Chapter 7: Changing Raindrops into the Color of Blood. Revival_of_Destruction.

Part 1

Yomikawa Aiho grabs onto the car's steering wheel.

It looks like a cheap-looking domestic sports car, but the engine sound is unusually low. Meant for chasing fugitives on the run, the hidden parts are being tuned to the max. With almost seven-speed gears, it's up to one's imagination how much unreasonableness is being done.

On the search for Last Order, gone from her apartment house since this afternoon, she brought the car running up to speed but,

(...? Nothing can be done, with the streets empty....)

By nature, Academy City is a town for students.

Since only the faculty, staff, merchants, and university students use cars, traffic volume doesn't reach to the level of an ordinary metropolis.

But even so there are no cars today.

On the spreading road opposite of the windshield with its wiper moving at regular intervals, she sees only a mere runway.

"Does anyone know what's going on…?"

Yomikawa grumbles.

That time, a lamp for the wireless radio jammed inside her car lit up instead of the car audio. She switches on her blinker, drops her speed and slows her car to a stop at a road bank.

Looking at the radio, along with a low *ga—* sound, a postcard-sized scrap paper is spat out.

It works on the same principle as small-sized printers used for digital cameras, used for sending from Anti-Skill HQ to every computer terminal with stuff like mugshots of wanted people.

The photograph is rough. And it was taken from a telephoto distance. The camera was probably shaky, so the outlines are blurry. Even so, in the middle of a great number of downed Anti-Skills, she can spot a woman dressed in yellow standing up.

"?"

Yomikawa is perplexed.

Normally, text information like the scene of the crime information should be printed out along with the mugshot, but there is none. In the first place it's unknown what that woman in the picture had probably done. Whether she is a suspect for some incident, or a rescue objective, it's not possible to judge.

She's worried about the lost Last Order, but this is as expected a [case] that takes priority over a [lost child].

Yomikawa switches on the radio and says from there,

"Yomikawa to HQ. Requesting details for call 334."

Must be a communication error, she thinks as she tries to get confirmation, but there is no reply.

Only a low *saaaa—* noise reaches her ears.

Even after that, she tries talking several times to the radio, but there's no reply that comes back.

"..."

Yomikawa switches off the radio.

Inside the car that stopped at the road bank, Yomikawa again holds the postcard-sized scrap of paper. There a yellow-clad woman is being photographed standing up in the middle of the rain, in the middle of downed Anti-Skills.

(This woman….)

She snaps at the woman in the picture with one of her fingers.

(Just what is this? Based on my impression of what I saw, this is no mug-face for a rescue objective. It quite looks like what happened after my colleagues were struck down....)

An ominous sensation runs through Yomikawa's spine.

And at the same time, she feels anger for her own colleagues lying down on the ground,

(Well, if I catch sight of this face I'll give her a proper conversation—)

It is a random thought, but Yomikawa never drives her sport car again.

*Zon!!*

For a sudden attack runs through Yomikawa Aiho's brain.

"Ah…!?"

Even she can't raise a scream.

With her strength continuing to go out from her entire body, her upper torso leans onto the steering wheel. Her chest being pressed is painful, but she can't do anything about it. From bone to fingertips, all her strength is being taken away.

Her field of vision is rapidly narrowing.

(W, what is…)

Unable to understand why, Yomikawa's consciousness slips away.

The car radio switch is mere centimeters from her loosely hanging hand. But her hand cannot move. So she cannot appeal for help. Even her breathing is getting beyond her control.

(…This, picture…)

Watch out, it must have been signed from a colleague. Perhaps it's possible a downed Anti-Skill like her mustered the last of their strength to send it out.

But that wasn't taken advantage of.

(…Dammit…)

The photograph between her thumb and index fingers lightly falls down.

At the same time, Yomikawa Aiho totally loses consciousness.

A carless road.

An awfully silent street.

A car radio that won't respond.

Perhaps, the situation is probably progressing by some absurd plan.

Part 2

"Third Resource Recycling Processing Facility."

A black-clad man is looking at a group of buildings soaring over the corner of the Fifth School District and his lips moved.

They're in a facility, a very close neighbor to the Seventh School District. The minivan used by Accelerator and the [Hound Dog] deserter was abandoned very near the side of the Seventh School District park.

"They've taken refuge in a troublesome place, Nancy."

The said person herself reflexively snickers at her colleague's words.

What is Nancy, even the person herself grumbles, but it can't be helped if they use this codename to call each other.

Nancy is, indeed, an ordinary Japanese of the yellow race. With black eyes and hair, those complexities are not embraced at all. If she were to make the codes, she wants them to be in kanji. Surely Kihara Amata is a person who creates gaudy handle names from the network.

Her entire body is covered with jet-black armor and mask, but even so the lines of a properly matured woman cannot be hidden. [Hound Dog] is at any rate, regardless of gender, an organization that is comprised of merely garbage, so there are some other female Nancies. Also, just because it's for congeniality doesn't mean a strange sense of solidarity is produced. It's because this human organization, with its former Anti-Skills who fell for the pleasure of hunting down case suspects and analyst-technicians who bring in [scarless torture] into investigations; basically all of its members are scummy, shitty bastards.

The woman is slowly swinging a tool in her hands.

It resembles a toy gun — a scent sensor.

On top of the grip where the hammer of a pistol would be, a tiny three-inch LCD monitor is mounted. It's displaying numerous bar graphs that are continuously going up and down like musical bars installed in component stereo screens.

"The target's [scent] continues to there. I can say I'm almost certain of it,"

Nancy says to her backup colleague behind her.

The scent.

Police dogs cannot pursue the scent with a rain like today, but for them that problem can be considerably resolved. The scent drifting away doesn't mean [the scent is disappearing], it's more like [the scent is being blended in]. The sensor in this case can deal even with scents that are blended into.

The man casts his eyes towards the direction of the [scent].

"Quite a facility there,"

The black-clad man standing beside Nancy says.

An idle chat, but it is as he says.

Spreading before the woman's eyes is a gigantic facility that spans about 2km in every direction. It's meant for processing recyclables. Because Academy city is naturally resource-deficient, everything from basic paper resources to stuff like metals such as iron and aluminum, petroleum products like rubber and plastic, and many more goods besides them are being recycled. This is the facility that collects and processes items into something useful from the [resources] generated by the four school districts that surround the heart of the Fifth School District.

Those vast grounds suggest some coastal petrochemical kombinat. Cylindrical fuel tanks over 100m in diameter line up single-file, and there are factory areas with numerous smokestacks standing up.

Even so, it's a recycling facility.

An all-too suitable place where the shittiest of people fight.

"Nancy, what do you think that guy's aim is?"

Rod inquires about that matter.

"I can't get the strategic standpoint and importance of this facility. But if it were only for going undercover, deliberately dodging security and coming to a place like this is a pain."

"Hmm. Unexpected, easy as that was possibly."

Rod's faced turns to dissatisfaction at Nancy's casual reply. Before his eyes, Nancy lightly waves her scent sensor.

"To get away from us, looks like he's serious about destroying his scent by passing through the garbage processing plant."

"…That means he, too, knows our equipment."

"It's because that fool Orson ran away with the target, you know. There was some spare equipment inside that van."

It's hard to throw the scent sensor off track by putting on the stench of garbage, but it's a different story when either the scent's molecular structure is changed or a certain kind of detergent is used. The concealment group of [Hound Dog] has been developing its own for exclusive use, but it's likely that this kind of resource processing facility has the same kinds of chemicals.

Time for last-ditch methods, Nancy giggles, then inquires at her colleague,

"Rod, how's the rough layout of this facility?"

"Already acquired one from the Bank."

"Transmit to all members. How about the worker count and patrol routes?"

"Good thing we don't have to worry about patrol routes," the man called Rod reports. "It's almost automated inside. There are fourteen workers, and all of them are in the control center as operators tapping on the keyboards. I've heard that machine maintenance is sent in via a dispatch from an external organization."

"Good. That would save us time for cleanup,"

Nancy says halfheartedly, then hands over the scent sensor to her colleague. She then proceeds to check her shoulder-slung sub-machine gun.

Rod lightly waves at a small-sized computer where a rough layout is displayed,

"There are 24 entrance and exit locations. It's impossible to cover them all and then manually search one-by-one every nook and cranny inside the facility."

The current battle strength of [Hound Dog] is being dispersed into a diversionary unit against an unidentified enemy, a detached force in pursuit of Last Order, and a bodyguard unit for Kihara Amata. Because of this, there are about ten of them gathered now in the facility.

"Better that we guide the target's movement. The enemy should be convinced that we are numerous. We attack from map waypoint A, and after deliberate guiding we ambush from emergency exit C. The more bombs we throw in, the better we shake him. Got it?"

"What we gonna do if he uses his powers to bust through? We must be able to guide him, you know."

"It's alright."

Nancy looks again at the facility on hearing Rod's voice.

With metallic pipes entwining the massive concrete many times, it's a complex associated with heavy industrial facilities.

"If Kihara's word is correct, the target is not that omnipotent."

Part 3

"This is it…."

Accelerator chuckles inside the control room of the Third Resource Recycling Processing Facility.

In every windowless wall of the small room, a horde of monitors had been installed. From factory operations to security mode, everything is being controlled from here.

The fourteen workers, helpless against a shotgun-wielding intruder, are reduced to trembling masses here and there; Accelerator doesn't bother with them. He's glaring at a single monitor. There is a list of detergents being prepared at this facility.

Accelerator's looking for a detergent that chemically reacts with the scent's molecules to break them into [fundamental elements].

(I've found it. And lots of them. With these I can shake free from those bastards' [sense of smell]!)

He's resolutely determined on complete resistance to Kihara Amata's [Hound Dog], but he doesn't prefer to be on the [always under attack] side. He doesn't have even seven minutes to fully use his powers in fighting. No problems were it Kihara Amata himself, but he wants to avoid wasting the time away when it comes to the [Hound Dog] lackeys. With that in mind, he's decided that taking the initiative in this battle is better.

Of course, the most important objective is not taking on Kihara and his group, but rescuing Last Order safely; even so,

(Even if I look for Last Order, right now the [Hound Dog] pursuit must be stopped. If that brat is recovered before that, the risks from stray bullets will rise!)

The difficulties will jump up after the rescue effort. Accelerator's ability is meant for defending only that person; the battery won't last with him using his abilities every time [Hound Dog] pops up.

Even for this type of meaning [when to fight and when to avoid], he must grasp at it at all costs.

(I must quickly use the detergents to wipe off my scent, then leave from this place. There's no time until Kihara himself reaches that brat. I mustn't sluggishly drop in the way in this place, and I definitely have to return ASAP. Now where are the detergents in this facility stored…?)

At that moment, the monitors *zaza* shake.

Dozens of monitors in the control room show their images being erased into gray noise one after the other. Just before their annihilation, at the security videos of this facility's Second North Entrance, fleeting images of a black-clad man are shown.

If they have the skill to flawlessly defeat the Third Resource Recycling Processing Facility's warning equipment, they should know where the cameras are placed. As it is, though, those black-clads are deliberately showing off their own whereabouts to try to tempt him.

(Shitheads! They're faster than I expected!!)

The facility is already surrounded.

Accelerator cannot move without his cane. In other words, he cannot speed up. Even if he shakes off the scent sensor with the detergents, just this troop entering this facility means he'll probably have to take them on.

He cannot escape from that lot. And now,

(I have no intention of escaping. I'll smash up those stalkers right here.)

Accelerator scans the surroundings as he leans his body onto the shotgun that serves as a substitute cane.

He warns the real workers who were mixed up into this.

"From here on a gun battle will happen. Even if the fight is over, succeeding groups will probably move in. You guys wait for about twenty minutes after the gunshots stop. Then change into civilian clothes from work clothes and leave this facility."

Only incomprehensible (can't find out if they nodded or shook their heads) replies come back.

(Interesting. What do we have here…)

He confirms his status.

It seems he can't use his ability. Inside the factory, massive concrete prevents him from doing so, and precise electronic communications with outside fails. On top of it, because it's for resource recycling, many conveyor belts, press machines, and have quite massive motors installed, scattering powerful electromagnetic waves. The Misaka Network that creates electronic data from changing the Sisters' brain waves into electromagnetic waves, is rendered perfectly useless in itself.

At any rate the jamming is horrendous.

The difference between music and noise is intense. Normal conversations would end with [a bit of chaos], but if it happens while he shows off and uses his ability, it will only lead into an accidental discharge incident.

(At least it won't reach to Kihara that I've been using my abilities here.)

He has no experiences up to this point fighting naked.

Until he uses his abilities, he's only a person whose movements are limited to using a cane for walking.

He only has a single shotgun that he uses as a cane for a weapon.

Packed into its magazine are around 30 shells.

"What to do…?"

He's looking for a way, with only his current equipment, to intercept [Hound Dog] who's known for systematic fighting.

As he continues to worry about the black-clad man shown on-screen,

(What to do?)

Accelerator tears his eyes from the monitor, digs out the papers containing rough sketches, and spreads them out widely.

Take the bait? Leave the bait? Offensive and defensive battles have already started from there.

Part 4

Misaka Mikoto is in a convenience store.

She's standing up in a corner for rain gear.

"Hmmm…it's small,"

She grumbles while gazing at the cheap plastic umbrella. This kind of umbrella being not unwieldy is popular, but it seems she'll eventually get wet with its size being reduced so much.

Looking from the wide window, the outside looks completely dark. Relatively large raindrops are striking the glass.

Misaka Mikoto earned the privilege to force a penalty game onto Kamijou Touma from a Daihaseisai contest. But then, that penalty game was totally blown to pieces at some point, so she's looking once more for Kamijou now, but then…

"Why is it raining!?"

Her eyes drop onto the paper bag of a mobile phone company she's holding onto along with her school bag.

(I don't wanna get Geko-ta and Pyon-koT h e   s t r a p s wet!)

Mikoto is humming with those feelings when her mobile phone suddenly rings out. With an annoyed feeling, she brings out the phone.

Displayed is the number of her kouhai[1], Shirai Kuroko.

["Onneesama—"]

"What is it, Kuroko?"

["I'm on Judgment business, so I can't go home to the dorm, so I want you to send word in advance to that fussy dorm head. Now look, isn't it way past curfew time?"]

"Weeell, right now I'm in a convenience store."

["Gyaaa!?"]

Shirai sends back a very unladylike response.

A distinct voice, situated a bit back from where Shirai is, goes through the speaker.

["Ehh-? Shirai-san, you did contact Misaka-san, didn't you?"]

It must be Shirai's colleague, Uiharu Kazari.

["It's annoying. Annoying in the way that Onee-sama cannot get in touch with the dorm head from outside. But, I give up, you know. Presenting official documents is necessary for curfew extension procedures, and that dorm head won't respond to phone calls. No use arguing about it though; looks like the two of us will have to take a demerit for this."]

["Ehhh—. By the way, why is Misaka-san breaking the curfew time today?"]

["!?!"]

A *hah* intake of breath is heard, followed by a thick *mishi-!!* sound. It's probably an increasingly violent grip onto the mobile phone.

Shirai Kuroko inquires,

["It, it can't be… at this rate Onee-sama will be on a night date with that rotten ape!? Damn that bastard, making a very tasteful choice like enjoying a night view of the rain!!"]

"That's not it, you shitty idiot!!"

Mikoto instinctively shouts back.

But Shirai, as if she hadn't heard it,

["Damn, it cannot be done this way. Defending Onee-sama's chastity is my, Shirai Kuroko's, responsibility!!"]

"Don't say 'chastity' loudly!!"

["Then I'll say it more assuredly!"]

"Don't say it!!"

Mikoto, with her face becoming red, shouts, but Shirai is probably completely oblivious to what she is saying. Rapid machine-gun-like speech comes flying out from the speaker.

["Anyway, I'll go there, I'll definitely go there, so Onee-sama, please send an authenticated code mail so the GPS service can be used to find out where you are now—"]

["You can't do that!"]

With a single phrase, Uiharu starts to block the Shirai machine-gun.

And then Uiharu continues talking,

["Look, the office paperwork, bills, and orders documents are piling up into mountains and won't stop. Shirai-san, if tonight's an all-nighter then it's an all-nighter. You cannot step outside to buy a bento[2] for dinner, and even bathing is forbidden."]

["UGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA——!!"]

["Hi, higya!? Shirai-san, Shirai-san!!"]

A noisy clattering sound can be heard at the other side of the phone.

Placing the mobile phone a bit of distance from her ears, an amazed Mikoto calls,

"Weell, then shall I hang up?"

In lieu of a getting a deranged Shirai, Uiharu replies,

["Uh, yes. I've got Shirai pinned down, so, good luck and do your best!!"]

"I TOLD YOU IT'S NOT A DATE!!"

Mikoto shouts with all her might, but it probably doesn't reach the other side. She thinks that the slapstick of a violent commotion continues, then the phone *beep* goes dead.

Part 5

Kamijou Touma and Last Order are secretly hidden in a pillar.

A dreadful silence has filled inside the lights-out family restaurant.

It is a hopeless 30 seconds.

He thinks his brain structure will collapse from too much stress.

But Kamijou, secretly hiding in a pillar and holding his breath, notices an abnormality.

No matter how much time passes by, the men aren't coming closer.

That black-clad lot who broke into the family restaurant should have found out by now where Kamijou and Last Order are. And they should have known that the two aren't carrying any suitable weapons. There's no way that an armed armored group expressly on the lookout for an unarmed high school lad and a young girl would remain motionless.

(What kind of situation is this?)

His mind on 'moving simply is dangerous' and,

His mind on 'move fast or we might lose our chance' are mixing together.

"...."

Last Order, sticking very closely to him, apprehensively grabs his shirt very tightly.

The girl's little hands become the helping hand that barely defends Kamijou's presence of mind.

So as it is, 30 seconds have elapsed.

No conspicuous sounds.

Strangely, only the sound of the falling rain comes from the broken windows and into Kamijou's ear.

He holds his breath.

And closes his eyes.

And waits for a time.

Then, there is movement.

"Haaiii♪! I wonder if you are utterly scared. Can you stop being afraid and come out-?"

A high-pitched woman's voice is heard.

Kamijou cannot confirm the face due to the pillar.

And he can't find out where could she possibly be.

Nevertheless,

(What the? She acts obviously different from those guys so far.)

The black-clads, who were cornering Kamijou and Last Order some time ago, are seemingly noiselessly and soundlessly trying to kill them at the fastest rate, avoiding their self-assertion as much as possible. To put it bluntly, as much maximum efficiency as possible, choosing only the minimum of movements.

On the other hand, the woman's voice is the exact opposite.

In the first place, when she let out her voice and made her appearance, it went [contrary] to the black-clads' movement patterns. Far from gender classification, it's unknown if she's even human; it feels like the most distant command is from the shadowy existence.

(When it comes to it, is she not with the black-clads?)

On the other hand, he feels that it's dangerous to just get out and go. In the first place, whose voice is that?

"Hahaha. You feel afraid, eh? Well, it can't be helped if you're in a pinch like that. However-, I have my own reasons-, so if you haven't heard much of what I've said-"

The female voice continues while laughing.

Then with a tone that is unconcerned about disturbances and precaution, with a totally blank voice,

"**I'll turn you to pulp, shitties!!**"

"!!!"

Kamijou embraces Last Order, and promptly dives for the floor, flying out from beside the pillar in doing so.

A *BOOM* thunderous roar reverberates.

The invisible blow mows down the pillar horizontally that, until a moment ago, served as a shield. The attack probably struck dead center on the pillar, as the pillar, broken into two sections, flies into the wall. At such speed and like a cannonball, it strikes the wall and is shatters into pieces.

The entire building shakes.

The framework collapses, making a sharp *Gasshaaa!!* sound, breaking all the glass inside the store where they took refuge from the black-clads.

Kamijou, covering up Last Order, scans with his eyes.

In the middle of the main floor, with the lights out, a woman stands alone.

Streetlight from outside slightly shines on that silhouette.

She is a strange woman.

Her garments are seen as a dress similar to what European women in the Middle Ages would wear. The hair on her head is entirely covered with cloth, nary one strand of hair can be seen. Her face, mouth, nose, and even eyelids were installed with body piercings, destroying her looks. Intense make-up that emphasizes her eyes was applied, which makes her unnecessarily more intimidating.

And there's the woman's hand.

There, it holds a enormous hammer over a meter long. Attached from the grip up to its end are pointed barbed wires wrapped around it. It could be a defense method to make it impossible to handle, or it could be a pretty ornament.

(....)

Surely if hit by this, the pain will be inexcusable; on the other hand, it's unlikely that she could win with only that against a hardened group armed with sub-machine guns. Nevertheless, whatever the heck happened, the black-clad men ended up tumbled down in this woman's surroundings.

It appears none of them are conscious.

(This is...)

The armed, armored, and probably trained black-clads—they were somehow rendered useless without raising a single sound.

(It's similar to...)

The lack of information emphasizes the ominous more.

(To the Anti-Skills that fell down with a clatter just outside the underground shopping complex...)

Only one thing is certain: she is no ally of Kamijou.

(And to the downed black-clads beside the wrecked vehicles...!!)

"You're..."

As Kamijou inquires with a low voice, he gets up from Last Order and stands up.

In answer, the woman quietly informs him, while lightly swinging her unidentifiable hammer,

"A person from [God's Right Seat], Vento of the Front."

The woman called Vento mischievously puts out her tongue.

"Target detected. Well in that case, I'll quickly kill you, Kamijou Touma."

The thin chain attached to her tongue jingles and falls down.

—And attached to its end is a small crucifix moist with saliva.

Part 6

At the Third Resource Recycling Processing Facility where Accelerator is hiding, the [Hound Dog] are silently infiltrating.

Upon entering the concrete factory, the machinery sounds are far more troubling than imagined.

Even we are getting edgy, Nancy thinks for a bit, but unnecessarily adding more tasks is a waste of time. Perhaps Accelerator right now is in a condition where he can't use his ability well enough, but him recovering his mental composure is something they must avoid at all costs.

Surrounding Nancy are about five colleagues.

Her group is in charge of guiding, so they have to ostensibly display a [crowd of people] as much as possible. Nancy's group will recklessly fire bullets and a detached force will ambush the target after it has taken refuge in the inner passages—that is their tactic.

The rough path where the target has passed through can be followed with the scent sensor which she left to her colleague some time ago. When hunting for the enemy inside and that in mind, well, hopefully nothing can go wrong.

(What to worry about later on are the guns.)

With the scent sensor, and going along the target's scent from the minivan parked by the road, it led to this facility. No one was in the van, and the bag jammed with spare equipment was there. With its zipper opened, perhaps the target was carrying some small arms.

(Well, Accelerator has no marksmanship ability to that extent. With that guy reliant on living dependent on his ability, there's no way he's trained. It's appropriate to think that we have the advantage here by far,)

Nancy thinks that so.

(Even so...)

With the production operations mostly automated, there isn't even air-conditioning inside the concrete building, making it humid. Cold rain should be raining outside, but inside it's brimming with heat from the constantly moving gigantic motors.

While their nerves are slowly and little by little getting warm, they slowly walk through the steel passageway. The heat is felt even from the light of the white fluorescent lamp.

They are getting tense.

And so they are getting deluded, Nancy judges.

With a quick peek at her colleague's face, even with the movements of the colleague hidden by a black mask, are few but constrained; in other words, stiffening.

In this facility, electromagnetic jamming is occurring due to various reasons.

Accelerator's ability is probably getting electronic support; according to Kihara Amata's opinion, "because of the dangers from spontaneous discharge, Accelerator almost certainly cannot use his ability."

When Nancy started out as a member of [Hound Dog], she thinks that was appropriate. With so many restrictions, the ability cannot be used recklessly. The risk of spontaneous discharge jumps up with the power as strong as that.

However, on the other hand, the worry that "he might be prepared to use spontaneous discharge when cornered" cannot be discounted.

Only Kihara Amata can truly bring down Accelerator.

Guns and bombs, which Nancy handles, won't make a dent against Accelerator.

(So the cardinal rule is "kill before the opponent feels he's cornered.")

Hence the incitement tactics.

The target is alerted to their presence, but it will slacken up when it takes refuge inside. There the detached force which is waiting for that moment will shoot to kill. To make that a success, it is important to go out ahead and bear some risks to get Accelerator's attention. Though the opponent can't use his powerful ability, the probability of him bearing guns are high. And there's the danger of one's head getting shot out from getting preoccupied at poorly executing the diversion.

(That's well, from under stress. The people here, including myself, were trained only [to kill fast]. Because it doesn't take training to put a situation like this to one's mind.)

There are several kinds of soldiers.

It's not a problem even when hostage negotiations skills are not necessary for jungle work, or when an urban sniper doesn't know how to survive on an uninhabited island. There are many special units with sharpened abilities that can be made simply because of eliminating the useless, and especially put the remaining time into adopting training methods that specialize into separate fields.

In short, for Nancy and her group's position where they are placed as soldiers specialized for desert warfare, it would be the same if they were made to walk in the piles of snow in the Arctic Circle.

(We can do this...)

Nancy, beneath her black mask, gulps down saliva.

(...or we're dead meat)

*Kakin*

At that time, a soft metallic sound interrupts Nancy's thoughts.

"!?"

Nancy and her group simultaneously turn their guns at the source of the sound.

But there is no one there. Not even a hiding spot. Nancy, maintaining her stance, uses her eyes and fingers to contact the colleague nearest to her.

"(...Looks like a lone sound produced from machine parts.)"

"(...I agree with you, too. But even if a person's there, there's no place to hide in. It's unlikely that it's the most advantageous point.)"

"(...Is it possible that something that makes sound was thrown?)"

"(...If that's the case, the target is hiding somewhere very close.)"

Tension is running through all the members.

"(...Rod, how's the scent sensor?)"

"(...Hold on. Analysis is being completed now.)"

Their heartbeats are getting faster, their index fingers on the triggers are shaking bit by bit. Both skin and glove are slightly wet with sweat.

Right after,

*Gachin*

This time all the lights go out at once.

A darkness quite like it was timed.

It is a battle tactic using light and sound to incite mental stress to torment them psychologically.

Oh no, Nancy just now realizes it.

If they pull the triggers aimlessly here, they'll hurt their comrades that are in close formation. They'll aim up their muzzles, but the surroundings, as well as the walls and ceiling, are all metal. The unleashed bullets will ricochet back and might bare its fangs at them.

They didn't even consider their guns' safeties.

Their thinking has been restrained as far as them awkwardly moving their frozen fingers being taken as that's as far as they can pull their triggers. It appears that Accelerator is aware that they are not carrying any night vision equipment.

"(...Wait!!)"

She immediately tries to make eye contact, but she can't reach to her companions due to the darkness.

Here vocal relay is the best, but that would only end up telling the [enemy] where they are.

Her heartbeat is *thump! thump! thump! thump! thump!* ominously reverberating.

Her trigger finger is shaking.

Trigger... gunshots... accidental discharge... those images are going round and round in Nancy's head.

There, a *BAM!* ear-shattering sound explodes.

She thinks her heart stopped.

(G...gasp...!! T, that was the sound of steam exhaust! A normal sound!!)

She somehow resists moving her index fingers, and even though she concentrated her nerves onto her five senses again to look for the target that is causing this,

"Gack!?"

Suddenly a low voice echoes directly at her side.

A shock *goton* that's similar a person collapsing is being relayed from her feet that are firmly planted on the floor.

She feels an acrid and stinking smell of iron.

(Oh—no!)

Were they calm, they might realize that it is only a spanner thrown from within the darkness. If they see through a trick as another trick, on the other hand, that much might regain them their mental composure.

However,

Gradually taking away that [composure] is that target's objective.

(That bastard... not only does he uses his ability, he even uses the person's fear—!?)

It's already too late by the time Nancy realizes that.

In the darkness, she starts to muster her nerves towards her entire self. Right at that moment,

A single tool comes flying and just weakly *klunk* hits her own shoulder.

Unconsciously, her body, already robbed of composure more than she thought, reacts on its own.

**Her finger on the trigger goes past its fixed position.**

Several gunshots sound, and the place is again filled with the smell of more iron.

Part 7

The inside of the totally dark family restaurant is wrapped up by a bizarre tension.

Kamijou Touma is confronting the woman who called herself Vento.

(Dammit. One after the other....)

If this woman is a magic-wielding person, then unlike before it will be the Imagine Breaker's turn. But he isn't be able to rest easy yet. If Vento's power is real, then she has the skill to instantly and silently annihilate the four sub-machine gun-armed persons. When it goes against the Imagine Breaker and the like, there's even the danger of being killed instantly.

Besides...

He didn't have to look closely at the condition of the downed black-clads, but the absence of injury and bleeding is all too similar to [unconscious people] that was a severe sight up to now. If these two situations are same, then surely this Vento before him is the one that brought all of Academy City's facilities to its knees.

A woman all alone is aiming to crush the top rank of the scientific side.

Viewed in this light, the danger level of the person in front of him is way over that of the black-clads.

"It's okay to not even be tense."

Vento informed while the jingling her chain.

"For there's even no luxury of feeling the pain."

Vento casually swung the barbed wire-laden hammer in her right hand.

A side sweep attack.

The distance to Kamijou should be easily over five meters but,

"!!!"

Kamijou, having felt a sudden chill, throws back Last Order whom he was protecting until now and immediately bent down; just above him, something pierced through. It was a mass of wind along with minute splinters within. Taking in air, eating away at the walls, swallowing in small wreckage, changing from transparent to opaque, the blunt weapon of air mass went from right to left, cutting through a wide swath.

The entire building *gagon!!* lurched diagonally.

(A magic attack that fires out projectiles from swinging the hammer...?)

Kamijou, having gone pale from the attack, can hear the sound of fragments falling down in large chunks.

It was an act that totally gave no heed to the collapsed people surrounding them.

"Hide yourself, Last Order!!"

Kamijou shouts to Last Order, who had just got up from being thrown back. As he checks on her moving behind a square pillar,

(What the hell, I've had enough of the black-clads, and I've had enough for this woman...!!)

Kamijou gnashed his teeth; of course that wouldn't stop Vento.

Vento, while stepping back, again and again halfheartedly swings her hammer, horizontally and vertically, twice and then thrice. The chain fastened to her tongue *clink clink* swings and waves about. The hammer's path is a precarious trajectory that grazes the chain in the tongue every time. A few millimeters more and the piercing connecting the chain to the tongue would be torn off, but there was even composure in Vento's face.

Vento's hammer tears through the air.

And a *BOOM!!* explosive sound struck the ears.

A destructive tempest is rising.

The hammer was like a bat sending a heavy iron ball flying. Tables are blown off, floors are torn up, the black-clads' limbs sent flying, and these plop on top of the limp customers. Kamijou's head flared up, so he dealt with all his might the blunt wind weapon that came flying for him.

The moment Kamijou's right hand touched it, the blunt weapon of air *don!!* was repelled and dissipated.

It's the Imagine Breaker.

Without this power that would negate all supernatural abilities, his body would have been broken already.

Nevertheless the air mass didn't fly only at a straight path. If there is curve-tracing attack that comes from the right or left and goes towards Kamijou's direction, there is also an attack for Kamijou, his feet firmly on ground, that goes from above his head and pushes him down.

"Hahaha, as expected of that rumored right hand of yours. You've done well in holding on and keeping up, you know!!"

Vento, while laughing, swung down her hammer from top to bottom with all her might. A destructive wind is created along with it.

(It's vertical!!)

Kamijou, in hot haste, raised his right hand overhead, but then,

The mass of wind, broke right through at once **horizontally from right to left**.

".....!!"

Cold sweat gushes out from Kamijou's entire body. At once he bends back, only lowering his upper body back. A *boom!!* unpleasant sound shoots through in front of his face, and the skin on the tip of his nose was slightly grazed.

The wall right beside him was smashed up, creating a *begoom!!* sound.

The ceiling, obliquely shifted in position even under normal circumstances, gave out even more ominous tremors.

(What the!? The hammer and the attack trajectory are out of alignment...!?)

The question pops up in Kamijou's head; of course Vento cannot answer them one by one.

"Gyahahahahahahahaa!! This is so--- fun!!"

The long chain, attached to Vento's tongue and matching in tune to her movements, is swinging left and right.

And the crucifix, attached at the end of the chain, is giving off a dazzling unnatural light.

*Flicker*, the ever-repeated blinking continues.

And then Vento, with a face that revealed her aiming was off, frowned.

"I see, I see."

Vento nodded with seeming interest as she continued to hit him with rough wind attacks one after the other, creating a *gonganbangin!!* thunderous sound. As if she completely dealt with it. She can't close the 5-meter distance.

"The Imagine Breaker, they say? That right hand's effect is extraordinary, just as it is written in my reports, you know. **My favorite, where I interweave here and there, is totally ineffective-**"

Favorite? Kamijou thinks about his opponent's word as he waves about his right hand.

He's worried because there are reports on the Imagine Breaker. Kamijou Touma's importance must have changed in the Roman Catholic Church.

"But then, I don't understand well such a thing...well, might as well try and find out."

"??"

"HOW ABOUT THIS!!"

Vento shouts heartily, then swung the hammer in her hand horizontally.

She creates a blunt weapon of air mass along with a *BOOM!!* thunderous roar.

She greatly deviates her aim from Kamijou, and went for the unconscious customers who were lying prostate onto the table.

"YOU BITCH!!"

He at once thrusts out his right hand as if to jump in. The air weapon came into contact with his right hand just before at the head of one of the guests, and was blown off in all directions. The amount of power included in that attack was frightening.

Anger, passing through even the core of his mind, strikes Kamijou.

Upon seeing it, Vento narrowed her eyes in seeming deep interest.

"...I see, so that's it. The ease of use seems to be unexpectedly bad?"

Is she examining its battle strength? Kamijou thought.

Vento was probably investigating the Imagine Breaker's definite effective range.

"Sorry--"

For now, the attack kept on being blocked; there is no irritation in Vento's face.

"It seems unreasonable not to feel some pain. I have to personally kill him, you know. If there is some consciousness left, then he should be dead from the excessive pain, or should I say, by the shock, right? So, if it wants to be happy it will awake even as a masochist, right?"

A *jingle* sound of the chain being scraped is heard.

The chain attached to Vento's tongue goes along with her movement, and drew an arc in a right-to-left direction. Vento then swings her hammer down with all her might, sweeping over that chain.

Orange-colored sparks *bachi!* scattered about.

(!!? That one from a while back....)

As if blowing them off, the blunt air weapon is coming to strike in a right-to-left curving trajectory.

(The hammer's movement and attack movement are damned out of----)

It's following the trajectory of the chain attached to her tongue.

(This pattern!?)

The attack was being guided by that chain.

"No way, ...it's that chain with the crucifix!!"

Kamijou shouts as he crushes the wind weapon with his right hand.

Vento laughed in reply.

"Oh-my-, I've been found out-!?"

Again the long chain with the crucifix accessory attached to it traces out its trajectory freely. Every time Vento swings her hammer sweeping over the chain, the blunt air weapon comes flying and follows the route similar to what is being traced by the chain line.

(Damn it! Even if I get it, defending against it is tough!!)

He's reacting unintentionally against the trajectory of the large shockwave-producing hammer. However, the movements of the chain and hammer are practically different with each other. If he considers the swinging down from above the chain is tracing a curved line, and if he considers the hammer swinging horizontally, the chain is heading up from below.

The [attack motion] and [actual direction of incoming attack] are both out of sync. If this deceives his vision even for a bit, his reaction would be too late and his body would be cut down.

"Shit!!!"

"Oh my, it has come to be somewhat of a bother for you, dear."

An even stronger blunt air weapon *BOOM!* came for him.

Furthermore, the blunt weapon didn't aim directly for Kamijou, and merely fell for the floor just before him. The flooring is torn off and turned into large amounts of wood chips; then these turned into sharpened splinters and strike Kamijou's body.

"G, gaaaaaaah!!?"

Rather than struck at one place, his entire body was struck by them.

Kamijou was thrown backwards. Just like that he falls and tumbles over.

He painfully shook off his light-headedness and desperately tries to recover his senses.

And before he's aware of it, he was pushed back to the immediate rear of Last Order.

Taken aback, Kamijou rises up from the floor.

Last Order, who should be secretly hiding in the pillar, must have stood up and rushed over to him.

"RUN FOR IT!!"

"Fufu-"

Vento very heartily laughed at Kamijou's exclamation.

With her attack, she'll have no problems smashing up Last Order.

But Last Order did not move. Kamijou didn't know whether she couldn't move or she's deliberately not moving.

At this rate, her tiny body would be turned to a bloody pulp.

"SHIT!!"

Kamijou got up and starts running, and pushed a standing Last Order down onto the floor. She went down at the same time Vento's attack was unleashed. The produced blunt air weapon mercilessly smashes the pillar. From there it was negated by Kamijou's right hand. Even so, large quantities of fragments were scattered about.

This is getting way past dangerous.

Unless he can evacuate Last Order from this place as soon as possible...

"Go!! Hurry!!"

Kamijou shouted, but Last Order shook her head, even though she's overcome with surprise.

She doesn't want to abandon him.

"Hurry!! Call for help!!"

So Kamijou gave her a false objective that should be impossible to achieve.

Told to that extent, she finally staggered up to her feet. Unfortunately, her pocket contents were scattered when she fell down. When she sees it on the floor, a generously glossy and cute kiddie mobile phone that looks like a toy, Last Order looks like she's leaning over again.

"Forget it!!"

Her shoulders shook with a start from Kamijou's scream, and ran with her tiny feet. She went out from the smashed windows onto the road. Her back is succumbing to the uneasiness, she seems almost losing herself.

Vento aimed her huge barbed-wire-wrapped hammer at the tiny girl.

But Kamijou went around and cut in, putting himself directly between the hammer and Last Order's path. All the while, the building is slowly shaking.

As a result of pillars being smashed here and there, the ceiling is at once starting to crumble obliquely. The side where Vento is facing and Last Order exited was closed and blocked by the fallen ceiling.

Even with a single target escaping, there was no irritation in Vento's face.

She talks to Kamijou while smiling rather pleasantly,

"You're cruel, you know. For that tiny child, I think it's a reasonable burden to continue running aimlessly through the dark. She might become stiff with fear and start to break down, you know."

She swings her huge hammer and,

"Isn't it more fortunate that we kill you both together rather than suffer this?"

Kamijou instinctively spat out at that voice.

This woman is the worst.

"...I won't shoulder that burden."

He tells her that, and again tightly clenches his right hand into a fist.

He then faces the pleasantly smiling Vento.

"There are no problems in facing you. Therefore I won't die."

"Ah that's fun♪ But hey, I wonder if you can say the same line even if I'll shake your organs and bowels and turn you into human juice---hm?"

Swinging her hammer, a thick sound reverberates. The chain in her tongue jingles and swings around.

"Well, you're my target, and I'm frustrated that I won't be bothered by those heathen monkeys. I tell you, you're greatly helping me make my aim easier for obediently not running away!!"

Again several blunt weapons of air sweep over, and mercilessly destroy the interior of the family restaurant.

Part 8

Within the darkened factory, Accelerator is holding his breath.

For this operation, even as he prepares for his first move, he's on his own from here on.

Accelerator grabbed a few items from inside the minivan. One is a shotgun that he uses as a cane substitute, the other is a small wireless radio.

These, too, were used in this operation.

Currently the enemy group is in the dark, fearful of friendly fire, and scrambling to contact each other by radio while each of them is loosely scattered about. Accelerator is playing the confused, noise-ridden voice of an [ally], moreover perform nonsensical information exchange, and break the enemy coordination. It appears that the opposing side is instantly aware that Accelerator is disturbing them, but there is no method that can distinguish comrade from dummy in incoming voices. As a result, the lot are going to intensify their misgivings on [all voices].

Unless they use radio, they can't figure out their comrades' current position.

Even if they find a shadow of a person, because of [fearful of friendly fire (or fearful of being killed by friendly fire)], their target-aiming speed is weakened, and cooperation among allies is being interrupted. In response, Accelerator only has nothing but to act as if [all shadows are enemies]. As far as he is concerned this is a huge advantage for him.

The threats from [Hound Dogs] are [small arms] and [groups].

It's not a cause of concern since with his current move the opponent has almost lost both of them.

For Accelerator, unable to use his ability, today was his first time using this kind of fear-inducing tactic, but the opponents were amusingly caught in it. As he thought, fear is the common denominator for mankind. At the back-alleys, he ruled as the very symbol of