Chapter 89: All-Out War -Part 4

──At the same time.

On the battlefield where Reicia had withdrawn, the "Dragon" unleashed by Kihara Gensei was raging violently.

"What the hell was that woman running off for!? She just bolted out of nowhere…"

"Her name’s Nurikae Onrei… that was her ex-fiancé! He was attacked, so she went to save him!"

"Tch! Playing the saint even at a time like this, that idiot!!"

Clicking his tongue in irritation, Accelerator’s right hand produced a sphere of light.

"…!"

Kamijou tensed, thinking it was plasma, but Accelerator gave him a mocking smile.

"You think I’d keep using the same trick over and over? …Come to think of it, there’s no need to bother with air. There are plenty of particles floating around already."

Yes. A sphere of light.

"Lasers can be produced as long as the wavelength and direction of light are aligned. Normally you’d need all sorts of tedious steps like excitation and the like, but with vector manipulation, I can skip all that crap."

Normally, one could assume Accelerator couldn’t perform vector transformation on light itself. His vector manipulation only applied to objects he touched, and even then, there was always an infinitesimal lag between contact and calculation. "Reflection" worked by pre-categorizing objects and directions beforehand, reducing the computational burden close to zero. This was why Accelerator could nullify even something like a nuclear explosion.

But the reverse was also true: unless it was pre-programmed for reflection, vector transformation would always come with that calculation lag. Which meant Accelerator could not normally alter light vectors directly.

Even Accelerator couldn’t turn ordinary sunlight into a lethal laser.

────But if he had pre-set a "light vector transformation" pattern, and a strong light source was close at hand?

"Wouldn’t you know it, the third-ranked’s flashing like a damn Christmas tree over there… no reason not to take advantage of it, huh?"

JAAOHHHHH!!!! A sound like oil poured onto a searing-hot wok rang out.

Kamijou only managed to shut his eyes in time thanks to his danger-sense. Even so, the piercing light seared through his eyelids, stabbing deep into his vision.

"GHHHAAAAAAAHHHHHH!?!?!"

Though supposed to be an ally, Kamijou collapsed, clutching his eyes. The power was that overwhelming. Lasers couldn’t normally be seen unless you were directly in their path, but here, the burning of moisture and dust in the air left behind visible "scars of light" marking the laser’s trajectory.

And of course, it didn’t end with a single shot.

Each blast carried enough power to melt a small boat whole, and they rained down like a gatling gun into the swarms of Dragons. Though they barely scratched the Dragons themselves, that wasn’t the point.

BOHHH!! The Dragons’ surface scales sizzled. The explosive rise in temperature didn’t destroy the Dragons outright—but the same couldn’t be said for Kihara Gensei inside them.

Even if most of his body was mechanical, his brain and vital organs were still flesh. If the laser barrage continued, those tissues would break down and collapse like an over-microwaved frozen meal.

ZOZAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!

Suddenly, a host of Dragons lined up in front of Accelerator, clearly decoys. By hiding behind them, Kihara Gensei avoided the heat transfer. For the moment, it looked like he’d dodged Accelerator’s laser assault.

"Nicely done. I’ll give you that, Number One. But this is checkmate."

GONNNN!!!! A prismatic gale smashed through the Dragons used as shields.

And then, a gigantic right arm formed of rubble crushed them further, pinning them down.

『Oh my, had to do this or else they’d just keep regenerating, wouldn’t they? Number One and Number Two, you really do leave things unfinished.』

First Rank.

Second Rank.

Third Rank.

The very apex of Academy City had pinned the black dragon firmly to the ground.

『N…no way…!? Impossible…!? What is with this spec…!? Accelerator aside, even Dark Matter and Railgun—yes, they’re weakened, but their specs are still nowhere near on par with the Dragon…!!』

"You stupid or what?"

From within the crushed decoys, the true Dragon—Kihara Gensei—groaned. Kakine Teitoku looked down at him with sheer contempt, tapping a finger against his temple.

"If you had the option to mass-divide from the start, why the hell didn’t you use it right away? If you had, we’d have been worn down in a war of attrition by now. …And you’re not an idiot who wouldn’t notice that. Which means you deliberately didn’t use it because you saw the risks, didn’t you?"

At those words, Kihara Gensei fell silent. Which meant—

"A mass-production of 'yourself' with perfect judgment, huh? That’s nothing but suicide. The Kihara clan’s greatest specialty is in-fighting. You ended up unconsciously diverting a massive amount of resources inward just to suppress that inevitable internal split."

Just a blunder. That’s all it was.

There was no great power at work here. No last-minute awakening. Kihara Gensei, backed into a corner, simply made a mistake. And that perfectly ordinary conclusion was what this reversal collapsed into.

In this history, Gensei had gathered up things that shouldn’t have existed, strengthening himself.

He took the runaway phenomenon of Multi-Skill and twisted it into the disorderly release known as Poltergeist.
He summoned Fuse=Kazakiri, using the Misaka Network and that same Poltergeist as the catalyst.
And through the production line of Fuse=Kazakiri, he took the "Dragon" into himself.

But all of that was never supposed to exist in the true timeline.

In other words, it was "distortion."

Yes, Kihara Gensei was a SYSTEM research elder who devised countless Level 6 Shift plans for Absolute Ability Evolution. But when it came to his own personal ability, another history makes it clear.

Kihara Gensei was defeated by none other than the Fifth Rank, a non-combat strategist, when he tried to recklessly force Misaka Mikoto into becoming a Level 6. That outcome already serves as the "verdict" on his actual strength.

Put simply, Kihara Gensei was only that much of a player.

A man who tried to use Level 5s, only to be put down by Level 5s. That was the "dimension" he belonged to. For someone like him to come this close to brushing against the "Plan"… it was never something that should have happened.

Then where did that "distortion" come from? If there was a warping somewhere in what seemed to be a natural flow of events, where in the timeline did it arise?

And who was the one that served as the trigger point for the "convergence"?

Accelerator was only able to take part in the battlefield because of Kihara Nayuta’s interference.

Kihara Nayuta’s interference only happened because Aleister Crowley had summoned her.

And Aleister Crowley only summoned the Kihara clan because──

Kihara Gensei had acted irregularly.

In other words, Gensei’s very divergence became the origin point of convergence.

Like ripples on the surface of water eventually fading away, the scattered futures were always destined to collapse back into a single point.

『…………Hmm? Persona Make… Strange that Academy City’s Board Chairman, Aleister-kun, would overlook such a peculiar case.』

It all began with nothing more than that trifling curiosity.

As he investigated, Gensei discovered the existence of the exception-candidate "Bonus Plan" that he had been pushing forward on his own. Then he uncovered the existence of the ones lurking behind it. And in preparing to deal with "Them," he also brushed against a fragment of Aleister’s own "Plan."

That was why Kihara Gensei decided to exploit it.

To use Academy City’s Number One for Absolute Ability Evolution.

To draw close to SYSTEM, that ladder to heaven beyond the reach of mortals.

Kihara Gensei’s long-cherished ambition.

And to twist Aleister Crowley’s so-called "Plan," to make it nothing more than a stepping stone for his revenge.

And yet──

That very starting point of his resolve was nothing more than a "distortion" already fated for defeat.

This entire chain of events, dressed up as something monumental, was in truth nothing more than a story that began from Reicia Blackguard.

──A body that spawned parallel worlds.

That phrase flickered across Gensei’s mind. These weren’t true new worlds, but rather like pinning a single point of a rubber band to another spot. Such "parallel worlds" would inevitably be flattened, their effects fading away over time. In the end, they would never influence the greater whole.

That was the explanation once given by this city’s Board Chairman regarding Reicia Blackguard’s peculiar constitution.

In short.

Kihara Gensei’s leaps. His schemes.

All of it was nothing more than a product of that one girl’s constitution.

And the only reason it had been overlooked was because the King of this city wanted to temper that constitution.

──Just as he had once allowed that Plan of his to be used as a stepping stone.

『……So this too was part of the plan?』

The surface of the "Dragons" began to bubble violently. It was as if the hatred boiling inside them was forcing their entire bodies to seethe and froth.

『Watching this sight, are you smirking from some shadowed corner, Aleister Crowleyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!』

The bubbling "Dragons" suddenly merged into a single colossal dragon.

Spreading its massive wings, the "Dragon" blew away both the giant rubble-arm and the rainbow-colored wind with a single sweep. Just as it tried to leap back into the sky—

"Your time of reckoning has come, Kikyou Genseiiiiii!!!!"

The dragon was once again nailed to the ground by two blades: one black-and-white, the other crackling with lightning.

"I’ll… help too! Everyone!!"

"Fuuzaki!!"

Seeing this, Kamijou broke into a sprint.

Accelerator sneered through his nose, while Kakine Teitoku silently spread his wings to take off, as if to say this fight was no longer theirs.

"Kamijou-san!!"

The voice calling to Kamijou’s back was none other than Reicia, who had just pinned the evil dragon to the ground. When Kamijou turned his eyes toward her, she continued firmly:

"Keep running! No matter what happens, believe in me!!!!"

No reply came. Kamijou Touma only thrust his right fist toward Reicia in silent acknowledgment.

『GUOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!』

A beast’s roar. The "Dragon’s" howl unleashed a shockwave that tore through the surroundings. Even Kamijou’s right hand could not fully negate the force. He deliberately thrust out his hand, letting the blast flip his body in a handspring-like motion to carry himself forward.

But while Kamijou could negate supernatural powers themselves, he could not erase their aftermath. The waves of power shredded the ground into rubble, making it impossible for human feet to run across.

Still, Kamijou Touma kept running.

Because a trusted junior had told him to "believe."

Just before he lost his footing, with a sharp GWOHH!! a mass of pure-white "Remnant Material" surged up from the ground, forming a foothold. Kamijou grinned wide and charged ahead without a shred of hesitation.

『Then—how about THISSSS!?』

With the dragon’s roar, an invisible force was unleashed—not at Kamijou, but to shatter the "Remnant Material" foothold.

"Oho? Trying to take out the ground at this point? Pathetic, no guts at all—"

The boy with the headband laughed.

"Fine then! I’ll show you. THIS is the real— GUTSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!"

The instant Sogiita clenched his fists tight, the scattered "Remnant Material" bound together as though compressed in his grip. From there, a white light shot forth, piercing into the dragon’s mouth.

"Ha! Turns out I could actually do it if I tried. Kamijou! The road’s all set up! Now show me your guts!"

"Yeah! Thanks, Sogiita!!"

The distance to the "Dragon" was about five meters.

Just as Kamijou closed in that far, the "Dragon" stirred.

"Imagine Breaker… that right hand of yours…"

With a violent GABAH!! a cyborg old man burst forth from the dragon’s forehead.

It was the worst possible answer.

The old man, who had cast aside every shell in pursuit of the ultimate conclusion—that the boy Kamijou Touma must be crushed—bared a raw and twisted smile straight at him.

"Without your ab-normal powers, it’s just a plain right hand, isn’t it!?"

『Yeah, that’s true. But you really are an idiot, aren’t you.』

Right beside him, a girl who had become like a thunder god leaned her cheek against a hovering chunk of rubble, exasperated.

"Ah,"

『If he’s a cyborg, then I can pin him down with my magnetism. …Sure, normally the ‘Dragon’ could scatter me in an instant, but even the tiniest opening would be fatal, wouldn’t it? After all, he’s the one you’re up against.』

Mikoto said this with a grin, looking at the boy who had just pulled back his right fist.

"Now, finish it!"

"—I don’t care if you call me a test animal or whatever else."

Perhaps he carried on his fist the thoughts that everyone had wanted to say.

"If you think this entire city bends to your will… If you think you can turn Misaka, or Fuuzaki, or my friends into your lab rats… Then first, I’ll shatter that twisted illusion of yours!!"

GOGGANN!!!

The boy’s right fist smashed into the old man—and the evil dragon crumbled to pieces.

"…Oww…"

"Ah… Kamijou-san, are you alright? That’s what happens when you punch a cyborg full-force…"

And so.

Though we had safely defeated Gensei-san, Kamijou-san had ended up hurting his fist after slugging a machine with everything he had. Luckily it didn’t look broken, but still—that was reckless. I mean, if you think about it, a cyborg is literally the worst possible matchup for Kamijou-san, and yet he still went and punched him. Well, I guess in the end, anything related to the "Dragon" couldn’t be resolved unless Gensei-san was smashed at least once, so Kamijou-san was always going to hurt his hand either way.

For now, I was cooling his hand with wind. We didn’t have ice packs or coolant around here. I’d asked Rin-ka-san earlier, so she should be able to arrange something soon.

"…What’s with you? Don’t tell me you actually like him?"

"Hah? What are you saying, Third Ranker. That thing? No way. …Just, watching him fuss over someone like that feels a bit off from the image I had, that’s all."

Beside me, Baba-san and Mikoto-san were chatting about something or other… but honestly, maybe I should’ve checked more carefully for any still-human parts before he punched. I was feeling a faint twinge of regret.

By the way, Accelerator-san and Kakine-san were already gone. The moment it was clear the fight was won, they bailed. Kihara-san, too—he’d already slipped away by the time we showed up. Amazing how fast they can cut ties. They could’ve at least said a quick “good work” before disappearing.

So right now, the ones left here were: me, Kamijou-san, Baba-san, Mikoto-san, Sogiita-san, Fuuzaki-san, Gensei-san, and Nurikae—seven in total.

Mikoto-san was back to her normal state, lightning-god mode gone (though her gym uniform was a bit ragged). Fuuzaki-san was no longer angelic either—her glasses and tied hair had returned, making her look like an ordinary schoolgirl again.

Nurikae-san, overwhelmed by the sheer force of the battle, was crouched off to the side… Baba-san, though, had grown tougher. He was chatting with Mikoto-san like it was nothing. Seems he’s conveniently forgotten the time he assaulted a Tokiwadai girl. …Well, I want to keep things friendly going forward, so maybe later I’ll bring it up and go with him to apologize to Mongou-san.

"Alright. Thanks, Shiren. I’m good now."

Just like that, Kamijou-san abruptly pulled his hand back. From a sitting position, he pushed himself up to his feet.

"Eh!? No, you’re not fine at all, Kamijou-san! Look, your fist is all swollen and battered!"

"Even so."

Even when we tried to stop him, Kamijou-san wouldn’t. He stepped over the rubble and headed toward the building. …Wait wait wait!! Hold on! The building’s filled with traps! He’ll be in serious danger alone! I mean, if I go, I’ll follow, and Mikoto-san probably will too, but still…

"…Just now, I heard a voice."

"…A voice?"

"When I came here, that voice told me what I had to do. …And now, its owner is calling out to me for help."

…That voice… could it be.

"I don’t know who it belongs to. Or what kind of person they are. But I know for sure, they fought alongside us. That’s enough for me. I don’t need another reason."

Kamijou-san clenched his painfully swollen fist. He wouldn’t be able to use it. And inside that building, the traps weren’t supernatural, which made him practically powerless.

But somehow… I felt no urge to follow him anymore.

Because, well… If another girl accompanied him here, wouldn’t that just be noise?

"…Reicia? What’s wrong?"

"It’s nothing, Mikoto-san. Now, Kamijou-san—do take care."

…Ahh, right. I get it, Reicia-chan. This is that whole heroine-race thing, huh? Letting him go at a time like this is your way of… yeah, yeah, I get it.

But really—it’s fine.

I still don’t know if what I feel is truly love, or if it’s something else entirely. But even if it is, I don’t want to win by dragging someone else down.

If I’m going to win, then I want it to be after everyone else has given their best too—after showing Kamijou-san the very best of me at full strength. Otherwise, even if I end up with him, it’ll always feel like something’s stuck in my throat, like a fishbone that won’t go away.

"So please, go on and rescue her. The princess waiting for you inside the Demon King’s castle."

"Yeah!!"

Chapter 2 — I Won’t Choose Between Two Options PHASE-NEXT.
Episode 75: All-Out War ④ Last_Battle_is...

A girl sat slumped in the corner of the building.

Her stamina had long since reached its limits.

The headaches from the Level Upper were bad enough, but she had also strained her ability to wrest control of Misaka from Gensei. On top of that, she had been driving her Exterior full-throttle, suppressing Misaka’s rampage for more than thirty minutes straight—an unbearable load for any human body.

Her temperature had risen close to forty degrees, and from both her eyes streamed bloody tears, the most visible sign of her brain overheating.

To put it bluntly—she was in urgent need of medical treatment.

And her predicament didn’t end there.

Now that information about this building had leaked, in thirty minutes at most every operative in Academy City’s dark side would move to secure the Exterior. If that happened, she would be captured, and for the rest of her life used as nothing more than a machine to endlessly spew out her power, never again seeing the light of day.

That was why, with the last of her strength, she had sent an SOS to Kamijou, entrusting him with her rescue—along with the destruction of the Exterior.

Her fevered face was too flushed for her to hide it, her breath ragged as she whispered:

“…Heh. Ahh, I worked hard, didn’t I. That idiot… stirring everything up like that… I’ll have to make sure he owes me for this, otherwise it won’t balance out.”

And then, with her usual pride, Shokuhou Misaki let her expression soften into that of a girl in love.

“Just for today… it’s fine, isn’t it? To play the heroine waiting for her savior.”

After all, the evil dragon had only been the opening act before the real performance.

In every fairy tale, a happy ending has one minimum requirement: the princess must be saved.