Chapter 10 - It's all that's left

Night had fallen on Academy City. The narrow moon looked like a sneering mouth and its light was much too weak. It was like watching an omen.

Misaka Mikoto stood alone on an iron bridge, untouched by the city's usual nighttime glow. Her hands gripped the cold railing as her eyes, lost in thought, wandered to the distant, glittering cityscape. She wished she could see her face right now. Maybe that was why she looked down at the pitch-black water below, reaching out as if to grasp the reflection of the fragile moon hovering in the waves.

It had all been for nothing.

Her efforts over the past few days unraveled so easily, so completely, it was as if she had never done anything at all. All the destruction, the sleepless nights. Wiped away like they were nothing. Now, all she could do was take one last look at the world around her before she moved on. She had already made her decision.

"Why... did it have to end like this?" Mikoto whispered, her lips trembling.

It was too late to ask that kind of question, especially one she knew the answer to so well. Naivety can sometimes be a blessing, but when someone has too much power, it can become a curse, a sneaky force waiting to pounce like an experienced predator.

With a heavy breath, she stepped back from the edge. No one could face the future she had chosen with their head held high, yet she would force herself to. She would stop those experiments. No matter the cost, even if it meant her life. She didn't think of it as some noble sacrifice; she didn't want to die. Her body trembled, her fingertips pale and cold, her thoughts scattered like static in her mind.

If she could, she would cry out for help. But she wouldn't allow herself that weakness.

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?"

The voice came from nowhere, blending into the darkness around the bridge. Instinctively, Mikoto tensed and started to turn toward it, but she froze. She knew that voice.

"I prefer when the moon isn't hiding like that," the voice continued, almost lazily, "but it's still a lovely night."

Mikoto clenched her teeth. Lovely? Nothing about this night was lovely. But his words ignited something in her. She turned sharply toward the voice, her resolve hardening.

It was him.

That older boy had an unknown power that had allowed him to easily deal with one of Academy City's Level 5s yet he was branded a Level 0. That boy was strong enough that, without bluffing, he could honestly write off that unfair treatment as "not mattering". That strong boy held great power yet was not proud and he treated both strong and weak equally and without discrimination.

To Mikoto, someone like that wouldn't be making idle comments if they truly understood her situation. Perhaps, if she'd approached him earlier, if she had said something… No. There was no time for those thoughts.

"I don't know where you came from or why you're here, but I'm busy," she said, her voice carefully masking the pain beneath. "Leave me alone. I don't have time for you right now."

"Sure, no problem." He shrugged, leaning casually against the parapet. "You need a clear head for whatever you're doing, right?"

Mikoto blinked at his laid-back tone. Something felt off—more than his usual carefree attitude. It was as if the very atmosphere around him had shifted, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She didn't want to deal with him right now, but a nagging question planted itself in her mind like a thorn she couldn't ignore.

"You always show up at the worst times," she muttered, turning away, trying to shake off the strange sense of wrongness. "Anyway, I'm leaving."

"Another lab? How many does that make now?"

"What?"

So he knew.

Mikoto shook off the creeping unease and faced him again. They were still a good ten meters apart, but she closed the distance until she stood right in front of him. For a moment, she hesitated, unsure of what to say as her eyes met his.

"What do you know?" she said, her voice tight with desperation.

"Straight to the point, huh?" He pulled out a stack of papers from inside his jacket, flipping through them as casually as if he were resuming a half-read book. "Academy City has seven Level 5s. However, the predictive calculations of Tree Diagram have established that there is a single one of them who is capable of reaching the as yet unseen Level 6. The other Level 5s are either growing in a different direction or their bodily balance would be lost by an increase in dosage. The sole person who is able to reach Level 6 is known as-"

"Enough!"

Mikoto lunged forward and snatched the papers from his hand. For a brief second, she thought they were the same ones she kept hidden in that stuffed bear under her bed. But no, these were fresh prints, likely pulled from the source itself.

The realization hit her.

He must have done what she had done. Dug into the same dark corners for answers. Even without knowing the specifics of his power, she had no doubt he could've easily uncovered the information if he wanted to. He was that kind of impossible force, someone who couldn't be stopped.

And with that realization, the "normal" Misaka Mikoto shattered.

Her face twisted, her cheeks trembling uncontrollably as something dark coiled within her. He knew. He knew everything. Someone who could stop her in an instant if he wished had every piece of the puzzle.

It wasn't just the knowledge that unnerved her. It was something deeper, something she couldn't quite grasp, gnawing at her from the inside.

"So... can I ask you one thing?" Mikoto's voice sounded too bright, like she was trying to force some lightness into it. There was something she needed to hear, something that would push her in the direction she knew she had to go. After a moment of waiting for his casual nod, she continued in a soft, fragile tone. "After seeing all that, were you worried about me? Or... could you not forgive me?"

"Of course I was worried about you," he replied instantly, without even a moment of hesitation. His gaze pierced through her, and it was so intense that Mikoto involuntarily took a step back. "It kind of bothers me that you'd think otherwise."

Hearing that hurt. Not because he intended to wound her, she knew he didn't, but because it made her feel that gnawing self-loathing all over again.

"We both got off on the wrong foot," he said, his voice calm and soothing, easing a bit of the tension in her. "Maybe it's my fault that you think I'd judge you for this. Or maybe it's your own guilt, something you can't shake. But I'm telling the truth. I was worried. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't."

Wouldn't be here? For a moment, Mikoto couldn't fully grasp what he meant by that. Her chest tightened, and a dull ache started to form at the back of her head, like her mind was straining to make sense of something that should've been simple. But right now, even thinking felt like an immense effort.

"You've done quite a bit," he continued, glancing at the papers. "Destroyed so many laboratories. Was that really the only solution you could come up with?"

"No... I have another solution now," she muttered, clutching her arm, trying to steady herself. "That's why I have to go."

"Can I ask what this new solution is? The last one seemed pretty... effective."

"At first, yeah," Mikoto admitted, her eyes drifting aimlessly, unable to settle anywhere. The water below, the moon above. It all felt mocking, cruel. "It was easy enough to destroy a few labs, but then another one would just pick up the experiment. No matter how many times I smashed one, it kept going. This obsession with reaching Level 6... it must be like a dream come true for those researchers."

Her voice grew weaker, weary, like she carried the weight of centuries of human darkness on her small shoulders.

"Do you know what makes it worse? Those girls have no problem referring to themselves as experimental animals." She paused, trying not to clench her teeth. "Experimental animals. Do you know how rats or guinea pigs are treated? I was curious, so I looked into it, but it's horrible. While still alive and without being given any anesthetic, they have holes opened up in their skulls with saws and then have data taken on what happens when drugs are directly applied to their brains. Each and every day, records are kept on how many milliliters of the drug it takes before they cough off blood and die in agony. If they might run low on supplies, they just put the males and females together to breed and if they have leftovers after the experiment is over, they just toss them as is into a furnace. "

Mikoto's throat moved as if she were suppressing the urge to vomit.

"Those girls... they know what 'experimental animals' are. They understand, and yet they still calmly call themselves that."

"That's... so wrong..." His voice hesitated, the weight of her words clearly hitting him.

That brief moment of uncertainty from him brought her some strange sense of relief, as if, for a moment, she could climb out of that dark pit in her mind. He was human after all. He understood, at least a little, what she was going through. He was the kind of person who could look past the shadows and see what really mattered.

That's why she had to make this clear.

"Yeah, it's wrong. And I'm the one responsible for all of it." Her voice trembled, but she didn't waver. "Asking for help would be wrong. This is my fault, and I need to fix it. Even if it means putting my life on the line, I will save those girls. That's my responsibility."

With that, Misaka Mikoto turned her back on him and started walking away. She had to leave everything behind. Her doubts, her fears, and any hope of finding an easier way out. There was only one path left to take: to save those girls, no matter the cost.

And yet, for all her resolve, something inside her faltered.

Her pace slowed, then stopped entirely.

It wasn't just hesitation. It felt like she had forgotten something. Something vital, something she couldn't afford to leave behind.

A sudden wave of uncertainty crashed over her, drowning out her conviction. Why did it feel like this wasn't the right goodbye? Why, despite everything she had decided, did it feel like her heart was fighting back, resisting the fate she had already chosen for herself?

And then, it hit her. Like a sharp, unexpected jolt.

"You..." Her voice was too faint, so still facing away from him, she raised it. "Aren't you going to try to stop me?"

That's what had been bothering her all along. Maybe she wasn't fully ready. Deep down, she didn't want to do it, but the burden of duty overwhelmed her reason.

"Why would I do that?" he asked, his voice as casual as ever, almost indifferent. It was as if nothing ever shook him. He sounded cold, distant even. When she turned, she saw him leaning against the railing, looking at her with that same calm demeanor. "You've already decided to fight back against this twisted system. That's enough for me."

She didn't know how to feel about that. It was definitely not the answer she had expected, not in a million years.

"But," he added, this time with more gravity in his voice, "can I at least ask what you intend to do?"

Of course, he didn't fully know what she intended. And the strangest part was that Mikoto knew exactly how he would react once she told him.

"If you think about it, it's simple. This experiment is designed to make Accelerator stronger. If they lose him, the whole thing collapses." She paused, waiting for a reaction, but he just listened, his expression unreadable. "If Accelerator kills 128 Railguns, he'll reach Level 6. But... what if I no longer had that much value?"

At last, she saw a change in him. His eyes narrowed slightly, his composed expression cracking just a little. The realization dawned on him, and for the first time, she could see what he usually kept hidden behind that mask of calm.

Just as she thought. He was human, too.

"According to Tree Diagram, if Accelerator and I were to fight, I would be killed after 185 moves even if I focused on fleeing. But what if the battle ended sooner than that? What if I lost on the very first move and could do nothing but pathetically turn tail and attempt to flee? When the researchers saw that, I'm sure they would think that Tree Diagram's calculations were wonderful, but that it was still wrong."

"Don't tell me you..."

The boy sighed. Loudly. It wasn't just the sigh of someone mildly frustrated or weary. It was the kind of sound someone makes when they're holding back a tidal wave of emotion. And in that moment, Mikoto realized something that hadn't occurred to her before—his calm demeanor, that undisturbed exterior—it wasn't who he truly was. He was the type who wanted to shout, to throw himself in the way, to grab her and tell her outright that this was insane. She could see it now, the passion simmering just beneath the surface.

He was that kind of hot-blooded fool.

But for some reason, he was holding back. Maybe it was something in his past that made him act this way, some weight he carried that prevented him from speaking out. That only deepened the mystery around him, and Mikoto couldn't help but think it was a shame. Soon enough, she would be gone, and she would never get the chance to unravel that part of him.

"Did you hack everything first? Then it makes sense, otherwise, I doubt it will work," he said quickly, cutting through her thoughts. His posture returned to its usual relaxed, almost lazy stance, though his eyes betrayed something sharper. "What's to stop them from simply recalculating? You'll only fool them once. After that, they'll catch on, and it'll be over."

Mikoto didn't flinch.

"Don't worry," she said with a thin smile, though there was no humor in it. "That won't happen. The Tree Diagram was brought down by an unknown attack from the ground about three weeks ago. The higher-ups are hiding it to protect their reputation, but the fact remains... they can't recalculate anything."

For a moment, he seemed to retreat into himself, his expression clouding as if some unpleasant memory surfaced from deep inside.

"Three weeks ago?" he muttered, more to himself than to her.

"Yes." Her smile wavered, caught between pride and sorrow. It felt strange, like a piece of her wanted to hold onto this moment, to let him see her just a little differently before she disappeared from his life. "This is my only chance. Right now, with Tree Diagram out of commission, all those so-called geniuses have to rely on outdated data. They can't run any new calculations. So, if a mistake shows up in the data they do have, they'll have no choice but to stop the experiment. It's like a computer crashing because of a bug."

He frowned, clearly still focused on her earlier revelation.

"An unknown attack?" he repeated, more intensely this time. "Did you see any reports? What kind of attack was it? Was it some kind of experimental weapon, or—"

"Why does it matter?" she snapped, her irritation breaking through. "It must've been some prototype, something no one's ever seen before. Whatever it was, it doesn't change anything."

She turned away again, feeling the urgency return, propelling her forward. The conversation was over. She had made up her mind. She would sacrifice everything to end this nightmare.

But just as she took another step, an arm suddenly blocked her path.

"I can't let you do that."

His voice sounded distant, almost detached, as if the boy she had been talking to mere moments ago had vanished. There was something different now, something she couldn't quite name. His presence felt heavier, more resolute, like a wall she couldn't break through.

"What?" Mikoto raised her hand, sparking electricity to force him aside. "I need to do this. Alone."

He didn't move. He didn't even flinch. Instead, his head dropped slightly, as if weighed down by guilt.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "For causing this."

Her hand froze mid-air.

"What are you talking about?" She stared at him, her mind struggling to process his words.

"The Tree Diagram," he said, his voice tight, his right fist clenching at his side. "It's my fault that it was destroyed."

Mikoto blinked, her thoughts scattering.

"That can't be... You... "

An unknown attack from the ground. The reports had called it unidentifiable, something so strange that even the scientists were baffled. And yet, here he was, standing in front of her, claiming responsibility for the one thing that had allowed her this slim chance to act.

"I was careless," he continued, his voice filled with regret. "I didn't realize what I was doing at the time, but if I had tried harder... I could've prevented this."

She didn't fully understand the details of what he was saying, but she didn't need to. The raw emotion in his voice. All that guilt, that pain. In that moment, she saw him for what he truly was: someone who, like her, was burdened by his own mistakes. Two people bound by the weight of their failures, walking parallel paths of regret.

"The whole situation's clearer now," he said, looking up at the night sky as if seeking an answer in the stars. "You should stay out of this. Let me fix what I broke."

"What?" Her anger flared. "What are you talking about, you idiot?"

"This is all my fault. So stay out of it and let me fix what I caused."

"It's not going to happen. Who do you think you are to just decide that—"

Mikoto stopped talking, almost biting her tongue in the process. When she saw his arm move out of her way, the expected came from his mouth, although she preferred not to hear it.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" he asked, but he hadn't sounded cold. "Being on the other side leaves a bad taste in your mouth. It's always like that. Someone selfishly decides that they're going to take care of everything... makes you angry, doesn't it?"

Her teeth clenched, but she realized she wasn't angry. No matter what, that hurting right now wasn't something so simple. She felt betrayed. Devastated. It was a kind of emptiness, a feeling of unimportance that ate away at her more than any fight or confrontation. As if she was just something quickly discarded. A spent match. A sheet torn from a notebook and crumpled unceremoniously.

"So you're going to stop me by force?" she asked, her voice emotionless.

Kamijou just sighed. His face was like someone who had just chewed something sour.

"Is that really what you took from what I said?" He raised his hands in surrender, stepping aside.

"Are you an idiot? Even if you stand there and don't resist, I'm still going to take you down. So get out of my way."

"If you think that will solve everything, go ahead." He shook his head, nonchalant as ever. "I won't fight."

"What—"

"There's no fight for me here after all." His eyes never left hers, standing so close, like spotlights highlighting her shame. "Do it. If you think absolute violence is going to solve everything here, then just do it."

"Hah! You really are an idiot! This is the only path for me left, so I will take you out even if I do trust you! What kind of lukewarm world do you think we live in? This is not the normal life you know. This is abnormal hell colored in blood, flesh, bone, fat, and guts where ten thousand people have already been killed. That kind of peaceful view isn't going to cut it."

"So cut the bullshit and just do it. You chose this path, so why are you hesitating?" He paused, searching Mikoto's uncomfortably wandering eyes. "You're strong, so you must understand what I mean. That nagging pain that says you're not doing enough. And you probably never will."

"If you understand that, then get out of the way!" Mikoto felt her eyes getting heavy, moist. She had probably never felt so torn. "Let me do what's necessary."

"I can't."

"Just give up."

"I can't let you die. In the end, that's all that matters."

Mikoto's thoughts drifted for a split second as she watched the boy close his eyes, take a deep breath, and then gaze back at her with those dark blue eyes. He didn't say another word, nor did he make any attempt to step aside. Not that it mattered. She knew that much. She knew it so well that the knowledge weighed on her, leaving her feeling helpless, useless. Could this be called surrender? Even if she struck him with the force of a billion volts, she doubted it would make the slightest difference. She could imagine landing a direct hit, aiming right at his heart, only for him to rise afterward, unfazed, as if the attack hadn't even connected in the first place.

In the end, this was all she could do.

Just as she couldn't fathom defeating Accelerator, she couldn't see a way past this boy either.

"Whatever," she muttered, her body sparking with blue electricity.

It didn't matter anymore. Whether she fought or chose not to, whether it was against him or the Number One. The answer was painfully clear, so obvious it physically hurt.

Lifting her head, she prepared to unleash the strongest attack she could muster. A flash erupted as lightning surged in all directions, filling the air with the crackling roar of electricity. Anyone within a good range would have heard the explosion of sound.

But the boy wasn't struck.

Something was different. It definitely hadn't played out like she expected. At the last second, she locked eyes with him, those fearless eyes, and realized something was off. Why hadn't he even tried to defend himself? Even after her warning shot, he showed no sign of using force.

His gaze unsettled her.

If she looked closer, she would see it—something unmistakable. It wasn't just that he understood her; he carried guilt too. He had a goal he hadn't been able to reach, maybe still couldn't. This boy had fought with everything he had and found it wasn't enough.

An ache swelled in her chest, a pain both familiar and different from the one already lodged there.

"Is that really what you took from what I said?" she said, echoing his words, mocking herself. "Before I came here, I asked a friend if she'd stop me if she thought I was going down the wrong path." She shook her head, the warm night breeze tossing her hair around. "I asked because she's the person I trust most. And despite how she seems, she's someone who dreams of being a hero of justice. And what does a hero of justice do?" Mikoto paused, stepping closer. "They stop the villains, don't they?"

Saying it aloud made her stomach churn. Her eyes welled up again, the emotion too stubborn to shake.

"You realized you couldn't say what you needed to say to her, didn't you?" he asked, as if he already knew the answer. "Because just speaking those words would stain her."

Suddenly, she remembered that day, just a few weeks ago.

He had foolishly thrown himself in front of some delinquents, diverting their attention to himself. He didn't even know them, but he had tried to pull them away from her before she could start a fight.

She still didn't fully understand his motives, but Mikoto had always imagined he wasn't doing anything more than what a decent person would.

The reason she hadn't told Kuroko the truth was simple. It felt cowardly to ask something like that.

It was her fault that ten thousand Sisters had died, and that ten thousand more stood on the brink of death. How could someone responsible for such a crime—a monster whose hands were stained with blood, flesh, and bone—dare to ask for help? She couldn't.

The weight of her guilt grew heavier. She took another step forward, her head bowed under the unbearable pressure. She felt like she could barely stand.

And then she said exactly what she had wanted to say for so long...

"Help me." The words escaped her as a fragile whisper. Her teary eyes didn't meet his. She felt him move closer, and before she knew it, as if on impulse, her head rested on his chest. "Please… I can't do this alone." Her tear glands were supposed to have rusted over long ago, but now transparent rust fell from them.

She would never be able to say something like that to her friend. As much as she despised herself for it, this Mikoto, the one who had thrown herself into this sea of blood and filth, couldn't allow herself to bring someone like Kuroko to drown with her.

But this boy… he was different.

He couldn't be after justice. He couldn't be a symbol of righteousness, someone driven by what was morally right, no matter the cost.

Tears still filling her eyes, she felt the boy's arm wrap firmly around her. His response came quickly, almost predictably.

"Don't worry. I'll help you, no matter what." He pulled back slightly, lifting her chin so she could look into his eyes. "Do you know why, Misaka Mikoto?"

It was the first time he had ever spoken her name, and for a moment, the shock left her speechless. She could only shake her head in silent denial.

And then he smiled, just a little.

"Because you're not a villain."

That simple, sincere statement made her break down in sobs. It was so straightforward, and even though deep inside she didn't agree, it was exactly what she needed to hear.

x-2-x

Kamijou quickly looked at the time on his phone. That was a big problem that needed to be solved. His life used to be chaotic, but lately it had gotten worse. The responsibility for this surely lay with a single person, which is why the boy's eyes traveled in the direction of a certain building nearby.

"Let's split up for now," said Kamijou to Mikoto, standing there with her shoulders slumped. "The experiment should be starting soon. Will you need reinforcements?"

"Reinforcements?" Mikoto echoed, puzzled. His question was louder than necessary, and his focus wasn't even on her. Just then, a female voice emerged from the shadows.

"Yes, let me handle that," Shokuhou Misaki said, stepping out toward them. "My skills could be useful here. You should get going."

"Shokuhou...?" Mikoto's confusion deepened, her expression only growing more bewildered. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't worry, Misaka-san," Shokuhou replied, her tone unusually serious. "I'm not here to sabotage you, if that's what you're thinking."

Shokuhou's voice was strained, her calm exterior barely concealing the storm of emotions inside. She knew she had to stay composed, no matter what.

"I have my reasons," she continued, "but I'll explain later."

Shokuhou had been the one to gather the intelligence contained in those documents—the very ones she and Kamijou had reduced to ashes in a lab they had destroyed together. Kamijou hadn't tried to stop her when she subtly altered the memories of those involved, ensuring they'd have no desire to resume their work. She sensed her quiet fury had somehow resonated with him.

"So... you and him..." Mikoto began, glancing toward Kamijou only to find he had already disappeared. "Huh? How can he move so fast?"

She hadn't even noticed when he'd left, or in which direction he'd gone. He was probably headed straight toward his goal, with no hesitation. It struck her as surreal that this boy was actually planning to take on a monster.

Her mouth went dry.

"Are you worried about Kamijou-san?" Shokuhou asked, pulling out a phone from her pocket. "Focus on what we're about to do. It's better that way."

"Why are you helping me?" Mikoto asked, her voice edged with suspicion. "Did he call you here or something? What's your relationship with him?"

"That's quite a lot of questions." Shokuhou waved a gloved hand dismissively. "I told you, I have my reasons. Honestly, I'd prefer to handle this alone and not deal with you, but leaving you out of it would be unfair. After all, we're following your plan."

Neither girl trusted the other, but desperation has a way of turning enemies into allies. Both were reluctantly resigned to it.

"We'll need a little more firepower ability," Shokuhou said, scrolling through her contacts. "Preferably from someone I don't have to babysit. So it'll have to be you, Shundan-san."

x-3-x

"They seem to have liked your gift," said a blonde girl in a beret. She was watching some children playing in that large underground room. "In the end, is that what you do in your spare time?"

"No," replied Shundan Kimi, a certain happiness in her voice. "This is my life. My duty."

This was the second day in a row that Kimi had come here, to this hideout of the Skill-out gang. She had made a deal with the leader of their largest faction after hearing a rumor confirmed by the little girl next to her.

Calling her a "little girl" was odd, especially since she was actually a high school student. And even stranger was her deadly reputation: she was an assassin from the dark side of this city. Her name was Frenda Seivelun, an explosives expert who also doubled as a forensic analyst for Kimi.

"That explains why you're always complaining about money," said Frenda, adjusting her beret awkwardly. "Honestly, wouldn't it be easier to take on jobs from the dark side? In the end, they pay a lot better than the peanuts you're getting from this gang."

It was true. Kimi could easily make more if she took up those offers. She'd already made decent money from past shady jobs, enough to help with her boyfriend's expenses and afford a few comforts, but it still wasn't enough. She had a bigger dream, a purpose she'd worked tirelessly to achieve.

Once, Kimi had been a lost child herself. She'd grown up in an orphanage, only to be locked away later in a facility where they'd tampered with her mind, stripping her of the ability to feel emotions like others did. It had taken years to channel what she'd repressed into something meaningful. Now, she wanted to save these children. Not just the ones playing with the toys she'd given them in that room, but any abandoned child error who might suffer the same fate she had.

In her dreams, she envisioned creating a permanent shelter, a safe haven that would keep them from the shadows once and for all. But the reality was tough; feeding so many mouths and ensuring they had everything they needed wasn't cheap. Still, she'd keep trying, taking on any job she could, while holding firmly to a line she would never cross.

"The dark side's methods aren't for me," Kimi replied at last. "They kill without thought, with no regard for the innocent. I bring hell, yes—but only to those who deserve it. My goal is to redirect the river, not dry it up and leave it barren."

"Nice words, but in the end, Robin Hood was still a thief," Frenda said, with a skeptical tilt of her head.

"I never claimed to be good." Kimi shrugged. "Maybe it's hypocritical, but I don't care. What matters is what I feel when it's over." She crossed her arms, gazing at the children in front of her, her mind flashing back to her own past, to when things weren't so simple. "I'd give my life for any of them, without a second thought. But I'd rather build a world where they never have to follow in my footsteps. Or hers. Maybe one day I'll be able to break the cycle, even if I'm not standing on the 'right' side to do it."

She seemed ready to say more, but her cell phone began to vibrate, interrupting her train of thought.

"I'll catch up with you later. There's still something I need you to do for me," she told Frenda, stepping away and grimacing as she glanced at the caller ID. "Shokuhou? Calling me out of the blue... This must be urgent."

"I would prefer not to have to do this, but calling my clique is out of the question. At the moment, I prefer people like you."

Kimi's grimace turned into a face full of doubt. What Shokuhou wanted was probably something quite illegal. She didn't exactly have anything against that paranoid girl, but she was also more cautious around her, all because of her powers. Something told her that she didn't like her very much, probably because of her relationship with Kamijou.

"Meet me at these coordinates," Shokuhou said, her tone sharp. "And one more thing you should know: Kamijou-san is likely fighting Academy City's Number 1 right now."

"What?" Kimi's initial reaction was shock, but soon she licked her lips, almost savoring the thought. "Do you know where? I need to see this—"

"Help me first."

That was all Shokuhou said. Kimi knew she could probably find out where Kamijou was herself, but she owed Shokuhou a favor. Besides, she sensed genuine urgency in the girl's voice.

"All right, I'll be there in a few minutes."

x-4-x

Mikoto looked up at that moment, just after she felt a force caused by electromagnetism going out of control. They were leaving the iron bridge, heading back to the street, when suddenly a blue-haired girl landed beside Shokuhou, clearly having launched herself from quite a distance.

"Yo, Shokuhou," greeted Shundan Kimi, attempting to smooth her hair, still frizzy with static electricity.

"Wait… it's that girl from before!" Mikoto said, recognizing her with a flash of surprise.

"Well, isn't this interesting," Kimi replied, her gaze moving back and forth between Shokuhou and Mikoto. "Professor X and Magneto, working together. Quite the team-up."

"You always say the worst things," Shokuhou sighed.

Kimi ignored her comment, glancing at Mikoto with a faint, expressionless "smile".

"So, what kind of trouble are you bringing me into? Must be something wild if it's got another Level 5 involved. Do you two have some exclusive club? Where do you waste your undeserved money, anyway… booze and strippers?"

"What?" Mikoto looked caught off guard by the blunt remark.

"Don't pay her any mind, Misaka-san," Shokuhou cut in, exasperated. "She's got a dreadful sense of humor ability."

There was some hidden tension between Shokuhou and Kimi in the air, there always was when the two met. Shokuhou often found Kimi too unpredictable to trust, though she couldn't deny her usefulness. And Kimi, for her part, likely held just as conflicted an opinion about Shokuhou.

"Seriously, golden girl, what kind of scheme are you working up now?" Kimi crossed her arms, her gaze turning sharp.

"I'll explain everything," Shokuhou replied calmly, "but I'd appreciate it if you dropped the nickname… blueberry."

Kimi raised a brow, then smirked, as if savoring an inside joke.

"Doesn't sound quite right coming from you…" She turned to Mikoto. "I didn't expect to see you here, Railgun. Judging by the look on your face, you screwed up somewhere and are hoping Little Miss Sunshine over there can bail you out, huh?" She watched Mikoto just shrug, clearly uncomfortable. "That big of a mess? Well, if Shokuhou's involved, it must be."

"You're being rude, Shundan-san," Shokuhou said, her face tightening. "I know you don't trust me and think I'm always scheming, but—"

"Who says I don't trust you?"

The question came with an oddly blank expression, though her words held an intensity that almost seemed hurt.

Shokuhou could never shake the feeling that Kimi disliked her. Though she knew Kimi's strengths, she often found excuses to avoid asking for her help. It might have been her close association with Kamijou, or something even deeper that Shokuhou herself couldn't explain. Either way, Kimi's presence made her uneasy.

"I don't need mind-reading powers to see you're wary of me," Shokuhou replied, a bit defensively. "It's in how you act."

"Is that so?" Kimi tilted her head, her curiosity sincere. "Just curious—how many times have you actually read my mind since we met?"

"Uh… maybe just once, as a precaution when we first crossed paths. I only saw surface thoughts, nothing personal."

Kimi's expression softened in slight relief.

"Good to know. I guess I assumed you were constantly peeking into my head, collecting my thoughts like trophies. That's probably why I've never felt comfortable around you."

"Wait," Shokuhou said, stepping forward. "Are you saying all this time you've been distant because of a misunderstanding? I thought you hated me."

"Is that really the impression I gave?" Kimi asked, and for the first time, a small hint of a true smile touched her lips. "Anyway, thanks for getting me out of that prison. I swore I'd pay you back however I could, so it's nice to clear the air."

"Agreed." Shokuhou extended a folder of documents toward her, then raised a remote in Kimi's direction. "Mind if I…?"

"Go ahead." Kimi barely flinched as Shokuhou transferred the data directly to her. Kimi quickly flipped through the folder. "My, what a mess," she remarked, a glint of mischief in her eye. "And all I need to do is blow up a few labs? How much chaos am I allowed to cause?"

"As much as necessary," Shokuhou said solemnly. "I'll handle the fallout. Use your brainwashing powers to keep things clean, and I'll do the same."

"Brainwashing?" Mikoto looked a little confused, and even a little against the idea, but she quickly shook her head and resigned herself. "This isn't the time for doubts."

A few silent seconds passed, Kimi glancing quickly at the map marked with targets all over the city. She tucked the folder into her white poncho-style outfit then raised her left hand, electricity sparking through her fingers in a toxic shade.

"All right, I'm off," she said, a faint smile forming. "If I wrap this up quickly, maybe I can catch some of the show."

"You plan to join the fight?"

"Not at all. On my streets, we respect one-on-one," Kimi replied, almost offended. "Leave the entire western section to me. My gang will cover the southern area too, though they're not as fast as I am."

"The whole western area?" Mikoto started to question, but her words trailed off as Kimi launched herself into the air, surging past buildings at an incredible speed until she vanished from sight. "Impressive… how does she do that?"

"You've done similar feats. Why so surprised?"

"Not that fast," Mikoto murmured, hand on her chin. "There's a limit to how much a person can accelerate without being crushed by air resistance. She hit near Mach 1 in an instant, anyone else would've been flattened."

Shokuhou sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"That's exactly why I called her in. Shundan-san is, by all accounts, a monster."

"I can't argue with that." Mikoto's gaze lingered on the spot where Kimi had vanished, but her thoughts drifted. "But is it enough? Even if we take down all these labs, what stops them from building more? They could have new ones outside Academy City already… this might not be a real solution."

"Maybe not," Shokuhou admitted, exhaling heavily. "If that's the case, we'll find something else. We have time."

"No, we don't. While we're here—"

"No clone will die tonight. Kamijou-san will make sure of it."

Mikoto looked at her, her face weary from all those trials becoming somewhat skeptical.

"Can he really do that?" she asked quietly, her gaze hardening. "Just buying time seems impossible. For all we know, he's already… lying in a pool of his own blood."

The morbidity of her own words seemed to affect her, and she clasped one trembling arm with the other as if trying to will the dark thoughts away.

"Stay calm," Shokuhou said, her voice gentle but firm. "Accelerator may be powerful, but he's only 'the strongest.' He's merely Number One."

"Do you even hear yourself?"

"You don't know Kamijou-san like I do." There was pride in Shokuhou's voice, a spark that lit up her gaze. "I called Shundan-san a monster, and she is. She might be stronger than both of us, in fact." Shokuhou didn't flinch under Mikoto's raised eyebrow. "But even she can't match him. No matter what scale we use, he's at the top."

Shokuhou paused, watching as Mikoto opened her mouth but fell silent. She looked out over the horizon, a quiet, knowing smile curving at the edge of her lips.

"It doesn't matter if you're the strongest," Shokuhou said softly, her tone almost casual. "It doesn't matter how much you've trained, how finely you hone your powers. You could be the strongest human, esper, god, or whatever else. None of it matters. To him… it's all the same." She tilted her head, her smile widening slightly. "The truth is… no one in this world can stop Kamijou Touma."

x-5-x

Misaka Imouto was having trouble even breathing at this point. She felt the rusty taste of blood spreading through her mouth. She could see Accelerator breathing erratically in her blurry vision. There were no more tricks she could use. That fight was over.

And then, just like that, Accelerator stopped. As if realizing something, he slowly turned his head, glancing back over his shoulder.

"I seem to have arrived just in time."

A boy's voice rang out across the container-filled courtyard. It was impossible, yet there he was. His black hair was messier than usual, but he stood steady, one hand resting casually in his pocket. When his gaze fell on her, his expression hardened. There was anger there, though she couldn't quite understand why.

"Hey. What happens to the experiment if this happens?" Accelerator muttered while still frozen in place.

"Thinking about that just now?" Kamijou Touma asked, stepping forward. "I figured you'd be mad to see me again or something."

"Huh? I don't know who you are, but I assume you're another idiot out for revenge. Most don't come back for a second beating, so you must be an idiot among idiots."

"You don't even remember me, eh?" Kamijou shook his head, sighing. "That's disappointing. I was kind of looking forward to this. But, hey, it'll make things easier."

The silence that followed that icy stare in the direction of number 1 was terrifying in itself. Accelerator, however, looked more bored than intimidated, clearly only interested in cleaning up this unexpected mess.

"Get away from Misaka Imouto," said Kamijou as if stabbing at Accelerator.

Accelerator's eyes narrowed. He glanced back toward Misaka Imouto, his red gaze critical and dismissive.

"Misaka's the name of your original, right? If he knows that, then he must know you. C'mon now, don't drag unrelated people into experimental grounds." Accelerator's smirk faded, annoyed that Kamijou had disrupted his plans.

"Can't you hear me, lowly thug? Get away from Misaka Imouto. I'm your opponent now, can't you even understand that? Thought you were supposed to be smart."

Accelerator looked over at him as if he were looking at something he truly could not believe.

"Who are you? Do you know who you're talking to here? Not only am I one of the seven Level 5s, but I'm the one who stands at the top of them all. And you call me a lowly thug? What the fuck? Do you think you're a god or something? Don't make me laugh."

Kamijou Touma ignored those sharp words. He took a step forward. And then another. Something so simple caught the white monster's eye, as if he was staring at the most interesting thing in his life. That boy really was approaching him without fear.

But suddenly he stopped. His gaze rested on the girl on the floor.

Accelerator's amusement soured, and he took a step forward, losing interest in the boy. He was ready to end this quickly. Perhaps the boy had seen the girl's condition and thought better of it. Boring.

"What happened to all that bravado?" #1 sneered.

But Kamijou didn't stop. Instead, he moved past Accelerator, barely giving him a glance, and crouched down beside the girl.

"I can't heal your wounds," he said quietly, as though Accelerator wasn't even there. "But there's no need to worry."

"Why…why are you doing this?" the girl murmured, her voice small and devoid of expression. "Misaka can be automatically produced at the press of a button…explains Misaka. Misaka has an artificially made body—"

"That doesn't matter," he cut her off, helping her sit up against a nearby container. His right hand came up to her face, quickly checking her injuries. "It doesn't matter what you are. There's only one of you in the world, and that's enough. No matter how impossible or pointless it seems, there's always a choice to fight back. You're human, after all. That's what we do."

"Hu... man?"

"I'll handle the rest." He nodded. "Close your eyes and rest if you want, so it'll seem like it only lasted a moment. Easy, isn't it?"

Even though she didn't fully grasp what he meant, a strange calm washed over her, her body unwinding as his words seemed to reach deep within her. Her pain dulled, her breathing softened, and she felt her consciousness fading, as though he'd somehow eased her suffering, too.

But she saw it, through half-lidded eyes.

The way the two boys now looked at each other, locked in a silent, predatory standoff. The tension was clear between them, and anyone knew how catastrophic the event that followed would be.

Tonight, the two strongest in the city would face each other, head-on.

Hey, NioMoon here, it's important that you read these end-of-chapter notes, I have something to say.

Without wasting your time, this story is going on hiatus for the moment. I have no idea how long it will last. If you're curious to know why, the reason is that I was a little disappointed while I was writing this chapter.

I may have already commented on this in a note in one of my stories, but the process by which I write my fics generally follows a rather strict outline. I kind of plan the whole story before the first chapter is even published, and I don't usually make any major changes, although it does happen.

What really bothered me about writing this chapter was how much I had to rewrite events from the original material. Yes, I've been doing this since the beginning, I know, but it was only when I looked at my notes for this chapter that I felt uneasy. This story is a bit different from the ones I usually write.

The entire opening scene I basically just wrote in the outline "Rewrite the bridge scene in OT3". I usually comment a lot more on what I want in a scene than a single vague line like that. When I finished writing the scene, I reread it and realized that I didn't like it. And for the first time since I started writing, I didn't feel like writing the scene again to make it better. I felt like I wasn't doing anything "very original" anyway, so what was the point?

Looking at the rest of the outline, at scenes from several chapters in the future, I noticed the large number of scenes that are basically "rewrite this, rewrite that". But to be honest, with the exception of the action scenes that I have a lot of fun writing, I don't see myself having any fun writing any of these scenes. It's not like I have much to add to them anyway.

And that's why I decided to take a hiatus. I'm going to write a cleaner outline, focusing more on original scenes. I write for fun and to deal with my insomnia, so if I'm not feeling well while I'm writing, then that defeats the point.

When I get back to writing this story, expect a different experience from what you probably have in your head. I no longer intend to rewrite all of the arcs of the novels. I'm sorry to those of you who wanted that kind of experience. But there are some specific arcs that I do want to revisit, mainly the ones set in the past and also one of the spin-offs.

Don't worry, I won't abandon this story, I promise. I'll be writing other things for the time being, to take my mind off the bad feeling I had. And that's all that's left... NioMoon is leaving for now.