Chapter 24

The night enveloped the surroundings in a velvety black shroud, with the last vestiges of daylight fading into obscurity. The once-vibrant cityscape, bathed in the glow of neon lights and streetlamps, now lay beneath the tranquil embrace of the moonless sky. The nearby airport, typically bustling with activity, had settled into an eerie calm, its runways extending like dark, empty corridors. The airport's runway lights stretched into the distance, forming a path that seemed to lead to an uncertain destination. The hum of aircraft engines and the faint whispers of the night breeze added an eerie backdrop to the unfolding clash, contrasting the serenity of the airport against the turmoil of the confrontation. Oriana knelt on the hard, unyielding ground, the cold seeping through her body as she watched in stunned silence. Awe and fear washed over her as a wave of fierce collisions and cascading electricity filled the space around her. She wasn't able to see the cause, but she knew who was behind it. After a violent sonic boom explosion near her, a familiar figure appeared once again in front of her, its back turned toward her. Kanzaki Kaori stood there with a frowning face, gripping her weapon, a two-meter-long Nodachi called "Shichiten Shichitou." Her gaze was fixed on Misaka on the other side, The clone's long white hair dirtied with dark red blood. Her whole naked body was filled with cuts, which were healing as she exchanged glances with Kanzaki. The dark concrete around Misaka was now filled with blood, but only her blood. "..." Misaka lowered her gaze momentarily, catching a small rock from the debris of the earth shattered between her toes, before throwing it up to her hand. She immediately threw it toward Kanzaki, breaking the barrier of sound with it. In an instant—truly only an instant—Kanzaki's right hand blurred and disappeared like a bug in a video game, and the rock became dust mid-air, but it was just bait. Misaka closed the distance between them in less than a second. With Kanzaki's weapon slightly down, Misaka's hand was aimed at the woman's head. "The rock was aimed for Oriana, huh?" "...?" Kanzaki was aware that the attack was meant to hit Oriana if she dodged it, but if she didn't, Misaka would take advantage of it to attack. Kanzaki quickly flipped her sword up, using it to catch Misaka's fist as it sped toward her. The girl's hand sliced through the blade, but Misaka didn't stop. She used the force of the attack to send Kanzaki stumbling back a few steps. Without a moment's pause, Misaka tightened the grip of her other hand and launched it towards the kneeling Oriana on the ground, aiming to finish her. The pale Oriana's desperate look met Misaka's eyes just as the electrified fist closed in. "Oh, you will not!" Kanzaki managed to return in the nick of time to intercept Misaka's attack on Oriana. With a swift strike, she sliced through Misaka's extended hand before it could reach its target. Next, Kanzaki's blade was aimed at the clone's whole body, but Misaka agilely dodged. Kanzaki continued with a series of rapid slashes from her two-meter-long nodachi, and Misaka deftly avoided each one, sliding back on the concrete ground. A few sword cuts, however, managed to cut through her skin, leaving her with shallow wounds. "Incredible," Oriana mumbled with wide eyes. Kanzaki was now guarding her once again, standing between her and the clone on the other side. She had underestimated the strength of a saint. She was aware of how powerful they could be, but she hadn't realized the extent of it. The woman in front of her was facing the abnormal clone with ease, not even receiving a scratch from all those clashes. "You can win—?!" Oriana announced her thoughts, but her words were cut short as she saw a drop of blood falling from Kanzaki's nose. The tall woman's nose was bleeding. "..." Kanzaki slowly reached for her nose to wipe the blood away, muttering in frustration, "Tch." (That bad...) Kanzaki thought as she maintained her focus on the clone, her keen eyes watching for any potential movements. Kanzaki was fully aware of the skill gap between her and the clone. She had the upper hand in that category, but the clone seemed to adapt rapidly to her sword style. Kanzaki had been trying to impose her style on the clone so she could control the rhythm of the fight. And it appeared to be working, as the clone had primarily been guarding against her slashes while occasionally countering with punches when she withdrew her sword to change her attack style. (That bad...) The clone possessed the strength, but Kanzaki had the skills and speed. However, this advantage might not hold if the battle persisted. The clone had not only adapted to her fighting style but had also begun creating strategies during the fight. When Kanzaki aimed to strike at the clone, in a fraction of a second, she noticed a blind spot in the clone's defense and went for it. It turned out to be a calculated bait to lure her into making a move. At that moment, if Kanzaki's reaction wasn't swift enough, her head might have been gone. Although the clone's fist managed to scratch her nose slightly. On the other side, Misaka's thoughts weren't as complex as Kanzaki's, or she thought so. (So that's how strong a mage could truly be... I thought this blond woman was one, or maybe she was just an apprentice magician because she was really weak...) Misaka thought. (If all magicians were as strong as this tall woman, or maybe even stronger, the gap in power between the magic side and Academy City would be huge. There are only 8 Level 5 espers, including me, in the city, but there are so many mages with that level of power on the magic side. If that were the case... No, I shouldn't worry too much about it.) She clenched her fist. (The gap isn't that big, even if that were the case. As long as Accelerator sides with the Academy City, there's nothing to fear... and we also have him, the foolish hero.) Misaka shifted her focus from her contemplative thoughts to the battle at hand. She noticed Kanzaki taking a distinctive pose, raising her sword with both hands. "hmm?" But something was different about the tall woman in front of her. The aura surrounding her shifted, and her gaze sharpened. Misaka's body immediately went on high alert. (She's serious now. I knew it; she was holding back... I can't afford to be careless anymore, or I might lose my head...) A sense of unease washed over Misaka in an instant. She was well aware of the danger Kanzaki posed, especially given the sudden intensity of her muscles. However, there was something more to it. It felt as if there was something the woman possessed that Misaka needed, and this feeling was beginning to play tricks on her mind. "I'll warn you again," Kanzaki declared, breaking through the chaotic thoughts in Misaka's mind and refocusing her on the real world. "You have a choice: withdraw now, or I'll have to end your life." No hesitation was present in Kanzaki's voice. Misaka paused for a moment before shaking her head, her hands now on guard as a blue-electric aura crackled around her body, "Misaka will begin the process of extermination, declares Misaka as she tried to sound cool, although she couldn't help feeling a bit unoriginal" Without any more words to exchange, both combatants locked their gaze on each other, each waiting for the other to make a move. Suddenly, a rock-kicking sound shattered the intense silence between the two. Misaka was the first to make a move, shifting her foot slightly forward. It was all the sign Kanzaki needed to spring into action. With a roar, something flew towards Misaka with frightening speed. Misaka's eyes widened as Kanzaki's sword was already spinning toward her neck; Kanzaki had closed the distance in an instant, and Misaka didn't even comprehend what just happened. "Tsh!" Misaka's instincts kicked in as she swiftly raised her arm. It wasn't meant to stop Kanzaki's attack by any means, but it was to slow the woman's sword just a fraction second for Misaka to withdraw her head down. Her body arched as she narrowly avoided a fatal strike and she could hear the air whistling behind her being cut off, and in that moment, she raised her eyes to meet Kanzaki's. Her body shivered. The bloodlust in that woman's eyes was terrifying. She was serious when she said she would end her life. (She has the nerve to give me those eyes while protecting the woman who hurt my friend... That BITCH!) Misaka bit her lips as Kanzaki lunged forward again, Her sword in the perfect position to cut her in half. The silver blade sliced through the air, leaving a trail of glinting steel in its wake. It seemed like there was no escaping this deadly strike. "Not yet!!" But Misaka was not one to back down easily. She spun her body in mid-air, skillfully shifting her trajectory just enough to narrowly avoid being bisected, allowing her to absorb the force of the attack while harnessing its momentum to her advantage. It wasn't a flawless escape, and a deep cut sliced across her stomach, but her body's regenerative took care of it as the wound closed almost instantaneously. With incredible speed, Misaka continued her spin, her leg a blur as it arced through the air. She aimed a powerful kick at the side of Kanzaki's sword. The force of the impact was immense, but Kanzaki's grip on the blade was unrelenting. Even though the sword was pushed to the side, Kanzaki held it firm. Misaka's momentum carried her through the spin, and she landed gracefully on the ground, her left leg meeting the concrete with a resounding thud. She wasted no time, immediately launching her next attack. Her right leg shot out, aiming for Kanzaki's stomach. "...!!" Kanzaki managed to guard her stomach with both hands in the nick of time, but the force of Misaka's kick still sent shockwaves of pain through her body. She was sent a few steps away. "Even with Stigma...She a monster!" //////////////////////// Stigma: The special bodily characteristics that allow a Saint to draw out a portion of the Son of God's power //////////////////////// Before Kanzaki could fully recover from the impact, she saw Misaka launching herself toward her with astounding speed. A distance of ten meters lay between the two of them, and Kanzaki's katana wasn't in a favorable position to attack. It appeared impossible for her to swing it around in time. ...But that was just how it looked. In the next instant, the air above Mikasa's head was sliced apart like she was wielding a giant laser. "...!" Misaka froze in place in shock. "Nanasen..." With Kanzaki mumbling this word, One...two...three, four, five, six, seven. A total of seven straight sword cuts continued for a few dozen meters across the destroyed ground. The sword cuts came in at many seemingly random angles and looked something like fingernail scratches on a steel door. Misaka heard the click of Kanzaki's katana returning to its scabbard. In the heartbeat that followed. Deep gashes materialized randomly across Misaka's body, and blood erupted like a macabre fountain, saturating her surroundings in a visceral, deep crimson hue. Seven strikes. Misaka hadn't been able to perceive even one of them, but Kanzaki had executed seven iai strikes in a single instant. And none were aimed at her neck. "The speed of the Nanasen attack that my Shichiten Shichitou puts together is enough to kill you seven times over in the period known as an instant. People refer to this as an instant. Kill. Calling this a certain kill would not be far from the truth." Kanzaki's voice was so cold she seemed to be saying that that level of attack was nothing worth it. Being surprised over. "I will ask you again," a voice resounded ten meters in front of her, "Please stop this. Ignoring my warnings will only lead to death." "..." Misaka didn't release any words, but Kanzaki could see the girl's body trembling. Perhaps it was the fear of the fact that even with her regeneration, she still could be killed by Kanzaki's katana. Kanzaki gave a sigh that held more pity than surprise. She turned her back away from the clone. "I think you realize your situation. I don't have any reason to take your life if you just give up. Now..." She moved her attention toward Oriana on the ground. She was about to ask her about her partner so she could end all this chaos. But the idea left her mind as she saw the long blond-haired woman in shock, pointing behind her back. "A-A Halo! The abnormal clone has a halo on her head." "Halo?" Kanzaki turned around in confusion. The clone hadn't made any move yet, still trembling, and there was no halo on her head. "There's nothing on her head. What are you talking about?" "I-I swear there was one just now. It suddenly disappeared." Kanzaki's right hand silently grabbed the hilt of Shichiten Shichitou at her waist. "So that's how it works... Misaka understands now." Kanzaki couldn't hear the clone's words clearly, and she couldn't see the clone's face due to the darkness. But neither of those things mattered. "W-What the!" Kaznaki wasn't sure what she was saying, but the clone's body had finally stopped trembling, and she was making a move. It was the last move Kanzaki had expected from the clone. Misaka slowly raised both her hands, as if she were holding something—a sword. She assumed the posture of a casual swordsman. In that instant, just for a moment, Kanzaki saw a sword in the girl's hand. No... It wasn't as simple as that. It felt like Kanzaki was looking at her reflection in a mirror, Her self-reflection with Shichiten Shichitou pointing at her before it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. "Nanasen..." The word escaped the clone's lips, and Kanzaki's eyes widened. One... two... three... four... five... six... seven. Seven straight sword cuts. Kanzaki's body had been cut. "Huh!" Gasping for air, Kanzaki staggered backward in shock. She instinctively checked the area where the strikes should have landed and found her body completely unharmed. She brought her gaze back to the clone, who had already withdrawn her hands. "S-She just..." "I will ask you again," a voice resounded ten meters in front of Kanzaki, "Please stop this. Ignoring my warnings will only lead to death, warms Misaka as she is more serious now" "Y-You!" Kanzaki's voice trailed off, "W-What are you" Misaka just shrugged her shoulders dismissively, preparing to respond with an insult. But her plan was abruptly cut short by a piercing scream that grew louder and closer by the second. "FUCK YOU TWO, I'LL TAKE MY REVENGE!!" "Touma?" "Kamijo-san?" Touma came flying through the dark night, his eyes filled with tears as the hard concrete ground got closer and closer to his face. Both Kanzaki and Misaka moved instinctively to catch Touma from collapsing onto the ground. They didn't anticipate each other reaction. In the heat of the moment, their rescue attempts hindered each other, causing a chaotic and uncoordinated rescue effort. As a result, none of them managed to get a good grip on the falling boy. The three of them ended up tumbling to the ground in a heap. Touma slowly rose from his unexpected position, his eyes half-closed, groggy from the fall, "Akh...I survived another day...those two will pay for this—Huh?" He stopped as He felt something soft in both of his hands. Opening his eyes completely, they immediately widened as he realized the situation. His hands were resting on the chests of both women. "Oh, God not again!" A dark aura of anger emanated from Kanzaki, and her glare could have burned a hole through Touma's head. Misaka, on the other hand, lay there in defeat, her hands spread out on the ground, her eyes filled with disappointment. "I can't tell if he's the luckiest or the unluckiest man alive. How does he always end up in these scenarios?" Misaka thought with a sigh. Touma swiftly withdrew his hands into the air, retreating. "I swear to God, it's not my fault. It's both Tsuchimikado's and Stiyl's fault!" "I don't care." Kanzaki rose to her knees, a firm grip on the hilt of Shichiten Shichitou at her waist. Tears welled up in her eyes, a pink trace on her cheek. "Those hands will be the price for your sins." "W-Wait, wait, wait," Touma pleaded, moving his hands defensively. "Just this time, believe me, Kanzaki-san. It's not my fault!" "Oh, come on, Kanzaki nee-chi, don't be like that, nya~" Tsuchimikado's voice interjected, and Kanzaki's already furious expression became even darker. She turned toward the source of the voice. Walking towards her were both Tsuchimikado and Stiyl. "What is the meaning of this, Tsuchimikado?" "Oh, you know, nothing much, nya~ I saw both of you and Misaka-Chwan about to kill each other, so I came up with a little plan to stop both of you." "A plan?" "Umu," he nodded with a cat-like expression on his face. "Throw Kami-yan at the problem to solve it. Working every time, right, Stiyl?" Both Kanzaki and Tsuchimikado turned their gazes toward Stiyl, who uncomfortably avoided their looks. "Anyway," Tsuchimikado continued, shifting his focus away from Stiyl and onto Misaka on the ground, "Aisa is fine. She's been saved, and you can visit her once morning comes." Misaka didn't respond or even glance at him, though Tsuchimikado could sense her sigh of relief. "You can't kill this woman because you'll bring a war to Academy City. You're being watched by the Magic side, and if you get involved in killing a mage from their side, they will start a war. Even though they don't value the life of this woman, they just want a reason to start a war against Academy City. To be specific, the Roman Catholic Church wants to. The situation is more complex than that, but once we finish the task at hand right now, I'll explain everything to you. Well, in the morning, I'll be at our base, and we can talk." "A task?" Misaka sat up, and Touma offered his jacket to cover her naked body, which she accepted. "The partner of the woman you were trying to kill is out there, about to bring the entire Academy City under the control of the Roman Catholic Church using something called Croce di Pietro." "So, are you saying that she's the mastermind behind all of this, and this blonde woman is merely following orders? Asks Misaka trying to understand the whole story" "You could say that, nya~" "What's her name? asks Misaka..." "Lidivia—Why do you want to know her name?" "No reason..."