Chapter 27: Level 5 Batlle

Amidst the dancing flames, Misaka's eyes darted from side to side, taking in the aftermath of the explosion that had engulfed her apartment. The once serene plaza below had transformed into a chaotic battleground of fire and debris. The very air crackled with the heat of the blaze. Despite the devastation, Misaka herself remained unharmed. Her unique church outfit is seemingly untouched by the surrounding inferno. She could feel the heat licking at her skin, yet it dared not leave a mark on her. Her gaze, unwavering even in the face of the raging flames, shifted towards the distance. Through the haze of smoke and embers, she locked eyes with the figure responsible for this orchestrated chaos. In the stillness of the early morning, ITEM stood atop a nearby skyscraper, their gazes interlocked in a silent exchange. The remnants of the exploding apartment below cast eerie shadows upon their faces. A new sound emerged from within the roaring flames. An electric crack echoed through the desolation, and a vibrant blue aura of electromagnetic energy enveloped Misaka's body. "She doesn't want to learn, concludes Misaka as she is about to resort to the hard way" Leaning forward, her front leg bent at the knee, She became as sleek and streamlined as a speeding spear. Crack! The air echoed with a sharp, whip-like sound as Misaka sliced through the air, her body soaring with a fluid grace. A subtle smile played on Shizuri's lips as she observed the clone closing in through the air. Swiftly, she reached for a two-way radio, bringing it to her mouth. "Now." "?!" As the command escaped Shizuri's lips, Misaka's ears detected an approaching sound. She redirected her gaze downward, toward the source of the sound, her eyes fixated on an ascending missile. "Shit!" With no time to evade, instinctively, she brought her arms into a defensive guard. A thunderous roar shattered the air. A pulsating shockwave rippled outward, and an explosion painted the sky with hues of orange and red. The force of the explosion propelled Misaka backward, leaving a trail of sparks and smoke in her wake. Colliding with the unforgiving floor, her body rolled with the momentum until she reached the far end of her apartment. "From where did that missile come—!!" Before she could even draw a breath, several green-like beams hurried toward her. Without hesitation, she raised both hands, and an electromagnetic field emerged, forming a protective barrier against the oncoming onslaught. "Gh!!" But it overcame her, sending her staggering down, slamming into the cold concrete ground. The ground quivered, leaving a crater as the sheer force of the impact reverberated through the surroundings. Amidst the rising smoke, Misaka's figure emerged, seemingly struggling to maintain a steady gait. She took a brief pause, catching her breath as she attempted to grasp the recent turn of events. "She was waiting for me... Going head-to-head is not a good idea as she anticipated my moves, concludes Misaka as Misaka tries to come up with an explanation" Narrowing her eyes, she scanned her surroundings, finding herself on the opposite side of the building, a vast plaza stretching out around her. "Something off..." A realization dawned on her. "Misaka is now out of her sight... technically, this works in Misaka's favor, but..." Her eyes detected a lineup forming around the building—several peculiar dolls, and even inside—inside every room of the skyscraper. "!!" "..And Boom~" The dolls erupted in a spectacular burst of energy, triggering a chain reaction that echoed through the skyscraper. The ground quivered as the structure started to crumble. Another shockwave rippled through the air as the entire edifice was eventually brought to a standstill, sinking into the ground. A smug dance played on Shizuri's lips as she observed the once towering skyscraper now reduced to ruins. "Well... that was easy," Remarked the blonde-haired, blue-eyed high school girl known as Frenda beside Shizuri, casually adjusting her hair against the wind. "Not yet..." Shizuri didn't bother to glance down at the petite blonde girl. She shifted her attention to the girl on her right. "Kinuhata, inform Takitsubo to be ready now; we will move to the second part of the plan." Kinuhata, a young girl of 12 with short brown hair in a bobcut, nodded. She was aware of her role, unlike a certain someone... "Hm..." Frenda's thoughtful murmur drew Shizuri's attention back to her. "What?" "There's no way that clone would survive something like that, right? She's dead, right?" A brief moment of silence passed as Shizuri's gaze fixed on Frenda in confusion before shifting to Kinuhata. "You did give her the documents about our target, right?" Kinuhata rolled her eyes with a sigh. "I did, but I'm super sure she didn't read anything from it..." Shizuri's eyes narrowed, a hint of fury evident in her gaze, as she refocused on Frenda. "Is that right, Frenda?" "Um... No, I really..." Frenda stammered, feeling the intensity of Shizuri's gaze. "I didn't... But really, she's just a clone, right?" Shizuri's expression remained stern before sighing, reaching for her forehead. "Kinuhata, explain to this dump head before I would cut her in half..." Shizuri said as she leaped off the building roof towards the ruins of the skyscraper. "So?" Frenda questioned, exchanging a glance with Kinuhata. "She is the new Level 5 of the academy." "What—" "I mean, how didn't you notice the similarity? You were watching the whole thing live." Frenda's eyes widened in realization as the implications sank in. "She's also part of the 'Dark May' project, which means she has Accelerator's calculation methods patterns embedded into her." "Huh?" "This manages to give her a boost to her ability, which is Rampage Dress. Apart from making her a monster in terms of physical abilities by manipulating the electrical signals in her cells to draw out further strength, she has a boost in her natural regeneration. She can heal from any injury or disease almost instantly." "You mean..." "She's technically immortal." Kinuhata's words hung in the air, Frenda's mouth wide open in shock. "And also from the Level 6 project documents. She's the sole clone who fought against Accelerator alone and managed to survive... She also—" "Okay, Okay, that's enough, I get it, I get it!" Frenda interrupted, shaking both her hands, a mix of shock and anxiety evident in her voice. "Gosh, no wonder they put that huge amount of money on her head..." "If you understand, take your position. Technically, our lady would win in a 1v1 fight against that clone, but because of that Immortality card in her pocket, we can't risk letting her run away. She's a target for the whole dark side." "Okay—What the?!" As Frenda was about to respond, the entire building was suddenly shaken, or rather, the ground beneath the building quivered. Both their eyes shifted toward the skyscraper lying in ruins. It moved as if something was attempting to lift it from beneath. "Are you kidding me..." "Don't waste time, go take your position." "Y-Yes." Frenda hurried down the stairs, while Kinuhata took her phone, making a call. Part 2: In the darkness beneath the rubble, Misaka found herself buried under the weight of the fallen skyscraper. The air was thick with dust, making each breath a struggle. As her senses slowly adjusted, "I know it... something was off," she thought to herself. She could feel the cold concrete against her skin, the debris surrounding her like a prison. She tensed her muscles. A surge of electricity coursed through her body as she tightened her fist. "Hm?" However, the confined space limited her movements. She couldn't free herself by punching her way out, not before creating some space. She opened her palms, placing them flat against the cold concrete above her. A soft, pulsating glow emanated from her hands as Misaka pushed with all her might. For a brief moment, it seemed the concrete resisted, unyielding to her efforts. Then, gradually, it began to shift. squeak The sound of metal and concrete scraping against each other echoed in the confined space as Misaka persisted in her upward movement. Finally, when her hands were fully extended, she upheld the weight with one hand while clenching the other into a fist. With the first punch, a seismic shift occurred. The entire structure seemed to tremble, and dust rained down on her face. The force reverberated through the concrete, creating hairline fractures that spread like spiderwebs. With successive punches — the second, the third, and then the fourth — Misaka's keen eyes caught a faint glimmer of light between the gradually crumbling barriers. Tightening her fist for the last time, and with a final, mighty blow, the remaining obstacles crumbled. Debris fell away, revealing the liberating expanse beyond. "Fuu~" A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she gradually rose to her feet, brushing away the remnants of the struggle. Her hand absentmindedly scratched her head as she cast a glance around. (That's why there was no one in the building... Even though they're a bunch of jerks, they're not completely heartless monsters, huh...) Yet, that wasn't the only thought occupying her mind. Something was off. The whole place was dead quiet. No souls were in sight. (After all this mess... usually, you'd expect people scrambling everywhere, maybe some running for their lives. The Anti-Skill should've swooped in by now... yet, there's not a soul in sight... Do they influence to Evacuation of the area?) She rested her jaw in her hand as her gaze swept back and forth across the surroundings. (No... I'm sure they don't... That missile... There was a name written on it... It wasn't a normal rocket, but one with an advanced control system and firepower that your typical rocket shouldn't have.) In that tight time period between the missile's imminent impact and her reaction to guard against the attack, her eyes were able to catch the name on the side peak of the missile—AGM-114 Hellfire. (Could it be that the Academy City higher-ups finally decided to get rid of me, and they hired one of the Level 5s from the dark side to take care of it...) She sighed. It's not like something she didn't expect to happen. It's just she was a little disappointed at the one they chose to do it. She was hopping for Accelerator... As her train of thought reached its conclusion, her attention shifted to something in her sight. The white nun's habit didn't seem affected by the recent struggle. Despite all the chaos that unfolded, it stayed clean, not even a speck of dirt. (I wonder if it comes in different colors and shapes... I should ask Lola to send me more of those outfits. They solve my problem of getting naked each time I get involved in a fight... Hm?) The sound of approaching footsteps reached her ears, and she turned her head toward the source. The wind played with her hair as she fixed her gaze on the approaching figure. "Aha! Didn't expect I would get my revenge and payment for doing it. How lucky I am~" A smug grin danced on the approaching figure—Mugino Shizuri, ranked 4 among the 8 level 5 espers of Academy City. "What a nice place to die in, right, Misaka Mikoto—Ah, excuse my rudeness," Shizuri reached for her lips with the tips of her fingers, as if she was attempting to hide a smirk. "You're just a cheap fucking knock-off, a mere clone, aren't you? What series number should I call you by?" A brief moment of silence went by as they exchanged gazes. The smug smile didn't escape the lips of Shizuri, and the same could be said for the emotionless expression on Misaka's face. "Can you tell Misaka..." The silence was interrupted. Her hand reached for the back of her head as she tilted it with a question mark. "Who are you again, says Misaka as Misaka in loss?" "Huh?" Shizuri responded, caught off guard by Misaka's unexpected reply. At that moment, the unusual happened. A small smile managed its way to the emotionless face of Misaka as she continued to express her curiosity... "It seems you know Misaka, and from what Misaka understands, you're not on good terms with her, so..." The innocent smile on her lips widened slightly. "Apologies, but Misaka doesn't remember every garbage she walked over, so Misaka advises you to get yourself out from here before you get yourself hurt, says Misaka, sharing her honest thoughts with the poor little girl" At that moment, her entire demeanor seemed to transform—clenched fists, trembling bodies, and gritted teeth, as though she was on the brink of explosion. Even without a single word from the tall, slender woman, Misaka could tell what she was thinking from her expression. I – am – going – to – fucking – kill – you. Misaka knew better than to underestimate a level 5 esper. Misaka knew better than to underestimate a level 5 esper. She immediately went into battle mode, but... "Huh?" Her field of vision tilted to the right, slowly shifting as if she were losing balance. She felt a bit of heat and pain on the side of her head, and just then, she heard something—a gunshot. "!!" As her train of thought adjusted, she managed to support herself, instinctively shifting her weight to counter the unexpected tilt. Her hand instinctively reached the point of impact. Warm stickiness met her fingers – blood. Though the bullet hadn't managed to penetrate her skull, it inflicted enough force to hurt her. Ordinary firearms, even the heavier ones, wouldn't typically have that effect on her. The only option left was... (A sniper? And not just any ordinary one...) Her gaze darted toward the presumed source of the shot, momentarily forgetting the person directly in front of her. "Bitch... I'M STILL HERE!" It unfolded in a blur, too swift for her to grasp the moment of the attack. Five beams streaked through the air, penetrating her head, her heart, and the remainder of her stomach. Blood spewed forth, and her body gradually descended onto its back. Her mind processed the scene like a slowed-down movie, capturing Shizuri's gaze as she descended. However, just as Shizuri was about to slip out of her line of sight, a sudden halt occurred. One leg snapped back, supporting her body. Injuries almost instantaneously mended as Misaka adjusted her stance. Without uttering a word, she pivoted and sprinted away from Shizuri with all her speed. (I can't stay here in an open area; it's too dangerous. That woman has support, a sniper, and there might be more of them. If my suspicion about Academy City's involvement holds, they could possess weaponry that could pose a danger to me... I need to find cover, a place where I can't be easily targeted while thinking about how to deal with her.) Misaka's thoughts raced as she sprinted away from the open area. Glancing back at where she had left Shizuri, she was perplexed to find the woman hadn't budged an inch from her last sighting. (That's strange...) An overwhelming amount of destruction surrounded Shizuri, incomprehensible words escaping her lips, morphing into fits of quiet maniacal laughter. She lifted her gaze to the dawn sky, her hand sweeping dramatically over her face. "Even if a hole were to pierce her skull, it wouldn't be enough... HAHAHA, NO... I should be grateful it didn't end so easily... HAHAHA." She withdrew her hand, her eyes watching as the first rays of the sun made their way through the sky. "I have to enjoy hunting this prey. I will slowly torture her before finishing the job, HAHAHA, Yeah, just like that..." She finally took the first step forward behind Misaka, her hips swaying as though she were a fashion model. You're – a – fucking – dead.