Chapter 3: A Certain Hybrid Weapon
After finally having a nice long rest, though since he passed out while in the bath he did not know how long it was, Akari woke up once more. Unlike before, when everything was dizzy and he was pretty much filled with dopamine from being awake, and for the very start of his memories when everything was new and interesting, he felt just a bit more grounded this time. But there was something else...he felt like something was off.
And so, he got out of the bed, and opened the door. And that was when he saw some woman with a staff fighting with Ai, and then watched as Ai created a wormhole and pushed her through it after talking a bit. And mentioning Akari.
"...wait, what if she got hurt though...and it sounds dangerous...I should go check on her".
Slipping on some shoes, Akari then bolted out of the apartment to follow Ai, heading into the elevator and going down. He figured that as the elevator went straight down, and did not spiral like the staircase, he would get there faster.
After the elevator ride, he made a mental note to see about upgrading the elevator's acceleration later.
But, he was just able to make it to the doors...when he saw Ai get stabbed right in front of him.
"...No way...Ai-neechan...I can't believe it..."
"The brat is awake. Lets get him now and leave!" the woman said, quickly storming right towards Akari. However, the boy with the sword noticed it instantly...that Akari was wide awake...and showing advanced emotion.
"No! Suno, get back!"
His warning came just in time, as the moment he did the glass door Akari's hand had been touching shattered, and the shards flew at Suno from various strange directions to attack from various sides, as if they had been programmed to take those paths. Suno was just barely able to jump back in time, but was forced to shield herself with shadows as some shards altered direction after missing and nearly struck where she had dodged to.
"What the hell was that?!"
"Trouble...I think...Protocol 1 is engaged already".
"Shit, you don't mean..."
Before Suno could finish, Akari began to walk forwards, while he spoke in a voice that did not sound like a ten year old boy's but a computer's.
"Protocol 1 Implimentation Complete. Core Directives: Set. Primary Directives: Set. Combat Abilities: Set. Hybrid Operating System Set and Sealed. Switching from Bootup Mode to Standard Mode. Switching from Standard Mode to Crisis Mode due to threat to designated master: Hokari Ai. Eliminating Threats to Master. Engaging Combat Protocols".
"Everyone get back!"
Lance shouted that as he made distance himself, but suddenly swords began to materialize around Akari and then were shot at towards Lance and Suno. The two were just barely able to dodge, but Akari himself grabbed a nearby car. To most, he seemed to just toss it as if he had inhumane strenght, but those who remembered what he did to the glass earlier realized it was just his Esper ability.
Yes, his Esper ability was something similar to Accelerators, though given that he had not gone on a rampage like Accelerator, it was concluded it likely lacked the same raw power that Accelerator had.
However, he was also creating objects in mid air and shooting them at them, and that was certainly not an Esper ability. That was magic.
"He is like Index after I removed what continued to erase her memory...I have to use my power on him, before he goes out of control and wrecks everything".
Toma made his resolve and stepped forward, but Misaka stopped him.
"No! You cant touch him!"
"What? But if I don't..."
"Your power is called Imagine Breaker. Didn't you notice I was not shocked when Lance brought it up?"
Toma thought back to a moment, and realized for a fact that she was not.
"Earlier yesterday, I encountered the boy. He was acting differently then, innocent and ignorant, but when we started asking questions he started spitting out information about everything, including you...and your ability. But he also mentioned that if you touch him with your right hand, he will die".
Those words forced Toma to stop.
"Hold on...if thats the case, that boy's life..."
"...is being maintained through supernatural means" Index finished. "To be more accurate, if this is the case, that would indicate the liklihood he is a hommunculus. However, homunculus don't have souls...and yet, look at his face".
The group turned and looked at hte boy rampaging, trying desperately to kill Lance and Suno. At this moment, he should be in some sort of alternative state of mind, some defense protocol programmed into him. And yet...he was crying".
"Maybe if he was normally set to mimic emotions right now, it would be fine, but..."
"He said he entered Crisis Mode and started to talk like a computer...which means, he isn't mimiking...so he has a soul Index?"
"Yes. I am not sure how yet, but somehow they combined Esper powers and magic, and created a homunculus with a soul. Two impossible things".
"Wait, what is this about magic?"
Toma and Index then realized that Misaka was there, but it was already too late to cover it up now. Especially with what was happening in front of them.
"We can explain later. For now, we need to find a way to stop him that doesn't involve me using Imagine Breaker on him".
"There is still something weird that I sense from him..."
Index felt that there was something really strange about Akari, and she was not talking about his current state.
Akari meanwhile was launching another all out assault, generating swords and then sending them flying. His stamina levels had not seemed to drop much, although his breathing had become uneven, likely from such a rampage. But his opponents were worse off. After all, they had not expected him to immediately enter Crisis Mode and engage them. That was far from any predicted possibilities.
"Initializing the use of Crusader Blades at a higher level to eliminate targets".
Suddenly, he was once again surrounded by materialized swords, but this time the number was much larger and they all fired at Suno and Lance with high intensity attacks, cutting through obstacles and even piercing through walls. The sheer energy he had to be using was insane, because any rubble he walked by he would then use his Esper powers to launch a coordinated attack from other angles. Each attack, even with their skills and magic, they got some injuries. They had managed to stop any decisive blows, but eventually they would be defeated by a death of a thousand cuts.
"Damnit! No choice then...Tempest Chariot!"
"Admin Command Denied, as it was used by designated hostile force! Command Sealed to prevent further use by the enemy!"
"Tsk! He is already that far operational?! What the hell did they do?!"
"Let me try! New Spring Genesis!"
"Admin Command Denied, as it was used by designated hostile force! Command Sealed to prevent further use by the enemy!"
"You have got to be kidding! Do any of the Command Codes work anymore?!"
"Enemies are still persisting. Initiating Level 3 measures. Alert: Civilian Casualties may be unavoidable".
And so, the amount of swords he continued to summon doubled again, becoming a sheer overwhelming amount. So far, the battle had kept to the street, but if he unleashed that amount, and each individual sword also held more power as well, the nearby buildings would be totaled, and innocent civilians would get hurt.
Misaka started to stand up, to face him even though she did not know how...
"Hey, brat! Don't you think you are a bit young to be a villain? You should leave the stage to the professionals".
One person beat her to it. Academy City's number 1, Accelerator.
"Alert. Subject Labeled Accelerator. Academy City Number One Level 5. Currently in a reduced state due to brain damage. Do not interfere, or you will be treated as hostile".
"You know, a real villain knows that just rampaging around like this isn't any way to go!" Accelerator declared, unleashing a powerful psychokinetic attack. Akari dodged immediately, but that alone gave Accelerator plenty of information.
"Just as I thought...your power might be similar, but its not the same. You lack my defensive capabilities".
"Initializing Crusader Shields, applying Spectral Barrier".
In that instant, Akari was surrounded by a strange white glow, a barrier to protect him.
"Well now, the next question is...why were you not using that at the start!"
And so, Accelerator launched another massive attack while Akari dodged. However, this attack had more power and more speed then the first, and hit him a little. His protective barrier absorbed some of it, but it looked like some damage transmitted though.
Just as I thought, the performance is weak. Even if he can use both Esper Powers and Magic, his body is not fully adapted. This brat...technically he is probably a level 5, but he is weak. And if I am right...
Accelerator then launched himself forward at the same time as another attack. Akari adapted to his methods and dodged the psychokinetic attack, but then Accelerator managed to punch him square in the face. And in the process, used his power to check something.
...so thats it...
Akari was sent sprawling backwards, but managed to get up again and summoned more swords.
"I guess he knows how to take a beating at least. But, I suppose its time to end this. He is not quite ready yet to face me head on" Accelerator said to himself, and then shouted back at Akari. "Hey, brat! I got a ton of stuff to ask you about, like that CLASS stuff, but first, you know the primary hostiles are gone right? And your Master? She is still alive, but without your help she will die. So, are you going to keep fighting me?"
Akari looked around, and surely enough Lance and Suno had escaped during the commotion. In truth, this was a part of Accelerator's plan. Although he acted bad and tough and villainous, he was incredibly intelligent in his own right. And, he knew that if he allowed that show to continue, even if the hostiles were eliminated he might start attacking other people in his rampage. So, he had to make sure the hostiles escaped him before snapping him out of it, get a Target Lost instead of a Target Eliminated. And now, he had to change the focus, like to saving the person he called "Master".
"Priorities shifted. Save Designated Admin: Master Hokari Ai" Akari said, before flying back over and landing on the ground. He then took a shard of glass, and cut his own hand over the wound, causing his blood to drop upon it. "Initializing Holy Blood. Beginning Heal Process. Crisis Averted. Switching Back to Standard Mode. Re-activating personality. Leaving memories and abilities in-tact, providing additional information from Source Material. Sealing information about Theory regarding the truth about Imagine Breaker due to potential dangers..."
"What what?!"
"Information Sealed. Also sealing information about CLASS due to potential dangers. Information Sealed. Command Prompt Complete. Initiating Switch".
At those words, Toma and Misaka looked at Akari as his expression returned to that of a normal person.
"...what the...what just happened?" Akari asked, confused as he looked at his blood drip onto Ai. And as it did, the wound began to heal.
"I understand now. How they were able to give you a soul at least" Index stated, her eyes calm and collected. "The Source Material...your soul...they used a Grimoire to create your core".
"What?!" Toma asked, shocked. "You mean, those super dangerous things that can kill people?!"
"Indeed. However, because it was built into his core, he can use it, although limited. That magic he used, it would be from the Grimoire Sanctus Pugnate, a Grimoire disguised as a collection of stories about conflicts that have been centered around Christianity. All the way from the crusification, to the Crusaders, to all sorts of other conflicts. It explains all the magic he was able to do...but, how is he doing with while having Esper powers?"
"Its his Esper power itself that lets him" Accelerator told them, clicking his tongue. "Somehow, he is programmed to keep the magic that flows through him and the Esper powers seperate. Because of that, his Esper powers and magic never collide, so he never has an issue. That said, they should have just tried to find a way to make it natural for him. He is weaker because of it".
Misaki couldn't help herself but ask.
"Did you go easy on him?"
"Tsk. If I just obliterated him as he was, I wouldn't be a first class villain".
With those words, Accelerator left, and now everything about Akari more or less made sense, at least in some fashion. He could use magic because of the Grimoire implanted in him and Esper powers because he was designed like that, and while his Esper powers provided the manipulation of the two energies inside him to make sure they never conflicted, given what they had seen right now, the Grimoire likely manipulated his brain to use them at the same time without conflict.
That said, this was his first actual combat. Even Misaka noticed from a distance, despite having some supercomputer at the controls, his body itself was not used to the energies flowing through him like that, and couldn't keep it up for very long. Although he had great potential, it was obvious that Akari was currently not that strong due to a lack of actual experience and real world training.
Misaka herself could have taken him out, but a fully charged railgun would have almost certainly killed him. At the very least, he would be headed towards the hospital in critical condition himself.
And as for that person, his face lit up in joy as Ai began to wake up.
"Ai-neechan! You are awake!"
"...I was always awake actually. I just couldn't really move...or talk...or such. Also, I am going to need that explanation you owe Mikoto as well".
"Right...alright, do you mind if we head up and explain it there instead of out here?"
"Yeah...probably for the best...I need some help getting up, I dont think that healing recovered all of my blood".
And so, the group headed up into the apartment building and up to the Hokari residence.
AN: Me: Oh shiza. Akari! Are you okay?! Did the big mean Accelerator hurt you?!
Akari: Owwwwwwww...
Ai: Alright, there was something I want to know that you didn't address in the chapter. Akari! He seems more like a person now!
Me: Ahk...well, there was not room, and I planned to say it next chapter...
Ai: Tell. Us. Now.
Me: Okay okay! You see, during the Bootup Mode, Akari's sense of self was severely reduced, causing him to not quite understand things such as himself, or embarrassment, or things like that. Once he finally Rebooted though and entered Standard Mode, his sense of self was restored to a normal person as his brain had finished setting up his personality based on previously inputted data and settings established during the Bootup period.
Ai: Oh...wait, what would have happened if I had not kept talking to him and telling him things?
Me: He probably would have become a hyper aggressive weapon and started to try to destroy all of Academy City was the worst case scenario. That said, he imprinted the first people he saw as "Master" when he opened his eyes.
Akari: ...I just got a really bad feeling all of a sudden...
Ai: Oh Akari~ Could you help me choose girl clothes to wear tomorrow?~
Akari: Noooooooooo!
Toma: Yes! For once it was not me with bad luck!
Misaka: Oi! Why the hell have you been keeping so many secrets from me?!
Toma: Ah damnit...
Me: Well, lets leave it here folks! Tune it as more chapters appear for this story about A Certain Hybrid Weapon!