Hey everyone, look who's back. Here again with another chapter of A Certain Strange Addition for you all. Here is the start of the first Accelerator arc, the Necromancer Arc. Actually, that's a lie. This is the prologue to the Necromancer Arc based on the first episode of the Accelerator anime adaptation. The real meat of the Necromancer Arc doesn't start until the next chapter. However, this chapter fills the same role as that anime only event, introduce the character of Accelerator, or in this case, Yuri Suzushina. I'd advice you all pay attention to which name I use and when I use them. Very important detail there.
For now, let's cover all the reviews you've left since the last chapter.
Nemonobody001: Thank you!
SolanaLeonhart: Yeah, I get that reaction a lot. I just have a lot going on so writing has been slow. Don't worry though, I'm not letting this story die any time soon. The occasional hiatus, maybe, but I care too much about this story to just let it die. I'm really proud of how I handled the last chapter, planting the seeds for Shizuri's steadily increasing paranoia and reestablishing Touma and Yuri's lost friendship. I think you're really going to like this chapter, because your about to see just what kind of friendship these to are going to have.
Kaichou9779: Lots of big events last chapter. Index may have photographic memory, but she also has very loose lips. She did spill on every major secret of magic to an Academy City student she just met and try to do everything in her power to get him to believe her. While Last Order evasdropping would have been funny, it was meant to be a serious moment, not a funny one.
Aminadab Brulle: Actually, it's not as much of a problem as you may think. At this point, Shizuri is, more than anything, fearful for Touma's safety since he's the one being targeted by so many Magic Side organizations. While its still very possible Shizuri will get the oh so bright idea of trying to learn magic to gain power, her only avenue to gain that power is Index, who would then tell her the unavoidable risk and subsequently refuse to teach her.
JCarrasco: Don't worry, this train ain't stopping soon.
Blankow: Happy you like the story so much. Ah, Misaki, the source of a lot of intrigue for the story following the introduction of Touma's journal. Now that is a very spoiler heavy question. If you really want to know before the reveal in story (which won't be for a long while unfortunately) you'll have to send me a PM. My policy is to only give out spoilers to those that seek them out, and the PM is a final warning of sorts. If you decide you don't want spoilers, feel free to keep theorizing. I've left plenty of breadcrumbs for readers to follow to craft their own theories.
patrickthehedgehog21: Glad you loved the chapter!
Karina P: Friendships are hard, especially when you think of yourself as a villainous monster. But if there's anything Touma is good at, its appealing to people's hearts. Knowing Shizuri, she's definitely going to investigate magic as an option, fight fire with fire and whatnot, but with Index as her only avenue to learn it, she'll be hard-pressed getting the nun-in-training to teach her.
Exiled Soul Nomad: Sorry to worry you like that. Touma and Yuri has reforged their friendship. Get ready to see how strong it is even after years of separation.
Isokage: Sorry to worry you with the long wait. Honestly, Toaru's timeline has always been a pain to put together. I mean, the series has been going on for over 15 years, but barely 6 months have passed in the novels as of this chapter's posting. Sometimes I think Kamachi just likes watching his fans lose their shit trying to put his timeline together. Have you seen the latest iteration of the timeline chart!? Like it wasn't cluttered before!
DuckBoi: Sorry to worry you like that. If you still haven't watched the Accelerator spin-off, click out of this fanfic and watch it, ASAP. My fanfic should not be your first look into Accelerator's Necromancer Arc. See the source, then see the fan works.
triscythe59: Good to be back. Thanks for the support on all my projects.
gaidzani: Touma and Yuri's reunion was one of my favorite scenes to write just because of how warm, fluffy, and high tension it all was. And to top it all off, you'll find that despite their separation and need to start over, their friendship is still quite strong. Thanks for the well wishes.
GENO BERSERK: Sorry, but I just don't see that happening. Aogami is the sixth ranked Level 5 here, yes, but in canon, Etsu Aihana is known to allow others to use his/her name and reputation as a form of aid. While that doesn't necessarily mean he doesn't work for Academy City's Dark Side, there's nothing to suggest he does either. Plus, with how things are right now with how the timeline lines up, I'm not seeing any way Yumiya can be saved from her canon fate.
Zm93: Glad you liked the chapter. Well, that particular event is still going to happen, but how exactly it plays out may be different. PM me if you want to hear spoilers, since that is a long ways away from ever getting written.
AssassinBlaze: Someone is enthusiastic.
Gako959: Touma is going to have a harem, but Mikoto is the going to be the only winner. As for Shizuri having a harem, it's definitely a possibility, but I have no plans for such a scenario at the moment.
Vein Bloodborne: Yeah, I was pretty proud of that one for shaking up the status quo of canon. With Shizuri now aware of Magic and the threat it poses for Touma, she's going to be a bit more on edge than she would normally be. If you think things between Touma and Yuri are great now, wait until you read the chapter.
drak3n: Glad you liked the chapter.
LegallyRestricted: Well, it is Index. Such behavior is par for the course for her. It's important to remember that at this point, Shizuri is convinced that she's outnumbered a million to one. We're talking about the largest religious organization in the world being a major power in the Magic community. Even with only a small fraction of Roman Catholics being affiliated with Magic, that is a lot of people for Shizuri to protect Touma from. Still, she is going to resolve to protect Touma the best she can, but the toll on her mind may be more than what she can handle.
II (Guest): Sorry to keep you waiting.
Guest H17 (Guest): As you'll see in the following chapter, at this point, Touma is the only person who refers to the first ranked Level 5 as Yuri. Everyone else sticks to Accelerator. But, as time goes on, more and more people will choose to call him Yuri Suzushina, whether he wants them to or not. In addition, the narration will switch between Yuri and Accelerator based on the situation. I do have plans for Shizuri to play an active role in the Necromancer Arc, but no ITEM action just yet.
ahsoei: I've always thought that the Kamijou Faction always existed, just never properly acknowledged by Touma himself.
azlil7: No, the Railgang girls will no be back in time for the Necromancer Arc. Their cameo was just an easy way to introduce the Train that Never Stops through the rumor mill Saten is constantly listening to. Shizuri will be taking a more active role in future arcs starting with Necromancer, but now with Touma's knowledge, at least for the first couple of arcs she's involved in. No, ITEM will not be involved as Shizuri still wants to keep the two sides of her life as separated as possible. Circumstances will force Touma and ITEM to meet eventually, just not any time soon. Touma accepting Mikoto's confession isn't planned to happen for a couple more arcs. I know its taking a while, but you can't rush these things. It's going to take a very special epiphany for Touma to come to terms with his own feelings regarding Mikoto.
Surayo: Sorry to keep you waiting. Touma and Yuri's relationship is one of the parts I'm proudest of in this story. I'm especially proud of how I handled Shizuri's breakdown upon learning the threat Magic poses for Touma, especially with how she feels absolutely powerless, something which conflicts with her self-image of someone who is strong.
acpeters: Gald you liked the chapter.
XCorruptedKingX: Thank you for bringing this to my attention. While I don't approve an copying a lot of my work word for word, I did skim the story and found that new ideas were interspliced into it apart from the reader-insert format. All told, they're not doing any harm so I won't worry about it.
thewiseguyalex: Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm doing everything I can to update as soon as possible, so please bare with me. I want to see this couple happen as much as you do.
SoulReaver267: Glad you love the story so much. Accelertor's personality is going to be largely the same, but his heart of gold will be a bit more prominent, with Touma being the only person who can consistently bring it to the surface. Trust me when I say that Touma's dynamic between himself and the Level 5s is going to be a hectic on. I'll be sure to check out your story when I get the chance.
Anime Crossovers: Can't let Touma have all the girls, especially when Mikoto is already set to be his best girl. I'm going to be leaving Esther with Accelerator, but I do want her to stick around post-Necromancer Arc.
ArmoredCoreNineBall: I've always found these original chapters especially enjoyable to write. It's much easier to craft a chapter that can plug into the overarching story than to make a chapter by rearranging and replacing pieces of the original work. Heck, I feel this way about the original sections within those adapted chapters. Writing original stuff just feels good. I've been working on Accelerator's swearing. As I'm not particularly foul mouthed myself, I find it hard to just drop f-bombs everywhere, but in staying true to the character, I did what I could. Hopefully, this is an improvement to his previous dialogue.
Zim32: Touma is definitely going to shake up the Necromancer Arc in some interesting ways. I won't reveal too much, but I will say one fight in particular is going to be quite different. I have yet to read the second half of Accelerator. Really need to get on that so I can insert it into the timeline accordingly.
Kami (Guest): Sorry to keep you waiting.
ryuushi131: Glad you liked the chapter.
janjakennen: Shizuri will be more involved with the Magic Side now that she knows it exist, but her involvement won't be anything too direct until the Queen of the Adriatic Arc. As a result, she won't be meeting Kanzaki too soon. As of right now, Shizuri's relationship with Index doesn't really extend past the fact that she's the friend of her little brother, but may grow to consider her a little sister of sorts the same way Touma does. While Frenda's death in canon was a major catalyst for Shizuri's character development in canon, it is not the only way to insight similar development from Shizuri, espcially with her reworked character as Touma's older sister with what could be described as something between bipolar disorder and dissociative identity disorder, so Frenda living is still very much in the cards.
One-eyed Spider: Unfortunately, I feel including the Dark Matter Arc would be rather redundant as it is its own relatively isolated story that would not be affected by the changes I have introduced so far. This story assumes familiarity with the Toaru series, so I don't want to spend time retelling a completely unchanged story arc. I will take the time to read the Dark Matter spin-off when I get the chance.
5had0wHand (Guest): I actually do a lot of timeline research for the story (trust me, it's all absolutely necessary) and I can say with confidence that I've got the timeline pretty down pat so far. Touma is definitely going to be fighting at least some of Scavanger. ITEM meeting Touma face to face is not happeing for a long time as Shizuri want to keep those two sides of her life separate. Yuri will meet with Shziuri eventually, and shit will hit the fan when they do. Changing Hishigata's opinion is going to be difficult, but Touma is going to get some sort of connection with him considering his top priority was protecting his sister Hirumi. No, Touma doesn't have any connection to Kakine. Kakine is the only Level 5 not to get close to Touma, mostly because I couldn't think of something for him.
Xloki05 (Guest): Glad you like the story.
0 Jordinio 0: I always took it as Touma being an unreliable narrator. After all, the narration always refers to Touma as being unremarkable, despite the fact that all of his feats and hidden abilities, both natural and supernatural, suggest otherwise. Last chapter really was relatively short, only meant to act as a sort of bridging point. This chapter, being based on a filler episode, will be a bit more hefty and really demonstrate what kind of friendship Touma and Yuri have in this new stage in life. Let's just say I really like vitriolic best buds, especially when the ribbing and threats are all good natured.
Guest (1): Glad you like the story.
Kamikoto-lover345: Happy to know you love the story so much. Honestly, I started the story when I saw a lack of stories of this breed despite how obvious it would have been to write one. I like to think I ended up going a couple of steps above what my original intentions for the story were.
CRose: Don't you worry. This story isn't dying any time soon.
Guest (2): Each chapter covers the events approximately one episode in the anime, so about twelve chapters for this arc, give or take. I'll probably cut out flashback episodes and events that don't really change from other character's involvement.
FichuSenpai7: Thank you for such high praise! Kamikoto will all come in good time. A good romantic subplot is like a fine wine, you need to age it properly before you can truly enjoy it, or at least that's how I see it.
Well, that's all of them. You all know the drill from here.
Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.
Chapter 63: Job for a Friend
After the day Touma had yesterday, Touma felt like he was on top of the world. Despite their rough patches, he was able to finally reunite with Yuri and rekindle their old friendship. While things will never truly be the same between them as they once were, the Level 0 did care too much for it. All that mattered was he got his best friend back, and he couldn't be happier for it. To top it all off, as he was leaving the hospital, Last Order had informed him of the surprise party she and the Sisters were throwing for Yuri in celebration for getting his bandages removed. Both events were happening latter that afternoon, so Touma was especially excited for the end of classes that day.
As soon as classes had let out for the day and he was off school grounds, Touma immediately jumped on to his hoverboard and headed straight for the Judgement 177th Branch Office. With Kuroko and Uiharu away for the regional fieldtrip to Liberal Arts City with Mikoto and Saten, Touma was left to hold down the fort at Judgement, along with Konori and, to a lesser extent, Yanagisako. Thus, before heading towards the hospital for the festivities, Touma had to make a quick stop by the branch office for some routine office work for Judgement.
Upon arriving at the office, Touma was surprised to run into Konori as he was heading inside, quite literally. Just as he opened the door to the office, Konori ended up running straight into him. The impact caused Touma to fall flat on his back with Konori on top of him, her bountiful chest pressing against his own more toned one.
"Hey Chief," Touma greeted in a slightly pained voice, "Do you mind getting off me. They're touching me."
"Oh, Kamijou!" Konori yelped in surprise, getting up on all fours, "Sorry! I didn't see you there!"
"I noticed." Touma wheezed, "Also, now you're straddling me."
"Eep!" Konori squeaked, finally standing up, "Sorry! I have no idea why I did that!"
"No worries. Pretty normal occurrence at this point." Touma replied, picking himself off the floor, "Any reason why you were in such a rush to get out of the office?"
"Oh, right! We just got an emergency call from Anti-Skill. They need our help with evacuating citizens from a suspected target." Konori explained, "Guess it was a good thing I ran into you. Come on, I'll explain on the way. We're talking my motorcycle."
"You sure your heart is ready for that after that incident thirty seconds ago? I have my own ride now." Touma asked as he followed his superior down the stairs and out the building.
"For one, that doesn't seem to come with a helmet." Konori pointed out. "You had that thing for how long and have yet to get a helmet for it? For that matter, why didn't Dr. Bakuya give you a helmet when you first started testing it?"
"Touché." Touma admitted as they arrived at Konori's parked motorcycle, "He has always been a bit scatterbrained at times. I heard about a lot of mishaps that went into developing the first prototype hoverboard."
"All the more reason for you to wear one of these when riding it." Konori summarized, handing Touma a spare helmet from her bike, "Now get on. We've got a serious issue on our hands."
Doing as he was told, Touma slipped on his helmet and took a seat behind Konori on her motorcycle. As soon as she took off, Touma found himself gripping her hips for stability, an act that made him feel both like a pervert and like the traditional gender roles had been flipped on their head. Of course, given that Touma didn't exactly have a license to drive any vehicle outside of his hoverboard, he couldn't really complain. If Touma had been able to see Konori's face at the moment, he would have seen her sport a rather luminescent blush at his admittedly brazen act.
"So what exactly is this emergency?" Touma inquired.
Shaking off her own embarrassment to focus on driving, Konori explained the situation to Touma.
"Early this morning, Anti-Skill had discovered that a research facility had been broken into and raided." Konori explained as she drove, "The research facility in question was the Atmospheric Continuum Mechanics Research Facility in district 4. Apparently, the facility was secretly developing a weapon, an ultra-high pressure nitrogen cutter, which was stolen and the perpetrator's next target is suspected to be the hospital here in District 7."
"Wait, you lost me. They stole a weapon and now they're targeting the hospital? What for?" Touma asked, "What could the possibly have to gain from attacking a place filled with sick and injured people?"
"Because this hospital has a very special patient at the moment." Konori explained further, "You've heard the rumors, haven't you? About how the first ranked received a devastating head injury and is now much weaker than he used to be? The weapon the perpetrators stolen was an Anti-Accelerator weapon. They plan on attacking the first ranked while he's down, and they're not afraid to put innocent people in danger to get to him. Anti-Skill needs us to help evacuate civilians so they can take on this threat without having to worry about them."
Upon realizing that Yuri was the true target of this predicted attack, Touma felt his blood freeze. Just like when they were kids, someone was going out of their way to challenge Yuri to a fight. It was the reason they got separated in the first place. It was the reason Yuri had suffered so much. Touma couldn't bare to let Yuri suffer any more. He was unable to help him when they were kids, but things were different now. Touma didn't consider himself very strong, but he is definitely stronger now than he was back then. Using whatever meager strength he had, Touma would insure Yuri would not have to suffer anymore. Protecting people was the job of Judgement and protecting those close to you was the job of a friend. Touma would not fail on either front.
"You alright, Kamijou?" Konori asked, concern evident in her voice.
"I'm fine." Touma replied seriously, "Let's get this job done.
When the pair of Judgement officers arrived at the hospital, several other Judgement and Anti-Skill officers were position around the perimeter of the building. The ratio of Judgement to Anti-Skill was heavily skewed towards the student side of the Disciplinary Committee, something rather concerning considering the level of threat these suspected convicts were supposed to be. Behind the perimeter of officers was a flaming pile of wreckage that used to be a couple of cars, another testament of how dangerous the threat was.
Dismounting the motorcycle, Touma and Konori asked one of the nearby officers about the current situation. As it turned out, evacuation of the hospital had already been underway when the convicts started their attack. Most of what little Anti-Skill that was dispatched there were inside, confronting the criminals head on while Judgement handled getting as many civilians out of the hospital as quickly as possible while also keeping anyone else from going inside. As for why there were so few Anti-Skill to begin with, most of them had been monopolized by Academy City's higher ups for their own personal protection once news got out about the stolen weapon.
Since Touma had been noted to have had a lot of experience with dealing with confrontations and Konori was a Level 3 Clairvoyant, the two members of the 177th Branch of Judgement were assigned with heading into the hospital to get the rest of the civilians out before the convicts got too close. They were advised to maintain their distance at all cost, prioritizing rescuing those who could easily get to safety. Having received their orders, Touma and Konori quickly rushed into the building.
Evacuations went along rather swimmingly at first. Thanks to Konori's Clairvoyance, she was able to determine the locations of patients and staff within the hospital with ease. In addition, with how often Touma landed in said hospital, the was able to navigate the halls like he lived there. Civilians closer to the exits were already making their way outside, with Touma and Konori only needing to lightly encourage the small handful of people too afraid of the situation to move on their own. However, things quickly turned south when a loud rumbling was heard echoing through the halls.
"What the hell was that!?" Touma cried, shaken by the sudden sound.
Using her Clairvoyance, Konori looked through the hospital walls in the general direction of the rumbling. To her shock, she saw that someone had made a gaping hole in one of the walls and now stood between the convicts and Anti-Skill, the latter of whom had their backs pinned against the hospital's still populated pediatric wing.
"This is bad!" Konori yelled in a panic, "A civilian is actually confronting the convicts and the pediatric wing is in the crossfire!"
Upon hearing this, Touma's blood instantly froze over. Considering what was happening and who was currently checked in the hospital, it was pretty obvious who that civilian was. If Yuri was going to be facing the people coming after him, it was Touma's job to be by his side to help him out.
"Sorry about this, Chief!" Touma apologized as he sprinted down the hallway, activating his hoverboard.
In a flash, Touma disappeared deeper into the hospital, long before Konori had a chance to protest.
"What's your problem?" Accelerator asked as he climbed out of the hole in the wall he just made, "How the hell am I supposed to read with you yelling 'radical' over and over? Cut that shit out!"
Although initially surprised by the first rank's sudden appearance, it didn't take long for Youko Takada to deduced who had just buried her friend Hiromi Nakahara under a ton of rubble. Rather than be frightened as most people would be after such a display, just as her accomplice Minori Kidera was, Takada found herself rather pleased. After all, her target had just offered himself to her on a silver platter.
"Oh, I get it. I take it you're Accelerator, right?" Takada deduced.
"If I had to guess, you must be the fuckers looking to pick a fight with me!" Accelerator replied in the most menacing voice he could muster.
"I got to admit, it was pretty radical of you to introduce yourself by literally tearing the walls down. But now it's time for your exit!"
With no hesitation whatsoever, Takada fired her nitrogen blades at Accelerator with the intent to cut him to ribbons. However, Accelerator happened to have his chocker set to combat mode, meaning his damaged brain capacity was restored to a decently adequate level. Tapping into the Misaka Network, Accelerator was able to harness their collective calculating power to recover some of his strength as an Esper. While the chocker didn't make up for even half of his previous calculating abilities, it was more than enough to uphold his status as Academy City's first ranked Level 5.
As soon as Takada's nitrogen blades collided with Accelerator, the blades were reflected away into the walls, leaving Accelerator completely untouched. From an outsider's perspective, one wouldn't even notice a deterioration in his powers. They appeared to be just as formidable as they ever have.
"Heh. Looks like defeating you isn't going to be as simple as I originally thought." Takada mused, panic slowly rising in her voice.
"That's funny, because defeating you is going to be way easier than I thought." Accelerator fired back, mocking her.
"Finally, there you are!" a familiar, childish voice cried out, drawing Accelerator's attention.
Standing in the adjacent hallway holding a pink paper bag with a Gekota seal was the youngest yet most powerful of the Misaka Sisters. The Sister he had resolved to protect, Last Order.
"You went off to fight instead of leaving like you were told to, says Misaka Misaka chiding, sounding like she's your guardian for once." Last Order said, rushing forward to be at Accelerator's side.
"Wait, don't!" Yoshikawa cried from behind the little girl, unable to do more as she was still recovering from her injuries.
As if some higher power wanted to make Accelerator eat his earlier words, Last Order tripped on the scatter rubble on the floor, losing her footing as she continued to approach the Level 5. At the same time, the ceiling, damaged in the fight, started to rumble and come loose, threatening fall on the defenseless girl. Acting quickly, Yuri kneeled down to catch Last Order from her fall and shield her from the falling rubble.
"That startled me! I didn't expect the ceiling to collapse, explains Misaka Misaka, unable to hide the fact she's shaking from surprise."
Suddenly, the little girl noticed something red had dripped on to the bag she was carrying. Looking up from where the red liquid had landed, it became apparent what the source of it was.
"Your head is bleeding." Last Order noted, "Did the rubble hit you?"
"Nothing so dramatic," Yuri explained, sounding more annoyed than concerned, "All this action caused my wound to open up again."
"Jackpot! That blood is mine!" Takada yelled, rushing forward and snagging the paper bag from Last Order's hands.
"But those aren't for you!" Last Order cried as the crazed girl claimed the blood sample.
"It's a big mistake to underestimate me." Accelerator growled, reluctant to get up and leave Last Order unguarded.
"Well, this drop is plenty! Maybe I ought to collect more!" Takada yelled, raising one of her nitrogen cutters above her head, ready to strike.
"Please, don't!" Kidera begged, "There's no reason to take things this far!"
Despite herself, Takada clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"Fine, we'll radically depart." Takada conceded, lowering her weapon.
"Like hell you are!" a new voice made itself known from behind the criminals, this time one belonging to a high school boy.
Quickly turning around to see who was butting in, Takada was greeted with a sheet of air jet propelled solid metal to the face. A moment later, both her and Kidera found themselves knocked off their feet when one Touma Kamijou appeared on the scene. Using his remaining momentum from jumping off his hoverboard at high speed, the Level 0 slid across the floor between the two accomplices, tripping them up with his ODD in staff mode. As he slid past them, the faint sound of shattering glass could be heard. Touma then brought himself to a halt just in front of Accelerator, propping himself up in a low spearman's stance.
"Touma!" Yuri yelled in surprise, "What are you doing here?"
"Judgement work." Touma replied with a small smirk, "That and saving your ass. I thought you were stronger than this?"
"You checky bastard." Yuri said with a wicked grin, standing up at Touma's side, making sure to keep Last Order behind him.
"Crap! Who the hell is this guy!?" Takada yelled, clearly pissed off at having been knocked down so easily, "Kidera! Grab one of Hiro's magazines! We're radically leaving!"
"What? You mean we're leaving him behind?" Kidera asked meekly, picking herself up.
"We don't have time to argue! I gave you an order, so do it!" Takada barked, firing off a pair of smoke grenades from her weapon.
"I-I'm sorry," the meek girl apologized as she picked up one of the weapon's magazines while a smokescreen filled the hallway.
"Move!" Takada ordered as she and her accomplice disappeared into the smoke.
When the smoke cleared there was not a trace of them to be found, much to the frustration of the law enforcement on site.
As Anti-Skill got their bearings on the situation, Touma lowered his weapon and turned his attention to his injured friend.
"You okay there, buddy?" Touma asked, "From the looks of things, it seems they managed to land a hit on you."
"It's nothing to worry about. I just reopened my gunshot wound by accident. I'm more concerned about that bag the took just before you arrived." Accelerator replied in a low voice.
"What was in that bag?" Touma asked curiously.
"Hell if I know. They stole it from the brat." the Level 5 sighed, turning his attention towards Last Order, "Have anything to share?"
"N-never mind about the bag." Last Order stammered, "Misaka Misaka is more worried about the injuries you got protecting her."
"Like I said, they're nothing serious." Accelerator sighed as he turned to leave, "I'll be back in a little bit."
"If you're chasing them, we'll take my car." Yoshikawa offered.
"Don't need it." Accelerator refused.
"If you plan on fighting them, shouldn't you be conserving your battery life?" the former researcher reminded the Level 5.
"Like hell you can even drive." Accelerator pointed out, "You took a gunshot to the chest and your bandages aren't even off yet."
"If a blood vessel breaks, you'll reconnect it for me." Yoshikawa said rather jovially considering the subject matter."
"I'm coming too." Touma cut in.
"You really don't have too." Accelerator insisted, "This is a matter between villains, and thus should be settled between villains. There's no one to save, so there's no reason for a hero like you to get involved."
"I wouldn't really call myself a hero, and I sure as hell don't consider you a villain." Touma argued, "Besides, I promised I would be by your side no matter what. You're not getting rid of me so easily."
"Heh." Yuri chuckled, despite himself, "Stubborn as every I see. Alright, I won't stop you, but I encourage you to run if things start looking dicey."
"Come on, you know me better than that."
"Fair enough."
"Excuse me, who are you exactly?" Yoshikawa asked, butting in.
"Oh! Sorry about that. I'm Touma Kamijou, an old friend of Yuri's." Touma introduced himself, offering a handshake.
"Yuri?" Yoshikawa asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"My little known real name." Accelerator sighed, "At this point, exclusively used by the only person I've ever considered a friend."
"I thought you discarded your original name. For that matter, I never knew you ever had a friend. I thought you were more of a loner." the former researcher mused.
"There's a lot of things you don't know about me." Accelerator said bluntly, heading for the nearest exit, "Now, are you going to drive us or not?"
"You're not actually going to bring along you friend with you, are you?" Yoshikawa inquired.
"Trust me, Touma can handle himself. He is the one behind putting a stop to Project Level 6 Shift, the only person I've lost a fight to." the Level 5 answered with absolute confidence, much to Yoshikawa's surprise.
"Well, I can't really deny that." Touma chuckled to himself as he ran ahead to join Yuri's side.
'So he's the one that pulled it off.' Yoshikawa thought to herself as she followed after the two best friends.
"You really do go to great lengths for that little girl." Yoshikawa mused as she drove the pair of boys in her car.
"I just can't stand the thought of those bastards getting the better of me." Accelerator denied from the passenger seat.
"Don't deny it, you big softy." Touma teased from the back seat.
"I can still hurt you from back there, you know that right?" Yuri threatened half-heartedly, to which Touma simply chuckled.
"Regardless, they did manage to get a hold of your genetic data. I'm sure you two are both aware of the kind of twisted things can happen if that fell in the wrong hands." Yoshikawa pointed out, instantly bringing a somber mood to the car.
It was true. After all, Project Level 6 Shift only became possible because an innocent and naïve Mikoto Misaka had volunteered her DNA map under the pretense it would be used to cure muscular dystrophy. If the deaths of 10031 naïve girls was the result of getting the DNA map of the third ranked, imagine the possibilities if the wrong researchers got their hands on the DNA map of the first ranked.
"Let's not dwell on that for now." Yoshikawa suggested, sensing the dreary atmosphere in her car, "Do either of you have any idea where our thieves could be headed?"
"Standard villain logic dictates they'll be headed underground to avoid satellite surveillance." Accelerator pointed out.
"There's a sewer system not far from here." the former researcher offered.
"Sounds like a safe bet to me." Touma agreed.
"Head in that direction." Accelerator instructed, sounding rather relaxed about the whole situation.
Deep within Academy City's sewer system, Takada and Kidera were navigating the massive tunnels to get away with their prize. Having collapsed the main entrance they used, they were rather confident that they had shaken off most of their pursuers, specifically Anti-Skill. However, Takada was not about the take chances, not while they were in possession of one of the most sought-after pieces of research material in Academy City. To make sure for certain they would not be followed, Takada had started placing charges on several of the sewer's massive support pillars. Once they were in the clear, she would set off the charges and collapse the tunnel, completely covering their tracks and ensuring their escape. Unfortunately for them, their escape efforts were too little, too late.
"You didn't actually think you'd get away from me, did you!?" Accelerator bellowed, making his presence known from the shadows.
"No, but I think I still can. You may be a Level 5, but you can't even get close to me!" Takada challenged, setting off all the charges she had previously placed.
Suddenly, several of the support pillars in the tunnel collapsed, raining down dozens of tons of rubble down on Accelerator. Seeing this, Takada was confident that she had managed to pull of what many had considered impossible up until the end the previous summer. Imagine her surprise when the dust settled, and Accelerator stood in front of her completely unfazed.
"That's impossible!" Takada cried in denial, "There's no way you could have survived that!"
"Sorry to disappoint." Accelerator said with taunting remorse.
With a single step, the Level 5 jumped forward, instantly closing the distance between himself and Takada, grabbing her by the collar.
"Too bad for you, but the cat's out of the bag for how that little toy of yours works." Accelerator said with a wicked grin, "It runs off nitrogen, right? That last explosion employed the element, which turns solid at -210 degrees Celsius. Which means that so-called weapon is nothing more than a glorified high-pressure water cutter running off liquid nitrogen. But the real clincher was how you used the residual gas the machine spread around to deprive enemies of oxygen if they got too close to you."
"Get your filthy hand off of me!" Takada demanded, clearly not fully understanding the position she was in.
"My pleasure!"
With a flick of his wrist, Accelerator sent Takada rocketing into one of the remaining support pillars. Not so hard that it would kill of even seriously injure her, but hard enough to leave her reeling for a bit.
"The only thing surprising is how you thought you could beat me with that piece of trash strapped to your back." Accelerator taunted, "As to how you managed to operate it and avoid any negative side effects from standing in the middle of the nitrogen vapor without additional respiratory equipment, namely the one over here with the shaky hand."
With the Level 5's attention suddenly on her Kidera froze up instantly, tightening her grip on the paper bag they had stolen as Accelerator eyed her down.
"You're able to control the concentration of gases dispersed in the air. Something like an Aero Separator." Accelerator deduced, "Very cleaver maintaining enough breathable air around you and your friends, but now that I figured out your game, it's over. Unfortunately for you, I happen to know someone who specializes in neutralizing Esper Abilities, even my own. So if I can't beat him, you sure as he won't either."
On cue, Touma rushed on to the scene on his hoverboard, gunning it for Kidera. Seeing the high school boy charge at her, the timid girl attempted to defend herself by concentrating all of the oxygen within a three meter radius of her so that she would be the only person able to breath in that space. However, Touma charged at her with his right hand stretched out, immediately negating the area of effect in which her Ability was active. In a single swift motion, Touma grabbed the paper bag out of Kidera's hands before swerving to Accelerator's side.
"Nice moves." Yuri complimented.
"I get a lot of practice." Touma shrugged, jumping off his hoverboard and stowing it away.
"I changed my mind! I think I'll take more of your blood! Way more!" Takada announced, building up pressure in her two nitrogen cutters.
Seeing the attack coming, Touma and Yuri exchanged a quick look before nodding in agreement. With their silent exchange, Touma got behind Yuri while the Level 5 prepared for the incoming attack. When the attack finally came, Accelerator caught the nitrogen blade in his left hand, immediately reflecting the attack back and destroying Takada's nitrogen cutters. With their opponent now disarmed, Touma rushed out from behind his friend. With a defiant scream, the Level 0 delivered his signature right hook to Takada's face, sending her rolling and knocking her out, shattering what was left of her weapon.
"Leave her alone!" Kidera cried out at the sight of her friend being attacked.
"Nice punch." Yuri complimented, "I was wondering how it looked to be on the other end of it."
"Thanks." Touma replied, massaging his wrist, "But what was with that move of just using a single hand. Are you copying me?"
"Please, stop! Don't hurt her anymore!" Kidera intervened, standing between the two boys and her friend, "Do whatever you want to me, but leave Takada alone!"
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Touma asked, "She's already down. There's no reason for use to keep wailing on her. We're not monsters."
"Well, maybe not you." Accelerator mused, much to Touma's exasperation.
"In any case, I'm a member of Judgement here on official business, trying to catch some convicts. Yuri here is just lending me a hand by providing some extra muscle." Touma explained, "If you really want to continue, I'd be more than obliged to keep fighting. However, if you really want to end this now and spare all of you any more pain, all you have to do is turn yourself it."
"Honestly, if that friend of yours is important enough to be worth dying for, you should have stopped her before it went this far." Accelerator huffed, finding the whole ordeal rather pointless now.
Seeing as her options were either fighting a losing battle and being arrested or turning her friends and herself in for their crimes without a struggle, it was clear what the optimal choice was for Kidera. Holding out her wrists, she allowed Touma to slap a pair of handcuffs on her.
As night fell over Academy City, Touma and Yuri returned to the hospital, returning the paper bag they retrieved to Last Order.
"Thank you, declares Misaka Misaka, full of gratitude." Last Order cheered as she accepted the bag.
"It was nothing." Touma said with a smile.
"Whatever." Accelerator sighed, clearly tired from the whole ordeal.
"What's your problem? Asks Misaka Misaka, making her discontent known."
"So what is it you've got inside that bag." Accelerator asked in mild interest.
"If you really want to know and ask nicely, maybe I'll show you, says Misaka Misaka, doing her best to resist the urge to show you outright while also maintaining a slight air of pretentiousness."
"Then forget the whole thing. I'm not that interested." Accelerator brushed off the topic and making his way to his room.
"What!? I was only kidding! You can look if you want to! Says Misaka Misaka, dropping her act and giving in to you!" Last Order cried as she chased after Accelerator.
"You certainly know how to hold your ground." Touma snarked.
"Open it up." Last Order instructed, offering the bag to Accelerator.
Taking the bag off the youngest Sister's hands, Accelerator opened the bag to find a box filled with Gekota shaped cookies, a Gekota shaped cupcake, and a bar of chocolate with the message "We're just getting started" written on it.
"Is liking Gekota a genetic trait?" Touma asked, looking over his friend's shoulder.
"The hell would I know?" Yuri sighed in exasperation.
"If you think this is it, just wait until the party tonight! We're really going to celebrate your recovery! Says Misaka Misaka, making the official announcement!"
"Sorry I asked." Accelerator sighed, turning to return to his room with the box of treats in hand.
"You'll be there, right? It won't work unless you show up, so make sure you come tonight when I call you! Says Misaka Misaka pleadingly and not worrying about spoiling the surprise!"
"Come on, Yuri. Don't be a sourpuss." Touma encouraged, "Last Order went through all the trouble of throwing a party for you. The least you can do is be there for it. I was actually hoping to celebrate with you too."
Despite himself, Yuri found himself sighing in defeat at all the pleading.
"I guess a party wouldn't be so bad." Yuri conceded, letting a small smile creep up on his face.
Special End Card Segment: Animan Temple
"Welcome back to the Animan Temple! I'm your host and master of the temple, Animan von Elysium X!" the eccentric host cheered, planting his sword into the floor.
"I am Priestess Number 1, Aisa Himegami. It's a pleasure to be here again." the normally unnoticeable girl bowed politely.
"Well, we're finally here folks! The beginning of the Necromancer Arc, the first arc of Accelerator's story!" Animan announced, "With this darker side of the Toaru world being explored up-close, I say it's time to prepare our selves for the dangers to come. So... Let's get dangerious!"
"Really? A Darkwing Duck reference?" Himegami sighed.
"I've been watching a lot of Ducktales was writing, alright. It helps me focus on the themes of found family that I implement in my stories. Don't judge me." the master of the temple huffed.
"Well, looks like master is going to be in a bad mood for a while." Himegami said in resignation, "We'll see you next time for the next chapter, 'Powers of the Dead'. Until then."