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With a "Weng", a tremor that rippled through the air, a white beam of light tore through the darkness, shooting violently toward Misaka Mikoto.
Its speed was astonishing.
"...!"
Misaka Mikoto's heart jumped in alarm.
By the time she reacted, the white beam was already in front of her.
"Damn!"
Lightning flared violently around Misaka Mikoto's body.
"Bang…!"
With a muffled explosive sound, the white beam of light that had shot toward her was twisted by the surging electric current enveloping her body, suddenly veering upward into the sky and vanishing into the moonlit night.
"Wha…?!"
Mugino Shizuri froze.
Not only Mugino, but Frenda, Kinuhata Saiai, and Takitsubo Rikou, who stood beside her, all widened their eyes in disbelief.
"Impossible!" Frenda gasped.
"Mugino's Meltdowner just got deflected?!" Kinuhata exclaimed in surprise.
"Mugino…" Takitsubo murmured, looking toward her leader.
But Mugino Shizuri ignored her three teammates, her eyes locked tightly on Misaka Mikoto.
Misaka, in turn, shouted at her, "What do you think you're doing? That's dangerous!"
Mugino didn't respond. She had fallen into deep thought.
Mugino Shizuri's ability, the true nature of Meltdowner, is the power to release pure electrons.
Ordinarily, electrons, like light, exhibit both particle and waveform properties depending on the environment, alternating between the two states.
However, Mugino's ability forcibly manipulates electrons into an ambiguous condition between "particle" and "wave," then releases them in that unstable state.
Electrons fixed in such an ambiguous state, when colliding with matter, cannot decide whether to behave as particles or waves, thus, they stagnate in place.
In that instant of stagnation, the nearly massless electrons form a pseudo-barrier.
When they impact, even metal can be blown apart like scraps of paper.
No matter how thick a wall may be, it melts and dissolves along with any obstacles, piercing through everything, including the target's body.
That is why the ability is called "Meltdowner."
In short, no matter how solid a defense may be, it's impossible to withstand a blow from Meltdowner.
And yet, Misaka Mikoto had just deflected Mugino's attack.
(No… not just with her body…)
Mugino stared intently at Misaka.
Biri…!
Electric sparks danced across Misaka's body.
Seeing that, Mugino understood.
"So that's how it is… a lightning-system esper, huh?"
If the opponent could manipulate electricity, then using her ability to interfere with and redirect the unstable electron beams wasn't impossible.
But, no ordinary lightning esper could possibly interfere with electrons moving at such extreme speed.
Unless… her opponent was at the same level as her.
In other words, she was also a Level 5 esper.
And among the seven Level 5s in Academy City, there was only one who used electricity.
"Heh… heheh…"
Mugino Shizuri laughed.
Her laugh was wild.
Her laugh was twisted.
Her laugh was ecstatic.
"So that's it…"
Her voice rang through the entire alley.
"You're the Third, aren't you?!"
As Mugino shouted, orbs of pure light, each one condensed from raw electrons, began forming around her body.
"Xiū Xiū Xiū, Whoosh…!"
The next instant, each orb fired like a cannon turret, unleashing white beams of light that streaked forward in a violent barrage. The alleyway was narrow, so narrow that even four or five people standing side by side would barely fit.
As a result, the barrage of Meltdowner beams Mugino Shizuri released immediately filled the space in front of Misaka Mikoto's vision.
There was literally no way to retreat.
"Bang…!"
A violent explosion ripped through a corner of the dim alley; flames lit up the darkness, gusts of wind rolled through, and a tremendous commotion followed.
The one who caused it, however, simply stood in front of the burst without changing expression. After a moment she looked up as if sensing something, glancing toward the upper part of the alley wall.
Biri!
The crackle of electricity sounded.
Misaka Mikoto's legs were glittering with electric sparks as she stood on the wall as if it were solid ground.
"You…!" Misaka's eyes flashed with anger as she looked at Mugino Shizuri.
But that didn't make Mugino back down; it only delighted the Meltdowner.
"I've been wanting to meet you, Railgun."
Saying that, Mugino didn't forget business entirely, she glanced to the side.
There, Fang Li watched the sudden clash as if he were uninvolved. When he noticed Mugino's look, he gave a short, dismissive smile.
Under normal circumstances that single smile from him would annoy Mugino enough to take him down.
But now her full attention was on Misaka Mikoto.
So Mugino ignored Fang Li and gave orders to her teammates instead.
"Frenda, Kinuhata, both of you handle the quest target. Takitsubo's ability won't affect an Imagine Breaker-less person, so come with me."
Having said that, Mugino didn't wait for an answer from her comrades and strode forward on her own.
"Xiū Xiū Xiū, Whoosh…!"
The light-orbs around her launched another volley of white beams at incredible speed toward Misaka.
"Bang…!"
Beams struck where Misaka had been standing, detonating on impact.
But by then Misaka had already leapt upward; her body crackling with intense electricity, she avoided the bursts, ran up along the wall, and looked down.
At that moment her eyes met Fang Li's.
In a single glance Misaka understood.
Fang Li did not need to intervene.
"Then…" Misaka seemed to make a decision. Electric currents leapt from her feet as she sprang onto the rooftop at the end of the wall.
Seeing this, Mugino didn't hesitate at all.
"Takitsubo, we'll pursue, ready your ability. Don't let that brat get away."
Takitsubo Rikou looked up when Mugino spoke, gave a small nod, and never protested.
The two departed as if no one else existed.
Only Fang Li remained; he withdrew his gaze and looked straight ahead.
"Let me finish you off quickly."
"Actually, I don't think I need to make a move."
Kinuhata Saiai and Frenda faced Fang Li with relaxed attitudes.
They treated him like someone with no ability at all.
Fang Li's mouth curved into a smile.
"Looks like this'll kill some time…"
(End Of This Chapter)