The scene high above was shifting unpredictably.
The low-hanging clouds that had been everywhere moments earlier vanished rapidly under Accelerator's control, joining the counterclockwise rotation along with the air currents to form a massive vortex.
Now the swirling mass of air hung directly above Accelerator's head, just dozens of meters away from Natsume.
Though the vortex itself only covered about a hundred meters, it was drawing in air from several kilometers away—even dozens—causing winds to continuously rush in and join the churning mass.
Following Natsume's gaze, Accelerator wore an icy expression, one hand raised high as if holding up the sky.
Feeling the growing chaos in the air pressure around her and the endless streams of wind rushing in from all directions, Natsume felt a tremendous sense of oppression.
This was Accelerator. Even in a weakened state, he still felt utterly overwhelming.
"Gotta admit, your little plan's caused me some real trouble," he said. "Right now, my body feels like it just went through a scorching sauna, and you, the boss, won't even let me step out."
Accelerator's eyes turned toward Sonoko, his face blank and unreadable.
"So now, we're going to play a little game. I hope you don't disappoint me."
As soon as he finished speaking, his upraised arm suddenly shifted direction. At the same moment, the swirling vortex high above altered its path to follow the line of his arm.
In other words, the fully formed atmospheric vortex in the sky instantly tilted at a forty-five-degree angle, as though it had torn a gash in the heavens.
The air around them seemed to freeze for an instant, even forming a brief vacuum. But the next moment, the flowing currents around them appeared to snap back to reality, instantly refilling the empty space.
The vortex under Accelerator's control slammed into the air pressure Natsume controlled like a colossal hammer.
Before the two forces of pressure even fully collided, the friction between them generated intense heat. At the point of impact, fine electrical sparks appeared—a sign that the air was ionizing from the violent clash.
As more and more air ionized, a bolt of lightning abruptly flashed between their opposing pressures.
Accompanied by a low, rumbling roar from the friction, it was like a battle horn blaring to announce the start of their duel.
A thunderclap burst from nowhere, the sound echoing across nearly half of Academy City. Those accustomed to roaming at night instinctively turned their eyes toward the sky.
The chaotic air pressure triggered a series of bizarre phenomena. With the lower clouds nearby completely gone, the sky under the moonlight and starlight appeared both eerily bright and strangely unsettling.
--+--
"What in the world is that?" muttered someone hiding in the shadows, staring dumbfounded at the sky.
It looked like two enormous forces of pressure were slamming into one another, with rings of white, roaring air bursting out between them.
"Leader, can you see what's going on?"
Perched on a rooftop, the leader of the Scavengers, Iizumi Rita, gazed upward, while Naru watched beside her with a curious expression.
"The airflow over there is way too chaotic. I can't make out anything clearly," Iizumi Rita replied, shaking her head helplessly.
--+--
Watching the swirling vortex suddenly slash toward her, a look of grim seriousness crossed Natsume's face.
Though she had sensed Accelerator's move ahead of time, it wasn't until he launched his attack that she truly felt the immense threat behind it.
This threat felt even greater than during their aerial chase earlier. Back then, she could at least retreat strategically, but now the situation had changed.
Natsume was still manipulating the airflow around Accelerator herself. No matter how much he diverted, she kept heating more, ensuring he couldn't properly dissipate his body heat.
This was a hard-won tactical position, and she wasn't about to give it up easily. For once, Natsume dismissed thoughts of strategic retreat and committed herself fully.
The situation seemed to have turned into a war of attrition—and Accelerator was determined to change that.
So even in his weakened state, he had leveraged his computational power to form a massive air vortex the moment he struck. And as soon as it took shape, he turned it like a spearhead to attack Sonoko Natsume.
Natsume's area of control extended about a hundred meters around herself.
Now, in a short time, that range was being rapidly compressed as the enemy's fierce assault claimed more and more of her territory—like a big apple with a bite taken out of it.
Natsume retreated slightly, restoring some of her controlled range while ensuring she could still affect Accelerator.
Although the air pressure around him was no longer under her direct control, she could still exert influence by heating it.
But soon, the air pressure around Natsume was being twisted and compressed, one section after another, transformed into Accelerator's own strength.
There was something familiar about the scene. Earlier, Natsume had used a similar method against Kinuhata Saiai—only that time, her controlled range had been larger, allowing her to suppress her opponent.
The one small advantage was that Accelerator couldn't cut off her contact with the air.
He needed physical contact to exert control, which meant Natsume could continuously replenish her air pressure. Still, it was a drop in the bucket compared to the vast range Accelerator commanded.
Watching her territory shrink bit by bit, Natsume grew increasingly anxious.
But the next moment, the girl with the bun hairstyle began to look… different. Her pupils had faintly reddened, and veins bulged near her temples.
This meant Natsume was using the bio-computer's computational power beyond her normal access level. And now, the power of the Level Upper began to take effect, granting her increased authority.
Through the Level Upper network, over half of Sonoko Natsume's consciousness flowed into Reiko's body, borrowing Reiko's brain to run the bio-computer's calculations nonstop.
Splitting her focus like this lowered Sonoko's own concentration, but in exchange, her computational power skyrocketed.
Natsume was now utilizing more than half of the bio-computer's calculation capacity—at least twice that of an ordinary Level 5—and the bio-computer felt no fatigue, capable of sustaining these calculations indefinitely.
Although Natsume's own computational power was mainly used to maintain the connection with Reiko, as the "red-eye syndrome" flared up, her personal calculation load began multiplying rapidly.
To move the lever, she had to contribute her own share as well.
Sonoko Natsume's original body narrowed her eyes slightly. As the situation grew more chaotic, her vision and thermal sensing were becoming nearly useless.
She could only locate Accelerator through her ability's inherent recognition method—which, since her power couldn't directly affect the human body, showed up in her perception as a small vacuum-like void.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.