-----9th October, 4:30p.m.-----
"The fuck are you saying? There's two Shokuhou Misakis? Well, seeing it right now. I can believe it. But there can't be two Level 5's with the same level right? Unless they started to clone Mental Out as well. But even if they did, what can a thousand sacks of shit do?"
"(I-I don't know whether that's a compliment or not. But I guess that's fine...)" That was the only thing the original Shokuhou Misaki could think of right now.
"You said something about a hero as well, didn't you? 'Shokuhou Misaki' where is this hero of yours?"
"Right here☆"
The person that stepped out of the shadows had spiky hair as he donned what seemed to be a uniform from a random school. He looked like your average high school boy. There was nothing that sets him apart from other people.
Simply to say, he was the type of boy you can find anywhere.
"(K-Kamijou Touma?)"
That's right. The person who stepped out of the shadows was none other than the boy who held a mysterious right hand. The one who had saved countless of lives.
The Level 0 who saved a Level 5.
"As the original Shokuhou Misaki, this is my hero. And I wager that he will beat your ass, Mugino."
She did not even regard the Meltdowner as her opponent. Only as Mugino.
"I'll fucking kill you...!!"
The orbs of green light fired faster than the eye can blink. However, he stepped in front of her.
With his left arm raised, a deafening sound ripped through the air.
"(He blocked it?!)"
"Oh my☆ is this the best Academy City has to offer? An attack like that would never be able to hurt me☆"
"I'm gonna rip your throat out...!"
"Come on, don't talk like that when you haven't won yet."
"If you may, dispose of this trash for me, Mr hero☆"
At that instant, the ground beneath him shattered as he broke into a run towards her.
What Mugino saw frightened her through her core. Although he was just an ordinary boy, his eyes told the story of a demon. A devil in uniform.
"Don't get so cocky!!" Five streaks of light enveloped all around him, but the boy did not hesitate as well. With a swift motion he swung his left arm in a wide circle and the green light that surrounded him disappeared.
Meanwhile, Misaki was trying her luck with her controller to try and read his mind, but it would not work.
"(He's...fast!!)"
'Kamijou' clenched his right fist as he aimed it towards her gut. Just like a gun, it blitz through the air and instantly reached her mid section. A punch so strong it sent her flying back with the only cushion being Shokuhou Misaki.
"G-Get off me!" Misaki shouted as Mugino rested on her.
"That punch...what the fuck is this power?" Mugino whispered as she stared at the boy in front of her.
"A power only you can find in your dreams. Mugino-chan☆" 'Misaki' provoked her again.
"Damn you...!!"
"Misaki-chan☆"
This time, she called out to the other Misaki, "you of all people should know him right? After all, the both of you do have a long history with each other. A history which I will take from you now."
She pointed her finger in front, "Mugino-chan, you've played your part splendidly well. Unfortunately, I have no more use for you. Your role as a Level 5 was indeed short, but it got the job done. Dispose of her, will you?"
'Kamijou' slowly marched ahead, a deadly aura surrounding him. It felt like nothing could get close to him.
"Got any other ideas, Mental Out?"
"I-I don't know..."
"Ha?! This is clearly a fight for you right? Why the fuck do you not know what to do?!"
"I-I'm lost..."
'Misaki' walked beside 'Kamijou' as well.
"That's right☆ How cruel can you be, Mugino-chan? This is the person she loved going up against her. Could you really blame her☆"
"Grrr...shut your fucking traaaaaaap!!!"
Another light ripped through the canvas. But the boy simply stepped in front of it with his left hand out.
"Give it up. You cannot win. Not with Misaki-chan in that state☆"
Mugino frantically looked around for an opening. Right now, in the state they were in, they were helpless.
The footsteps got closer and closer. Slowly, they were approaching. The footsteps only got heavier and heavier. The face on 'Misaki' was dreadful. She was smiling all the way while walking towards them.
"This is goodbye, Meltdowner"
"Did you really think I'd give up that easily?"
"?!"
From below them, there was but an opening. A very effective opening.
The green orbs that the Meltdowner was famous for, surrounded them.
"This is checkmate. You should have killed us when you had the chance." Mugino said as the beams fired in all directions.
"S-Save me...my heroooooooooo!!!!!!"
"UUUUUOOOOOOOOOGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" For the first time since he's shown himself, 'Kamijou' let out an animalistic roar. The ground around them started to shake.
She recognized that roar.
"No way..."
The person they were facing against, was none other than the strongest esper in Academy City.
They were up against the Accelerator.
-------------------------------------
He opened his eyes.
For the first time, he felt relieved.
"Accelerator, get up. Do you know what time it is already?"
That voice. It was a very familiar voice.
One he had not heard in a few months already.
"Today is Last Order's first day at school, isn't it? Could you do Yomikawa and I a favor and walk her to school? You do know where it is right?"
He looked up from the view at the Family Side apartment. There she was, smiling down at him.
"Tch can't she walk there by herself. She has the Sisters to guide her right?" Accelerator replied as he scratched the back of his head.
"Come on, you should know how special a day like this is to her. You do know how long she has been waiting for this right?" Yoshikawa said as she placed her hand on her slender hips.
"Sigh Fine fine!!"
"Hey, before you go, have some home brewed coffee."
At the dining table, he saw Yomikawa as she placed a single cup of coffee on the table.
"..."
Accelerator went over to the table as he picked up the glass of coffee and sipped it through his lips.
"...The ones from the convenience store tastes better than this."
Suddenly, a loud thump could be heard from the table.
Yomikawa, with her fist clenched on the table and a vein almost popping out, "Just shut up and go already."
"Where's the brat?" Just as he said this, Last Order poked her head out as she started running towards him.
"First day of school!! Yayyyy!!"
She ran around him in circles with her arms raised high.
"Misaka cannot wait to attend her first class, meet new friends and enjoy school life just like a shoujo manga protagonist!! Says Misaka as Misaka cannot contain her excitement."
"Tch, let's just go already. I don't have time to waste--"
Accelerator felt off. Why was he in a rush? Right now, there was nothing going on.
Just then, the door to their shower opened up and a gorgeous blonde haired woman stepped out with a towel covering her upper body while the steam coming out of the bathroom covered her lower half.
"Oh? You're heading out already?" That woman was Oriana Thomson.
Or as they would like to call, another leecher.
"Put on some clothes!! Says Misaka as Misaka tries to cover his eyes but can't reach!!!!!"
"..."
"Huh? Are you perhaps...embarrassed?" Oriana leaned close to him as the smell of the shampoo and conditioner got stronger.
"Ah!! Why are you getting so close?! Asks Misaka as Misaka tries to push this daring lady away!!"
"Tch, we're gonna be late already, let's just go."
"Ah, so you were embarrassed!"
"sigh I'm not even gonna bother."
"How mean!!!"
---------------------------
The beams of Meltdowner that were flying towards 'Shokuhou', he counteracted the ones firing towards him to intercept them. At that moment, it was clear who that person is now.
"What the hell are you playing cosplay for?!"
"Oh my☆, unfortunately...he cannot hear you. You see, right now...he is under my command☆"
At that point, everyone knew it was checkmate for them already. There was no escaping their fate.
That final desperate attempt was really, their last attempt at a counterattack.
However, they failed.
There was nothing left in their trump card.
The hand that killed so many others was slowly coming into contact with Mugino.
Her heart was quivering with fear.
"How can I, a Level 5, be this overwhelmed by another Level 5?" That was what Mugino was thinking.
This, was absolute power.
This, was the wall that the rank 2 tried to climb but failed.
Suddenly, another voice entered her head.
"(I have a plan to turn this around.)"
Mugino looked behind her and saw that Misaki was burning with passion. Whatever happened to her, it created a new drive for her to continue the fight.
Even against a monster.
----------------------------
"Help! Help! He's getting away with my purse!!"
A random passerby shouted on the streets as a guy dressed in black ran from her.
"You're going to help her, right? Asks Misaka as Misaka looks at you expectantly." Last Order smiled as she looked at him.
"Tch, something like this is not worth my time."
Accelerator merely picked up a rock nearby and threw it with as little strength as possible.
However, that rock flew in mach speed.
To the eye, it looked like an invisible object.
The rock hit the back of the thief as he fell over while Accelerator continued to walk alongside Last Order.
"Wow that was really cool!! Says Misaka as Misaka praises you!"
"I don't need your petty praises. In the first place, I already knew it didn't take that much effort.
"Oh! Is that Master?!"
"Oh dear." Accelerator remembers this voice clearly. It was the voice of the girl who had been troubling him for the past few months.
She was a very troublesome girl, but she had the heart. That was the only reason why he could tolerate her.
"What are you doing out here?"
Her name was Ester Rosenthal.
------------------
Before that dark hand could reach Mugino, a loud crash disrupted him. In between them was a girl with purple ringlets. She was the right-hand of Shokuhou Misaki. She was Hokaze Junko.
"Stop this instant."
A cloud of dust surrounded her. So much so that the two got covered by the dust as well.
"Is that really you, Accelerator-san?" Hokaze questioned the boy in front of her.
"Tch, it's meaningless to--" Before 'Misaki' could cut in, she was interrupted instead.
"Could you shut up for a second?" Hokaze glared at her while still facing Accelerator.
'Kamijou' swung his right arm at her, but she simply blocked the attack. Although it was painful, she could tell he was trying to hold back.
"I'll bring you back for sure!! Just hold on." She slammed her feet downwards to try and send him flying, but his feet stood firmly on the ground. 'Misaki' tried to hold on as well, but ultimately failed to.
She was princess carried into the arms of 'Kamijou' as he jumped back. However, she still gave chase.
This time, the hunted became the hunter.
-----------------
"Ah, I see. You're taking her to school now? And it's her first day?! I'm happy for you, Last Order!!"
"Mi-Misaka is already a grown up now!! Soon, she'll be able to beat you in size as well! Says Misaka as Misaka stares at you with jealousy."
Ester did not know what she meant by that but she paid it no attention.
"Anyway, we gotta get going now. I just wanna go home."
Just as he was talking, he heard a noise coming from behind them. It was the sound of a car approaching them.
Soon, the car drove into them and exploded.
"Shit..."
Accelerator walked out of the explosion with no scratches whatsoever. Only to be met with a gruesome sight.
"Ester laid down on the pavement with blood flowing through her mouth. Last Order, in the corner of his eye, being held down by a bunch of soldiers in black kevlar and helmets.
"Accelerator-chan, it seems like you failed to protect them again."
"Kihara...!!!"
"Accelerator!!"
He heard Yomikawa's voice this time from behind him. He turned around and he saw her lifeless body and Dark Matter grinning at him.
"You couldn't protect her."
"Accelerator..."
He heard a weak groan beside him. This time, it was Yoshikawa laid out on the floor. And pointing a gun at her, was Amai Ao.
"Heh, what can a monster protect?"
Accelerator was too shocked to say anything that he fell on his rear. But the moment he fell, a bunch of hands started to touch his body. In front of him, were the sisters.
"Help...us..."
"A...AAhh...." He covered his face. Whether it was due to trauma or embarrassment. He didn't know what face he was making.
"Ahh...AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
In a blink of an eye, he was upright again. This time, he was facing a mirror.
"Why spend so much energy trying to protect others when it's easier to kill instead? Why don't you just kill everything? Obliterate everything in your way and this might not have happened to them."
"..."
"You have no one to blame but yourself. You could never be a normal person, being a monster is just giving you a reason to kill. So why not embrace it. Give them what they want."
-------------------------
The dust stockpiled everywhere. No one except the two of them could see what was going on.
"Kamijou-chan☆ Stop playing with your food and kill her now!!"
"AHHHHH!!!!"
'Kamijou' dropped 'Misaki' as he pulled his fist back. His fist flew across, but it could not connect with her.
Even when launching an assault of attacks, she could still dodge everything easily. Only thing was getting an attack in. If he is who they think he is, getting an attack in is most likely her biggest concern now.
Until then, she could only create a smokescreen for diversion. By kicking up the dirt on the ground or smashing her foot in, it makes it so that he would have a hard time reaching her. Or even have a hard time fighting her.
"(Right now, I can only increase his reflexes and put his mind at ease, but if he does not defeat her now, it only makes things more troublesome. Speaking of which, where is...?!)"
Suddenly, her neck was grabbed and a green orb appeared right beside her head.
"The moment I blow your head off, it's game over. But that wouldn't be fun now, would it? Release your control over him, and we can talk this through, otherwise prepare to be a headless corpse that no one will ever identify."
"Alright alright, you got me. I'll release him, in exchange..." A devilish smile appeared on her face as she glanced back to Mugino. "You'll have to let me go first. You see, I am a bit insecure when it comes to trust."
"..."
Mugino looked at the Misaki who was just standing beside her as she waited for an answer, but that got her more flustered instead.
"D-Don't look at me for an answer!"
"Tch, fine. But if you pull anything funny, I'll eviscerate you right where you stand."
"My, what a scary person you are☆"
Mugino cautiously and slowly released her.
"(The moment she releases him, I'll...)"
"...destroy her. Is what you're thinking right?"
Mugino's thoughts were read almost instantly but she was too late to do anything already.
'Kamijou' slammed the ground with his legs as he created a straight crack on the road. Mugino jumped away as she clicked her tongue, however it didn't stop her from firing one more beam straight at her.
Even when firing at such a close range and at such a high velocity, she still could not make it in time.
'Kamijou' stretched his left hand out and her beam simply got negated.
"Persistent bastard...!!"
Immediately, 'Kamijou' created a smokescreen by slamming the ground with enough force to scatter the dust and debris from the concrete floor.
The next thing she saw afterwards was a devil approaching her from beyond the curtain.
---------------------
"Come on, wake up already. Do you know what time it is now? It's Last Order's big day!"
Accelerator opened his eyes once more.
"Big day...?"
"Have you forgotten? It's Last Order's first day in school! She's enrolling into Tokiwadai Middle School today. So get up and get ready already, otherwise you're going to miss it."
"Tch, I get it I get it."
Accelerator got up from the sofa once more, and he was greeted by the sight of Yoshikawa.
"I already got a cup of coffee and breakfast ready for you."
Sitting around the dining table was Yomikawa and Oriana Thomson.
"And you! Young lady, get out of your room. You wanted him to see you in your new uniform right?" Yoshikawa said as she looked over at one of the guest rooms.
"Y-Yea, but Misaka is a bit nervous, says Misaka as Misaka nervously pokes her head out to look at you."
"Come on! Like I said, you look great!" The person who took Last Order's hand and guided her out was Ester.
The moment she showed herself, her face was flustered as she adjusted her skirt.
"W-What do you think? Asks Misaka as Misaka turns around to show you her new uniform."
"..." Accelerator could not find the words to describe his feelings.
"What do you think?" Ester walked up to him as she flashed him a bright smile.
"It looks great."
"Oh? Is that a rare smile I see?" Yoshikawa teased him as she poked his cheeks.
"Tch, stop bothering me. You got everything ready for school?"
"Of course! Yomikawa helped me to prepare everything in advance says Misaka as Misaka praises her."
"You're spoiling her again, aren't you?"
"Haha, don't look at me like that, she just needed a bit of help for her first day right? Besides, look at the time now. Because you slept for so long, she might be late if you guys don't move now."
"...sigh Fine, let's go."
----------------------
The moment the smoke settled down, the two Misaki's were fighting over the handbag that she usually carries.
Mugino and 'Kamijou' were having a one sided battle as Mugino dodged his stray attacks.
"Give me that!!"
"No!! It's mine!!"
The two of them had a very simple fight. The only way they know how to fight.
Hair pulling and scratches.
Simply known as 'catfight'.
"Stop right there!!"
The person to interject was Hokaze Junko.
She effortlessly snagged the bag from their hands as they looked at her with puppy eyes.
"Junko-chan, that bag belongs to me☆"
"No, don't listen to her Junko-chan, that bag is mine!! I'm the real one!!"
Hokaze Junko got so flustered by the sight of two queens that her mind simply went blank.
"Th-This is not right...!! Two queens is too much for me...!!!"
"Then believe in your heart. Who do you think is the real one☆" The Misaki on the left says.
"Uhhh...uhhh...!! I'm not sure!!"
"Then how about this. We do a quiz to see who knows Junko-chan more☆" The Misaki on the right suggests.
"Al-Alright! First question!"
It was like a court handling where they listen to the defendant and the accuser.
"W-What underwear am I wearing now?!"
"Gekota." The both of them answered with no hesitation.
"(Th-That was too straightforward!!!)"
That answer only confused her further.
"What is my favorite food?"
"Desserts."
"(T-Too easy!! How do they know?! Are they reading my mind?!)"
They were in fact not reading her mind at all.
"Seems like you don't know what to ask as well. How about this? Why don't you smell us instead? Since you've been with me for a long time, surely you must be able to recognise my scent right?" The Misaki on the left suggests.
"O-Oh that is tru--Wait!! That's too weird!! And how do you know that I've been smelling you?!"
"Alright, come here then Junko-chan." The Misaki on the right invites her in with open arms and the moment she gets into range of her, she immediately grabs her tight. To be precise, she squeezed her right into her soft chest.
"Does it smell good, Junko-chan? I put a lot of consideration into this."
Her face immediately went beet red.
"Th-That's enough! I think I've smelled enough. Yes, that does smell like the Queen."
"My turn then. Come over here, Junko-chan☆" It was the Misaki on the left's turn now. In the same way, she opened her arms wide enough to receive her, and when she got into range, she squeezed her tight yet again until she was buried in her chest.
"The feeling was so intense that instead of her face becoming red with embarrassment, she almost fainted."
This time, she quickly pushed her away.
"The scent...is also the same. We-We're not getting anywhere with this!!!"
"Junko-chan, please think over this carefully. You have to feel it." The Misaki on the right comments.
"That's right, if you're truly my most loyal supporter, then you should be able to tell who I am right?" The Misaki on the left adds on.
"(Think...feel...)"
And then she finally caught it.
It was time for the verdict.
--------------------
"Tch! Can you just walk normally? You're going to fall at this rate."
"Don't worry! says Misaka as Misaka reassures you."
While walking, someone had bumped into him.
"Oi!! You lookin for a fight or--"
"Or what?" Accelerator questions the person who bumped into him.
"White hair...red eyes...No way...you're..."
"..."
"I-I'm sorry, please forgive me." The stranger who had bumped into him continued running away from him.
"Geez what's his problem asks Misaka as Misaka pouts."
"It's whatever, third-rates like him will always be jealous of those at the top."
"But it's because of that, that they will keep coming for you right?"
"..."
What Accelerator saw then left him speechless.
Last Order with her eyes gouged out as blood seeps down from her face.
"Even then, you'll always protect me right? After all..."
Slowly, they all gathered around him.
"...you are the strongest."
They all slowly approached him with nothing in their souls. A lifeless husk.
This time, GROUP stood in front of him.
"You left me to die." Tsuchimikado was the first.
"You betrayed me." Unabara added.
"I thought we were a team." Musujime finished.
Then the person to appear before him, was the magician, Stiyl Magnus.
"Innocentius!!"
That raging beast appeared before him again.
"Nanasen."
Several strings surrounded him as Kanzaki stood before him.
"Give me back, my Onee-sama!!!" Kuroko teleported in front of him.
"..."
Then all of a sudden, the scenery changed.
Academy City was in ruins, and laid out in front of him were the bodies of his close ones.
Yomikawa, Yoshikawa, Ester, and finally Last Order.
He closed his eyes once more.
--------------------------
"The real Queen, is the one on the left." Hokaze concluded.
"Ha! See? I am the real one." The Misaki on the left proudly declares.
The Misaki on the right then asks, "May I know how you found out?"
"While the scent and looks are very alike, you missed out on one point. The Queen..."
"..."
Both Misaki's waited in anticipation for the revelation.
"...The Queen is not that skinny."
Somehow, even while being a few meters away from 'Kamijou' and Mugino's battle, they could still hear a faint crack in the air. It was like something had broken the atmosphere around them.
To add insult to injury, she continued.
"The Queen is pudgy. That is why I've been making her cut down on her tea time recently."
Although there were no weapons around them, they could still hear a gunshot around them.
"Junko-chan~~ We're going to have a long talk after alllllll this is over, got it?" Misaki says as her face tried to smile through the pain.
"Well done for figuring it out, Junko-chan. I see, yes I can definitely improve on this later down the line."
'Misaki' pat down her skirt as she grinned eerily.
"Give up now and release him. If you don't I'm going to make sure you regret it."
"How are you going to make me regret it, when you can't reach meanymore☆"
At that exact moment, 'Kamijou' immediately switched up his target and went straight towards the trio. At the same time, something crashed down from above to take his previous position.
It was a girl in a Qipao dress with a metal mask covering her face. Her eyes looked dead as if all life had been stripped away from her.
"It...can't be..." Mugino whispered under her breath.
"Mugino, I came back with a vengeance. I'm here to claim your life now. I've reserved a special place for you in my heart."
Although her eyes had no emotion.
Although there was a mask covering her.
Although her eyebrows weren't even intrigued.
Anyone can tell...
She was smiling.
"You will be the first person I will ever kill."
Junko and Misaki both watched in exasperation.
"And then afterwards I'll tie you up, strap you onto a chair and kill everyone in ITEM."
Mugino raised her arm but her arm was forcefully pushed back down by her.
"Don't bother. Your little AIM Stalker is not with you right now, is she? There's nothing you can do now. You only won that time because of her. Without her, you are nothing."
"..."
There was a brief silence in the air, but Mugino broke it by throwing the first punch at her face.
There was barely any damage done to her, but the stage had already been set.
"Is that all you have to say? It doesn't change the fact that I'm still a Level 5. I will beat you even if I can't use my ability. TACHIOUUU MARYYYYY!!!!!"
"That's the spirit."
Mugino went crazy on her throwing out uppercuts and hooks even using her heels to dig into her body. But her opponent merely took it all.
She threw a punch so devastating it pushed her back even for a bit.
"Come on! Is that all you can do?! Are you all bark and no bite?!"
A punch to her ribs, a punch to her liver, a kick to her legs, a punch to the side of her face.
A kick to her mid section, followed by a knee to the face.
Thud after thud, Mugino relentlessly pursued her.
She was doing nothing to stop her attacks.
And finally, a high kick to her face, to make her fall flat on the floor.
"pant pantpant"
"Is that it?"
That was the only response Mugino got from her.
Even after taking all those hits, she could still jump up to recover.
"Alright, revenge time."
Straight after she sent a single straight punch towards Mugino's face.
"GHhhk!? (Such power?!)"
Before Mugino could land on the floor, Mary kneed the back of her head.
"(She covered that much distance?!)"
It was so precise that she managed to land on her feet again before eating a high knee to the face. However, this time she held her ground.
"You...bitch!!!" Mugino threw a straight forward, but Mary simply ducked under and delivered a palm strike to the bottom of her jaw.
"Gh...?!"
It was so overwhelming that she hung in the air before Mary delivered a back kick towards her stomach.
Mugino struggled to hold on to anything. The only thing that was helping her at the moment was her sheer willpower.
"Face it, Meltdowner. There are things that even a Level 5 can't do the moment they are stripped of their power." Mary walked calmly towards her, as Mugino's brain got rattled from the assault. "Here, to even the ground, I'll give you back your ability."
The moment Mugino heard that, five Meltdowner beams fired straight after.
But she was gone.
"You actually fell for it."
"(W-When did she...?!)"
She delivered a straight punch to her back.
This time, blood was spilling out of her mouth and nose.
"You do not know how long I have waited for this moment, do you?"
Mugino got landed on her knees, but when she heard a footstep, she immediately turned around to fire one of her Meltdowner.
But the moment she did, it exploded in her face.
"Oh right, I forgot to mention I disabled it. My bad, lol."
While Mugino laid on the floor, she stomped on her legs, before walking on her body.
It was a humiliating sight to behold.
A Level 5 being trampled on, by a Level 4.
The moment she was in front of the Meltdowner, she lifted her battered face up.
"What happened to your confidence? Is this the extent of a Level 5? I'm not done with you yet. Stand up."
Mary helped Mugino up by the hair and then dropped her. But not before hitting her with her right fist.
A loud thud resounded in the area as Mugino fell to the floor once again.
"Get up. If you manage to stand within 10 seconds, I'll make sure the pain ITEM feels won't be that bad. 10."
"This...this is just too cruel." Hokaze commented.
The only reason why they didn't intervene was because it would hurt Mugino's pride as a Level 5.
"9"
Moreover, they had 'Kamijou' watching them, one wrong move, and they would end up just as bad as Mugino.
"8"
However, it was all too painful to watch even from the sidelines.
"7"
Her pride was absolutely demolished.
"6"
She lost in the most pathetic way. With no way to counterattack.
"5"
She was outclassed in every way.
"4"
Don't stand. That was what Hokaze and Misaki were thinking.
"3"
If she stood up now, it would be the same as suicide. It was just not worth it.
"2"
Moreover, her pride can still be recovered. Her life would not be.
"1"
So why.
"0"
Why did she stand?
"I guess you still have it in you." Mary taunted. "That means you've already signed your death certificate right?"
"..."
"Don't worry, when you die, I'll bury you in a place where no one will ever find you."
"....ut...up..."
"Hm? You say somethin'?"
"...SHUT UP....!!!! If you lay even one finger on them, I'll crawl out of the grave just to hunt you."
"That's the spirit!"
It only took a single leap for Mary to close the distance.
And all it took was one step for Mugino to have her right where she wants her.
Mary shot her leg out as she prepared to kick her in the face, but Mugino had other plans.
It was all or nothing.
Mugino tilted her head just enough for Mary's leg to slip past her and when she had her right where she wanted her, she tightly held her thigh and used it.
She used her Meltdowner close range.
"Didn't I tell you it was futile?!"
"Do you think I care?"
The five orbs that surrounded her exploded all at once.
Smoke and debris flew about as it covered the both of them.
Hokaze could not bear to look at the aftermath because she knew that it would be ugly.
An explosion that close could kill anyone.
There was silence in the air.
They were all waiting for the results.
Or there might not even be any results after what happened.
"..."
Just then, they all heard shuffling noises coming from the smoke.
And the person that came out victorious, was in fact...
.
.
.
Tachiou Mary.
"A final kamikaze move eh? Not the best choice, but it was all she could do after all. It was the only move left in her arsenal."
Mary walked out of the smoke with Mugino as she dragged her out by the hair.
Just like a ragdoll, she tossed her body on the floor.
"In the end, that was all she ever was, a tool that can be replaced anytime."
Mugino's eyes only had the color of white.
"How could you do this to her?" Hokaze asked. "How could you do something so cruel?"
"Don't get the wrong idea, this is just payback to her. She messed me up and made me stay in the hospital for a whole year. For a whole year, I've been waiting for my revenge."
"But this is too much!"
"No, it's not enough. I have to kill her friends now. She better be thankful, this is like a service to her."
"..." Hokaze's ringlet curls slowly drooped as her hair stood up.
"Heh, if you have a problem then let's settle it."
The two stepped up to the stage for another showdown. This time, it's two Level 4's against each other.