Relying solely on the power of the Poltergeist would not be enough to destroy Academy City. Rather, it would be stopped before it could be destroyed. After all, the machinery controlled by the AIM force field was quite unstable. If the interference was eliminated, it would be easy to neutralize the enemy's attack.
Therefore, the so-called Poltergeist was nothing more than a disguise. The real destructive force was the small hydrogen bomb that was placed somewhere in Academy City. After detonating, the radiation would cause a large area of damage. If the Poltergeist was a weapon used to destroy the buildings in Academy City, then the small hydrogen bomb was a terrifying weapon used to kill the 2.3 million people in Academy City.
(Since the Accelerator is on the enemy's side, I must first obtain the detonation code …!)
Sitting on the motorcycle, the Preceding Article anxiously brainstormed. The only weapon in his hand was a small hydrogen bomb used for self-defense. Misaka Sister had a much more powerful gun, but … with just two people and two guns, it was impossible to fight against an entire armed group.
(Damn it … Hurry up and think of a way, Tōma Jōjō …!)
While the Preceding Article was scratching his head in distress, Misaka Sister suddenly stopped the motorcycle. Seeing her gesture for him to come down, the Preceding Article was confused and put his feet back on the ground.
"If we go any further, we'll be near the Nissa Institute of Pathology. There should be a lot of people patrolling there. It'll be bad if they hear the sound of the engine."
The Preceding Article raised his head in surprise. "Huh? But … do we have to walk there? Won't it be more difficult to escape without a convenient means of transportation …? "
"Don't worry about that. In fact, there are other Misaka individuals nearby. I'll ask them to take care of the motorcycle. We'll use it when we escape. Also … "
The Misaka Sister answered the Preceding Article seriously and pointed forward.
"… Misaka knows a shortcut that can avoid the enemy's line of sight and enter the institute."
Wah … What a reliable companion!
Not only were they equipped with heavy firepower, which was quite useful in this situation, but they also had a convenient reconnaissance network. Incidentally, they had also studied thoroughly how to minimize their own losses. If it wasn't for her help, he would still be sitting in Zakura, staring blankly into space.
While thinking about the Preceding Article, he secretly glanced at Misaka Sister's serious side profile. A sense of gratitude arose spontaneously, but mixed in with this feeling, there was also a subtle sense of nostalgia.
A week ago, he had felt the same way about Accelerator.
Not only did he have the strongest power in Academy City, but he also had a brain that could think clearly at any time. Before every operation, they would carefully analyze the situation and find the most time-saving and labor-saving route.
At that time, he couldn't help but develop a sense of dependence on the first person.
He firmly believed in the strength of his companion, and even wanted to rely on this strength that was so strong that it could almost crush everything.
However, everything was different now.
Accelerator's personality had collapsed, and he had lost his ability to act independently. He was even weaker than a normal person. He would die if his head was hit by a bullet, and he would stop breathing if his heart was crushed. He was no different from a normal person.
If he still had weak feelings in his heart, this confusion would not only not save Accelerator, but it would also cause them to sink deeper and deeper into the mire of misfortune.
So, he had to cut off this confusion.
If even he retreated in the face of setbacks, then who would save the first person?
Shangjou clenched his fists tightly. Suddenly, he saw the Misaka sister pushing the motorcycle away from him. She walked into a dark alley. She turned around and glanced at the note before she spoke.
"Misaka is going to deposit the motorcycle, it might take a bit of time, can you wait? Misaka sincerely asked. "
"Ah, go ahead. I'll wait here. "
After Kamijou nodded in acknowledgment, the Misaka sister finally felt relieved and strode away from him. After watching her gradually disappear into the shadows of the dark alley, Mr. Preceding Article let out a long sigh of relief and leaned his back against the wall.
The blood-red setting sun shed its last rays of light. Mr. Preceding Article squinted his eyes and slowly retracted the smile on his face when he spoke to Misaka Sister. A serious and somewhat cold expression appeared on his face, and his pitch-black eyes flashed with a heart-palpitating light of determination.
At this moment, he had completely abandoned these unnecessary worries and worries.
Tonight, let's end it all.
— —
(Speaking of which, Misaka Sister is really slow …)
Mr. Preceding Article looked at his watch. It had been 20 minutes since Misaka Sister pushed the motorcycle away. He originally thought that the place where the motorcycle was placed wouldn't be too far from here, but it seemed that he was wrong.
Although they do have to be careful at this time, if it's just hiding a motorcycle, Shangjou is still confident that he can do this job perfectly in a shorter period of time.
(If she doesn't come in two minutes, I'll go find her …!)
Mr. Preceding Article, who had secretly made up his mind, changed from a squatting position to a posture that looked like he was ready to move at any time. Then —
— A hand suddenly reached out from the dark and placed on his shoulder.
His hair stood on end. His heart trembled.
Almost instantaneously, Kamijou shuddered, and with lightning speed, he turned around and retreated a few steps. His hand that was reaching for the holster at his waist had already grasped the gun in his hand!
Then, in front of him, the girl with Mikoto Misaka's usual expressionless face had a surprised expression.
It was Misaka Sister.
"What's wrong? You seem to be very nervous. "
The motorcycle was already hidden somewhere. At this time, she carried a huge guitar case on her back. But this was just a disguise. There should be a set of guns neatly placed inside.
Misaka Sister was no different from usual.
Perhaps it was because he was too nervous that he had such an extreme reaction. Although this wasn't an overboard attitude for Misaka's sister who wasn't very sensitive, it was still very rude for a young girl like her to do so.
"Ahaha, it's, it's nothing …"
Mr. Preceding Article smiled vaguely and wanted to get away with it.
"Compared to this, it's better if we leave quickly, right?"
"You're right, then please go this way." Misaka Sister nodded in agreement and walked in front of Mr. Preceding Article.
Looking at her petite back, Mr. Preceding Article somehow remembered what just happened. As if he was embarrassed, he turned around with a wry smile.
What entered his eyes was the gradually widening road.
Not only were there no obstacles for them to hide behind, but once the enemy launched a barrage of bullets, they would undoubtedly be forced into a desperate situation. It was such an unimaginable route.
"Eh? Are we really going this way? " Even Mr. Preceding Article, who was not as smart as Accelerator and Misaka Sister, could clearly feel that something was wrong.
Misaka Sister answered his question indifferently.
"Yes, we didn't encounter any enemies along the way, right?"
Indeed, although at first glance, this was a relatively risky route, they seemed to have miraculously avoided the enemy's eyes along the way. Was this the "shortcut" that Misaka Sister mentioned?
Mr. Preceding Article finally relaxed and followed Misaka Sister's footsteps. As they moved forward, a research institute that looked no different from the surrounding buildings appeared in front of them.
If it wasn't for the "Nissa Institute of Pathology" written on the door, Mr. Preceding Article would have thought that it was an ordinary residential building. However, there were all kinds of advanced machinery placed inside for observation and research, which was the decisive difference between it and a residential building.
(Next … are we going to sneak in?)
Mr. Preceding Article frowned and looked at the appearance of the building. In the end, he closed his eyes as if he was ready to risk everything.
Accelerator was inside, and the detonation code that they had to obtain in order to prevent the explosion of a small hydrogen bomb also had to be obtained by entering this institute. If they were lucky, everything could be solved. However, based on his "unfortunate" body for the past ten years, things might not end so quickly.
However, even if there was a risk of misfortune, they had to go …!
"Um … Misaka Sister, what should we do next?"
Mr. Preceding Article recovered from his chaotic thoughts. He pointed at the research institute and asked Misaka Sister. Along the way, the Misaka sister had given him a lot of help. At the same time, Kamijou realized that his comrade had the ability to analyze the situation calmly. At a time like this, he had to trust her ability. Therefore, Kamijou chose to let her be in charge of the operation.
Misaka Sister tilted her head. "Then, let's …"
Mr. Preceding Article, who originally turned around and was ready to listen to her, clearly saw the malicious shadow standing behind Misaka Sister.
The terrifying, murderous claws stretched out towards the defenseless Misaka Sister's back. Then, in the next second, the claws struck out like lightning!
"Hey! Misaka Sister … "
Mr. Preceding Article screamed. Suddenly, a strong arm grabbed him from behind and slapped him hard in the face.
— — they were surrounded.
No, it wasn't as simple as being surrounded. To be more precise, both he and Misaka Sister were restrained. A man in black pinned down Misaka Sister's wrist and tossed the black guitar case that was originally slung over her back to the side. It was the only heavy weapon in the room. Mr. Preceding Article's backpack was also taken off and violently thrown to the ground.
Mr. Preceding Article couldn't think of any other explanation for the sudden appearance of so many enemies in this seemingly empty alley. Other than knowing their movements and anticipating that they would come here, Mr. Preceding Article couldn't think of any other explanation for the current situation.
(Damn it … did I fail?!)
Mr. Preceding Article, who wanted to break free from the restraints, struggled hard. However, it seemed like they didn't care about his resistance at all. The man who clamped down on his arm gave a look to the side. Then, another man walked over and mercilessly punched him in the stomach!
The dull pain and the sudden blur of consciousness made him stop moving. He struggled to open his eyelids, but at this time, he heard a man who seemed to be the leader of the group making a contact report to someone.
"Yes … we've caught them. There are two people, one of them is the 'Fantasy Killer' … Yes. Bring them here immediately. "
Mr. Preceding Article tried hard to understand the meaning of these words. However, at this time, his consciousness was hazy. No matter how hard he tried, he could only get a vague result.
Seeing him like this, Misaka Sister mouthed something to him.
From a distance that was not too far away, Shangjiao understood her intentions.
— What she wanted to say was: Follow them and sneak in.
It wasn't that he was helpless, and it wasn't that he chose this path without thinking. Instead, he used this point to enter this place and achieve his goal while the enemy was unprepared.
Although he was looking forward to having such thoughts, Shangjou still felt a subtle sense of incongruity. Hesitantly, he opened his eyes wide and glanced at his backpack.
(But … doesn't that mean I don't even have a weapon? Although the gun hidden in the back of my waist is placed in a clever way, so I don't have to worry about being discovered for the time being. But if I only rely on a small gun —!)
He couldn't understand, and there was a strange feeling in his heart.
But because of his trust in Misaka Sister, Mr. Preceding Article suppressed this feeling. He lowered his head and silently allowed the men to escort him into the research institute. He pretended that he was completely unable to resist.
Let the enemy relax their vigilance, then find another opportunity.
With this thought in mind, Shangjou pretended to be obedient and walked up the stairs of the research institute.
In the room not far in front of him, his last enemy was there. At the same time, the esper he wanted to save would also be there.
Mr. Preceding Article inhaled and exhaled deeply. After repeating this action several times, Mr. Preceding Article finally opened his eyes. His face was full of determination, and the depression he pretended to be was swept away in an instant.
His muscles were tense to the point that he could explode with an amazing force at any time. Even his brain was adjusted to the most awake state, and he expanded his field of vision to better observe the surrounding situation.
— Then, he stepped into the final battlefield.
…
In the room, a skinny, tea-haired man wearing sunglasses furrowed his brows slightly. After scanning the room, he sighed and leaned on the huge equipment behind him that was originally used for medical observation.
As if he was waiting for something, he gently tapped on a metal box with the tip of his foot. The sound of metal echoed in the room, but the frequency of the sound was quite irregular, as if it was random.
Along with the sound of metal striking, there was a very strange sound that came from somewhere. It sounded like the sound of wind leaking out of a certain place.
Then, in front of him, who seemed to be bored to death, someone knocked on the door unhurriedly three times.
Before he could answer, the door was abruptly opened. Behind the door was a group of stern-looking men in black, as well as the hedgehog-headed boy and the tea-haired girl.
The eyes behind the sunglasses looked up slightly and met Mr. Preceding Article's eyes.
It was a pair of firm, obsidian-like eyes without the slightest confusion.
It was not the eyes of a person who was in a predicament and suppressed. It was more like the eyes of a warrior who believed that he would be victorious.
As if he was very satisfied with this, Kamigawa leaned forward and walked toward Mr. Preceding Article. But on the way, he seemed to remember something. He reached out and held a desk in the middle of the room.
"Tōma Jōjō -kun … right?"
As if to confirm his victory, Kamigawa asked slowly.
Then, facing this leisurely tea-haired man, Shangjiao bluntly returned the look.
"Didn't we meet on the 23rd? You bastard …! "
As if he didn't expect to receive such an answer, Kamigawa was slightly taken aback. Then, his eyes wandered for a moment, but he quickly recovered his arrogant smile. "Thank you for taking care of me."
Mr. Preceding Article looked at Kamigawa, who had a strange expression, and spoke calmly to him.
"I want to ask you three questions."
"Oh, that's a straightforward request. But … do I have any obligation to answer you? "
Tōma Jōjō smirked. "Of course you do."
Seeing how calm he was, Kamigawa raised his eyebrows in surprise. He seemed to be very interested and motioned for him to continue.
"First of all, you have the advantage of numbers. This is obvious at a glance. There are only two people on our side, and they are two ordinary high school students who have been subdued by you. Even if they resist, they will be quickly suppressed. Second, we are unarmed, but except for the two of us, everyone here seems to have weapons that can take other people's lives. If they act rashly, they will be killed on the spot. With such an advantage, even if we know some core secrets, they can easily destroy us … right? "
"In other words … do you have the resolve to die immediately after asking questions, kid?" Kamigawa raised his chin slightly and chuckled.
"This is really interesting. Then, as you wish for the time being …! "
Mr. Preceding Article nodded and then said.
"First of all, where did Tsurugi go? I was talking to him, but I only saw you. He himself … is not here, right? "
"If I said that dealing with a kid like you who doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth doesn't require Tsurugi to go through so much trouble … you wouldn't believe it." Kamigawa narrowed his eyes and looked at him. After a moment of silence, he shrugged. "Okay, I'll say it …"
The expressions of the men in black around him changed. One of the leaders even stood up and said in a panic.
"Mr. Kamigawa! This kind of thing … "
Kamigawa reached out and made a gesture to stop him. The man immediately shut up in fear.
"Why don't you just kill them after you're done talking?"
Maybe it was because of this absolute advantage that he also had considerable confidence. Kamigawa nodded slightly and then said.
"Tsurugi went to the 'Ladder' tower.
Because it is high enough, the radiation spread throughout the entire Academy City, so the small hydrogen bomb was placed there. The conditions needed to detonate the hydrogen bomb … One is the detonation code. If the detonation code fails, then it can only be manually detonated. "
"Manually detonated …! But in this way, Tsurugi won't he … "
Mr. Preceding Article's eyes widened in surprise. He understood the meaning of this sentence. If this method is chosen, even if the countdown is long, it will be difficult to escape the danger of radiation, let alone this kind of large-scale killing weapon. If Tsurugi personally detonated it manually, it means that he is prepared to give up his life.
In this way … even if the code is obtained, it can't effectively stop the attack of the small hydrogen bomb?
"Then what will you do? Do you also … "
"Are you still worried about the safety of the enemy? You are still as naive as ever. "Kamigawa chuckled and pushed up his sunglasses. "However, we won't lose our lives in vain. Before the detonation time limit, we will evacuate Japan. Although we can't guarantee that everyone will leave here, if this is the price of destroying Academy City, we are willing to pay. "
A terrible attack that can kill 2.3 million people in Academy City in an instant, no, I am afraid this attack will spread to all parts of Japan. Not to mention the survivors, if the small hydrogen bomb really detonated, then this land will continue to be exposed to nuclear radiation for decades, and not even a blade of grass will grow.
This is a serious crisis for millions of people, perhaps it is a crisis for the entire country.
Mr. Preceding Article felt cold sweat on his forehead, and his chest rose and fell violently. Then, after a long silence, he finally spoke with a trembling voice. "Then, the second question …"
His heart was beating wildly, and even the rhythm of his breathing was disrupted.
It seemed that in the next second, he would not be able to bear the frenzied heartbeat.
Mr. Preceding Article, in a state of extreme anxiety, slowly asked.
"… Accelerator, where is it?"
What followed was a panic-inducing silence.
No one spoke, and even the breathing seemed to be frozen together with the air in this gradually spreading darkness.
Kamigawa's hands leaned back on the desk, and then, he raised his head with an extremely mechanical and indifferent movement, and the seemingly emotionless eyes behind the sunglasses slowly swept across a trace.
Following the trajectory of the gaze, Mr. Preceding Article also turned his gaze to "somewhere".
The strange sound that has been echoing just now, like the sound of air leaking.
If you really want to describe it, its essence is someone's painful gasp.
But it is different from gasping.
It is not the breathing sound that comes from the mouth because of the urgent need for oxygen to relieve nervous tension, but the strange sound that comes from the throat.
The horizontal crack, where even the red and black blood vessels can be seen, because of the rhythm of the breathing, small streams of blood are gushing out from the neck. The bright red flesh mixed together and turned over, as if some kind of squirming fresh substance is growing from the wound.
The strange sound of wind leaking was coming from the crack on his neck.
Although the face is covered in blood, Mr. Preceding Article still recognized the identity of the person.
Unique, white hair. The striped clothes have been dyed into a different color. And the iconic modern wind crutch thrown aside.
Even if the heart is screaming crazily, resisting some kind of "reality", it is just self-escape, indulging in the illusion.
"I
Now the institute
Is here
？？ No, find to deny to kill
Stop companions
Strange, no? … … "
An unknown sorrowful cry came out of his mouth.
Maybe the brain wants to protect itself, and then the mind is in chaos at that moment.
Crushing everything, a sense of despair. After that, it is dizzying emptiness.
Then, he began to beat his head hard.
If it is an illusion, then I will kill it with this right hand. That is what Mr. Preceding Article thought.
However, the illusion that he thought would be broken did not change at all.
In front of him is Accelerator with a crack on the neck, this has not changed at all.
"Ah? I … am, Accelerator, here, huh?? "
After such a chaotic murmur, Mr. Preceding Article suddenly felt his vision turn gray.
The things that he wanted to protect, together with his heart, are broken in an instant.
Collapse. Death. Shattering. Chapping. Killing.
"Ahhhhh!!!"
Tōma Jōjō let out a real sorrowful cry.
Looking at him like this, Kamigawa was not moved at all. He spoke calmly.
"It's just the death of a companion and you have such a big reaction, sure enough, a kid is a kid. Well … But he's not completely dead yet. "
Kamigawa changed his posture and leaned against the desk. He turned his gaze to the side, then spoke casually with his hands crossed in front of his chest. "Although it looks almost like a death, Kun Ujō … The method of cutting the throat is slightly different."
Mr. Preceding Article slowly raised his head with a gloomy expression. Kamigawa looked at him and continued to speak.
"After the throat is cut, the person can last at most fifteen minutes. Although it is painful, at least he is still alive. So … what are you going to do? "
Fifteen minutes, although it sounds like a lot of time, is actually quite tight. In this area where the research institute was located, it was impossible to call an ambulance immediately, let alone send him to the frog-faced doctor. Although School District 9 and School District 7 were neighbors, there was still a considerable distance between them in this situation.
So, there was only one option left. The option that made Mr. Preceding Article feel the most desperate.
"You killed Accelerator …?"
Kamigawa said to himself.
"Indeed, an instant of pain is much better than a gentle interrogation. Moreover, this is a method that allows the deceased to suffer as little pain as possible when they are alive. Compared to hearing the sound of air leaking from his throat, it's better to cut off his neck cleanly, right? And you also know that the detonation code in this guy's head is what you want to destroy the most … Isn't that right? "
Persuasion that was like poison.
However, what he said was the most correct choice in this situation. Mr. Preceding Article also understood this point.
He raised his head.
He stood up with his hands on his knees.
Then, the black-haired teenager with the hedgehog head spoke.
"Then, let me ask the third question."
The shackles that clamped his hands had been released, and Tōma Jōjō was only a few steps away from Accelerator.
It was only a few steps away from easily killing the first person.
Kamigawa looked at Mr. Preceding Article and said lightly. "Please go ahead."
He slowly walked up and asked while swaying his body.
He asked in his calmest and most angry voice.
"Third, can I punch you?"
At that moment, Tōma Jōjō suddenly lowered his center of gravity, and then he shot out like a sharp arrow. Not in the direction of Accelerator, but in the direction of the tea-haired man wearing sunglasses.
With his left foot as the axis, he waved his right fist to the maximum limit like a rotating compass. After reaching a certain initial speed, it was as if he wanted to throw his whole body out and hit Kamigawa's nose with force!
The fist carried the whistling sound of the wind. If it really hit Kamigawa's face like this, it might cause a slight concussion. Then he could use him as a hostage to control the whole situation.
Even at this moment of desperation, Tōma Jōjō was still able to calm down and think about how to escape.
However, this expectation was completely shattered.
The moment he was about to touch Kamigawa's face, Mr. Preceding Article felt the impact from the side of his right arm.
His arm and his whole body bounced off, and then there was a violent burning sensation from his right arm. After a few seconds of being stunned, Mr. Preceding Article found himself on the ground, clutching his right arm and moaning.
He was shot.
However, the person who shot him was not the man in black around him. Although they all pointed their guns at him nervously, it was not the murderer who shot him. Kamigawa whistled, and his empty hands ruled out the possibility of it being him.
Then, there was only one person left who shot him.
Although it was hard to believe, it was the truth.
The tea-haired girl was holding a gun that was extremely disproportionate to her petite figure, and she was looking at him with empty eyes. The muzzle was still emitting irrefutable smoke.
"Misaka … Sister …?"
With this painful groan, Mr. Preceding Article's face was full of shock.
Then, the girl standing in front of him reached for her wrist, took off a bracelet-shaped machine, and threw it aside. Using this as an opportunity, the image of "Misaka Sister" in front of Mr. Preceding Article quickly collapsed. A gray, mosaic-like image signal appeared in his vision. After a few seconds of distortion, the original face of the person disguised as "Misaka Sister" finally appeared.
Thick lips, sly eyes. It was a certain someone in a work uniform. It was one of the few acquaintances of Mr. Preceding Article in the third district of Huangchuan. The person who eagerly showed him around and stole his money.
"You … Are you Mud Valley?!"
His and Accelerator's whereabouts were probably exposed in the third district of Huangchuan. The purpose of Mud Valley's contact with him was not only for the pitiful amount of money he had on him, but also because the armed group wanted to spy on their movements. Then, it was very likely that during the time when Misaka Sister placed the motorcycle, he was swapped with the original 10032.
"Have you heard of perceptual signal interference devices? This is also one of the black technologies of Academy City. If you put it on your hand and set it as' someone ', it will change the visual and auditory signals received by others. Of course … your 'Fantasy Killer' can also destroy it, but instead of hitting the brain, you have to touch the device. "Kamigawa explained on the side. Then he opened his hands to Mud Valley. "I'll leave the explanation to you."
Mr. Preceding Article turned his gaze to Mud Valley as if he was looking for an answer. It was as if he couldn't believe what was happening in front of him.
He had always believed in "Misaka Sister" and admired her ability from the bottom of his heart. He unconditionally regarded her as a companion through life and death.
However, all of this was shattered.
As if he wanted to completely crush Shangjou's heart, Niigu revealed a hearty smile. Then, in the next second, his smile actually twisted into a hideous, unbearable, and terrifying laughter.
Then, he lifted his foot and stomped on Mr. Preceding Article's vision with a force that seemed to want to crush Mr. Preceding Article's head.
Accompanied by a deep and complacent laugh, accompanied by a chilling chill, the disguised "companion" said maliciously.
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