy was the one who could stand before these scariest eyes. Not because he didn't scare but he knew… something's different… Something in those red reptile eyes was different… something that he could notice as the entire time before.
"No… you aren't…,are you?"
Shin who now hard to say he still was himself or not, sneered at him. But instead of answer him, Shin moved his hand slowly as a testing and explored his condition self. Even his attention now changed over, it didn't help ceasing the fear in their atmosphere at all.
"…Hell… What with this feeling…? The Esper energy? It's the worst I ever felt before." The Hatred mumbled to himself. Seems he was a bit disappointed on what's going on in his body. "…At least, it's a last survivor's body. It's not a matter who is, though."
"What is this meaning…?"
Touma asked again. Maybe he was wrong but he's pretty sure this wasn't the feeling that he should have when he faced the true evil dragon king god. Something in it was missing.
This time, Shin glared at the boy intensely as an answer, completely ignoring the others behind him. Only staring back in his glare about a second, Touma could feel something press his heart, grip it tightly which made him flinch and stop his breath. He quickly avoided his gaze before everything's getting worst.
Shin chuckled again. "Since the last time, your eye's been still in there, huh? You really surprise me, kid. How can you survive this long? For those ones all over the world who can endure my seed this long, I can count with my fingers, you know?"
Even he already was avoiding his gaze, those red-eyes still remained in his mind. His finger was numb slowly. His legs became weak and his feet didn't respond to his command. Touma suddenly collapsed on his own knee and panting hard like he would be out of breath soon.
"You already know. It's useless when you try to resist it."
"Touma!" Mikoto suddenly called him in concern which being stopped by The Seventh.
"Watch your guts! He will be okay!"
Touma raised his shivering hands up. Some black fluid leaked out from his skin. Some dripped to the ground, some flowed around his hands and turned into some kind of black gas covering his arms. His face was paler more and more as he could feel his heart begin to out of control.
'No! I won't let it change me! Never!'
With some kind of flame burning his heart, Touma clenched his teeth and fists, letting out all of his anger and stomped down very hard.
With surprise on his doing, Shin let out an exclaiming.
"Oh…?"
The ground before him cracked wide and the black fluid around his hands disappeared. All it left was the boy who panting hard with some blood on his hand. His eyes showed nothing but the confidence.
"I AM… me. Not… any one else… So…, you… never have… a chance… against me… NEVER."
All he got back from Shin was an evil grin on his face.
"Human always flounder in the huge mud for whatever we call 'hope' even you already know the meaning of 'hopeless'." Shin grinned wider. His red evil eyes showed his enjoying instead of a usual fear clearly.
"What you are talking about…?" Touma tried to catch his breath as he said.
Shin chuckled. "Human fulfill with many negative stuff, don't you agree? No matter how hard you try to hide, one day it will explode and destroy everything. Everything you love. Everything you care."
The Darkness Essence around him began to react his word. It's flowing up and dancing around him. "There's no true friend. There's no true love. The truth of the world is just destroying everything to begin everything. Even with that, you all still neglect the truth. Hide it away, and face each other like it's never been in you. Such a trash."
"So, as long as you have a life to live on, struggle, kid. Struggle till the end of your life. The more you struggle, the more I will enjoy you."
"You really aren't Loki, are you…?" To listen the whole thing including the feeling that sent thru from his eyes, Touma was pretty sure about his thought. "Something missing in your eyes. Something that ever menace me more than a fear…"
"Heh… Heh…" Heard those words, Shin grinned wide crazily. The magic circle below them shined lighter. The Darkness Essence began to permeate up from the ground again. The storm mixed with the black ribbon becoming a black storm and flowing around him as he grinned wider. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The burst of wind made everyone stagger backward and cover themselves.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! I am all and all are me. I am Loki who born for leading humanity to the eternity! No matter who I am, I will bring this world to the very end!"
End his word, Shin raised his hand up and the portal appeared above his head, appealing everyone attention. "Fake or not!? To create or to be created!? First or second!? No matter what it is, all will be met in the same point!"
"Everything to the void, and the void to everything! Gate of Heaven!"
"…Gate of heaven? No way!" Index suddenly panicked. She knew what it was.
"Awaken! Chosen! Show me the path you choose to walk! Or else, this city including this whole world will be destroyed again!"
No surprise, Touma remembered this move of him. He had seen it before, even it's not him who fought Loki in his dream.
Waste no time, Touma made the move first as soon as he got recovered. His leg returned to his command and did its duty as the fastener, sending himself to the target while his right hand was ready. Touma clenched his right fist tightly while it's directing to the man face as he dashed. But this man, who passed over many wars for centuries, it's no way to hurt him with only this straight punch. The attack was block easily but that's what Touma wanted. He knew only this touch of his right hand, that some kind of magic would crack away.
But it wasn't going like his plan.
It was just a normal high school boy punch for him. The portal's still there. Shin only grabbed his right fist with his right hand tightly. No things had been happened even a crack sound except something hit his flank hard. The bone cracking sound could be heard before Touma coughed some blood from Shin's strong kick at his side. It's strong enough to make him float away along the force.
"Accept your eye and release yourself first before you DARE to face me!"
Touma flew away like a rag and ended up at the container behind his party.
"No!" Mikoto didn't leave her eyes from the imagine breaker boy. With concern, she ran to him at the point where he landed. "A-Are you okay?"
"*Cough* *Cough*" The blood came out from his mouth, dripping to the ground, showing how hurt he got. "U-Urgh… I-I'm fine…"
Noticing a lot of blood he had lost, she knew at least one or two pieces of his rib bone had been broken. "IDIOT! Don't push yourself too much!"
But no time for worry about each other, Shin raised his hand again and the sound of something no one wanted to hear crept out from the portal.
*GRRR*
Something roared lightly, urging everyone instinct. Their eyes and their mouth all opened wide with the palest face they ever showed.
Index stepped back first and mumbled herself. "…The Gate of Heaven in the legend…The fine line between dimensions where every existence can become possible…"
Every existence… Yes, including the one that roared louder and nearly became possible right in front of her eyes. After another wild roaring, a pair of claw pierced through from inside and grabbed both side of the portal. Whatever inside now was trying to make the portal getting wider. Wider enough for its size to crawl out.
As its head finally showed off, it opened the same of red eyes that Shin had and glared at its victims below like a predator gazing at its preys. The Darkness Essenes flowed up from the ground crazily and wrapped around its body like a welcome ribbon. The dark plate of scales was shining the black light as the black ribbon permeated into its skin. Its wings were expanded wide as it slowly crawled out from a portal. A mighty roaring was confirmed a fear in everyone's heart.
"D-D-D-Dragon!?"
"D-Dragonnn!?"
Everyone in scene shouted in shock. They couldn't believe they would see such a creature like this but it wasn't even the normal dragon.
"No! It's a dragon of destroyer, des-dragon! Watch out!" Index shouted with a caution as she saw its mouth being opened wide. Some fire sparks gathered around its teeth.
"…Tch!" Touma barely returned to his leg. He tried to stand but the injury didn't let him. He suddenly fell but being supported by Mikoto who standing next to him.
"W-What are you trying to do?"
"I-… I will... protect-." Touma said, but his voice was showing his injury much more than he thought. Before he could finish his word, he was cut off by Mikoto's yelling.
"You will fight a dragon even you're hurt!? You IDIOT! Such an IDIOT!"
With her shout, it's loud enough to be heard by The Seventh.
"…"
He clicked his tongue, clenching his fist. His confidence eyes had returned in no time. Sogiita Gunha glared back at the dragon that bigger than him maybe about thousand times of his size with no fear.
After the energy was gathered enough, the dragon roared again and sent a great flame storm to whoever stood before it. The fire breathing that even could burn the air around its target. In the middle of this most dangerous moment, The Seventh stepped forward as he clenched his teeth hardly.
"My guts will never fall down this easily!" The unexplained energy was gathering around The Seventh intensely.
"SUUUPERRR GIGA AMAZING! PUNCH!"
"Hmm…" A surprise exclamation mixing with the jolly grin was coming from the evil red-eyed man. Shin watched the mass of fire was split into two parts by Gunha's power and missed the target. After the certain time, the explosion happened. The fire storm exploded and began to fade away. The smoke from the explosion covered the area and there's a man with rising sun shirt was standing there, with a punch that directing toward dragon.
"Thank to you… I can feel the fear that I ever felt it for a long time. Very long time. The fear that hide under my guts nose. That will even make my guts stronger than before." Gunha said, glaring back at the dragon intensely. "But it's over now. I heard enough. I will show you how strong my guts is… No… Human's guts is!"
The legendary move that could kill ten-thousand men in one breath now was stopped by a one man. Shin couldn't help but let out a comment. "Glad to know this isn't bore as it would be."
The wind flowed around The Seventh, even The Darkness Essence around him couldn't go near him. "Your guts just awake me, Kamijou! Let do this! I've had a dream to get down the dragon since I was a kid."
"Gunha…?"
"Show him we're not a trash like he said, Kamijou!"
That surprised both Mikoto and Touma.
"…Yeah, you're right." Mikoto said, gazing at the imagine breaker boy. "I am the Level5 and I won't let anyone suppress me. I will show you I can fight, too. Along with your side, you idiot."
"Biri-biri...?"
With that word, Mikoto suddenly stopped supporting him and dropped him down to the ground.
"Aww-aw-aw!" Touma knelt down promptly, didn't prepare for this. "W-What are you-."
"I won't stop you if you want to fight anymore." She said, gazing down at the boy. "We will fight together, watch each other back and don't leave each other behind even the end of the world… won't we?"
Her word reminded him the promise. The precious promise he ever made. The flame in his heart was ceased and replacing another flame that didn't strong than before. It's warmth. It's soft. Yet, it's hurt a little.
"…Yeah. I will find someway to stop the ritual. Just make sometime until I get recover." Touma answered with a smile. Even he didn't want anyone to get involve, especially, his friends but sometime, it would be good if he should have a little faith in them. A little would be fine.
"Got it." Mikoto nodded as a reply. She turned to the dragon and grabbed her necklace tightly. "Ragnarok-san. I need your help, too."
"Index! I want you to stay with Touma! Leave everything there to me and Sogiita-san!"
Index nodded and stepped backward while Mikoto walked and stopped beside The Seventh.
The black dragon glared at the two Level5 but this time, its red eyes couldn't even make these two flinch.
"It's hard to imagine to fight alongside with another Level5 like this, right?" Said as he readied himself. The Seventh grinned wide and hit his fists together as a warm up.
"As the Level5, we are not allowed to lose, aren't we?" Mikoto replied and readied herself, too.
Shin grinned wide evilly in joy. There's no other thing entertaining him much more than a strong opponent.
"Show me what you got."
Finish his word, he directed his hand forward. The black dragon react, roaring loudly. Loud enough to make everyone cover their ears. After a wild roaring, unlike its size, it moved quickly as it swung one of its claws at the two Level5.
*POW*
The claw hit the target, stomping the ground at their position. The ground cracked wide and the smoke from the impact covered the area. But it seems no one's getting hurt. The Seventh reappeared near the dragon's head.
"HAAAHHH!"
His favorite move was sent toward the head.
*BOOM*
The explosion was happened. The dragon's head flipped away along the force. But that didn't even make a scratch only make it go crazier. The dragon swung its head back and hit The Seventh hardly. Gunha already read the move, raising his arm to guard the attack. He reduced the injury but the force pushed him away. He ended up at nearby container.
Mikoto who dodged the first attack by stepping near it flank, out of its sight, saw what happened to the Seventh.
"His power couldn't hurt it at all?"
"Exactly." Ragnarok was the one who answered her. "It's the dragon skin. As you already know, Mistress."
"Guess, I have no choice." Said as she began to concentrate. The white light from Ragnarok shined lighter but was interrupted by himself.
"Wait, my Mistress." He said but the light was still shining. "The dragon skin is the absorb ability, not neglect. It has a limit for one amount of power it can endure. So-."
"Save the power as much as possible just for my safety, right? I know it."
The light pillar appeared, piecing down from the cloud above her head as soon as Mikoto gave the words to him. Mikoto's body including her Tokiwadai uniform turned into the blue lighting. As the dragon saw the light, catching its attention, it's quickly turning around and whipping the tail to her.
To see the dragon movement, Mikoto jumped up to dodge its attack with the lighting speed, floating in middle of the air.
"Whoa… I can actually fly…"
"Mistress. Pay attention at battle."
"Alright…" The Electromaster closed her eyes and meditating. The intense energy could be felt around Mikoto. Her body generated the lighting sparks more over and over. As she felt enough energy she had been gathering, Mikoto raised her hand up. All sparks from her body flew through her hand and up to the sky. The large black cloud appeared above her head, roaring the scary sound.
"HOW THISS!" Mikoto downed her hand to dragon and large pillar of lighting pierced through down from the cloud. The big scale of thunder clap was striking down to the dragon, landing at the center of its body.
*CLAP*
After the massive vigorously sound, the smoke from the impact covered the area. The ground cracked wide, leaving the sparks running along the crack. No sight of the living in the area that the thunder had landed. After smoke faded away, the dragon was still there but split into two part. Its body was missing.
"That should do it… huh?"
But that couldn't stop the rampage of the des-dragon. It glared back at Mikoto with its predator eyes. It wasn't too long before many of mini-cubes appeared in the missing part. The cubes were fusing together and turning into its new body before returned the dragon back to normal again.
"What? How?"
The dragon opened mouth wide and the flame storm was sent toward her in no time. The Electromaster quickly landed in order to dodge the dragon attack with lighting speed again.
Ragnarok was flashing the white light. "That dragon is made from the Esper energy. Not only that, with the Darkness Essence energy it absorbs from the ritual, it can be retained by itself as long as you can't cut off its energy source, Mistress."
"Then, what should we do? Defeat that bastard first?" Mikoto could notice the grin on Shin's face. "But with the dragon around. it won't be easy."
"I think-." But before Ragnarok could give the advice, The Seventh appeared with some blood running from his head.
"Then, I will keep it busy with my guts." Gunha said, glaring at the dragon but his lips showed his confidence grin instead. "He's all yours."
"No choice, huh?" Said as she readied herself. It sounded like a good plan for her.
"No, that won't work either, Mistress." Ragnarok spoke again. "The same goes for him. All you need to do is to stop the ritual. Or else, cut off the Esper energy, Mistress."
"Then how?"
Before they could discuss a thing, the ringing sound of something interrupted them.
"What the-." But the dragon never gave them a break time. It quickly swung its great claw to them again.
*POW*
Both Level5 quickly stepped backward together in order to dodge the attack in time.
Gunha glanced at The Electromaster, knowing that the sound was coming from her. Realizing the gaze from The Seventh, she quickly explored herself but the sound didn't come from her phone.
Mikoto glanced back with a confusing. To see him, something nudged her mind. It's about her friend, Uiharu Kazari. Remembering what Kazari had given to her while she was in Gunha's support, Mikoto realized that sound was coming from her earphone. She quickly equipped it and answered promptly.
"Moshi-moshi?"
"Ahh! Misaka-san! Finally!"
It was her friend's sound, Uiharu Kazari.
"Uiharu-san?"
But the big claw of dragon was swung at them again, forcing them to dodge once more. The sound of its attack could be heard through her earphone.
"A-Are you in middle of the battle? That large amount of energy I can measure before is you?"
"I don't know what are you talking about but yes. I am fighting now. Do you have something to tell me!?" Mikoto jumped back a few metres with The Seventh standing in front of her.
"Yes, actually. I got some information that should be useful to you."
Kazari answered back.
"I found the suspicious in the Academy City's data base about the event. It had been protected with high security code."
Gunha glanced at her while he was forming a guard, didn't let his defend down from the dragon even he was listening to her. He could hear the conversation between them. But the dragon didn't stop the attack, opening its mouth wide again. Gunha couldn't help but to deal with it first.
"However, I'm able to dig it up somehow with Shirai-san and Saten-san's help. It's about The Artificer."
Her tone sounded a bit serious.
"The Artificer, the device uses for shaping any model into the reality. This thing creates for using in the project they call the GAR project or the God Avatar Resembling project."
"GAR project…" Mikoto mumbled and clicked her tongue. Of course, she knew it. This city was the Academy City, no wonder, some more weird project had began again.
"Yes. The Artificer itself can gather the Esper's AIM field and merge together to form the physical shape. Just like the AIM burst phenomenon, the one that Kiyama-sensei and Janie had created."
'Yes, I already know this from that girl…' Mikoto thought as she saw The Seventh send his intense attack to draw its attention away.
Kazari continued.
"To do so, only The Artificer alone can do nothing. The collector is needed in process. It's falling to The Protector Device which they call it as The Supporter to do this role. And in order to give it the order, the pseudo brain is needed to be placed and calculated. That's why it connects to some wide network or the super computer like the Tree Diagram. But no record about this network in this data at all."
'It must be meaning to Misaka's network…' This only reminded her some hurt, making her barely control her anger.
"That comes to our problem."
Her tone went more serious.
"I'd tried to search for 'that' network, hope to shut it down with myself but didn't seem to get any close until one mail comes. It mentions your name, Misaka-san."
"Me? From who?" The Electromaster asked curiously.
"The sender is using the code name. It's 10032."
"10032!?" Mikoto knew exactly who the sender was. "What it say?"
"Wait a second... There! 'Misaka Mikoto. Retake network. After cleansing. Entail to youngest.'... A bit confusing but that's what it says."
"...Retake...Youngest..." Somehow, she could understand those words meaning. Her Imouto just wanted to pass the message with less effect but easy to understand for her. Now, she knew what she was going to do. But where she would begin with? "Alright. I will figure it out somehow. Thanks, Uiharu-sa-"
"Wait! Misaka-san!"
"Huh?"
It seemed Kazari had some more useful information for her.
"From the email, I expect that only you can shut down a network, so, I did some more research for you"
The sound of keyboard pressing rapidly could be heard through earphone.
"Your ability can access any kind of device. So, if you want to do anything with the 'network'. Why don't start with The Artificer. It connect to the network somehow. You need the proper method to do so. But I don't think it will be a problem for you, Misaka-san."
The problem... yes, it would be a problem to access Misaka's network. It filled with many of proper conditions to do. That didn't include how many of them. It might be using the large amount of power for this. But to think again, all she needed to do was just done some trick with The Artificer, not connecting directly.
"Oh, and you need The Artificer that didn't pass the using, too, of course, Misaka-san."
"That's what I just thought. In this time, just where I will fin-... Wait..." Said as she remembered something. The one Kazari was preferred to was buried under her pocket all of this time.
"I have one, haven't I?"
...For everything I use in this story, I will give the credit at the last chapter...
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...
What? Do I have to say something? XD
Longtime no see again. Hope you all doing fine! For me, many of life stuffs kept happening. It made me busy for awhile.
But I manage it somehow. Well, from now on, I bet I have more free time to update the story.
Looking back at my writing, it seems I wrote down many scene of fighting. I tried to make it short but I just can't! It's important, I can say.
Anyway, from now on, I will try to update this story week to week. If I can, of course. I will do my best!
So, then again. Hope you enjoy as always!
In the next chapter of The Legend of Chosen One!
Yoku : Well, I take part in next chapter, perhaps.
Accelerator : Ready for your lose, you shit brat.
Yoku : That's my line. When your collar is running off, I will step over you.
Accelerator : Few minutes is enough.
Mikoto : O-Okay... All I need to do... is to connect with my sister...
Uiharu : Be careful, Misaka-san.
Mikoto : Alright, here we go!
*Flash*
...
Mikoto : Did I do it? Is it work...?
Misaka network's echo : Onee-sama?/Onee-sama?/Onee-sama?/Is that Onee-sama sound?
Mikoto : Yes! Here I-.
Misaka network's echo : What are you doing here?/Our Tsudere-sama come!/Hey there, Onee-sama!/Tell me how you feel with the Savior!/How the relation ship with Savior!/You're sexy! What shall I do to have a body like you, Onee-sama?/Onee-sama, let's play!/! #$%^&
Mikoto : Wha-!
Misaka network's echo : I'm sorry, Onee-sama. It seems Misaka network now being disorder in this moment./Onee-samaaa!/Do you love Savior?/How about my gift?/Let me kiss you!/Quit Tsudere, Onee-sama, for Savior's sake./Give Savior to me instead, Onee-sama!/! #$%^&
Mikoto : ...
Misaka network's echo : .../ #$%^/! #$/^&%$#/#$%^&
Mikoto : ...Just kill me...
And when two faces of coin become one, the world is going to change, the miracle is happening!
Unison : Ja-ne!