Hello there. Merry Christmas everyone! Been a while since the last chapter, huh? I always pains me to keep you all waiting for so long, but life happens, and life can be seriously messy. Life may get messier in the future, but that's not going to stop me from writing for all of you.
In case you didn't know, A Certain Strange Addition has its own Tv Tropes Page. It's currently pretty rudimentary, so if your familiar with how Tv Tropes works, feel free to check out the page and edit it as you see fit. It is such an honor to have a page dedicated to this story, and it along with all your reviews are such great motivators to keep going.
Speaking of which, let's get those reviews responded to.
0 Jordinio 0: Sorry about that. I don't know the time zones of all my readers, just that I have at least one reader from every time zone with internet. Thought it may be my fault since I upload as so as the chapter is ready, which can sometimes be at the dead of night. You'll notice that constant snark and lighthearted insults are a staple in a lot of the friendships I've built in this story. In my book (pun not intended) lighthearted conflict can be a great indicator of how close two people are. You'll have to forgive me for how I write Accelerator's dialogue as my first exposure to him was through the English dub which, at the time, was restricted by American broadcast standards. Accelerator's dialogue is something I am looking to improve on, but it may take some time since I'm not used to using so many swears and I'll need to adjust how I hear his voice.
SPYRO 101: Glad you liked the chapter. I really like Esther too. I've actually been looking for ways to keep her around post-Necromancer Arc. It would be a shame to create another Himegami situation.
SolanaLeonhart: Glad you liked it so much. I would totally recommend checking out the Accelerator spin-off. The anime is one of the more competent adaptations to come out of JC Staff and the manga is a good read. Oddly enough, all the Misakas have some level of affection for Gekota. A Misaka was actually seen returning to the hospital with a whole box of Gekota merch at one point.
Isokage: Oh, I have big plans for this arc, just you wait. When this arc is over, the very foundation of what you know about this AU is going to be shaken. You can count on Index and Last Order becoming close friends at some point. Seems to be standard fare for stories such as this. You'd be surprised how much of a troll Aliester is in canon. As for other pranks he's pulled, the Tapdancing Monkey was a favorite of his, but he's also routed loads of junk emails to email addresses of certain individuals he was less privy to, like certain Academy City Board Members.
Kaichou9779: I mean, was there any doubt with how much the Sisters hoard Gekota merch?
ahsoei: Sorry, the party isn't really covered this chapter, but there is a quick summary of what happened at said party.
DuckBoi: Don't you worry. Starting next chapter, Touma is going to be neck deep in things, whether he wants to or not. I mean, it wouldn't be Touma if he didn't have choice words for people like DA and Scavenger.
Zm93: Glad my story improved your day.
Stryper88: Sorry for the wait. Mikoto and Accelerator will get the chance to talk eventually, just not during this arc for obvious reasons. I'm actually planning on having all 3 Level 5s in the same room once they're all back in Academy City. You can probably imagine what a powder keg that's going to be.
Kamijou Touma1: I've made my status as Kamikoto trash clear and abundant since day one and you're only realizing this now? You do realize I specifically mention the ship in the description because I want to give readers a fair warning as to what to expect. You can ship whatever, but don't go shooting down people just because they wear their shipper hearts on their sleaves.
5had0wHand (Guest): Nah, the Ducktales reference was something I did on a whim. A good cop bad cop scene with Touma and Accelerator would be interesting, but I can't currently imagine a scenario in which that would happen. A grappling hook function in ODD would be helpful. I keep the full capabilities of the ODD vague for this very reason. Touma doesn't really report things back to the Railgang while they're on their trip since nothing of note really happens (at least in Touma's eyes). Plus, he's not the kind of person to make people worry with bad news. Konori's been a member of the harem for a while. Why else would I squeeze in all that extra ship tease last chapter? Glad you like the spin-off.
fencer29: Well, looking at the timeline, there really was no dull day in Academy City. The one "dull day" that did happen was immediately followed up with the night of chaos that was the Academy City Invasion. To give Touma some credit, he spends at most a day in the hospital before being let out, getting involved in something supernatural over the course of a few days, and then landing himself in the hospital again for a day.
Exiled Soul Nomad: Ah, a man of culture who isn't fooled by mistranslations. Yeah, really trying to sell the bro energy between Touma and Yuri. Glad you thought so to.
CRose: Glad you liked the chapter.
MrQuestionMark: I figured a lot of people were going to look forward to this arc once the secret history between Touma and Accelerator got out. That subplot has been a core part of the story since practically day one, so I'm glad to see if starting to pay off. The introduction of combat tech for Touma has certain had an interesting evolution. What started as a means to make Touma fighting Powered Suits more believable has grown into a whole new OC in Roku Bakuya, the redemption arcs of STUDY, and an enhancement to the entirety of Judgement. That last point is especially important to keep in mind. As of the Three Stories Arc, every member of Judgement has production type ODD; Touma just gets first dibs on the prototype tech since he's been deemed the most appropriate person to test it. Imagine, given a couple of years, hoverboards may become common place in Academy City as transportation for both law enforcement and civilians. That may or may not be a concept I'm keeping in the vault for a flashforward Omake or the like in the future.
HunterX097: You're going to be seeing a lot of that in the upcoming arc.
fuji92: Sorry again for the wait. Hope this chapter is worth it.
Kami (Guest): Glad you liked the chapter so much. Lots of scenes are going to get changed from how they were in the manga and anime, in ways you may not expect. The Scavenger fight is one of those scenes. I'll find some point in the future to squeeze in a scene like that, because two bros drinking black coffee together on a rooftop just sounds to picturesque to not write.
Rexclone22: Now, let's not get ahead of ourselves. I'm not going to just give Touma all the fights. Got to save some for everyone else. Of course, you can bet those fights are going to be even more spectacular with Touma involved as a partner to Accelerator.
SuddenBetrayal: Always a joy to have a new reader!
ArmoredCoreNineBall Good to be back. We all know Touma is not going to like the idea of the Coffins. Hell, Accelerator didn't like them, and he can be pretty apathetic at times. We'll just have to wait and see when Touma sees them for himself, which unfortunately will not happen this chapter. Such Misfortune.
Vein Bloodborne: On thing's for sure, Touma's going to have to spill the beans real quick this time around, considering Yuri gets to Esther before he does.
MarauderPrime12: Thank you!
Guest H17 (Guest): Keep in mind, the Coffins primarily use Esper Abilities, which Touma can still negate. They just trick the brain into thinking the body is bigger, enhancing their power. Besides, there are ways Touma can shake things up without fighting. For now, let's just say that Yuri is going to be a lot more involved in Touma's life during the fall semester, as in seeing him every day in the same building in the same room at the same time with the same people. Yuri and Uiharu are defiantly going to be interacting quite a bit. It will make the moment he saves her from Kakine all the more personal, and the subsequent fight all the more brutal.
Memes (Guest): Thank you!
Generation Zero: If Last Order, Yomikawa, and Yoshikawa are the familial pillars that keep Yuri stable, Touma is the glimmer of light in his existence of darkness. Really, its more Yuri's people skills that will be changing from canon than many of his decisions. Key events will still happen, but how the come about may be drastically different.
kingpariah: Always happy to see a new reader!
Guest10032 (Guest): Always a joy to see a new reader! No, that was just a gag that demonstrates Touma's absurd punching strength. With how I have things planned right now, Mikoto's not going to get mad enough to tap into some hidden strength to shatter Touma's record. Plus, Touma's score was made with some calculations that in all likelihood are plain wrong on my part, so that detail was more of an in-the-moment kind of detail.
And that's all of them. You know the drill.
Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.
Chapter 64: Powers of the Dead
Yuri Suzushina was never one for festivities. Growing up in a research facility where everyone was all business and had no idea how to properly raise a child would do that to you. So naturally, when he was presented with the opportunity to participate in a party dedicated to getting his bandages removed, he declined the offer. Of course, that was only his initial reaction to the news. Upon learning that his dear friend Touma Kamijou was participating, Yuri found himself agreeing to participate as well. After all, Touma had went out of his way to make time for him, so it was the least Yuri could do. Besides, Last Order and the Sisters staying at the same hospital had went through all the trouble of planning the party for him, so granting them this wish was the least of what he owed them after everything he had done.
The party itself was a bit of a mess, no thanks in part to the Sisters' rather robotic manner of researching and applying knowledge on the subject. The fact that the party itself was heavily Gekota themed was a bit of an eyesore as well. Yuri was starting to think there was some credibility to Touma's theory regarding adoration for the frog character being a genetic trait.
Touma's presence at the party at least made the experience a bit more bearable. Watching Touma's misfortune playout in front of him made the experience overall enjoyable. As much as he pitied his friend whenever he suffered from his ever-present rotten luck, the more mild and harmless cases of that luck were always a good laugh. The look on Touma's face when his superior in Judgement showed up at the party to scold him for running off on his own and disappearing while they were doing evacuations was a sight to behold. Granted, Touma managed to turn that misfortune on his friend by explaining that he was visiting another of his Level 5 friends, making Yuri the sudden center of attention, but at least that attention was better than what he had gotten from researchers for most of his life.
Thankfully, the Sisters had not been present at the time, having gone to another part of the hospital to get more refreshments. Based on how Konori spoke, Yuri deduced that she was also familiar with the Railgun. Having to explain the presence of the clones would have been a pain, so at least the duo of high school boys had that stroke of good fortune.
But that was earlier that night. Following the party's conclusion, Last Order had been put to bed and Yuri had be reassigned to a new room, seeing as he had blown a hole in the wall of his last room to get the jump on those weak-ass villains that tried to attack him earlier that day. Not feeling particularly tired, Yuri found it to be the perfect time to work on the book Touma had gifted him. With the youngest of the Misaka Sisters now in bed, he finally had some peace and quiet.
Heavy Object was certainly an interesting read. It was a story about a world where warfare was primarily decided by the combat of the ultimate super weapon and how the status quo is shaken after two unremarkable soldiers manage to destroy one such super weapon without one of their own. Yuri found the concept rather engaging, in part because the premise was reminiscent of how Touma managed to defeat him in battle despite appearing mostly unremarkable on the surface. In fact, Yuri was so engrossed by the book that he didn't even bother acknowledging the hooded girl running into his room being chased and apprehended by Anti-Skill.
While some might call Yuri cold for ignoring the commotion in his hospital room, it was merely a matter of pragmatism. It didn't really matter to him what this girl's business was with him anyway, the fact that she did not try to attack him upon enter the room made it obvious that she was not some bitch trying to challenge him to a fight. In fact, all she said were pleas for help in locating some girl. And given that she was being chased by Anti-Skill, it was safe to bet that she was a criminal of some sort who had no interest in him. It was only when Yuri noticed the picture the girl left behind that he took interest in the situation. After all, not just anyone would have a photo of a naked Last Order floating in her incubation tank.
"HQ, this is Alpha reporting in. We have successfully secured the target. Although a patient was encountered, contact was avoided, as instructed." Disciplinary Action officer Nishio reported in over his comm-link.
"This is HQ. Excellent work."
"Huh. Sounds like it wasn't necessary to use the Coffin." an unfamiliar voice sounded off over the channel.
"I take it you're our guest. No, it wasn't." Nishio answered, a hit of distain in his voice.
"Not that I'm disappointed." the guest clarified, "They are still difficult to control, so I was hoping combat would be avoided. If things went south, you could have all been killed."
"No way we would have screwed up like that." Nishio replied defensively.
"Are you sure?" the guest posseted, "Doesn't matter now that Esther is secured. After a little research, the Coffins' performance should improve. Who knows, maybe I'll even make weapons that even you can use."
"Please, punk has never even been in the field." Nishio grumbled under his breath as soon as the comms had cut out, "We're pulling out."
With their target secured, the team of DA officers loaded into their truck and prepared to vacate the hospital. However, they ran into some complications when a certain albino Esper with a crutch blocked their path.
"Hey, move it!" the driver demanded, not appreciating the hold up.
"The girl from earlier, is she inside that truck?" Accelerator asked rather directly.
"You're the kid from the hospital room!" Nishio noted as he stepped out of the truck, recognizing Accelerator from when they captured Esther.
"I've got something I want to ask her. Leave her here." Accelerator demanded, cutting straight to the chase.
"The young woman in our custody is a criminal." Nishio explained, pointing his assault rifle at the hospitalized student, "And seeing as you are just a civilian, this does not concern you. I suggest you return to your hospital room now."
"You're not Anti-Skill." the Level 5 quickly deduced, "You're just a bunch of cheap imposters."
"What are you talking about?" Nishio asked, not sure why some random civilian would think otherwise, "We're the only thing keeping the peace in Academy City."
"The real Anti-Skill are so damn serious, it's almost comedic. For instance, they'd never aim their guns at an unarmed civilian." Accelerator explained calmly, revealing the single clue that gave it all away.
"… No, that's because they're weak." Nishio replied, dropping his act, "Only one group truly guards this city. DA, the beacon of justice! And as Academy City's hunting dogs, our goal is to preserve absolute law by flushing out evil wherever it may reside, then ripping it apart with our fangs."
"Oh, is that so?" Accelerator asked, sounding rather amused.
"That's right. Now, get lost or be crushed by the jaws of justice." the DA officer ordered.
"I'd like to see them try it." Accelerator replied, a confident smirk creeping up on his face.
"What?" Nishio asked in confusion, baffled by this kid's response.
"Stand down. We were ordered no to harm any of the patients." the officer behind the wheel reminded his superior.
"That's funny, because I don't see any patients here. Just a rat who though he could stand in our way and keep us from carrying out our sworn duties." Nishio replied, "And if I remember right, our job is to exterminate vermin like him. I swear, by DA's dogma."
In response to the organization's oath, Nishio's helmet faceplate slid down to cover his face, briefly flashing red lines resembling jaws.
One by one, the other members of Nishio's team repeated the oath, preparing for combat mode.
"Back away, vermin. This is your final warning." Nishio warned, giving the child in front of him one last chance to walk away unscathed.
Accelerator merely smirked at the idea, brushing it off as ridiculous.
With his final warning ignored, Nishio opened fire on the boy. Imagine his surprise when the boy in front of him failed to be injured at all and one of Nishio's own bullets had flown back at him, smashing his faceplate drawing blood just above his right eye.
"Justice, huh?" Accelerator laughed, "Not very impressive! I've seen better from a high schooler!"
"This kid is an Esper!" Nishio said in realization, "To hell with it, run him over!"
"Roger." the driver of the smaller truck replied.
"I should have known you were one of those monster children!" Nishio growled, "You're going to require harsh discipline! The kind only DA can administer!"
Having been given the order to just run the Esper in front of them over, the driver of the smaller truck put the pedal to the metal and floored it right at Accelerator. Accelerator simply stood there and took the hit, using his ability to toss the truck over his shoulder crash on its roof behind him, exploding on impact. Nishio could only watch in confusion and horror as Accelerator effortlessly survived getting run over by an armored vehicle, the flaming backdrop behind him making the Esper look like some kind of demon straight from hell.
"Hey, dog! I suggest you piss off while I'm still feeling generous." Accelerator warned the DA squad leader, "Unless you're that damn eager to die, I would take the offer if I were you!"
"Brat! Like I said, you're in no position to be giving any of us orders!" Nishio yelled defiantly as the canopy of the larger truck behind him split open and parted, "Gaze in wonder! Witness absolute justice in its purest form!"
Climbing out of the truck was a massive machine unlike anything produced by Academy City before. It stood on four, bulky, spiderlike legs, its main body being a translucent sphere containing piping that loosely resembled the construction of a brain. It towered over everything in the parking lot, easily standing over the truck transporting it with its legs fully extended. This was the first prototype of DA's newest line of weapons, a Coffin. Oddly enough, Accelerator found it resembled the weapons illustrated in the light novel he was reading, but with fewer guns and on a much smaller scale.
"Out of curiosity, how much did you have to beg Santa to get you such an interesting little toy?" Accelerator asked mockingly.
Without warning, the Coffin fired a stream of blue flames from its main body, seemingly out of nowhere, without the use of any sort of traditional weaponry. Accelerator easily defected the blast with his Ability, quickly deducing that an Esper, specifically a Pyrokinetic, was inside the machine.
"I guess you cand deflect more than just bullets, vermin, but try weaseling you way out of this!" Nishio taunted as the machine prepared another blast, seemingly following his commands, "All of your kind deserve to be exterminated! Only using your Abilities to save your own skin! You can't protect anything! You can't save anyone! Evil has one fate: to be chewed up by the fangs of justice!"
Something about the fake Anti-Skill's words made Accelerator snap a bit. For some reason, they made him unbelievably angry. It wasn't very common for the Level 5 to get mad during a fight, especially against someone he obviously outclassed. But something about what Nishio had just said pushed the wrong button, and Accelerator knew exactly what button the bastard was stupid enough to push.
"You don't know anything." Accelerator growled, tightening his grip on the crutch in his right hand, "You're right about me. I am evil, the worst kind of evil there is, but that doesn't mean you can go lumping other Espers in with the likes of me! You think Espers are evil and you are justice? Don't make me laugh! I know at least one Esper who has exacted more justice than you bastards could ever dream of! You want to gnaw on evil? Then try sinking your fangs into me! Better yet, why don't you take a bite out of your own damn arms! It probably tastes all the same anyway! Except for one key difference, your flavor is a lot weaker than mine!"
"You really are insane." Nishio said trembling, stepping back to put some extra distance between him and Accelerator, "You'd have to be, putting us in the same category as you! Releasing the limiter now!"
With the push of a button, the output of the Coffin increased a hundred-fold. The flames produced by the machine was able to disintegrate everything they touched instantaneously, annihilating the pavement and several nearby cars. However, Accelerator just stood there on a raised pillar in the middle of the resulting crater, completely unscathed by the attack.
"I realize this is your prized toy, but there's a problem!" Accelerator laughed maddeningly, "You see, I've grown bored, and now I want to turn it into scrap metal!"
Ready to go on the offensive, Accelerator switched his crutch into combat mode, collapsing the shaft and hooking it to his right arm, freeing his right hand. With both hands free, the Level 5 leaped into the air to intercept the Coffin's main body. Almost as if acting in self-defense, the machine fired a ball of blue flames right at Accelerator. However, this proved to be a pointless effort as it only gave the Level 5 ammunition for a counterattack. Forced on to the defensive, the machine extended a pair of tentacle arms in front of it to block its redirected attack, allowing Accelerator the perfect opportunity to land a killing blow.
With a mad scream, Accelerator placed his left hand on the hull of the Coffin's main body, giving him full control of the machine's internal vectors. With nothing but a simple thought and a few vector calculations, Accelerator shattered the machine's hull and scrambled its internal machinery, rendering it offline. Seeing their ultimate weapon so easily dealt with, NIshio quickly fled to the remaining van so he and his team could retreat.
"Where do you think you're going!?" Accelerator cried, ready to give chase.
However, the Level 5 stopped in his tracks when a large box fell off the Coffin and landed right next to him. The impact of the fall knocked the box open, revealing the corpse of an unknown teenage girl. The corpse fell flat on her face on the pavement, laying there cold and pale. The sight of the body left Yuri unable to move a muscle. The images of thousands of dead bodies created at his own hands flashed before his eyes. Yuri was so caught up in the surge of suppressed memories, he completely missed his chance to chase after the people responsible for those memories bubbling up.
"Those DA bastards are more screwed up than I thought." Yuri growled, trying to keep his lunch down, "Just what the hell was the purpose for stuffing a corpse in this hunk of junk!?"
Having lost track of his targets, Yuri contacted Anti-Skill regarding the incident and stayed at the scene of the crime for his own reasons. It was long past midnight when two more Anti-Skill vans arrived on the scene. Seeing as the Level 5 was the only one present in the wake of all the destruction, many of the Anti-Skill officers were cautious of him. However, one of the officers present was quick to defend him.
"Stand down. Despite appearances, I'm pretty sure this one is not the culprit." a certain Anti-Skill captain ordered, "Hey there. From the looks of it, you're having a pretty rough night, huh Accelerator?"
"Have we met somewhere before?" Accelerator asked, not recognizing the woman speaking to him.
"You're kidding, right? We just met each other yesterday." Yomikawa clarified, jogging Accelerator's memory.
"Oh, you guys." Accelerator mumbled, not caring too much on way or the other.
"What happened here?" Yomikawa asked, examining the destruction spread across the parking lot.
"Sounds like you're in the dark." the Level 5 mused, "I suppose that means you really weren't involved in what went down here tonight."
"Excuse me?" Yomikawa asked, confused.
"I'm saying you've got some imposters among you." Accelerator spelled it out.
Accelerator explained everything he knew at present about the situation. What happened, who was responsible, and how they did it. Some quick searches through the Anti-Skill database also confirmed the identity of the corpse: Hasami Hitokawa, a Level 2 Pyrokinesis who committed suicide just a few day ago. However, that also left them with the question of how the Coffin was able to not only draw out Hasami's Ability, but also boost its power.
"You have any idea what that means?" Yomikawa asked, hoping to get some other lead out of the Level 5.
"That's your job to find out." Accelerator said as he made his way back inside the hospital, "It's not my problem."
Accelerator really didn't care about how everything played out regarding these DA guys and their corpse powered robots. Solving this case was the job of a hero, and Accelerator was no hero.
On his way back to his hospital room, the Level 5 passed by a drowsy Last Order wandering the halls of the hospital with a stuffed Gekota in her arms. Much to his exasperation, the youngest Misaka Sister stopped him in his tracks to interrogate him.
"Hold it." the sister said as she grabbed the bottom of the boy's shirt as he walked by, "Where have you been? Asks Misaka Misaka, worrying about your sleep schedule."
The youngest Sister let out a loud yawn, a clear indicator that she was far more sleep deprived that the Level 5 was.
"I was just stepped out buying a can of coffee." the boy lied.
"Even though I warned you drinking caffeine this late at night was not good for you? Asks Misaka Misaka, concerned about your health." Last Order reprimanded.
"Children shouldn't be up this late either." the boy fired back, "Hurry back to your room and get some sleep."
"But I'm the one supposed to be looking after you, says Misaka Misaka."
The Level 5 clicked his tongue at the thought, remembering how that girl captured by those DA guys seemed to be targeting Last Order for whatever reason.
"What's wrong? Asks Misaka Misaka, regarding your attitude as highly suspicious." the Sister said as she tightened her grip on the Level 5's shirt, as if afraid he would disappear if she let go, "You're staying here, right, and not going away?"
"Going away?" the boy asked in confusion, "What are you talking about?"
Last Order simply gave the boy a determined, almost pleading look.
"No. I'm staying right here." Yuri said reassuringly as he gently removed Last Order's hand from his shirt, "Now, go back to bed."
As Yuri turned the corner to return to his room, Last Order could only watch and clutch her Gekota plush in hopes that he keeps his promise.
Upon returning to his room, Yuri was rather surprised to an uninvited guest already in it. Standing opposite to him was the girl that had been captured by DA earlier that night. She had long blonde hair that reached past her shoulders and wore a black ribbon on each side of her head. Draped over her shoulders was a black cloak that hid the rest of her figure.
'You…" Accelerator said upon seeing her.
"My name is Esther Rosenthal." the girl introduced herself with a bow, "Thank you for saving me earlier. I have a favor to ask, which probably sounds brazen considering you've already helped me once tonight. But the fact is I can't stand against DA against all by myself. I need your help."
Before Esther could get another word out, she found herself pinned to the way behind her by her limbs and neck. Making use of his Vector Manipulation, Accelerator focused the flow of the air in the room to form a set of invisible wind shackles. Considering this person had a picture of Last Order on her person when she first barged into his room, Accelerator was too privy to take anything she said at face value.
"What's your deal?" Accelerator demanded, "You just waltz in my room and start making demands? I can't believe you intentionally came back here. And people say I'm the one with brain damage."
"You're wrong. I can tell you're not a bad person." Esther reasoned, much to Accelerator's confusion. "I saw the look in your eye when that girl's body fell out of the Coffin prototype earlier. You won't have that reaction if you were heartless."
'What is it with people psychoanalyzing me this week.' Accelerator thought to himself, more annoyed than anything.
"That's quite a story you've invented. Very entertaining." Accelerator replied, unamused, "But how about I prove just how wrong you are by wringing your neck?"
"… Very well. That choice is yours." Esther replied, shedding a tear, baffling the Level 5, "But in return, there's something I want you to do with your strength. If things continue in the direction they're going, this city, no, the whole world's at risk! The only reason that girl ended up in that Coffin was because of me! I was the one that originally taught them how to harness and control the powers of the deceased! And countless more people will die, all thanks to me! I was trying to stop them myself, to prevent them from using Last Order and shifting the world to a new level! After you tear me to pieces, promise me you'll do something about it! Promise me!"
'… Damn it. Touma starting to rub off on me." Accelerator though to himself as he released the girl from her shackles, giving her a moment to catch her breath after being released form his wind choke hold.
"I just got through telling you how I'm not a good person, and your response is to dump your noble crusade on me?" Accelerator asked, sounding more annoyed than anything.
"No, you're right." Esther agreed once she caught her breath, "It's my responsibility."
"Are you going to tell me where they are or not?" Accelerator asked, much to Esther's confusion, "I want the location of those fake Anti-Skill bastards. I'm gonna pay them a visit, find out whatever it is they're after, and obliterate it."
"I'll do my best to help, but I only know about the warehouse where they kept me imprisoned, and I'm pretty sure its only one of many hideouts of theirs." Esther offered as she picked herself off the floor.
"Then lead the way." Accelerator said as he turned to depart.
"Right now?" Esther asked as Accelerator made his way to the door.
"So you don't think I look like villain?" the Level 5 asked, stopping at the door.
"No. I really don't." Esther replied confidently.
"Well stick around and see if you still feel the same way."
Special End Card Segment: Animan Temple
At the top of a certain mountain sat a Shinto temple decorated in Christmas lights. Inside the temple stood a massive Christmas tree, one so tall the tree toper was barely touching the ceiling. Sitting in front of said tree were the temple's two inhabitants, the master of the temple and his priestess.
"Greets, one and all! Merry Christmas!" the master of the temple greeted, "I am Animan von Elysium X, along with Priestess Number 1, Aisa Himegami! Consider this chapter my Christmas gift to all of you!"
"We hope you are all having a happy holiday." Himegami said with a bow.
"Be sure to spend today with your friends and family, ideally from a safe distance." Animan advised, "Family and friends are a wonderful gift. Even Yuri can agree with that."
"Cheesy way to end off, don't you think?" Himegami deadpanned.
"Anywho, we'll see you all next time with the next chapter, 'Friend or Foe'." the master of the temple announced, disregarding any insults he may or may not have heard.
"Until then." Himegami said, waving goodbye.