novelMonster, Monster, Monster, Monster. All_Bad_Stars (1)
| ← Ch.073 | Ch.075 → |
Part 1
The cityscape of Academy City was arranged to look tidy. Whether they were from 10 years ago, 5 years ago, the present, 5 years in the future, or 10 years in the future, people of any era would likely have a refreshingly neat impression of the city's look. And that meant buildings had to be rebuilt frequently.
After all, the city was surrounded by a wall and had a limited surface area to build on.
Buildings were rebuilt to use the land more efficiently as well as simply to perform tests of the latest technology.
Of course, various types of technology were used to keep anyone from feeling that the city was "under construction" or "being prepared". The people's impression of the cityscape was simply that it was "nicely arranged" or "neat and tidy".
Even so, buildings that were under construction were quite common.
As were abandoned buildings with all people and equipment removed to prepare for construction.
A few official members of Gremlin were currently in a room of one such abandoned building in District 7.
Marian Slingeneyer was hiding within that simple rectangular space that lacked even any carpet or wallpaper. She had originally had her headquarters in a District 7 hotel, but that hiding place had been revealed to the public on an Anti-Skill wanted poster, so she had moved to the abandoned building to prevent any surprise attacks by her powerful enemies such as Ollerus.
In reality, Kamijou Touma and the Lightning God Thor had used a few tricks to make that happen, but Marian was not aware of this. She had no idea that she was not actually wanted by Anti-Skill or that the wanted poster she saw had been created by Kamijou and Thor.
"... !!"
Her head shot up as if it had been struck.
She had heard an explosive noise.
It was a sound too deep to be a gunshot that she felt reverberating deep in her gut more than she heard it with her ears. It was not the sound of an unfortunate traffic accident or a building being demolished. It was a characteristic roar that that was oozing with killer intent all the way down to the planning stage.
It was more than enough to put her on guard.
She looked out a window that had no glass inside.
Instead of white or black smoke, a long, thin stream of sand-colored dust stretched up towards the sky. It was not far away. It was only about 500 to 700 meters away.
Marian stuck a hand into the side of her overalls and pulled out a saw made of gold.
And she smiled.
This was the smile of one who knew the taste of blood.
"Okay, now who was that!? Ollerus's group? Someone from Academy City? Or maybe we'll get lucky and it was Fräulein Kreutune herself. At any rate, this is no time to be sitting around!!"
In response, the girl(?) in the shape of a black drum named Mjölnir noisily shook in one corner of the room.
And Thor gritted his teeth so no one could see while holding a convenience store bag full of the block-shaped handheld food and mineral water he had been tasked with purchasing.
(They're making more annoyingly noticeable actions. )
Thor (and Kamijou Touma) had played a trick on Marian in their attempt to keep the monsters of Ollerus's group and the monsters of Gremlin from running across each other. That way they could prevent the enormous damage the city would suffer if those two sides clashed.
Unlike Kamijou who could only negate supernatural powers, it was obvious nothing good could come from having two ridiculously enormous powers clash.
(And after we went to so much effort to fake that wanted poster to make her afraid she would be tracked by Ollerus's group. )
The Lightning God Thor was in charge of direct combat, Marian Slingeneyer provided support from behind the scenes with equipment and the like, and Mjölnir was a generator that was overly attached to Marian.
If they sensed a moderate threat, the proper course of action would be for Marian and Mjölnir to stay in the hideout while Thor headed out to gather information or engage the enemy in combat.
That method had succeeded so far.
But...
"No matter how elaborate a hideout you create, it's no good if they find it. Thor, Mjölnir. You two make a scene while I gather some people to use as materials!"
A cornered rat will bite a cat.
Marian was being cautious to avoid having to fight Ollerus's group, Academy City, or even both at the same time, but that was also why she felt the need to quickly take action if it was needed.
He who attacks first wins.
The very fact that she saw their enemies as formidable meant she felt a strong desire to use overwhelming violence rather than to wait and go with the flow.
The black drum shook back and forth.
That girl(?) was always in support of Marian. If nothing was done, she would get worked up along with Marian Slingeneyer and cause an explosion.
Thor was the only one who could oppose Marian's idea.
But he was also the one who had tricked her. If he tried to change the flow of events, it could considerably increase the risk of her suspecting him. It did not matter if she had no basis for suspicion. It was completely possible actions taken on unfounded suspicions could suddenly drive Thor into checkmate.
(This isn't how I like doing things. )
"Hey, Marian. Who do you think it is?"
"I dunno. The worst possibility is Ollerus's group, but the other options are plenty dangerous too. It's possible that unknown monster known as Fräulein Kreutune has noticed what we are doing and has come to attack us in order to prevent us from pursuing her."
"If this is someone trying to attack us, they wouldn't cause a commotion before setting foot in this room."
"Maybe their information isn't very detailed, so they're doing this to search us out."
"In that case, reacting is playing right into their hands. Let's wait for them to move on and then take a preemptive strike on their exposed backs. That would be best. I'm in charge of direct combat, so listen to what I say. The first strike is important. Are you the attacker or the defender? Are you the champion or the challenger? Your entire position in the battle can change."
"Come on now, Thor-chan." Said Marian while spinning her gold saw around."That's exactly why we need to move now. If we want to start off with the upper hand, the last thing we want to do is stay huddled up here. Even if their information is lacking in detail, they will be gathering more information as time goes on. Just because we're standing still here doesn't mean the enemy is going to wait around for us. These opponents are bad enough already. We need to crush them before they have a chance to level up."
The drum made a clattering noise as it shook.
The girl(?) was not agreeing or disagreeing; she was simply supporting Marian.
Thor glanced over at the dust outside the window.
"Academy City has a lot of different problems. This might have nothing to do with us."
"We'll see whether it does or not when we go check."
"And what if going to check reveals your location? This could fill in the details our enemies are lacking."
Marian said nothing more.
With a snap of the wrist she was using to spin the saw, the tone of the whooshing it made as it sliced through the air suddenly rose. It had a similar nuance to snapping her fingers or whistling. Naturally, it was Mjölnir who responded.
"Thor, they have no information on you. I have already been tainted since information has gotten out on me, so I will head out. If you still want to talk about being cautious, go find a new hideout for us."
Thor let out a sigh.
His strategy to stop her with words had failed. The decoy threat from the previous stage of his plan may have affected her too much.
"Understood."
Thor simply gave an honest response.
He had given up.
And then...
He unhesitatingly swung his leg up from behind and kicked Marian Slingeneyer in the side of the head.
The way she collapsed did not look like a human action.
It looked like a stick falling over after being stood on end. It was clear as day that the powerful strike had knocked Marian out cold.
It had been as high a kick as he could manage.
The strike had been pulled off so skillfully that it almost looked like time had stopped for an instant.
And of course, Mjölnir would not overlook that act of violence.
"... !!"
The drum-shaped girl(?) did not use words.
Its dark glittering surface emitted bluish-white sparks.
Mjölnir's body hid energy great enough to vaporize one third of a mobile fortress the size of a city.
But...
"You idiot!! If you go nuts here, you'll put Marian in danger!" shouted Thor to hold back Mjölnir's actions with the force of his words.
The drum's movements stopped as if a wedge had been driven into its gears.
"You know why Ollerus's group is targeting Fräulein Kreutune, right? As the specimen for a holistic esper, she is the final piece Othinus needs to prepare Gungnir.... It is only natural for someone wanting to interfere with Othinus's plan to try to eliminate Fräulein Kreutune."
Something floated up to the surface of the drum.
They were lips.
And it was not just one pair. As if to represent the eruption of her anger, those organs for emitting words appeared one after another. It looked like the surface of boiling water.
"... And?" was her only response.
No matter how logical his answer was, nothing but ash would be left in the next instant if she did not accept it.
"Do you still not get it?" Thor spoke slowly in response to that unspoken announcement."The enemy's ultimate objective is to stop Gungnir from being completed. If they can accomplish that, nothing else matters to them. The loss of a single piece will cause Othinus's plan to fail.... In that case, they do not need to kill Fräulein Kreutune. If they kill the pure Dvergr who is the sole person able to produce the weapons of the gods, they still get what they want."
The black drum fell silent for a moment.
But its countless lips did not disappear.
While searching for the proper words, the girl(?) known as Mjölnir said, "Are you saying Ollerus's group was planning that from the beginning? Impossible. Even if they knew Gremlin was taking action, they would have had no idea what specific members would be heading here."
"So what? An ally of justice like that Ollerus-chan would want to avoid killing some unrelated person like Fräulein Kreutune just to stop Othinus's plan. He would find it easier to eliminate someone guilty of past crimes like Marian Slingeneyer."
"But... !"
"Their initial plan may have been to kill Fräulein Kreutune. They may have prepared a means of killing that monster that no one seems able to kill." Thor held up his index finger to keep Mjölnir from speaking."But they saw Marian Slingeneyer's wanted poster. They know she was last seen in that District 7 hotel."
That was of course false information Thor and Kamijou Touma had prepared, so he had no idea if Ollerus and the others had actually seen it.
"Don't you think they might have changed their plans when they saw that? Just because they have a theoretical means of killing Fräulein Kreutune does not mean it will actually work. They've never tested their method. But Marian is a normal human they know they can kill. If you compare the two, even a monkey can tell which would be the easier target and which they would have better odds against."
"..."
"We heard an explosion. Dust was blown up into the air. Do you really think the enemy is just waiting around for us to head out and attack them? Do you really think the situation is that simple? The explosion and the dust may be separate events. We might get sniped from afar if we carelessly head out. Do you really think we should let Marian head out there with her blood rushing to her head? Well?"
For a while, Mjölnir remained silent.
Finally, the countless lips visible on the drum's surface disappeared as if sinking below the surface of some water.
"We need to look into just how much information on Marian Ollerus's group has and what kind of trap they have set up. I'll handle that. You make preparations so Marian can escape if the time comes."
The drum shook noisily back and forth.
Thor assumed she was asking for a more concrete suggestion, so he added, "If you feel things are getting dangerous, roast the entire city block. With a thousand or ten thousand corpses that barely look human anymore, it will take time to ID all of them. Even if someone has definite information that Marian is here, that should keep them off your trail."
The essence of a lie was to let it fulfill its role without fearing the risk the information held.
The instant you held back, you would be exposed.
Part 2
During the large scale cultural festival known as the Ichihanaransai, a large number of people were constantly moving around. This naturally led to a great rise in the number of lost children.
The standard Anti-Skill deployment was not enough to deal with all the various troubles, both large and small, so the student-led Judgment was sent to work out in the city at large.
And so, Uiharu Kazari was surrounded by elementary school students on a District 7 road. She was a Judgment member in her first year of middle school who had so many decorative flowers in her hair that her head looked like a vase full of flowers.
As the children tugged on her stereotypical sailor uniform, they all spoke to her.
"C'mon, do it. Say, 'this is Judgment'!!"
"Say it!"
"It's famous."
"Yeah, yeah."
"Ah wah wah wah wah wah, " said Uiharu as she was overwhelmed by the flood of words coming from all around her.
However, the surrounding children did not seem to care.
"U-umm, that is not actually a standard thing for Judgment. In fact, Shirai-san often gets in trouble for that because we cannot have people thinking Judgment is usually so violent..."
"C'mon, just do it! And do the teleport too!!"
"Eh? Isn't it scary suddenly disappearing and reappearing somewhere else? What if you ended up in some strange place?"
"I know how that works. You travel through something like a tunnel that you call a wormhole."
"But what makes up that tunnel? How long is the tunnel???"
"Eee!" Uiharu let out a pathetic scream.
(I think Shirai-san's ability converts the perceived three dimensional space into strict 11 dimensional space and then moves a different axis instead of using wormholes, but the detailed theory behind it is on a university graduate student level. Please don't look to a completely normal middle school student for an intelligent answer about it... )
On the other sidewalk across the road, Aogami Pierce was on his way to replenish the industrial flour used for their takoyaki stand. When he saw that keeper of the peace surrounded by little girls, he silently clenched his fist.
"Judgment... !!!!!!"
A look appeared on Aogami Pierce's face like a genius composer who had been struck by a sudden revelation, but then someone tapped him on the shoulder from behind.
He turned around to find a high school girl with large breasts and glasses as well as a middle school girl with a flat chest and twintails.
Both of them had a certain characteristic armband on their right shoulder.
"Excuse me, we are from Judgment.... Could we speak with you for a moment?"
"Konori-senpai, can't we just throw him in a cell? I don't know if it's due to the event, but all the small cases and mysterious reports are needlessly driving down our efficiency.... Honestly, why are people saying giant rhinoceros beetles are rampaging around?"
"You can't just take your frustrations out on him. That explosive noise and smoke were probably just some school going too far trying to attract guests. Oh, we need to check your belongings, so if you could just head over to the corner here..."
"Judgment..." he muttered once more.
This was the 43rd time Aogami Pierce had been questioned by the authorities that year, but it looked like the experience would be quite moe this time.
Part 3
In a District 7 subway tunnel, the white rhinoceros beetle weapons created from Kakine Teitoku's Dark Matter were glaring at each other and aiming their cannons at each other.
They fired without hesitation.
They fired again and again.
Four of them acted as pursuers. The remaining one was the traitor that was protecting Hamazura, Fremea, and the others. Not only did the pursuers outnumber the lone beetle, but they only needed to kill the humans within the tunnel. It did not matter if Rhinoceros Beetle 05 resisted or not; the pursuers could crush their targets' organs by filling the tunnel with the shockwaves of their blasts.
But...
The same could be said for Rhinoceros Beetle 05's side.
They did not need to defeat the other four beetles. Rhinoceros Beetle 05's primary objective was to allow Hamazura Shiage, Takitsubo Rikou, Yoshikawa Kikyou, Last Order, and Fremea Seivelun to escape the tunnel and distance them from the threat to their lives.
And so...
"Brace for impact, " said Rhinoceros Beetle 05.
A simultaneous attack was carried out by the four beetles that had decided killing Last Order and those around her was the best method to carry out their objective of robbing Fräulein Kreutune of the reason behind her actions. They were not aiming for direct hits. Instead, they were firing the shells at the ground just in front of their target to fill every nook and cranny of the tunnel with a shockwave wall.
Normally thinking, this was not something a flesh-and-blood human could withstand.
Even if Rhinoceros Beetle 05 acted as a shield for Hamazura and the others, the shockwave would fill the entire area to swallow them up and crush their organs from within.
But...
Rhinoceros Beetle 05 vibrated its giant thin wings at high speed to create an artificial voice. It was not trying to speak. The vibration it scattered through the air struck the coming shockwave and forcibly altered its direction.
"What... did they mess up? My ears don't hurt."
"I sent a wave of my own towards their wave. It cannot be seen so it may be difficult to understand, but a shockwave can easily be influenced like a billiards ball using other waves or obstacles."
Several hurdles had to be overcome before that theory could actually be pulled off.
The beetle had to accurately repel or turn aside the shockwave and the fragments of the shell and ground created in the explosion to keep them away from those it wished to protect.
"That is his technique, says Misaka as Misaka comments."
"Are you talking about Accelerator?" asked Yoshikawa.
"I used a theoretical routine based on our potential enemy's actions, but I doubt I would be able to achieve his level. Our shells are unsuited to killing a target using the secondary effects such as the shockwave."
"?"
"Because my body is made entirely out of Dark Matter, I have no means of creating the gunpowder needed to fire or detonate a shell. A spring system is used to fire the shells. It is said that in the past, a 'strange' weapon reinforced with the power of Dark Matter competed for market share with a shoulder-fired rocket launcher. The shells detonated by breaking the hardened outer coating with sponge springs, so their acoustic effect was only 36% to 50% that of the normal shell. I conclude that is the reason my evasive actions have been successful.... Meanwhile, that #1 would likely have no problem handling a nuclear weapon." Rhinoceros Beetle 05 continued to use its giant wings to produce sound waves outside of the audible range to repel the shockwaves while using any gaps to produce its artificial voice."There is a worker's exit 15 meters behind us. On my signal, I will create a wall by making the ceiling collapse and you will run for the exit."
The beetle had no intention of defeating their opponents.
For one thing, all of the rhinoceros beetles were strange weapons created by Kakine Teitoku's Dark Matter. They had no "core" or "weak point" to speak of and they would automatically heal any part that was destroyed. The one exception was Rhinoceros Beetle 05 who had made an "interpretation" that opposed the will of Kakine himself.
Hamazura turned around to check on the location of the small metal door.
Sparks flew and the door burst open. Most likely, Rhinoceros Beetle 05 had skillfully turned aside the shockwave of the enemies' shells to break the lock.
"Now, " said the beetle.
"O-okay!"
It began with an obvious explosive noise.
Rhinoceros Beetle 05's cannon barrel moved and fired a shell at the ceiling. The ceiling collapsed around the other four beetles.
"Hamazura, run!" shouted Takitsubo.
While practically carrying Fremea, Hamazura ran through the ominously shaking tunnel. Last Order was being pulled along while hand in hand with Yoshikawa. Each time Rhinoceros Beetle 05 fired again to hold the other beetles in check, the tough tunnel ground seemed to sway like a ship in a storm.
Takitsubo charged through the worker's door first, Fremea came next as Hamazura pushed her along, and Yoshikawa and Last Order made it last. Takitsubo grabbed Last Order's other hand to help Yoshikawa pull her through the door.
Once it saw all of them had evacuated, Rhinoceros Beetle 05 moved backwards to slam into the worker's door.
But the door was too small.
It slammed into the door with enough force to dent the wall around it, but it was unable to squeeze through the narrow exit.
Hamazura's eyes opened wide.
"What are you doing!?"
"Do not worry. This is part of my plan." With its back end slightly crushed, Rhinoceros Beetle 05 sat in the doorway like a giant stone blocking the way as it moved its thin wings to produce an artificial voice "Since I have left Kakine Teitoku's control, I can no longer renew my Dark Matter. In the near future, I will break apart. Also, our shells are unable to destroy fellow beetles. The only way to escape from these enemies that can regenerate infinitely is to block their path in some way."
(This bastard. )
Hamazura almost yelled his comment out loud.
(For nothing but a weapon, he's got a lot of nerve to lie and put on a show of being tough. )
"Hurry up! Your shells are powerful enough to destroy this wall, right!?" he shouted instead.
"That would allow the enemy beetles to continue pursuit. Also, if I can destroy it, so can they. They will soon free themselves of the wreckage. I have determined something more is needed to act as the 'wall' that blocks their way."
"... Dammit."
"Good luck. I will make sure to carry out my primary objective. Take care."
"God dammit!!!!!!"
Just as Hamazura let out that curse, the entire area shook ominously. The enemy rhinoceros beetles had blown away the pile of rubble. They now began firing on their fellow weapon that was unable to evade if it was to block their path.
It had no escape.
It would never end.
Using its ability to regenerate to a certain extent even while outside of the #2's control, it could only continue the tragic shootout without end like a zombie even as its body was crushed further and further.
The joint of the building materials must have been shaken because a powder sprinkled down from the ceiling.
Yoshikawa pointed towards the staircase up and out of the subway tunnel with her chin.
"We have no idea how long this will stop them. We need to head to the surface."
"But... !!" started Hamazura, but Takitsubo grabbed his hand.
In a quiet but clear voice, she said, "Let's go. It cannot escape even if we stay behind."
Hamazura gritted his teeth.
But it was true they would eventually be killed if they stuck around.
While only half able to brush aside his reluctance, Hamazura ran up the narrow worker's staircase. Takitsubo and Yoshikawa followed him. At the top of the metal staircase was a door. It was locked, but it was only meant to keep people out. In other words, they could easily unlock it from the inside. After doing so, they charged outside.
Yoshikawa looked up into the sky while holding a hand up to cover the bright light of the sun.
"It looks like Accelerator has moved elsewhere."
"But that doesn't mean we're safe. Dammit, we need to call Mugino or Kinuhata and..."
Hamazura trailed off.
Takitsubo in her pink track suit was looking around with a puzzled expression.
After looking in the direction she was looking, Hamazura finally realized something.
"Wait... where did Fremea go!?"
"It looks like Last Order... is gone too."
In that moment, the white Rhinoceros Beetle 05 was not even attempting to move from its spot blocking the door in the subway tunnel even while receiving a fierce bombardment from the other beetles. Errors were constantly popping up over the discrepancy with the theoretical ideal evasive and tactical actions, but it forced all of that down and remained on the course of protecting the humans.
It was still firing shells to hold the other beetles at bay and vibrating its thin wings to interfere with the vectors of the shockwaves filling the tunnel.
But it was not enough.
The humans hiding behind it were a much smaller target to protect than the entire wall around the door that needed to remain intact to prevent the fleeing humans from being buried. And of course, the wider the area it had to protect, the harder it was to do so.
Several cracks had appeared on its smooth white surface.
It did not feel pain like a living being.
It was less concerned about the destruction of its own body by the relentless bombardment than it was about receiving too much damage to recover from in time and allowing the other beetles past. It did not want to make any predictive calculations concerning the scene of being unable to move and only able to watch as the enemy beetles headed past and brought danger back to the humans who had supposedly escaped.
It could not avoid being overwhelmed.
As the damage piled up, it quickly overcame the speed at which it could be regenerated. Whether Rhinoceros Beetle 05 liked it or not, it would eventually be left unable to function and the wall behind it would be destroyed.
But the humans would have fled far away by that time.
The threat of the other beetles would not reach them.
The beetle could not win and no amount of wearing down the enemy beetles could change that.
Any normal calculations would leave only the word "impossible" to describe the situation, but Rhinoceros Beetle 05 gave its all to protect that door.
The shells continued to fly.
Cracks ran through its surface around its red glowing eyes.
It checked the time.
It decided it had bought enough time. The humans would have arrived at the surface by then.
It had carried out its mission.
It recognized this fact.
Rhinoceros Beetle 05 also recognized that its body would be completely crushed after receiving 5 or 6 more shells, but it dug its 6 legs into the concrete ground to maintain its defensive position.
But...
"Nyah, nyah!! In the first place, we won't let you stay behind!!"
"You need to run too, says Misaka as Misaka calls out to you!!"
When the white Rhinoceros Beetle 05 heard those voices, it felt like its body had suddenly shrunk down in size. An organic life form with a normal construction of muscles and internal organs would likely express it as feeling like one's heart was being squeezed.
It could only buy a short amount of time.
Once the other beetles wore Rhinoceros Beetle 05 down to the point they could make it past, those girls would be torn apart right away.
(This is not over yet!!)
It did not take long for the beetle to make up its mind.
Rhinoceros Beetle 05 moved its body slightly away from the door. It created enough of a gap for the small children to come back into the tunnel.
"This way!!" it shouted."We need to escape. Please hurry!!"
Rhinoceros Beetle 05 ignored the girls who began trying to climb on top of its body for some reason and began vibrating its large thin wings at a set amplitude.
As soon as it did, Last Order and Fremea's bodies began floating in midair.
"Nyawah!? In the first place, this is like a spacewalk!!"
"Are you making us float with the vibration? says Misaka as Misaka asks for confirmation."
"The high frequency waves outside of the audible range are causing resonant vibrations in the extra space of the material of your clothes. It may be more similar to the way a flying fish glides through the air by beating its tail fin against the water surface than it is how a bird or insect flies using its wings."
The girls may have not completely understood the situation because they let out screams of delight as they floated. Meanwhile, Rhinoceros Beetle 05 took action for a retreat.
While the other beetles continued their close range bombardment, it moved backwards deeper into the tunnel.
Naturally, the enemy beetles immediately reacted.
They could continue their bombardment even at a fair distance. They had likely determined that blowing away the traitor and sending it rolling through the tunnel would be enough to crush the targets floating above it.
But they never actually fired the shells to carry out this plan.
Based on the systematic vibrations they felt in the tips of their six legs, they immediately took evasive action.
In other words, they had determined that a train was likely approaching.
"... ?"
But even after 30 seconds had passed, the light of a train did not appear.
And then another possibility finally floated up in their minds.
The fleeing traitor could be travelling while striking the subway track in a pattern identical to the vibration of a train.
After moving backwards through the tunnel at tremendous speed for a certain distance, Rhinoceros Beetle 05 decided it had made it far enough away. While still remaining wary of the darkness, it turned 180 degrees and began moving at full speed in the same direction as before.
And then a change occurred to the back of the beetle.
The children floating above it were doing something.
To be specific, they had begun drawing something with a pen on the surface of the opened armor plate.
"Nyah, nyah. In the first place, there are a lot of you, so things will get confusing if we don't give you some kind of mark."
"What is that? asks Misaka as Misaka points at your scribbling."
"This is the mark of the Hamazura Brigade!!"
Rhinoceros Beetle 05 appreciated the sentiment but wished they would at least use something other than a permanent marker.
Part 4
Academy City had no giant radio towers that acted as landmarks. From the standpoint of protecting their technological information, a radio tower that spread its signal too widely was actually a problem.
But they were sometimes constructed as experiments of construction technology even if they were not needed.
A certain 50 meter metal tower that could only be called a miniature radio tower almost seemed buried by the high-rise buildings around it. And a boy was leaning up against a piece of its thick metal framework.
He was Kakine Teitoku.
"... That did not go as well as planned. I never thought he would take out 300 of the me-shaped ones in only 15 minutes. Even if they can't be killed, it looks like he can still keep them from moving by smashing their bodies open or balling them up."
No hint of bitterness could be found in his tone as he muttered solely for his own benefit.
In the battle between the #1 and #2, direct damage was not viewed with much importance.
Kakine Teitoku's "creation" could replace anything destroyed with a newly created one.
Accelerator's "destruction" could intercept any attack with his vector transformation.
What mattered most to those two was not the physical phenomena seen on the surface. It was the calculation patterns, thought patterns, and Personal Realities at the base of their powers. Coming up with a detailed analysis of what it was that made the two of them special was what would provide them with victory.
In their previous battle, Kakine had used his Dark Matter which does not exist in this world to reflect sunlight and shockwaves to create attacks that possessed vectors that could never exist on the earth.
The first condition for Kakine was finding a way to break through Accelerator's wall of reflection.
If one observed the battle while focusing on that side of things, one would finally see the true path the battle had taken.
"When it comes to your attack patterns and the logic of your reflection, those 300 you destroyed are like playing a game of concentration. Even failed attempts help you succeed the next time as long as you memorize the pattern and numbers on the cards. And eventually you will have a complete view."
Something white and 5 meters long flew above Kakine's head.
The object cutting through the sky while slipping through the gaps in the framework of the experimental miniature radio tower was a giant dragonfly made of Dark Matter that was used for reconnaissance.
Looking like he was watching a paper airplane he had made fly away, Kakine muttered, "But this could always come to a pathetic end where you collapse from your battery dying before that happens."
"... is probably what he's thinking, " muttered Accelerator underneath a giant overpass.
He was on top of the complex metal framework that reinforced the overpass. He sat on one piece of the framework with his back leaning up against an intersecting piece of the framework. He was lightly touching the switch for the choker-style electrode on his neck.
The choker-style electrode's battery would only last for 30 minutes.
He had already used half of that.
Kakine Teitoku only had to avoid a quick resolution and continue his attacks to hold Accelerator in check and Accelerator would be driven into a fatal situation. A certain situation had led to Accelerator's brain being severely injured, so he could not use his power of the strongest or even stand on his own two feet or understand human language without receiving calculation support from the Misaka Network via his choker.
But...
(That is not an absolute limit. It's just that the battery is only able to hold that much power. In that case... )
The overpass seemed to have water pipes and power cables running through it and a thick cable ran right next to Accelerator. He glanced across the surface of the cable to check on the amperage and voltage running through it and then unhesitatingly removed the outer covering of the cable with his bare hands.
He was going to recharge.
The concept was simple enough, but he of course could not use the high voltage current running through the thick power cable as is. On his way to that overpass, Accelerator had gathered a few metal plates, wires, and the like. By assembling them, he had created a makeshift transformer.
If his calculations were off even by the slightest amount, not only would the choker-style electrode burst into flames, his fingers operating the transformer could even be blown off.
Yet he did not hesitate.
He quickly attached the transformer to the power cable and used a small cord to supply power to his electrode's battery.
(I can't sit here recharging for very long. I'll probably only get maybe a dozen seconds recharged. )
To be blunt, he recognized he was at the disadvantage.
He accepted that fact.
And after accepting it, he continued on.
(But if he is convinced I'll run out of gas after another 15 minutes, all I need is a few extra seconds. If I add an additional attack during that extra time, I can tear him apart. )
He had already made the preparations he needed for that.
The monster known as Academy City's #1 had not consumed half of his battery's power for nothing.
He saw the #2's power as warranting the use of half the battery.
(Now then. Those attacks I intentionally used nonsense calculation patterns for should have reached him by now. If he's calculated out an optimum answer based on that, I'll be able to defeat that asshole without needing this extra battery time. )
"... is probably what he's thinking, " muttered Kakine Teitoku as he leaned up against the framework at the center of the radio tower.
(Since that battery is his bottleneck, he'll want to secure some extra power and he knows the vulnerabilities of his reflection better than anyone. He isn't going to provide an opening so easily. But some idiosyncrasies will always remain. There is something real hidden among all the decoy information. )
Once he learned the white dragonflies soaring through the sky could not find the target, Kakine Teitoku focused his search on areas that could not be seen from the sky.
(The biggest danger is those wings that leave the category of logic altogether. Those can carry out attacks that overcome Dark Matter's strength. He would be quite a threat if he could bring them out at will. )
But he doubted it was that easy.
(I don't have enough data on them because they have appeared so infrequently, but it is always when his emotions are at an extreme high or low that they appear. It does not matter if the emotions are positive or negative. Plus the wings never stay for long.... In other words, I just need to hold him in check. That's all. I don't know what those wings consume, but just like with his other powers, they will disappear on their own if I buy enough time. )
He had had as much time to think as he could ever want.
During the time almost all of his organs had been crushed and replaced with artificial ones and while he had been used by some piece of shit or another to manufacture weapons, he had truly had as much time as he could want.
(The #1 is fiercely powerful but only in certain areas. An opening will surely show itself. It is a matter of timing... of finding the peaks and the valleys. Meanwhile, my creation ability is perfectly stable. This battle will be decided when he falls down into one of his own valleys. All I have to do is continue doing what I am doing. )
"... is probably what he's thinking."
"... is probably what he's thinking."
In two different parts of the city, two different monsters muttered those words. They continued thinking on and on as they worked to grow closer and closer to truly attacking their opponent.
It is often said that a fight was over before the fists ever began to fly. These two had already shown themselves to be monsters in that early stage.
The #1 stopped recharging his battery with the power cable and calmly left the overpass using his modern cane.
The #2 unhesitatingly jumped down from the radio tower when he determined surveillance from above was of no use.
They headed to the next exchange.
To their next move.
"This will decide the outcome."
"This will decide the outcome."
Their voices overlapped as if it had been rehearsed.
They muttered those words in unison as they showed each other their backs from afar.
The time would soon arrive.
Part 5
"... Function?" said Kamijou with a puzzled look.
While almost making a creaking noise as she trembled, Fräulein Kreutune gave a slight nod with her long hair still scattered about on the road. Her eyes were writhing irregularly as if following something that was not there.
"A living creature that stands on two legs will view standing on two legs as natural. But is it really? If a baby that crawls on all fours is raised without being taught anything by anyone, would it ever think to stand up on its two unsteady legs?"
"..."
Kamijou knew what she was trying to say.
A baby was a living creature that crawled on all fours. It was a living creature that saw that as natural. What led to them standing on two legs was either being taught to stand with their parents' help or watching the adults who lived while standing on two legs. Either way, they changed methods by "learning" in one way or another. They obtained a way of life where they stood on two legs thanks to external stimuli.
And once a living creature learned to live while standing on two legs, it would never go back to crawling on all fours. Even if living while crawling on all fours would be possible, it would never move around on all fours. Once it had obtained the function to stand on two legs, it would learn just how convenient it is.
So...
What if...
"Not even I know when this function came to me, " whispered Fräulein Kreutune. Even as she spoke, her strangely hot breaths continued."But for whatever reason, I have obtained it. I have obtained the function to gather information by eating a human brain. And now that I have obtained it, the point of reference for my actions has been overwritten to center on that function. So... I..."
It was not an issue of whether she wanted to or not.
It was just like how a living creature that gained lungs to live on land could no longer return to the ocean.
It was just like how a living creature that gained wings to fly through the sky could no longer run across the land.
To Fräulein Kreutune, not eating brains was like not breathing, walking on your hands, and never blinking again. No matter what she did, she would suffer. And the only escape was to take that "natural" action.
"..."
Kamijou glanced down at his right hand.
If her condition had gone awry because of this unneeded function, he wondered if he could destroy that function with the power of this right hand.
But...
(That would be like performing delicate surgery. Can I really do that? Not to mention that I have no idea what makes Fräulein Kreutune herself run. What if she was completely destroyed as a whole the instant I touched her?)
"The function... is already taking effect, " she said while her teeth chattered."They said I was their friend... but I cannot stop it. Why? Why did I have to gain the function to eat that girl's brain?"
"Wait a second. So it isn't that any human will do?"
"... Gh... gh..."
Fräulein Kreutune's head tilted horizontally. Her long silver hair fell down to cover her face. Kamijou could no longer see her expression.
Her body swayed.
She slowly stood up with an unsteady stance that resembled grass blowing in the wind.
"... Wait, " called out Kamijou, but she did not respond."Where are you going? Wait, listen to me! When you say 'that girl', who do you-... !?"
Kamijou trailed off because the taste of iron suddenly filled his mouth.
"Gh... bh!?"
His body faltered.
He collapsed.
Fräulein Kreutune had not done anything. The scorching pain was centered on his right side. Kamijou had escaped the ICU as soon as his emergency surgery was complete. He had known his wound could reopen at any time.
He could see Fräulein Kreutune's legs moving away as his viewpoint made the world appear to be on its side.
A slight trembling spread from his spine to his fingertips and he was not even able to stretch out his arm.
His mouth flapped open and closed, but no words came out.
(... Was I wrong?)
Fräulein Kreutune had said her function to eat human brains had come to her very recently.
Had it been leaving the windowless building that had caused it?
Kamijou and Thor had attempted to destroy the building's armor, but it had been Fräulein Kreutune who had actually destroyed it from within. In that case, it was not Kamijou who had directly caused her to escape.
But...
Why had Fräulein Kreutune headed outside with that timing? Had it truly been nothing but a coincidence? Or had Kamijou and Thor's actions unintentionally pulled the trigger for her actions?
If that was the case...
(Was I somehow wrong to even try to save her in the first place?)
He heard a quiet scraping noise.
It was the sound of his powerless, trembling fingertips scraping against the asphalt.
As the flavor of iron continued to fill his mouth, Kamijou gritted his teeth and thought.
There was no way that was the case.
Fräulein Kreutune may have eventually left the windowless building even if Kamijou and Thor had done nothing. Even if she had not, Gremlin may have destroyed the windowless building's armor. Ollerus's group may have used some method to smartly abduct her. With all the different "ifs" surrounding her, she may have left the windowless building and gained the function to eat human brains regardless of Kamijou's actions.
But...
For that very reason...
"... I refuse... to accept it..."
Something was flowing from his right side. As it did, an unpleasant shaking began across his entire body. Yet Kamijou still used the frail power remaining in him to forcibly grab at the ground. He was trying to make a small foothold so he could stand up.
The fact that Fräulein Kreutune had obtained the function to eat human brains was indeed a major problem. But did that mean it would have been right to leave her trapped in the windowless building forever? Could he really have let that happen? He could not just cover up one problem with another. It was absolutely wrong to accept a problem just because it was smaller than another problem.
He would not accept it.
He could not accept it.
No matter how she had been treated during her long, long history...
Even if she was a human with a complex and messed up structure that no one could explain...
Fräulein Kreutune had finally made it "outside".
Even if it was a dangerous tightrope act and even if she was merely squeezing through the gaps, she had still obtained freedom.
And...
Now that she had walked out below the sun literally for the first time in decades, the world spread out before her.
Kamijou absolutely refused to accept that that world had to be a nightmare filled with nothing but blood, death, and violence.
Slowly.
Kamijou Touma slowly stood up. He placed a hand on a nearby roadside tree to forcibly support his body that was even now about to collapse underneath him. Even so, he managed to stand up.
He had no idea how many more hours he would last.
He had his doubts he would even last half an hour.
But that did not change what Kamijou had to do. He had to destroy all of the messed up shackles, nightmares, and conditions surrounding Fräulein Kreutune.
(Where did Fräulein Kreutune go?)
He looked around and silently moved away from the tree. As soon as he did, he almost collapsed to the ground, but he somehow withstood it. And then he took another step.
He could still walk.
He could still move.
After discovering that, a small smile appeared on his lips, but then all strength suddenly left his knees. He tried to regain his balance, but it did not work. His upper body headed for the ground.
But then he felt something soft support his body.
It felt like someone had reached out from the side just as he was about to collapse.
"... ?"
He tried to turn his head, but his body refused to listen.
And...
"... I finally found you, " whispered a girl's voice, but Kamijou could not understand it.
However, this was not because his body was not working properly due to blood loss.
Kamijou Touma had never been able to understand French.
"You are the key to the official members of Gremlin. You are the piece I absolutely need to carry out my revenge. Finally. I can finally begin my life."
She was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl who appeared to be about 12 or 13.
And she wore a dress made up of a wetsuit and a clear material that created the overall silhouette of a fairy tale heroine.
She was one of those who produced that hell in Hawaii.
She had once named herself as a member of Gremlin.
The magician known as Cendrillon gave a dark smile and spoke in French.
"So do not die yet. I need you for my revenge."
| ← Ch. 073 | Ch. 075 → |