A/N: Once more, I took some liberties with Sogiita Gunha and Accelerator. Please don't mind it. Next chapter will be the end of the Gutsy Girl Arc. And after that, an epilogue.
Don't Know Don't Care
"Oh shit!"
Hamazura Shiage jumped up from his seat and shouted at the monitor in front of him.
"Sogiita Gunha just punched the fuck out of Accelerator!"
…
After a moment of thought…
The dropout turned his head to the stoic Nunotaba Shinobu.
"Wait… Is that- Is that a thing he can do? I mean, I don't exactly know how everyone's quirks work, but this is a thing that can happen, right? Against vector manipulation or whatever?"
"…"
The girl took a sip out of a coffee mug.
And then she shrugged.
The two of them decided that Sogiita Gunha was using GUTS.
Wolf
[ SFX: *Hi- Pitched Beeping* ]
The white dust and crumbling plaster in the air began to settle…
"What's wrong, Number 1?"
Accelerator was sitting with his back against an almost shattered wall.
He could hear an ominous hissing.
"Were you always this weak?"
The white-haired boy had to be selective on where to spend his energy.
There was a limit to what he could and couldn't do.
But he made the costly mistake of overextending himself.
"Surely you can still stand, right?"
Slightly lifting his head, he could see Otani Eiko standing behind the Number 7.
She was trembling and…
Her expression said everything.
"I haven't even gotten started yet."
Terror.
Absolute terror.
Reflected in her eyes was a demon in human clothes.
A creature she desperately wanted nothing to do with.
…
It was honestly quite disgusting.
…
Accelerator felt himself grip the floor.
"Dumbass."
Limit Break
[ SFX: *Hi-Pitched Beeping* ]
The noise continued to reverberate. And Accelerator's collar was going off.
"I get it. I get it. Shut up."
The white-haired boy sluggishly lifted his arm to flip the switch off.
Remembering back…
[ Shinobu: Your collar has been modified. If it finds you overexerting yourself again, it'll start beeping as a warning before automatically de-powering. ]
He had no choice. From this point, he would have to work with limited access to the Misaka Network. It was an annoyance. But it was for his own good.
"Huuh? Did you say something?"
Sogiita Gunha halted his approach. Though, the pressure he emitted continued to grow.
"…"
Accelerator glared. Pushing himself up with his cane, metallic appendages extended from its end to pull the Number 1 forward. Slowly rising to his feet, he said aloud.
"So that we're clear… If circumstances were any different… I'd be faster and stronger than you. I'd probably even be able to manipulate whatever the fuck it is that you do. So…"
…
"So what then? I don't understand."
Accelerator stared blankly.
"I saying that I'm feeling under the weather. So take it easy."
At that answer, Sogiita Gunha frowned. He shook his head in an exaggerated manner.
"Ah~an! You know, you're really pissing me off. Were you always like this? Typically, someone in your position should be explaining himself, right? Or… maybe you have nothing to explain? Well if that's the case then-"
Tremors. As if sensing the Number 7's rage, the entire floor shivered.
"There's no real need for me to hold back now, is there?"
Showdown
"…"
Accelerator continued to stare. And likewise, Sogiita Gunha stared back.
It was a standoff between two of the most powerful entities of Academy City.
No doubt, something amazing was going to happen.
…
A subtle motion. Accelerator half-raised his hand.
"Time out. I need to check something."
"…?"
The ground stopped rumbling.
And Accelerator grunted as he hobbled over to a wall. Finding a conveniently placed lever, he pulled it and…
"…Eh?"
The floor beneath Sogiita Gunha's feet gave out, revealing a trap door. He momentarily stood on thin air before falling into the inky depths.
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
…
The Number 1 made a slight smile as he wiped his brow.
( Accelerator: Victory. )
Truly amazing.
Otani Eiko
Accelerator had managed to avoid conflict using a rather dirty tactic. But there was no doubt that the Number 7 would be back soon, probably even angrier than before. All the Number 1 managed to do was buy himself some time.
The white-haired boy turned his head. Calling out across the hall…
"Oi."
Otani Eiko jumped.
"E-Ehh?-!"
"If you're not going to do anything useful, make yourself scarce."
Realizing her situation, the girl panicked. She looked around herself, unsure of where to go or what to do. Even though she wanted to escape, she was no good with thinking on her feet. Her uncertainty left her immobile, and this indecision ticked Accelerator off further.
"The fire escape. Take the fire escape."
With a small amount disdain, the boy walked forward and pointed at a nearby door.
"…"
She hesitated. And then she came to grips.
Following his orders, the girl quickly made her way to the exit near Accelerator. But as she passed by, she paused.
…
"I'm sorry…"
…
These words had no meaning to him.
He murmured.
"I'm not the one you should be saying that to."
…
The sound of a heavy door opening and shutting itself signaled her exit.
And perhaps, Accelerator regretted telling her about it.
The Calm
Accelerator paced forward.
He had a substantial problem.
And that was…
He was about to get his ass kicked by Gunha.
…
Of course… if possible, he would like to avoid such an outcome, but he had a limited number of tools at his disposal. Underneath Accelerator's lab coat would only reveal a clipboard (for taking notes), an umbrella (for rainy days), a service pistol (for killing), and a banana peel (2.6 billion yen of R&D).
"…"
Accelerator looked at the banana peel vacantly.
"2.6 billion…"
…
He let out a breath.
He had no one but himself to blame. Even though the boy knew meddling would bring him into this stupid situation, he went ahead and got involved. Absolute madman. Right?
In any case, Accelerator surmised a rudimentary strategy.
Directing his attention to a security camera, he spoke to the researchers observing from the other side.
"Hey. I know you guys are watching. If I screw this up, don't put what's left of me in a fridge. And don't you fucking dare bring me back as a volleyba-"
Accelerator couldn't finish his sentence.
Because ripping through the floor…
[ SFX: CRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRFHHHG! ]
The Number 7 came back from his short leave.
The Storm
Time slowed to a crawl.
Sogiita Gunha broke through the ground. Bits and pieces of rubble flew up with him as he touched the ceiling.
And then…
Their eyes met.
Rage compounded.
He immediately went in for the charge.
"YOU BASTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARD!"
Accelerator threw down the banana peel.
Time went back to regular speed.
"GRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH?-!"
Slipping at twice the speed of sound, he smashed into the end of the corridor.
And without missing a beat, the Number 1 continued pacing away. On the floor, Sogiita Gunha wailed.
"EUGHHH?-! Where the hell do you think you're going?-!"
"A safe distance. I'd rather not deal with you when you aren't thinking straight."
"And who says I'm-!"
As Sogiita Gunha attempted to pick himself up, the banana peel caught his foot again. And he slammed face first into the flooring.
"BWAAAAAAAAH-!"
Through the pain, he rolled over. Grabbing the banana peel, he hurled it out a broken window.
"Oi, oi. That's 2.6 billion yen's worth of R&D you just threw out."
"As if I care!"
BTFO
The Number 7 stood up and shouted.
"You aren't taking me seriously at all, are ya?-! Do you think I'm an idiot?-!"
…
Accelerator stopped pacing. Though, this might have been because he reached a safe distance.
"If I took you on seriously, I'd die. Or at least get close to it."
"…?"
Sogiita Gunha didn't understand. But despite that, the white-haired boy continued.
"You and me have reasons for being here. And technically, you could classify my reasons to be tragic in nature. I don't, however. Since tragedies are misunderstood comedies, I don't think I'm in such a bad of position. As for you and your reasons, I can guess what they are.
"You're here because you want to find an equal, right? Someone who can give you a run for your money? There are six others that are ranked higher than you, so of course taking part in this experiment is in your best interest.
"And lucky you, you've found a reason to be upset.
"A reason to fight.
"You may be angry on the outside, but inside you must be ecstatic."
The Number 1 moved his hand.
"Unfortunately, I'm the wrong person to pick as an enemy. I don't mind being the bad guy. But I can't give you a fight. Sorry about that."
And then…
Sogiita Gunha noticed.
The ominous hissing.
The ominous smell.
And Accelerator's hands didn't reach for a comically placed lever, but an ordinary light switch.
"This is the best I can do."
[ SFX: *click* ]
The Number 7's Circumstances
A cascade of flames erupted from Sogiita Gunha's location as well as a thunderous explosion. It was another miscalculation. Even though the windows were open, the buildup of gas was too much at that point in time. And Accelerator was still too close.
The white-haired boy was blown back.
And he painfully slid across coarse ground to an eventual stop.
"…khhh!"
The Number 1 gritted his teeth. His ears rang. And his sight was going in and out.
Slowly regaining his senses...
He managed to get onto his knees… But within the sea of flames…
"…"
The Number 7...
Walking towards him, breathing heavily...
Sogiita Gunha paced to where Accelerator was…
And he picked him up roughly by the collar. Angrily…
"You're wrong."
His voice was shaking.
"You're goddamned wrong."
His grip was unstable.
"I just wanted to know more. About you guys and… And… I don't know…"
He could no longer look Accelerator in the eyes.
"I… wasn't planning on picking a fight."
The fire began to dwindle.
…
"I… don't want to lose this. I don't want to lose what I have.
"That's all."
Accelerator and Gunha
Accelerator felt his feet back on the ground.
The battle was over, but no one won.
…
Two silhouettes in the hall.
Two of the most powerful entities of Academy City.
Two monsters.
Two humans.
They didn't need to communicate to understand each other.
But if you couldn't put it into words, there would be no meaning.
…
Up until this point Accelerator had no intention of saying it, but he spoke up.
"Otani Eiko is-"
"Stop. I get it."
Sogiita Gunha let go.
...
"I'll talk to her myself."
Timeline: 10, 1, 2, 4, 8, 9, x, 3, x, 12, 13, 14, 15, x, 5, 6, 7, x, 11
