"Oh, no, it looks like it's a bust. The data is completely gone. I don't think we can recover it..."
Riko moved the mouse and clicked on a file, but there was nothing left inside.
Asuna and the others, who had determined that Kiyama was most likely the culprit, came to her lab. The members were Asuna, Riko, and Kurumi.
However, Kiyama had already left for a drive with Uiharu. They had persuaded the receptionist to let them into Kiyama's lab, but there was nothing to be found. They had been worried that Uiharu, who they had lost contact with, might be held captive somewhere in the room, but it seemed their fears were unfounded.
"It looks like Kiyama-sensei took her," Asuna said.
"I agree. We've already given the Bureau the license plate number of the teacher's car, so she'll be apprehended soon. The rest of the members will head over as soon as they're contacted. We should continue our search... Oh?"
Kurumi seemed to have found something. Her gaze was fixed on a stack of papers bundled together at the top, the synesthesia paper that Uiharu had found.
Kiyama was certain that being seen wouldn't damage the Level Upper, which is why she left it there.
"This paper... it really proves Kiyama-sensei is the culprit, doesn't it?" Riko said.
"The evidence is all there, isn't it? Well, the kidnapping already confirmed it," Asuna added.
"...In that case, let's look a little deeper," Kurumi said.
Kurumi made a large clock appear behind her and removed the short hand.
"Zafkiel: The Tenth Bullet, Yud."
She was using the Tenth Bullet, Yud, which transmits the past memories of the target it pierces.
Kurumi put the barrel to her temple and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
"Ah!! So that's what... what it was..." she said.
---------
The super gravity caused the scaffolding to collapse.
Because it was an overpass, Mikoto and Yukina were thrown into the air.
Mikoto manipulated magnetism with electricity and clung to the bridge's support structure, slowly descending. Yukina, using her spirit vision to see the future, predicted the order in which the debris would fall. By stepping on them in sequence, she landed safely.
Just as Yukina landed, Kiyama radiated an electric shock.
"This!!"
Mikoto's counterattack saved them.
"I-I'm sorry! I'm just getting in the way...!" Yukina said.
"Don't worry about it. She's the one who's insane!" Mikoto said, glaring resentfully at Kiyama as she calmly approached.
"Hmm, you two are quite persistent," Kiyama said, waving her right hand. A nearby trash can, as if activated by psychokinesis, flew through the air. When it was upside down, the trash inside was bound to fall out due to gravity.
Out came various crumpled and misshapen empty cans.
"Ah!! They're going to explode!!" Yukina shouted.
"What?!" Mikoto replied.
Yukina screamed the result of her spirit vision.
The large number of empty cans scattered in the air and Yukina's word "explosion" connected, leading to a conclusion.
(Graviton—!!)
"Th-this...!!"
Mikoto instantly gathered the remnants of the collapsed highway with magnetism, creating a makeshift shelter. A huge impact shook the shelter immediately after.
(Mikoto Misaka... as expected of a Level 5. Her instant output is on a different level. Even if I can use multiple abilities, it's impossible to take her on head-on. It's fortunate for me that she's not using her abilities with the intent to kill. And Yukina Himeragi's spirit vision. That also covers the fine details well. So the spear isn't her only weapon.)
However, Kiyama's victory was unshakable. She was convinced that she, who was acting with a firm will, would not lose.
"You two," she said.
Even so, Kiyama didn't want to hurt the two of them if she could help it.
"I told the girl sleeping up there that I intend to release the comatose people once I achieve my goal. Can you please wait until then?"
"Don't be ridiculous!!" Mikoto said.
"Don't be ridiculous!!" Yukina echoed.
The two of them, having released the shelter, roared at Kiyama's words.
"You're involving innocent people, and you think that's okay?!" Yukina said.
"Whatever your goal is, we're stopping you right here!!" Mikoto said.
"...Then it can't be helped. I'll have to ask you two to retire from the stage," Kiyama said, beginning to select the next ability to use.
"Sorry for the wait. We're providing artillery support. Hidan rounds, flash rounds. Firing. Impact in two seconds." Tina's voice echoed through the earpiece.
Hidan rounds were special bullets made with high technology. Though they looked like ordinary bullets, they weren't just lumps of lead. Each one had a special function.
A flash round exploded.
"Aaaaaaaaahhhh!!!"
It was as if a sun had suddenly appeared in front of her eyes. Kiyama, blinded, crouched down, covering her eyes. If she were a professional fighter, she would have had perfect defenses against bullets, using one of her 10,000 abilities effectively. Kiyama, who had been focused on the two fighting in front of her, had not anticipated a light that would scorch her retina.
However, Yukina, who knew the timing in advance and had spirit vision, opened her eyes at the exact moment the light subsided and rushed towards Kiyama.
It was a suicidal act to approach Kiyama, who was randomly firing her abilities in all directions while covering her eyes.
Mikoto's electric shock shot down the incoming fireballs, concrete, and ice shards. If she lost control even a little, she would hit Yukina, and the situation would be reversed in an instant. She crossed that dangerous bridge with a calm face. She was able to cross it.
The hilt of the Sekkarou spear exploded against the chin of the cowering Kiyama.
---------
"Me, a teacher? Is this some kind of joke?"
She had always thought she hated children.
"This has become a hassle. But I just have to endure it until the experiment is a success."
They were noisy, didn't listen, were pointlessly energetic, and...
"Pleaaaaase take care of us!"
"Haha, you fell for it!"
"Teacher, you're not popular, are you? I'll go out with you, heehee."
They were mischievous, inconsiderate, and didn't know their manners, and...
"I was raised by the people here. I want to be useful to them."
"It's okay. I'm not scared. I trust you, Teacher."
That's why children...
---------
"Why did that happen!?"
"Hmm, why indeed? I guess you could say that unforeseen things often happen in unknown research."
"That's a lie!! An accident like that couldn't possibly happen with that experiment's contents!! Unless it was intentional...!!"
"Hmm, I thought you were a more capable person than this."
"W-what do you mean?"
"I let these useless 'Leftover Child Errors' contribute to the development of science. I don't think I deserve to be hated; I think I deserve to be thanked."
"W-what are you saying... W-wait!! We still need to talk—"
"Alright, everyone. This experiment has concluded without a hitch. What happened here is to be kept secret."
---------
(...That's right. I can't... I can't end it here...!!)
In a world where time had slowed down, there was only a short amount of time before she fell to the ground. Her emotions raced ahead, but her body wouldn't move.
When Kiyama came to, she saw a blue sky in her eyes. Yukina's precise strike had shaken her brain from her chin, making it difficult to stand up.
"It's over," Yukina said.
"Yeah. Tina, nice support," Asuna replied.
"Thank you," Tina said.
They thought all that was left was to restrain her. They looked at Kiyama.
"No...!" Asuna said.
"She's still trying to stand...!" Mikoto said.
Kiyama was struggling to stand up.
"Ugh, this, this...!! I can't... end it here...!!" she said.
"Please don't push yourself. You're not in a state to stand up right now," Yukina said.
"That's right! You don't have a chance of winning anymore!" Mikoto added.
"So what!! What does that matter!! I already told you!... I can't stop until I achieve my goal!!!"
She glared at them with unfocused eyes. Kiyama, who was supposed to be sprawled on the ground, unable to even think properly, was trying to stand up with sheer willpower, terrifying both Yukina and Mikoto.
The one who answered Kiyama was a new figure.
"Is that for the children who fell into a coma?"
It was Asuna and Kurumi. The three of them, including Riko, had rushed over from Kiyama's lab.
"Y-you... how do you know...?" Kiyama asked.
"It's my ability. I can read people's memories through objects," Kurumi said.
Kurumi learned everything with the Tenth Bullet, Yud. Why Kiyama was so desperate, so desperate that she needed a computational device by using the brains of innocent people.
"What do you mean, Tokisaki-san?" Mikoto asked.
"It's not that difficult, Mikoto-san. A long time ago, in an accident during an experiment, some children never woke up. Kiyama-sensei's goal is to save those children," Kurumi explained.
"...Honestly, to be able to read memories so clearly just by using my ability on an object... I underestimated your ability," Kiyama said.
"To be precise, it wasn't an accident. It was an intentional act that used the children's trust in you," Kurumi said.
"..." Kiyama was left speechless by Kurumi's irrefutable point.
Yukina and Mikoto, who had been fighting until now, intervened.
"W-wait a minute! An intentional act... does that mean they were used for human experiments...!! In that case, you shouldn't have done something like this, you should have reported it to the proper authorities—" Yukina began.
"Of course I reported it!! But they didn't listen. There was pressure from above," Kiyama interrupted.
"Pressure from above... So what? Are you saying that experiment, the one that treated the children like lab animals, was officially sanctioned by the people above?! That can't be...!" Mikoto said.
"Unfortunately, it's the truth. Such experiments are conducted here every day. Public institutions turn a blind eye, honest people don't realize it, and if they do, they're quickly erased from this world. That's the reality," Kiyama said.
Kiyama's cold words left them speechless.
"My goal is just to wake the children up. I don't intend to expose anyone or reveal the darkness of this city. If I did that, assassins would be sent after me. The people above already know that I'm the one who scattered the Level Upper. They're probably watching this all unfold on a monitor right now. Or maybe they're planning a new experiment... Mikoto Misaka, you've also got one foot in that world. Without you even knowing it."
"W-what are you talking about? As if I'd cooperate with something like that...!" Mikoto retorted.
"No, that's not it. You, depending on the circumstances, are even deeper than me—!! Uwaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!"
Kiyama suddenly grabbed her head and began to writhe in pain.
"W-what's wrong?!" Asuna asked.
"What's happening?!" Kurumi asked.
Asuna and Kurumi tried to rush over.
"T-this is... a network overload... no, could this be... Uwaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!"
A giant mass appeared from Kiyama Harumi's head. It resembled something from a textbook. It had small arms and legs, but a large head. It was like an undeveloped fetus.
"What is that?" Mikoto said.
Asuna and Kurumi were so surprised by this unexpected event that they couldn't move. The fetus, which had been floating leisurely, suddenly opened its eyes.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!"
With a scream, the fetus began to expand. It swung its tentacles around chaotically. It looked more like it was suffering than rampaging.
Although they had no idea what the monster in front of them was, they knew what they had to do.
"Don't get carried away!!"
If the opponent wasn't human, there was no need to hold back. Mikoto unleashed her full-power electric shock. Two tentacles turned to ash, and the surface of the fetus was scorched and burst. However, it immediately returned to its original state.
(It's surprisingly fragile? But it's not bleeding, and its recovery speed... Is it not a living thing...?)
The fetus grew more tentacles as it recovered. Whether it was in pain or if it even had a sense of pain was unclear, but its large eyes focused on Mikoto first. It had clearly targeted her.
Mikoto also had a combative look in her eyes, and sparks flew from her bangs.
"Alright, if you want to fight, I'll take you on until the end!" she said.
"Kurumi-chan and Yukina-chan, get Kiyama-sensei to a safe place! Mikoto-chan and I will go on ahead!!" Asuna said.
"Yes!" Yukina replied.
Following Asuna's instructions, they split into two groups and began to act.
---------
"For now, we're safe here," Yukina said.
"I agree," Kurumi replied.
Kurumi and Yukina laid the unconscious Kiyama against a pillar.
In the distance, the fetus was fighting Asuna and Mikoto. From time to time, they could hear gunshots, which meant the awakened Bureau members were also fighting. That included Tina.
"What should we do...?" Yukina asked.
"We should go. I don't think ordinary firearms will be effective against that monster," Kurumi said.
"Ugh... Ah...?" Kiyama mumbled.
"Ah! You're awake!" Yukina said.
"Are you alright? Oh, you shouldn't get up yet..." Kurumi said.
Kiyama ignored the voices and began to look for the source of the ground-shaking impact and the ear-piercing scream—and found it.
"Heh... hehe... hahahahahaha!!! Amazing, it's amazing. If I presented this to the academic society, I'd get an award..." Kiyama said, laughing hysterically and leaning against the pillar. She had become terribly haggard in just a few minutes. Her body and voice had lost all their strength. She slid down the wall and sat on the ground.
"The network is no longer in my control... It seems it's all over..." Kiyama said.
Kiyama reached into her pocket and grabbed something. In her hand, she was holding a simple weapon—a handgun.
"What are you doing?" Kurumi asked.
Kiyama tried to point the gun at her temple but realized her arm wouldn't move. Kurumi had quickly sensed her intent and had her clones hold her down.
"What are you doing? You shouldn't be here. As I said before, that thing is no longer under my control. Restraining me is pointless," Kiyama said.
"Even so, we can't just ignore someone who's trying to commit suicide. Kiyama-sensei, don't you know something about that monster?" Yukina said.
"..." Kiyama's expression, like that of a dead person, was hidden by her hair, so the two couldn't see it. Still, she sighed and began to speak, meeting their direct gaze.
"Do you know about Imaginary Number District?"
The two shook their heads.
"Imaginary Number District is a collection of AIM Diffusion Fields. The principle of that thing is probably the same. A monster made of AIM Diffusion Fields. I suppose we can call it a 'Fantasy Beast AIM Burst.' It was probably born from the 10,000 AIM Diffusion Fields bundled together by the Level Upper network and is now trying to grow by absorbing them... Perhaps it was influenced by the emotional breakdown of me, the core of the network."
"..."
The technical terms were difficult to understand, and that wasn't what was important now.
"So, how do we stop it?!" Yukina said.
"...That thing is a monster created by the network. So, if you destroy the network itself, maybe..." Kiyama said, then laughed self-deprecatingly.
"I don't expect you to believe me after what I've said."
"No, we believe you," Kurumi said without hesitation.
"W-what...!" Kiyama said.
"We've read some of your memories. We think we understand, even if only a little, how much you've fought to save those children," Kurumi said.
Kiyama was unable to say anything when the topic of the children came up.
"So, how do we destroy the network?" Yukina asked.
"I have an uninstall program for the network in my car with the girl with the flower ornament. But there's only one, so if it's gone, we're out of options."
"—You heard that, Riko-san?" Kurumi said.
"Okay. I'll get it ready right away," Riko's voice came through the radio.
Riko, who had been listening to the situation, began to move.
"Thank you, Kiyama-sensei. Kurumi-san, let's go!" Yukina said.
"Yes, Yukina-san... Kiyama-sensei," Kurumi said.
After confirming that Yukina had moved a little away, Kurumi spoke to Kiyama.
"I think it's a wonderful and admirable thing to wish for the children to recover. But please also consider whether you can be proud of your current actions in front of those children," she said, before leaving Kiyama.
Kiyama, who had been sitting, slowly stood up.
"My goodness, after seeing so much ugliness for so long, those good-natured girls are so dazzling."
They could get angry and cry for their friends as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and they could direct their anger at things that were wrong and unreasonable. Their pure hearts seemed incredibly dazzling.
"You're right. If I stay like this, I can't look those kids in the eye and say 'good morning.'"
Kiyama stood up once more.
--------------------------------------------
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