"Captain, the guards in the hospital are all unresponsive. They've likely been poisoned; we need to find a way to get them treatment quickly."
Outside the hospital, a member of the Security Forces reported the situation to Yomikawa Aiho.
Yomikawa Aiho frowned slightly.
"Has it been confirmed that these three are the ones missing from the chemical plant?"
The team member held a tablet, bringing up the information on the three individuals and presenting it to Yomikawa Aiho.
Taking the tablet, Yomikawa Aiho took a quick glance and got a general grasp of the situation.
"Tell everyone that in extreme circumstances, lethal force is authorized, but prioritize your own safety first. The suspects are in possession of extremely dangerous chemicals. According to information from the chemical plant, this substance can be made into corrosive bombs and is also toxic."
"Yes, ma'am!"
The team member received the order and quickly passed it down. Currently, one criminal was in the first-floor lobby with many hostages, so the Security Forces didn't dare to act rashly.
Beep beep beep... The walkie-talkie suddenly rang. Yomikawa Aiho pressed the button, and a steady voice spoke.
"Hello, is this the captain of the Security Forces handling the hospital terrorist incident?"
Yomikawa Aiho was a bit confused to hear an unfamiliar voice, but she still answered truthfully.
"Yes, I am Yomikawa Aiho, Captain of the 7th Branch. Who are you?"
"I represent the Board of Directors."
Yomikawa Aiho raised an eyebrow. She hadn't expected this incident to catch the attention of the higher-ups so quickly. Usually, they only found out after a request for Level 5 support was sent up.
The voice continued over the walkie-talkie.
"When the criminals come out later, if they don't cooperate, just put up a token resistance. Avoid casualties. Leave a gap in the direction of Tama Central Park and let them escape."
Yomikawa Aiho was immediately angered upon hearing this, but then she realized the Board of Directors likely had a backup plan.
"What do you mean? Have you set a trap in Tama Central Park?"
The other side didn't seem to intend to explain much to a mere captain.
"Just follow our requirements. According to the calculations of the Tree Diagram Designer, Tama Central Park is their inevitable path. It wouldn't even matter if you withdrew your team now."
"At least tell me why?!"
There was a long silence on the walkie-talkie before a somewhat timid voice came through.
"Captain, why what?"
"Tch, nothing."
The Board of Directors had already cut the call. They could freely access any communication, yet anyone wanting to reach them had to go through layers of applications.
Yomikawa Aiho frowned, looked back toward Tama Central Park, sighed, and picked up the walkie-talkie again.
"Attention everyone..."
Yomikawa Aiho relayed the Board of Directors' requirements to her team members.
An even longer silence fell over the walkie-talkie. Some members of the Security Forces were teachers or at least volunteers with teaching licenses, dedicated to protecting students. The Board's order sounded like they were leading the criminals right toward students, as there were even more students in the park than in the hospital. Helplessly, they still had to follow the Board of Directors' arrangements, only hoping there truly was a backup plan.
The Security Forces still chose to try negotiating first. When the three criminals swaggered out of the hospital's main entrance, countless gun barrels were pointed at them.
The lead criminal smiled disdainfully, carrying an insulated box containing the medicine they needed.
"If you're smart, you'll get out of the way. If a bullet hits us, the consequences will be unthinkable."
As if to prove his point, his two accomplices pulled their coats open to reveal small vials strapped all over them. If hit by bullets, these chemicals would explode.
The lead criminal laughed wildly, though no one could see it behind his gas mask.
"We haven't killed anyone. We just took some money and medicine—it doesn't even add up to ten million yen. Let us go, and you'll have a chance to save those poisoned people inside. If you keep wasting time with us, things will get messy."
Having said that, he casually tossed a vial into the crowd of Security Forces.
"Get back!"
Yomikawa Aiho shouted hurriedly. A large space cleared instantly where the vial was falling. Even so, the explosion splashed liquid onto several Security Forces members, nearly corroding through their body armor.
The Security Forces members quickly covered their noses and mouths as soon as they smelled the pungent odor.
"Go!"
The lead criminal charged directly toward the area where the Security Forces had scattered. The dust from the explosion hadn't settled yet, and the Security Forces were afraid of being poisoned—this was the best opportunity. Now that they had the medicine and money, as long as they escaped, they'd have a good life. Who would want to be a desperate fugitive?
Now, they valued their lives even more than when they first walked into the hospital.
"Leave a few people to check on the casualties in the hospital! The rest of you, follow me!"
Yomikawa Aiho issued the command and took the lead in the pursuit.
"Move! Out of the way!"
The three criminals barreled through, startling pedestrians along the way. The Security Forces following closely behind also kept people from getting near.
"Throw them! Blast them back! Once we cross the park, we can lose them for good!"
The three ran desperately while tossing vials behind them. The series of explosions scared away many bystanders in the park... "Hmm?"
Krul and the other six all heard the sound of explosions coming from the distance.
Misaka Mikoto stood up, prepared to check the situation, as the explosions were coming from the direction of the hospital and were gradually getting closer.
At that moment, she noticed many people running toward them, as if something terrifying was chasing them.
Misaka Mikoto quickly grabbed a fleeing pedestrian to ask what was happening.
"What are you all running from?"
The person she grabbed looked terrified, broke free with force, and threw back a sentence as they continued to flee.
"There are three maniacs throwing bombs everywhere, and they're heading this way!"
The other six heard this clearly. When it involved bombs, it was a threat to the order of Academy City!
Shirai Kuroko came to Misaka Mikoto's side.
"Onee-sama, I'll go with you. The rest of you should first..."
Shirai Kuroko instinctively wanted to tell the other five to run to a safe area, but she realized halfway through and looked back at the three relaxed figures: Luke drinking soda, Krul eating dessert, and Accelerator resting with his eyes closed.
Adding Onee-sama, we have four Level 5s here! The ones who should be running are the terrorists!
Luke stood up and said with a smile, "Need help?"
Misaka Mikoto was a bit anxious.
"No need to ask me at a time like this! Let's get over there; it would be bad if someone gets hurt by the explosions!"
By now, they could faintly see the three criminals.
Misaka Mikoto looked at Shirai Kuroko, who nodded in understanding. Kuroko then placed her hand on Mikoto, and in the blink of an eye, they were eighty meters away, blocking the criminals' path.
"Huh? There are actually people not afraid of death?"
The three criminals naturally saw the two girls who had suddenly appeared, their faces twisting into grimaces.
"Since you dare to block us, I'll show you what's what!"
Misaka Mikoto acted as if she hadn't heard them. Electric sparks began to dance across her body. Since a group of Security Forces was behind the criminals, she couldn't use the Railgun, so she would just knock the three of them unconscious with electricity.
Just as Misaka Mikoto was charging up, Yomikawa Aiho, who was following the criminals, noticed her. At the first sight of the electric sparks, she recognized Tokiwadai's ace. Seeing Misaka Mikoto about to attack the criminals, her face changed drastically, and she immediately screamed.
"Don't attack! The vials on them will explode!"
Yomikawa Aiho's hysterical shout fortunately reached Misaka Mikoto's ears, and she quickly stopped "charging."
However, the opponent didn't care whether she attacked or not. He pulled a vial from his coat and threw it at Misaka Mikoto.
Misaka Mikoto, thinking it might be a bomb, wanted to shoot it out of the air. An arc of electricity flashed out and struck the vial.
Boom!
The vial exploded in mid-air, and liquid splashed out. Shirai Kuroko quickly teleported Misaka Mikoto and herself backward to avoid the liquid.
When the two landed, they saw that Accelerator had somehow reached the spot where they had just been standing.
"Watch out!"
Misaka Mikoto and Shirai Kuroko both cried out in alarm, but a bizarre scene unfolded. The liquid that should have landed on Accelerator actually changed direction and shot toward the three criminals.
"Agh!"
The vial had exploded in the air, and plenty of liquid had already landed on them. Now that Accelerator had redirected more of the liquid back at them, parts of their skin were being corroded, causing agonizing pain!
Saten Ruiko and Uiharu Kazari had only felt a gust of wind beside them before seeing Accelerator appear behind Misaka and Kuroko.
Accelerator yawned, looking lazy.
He had originally intended to block the liquid for Misaka Mikoto, but Shirai Kuroko had been a step faster than him.
"Damn it! Who are these people?"
The leader endured the pain, staring gloomily at the nonchalant Accelerator.
"Get out of the way! Or I'll blow you to bits!"
Accelerator glanced at him and let out an arrogant smile.
"Ha? You talking to me?"
Seeing Accelerator's condescending attitude, the lead criminal felt his dignity insulted, and his rage flared.
"Don't look down on me, you brat!"
He then threw open his coat and tossed three vials at Accelerator in quick succession.
Accelerator was utterly dismissive and had no intention of dodging.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three explosions rang out. Just as the three criminals thought Accelerator had been blown to smithereens, a thin figure stepped slowly out of the dust. It was Accelerator, completely unharmed.
Not only were the criminals and the Security Forces stunned, but even Misaka Mikoto, Shirai Kuroko, Uiharu Kazari, and Saten Ruiko were dumbfounded. To be completely unscathed in three explosions—is this the Level 5 Level 5 ranked number one?
Only Luke and Krul, who knew the script, were not surprised.
The essence of Accelerator's ability is Vector Transformation. As long as something touches his skin, he can freely manipulate the direction of kinetic energy, thermal energy, electrical energy, and all other forms of energy. Because his mastery of the ability is so proficient, Accelerator can achieve unconscious Reflection. This ability can reflect all physical attacks. According to the Tree Diagram Designer's calculations, he might even be able to withstand nuclear weapons.
So, a sneak attack on him is almost impossible unless all of Accelerator's calculating power is occupied, in which case Reflection would fail.
"What kind of monster is this!"
The three criminals saw Accelerator was unharmed, with not even his clothes damaged, and looked as if they had seen a ghost.
"The gas produced is actually toxic."
Accelerator's ability isn't just reflecting attacks; he can also reverse-calculate the laws that produced energy by observing its direction. This reverse-calculation capability allows him to deduce the material composition of objects from local energy flows. In the future, his reverse-calculation ability would even allow him to analyze magic.
Having understood the principle of the explosions, Accelerator lost interest in these three clowns and wanted to end it quickly.
"Don't—don't come any closer! Believe it or not, I'll detonate all the vials?! You won't be able to handle the toxic gas if it spreads!"
Accelerator was unmoved.
"Ahahahaha, try it if you have the guts!"
Pushing off the ground, Accelerator charged straight at the three of them.
"Wait, I... I surrender!"
"I surrender too!"
The lead criminal looked at his accomplices in disbelief.
"Getting caught means being locked up for over a decade!"
The short one had already pathetically knelt down.
"I want to live! You should surrender too!"
If they went for a mutual destruction, he wouldn't survive the vials detonating on him!
By now, Accelerator was right in front of them. The lead criminal steeled his heart—freedom was priceless! He threw a vial directly at his own feet.
Boom?
The bad news was the vial successfully exploded. The good news was Accelerator arrived just in time!
Accelerator pressed his palm onto the man's head. He forcibly compressed the chain reaction that had already begun, preventing the explosion from spreading. However, since his ability was to change the direction of energy and not make it disappear, he had to find an outlet; he couldn't hold it for long.
The Security Forces rushed forward, restraining the other two who were paralyzed with fear and seizing all the vials.
The lead criminal was directly vaporized by the compressed explosion. Accelerator compressed the explosion into a sphere. Feeling the intense heat in his hand, Accelerator shouted to Luke, who was watching nearby, "Hey, can you eat this energy?"
Luke looked dissatisfied.
"What do you mean 'eat'? I call it Devouring!"
Seeing that Luke didn't refuse, Accelerator didn't ask further. He changed the release direction of the energy toward Luke. The compressed explosion found its outlet and lunged toward Luke like a wild beast.
Then, under everyone's horrified gaze, a crimson cross pattern appeared in Luke's eyes, and all the energy from the explosion was devoured by him.
Click!
Saten Ruiko had a look of amazement, her hands frantically tapping her phone to take photos.
This was the devouring ability of the Annihilation Eye. When devouring magic, it would automatically deploy a magic circle to accelerate the process.
Accelerator, seeing that Luke was completely fine, confirmed his suspicions. During their last fight, all the kinetic energy in his attacks had been eaten by this guy. As expected, it was an energy-related ability.
Accelerator instructed the Security Forces.
"Hey, go to the hospital and get a container."
Yomikawa Aiho snapped out of her shock and instinctively asked, "Huh? What do you need a container for?"
Accelerator raised his hand. He still had a ball of compressed air in his hand; it was the toxic gas.
"If you think it's fine to just release this toxic gas anywhere, then never mind."
Yomikawa Aiho didn't dare delay and hurriedly ran toward the hospital.
Luke stretched. This was the most energy he'd devoured since coming here—it felt great! He then reminded Saten Ruiko, "Don't go spreading those photos around. I'm afraid people in Academy City will fall in love with me."
Krul gave a cold snort.
If it were her, those three would have died without even knowing what happened.
You will get 30 chapter ahead for this fanfiction.
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