Chapter 19: Showdowner: Meltdowner
Pressing myself against the wall harder as if it would make me any flatter, I held my breath as the two femme fatale rounded the corner and passed by me, one with black hair and looking quite weathered, the other with brown hair and wearing a light coloured dress with short pants underneath.
This pressure... That's no doubt Academy City's Number 4 Meltdowner Mugino Shizuri! What the hell is this? Why on earth are they here?
Don't tell me, they got wise and hired some extra muscle to protect the facilities...? I have to warn Misaka! Although it wouldn't be much of a point to do so since the main course was here and not there anyway.
Their passing by... Just a few more seconds and I should be able to... What the, is that Takitsubo Rikou looking this way?
Quickly shutting down all my active Personal Realities, it seems I was too late as Rikou lightly tapped Mugino's shoulder, "I felt something just now..."
"What? There shouldn't be any Espers here except us. Where was it from?"
"Somewhere behind us, I only felt a small response before it disappeared."
"Tch, if the intruder's here we can't just leave and let them wreck the place. Rikou, how many more times do you think you can take the body crystal?"
Yeah, keep talking while I get away... If I can just make it out of this corridor...
"... Fine take some now, we'll fight the intruder here."
Fight... Here...?
Combat abilities online and hit the deck! Incoming!
Just as I pressed my body into the floor, a large beam of light shot through the spot I was in less than a second ago, melting the metal walls and turning the into molten slag.
That's just insane! I could've died right there!
Vector Change offline, I need processing power and having that ability eat at it without being any use would just put me at a disadvantage. Until I understand how that beam works and the laws behind it, deflection and reflection are out of the question.
"Well Rikou, have you memorised the intruder's AIM field yet?"
"No... It keeps... Changing..."
Oh shit I forgot... AIM stalker... Normally fighting with multiple abilities active would be alright as long as I only displayed control over one ability... but with AIM stalker, she probably can sense the multiple abilities I have running. Damn it!
Poking my head up from where I was lying down, I stared directly up a pair of gorgeous legs, and up a dress with short pants underneath.
Shame the short pants were in the way... Otherwise I'd have an awesome view of... Wait what the hell am I thinking?
"Like what you see? It's going to be the last thing you see punk!" Mugino yelled, creating several more thin beams of light that definitely would have killed me had I not rolled and used Telekinesis to throw myself back a few meters.
Damn, not only do I have to concentrate on avoiding Mugino, I have to keep activating and deactivating abilities to prevent AIM stalker from getting a lock on me!
"Oh? Nice dodge there... But can you keep it up?" Mugino sneered, sending several more shots my way.
Telekinesis going offline... I know, what if I replicate Mugino's ability? If I can at least use it to fire a warning shot, maybe she'll back off! Hopefully...
Creating several micro gravity holes to bend the beams just enough to dodge most of them, a searing pain on my shoulder caused me to cry out in pain having missed one beam.
Mugino's AIM field memorised, now calculating Personal Reality compatibility... 15%... Too low... Even if I replicate her ability, the output would be too low to do anything...
But... She's not using her full power on me... Is t contempt? Most Level 5's limit themselves to avoid killing their opponents on the first move... But she's trying to kill me anyway so why the limit?
I might be on to something here... Is she afraid of her own power...?
The pain in my shoulder making it difficult to move as swiftly, time was running out for me and Mugino knew it.
Pulling off several needles from my arm and shooting them into the walls via Telekinesis, I rolled out of the way of another deadly beam attack.
Concentrating and manipulating electrons from their separate energy states into a single uniform frequency is not only a pain in the ass, it's near impossible while trying to dodge every damn attack from Meltdowner!
Wait... That's the answer...! Meltdowner!
Mugino's ability forces electrons into an unstable state between exhibiting properties as a particle, and properties of a wave. Regardless of energy state, the state that the electrons end up in are all the same. Using that theory... If I use Meltdowner to change all electrons to a single frequency, I don't have to do the parallel calculations needed to alter the random electron frequencies and instead just calculate one single equation for every electron.
Let's do this!
Mugino's Personal Reality online... Now converting all electrons to an unable state... Done... Now processing mass frequency synchronisation of electrons in the atmosphere... Alter their paths into one coherent line...
What happened next, stunned both Mugino and I as several lasers shone between us, bouncing between the glass bulbs in the needles.
The lasers are several more times powerful than before... But they still require cycles before they can be weaponised.
Taking advantage of the gap in Mugino's attack pattern, I used Pyrokinesis to create a flame sword from my hand and swung it at Mugino, bursting the gas pipe above my head as well.
While Mugino was forced to defend, I stood still as the flames engulfed me, Vector Change redirecting the heat as I crunched out another Vector equation, shooting me through the ceiling.
My abilities all offline, I lay close to the hole, trying to hear what Mugino and Rikou were saying.
"... is he dead?"
"I don't sense his AIM field anymore. Under a fire that intense, it is likely he perished and was burnt to ashes."
"No body huh? Saves the cleanup. Let the higher ups decide how to cover up this mess."
The pair of footsteps getting more and more distant, I let out a soft sigh of relief as I started to treat the burn I got from Mugino.
The area the beam had hit was charred black. Nerve damage extremely likely as well. The only reason the pain died down was likely because all the nerves I was supposed to feel the pain from are all dead... Not a very comforting thought...
Wait, that was the sound of a gunshot! It's close by too... I better check it out.
Using the hole the explosion tore, I hopped up to the next floor and ran down a few corridors, the action apparently already over as a hooded girl and two goons carried a lifeless body on one of their backs.
That's the fish eyed girl!
Alright so these three are definitely hostile, I'll take out the two big ones first.
Pulling out another six needles, I altered their vectors in my hand, shooting them at the goons, three needles each.
The damage shouldn't be permanent if they get to a good enough doctor, but I think I accidentally punctured one of their lungs...
Oh damn, that last goon dropped her..
Reaching out with Telekinesis, I managed to catch and lower Shinobu without much trouble at the cost of a straight kick to my ribs from the hooded girl.
"Geez, going for the hired muscle instead of me, isn't that super stereotyping?" the girl said, pulling back her hood revealing the young girl underneath.
Well, she's definitely cute but still loses to Mugino in the looks department for sure.
Widening my stance in preparation for an attack, I raised my fists in case she was a ranged ability user.
AIM Field memorised, now analysing and adapting Personal Reality... Wait a minute... This is...?
Her Personal Reality is more than 80% similar to Accelerator's...! How is that... That calculation ability should only belong to one person!
"Accelerator doesn't have any siblings... Just who are you?"
"Huh? I'm super not related to Accelerator."
"That can't be..."
"[It's the Dark May Project. A program that sought to implant Accelerator's calculation ability into other children. So she's a direct result of that project...]"
"Dark... May...?" I muttered, the name itself sounding strangely familiar.
"Enough super talk. My mission was to capture anybody who tried to interfere, I guess that means you too!" the girl yelled, leaping forwards, arm drawn back.
Please... Vector Shield deflects any kind of physical attack. Just what can she possibly do to... Ow...
Sent crashing through the wall behind me from the fist that made contact with my face, Vector Change thankfully lessening my impact.
That wasn't a physical attack. Just what is it...?
"To take an attack from my super 'Offence Armour'... Just what ability do you have?"
"Give me your name and I just might tell you."
"Kinuhata. Super Saiai Kinuhata."
"Well there's no way you can prove it, and there's no way to prove what I'm about to say. I'm a powerful telekinetic." I said, sending a small telekinetic wave at Saiai's feet to trip her.
No effect. No surprises there. She's covered in some sort of shield. But if she has Accelerator's thought pattern... Could she have his weakness as well?
Launching myself by altering the vectors below my feet, I made a quick jab to Saiai's face. Drawing back at the last second I still made contact with something incredibly hard like an iron wall causing me to cringe in pain.
It's not Vector Change... Otherwise my fist would be broken.
"My super armour isn't so fragile that it'll break from simple attacks like that."
She's from the dark side of Academy City as well right? Maybe I can bypass my "One ability" restriction...
Shooting a short bolt of electricity at her, the bolt fizzled and shorted out with no visible damage to Saiai at all.
Just what is protecting her?
"Just what is protecting you? You can't control vectors, so what is it that protects you?"
"That's for me to super know and you to find out!" Saiai yelled, coming in for another round.
Not this time!
Igniting my hand with Pyrokinesis, I thrust my open palm out at Saiai, drowning her in a short river of fire.
Whatever it is she's using, it shouldn't be able to stand extreme heat!
Wait, what's this brown gas? Then again on second thought, I don't want to find out!
Grabbing Shinobu and making a run for it, I left the unconscious Shinobu outside of the facility before pulling out my phone and using its GPS function to find the facility Misaka went to.
"Don't just super ignore me!" a voice yelled from behind me.
Oh shit!
Leaping forwards and rolling out of the way, I turned around just in time to see Saiai slam a fist into the ground cratering the road and sending chips flying everywhere.
Super strength, impregnable shield... Just what is her ability? It covers her whole body that much is certain, but what's the basis behind its function? What drives it? How does it work?
She was forced to pull back when I used fire... Could that be a clue?
"This is super troublesome, having to chase the target. Why don't you just give up already?"
Time to test my theory...
Creating another pillar of fire, I swung it down on Saiai, the same brown gas dissipating from her as before.
It smells horrible, wait... Is this oxides of nitrogen?
When nitrogen and oxygen burn under extreme heat, depending on the level of completion of combustion, oxides of nitrogen are formed. But this concentration of nitrogen oxides is too high to be natural air. Is her shield made of nitrogen?
Got it!
Shooting several needles into the surrounding walls and buildings, with Mugino's Meltdowner, I manipulated all the nearby electrons into an unstable state before standardising the frequency across all of them, organising the photons into a coherent flow from between the bulbs of each needle.
Ducking and rolling from another one of Saiai's attacks the beam started to contain enough energy to become luminous and appear in the visible spectrum.
At its current level of energy the beam should ionise anything it comes in contact with, even her shield.
"You're super asking for it if you stand still!" Saiai yelled, dodging and weaving between the beams.
I was expecting that!
Aiming the beam at the final untouched bulb, the beam split and refracted into many smaller rays and rained all around us in a light strike array.
That should blind her for a few minutes. in the meantime, I better get out if here before she can see again.
I didn't fulfil my objective of destroying the place... But I got out while leaving the place open for an easy raid in the future by placing needles in every key security camera. All it needs is a little light and the needle will toast the connections inside leaving the camera inoperable.
Now to meet up with Misaka and warn her about the danger that she's going to face.
The run to the facility only took a few minutes but it felt like I've been running for an hour. As I was suffering from post battle fatigue, using abilities to speed myself along was highly unrecommended as it'd only put stress on a burdened mind.
Now that I think about it, I haven't gone through that many athletic competitions and physical education classes without aiding myself one way or another. Guess I'm really unfit for my age...
With the bottom floor bulkhead already unlocked, no doubt a courtesy from Misaka, I gave a silent thanks to her for it and entered the facility.
No map, no torchlight, and no sense of direction.
Without any warning, the sound of a large explosion echoed throughout the facility, its source somewhere in front, probably in a different sector.
If it was a explosion, Misaka definitely had to be involved somehow, buildings don't just spontaneously explode.
Rounding a corner and heading straight for the source, I ducked into a nearby corridor as a small group of researchers made their escape. No sense being seen now.
I had prepared for a battle, armed resistance, a group of battle hardened Espers. But I had not prepared myself for the sound that echoed around the hallways, reverberating off the corners amplifying the sound further.
It wasn't the sound of screaming, of terror, pain or anguish, it was laughter. A crude, raucous laughter that sent shivers down my spine and cold sweat all over my body.
That voice... Isn't that Mugino?
"Gyahahahah! That's it? So this is what they're having number 1 do? Crushing 20,000 slimes for a level up?"
They're not slimes you bloodthirsty whore! They may be clones, but they're just as human as the rest of us!
"[I hope you're not thinking of fighting her, I can't save you if you do.]"
"[Then sit down and shut up. I don't want you interfering anyway.]" I snapped, watching a scientist flee from the psychotic number 4, not even caring that I was there.
A surprise attack right now would be ideal, fighting fair with a Level 5 was never my intention. But how? A majority of my abilities all have a range limit of 10-20 meters. In a normal battle, that's the usual range between my opponent and I. But is just around the corner if my estimation is accurate, Mugino is 40-50 meters away.
Hydro Hand was never an ability I could use for offence, it's good for defending but that's the only way I know how to use it... Mega Gravity is no good either as the micro-holes must be within five meters of my hands in order to maintain control.. Vector Change is a zero range ability, and there's nothing around here I can use as a weapon... Telekinesis is out, same reason... Pyrokinesis... One meter range, damn I don't even want to think about how I'm going to use that...
That leaves... Electromaster... Guess I have no other choice then.
Ionising electrons in my hand, I steadily increased the output finally swinging my hand around the corner, firing a several million volt greeting in Mugino's direction.
If I'm not wrong, I pretty much just signed my own death warrant... But I won't let her protect anymore facilities, even if it means burying her under the rubble of this one.
Misaka... I hope you're safe.
With a single outstretched hand, Mugino bent and parried the electricity away from her, her eyes rows raised in mock surprise as she tried to find her attacker.
"Oi, come out brat! I know you're here, don't start playing hide and seek on me all over again!"
Focus... Impose will... There's only one way to come out of this alive... And that's to act like an arrogant egoistical dick.
"Who said I'm hiding? Meltdowner?" I said, summoning all my courage and strutting around the corner.
"You again? Have a death wish now do you?"
"Death wish? Who's the one with a death wish here Meltdowner? Do you honestly think you can beat me?"
"[What the hell are you doing?]" Kaho whispered.
"[Acting like you.]" I shot back with a snigger.
"[Mugino doesn't know about me!]"
"[And here I thought your reputation was better than that.]"
"You think you can match the darkness of this city?"
"I AM the darkness of this city!" I yelled, hoping that my act won't be called out by Mugino.
"You are? Don't underestimate me brat!" Mugino yelled, shooting four beams of light at me.
Using an electromagnetic shield, I managed to divert the beams just enough to redirect the beams away from me, one of them searing my clothes as it narrowly missed me.
Alright, I thinking grasp her attack patterns well enough now. I don't have anything to counterattack with, but I have enough data to raise an effective Vector Shield.
But then again, if I have nothing to attack her with this fight itself is a waste of time, I can't take her out, that's my objective out the window right there.
Turning and facing my back to Mugino as I walked off, I shouted over my shoulder, "Looks like something came up. You live to see another day."
"Don't run after acting all big and cool in front of me!" Mugino screamed, aiming several beams into my back.
Reflect active, reverse vector.
The beams merely touching me before bouncing back in Mugino's general direction, the sound of destruction and the roof caving in was all I could stand before crumpling to my knees, "Holy crap I thought I was going to lose it! That was so scary!"
"[Your fault for picking a fight with her.]"
"[She was injured, I thought I could take her. Laceration on her right knee and left side of her face. Judging by the tilt in her stance I'd say she had a few bruised ribs as well.]"
"[You were lucky. If she was serious we wouldn't be around to talk about it.]"
Thanking my lucky stars, I made my way out of the facility, apparently a fire (definitely the work of Misaka) had broken out and was spreading.
It's time I made my exit too.
By the time I made it out, Misaka was no where to be seen and hadn't left anything indicating where she could've gone. Then again it's getting late, she would probably head back to her dorm.
Normally I would dread returning to my dorm because of the lack of things to do, this time though, it had never looked more welcoming.
"I'm home..." I muttered out of habit.
Despite the entire room bathed in darkness, I could make out a pair of red eyes glowing in the darkness before disappearing again.
"Akiha... I..."
"I don't want to hear it."
Just how long does she want to hold this grudge?
"It's not a grudge." Akiha snapped.
Oh yeah, she can hear my thoughts...
"Damn right I can."
Trying my best not to think any more, I took a quick shower and settled into bed, falling asleep in less than half an hour.
-End of Chapter 19-
And that's that! Read review you know the drill!
Author's Note: I actually intended for this chapter to be a lot longer, but throwing down against Level 4's and Level 5's for extended periods of time wouldn't seem right, especially since Meltdowner tends to go nuts (which would have a negative impact on her opponent's survival statistics) so yeah, 3500 word count a little shorter than normal but I promise I'll get working on the next chapter soon! Alternating between this fic and Accel World: Tales of Vengeance at the moment.