A Fool's Tour Of The City
Divergence_In_Fate
Academy City. The hub for humanity's scientific progress in the world. A city comparable to that of any of the grand centers of ancient legend like Babylon or the Library of Alexandria. Skycrapers were as plentiful as trees in a forest, cars and buses rode by without drivers, robots whirred every which way and that, and the students of the various schools trained the supernatural powers granted to them by the city's curriculum.
Within the Windowless Building, the mastermind of this place, Aleister Crowley, reflects on what Najimi Anjimu had said the other week. She had offered to help with removing Kumagawa Misogi, which was something he definitely needed to do if he was anything like her. The question was whether or not to side with her or him in getting the other out of his way.
Ajimu so far had been content to do whatever it is she does on a level of existence higher than even Aiwass. Since he's known her, all she had done is mock his efforts as some form of entertain herself. But now that Kumagawa is here, she's actively involving herself in the world. If he were to ignore her offer, well it'd be pointless to even imagine what she might do but the level of destruction would be at the least catastrophic. At the most, fatal. And that is all without considerations to how she's going to go about her suicide.
Then there's Kumagawa. Aleister doesn't know him as well as he does Ajimu, which is disturbingly little, but from what he saw, he's too much of a wild card to deal with. Well, that's hardly any different from her and her odd fixation on describing life as though it were some novelisation. However, the only reason to side with him is his motivation to have Ajimu give up her own. If he were to succeed, it might be like taking two birds with one stone but what about what they'll do afterwards? Would they really leave peaceably? Either way, despite the disadvantages he's the best bet of removing Ajimu.
To summarize, it'd be either help Ajimu take out Kumagawa and let her go back to her Pandora's Box until she decides to kick the lid out from the inside or help Kumagawa and risk him breaking the box with a hammer when his back's turned and lose everything anyway. Honestly, it was a hard decision.
But the time for him to decide was up. She had returned with a different uniform on this time.
"Tokiwodai's? Did you go there?"
"No, no need to worry Edd. I still respect your wishes as far as my involvement with the people of this city. Just thought it might look good on me! What do you think?"
She twirls and poses seductively. It may be a bit forced but her charm was as such that anyone would be immediately smitten by her. Though, Aleister Crowley wasn't just anyone.
"Do you still have business with me? If not, please go back to whatever form of Purgatory you've been waiting in."
She pouts with her cheeks puffed out.
"Geeeeze, Edd! Well, I suppose I can't complain if you've actually decided on something. You have right? Whether to side with Kumagawa or myself."
He tenses up, "...Why would I-"
"Stop. You may be quite the skilled manipulator but that silver tongue can't work on someone like me with a platinum tongue."
She smiles but no joy or happiness could be found in it. It was like staring into a black hole.
"Can't say it'd be a bad idea to go with him since you want me gone too but I would personally advise against it. He doesn't even have a clue on how to stop me. All the conviction and determination in the world can't stop me. I, on the other hand, have the perfect method for killing him."
Aleister raises an eyebrow, an effect that is lost on anyone receiving the look since he's upside down.
"I thought that All Fiction of his can make the event of him dying nonexistent? How is it that you propose to kill someone that can't die? Bury him in concrete?"
"Hmm, no. He could just make it so concrete never existed in that situation. If you want to kill him permanently, you'll need to take those powers from him. Though being a Minus means that even without powers, he's still extremely dangerous."
"Then what is it you suggest? As it is, you can barely be in this level of reality for more than a few minutes at a time without damaging it. I don't personally have a method for taking his powers from him. Imagine Breaker isn't something to be used for something like that."
"True. I wouldn't suggest that match up even if it could. They would surely butt heads at first but they're too similar to not become allies. He may be the main character of this shitty story but now that an even shittier pseudo-author has decided to make this a crossover, it would be far too uninteresting if he just had one of them kill the other without some kind of interaction between those characters."
Aleister has long since gotten used to her way of speaking to let it rile him so he ignores that last bit.
"Then who do you suggest can do it? I've already sent messages to the Level 5 espers to kill him but if you have another method, I'd like to hear it."
"Oh? How are you planning on actually getting them to do it?"
"Accelerator is particularly easy in terms of that. Granted, his 'leash' from before is useless, I can still threaten him with the lives of the clones or by disconnecting him from the Misaka network."
"The ghost in there will allow that?"
"Whether it does or not is irrelevant. Kakine is being preserved but actually utilizing his essence is something I won't let happen again. Besides, he seems to be getting close to regaining sentience again. Which is something I'll have to handle but that's not your business. Everyone else isn't really up for consideration either. Except Gunha I suppose but that's something I'd like to avoid. Nobody knows about his power, least of himself, and I have no idea of what would happen if he were to come into contact with Kumagawa. But that's all irrelevant. What other method is there?"
"So easily discounting your precious students like that, what a bad principal you are."
"Just get to the point."
"Shokuhou Misaki has the ability to kill Kumagawa permanently."
Aleister scoffs, "So? How exactly is she supposed to do that? Her power isn't really on par with someone like him."
"I suppose I could reveal the answer but where's the fun in that? Just trust me on this. Send Misaki to kill Kumagawa and neither of us will be disappointed."
She disappears just as suddenly as she came. Aleister floats in his tube without speaking a word or lifting a finger. He simply closes his eyes and waits. The report from the upcoming battle between Kumagawa and Accelerator should give him some insight.
The van swerves hard around the corner, knocking down an Anti-Skill robot. An unnatural disaster follows with carnage in it's wake, wind kicks several cars away like they were made of paper and the earth shatters around it. Several missiles fire from the back of the van at the calamity and rebound from it at odd angles. One of which, hits just to the side of the van and blows it onto it's two side wheels for a moment before it's driver corrects it.
"End-of-the-Century-Emperor-senpai, please keep the van steady. I can't keep him away if you keep driving so awkwardly."
[Hey! Hey! End-of-the-Century-Emperor-senpai! Do you have any good tunes in here? Car chases deserve some kind of upbeat music!]
End-of-the-Century-Emperor-senpai, Hamazura Shiage, clutches the wheel in a death-grip.
"Will you stop with that?! I get it! I get it already! I was embarrassed enough that I actually called myself that, goddamnit! You don't have to keep calling me that! Also, it's kinda hard to keep steady when you have the pissed off personification of an entire world's nuclear arsenal trying to kill you! Side note, Kumagawa, THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS THAN STUPID ASS MUSIC!"
Just an hour before...
It's only been about five hours since Kumagawa Misogi and Kihara Enshuu have been in Academy City. The majority of that time was spent running from the authorities, since Kumagawa had used his panty steal special just when they were going to let them through, and the rest was spent looking for new clothes and a place to eat lunch. Muddied, blood-soaked clothes don't make for the most inconspicuous wear for two weirdos on the lam.
Enshuu, now dressed in a white lab coat, black shorts that ended at the base of the thighs, and black pantyhose, walks to their table with a Sprite in hand and sits next to Kumagawa, dressed in a black v-neck and a loosely worn coat with fur on the openings.
[That isn't right. You're supposed to be drinking Dr. Pepper.]
"They didn't have any. Why should I be drinking that anyway?"
They were currently getting lunch at a family restaurant. Kumagawa takes a giant bite out of his cheeseburger.
[It's the principal of the matter! If you're going to cosplay like that, you might as well follow those little character traits.]
"Wasn't aware that drinking a certain brand of soda is a character trait but you were the one who picked out these clothes for me to begin with. Why did you pick these anyway?"
[Because you're a scientist right? You should blend right in this city!]
"...And your own clothes?"
[Well it isn't that flashy is it? We could say that I'm your eccentric research assistant.]
"So, you just wanted to cosplay then."
Kumagawa dramatically spits out the soda he was drinking and starts coughing up a storm.
[Wh-wh-what makes you think that?! There's no way I wanted to dress you up as a tsundere scientist and rub my face against your leggings while you get flustered and scream baka hentai at the top of your lungs! That's just sick! You need to get your mind out of the gutter Enshuu-chan!]
The whole restaurant goes silent at his outburst. Enshuu clears her throat.
"Well. That is about what I'd expect from you Kumagawa-oniichan but please restrain yourself while we're in public. It goes against what we're trying to do if you keep calling so much attention to us."
Kumagawa plants his chin on the table as he pouts.
[You're no fun. Where is that emotional Enshuu-chan that I loved messing with? Where did she go?]
"That was mostly since I had supplanted most of my feelings and thoughts with the Kihara's that I emulated. If I were to try to talk to you as I was back then, it wouldn't be very surprising if I couldn't do anything with them. This is more or less how I am without them."
Kumagawa just pouts some more even as someone else sits across from the two of them.
"...Are you fucking with me? That chairman really has a poor sense of humor if he's going to have me kill some random idiots like this."
Enshuu's eyes go wide as she realizes who it was that casually said that he was going to kill them.
"Accelerator!"
[Hm? Oh, this is that Accelerator you were talking about before? How's it hanging Accel-kun!]
Accelerator looks down on Kumagawa's still table-bound face and raises an eyebrow.
"...You really must be an idiot if you're not shitting your pants by now like the Kihara runt over there."
[I'm happy to be an idiot. It's all I can be after all!]
"Tch. Whatever. I'm not really in the mood to play with you anyway. Just tell me why the chairman wants you dead."
"...You really aren't going to do anything to us?"
"I wouldn't really get anything out of slaughtering some midget and an idiot. Even if the midget is a Kihara."
[Ehhhhh? That's no fun Accel-kun! I really wanted to fight the strongest guy in this city but if you aren't feeling up to it then there's no point.]
"Sorry to deny your retarded delusions. But I'm not really interested in going with the wishes of the assholes that run the darkness of this city."
[Darkness? Oh that chuuni crap that Enshuu-chan talked about! But, hmmm. HMMMMM. How do I get you to fight me seriously? OH. I got it! I got it! Wait here Accel-kun! I've got just the thing! Enshuu-chan, entertain our new friend while I'm gone. I'll be back before you know it!]
And with that he leaps over the table and runs outside, leaving Enshuu and Accelerator with bewildered looks on their faces. Enshuu sighs after a moment.
"What is it runt?"
"Well, he said to entertain you but I'm not really sure how to do that."
"Don't look at me for answers. I've already got my hands full being dragged around by one pair of a midget and an idiot, I don't need two. Now, just tell me what is with you guys so I can fix whatever the hell is going on and tell that chairman to go fuck himself. I don't want to spend anymore time on you freaks than I need to."
Enshuu hadn't heard any of this and was lost in thought. Accelerator clicks his tongue and orders a coffee. By the time he had gone about 3/4s of the way through his cup, Enshuu claps her hands suddenly.
"What the hell is that about, Kihara runt?"
"I've got it! In this kind of a situation, a Minus would entertain an enemy like this!"
She throws the silverware in front of her at Accelerator while jumping to the side as they rebound from his reflection. His hand lowers from the electrode choker.
"...I thought I told you I didn't want to fight you idiots."
"Yeah. But I need to entertain you so I needed to get an exact measurement on the algorithms that run that reflection of yours. Now that I have it, I can test out my Minus again!"
There wasn't any sort of explosion or visual effect to mark what happened but Accelerator felt that something was off when she had said that. He pays it no mind however and stands up from his seat without any real hurry in his movements. Enshuu grabs a plate and throws it at Accelerator. He, again, pays this no mind and reflects the plate back at her. Just as the plate was a scant few inches from her, it rebounds by some unseen force and smacks Accelerator in the face.
"Gah!"
"Hn. Hn. Now that I can use my Minus to take 50% of your essence, I can easily hit you with your own power and calculations!"
"...Don't fuck with me runt."
In the blink of an eye, he appears at her side and kicks at her torso. She goes flying into a wall but so does he, in the opposite direction. The people all scream and run out of the place as they fight in this small space. Every time one of them attempts to hit the other, the attack rebounds. Fist to fist, kick to kick, every hit is equally matched by the other and rebounded.
"...Fine. How about this then you shitty fake?!"
He juts his hand out and grabs her face without any interference from her reflection field. She gets thrown out the window with a massive sonic boom destroying what was left of the restaurant. Her body goes through a building and skids across the street several times before she stops.
Accelerator walks out and jumps over the building, landing lightly in front of Enshuu.
"Nobody except your dead shitty uncle knows my calculations better than me. I don't know how you managed to get that much from throwing forks at me, or how you can steal my power, but it doesn't really matter if I can readjust my field to work out those little weaknesses you exploited. So thanks for that runt, you've given me some insight on how to defend myself against someone that tries to use my power against me."
She remains unmoving.
"Oi. I didn't you that hard did I?"
"Why?"
She sits up from where she had landed.
"What did they do to get you to try to kill Kumagawa-oniichan?"
"...It doesn't matter."
"Yes. It does. They have her don't they?"
Accelerator clenches his fists.
"How do you know that?"
"Because you know it."
"Don't bullshit me! If you're involved with this-"
"It's because of how this power works. I can take half of whatever makes my opponent what they are. Powers, skills, knowledge, personality, emotions, memories, all of their being becomes something that I can borrow from."
He relaxes slightly. Not enough for his guard to be lowered but he wasn't as wary.
"So you know because you stole my knowledge of it."
"No. You still have the memory. I simply make it so your essence becomes a shared pool for the both of us to take from. It's like if you were to put a wall into the middle of a pool, it doesn't become two pools just because it's separated. It's still the same water. Hn. That may be a poor example but suffice it to say, I don't 'steal' anything. It's only something that's forcibly shared between the two of us."
Accelerator only sighs and places a hand to his face. He hadn't come to them to fight. This was the honest truth. He didn't want anything more to do with this city's darkness since he had negotiated for it to be abolished. But of course, the evil in human's hearts isn't so easily eradicated simply because someone says please. He came to save these two from whatever they had gotten mixed up in so he could quash whatever remains there were of the darkness but from what he could tell, they're just a pair of weirdos that got on the higher ups bad side for whatever reason. No darkness or light to be found here. Just some jesters that irritated the wrong people with their foolishness.
He turns off his choker and leans on his cane.
"...Whatever. Since it's clear that it's pointless to try to save or fight you idiots, I'll just figure out where they've got that brat and bring her home. Hopefully I can cause enough damage to make them think twice about doing this again."
He walks away after muttering this to himself. The sound of light sobbing from behind him stops him in his tracks.
"...What is it, runt?"
"How do you even cope with this?"
"Hahn?"
He turns and has the sneer wiped from his face by the genuine tears that ran down Enshuu's face.
"I knew about it...but I never thought that it was this bad."
"...What are you talking about?"
"I've killed quite a few people so I thought that it was equivalent but this is so much worse."
A small smile cracks across her face much to Accelerator's annoyance.
"Shut up."
"All the people I killed had so many different faces and expressions but all of those clones had the exact same look on them. No matter how they were killed. Or how much they suffered."
"I said shut it runt."
"It wasn't anger or sorrow or even pain that they had. It's quite strange isn't it? It was pity. Pity for their killer."
"SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT THINGS YOU CAN'T UNDER-"
"Do you really believe that pity means forgiveness you genociding piece of shit?"
Accelerator slaps the switch on his choker with a bestial roar and flings himself at her.
Last Order groggily wakens within the dimly lit warehouse. She tries to scream as she remembers what happened but her mouth has been taped shut. She looks around and realizes that she has been taped to a chair.
She had been walking around the city after she had sneaked out of her apartment as she usually does when some men jumped out of a van and put a smelly rag to her face. Her consciousness blinked in and out as she was being transported but they had put a bag over her face so she had no idea of who took her and where exactly she is now.
"Man, these jobs suck," said one of the men.
"Stop complaining. This'll be the easiest 8 million yen you'll ever make," says another from a table a bit away from where Last Order was.
"Yeah but isn't that number 1 connected to her? We'll all die if he finds us you know."
"Maybe. But that's why we have our lookout tailing him so if he does wipe those two out or if he does anything other than that, he'll give us a call and we can ditch the brat here while we hightail it."
"You don't think he'll figure out he's being tailed? I feel like we're underestimating this kid."
"Oh shut the fuck up already," a new voice yells from just behind her, "The girl's awake so don't say anything unnecessary."
The one with the complaints asks, "I thought that's what those sheets outside were for? Don't they jam the signals she puts out to that network or whatever?"
"Heh, don't talk so carelessly about things that'll get you killed for even knowing that much about it. But yeah, she can't call for anyone right now."
"Oh? Is that so? Then we can do whatever we want with her right?", says the complainer menacingly as he holds his hands above his head and stalks over to Last Order's shivering body.
"...Are you so bored that you'll act like you're some damned lolicon you sick bastard?", questions the man at the table.
"H-hey! I'm just trying to scare the brat a bit! Why do you have to ruin my fun?"
The other two laugh at the man's incompetence. From what Last Order could gather, they must have some condition put on them where they can't hurt her. Whether that's from whoever put the order out to kidnap her to begin with or the threat of Accelerator if he were to find out about it, it matters little. But that doesn't ease her mind any. The thought that he had been brought into another situation where he might do things that'll hurt him made her worry. She wanted to put out a message to the Misaka Network but, true to what they had said, the sheets made this a futile gesture.
"Well. It's only a matter of time before he kills those two. Nobody could survive against that monster."
"So what are you going to do with all that money anyway boss? Finally go on that trip to Hawaii with your wife?"
[Wife? Screw being tied down like that! I'm just going over there to harass some cute hula girls!], says a new voice, replacing the one behind her.
The other two get up and pull out their guns.
"Who the hell are you?! What have you done with our boss?!"
[Oh? The old guy? He reminded me of a sleepy bull so I bulldozed him!]
The two look at each other awkwardly but keep their guns pointed at the man behind Last Order.
[Damn it. I really thought I nailed that pun but oh well. Screw it.]
Before he had finished his sentence, the two men had been impaled by several screws and fell to the ground. The sounds of slow plodding feet irk Last Order's nervousness with each step as they approach.
[Is that you Lo-chan? I'd hate it if I somehow got the wrong shady kidnapper hideout again. Man that was embarrassing. Don't tell Accel-kun about it please! I might die from having to relive the memory of acting all courageous for the wrong tied up little girl!]
Her nerves stop shaking her at the familiar name. But of course, she can't say anything right now.
[Oh double damn! You can't talk right now can you? Here, I'll rip that off like a band-aid!]
She tries to tell him not to tear it so crudely and just do it nice and gradual. But of course, that's exactly why she can't save herself from that sharp pain of adhesive pulling rapidly from her skin.
"AAAAAAAAAARGH! WHY WOULD YOU DO IT SO HARSHLY, EXCLAIMS MISAKA AS MISAKA WRITHES IN PAIN!"
[Misaka? I thought your name was Last Order?]
"Why do you ignore my pain asks Misaka as Misaka is frustrated at her savior for his crassness despite being grateful. Anyway, you know Accelerator?"
[Something like that. Hey! Do you want to play a fun prank on him?]
Kumagawa claps his hands onto her little shoulders and tightens his grip.
"O-ow! You're holding me too tightly says Misaka as Miska-"
[Don't worry Lo-chan. It won't hurt for too much longer.]
His smile grows in size and maliciousness as he grips even tighter onto her.
The fight between them had become a war in how extensive the damage had become. What was a city square where many had commuted to school or work, shopped at the various stores, or just simply hung out was now little more than a crater in the ground.
With how much they changed their own calculations of their respective reflection fields, neither of them could get much of a hit in. Accelerator's rage had been quelled by now and he just stews in the shallow anger at realizing that he had been played into fighting this Kihara girl. He had been trying to escape but with the way things are now, Enshuu will just follow after him and given just how destructive he knows his power to be, it'll be hard to avoid casualties.
"Look, I've been entertained plenty enough already you goddamn runt. I've got things to do so how about you fucking stop already?"
"But Kumagawa-oniichan said-"
"I don't give a fuck about your stupid goddamn oniichan! I need to go save my brat so just cut it out!"
"No. Not until he comes back."
He clicks his tongue in frustration but otherwise finds himself unable to do anything. She's too evenly matched with him to be able to just overwhelm and run off. On the other hand, she seems content with not fighting as long as he stays put. He just needs to find a way to stop her. Easier said than done considering his abilities are hers at this point.
That's the unfortunate part of having a Personal Reality. It makes it so one's own personality and their power to warp reality in a specific manner are synonymous. In Accelerator's case for example, he had wanted to become the strongest so that no one would think to attack him. But given that his power is more prominently manifested in that reflection field of his, it makes his motivation contradictory. A shield makes for a poor weapon all things considered. Thus, he didn't want absolute attack power but an absolute defense so that no one can hurt themselves because of his power.
The point is that to find weakness in an esper power is like finding a weakness in their personality. It's not on a one to one basis in terms of this. Amata's reverse punch isn't some attack based on Accelerator's fondness for the small and frail. However, for one with a Personal Reality to try to find weaknesses in it is difficult. Nobody wants to make themselves aware of their own shortcomings. Accelerator is a bit different in regards to this given the recent changes in his life.
Throughout their fight, he had been making deliberate efforts to not come in contact with her reflection field since he knows perfectly well how it works. But what if he crashed into her reflection field with his own? If he makes it so it runs calculations that change every so few milliseconds with a slight margin of randomization and runs straight into her, it should be too much for her to handle. It's almost too much for him to handle with Enshuu borrowing his calculation abilities. But if it can buy him enough time to get to Last Order, it's worth the effort.
[Enshuu-chaaaaaan! Been having fun!]
He whips his head in the direction of the fool's voice and widens his eyes.
"Last...Order..."
Her body was bloodied and torn. Her skin was flayed open in spots, her tiny arms and legs were bent at odd angles, and the heads of two Phillips screws replaced her eyes. Kumagawa had dragged that pitiable body from god knows where for god knows how long by the hair.
[Hey, Accel-kun! Look at who I brought! It's your little Last Order! Lo-chan, what're you so quiet for?]
Accelerator was stunned silent. On seeing that horribly mangled form, he stopped thinking.
['Oh I'm just embarrassed to have Accelerator-niisan see me like this!' That's just silly Lo-chan! He loves you no matter what. Surely, he won't be so rude as to start hating you because of appearances! 'Geeze Kumagawa-kun! My name is Last Order not Shirley!' Hahahahahaha! You got me there!]
Accelerator's rage grows like the violence within a volcano. His every muscle twitches and spasms with his emotions growing out of control. Never before had he felt such anger as raw and twisting as this.
But before he could do anything, Kumagawa tosses Last Order's body to him.
[Here she is! Now you don't have to worry about her anymore since she's by your side again! No need to thank me, her crying, miserable face was reward enough. Come on Enshuu-chan!]
He runs off with a flustered Enshuu following behind. Accelerator falls to his knees at the spot where Last Order's body lay. He strokes her face absentmindedly.
"Hey brat...wake up already. This isn't fucking funny anymore. Hey."
He slaps her face. He tickles her ribs. He uselessly pulls at her nonexistent eyelids.
He stops moving. For awhile he just stares at her. He stares. He stares. He stares some more. There is no longer any sentience within the shell that was once known as Accelerator.
He stands up shakily and a black glow begins to burn from his back.
All he is now, is an avatar for madness incarnate.
The black wings burst from him with an explosive surge that nearly matches his horrible roar.
Enshuu and Kumagawa rest in an alleyway some distance away from the battlefield. They gasp for breath as they lean against a dumpster.
"What the hell was that?", Enshuu wheezes.
[I don't know. It was just a prank so I don't see why Accel-kun should get so riled up abou-]
A vicious slap stops him from saying anymore. He looks at her with genuine surprise as he places a hand to his cheek.
[...Enshuu-chan?]
"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!"
His shock remains for but a split second before it seamlessly melts into his regular smile.
[That's the flustered, tsunyan Enshuu-chan that-]
Another slap pelts him.
"WHY?!"
[…]
"DON'T IGNORE ME! WHY WOULD YOU GO SO FAR GODDAMNIT?!"
He saves his face from yet another slap by holding her wrist.
"...It had to be this way. It was the only way to save them both from this situation I mixed them up in."
She yanks her hand from him with a resentful expression.
"Why? I keep asking that so tell me why already."
"First off, that was just an illusion. She's alive and well. Ought to be right back at that apartment she lives at if she'll stay put there at any rate."
"What?"
"It had to be done to assure her safety and make sure that Accelerator tries to kill me in accordance with what that Aleister guy wants so he'll be satisfied when he fails to do so. I had told her that I could create a copy of her body so I could draw silly things on it with a marker so it would piss Accelerator off but, for obvious reasons, that wouldn't be enough. I had to make the poison potent enough to force his will to stop holding himself back. Only with him attacking me with all his power and failing to even kill me, will the Crimson King locked up in his tower be satisfied with his plans and move onto something else."
Her expression softens but still remains doubtful.
"...So why not just tell Accelerator about your plan and not mindbreak him?"
Kumagawa shrugs.
"It wouldn't have been believable. You said Aleister uses microscopic drones or whatever to scope things out right? I guess he knows now anyway but the results should be the same regardless."
"I also said that I have a method for blowing up a cloud of those so that he now longer has his eye on us."
"..."
"Did you really forget?"
"...Oh."
They're conversation lulls at his realization. After a time, he sticks out his tongue slyly and knocks on his head lightly.
[Guess I went too far huh?]
"NO SHIT!"
She savagely beats Kumagawa's head with a pipe laying nearby until the blood paints the wall, floor, and her own clothes. She is left gasping for air again from the exertion as Kumagawa makes the event null and void.
[Geeze, Enshuu-chan! You may be a veteran tsunyan but your character doesn't really mesh so well with being a tsukkomi. You should just stick to being a yangire!]
"I'd rather not play into this manzai crap, I agree, but I'm not some character in an anime you know."
[Yeah. Odds are this series only has like two seasons so there's no way you ever show up in either of those. Though, I'm not really one to talk. I was lucky enough they at least gave me an episode before they stopped with mine. Ah the struggles of having a series end a year after it's animated adaptation! Though it doesn't really seem like yours has ended just yet so maybe it's an issue of having a sadistic editor that gets off on vaguely teasing a third season but gives something completely unrelated instead.]
"...Setting your insanity aside for a moment-"
[Don't worry. I was just being used as a mouthpiece for some frustrated virgin that wants to see more of his shockingly cute waifu animated but since he knows it'll never happen, he vents by writing a crossover story since he likes my series and this one so much.]
"-What do we do now?"
[That's the 114,625,000 yen question now isn't it? We can't let him fight me in an area with people around since he might just slaughter everyone without a care in the world. I might be able to end it in a single move but with my luck, I'll just miss. It's better if we can get him somewhere else. But how do we kite this aggroed mid-boss without hurting any NPC's?]
"It may also be a good idea to let him see the real Last Order. He may realize what you did and, while likely still pissed, he should be calmed down enough to know what he's doing."
[Well, I can have you just call her in a moment as soon as we figure out the logistics of this movement we're going to be doing but the main thing is how're we going to get to where we're going fast enough to outpace whatever he throws at us and not so fast as to lose him. I can move plenty fast but I don't feel like waiting around for him to find me that often. That's just annoying. We need some way to distort or otherwise hinder his abilities-]
"As long as I have my Minus and some of my gear, that's not an issue."
[-and we need someone skilled at driving enough that they can outmaneuver that monster. But where can we find someone like that?]
A voice calls from the other end of the alley.
"Well, I don't really want to involve myself in something as dangerous like Accelerator's wrath but if it's like you described then I have no choice but to poke my nose into this if I don't want Takisubo and the others to get sucked in."
[Huh? And who're you Mr. Eleventh-hour?]
"Just call me End-of-the-Century-Emperor-senpai!"
About 20 minutes later…
"God fucking damnit! Why did I do this?! Why am I so stupid?!"
[Come on End-of-the-Cent-]
"Don't. Don't you fucking dare."
[Dostedt.]
"Wha- fuck!"
His momentary distraction nearly had him run into a chunk of the street that used to be behind them but was fired by Accelerator's urge to eviscerate Kumagawa.
"Are you always this calm in these kind of situations?!"
[Eh. Kinda, I guess. But it's mostly because we have you at the wheel that I can feel at ease about all this! So don't worry about the impending avant-garde art that will be your death! We will always remember your name!]
"Then what is it?"
[Huh?]
"If you really meant what you said, then what is my name?!"
[...End-of-]
He screams in alien tongues with cursing that could make grown men blush.
"Does he always do this?"
Enshuu, reloading her homemade missile launcher, turns her head back to Hamazura.
"Hn. Pretty much. He really isn't the type to sweat the small stuff. Shouldn't you be less worried about others and be more focused on what's going to be in your will?"
"WHY DID I HAVE TO EVEN WORRY ABOUT YOU IDIOTS?!"
[Are we there yet, Zura-chan?]
"Zura-chan? Whatever, it's close enough. Yet District 23 is just ahead. We'll be in an area where they typically fly out drones and stuff so you'll be free to do whatever then."
[Cool. Cool. Enshuu-chan, what about Lo-chan?]
"She'll be there in a minute. The Third Season clone, WORST, has hijacked a bus so she can get her there."
[WORST, huh. I wonder if that's the author's odd way at protesting the lack of another anime season then? Ah but there I go being a mouthpiece again when I should be doing more important things. Get yourself together you shitty author and move onto the good stuff! Get my harem in order already you 76.67% wizard!]
Another chunk of urban earth strikes to the side of the van as they plow right through a chain-linked fence and onto the extensive runways that make up the majority of District 23. As soon as they've gotten a third of the way in, Kumagawa jumps from his passenger seat and rolls out the back of the van, tumbling and crashing all over the place.
He stands up, his torn apart skin and jutting bones retconned from reality, and faces the localized form of the four horsemen. He no longer resembled a human being with all his snarling and bloodshot eyes. Accelerator immediately latches onto Kumagawa with his legs locked around his torso and hands of destruction lashing at his face. Every blow takes flesh and bone with it. Every time it comes back. This just exacerbates his anger.
He jumps off Kumagawa with a dropkick that sends them both flying opposite ways. He reaches a hand out towards him as he charges again and Kumagawa's entire body explodes into red mist as he passes.
He comes back, unharmed.
Accelerator reverses Kumagawa's blood flow and bioelectricity on the next pass, detonating his body in another way.
He comes back, unharmed.
Accelerator tears an arm off and blasts half of his torso when he gets hit by it like a bat.
He comes back, unharmed.
Shards of asphalt the size of a fire hydrant get kicked up and bore into Kumagawa.
He comes back, unharmed.
Several balls of plasma appear and smite Kumagawa with impunity.
He comes back, unharmed.
Several dozen tornadoes rush at him and rend him to shreds.
He comes back, unharmed.
Black wings attack him like a horde of snakes and devour him.
He comes back, unharmed. He dies. He comes back, unharmed. He dies. He comes back, unharmed. He dies. He comes back, unharmed. He dies. He comes back, unharmed. He dies. He comes back, unharmed. He dies. He comes back, unharmed. He dies. He comes back, unharmed. He dies. He comes back, unharmed. He dies. He comes back, unharmed. He dies. He comes back, unharmed. He dies. He comes back, unharmed. He dies. He comes back, unharmed.
[Enshuu-chan.]
Between the deaths, he calls for her.
"Hn."
[I'm your opponent now, understand?]
"I understand."
Accelerator goes to kill him once more but is struck in the chest by a hazy screw with a long slot and a smaller one on the head going in such a way as to make it look like a cross. This wasn't like being hit with that magic crap. That, while totally foreign, was still something that fit into his calculations given the few similarities. But this wasn't just foreign or even alien. This wasn't a system that should exist. His knees slam onto the ground.
[Wasn't sure how well that'd work. It's the same type of combo I hit Anshin'in with except, I needed Enshuu to halve it's potency. Otherwise you'd be as weak as me for about 30 years. Well, I wouldn't need to pile on All Fiction either if it weren't for that reflection field. Can't reflect nothing, can you? Silly question. Obviously, you can't.]
"..."
By now Hamazura had gotten out of the van and walked up beside Enshuu as he watches on.
"Wow. You guys weren't kidding when you said that he could beat him in one hit. I thought that was just bullshit."
"Kumagawa-oniichan may be an idiot but he still does decently against elites like that guy."
[...I don't think he's necessarily an abnormal. He hasn't lived a blessed enough life for that. He does have quite the smile while he's in the middle of hell but I don't know about calling him a Minus. Enough needless exposition, this isn't Jump. Bring out Last Order!]
On hearing her name, Accelerator makes a weak effort to pull the screw out. If only to kill him one more time. But then she walks out where he can see. Unharmed.
"...Are you alright?, asks Misaka as Misaka cautiously aproaches."
He winces. It's what he'd always secretly feared. That she'd see him lose control and be afraid of him.
"I'm so sorry for pranking!, you exclaims Misaka as Misaka tries to admit her guilt so as to avoid getting her allowance taken from her!"
Allowance? Prank? Now he was really confused.
[Yeah. I was the one that asked her to do it. See,] he explains with a flourished hand producing another Last Order, [I needed her so I could make a copy of her to draw those silly signs and stuff on her face that you were so mad over!]
This is followed by an overt show of blinking that could be translated from Morse as Just follow along! Please just follow along!
"...It was all just a...prank?"
[Just a prank bro! You've been pranked!]
"Pranked bro!, yells Misaka as Misaka tries her very best to divert from her crimes!"
The screw dissipates as he groggily stands and walks over to Kumagawa, tripping every now and again.
[Oh? Oho? Ohohoho? Is Accel-kun about to give me a forgiveness hug?! Well come and share the love my new frie-]
Accelerator's punch sends Kumagawa crashing right into the van. He then turns to Last Order who immediately begins to cry profusely at what's to come. A raised hand makes her flinch and hold her eye's shut. A sharp flick to the forehead reopens her eyes as she cries in pain.
"Ow! Ow?, screams Misaka as Misaka states both her exclamation of pain as well as her bewilderment at the difference in punishment."
"Just go back home, brat. I need to talk to this guy privately."
"...You aren't still mad are you?, asks Misaka as Misaka expresses her concern."
"I'm not."
"He was just wanting to look out for us!, offers Misaka as Misaka tries to defend her friend's actions!"
His eye's twitch for a moment but WORST darts around Hamazura and scoops up Last Order in an arm, despite her protests.
"Don't worry tou-san! Misaka will take care of Last Order so you can mess this guy's face up nice and good. So keep your lust for Last Order in check for now and beat that asshole to a pulp!"
She drags Last Order into the bus she drove and rides off at high speed.
[...I like that girl. She can come over to my house and fuck my sister. Well, if I had one at any rate. Oh. On a side note, Enshuu-chan do you love me? Like a brother?]
"...I love you the way I loved being impaled by your oversized screw."
[...That's kinda more than a brother-sister relationship. Are you a brocon? That would explain a lot.]
"Oi," Accelerator pipes in, tired enough from today's events.
[What? She walked right into that one! Didn't she Zura-chan?]
"Eh? Me?", Hamazura jumps at being notice for the first time in a little while, "Um, well yeah. She kinda did set herself up for that."
[See! Zura-chan, you are now my best friend!]
At Accelerator's glowering stare, Hamazura shrinks back.
"Well, I don't quite know if I want that-"
At Kumagawa's teary face, Hamazura shrinks back.
"Argh! Alright, alright! I'll be your best friend even if Accelerator wants to kill me! Every other time we've met he's tried to kill me anyway so what the fuck does it matter!"
[That's the spirit old chum! But, we really should put that aside or Accel-kun will explode again. So what is it that you wanted to stay behind for anyway?]
"...Why did you have to go that far to get me to act my part?"
[Would you really have used that much force otherwise? Besides that wouldn't have saved Lo-chan either. Her 'corpse' being thrown at you might have thrown off the guys that put the hit out on me for long enough that they wouldn't look for if it was real or not. And even if they did know the difference, I had ensured that the strongest esper would be fully willing to slaughter the weakest Minus. I did go too far I'll admit but in the end it was worth it to get them off both of your backs.]
"If you ever do that again-"
[You'll kill me? Kinda makes such hate pointless when I'm quasi-immortal and all.]
"If you actually hurt her, I'll make it my personal mission to destroy everything you hold dear."
Kumagawa's smile dies at this. Then it returns, only sadder than what it ever was.
"If you can manage that, you'll have done more than I ever could."
He turns and walks away from Hamazura and Accelerator. Enshuu follows shortly after into that sunset.
"...Sooo, are they really planning to walk the entire 15 miles back to the road or what?"
Aleister had seen the results. It is about what he expected but he still held some hope. But then again if Accelerator were to defeat Kumagawa, then he'd have to grasp that system and that is just plain not an option. From what he's seen it's far too unpredictable and uncontrollable a system to just try to understand. There's no way in hell, he'd let that madness loose in his city.
He sighs, bubbles escaping from his mouth and floating up his tube. Well so much for the main plan. There isn't really any other method for removing such a being especially if Accelerator had put as much as he had into trying to kill him. He had considered that maybe his resurrection had a limit on it but that went out the window.
"That's to be expected. I don't know why you thought you could hammer a square through an abstract shaped hole. Well, I guess I did tell you do what thou wilt but there are limits to what is possible and what isn't."
Aleister frowns.
"Aiwass. You know how much of a burden is placed on the whole of the system when you manifest yourself so please leave if you're just around to mock me."
"Oh. Whoops, yeah I guess that's right. But you view my very existence as a mockery of your own so isn't this fine? It doesn't matter to me either way but I just thought this might be interesting. A being outside of this world's systems ought to advise you on beings outside of this world's systems. It's what I used to do for you after all."
The golden haired unexplained angel, Aiwass, floats upside down and looks Aleister in the eyes with a derisive gaze.
"You aren't needed for that anymore. So return to your level of existence and leave me to my own."
"Such a shame. And after I went to such lengths to make sure I wouldn't destroy reality to speak with you."
Aleister's frown deepens in confusion for a second before shifting rapidly into anger in the understand that this was a different extraterrestrial being.
"Get out of here Ajimu! Do you know what kind of damage you might have done?!"
Aiwass, puppeted by Najimi Ajimu, giggles.
"Aw! I was hoping to fool you a bit longer but nothing gets by a mastermind type of a character like you huh? At any rate, I made absolutely sure that I would do no harm to your world, which includes this little system of yours. So don't worry!"
"I can't help but worry whenever you're involved."
His voice was so filled with venom that it was a surprise that it didn't stain the fluids he floats in with its color as he spits those words out.
"Oh Edd! You really do care! Well your hate for me and the one I'm possessing hardly matters to me. It was quite willing to let me you know. We get along rather famously! It helps that we're bored to tears of living. But our friendship isn't what I'm here for. Are you going to go with my plan or not, little Edd boy? If not, I'll have to assume direct control of your shitty story and there's no telling how much editorial work I'll have to do to kick that loser anti-hero out of here."
Aleister had tried to think of any other method. Any at all. He even lightly thought of using Aiwass but now that he knows it's so carefree as to let something like Ajimu control it, that's a plan gone by the wayside. Even now, he struggles to think of something.
He'd almost rather scratch his plans than to get sucked into this devil's pace. Almost being a key word.
"...You promise this will take care of him? That the best way really is using Mental Out?"
A Mephistophelian smile erodes the face of the golden being.
"Absolutely Edd boy. Absolutely."
"Then let's go with that. I'll send Shokuhou Misaki to kill an immortal."
Whew. Did most of that in just a day. Once I get started, I sometimes forget to stop. At any rate, here's one of the few Kumagawa-centric stories that'll be told during the course of this! It's really only going to follow the main storyline of the New Testament novels but there are still some parts that need to be worked in like this one. The motley duo's skills will be put to the test for this story arc. If you're wondering why Accel wouldn't be good to fight Kumagawa, then I'll just say that nearly anyone with the kind of brute power that good old Yuriko has is pointless against him. Kumagawa can only really be beaten by people with indirect powers like Misaki, since they have to use particularly roundabout methods to fight anyway. It's going to be pretty fun to write actually. Lots of action, smug ojousamas, and psychological implications ahead. Don't know when the next update will be but if it's like this one, then hopefully soon. Thanks for reading!