Surviving

by Daiten

The hardship of surviving life in Academy City as high schoolers.

2. Sheepdog

Hopefully I get better with tension and suspense and people like this because I have a lot in store for this story.

"Huh?" Accelerator sounded. There was no better word, to sum up, his confusion but that. He only asked a simple question,' explain your plan', but this boy, for some reason, just brought up levels.

"The world of the weak is vastly different than that of the strong." Touma started. "In that world, your life is constantly at risk and you may end up dead in a blink of an eye at any moment." His voice stern and unwavering as he steps closer to Accelerator.

"No one knows when exactly your powers will go or if you'll ever get them back, but with the world's system now changed, a person who's fallen and gotten back up is far stronger than a person who has never fallen." He explained to him, staring down and surveying his thin physique.

"Oh, I get it," Accelerator huffed in realization. "you want a guilt-free conscience when we do die." He cocked his head and sneered.

"I'll see to it know no one dies, that's why I refuse to let you squander your abilities on something like this." Touma snarls.

"Naivety is something I've never had the pleasure of tasting." Accelerator retorts.

"I think that's enough now," Mikoto interjected and stepped in between the two nonchalant, giving them both a gesture of the hand to separate. "Ok tell us your big plan and stop leaving us in the dark." She took back her weapon.

"It's pretty straightforward but is split into parts. To give you an overview though, a group of us will enter inside the mall and travel to the floors holding furniture and kitchen utensils for some beds and knives. Once we have them, we'll bring them back here and carve hand grips in each. Since Mikoto and I are the fastest I suggest we travel back in and split off, one will cause a big enough commotion to lead the sick inside, the other will lock them in by shutting down the entire mall from the security room. All that would be left is getting back up and bursting into the adjacent building with the aid of the beds. From there it's just escaping that and we're on our way."

"That's an...wow... I mean really." Mikoto tried to find her words. The plan was good, obviously not full proof and had holes in it but good nonetheless. Especially for one just thought up on the spot from small interactions.

"And what will we do about survivors?" Accelerator asked, folding his arms.

"Depending on the amount, we retrieve the required number of beds," Touma replied back in the same calm tone of voice.

For a few seconds, the roof was silent. Nothing but the carols of the wind whistling about being heard at that altitude.

"Alright man with a plan, give us the full detail run down." Accelerator sighed and scratched his head.

"Thank goodness." Index sighed in relief and smiled, no longer ready to intervene since the situation had not turned for the worst. This was no time to fight among themselves, but she still wanted them to resolve this on their own as it would be more effective than her jumping in.

Few minutes past where Touma gave the full fine details of his plan to everyone but...

"I refuse."

It was also decided there that Index would be staying on the rooftop while the others headed inside.

"C'mon, Index."

"I said no." She turned around and folded her arms.

Why are you fighting me on this?' Is what Touma would like to say. But already, he knew the answer. How many times now had he run into this same predicament? She made it nough clear she hates it when he does this each time he ends up at the hospital.

But, he thought this time she would understand because whenever he did visit the hospital, her attacks would become less and less, to the point she would just sigh and lecture him.

He wanted to step closer but his feet wouldn't let him. They didn't dare take a step, afraid of what might happen after hearing that unusually thick voice.

"I'll give you my portion of food when we get to the bunker." He tried negotiating.

"What makes you think that would make me feel better!" She shot at him, anger clearly expressed on her face.

Obviously, she didn't accept a situation like this. Who would for that matter? To put all the responsibility on others in this death-defying circumstance while she stays carefree. That's not something that would sit well with her.

It never has, and it will never be.

What if they get hurt. What if someone dies. Or worst.. what if it is...

Fear.

Anger.

Worry.

Emotions like those washed over Index. It didn't matter if this didn't sit well with a certain spiky hair boy. She won't comply. No matter how it makes her look or how selfish of an act it is.

Even if that wasn't all it came down to, she would still refuse.

She just can't...the loss would be too great.

"We'll be there you know." Accelerator broke her out of her thoughts.

"I thought that was a given. I'll make sure he doesn't do anything crazier than his plan." Mikoto said, putting the paddle on her right shoulder.

Index turned back around, back facing everyone as she stood there in momentary silence.

"I'll hold you both to that." Index said quietly, crossing back her arms. "You better come back, Touma, hehmm." She turned her head slightly and Touma nodded.

They passed through the door and entered the cream painted staircase with silver handrails.

Peeping beyond the railing not even with the bright 8-foot LED tube lights on the distance down could be clearly seen. Nor did it rid the space of its gloomy atmosphere.

The door creaked as it closed behind them and the clicking of the bolt inserting echoed throughout like a cave, seeping into the staircase the feeling of isolation.

"Alright then."

Touma led the way and they descended the flights of stairs.

The mall is divided into six levels and sectors off into generic main areas. At the entrance level, there existed a plethora of Standalone department stores and entertainment areas. By way of the escalator, the level below the entrance consisted of many brand name technological shops. Above the basement and the second level, the third level only contained independent and contracted culinary stalls while the fourth was only concerned with home furnishings and electrical appliances. Things such as clothing, school stuff, and jewelry were dealt with on the fifth level and the one they were heading for was the sixth, which comprises the employee's lockers, management offices, bosses offices, individual large scale break rooms, and the security room.

They were now standing on the landing platform connected there and positioned on the left side of the door, Mikoto slowly opened it. Meanwhile to her right, Touma stood ahead of her, ready to defend against any sick that may come rushing out and Accelerator behind her for those who might get pass.

Once Touma verified they were clear, Mikoto fully moved the door and they entered inside the black matted and white wall corridor.

It was funny how most of the mundane things in life could make a person feel unsettled.

Similar to the emergency staircase the floor was empty and gloomy despite the lights working fine. Within that confined space, constant murmurs of groans hissed out like cats whining late at night and accompanying it was the repeated grating of fingernails against doors.

"Ok, let's split up and search," Mikoto whispered and left her separate way. Visiting a couple of doors cautiously, she looked for the room with the signboard security on it. When she finally found it, after 3 minutes of hunting, she ran back and told the others.

A single knock on the door made them aware no one was inside, the only sounds of snarling coming from the other guess.

"Shit." Touma cursed. "With my luck, I should have had less expectations. Of course, they would use a magnetic lock for the security room." He bowed his head and sighed. The door in front of him was wooden with a dark oil polish wrapped in an 8-inch stainless steel kick plate. At the knob area, the lever handle was covered in a blue nano septic sleeve and had a key card access system for its lock.

Hence why they didn't even try to pick it.

"Well, that's not much of a problem. Either we hunt for a key card or just mess with the electrical panel. " Mikoto stated. "I rather the latter though, less time-consuming."

One of the major disadvantages of having an electromagnetic lock was that it could be easily de-energized in the event of a power outage. To combat these outage issues, however, Academy city had many different forms of energy production methods. All powering the entire cities infrastructure at the same time but from different lines.

Thus why Mikoto suggested messing with the electrical panel instead. All she needed to do was find it and manually turn on the breaker system that powers this level only.

"This place is probably built with two separate ones since the lower levels need a lot more power than the upper levels. And there is no sign of a panel here...If I were to venture a guess it's probably at the food court." She informed.

"Well, that does fall into Academy City memo, defying expectations." Touma shook his head with a grin.

"Over the top is more like it, there's nothing wrong with a hallway, you know." Mikoto corrected with a dorky grin.

Their attention was then drawn to Accelerator, with the sound of the emergence staircase door opening and his footsteps dampening. Following right behind, Mikoto and Touma descended the stairs to the food court where they saw a horrendous scene.

The separation of floors in the court didn't matter because the scene was all the same. A gorefest through and through would be the immediate thought process.

In that massively large space where high-class restaurants, coffee shops, and food stalls spread every area like a web, intricately creating a path to lead to them. Dead bodies laid scatter. It was like the aftermath of a countrywide carnival meeting, a summer break party. The trash and other stuff representing both bodies and litter alike.

The uniformly placed seating jumbled and toppled over as they sprawled a couple of feet away from their initial position with uneaten foods, rappers, and not yet open drinks.

As if a toddler moped it, the ground was smeared with pints upon pints of semi-dried blood and in addition to that, trails, pools, and prints of blood also smudged tables, countertops, chairs, almost every surface in reach.

The smell itself was the most unbearably from the scene, the bodies of those resting in odd angles permeating the air like a three-day open fishery.

Comparatively, the scene was a muck but using the analogy of slicing and squashing, rotten tomatoes couldn't cover the steaming hot pile of many deaths there.

One of them in particular was a man lying sideways near a dinner stool. One of the wounds around him, his outstretched arm, had its flesh ripped into from three different areas and skin along with some flesh amateurishly pulled up like a tight sock. The palm of his hand tore into, appearing like a severely under-baked spongy velvet cake and putting on display the inner workings for his fingers to function.

Another one described with just two words, anatomical model. For the most part, his stomach was clawed open and whatever internal organ was possible to remove got scooped out onto his chest and eaten into. Blood soaked the top part of his red and white shirt but even so bite marks could still be seen at his chest and neck areas.

The dead silence ran cold as the three of them took in the repugnant sight.

"Just like at school." Touma clenched his fist tightly. The same image of the nightmarish event flashing through his head. " Can we even say it was a small amount? This much damage was done."

"Possibly, there is more than one factor that could lead to this much death. Being ill equipped is one. Though the same could be said about us, we had powers to protect ourselves." Mikoto answered. Her voice was high enough to reach him but low enough to not alert any sick as she searched for the electrical panel.

"Also the interactions we've had with them showed that simply beating them won't stop their advances. They always get back up and that makes them even more difficult." Accelerator added, also doing the same.

"You think they're feasting on someone right now, just like when we got spotted?"

The question wasn't aimed at any one person but despite that and not being able to be seen, Mikoto diverted her face. She was thankful that they haven't run into any sick as of yet but the thought of someone possibly dying to make that happen made her feel uncomfortable.

"Let's just focus on our objective and not get sidetracked." Accelerator walked away. "We haven't found the panel anywhere down here yet."

"Probably in the janitor room then."

After nodding at the suggestion, Touma and Accelerator followed Mikoto deeper into the food court. The number of food vendors here was truly ridiculous, everywhere you look, from beyond the outdoor seating areas, ranging from Burger joints, Sushi restaurants, Taco stands, Pizzeria, and patty stores.

Mikoto ignored all those and headed for a room further back. Stockpiled in it, the janitors of Academy City. The task with cleaning up Academy City grounds and in this case the mall.

The door halfway open, she suddenly gets attacked with a knife. Mikoto defended against it, however, instinctively blocking with her free hand and clubbing the attacker in the stomach before their hidden punch could connect to her solar plexus.

CLATTER.

The knife dropped and by the time the attacker fell to their knees, with a muffled thud, Mikoto pointed the paddle to their face and threatened them.

"Don't move."

"That's a Nami high uniform." Touma looked at the toppled over attacker.

He was a teenage boy who had the mild appearance of a generic high school delinquent. His eyes a deep brown and blond hair unruly as he wore an unbuttoned all grey school uniform with a black tie. Around his left hip was a silver punk rock chain and peeking through his right sleeve, a woven maroon and black leather bracelet with guitar jewelry.

"Seems so." She answered, not relaxing even though they were unarmed.

"You can take my spot okay, just let me go." The panic-stricken boy pleaded quickly. His winced face overcame as concern swiftly took hold.

"W-wait, nonononono," Touma waved dismissively. "you have the wrong idea."

"Huh?"

"Look, sorry for what happened, ok," He scratched his head. "but I can assure you, we came to help."

"I'm not apologizing to him just so you know."

"Misaka."

"Ain't going to happen, self-defense."

"Couldn't you have worded it like that?"

"I still got my point across, didn't I."

Touma sighed hearing that.

"N-no it's ok, that was my fault entirely." The boy slowly stood up, and Mikoto's paddle followed. "What exactly did you mean by 'came to help'?"

"We have a plan to escape the mall."

"Really? That kinda sounds too good to be true."

"Weren't you cowering in that room?" Accelerator reminded him. He lowered his head in response.

"You want to escape with us?" Hearing that, the boy swiftly peered at Touma. He didn't believe it. Just a few moments ago he attacked their partner and had every intention of killing them if it meant he could continue on. But here stood a boy who was willing to overlook that and help him.

He darted his gaze to the other two members before gulping down saliva. With his wrinkled lips, he said his reply.

"Y-yea"

"So, what's your name?"

"Hamazura." He simply answered, not willing to give his full name even though Mikoto put away her weapon.

"Well Hamazura, I'm Touma, this is Misaka and that's Accelerator."

"H-hi there." He greeted with a nervous smile but received silence as a response from Accelerator and a light head shrug from Mikoto.

"Do you know where I can find other people?" Touma asked him and Hamazura pondered for a few seconds before answering.

"The last I've seen a crowd of people, they headed for the department stores on the third floor. I can't tell you which though."

"That's more than enough, Thanks Hamazura." Touma smiled and patted his shoulders.

"Great, can we get back to the mission at hand now?" Mikoto asked sarcastically. She then gestured for Hamazura to leave the door frame and enter inside. There, after a few seconds of searching, she found the electrical panel and went to it.

The circuit breaker was a silver-gray metal box, about the size of a cookie sheet, which recessed into the wall.

Its lock, a simple key mechanism.

"You're up." She called out to Touma and he took the hairpin she handed him to pick the lock.

When it opened, the small door moved with little to no noise and revealed rows of black switches labeled with tape. Those were the breakers, each for an individual circuit in the upper floors.

"Ok then, time to go up." Touma nodded to Mikoto and she nodded back.

"You guys stay down here and let me and him go to the security room." Accelerator told them. "With the information, he's given us it's best if we split up to carry out phase one of your plan." He elaborates and walks past the door frame.

"Well that does make sense but there is safety in numbers." Touma stopped him.

"Before we were uneven but now it's even. You want to do this quickly and effectively, right? Then let's split up."

Phase one of Touma's plan required they check the security cameras for survivors and retrieve them and the number of beds needed. Except with the intervention of Hamazura, there was no longer a need for them to move as a singular unit. With him there, they could move twice as fast.

"He has a point, let's split up." Mikoto agreed, not wanting to put this up to a debate with the reluctant boy.

"...Alright then," Touma sighed. "give me all your numbers so we could message each other." He said, taking out his phone and punching in everyone's contact number.

As Accelerator began to turn the corner after leaving the room, Hamazura knelt down for the knife at the door frame.

"Leave that," Touma said bluntly and stared him down intently. His expression, no different than the one before but the atmosphere completely.

"..."

Feeling it, knowing it would be a bad idea to cause a commotion now, Hamazura slowly crept up and followed Accelerator but not before glancing at Touma one more time.

---

Accelerator exited the Foodcourt with Hamazura and ascended the emergency stairs. The sound of their footsteps traveling the empty space.

"...The damage to your guy's school must have been really extensive if you had to depart from it." Hamazura starts up a conversation to break the heavy reign of silence.

"No, the majority of us made it out alive."

"Huh...So why split up then? wouldn't it be safer, you know, sticking together and finding a good place to bunker down?"

"Is the answer to that question the reason why you hesitated to tell us the survivor's location?" Accelerator said with no change in tone. His somewhat cold eye's gave the impression his discovery was not of importance.

He lacked any form of reaction actually and just continued to amble up the stairs, whereas Hamazura, inched, tensed and nervous, cold sweat running down his cheek.

Hamazura played with the saliva in his mouth for a bit before he swallowed and just continued trailing behind Accelerator.

Accelerator entered inside the six floors and walked down the corridor to the security door. Hamazura frantically follows behind with a wobbly 'Hey', becoming worried about the growling sick.

"I didn't know your reason for it but I ventured a couple of guesses based on experience. All I knew was that you had that guy begged for the hero type. If you told him about the survivors he would be wasting precious time on them while the person(s) you care about is at risk."

"..."

"You don't have to worry. I get it." Accelerator ended things there, grabbing the handle with his left hand and operating his phone with his right. A few seconds after which, the lights on the floor went out and he opened the door.

Immediately afterward the lights turned back on and the simultaneous flashes of several monitors lit up the room inside.

Leaving the unsettling sound of the sick become more prominent behind, Accelerator and Hamazura entered inside. The room was large but felt cramped because of the many contents that existed inside. Assisting the many monitors were several other big and small electrical devices, and on top of the metal countertop, a black flexible Speech microphone.

Accelerator traveled to the screens and searched the feed for anyone present on the second level. Spotting civilians in 12 stores, he messaged in the group chat their names.

"Time for our part now." He talked to himself and operated the control panel to search the other levels. Among them, he found groups of people scattered all over the mall. The most crowded, the level below the entrance.

Tampering with the control panel some more, he isolated the speaker to areas that were safe for both sides and brought the microphone to his lips.

With a single click, he switched it on.

"Yo. I have something to say and I expect you all to listen. In a couple of minutes, depending on how this pan out, the entire mall will be even more infested with sick. There's a reason for that and it's for a plan to escape. We will make sure Anti-Skill finds you, all that is needed is to bunker down until then but if you want to tag along, simply indicate with your hands. You have till the count of five to do so."

"5. 4. 3. 2. 1." Accelerator slowly counted, glancing at the monitors once more to see the results. 'Only four, huh.'

"You'll know when I'll come. Miss the signal and that's that's."

He switched off the microphone, and not saying anything else, walked out the room with it.

As foolish as this may sound, the unspoken consensus between Touma, Mikoto and Accelerator was not to spare time in giving directions to avoid sick. A text message would take time and since neither of them had headphones or earbuds to deliver in the present contact they thought it best to refrain from such completely.

'Even without their powers those people sure know how to make your skin crawl.' Hamazura thought, positioned to the back and watching everything unfold with a stronger wave of fear engulfing him.

He was planning on doing the same thing to them but this was where the saying 'saying is easier than doing' could be taken in the literal sense.

In his case not saying or omitting information.

What that boy spoke was the truth and Hamazura was sure the other two would do the same. But the thing is, it would come down to how it is worded and the tone that it's received as.

Even the most normal of phrases can be turned into something terrifying, and that is exactly what Accelerator did.

This added to his mind view of the boy, giving a more distinctive shape to his interpretation.

Hamazura wasn't an acquaintance of this boy, clearly, he had just met him, but stories of the albino ran wide in this city of espers.

It was the reason why he was so uneasy around him and that girl. Those two were monsters beyond any other, capable of taking on and defeating an entire nation. The 3rd and 1st rank Level 5's of Academy City.

---

Mikoto pushed the lever all the way to the "off" position, then back to the "on" position before giving a glance at Touma.

"Let's move." She said and they left the room.

"There goes my mall experience." Touma sighed.

"Eh, these things are pretty overrated if you ask me."

"You're only saying that because you've had the luxury of spending leisure time here."

"And you haven't?"

"Noo."

"So Tschimikado and Aogami never took you here?"

"If they did it would probably be to use me for some scheme or something."

"And those guys are your friends."

"Haaa, I know but they aren't that bad." He elongated the last part and said it in a somewhat high pitch voice. "Besides, I kinda don't have time for that stuff, even though I wish I had."

"I knew you were a busy guy but, wow." Mikoto said between a giggle.

"Ha ha ha" Touma laughed dreary, and Mikoto held in a snort. "Laughing at a poor boys' pain is Sacrilege Misaka."

"Well stop making it so." She desperately tried to hold the laughter.

"You have a weird sense of humor."

"So too a couple million people."

"What?"

Ending the conversation there, both their phones vibrated from a message. Looking at it, they saw a text was sent in the group chat by Accelerator with the store's names.

"Mmm." They both nod.

With the locations now mapped out, Mikoto and Touma made their way through the food court and down the stairwell where they reached the second floor and looked about the lobby.

Ordinary 'looked about the lobby' would mean standing in an open view of it but in this case, it meant peeping through a half cracked open door.

The quantity of people turned sick must have been small.

A number of 20 something of the sick could be seen unenthusiastically walking around in random directions on the marbled floor splattered with entrails.

The numbers were low, strengthening what Accelerator said back in the apartment, but was still too dangerous to venture out if not treated with caution.

This was why they decided to study the sicks movement.

They might not be moving in arithmetic patterns but understanding their timing can make the difference of life and death.

Seeing the perfect opportunity, Touma and Mikoto carefully rushed to the snack vending machine in a lowered position and hid between it and the cluster of indoor palm trees there.

The entire level subdivides into fourteen floors, accessible only via walkways and elevators. Half for the department stores sector and the other half for entertainment sectors. Smack down in the center of the first half which had an atrium view, spanned a gigantic cylindrical aquarium tank nearly reaching the massively built in skylight ceiling with an artificially generated view.

Just like in the food court, bodies were propped about. Some in odd angles, others with man made injuries. Nevertheless, they were given the same treatment.

Gouged out alive. Well that's from what they've seen so far and what the mess of blood indicates.

One dead body specifically had their flesh eaten a quarter of the way and sprawled over the circular entrance of a glass railing leading to the first level.

Could all this be the reason why they didn't hammer the shops in groves?

"..."

"RRGGRRAA"

"..."

"RGRRRGR"

Seething with anxiety their hands become clammy and pulse quicken, ducking in wait for the perfect moment to move for the escalator ahead on the left.

Licking their lips even with their mouths dry, they legged it upwards not using the escalators assistance to get there and pressed their backs against the glass railing at the get off point, hidden from the view of sick coming from the right by a row of three silver trash bins.

As they stooped there, trying to control their breeding, Mikoto spotted a sick coming from their blind spot.

".!.!.!"

The layout of the atrium skyway system was fixed as a box and from the corner of her eye Mikoto saw them coming from the side, twenty-eight meters away from turning the corner.

Motioning to Touma, she pointed him to the direction.

'Shit!' He cursed upon seeing it.

Not good. This is so not good. The both of them rambled in their minds. They were in no position to move and turning back around carelessly now would only expose them.

The sick was closing in on them.

THINK THINK THINK

Touma racked his brain. They needed to come up with a plan now or else it's into crawfish scraps for them.

Within deep thought, tightly clenching his butter sock, he then found one. A second later, he fumbled to open his butter sock due to the tight knot.

'Ugh, really!' He cried out on his third try, cursing his rotten luck to the back of his mind.

"..."

Mikoto saw this and gestured for the sock which on her first try, she successfully undid the knot.

'Really'

Touma muttered in his head, reaching his hand into the sock for a clump of butter. Bedding it up into a bottle cap size, he threw it over head.

CLANG

It collided with the cylindrical aquarium tank at a parabola.

'FAST' Was the best word to describe what happened next.

Hearing it hit something, and darting their eyes, the sick whose movements were like walking in mud turned into a streak and bolted towards the noise.

The sound must have really been a dull one because only those on the same floor with Touma and Misaka, first level opening, and the ground floor went towards it.

Touma and Mikoto then Strode along the first floor towards Neilson's Ink store where they took advantage of its window blinds. One of the problems of window blinds that home retailers don't bring notice of is light gaps. Something which stores in malls don't concern themselves with as they don't inhibit business.

Taking advantage of that problem, Touma shone his phone lights at the blinds to aware the people inside of them.

This opened two likely scenarios which concerned the people inside. So, left with the choice of letting them in and guarantee their safety or leaving them out there where they could bring the sicks attention to the store, the people inside opted for the former option.

The store had 5 occupants, not including them, and one of them, with black hair and a receding hairline, briskly walked forward.

"The hell is wrong with you two." The middle aged man whispered frustrated. His body more bulk than fat as it perfectly fits into his green suit with blue tie, giving him a not too wide figure.

"Please sir, take it easy. They're only kids." The other occupant, with swept to the left brown hair, eased him away despite her meek figure. She dressed in her work clothes, a blue skirt with a half blue and half white shirt.

"Take it easy fatso, the kids just wanted safety." A slim man with Sharp facial features said, before seating in a corner, hand resting on his bent knee. He appeared to be in his early twenties and dressed in a button up black shirt with its sleeves rolled up and black khaki pants, he smirked cockily at the man.

"That isn't the problem. They could have gotten themselves and us killed."

"Is that what really concerns you?"

"You know I'm getting tired of your bullshit."

"Hah, me too." He laughed, swaying his soft coolly black hair as he did so.

"Alright you two, shut up. You're bickering has now reached its end point." A slender and elegant black hair woman berates, dressed in a gray cotton shirt and knee length maroon skirt.

She was seated against the cream colored wall, under four glass shelves and had a fair skin woman laying on her lap. Unlike her, she was dressed classy, back length done up blond hair dressed in a strapless green blouse with matching earrings and a jean skirt.

"We didn't come here to cause any trouble nor did we come here to seek shelter." Mikoto abolished and Touma stepped forward.

"Then why are you two here?" The slim man asked and the other occupants, except for the two women, looked at them.

"We have a plan to escape from the mall...but it means doing something..." Touma looked at them with resolve." and we want to help anyone who is willing."

"What exactly is that 'something'?" The clerk asked timidly.

"Why are we even hearing them out, all they'll do is put many lives at risk." The middle age man shrugs.

" Trapping everyone in here momentarily with the sick." Mikoto ignored what the man said and answered bluntly.

'What' and 'What did you say' might as well be what the occupants yelled out, as their gazes shift to one of confusion.

"Children or not, I will hurt you both." The gray shirt woman spat from her position, not willing to move since it might wake up the person sleeping.

"You see what I mean." The receding hairline man points.

"You gotta give us more context kids." The wavy hair man smiled nervously.

"It's exactly as she says. In order for us to escape we are planning to trap the sick surrounding the mall in here."

"Why would you do that? There's enough in here that moving around means potential death." The meek clerk stressed the last part.

"If you can escape, do it without adding oil to the fire." The middle aged man sat against the counter.

"As much as I hate saying it, he's right. Just wait on Anti-Skill." The slim man leans back. "Your plan would only gain more attention and that's considering if it works. Even if it did, all them out there won't be able to get inside." He continued, shifting his head to them.

"The plan doesn't rely solely on getting inside. It is more about sticking their attention on something while we sneak past."

"Still too risky." He sighed.

"Are you all really ok with this? Being stuck inside, helpless to comfort the people who are most important to you. Hoping they are fine and awaiting rescue just like you, rather than doing it yourself."

"The person who I should be taking care of is right here resting on my lap. And, as you so graciously put it, she is of high importance to me. Putting her in a fool's errands will only engender her."

Silence took a hold of the room for what felt like hours but was actually 10 seconds.

"...Fine, I'll indulge you kids." The slim man declared in between a smile.

"Really?" The clerk asked

"You can't be serious." The middle aged man laughed soundlessly.

"There's someone I must look after." The man got up and spoke, not to those two, but Touma and Mikoto.

"Thank you."

"Ohh, I wouldn't be thanking me. I'll only go if you help me find said person." The man shook Touma's hand. A situation like this wasn't one that demanded a noose around the boys neck, but from everything the slim man has seen from these two he knows this boy would help him out if threatened like this.

---

Those two boys' objectives were laid out. Retrieve the four civilians on the first level and make it back to the roof to rendezvous with the others.

But instead of instantly heading straight there, Accelerator and Hamazura made their way to the fourth level with furnishes and electrical appliances.

Hamazura didn't know why that was but he just followed Accelerators lead.

Before we proceed any further we need to ramp up our odds of succeeding, That was what Accelerator said after using the microphone as a stopper for the door.

Entering past the stairwell door they were now there.

The only difference this scene presents was the less sight of crimson. But make no mistake, bodies were still found there, making this no different than any other area inside the mall.

On the other hand, despite his skin crawling from the desolation of humans, Hamazura mimed a sigh of relief.

Seems this is the one and the only instance he could be thankful for Mondays. If not for the civilian traffic around this time they would be royally screwed, with the number of sick being somewhere around 20-30 people where only 18 were spotted roaming about.

They ducked and navigated their way through the fourth floor on that level.

Going too deep in would be a risk to their lives but quick glances inside some stores showed the risk of death was higher, so they had no choice but to go further in.

Stores upon stores were passed in search of whatever Accelerator wanted, and as they did so, Hamazura felt like his very core was about to break.

That albino boy with his deep ruby eyes was surely a terrifying being but this had to do with something else.

Fear began to batter his mind in waves and cold sweat gathered around his hand as if being tangled up in a web of lies, the amount of time they almost got caught just kept on increasing and that was pressuring him.

The only sense of control he had was the ability to stop hyperventilating but even that was slowly slipping away from him the more he saw how uniquely different yet similar the bodies were mutilated.

"!"

He felt a sensation in his head.

He knew this couldn't be the sick because they would have turned him into frozen minced meat on sight, but not before howling to the others to join, so he did his best to swallow the squeal.

With his mind back to the cruel reality, knocked out of his self-destructive consciousness, he saw Accelerator had stopped.

Checking around a store corner, they peeked for any sick to which none were spotted roaming about at the entrance.

With a tap on his shoulder by Accelerator, they maneuvered their way through, hiding behind boxes, indoor plants, and stacks of furnishes, anything they could find when the need came.

The reason why they were here might not have been known to Hamazura but it was a very simple thing.

At first, what Accelerator seeks was clothing to use for hogtying the sick similar to when he apprehended Motoharu's little sister but when he gave it more thought the notion was kicked out of the window.

This eventually shifted his thoughts to safety guards where he then came up with an idea of preventing biting.

And it was for that reason why they were here. First came sneaking to a section holding duct tape then to one with magazines. From there, after retrieving the necessary equipment and a weapon for Hamazura, it was a slow and heart-wrenching book to the stairwell.

Now on their way down to the first level, Accelerator and Hamazura taped themselves up with six magazines at their, leg, arm, and shoulder regions.

There, at the opening in the ceiling that connects the second level to the first by escalator, light sounds of footsteps rippled out.

The floor was empty with the sick but signs of them still existed there.

Taking its roots from a firefighter building infrastructure, the first level was set up like the in house pole system, escalators leading to each floor below for seven more floors.

Therefore the escalator spanning from the ceiling to the first floor had two more escalators situated each other leading to the second floor below.

And for those two boys to reach their destination they took them down to the second and seventh floor. The elevator out of the equation for obvious reasons.

The seventh floor was their first pick up and the reason for that was quite straightforward.

Running into sick wasn't much of a problem as at most 8 were seen on one floor. But the positions of the stores posed a major problem. Due to the shop's orientations, they couldn't see any opening to sneak anyone out so their alternative was to just not do that.

Simply put, fight their way up to the first floor. It might be a nightmarish sight to behold but that was their only game plan.

"Now!"

And so it began.

Truly this was a horror-struck scene. Simple words like rampaging and thrashing could not describe it though. Those were too chaotic. Well no, chaos was definitely there but the coordination of movement is what blurred the line.

This must be why zombie flicks never include the sprinting infected.

"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

It first started with a thunderous animalistic roar that shook the air.

That was all it took. Those sick who once walked around the place, slowly, looking at seemingly random things shifted into a parade of breakneck speed cannibalistic humans.

From the floor here, above and they were sure even those from the second level were on their way, the sick all came to feast on fresh meat.

They all came rushing in and by then those three who wanted to escape had slipped from under the store's metal shutters and gathered by their escorts.

One was a boy with freckles and afro like brown hair dressed in a blue school blazer. The others were adults. The tallest, a bony glasses-wearing man dressed in a white t-shirt and jeans, who looked like your typical in the business for 2 years desk worker. The other fellow, brawny in built. Dressed in a blue shirt and lighter shade pants with his gray jacket tied around the waist.

With blood stained teeth, the first wave of sick to attack was the 7 on this floor and the 4 right above.

'Now or never.'

They only had a few seconds before the other floor sicks reached.

Hamazura twirled his weapon in one hand and drew it up, gripping it at the base like handling a bat.

When Accelerator told him about this plan, Hamazura knew what weapon he needed. There was no weapon back up there that he would call perfect for this specific situation. So his best choice was good, something blunt and sturdy. At the cream of the crop this fits that, a pedestal column part from a fan. A good enough weapon. True this is the city of science so things like tower fans are more accepted but those aren't practical weapons in this specific situation.

Gripping his weapon tightly, Hamazura swung nasty back swings at the closest sicks and sent them rolling along the cream tiled floor a few feet.

He twirls his weapon once more, losing his wrist in the process, and swung at another sick to his left. Then used that momentum to spin on his heel and kick a sick in his peripheral vision, body rolling away from those people behind him.

While he was busy doing that Accelerator was at the forefront, dealing with the stranglers, those who came forward and those Hamazura knocked away.

He was dealing with the brunt of this attack as he saw it necessary for their escape. In order to reach the second floor for the last person, they decided the elevators were the best choice.

If that is to happen they needed tactics which is what Accelerator used. Hamazura and the three civilians behind him, their backs facing the stores and moving to the elevator while he deals with the sick ahead.

He may not be a skilled fighter in any form of combat but against these single-minded things, Accelerator might as well be.

Their movements were too simple. Accelerator held the stick like a staff, drew the lower halfback, and then whipped it at the base of a sicks jaw. Evades the outstretched hands rushing him and hammers those it is attached too to the floor. Then dodged the tackles from behind with spins and snapped them forwards, in front of him.

And, as if on repeat, they started everything again. But this time those sick on the 5th and 4th floor have now reached.

Time was up and it was now the second wave. A mixture of both, making the count twenty-eight sick in total.

They were several meters away from the elevator.

A war cry wasn't sounded.

The instant those five were spotted the instinct to sink its teeth blasted neurons for motor functions.

The sensation of hits coursed their way throughout Hamazura and Accelerators bodies.

Hit after hit , opponent after opponent, again and again. Each time, every time, those sick were deflected, slammed, speared, knocked, tossed, kicked, and lashed.

JUST A METER TO GO!

They fought for over 30 seconds, bitten a couple of times but nothing serious thanks to the magazines. Difficult as it is all that was left is entering the elevator and waiting for it to close.

Which isn't easy now the other floors were here.

1

.

.

2

.

.

3.

DING.

"...We... m-m...ade.. it..wooo," Hamazura said in between his heavy panting.

"Haaa haaa haa"

"Haaa haaa haa"

"Haaa haaa haa"

"Haaa haaa haa"

"We're so sorry for putting everything on you boys." The man in the t-shirt apologized as none of the newcomers had fought the entire time, which was understood but he felt needles of guilt for his hopelessness and pushing it on them.

"Yeah, sorry about that, ahaha..." The brawny college boy laughed, rubbing the back of his head as he did so.

".. It's all good man," Hamazura replied flexibly.

"I was skeptical at first. But I promised myself if given a chance to escape, I would take it." The afro boy leisurely switched gaze from the shaft to his 'rescuers'. "Thanks for not making me regret that..."

"Enough. Get ready." Accelerator repositioned his weapon. "I doubt any sick would be up here after we lead them down there, but it's best to form back the formation just in case."

---

The same plan which was born from fright worked more than once.

It was thanks to that distraction idea why Touma and Misaka were here. The entire butter in one of the socks might have been used up in the process but thanks to that they finally made it to the final store and in the process recruited some more people along the way.

An addition of nine to be exact and those hiding here would round the total up to 12.

looking around, apart from the people they picked up, there were 3 occupants, 2 children, and a teacher.

"The kid isn't in any condition to move, ma'am. Staying here and waiting on Anti-Skill would be the safest decision." said one of the people Touma and Mikoto picked up. With his stubble beard, grey dress shirt, red tie, and black pants, he appeared like a washed-up journalist who got fired because he wouldn't give up on a risky story.

The woman in question dressed in a blue suit and had her purple back length hair down. She was leaning against a wall, holding a panting child who had the bones of their ankle punctured through the skin. It was somewhat memorizing how it almost looked like a fist-size eyeball staring in surprise.

"I'm not doing that."

"You guys haven't told us any detail about your plan but can they go through it?" Another one asked, her expression much to be desired as it was only monotonous. She was a clerk with short black hair, dressed in a blue vest and black skirt.

"We would need to alter it a bit but this is nothing difficult." Mikoto shook her head and glanced at Touma.

"Teach.."

"Stay here Sho, just in case..."

"Take them to the roof. I'm going to the fourth floor for a ladder." Touma turned to leave but...

"You'll need an extended ladder, the longest they got".

Mikoto halted him with her arm.

"I know that."

"Woah, Woah there kid," The slim man intervened. "she's trying to say even if it is compacted you would have a very hard time handling it."

"It's the only way."

"Yes, true, but what you want won't happen unless someone comes with you."

"Uncle." A concerned voice called out.

The woman, who appeared to be in her early twenties, ran towards him, hair glistening in the store lights like polished emerald and golden earrings dancing as they sway.

True to their word, that girl was found.

She couldn't be described by no other words than voluptuous with that slender yet elegant body and well-endowed chest being coated by her black knitted dress.

"It is going to be okay kiddo." He ruffled her hair. "I'll meet back up with you."

"That doesn't spring forth confidence you know." She pouts.

"I'm going to stay here." A security guard short in stature compared to everyone here but was the most control of all declared.

"I'm sorry for putting you in this situation... I know as a te-"

"There's no need. You want to help that kid right? Then you should get going. I'll look after him until Anti-Skill arrives."

"How about I carry him." A glasses man gestured.

He was dressed in a gray suit vest and a black undershirt with the same colour pants, hands outstretched, ready to receive the injured boy from the teacher when...

"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The air shook and the area vibrated.

A bone-chilling scream peeled in the distance. And rumbling footsteps followed thereafter.

The others who came with words could be summed up as such: "The hell?" "They found someone."

"If we're going to move, now would be a great time." Mikoto peeked through the blinds.

They exited the store.

Desolate. Is what their minds jumped to when they surveyed the area.

Wasting no time, the group stormed down several escalators until the ground floor was reached and entered into the stairwell.

Both teams traveled up, Mikoto's group to the roof, Touma's to the fourth level.

A home improvement retailer shop.

That was their location, and it was on the second floor. Shops like those are little in this city but because its motto revolves around revolutionizing, such stores were constructed.

Sneaking their way there was easy enough but getting out unseen is another thing.

So upon entry to the HIR store those two retrieved the already retracted ladder from a shelf and moseyed through the aisles to the register.

There was nothing complicated about how they were going to get to the emergency stairs.

The slim man Touma came with didn't want to cause a big commotion to have every sick on this level come after them and so too did Touma.

What he had come up with was simple. He went at the register, tampered with it and he along with Touma hid in a gap in a large shelf near the entrance.

There, he rummaged through his pockets, pulled out his phone, and one of those credit card readers, attached it to the plug-in port on the phone, and swiped his blue credit card against it.

BEEP

After a low high pitch beep was heard.

"RRRREEEEEE"

Good.

Sick started rushing in, pushing through each other to fill the open space in search of what it was.

The instant an opening presented itself, they made a beeline out the store, knocking over appliances and sick in their quake after which they locked them inside.

From there it was a quick run to the emergency stairs before the sicks further back and on the upper floors break through the glass doors to each pack of stores in service of the screech.

AND

BUT

"!"

"!"

SCRASH

Glass broke.

It happens too quickly for them to register but the series of events was pretty straightforward.

Nearing the escalator, only seven meters away, the man had turned steeply to his left after breaking and passing through the glass double doors. Touma, who was behind him carrying the back end of the ladder, must not have fully adjusted himself in that split moment of a second yet because he slipped on the half-dried pool of blood there and crashed through the glass framing, subsequently dragging the man along with him.

THUD

They hit the metal framing of the escalator before landing on the first floor.

CLATTER

There was no time to wither in pain.

The heavy sound was heard and the sicks became even more Rumbustious as the devilish choir of screeching pounded eardrums.

They got up but...

"ahhh!" The man's voice hitched.

Touma glanced at him, breath caught on sight. The twisted portrayal of candy canes and those red plastic Christmas tree bulbs the reason for his uprooted expression.

There was so much blood reflecting the array of LED lights.

Touma couldn't see it but he was sure there was a large gash running along the arm.

'Shit, that much blood.' Touma grits his teeth.

He dragged the ladder with his right hand and wrapped the man's uninjured arm over his shoulder, picked him up, receiving sealed grunts as complaints, and wobbled his way forward.

Step upon step the grunts turned to deep nostril breathing.

Just a little bit more.

But

"RRRRRRRREEEEEEEE!" The sicks whaled.

They were already on the walkway and the two boys were only four feet away from the stairwell door.

"Leave me." The man whispered out in a drowsy voice, receiving a scornful look from the boy. But still, Touma did as he was told. He puts the man down, grabbed the ladder, and sped to the emergency door.

'Thank you, kid.' The man closed his eyes. He was fine with this. Content actually. One person was better off dying than several. The person he swore to protect was safe and had a chance to survive. That was all that mattered to him. How long would it take Anti-Skill to get here and what would happen in the moment of waiting. It was because of thoughts like these why he wanted her out of the mall.

That poor girl really had suffered enough. And her business offer from Academy City was supposed to be her second chance at normalcy.

Even without being raised by her mother at the tender age of five she always carried that bright personality, but those business people broke that. It was all their fault. Thanks to them she was no longer that bright and cheerful squirt. Thanks to them she became meek. Afraid and skeptical of forming new bonds.

They were the ones who ruined her life. They were the reason why her father risked his future with his daughter. Whether their actions were a product of envy or lust didn't matter, his brother did what he thought needed to be done. He bore everything on himself so she wouldn't and all he asked was for his brother to look after his daughter.

And he did that. So at this moment, he felt at peace, a smile on his face as he prepared himself for what's to come.

"Don't give me that crap." Touma wrapped the man's arm around his shoulder. "I'm not leaving you, so wipe that damn smile from your face!" He barked as he stood tall, the man hanging limply in his grasp giving a sigh and sluggishly rolling his eyes.

'I got outshine trying to be a hero, wow.' He should have seen this coming. Of course, someone like that spiky hair boy would do this cliché shit, and for that reason, he didn't voice any complaints, only setting his sight forward to see what Touma did in the short period of absence, which by the looks of it was to open the emergency door and used the ladder to keep it that way.

By then sick was on the first floor, barreling forwards and drooling among themselves to take a handful from the two.

Touma didn't have much time. He planted his feet, shifted his body, and grabbed the man's back collar. Knowing that they only had a couple of seconds for the sick to pounce them, Touma threw the man across the floor with all his strength, crashing into the stairwell railing like a rag doll.

Upon seeing the man safely inside, Touma then kicked off the floor at top speed, thrashing into the railing mere seconds after.

He was a little ways from the man but still in leaning distance to move the ladder and close back the door.

However...

"RAAAA!"

He was denied the mobility to do so. In fact, the reason why he crashed upon entry was because this Lanky male sick. Thankfully, he had enough skill to turn it into a controlled crash where his back took the bash of the railing and arms strategically placed in front, tolerant enough to stop the sick squirming advances.

He was stuck struggling. The man, laying oddly, only giving barely audible raspy breaths and struggling to stay awake. Everything was pending on the door being closed, but both of them had trouble moving and with the sicks at his heel, Touma really needed to close the door fast or else they would be on them at any moment.

'Damn it!' Touma voiced his anxiety inwardly, however it was suddenly cut short by loud clattering sounds followed by the door closing and multiple thuds.

When he glanced down, ignoring the thrashing sick in his grasp, Touma noticed the ladder keeping the door open was gone and the man moved from his original position. Most likely caused by the man slipping the ladder through a gap in the railing.

And yet the room was not still. Not until the other problem, drooling ahead of him, was dealt with.

Touma wasn't in a favorable position to stand up or push the sick off him.

So he shifted his body to the left, attempting to spiral down the stairs and give himself distance when they would break. From there he would shove and lock it on one of the levels and retrieve the ladder wherever it stopped.

But before he could...

"Lower your head to the right!"

A familiar voice commanded.

Touma was taken aback at first but thought it best not to linger. He wasted no time twisting and as he did, he felt his and the sicks grip forcefully pried from each other, its body rolling down to the landing between floors.

When Touma Looked back, that's when he caught the sight of Mikoto and two others, one familiar and the other not. Apart from Mikoto who rested her posture, those two ran past him but not before one took his butter socks.

"He needs medical treatment," Touma said quickly, crawling to his feet and taking off his blazer to wrap around the man's arm.

"There should be a medical kit on the sixth level," Mikoto told him.

"You have to get the ladder, it fell through the railing."

"Good to see you, OK kid." The journalist said after he hogtied the sick. "I'll go fetch the ladder." He smiled and set out.

"Thanks."

"It's the least I can do."

"Guess I'll take him to the sixth floor." The college boy walked to them and lifted said man.

"No problem." He said to Touma who then gestured and stood up.

"Then I'll be in the com's room, time to move to the second phase of your plan." Mikoto smiled. Touma shook his head in agreement before leaving at the same time as the other two.

It was now time for phase two of his plan, a diversion. And the only way Touma could think of causing a big one was by going to the second level.

There was no way to reach the entertainment sector on the second level without using the elevator or escalators. So when Touma entered the empty ground floor, he took the former to the first floor of the entertainment half on the second level.

The massive diversion they were planning on won't be successful on Touma's action alone. A large part of it relied on Mikoto. She was to act as an amplifier to spread Touma's voice if you will. While Touma would set off and turn on any and every technological contraption on the seven floors, Mikoto would disperse the noise throughout the entire mall by way of the intercom's and let those sick outside in.

Ergo when he reached no time was wasted. He first started with the games, starting them up and turning the volumes higher. From there he sets off all the security alarms of each store then moves to the movie areas and plays on any genre. Resistance was met obviously but Touma trudged through them to complete his objective.

'The others should be finished crossing into the other building by now.' Touma thought as he burst through the emergency door and arrived outside. Only when he saw how close the sun was at reaching the horizon did he realize how much time had passed.

Touma turned his sights to the left to leave but when he did he noticed how much things changed. From the addition of four new people to the replacement of the beds for the ladder which admittedly was a better idea as it acted as a bridge to both buildings of different heights. The building to the left a couple of stories higher than this one. The minor changes just being escaped into the building with a bed and extending the ladder from the roof to the broken window.

But that was not the only reason why he stopped in his tracks. No, it had to do with the three people still present on the roof with him. He thought by the time he got here Mikoto and the college boy would have been in the other building. Instead, here they were, waiting for two other people to cross.

Seeing no reason to argue with them, Touma slipped near.

"Things shifted for the better." He remarked about the changes to the original plan.

"Yup, although they still exist the fear of falling to those sick clambering the mall."

"Well it's just us four who have to cross, hopefully, we don't fall."

"Indeed."

"...How is he?" Touma asked softly, looking at the man being piggyback by a college student. His arms bounded around the boy's neck with a jacket.

"Passed out but should be fine," Mikoto stated, a glint in her eye to reassure him. It didn't take long after she said that for the two people to finish crossing. The four latecomers followed immediately behind them one at a time.

At the height they were at the wind posed a threat for them to falter over them, miss stepping but swallowing the knot in their stomach they tottered along the metal ladder, not daring to look down and meet the crowd of sicks.

Mikoto arrived first in accordance to their line up, then came Touma followed by-

Something went wrong with the Aluminum ladder.

They should have inspected it before use. Especially after what had happened on the emergency stairs. Being unable to make only one person at a time to cross the ladder is one thing but this was a big safety protocol to not follow.

The ladder bent at one of its points, causing the college boy to misstep and lose his balance. The resulting shift in weight at one side of the ladder caused it to suddenly flip on its side and for the college boy to lose footing, prompting the hands of gravity to take hold.

The college boy grabbed the rung of the ladder hurriedly however but in doing so caused the ladder to lay flat on its stomach which then made the man piggybacking strangle him as they hung loosely.

Quickly, the brawny boy alleviated that by reaching a hand behind to support his passengers' weight. Which then meant he was holding on for dear life with just one hand.

He groaned out through gritted teeth as he felt his hand burning. Brawny or not, supporting two body weights was difficult. And his grip strength would loosen within a couple of seconds.

No one shouted anything. If they did then this entire plan would crumble. They only had one safe choice to save them both and that is to flip back over the ladder. A plan easier said than done. The problem being the discomfort to the brawny boy's hand where he would slip in the middle of turning.

Knowing that the brawny boy decided on something while they were in the process of flipping the ladder.

He removed the supporting hand. Reached for the knot. And. Tugged it.

A weight lifted as the ladder completed its revolve. Within a matter of seconds, he made it across, life draining expressions greeting him as he stepped further in.

"You bastard!"

Touma sprang from his position, nostrils flared and mouth twitched. Tightening his fingers, he pulled back his arm, fist shone white as he threw it forward with such force that he knocked the boy off his feet.

Touma's brows wrinkled in frustration. Unfiltered rage seared through him and it took every rational thought left to not attack the sprawled-out guy again. He gets it, the boy did what he had to do to survive. But still, if he had just powered through the noose, then everyone would have made it back safe.

That was all he had to do, power through, and yet...

The college boy groaned before leaning up, clutching the spot on his face where the hit connected.

"Hahh, ahh, hahh." He grimaced on contact. "Damn it." The punch had caught him off guard and he cursed himself for that, glaring daggers at the perpetrator as he got up.

"He could have lived." The white t-shirt man broke the silence.

"Spare me the theatricals. No one knows my body better than I. If I didn't do that we both would have died."

"Uncle." A quivering voice mumbled. From the corner of the room, the green hair girl staggered forward, tears streaming down her cheeks as she unhesitantly stepped out the window.

The room fell into silence once more and the moment everyone stopped Stiffening in shock, panic ranged out and everything went downhill from there. The instant the door opened three sick borrowed through. Fortunately for them though, their scrawling got them by and they managed to flee the room with no one bitten.

Unfortunately, however-quaked screams pleaded out not long after, and without hesitation, Touma leaped for the door to help but...

"I can't let you do that." Mikoto declared, stretching out her hand to block his path. Determined to stop him as she leaves the fighting of the flooding in sicks to Accelerator and Hamazura.

"What do you expect me to do, leave them."

"Yes. I know it'll be hard for you but it needs to be done."

"I'm not doing that, now move!"

"You need to get your priorities straight, idiot! Who is the most important person to you? Who is it you came traveling with us for, huh?" She asked thickly then pointed to a corner of the room. Following her hand, Touma caught sight of the familiar thigh length, silver hair nun dressed in white.

Touma shuddered as slowly he regained control of his breath.

His stomach began to knot. Those large forest green eyes are not how they once were and that worried him. Touma closed his eyes and opened them to scan the room, moving to take in the dire situation.

"That nun." Mikoto paused to let his gaze set back on her. "She swore fealty to god, so how difficult do you think this situation is for her? Your priority should be protecting her right now, not anyone else. If you want to go and save people, go ahead but first make sure she is safe not by anybody's hand but your own."

I mean, that is what you've been doing up until now. Mikoto said to herself softly, and it stung to think that.

What she's told Touma was cruel. She knows that, but no matter how terribly this made her seem she doesn't regret it because her sister needed her, and the longer they stay here helping people the more likely danger Nio will be in. So, that is what was done in the mall back at the first rescue and at the security room. Albeit the former was done subconsciously rather than consciously.

It might have made her sick to her stomach how easily her mind had shifted to such a thought process but she didn't care. Her little sister took precedence and that was all that mattered.

Touma had taken a moment before responding, biting his lips to suppress whatever it was that made him falter, but a quick look at Index firmed his decision.

There were some difficulties here and there, where they were locked in serious conformations and fought against many sicks as they tried to bite them and take flesh into their mouths, but with no casualties, the gang of five escaped the building safely and now trekked to their next location in district 13.

---

Despite the other districts being capable of handling kindergartens on their own, of all the districts in Academy City, School District 13 had the most kindergartens and elementary schools. And it was in one of those elementary schools that the group was heading for.

"I'm so going to drop kick that useless piece of trash when he gets here." A blue-eyed blond glowered. Her neck-length fluffy blonde hair with bangs that reached collar bone, white sparkling smooth skin, and slender arms and legs gave her the appearance of an idol.

"C'mon now Fremea, he said he's coming." Mikoto's little sister, Nio, laughed lightly. Her only phenotypic difference between both Mikoto and Mio being that one unusual strand of hair.

Just like the blonde sitting ahead of her, she was dressed in the same school attire, a blue blazer with a sailor-like collar and white neck ribbon tie. The skirt is a tartan pleated pattern of blue and white.

"Yeah like hours ago."

"You can't be so callous that the thought he got caught up hasn't crossed your mind." Another girl dressed in the same attire spoke up, teasing her frustrated friend to calm her down. Her eyes a bright shade of sapphire and unkempt lavender hair with a white beetle hair clip sprawled loosely on the floor.

The three were in the school's library, hidden between two bookshelves in the far back, and sat on the floor with their backs against the shelves. Nio and Fraulein on one side and Fremea on the other.

"I thought I told you I hate it when you use caustic humor, Fraulein."

"Caustic humor would be me telling you I'm hungry, which I am by the way."

"I would tell you how wrong you are with that but obviously you don't care and just said that to annoy me." Fremea sighed.

"No really, I am hungry."

"Are you serious right now, you do know we can die at any moment, right?"

"What? I stress eat." Fraulein shrugged before resting into Nio's shoulder.

"No, you eat whenever. Don't try to come up with excuses for that."

"I should have a lollipop somewhere," Nio said as she rummaged through her skirt pocket and gave the sweet to an all too zealous Fraulein.

"You need to stop enabling her."

"I don't."

"Yes, you're doing it right now." Fremea gestured, pointing to Fraulein's stuffed mouth.

"Don't pay her any attention last Order, she's just jealous." Fraulein shifted and said sweetly.

"Really now." Nio eyed Fremea with amusement.

"I hate both of you."

"Why are you smiling then?"

"Shut up." Fremae scoffed which made Fraulein and Nio giggle.

It had taken a while but the gang of five were now at the elementary school.

The landscape which was a dirt yard was enclosed around chimney brick walls, with a long playground on one side of the building and a big tree that provided shade at the other.

The school in question was an H shaped construct that had a large clock on the outside.

Situated on the pavement near the tree, Mikoto and the others were planning their method of infiltration.

But.

"Not on your own I'm coming with you." Touma denies Mikoto's suggestion with his own. When they had arrived at the school, a quick look through the bars of the school gate showed them that a handful of sick roaming was about.

Therefore making that entry point unavailable. And since the tree in the schoolyard was close to an open window, Mikoto had suggested climbing it.

Alone that is.

Her sister her responsibility was the reasoning. She couldn't let others get hurt for her selfishness. Not even if it's just deserted. So..,

"Listen." Mikoto leaned off the wall. "I already know where she is and the layout of the building. Besides the dimensions of the window makes it difficult for certain physiques." She came up with an excuse.

"Yea true but not mine. It'll be unconformable but I can still get inside." Touma didn't let up, and Mikoto sighed.

"You are a piece of work, you know that right?" She shook her head. "Listen-"

"This is something I need to do." Touma cut her off.

Mikoto's eyes soften before shifting to the pavement. She guesses she owes him that much. Forcing him to choose between abandoning people in need and all.

"...Alright." She sighed facing him.

"Hold on." Hamazura inhaled deeply after gaining everyone's attention.

"I have someone in there too. I rather not ask some else to do it for me but by the looks of it I can't do otherwise."

"So please," He gulped and stepped closer." rescue them for me."

"Of course," said Mikoto simply, understanding fully now why Hamazura followed them all the way here.

"No worries" Touma smiled and fist bumped Hamazura, who smiled as well as nods, confident he could trust them so told them what he knew.

Now with their location and description given it was time to enter the building but before that Touma lingered at his spot. Careful to not make it noticeable for all but one.

It wasn't so much hesitance why he didn't glance back. He knew regardless, whether he did or did not determine would still flow through him but even so, he couldn't... or maybe more so he didn't want to.

Touma took three deep breaths before following behind Mikoto.

Getting through the narrowed rectangular open window, Touma and Mikoto entered into a green and white tiled bathroom. The stalls plain looking and the entire space smelled strong of detergents.

The trip to the library was two floors below this one and obviously to get there the stairs would be needed. Thus meaning running into the sick was unavoidable. Hopeful not many would be blocking their path there.

Mikoto wrapped her hand around the doorknob, gradually turning it open and steadily stepping out after guaranteeing the coast was clear.

This was truly sickening.

Mikoto wasted no time, she prowled down the corridor, Touma following right behind her in hot pursuit. The thing disturbing her becoming more and more prominent as she moves ahead. The scene was like any other. The only difference being the bodies laying the corridor were more children than adults.

And that is what made Mikoto worried.

It was a quiet movement from this floor to the one below. As such footsteps resonating there was heard and when they had descended the stairs, checking around the corner at the step, Touma saw a mob of sick rallying a set of double doors at the far end of the corridor.

He gave a quick glance at Mikoto and that told him all he needed to know.

That was the objective location and there was no other passage.

Maybe if a diversion was created one of them could lead the sick's to the floor below while the other goes to the one above. With the area, clear extraction should be a cakewalk.

Touma got up from his crouching position and-he felt a hand grounding him in place.

Mikoto stopped him before he could act on that same thought process. She gave him a disapproving stare and gestured him no. Her expression a mix of annoyance, fear, and anger as she loosens her grip.

Touma had zero intention of dying but he understood where Mikoto was coming from. There are no guarantees in this new world so a promise would amount to little. Even so, he hopes she would agree with him there was no other way to solve this issue than having someone act as bait.

But she did not, and they were practically arguing with facial expressions at this point when they finally noticed a sick was upon them.

'SHIT!' they both cursed.

Touma held the superior position on the step since he wasn't cozied up to the wall so he was the first to act but due to him forgetting where he was, he was slow on attacking.

Mikoto jutted her paddle upwards and with the quivering of her weapon being met, the sick flipped to the floor as if it got closed lined.

But.

The one she just took done must have had a walking buddy because right afterward another sick popped into view.

Actually, it was more like tackling into view, Touma's really, and just like that, he flew to the platform between steps. But not before overturning the move and letting the sick take the brunt of the fall.

He rolled off it and got up, by then Mikoto was already beside him and the sick hunched itself up.

It didn't take much longer after that for the rest to come.

Mikoto gripped Touma's hand and yanked him to dodge a charging sick from above. The escape route was blocked on both sides by sick so Mikoto did what she thought best in this situation and led them to the floor right below.

Down the steps and through the corridor, they kept on running, not willing to check on the progress of their pursuers.

And as they continued on doing so, they saw a classroom door open several more classes ahead.

But.

In their attempt to reach it the alerted sick's on this floor tried to cease them. It was no easy task but with the sick's numbers so spaced out, getting past them did not prove such painstakingly difficult as one expected.

They were close to reaching the door but, Touma pranced straight towards an upcoming sick and dug his foot into its stomach, straining sounds leaving its body as it soared in the opposite direction and collided with four of its bodies.

Mikoto reached for the doorknob and rapidly pulled the door shut when Touma was safely inside.

Time wasn't spent standing up to catch their breath as Touma and Mikoto pressed their backs to the door and slumped to the floor in a dull motion.

"Damn it."

Touma slammed his fist against the door, panting heavily and causing the pounding of hands outside to become more exuberant.

"That wasn't like you." The soft words left Mikoto's lips.

"What?"

"The way you acted and how sloppy you were. Yeah, you do act on emotions whenever you stand up for another but even so, you were always level-headed."

"It's not as if I can forget everything that happened, Misaka."

"I'm not asking you too and you shouldn't. You shouldn't ever forget their faces cause I know I won't. That wouldn't be like you at all. You grow from each setback, this is no different, store it and use it to help with any future decisions you'll make."

Mikoto paused a while before continuing.

"You regret it. I get that but look, you can't help anyone if you're dead," She turned from him. "and I think the only way you can accomplish that is if you act like yourself."

Touma sat there quietly. She was right. That wasn't like him at all but how does she expect him to act like normal after what happened. This situation was completely different from his normal stuff because at least back then he didn't have to care about the others as long as the person he wanted to save was fine and well.

But again she was right so he is willing to give it a chance just so he won't have to allow this to happen a second time.

"...I'm sorry, and... thank you."

"No problem." Mikoto smiled and began to think of what to do next. Once she figured it out, she drew her phone with a grunt and released a heavy breath, tampered with it.

Not long after, outside the walls of the school building, Accelerator received a message in the group chat from Mikoto.

Well, it seems your services are needed. The library is two floors below the entry window. I already told my sister someone is coming.

was what it read and his phone vibrated again. With two notifications. One of which was a notification about joining a new group. The other a detailed plan to help Touma and Mikoto escape.

Putting the phone away, Accelerator walked past Hamazura and Index and began climbing the tree.

Entering through the window and exiting the bathroom, Accelerator walked through the bloodied corridors which he took note of were filled with multiple child corpses. Bloodied with dozens of tear marks that went from being in their neck to their backs and legs.

Accelerator checked the area ahead of the stairs for any sicks and once he was sure there were none, he crept to the library's double doors.

He scans the area once more to guarantee it was completely safe and then pulls out his phone to send a long text. He received a text back and seconds later Nio and her two friends pushed open the doubles delicately.

Nio passed through the doors first and instantly she froze, her eyes flaring open instinctively as she stepped back inside with her breath caught. Confused as to why their friend halted, Fraulein and Fremea peered through the gap then glanced at her before going right back to Accelerator.

But.

Accelerator didn't say anything to the questioning gazes but gestured for the girls to go ahead of him. He figured since the threat to them is below then he shouldn't be taking the lead. So, with Fraulein taking point and Nio lagging behind, they ascended the stairs.

As they knew where to go Accelerator followed them, walking along the corridor when he heard footsteps coming towards them. Instantly, he jumped forwards, turning himself around to guard with his weapon.

A sick matted in blood flashed in front of him, grabbed the weapon then pinned him to the wall with it as another rushed pass.

As much as he wanted to there wasn't anything he could do about the second one as long as it held him in place. Thankfully however he couldn't hear any sounds of screaming so he knew that meant the others were ok even if for just a moment.

His mind now focused on the sick in front of him, Accelerator fought against the first as it tried to bite into him, drool dripping from its crimson painted teeth and mouth that was permeated with the stench of death.

But, the stick blocking its path to his flesh began creaking as it pressed against the chest.

Those predatory pitch-black eyes piercing at him lacked what it meant to be human as they flashed beastly in his face. There was nothing in them, no pain, no guilt, and no humanity. All that was left. All that was there and all they did show was the impulsive need for flesh.

The Straining sounds kept on continuing, and to prevent the 40-year-old sick from quickly and ravishingly trying to bite his face off, Accelerator poured all his strength into violently twisting his body, slamming the sick into the wall in the process and loosening its grasp on his weapon.

For when it did, he tackled it into the wall, and using the whiplash force from the move, speared it in the eye. It vividly jolted in response but before it could sound a great howl instinctively, Accelerator Instantly forced his forearm into its widened mouth.

The sick kept on fighting as slowly Accelerator inched the stick further and further into the cranial cavity. Twisting it as if performing acupuncture. The sight and feeling of the sick no longer struggling signaling the end of its life.

He gave a glance to his right and saw the girls were running around the sick to confuse it. When they spotted him now free, they rounded up to lead it his way.

Accelerator took a quick breath, and using his right hand broke the stick in two.

The sick he killed collapsed to the floor and he shot forth. The girls disperse on either side and Accelerator pushes back the sick with a tackle where he padlocked its legs.

After breaking contact while in mid-fall, using the force of gravity to his advantage, Accelerator swung the stick in one fluid stroke. It entered through the eye and when he saw that wasn't enough, repeatedly hammered the tip end with his padded forearm. The sound of its whaling spreading throughout the building.

Which then meant the plan Mikoto sent him to help her and Touma was now out the window as the throbbing screams would attract the sick's below.

Accelerator aligned his upper body straight, panting heavily as he sluggishly rose to his feet and let slip the bloodied murder weapon before gazing at the ceiling.

He flashed a glimpse behind, his expression now disconnected after seeing everyone's appearances.

There wasn't much time to spend pondering here but Accelerator couldn't help it.

'The world of the weak, huh.' He observed his bloodied hand.

The world of the weak. He thought it was a joke at first but only now does he fully understand the severity of the boy's warning. The difference held when screwing up and most of all just how much everything weighed. It is only when Accelerator factored in all of those that he closely saw how terrifying the world of the weak truly was.

A hand felt in his cut his thoughts short and turning around to look, he saw it was Nio's.

"Umm.." She adjusted her grip and stared at the floor before continuing. "I'm sorry. I was just nervous because I didn't know what to say after all this time of not seeing you." She said wobbly. Referring to her hesitant behavior towards him thus far.

"Forget about it brat."

Nio smiled as he said so while her friends just sniggered watching. Enough time was spent loitering here so before the space could become infested with sick, Accelerator led everyone inside the bathroom and locked it shut.

He cleaned himself up first and then pulled out his phone for a short text telling both Mikoto and Touma that the upper floor is unusable. Then he left the building through the window with everyone else to the outside walls.

Mikoto's and Touma's phone vibrated with the message. After hearing the sounds of murmuring had died down, they waited an extra 15 seconds more before exiting the classroom and descending the stairs until the first floor because that was their only play.

The sick's outside was already gathering up against the door but since that was their only escape point, Mikoto and Touma busted through the crowd, swinging as much as punching and kicking to create a path over the wall.

"What happened?" Touma asked Hamazura who seemed like he was dropped kick once he and Mikoto were now over the wall.

"Nothing," Hamazura replied tiredly.

"Big sister," Nio exclaimed, running into Mikoto for a hug.

"Hey, you alright?" Mikoto searched over her sister methodically before pulling her into a second hug.

"I'm ok, I'm ok."

"I'm so glad." Mikoto exhaled and let go. "Listen, we're going to have to go to district 23 to meet up with Mio, you think you can do it?"

"Mmm-mm."

"Ok then, let's go."

Night had fully crept in and the moon shone brightly through the dark sky, illuminating the carnage that wasn't overshadowed by other constructs.

The group was in an alleyway in district 7 when they peeked around a corner to make sure the path was safe. Trying to find a place where they all could rest until morning when the bunker doors would open to send out scouts and take in new arrivals.

They were walking along the street, hiding behind anything that's plausible when Mikoto pulled out her phone to check on Kuroko.

"Somethings wrong." She halted and everyone followed. "Kuroko's not picking up my calls."

"Could there be a reception problem at the bunker?" Touma asked her.

"There was one last time we had drills. I don't see why there wouldn't be one now. Especially in a touchy situation like this. Something not right."

"Call sister-chan."

"...Same thing." Mikoto ended the call. "She isn't answering either."

"Hold on." She gestured with her finger and began tracking both Kuroko's and her sister's number. "They are at the base yet no one is answering their calls."

"Hey call one of your friends," Mikoto told Touma.

"Same here," Touma said after several seconds of trying multiple people. "We have to go and check out what's wrong." Touma sped up his pace.

"You guy's go on." Accelerator told them. "There's something I gotta do."

"What."/"Huh" Was everyone's reply.

"Why would you want to split up?" Touma, Fremae, and Index asked Him.

"Yeah, that's dangerous," Nio said worriedly.

"And stupid don't forget stupid," Fraulein commented.

"There's something I have to take care of. I'll come find you guy's after."

"Is it really that important?" Hamazura asked.

"Yes."

"You can't be serious. It's not smart to split up."

"He's right, we're safer together than apart." Said Hamazura as he gestured with his arm.

"I suggest we let him," Mikoto told everyone.

"Misaka."/ huh/"What."

"He already thought this through. Whatever it is it's not a good idea for anyone but him to go. We all have people to look after."

"I'm not letting him do this." Touma stepped towards him.

"Hahh, man you're such a pain." Accelerator scratched his head. "I've learned what you've meant back at the roof and I intend to take your words to heart. So relax I'm going in with a better mindset."

"Touma if it was you wouldn't want the same. I have faith he will come back just trust him like you would want others to trust you." Index spoke up.

"You will come back safely, right?" She asked him and he nodded.

"I do expect you to come back." Touma raised his hand for a fist bump.

"Yea, yea, I will." Accelerator waved off leaving.

New chapter of

Surviving: Bunker 29

Normal school life: To new friendships

Beginning of the End: Hanging out