Chapter 16 Cataclysmic Clash: Level 5
Heading home to the sound of relaxed breathing in a dark room, it seems Akiha's gone to sleep already.
Guess I have to sneak around then. Wouldn't want to wake her.
Taking another step, I heard a squelch and a sticky feeling under my foot. Judging from the texture, I just put my foot into some sort of slime. With the lights out there's no way to confirm so... Whoa?
My next step ended up on what could only be a rolling pin, sending me airborne before landing on a something really soft and squishy that burst.
What the hell? Now I'm soaking wet!
Somewhere in the darkness, I swear, Akiha is smiling away... Damn her...
No doubt she spent the day "laying mines" all over my room. She seriously has too much free time... What's next? A rake conveniently set to hit me in the face?
*Thwack* Ow... I just HAD to say that...
This place just turned into a house of horrors... Ow!
Stepping on something sharp, I took a step back... And took another rake to the face.
Screw this. I'm not entertaining her anymore!
Tsubaki's Personal Reality online... Now using minute waves to analyse object location placement... Moving all objects and clearing a path, now.
Swinging both my arms forward and out, all the objects on the floor slid to the corners of the room clearing a path to my bed; Mission accomplished.
Tiptoeing over the curled up mass on the futon, I suspect the mass in question is probably awake after my little trip through her bloody traps. Getting into my bed, the bed itself seemed a little warm, which is odd seeing as there is no one inside...
What the...?
"Mmnnmm, Ryusuke... Sneaking into bed with another girl huh...? Don't tell me our relationship is so intimate already?" Akiha said, turning around and looking at me in the eye while wearing... Whatever, I'm not describing it.
"A-Akiha? What the hell are you doing in my bed?"
"Sleeping of course..." Akiha whispered seductively, drawing a finger down my cheek and my neck, "or are you intending to use it for something else...?"
"No way!" I yelled, leaping out of the bed a little off balanced falling right onto my face.
"What is frigging wrong with you?" I yelled, getting up and rubbing my forehead.
"What's wrong Ryu-chan? Don't tell me you like guys?" Akiha said, holding her hand to cover her mouth in mock shock.
"Shut up and sleep!" I snapped, lying in Akiha's futon pile.
Actually, when I think about it, her futon pile actually seems softer than my bed...
"Wah? Really! I wanna sleep in it too!" Akiha yelled, leaping into the futon pile with me.
"Knock it off dammit!" I said, rolling out from under her and getting back into my bed, "Enough games! Go to sleep or I'm electrocuting you!"
Pouting before turning around, and curling up once again, the room returned to the state it was in before... Total silence.
Seriously though... Akiha shouldn't play with other people's feelings like that... Some jokes aren't funny...
"[Who said I was playing?]" Akiha's voice whispered in my head.
Wait... What?
"[This is how it was in those manga on your shelf. I thought you liked it.]" Akiha continued, sounding genuinely hurt.
"[Shit, Akiha, I'm so sorry I didn't...]"
"[Never mind, it's okay. At least I know now you're not interested...]"
Clenching my fist as I willed myself to sleep, my own conscience prickling me I was left alone to consider: Just what have I done?
-Timeskip 8 hours-
The next morning, Akiha was all smiles as usual as she prepared breakfast. What had happened last night definitely changed something because she not only changed the subject whenever I tried to lead to last night, her expression dropped the first time I pointed it out for an instant before she started smiling again.
How could I be so insensitive?
Heading out hastily after breakfast to clear my mind and get out of that awkward situation, I immediately started regretting my actions several minutes later as I walked around the corner two streets down.
I did this... I should be fixing it, not running away... But how? What am I supposed to say to a girl whose feelings I just so carelessly trampled on? IS there even anything I can say in this situation?
At least this day can't get any worse...
Continuing my contemplative walk down the street, I passed a convenience store and decided to pick up a soda until I saw who was inside: Misaka Mikoto.
Okay, my day just got worse.
Seeing Misaka's face was usually a welcome sight, but lately I've witnessed the death of so many clones that I've come to associate her face with death.
Looking up from her manga and seeing me she quickly turned on me without even putting the manga back on the shelf, "You!"
"Misaka-san, I have to tell you something. It's very important."
"Huh? What's gotten you all serious all of a sudden?"
Wow, no blushing or stammering? I must look more serious than I thought.
"It's regarding... Shit... How do I even start for something like this...?"
"What is it? Come on, just tell me."
"Sorry Misaka-san! I gotta go!" I yelled, dashing out of the convenience store.
I chickened out... No, it's not just that... I didn't want to be the one to place such a burden on her... I can't get Len and Tsubaki involved in this either... Is there really no one I can talk to?
Like a dimming light bulb I shot down all of the people I could possibly see until I reached... Akiha and Touma.
Touma's been pretty busy lately as well... Even if I went to visit, it's not like he'll be able to do anything... Which leaves... The one person I had to piss off... Akiha.
She probably wouldn't understand everything, but she'd offer to help all the same... Why... Why did I have to make her angry with my insensitivity?
Unable to take it anymore, I slammed my foot into the ground, releasing a small telekinetic shockwave that flew upwards, shaking the trees as I stood there panting.
Fuck this, I'm gonna look for Nayuta. She'd probably have some idea of what is going on and how to solve this mess...
A few hours of fruitless searching and a lunch break later, I had given up on the idea of finding Nayuta. It seems the school she says she goes to doesn't exist. And no Judgment branch is even aware of the branch that Nayuta says she's from. It's like she's s ghost that just vanished into thin air.
I can't take this... I'll call Akiha and apologise, I just need to get this off my chest before I go nuts!
Pulling out my phone and dialling my dorm room number, the phone continued to ring until the line was cut. It seems she isn't home.
It's nearly dinner time... Maybe I should... Holy shit!
Taking a step away from the wall I was leaning on, a throwing knife embedded itself in the ground in front of me, if I had taken another step, I would have been... I really don't want to think about it...
Judging from the angle of the knife, the thrower must be on the roof above me!
Looking up towards the silhouette on the top of the roof, the figure loomed over the balcony before turning around and walking away.
Who the hell in their right mind would... Eh?
The throwing knife had a small cylindrical tag attached to it. It's one of those tags that play recorded messages.
Locating the head of the device I slid my thumb across it and Maka's voice started to play, "Ryusuke, I know you're looking into the Level 6 Shift program so I'll give you some advice. Give up. There is nothing you can do, or say to even cause a blip in this program. There are too many laboratories involved and even the Anti-Skills and Judgment have not gotten involved. Also, I've found a lead on our pasts. I'm finishing the mapping the security layout and building structure and am going in soon. D-don't think I'm asking for your help because I don't need it! A-and... Don't look at the bottom of the tag!"
She sounds totally different from the last few times I met her... And what's that about the bottom of the tag...?
Touching the bottom accidentally while turning the tag over, I somehow triggered some sort of holographic device as a phone number appeared upside down, projecting out of the bottom of the device.
This must be Maka's number. Why couldn't she just tell me her number was on the bottom?
Crushing the tag before feeding it to a cleaning robot, I was about to head home and call it a day until I noticed two figures playing some sort of weird hand game.
Well, judging from the figure it must be two girls. But seriously, what are they doing?
Moving in to get a closer look, it seems two Tokiwadai girls were simply talking. But the figures and even hairstyles of the two were too similar to be a coincidence.
Wait... I recognise her! That's MISAKA! I'd recognise those goggles anywhere! But who's the one with her? She's not wearing any goggles like the one on the right! And the AIM Field from the goggles-less Misaka is significantly stronger than the one on the right... Don't tell me... She's the original?
It must have been because the figure on the left ran off while waving goodbye, a gesture never performed by the clones.
Dammit Misaka why'd you leave her alone?
Tailing the clone while blending in with the evening crowd, I followed her to a nearby coin locker area where she pressed in the code and collected a large instrument case from it.
What is this, some kind of mafia show? I can totally guess what's in there!
Following her out, I quickly ducked into a nearby store when she turned around, silently hoping she didn't see me. Once she had turned around and continued walking, I started following her once again to an abandoned alleyway in the 12th district.
As she walked into the alley, the sight of the monster who butchered countless clones sent a large shiver down my spine... Accelerator...
There's nothing I can do in this fight. All my attempts so far have taught me that much... The only chance I have is waiting for Accelerator to hopefully not deal the coup de gras on her and leave her there to die. I can bring her to a nearby hospi... Hospital. Hmm. Can't do that, she's technically not a student... If only Akiha were here...
Leaping into the air with Vector Change, I altered my fall onto one of the nearby roof with Telekinesis, saving me the time and effort needed to calculate wind factor and the parabolic arcs for a pure Vector based jump.
Cool ability yet a pain in the ass...
Apparently my jump had taken quite some time as shots rang out even before I reached the side of the building overlooking the alley. Looking over the safety barrier, MISAKA had hit the wall, and her goggles had been broken.
Aside from minor back trauma and a laceration on her head, she seems to be fine, it's strange that she didn't get pelted by the bullets she just fired.
Her attack unsuccessful, MISAKA started running off, abandoning her rifle as she ran to a nearby walkway and taking the stairs down to a railway train depot.
I can't see anything else from this vantage point so I guess it's time to move... Oh... Damn...
Before I could hop off the building, another set of footsteps stopped me from doing so. Apparently Misaka Mikoto had wandered in on the experiment grounds. This makes chasing the clone so much harder and more troublesome... If Misaka follows me I'll be in trouble... But if I don't go... I'll lose the window of opportunity to save the clone...
Guess there's only one way to take care of this.
Hopping over a few roofs before taking the fire escape down to the street, I ran to the walkway looking around again for a place to observe and wait. The top of the lamp post seems like a pretty good bet, but will I make it? Getting up there would require extremely precise calculations...
Well, sitting here and staring at a lamp post isn't going to save MISAKA as much as I want it to... Let's go, up!
Leaping upward towards the top of the lamp post, my head collided with the overhanging portion of the lamp and I fell to the ground seeing stars, Vector Change cratering the ground where I landed.
"That... Went well..." I muttered to myself, shaking my head of all the weird objects in my field of vision.
Checking that all my limbs were intact and my mind was working find aside from a minor concussion, I redid the calculation a meter from where I first stood, leaping into the air and reaching out for the bar, instantly regretting my decision to stand a meter from my original position, half that was sufficient. The result of being a meter out... Was me grabbing the bar with only one hand and looking like some retarded spiderman wannabe.
Oh screw this! By the time I get up this stupid thing the experiment will be over!
A few hundred meters down, the walkway I was on branches off to an overhead cantilever bridge. Chances are I could drop off this bloody lamp and change the vector upon landing to shoot myself over there.
My hands losing their grip on the lamp I started to approximate the angle and power needed to make the jump before falling.
The drop down seemed to slow time as I fell, what if I calculated wrong? The consequences would be too varied and scary to imagine... What if the change in vectors doesn't come into effect on time? I'd break both my legs for sure...
No point worrying about that now though...
Gritting my teeth as my feet touched the floor, I never felt the impact as I was sent flying towards the bridge supports trying to keep as silent as possible to avoid attracting attention.
I calculated for wind, for force needed to lift me and send me flying, for angle required so I don't miss the bridge, only thing I didn't account for... The landing.
Shit shit shit!
Slowing myself with Telekinesis, it wasn't enough as I hit the top of the support and crumbled over it in the shape of an "n".
Ow... From screwing up the lamp jump to screwing up the bridge jump... This is not my day...
Climbing up and finding a good seating area, Accelerator had just sent MISAKA flying, the clone landing like a rag doll without even cushioning her landing.
Turning around, the clone calmly as ever sent a spark towards Accelerator's feet despite bleeding from several lacerations on her head. The spark that MISAKA sent, detonated a hidden mine below Accelerator that exploded in a huge pillar of flames, gravel and debris.
That blast... Just what kind of mine is she using? It could easily take out a tank!
As the clone stood staring into the smoke the explosion had caused, a figure burst through the smoke shoving MISAKA to the ground.
I guess there's nothing left for me to do here, should I go before the authorities come?
My eyes glued on the scene that lay before me, Accelerator proceeded to rip MISAKA's leg off from her mid-thigh down, causing me to clutch at my mouth before I give myself away by losing my dinner.
Glaring back up at Accelerator, MISAKA shot a bolt of electricity at him only to have it reflected back at her, a coin falling off from her and rolling away.
Without even a care, Accelerator tossed MISAKA's severed leg and continued walking to her, MISAKA crawling using only her hands, her fingernails starting to snap and bleed.
Why is she doing this? It's over, she's a gone case. Even if Kaho were to magically appear and subdue Accelerator long enough, she can't get away. In the state she's in right now, she'd be dead within the hour yet she continues to drag her beaten body across the floor. Why?
The familiar sound of footsteps below me on the bridge announced the arrival of Misaka Mikoto on the scene, thankfully more interested in the injured clone down in the train yard than me sitting up on the top of the supports.
Crawling towards the coin she dropped, MISAKA clutched the coin towards her heart as if it held some kind of emotional significance to her, unaware of Accelerator approaching a nearby train car, most likely intending to use it to kill her.
"No way... STOP!" Misaka yelled, the train car already airborne heading for the clone as she screamed.
What can you do? You can't stop the train now with your power...
Not moving an inch I simply sat on the bridge, watching Misaka save the doomed clone, the train car crushing her with a resounding crash.
With his arms raised in a "glorify me" pose as the train crashed the clone, he finally lowered his arms before turning around to walk away but I barrage of lightning bolts scattered all around him caused him to turn to the source: an enraged Misaka, screaming a battle cry as she ran towards him, her face contorted with rage.
Truly, I've never seen her this angry ever.
Whatever, if she wants to challenge him to a fight, that's her business. Not mine. Maybe I'll head home now and call it a day.
? I sense a large shift in the ground...
Activating Misaka's Personal Reality, the feedback from being in such close proximity with Misaka threatened to make me black out from sheer power.
Having an Electromaster's ability active would make me more sensitive to changes and fluctuations in magnetic waves, that much is true. But reading the changes in fields is still something that requires a higher degree of sensitivity than I command. I'm only able to detect the direction of the phenomenon and whether it's electrical, electromagnetic or magnetic. But to be able to accurately sense it's magnitude... She's not holding back for sure...
Raising a large mass of iron sand, Misaka sent it hurtling at Accelerator, engulfing him with a black iron sand tornado.
Dammit what if something happens to her? Accelerator can easily kill her, should I do what I can or not get involved? If I get involved... What makes Misaka any more important than the clones? They're all human lives aren't they?
But if I don't get involved... If Misaka dies... Her blood will be on my hands as well... Not only the blood of innocents, but the blood of someone I like...
Feeling disgusted with myself I started a slow walk into the depot and by the time I finished berating myself, I was already behind one of the bridge support pillars overlooking the open ground they were both fighting on.
From this spot I could clearly see the two combatants from behind Misaka. Taking her eyes off from Accelerator for a second, Misaka noticed the severed leg that Accelerator had ripped off the clone. With a bloodcurdling scream, her power exploded, the AIM Field caused by her power increasing in magnitude exponentially. As she held on to her fragile frame, rails were ripped from the bolts that held them down, gathered into a long snake-like attack and launched somultaneously at Accelerator, the rails striking the ground in a perfectly straight line with Accelerator in the line's path.
Standing straight and not even moving to dodge or block the rail attack, the rails that touched Accelerator were reflected right at Misaka who was forced to dodge left and right with the rails now headed for... Me.
Oh... Shit...
The first few rails passed without any issue, the last few however, shot straight for me now that I was out in the open, after trying to avoid the initial few.
Normally when I am not in a combat situation, Energy Manipulation passively stores energy, this energy is stored in my body as glucose, synthesised by reversing the process of respiration. There is a definite limit that can be stored, as my body will start to convert excess glucose to fat but I can still store a substantial amount this way. Fat takes longer to metabolise and thus is not useable in times where a large surge is needed in a short amount of time.
As I am limited by the efficacy of my calculations, and the control and output of my abilities, I use Energy Manipulation to supplement these abilities, giving me more of an edge in battle.
There are three rails that are heading straight for me, deflecting them with Vector Change is not an option because I'll draw attention to my already precarious situation and become an instant target for the demon Level 5 who currently holds the rank of strongest Esper in Academy City, and for the simple fact it is not active. Even if I did get it active, by the time I did, I wouldn't need it anymore.
Therefore, I need to somehow avoid the rails. Active abilities I currently control are Energy Manipulation, Mega Gravity and Electromaster. Misaka has not sensed me yet because I haven't used anything electric based but it effectively means my electricity is sealed. So far my calculations with Mega Gravity have been on a horizontal plane, effecting objects with masses of less than ten kilograms. Using it now on three containers would definitely result in my destruction. Which leaves... Energy Manipulation.
A small localised reversal of the forward kinetic energy the rails have should slow the rails enough for me to avoid getting crushed like Misaka
Thrusting my palm outward willing the rails to slow, I felt drained as the rails slowed down, the energy stores in my body being rapidly used up at an insane rate.
I might need to start burning fats if this keeps up... But my fat reserves are minimal...
Thankfully, all three rails slowed slightly, just enough for me to dodge and weave through them and duck back behind the bridge support pillars.
I'm certain Accelerator noticed me, but he's probably having too much fun with Misaka to care as long as I don't interfere.
Now that I was closer, I could hear Misaka as she pulled a coin out of her pocket, "Why... Why did you participate in this program?"
"Huh? What's this all of a sudden?" Accelerator asked.
"Answer me! If you have that much power it's not like you could be forced into it... What's your reason for taking part in this messed-up program? Did you have a grudge against her?"
"Reason? Reason huh... Well that's... To gain Absolute Power." Accelerator said, calmly, acting as if it were normal, pointing towards the sky, "With stuff like 'Level 5' or 'Strongest in Academy City'. That's just boring right? Power that's enough to make people not even dream of challenging me... 'Level 6' is what I want. If you're Level 5 you understand right?"
He joined this program for that kind of reason? I was hoping he just wanted to support the researchers... But I guess he's just as fucked up as them.
After listening to Accelerator's explanation, Misaka was still in a daze, "What the hell is that? 'Absolute Power'? 'Invincible'? For that..."
Her daze turning into anger, and her anger into rage, "For that... something like that... you..." she growled through gritted teeth before screaming, "You killed her for something like that?"
Her emotions controlling her actions, she fired the Railgun point blank at Accelerator.
Fuck!
"No Misaka!" I yelled, bursting from my hiding spot, unnoticed by Misaka herself, who was blinded by rage, her coin merely touching Accelerator slightly before rebounding back at the point of origin.
Dammit Misaka! If he can reflect everything why the hell did you just shoot a Railgun?
Energy Manipulation won't act fast enough, Mega Gravity is my only hope, but that ability is so bloody unstable! One slight miscalculation can result in the whole area being crushed or blown away!
Locking onto the coin's trajectory, I quickly threw a microhole along its path, not enough to stop it entirely, but hopefully enough to bend it. Please... Let it work... She can't die... Not here...
The effect was instantaneous, as the coin passed the microhole, it bended towards the microhole although its momentum continued carrying it in Misaka's direction. However, the small bend was enough as the coin blew past Misaka and struck the steel rails beside her, barely missing her by mere centimetres.
Momentarily shocked by Misaka's survival, Accelerator continued prattling on, acting as if he expected her to survive, "That's harsh. Don't say it like it's actually murder. What I've been facing are imitations of you that can be made with the press of a single button. What are you getting tense about?..."
As the realisation of Misaka's nickname dawned on him, Accelerator laughed, "Oh I see... That just now was your big move, right? Even though you're on the same Level as I am... I never thought you'd be this dull."
"Well, it's my turn next, look like I can't expect too much, but... Try to entertain me a bit third-rate."
Oh... Fuck... Now he's going to kill her for sure! Come on Kaho... If there was a time I needed you, now would be a VERY good time for you to come out...! No...? Well fuck me sideways... Eh? Where are all these clones coming from?
"Please wait." the first clone on the scene said, "There's a risk that off-schedule battles will produce inconsistencies with the calculations. Misaka warns.
I lost count at 30... Just how many clones are there...?
Then again... Why am I so surprised...? There were supposed to be 20000 of them aren't there? To think I wanted to save them... Even 100 is too big a number for me...
No point sticking around here... If I stay, there is a very high chance that Accelerator would run into me since I'm hiding around the only way out of this place. If he catches me... Well, he's not bound to ignore me by the rules of the Experiment. After all, he said before that he had to remove witnesses... So...
"Yo, third-rate. What's a rat like you skulking around here for?" A voice said from behind me, the only person who could kill and not bat an eyelash and even sleep soundly, a voice that personified Death...
"Accelerator?" I gasped, whirling around, readying as many Personal Realities as possible.
"Don't get so jumpy. I'm only on my way out from here. Killing you might bring a change to the experiment and the higher ups would get iffy if that happened so... It's your lucky day! You get to walk." Accelerator said, waving his hand as he headed off into the darkness.
Why that...
"Why?" Misaka's scream echoed out through the darkness, "You're alive, aren't you? Both you... And that girl too!"
Grieving over the Sisters huh... That isn't going to get you anywhere... Despair is all the awaits anybody who discovers this program, and for Misaka it's no different. In fact, I'd wager that the feelings bearing down on her are heavier... She is the one who donated her DNA map after all...
Turning around and walking back amidst the clones to Misaka, who had fallen to the ground from her new burden, I silently tapped her shoulder, causing her to jerk and look up in surprise.
"Let's go. There's nothing we can do here."
Nodding her head in a daze, Misaka followed me back up to the walkway where she sat down on a nearby bench, probably still digesting the night's recent events.
"Misaka..."
"Don't say it. If you're going to scold me for standing up to Accelerator like that, shut up. Don't tell me that it's wrong to let a clone die. I don't know what you think about them, but they are...!"
"That's not what I'm trying to say at all Misaka! I'm offering to help!"
"Eh?"
Staring at me for a few seconds, Misaka blinked several times before confirming it, "W-wait, you mean..."
"I want to help you stop this program. Killing clones for something as ridiculous as this is wrong. And also..."
"And also what?"
Damn... I almost said "And also I like you"
"Also... I'm looking for something in the laboratories we need to destroy..."
"I see..." Misaka said, nodding to herself.
"It's way past curfew, we'll split up here and discuss strategy tomorrow ok?" I said, turning to move off.
"Yeah..." Misaka muttered, now hugging her knees.
With the agreement made, I walked off slowly, pondering on how I could be of use to Misaka without weighing her down, armed with the knowledge that finally, something will be done.
-End of Chapter 16-
And that's it! You know the drill, Read, review etc!