Chapter 18 - Stand by me

"Basically, You got quiet all of a sudden" Frenda said, checking a timer on her cell phone screen "Are you worried about the tremors?"

The two teenagers of the 'Explosive Group' were still in the elevator that would take them to the first underground floors. Unlike Shizuri and the others who would use the tunnel on the last floor underground, those two would exit the facility in a similar manner to how they entered. Since an evacuation was taking place, it was simple for them to simply follow the other scientists and employees to the exit.

"Some bombs have already detonated right?" Asked the boy, looking at Frenda's cell phone as well "But is that alone enough to activate the self-destruct sequence? It's a little too soon don't you think?"

"Yeah, but that's kind of irrelevant. The others should be coming out through the tunnel right now, which means our short-range communicators shouldn't reach them, but it should be fine. Basically, it's not a small earthquake that's going to stop Mugino."

The self-destruct sequence of the place was not like the one in the movies, with a big red counter on all monitors and a big explosion at the end. To get as little attention as possible, the best way was to blow up only what mattered or could be used as evidence and then bury the whole place with a small seismic tremor generator. The reason for this is that because of the country they were in, something like this was plausible to happen.

"You're probably right. I guess it's just my paranoia again" Kamijou admitted, but still with an expression of doubt on his face.

'But everything has been too easy so far. I can't believe lady luck is on my side'

"Kami-Kun, since our mission was a complete success, we could celebrate afterwards. Basically, we deserve it. Are you free tomorrow?"

Kamijou looked in the girl's direction the instant she said this, causing the blonde to avoid his gaze.

"Frenda, does that mean what I think it means?" He couldn't help the smile from forming at the corner of his lip.

"Basically, are you free tomorrow or not?" The girl began to adjust her beret nervously, still avoiding looking at him.

"I guess I won't have to go to the hospital again, so yeah, I'm free. We can all go out for pizza or something." Kamijou shrugged and then crossed his arms, which made the girl look at him with a slightly disappointed face.

"That's not exactly what I had in mind" Frenda pouted and nudged Kamijou's side, who didn't react to the gesture "Basically, you're an idiot."

xxxx-xxxx

The tension in that tunnel was palpable at that moment. The two Level 5s exchanged hostile glances, but only Mugino Shizuri had her guard up. She was sure that the blond boy standing there with an arrogant smile would not let them leave without a fight. The tea-colored girl took a deep breath and stepped forward, gesturing for Takitsubo to stay behind.

"Looks like you guys are getting ready to fight. It's a shame, I would let you go if you surrendered" Kakine said, removing his hands from his pockets.

"Yes, of course you would" Shizuri motioned for Kinuhata to move a little away from her

"I didn't like that tone. You're making it sound like -" Number 2 stopped talking when a big tremor shook that tunnel. A small crack formed in that concrete floor "This place looks like it's about to collapse. Looks like I'm too late. Are they using some kind of seismic tremor generator?"

"You look super confused" Mocked Kinuhata "Sounds like your contacts haven't told you everything. Good luck becoming #1 with such great planning skills"

#2's eyes narrowed in that instant. His attention was on Offense Armor now. With an inquisitive finger pointed at the bob-cut girl, Kakine put a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Wait a minute, you're one of the guinea pigs in that pathetic experiment aren't you?" Dark Matter looked at her with disgust at that instant "You have some of the Accelerator's thought patterns, so maybe you have some value to me. How about showing me some of that mediocre ability of yours?"

Kinuhata looked in Shizuri's direction at that moment. Neither of them knew exactly how strong the Dark Matter ability was, so they were trying to be cautious. Unfortunately for them, time was running out. If they didn't defeat this guy soon, this whole place would fall on their heads.

"I will go ahead and try to create a super opening" Spoke the brown haired Level 4.

Without time to create a strategy, Kinuhata shot toward the level 5 in front of her. Shizuri also didn't waste a second before activating her ability. If Offense Armor could take a few hits, perhaps a well-aimed electron beam would end the fight in an instant. However, her hopes of ending that fight quickly were soon dashed when she witnessed an inexplicable explosion take place.

A cloud of almost transparent smoke surrounded Kakine Teitoku just as Kinuhata was about to hit him. Even Shizuri could not understand exactly what had happened. It was as if the air around the blond boy had been sucked in and compressed and then scattered in all directions in a senseless explosion. Offense Armor had no time to react, she was hurled dozens of meters through that tunnel and slammed hard into the massive concrete wall.

"Well... I got lucky on that one. She almost caught me there" Kakine Teitoku said this and put both hands back in his pocket. The sarcasm was clear in his voice.

"Shit. What the hell was that?" Shizuri gave up firing her Meltdowner and looked in the direction of her teammate's motionless body.

"Don't worry, she's still alive, I didn't hit her that hard" #2 stated, taking a step towards the two girls "So, it's not too late for you to leave this place. Whatever you're being paid, you're certainly not worth facing me for"

Upon hearing the last part, Shizuri almost laughed. She probably would have done that if she hadn't just seen her teammate defeated and almost killed so easily. Kakine found that reaction a little weird.

"What's funny Meltdowner? Did meeting someone so superior cause you to lose what little sanity you had left?"

"I'm actually laughing because I realize how ill-informed you are. I'm not doing this for money, you fucking moron."

Shizuri took advantage of the fact that the boy seemed to have his guard down and activated her ability again. She aimed right between his eyes, shooting a Meltdowner beam at full power. But Kakine was not intimidated. At that instant, angel-like wings sprouted from #2's back; there were 6 of them in total, serving as a kind of shield that covered practically the entire body of the level 5. As it crashed into those wings, Meltdowner's beam was split into several smaller ones and deflected in various random directions.

"Ouch. That was a bit rude" Obviously the boy was unharmed, which made Shizuri click her tongue in frustration. "Your ability is indeed powerful, but it doesn't matter if in the end they are just electrons moving around. In an ambiguous state or not, they are still subject to the laws of this world. However, my Dark Matter operates on laws that do not exist."

Two more Meltdowner beams were fired as the boy walked calmly toward Shizuri. This time, instead of being scattered, the beam simply seemed to evaporate as they touched those wings.

"It's useless. I don't even need to create a shield strong enough to protect myself. All I need is to change the properties of any electrons that come in contact with my wings and turn them into something harmless, like visible light for example."

"This is ridiculous" Spat the girl, getting irritated with each lazy step taken in her direction.

"Just because you are incapable of understanding something doesn't make it ridiculous. But enough of that, you didn't want to accept my mercy, so I hope you are ready for the punishment."

Not an instant was lost when one of the wings flew as fast as a missile toward the tea-colored girl. She barely had time to generate an electron shield to protect herself from that inexplicable thing coming towards her. But her efforts were in vain once again. That wing did not destroy the shield, it was as if that otherworldly material had completely ignored those electrons in an ambiguous state.

A sharp pain made Shizuri grunt as the wing hit the side of her body near her hip and part of her stomach. It was as if she had been hit by a truck. That attack threw her violently and made her bounce several times on the tunnel floor as her body spun like a stone thrown on the asphalt.

"That was kind of anti-climactic. I expected a little more from another level 5" The boy suddenly became serious, almost disappointed. Stopping walking he looked at the last girl standing "Anyway, you are last one left. Your power may be useful, but your offensive ability is nil, so I suppose your best option is... huh?"

#2's expression of boredom and disappointment changed to one of surprise, but only briefly. His eyes seemed to play tricks on him for a moment. The scene he witnessed was beyond his calculations.

"Is that it, #2?" Shizuri asked, getting up from the ground with some difficulty.

The tea-colored haired girl had surpassed the expectations of the other level 5 in that instant. He was sure that he had used more than enough force to knock her out. In fact, he knew the girl had at least one broken rib. But Shizuri didn't care, she ignored the pain and made a serious face at that arrogant level 5 who thought he had already won.

"It's going to take more than this pathetic attack to defeat Academy City's number 4"

The pain she felt in that instant was almost unbearable. She had suffered an insane amount of damage after that attack, but her blood was boiling in her veins. Her body might be in a deplorable state, but her determination was intact.

"Takitsubo, stay further back. It's time to go all out" Meltdowner said this and pushed the inexpressive girl away, hiding and shielding her with her own body.

"Going all out?" Kakine smiled again. The wings on his back spread in an intimidating manner. He shook his head negatively for a few seconds and then looked straight into Meltdowner's eyes "Don't make me laugh. You're practically dead weight at this point, a cockroach that refuses to die, a mere..."

Stopping short, Kakine realized something strange. His wings trembled slightly at that instant, but it was not his will that made the inexplicable thing move like that. There was something odd going on, and he couldn't explain what.

"What's going on?" He turned his face with a confused expression "Why my calculations -"

The blond boy was interrupted once again, only this time by yet another electron beam that fired without warning at his chest height. As expected, Kakine used his wings to protect himself from that devastating attack, and obviously that defense was effective, as the blond boy remained unharmed.

"Huh?" #2 was taken aback once again. There was something wrong there "How did you... no... it wasn't you"

The reason for Kakine's surprise was because of the strange phenomenon that happened when he blocked Shizuri's attack. Unlike before, his Dark Matter didn't refract or transform the attack, it actually served as a physical shield. And worst of all, there was a hole in that 'shield'.

Yes, #4's Meltdowner beam had damaged the inexplicable wings that operated on laws that don't exist. A subtle smile formed on the girl's lips as she proved that fight was not yet decided.

"What is it #2? Don't tell me you're afraid?" She scoffed, but with a serious expression on her face.

Kakine didn't answer. Instead he preferred to take a few steps to the left. Changing the angle, he could now see the person who was certainly responsible for this change in his personal reality.

"So you guys still had a trick up your sleeve" He looked at Takitsubo, who held a clear plastic bag in her hands "Is that Ability Body Crystal? So its power is not just tracking AIM fields. Interesting. But it makes no difference."

Kakine's personal reality was erratic in that instant. His ability depended on precise calculations, but this girl was struggling to prevent him from using it correctly, as if she were putting extra weight on a pendulum clock. If he wanted to use his ability, he would have to make up his calculations by taking that 'extra weight' into account, or find a way to remove it.

Raising one of his wings, one of its 'feathers' transformed into a spear, targeting the black-haired girl. Unlike when he had attacked Shizuri, preferring to hit her only with a blunt impact, this feather was like a blade designed to kill. But Shizuri would not allow such a thing. One shot from Meltdowner was more than enough to destroy that spear until there was nothing left.

"Attacking a defenseless girl #2. Then I'm the pathetic one."

"Don't start getting smug Meltdowner. We both know that the real threat here is your precious AIM Stalker screwing with my personal reality."

In response, Shizuri fired three more lasers in the boy's direction. His wings again served as shields, but they were wearing down with each shot. Meltdowner's offensive continued. She fired beam after beam, while Kakine desperately tried to block using her Dark Matter. With Takitsubo preventing him from using his ability in the right way, it was almost impossible for him to go on the offensive, but he would have to try anyway. Realizing that his wings were beginning to wear out, he attempted a suicide offensive, throwing himself into the electron beams and trying to attack Shizuri and Takitsubo with his wings that were cracking at this point. But #4 anticipated this move. She held Takitsubo tightly and then used her 'Meltdowner Dash' to escape those wings that were still a threat.

"Nice try. You almost got me there" The tea-colored haired girl scoffed once again, smoothing her hair nonchalantly, which made Kakine click his tongue this time.

"Quiet"

With anger in his eyes, Kakine made his wings that were almost breaking stretch and split. Those angelic wings now looked more like an ancient gray tree with twisted branches. Number 2's attack now covered a huge area, like a rain of spears thrown by a medieval army.

Mugino Shizuri's skill, Meltdowner, could fire up to 4 electron beams consecutively, which meant that she was normally not able to handle so many simultaneous attacks. But the girl was not afraid. Before the attack was completed and the two were massacred by those gray branches, Shizuri picked up one of her items that she carried with her. A dark silicon card was thrown out and soon after it was hit by a beam of electrons that was split into several small beams. This was the move called 'Silicon Burn', which lacked precision, but made up for it by the large area of effect. The spears crashed into the tea-colored girl's destructive ability and were reduced to dust.

"There's more coming" Shouted Takitsubo, seeing through the curtain of 'ash' generated after the confrontation of those two abilities.

With Takitsubo's help, the girl threw another silicon card in the general direction from which more attacks were coming. This time things did not go exactly as planned. Part of the attack was not stopped due to lack of precision, which caused some gray spears to crash into the ground next to them, throwing debris that tore at the skin of the two. It was superficial, but it was enough for AIM Stalker to lose concentration for a moment.

Taking advantage of the gap created, Kakine's wings now descended from top to bottom, like an axe about to chop down a log of wood. Shizuri reacted at the last instant, grabbing Takitsubo by the waist and getting out of the way with the 'Meltdowner Dash'. Since AIM Stalker had lost concentration, #4 had no way to be sure how well her skill would fare against those Dark Matter wings, so she continued zig-zagging between those attacks that were much slower than the first one that hit her, but probably much more deadly.

"Takitsubo" Called the tea-colored haired girl, panting after dodging 5 consecutive attacks.

"I'm trying...it's getting hard...but I think we can counter-attack" Level 4 replied, breathing heavily.

Feeling the loss of control in his ability again, Kakine gritted his teeth in frustration. All six wings flew toward the two girls, intent on turning them into ground meat. Shizuri had to take her chances. For the second time in the battle, she used her shield made of electrons, but this time, it was incredibly effective. Those wings were burned by those electrons in an ambiguous state, which made number 2 flinch and number 4 smile with satisfaction at that scene.

"Is that the kind of climax you were hoping for Dark Matter?"

A courageous step forward was taken by that girl at that instant. She walked away satisfied and with her head held high as she saw her enemy tired and almost staggering. That fight seemed lost the moment her skill proved useless against that substance that didn't exist in this world, but now the rules had changed. Shizuri only needed a single clean hit from her incredibly destructive power and that fight would be over.

"That'll teach you not to mess with ITEM, arrogant brat"

Shizuri didn't hold back. Her Meltdowner was fired at close range straight at #2's chest. She thought about aiming at the dirty blond boy's head, but the girl hesitated as she remembered a certain person she didn't want to let down. But no matter, a strong shot like that was enough to make him pass out from the pain or at least incapacitate him.

"What?" Shizuri took a step back as soon as she realized that the situation had changed again.

The fired electron beam did not hit the target. Instead, the white wings that were almost completely destroyed blocked the attack. That was expected, the problem there was that wing didn't suffer any damage when it was hit. It had been the same as the second time her attack was blocked, the beam simply vanished upon touching that strange material.

"Looks like your trump card had a pretty short time limit" Kakine spoke that with his arrogant tone returning to his voice as his wings regenerated, returning to their original shape.

Immediately understanding what he meant, The Meltdowner turned in Takitsubo's direction. The girl had collapsed. She was lying on her back on the floor, breathing faintly with her eyes closed and a cold sweat dripping down her body. It was probably the first time that the inexpressive girl had used her power in this way for so long, and against a level 5 on top of that.

"But I am really impressed. Your group is not as useless as I first thought. That girl is really quite an asset" He pointed with his chin in Takitsubo's direction and relaxed his stance again "Firepower can easily be obtained, but the potential to screw with someone's personal reality like that is something unique. Such wasted talent."

As Kakine rambled on, Shizuri thought about her options. As proud as she was, she had no confidence that she could take on such a powerful opponent on her own and emerge victorious, especially considering the fact that she was already injured. This wasn't a movie or an anime, she wasn't going to simply unlock a new power if she didn't give up or get stronger because her willpower would keep her going. The world was crueler than most of the manga she read. So what would she do to get out of that situation alive? To tell the truth, it wasn't herself that Shizuri was worried about at that moment.

'Is he safe out there by now? I have to buy a little more time to make sure of that.'

Her hope of winning the battle was almost non-existent, so she chose to focus on something else. It was in that instant that she noticed a person standing a few feet away. That person would not change the outcome of this either. Kinuhata had woken up after receiving that senseless explosion and being knocked out easily. She didn't look well at all. A trickle of blood was running down her face and her right arm hung loosely at the side of her body, probably broken. Even in this deplorable state, the girl seemed to be willing to fight.

"Mugino, what's the super situation?" Offense Armor straightened its center of gravity and looked in the direction of Takitsubo collapsed on the cold ground.

"Not good. Takitsubo overused her powers and I'm badly injured" Shizuri said this while carefully walking away from Kakine, who no longer seemed interested in any of this as he kept looking at Takitsubo.

"But we're not super dead yet" Kinuhata still seemed to believe that they could come up with an effective combat plan "Did you think of anything while I was knocked out?"

A tremor stopped Meltdowner from answering that question. Their time was coming to an end and a choice had to be made now.

"Kinuhata, take Takitsubo and run away from here. I'll stay and buy time" Shizuri didn't hesitate as she said that. Offense Armor noticed that she was not staying out of mere pride, she was really willing to sacrifice herself so that at least those two could escape safely "Don't ask questions, just go"

The determination in that girl's words could be felt by anyone who heard them. Level 4 didn't try to argue, she simply nodded and walked over to Takitsubo, taking the girl in her arms.. Kinuhata was in no condition to carry anyone, but luckily Takitsubo wasn't unconscious, so at least she could hold onto her friend so she wouldn't be a complete dead weight. The bob-cut girl started walking towards the tunnel exit, but as she passed Shizuri, the level 5 stopped her. She still had something to say.

"Tell Kamijou that... tell him that I..." But she couldn't say it. Meltdowner shook her head several times before continuing "Tell him I'm sorry... for being so selfish... for not being able to understand him... and for not being able to stay by his side until the end..."

Kinuhata said nothing. She just looked at the devastated girl, both physically and psychologically, with tears forming in her eyes. No words of encouragement were spoken, no verbal promises were made. She was abandoning a teammate to die after all, what else could she do but nod her head and move on? There was nothing Level 4 could do there, other than grovel pathetically as she carried her nearly unconscious friend in her arms.

"Mugino" Takitsubo's weak voice came out almost in a whisper "I've managed to be useful, haven't I?"

"Yes, Takitsubo. You were useful until the end. Both as a valuable member of ITEM... and as a good friend of mine." Shizuri took a deep breath and clenched both fists. She wished she could go back in time now, and say those same words but long before this moment. But life was not so convenient "Now go. ITEM still has unfinished business here. I'll be right behind you."

The ground below them shook once more. Thick cracks now made random designs on the concrete beneath their feet, but Shizuri didn't care about any of it. She could try to find another solution for all this, but there was something that prevented her from thinking calmly at that moment.

'If Kamijou hasn't left yet, there is a chance that he will run into Kakine, even if minimal. If he took on that dyed-haired esper without a second thought, then he'd probably do the same to this guy. I can't let that happen... this monster will kill him if they fight.'

"I guess it's just you and me now. I was polite enough to let you say goodbye to your friends... you're welcome" Kakine finally spoke, without wiping that shit-eating grin off his face.

"Yes, very polite of you. You are not a complete piece of shit after all."

"So you're going to be like this until your last moments? On second thought, I have to give you credit. You seem to really want to take me on so that your friends can escape, but honestly, I don't know if it's worth my time to go after them. It kind of makes your death for nothing, don't you think?"

Mugino Shizuri could not complain about her life. Actually she could, but she chose not to at the moment. If she were asked if she was happy, the answer would probably be no, and that was why she wanted to keep living. The truth was that she hadn't found happiness yet, but she didn't hate living. She was like an empty shell, tired of the tedious life that was never able to satisfy her, no matter how much attention she drew to herself. But she still wanted to live, even for one more day, all because of him.

'Goodbye Kamijou. Thank you for trying to bring me out of the darkness.'

That girl was not happy. She had everything she needed, but she never got what she wanted. Her destiny now was to die in the darkness, even after she had chosen to leave it and go another way beside that boy. But... still... Mugino Shizuri was smiling.

"Time to get it over with" The tea-colored haired girl said that still smiling.

"You certainly don't have any trump cards left. I don't understand the reason for that smile."

Shizuri didn't bother trying to explain why she was smiling. The girl knew that monster would not understand what she was feeling. For the first time in her life, Mugino Shizuri was doing something truly selfless. She was willing to risk her life to save someone, even though she knew she would gain nothing in return. Even if she couldn't be truly happy, she would say goodbye to this world with a smile on her face, that same smile that Kamijou once said was the only thing she needed as a reward.

More cracks formed in the ground soon after another tremor. The tunnel the two of them were in was beginning to crumble now. The tremors were getting more and more frequent, turning some of those cracks into ravines, but neither of them cared. Number #2's wings opened intimately, while #4 made 4 spheres of electrons hover around her. Kakine's next attack would surely end that fight. The girl had not agreed to surrender or run away even though she was injured, so #2 from Academy City would show how futile that mistaken choice was.

'Our paths crossed too late. We lived in the same world...so close and so far away from each other. If the afterlife exists... I just wish I could see your face one more time... just one more time.'

A loud bang echoed in that tunnel. Pieces of metal flew and made sparks as they crashed to the floor of that dark place. However, it hadn't been because of an attack from any of the Level 5's. The tremors were greater now, but that wasn't why that piece of metal, which was actually an elevator door, had been ripped out of place so violently. It had been an explosion that had caused it.

"Huh? What the hell is going on" Kakine said, canceling his attack and looking in the direction of the explosion, which came from behind Meltdowner "Wait, I know you"

When the tea-colored girl heard those words spoken by the dirty blond boy, she did something that one could never do in a direct fight: She turned her back on the opponent. This explosion was not something spontaneous or part of the site's self-destruct sequence, it had been caused by one person. Meltdowner's eyes widened in that instant, she couldn't believe that the person in front of her was really there.

"Hey Shizuri, looks like I'm right on time"

She froze at that moment when she heard that casual voice. Her lips that had been smiling a moment ago were now trembling. The girl had already accepted that she was going to die, she would do it because she wanted one person to survive, but her efforts were all in vain.

"No...no...why?" Shizuri shook her head so as not to start crying or screaming.

Meltdowner didn't know what to feel. That person she wanted so badly to save was there. Kamijou Touma flashed her a subtle smile, walking calmly towards the girl who now felt like an idiot for smiling a minute ago. She thought her efforts would make a difference, but this boy had negated all that with his mere presence there.

"You don't look well at all" Kamijou took a good look at the motionless, scratchy girl. He lifted his left hand and placed it on her shoulder, but still she didn't move an inch. "I imagine you are responsible for that... Kakine, if I remember correctly"

"Very observant of you... Kamijou, isn't it?" Said Dark Matter, with his tone full of smugness and sarcasm "I had forgotten you existed. That was quite an entrance. Wasn't the elevator working?"

"Yeah, just my usual luck. Anyway, Shizuri where are the others? Are they safe?"

The answer he got was a tug on his shirt collar. She looked him right in those eyes, as if she was looking for meaning in that boy's bluish darkness, something that would make her understand why he would do something so stupid.

"Why? Why didn't you run away? Why didn't you follow the damn plan?" Shizuri asked, her lips still trembling as if she were standing in the street in the middle of winter without a coat to protect her from the cold wind. "Why the hell did you even bother to come here? Are you an idiot?"

"I don't understand why you seem so angry. I just had a bad feeling about all these tremors ahead of time and -"

"Quiet. I don't want to hear any excuses. You just had to follow the damn plan...which you made yourself" She let go of him and looked again at Kakine, who looked bored listening to that conversation "Now get the hell out, I still have unfinished business"

A part of her wanted him to listen to her and get out of there. The reason she stayed behind was so that she could buy as much time as possible to try and stop these two from meeting, but now all she could do was ask that idiot to go away and leave her for dead.

"Unfortunately I can't do that" Kamijou stepped forward and clenched his fist "Either you leave here with me by your side, or neither of us leave"

But the other part was repeating in her head 'Stand by me'. And the tea-colored girl almost smiled again when she heard Kamijou say that in such a firm tone. But the situation would not change regardless of what the boy had to say. She could not let those two face each other, not when there was no guarantee that Kamijou's power would be effective here. The power of the spiky-haired boy was inexplicable, but the same could be said for the level 5 in front of them. There was a good chance that the Imagine Breaker would not work on something that did not follow the laws of this world. If that were true, there wouldn't even be a fight to begin with.

"Kamijou, please... please" Meltdowner was almost pleading, even though she was sure the boy wouldn't hear her.

"My god, such drama" It was Kakine who decided to speak this time "You, 'something Kamijou', if you came to fight then be quick. I have no more business here, this place is already doomed after all. At least try to entertain me a little."

Number 2 in Academy City stepped forward as well. Due to the tremors, there was a large ravine between those two boys with abnormal powers. If Kamijou ran at full speed, he could cross this obstacle in one jump. That was what he was about to do.

"You are a high level esper right? Level 4 maybe?" Continued the blond boy "If you two work together maybe...who am I trying to fool, no matter how many garbage you put together, the result is still the same. But I am curious to know what your power is. Was this explosion caused by your ability?"

The corner of Kamijou's lip curved at that moment. That Level 5 couldn't be more wrong.

"I'm actually just a level 0" Kamijou said, without hesitation or reeling. He watched Kakine's eyes narrow in surprise and disbelief "Maybe I won't make much difference in this fight, but I can't just abandon the person I promised to stand by her side"

"Level 0?" The blonde esper looked at Meltdowner instead of Kamijou as he asked that question "Is that true?" Seeing the girl's indifferent reaction, Kakine slapped his own forehead and cracked a grin as he let out a laugh. "Really? I'm not the kind of person to judge other people's tastes, but there is a limit to how pathetic someone can be."

A dry laugh echoed. Kakine shook his head and continued laughing as if he had heard the best joke of his life. Kamijou in turn didn't find it funny at all.

"The only pathetic person here is you" The spiky haired boy clenched his fist as tightly as possible "I barely know you but I can already tell that you're just another one of those assholes who only see levels. Is that why you set up this whole idiotic plan about becoming number one? So that you can feel superior to everyone else? What could be more pathetic than that?"

"I could try to explain to you how stupid you are being right now with these presumptions of yours, but something tells me that level 0 brain of yours wouldn't understand" scoffed the blond boy, unmoved by the level 0's words "Then let's get this over with before I fall asleep while listening to you"

Not another word was exchanged. Kamijou's fist was already ready to wipe that arrogant smile off that level 5's face. The distance between them was not long, but he needed to make a leap to reach Kakine, who was not willing to take the initiative, since he seemed indifferent to the whole thing. Kamijou sped up, preparing to throw himself directly into battle against the second strongest esper. The boy with the spiky hair got as close as possible to the abyss made by the tremors that were getting bigger and bigger and jumped without fear.

Kamijou's body freed itself from the bonds of gravity for a short time. When he landed on the other side, he would need to run for another 5 meters or so to get his opponent within punching range. If he used the surprise factor to his favor, he might have the advantage there. But his combat strategy was stopped the instant his feet left the ground. He felt something pull his left arm hard, then a soft sensation spread over almost his entire body. Something stopped him from landing on the other side, or rather, someone.

Mugino Shizuri was watching the whole thing with doubt in her eyes. She wanted to trust Kamijou, but her brain made her body move on its own as soon as the boy shot toward his enemy. She had to stop him, even if the two of them fell into that abyss together.

xxxx-xxxx

It was dark, cold, with a smell of rust permeating the surrounding air. Kamijou's blurred vision could barely identify anything for the first few seconds.

"Where am I?" he asked the wind, waiting for his eyes to get used to that darkness. His head hurt, but he remembered something important "Shizuri. Where is she?"

He tried to stand up, but stopped when he felt a sharp pain coming from his right thigh. The boy managed with great effort to sit up on that dirty floor of debris, while his blurred vision scanned the place.

"Shizuri?" He raised his voice. There was a bit of desperation in his tone "Shizuri, where are you?"

"I am here" A faint female voice came from Kamijou's back.

Before he could turn around, the tea-colored-haired girl walked past him with a small blue ball of electrons hovering around her, trying to throw a little light into that environment. Shizuri was limping and her breathing was unusually loud. She walked with difficulty so that she could sit facing the spiky-haired boy. Kamijou noticed the violet dress covered with blood on the side of the girl's body. She had changed clothes earlier and put a lab coat over it to blend in with her surroundings, but this coat had been thrown away, or perhaps torn off during the fall.

"I don't know what to do with you" The girl sighed as loudly as she could "Seriously, why do you keep doing stupid things one after the other?"

"I like this color" Kamijou ignored the girl and pointed at the small bluish electron ball "Can you change it to whatever color you want?"

"Huh?" Shizuri shook her head and undid the luminous sphere, making the tunnel almost total darkness "I can't believe what I'm hearing. The first thing you tell me is something as stupid and irrelevant as this? You know we both could be dead right now don't you?"

"Are you talking about the fall? You're right, why the hell did you throw us here?"

"Don't talk to me like that, dumbass, I was trying to save your life"

Irritation was clearly being contained by Shizuri. Even in as bad a situation as they were in, Kamijou was still an idiot. The tea-colored girl had made them both fall into this second tunnel that was still under construction. She hadn't thrown herself to her death obviously.

"Saving my life? By hugging me and throwing us both into an abyss? Are you sure I'm the dumbass here?" Kamijou was uncomfortable with this situation he was forced into.

"Yes, you are. And don't talk as if I don't have a plan. I used the recoil of my Meltdowner to slow our fall. Besides, you have that thing there on your wrist."

"Yeah, yeah… and our landing was totally perfect. You're limping, which means you must have twisted your ankle or worse. Come here, let me take a look.

"Worry about yourself, smartass" She slapped the hand Kamijou held out toward her "Haven't you noticed that thing on your leg?"

The pain in Kamijou's thigh obviously had an explanation. As he put it sarcastically, their landing had not been perfect. His bad luck had struck again, as a metal object now pierced deep into his thigh. Red tinged his pants and a rusty smell exuded from the liquid escaping from the wound in the boy's leg.

"Is that a rebar?" The boy brought his right hand to the metal object, but Shizuri held his hand to stop him from doing something stupid.

"Wait, don't just go removing something like that, do you want to die of hemorrhaging?" She warned, pushing the boy's hand away.

"And what do you want me to do? I can't walk around with something like that stuck in my leg. If something happens like I fall or something, the damage will be greater."

"OK, then leave it to me" She reached over and firmly held the rebar, which made the boy shudder with pain. "Are you ready? This is going to hurt ... a lot.

"That's the story of my life"

Seeing the awkward smile on the boy's face, Shizuri nodded, and then began to slowly pull the piece of metal embedded deep into the boy's leg. He grimaced and almost bit his tongue as the sharp pain grew worse and worse, but almost no sound escaped his lips. The wound was not that big, but he had lost a considerable amount of blood.

"Looks pretty bad. We can't leave it like this" Shizuri said this and then made a small ball of electrons float near her hand.

"Shizuri, what do you..." He tried to bend down to look at the wound but the girl used her left hand to push him back.

"Stay still, the torture is not over yet. I need to cauterize the wound so hold your breath and try not to move, I don't want to hurt you any more than necessary."

The boy just shook his head positively. Taking a deep breath and then holding it in, he closed his eyes and waited for another great deal of pain to come his way. It didn't take long for this to happen. Carefully, Shizuri used his skill to burn the wounded flesh and stop the bleeding, which made Kamijou feel an excruciating and intermittent pain that slithered through all his nerves as he smelled his own flesh being burned.

"You're even tougher than I imagined. There, that will do for now. Looks like we'll both take a trip to the hospital, if we're lucky and Dark Matter doesn't come here to finish the job" She sighed, but it sounded more like a groan of pain.

"I don't think he's interested in that" Kamijou looked up at the large crack from where they fell. The fall was at least 50 meters "If he was, that bastard would have shown up by now. Or he simply thinks we are dead."

"I doubt very much that he thinks so" The girl put her hand where Kakine had hit her and grunted in pain.

"You really don't look well at all"

Kamijou made a worried face. He and Frenda parted as the tremors began to get stronger. The blonde had told him that if the elevators were failing, he could use the marble-shaped bombs that she had given him earlier. The original goal was to use these bombs to move the containers if necessary, like forcing someone to leave the cover, but the boy chose not to use them because he thought they were too dangerous, which helped him get to Shizuri. When he arrived and interrupted the fight between the two level 5s, Shizuri already looked very worn out. Her hair was covered with dirt, several scratches were all over her body, and he noticed how she was trying to lean more on one side, which made her center of gravity a bit out of place. And now she was bleeding a little and limping. This scared him a little, but the girl seemed to be handling it very well.

"Don't worry so much about me. I'll be fine as long as I get out of here. Pain isn't much of a problem, considering how much pressure my ability puts on my body" The girl began, receiving a curious look.

"What do you mean? Is your ability dangerous to you too?"

"Didn't I mention that to you? My ability is so powerful that I have to hold back or else I could hurt myself. I always use it at the limit of what is acceptable, which demands a lot from my body."

"I see. And since you wanted to become as strong as possible, your pain tolerance increased as you trained harder and harder" Kamijou stopped talking for a moment and put his hand on his chin "Come to think of it, you have quite a masochistic ability"

Shizuri's face went blank when she heard Kamijou pronounce such stupidity with the most serious face in the world. The tea-colored girl would get up and walk out of there or punch him in the ribs, but her willpower drained away with every second she remained in this tunnel. And the boy wasn't finished yet.

"And what is worse is that your personality is quite sadistic. That's a dangerous combination, Shizuri-chan."

"Okay, now you're just mocking me" Meltdowner was clearly annoyed now. She tried to get up with all the difficulty in the world, but now it was Kamijou's turn to prevent her from doing something stupid. "Will you let go of my wrist? We'd better get out of here and meet up with the others."

"That's a good idea" He let go of her and then smiled, but only briefly, almost imperceptibly "But how about we stay a little longer?"

"I don't see any reason for it. It would be silly to stay here with -" The girl stopped talking when something touched her lips.

"Everything is going to be fine. As long as I'm on your side, there's nothing to worry about" He made her stop talking by placing his index finger on her lips. It had been his turn to use that technique.

Shizuri carefully removed that finger from her lips. Today had certainly been a roller coaster of emotions and feelings for that girl. Kamijou had acted cold and avoided her in the morning, but at night he seemed like a different person. She would be lying to herself if she said she didn't like how bold he had been, but now the level 5 girl was frustrated. She needed to get something off her chest.

"Why did you do something so stupid?" Meltdowner looked intensely into those blue eyes "I had already agreed to die if it meant that all of you would escape safely, and then the person I cared about the most shows up out of nowhere and throws my efforts in the trash."

"I said I would stay by your side, didn't I? You can call it intuition if you want, but when I realized something was wrong, I had to make sure you were okay."

"Intuition is? Don't give me that shit. You probably saw the security cameras or something and then ran straight to save the girl in danger. Kamijou, why the fuck do you have to try to be the damn hero every time?"

"I wasn't trying to be a hero, I was just keeping my promise" Without her noticing, he slowly brought his right hand to hers "Do you really think I would just abandon a person so close to me like that?"

When the boy's hand found hers, Shizuri glanced down. In another situation, she would be happy now and even respond to that advance, but that was not the case here. The girl had decided that she would not think only of herself, so she just sighed wearily. She was determined to postpone her own happiness, if it meant that the boy in front of her would no longer be used by a selfish girl.

"And you go to the trouble of doing something as stupid as picking a fight with a monster just to try to save a friend? Honestly, I don't even deserve your efforts."

"Shizuri, you seem to be getting one thing wrong here"

Kamijou now had a small smile on his face. Interlacing the fingers of his hand in hers, the spiky-haired boy looked at her with all the intensity he could muster from those dark blue eyes. It didn't have as much effect on her as it used to, but that didn't matter, because the words that came next were sure to affect her.

"I wasn't trying to save a friend, I was trying to save the girl I like"

Shizuri's perception of the world around her seemed to change for a brief instant. She blinked her eyes two... three times, but her lips did not make a single sound. For an instant, none of it seemed real. Her body had forgotten that it was hurt, as the pain had completely gone and a light feeling was in place. The girl was confused, surprised, perplexed, and most of all... she was happy.

"What?" Shizuri still couldn't believe what she had heard "You...you said you like me?"

All the anger and frustration she felt were also gone, as if they had never existed in the first place. Her eyes were beginning to moisten, and Shizuri was sure she couldn't keep it from getting worse.

"Yes, that's what I said" Kamijou used his other hand to stroke her cheek and then widened his smile "You look surprised"

"I... I..."

The words didn't want to come out of the girl's mouth. Earlier Shizuri had been waiting for a clear sign that could tell how Kamijou felt about her. She had received that sign now, in the clearest way possible, but now she didn't know what to do with it.

"I don't know what to say" Level 5 finally managed to speak, with a tear almost forming in the corner of her eye "From the day I met you I did everything wrong...everything. I tried to kill you more than once, dragged you away from your friends and manipulated you into joining ITEM. I refused to help you in the park, even after you saved a teammate of mine without asking for anything in return. I kept pretending to care about you but..."

"You just wanted to get my attention to make yourself feel better" He interrupted her, still smiling "Yes I know. You were a horrible person"

"I am still a horrible person. Just because I chose to follow another path doesn't automatically make me a good person. You saying you like me won't change that either."

Trying to look away from the boy's eyes, she braked when he stopped smiling. His expression was very serious now, almost as if he was disappointed. This only served to make her feel even worse. This was so strange. The truth was that she had hoped to try to change at least a little so the feelings she had for Kamijou would seem genuine. She decided she would just be a friend, because she thought that was what he really wanted, but her aggressiveness got in the way. But now everything had changed, and she again didn't know what to do anymore.

"Kamijou...I don't think you can save me" She stated this with a voice full of pain "All this time, our history has been nothing but two people who were never supposed to get along, but my selfishness forced you into my life and now we have connected for a shallow and toxic reason. There is no two-way street here, it's just me running towards you in a desperate way."

"But I still like you" He firmly reaffirmed, still with a serious expression "You can make as many excuses as you want, but what I feel won't change. And don't say things like it's just you running after me, I just made a big step towards you here. Isn't that nice? Finally knowing that you can stop speeding because now I'm really on your side?"

Shizuri bit her lip on hearing that. He was doing it again. Just when she thought he couldn't surprise her anymore, he did, and it even looked like he was not even making an effort. This also served to frustrate her. If only she were able to understand him, she wouldn't be feeling this way.

"You can also make up as many excuses as you want Kamijou, but the truth is... I don't deserve you" Shizuri felt a squeeze in her hand when she said this as if she was in pain "And the worst part is that I only realized this less than an hour ago. All this time I've been thinking only of myself. Do you know why I wanted you in the ITEM? I thought I could use you as a toy to relieve my boredom and then discard you. When you made me your promise in that park, then I decided that you were really worth my time, and so I did everything to have your attention all to myself. I never thought about you, I just manipulated you all this time so that you would entertain me."

"I wouldn't put it that way" He retorted, relaxing his expression a bit "We are all driven by our desires. Being selfish is something that basically every person in the world has been at least once. You could say that I was being selfish when I manipulated you into making me join ITEM."

"What?" for a moment, she thought she heard wrong, but the boy left no room for her to understand on her own.

"Do you know why I asked for your phone number in that mall? It wasn't because I thought you were pretty or anything silly like that. My intention was to have a way to know where you were at all times so that I could show up when you were on a mission and try to impress you, that way you would find me interesting and look for a way to convince me to join ITEM."

"Wait... so that day in the restaurant..."

"Yes, I knew it was all a bluff. You probably couldn't find much about me. I made you believe that you were in control just so that I could get closer to you. Do you understand now Shizuri?"

That had made an impact. One of the biggest problems she would have to deal with Kamijou in the future was this fact. She had already regretted manipulating him like that, but this revelation changed everything. The girl should be angry now, that boy had lied and cheated her this whole time, which made her feel horrible and now she just looked like an idiot. But she wasn't angry, she was relieved.

"I can't believe it" She almost cracked a smile at that instant.

"I'm sorry for cheating on you all this time" Kamijou spoke again with a more energetic tone now "But I don't regret anything... and I would definitely do it again if it means I have a chance to save you. No matter how selfish that sounds, that's just the way I am. And don't say crap like 'I don't deserve you'. You are a flawed person, but you are full of qualities too. And I'm not just talking about how beautiful you are."

"Honestly, I don't know what you see in me other than that" The girl was starting to let her tone sweeten, but there was still doubt in her voice.

"Really? I wasn't clear enough in that clothing store? I don't think I've ever met a girl who cares as much about me, or at least shows it as well as you do. Your nature is a bit violent, but you have been very affectionate towards me, and that is kind of the best quality that attracts me in someone. And as I said before, having you around fills me with confidence. My self-esteem has never been so high. Anyway, why wouldn't I like a girl like that?"

The overwhelming doubts the girl had, seemed a mere inconvenience upon hearing those words. Nothing in the world could describe what she was feeling right now. This boy really was the perfect person for her. Now Shizuri could finally do what she wanted, without regrets.

"Kamijou, thank you for being a good friend" She smiled as she said that and then gently moved his hand away from her face. That made Kamijou a little worried "Since I met you I knew that you were different from all the other people. They all tried to approach me, like moths attracted by a beautiful flame, but unable to stand the heat. They found out the hard way that there was more than beauty in those flames. But with you… it was different. And I'm so glad it was. I felt so alone, but now I have an amazing person who wants to stay by my side even though he know how horrible I am. And this person is so kind, brave, interesting, caring, and understands me so well that it scares me sometimes."

Shizuri let a small giggle escape. She couldn't hide her happiness even if she wanted to. Kamijou felt that the girl in front of him was different now, and he was glad that he was responsible for this change. Seeing her happy made him happy too, so he was sure he had done the right thing. But the girl wasn't finished talking yet. Taking a deep breath, the tea-haired girl looked into his eyes, and this time it was she who caressed the boy's cheek with the soft skin of her hand. A tear rolled down her cheek at that instant.

"I took my first step in that tunnel in the amusement park above us" The smile she displayed was pure, there was no more pain or doubt "Then I will take the last step in the one we are in now. Kamijou Touma, do you accept this selfish girl as your girlfriend?"

Even though he had just said that he liked her, he was still surprised to hear it. The last word was spoken in a different tone than the others, almost as if the girl was tasting it, and he knew why she did it. He had kept her waiting too long, hurting her every time he insisted on retreating or trying to escape. Shizuri still hadn't given up, she understood too late that he was thinking only of her, but that didn't matter if the person in front of her never cared about any of it. But she promised herself that she would make things right now, that she would walk a better path with him. All that was missing now was for him to say yes.

"I'm sorry" He said simply.

But Kamijou didn't say yes. His hand that had been on hers slid away from the girl, which made her shed another tear, but this one was colder than the last. All she could think of at that moment was where else she had gone wrong. The girl's face was turned down as she looked at that hand that was now resting alone on her leg. Instead of asking why she was rejected, she simply waited for the boy to elaborate on his reason. Maybe he had a good reason, such as to teach her a lesson after all she had done. Regardless of what he had to say, she was sure that the doubts that reappeared in her head would remain for a long time. But she was wrong. Kamijou said nothing, but she watched as he lifted the hand he had moved away from hers. That right hand went to the girl's chin. That cold touch made her raise the head again, and as soon as their eyes met, she saw him smiling... and all the doubts in her head were removed... the moment his lips touched hers.

It was a smooth but quick movement, which surprised her. She didn't even have time to close her eyes or enjoy it, as the boy quickly pulled his face away from hers and spoke in a whisper.

"For keeping you waiting all this time"

Mugino Shizuri was not a happy girl. She had let herself become a monster for such a futile reason, and even if she wanted to hide it, it hurt. She hated herself, and so she tried to improve herself in as many areas as possible, so that at least other people would like or admire her. But all she got were empty compliments that were never enough. That girl was sure she would never be able to be happy, no matter how hard she tried. She was happy now because she was so wrong.

"I can't accept your apology" The girl wiped the tears from her face and then moved as close as possible to the interesting person in front of her "Not after that half-assed kiss"

This time it was for real. The girl with the tea-colored hair moistened her lips and pressed them to his. She was not known for being gentle, and having to wait so long only made the situation worse. Shizuri looped Kamijou's neck as she continued to take hold of his lips. Her hands then moved to the back of his neck and went up and down erratically. The boy pulled away for just a moment to breathe, only to be pulled back by the girl who was now pressing her body against him as well, as if to say that she would not let him escape her. Ecstasy overcame Kamijou as well, so he allowed himself to be carried away by the moment and took the opportunity to wrap her in his arms and feel her softness even through that thin dress. After several seconds, they finally breathlessly pulled away from each other.

"Apology accepted" Shizuri said, with a mischievous smile on that angelic face.

"You sure are an intense girl, Shizuri." Kamijou was also smiling at that instant "A little demanding too"

"We both know that I'm not the type to settle for little. So you'd better make an effort to be a good boyfriend, Touma."

The spiky-haired boy felt something strange creep through his body at that instant. It was a good feeling. Hearing a mature-looking girl say his name like that made him freeze for about two seconds. He almost leaned towards her to kiss her again out of reflex, but he just held both of her hands and intertwined his fingers with hers.

After spending so much time running in circles, Kamijou Touma decided that he would give himself a chance to try to be happy. That boy was supposed to be the reference point for those who were alone and lost, but he needed a reference point too if he wanted to move forward. He needed someone who would support him and give him confidence, and who would comfort him in his moments of misfortune. Mugino Shizuri was a selfish and lonely girl who was driven only by the desire for attention. She had told herself that the path she had chosen since childhood was final and without return. That girl was blinded by her own darkness, but one person showed her that it was worth opening her eyes and looking for a better path. They were not perfect in any way, but they were perfect for each other.

And from then on... those two would no longer be alone.

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Hey, good reader… Kept you waiting, huh?

I don't have much to say about the fighting scene I tried to make it as believable as possible, since anyone who has read the novels knows what ITEM's chances are against Kakine. I hope it was at least interesting.

I also hope I didn't overdo the drama (I'm sure I did... just a little bit).

How many of you expected that it was Kamijou who was doing the confessing? My intention here was to show that their relationship is not a one-way street, since they both had to take 'steps' towards each other in order for everything to work out in the end. Another thing I want to comment on is that not all of the conversations and speeches given to Kamijou and Shizuri (especially the latter) helped them get to that point, some only served to make one understand both themselves and their partner. I hope that didn't get confusing.

Before I forget, I wanted to ask you how you are enjoying the pacing of the story? Is it too slow? I ask this because the next chapter will be very calm and will not advance the plot that much.

Anyway… into the reviews.

Majin Othinus: Gt2. It's right at the beginning in the hospital with the sisters, and Misaki casually watching.

Jaya2002: I didn't intend to, but that's actually a good idea. I will think about it.

Guest: High-level espers are intelligent, but not in all areas. A good example is Junko and Mitsuko who are terrible at reading people sometimes. In Shizuri's case, she knows how she feels, but she is confused because she has never felt this way before. Kakine appearing now will be important for the chapters to come, I cannot say more than this (spoilers).

5queso: What did you think of the fight? It was a little short, but I hope I managed to convey the necessary tension. Thank you for reading.

Xellos540: Yes, I wanted to make this parallel between these two unlucky people. Sometimes I get the impression that you 'really' like Frenda, just sometimes. Frenda says that about Mugino sleeping with a doll in the Railgun manga IIRC. I think this chapter more or less made it clear that Touma knows how Frenda feels about him. Shizuri is desperate. Really? And here I thought I had made her too aggressive. A few more chapters and you'll have a definitive answer. Takitsubo didn't hold back on that one. Touma used his precognition to dodge this question xD. They were not so close to each other. The scene where Touma negates this was inspired by the fight against Maidono(aka the chopstick girl who likes to throw buildings around just because she can) In that same fight, he negates a shard of glass thrown at him by telekinesis and not even his hand is injured in the process, proving that all the kinetic energy generated is zeroed before contact, I also find this odd, but it is canon. Takitsubo talks about how her powers work when Touma asks her for that favor. This is a little spoiler, but Touma technically has AIM in his body, quite a lot by the way, but it's not just AIM, it's something more than that(he thinks it is at first, but soon corrects himself by saying it's something different). It is never specifically stated that Touma forgot the events of Biohacker because of what happened in the queendivers incident, probably the light feather was responsible. And Aleis-tan not only laughs at him, she wants to do some sex magic too xD. They are technically on the same page now. Touma is the reference point for everyone he meets, whether he likes it or not. It was a good review actually. Thank you very much and I hope you had a good day today.

I reread Gt7 and I as well as many people are freaking out that Touma received a "buff" in his precognition. I wouldn't exactly call it a buff, but it is too early to judge, since the description reminded me of the scene in Nt22r where it is said that Touma can deflect bullets in mid-air with a sword. I won't say more than this because I don't want to give spoilers, but I intend to give this buff to him here too, since it's a canonical thing so it's okay I guess, but he will need to train a little more first. That's it... and nothing else. Nio Leaving… but not running.