Yuuya hoisted Misaka 9982 up in a princess carry, his arms supporting her legs and back.
Her body was incredibly light. Too light.
Blood dripped from her fingertips, staining his white shirt red. A trickle of blood flowed from her lips, painting a grim picture of her internal injuries.
"Misaka..."
Her weak voice barely made it past her throat. She didn't have the strength to finish the sentence.
Yuuya looked down at her, his heart filled with a mixture of pain and cold fury. Even though he knew the plot... even though he knew this would happen... seeing it in person was different. It made his blood boil.
He looked back at the unconscious monster lying in the dirt.
Accelerator. The First Rank.
'I really want to kill him right now.'
Yuuya's eyes narrowed.
'But if I do... Aleister's plan collapses. The Board of Directors will hunt me down with everything they have. The Dark Side, the Anti-Skill, the Kihara Family... even Aiwass.'
'Killing him now brings endless trouble. It's a losing proposition.'
Yuuya walked over to the fallen Esper. He looked down at the pale, androgynous face, now twisted in a grimace of unconscious pain.
"There are countless ways to become the strongest. Countless ways to change the status quo and reach the 'World of Light.'"
"But you chose the most foolish way. Killing 20,000 innocents just so no one will challenge you? Despicable."
Yuuya raised his foot.
Stomp.
He planted his shoe squarely on Accelerator's face.
"Do you know? If you really wanted to move from the darkness to the light, you should have used your invincible intellect. You should have schemed against the Board of Directors. You should have seized control of this city."
"Once you have true power—political power, influence, leverage—no one would dare challenge you."
"Instead... you relied on the pity of others. You let them hand you a script and you followed it like a dog."
Stomp.
He ground his heel into Accelerator's cheek, leaving a muddy footprint on the albino's face.
"Ah~ Look at him. The Strongest Esper in Academy City. So pitiful."
"Let me show you some pity. Let me give you a taste of the 'Light' you crave so much."
Yuuya sneered.
He understood Accelerator's psychology perfectly.
Accelerator was born strong. His power hurt everyone around him, so he isolated himself. He claimed he didn't care, but deep down, he was terrified of hurting others. So he acted cruel to push them away.
The darker you are, the more you yearn for the light.
When the researchers offered him the Level 6 Shift Project, he took it because he thought becoming "Absolute" would mean he wouldn't hurt anyone anymore.
"Using violence to gain the power to stop violence... it's putting the cart before the horse. You idiot."
[Ding! Congratulations, Host.]
[Hidden Platinum Treasure Chest discovered.]
[Target: Accelerator.]
[Unlock Condition 1 (of 5): Is it Accelerator... or Yuriko Suzushina? Check their gender to find out.]
[Note: Completing Condition 1 will reveal Condition 2.]
"..."
Yuuya's cheek twitched. The righteous anger drained out of him for a split second.
'Holy crap. A Platinum Chest?'
'I was wondering why a Level 5 didn't have a chest icon. It was hidden?'
'But... what the hell is this condition? "Check it out"? Are you asking me to grope the Number One Esper?'
'Is the System implying the "Yuriko" fan theory is real?'
Yuuya looked down at the bruised, muddy face beneath the messy white hair.
Accelerator was androgynous. His hormone balance was messed up due to his ability (reflecting UV rays, affecting development). He was skinny, pale, and had a voice that cracked between high and low.
'He definitely looks like a guy... but... maybe?'
Yuuya hesitated. His hand hovered for a second.
Then, he felt Misaka 9982 stir in his arms. She coughed again, a fresh bubble of blood forming on her lips.
"Never mind. I don't have time for this nonsense."
Yuuya retracted his foot.
"I'll unlock it next time. Sorry, Yuriko."
He turned around. Activating Xiao-Li, he synchronized his leg muscles for maximum speed without jostling the girl in his arms.
ZOOM.
He vanished into the night, heading for the nearest hospital (Heaven Canceller's).
...
Minutes later.
"Hah... Hah..."
Accelerator's eyes fluttered open.
"The moon? Why am I seeing the moon?"
"My back hurts... I'm lying on the ground..."
His consciousness slowly returned. A sharp, throbbing pain shot through his brain.
"What happened? Why am I..."
Memory flooded back. The boy. The white shirt. The smile. The punch.
"It hurts... Gah!"
Accelerator curled up, clutching his stomach.
"My stomach... and my face..."
He touched his cheek. It was swollen. He could feel the grit of mud on his skin.
"What on earth happened?!"
Accelerator trembled as he pushed himself up. His red eyes were wide with incomprehension.
"Did I get punched? By that guy?"
"Impossible. My reflection was active. I checked it. It's always active."
"Any force directed at me is reflected at double the magnitude. He should have shattered his arm. He shouldn't have been able to touch me!"
He lifted his black-and-white shirt.
There, right on his solar plexus, was a fist-sized bruise. It was turning a deep, ugly purple.
The pain stimulated his brain like an electric shock.
He had never felt pain like this before. Since his ability awakened as a child, he had blocked everything. He didn't even know what a "punch" felt like until now.
He looked around.
Misaka 9982 was gone. Only a pool of blood remained.
"Hehehe... Hahaha... HEHEHEHE!"
A terrifying, broken laugh erupted from his throat.
"Damn it! Interesting! Bastard! Despicable! Awesome!"
"YOU ACTUALLY HIT ME!"
"GRAAAH!"
He slammed his fist into the ground, shattering the concrete.
"What a joke! You bastard! Next time we meet, I'll tear you to pieces!"
"Don't get cocky, you scoundrel! You played me like a fiddle!"
He felt like a clown.
The intruder had walked in smiling, beaten the "Strongest" with a single punch, lectured him, stomped on his face, and walked away with the prize.
He had been treated like trash.
"That piece of trash... he came to stomp on me to save a puppet?!"
"Very well! Since that's the case... I'll be waiting for you! Let's see who breaks first next time!"
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