“…And yet, you still messed with Takitsubo’s body.”
“Yes, because the chance was just too enticing to pass up. After all, if she continued to evolve and became the eighth, she’d be able to reach through AIM dispersion fields and freely control other espers’ personal realities. I’m sure you’re not stupid enough to fail to understand what that means.”
If such a thing was possible…
The personal reality was the wellspring of every ability and phenomenon in the real world. Controlling it meant a lot more than just increasing or decreasing ability levels. To put it simply, she could give Railgun’s ability to Shiage Hamazura and demote Shizuri Mugino to a Level Zero. She could exchange abilities and change their types, too, as she wished. Even the realization of a double esper was a possibility. She could produce all sorts of unsystematic results that ignored affinities and talent.
She could give whatever ability she liked whenever she liked, and take whatever ability she needed wherever she pleased. She could populate a Level Five team for her own convenience, and as for enemy espers, even if it was the number one Accelerator, she could tear his entire personal reality away, disabling him, then kill him.
She’d be far more than the queen of Academy City in that kind of scenario.
There was only one word that could express such a being.
“You see, Rikou Takitsubo…could provide for all of Academy City’s functions on her own.”
The helmeted woman in the suit gave her answer.
“No—considering she could instantly produce abilities of the desired category and level, and also instantly strip away any unneeded abilities, she would reign as a far more advanced esper-raising machine than Academy City in its current state.”
A person with incredible value. So much that it toppled the assumption that there were only seven Level Fives.
“Takitsubo had always had a rare nature, but it was difficult to get her to bloom. We dug up the forbidden research from Kihara’s cohort and even brought out Crystals knowing the risks, but it wasn’t enough stimulation to gain the desired effect…But with this, the pathway to the eighth has opened. Thanks to your wonderful relationship and this terrible war.”
As far as Hamazura knew, the only time Takitsubo had seriously tried to interfere with someone else’s AIM dispersion field was when the second-ranked Teitoku Kakine had been about to kill him. Did that mean Academy City’s leadership had learned from that and purposely let them free to give her an “opportunity” to bloom?
And Takitsubo had obtained a little key.
It was still hard now, but with research, she would become the eighth. Even without the Crystals, she would become a terrifying beast capable of completely controlling the espers all around Academy City.
And she’d do it on her own, with only her one ability.
A being with capabilities that equaled or surpassed all of Academy City’s functions as an esper-raising organization.
Instead of Academy City, an Academy Individual.
However.
That wasn’t what Shiage Hamazura was most shocked about.
It was pushed down, hidden by the impact of the term eighth, but the helmeted woman in the suit had said something he couldn’t overlook. Something that, despite being a dropout, he could absolutely never acknowledge as an Academy City esper.
“…Takitsubo has always had a rare ‘nature’?” confirmed Hamazura, his voice shaking.
Yes.
“Are you saying you knew even before she went into the Curriculum? That no matter how hard you work, or how hard you study, the ones who are gonna succeed will succeed, and the ones who are gonna fail will fail?”
It was an answer more horrifying than hell.
Obviously, Academy City had a system—it was called the System Scan. It investigated an esper’s aptitude using various methods, seeing what their current level was, the type of their ability, whether they’d grow quickly or slowly, things like that.
But that was only supposed to be a rough yardstick. It was believed that even students called Level Zero or Level One would grow if they worked hard enough. That was why they could work hard. Because they’d be rewarded one day. Because they’d bloom one day. They only wished for that.
And yet.
Wasn’t a person who could work hard to go from a Level Zero to a Level Five simply established as someone who could have become a Level Five from the start? Did a person’s nature, sleeping inside them, since before ever studying or enrolling, decide everything? Was the legend that you could make up for talent with hard work just a story to let them dance at their predetermined upper limits?
In that case.
Was there any hope for someone who was determined to be a Level Zero at birth?
“…You know, I always thought it was strange,” said Shizuri Mugino thoughtfully. “I’ve taken a peek at the project related to number three. She was deceived in her childhood, and the DNA map she provided was used as the basis for a project to mass-produce somatic-cell clones for military use…But when you think about it rationally, the timing didn’t make sense. Number three supposedly took time to grow from a Level One to a Level Five. Meaning she wasn’t a Level Five yet when she provided her DNA mapping.”
The term military clone was shocking, too, but Hamazura decided it wasn’t impossible with Academy City’s technology. “Wait, so you mean…The scientists knew from the start? They knew she’d eventually become a Level Five, so they took action before the value of her DNA mapping went up…?”
In response, the woman in the suit heaved a sigh inside her helmet. “Well, even the Parameter List brings evils with it. For example, a Level Five’s DNA patent or biotic resources carry extraordinary value, but securing them costs a significant amount of capital. However, you can obtain it from a Level One with the possibility of becoming a Level Five in the future on a strict budget. Every time a fragmentary list gets leaked, it causes an issue where blood is shed behind the scenes from people trying to get rich quick.”
“…”
“Still, though, I think it’s positive on the whole. Integrating people who would never grow from the beginning into complicated Curricula would be a waste of time, money, and equipment—everything. It’s far more effective to funnel what would be wasted into talented espers.”
“You…bitch…!!”
It was not Hamazura who shouted, but Mugino.
She was furious, and Takitsubo tried to hold her back. Seeing that, the military woman spoke in an amused voice. “My, this isn’t like you at all. After your battles, have you started to empathize with the feelings of the weak?”
“Shut up!!” screamed Mugino, anger in her eye. “That means it’s all your fault Hamazura fell into a place like this!! Takitsubo and I chose this path for ourselves. The road and the environment were both complicated, and I don’t think we’ll be able to correct our course just by solving one problem. But the only thing supporting Hamazura was him being powerless! Because you all decided that for yourselves and cut corners on his Curriculum!! Sure, maybe he couldn’t have become a Level Five. Maybe he would have stopped part of the way there. But if you’d actually given him an equal opportunity, he would have had the chance to grow a little, at least!! And if you had, if you had done that…!!”
…Shiage Hamazura may have never even joined Skill-Out.
He might not have ever needed to be dragged into Item, further into the depths of the darkness.
Maybe he would never have needed to be on the run from Academy City—maybe he could have led a totally normal student life.
…He might have had that boring but blessed world that nobody here was able to grasp, as if it was natural.
“It’s fine,” said Hamazura to Mugino, shaking her head. He was happy remembering that she’d gotten seriously angry for him in this situation. “We are Item. I don’t regret that. So it’s fine.”
Mugino, then, was the one to avert her face, unable to stand it any longer.
While confirming the conditions inside his mind.
“Parameter List. Meaning there’s an actual file? Its existence would be enough to plunge all the students living in Academy City into despair and powerlessness. I don’t know what you and the other leaders are trying to do, but I’m sure you don’t want to risk the City’s functions stopping. Meaning we still have room for negotiation.”
“Unconfirmed intel aside, do you think you’d have a chance to get the real thing? It’s set up so that students like you, especially, will never be able to touch it. And above all…”
Clack-clack, came numerous metallic noises.
The sound of the people in white combat uniforms surrounding them aiming their rifle muzzles.
“Have you forgotten? Your life, at the very least, will end here.”
Mugino’s Meltdown wasn’t usable.
Takitsubo’s Ability Stalker didn’t have an effect on anyone except espers.
Hamazura couldn’t clean up a professional combat group of ten all at once by himself, either.
And…
“I think you’re the one forgetting about something.”
“?”
“Maybe you stop seeing it when you live in a filthy world like that. But this spot I’m standing in now isn’t Academy City. It’s not the same cruel stage. And I’m just a regular Level Zero. I never had any special powers that would let me fight my way out of this huge war by myself.”
“…”
Perhaps feeling like she didn’t need to listen any further, the woman in the suit raised her arm slightly.
That was all.
The men in white put their fingers on their triggers in unison.
Baaaaang!!
A sharp, splitting gunshot rang out across the white snowfield.
There was a red color, sullying the pure-white landscape.
Hamazura hadn’t closed his eyes.
Because he hadn’t needed to.
“Wha…?”
The shocked voice came from the helmeted woman in the suit. And no one could blame her—Hamazura wasn’t the one who had fallen with the gunshot. Nor had it been Takitsubo or Mugino. It had been several of the ten soldiers surrounding them.
At the same time, hidden behind the clusters of trees in the woods and past the bulges of hills, encircling the men surrounding Hamazura and the others at an even wider circle, were about thirty men and women pointing assault rifles their way. They were Russians, but they didn’t appear to be regular soldiers. Their clothing was civilian, and their rifles were somewhat battered, giving them a strange sense of regular usage.
“You alive, Hamazura?!”
Shouting that in Japanese was Digurv.
Next to him, also gripping a rifle, was Grickin, who tsked and said, “You told us to run away, but in the end, everyone came flying back, saying they couldn’t abandon you!! Anyway, are those guys friends of the ones trying to set up the Steam Dispenser?!”
“…Not quite, but thanks. We cheated death thanks to all of you.”
Hamazura slowly exhaled and relaxed himself.
He’d been spotting shadows in the scenery while they were talking to the helmeted woman. After that, he had to drag out the conversation until they finished getting into position.
“…How?”
The woman appeared sincerely confused.
“The state of the war between Academy City and the Russian military has been overwhelmingly one-sided the entire time. After all that, how could we possibly have been placed in a predicament this easily…?”
“Academy City was only in an advantageous position during the war because of its large-scale coordination and their powerful support of one another…Doesn’t mean everyone’s invincible—especially not independent teams running around by themselves like you guys.”
Hamazura forced his still-stiff cheek muscles to move to create a smile.
“You know I’m right. If every single one of you was actually invincible, Takitsubo and I wouldn’t ever have escaped Academy City to begin with.”
“Do you think you’ve won?” spat the woman, smiling scornfully at them. She didn’t seem to care about her fallen colleagues. “The system that’s been monitoring you all until now is still running. Reinforcements will be here soon. Your situation won’t change.”
“Probably…So we’ll just have to finish things before that.”
After saying that, Hamazura spoke to the people from the settlement.
“Digurv, Grickin. You guys tie up the ones in the white combat uniforms and watch them to make sure they don’t try anything funny.”
And then he turned his head toward Item.
“Mugino, you hold Takitsubo back. I’m about to do something a little stimulating.”
“What…?” began the helmeted woman in the suit, but Hamazura didn’t answer her.
Instead, he immediately pulled out his gun and shot her in the right elbow and right knee.
Bang-bang!! Two dry gunshots rang out, and the woman in the suit let out a long scream. Hamazura’s expression didn’t change. He grabbed her suit collar in both hands, then started through the snow, dragging her behind him.
“…There’s a little cave about a hundred meters up. We’ll continue things there.”
His voice was utterly calm, with no emotion in it whatsoever.
“An Academy City interception team will get here soon. I’ve gotta get our negotiation tool ready before then. And I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get it. I’m after the Parameter List. It can be the real thing printed on paper or a password for getting to the data on the Internet. Anyway, you’re telling me everything you know. I’ll make it so your mouth will be open before you even realize it’s happening.”
“Hee-hee…”
“Humans sure are scary, huh?” he said softly, bringing his mouth next to her helmet so that Takitsubo and Mugino couldn’t hear. With an utterly flat voice. “If they can make the excuse that they’re protecting someone precious, they can do the most brutal things. That’s how it seems to me. And you’re about to see how cruel humans can really be.”
Accelerator lay atop a hill.
Neither Last Order nor Misaka Worst was here. Only the white snow, stretching on as far as the eye could see. Accelerator had crashed into the unknown energy mass fired from the fortress eight thousand meters high, but even he didn’t understand what had happened after that. The white wings had disappeared from his back, too. He decided, at least, that his being barely alive like this meant he was able to stop the destruction at the last moment.
He heard a loud noise.
A large transport helicopter with two rotors on it. The hunk of metal was slowly descending to a spot near Accelerator as he looked up into the sky as he was lying there. A sliding door opened, and out of it came several people who looked more like a disaster rescue team than soldiers, wearing baggy protective gear reminiscent of space suits. He could see them bringing down a stretcher attached to their belts.
Retrieval.
Accelerator remembered the time he’d crushed Amata Kihara on September 30. It was the same as back then. He’d come through a grand battle and had invited grand chaos. Instead of leaving it to them to deal with, he put himself in the custody of Academy City’s underworld and taken on dirty jobs.
In the end, no matter how much he fought or how far he ran, even if he left Academy City and fled Japan, he couldn’t escape this massive cycle. He knew he’d faintly realized this. More than his own environment and situation, those of the Sisters and Last Order were just way too severe. He doubted they could live an honest life without Academy City’s support.
They picked up his exhausted body and put him on the stretcher. From above, they wound him in several layers of thick belts. Treating his body as though they were transporting a tool—no, a weapon, they loaded him into the gia
nt helicopter.
He didn’t resist.
With a tremendous shaking, the transport helicopter began to leave the surface.
Strapped in with belts, Accelerator muttered dimly, “What about the kids?”
“Different team.”
Only a couple short words came back.
“Hmph,” snorted Accelerator. “…Then promise me this. Don’t ever give orders using that kid or the Sisters as a shield. And freeze the Third Season. Killing ’em, making ’em, doesn’t matter. Never toy with their lives for your own convenience ever again.”
“…”
“Release everyone in the same circumstances I was in, too. I won’t allow you to use anything as a shield to push dirty jobs on people in the underworld. If I catch you doing it even once, I will not hesitate to turn against you. I will crush you as many times, as many dozens of times as I need to, as long as you keep up these atrocities.”
“You don’t seem to understand anything. Do you think you’re in a position to make a deal?”
“No, you’re the one who doesn’t seem to get it.”
One sentence.
As if sensing danger from it, the researcher in the protective suit put a hand to the side of Accelerator’s neck. His ability worked on proxy calculations from the Misaka network. He was trying to check the switch on the electrode he needed to access the network.
However.
That mindset, of all things, was what Accelerator took advantage of.
The moment the researcher’s fingertips touched the switch, Accelerator, still strapped in with belts, swung his neck. As a result, the finger on the switch slid across it, sliding it to its maximum setting.
His power returned.
The black belts holding his body down instantly flew off. The man in the protective suit was blown to the helicopter wall, and thick cracks formed in the fitted reinforced-glass window. His nearby colleagues got up in a panic, but it was too late.
“This isn’t a negotiation, or a proposal, or a deal, or a plea, or an agreement, or a compromise, or a surrender.”
A Certain Magical Index, Vol. 22 Page 17