In this city, there existed a dozen elite schools. It was quite logical that the renowned educational institutions of Academy City (which was declared as a city created entirely for science and learning) were considered among the most prestigious in Japan and the world. Many powerful people tried to enroll their children in one of the prestigious schools of this city. Wealthy and noble families from different countries were eager for their children to have an education in this City-State behind them. Moreover, one could obtain higher education here, as the city had not only schools and colleges but also universities and institutes, some of which could compete with institutions like Oxford and Harvard. Thanks to this, there was a considerable number of students who came to study from abroad — from China and India to Europe and America.
It is worth noting that this applies only to prestigious schools. Thousands of other educational institutions here were not considered as such. Ordinary children from Japan studied in them, offspring of unremarkable families.
One of the most elite, if not the most elite, educational institutions in this city was Nagatenjouki Academy. It was a school where middle and high school students studied. Nagatenjouki was one of the few schools where children who did not have the status of an esper could study. That is, it had entire faculties that were not related to the Development Program. In this program, it is the abilities of espers that are developed.
In general, this Academy was almost the most respected. Entering it was difficult due to the hellish entrance exams, and not everyone could handle the curriculum. But, unlike Tokiwadai, one could enter it without being a high-level esper. The main thing was the diligence and perseverance of the student.
In this complex and prestigious world of elite schools, Accelerator — a young man for whom studying had long ceased to be a challenge — had to find his place. Today was September 1st, so summer vacation had already ended. Naturally, after the vacation, school days resumed.
Although Academy City was a separate state, the schools were still organized as in the rest of the Japanese archipelago. The academic year in Academy City followed the Japanese tradition — from April to March, with three trimesters and short vacations, which Accelerator considered a waste of time. Yes, probably for people from other countries, this might seem like a very strict schedule for children, but no one was particularly going to change it. In Japan, there is a strong emphasis on education, and no one saw the point in long vacations. This was reflected in Academy City's curriculum as well. However, Accelerator himself didn't care about all this. For him, studying was an incredibly easy thing that didn't require any effort. He had long ago mastered the curriculum of ordinary schools and even the standards of universities. Added to this were those strange memories, among which there were many specialized knowledges. He could go work as a doctor, engineer, or banker right now (of course, he didn't have the official education for that). And that's not counting his "native" knowledge.
As can be understood, the second trimester was now beginning. For the last few years, Accelerator had been studying in one school, in a specially designated classroom for him, where there were only him and his teachers. Initially, he was placed there so that the esper could master the materials individually. This was because his individual curriculum could only be mastered by him. And it wasn't considered necessary for him to study in a regular class. In theory, such training was supposed to give him a push to develop to level 6, but soon it became clear that it was a dud. There were no obvious progress, and Accelerator went to this individual class just out of inertia.
In the last weeks of vacation, he increasingly caught himself thinking that the walls of the old classroom were pressing harder than usual. But in this trimester, he decided that he would send such an arrangement to hell. He was sick of the very idea of seeing the same bland faces of teachers again, as it had been for the last years. Yes, Accelerator just wanted a little change. To experiment. Changes, to put it simply. That's why he decided to transfer to another school. In response to his initiative, he was offered several elite schools suitable for him.
Accelerator's choice fell on Nagatenjouki. The Academy's management joyfully welcomed the news that #1 expressed a desire to enroll with them in this trimester. Probably, this was because any educational institution in the city would tear off a level 5 esper with their hands. Added to this was the fact that Nagatenjouki itself did not have its own level 5, and this despite the fact that this school competed with those institutions that had them. The same Tokiwadai had two such espers. And here, the Academy was essentially getting the top of the esper development program into its ranks.
— If there are any questions or problems, you can turn to any of the teachers or to me personally. We will do everything in our power, — the director of Nagatenjouki addressed him joyfully and with a smile from ear to ear, after Accelerator came to him to find out all the details. The man himself did not particularly appeal to him, especially with his fake shoulder pats. Accelerator noticed how the director's fingers trembled slightly, betraying nervousness behind the mask of cordiality — clearly, it was not every day that he had to meet a level 5 esper. The director definitely perceived this as a way to enrich himself. For the mere presence of Accelerator, they would probably significantly increase funding. The young man made a mental note to try to minimize any contact with this person.
In any case, Accelerator needed to arrive at the new school by 9:00 a.m. In short, since he changed his educational institution, he had to change his dormitory. That's how it worked in Academy City: students were entitled to live in dormitories that were assigned to a specific institution. So, when changing schools, he naturally changed his place of residence. Although the albino himself thought how funny it would be if he decided, despite this, to just stay in his old room. In theory, he should have been evicted in this case… But it's not necessary to say how difficult it would be to do with him?
However, this change pleased him. The new room surprisingly lifted the guy's spirits. Although, it would seem, what's the difference? Essentially, although the dwelling differed in design and had a few more amenities, for Accelerator, this meant nothing. Both in the old and in the new apartment, there were all the necessary amenities, and he himself was not particularly picky. But still, it became a little easier to breathe.
Accelerator decided to push aside all these thoughts as soon as he came out of the bathroom and had a little breakfast. He glanced out the window, where the morning city was already bustling with life, and suddenly felt a familiar itch — the need to shake himself up, to throw off the numbness. He took out the recently ordered school uniform from the wall closet and put it on. Accelerator was not one of those who chased fashion or brands, although he had the money for it. He individually ordered his clothes from one tailor, preferring to wear several pairs of the same clothes for about six months. The clothes were of high quality. And Accelerator himself could forget about the change of seasons. After all, with the vector shield, it didn't matter to him how warm his clothes were. He could walk in a sweater in the hot summer or in a thin T-shirt in the cold winter. His body did not experience discomfort from temperature and humidity changes. It can be said that with the vector shield, he didn't need clothes and shoes at all. He could walk naked.
The Nagatenjouki uniform consisted of a dark blue jacket and trousers of the same color, a white shirt, and a tie. He suspected that he simply wouldn't be able to tie it. He had never learned this, so it wouldn't be surprising. But, fortunately, apparently, among the new knowledge was the necessary skill, so the esper automatically tied the tie without even blinking an eye. On the jacket was the Academy's signature emblem, as in many elite schools in the city. Overall, he liked this clothing.
There were about 48 minutes left before the start of classes. The dormitory was located not far from the school, so students could leisurely walk on their own, without spending much time. There was no need to hurry. Accelerator, honestly, did not know what to do. In any case, he had almost half an hour of free time. And then an idea came to him: these free minutes could be spent on entertainment.
Accelerator left the apartment into the building's gallery. The new dormitory, unlike the old one, was a multi-story building with about 15 floors. The new living space of the guy was located on the 12th floor, so he had to use either the stairs or the elevator. The young man would probably have done so, but now he did not want to. He just had an impulsive desire… to jump down to the ground. Fortunately, the dormitory's gallery allowed such a thing, as the railings were not very high. Although, it is unlikely that anything would have stopped the albino in this case.
The esper confidently jumped over the railings and after a few seconds landed on the sidewalk. The wind briefly howled in his ears, and the concrete of the sidewalk trembled under his feet, echoing weakly in the empty morning silence. There were several people nearby, so it was impossible to avoid surprised and frightened exclamations. However, the albino didn't care about that. He also didn't care how they started mumbling something when, being unharmed, he just stomped in the other direction. It is worth noting that Accelerator had long ago atrophied his fear of heights. This was because he had conquered various heights many times in his life with the help of his powers. Therefore, there was not even a prick of fear.
He calmly walked to the parking lot, where his bike was waiting for him. Yes, he recently got a motorcycle. This was because Accelerator had been thinking for a long time about buying such a transport. He just wanted to, was interested. He even successfully passed the license for the necessary category a year and a half ago. But because of the experiment, he didn't care about it. And he just somehow forgot about it.
In the parking lot, he was greeted by a chopper. It was a black motorcycle with a long front fork and wide handlebars, as well as a lowered saddle. The favorite transport of stereotypical bikers. Ideal for long rides. The esper bought himself a Boss Hoss 454 model from Boss Hoss Cycles. He didn't want to take equipment from manufacturers in Academy City or Japan, so his choice fell on an imported American.
Accelerator sat down and started his new property with the ignition key. The leather of the seat warmed up under the sun, and the air was filled with the tart aroma of gasoline mixed with the metallic taste of morning dew. The esper instantly suppressed the air fluctuations with his ability so that the roar of the engine did not spread around. Releasing the clutch, he steered onto the road and began to weave through the district. Thus, the guy decided to have a little fun, burning the free half hour before school.
With the help of vector control, Accelerator removed air resistance and accelerated the engine with the transmission to insane speeds. For any other person, such speed would be deadly, but for the albino, it was habitual. And he could squeeze much more out of this transport if he wanted to. With his ability, he could move much faster. He sometimes liked to race through the city at tremendous speeds, mocking poor inertia. It was a peculiar way to think about his life in such a strange trance.
Thus, weaving through the city, for Accelerator, it was like riding a bicycle. Other vehicles on the road didn't even suspect that such a reckless rider was racing next to them, whose collision was avoided only thanks to his inhuman reflexes. And all because the esper bent light so that he wouldn't be bothered by Anti-Skill on the road. He literally became almost invisible. He even calmly hid himself from satellite surveillance. Usually, how is it? They say rightly that a bike is a two-wheeled coffin. Not only is the risk of dying on this transport statistically higher than for car or truck drivers, but if the rider gets cocky, he can very soon be overtaken by instant punishment. That is, death. But with Accelerator, it was different. This esper covered not only himself but also his precious transport with a vector shield. Colliding with him would be worse than with a multi-ton truck. It would crumple into dust and not notice.
However, Accelerator had a much more advanced system of perceiving the environment, so such an accident involving him was excluded. He weaved a little more, avoiding collisions. Estimating the time by his internal clock, he realized that it was time for him to go to the new school. Sighing, Accelerator steered towards Nagatenjouki. Having already removed the masking effect, he was met at the parking lot by surprised looks from several adults, apparently teachers, and students in the same uniform as himself. The students were getting out of the passenger seats of cars. Apparently, not everyone lived close to the Academy.
Ignoring them, the young man left his transport in the parking lot and calmly walked to the school, holding his briefcase in his hand. His uniform didn't even wrinkle.
Nagatenjouki was a very large building surrounded by a metal fence. The architecture of the Academy resembled European, with large columns, symmetrical lines, and decorative elements such as friezes and bas-reliefs. Although it was visible that modernity was not forgotten, as there were glass facades and metal elements. Passing through the gates to the entrance of the building, Accelerator was greeted by a spacious hall with high ceilings and wide staircases. He calmly walked from memory to the classroom to which he was assigned.
There was about a minute left before the start of classes, students of the Academy were calmly walking through the corridors, also heading to their classrooms. Going up the stairs and turning to the right wing, Accelerator met a man at the door.
— Oh, Ken-kun, I was starting to think you wouldn't come, — the man addressed him with a good-natured smile.
— I told you not to call me that, — the just-arrived guy spat out irritably.
— Sorry, my bad. I completely forgot. It's just unusual for me to address a person by his nickname… — the man awkwardly ran his hand through his hair with a guilty look.
This man was Accelerator's new homeroom teacher. His name was Saito Souta. He was a young man about 30 years old who dedicated himself to teaching. He was in an ordinary suit, had a simple expression, and unremarkable facial features. Short hair and kind brown eyes. The young man had already met this man earlier, as he was a new student. In general, he was one of the few people who knew him and at the same time communicated with ease and naturalness. This somewhat bribed him.
— So, shall we go in? — Accelerator asked.
— Yes, of course. You haven't forgotten how we agreed? — the man noted casually.
— I think it's standard. I'll handle it easily.
They were talking about how Accelerator was supposed to introduce himself to the class. A common thing for students who have just transferred to another school.
Souta-sensei entered first, addressing his students. He told the surprised children that a new student had transferred to their class. Under the whispers of the students, the teacher turned to the door.
— Ke… Ahem. Please come in and introduce yourself to the class, — the man said with a nervous chuckle.
Accelerator calmly entered the rather spacious, bright room. The windows here were large, allowing the room to be illuminated by natural sunlight. Under the surprised and quiet looks of the class, he calmly approached the board. He nonchalantly, quietly, but quickly wrote on it.
The albino turned from the board to his new classmates. Behind him on the board were written several lines: 健太郎佐藤 (Kentaro Sato), and below it, more boldly and aggressively, with several underlinings, was written アクセラレータ (Akuserarēta).
— My name is Kentaro Sato. But I ask you not to address me that way. It irritates me. Address me as everyone else does, calling me 'Accelerator.' I am a level 5 esper. I'm glad to study with you. Please take care of me, — the young man said dutifully, bowing slightly.
Accelerator never forgot his name, no matter how strangely the work claimed otherwise. He just didn't think he should cherish the name his parents "awarded" him, who never participated in his life. Yes, the albino was an orphan. There was no particular story behind it; he wasn't a "mistake child" abandoned by parents in Academy City. No. He simply didn't have them almost from birth. He came to the city as an orphan, after which he went through the process of becoming an esper and received his status as a level 5.
健太郎 (Kentaro). 健 (ken) — "health," "strength." 太 (ta) — "big," which in context can mean "strong." 郎 (taro) — "boy" or "son," standardly used in names.
佐藤 (Sato). This is a surname. 佐 (sa) — means "to help," "to support." 藤 (to) — "wisteria," symbolizes beauty and grace. In Japan, they love wisteria, as well as hydrangea.
Thus, the name Kentaro Sato is obtained. Accelerator didn't know exactly what meaning his parents put into this name. In theory, it can be interpreted as "a strong boy who helps others," which can also be associated with caring for health and supporting other people. Perhaps, a more ironic name for him couldn't be chosen. He winced, remembering how once a teacher tried to call him Kentaro — and immediately regretted it under his icy gaze. If one can agree with the strength, then the second half of the meaning… Is it worth saying how it doesn't suit him?
While his students looked at the silent albino with eyes worth 100 yen each, Souta, wincing, massaged his forehead. Only now did he realize that such a presentation to classmates was like shouting: "I won't deal with you, leave me alone!" for the young esper. And Accelerator himself was not to blame for this, as it was Saito's initiative. He thought that this way the esper would quickly integrate into the class. But it turned out not to be so smooth. This slightly unnerved the man, as he wanted the guy to quickly find friends. Sighing, the sensei forced a smile and broke the silence.
— All right, Aksel-kun. We heard you, please go to the free desk. We're starting the lesson, — the teacher addressed with a light tone. Souta knew how to restrain emotions, and his nerves were steel. Alas, one needs to train endurance to be a good teacher. Love for children is such that for their sake, one must temper one's mind.
Accelerator calmly took the empty desk in the middle of the class, taking out and arranging his school supplies. There were 16 people in the class, including Accelerator. The lesson began and proceeded calmly. For the guy, Saito's lecture could give little, so he just automatically wrote everything in his notebook, not even particularly engaging his brain. The albino simply immersed himself in himself.
Lost in thought, he didn't notice how the lesson ended, and classmates began to discuss some topics among themselves. The girls, among whom there were several non-Japanese, chirped about their own things, while several of them strangely glanced at the young man. The boys, being a little older, gathered in a small crowd and talked about some other topic. Overall, Accelerator felt some attention to himself, which was not surprising, considering that he directly declared himself as esper #1. Although his appearance was little known, his nickname was still heard. But no one particularly approached him. Besides, the young man himself was not going to make special efforts to get closer to his new classmates. He just wanted to spend this school day calmly. And he could just spit and go to his apartment, not attending classes as much as he wanted. It seems that Teitoku often did that…
However, the albino did not stay alone for long. Surprisingly, one of the boys approached him, who had been sitting at his desk before. It was a black-haired boy, naturally, in the same uniform as Accelerator. He extended his hand with a smile. The boy leaned forward slightly, as if afraid that his friendliness would drown in the indifference of his interlocutor, and then embarrassedly adjusted the collar of his uniform.
— I think we should introduce ourselves, my name is Takashi… Oh, — the boy jerked his hand back, nervously looking at the esper. — Sorry, I'm just used to greeting in a Western way and can't get used to bowing.
Smirking, the albino stood up and shook his hand, which had been withdrawn earlier.
— Don't worry about it. I understand you perfectly, — Accelerator was not lying. After assimilating a large layer of new, inexplicably appearing knowledge, he began to feel a little nauseous from Japanese culture. Just a little, fortunately, there was no complete aversion. — But why is it like that with you? You don't seem to be a foreigner?
— Yes, but I started living in Japan quite recently, — the boy sighed.
As Takashi told, he was the child of a Canadian woman and a Japanese man, so he lived almost his entire life outside Japan. His father's business was located in his mother's historical homeland, where they met. His father taught his son the language, but he did not feel Japanese. Learning this, Accelerator indeed noted the boy's appearance. He really had fewer Asian features. Although, it's not for Accelerator to note this. Because of his almost milky-white skin and slightly non-standard facial structure for Japanese, he could also be mistaken for a mestizo or even a foreigner suffering from a lack of melanin. Although, he seemed to be ethnically Japanese. But, apparently, his ancestors did something. Maybe there were Spaniards or Americans in his unfortunate family? Who knows. The same Kamijou Touma looked more Japanese than he did. Although, in the case of this idiot, it was worth suspecting that he rather resembled some Chinese. This toilet brush looked too much like a representative of the Han nationality than a Japanese.
However, after listening to the boy, the young man noted something else.
— Forgive me, but you look a little younger than standard high school students. Am I not mistaken? — the esper asked.
— Hm! — the boy smirked with some pride. — You noted correctly. Actually, I should have been studying several grades lower.
As Takashi explained, he was 13 years old and a bit. He skipped to high school through an external program thanks to his good mind. As the boy noted, he studied very well and was the pride of his parents. He didn't want to stay in middle school, so he easily passed the necessary exams. Nagatenjouki already had a fairly serious program even for younger grades, and the guy easily mastered more complex material. It was impressive.
— And isn't it boring for you among older ones? — the albino asked.
— No, it's quite interesting here. Our guys are much better in communication than my peers. I don't feel the difference of 2-3 years at all. And I'm quite tall for my age, so I feel at home. — The black-haired boy smiled. — Don't be mistaken, in our class, the boys and girls are good. You'll like them, just give them time.
As a result, a long conversation ensued between these two. Surprisingly, their break dragged on because Saito-sensei had to go somewhere on business. Takashi and Accelerator surprisingly found many common topics for conversation. For example, both guys had recently started reading the same light novel, noting its features.
— Tell me, 'Heavy Object' is not a bad work… But doesn't it seem to you that something is wrong with the text? — Takashi asked.
— It's simple, the author has his hands growing from the wrong place. He clearly has some problems with logic and writing skills. Remember how he likes to slack off with dialogues. I'd tear his hands off, honestly, — Accelerator replied, grimacing. To such an expression on the albino's face, Takashi responded with a chuckle and agreement. The author of this light novel really often seemed to Takashi a complete idiot.
In general, their dialogue was relaxed. They jumped from one topic to another. However, at one point, the boy made a thoughtful expression.
— To be honest, I didn't imagine a level 5 like that. Especially you. — Takashi scratched his right temple. — One shouldn't build a picture of the world based on rumors.
— And what are the rumors about me? What picture do they paint of me? — Accelerator was even interested in this, not at all offended by possible bias.
Takashi smiled awkwardly.
— Well, you know, the tough and steely #1. — The boy chuckled. — You're the only esper about whom it's known that it's better not to joke with you. Seriously, on the internet, there are still active threads about how you took apart an entire army. That's no joke! Who else can boast of that?!
To the albino's surprise, Takashi said that Accelerator is a rather popular and iconic figure even outside Academy City. The only problem was that very little was known about him, as in the case of other level 5s, so there were many theories about him. Even his appearance was not exactly known. It was only known that #1 tore apart an entire army of Academy City five years ago. This event, in short, the city-state could not hide, which was known not only in Japan but also abroad. Word of mouth turned out to be too strong, despite all censorship. In general, after this event, the world community confirmed the presence of quite powerful military forces in Academy City, despite the alleged rejection of the army. After all, no one canceled satellites. However, like Japan, Academy City just brushed it off, claiming that officially it has no army.
There were also many outright strange theories about the esper's figure, which Takashi was even ashamed to talk about. In general, this was quite curious for the albino. He needed to visit the worldwide web more often.
After some time, Saito entered the classroom. He was about to say something when someone knocked on the door. A girl with brown hair and a strict face entered the room. A distinctive feature of her could be called a funny bang that did not cover the edges of her forehead. She approached the teacher and handed him some folders.
— Saito-sensei, you forgot the materials on the basics of philosophy and logic in the council office, — the girl said calmly.
— What would I do without you, Mio, — the man said, smiling, and accepted the folders.
The girl smiled back and calmly left the classroom. At that moment, Accelerator quietly asked his newfound acquaintance a question. He asked about the sudden intruder.
As Takashi said, it was the head of the student council. The ruthless Aizono Mio. This girl truly tyrannized those students and teachers who interfered with the normal operation of the institution. And the worst part was that the director approved of it. As it was known, out of all the teachers, she showed mercy only to Saito, and even then, she could snap at him sometimes.
However, the young man knew something else about this girl. She was a product of the "White Crocodile" project. There was no need to say much about this experiment. Simply, through cruel conditions, child espers were weeded out, from whom military espers were made, possessing the ability to control hydrocarbons. To be honest, Accelerator knew about this project not only from his new strange memories, but he once hacked some servers and read about it. Another project in which a large number of children died for who knows what. Another machination of Aleister Crowley, personally and emotionlessly observing through cameras and nanomachines the suffering and deaths that occur through his fault. Perhaps, in this regard, this Englishman was worse than Hitler. Much worse.
Digesting the information received, Accelerator prepared to continue the school day, but it turned out to be unnecessary. As Souta said, today he would have to let the class go early. This did not cause much noise; the students just began to quietly prepare to leave.
Having collected his things, Accelerator went out into the hall corridor with Takashi. They continued to chat about various things until they noticed some commotion in the corridor. There stood a girl, indifferently observing through the window, while a crowd gathered around her.
— Wow, it's Nunotaba…
— Shinobu, — Accelerator calmly continued the words of his classmate, confirming his surprised look. — Sorry, Takashi, I need to sort something out. We'll talk tomorrow.
He noticed her back in the hall — a familiar profile flashed in the crowd, causing a flash of memories about old reports that he once extracted from the system. Accelerator calmly approached the girl and grabbed her hand, dragging her along. This caused surprised looks from students from parallel classes. The student didn't even resist, only looked a little stunned at her careless kidnapper. They calmly went to the stairs and climbed to a higher floor.
Oh, if Accelerator knew what rumors this action would generate. This beautiful student was popular in Nagatenjouki, and the information that #1 had enrolled in their school was already beginning to spread among his classmates. In general, the albino literally gave a push to false rumors that he had started dating a certain person…
However, at the moment, Accelerator didn't care about that. He dragged the girl with him to the school roof, closing the door so that they wouldn't be disturbed.
The girl's name was Nunotaba Shinobu. She was a student with an always calm but pretty face. She had a thick and slightly curly hairstyle down to her neck. She was dressed, surprisingly, in the female uniform of Nagatenjouki.
Accelerator remembered that this girl was one of those responsible for creating the clones. She participated back in the radio noise when the imouto were still supposed to become an army of level 5 espers. And she continued her work in the project to achieve level 6.
— Well, what does this mean? — the slightly surprised student quietly inquired.
— It's simple, — the young man replied slightly irritably. — The clones. And don't pretend you don't understand anything.
— How would I know… — Accelerator's interlocutor thoughtfully brought her finger to her lips. But, seeing the esper's threatening look, she sighed. — I suppose I have no choice?
— Exactly.
Shinobu laid out everything as it was. Accelerator's guess turned out to be correct. This young scientist was responsible for the changes in the clones. She was able to give the imouto an emotional boost through the Misaka network, so to speak. As far as he knew, from those new-old memories, Nunotaba was supposed to fail in this. But, as it turned out, she not only managed to do what she wanted but also came out unscathed. A complete discrepancy with the iron scenario. Otherwise, she wouldn't be in school now.
— So, are you satisfied? — Accelerator grumbled. — Thanks to your efforts, these dolls turned out to be alive. By the way, they tried to continue the experiment further, but it all went to hell.
— I know, — a smile flashed on the girl's calm face. — However, all this was calculated for you. If it weren't for your weakness for other people's emotions, my method wouldn't have worked. I suppose even the almighty and invulnerable Axyusha has his own Achilles' heel?
Accelerator rolled his eyes.
— Anyway, I found out what I wanted. You're free, — the guy said, opening the door and starting to descend under the curious gaze of the young student.
— Do you want to know something? — the girl said casually, stopping the young man.
— What?
— Have you heard about the 'Aegis' project? It was related to Dark May.
— What are you getting at? — Accelerator narrowed his eyes.
He knew about the "Dark May" project. In it, they tried to recreate an esper close to him in power using data about his thinking. And they also cut espers into components to find the "esper center." In general, a large number of test subjects died in the project. Interestingly, did the "jar with urine" also watch all this calmly?
— Why do you think they cloned Railgun specifically? Your clones would be more effective.
— WHAT?! Don't tell me!.. There's no information about such a project even in the database! — a whole storm awakened in Accelerator's heart.
But Nunotaba quickly extinguished the young man's emotions, saying that the experiment was initially a failure. In the course of "Aegis," military clones of Accelerator were supposed to be created. But, as it turned out, this was impossible. All subjects turned out to be dead from the start. The genetic material of #1 turned out to be completely unusable. That's why they switched to the material of another esper. As Shinobu said, she was initially supposed to participate in this project, but it failed without even starting. That's why there were no records of it. They were destroyed. Only memories remained with the laboratory staff.
— I suppose I have the right to tickle your nerves? — the girl said quietly with a stone face.
— Go to hell, — the guy muttered quietly and went down. The girl really just decided to troll him. She's playing with fire, honestly.
It seems they decided to dismiss the entire Academy, so a crowd of students was leaving the building. Accelerator didn't pay attention to this, just getting to his bike. However, when he was already sitting on his transport's saddle, a familiar voice called out to him. It was the same Nunotaba.
— Since that's the case, — the girl addressed. — Could you please take me home? I just urgently need to, and I don't have money for a taxi right now.
The albino stared at her for a few seconds. He sighed heavily, already resigned.
— Okay, get on.
Nunotaba quickly sat behind him, hugging him from the back to simply hold on to the saddle. Accelerator started the bike and steered onto the road.
If only the poor rider knew what his kindness would lead to. This scene was seen by part of the Academy. Although they didn't hear anything, they had eyes. Considering Nunotaba's popularity among students and how easily and naturally she got on Accelerator's motorcycle… unnecessary rumors began to spread immediately.