Chapter 6: Plan A

"What a beautiful day outside. Birds are singing, flowers are blooming ... on days like these, Misaka needs to eat a cup of instant noodles" The morning sun glowed with warm, golden light as Misaka-10000 strolled along the peaceful road. The scent of blooming flowers filled the air, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves on the trees. Amidst the pleasant ambiance, the sound of cars passing by could be heard, but it was overpowered by a distinct growling sound—her stomach grumbling loudly. Placing a hand on her belly, "Misaka is starving! Misaka needs food." She had skipped breakfast that morning simply because there was nothing left to eat in the dorm, and she had no money to buy any either. Unfortunately, her situation worsened when she discovered that someone had broken into her dorm the previous night and stolen everything valuable. The worst part was that there was still one week left until her monthly salary would arrive, and she had no means to confirm her identity without her missing wallet. Misaka-10000 sighed, feeling a mixture of frustration and hunger. She knew she had to find a solution soon to satisfy her growling stomach. Coming to a halt in front of a building's glass window, she stared at her reflection. Despite the dark circles under her eyes, she still possessed a striking beauty, though the presence of those peculiar white strands of hair added an intriguing element. "Misaka might be able to get some money from some idiots... Hmm?" She paused mid-sentence, her attention caught by a glimpse of a little girl in the glass reflection. Turning around, she spotted a young girl dressed in what appeared to be a church outfit, with silver hair reaching her thighs and large green eyes. Misaka-10000's gaze remained fixed on the little girl's eyes. No, to be exact, they were fixed on the ice cream in the little girl's hand. By how focused her glance was, she overlooked the presence of a certain boy standing beside the little girl. Part 2: "...There's nothing but manga here..." It was August 8, and Kamijou Touma saw nothing but manga in his bookcase, much less anywhere else in the room. For appearances' sake, he decided to go out to the Academy City station to buy a study guide. ...That's what he'd wanted to do, anyway. "Man, I didn't think it would cost 3,600 yen...," Kamijou grumbled to himself with all the enthusiasm of a straggler from a defeated army. On top of that, the clerk had informed him that just the day before, there'd been some kind of summer exam study fair. Study guides had been half off. It was really unfortunate. "Oh, Touma, you really should learn how to save and spend your money wisely," Shifting his gaze to the little girl beside him who was happily enjoying her ice cream. "You have the nerve to say that after making me buy a 3600 yen ice cream for you, huh?" "Mgh." index returned her gaze to Kamijou, frustrated. "Touma, it's not wasting money when it's for food; you need food to survive. But spending on unnecessary books is a different story. You still have so much to learn, Touma." She happily returned her focus to the ice cream in her hand. "I really can't believe a nun just said spending money on educational resources is a waste of money. What kind of nun are you?" "A wise one," she said with a prideful tone. Kamijou was about to repeat "I doubt that" before plugging his ears and shutting his eyes to escape from reality, when suddenly, he realized that she wasn't looking at her ice cream or him. "?" He followed her upturned eyes, which led to a girl in a Tokiwadai Middle School uniform. The girl seemed to glance at her reflection in the glass of a nearby building before turning around to meet their gaze. "Um, do you know her?" Kamijou asked, unsure about the sudden change in atmosphere. "Just now, I sensed a magic flow from her, but it suddenly disappeared," Index replied, her expression serious. Touma's eyes widened as he became alert. "So, you mean she's a mage? But she's wearing a Tokiwadai Middle School uniform, which means she's an esper... right?" The index remained silent as she watched the girl approaching, getting closer and closer until she stood before them. Touma pondered his next move, clenching his fist tightly. "What should I do? Should I attack first, or..." "How are you doing, Touma, salutes Misaka" "Huh?" The girl's words puzzled him even more. (Do I know this girl from before my memory loss?) Kamijou's memories of people were entirely erased, leaving him clueless. "Um-" "TOUMA!" He was about to ask who she was when he was abruptly interrupted by a furious voice beside him. Shifting his gaze to the source, he could see the anger in the little girl's eyes. "Who is this girl?!" "Uhhh- I..." He didn't know how to answer because he had no idea. He shifted his glance back to the girl, trying to ask without causing a scene, but she was already ignoring him, her gaze fixed on the ice cream. Index noticed the girl's glance and quickly moved her hand, taking the ice cream away. "What do you want?" Misaka-10000's gaze followed the ice cream, her eyes lingering on it. "That's mine, don't even think about taking it," Index said as she hid her ice cream. "Ah..." Misaka-10000 lowered her head. Touma could tell she was feeling sad, even though her expression was empty. However, Misaka-10000 didn't stay in that position for long. She put her hand on her chin as if deep in thought. Then, she raised her hand and pointed behind Index. "Ah, King Arthur cosplaying in a lion dress! says Misaka" "Huh?" (What kind of idiot does she think we are to fall for this old trick... wait, why would she even use it?) "Ah! Where! Where!" Index turned around, her eyes filling with stars. (She fell for it...) Just as Touma was about to tell Index that it was just a trick, he noticed Misaka putting her finger to her lips, signaling him to remain silent. She then bowed her head towards the ice cream in Index's hand and... "Hey, where is Arthur?" The index turned back, her eyes fixed on Misaka-10000. "Hey, where is he? Did you lie to me?" Misaka-10000 avoided her gaze, her mouth tightly closed, with remnants of something around her lips. "You little fox... Whatever, it's not like I believed you. I just wanted to play along," Index muttered, raising her hand to take a lick from her ice cream. "Hmmm?" She tasted nothing. She tried again, and again, but there was nothing. Opening her eyes, she realized her ice cream was gone. The cone was empty. "Haa? M-My ice cream... Where is my ice cream..." Index narrowed her eyes, looking back and forth between Misaka and Touma. "My ice cream WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" In the end, she burst into tears. "W-wait, Index, calm down," Touma pleaded, trying to soothe her. As people passing by cast disapproving glances at him, Touma couldn't help but wonder, "Why me?" "I'll buy you a new one, just calm down," he assured her, finally giving in. "Really? You're not going to go back on your word, right?" Index's smile returned. "Yeah... just wait a second," Touma hesitated for a moment before reaching into his wallet to check how much money he had left. "1550 yen... Considering the train fare, lunch, and also dinner... Man, what should I do!" He cursed under his breath. As he glanced at his wallet, he noticed Misaka-10000's gaze fixed on it. She, too, noticed Touma looking at her and slowly shifted her gaze to meet his. Their eyes locked for a moment before Misaka-10000 raised her hand and pointed at something behind Touma. "Ah! A beautiful girl with big... uh, eyes behind you, says misaka" "..." "..." The silence hung in the air as both of them remained motionless. "Hey... I may be stupid, but I'm not as stupid as her," Touma remarked. "S-Stupid?!" "...You're right, Misaka underestimated you..." Touma sighed. "Anyway, if this is all you want, we can go our separate ways-" "Now, Misaka's partner, attack!" "Partner!!! A Mage!" Touma freaked out as he heard Misaka-10000's words, suddenly remembering that she was a possible mage and might target them. He immediately turned around, raising his right hand to defend against whatever attack might be coming their way. "...Huh?" But there was nothing there, just a few people walking around, minding their own business. Touma turned back, only to see Misaka-10000 already running away in afar. As he moved his hand, he sensed that something was missing. Shifting his gaze to his left hand, he realized what it was... his wallet. "That bitc—" "TOUMA!!" He froze in fear as he heard a voice that sent a cold shiver down his spine. With a premonition of an ultimate Bad End, Kamijou slowly turned to the girl beside him. At that moment, he completely forgot about his missing wallet and was only concerned about his own life. "I-Index..." "Touma, did you just call me...STUPID?" He started to sweat profusely, "NO, I didn't mean it that way—" "T-O-U-M-A!" "GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Part 3: It was 3:59 PM in the post clock at school district 17, as Misaka sat on her butt, holding a cup of instant noodles in her hand. "Delicious, says Misaka with satisfaction." After she had "borrowed" the boy's wallet, she immediately went to the nearest convenience store and grabbed something cheap to fill her stomach. Of course, instant noodles were the best option. She felt bad about what she did, and of course, she planned to give the wallet back, if she... "Another reason to win tonight, says Misaka." The clock struck 4:00, and suddenly, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching. It wasn't just one set of footsteps, but many. In the next instant, she found herself surrounded by the Misaka clones—about 15 of them. "Misakas from 10001 to 10016 greets Sister 10000. After finishing her cup of noodles, Misaka-10000 put it away and stood up. Taking a deep breath, she bowed, "welcome, said misaka as she bowed in gratitude for Misakas help" Rising her head, her eyes were drawn to one of the clones as she extended a bag toward her. Misaka-10000 took the bag and checked its contents, ensuring everything was there. She then inquired about the task she had assigned to them. The clone simply pointed a finger at a certain container suspended in the sky, held up by a crane at a height of about 70 meters (229 feet). "Good. Thank you, says misaka gratitude even more" Misaka-10000 bowed again, her head lowered even further. They exchanged glances with each other. "There's no need for the sister to thank Misakas like that. Misakas are glad to help. Good luck, sister," one of them said simply before bowing and turning their backs, leaving Misaka-10000 standing there, feeling a sense of warmth and support from her fellow clones. Giving a last glance at the bag, "Let's get ready now, says Misaka" Part 4: August 8, 8:59 PM. The wind blew fiercely, and the sky had turned as dark as the sea at night. The moon was in a crescent shape. The narrow moon looked like a sneering mouth and its light was much too weak. The street lights did not reach the dark hallway, where two figures faced each other, a mere few meters separating them. One figure was a skinny teenager with pale skin, moppy white hair, and red eyes. He was known as Accelerator. The other figure had brown hair that matched her eyes, with a few strands of white hair mixed in. She was known as Misaka-10000 among her fellow clones, or "biri biri" by a certain boy. "Oi... Did you finally give up?" Accelerator was the first to speak, posing it as a question. The reason behind his question was simple—the appearance of Misaka-10000 before him. After going through thousands of clones, none of them approached him without a weapon to fight. Yet here she stood, the clone number 10000, empty-handed and not even wearing her usual goggles. "No... Misaka is here to kill you, declares Misaka as 25 seconds remaining for the experiment to start." "...Pfff HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! You have lost your mind, haven't you? HAHAHAHAHA!" Accelerator burst into uncontrollable laughter. 18 seconds. Misaka-10000 watched him laugh, showing no reaction or concern. She simply waited. 10 seconds. "Oh man, thanks for making me laugh. As a reward, maybe... maybe I'll finish you quickly." 3 Accelerator fixed his intense gaze on her. 2 She returned the gaze without hesitation. 1 The dust swirled around Accelerator as his usual smile remained plastered on his face. 0... At the exact moment when the countdown reached zero, Misaka-10000's body surged with electric energy, creating an electromagnetic field that enveloped her. Without wasting a second, she turned around and sprinted with a speed that surpassed any Olympic racer. "Huh?..." Accelerator raised his hand to scratch the back of his head. "Well, that was my bad. I took her words too seriously." As he watched Misaka-10000 disappear into the distance, he couldn't help but notice that she had taken the same direction as the clone before her. Letting out a sigh, he began walking in pursuit. "But that's new. Using an electromagnetic field that interacts with the Earth's magnetic field to generate a force that propels her forward. By controlling the intensity and direction of the electrical current, she can increase her running speed." The ground cracked beneath his feet as he leaped high into the sky. "Well, maybe she has some surprises in store for me." ... The wind caressed her face as she sprinted, slicing through the air around her. It didn't take long for her to reach the stairs leading to the switchyard. With a firm push of her right foot, she propelled herself down the street towards the switchyard ground. However... Just as her foot made contact with the ground, she abruptly shifted her entire body to the left, evading something unseen. To her right, an explosion erupted in the exact spot she had been moments before. Misaka-10000 continued running, paying no mind to what had just occurred. As the dust settled, Accelerator stood there in astonishment. "Huh?! I'm certain she didn't even turn once to see me coming." Cracking the ground once again, he launched himself behind her, moving even faster than Misaka was running. But just as his hand was about to make contact with her, she suddenly shifted her entire body to the ground, as if she were falling. The moment her hand touched the ground, she evaded his attack and swiftly jumped to her right. And once again, she didn't turn around; she simply kept running. Slowing himself as he stood, Accelerator observed as Misaka came to a stop after putting some distance between them, around 100 meters (328 feet) apart. Now he noticed that there were no containers within a 100-meter diameter. She turned around, meeting his gaze with a calm expression. "Huh? What's with this glance... wait, don't tell me you want me to praise you HAHAHAHAHAHAHA," he burst out laughing as he started to walk closer, his hand in his pocket. "Well, I have to say, quite the dodging skills you have there--hmm?" He came to a stop as he smelled a weird scent... a familiar one. "Gasoline?" he whispered to himself, focusing his eyes on Misaka. In her hand, he could see a remote control, and with a subtle press of a button, he heard the sound of breaking chains. The next moment, he spotted a container falling above his head. "That's your plan?" In an astounding display of power, Accelerator swiftly reversed the vector of the falling container, causing it to shatter upon impact. A victorious smile played on Misaka's lips. The container shattered into pieces, and its contents spilled out into the air—a peculiar yellow liquid. "Is that the source of the smell? Gasoline?" Not long after, Accelerator began to notice flames igniting the liquid, and... "..." The ground shook violently, and a blinding light engulfed the area. The explosion's magnitude was beyond comprehension. The blast radius extended far and wide, reducing everything in its path to rubble. The force of the explosion sent shockwaves rippling through the city, shattering the nearby windows and tearing apart structures around. Even with cover behind a container at a distance of 100 meters (328 feet), the heat was unbearable, searing through the air like a scorching inferno. The explosion's power was equivalent to 2,900 tons of TNT. "..." Misaka-10000 remained remarkably calm as the searing heat consumed her skin and flesh. In the aftermath of the devastating explosion, smoke, and dust filled the air, obscuring the once-familiar cityscape. "..." As the dust settled, Misaka could see a figure standing in the heart of the explosion, his hand on his chain as if he were in deep thought, seemingly unaffected by what had just happened. (A yellow liquid that explodes under shock... I see, that was her plan. Let's play along now...) Shifting his glance at Misaka, Accelerator noticed her returning a wristwatch to her skirt pocket. Raising his foot, he sent a shockwave through the ground, causing a wave of dust and rocks to fly toward her. Misaka quickly jumped to her right, dodging the attack, but to her surprise, Accelerator was already behind her. "Hahaha, got ya!" he taunted, extending his hand to strike her. But she gracefully tilted her head to the left, evading his attack without even looking at it. "The f-?!" Accelerator's surprise was evident as she swiftly jumped forward, creating distance between them. "Tch," Accelerator responded, following up with another shockwave through the ground. But once again, Misaka dodged it, this time by leaping high above the ground. Her body glowed under the moonlight as she turned her head mid-air, locking her gaze with his. The way she looked at him made it seem like she was observing a mere cockroach, one she was about to crush without a second thought. Reaching a foot to the ground, Misaka turned slowly to face Accelerator. "Hey..." "?" "I think you hold yourself too highly, little clone," he said in a cold tone as he raised his foot, higher than usual. "I see you love dodging, but what about dodging something like this?" In the next moment, The ground trembled beneath her, and the shockwave rippled through the ground, filling every direction. With no escape route on the ground, Misaka's only option was to take to the air. She leaped, defying gravity for a fleeting moment, narrowly avoiding the devastating shockwaves. But as she soared through the air, her eyes widened in alarm. A steel rail hurtled towards her with immense speed. Reacting swiftly, Misaka utilized her electric field to manipulate her body's trajectory, maneuvering herself away from the rail's path just in time. "Good dodge" "...!" Her Relief was short-lived as she felt a firm grip on her right foot. She looked down just to see Accelerator firmly holding onto her. In a sudden, brutal motion, Accelerator slammed her into the ground with tremendous force. The impact was bone-jarring, and Misaka bounced off the unforgiving surface. "GHH" She didn't have time to register the pain before she saw Accelerator closing in for another attack. Gritting her teeth, Misaka pushed herself away, but... "Oh, already giving up?" Accelerator had already caught up to her, and with a kick, he sent her crashing into a nearby container. She fell to her knees, blood spilling from her mouth, her entire body trembling with pain. Her gaze shifted to her pocket. "40 seconds..." "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon! That's pathetic! Where the hell did all your confidence go?" Accelerator laughed mockingly. Slowly turning her eyes towards the boy, she supported herself with her right arm as she struggled to stand. Her breath came in ragged gasps. "Good, good, excellent!! I take it back, you are a worthy enemy after all! Ha ha!! Now what else can you do?" Accelerator walked slowly toward her while laughing out of enjoyment. Even though he Was being cornered, but he was still enjoying himself from the bottom of his heart. 30 seconds Misaka-10000 swiftly reached into her skirt pocket and retrieved something. "Hmmm, is that--" In a quick and calculated move, she hurled a stun grenade into the air. The resulting flash of blinding light and the sudden deafening noise engulfed the surroundings. "..." As the light and noise subsided, Misaka vanished from Accelerator's sight. (hmmm) Struggling to walk between the containers, Misaka-10000 headed toward her hiding spot. "Oy, where are you, little clone? Don't spoil the fun by hiding!" She reached her destination atop three stacked containers, located about 60 meters away from Accelerator. There, an M82A1 anti-tank rifle was already equipped and ready for use. Retrieving a small knife from her pocket, she placed it against the side of her neck. "..." With a deep breath, she made a small cut, enough to cause noticeable bleeding but not enough to threaten her life. Lying flat on the surface of the container, she aimed the rifle directly at Accelerator. (It should take effect now.) "Huh? What is this? I can't breathe right," Accelerator suddenly fell to his knees, and there was a trace of blood in his mouth. (Nitroglycerin has taken effect.) Nitroglycerin, the peculiar yellow liquid from the container. A highly explosive and potent chemical compound with the molecular formula C3H5N3O9. It was a yellow, oily liquid sensitive to heat, shock, and friction. The shock behind the change in the falling container's vector triggered the reaction of the Nitroglycerin inside, leading to the explosion. Coughing blood, Misaka-10000 wiped her mouth as she focused on Accelerator. The explosion had served as a mere distraction, along with the gasoline smell, to deceive Accelerator into believing that the strange yellow liquid was gasoline, while also hiding the scent of the Nitroglycerin. "That bitch poisoned me. So that's why you kept running without attacking, you were buying time for the poison to work," Accelerator exclaimed But Misaka's plan hadn't been to poison him from the start. If that were the case, she wouldn't have needed the M82A1 rifle in her hand. "But you know what, bitch? I can even manipulate at the molecular level, I can simply change the vector of the poison out of my body," he said defiantly. Misaka watched as Accelerator cut a wound in his hand, placing his finger there and closing his eyes, remaining motionless. Misaka-10000's plan was to snipe him as he attempted to manipulate the vector at a molecular level. Such an intricate action would demand a tremendous amount of concentration, leaving Accelerator vulnerable and defenseless. With her finger firmly on the trigger of the M82A1, "Misaka told you, Misaka is here to kill you." She squeezed the trigger, and the bullet shot out, hurtling toward Accelerator's head. "HEH, Got ya" he smiled. "Huh?" Misaka felt a sharp ringing in her right ear, and as she turned to her right, she noticed a hole in the container behind her. She looked back, and she saw a figure standing in front of her. "After killing ten thousand of you, you've finally come up with a good idea!" In a desperate attempt to defend herself, Misaka raised both hands to shield herself, but it was futile. She was forcefully propelled backward, crashing into the container behind her. "Ugh!!" Before she could hit the ground, Accelerator seized her by the neck, firmly pinning her against the container, her legs dangling above the solid surface. "I realy have to try and become an actor don't you think?" Misaka was not listening, she was coughing violently, blood dripping from every orifice on her face—her mouth, nose, ears, and even her eyes. "I must say, your plan was well thought out, using Nitroglycerin and--" "W-why w-would you ex-explain som-something Misaka alr-ready know-knows," she stammered, struggling to speak coherently. As the coldness spread through her body, a sensation she was all too familiar with, Misaka's vision started to blur. "Huh? Well, i was planning to praise a little before your death, but it seems you don't want- hmmm?" Misaka tilted her head to the left and Accearalor saw a wounded in her nick. Oh, right! You were so eager to see me manipulate the vector of the poison out of my body, but I shattered your hopes," he laughed, his finger inching closer to the wound. "What if I make this experience even more thrilling for you? What if I accelerate your blood circulation, making the poison spread even faster and deeper in your body? HEHEHEH, now that would be the perfect reward for your efforts!" "If there is a hell, I'll take you there with me," Misaka's final words were barely a whisper, so quiet that Accelerator didn't even register them. "He we are!" Misaka's body started to bleed profusely, blood dripping all around her, staining the ground beneath her a deep red. And in that fleeting moment, she exhaled her final breath. "Come on, Don't die just like that—!" Accelerator's words were cut short as he gasped. A warm and unfamiliar sensation touched his cheeks, followed by the distant sound of gunfire. "Huh?" He withdrew his hand from the clone's wound and brought it slowly to his face. A warm liquid flowed through his fingers, leaving him perplexed and disturbed. "What the hell is happening?!" Shifting his gaze to the side of the clone's body, he noticed a hole—a bullet had penetrated through. Turning his attention to the direction from which the bullet came, he found nothing but darkness, obscuring any trace of the shooter. "You!" He spun back to face Misaka. "What did you do?!" he demanded, but there was no response. "Answer, you...!" His words trailed off as he realized he was shouting at a corpse... she was already dead. "...the timing of her death and the bullet..." He extended his hand towards her chest and forcefully tore away her clothing, revealing a small device attached to the upper left part of her chest, right where her heart would be. "A heartbeat transmitter... the moment her heart stopped, a signal was sent... and a shot was fired while my focus was on her. Wait, was that wound all along a bait? The entire incident was just a cover for her real plan... she had everything planned..." He released his grip on her lifeless body, letting it fall to the ground. "If that shot had hit its target, I would be..." He jumped, following the path from where the bullet had come, leading him about 250 meters away. Soon, he spotted a gun—a sniper rifle, the M82A1 anti-tank rifle. Half of it was fixed inside the container, likely to prevent movement. But something caught his attention. "The whole container moved... due to the explosion?" He furrowed his brow, scanning the surrounding area. None of the other containers seemed to have shifted from their original positions. "Someone... Tch, whatever, I've had enough for today." He casually wiped the blood from his cheek and continued on his way, leaving another clone corpse behind. He casually wiped the blood from his cheek and continued on his way, leaving another clone corpse behind.