The slender figure with white hair had been standing frozen before the apartment wall for what felt like an eternity.
His crimson eyes brimmed with confusion, regret, and a deep disgust toward himself.
At first, Accelerator had watched the video at a normal pace. But once he saw himself meet Last Order, his composure began to unravel.
Was that white-haired devil on screen… really him?
He gave up his reflection ability just to protect her—and ended up crippled because of it.
He joined a secret organization known as "GROUP" just to shield her.
He even transformed his ominous black wings into pure white ones, and with those wings that looked like an angel's, he fought for her.
That being… was it truly Accelerator?
He couldn't even bring himself to smile anymore.
"I want to be with you forever"… How could he say something like that?
How could someone like him have the right to say something like that?
Wasn't that the kind of line only a protagonist could say?
That LV0 spiky-haired kid—the one who always charged ahead to protect what mattered—that was the kind of person who could utter those words.
Not him.
The power to fight for someone precious…
He wasn't that kind of person.
He was just…
Accelerator.
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[Nagami]: Accelerator-san, done watching? What do you think about your future?
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Nagami and CC were already starting to get goosebumps from the stares they were getting.
The looks from the girls were manageable—but the ones from the guys? Absolutely unbearable.
Seriously, CC thought, some of those stares were revolting.
So she chose the best course of action: ignore them all and bury herself in the chat group. Out of sight, out of mind.
Nagami's sudden message cut through Accelerator's spiraling thoughts.
The white-haired boy kept his head low, his expression hidden by shadows.
No one could tell what he was thinking—he looked like a lost child at a crossroads, unsure of where to go.
But then he saw Nagami's message.
For the first time, something stirred in those lifeless crimson eyes.
Yes—if it was the mysterious creator of this chat group, the one who had built something this powerful, maybe… just maybe… they could give him the answers he was looking for.
Standing in the eye of a storm called confusion, Accelerator typed out a message.
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[Accelerator]: What should I do?
———————————————————————
CC tilted her head, confused by the unexpected question.
She never imagined Accelerator would actually ask for guidance like this.
In fact, she started to doubt whether the person on the other end was really him.
Was this some kind of joke?
No, CC trusted the group itself.
But still… for him to ask that kind of question?
Was Accelerator the first one to mentally collapse under the weight of future knowledge?
She thought he'd be more skeptical—maybe even lash out and deny the video's truth at first.
That tsundere attitude of his surely wouldn't let him admit anything easily, right?
He'd rant, argue, then maybe come around.
But instead… he believed it? Just like that?
CC had underestimated just how impactful the anime she uploaded was.
Unlike the others who just saw it as entertainment, Accelerator saw himself as a side character in that story—and he noticed every little detail, every thread that pointed to one thing:
That this wasn't just fiction. It was his future.
The evidence was too overwhelming for him to lie to himself.
Especially in A Certain Scientific Accelerator.
Watching that, inserting himself into the scenes, he couldn't deny it anymore.
That white-haired demon who lived with the little girl called Last Order… really was him.
…But still. Asking me for help?
Come on, I'm just a weak, hungry, and emotionally stable chat group admin!
Looking at the clearly emotionally unstable message from Accelerator, Nagami sighed—half stressed, half amused.
He wasn't exactly a master of smooth talk.
But… maybe if it was just some strategic BS, he could give it a shot.
———————————————————————
[Nagami]: What do you think of your future self?
———————————————————————
Don't answer a question with a solution—answer it with another question.
Classic misdirection tactic 101.
"Future me…"
Accelerator's eyes widened slightly as he watched the video—the version of himself who soared with pure white wings, who protected the girl with the brown hair… Last Order.
What was this overwhelming feeling rising in his heart, like a dam breaking?
———————————————————————
[Nagami]: You admire him, don't you?
———————————————————————
As if he had read Accelerator's mind, Nagami replied immediately.
It was the perfect time to push—while Accelerator was still lost, confused, and vulnerable, Nagami guided his thoughts exactly where he wanted.
Is that it…?
Do I admire the future version of myself?
Do I long to become someone who can protect others with his own strength…?
Do I wish to become someone who has someone they want to stay with forever…?
Do I envy the resolve of the "villain" who would take on the entire world just to protect Last Order and the Sisters?
But… does someone like him really deserve that future?
He had already mercilessly taken the lives of over 7,000 Misaka clones. These hands of his...
With crimson eyes that almost glowed with an unnatural light, he stared at his own pale, slender hands as they slowly opened before him.
In his vision, it was as though fresh blood seeped out, dyeing his hands red—fragile yet tainted.
'What have I done...?'
Even if he hadn't personally experienced the "plot," the stark contrast between the future self he admired and the present one who committed such atrocities overwhelmed Accelerator with a wave of disgust.
For the first time in a long while—possibly since he was a child, when he had first awakened his powers and accidentally shattered the limbs of those around him—he felt something he could only describe as guilt.
It was overwhelming, crashing into him like a violent tide, pounding against his chest and refusing to settle.
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[Nagami]: So, what do you think? Now that you understand this feeling… what good is being lost and confused? Don't forget—he is your future.
That 'he' is still Accelerator.
———————————————————————
As Accelerator's mind teetered on the edge of collapse, Nagami's message shone through like a beacon of light cutting through the darkness.
It stirred something within him—deep in those crimson eyes filled with turmoil, a faint flicker of light.
Right. That person in the animation… was Accelerator too.
Like a switch had been flipped, light surged through his gaze, illuminating his pale face as if a weight had been lifted.
He stared at Nagami's messages for a long time, his expression awkward and twisted.
After what felt like an eternity of hesitation, he clenched his teeth and sent a single message.
Then, without looking back, he turned and walked out of the ruined apartment, heading straight toward the research facility.
Tonight, he was going to raise hell.
———————————————————————
[Accelerator]: ...Thanks.
———————————————————————
Nagami and CC exchanged a natural high five—her right hand meeting CC's left—as identical smirks tugged at the corners of their lips.
On closer inspection, Nagami's messages had been empty of any real, concrete advice.
All she'd done was ask questions—more questions—and finish with something that only sounded like encouragement.
But if Accelerator had reached the point of asking such a question, then it was easy enough to guess where his mental state was headed.
All it took was a little push… and there he went, charging ahead with conviction.
Back at their cozy little apartment, Nagami folded up CC's clothes while CC booted up the computer.
Today's goal? Reclaim the #1 spot on the ranked leaderboard!
As the screen lit up, CC narrowed her eyes.
She could pretty much guess what Accelerator was about to do—but she didn't stop him.
She wasn't afraid of Aleister making a move, even if Accelerator went off-script.
After all, Academy City was laced with surveillance lines—every single action within the city fell under the eye of that omniscient Director General.
To him, Accelerator was far from irreplaceable—definitely less important than Kamijou Touma—but still, he was a valuable piece on the board, one not easily discarded.
And with his fate so tightly entwined with the Sisters, there was no doubt he was under special observation.
The strange behavior he'd displayed since last night had surely drawn Aleister's attention.
And with the Holy Guardian Angel Aiwass also involved...
If even those two couldn't detect the existence of this mysterious chat group...
Well—what would happen next?
The smile on CC's face didn't fade.
But her thoughts had already moved on.
The game had officially begun.