Stealing an Academy City tank had been simple.
Mikoto was at the top when it came to espers who manipulated electricity. Despite the tank running mainly on a diesel engine, most of it ran through electronics. As someone who could directly hack without using cables, that weapon had been no match for Mikoto.
There were powered suits and the like that used chemical springs that moved using chemicals and were protected by armor that thoroughly repelled all electromagnetic waves as a defense against electricity espers, but that tank had not seemed to have anything like that equipped on it.
She had stopped the engine from a distance, unlocked the hatch, and kicked out those aboard.
They had tried to report the incident, but Mikoto had interfered with their radio transmission as well. She had done the same for the photographing from UAVs and the radar that was monitoring the situation. She had separated the tank from the war front, so no one would notice.
"Hmm. Tanks move surprisingly quickly," muttered Mikoto from within the tank that the Sister was operating.
"Modern tanks possess the output needed to run without issue on highways, but it is only Academy City technology that allows this one to move at 150 kph on a snowy path like this, says Misaka giving an arbitrary report."
"Well, these masses of iron cost 7 billion each, so they need to be at least this useful."
"Original, they are made of composite materials, corrects Misaka. The main guns of recent tanks can fire at about Mach 4.5, says Misaka as she idly adds on to her previous report. That is a greater output than your Railgun, onee-sama."
"It isn't all about the speed, you know?"
She only went by that name because it symbolized her electric powers. Her pride was not condensed into that one attack. In fact, she found her true worth in hitting her enemy with multiple attacks from multiple angles.
(…And that's why that idiot especially gets on my nerves by negating my attacks no matter what I throw at him.)
"Misaka apologizes for interrupting you while you mumble to yourself, but…"
"Nyahh!?"
"It appears the independent unit preparing the Nu-AD1967 nuclear warheads has spotted us, reports Misaka."
Heading there as quickly as possible may have backfired. The unit may have seen the snow tossed up by the treads through a night vision scope.
Something was fired from the distance.
The only thing in Mikoto's mind was the nuclear warheads, so a chill ran down her spine, but it seemed that was not what it was. The missile was too small and there were too many of them.
"They appear to be surface-to-surface missiles used for bombings, reports Misaka. There are 30 to 40 of them."
"Nyah ha."
"You appear to becoming more cat-like, so how about it? asks Misaka suggesting a course of action."
"Of course."
Mikoto reached for the hatch above her head.
She opened the circular hatch that was like a small manhole and raised her upper body out.
"This is my area of expertise, so leave it to me!!"
As she yelled, sparks flew from her bangs.
She did not fire a lightning spear. She sent an enormous amount of electromagnetic waves to the area ahead of her. She was interfering with the radar that the missiles used to search for the enemy while heading through the air at twice the speed of sound.
The missiles immediately lost their target and dropped down in odd directions.
Numerous explosions rang out and a shockwave struck Mikoto's cheek like a slap even though she was not directly hit. She ignored it and stared ahead.
"Full speed ahead!! If we fall back, it'll just give them time to prepare the next barrage! Let's take care of this all at once!!"
"M-Misa…"
"?"
"Misa…Severe….kami…obstruction of the signal…sakami…the network…sakamisaka…cut off…kamisa….attempting to restore….kamisaka…"
"Wah wah wah!! What's with you!? Hah? You just now realized you have a vulnerability to jamming with a large output by an esper with the same type of power?"
The Sister was trembling in the driver seat as if in a trance and Mikoto hurriedly stopped sending out the jamming electromagnetic waves.
"Heh…The mass produced models really cannot stand up to the Original, says Misaka as she reassesses her own position with some self derision."
Of course, ending the jamming meant the enemy's bombings would begin anew.
"Let's just charge in!!" Mikoto yelled. "Once we get close enough, they won't be able to carry out large scale bombings in fear of getting caught in the blast themselves!!"
The diesel engine let out a roar as if in response. They were only 2 kilometers away from where the surface-to-surface missiles were being fired.
The independent unit seemed to have given up on the bombings, but they had brought out a tank unit that had been hidden behind a hill. Even if they were prepared to be hit a few times, they would be completely blown away if dozens of tanks focused their fire on them.
"By Misaka's estimations, we will be hit by the blasts 20 times before we can travel 500 meters, says Misa—"
"Then we'll finish this before that!!"
A black shadow squirmed around Mikoto's tank.
No.
It was a large amount of iron sand that had been sleeping below the snow. She thoroughly gathered it from approximately 200 meters around her and brought it together using magnetism.
It must have looked like a wall to her enemies.
That wall of despair was like a giant tsunami about to strike the land.
That was the #3 Level 5.
She was not just a cannon.
There were only two people she knew who she could not handle even with skillful application of her power. Those two were the espers who stood at the extremes. One at the extreme of justice and one at the extreme of evil.
"Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!"
As she yelled, the huge mass of iron sand passed by overhead and crashed into the enemy forces ahead. Like an undulating tsunami or like a living snake, that mountain of iron sand swept across while vibrating at high speed. The independent Russian unit was unable to deal with it.
Of course they weren't.
No matter how many times they shot it, the swirling iron sand did not slow down in the slightest.
The tank being controlled by the Sister leisurely drove into the center of the confused enemy lines. Mikoto pulled herself out of the hatch completely and looked forward.
There was a large truck-like vehicle in the very center of the enemy lines. It had over 20 tires and it was larger than a train car. It had a long tube loaded on the back. That object that was standing up vertically on hydraulic cylinders was most likely the missile loaded with a Nu-AD1967.
As if to speed up the situation, there were flames firing from the back of it.
Mikoto jumped from the tank that was skidding to the side atop the snow.
(Whether that's an ICBM or a strategic nuclear warhead with the outer shell swapped out, it is still electronically controlled. A lighting spear will make it useless.)
She did not use her Railgun because she wanted to avoid letting the nuclear materials leak out. Only destroying the control circuits was the safest course of action.
Just as the arm holding the missile in place was about to let go, Mikoto focused on her bangs while in midair.
As bluish-white sparks shot out, she yelled with every last bit of strength she had left.
"…I'll blow you away!!"