Disclaimer : I don't own Naruto or Toaru Kagaku no Railgun/Toaru Majutsu no Index
The Trinity of Tokiwadai
Chapter Eighty One: Academy City Invasion - Sibling Battles in the Angelic City
"What by Science is going on!?" Mikoto couldn't help but shout in exasperation as she shocked a group of paramilitaries wearing the markings of Hound Dog as they skirmished with a group of Black Knights.
One minute she'd been enjoying a quiet night out doing some late night shopping just before curfew - the late night deals in the shops were incredible! - when suddenly there was an alert about the City coming under attack. Then just when Mikoto had fished out her phone to try to find out information on the attacker, she found that all non-essential communications were being suppressed as part of some kind of counter to the attack. Just how that worked was beyond her. But by that point Mikoto had realized things were serious, especially when the City hadn't just blocked access to cell towers and censored broadcasts, etc. but actually shut them down entirely, making it impossible even with her Electromastery to just hack past the city's restrictions.
And Mikoto wasn't about to sit back and do nothing when her city came under attack. For all she knew this was an attack by the infamous God's Right Seat that everyone was so worried about lately and if it was then the City needed all hands on deck to fight the Magicians off. It was with this thought in mind that she had rushed off towards Maniple's base to rally the troops, whilst lamenting her lack of foresight in securing some kind of alternative means of communication that was independent of the City's networks.
Though such concerns lasted for only about a block or two as they were supplanted with more immediate concerns as she found herself in the middle of squads of Hound Dog and Black Knights actively fighting in the streets of downtown School District 16!
Which is what led her to intervening on behalf of the latter. Sure, the former might be a unit supposedly under the direct command of Naru's boss, the City's General Superintendent, but that guy was even by Naru's admission a bad guy, and Mikoto knew Zero personally and could unequivocally say that he was a good guy. So it was only natural for her to help the latter's men.
"Are these Hound Dog goons exploiting the chaos of the attack on the City to get up to no good?" She demanded of the leader of the Black Knights squad, who gulped nervously at her in response, though that might have something to do with the electricity that was arcing around Mikoto as she asked her question, before he pressed a hand to a earpiece he was wearing and nodded along to whatever was being said to him through the device.
"Yes, sir. I'll let her know." The man said with a nod before moving his hand away from the device and turning his attention towards an impatiently waiting Mikoto. "Misaka-sama, Zero-sama would like to speak to you. He says he'll explain everything. He's in our command trailer about a block down the street."
"And you can't just tell me?" Mikoto asked, arching an eyebrow.
"I would if I knew everything that was going on." The man said with an apologetic shake of his head. "Sadly Zero-sama didn't really have much time to brief us beyond the basics. All I know is that Hound Dog has taken some VVIPs (Very, very important person) hostage in their misguided bid to defend the City against the attacking Magician and that we need to rescue them."
"VVIPs? Who are we talking about here?"
The Black Knight gulped nervously at the question and Mikoto had to wonder why, though the reason presented itself when he answered. "Saten-sama and her daughter, Last Order-sama."
"What!?"
"You're surprisingly calm, Misaka-san." Zero, or as his family and friends knew him, Lelouch Lamperouge, observed as he looked at the [Railgun] that stood across from him at the holographic projector that served as his tactical display inside the Black Knights' command trailer. "Considering one of your best friends and her daughter, one of your sisters, has been kidnapped, I'd have expected more of a reaction."
Though perhaps that she wasn't going on a rampage was worse. She wasn't even sparking like she was known to do when irritated. Instead, she looked coldly furious and laser focused on the situation at hand. Lelouch pitied the Hound Dog fools who stood in her way tonight.
"I'm so angry that I've gone full loop back to calm. Now enough with the remarks." The Level 5 said with chilling eyes. "What needs to get gone? What do we know?"
None of the playful banter she was known for either, it seemed. Fair enough, he'd be in the same boat if someone had taken Shirley, Nunnally or Alice. Heck, he'd probably be worse.
That reminds me though… I really need more guy friends…
Pushing that depressing thought aside, Lelouch answered the Level 5. "Hound Dog, using Last Order-chan as leverage, has effectively coerced Saten-sama into working for them. She's the one responsible for somehow transforming the entity known as Kazakiri Hyouka into that." At this Lelouch gestured at one portion of his tactical display that was projecting an image of the golden tentacled mass that now occupied most of School District 19. "Based on information provided by Military Otaku-san, this has effectively left her in a comatose state."
Misaka-sama turned to her sister questioningly at this.
"20001 has been feeding us information of the situation in the Hound Dog base via the Network. Misaka explained." The Sister, who was dressed in combat fatigues, said with a frown as she pointed at a specific location on a map of School District 16 on the tactical display. "The base right there. Misaka adds."
"And Order-chan is being held prisoner there?" Misaka-sama asked, her eyes narrowing.
"Not exactly, Misaka says with a shake of head." The Sister said with a frown. "No one is specifically keeping 20001 there at the moment, however what Saten-sama has done to awaken Kazakiri-san's Andel Mode has left her effectively paralyzed. Misaka continues. And with Namikaze-sama having been forced to redeploy to defend Kazakiri-san's physical body by order of the Superintendent-"
Academy City's mysterious General Superintendent, Aleister Crowley. Even Lelouch had little notion about what could be going through that man's mind. Partly because the man despite being the Father of the City was a Magician and despite Lelouch's best efforts, the intricacies of magic eluded him. Partly because the man had been scheming longer than Lelouch had been alive and though he prided himself on his intelligence, experience was not an advantage that was easily overcome. Especially not when he suspected Crowley was as, if not more, intelligent than he was.
"-20001 will not leave Saten-sama there alone. Misaka elaborates further."
"Damn that guy! Naru wouldn't have left for anything else." Misaka-sama bit her thumb in thought. "So whatever is happening with Kazakiri-san is probably important. But why the hell is she working with Hound Dog in the first place?"
"She was assigned to by the Superintendent." Lelouch explained. "We, the Black Knights that is, learned of that and realized that any Incident that required him to mobilize both the Number 2 and his most elite paramilitary unit must be a serious affair indeed and thus prepared ourselves to move to support them if need be. But then Military Otaku-san here contacted us and explained the situation with Saten-sama and things turned into a rescue operation."
Misaka-sama nodded. "We can't leave Ruiko and Order-chan at Hound Dog's mercy. They might be safe for now while they're distracted by the Magician attacking the City but that won't last."
"Fret not, Onee-sama, Misaka says, looking sure and bold. For we have our arsenal at the ready! Misaka assures. With it, we will rescue Saten-sama and 20001. Misaka declares." Military Otaku-san said with bold confidence.
"Are you sure we have enough?" Misaka-sama asked as she looked at the map of School District 16 and the green and red dots that signified the friendly and hostile forces currently known to be deployed in the field. "It looks like we're outnumbered. Why don't we call in Maniple or other-"
"I am afraid we cannot, Misaka-sama." Lelouch informed her apologetically. "Maniple is officially a unit tied to Oyafune-sama. If they attacked the Superintendent's forces, it would be perceived as a hostile act by her against him and could easily spark a full blown civil war. We're getting away with doing so by being independents. We'll get flak from the Superintendent once this night is done, but I have ways to handle that. But setting those concerns aside, we have no means to even contact them or any of our other allies. The communications blackout that the City has put in place is very comprehensive, it's a wonder they aren't jamming intraunit communications. We could send runners to physically call for help but by the time they arrived and our allies mobilized, things would be too late. I'm afraid we're on our own."
"Dammit, of course that's not an option." The [Railgun] all but snarled.
"Don't worry, Onee-sama. Misaka assures. We have more than enough firepower to win this battle."
"Military Otaku-san is correct, Misaka-sama. Hound Dog might outnumber us but we're generally better equipped." Lelouch said before he zoomed the map out to show a stream of red dots moving out of School District 16. "Besides most of Hound Dog is redeploying towards Kazakiri-san's location. I believe they seek to assist Namikaze-sama in securing her position against an attack by the Magician."
Misaka-sama nodded. "I see. Not that it matters really. Not now that I'm here. They can have ten times the men for all I care. I'm busting through their lines and rescuing Ruiko and Order-chan and that's that."
"Yes, we will, Onee-sama! Misaka agrees." Military Otaku-san agreed with a determined nod.
Lelouch nodded as well. "Of that I have no doubt. But to make that a little easier, might you two listen to a suggestion of mine on where you should attack?"
The location that Zero had suggested Mikoto and her sisters in the Council of Misakas to attack turned out to be a road intersection about half a block down from Seventh Mist, a mall that was a frequent hangout for the Trinity and their friends. An intersection where Hound Dog had established a roadblock that cut off access down the road that led to their base. It was according to Zero, one of the strongest points in the defensive perimeter that Hound Dog had set up around their base and if they could break through it, there was a good chance their whole defensive line would collapse and even if it didn't it would give them a chance to blitz a path straight to their target.
And thus it was that Mikoto found herself and Military Otaku meeting up in front of the thankfully closed and empty Seventh Mist as they prepared to storm said roadblock. She had arrived expecting to find her sisters armed to the teeth as they always were when they got involved in an Incident. She was not however expecting to find them in possession of one of the sleek black Mobile Weapons that she previously only knew Shutaura-san's Black Crows to use. One that was covered in various decals featuring a black cat.
At least that tells me which of my sisters is its pilot. Mikoto thought with fond amusement. Only Neko-chan is that in love with cats. She is a total cat mom.
"Behold, Onee-sama! Misaka says generously, the [Super Neko Mark III]!" Mecha Fan declared as she noticed where Mikoto's attention had wandered causing Neko-chan to shoot her a greatly annoyed look as she walked around from the other side of the machine, completing what Mikoto assumed was a circuit of the Mobile Weapon.
"Ah, 11132 is showing her jealousy again, Misaka teases as she checks her rifle." Conspiracy Nut giggled. "And hello Onee-sama, Misaka greets."
Conspiracy Nut's greeting seemed to spur the rest of her sisters into action and they all chorused out their own greetings even as they finished their own checks of their equipment.
"Please stop, 11132. Misaka pleads." Neko-chan said as she finished her greeting to Mikoto and popped open the cockpit of the Mobile Weapon. "My Mobile Weapon is called the [Super Kuro], not whatever other name you try to force on it as an outlet for your jealousy. Misaka says with finality."
"Misaka is not jealous! Misaka declares." Mecha Fan shot back as she slammed the visor of her Powered Suit shut, though not before Mikoto caught sight of frustrated tears shining in the corner of her eyes. "Misaka is totally not jealous that 10032 got a mecha before her. Misaka asserts."
"Yes, 11132 is mad. Her aggression just went up by seven percent. Misaka off-handedly comments." Genki-chan pointed out.
"Mou! Misaka fumes at being teased before live fire combat!" Mecha Fan complained, turning around and crossing her arms. It was actually a kinda hilarious sight since she was wearing a Powered Suit as she did this and thus looked like an awkward cross between intimidating and petulantly cute all at once.
Science, I love my sisters. Mikoto thought with fond amusement at their antics.
"Besides! Misaka was given the chance to swap her Powered Suit for one, but opted to keep her trusty Suit. Misaka explains. It has far more options for customization, Misaka says as she is enjoying her tweaks." Mecha Fan boasted.
And by tweaks, she probably meant the new circular particle accelerator that was mounted on the Suit's back and which was connected to a large particle cannon. Considering she was still also carrying around her trusty gatling laser, Mecha Fan's current loadout practically made her a one girl armored battalion!
"It looks amazing." Mikoto said supportively. She was being honest too. Mecha Fan's new weapon was a big boost in firepower. She would have to speak with the Council's supplier though. While the situation certainly called for it, Mikoto felt they were getting more and more worrying weaponry.
"Thank you, Onee-sama. Misaka says, pleased with the support." Mikoto's Powered Suited sister said happily.
"11132, Onee-sama, are you ready? Misaka questions." Otaku-chan, now armed with her trusty railgun rifle, asked.
Mikoto took a calming breath and slapped her cheeks a few times. "Yeah, let's wreck these jerks and save Order-chan."
"Hai, Onee-sama! Misaka exclaims!" The Council of Misakas said all at once.
With the [Super Kuro] and the Powered Suited 11132 acting as the armored spear of their righteous assault and Onee-sama providing artillery support with her railguns and taking out the enemy's sniper nests with lightning bolts from the heavens, 14091 and her sisters slammed into the vile Hound Dog villains like a heroic iron fist.
With justice and sisterhood on their side, nothing would stop them from rescuing 20001 and Saten-sama!
"For we are the Misakas that will Misaka the Heavens! Misaka couldn't help but shout!" 14091 said gleefully as blew a Hound Dog trooper's head apart with a shot from her trusty combat shotgun as she followed behind the protective tip of their arrowhead formation that were the [Super Kuro] and the Powered Suited 11132.
Yay for righteous violence!
"What by Science are you even saying!? Misaka asks in exasperation." 19090 asked from beside 14091 as she gunned down a Hound Dog soldier of her own with her assault rifle.
"Misaka has no clue anymore! Fight! Love! Bring about Justice! Misaka spouts without bothering to filter her speech!" 14091 declared as she ducked to reload her shotgun.
"I think we might need to schedule an appointment for 14091 with Heaven Canceler after this. Misaka suggests worriedly." 13579 said as she stepped in front of 14091 and covered her as she reloaded by laying down a spread of suppressive fire with her laser rifle.
"Misaka thinks so too. Misaka says, seconding 13579's opinion." 10287 shouted from the other side of their formation. "But discuss this later. Misaka chides. We are in the middle of battle. Misaka reminds her distracted sisters."
"Misaka does not need an appointment! This is how Misaka deals with stress, Misaka argues against the harsh words!" 14091 countered with a pout as she moved back into formation and popped another nefarious Hound Dog soldier with her shotgun.
14091 and 13579 just exchanged a look.
"We're definitely booking an appointment for 14091. Misaka declares firmly." 14091's sisters said in unison.
"Meanies! Misaka retorts." 14091 said with another pout.
"Everyone watch out! Misaka warns." 10032 said suddenly from inside the [Super Kuro]. "The [Super Kuro]'s radar is detecting multiple contacts headed our way. Misaka elaborates. Based on the sensor data, its systems have identified them as TMF/A-802W2 Cerberus Mobile Weapons. Whatever that is. Misaka reports."
"Oh, those are evil looking, but cool Mobile Weapons. Misaka comments in surprise." 14091 said as she glanced ahead of their formation and spotted the incoming Mobile Weapons.
They were black, vaguely hound shaped machines with a pair of tentacles built into their backs tipped with a pair of additional 'heads' with built in particle cannons where their mouths would have been. Cannons that were firing at them at every chance they got. Not that these were the machines' only weapons as 14091 could see vibroblade 'fangs' folded to the sides of the machine's three 'mouths' that she did not want to get up close and personal with. At all.
They were fast too. Some of them were using caterpillar treads built into their legs and racing towards them down the road at high speed, whilst others were leaping from building and closing the distance between them almost as fast whilst using a quadrupedal gait like an actual beast. But whatever the means of locomotion they employed, these new Hound Dog Mobile Weapons were closing with 14091 and her sisters' positions fast!
"Scatter!" Onee-sama ordered, even as she fired off a railgun that destroyed two of the Hound Dog machines that were using their tracks to charge down the road at them.
Obeying Onee-sama, 14091 and her sisters scattered in search of cover. 10032 covered them as they did by unleashing a salvo of the [Super Kuro]'s missiles at the enemy even as her Mobile Weapon nimbly dodged the particle beams they shot her way, taking out three of the Cerberuses. At the same time, skating towards the nearest cover on the rollers built into the feet of her Powered Suit, 11132 dual wielded her particle cannon and gatling laser and used the destructive firepower they gave her to destroy two more of the enemy.
This bought 14091 and her sisters enough breathing room to make it safely into cover, but that still left plenty of enemy Cerberuses to deal with.
Seriously! Where did Hound Dog get so many of these things!? 14091 thought with pursed lips as she and the rest of the Network furiously tried to formulate a battle plan to deal with the enemy's Mobile Weapons.
Mikoto moved for cover as they were fired upon by Hound Dog's appropriately canine-like Mobile Weapons.
These assholes just don't learn, do they!? She thought as her nostrils flared and even as she ducked behind the pillar of some building or other whilst simultaneously firing a railgun and destroying one of the enemy. You don't mess with the Misaka Network, the Trinity or the [Railgun].
"Get out of the way!" A familiar angry yet still super cheerful voice cried out suddenly. Mikoto turned towards its source and saw Dolly and Kouzaku-san arrive on the scene in a jeep, of all things, with the latter behind the wheel.
Even before the car came to a stop, Dolly was leaning out of her seat with her hair stretching out in front of her in multiple rails, each set of which were arcing with bolts of orange electricity as the familiar bang of railguns went off. Nuts, widgets and bolts flew from the hair of her oldest Sister and rained down on the Mobile Weapons, puncturing and damaging a cluster of the Cerberuses.
This was immediately followed by Kouzaku-san stopping the jeep and tossing several jars in the direction of the remaining Cerberuses with one hand. Jars that she promptly shattered with a spread of expertly thrown knives from her other hand, causing them to shower the area in liquid metal. A liquid metal rain that upon landing on a Cerberus proceeded, at the direction of Kouzaku-san's Liquid Shadow ability, to worm their way into any nooks and crannies they could find on them and began to tear them apart from within.
As for the rest of the liquid metal? It coalesced into a single larger than normal liquid metal puppet that even as it leapt towards the nearest enemy got itself a power up of sorts when Dolly shot a static bolt at it that electrified it. Kouzaku-san must've changed the formulation for her liquid metal because somehow her puppet held the charge as it engaged one of the untouched Cerberuses in melee combat, where it proceeded to rip and tear into it with all manner of bladed limbs that it forged out of its amorphous body. Wounds that served as openings for the electricity from its charged body to surge into, frying the Hound Dog machine's electronics as it did.
"Sisters, take down these meanies! They want Order-chan?! They pay in blood and lightning!" Dolly declared as she threw bolts of electricity at the Hound Dog units.
"Dolly, you're watching too many dramas again, aren't you?" Kouzaku-san said with a sigh.
Her exasperated comment was almost completely drowned out however as the Council of Misakas voiced their agreement to Dolly's over the top declaration.
"Yes, Onee-san! Misaka exclaims." The Council of Misakas shouted as they began blasting away at the Cerberuses, which after the devastating counterattack they'd just been faced with were now reeling and trying to make a fighting retreat.
"Sorry for being late, Onee-sama, Otaku-chan." Dolly said as she hopped off Kouzaku-san's jeep and walked towards Mikoto and Otaku-chan, who the [Railgun] only just noticed had also sought cover in the same building that she had. "I had to go fetch my new weapon that Misaki-chan had one of her friends build for me. I thought I might need it."
Said weapon was reminiscent of Mecha Fan's new particle cannon, being a rifle attached to a large backpack by a cable. It was much cruder looking though.
"What is it? Misaka asks curiously. I don't recognize it. Misaka adds." Otaku-chan asked even as she shot out the optics of a Cerberus with her railgun rifle causing it to stumble about in disorientation for a few seconds. Long enough to allow Neko-chan to line up a salvo of the [Super Kuro]'s missiles and use it to blast the enemy Mobile Weapon into scrap.
"It's probably homemade. Misaka opines." Conspiracy Nut said as she made her way over to them from her cover, firing off a ammo piercing shot from her shotgun that damaged the muzzle of one of the Cerberus' particle cannons as it was lining up a shot on a distracted Tsundere, disabling it and causing it to reel back and into the path of Kouzaku-san's puppet. It didn't survive the encounter.
"Though, it suspiciously respenables a Proton Pack from Ghostbusters. Misaka comments whilst worrying about a lawsuit." The noir detective themed sister rambled.
"What? You don't already know what it is?" Mikoto teased her sister, who as the Network's premiere spymaster seemed to know everything at times.
"Nope. Misaka admits. It's not like I'm Saten-sama. Misaka teases."
Mikoto giggled at that. Otaku-chan and Dolly too. It wasn't all that funny, but coming from the usually humorless Nut-chan, it was downright hilarious.
"It's an electric discharge cannon. Watch!" Dolly said as she took aim with her new weapon's rifle and fired. A great bolt of electricity blasted one of the Cerberuses, forcing it back as its limbs twitched erratically.
With the Cerberuses now on the backfoot and pulling back, Otaku-chan gestured for everyone to form back up and they hurried to do so, their arrowhead formation shifting a little to accommodate Kouzaku-san's jeep which she, Dolly, Otaku-chan and Mikoto moved onto. And once they did, they began advancing once more, following after the Cerberuses as they fled.
"Onee-san, why do you need a weapon like that? Misaka asks curiously. I mean your hair railguns are more powerful. Misaka pointed out." 13579 questioned, gesturing at the latest volley of the aforementioned railguns and how it wrecked two more of the Cerberuses.
"Oh, I agree! But this gives me a portable source of electricity. Like all Electromasters, I can store or produce electricity like Onee-sama but not as much. Mou, and seizing control of external sources of electricity is really hard for your Onee-san, you know? Add in how much electricity I need to use to power my railguns, having a backup is the safest option."
"That was good thinking, Dolly." Mikoto complimented the girl. As Electromasters, if they ran out of juice? They were pretty much powerless. So having a backup like that really fit the long haired sister well.
Maybe I should get something like that for myself too, Mikoto thought as she pictured herself carrying a backpack into a fight like Dolly and Mecha Fan. It wasn't her style but she could probably adapt. I haven't run out of electricity since becoming a Level 5. At least I don't remember it ever happening, but the possibility is always there. Better to be safe than sorry.
"That makes sense, Onee-san. Misaka agrees. But why pair your generator with an electric discharge cannon? They are so inaccurate! Misaka critiques." Mecha Fan pointed out even as she laid down withering fire from her heavy weapons at the fleeing Hound Dog Mobile Weapons, taking another two of the Cerberuses down in the process.
"Well, like all of us, Onee-san is an Electromaster, which makes up for it. Misaka reasons." Genki Girl said in a thoughtful tone even as she used her railgun rifle to snipe the eye out of a newly arrived modified Cerberus which had swapped out its two tentacle 'heads' for a missile pack, thus screwing up its attempt to line up a shot. "Onee-san can use her ability to direct the weapon's electric bolts with her ability thus eliminating the issue with accuracy. Misaka elaborates."
"That's true." Dolly agreed even as the blinded, missile-armed Cerberus blind fired its missiles in their general direction only for its barrage to be intercepted by an arcing bolt of electricity courtesy of her electric discharge cannon that had obviously had help from her ability. "But even if it wasn't, I'm okay with it. The weapon bit was just an afterthought, it's the power plant in the backpack which is the real reason I got the thing in the first place."
"That's no excuse, Onee-san. Misaka insists." Mecha Fan argued as she finished off the pesky missile-armed Cerberus whilst its missile pod was auto reloading with her particle cannon. "You could've paired it with something more practical like my particle cannon."
"You're just biased, 11132." Tsundere sniped even as she tore apart the main head of one of the Cerberuses with what Mikoto imagined were armor piercing rounds from her assault rifle.
"Mecha-chan, don't push your Onee-san." Dolly chided with a finger wag. "Tsundere-chan, be nice to your sister."
"Yes, Onee-san. Misaka says." Tsundere and Mecha Fan chorused, though the reluctance in their tone was clear for all to hear.
"Misaka thinks Onee-san's weapon is cool and fitting for a Hero of Justice! Misaka comments honestly." Sentai-chan said, offering Dolly a thumbs up, even as she fired out a set of rounds that released a cloud of gas in front of one of the Cerberuses that hung in the air for a moment before spontaneously exploding in a fireball.
"And that's why Onee-san likes Sentai-chan! She understands me!"
"Mmu! Misaka fumes, It's not fair that 10032, 11132 and Onee-san get all the cool weapons. Misaka says, sulking." 10039 complained as she tore the tracks of one of legs of a Cerberus to shreds with a shot from her railgun rifle, causing it to crash to a stop as its pilot failed to adapt.
"Misaka agrees! Misaka wants some too! Misaka demands." 19090 echoed as she used armor piercing rounds from her assault rifle to rip the crashed machine to pieces, helped along by fire from Tsundere as well.
"If you wanted new gear then you should have volunteered to test some for Maniple like 10032 and 11132 did or have resourceful friends like Onee-san does in the form of Shokuhou-sama. Misaka scolds." 13579 poointed out scathingly.
"It's not that bad. I don't have any weapons." Mikoto tried to point out, only for all her sisters and even Kouzaku-san to shoot her unimpressed looks.
"Misaka-san, need I remind you that you're a Level 5?" Kouzaku-san said, her eyebrow twitching with either exasperation or annoyance, Mikoto really couldn't tell for sure, as she gestured at the electromagnetic shield the [Railgun] was creating around their formation and using to deflect the storm of energy beams shot their way by the retreating Cerberuses.
"Right. I, uh, kinda forgot? Hahaha…" Mikoto said, trailing out in an embarrassed laugh even as everyone once again shot her unimpressed looks.
I'm gonna have to speak to Ylva-san. Mikoto thought as blushing crimson, she turned away from the looks. Get her to stop letting my sisters get their hands on such over-the-top weapons. Or at least be more equal in their distribution…
Mikoto would have to think about it and decide which was the better option.
"Ladies," an exasperated sounding Zero said over the radios they were all equipped with. "I have been monitoring you this whole time-" Mikoto's blush returned with a vengeance as she realized what that meant… "-and as much as I am heartened by the familial camaraderie on display between you, could you please stop treating this fight like a picnic?"
His accurate description of the almost lackadaisical attitude Mikoto, her sisters and Kouzaku-san were taking to the fight had more than one of them blushing in embarrassment or muttering apologies under their breath. Though just as many of them exchanged unimpressed looks, among them Mikoto herself, with Kouzaku-san voicing their collective opinion, "The man dressed like some kind of Renaissance faire reject is telling us to be serious, really!?"
Zero ignored them though and just continued. "The enemy's lines are buckling. It's time to get serious and deal them the coup de grâce."
"Yay! Misaka agrees with a joyous cheer! Let's beat the evil doers and strike with love and justice in our fists, Misaka promotes!" Sentai-chan exclaimed with her usual exuberance.
Whilst Mikoto and the rest of them didn't quite share Sentai-chan's over the top enthusiasm, they did broadly agree with her. Thus it was with renewed determination that they pressed their assault against the enemy.
Just hang on a little longer Order-chan, Ruiko. We'll be there to rescue you soon!
It was official, Naru hated bodyguard missions.
"Seriously! How am I supposed to defend you when you're like that, Kazakiri-san!?" Naru griped as she gestured at the AIM Angel as she floated unconscious, with her eyes unfocused and her tongue lolling out of her mouth - like some hentai ahegao face! -, over a crater in the middle of a wasteland full of damaged buildings with her tentacle wings growing out of her back and stretching up into the sky. Over her head was a halo that was around 50 centimeters in diameter, on the exterior of which were pencil-like rods that appeared and disappeared at a rapid pace.
"Not only are you unconscious, which is bad enough! But you're right here in the open! And gosh dang advertising where you are!" Naru continued, gesturing to the golden mass created by the other girl's wings as they reached skyward and writhed seemingly aimlessly.
Not quite. Kurama corrected. Each motion is actually her plucking at a supernatural power in the City with her power, testing if it's supposed to be here or not. Whenever she's finding one that isn't? She's ripping it apart, effectively nullifying whatever power it is from working within the range of her Authority.
Wait! She can do that!? Naru thought with a gasp as she looked sharply at the Science Angel.
Her Authority can.
The Number 2's conversation with her partner was cut short however when suddenly a massive gust of wind blew towards Kazakiri-san with enough force to reduce the older looking girl into a bloody smear.
I guess Vento of the Front finally got here. Naru griped. It only took her almost half an hour.
To be fair to her, she can't teleport and she's on foot.
And why should I be fair to an enemy?
To be unbiased? Kurama said with a mental shrug.
Even as she chatted with her partner, Naru teleported ahead of the wind front, already preparing to pour her chakra into the ground to pull up an earthen wall to shield Rui-chan's sister but was saved the trouble when Kamijou suddenly sprinted into the blast of wind with his right hand outstretched.
With the sound of shattered glass, the hand rejected the magic with just the barest of touches. Such was how disgustingly OP (overpowered) Kamijou's Imagine Breaker was.
"I'm not letting you hurt Kazakiri-san." Kamijou said, his eyes burning with the determination of a hero, as he moved to block Vento of the Front's path as she marched towards them. "I sympathize with why you hate the Science side, but just because your brother died in an experiment doesn't give you a reason to inflict the same kind of pain you felt at his loss on people on the Science side!"
"Wait, wait! You hate Science because of your brother's death!?" Naru couldn't help, but shout in disbelief. "Didn't he die because you both got injured and needed blood, but since both of you had an extremely rare blood type and there were not enough blood donors of the type, he sacrificed his chance at treatment to allow the doctors to treat you instead!?"
"Yeah, so?!" The Catholic sneered, though the venom was muted since she was hunched over and breathing hard, clearly affected by the power of Kazakiri-san's Authority.
"Do you hate the cow if you run out of milk too?! That's dumb. Like, you have two brain cells to rub together dumb!"
"Um, Namikaze-san…"
"No, shut up!" Naru pointed a finger at the stupid boy. "That is the most idiotic, assinine, ridicioulous reason to commit war crimes, possibly kicking off a world war between Science and Magic, and act like a raging bitch."
"You have no room to judge me, [Laughing Joker]!" Vento rebutted. "At least I have a reason to fight. What about you? You have no true ties to Academy City, having arrived here from another world only to be treated as a lab rat by the Silver Star and his pet scientists. You are nothing more than a slave!"
"Uh, Namikaze-san, you're from another world!?" Kamijou gasped but Naru ignored him.
"I'm not judging you. I'm calling you a moron, you moron." Naru said instead, shrugging as she did, brushing off the comments as they honestly meant little from a flat out lunatic. Though she did file away the fact that the Catholics knew a lot more about her than the City ever expected.
We've got a leak and we need to plug it. Naru noted. Kurama, remind me about it when this is done, alright?
Will do, Naru! Kurama replied with a cheeky mental salute. Now keep distracting her.
Please, that's the easy part. Naru scoffed.
"So did the Church not help you process the stages of grief and purposely let your anger stew just to point you at things to attack? I thought your order was the best of the best, not mindless dogs that attack at the drop of a hat."
"I'll show you just how strong God's Right Seat is!" Vento shouted, spittle flying from her mouth in rage as she swung the chain from her mouth in front of her and slammed the massive barbed metal hammer that was her weapon into the ground in their direction, working some kind of spell in the process that conjured a massive torrent of wind that hurtled towards Kamijou and Naru.
"Bow-wow!" Naru barked playfully as she teleported away.
"Fukou da! Did you have to piss her off more?!" Kamijou shouted in exasperation even as he firmed his stance and thrust Imagine Breaker into the gust, negating its power.
"I call it as I see it!" Naru shot back even as Vento swung her chain in her direction whilst she swung her hammer in a matching motion, sending a powerful gust at her.
With Kamijou out of position to negate the attack, Naru was forced to teleport out of the way and did so easily. However, she was caught by surprise when even as she rematerialized, Vento abruptly swung her chain towards her new position and the gust abruptly followed the motion and even picked up speed as it charged course!
Caught off guard, the wind slammed into Naru like a sledgehammer and she was sent crashing through one of the wrecked buildings in the area.
That hurt like a bitch. Naru whined as she pushed herself free of the rubble filled crater her landing had created even as the admittedly ample injuries she'd taken healed themselves thanks to her regeneration. Was it in her Bank profile that she could alter the trajectory of her wind hammers?
I think it was postulated as a possibility since we know their trajectory was tied to the motions of that chain she has hanging from her tongue but it was never confirmed.
Ugh, annoying. I hate being caught by surprise by an enemy's hidden gimmick. Naru whined, earning Kurama's amused laughter, as she teleported back to the fight only to find Vento staggering back from what looked like a beating from Kamijou. The Catholic sporting a black eye and quite a few bruises as she did.
Kamijou hadn't gotten out unscathed from whatever exchange the two of them had whilst Naru was away though, as his right arm was very visibly broken and hanging limply at his side. From how his shoulder was bleeding from what looked like dozens of puncture wounds, Naru imagined he'd taken a heavy blow from Vento's iron hammer and that it had been the source of his injuries.
"And let's see you use Imagine Breaker now, boy!" Vento said with a victorious grin as she eyed Kamijou's injured arm.
"I take it back, you're not an idiot, Vento. You're an idiot savant." Naru complimented as she teleported in front of the injured [Imagine Breaker]. "I think you might be the first person in a while which actually took out Kamijou's Imagine Breaker without unleashing the dragons within."
"I've read the reports. Those only come out if you cut his arm off. Leave it intact but immobilized though? Well, it's neutralized but you don't run the risk of unleashing the fury of the thing sealed by Imagine Breaker." Vento said with a shrug before she shifted into a fighting stance, readying herself to fight Naru.
"Hm, I wonder what happens if I cut it off." Naru teased, causing Kamijou to go white as a sheet. Yesh, the boy really was useless! Couldn't he even take a joke!?
"Go ahead then," Vento said, smirking. As if somehow unleashing the dragons sealed inside Kamijou's arm was a good thing for her.
Naru blinked. She was missing something here. Why was her joke getting this kind of reaction?
"Uh, Namikaze-san, I can't control the dragons you know. They just go after whatever attacked me, so, uh, if you cut my arm off… You think you can take them on?"
"I was going for a bluff and you ruined it. You ruined it to Science hell and back. Nice, Kamijou, nice." The girl scathingly retorted, unwilling to admit she'd gotten things completely wrong.
"I'm sorry?!"
"Don't blame the boy for not thinking your 'joke' through. [Joker]."
"Yeah, but you're taking my distraction like a fish to water, you moron." Naru mocked in return with a wide grin.
Vento laughed. Actually laughed at her.
"You think you're the only one who is buying time, [Joker]!?" The maniac Magician shouted as she swung her chain up and down whilst slamming her hammer into the ground, conjuring a immensely powerful downward draft that threatened to crash Naru and Kamijou flat.
What is she talking abo- Naru thought in confusion regarding the Catholic's statement even as she began pulling Kurama's chakra out of her soul and mixing it with her own to form a Demon Frame.
Ugh! Should've realized this sooner. She is being affected by the Kazakiri girl's Authority, of course it's getting harder for her to cast her spells. Even as we've been buying time for the Authority to eat away at her powers, she's been using it to muster them to cast her spells! She played us!
Argh! She got us good! For all her idiotic reasoning, I guess she does have some intelligence. Naru replied even as the mixed chakra took the shape of a giant humanoid that floated off the ground with a head is shaped like Kurama's, that is in having a long vulpine snout and long narrow ears frozen in an upright position; a upper body encased in a long sleeved crimson double breasted tunic with puff shoulders; and a lower body that resembled a massive upturned rose that had Kurama's tails trailing out of its folds like vines. Behind its back hovered a golden halo with blade-like protrusions at the cardinal and ordinal points. And last but not least, a few inches in front of its hands, floated orbs of chakra.
This was Naru's Hexe Frame. The Demon Frame she'd specially designed to allow her to use her Micro Phases to their full potential. And with her still suffering the effects of Vento's annoying Divine Punishment spell and only kept from passing out due to her own Recursive Temporal State, it was really her only option in this fight.
Raising one of her hands towards the incoming wind hammer about to squash her and Kamijou, Naru activated Kurama's Micro Phase, Hyper Accelerated Entropy, and as its name implied drastically increased the entropy of the wind blast, draining it of its energy and causing it to dissipate before it could hit them.
"W-What in the-! By all that is holy, how dare YOU!?" Vento raged, eyes burning with self-righteous fury. "You blasphemous heretic! Manipulating Phases?! That is only reserved for God!"
"If you're so offended, then why don't you do something other than screaming nonsense? Like die?"
With a thought, the arms of the Frame rose up and pointed at the Catholic Church's elite Magician. And with the motion, Naru started firing waves of entropy out towards the Magician. Waves that caused the ground they passed over to crumble and degrade into dust and sand as they propagated towards their target.
Said Magician responded by swinging her chain upward whilst simultaneously raising her hammer above her head. This conjured a twister under her feet not unlike those that Accelerator used to fly around that proceeded to carry her safely out of the path of Naru's attack.
"Tsch. That accursed heretical Angel of Science's influence is weakening my spells." Vento fumed as she landed and the tornado under her feet dissipated. "That twister should've taken me twice as far as it did."
I think she's starting to realize how much trouble she's in.
"Should you be telling me that, Magician!?" Naru mocked as she shot toward Vento, the orbs hovering in front of her Frame's hands transforming into long blades that she proceeded to use to swipe at the older woman.
"As if an abomination tarnishing the Lord's domain will best me!" She shouted like thunder as moving with an agility that spoke of insane amounts of training, she danced around Naru's attacks, parrying what she couldn't with her hammer.
Her chain swung around in mad arcs as she did and Naru was so preoccupied with pressing her attack she didn't even pay any attention to it. This was a mistake. As suddenly, in the exact pattern of said swings, wind hammers slammed into her from all sides, forcing her back.
Damnit! I totally forgot she uses her chain to guide her wind hammers!
It didn't help that she held back on activating her spells for a while. Add that to her comment earlier about her spells getting weaker, it fooled us into thinking she couldn't use them without building up thanks to the Kazakiri girl's Authority.
Guess she only needs to build up for a powerful attack.
Looks like. Kurama said, sounding impressed. This Magician sure is a sneaky opponent, huh? Her ability to misdirect is pretty good. I'd almost say she's as good as some of the shinobi back from my old world.
Argh! Please don't bring those guys up! Naru thought as she recovered from the multiple hits she'd taken from Vento's wind hammers and once more pressed her attack, attempting to cut the Magician to pieces with her chakra blades. Again Vento danced around her attacks, parrying what she couldn't. This time though, she didn't bother to hide her use of her wind hammers and every other exchange she unleashed one or more blasts of wind that knocked Naru around, disrupting her attacks but safely ensconced in her Demon Frame as she was, did not not hurt her in the slightest.
I really wish I had more attack options here. Naru lamented as she continued to fail to pierce Vento's guard.
Agreed. But we can work on them after we win this fight. For now, focus!
Gotcha! Naru replied even as she began adding doses of Hyper Accelerated Entropy to her attacks, unleashing a wave of the Micro Phase with each swing of her blades.
The effects were subtle but immediate. Slowly but surely, the threads of Vento's clothing started to fray at the edges, the seams degrading as Kurama's Micro Phase did its work.
If the Magician was wearing mundane clothing, she would have been dead in seconds. But with that annoying Walking Cathedral of hers protecting her, she weathered the attack without even noticing. Which was just what Naru planned.
You're not the only one who can be sneaky in a fight, Vento!
"Die! Just die, you demon!" Vento spouted as she fought with the zealotry that her order was famous for. "Even if it kills me, I'll cleanse the world of your mockery!"
"Says the woman who can't seem to land a hit on me which is worth a damn!" Naru shot back smugly.
"Don't underestimate me!" Vento shouted as using the tornado trick from earlier she leapt out of the range of Naru's blades.
Naru moved to follow, to continue to press her attack and take Vento down through attrition. If not for her Walking Cathedral, she'd be a withered husk already and if Naru just kept her attack going a little longer she'd be down for the count. Already, second by second, the Catholic's clothing looked more frayed.
Vento, of course, wasn't going to make things that easy for her and even as she was still in the air, she wrapped that chain of hers around her hammer and then in what must've been a painful motion pulled it free whilst simultaneously thrusting her weapon in Naru's direction. In response, a massive drill of air materialized in front of Naru and slammed into her.
The damned thing was not only spinning insanely fast, it was super dense too! Vento must've poured a ton of her dwindling magical power into the spell. Enough that the drill actually managed to penetrate its way straight through the admittedly relatively thin armor of Naru's Hexe Frame and slam into her real body at its core, before blasting out the other side, creating a geyser of blood and guts as it did so.
The reasons that the damned thing didn't kill the Level 5 were twofold. First, Naru's instincts screamed at her of the danger with just enough time for her to shift her body out of the way. Not enough to avoid serious injury but enough that her brain wasn't pulped by the air drill. Second, Kurama poured practically all his chakra into her Recursive Temporal State to supercharge its power and reverse time and the otherwise fatal damage the spell caused her.
"Bloody abomination, as if that manufactured Angel isn't enough of an affront to God. As if your entropic Phase manipulation isn't heretical enough! Now, you're using Phases to control time!? Can this City be even more of a insult to His Divine Or-"
"Oh, shut up, Vento-san!" Kamijou said, as he tossed a rock at the Magician with his left hand.
The Catholic easily swatted it away with her hammer, but the reminder that [Imagine Breaker] was still there distracted her enough that Naru had enough time not just to recover from her near fatal injury but launch a counterattack.
"What he said!" Naru shouted as she poured nearly the last of her chakra into one, last entropic wave
Vento smirked at the attack and conjured a tornado under her that allowed her to easily dodge out of the way.
"You wasted the distraction [Imagine Breaker] gave you on such a telegraphed attack, [Joker]? Are you an idi-
Vento never got to finish her sentence as she was suddenly struck from the side by a chakra whip, sending her careening through the air.
"And you underestimate me if you thought that's all I had planned for my counterattack." Naru spat as she reeled the whip she'd conjured from the chakra orb floating in front of the right hand of her Hexe Frame back.
As Vento slammed into the side of a building, she coughed out blood and collapsed to the ground, leaving a bloody stain on the wall she'd crashed into as she did. But amazingly, perhaps because the lingering strength of her mostly depleted Walking Cathedral soaked up more of the impact than Naru had expected, the Magician was somehow still conscious after that.
"Y-You m-might've b-beat me, [Joker]." The older woman said between pained gasps as she struggled back to her feet. "B-But I-I'll have the l-last l-laugh!"
Naru, I have a bad feeling about this! Stop her!
Naru really wished she could use Recursive Temporal State at the moment, that would've trapped Vento easily, however all of the power of that Micro Phase was being directed to combating the Magician's still active Divine Punishment. Which meant Naru had to resort to simply lengthening the orbs of chakra that hovered in front of her Hexe Frame's hands into lances and had them pierce the Catholic's shoulders to immobilize her.
It worked, but not before the maniac had used her hammer to shatter the crucifix that hung at the end of her chain. Suddenly, Naru felt the limited oxygen that the Divine Punishment left in her body vanish and her cells begin to die. If not for Recursive Temporal State, she'd be dead in seconds!
But what about everyone else affected by the spell!
Naru needn't have worried for fortunately she wasn't the only one fighting Vento as just as the Magician shattered her idol and kicked her spell into high gear, Kamijou dove at her, caught the end of the chain and the broken bits of crucifix with his right hand. How had he managed that when it was broken at the shoulder and immobilized? Well, he simply used his left hand to manhandle his right where he wanted it to go. And it was through this likely incredibly painful method that he saved the day by forcing his Imagine Breaker closed around Vento's broken idol, and with the sound of shattering glass negated the power of her amplified Divine Punishment before it could kill a good chunk of the City from hypoxia.
"Y-You lose, Vento." Kamijou said, through pained breaths as he released the now magically inert bits of broken jewelry from his right hand and releasing it from the grasp of his left, let it once more hang loosely by his side as he turned to glare at the defeated Magician.
Vento of the Front said nothing, just glared at him and Naru with baleful hatred.
Done and done! Thanks to Nameless as always!
Whoo! This was one heck of a chapter, huh? The Academy City invasion is in full swing with Vento coming in like the cold spiteful beast she is. Seriously, despite how much I dislike her illogical motivations, people other than Touma have a real fight on their hands. At least we had Naru swing high for the one two combo with Touma.
Nameless: Hope you guys liked the fight filled second chapter of our take on the Academy City Invasion arc. We had Mikoto and her sisters (plus a side of Kouzaku) just chilling as they blasted their way through Hound Dog and their new Mobile Weapons and Naru teaming up with Touma to fight Vento of the Front. We especially like the latter fight. Like E4E and Naru said, her motivations were stupid but we wanted to show Vento was still smart despite that so we made her a tricky opponent. We think we did well in the attempt but do let us know if you agree!
And of course, we have the clone Sisters stacking up with new weapons and Dolly being her usual adorable but Onee-san self. Seriously, the Sisters are some of the best parts of this fic to me. They are a delight to write.
Nameless: Best part of the fic, huh? Hmm… For me, at the moment, I'd guess it would be the family thing that Ruiko has going on. Primarily with Accel and her daughters, but also with Kiyama and her siblings. It's just so wholesome whilst quirky as all hell. It serves as a nice contrast to the darker side to the story, though I enjoy those immensely as well. It's the mix that I love most I guess.
Just a quick response to ShadowBloodedge9396's review over on FFN: Note that not all the WW3 arcs that you mentioned will be covered. Won't say which will, but generally speaking anything that Mikoto in canon did not get involved in will simply be left to proceed as per canon. We are instead focusing on arcs that we think the Trinity would actually have an impact on. Hope that's not a problem.
E4E: You know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace off my peeps!