A Certain Infinite Possibility

by Darkbetrayer

An ancient organization has emerged from hiding in order to bring the world into darkness. Will Touma be able to stop them or will his actions make everything worse. Will Touma finally develop the harem he deserves? Magic and Science will collide in ways no one thought possible. Touma X Harem (Maybe, he is really dense.)

87. S4 Plight of the Level 5s: Part 3

First, this is not the Christmas chapter, that will be next week. This chapter still focuses on the level 5s. It took so long to finish because I wanted to end at specific spots, but the fights just kept going and going. There were too much guts and lolicons everywhere to be able to stop in the middle. The fights were a lot of fun to write and they involved so many people. I really enjoy how different the fights can be based on who is fighting. One person in particular actually made the fights funny. She always mocks people. I am planning to have the Christmas omake done before Christmas so I hope everyone looks forward to it. It's going to be a welcome humorous reprieve from the seriousness the last few chapters. Anyway, let's move on to comments.

Brosephg: I don't know why everyone forgets Oda. He doesn't seem like a bad guy, only a battle maniac. He even demonstrated his attacks for Shizuri's group so they knew what he was fighting. Juliet though, she's been through a lot and is under Eve's orders. Floris and Lancis were foreshadowed, so it shouldn't have been that big of a surprise.

Noise: She has to show off once in a while.

general ironox: There's so much hate on Juliet.

Whwsms: Oh, that game is next chapter. Juliet is prone to emotional outbursts, but she can recognize a giant mass of compressed power. Misaki's fights are always different to write. She doesn't have explosions or flashes of light to describe, so it's all mental aspects. They always have a different feel.

Salishious: Uh huh, sounds dirty. It will be after the Australia arc and then they have a couple interesting encounters with our favorite hero. Remember, Kami-yan disease works in close proximity, Touma Punch is just a quick way to inject it.

Generation Zero: I worked hard on making every member of the Fallen unique, yet still have the aspects of historical figures they represent. Lancelot has some kinks to work out, but plenty of time before that fight with Christmas coming up. You are about to see your two favorite fights soon enough. As for Australia, 3 more chapters to finish off the level 5 fights I think and then it's focused on Touma Kamijou in Australia.

Yakutsu Zaishiro: Touma is always trying to increase the size of his harem.

naruhinasakufan1: Centuries ago, it was actually acceptable for healthy men to go with young girls. Life expectancy was short and child birth could easily kill the mother. Men could generate children much older than woman could conceive them.

Kami: That actually happened in the novels. The IB disappears, the beast wrecks Kamisato, and the IB comes back to Touma's hand.

Guest: Normally psychic power and abilities are used interchangeably. There were some indications during baggage city arc there might be some kind of difference. Psychic powers might be some kind of power that resembles abilities, but do not have an AIM field.

Handsomistic1: He is good at what he does. There was a short trolling moment last chapter.

Somerandumguy: Thanks for the compliment. These fights are really fun to write.

wildarms13: Holiday omake next chapter and I'm looking at probably three more chapters before moving back to Australia.

FrodoFighter: You have a lot of good and important question on Lancelot. Maybe they will be answered when we return. Okay… stop reading my mind for that fight. I thought I was going to be really clever there and you figured it all out. Warning: Constant Telesma use may have unexpected side effects. Mikoto finally learned to hack into the Misaka Network. Touma's reaction is always priceless, but I wonder what he will be told. Arthur was so easy to write. It was like I was playing a paladin in D&D. Eve is very particular in her harem. She goes for quality over quantity.

Syko-Soldier963: Slow and steady, but having good results. Timeline has been blown up, run over, and thrown into the trash compactor. I started writing when I was only through part of the novels and it's spring (May) approaching summer.

Disclaimer: Random people do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index or any of the characters. Reading this story may cause you to burst out in laughter or start yelling at fictional characters. This may cause nearby people to assume you have gone crazy. Please read responsibly. Magic Gods own all so they can do what they want.

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Eve blinked in confusion. This was outside of her expectations.

She had actually expected to be interrupted, since she wasn't trying to hide her presence or intentions on assaulting the windowless building. Her plan was pretty simple. She would cause enough activity and destruction to force Aleister to confront her himself. This was not an easy task and she knew it. Right now, unless she destroyed his building, the best she could hope for is to have a conversation with him through speakers. If she had to destroy a number of his inventions, his security guards, or even erase important data, she would without a second thought. She was even broadcasting her location, so every magician actively scanning the city should have been able to track her. Eve knew the church had sent a number of operatives into the city and this plan would also flush them out. Kaori Kanzaki's appearance was proof the Anglican Church had taken an interest in Academy City. A single Saint was easily handled, so Eve wasn't worried about her. Instead, her eyes turned to the surprise quest, one of Academy City's level 5s. Why is he here?

Sogiita Gunha was outside of her predictions.

Eve remembered catching a glimpse of him in Italy when she and Adam first met Touma and his friends. She didn't see much of his ability, except a wall of force he generated to protect the others. Once Touma had unleashed the creature inside his severed right hand, there was nothing else Sogiita needed to do. Eve smiled slightly when she remembered seeing the creature again. She lost track of the number of years since their last encounter. She shook her head and continued to focus on the battle. She knew what Kaori's abilities were, based on their short skirmish and previous engagements in England. Sogiita was her primary interest. Interesting. If I didn't know better, I would say this boy is exactly like an artificial Saint. Sogiita was able to move at inhuman speeds, had superhuman strength, and had a unique ability, such as making different color explosions. Physically, he could match any Saint in a straight fight. You don't see that much. I like it. However, she had a completely different assessment for his mental capacity.

He's an idiot!

Eve really had no other word to describe him. He was the type of person who wanted to be a hero so much he would go out of his way and interfere in things that did not involve him. As for why he wanted to be a hero, Eve did not know, but she understood one thing painfully clear. He doesn't understand what it means to be a hero. He was a battle crazed maniac who wanted to fight with others to test his own strength. There was no doubt to anyone Sogiita was strong, but he was strong for the wrong reason to truly be a hero. The world is full of these types. I wonder if he could actually grow to be one. Shame we probably won't find out. She made five copies of the Herald for a specific purpose. There were four main elements in western religion, this four were tied with the four Archangels. Air was tied with Raphael, water with Gabriel, earth with Uriel, and fire with Michael. The fifth copy however was not as normal as the others. He was created with a very specific ability that surpassed the other four. If Kaori and Sogiita could defeat her weaker creations, they would learn what it meant to oppose her. He stood next to Eve while the other four fought.

"These things are tough," Sogiita announced excitedly to Kaori. "Of course, I expected as much. Kamijou had a hard time fighting one of them in England and I'm sure you know how much guts he has." He had his hands out in a karate pose, as he faced two of the Heralds.

"I agree and do," Kaori replied moving slightly behind him. They had their backs to each other to cover their blind spots, since the Heralds were working as a team. She held up her sword in a defensive stance and eyed the two Herald clones in front of her. From her brief glimpse of Sogiita's power, she believed he could help, but she still didn't feel right about involving him. It wasn't like she had a choice, fighting all the clones at once could be difficult for her. "Can you stall the ones that control earth and air? It will take me a moment to finish the fire and water ones." Her eyes darted to the fifth Herald that had not moved. I'm not sure what his ability is, but there has to be a reason Eve is keeping him back.

"I'll do more than that," Sogiita replied and made a fist. "I'll take them down so you can focus on the last two. Phony creations don't have the same guts as we do."

"Good luck to you," Kaori replied. She finally understood the concept of the term 'guts' from him. While unusual, she wasn't one to point out people's quirks. "On three. One… two… THREE!"

She lunged at the two Heralds in front of her and felt the air behind her get displaced at Sogiita charged at his opponents. Kaori covered the space between her and the copies in only two steps and prepared to strike the Herald who controlled water. Kaori was able to move at supersonic speed, but these clones were not normal either. A wall of water erupted under her and she was forced to take a step back or get engulfed by the current. She swung her blade and cut the curtain of water. Her eyes widened and she ducked as the second Herald swung his arm. A bright red flame blade flew right where her neck had been and she rolled to the side. Kaori spring to her feet and leaped at the first Herald, while the second one was delayed. That didn't work, because it appeared the Heralds were either connected in some way, or they were created with battle experience. Two torrents of water came at her from either side and she was forced to spin and cut them, which gave both Heralds time to retreat and put some distance between them. Kaori paused and frowned.

I didn't think these two would have this level of coordination with each other, Kaori thought. I thought if we broke them into smaller groups, we could take them down one at a time. Gunha might be in trouble. She turned slightly to glance at him from her peripheral vision. It looked like she didn't need to worry too much and she smiled slightly.

"Hiding behind walls won't work on me!" Sogiita yelled, as he punched a wall of earth the first Herald he was fighting created. The dirt flew everywhere from the force of his blow. Sogiita continued to charge forward and brought his leg up to knee the Herald in the gut. Sogiita's knee only connected with air as the Herald flew up into the air. The second Herald copy used wind manipulation to lift them both high above Sogiita. Sogiita was obviously a melee type brawler, so their plan was to keep out of his range. "You demonstrate your lack of guts with cowardly tactics!" He bent his knees and jumped. The force broke the ground beneath him. Even though the Heralds were several stories above him, he reached them effortlessly. The Herald who controlled wind smiled and swiped his hand. A blade made of pure compressed air flew at Sogiita. He barely registered the threat in time and punched it in response. A bright blue explosion formed at the end of his punch, which forced him backwards, but the blade was blocked.

"Can you guys even talk!?" Sogiita yelled up at them after he landed. They shook their heads and the Herald who controlled earth floated back down to the ground. The Herald who controlled air stayed up above them in order to attack outside of Sogiita's range.

"I didn't see any reason to give them the ability to talk," Eve called out to him. Both Kaori and Sogiita turned to face her. The Herald's stopped and waited for Eve to finish. "They can communicate telepathically and they have intelligence. It should be a good match to watch." She was sitting in a large comfy looking chair, which she must have created, and was eating a bag of popcorn. "Try not to die too fast."

"Are you eating popcorn?!" Kaori asked incredulously. "Is this all a game to you?!"

"You have to learn to not take life so seriously," Eve replied dismissively and waved her hand in front of her. She threw a couple of kernels into her mouth before continuing. "How do you think I look so good? I go with the flow and have fun, no matter what I do. It keeps me young. If you keep your panties in a knot, you'll be having pent-up stress that's going to cause wrinkles. We know the Imagine Breaker boy won't like the old person's look."

"W-why are you bringing him into this?" spluttered Kaori.

"Aren't you madly in love with him?" Eve asked with a grin. Sogiita frowned and looked over at Kaori. No one would have been surprised if smoke was coming out of her ears with how bad her face was burning. "I could have sworn the signs in England indicated you were. I mean, he even felt up your chest. You wouldn't let just anyone do that."

"THAT DID NOT HAPPEN!" Kaori shouted. He had only landed in her chest after she caught him when fighting Carissa. Her sword was held loosely to her side and all seriousness of the battle was forgotten, as Eve continued her mental assault on Kaori.

"You know," Eve continued with a laugh. "With the power of creation, I can make puppets that look exactly like other people. If you leave, I could give you one that looks and sounds exactly like him. You would have to tell me how big he is though. You have seen it before right?" Kaori would have passed out right there if she wasn't standing before such a powerful enemy. She was not contemplating Eve's offer. She would never accept a puppet to satisfy her earthly desires. It would never be a true person to her. What was causing Kaori problems was the image of a naked Touma in her mind which was clouding her thoughts and was not going away. Kaori may have been a saint and a powerful magician, but she was still an eighteen year old girl. Her mental training allowed her some degree of protection against such thoughts, but Eve was throwing a wedge in the one weak point of her mind. The truth was, Kaori did like Touma Kamijou, but she promised herself she wouldn't act on it. Eve's eyes widened. "Are you going to tell me that you never once thought about it? I mean, come on. I'm sure you've thought about it at least one or twice."

"I am a saint and I would never lower myself to those kind of thou-!"

"I know!" Eve interrupted and her eyes sparkled. "I could just make a few right here and now and you can tell me what size you think he is." She pulled out her book and held it in front of her.

"Stop!" Kaori said and covered her eyes. "No one wants to see that!"

"I'm actually interested myself now," Eve laughed.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Sogiita said. He had been quiet because he wasn't entirely sure what was going on. It sounded like some sort of girl talk, but he couldn't figure out why they started talking about it so suddenly. "Weren't we in the middle of a fight? Why are you bringing up her crush with Kamijou?" Kaori face burned even brighter. If it was obvious to someone like Sogiita, everyone probably knew, especially the Archbishop and Motoharu. "He doesn't have anything to do with this."

"Oh you are wrong there," Eve laughed again. "He's helping us out once again, even if it's just his image." She smiled and Sogiita knew something was wrong.

"What-?" he started to ask, but a movement out of the corner of his eye made him change directions immediately. "Kanzaki-san, MOVE!" Kaori turned and noticed the problem, but it was too late. A wind blade was almost upon her and she was still slightly shook up from Eve's teasing. She instantly realized what Eve had done. Eve had distracted her and Sogiita so her puppets could get a surprise attack. Kaori had just started to move, when a hand hit her shoulder and pushed her out of the way. She was off balance and Sogiita's strength was roughly equivalent to hers, so she was thrown back, but managed to land on her feet. The rustic smell of blood filled the air as the dark liquid hit the street.

Sogiita's right shoulder had a very deep cut and blood was pouring out from it.

"Gunha!" Kaori cried. She kicked herself mentally for spacing out. She should have known Eve would do something like this. In seconds, Sogiita's shirt was dyed red and didn't show signs of stopping. This is my fault. I need to stop the bleeding. The problem was, would Eve allow her to cast any sort of healing spell? She took a step forward and her question was answered. Two of the Heralds stood between her and Sogiita.

"Shame," Eve yawned and sat back down in her chair. "But it looks like he's going to fall soon enough. Humans can't lose that much blood and stay conscious very long."

"You underestimate me," Sogiita said. His voice was soft, but there was power resonating through it. "I recognized my own powerlessness in Italy. I saw all kinds of guts I never imagined could exist. I tested Kamijou not long ago and found I was still lacking guts. All the training I went though, it seems it wasn't enough to easily overpower someone like him or you, but I won't go down that easily." A gust of wind appeared out of nowhere around him. His clothes started flapping all around. The revealed muscles in his arm flexed and forced the wound closed. Right before Kaori's eyes, the wound seemed to close. "Let me show you the result of my effort!" He put his fist out in front of his face and the wind around him exploded outwards. Kaori covered her face. "Super Amazing Punch!" He flew at the Herald who could control wind and his punch sent the Herald flying. The body flew past Eve, about five meters to her right, and continued to break apart in midair.

Eve could only stare at him, wide-eyed.

Kaori could only stare with her mouth wide opened.

"A little guts are more than enough to connect tissue and replace blood," Sogiita said, after he realized they were staring at him.

"No it's not," Eve told him indigently. "You have high speed regeneration. Annoying, but not outside my ability to handle."

"Guts can overcome any wound!" Sogiita refuted loudly and punched the air. "Maybe I should give you a dose of guts to make you realize what you are doing is wrong!"

"Touch me and die," Eve said with a sigh. She couldn't believe it actually happened. She found someone so dense that she was actually getting annoyed. Can't pay attention to crazy people like that. I allow everyone to have a good time, at least until they realize they have been duped. Instead of continuing to argue, she raised her hand and pointed to Sogiita. "Kill him."

"Bring it!" Sogiita yelled and raised his hands as a jet of fire roared at him and the ground beneath him rose like spikes. He jumped back to avoid being impaled and swung his fist at the fire. An explosion formed when he connected with it and the force blew the fire away. Wasn't there three? He turned around and grinned. Nice!

When the three Heralds had turned to face him on Eve's orders, Kaori sprang into action. Not wanting to be outdone by someone younger than her, she unleased a net of wires at the nearest enemy, which turned out to be the Herald using water. The wires glowed red, like embers, and circled around him. Water erupted a fraction of a second before the wires reached their target. The water acted like a wall and the wires made contact with a loud hiss. Kaori had superheated them with magic by infusing them with fire. When the wires hit the water, steam engulfed the Herald until he was nothing but a shadow in a cloud. While the water protected the Herald from being struck directly from the wires, the steam caused the temperature around him to rise and a normal person would be cooked alive. Kaori realized this and channeled a greater red flame around him through her wires. Three bright red explosions erupted systematically around the Herald and the amount of steam multiplied. This technique was commonly referred to as the Red Lotus Flame, because the explosions resembled a flower. Kaori didn't stop there to allow her target to react. She charged forward and cut through the steam while she swung the wires out of the way. Her cut sliced the burnt and disfigured Herald in half, along with the steam, and then he broke apart into paper before he disappeared completely.

"Two down," Kaori said softly, before she turned to face the last two.

"Thanks for the help," Sogiita told her with a wide grin. "How about a tag team?"

"Sure." Kaori and Sogiita charged at the last two Heralds. Originally, they had been outclassed by the Heralds' teamwork, but now they were in sync. Their numbers were equal and they were planning to press their advantage. A wall of flames erupted in front of one of the Heralds and flew at them. Kaori swung her blade vertically downwards in a flash of blue light, which separated the fire like curtains. Sogiita charged forward and drew his arm back for his next attack. The ground beneath the Heralds cracked and columns of earth lifted them up into the air. Sogiita wasn't discouraged and instead punched the column. The earth was blown away and the Herald on it began to fall. Hundreds of wires flew over Sogiita's head and wrapped tightly around the Herald. They bound his arms tightly to his side. Fire engulfed him and it was obvious he was planning to burn his way out.

"Not so fast," Sogiita said. "It's time to use my new secret technique." He bent his knees and leaped high into the air faster than the speed of sound. "AMAZING KICK!" He brought up his knee and hit the Herald squarely in the gut. The Herald gasped. The force of Sogiita's blow snapped the wires, and then caused the Herald to fly hundreds of meters into the air. He eventually vanished as his body broke into countless pieces of paper. Sogiita started to fall back to earth due to gravity when a large stone bolder flew at him. He crossed his arms in front of himself and blocked it, but the force threw him back into a building. He crashed through a window and bounced several times, a lot of furniture broke, before he finally stopped against the far wall. "Ouch, that hurt, but not enough to keep me down." He spring to his feet and charged back into the fray. He looked out the window and laughed.

When Sogiita had been hit by the last Herald's attack, Kaori had sprung forward. Hundreds of wires flew from her and circled around her enemy. She regretted not acting fast enough to protect Sogiita, but she wasn't going to waste the opportunity he opened up for her. The wires started glowing red right before they sliced into the body of the Herald. The strength and speed of her wires, plus now they were superheated, slice right through him. He broke apart and each piece of paper started to smoke and crumble into nothing. Kaori released her breath slowly, before she turned to face Eve and the last copy. She took several more controlled breaths and didn't even glance over at Sogiita, when he jumped down to land next to her with a loud thud. "Glad to see you are alright."

"It was only a scratch," Sogiita replied. He pointed to Eve before he continued. "How did you like my new attack?! It took out your guy in one hit!"

"It was exactly the same thing as before!" Eve called back.

"No it wasn't!" Sogiita denied. "I usually using Amazing Punch, this time it was a kick. There is a big difference!"

"No there isn't!"

Kaori couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from twitching. Eve, the one who caused so many issues all over the world and could face an army by herself, was becoming flustered from a single high school student. If the situation wasn't so dire, Kaori might have broken out in laughter. Gunha isn't even trying to make her mad. It's just he sees things differently than us. Kaori raised her sword slightly. "There has to be a reason she kept the last copy back. Stay on guard."

"I know," Sogiita nodded and his face grew serious. "I'm getting a bad feeling from him and I rather not get my arm cut open again. Plus, his guts seem dark like hers."

"My, you both are clever," Eve commented. She stood up and her chair crumpled into nothing. "As you could tell, the first four Heralds you fought each wielded the power of a Western Element. The one in Italy had the air attribute too, though he was rather unique for a basic creation."

"I'll say," Sogiita agreed. "He was a lot stronger than those four. Even after all the grueling training I endured, he wouldn't have fallen that easily."

"You can hardly compare him with these," Eve scoffed and waved her hand. "He managed to wield a fragment of Lord Lucifer's power without dying from the surge of strength. Of course, he only managed to pull out a fraction of the wing's power. In fact, I don't think I could even pull out all of the power from a single wing."

"So you can only hold onto the wings until your ritual to combine them is complete," Kaori said and her eyes narrowed. "That's actually good news for us. I was worried you might draw on their power if we cornered you."

"There are two things wrong with your statement," Eve corrected her and wagged a finger. "The first issue is that you could corner me. You don't have that kind of power." Kaori scowled and Sogiita waited politely for Eve to finish. "The second is that we have a way to use the power of our master's wings. I simply stated I personally could not use the full potential of a wing." She put a finger up to her chin. "I suppose if I combine one with my book, I might be able to create a minor angel. It wouldn't have near the power of an archangel though." Kaori had gone speechless for a moment, but finally found her words.

"You actually have a way to use his power?" she asked. This is bad. The church needs to know about this immediately. We all thought Eve and Adam needed all twelve.

"We have a member in our little organization who has that happy power," Eve explained. She started giggling. "He has the unique ability to take on the power. You might even call him our lord's avatar. Once we have all twelve wings, he will be the one to cast the final spell. His adaptable body will be able to take on the aspect of Lord Lucifer's and bring forth the beginning of the end of God!" She started laughing and Kaori felt a shiver run down her back.

We don't have any information on another member of The Fallen with that kind of power. This is bad. Kaori realized she now had a new objective. She needed all the information she could gather on this new Fallen leader. She glanced at Sogiita and gave a slight shake of her head to try to indicate for him not to attack Eve yet. Kaori wasn't sure if he understood, but he responded with a slight nod. Eve likes to talk, but I know I can't get a straight answer out of her. The most I can hope for is her to give us some kind of clue while treating it all as a game. "I doubt someone has that kind of power. Otherwise, why has there been no sign of him? It sounds like you are just trying to confuse us. That actually sounds like you."

"Normally yes," Eve acknowledged. "But he exists and has helped us immensely. I just wish he didn't expect so much payment for his services."

"Who is he then?" Kaori asked and she no longer planned to beat around the bush. "If you can't answer, he probably doesn't exist."

"I can't tell you that," Eve reprimanded disapprovingly. "Adam would have my head if I gave out such an important piece of information. He's staying hidden until the time for our final step." She shook her head and picked up the bag of popcorn that had fallen to the ground. "Of course, I could be making all of this up to cause you to divide your forces even more. Who knows?" She shrugged and tossed the popcorn into the air. It disappeared into dust before the wind carried it away.

"Looks like she won't give us any more information than that," Kaori muttered. "If there truly is a third person with powers to rival hers, then we are in a world of trouble."

"It seems like the simplest solution is to stop her here and now," Sogiita said and stepped forward. "I'm not good at complicated plans or probing for information, so I let you do it, but when it is time for a good old smackdown, I'm your man." He took a step forward and bent his knees. "It's time to put all of our guts into our attacks to protect everyone."

"Wait!" Kaori shouted when she realized what he was about to do. She was too late though. Sogiita had lunged forward at full speed and Kaori wouldn't be able to stop him without serious harm. She was forced to watch him charge at an enemy with an unknown power. Her worst fears were confirmed when she caught a glimpse of Eve's face. There was a glimmer of a smile, closer to a smirk, plastered on it. Dammit! She charged forward too and hoped to interrupt any surprises. The problem was, this time, it wasn't Eve they should be watching.

The last Herald glided almost weightlessly in between Sogiita and Eve. His movement was almost instantaneous, but it definitely wasn't teleportation. It had to be speed, but was almost ghostlike in his movements. It was effortless and direct. He held out a single hand, palm out, as Sogiita closed in rapidly. Sogiita pulled his hand back to deliver a punch and let out a yell. His body seemed to glow slightly with energy. The air around him was blown away as if he was generating wind. Everyone could tell he was serious in his attack, but Eve only yawned. A gold circle about two meters in diameter appeared in front of the Herald. Sogiita aimed his punch at it with the intention of blowing it away. So far, he was able to destroy everything thrown at him and he had no reason to believe otherwise.

His punch never reached the Herald.

Kaori saw everything as if it was happening in slow motion. Sogiita's attack did not appear to be blocked. Instead, she watched the punch slowly stop in midair. It was like someone was slowing down a video until they reached the pause button. It was only thanks to her keen senses she saw this, as the attack only lasted around a single second. Sogiita's face changed from concentration to surprise when he found himself completely motionless in midair. Before gravity could pull him back to the ground, numerous cuts appeared on his arm all the way up to his shoulder. Blood flew out of every one of them, as if he had been cut with hundreds of knives. Suddenly, Sogiita felt like he had been on the receiving end of a powerful blow and his entire body flew backwards at almost the same speed he had charge with. He couldn't react, but Kaori could. She was a half-step behind and jumped to the side to catch him. The force blew them both backwards, but she managed to stabilize herself and Sogiita stuck his foot into the ground to slow down. He took a step forward while Kaori looked at him.

"You okay?" she asked. Her eyes darted to his blood soaked sleeve.

"I'm fine," Sogiita answered. "That hurt though. What happened? I felt all my guts fade away and then," he rubbed his chest, "there was an invisible strike." The wounds already stopped bleeding thanks to his regeneration, but his arm was still stinging slightly.

"It must be his magic," Kaori informed him and she turned to face Eve. "This sensation, it's an element, but it's not one of the four major western ones, is it?"

"Correct!" Eve exclaimed. "The first four were infused with boring elemental abilities. They are so common, they really aren't fun for anyone. I only use them because they get the job done and are easy to create. This guy is more interesting. He wields the fifth element."

"Fifth?" Kaori asked slightly confused. "There are only four main… you can't mean ether?"

"Correct again! You are a smart one. Shame I don't have any prizes today. You sure you don't want a naked Imagine Breaker puppet to cuddle with?" Kaori was ready this time and refused to rise to Eve's taunts.

"Ether?" Sogiita asked confused.

"There are four main elements in western culture," Kaori explained to him. "Fire, water, earth and air. When astronomers gazed up at the stars in the heavenly region, they observed differences that could not conform to the four main elements and thus reasoned there had to be a fifth one. That is the element ether. It is a subtle element that is often referred to as 'space.' Also known as the essence of emptiness, it's the space other elements fill…" Her voice trailed off and she glanced at Eve. "I know what the copy did to you."

"What?" Sogiita asked, but Eve answered instead.

"He created a void in space," Eve told them. It seemed like she wanted to brag about her creation's ability. "By using the quality of emptiness, it absorbed the elemental forces around it, which," she laughed, "included your attack. Whether you know it or not, your attacks will always have the characteristics of one or more elements. The void absorbed your force and then my puppet hit you with your own attack."

"Huh?" Sogiita asked. He tried to wrap his head around it, but complicated things were not his specialty. However, he was still a resident of Academy City and could piece together information. "It sounds a lot like Accelerator's reflection. He just returns every strike against him too."

"I saw Accelerator fight before," Kaori told him. "While their powers may seem similar, they are fundamentally different. Accelerator only changes the direction. This Herald's control over ether allows him to fill a space with our force and then strike you back with it. We can handle it, but we need to work together." Her voice got softer, so Eve couldn't hear.

"What's the plan?"

"I want you to strike him like before."

"Huh?"

"Listen," Kaori explained quickly. "Your punches are powerful and he will be forced to block. While he is absorbing your force, I'll strike at him from the side. The timing has to be perfect, or you will just be blown back by the force of your own attack again."

"We will be fine even if you have to take a couple tries," Sogiita told her confidently. "I wouldn't fall so easily to my own attack." He smacked his chest. "I trained hard to hone my guts."

"Glad to hear it," Kaori told him. She wasn't planning to take multiple attempts to get the timing down right. Their speeds were about equal, so she wasn't worried about him speeding by her. She was worried if the puppet had any other tricks she didn't identify. "On my mark," she whispered. "Ready, set, GO!" Sogiita lunged forward and the ground behind him broke apart from the force. He was charging straight at the Herald, while Kaori circled around to the side.

"Nothing is invincible!" Sogiita yelled as he jumped into the air. "I'll overpower your absorption with my guts!"

"Imbecile," Eve muttered. She wasn't worried about Sogiita and turned her eyes to Kaori. While physically they might have had similar strength, Kaori was a much more tactical fighter and knew a lot more about magic. She was the threat and Eve was going to enjoy taking her down. It's obvious what they are trying to do and it's not going to work. I thought the Saint at least would understand the true power of ether. She communicated her orders to the Herald telepathically and she grinned. Sogiita was diving toward her puppet and wouldn't be able to pull his punch back and Kaori was rushing toward his side to strike at the exact same moment. That is when the Herald put Eve's plan into action. He shifted his right foot and the ground beneath him started to crack. The cracks extended and started to travel straight at Kaori, who sensed the danger and forced herself backwards.

The ground where she would have been standing on exploded as a torrent of flame rose ten meters into the air.

He can control flames too? Kaori thought and realized what she had overlooked. Ether was the space other elements filled. Absorbing and redirecting an opponent's attack was just one of its uses. Ether was a versatile element and it could fill its space with any of the four main elements. This meant the Herald had mastery over all five elements. The possibility of being attacked with fire should have been obvious. I messed up. She was mad at herself, but it also meant Sogiita was going to suffer for her oversight. She watched as Sogiita hit the circle shield of gold light and was once again blown back from the backlash of his own attack. He bounced easily a hundred meters down the road before managing to stop himself. He stood up and Kaori felt relief. He's still standing, good. I'm going to need his help against them. She couldn't spare much time to focus on him through, as the Herald turned his attention to her.

Four cyclones made of compressed air formed around her and started circling. She squinted her eyes from the force of the wind and felt her hair being whipped around. The wind was moving at high speeds and she saw the street below each cyclone start getting torn up. If she ran into one of them blindly, she would be torn to shreds. The crackle of electricity formed above her and she looked up to see a strand of lightning circling around her. Lightning was not one of the four main elements, but it had characteristics of fire and air, so it was unsurprising the Herald could form it. The lightning flew down at her and she raised her blade.

The lightning was split into two and hit the ground on either side of her.

Cutting lightning was a skill Kaori used based on her Japanese roots. The skill was based off the Japanese legends of swords slicing through lightning in order for her to cut through and neutralize electric attacks. It wasn't the most common technique she used. In fact, the last time she used it was on the beach when protecting herself from Mikoto losing control. It required precise timing, but her form was honed from years of practice and battles. "You won't be able to hit me that easily," Kaori told Eve. She saw Sogiita preparing to charge and strike at the Herald again. He's ready. Let's see what I can do. I have to have them focus on me.

"I suppose we can give you an encore performance," Eve replied and nodded toward the Herald. Lightning above Kaori crackled and bounced between the cyclones. Kaori's eyes darted back and forth, as she followed the electricity, and her sword was held up high, ready to strike. Sogiita jumped and her eyes flickered ever so slightly in his direction. In response, lightning crackled and she hastily swung her blade to avoid being electrocuted. However, instead of electricity her sword slowed and stopped against a circle of gold light. She could feel the power of her blow disappear. "What?" she gasped.

They fell for Eve's trap again.

Sogiita had already lunged at the Herald, who had thrown up a golden shield once again. Sogiita actually learned from his previous attempts and had planned a feint. His feet hit the ground and his entire body spun on the ball of his foot. With his speed, it was like he turned into a cyclone himself, while he curved around the shield. He stopped spinning and delivered a punch at the Herald's face. Right before Sogiita's hand made contact, a smaller golden shield formed in front of his fist. The power in his blow faded away to nothing and Sogiita gritted his teeth to prepare himself for the counterstrike. He didn't receive a blunt force into his gut this time. Instead, blood gushed from his chest. He staggered backwards from a cut that looked like it came from a sword. His remaining white clothes were stained red and he held a hand up to his chest. His regeneration stopped the bleeding, but he had lost too much blood from these wounds. The damage and fatigue were stacking up. How was I cut?

Kaori on the other hand, understood everything in an instant. She recognized the damage from her sword and knew what was going to happen next. She braced herself and wires emerged around her an instant before she felt the force of Sogiita's punch. Kaori felt her breath leave from her body a split second before she registered the pain. Her body screamed in agony and one of her ribs felt like it might have cracked. The force lifted her off her feet and threw her backwards. The reason she had unraveled the wires was because she wanted to form a protective barrier around herself. When her body crashed through a cyclone of wind, the air tore and ripped at the wires, instead of her skin. She flew through it without being torn to pieces and landed on her feet, but still skidded backwards several meters. The pain in her chest started to fade as it recovered from the power of a Saint. She lured us into striking each other.

Eve laughed at their shocked expression. She had never said the force absorbed by the ether had to be redirected immediately. The Herald absorbed each of their attacks and reversed them on each other, since reversing Sogiita's punches weren't causing enough damage to him. "You two look like you have seen better days," Eve said mockingly. "Though, lasting this long against a mid-level creation is pretty impressive on your part."

"Mid-level?" Kaori asked.

"The phoenix I summoned would be considered an upper-mid level creation as a good reference point," Eve explained. She put a hand on her cheek. "Poor Ashy, he was so young to have died to the Queen's blade."

She named it? Kaori thought flabbergasted.

"Causing our attacks to strike our allies is pretty cowardly," Sogiita huffed next to Kaori. Kaori didn't hear him approach, as she had been distracted by Eve. "It lacks guts, but I hate to admit it's effective. He also has control over elemental attacks. This is definitely a worthy opponent."

"We need to find a way to bypass his ether absorption," Kaori said seriously. "Judging from that last assault, he can conjure ether away from him, so he will want us to attack. The problem is, if we don't attack, he will continue to wear us down with elemental attacks. Then there's Eve, who is just waiting and conserving her strength. We need to figure out how to make them show us an opening." She frowned. Regardless of how Eve acted or what she did, Eve was a strategist. Things that seemed random to others were all part of a complicated plan. Eve was like a spider that set out a web waiting for the slightest vibration of her pray. Kaori and Sogiita had fallen for her schemes several times since the fight started.

"Should I keep attacking while you observe?" Sogiita asked and smacked a fist against his palm.

"I don't know if I can handle many more of your attacks," Kaori admitted. "There's not much warning when he transfers the force, so I can't block it." She paused and thought back to earlier in the fight and her previous encounters with Eve. She needed any kind of flaw or weakness in Eve's strategy or tactics they could take advantage of.

"Are you two going to stand there talking all day or are you going to entertain me?" Eve called out. "If you want to surrender, could you wait over there?" She pointed to the side of the street. "I need to knock down this building to meet a friend of mine."

"Give us a second and I'll make sure you remember my name and the power of my guts!" Sogiita called back.

"Ugh," Eve replied and rolled her eyes. "You're such a bore."

I think I know what to do, Kaori thought and the corner of her mouth twitched. This wasn't a plan she would normally come up with, but after seeing Touma Kamijou and his friends fight, she learned to be a little more open minded. "I have a plan," she whispered and Sogiita nodded. "We need to avoid attacking and focus on dodging. You have the speed to pull this off. He will most likely use long range attacks. We need to avoid them and if you have to attack to protect yourself, use small quick bursts and try to do it out of his line of sight."

"That will give us time," Sogiita agreed. "But I don't see how we are going to win like that. Are you planning to tire him out?"

"No," Kaori continued. "Instead, I want you to lecture Eve."

"Huh?"

"I can't explain it, but just keep telling her about what she lacks. I'll look for an opening."

"Okay," Sogiita agreed. He wasn't entirely sure what Kaori meant, but Eve definitely needed someone to inject some guts into her. "Hey Eve!" he called out to her, while Kaori started slowly circling around the Herald. "I have something to tell you!"

"Do you have to? You don't seem to be the type of intellectual I like to meet."

"Someone has to tell you. I can't say I know you as well as Kanzaki-san, but after our short encounters, I do know this. You have guts. Anyone who can stand up to so many people, regardless of motive, has them. However, your guts are rotten. I don't know what happened, but something corrupted you. I'm not going to pretend to be able to understand the situation. I am, however, going to inject you with enough guts to put you on the path of righteousness!" Eve and Kaori blinked. Sogiita did not hear about Eve's past, but he had a pretty good insight into it with only a short exchange.

He's more astute that I gave him credit for, Kaori thought.

Eve was not as impressed. In fact, she looked annoyed. "Those people who preach of morals and righteousness really annoy me, especially when they come from a false hero." She turned to the Herald. "Settle this."

The Herald moved instantly and flames circled around him before they twisted together in the air. A giant vortex of flame streams flew at Sogiita like an arrow. Right before they hit him, a large red explosion broke the arrow apart. When the smoke cleared, Sogiita stood unhurt with his right hand outstretched. "You see, rotten guts won't be able to defeat me." Kaori face palmed.

He forgot he wasn't supposed to attack already. Kaori felt the earth move and immediately jumped up into the air. The concreate and asphalt below her twisted into the shape of a large hand that tried to grab her. Normally, she would have just sliced the earth into pieces, but she couldn't risk any large or extended attacks. Dodging it with her speed was just as easy and safer. Kaori at least remembered the plan. She landed on the ground and side stepped another earth hand, before rushing straight at the Herald. She needed to keep Eve thinking they were trying to attack. Spheres of water, a couple meters in diameter, appeared in the air above the Herald. Kaori instinctively stepped aside as jets of high pressure water shot at her form the orbs. It actually reminded her of Shizuri's attacks. The deep holes in the ground did not give Kaori confidence if she got hit by one though.

"Don't forget about me!" Sogiita yelled as he lunged forward. The Herald turned his head and the air started warping, before half a dozen wind blades flew at Sogiita and left clean cuts in the ground. Sogiita jumped over them, landed on his feet, and kept charging. A wave of water flew at him and Sogiita reached out with a fist, but stopped. He could feel the Herald's eyes on him and knew what would happen if he punched the water. He raised his arms to shield himself and was crushed by the weight. He scraped across the street before he sprung back up to his feet. A normal person would have been knocked out, but he was hardly normal. Wind cyclones started to converge on Kaori, and Sogiita noticed her being pushed back. This isn't working. We can't even get close. If I charge in at full strength, it's only going to get reflected back at us. "Eve. Why don't you just leave? You don't have the guts to beat us and none of us want to kill you. We only want you to stop attacking people. There's no need for us to fight like this. I will spar with you anytime you get bored."

"You really have no idea who I am," Eve sighed. "Let's just say if I have these 'rotten guts' you keep talking about, there's a valid reason. I can agree with you on one thing. There's no reason for us to fight like this. I'm done wasting time." She nodded toward the Herald and the entire atmosphere changed. Sogiita felt goosebumps form on his arms and the air became still. The Herald glided forward a couple meters and spread his arms out to the side. A fine golden mist began to pour out from his sleeves and pants, and then started to spread out through the entire area, like a gas. It wasn't thick enough to obscure their view, but Sogiita and Kaori could easily see where it reached.

"Is that poison?" Sogiita asked Kaori, while he covered his mouth.

"No," Kaori replied. "But I think it's worse." She wasn't sure what that spell was going to do, but she felt it. The mana changed completely. It closely resembled Telesma, but was a little murky. Is it earthbound Telesma or Telesma mixed with regular mana? It's not the normal power of god's domain. It's not even the warped Telesma Accelerator created in England. There was still the problem of what was going to happen when it reached them. There was no doubt in her mind something would happen, the question was what.

"Then let's not let it reach us," Sogiita said and Kaori agreed. Wires whipped out from around her while Sogiita slammed his hands on the ground. A large wall of pressure formed between them and the mist. This wall was strong enough to stop Mikoto's lightning, but a strong force would cause him to take damage from the inside. His eyes were shinning with light. Wires started to crisscross like a net behind the wall and glowed with a blue light. Kaori was setting up a second layer barrier in case Eve's attack broke through or Sogiita's wall couldn't block magic. They weren't taking any chances. Eve had proven time and time again, even the most obscure actions were all part of a much bigger plan.

She doesn't look worried, Kaori thought when she glanced at Eve's face. Something's not right. The golden mist flowing out of the Herald's clothes showed no sign of stopping any time soon and the cloud was approaching her and Sogiita rapidly. Moment of truth. The mist rolled and pressed up against the pressure wall.

Nothing happened.

The mist flowed through the wall like it wasn't even there.

"Is it an illusion and she's just trying to confuse us?" Sogiita asked. He stood up and the pressure wall fizzled. There was no reason to keep it up if it wasn't doing anything.

"I don't know," Kaori admitted. She was actually praying her barrier would stop it or at least react to it to help her determine what they were dealing with. The mist reached her barrier and once again ignored it. This left one more option for them. They could retreat from it, which might actually be Eve's plan, or let it engulf them. Retreat isn't an option. She caught Sogiita's eye and he nodded. They each took a deep breath and stepped forward as the mist covered them. Kaori thought she felt a slight tingling sensation around her body, but nothing else seemed to happen. The mist wasn't even thick enough to block Eve and the Herald from view. Kaori tested her senses to make sure the mist wasn't some kind of hallucination causing agent. What was the point of this?

"You made it seem like this was going to be a final attack," Sogiita called out. "But nothing is happening. I'm disappointed to not test my guts against… Ack!?" He grabbed his throat and wasn't able to continue talking.

"What's happening?!" Kaori called out to him and started to move in his direction. She found out when she took a breath. Her throat went try and started to burn. Getting air into her lungs was now a laborious task. She stumbled slightly and turned toward Eve. So it is poison. Why did neither of our barriers stop it? "What is this?" she asked. She could still stand, but any strenuous movement would deplete her reserves very quickly. Sogiita was on his hands and knees. He looked like he was still managing to breathe, but the mist was effecting him more than her.

"I haven't done much," Eve called out to her, amusement penetrated her voice. "Witness anther one of the many uses of ether."

"Are you depleting the air with this mist?" Kaori asked, her voice growing weaker. It hurt to talk.

"Yes and no," Eve replied with a laugh. "Do you really want to know?" Kaori stared at her and Eve smiled back at her. "You know about the ether element's characteristics, but ether has quite a religious history too. In Greek mythology, ether was thought to be the pure essence that the gods breathed. It filled the space where they lived, analogous to the air breathed by mortals. How does it feel to breathe the same substance as gods?"

"You are poisoning us with a substance designed to sustain life," Kaori gasped in understanding. Ether was designed for those within the realm of god to breathe. Humans needed oxygen to breathe. What Eve's creation did was use ether to transform the landscape into a replica of the gods' domain. Oxygen was being replaced by ether as gods had no use for mortal gasses. Since ether had the special characteristic of being able to change and being the most subtle of all elements, it was no longer a surprise it went through their defenses. The change characteristic caused it to change form to avoid the pressure wall and the subtle characteristic caused her magical barrier to not react to what it considered a harmless material. "You are distorting the elements for your own gain."

"The elements were distorted years ago," Eve replied. She opened her arms wide, as if gesturing to the entire city, like it was somehow responsible. "Ether has always been like this." She smiled. "A Saint body is really interesting. Being similar to the Son of God, you can survive in this environment, at least a little. It is not a perfect copy. I have been granted Lord Lucifer's blessing, so surviving in this environment is child's play." She pointed to Sogiita. "He doesn't look so good. I'm surprised he's still alive. His 'guts'," she said it mockingly, "must be keeping him conscious."

Damn it, Kaori thought and rushed toward Sogiita's side. He was conscious, as Eve said, but his body was drenched with sweat and his face was pale. The ether was taking a toll on him. Her body was being wracked with pain, so his situation must be hundreds of time worse.

"You know," Eve continued, which caused Kaori to turn to her. "If he was a normal person, I would make an offer here. If you ended you own life, I would let him go. However," her eyes narrowed slightly, "there's something about him. Something off that tells me it would be a mistake to let him go." She shook her head and started to walk toward them. "You both are going to die here." She held her blade, Caladbolg, in front of her. "By suffocation or by sword, I'll let you decide."

"Hey Kanzaki-san."

"Don't talk," Kaori told Sogiita. She was surprised he could still speak. "Save your strength."

"If I can clear the ether," Sogiita continued. "Would you be able to take down Eve?"

"W-what?" Kaori stammered in surprise. This was the last thing she expected. "I don't know. I can try, but I will do everything possible to find a way to stop her plan."

"That's good enough," Sogiita told her with a broad grin on his face when he looked up at her. His legs shook as he staggered to his feet and took a step toward Eve.

"Stop!" Kaori yelled. "You can't fight in that state." Sogiita ignored her.

"You should listen to her," Eve added. "You are already at your limit. If you force yourself, you are going to hasten your demise."

"You have a lot to learn about us humans," Sogiita said with a chuckle. "When we find a wall, we want to overcome it. When we find a new area, we want to explore. When we hit our limit, WE PASS IT!" A blue glow started to form around his body and he raised his right fist. His left hand grabbed his right arm to support it. Wind erupted around him and Kaori felt her hair and clothes whip around from the force. Kaori's eyes widened as the gold mist began to move in a counter clockwise rotation. It moved faster and faster until a giant spiral formed with Sogiita in the center.

"What are you doing?!" Eve yelled.

"I'm going to show you the power of untainted guts!" Sogiita roared back. The light around him erupted upwards like a small pillar, easily ten meters. The vortex of ether mist continued to spiral even faster. To Kaori, it appeared as if the ether was responding to Sogiita's will. "Take my Amazing…no. Something like this has to have a special name. Prepare to witness my new attack!"

"Are you going to try a head-butt this time?" Eve asked sarcastically. The thought of their conversation about his kick was still fresh in her mind.

"You say this mist is from the gods," Sogiita continued. His eyes were blazing with pure white light. His clothes were being whipped around in the air as his power grew. The shaking stopped and the weakness he had shown vanished. He moved his fist in front of him and slowly brought it back to his side as he prepared to deliver his ultimate punch. "Then prepare yourself for a punch that surpasses them. Kanzaki-san, you will want to get back."

"Right." Kaori jumped back tens of meters to avoid getting his way. Eve also raised her sword in response.

Sogiita took a deep breath and then roared out at the top of his longs.

"Ultimate Hyper Giga Extreme Super Amazing DIVINE Punch!"

If one was to look down at their fight, they would have seen a golden circle covering the ground. This was the mist originating from the Herald. In an instant, a section had changed back to the grey, black, and white of the city, like someone had cut out a piece of a pie. The mist was blown away, all the rubble was blown away, even cars, light poles, and anything else in the way of his attack disappeared. Eve wasn't even in the line of fire and was struck with a wall of air and ether. She wasn't hurt by it, but it took her by surprise and she was even knocked back a couple meters. She blinked and turned toward the Herald, who had taken the full brunt of the attack. She and Kaori stood in stunned silence. The Herald was gone and, at the very least, was probably in deep space, but they both had something else to be in shock about.

The Herald had managed to generate a shield of ether in front of Sogiita's attack.

Yet, the attack blew it away without having the shield absorb the punch's force. This meant there was only one explanation. Sogiita had actually punched with the characteristics of ether. Ether could not absorb ether, so that would cause the shield to shatter. Did he absorb the surrounding ether into his attack or did he actually generate it on his own? Kaori thought. She blinked and dashed next to Sogiita's side and caught him a second before he fell to the ground. "That was amazing."

"It's why I call it my Amazing Punch," Sogiita laughed weakly. That punch had taken everything he had and more. He wasn't able to stand on his own to feat and Kaori was the only thing keeping him from hitting the ground.

"What is your power?!" Eve yelled and Kaori felt grim satisfaction at the shock echoing in her voice. The ether mist was vanishing and Kaori could breathe easily again. "I thought it was some sort of energy control that allowed you to supercharge your body, but that shouldn't allow you to control ether!"

"Heh," Sogiita answered. "To be honest, I can't really tell you. Everyone gets mad at my explanations and say it's impossible. Academy City has been trying for years to figure out an explanation for it. I can tell you my ability wasn't developed in this city though. I was born with it. Using it is more instinct than anything else. I only followed…" he stopped and Kaori knew why.

The temperature dropped easily ten degrees.

Kaori felt shivers down her spine as her gaze fell on Eve's face.

"You're one of them," Eve hissed softly. Kaori couldn't believe what she was seeing. All reports had mentioned Eve always kept a happy and cheerful persona. While prone to brief glimpses of irritation, she rarely, if ever, got angry. Kaori saw a new side of Eve that day. Eve's eyes were narrowed, her face contorted, and she was gritting her teeth. Her hand not holding her sword was gripped so tightly into a fist, the tips of her fingers had turned white. Kaori didn't understand what Sogiita said to cause her such fury. "One of the chosen who was born with powers from 'him'. I wondered why everything you said irritated me and now I know." She held out her left hand and her Book of Genesis appeared.

"What are you talking about?!" Kaori asked.

"I am not limited to creatures that exist in this world," Eve called out. She was ignoring Kaori and had a slightly crazed look in her eye. "I have access to the creatures God deemed unworthy to exist in his!" Her book fell open, the pages began to ruffle, and thousands of pieces of paper began to fly out into the air. Kaori's muscles tightened when she heard Eve's words. The last time she said them, they were forced to fight with a phoenix. Kaori did not believe she could face it again by herself, let alone while she protected an injured Sogiita.

I might have to retreat. Kaori's eyes widened when she realized Eve was not creating a phoenix. She blinked. What is she mak-…? Oh no!

Kaori actually wished it had been a phoenix.

The head of the beast formed first. Its head was serpent-like, resembling a dark green horned snake, roughly the size of a car. The horns were slightly lighter in color and jettisoned out of the back of its head. The eyes were bright yellow, with a vertical, elliptical shape, much like a cat's eye. They were the eyes of a predator and Kaori's throat went dry. Then the mouth fully formed. Rows of white razor sharp teeth lined it and a forked tongue flickered out. Four of the teeth were long, two on the bottom and two on the top, which formed the creature's fangs. The paper started moving away from the head and a long neck was formed, with a jagged row of spines along the back before the body began to form. Around the size of a semi, the body was covered in scales of the same dark green color. Four legs formed and a long tail. The spines traveled all the way to the tip with a curved spike jettisoning from the end. For a moment, Kaori through Eve had created a dragon, but no wings emerged. Instead, five more appendages started to form from the body as the paper finished its creation.

Five more heads, almost exactly the same as the first but slightly smaller, formed. Every eye was focused on Kaori and Sogiita.

It was a hydra.

A hydra was a serpentine water monster in Greek and Roman mythology. The most famous hydra was the Lernaean Hydra. It was killed by the legendary hero and rumored demigod Hercules. The hydra had several key features and none of them boded well for Kaori and Sogiita. First, its regeneration was so powerful, if its head was cut off, a new one would grow in its place. In some legends, two would sprout. Second, the hydra was said to have poisonous breath and blood so virulent, that even its scent was deadly. A small green gas was escaping from the nostrils of its heads, so Kaori was prepared to bet the second part was probably true.

"I thought since ether originated in Greek mythology," Eve said gleefully at the foot of the beast. "Why not another Greek legend?" She laughed. "It took a demigod to kill the one in legend. Do you think a Saint is in the same league?"

"That beast is amazing!" Sogiita answered instead of Kaori. "I can't wait to test out my strength against it! I'm going to punch it in the face, every one of them!" He held his fist out in a defiant gesture. Eve rolled her eyes, but Kaori knew better.

He's in no condition to continue. Kaori held out her hand to stop him from trying to move forward. "You have done enough. Take a breather while I take care of this." Kaori let go of him and he managed to stay on his feet, but swayed slightly. She walked forward and held her sword at her side. A soft blue glow surrounded her, which caused all the hydra heads to focus on Kaori. She continued to walk forward, her foots steps light, and then suddenly vanished. She didn't actually disappear, but instead moved at speeds only possible because she was a saint. With the speed of a striking snake, all six heads lunged down at her. Even with Kaori's speed, the hydra's eyes seemed to be able to follow her general movement.

Kaori didn't care.

She jumped right before the first head snapped at her. Kaori landed on top of it and ran down its spine. She suddenly stopped and took a step back as two other heads tried to bite her where she would have been. She jumped up onto one of the heads and then leaped toward the forth head, as it tried to bite her. A flash of blue light and a blade cut into its eye and it roared. Instead of falling, Kaori grabbed the spine on its back and swung herself up. She slid down it, ducked under the fifth head and then jumped toward the base of the sixth head. Since it was the largest and the first head formed, Kaori concluded it must be the main one. The main head was trapped behind the neck of one of the other ones, so Kaori knew it was now or never. She slashed at the base of the neck so fast, only the blue blur was seen. Her sword went right through the head. She didn't pause to watch it fall to the ground and instead ran along the hydra's back and slipped down the tail. She jumped at the last minute, flipped in the air, and landed on her feet, before she turned around to observe the damage. The remaining five heads turned to face her, with hatred etched in their eyes. The one head she cut in the eye had already healed and looked brand new. The head she severed was lying on the ground and was breaking apart into paper.

Then, from the severed stump, a brand new head erupted from the body. It slowly turned its head toward her and roared so loudly Kaori was forced to cover her ears. All six heads opened their mouths simultaneously and a stream of green mist flew from their jaws. Kaori responded to the poisonous breath by sending her wires out into a makeshift barrier. The poisonous mist hit the glowing blue wires and stopped before slowly dissolving. That was close. I have to assume that poison is toxic enough to kill me if I breathe even a little bit. She blinked when she realized something. Where did Eve go? Her eyes darted around the street and her heart stopped. Eve was standing behind Sogiita, who hadn't noticed her. "GUNHA MOVE!" She started to dash but one of the hydra heads forced her to change direction.

Sogiita had been watching Kaori face off against the hydra. Those movements… she really is skilled. I wonder if she would spar with me after this is all over. I would love to face those kinds of guts. When she cut off one of the heads with a single fluid motion, he grinned. That breath looks poisonous, but it can't break that wire shield of hers. Why doesn't the gas go between the wires? Are there some really fine ones I can't see? He heard Kaori yell at him suddenly to move and his danger senses kicked in. He spun around and started to dodge, before he felt the cold steel pierce his shoulder.

"ARG!" A burning sensation flowed through his entire body. It suddenly became hard for him to move and he gazed straight ahead into Eve's eyes. There was a grin on her face, but her eyes were now ice cold.

"If you hadn't dodged," she commented lightly. "This could have been painless."

"Good can never lose to evi-, GAHH!" Eve twisted the sword into his shoulder cutting him off.

"You people who are born into power have no idea what good and evil is," Eve snapped. "Caladbolg here is really just a synonym for 'great sword.' Legendary swords are not normally named in history until they accomplish a great deed, like slaying a monster. There have been countless named blades no one has ever heard of because they shattered during a fight and the wielder was killed. Your actions today have shown you to be a monster in your own right, so it's time to die. Your death will cause this sword to develop a unique name." The hydra roared in the background as it continued to slow down Kaori's advances toward them.

"Heh," Sogiita laughed.

"What's so funny?" Eve asked and raised an eyebrow.

"I may not have enough strength left to defeat you," Sogiita admitted. His body was screaming in pain, but he ignored it. He lifted both of his hands and grabbed the blade of Eve's sword. The edge cut into his palms, but he didn't care. "I won't go down without a fight though. The least I can do is take out your blade so she can win!"

"Are you retarded?" Eve asked loudly.

"This is the strength of my guts!" Sogiita yelled. He started to glow with white light and wind erupted around him. Eve's clothes were being blown around in the wind. Her eyes went wide at Sogiita's last ditch attack. They were engulfed by a series of red, blue and yellow explosions. The force blew Eve away from him, but wasn't enough to knock her down. She landed on her feet and looked down at the sword in her hand, or what was left of it. Only a hilt and about an inch of blade remained.

"Gunha!" Kaori yelled, when she finally reached him. The smoke cleared and Sogiita was on his knees. Kaori moved instantly next to him. "Are you okay?"

"Tired," Sogiita muttered. "I did what I could. The rest is up to you." His eyes closed and he fell forward onto the ground. A small trickle of blood flowed from him.

"Thanks," she replied and performed a small heal spell. She didn't have time to make one to completely heal him, but this would at least stop the bleeding. She stood up and faced Eve, who still looked shock at Sogiita's final attack. "I won't let your effort be in vain." Before Kaori could say anything to Eve, she heard something. It was a whistling sound in the air and even Eve looked up at the noise. Something small and fast was flying down at them. Kaori's eyes widened when she saw what looked like a small missile. It was moving much faster than a normal one and landed about five meters away from Kaori. It didn't explode and she and Eve stared at it. Suddenly, the top half opened and a shockwave erupted from it. Kaori didn't even have time to dodge and she felt her entire body shake. The force of the shockwave jarred her head and she fell unconscious right next to Sogiita. Eve was too far away to be effected by it, but she smiled.

"So," she laughed. "Aleister finally wants to face me. Which one of his toys am I breaking first?" Something flew above her at high speeds. It was made of metal and had wings, but there were also some kind of rocket boosters keeping it airborne. "Who are you sending this time Aleister? Am I not worth as much anymore?"

"That's not true," Aleister's voice came out of nowhere. "I am simply more interested in observing other events around the city. I'm sure you understand. Should you manage to bypass this defense, you may find your desire."

"You should have just come out yourself," Eve complained, but received no answer. "Let's see who Aleister sent to play." She willed the hydra to stay still until she wanted to attack.

The thing that had been flying above her at several times the speed of sound landed in the street. The ground beneath it cracked from the weight and Eve gazed upon it with interest. It resembled a power suit Eve had seen around Academy City, but she had never encountered one like this. Rather than being a complete suit, it seemed to be made of various types of weapons and attachments all jumbled together and centered on the pilot. It was composed of guns, swords, spears, molecular vibration electromagnetic wave emitters, lasers and excitation emission rods for them, missile pods with precision-guided missiles, plasma cannons, bunker busting and excavation drills, plasma blades, liquid weapon turrets with acid sprayers, flamethrowers and liquid nitrogen emitters, Gatling guns, rapid-fire cannons, and a large caliber railgun. Eve may not have recognized all the components, but she knew their intention. After she examined the weapons, she glanced at the most unusual pilot in the middle of it.

This battle suit with enough weapons on the level of building a fortress was not being piloted by a human.

It was being piloted by a dog.

Specifically, it was a golden retriever.

"Oh my!" Eve squealed. "It's a dog. How cute!"

"I believe this is our first meeting," Noukan Kihara said calmly. "I observed your skills from a distance until I was forced to step in. That young man there is the city's property, so I can't let you kill him. The young lady there should not be allowed to observe this suit, so I knocked her out. We can settle our differences without interruptions."

"Boo," Eve muttered and looked slightly disappointed. "You have a man's voice. It would have been much more adorable if you had a child's voice." She glanced at all the attachments on Noukan's battle suit. "What's with the drills? That seems like an odd combination with all the other weapons."

"Drills are a man's romance," Noukan replied simply. "I wouldn't expect you to understand now, but our engagement should be enlightening for both of us."

---

Bayloupe was at a loss for words.

She could understand a vampire, even if they shouldn't exist. She could understand Accelerator's vector manipulation to a degree and the power he wielded. She had seen the power of Curtana and had been part of the magic side since she was a child. What she saw now blew the rest of that away. Accelerator, a member of the science side, was generating black wings and a dark twisted version of Telesma. With his newfound power, he blew Cain away and saved Last Order. He was currently holding Last Order in a princess carry, but did not turn around to face Bayloupe, Worst, and Estelle. Bayloupe glanced at the other two girls and saw Estelle had a look of stunned disbelief, similar to hers, but she was also shaking. Bayloupe didn't blame Estelle. Her body was shaking too from the hatred that threatened to overwhelm her mind. Worst looked surprised, but also in pain. She had grabbed the side of her head and was wincing. Bayloupe had no idea what this was about, but she noticed the distance figure of Cain walking back toward them. He survived that? Every second in Cain's presence makes me doubt what the definition of monster is. Cain could probably have fought the princess wielding Curtana by himself.

"Bayloupe."

Accelerator's voice broke through her thoughts. "Y-yes?" she asked and her voice quivered slightly. She didn't think he had any humanity left in this state. His head turned slowly towards her and she gazed directly into his eyes. She saw the hatred and anger in them, but there was more. They were laced with pain and fear. She couldn't believe it at first and then it dawned on her. Is he… afraid for Last Order?

"Take Last Order," he confirmed and turned his body toward her. Bayloupe held out her arms automatically and took her from him. Last Order had fallen unconscious, but Bayloupe didn't know if it was from the fear of Cain's Hunter Presence or the explosion of Accelerator's wings. "Now, get everyone out of here. Force those two to go with you if you must." He gestured toward Estelle and Worst.

"What about you?" Bayloupe asked.

"I'm going to finish this," Accelerator growled and turned back toward Cain. "He's going to regret everything he has done."

"But-...," Estelle started to speak up. She had finally found her voice.

"No arguing!" Accelerator snapped and cut her off. "I can't guarantee your safety if you are here." He grabbed his head as anger started to blur his vision. This was different than when he used the black wings against Teitoku Kakine. During their fight, he had some semblance of control. I was overconfident. This power can't be control that easily. It was perhaps affecting him more now because against Teitoku, it wasn't personal. Cain had threatened people close to him, those he had sworn to protect. That was something he would never tolerate or forgive. "Now get the fuck out of here!"

"Come on," Bayloupe said to the others. "Let's go." She carried Last Order in her arms and moved toward Estelle and Worst. "Get up Worst." Worst was the only one still on the ground.

"Misaka is getting so much feedback," Worst complained and rubbed her head. "So much negativity. Misaka wants to protect the moderator for some reason."

"Estelle," Bayloupe ordered. "Help her walk. We need to get out of here. This isn't a fight we can possibly hope to enter."

"Okay," Estelle said and grabbed Worst's arm to lift her up. Estelle could understand the dark energy radiating from Accelerator to a certain degree. His emotions are running wild. If he can't get them under control, it's going to destroy his mind. She had a small understanding of this because of being a necromancer. From studying the human body and spirit, she had a deep understanding of how magic and emotions could affect one's mind. As for this energy, there are two possibilities. His power must be directly warping Telesma or he created his own science side version of it. Either way, this is incredible, as expected from master.

While the girls left, Accelerator started walking toward the approaching Cain. The wind disappeared and there was not a single sound as the two monsters approached each other. It was as if the earth itself knew the power these two wielded and did not want to get involved. They continued to walk directly at each other and did not stop until there was only a space a few meters long. Both could feel the other's pressure as they stared at each other. Cain no longer had to break him. Once Accelerator died, he could hunt down Last Order and fulfill his objectives. Accelerator only had one objective. It was the complete and total annihilation of Cain. The silence lengthened. Words were not shared at this point. There was nothing left to be said. Both knew what had to be done. Simultaneously, they moved.

The ground trembled from their blows.

Explosions erupted from under them as they charged. One of Accelerator's black wings swung at Cain, who ducked under the blow. He raised his hand. The air warped around it, as his raw mana overwhelmed the natural laws, and he struck the underside of the wing. A piece of it shattered under his blow and Accelerator's eyes widened. His second wing split into hundreds of sharp spikes like feathers and tried to stab Cain's side. Cain raised his other arm and the sound of displaced air was followed by a small explosion. Several spikes pierced Cain's arm, but he didn't even flinch. He ripped his arm out of the spikes and made a slashing motion in front of Accelerator. Accelerator forced himself to the side and part of his black wing was sliced off. It regrew a moment later, but Cain smiled. Those wings have raw destructive power, but can be destroyed.

Accelerator slammed his heel on the ground and a shockwave ripped through the earth. Cain was pushed backwards with a blast of dirt and rocks with the force of a shotgun. Accelerator wasn't trying to keep Cain away from him, but get a better position. He swung both of the black wings toward Cain on either side. Cain separated his feet slightly and braced himself with the power of the immoveable earth. He reached out and grabbed both of the wings a moment before they sliced him. Cracks in his arm appeared and blood shot into the air. His hands were constantly being destroyed by the raw power of the black wings, but were regenerating just as fast. If Cain hadn't connected with the earth, his arms would have been blown away, possibly a good part of his body too.

Accelerator was momentarily stunned, but disbelief was quickly replaced by anger. He vaguely remembered the nun, the hero, or the third rate mentioned something about Cain's connection to the earth during one of their numerous discussions about him. To actually see Cain block his attacks while trying to remain in the same spot made Accelerator recall this. He grinned evilly and stepped hard on the ground. He didn't need to apply force, he just wanted to. Let's see if you can fly bastard! The ground under Cain's feet cracked and launched into the air like a missile. The force caused Cain to tear part of Accelerator's wings away, but the damage was minimum and they regrew instantly. His wings began to expand outwards and, with a single flap, flew straight up at a speed even greater than Cain's. He stopped about ten meters above Cain and watched him slow down. "Let's see you defend against this without your earth!" Accelerator roared as he brought the full force of his black wings upon Cain.

"It…won't… be… enough!" Cain roared back. He raised his hands and they started to glow blood red. A shockwave blew across the sky as the black wings of hatred smashed against the supposedly infinite mana of a vampire. If they had not been hundreds of meters in the air, the force of their blow would have destroyed the entire park and probably the surrounding buildings. Accelerator's plan worked. Cain was slightly weakened in the air, high above the earth. The force of Accelerator's blow threw Cain down at the ground. Cain covered the distance in around a second and crashed with a loud boom. A crater appeared as the earth collapsed under him. Accelerator hovered high in the air and kept looking down at Cain. There was a smug smile on his face. The anger had subsided slightly and replaced by the knowledge Cain was not invincible. While Accelerator knew that blow wouldn't kill someone like him, he had found a weakness to exploit. The dust cleared and Accelerator saw Cain stand back up.

Interesting, Cain thought. What is this power? Did he somehow manifest rage? This city is unnatural, even by my standards. God truly has abandoned this world. At the thought of God, his eyes flashed and he too felt anger well up again. Cain was not going to lose at such an important stage. He had never been this close to getting his revenge on God. God was the one who had doomed his entire existence to wander the earth as a monster. He glanced down at his body and saw his clothes were in tatters. His wounds had closed, but the cloth remains were soaked in blood. My blood. He flexed his fingers and reached over his shoulder and onto his back. He dug his nails into his skin. He felt the blood on his hand and then looked up at Accelerator. Cain was no longer going to play around.

There had always been a rumor vampires could turn themselves into bats. This was actually a myth. It was started because people found bats that drank blood and they dubbed them vampire bats. Vampires did not have the innate ability to transform. Though, there may have been vampires who had learned a spell to transform into bats. Cain didn't keep track of every vampire throughout the ages. As far as he knew, there was only one vampire left on earth besides him and she was in southern Russia keeping a low profile. However, the myth about vampires transforming into bats would have died out if it wasn't for something he did centuries ago. He had revealed himself, but was forced to slaughter a small army. It turned out humans never wanted to befriend a vampire. That was the last time he every truly lost control when he was betrayed by someone who had promised to keep his secret. The people who survived that night passed on the legend.

The wounds he inflicted onto his back did not close immediately. Instead, his blood flowed out and into the air. The blood ignored the effects of gravity and started to rise and shape itself. The skeleton of two blood red wings began to form from his blood. It looked exactly like a bat wing, with a main arm bone and three fingerlike appendages. The blood began to drip down from the skeleton-like frame and form a thin, slightly lighter red, film that was see through. Accelerator's eyes widened slightly as what appeared to be two large red bat wings growing on Cain's back. The ground around Cain began to shake. Plants started growing, but instantly withered and died. Accelerator could feel the pressure of mana vectors all the way in the sky. His right hand actually started to tremble instinctively. Cain was no longer going to use normal magic of the earth. He had changed to the magic only a vampire possessed. The wings of blood stretched out and Cain bent his knees. In an instant, he was eye level with Accelerator high above the ground.

Accelerator barely saw him transverse the distance and immediately put up his guard. He couldn't comprehend the depths of the power Cain possessed, but those wings were similar to his. They had the same feel of hatred and rage he felt himself when relying on the black wings. We really are monsters, huh? I'm glad the brats aren't here to see this. Turns out you can't defeat a monster without becoming one yourself. They both wielded a power normal people could not comprehend. Their eyes met and there was only silence. They both moved without warning.

A series of explosions echoed across the sky as the two exchange blows.

Wings slammed against fist and magic clashed with science. Each time their attacks collided, the force created an explosion like a small bomb. Air was displaced and shockwaves ripped through them. A black wing sliced at Cain's side, but he knocked it away with a magic infused fist. Accelerator's wing was knocked back and Cain thrust his hand out, with fingers extended, like a blade at Accelerator's neck. Accelerator responded by punching Cain's hand. Both of their hands were thrown backwards, but they only brought them back to continue delivering blows. A cut appeared on Accelerator's cheek, a gash appeared on Cain's arm, and every blow they exchanged slowly caused damage on both of them. Neither of them relented and the blows kept piling up.

Cain had the advantage. He had regeneration while Accelerator did not, but Accelerator didn't care.

There was no technique or skill involved here.

They were only using pure strength.

One of them would eventually collapse.

Accelerator wasn't thinking rationally or he would have fought differently. He was blinded by rage, but there was actually more to it. He felt something when fighting Cain. It was different than any of his previous fights. When he fought Touma for the first time, neither of them understood each other. Accelerator wanted power while Touma wanted to stop him from killing. Accelerator didn't understand why Touma wanted to stand before the number one and Touma never truly understood why Accelerator agreed to go through the level 6 experiment. They each had their own beliefs and fought over them. When Accelerator fought Aqua, or William Orwell, there was a sense of familiarity. Accelerator felt like Aqua understood what it was like to wield such power that others feared you, but that was all. With Cain, it was completely different.

Accelerator felt like he was fighting himself.

It wasn't even the sheer power Cain wielded. With every blow they exchanged back and forth while filled with rage and hatred, there was a message being exchanged. They understood regret, and Accelerator knew why. Both of them commit atrocities in the past they were not proud of and those mistakes continued to haunt them to this very day. Accelerator could never truly rid himself of the faces of all the Sisters he killed. No matter how he tried to make up for it. He carried that burden everywhere he went. Even though Last Order told him she and the rest of them forgave him, he could not forgive himself. He could only commit acts of darkness so people like Touma could continue to stay in the light. Accelerator was already tainted. Cain was in the same position. He was being punished for an act of evil he committed at the dawn of man. He was forced to feed on others and for everyone to continue to hate him. He still saw his brother's face and never forgave himself, but he was cursed by the one called God. He would commit one last evil act in order to end the pain of his existence and the pain he caused others.

Their history was the same.

Their resolve was the same.

Neither would back down.

One of them would die.

---

"We can't leave him MISAKA yells as MISAKA tries to struggle against your grip!" Last Order had woken up and Bayloupe had given her a quick rundown of Accelerator's orders. This was a mistake as Last Order didn't want to leave. Accelerator was fully connected to the Misaka Network and she could tell something was happening. She had briefly seen the black wings and knew he needed help. Bayloupe was gripping her arm tightly to prevent her from running back toward the fight. They, along with Estelle and Worst, could hear the explosions in the distance as Accelerator's and Cain's fight intensified.

"You felt his power," Bayloupe tried to convince her. "Cain isn't someone we can handle. We don't have any choice but to believe in him."

"MISAKA doesn't care MISAKA yells angrily! MISAKA will always be there to support him MISAKA explains as MISAKA wants you to let go!"

"Please Last Order," Estelle begged. "We promised him we would get you to safety." She turned to Worst. "Can you talk some sense into her?"

"No," Worst spat out. She winced and grabbed her head. "Misaka doesn't want to get involved in that kind of fight, but the moderator's feelings is flooding into Misaka." Bayloupe and Estelle looked confused. "Damn it. Misaka doesn't want to risk her life, but it looks like Misaka has to."

"You can't be serious," Bayloupe said in astonishment. "You saw what we are facing. What are you thinking?!"

"Misaka thinks it would be great to have Accelerator owe her one," Worst answered immediately. "And it will stop these damn feelings from her." She pointed to Last Order.

"Warning!" Last Order suddenly exclaimed. "Unauthorized access to the Network. Preparing to institute secur-..." She stopped and shook her head, while Bayloupe and Estelle stared at each other in confusion. Worst was the only one who understood. "No, this is not the time." She turned back to them. "You can leave if you want but MISAKA plans to stay MISAKA says selfishly."

"If we split up," Estelle said. "We definitely won't be of any help. We might be able to do something if we all work together."

"You can't be serious," Bayloupe groaned. "I thought of all three of you, you would at least know what Cain is capable of."

"I do," admitted Estelle and Bayloupe saw the fear in her face. "But I could never forgive myself to abandon master after he defended all of us. It feels wrong."

"See! We all want to help him MISAKA says triumphantly while MISAKA looks at you with accusation in her gaze. Help us fight with him!" Bayloupe's eyes widened at the glare Last Order gave her.

Damn it, Bayloupe thought. She knew they didn't have much of a shot to actually defeat Cain. All logical thinking pointed to that. When she came to that conclusion, her chest started hurting. She blinked and it dawned on her that she wanted to help too. I can't stand letting him fight that monster by himself. Regardless of that new power, he can't beat Cain. She wanted to rush back there and do whatever she could, but the promise still lingered on her mind. During this brief mental conflict, Last Order wiggled out of her grip and ran, full speed, back toward Accelerator. "Wait!" Bayloupe yelled and swung her Steel Glove. She grabbed the back of Last Order's dress and lifted her up into the air.

"Let go MISAKA cries as MISAKA realizes everyone can see her underwear."

"Gekota underwear," Worst laughed.

"We will go and help him," Bayloupe relented. "But charging in like that is sure to get you killed."

"Our best shot is probably to go together," Estelle suggested. "Alone we definitely won't stand a chance, but we can divide his attention up this way."

"You're optimistic," Bayloupe muttered so the others did not hear. I'm surrounded by children. Accelerator is going to be so pissed at me. She shivered slightly at the look she expected to receive and they all made their way cautiously backwards. The explosions grew louder and they tried to locate the source. They eventually saw Accelerator and Cain fighting high above them. They were too far away to clearly make them out, but they seemed to be evenly matched. "I don't believe it. He's actually matching him blow for blow."

"No MISAKA informs you as MISAKA shakes her head. He's hurting and won't be able to keep this up much longer MISAKA explains with tears in her eyes." Estelle put her hand on Last Order's shoulder.

"What do you think we should do?" she asked Bayloupe.

"First," Bayloupe said and her voice took on a more commanding tone. She felt like she was explaining a mission to the rest of New Light. "If things get bad and I tell you to retreat, you do so immediately. Understand?" Estelle and Last Order nodded, but Worst looked like she was going to argue. Bayloupe intensified her glare and Worst finally reluctantly agreed. "Second, let's set up a couple defensive spells for us before we draw attent-..."

"DO YOU FOUR HAVE SOME KIND OF FUCKING HEARING PROBLEM?!"

Accelerator had been knocked down around fifty meters from one of Cain's attacks. When he stabilized himself, he glanced down and saw the four of them. His black wings were still intact, but they didn't seem quite as maddening as before. Now that he was closer, they could see him clearly. His clothes were stained with blood, there were bruises all over his body, and he was breathing heavily. Above him, Cain slowly descended toward him. His blood red wings flickered in the soft light of the setting sun.

"MISAKA refused to leave MISAKA shouts!"

"BAYLOUPE!" he roared and she flinched. "YOU ARE I ARE GOING TO HAVE A LONG FUCKING TALK. ESTELLE, WORST, DON'T THINK YOU TWO ARE OFF THE HOOK EITHER!" No one was looking forward to that.

"You have some rather devoted followers," Cain commented. Accelerator turned his eyes back to him and only hatred was etched in them. "Pointless, but somewhat admirable. This does save me time." He held out his hand and a small yellow orb of light appeared. It was no larger than the pit of a peach. A smile formed on his face as he let the small orb fall to the earth. Accelerator realized too late it had to be some kind of attack. The orb disappeared into the earth and everything changed in an instant. All the earth beneath them turned into a giant whirlpool. Trees, benches, light poles, none of it was spared from the current as it was dragged under its murky depths.

The girls were caught before they could react too.

"NO!" Accelerator yelled and dived down to help them, but Cain appeared in front of him. Accelerator felt Cain's fist connect with his gut. "Ack!" Accelerator flew backwards from the blow. He managed to deflect most of the blow, but he did hear a small crack. He might have broken a rib. "Let me through you bastard!" He charged at Cain and they started to trade blows again. The shockwaves exploded all around them, but Cain was not letting him anywhere near the girls. Accelerator yelled once again in vain. He could not reach them. An animalistic screech escaped his lips and echoed across the sky.

Down below, the situation was just as dire. The earth beneath them turned into a substance similar to quicksand, but with a current traveling in a spiral. The force threatened to pull them into the middle and down into its depths. The only one who managed to react in time was Bayloupe. She had to move fast because they were currently near the edge of Cain's attack. As they began to sink into the ground, she swung her Steel Glove at the closest person to her, which turned out to be Estelle. It latched onto Estelle and lifted her up into the air. New Light's Steel Gloves gave the wielder enhanced strength and she used the momentum of her swing to throw Estelle just outside the edge of the whirlpool. She didn't stop there, because she couldn't. Time was limited. She kept swinging and this time grabbed Worst and threw her in the same direction. She started to swing her Steel Glove a third time, but stopped.

"Help!" Last Order cry indicated she wasn't near Bayloupe.

It took Bayloupe a moment to locate Last Order. She was almost ten meters away from her. Last Order was much smaller than the others girls, so the current managed to carry her first while the others still could resist. Shit, Bayloupe thought. She did the only thing she could, she pushed herself in the direction of the current. It wasn't like she could lift and throw herself. She had actually planned to be the only one trapped in Cain's attack. Last Order couldn't escape the sand and was slowly being pulled down. "Grab this!" she called out to Last Order after she closed the gap. Bayloupe held out her Steel Glove and Last Order managed to grab the tip, but that was enough. It grabbed her and Bayloupe pulled her back. They were now too far into the whirlpool for Bayloupe to throw her out. "Hang on," she told Last Order and gripped her close. There wasn't anything she could do and they began to sink up to their necks.

"Worst," Estelle said urgently, as she stood up and gazed into the whirlpool of dirt. Bayloupe was in the process of saving Last Order. "I have an idea, but I need your help." She pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket while Worst stood to her feet.

"Let's hear it," Worst said.

"That whirlpool is designed to absorb everything back into the ground and turn it into dirt," Estelle said in a hurried tone. "If we don't do something, they will be too. I only have one idea on how to help them, but it requires my hands in there. I need you to hang on to me and not let me get pulled into the current."

"Misaka really doesn't want to be here," Worst muttered. "But Misaka supposes she can at least do that, even if it sounds stupid." She muttered the last part. Estelle knelt down at the edge of the whirlpool while Worst grabbed the back of her clothes. Estelle lowered the piece of paper, took a deep breath, and plunged her hand into the roiling mess. As soon as her hand broke the surface, she was almost pulled in by unnatural forces. Worst was the only thing keeping her on solid ground. "Hurry up. This is tiring."

"I'm trying!" Estelle replied and grimaced. Her arm felt like it was about to be pulled out of its socket. She only had one spell that might work and, even then, she never used it this way. It usually involved the body one of her Huotou, or false souls, inhabited. Using it on other people was a new concept for her. Bayloupe and Last Order disappeared under the surface right when she finished casting. She had to yank her arm out of the mud with all her strength and she fell backwards into Worst, which knocked them down. "I think it worked," she gasped. Estelle stood up and looked around. The surface of the whirlpool grew still and flat.

"Even if they survived," Worst said. "Wouldn't they suffocate?" Estelle opened her mouth to answer, but they were interrupted by another barrage of explosions. They both looked up at the source. Accelerator was striking at Cain in a furious barrage, but Cain was parrying every one of his attacks and striking him back with surgical precision. Accelerator's wings seemed to have shrunk, but their darkness seemed more complete. It was as if light itself wouldn't enter. Accelerator made a lunge with his right hand toward Cain's face. Cain responded by leaning to the side, grabbed Accelerator's shirt, and threw him down at the ground. He hit the solid earth face down and left a small crater. Cain landed as Accelerator pushed himself up. Estelle and Worst backed up instinctively away from them. The atmosphere between those two was so dark, so nerve wrecking, even Worst did not want to get involved.

"Lady Eve's going to kill me," Cain muttered. He watched Accelerator stand up and looked around desperately. "I accidently killed the brat. She's one with the earth now. Lady Eve was clear in her instructions." Accelerator's black wings started ripping off chunks of earth and throwing them easily a hundred meters away. "Can you even understand me?" Cain asked him. Accelerator ignored him and continued digging. "You have fallen into madness at their loss," Cain commented and shook his head. He wasn't sure what to do about the situation either. I was supposed to turn the girl into a vampire, but that's not an option now. The only thing left is to kill him, but killing such a miserable creature is never pleasant. He has lost everything, like me. He took a step forward. "You are wasting your time, she's dead."

"AHHHHHHH!" Accelerator screamed and slammed a fist into the ground.

The earth exploded. Worst and Estelle were blown backwards by the force and Cain took off into the air to escape the blast. Huge chunks of earth lifted into the air as the entire area broke apart. Cain shook his head at the last desperate attempt by a wounded animal. He raised his hand into the air and it started to glow blood red. Cain was prepared to end Accelerator's life, when he stopped. His eyes went wide and he blinked. What he saw was impossible but, as the earth fell back down into place, he confirmed it.

"They're alive," he hissed and an eerie smile form on his face.

Two humanoid figures made of earth had been gripping each other deep under the ground. Accelerator's assault had forced them up and into the air. When they landed back down on the ground, they broke. Bayloupe and Last Order fell out of the earthen shell and started gasping for air. Far away from the others, Estelle grinned. "It worked," she said happily.

"What did you do?" Worst asked. She mentally kicked herself for not using the network to check if Last Order was still alive. She had been too focused on the fight.

"I used Armor of the Dead," Estelle explained. "By calling a Gnome, or earth spirit, I can create armor made of dirt around people. I don't normally use it on others or use it to completely cover them. Cain's spell turns everything it swallows into dirt, so I covered them in dirt in hopes it would fool his spell. I couldn't be sure it would work, but it was the only thing I could try."

Accelerator froze and his eyes stared at Last Order and Bayloupe. There was a look of shock and it slowly changed to relief. His black wings began to shrink as Last Order turned to him. "MISAKA is here MISAKA calls out to you as MISAKA presents a tone of kindness. " Accelerator stood there dumbstruck as Last Order began to walk toward him. His eyes began to water, but he didn't care. He took one shaking step forward when all their hope was dashed.

Cain had suddenly appeared next to Last Order and grabbed her collar.

"Stop!" Bayloupe yelled and lunged at him with her Steel Glove. Cain didn't even look at her and flicked his hand. The blow shattered her Steel Glove and lifted her up into the air. Her face contorted in pain as all the air was knocked from her lungs. She fell back down to the ground and a small trickle of blood came out of her mouth. To Cain, she was a gnat at best. He had much more important things on his mind. He had almost failed the most important mission assigned to him and he was not going to make that mistake again. Eve's anger would not be sated with just an apology and his revenge was tied to her plan's success. He opened his mouth, revealed his fangs, and moved down to Last Order's neck.

"STOOPPPP!" Accelerator yelled desperately. His body was shaking from the blows he had endured. They finally caught up to him.

Cain ignored him and sunk his fangs into Last Order's neck.

"AHHHHHH!" Last Order screamed. "I-it hurts, MISAKA cries." Tears flowed down her face.

Something snapped in Accelerator.

The black wings on his back exploded outwards again. The dark void absorbed all the light that hit them and he flew forward faster than even Cain could react. He reached out with his left hand and wrapped it around Cain's throat. He pulled Cain away, which forced him to drop Last Order to the ground, and, after they flew roughly fifty meters, Accelerator slammed him into the ground. Using his left hand, he plunged it into Cain's chest, right where his heart should have been. He pulled his hand out, but there was nothing in his grasp.

"Trying to rip out my heart?" Cain asked. There was only a very small distance between their faces, so Cain could see Accelerator's eyes. They were so familiar. All traces of humanity were absent. They were the eyes of a cornered animal about to fight to the end. Hatred, anger, and fear were all present. Cain doubted Accelerator even knew what was happening. "My heart is being held for safe keeping by Eve herself. I keep myself alive purely off my own power." He reached up and punched Accelerator in the gut. There was a crack as one of Accelerator's ribs broke.

"I-I'm coming," Bayloupe gasped, as she dragged herself on the ground toward a crying Last Order. Bayloupe managed to sit up and take a look at her neck. There were two puncture wounds and they were bleeding.

"It hurts so much MISAKA cries as MISAKA tries to hold back her sniffles."

"I know," Bayloupe reassured her. "I'm going to help you, but you have to remain strong." Last Order nodded ever so slightly and Bayloupe pressed a hand lightly on her neck. Last Order shivered slightly, but remained still. Bayloupe started mumbling and the bleeding stopped. She could have done more, but she was already exhausted and anymore magic to heal would deplete what little reserves she had left. Any advanced healing magic usually required a ritual. "It's going to be okay." The sound of approaching footsteps made her turn around and she gasped.

Cain was walking toward them and in his right hand he was dragging a bloody and broken Accelerator.

"No!" Bayloupe gasped.

"Let him go MISAKA demands as MISAKA struggles to get up!" Bayloupe's healing numbed the pain, but she wasn't well enough to stand up on her own yet.

"Calm yourself," Cain told them. His voice was calm and soothing once again, like when they first met him. His victory had ended his rage. "He is still alive, barely, but won't be for long." He tossed Accelerator next to them.

"Why are you doing this?" Bayloupe asked. Letting Accelerator live is a huge risk. What does Cain get out of this?

"He will die," Cain explained. "I will personally end his life. However, as a sign of respect, I will give you three a few moments to say your good-byes. I'll give you a small kindness no one gave me." He turned and walked away. Before Bayloupe could respond, a row of hedges formed a circle around them, about five meters away and a couple meters high.

"Damn it." Bayloupe and Last Order turned to face Accelerator. He had woken up and cussed under his breath.

"Careful," Bayloupe said and started to cast another simple healing spell. "You really took a beating."

"I couldn't protect you two," Accelerator mumbled.

"MISAKA doesn't blame you MISAKA says reassuringly. MISAKA knows you did everything to protect us MISAKA adds. Estelle and Worst were able to escape, but they have remained nearby to watch. MISAKA has told Worst to keep back." Accelerator grunted.

"Can you tell me what those wings were?" Bayloupe asked. "They virtually rivaled Cain's power, something I never thought possible."

"I can't really answer that," Accelerator replied and made a fist. "No one has been able to give me a satisfactory answer, but it's part of my power. The anger, the hatred I feel, it has to be because of my past. You could never understand the things I have done. The pain and loneliness returns a hundred fold."

"It's okay." Last Order scooted over to him and lifted his head. She gentle put it on her lap and wrapped her arms around him. "Don't forget, no matter what happens, you aren't alone. MISAKA will always be by your side."

"I foolishly thought for a moment I could play the hero and save someone," Accelerator continued. "But my power is only capable of destroying."

"What are you saying?" Bayloupe asked. "You fought to protect us. Regardless of how, you still had that desire. You can't live in the past. Everyone has things they regret, but their experiences are what makes them grow."

"Then let me tell you what happened," Accelerator said and tried to sneer. Last Order's eyes went wide. "You know the third rate," Bayloupe nodded, "this city, this bastard of a city made twenty thousand clones of her. Last Order is also a clone designed to oversee the others. In order for me to grow to a level beyond what I am now, I was supposed to kill all of them." Bayloupe gasped. "The third rate was willing to die to try to stop me, but it was the damn hero who saved me instead. He made me realize what I was doing was wrong. After what I did, I can never truly be a savior. I will always be a villain." A flicker of the black wings appeared to his side for a fraction of a second.

"You saved MISAKA, MISAKA reminds you while MISAKA tightens her grip. Without you, MISAKA and the other sisters would never have been born. MISAKA told you before, we do not hate you. You tried to communicate with us the entire time during the experiment."

"You're far stronger than I thought," Bayloupe said softly.

"Huh?" Accelerator asked and his eyes darted to her.

"Power is one thing," Bayloupe elaborated, but still in a soft tone. "When I met you, I learned how powerful you are. I didn't understand you though, but I can tell you power isn't necessarily strength."

"What are you blabbing on about?"

"When Lancis, Lessar, Floris, and I were young," Bayloupe told him. "Even younger than most of your friends, we were part of many magical experiments in Britain by illegal magic cabals. I was the oldest and I had to do things I was not proud of, terrible things." She shivered and Accelerator's eyes widened. Last Order looked at her intently. "When I learned the leader planned to kill them to further his own goal, I killed him instead. I wouldn't let them get hurt. It took a while to get over it, but I swore to myself I would make a better future for them. We formed our own group for that very reason." She paused when her voice quivered slightly but, when she continued, it was steady. "It's because we know what pain is, we don't want people we care about to experience it. We were hurt, but it allowed us to grow. When we fall, we get up for the sake of others. Your friend gave you a second chance. Don't waste it on regretting the past. It can't be changed. Focus your energy on a better future for all."

"Sounds cheesy," Accelerator muttered.

"I stole some of that from Lessar near the end," Bayloupe admitted. "She gets really emotional when talking about her homeland and its people, but it's true. Moving on doesn't mean you forget your past. It means you accepted what happened, learned from it, and continue to live."

"MISAKA could feel your pain when you used those wings MISAKA admits. No matter how much you hurt, no matter what you do, MISAKA will always have a shoulder for you to cry on. You don't need to suffer alone. You don't need to hide it. You have so many friends now who would help you if you only ask."

Accelerator was silent, his mind racing. He had always believed he could never pay back the debt for his past mistakes, regardless if he helped someone from time to time. If someone had told him a year ago he would have so many people around him, he would have considered them insane. His chest started hurting and he fidgeted. When he had been made to kill clones, no one had been there in the early stages. No one noticed his pain, no one noticed his loneliness, but everyone noticed his mistake. They did not realize he had feelings too, hidden under his hard exterior. Mikoto and Touma fought him to the end, even when he was about to make the mistake of killing two of the few sources of light in this city. Now, he had people who could understand him. They knew what he did and would still stand by him, like the others. He found it hard to swallow, but strength welled up within him. He raised his head off Last Order and got up onto one knee. He then said the words few people would ever expect him to say.

"Thank you."

"Sometimes good people make bad choices," Bayloupe said and stood up. She reached out a hand and helped him to his feet. "It doesn't mean they are bad. It means you are a human." Accelerator's eyes widened and he looked away. He didn't want her to see his face burn.

"How long do we have before he comes back," Accelerator asked, as he tried to change the topic.

"He didn't say," Bayloupe admitted.

"Okay," Accelerator said. He reached down and tried to pull some remaining reserve of energy to summon the black wings. They were the only power he had that could allow him to face Cain. It was much harder to access it due to exhaustion, but he finally managed to generate them. They weren't nearly as large or as dark as they had been before. It was like the anger and hatred used to form them had weakened. A mysterious power that was not truly connected to the Misaka Network. He winced as the pain began to spike in his mind and the little bit of happiness he had felt was beginning to melt away. This power was used to kill his enemies, not save. Accelerator turned away from the girls. "I'm going to fight," he told them. "Bayloupe, get her out of here." He still had one option left at his disposal. The pain in his head was familiar to when he had been manipulating unknown vectors in his body, which Index told him was refining mana. He was going to try to combine the knowledge he gained from that to add force to his weakening black wings. At the very least, it dulled the pain.

"I want to stay and help," Bayloupe argued and put a hand over her chest. While the dark warped version of Telesma was weakened, it still overshadowed the mana Accelerator was emitting, so she didn't notice.

"No!" Accelerator snapped. "You can barely stand and you can barely cast any sort of spell. Even your weapon is broken." His arms shook slightly. "You will only get hurt. Now go, and whatever happens, do not come back. Please." Bayloupe's and Last Order's eyes went wide. They had never heard him say 'please' before. The fact he used that word told them how dire the situation truly was. Accelerator was planning to die to allow them to live.

"No."

The word was soft, but so full of strength it forced Accelerator to turn around. It had not been Bayloupe who replied, but Last Order. "What did you say?" Accelerator asked.

"I won't leave you, MISAKA says as MISAKA tries to hold back her tears." Last Order's face was pained and her eyes were watery. It was the saddest look Bayloupe had ever seen on the normally bright and cheerful girl's face. "Your pain transmits to me and it's obvious what you are planning to do. I am going to stay by your side through this. Whether good or bad, MISAKA is not leaving MISAKA finishes with determination."

"This isn't-!"

"I want to be with you always, MISAKA begs as MISAKA steps forward." Simultaneously, she embraced him around the hip in a tight embrace.

Accelerator was left speechless. What could he possible say in this situation? It was completely unexpected and unknown to him. He had never had someone say that to him. Who would say something so heartfelt to a monster? Bayloupe smiled at his shell shocked expression and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll stay with her, but we aren't going anywhere. We are with you until the end." Her eyes widened in surprise at what she saw. There was a line of water rolling down Accelerator's face.

The strongest person in Academy City, the monster who could stand up against a vampire and had killed thousands of clones, was crying. Bayloupe dropped her arm from Accelerator and he glanced down at the little girl embracing him. Last Order had tears running down her face too. No matter what he told her or how he acted, she didn't want him to die. Accelerator put his arm on her shoulders and gentle pushed her off him. Last Order wiped her eyes on her sleeve and looked up at him. Accelerator gave her a childlike smile.

"I want to always be with you too."

With a sound like cracks spreading across ice, the monster's wings changed color. The ink-like pitch black void changed to a snow-like pure white. It started from the base of his back and spread out to the tips. The outer color and the inner essence all changed in an instant. The rage and anger that constantly overwhelmed his mind was no longer there. He had finally been honest, not only with others, but with himself. All the baggage, the pain, and suffering had been lifted from his shoulders. His new mental state brought forth a new source of power into the world. The wings were not metallic and inorganic like Teitoku Kakine's wings were. They were softer, but the power they excluded was warm and reassuring. The power rippled around them like the protection of a child's blanket.

To complete the transformation, a small ring made of the same color and substance as his wings appeared above his head.

It was as if the monster had been purified into an angel.

Last Order back up, put her small hand into Bayloupe's, and stared at Accelerator. He had lifted himself up a few inches off the ground. His wings hadn't moved at all. It was like gravity no longer affected him. Bayloupe was momentarily stunned, but when she felt Last Order touch her hand, she gripped it reassuringly. Both of them were no longer worried and smiled at him. Accelerator turned away from them, but there was something to him they both could sense. He was no longer in pain. He was not fretting about the past. He may have had started to take a few steps forward down this new path already, but he finally broke the last chain which kept him bound.

He had found redemption.

With a flick, that was more a rustle of his new wings, the plant wall around them was blown away. Accelerator floated forward away from Last Order and Bayloupe to face the creature that had nearly destroyed them all. He was not surprised to find Cain on his feet, but felt satisfaction when he saw the look of shock on Cain's face. Cain had been monitoring them from a distance, but not listening to their words. He had expected them to try to escape or make one last desperate attack. When he felt the twisted black Telesma , he expected the latter. When the power like a raging storm changed, Cain had stood up. The power was still not Telesma, but it was from the same dimension. It was like they evolved parallel to each other. When Cain saw the resemblance to an angel, his face contorted with rage. His eyes grew dark blood red and his wings expanded.

Two creatures who defied the realm of man were about to clash.

One wielded the power of God.

The other was cursed by God.

Both had similar pasts, but they had walked down different paths to get where they are now. There was only one thing for certain and they both understood this.

Only one would walk away.

---

Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish I ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.

Oh, fun fact for the readers. Ether (or Aether), has already been established in the novels. It's what Birdway uses with her wand to change shape and used the four elements. I just took the theory behind it and added the religious aspect to it.

Kazari: *sniff*

Ruiko: Are you crying Uiharu? Here's a tissue.

Kazari: Thanks. That ending was really touching.

Jason: Seems like Accelerator finally confessed to Last Order.

Pierce: I really should be mad, but taking in the situation. I'll save it for next chapter.

Frenda: Kinuhata is going to be really upset.

Pierce: I can't take it. Okay, So Accelerator finally admitted to loving Last Order and Bayloupe. This is obviously the start of a harem, but it could also make a great TV show. Accelerator is the dad, Bayloupe is the mom, and Last Order is their child. Accelerator was adopted by his two female guardians who were married and Worst is the older sister to Last Order. Kinuhata is the niece who had a crush on Uncle Accel.

Ruiko: What about Hibiki-san? She had a crush on him.

Motoharu: She's his mistress.

Pierce: Perfect, we just need a name for that reality show.

Kazari: Shouldn't we be preparing for the Christmas omake special?

Motoharu: Kagere is the one who had to clean up his apartment.

Jason: Why we having it there again?

Pierce: It's the only place big enough to accommodate all of Kami-yan's and Accelerator's harem.

Frenda: It's on Christmas Eve right?

Motoharu: Yep, going to have a huge feast and play party games.

Kazari: What kind of games?

Ruiko: Oh, how about the King Game. Where we randomly draw lots and whoever is the King calls out a couple numbers to do something and whoever has them does the command.

Kazari: If Lessar is there…

Pierce: IT'S PERFECT!

Jason: Let's steal possible ideas from the audience too.