Seventh School District, in front of the Mizuo Research Center.
Dozens of fully armed soldiers stood alert, eyes locked on the iron gate. Their expressions were tense. They had received orders from above—two dangerous individuals with powerful abilities were hiding inside this building.
To catch them, the team was equipped with Academy City's newest custom weapons. These guns could fire high-density energy bullets and even spread out to form nets of energy to trap people.
But even with such high-tech gear, the soldiers still weren't confident.
After all, they knew full well they were up against high-level espers. Just one of them was as dangerous as an entire army.
Silence.
The plaza was dead quiet, with only the sound of heavy breathing now and then.
Click.
A sudden sound of a door opening rang out.
All eyes turned sharply as the gate of the research center slowly opened. Under the bright white spotlights, two small figures stepped into view.
Ruiko looked at the scene in front of her, then turned to the side and asked, "Misaka, can I leave the left side to you?"
"I should be fine." Misaka Mikoto let out a breath, blue sparks of electricity dancing around her. "Be careful, Ruiko. I still haven't properly thanked you yet."
"Well… how about a milk tea set from the cat-ear café as thanks?" Ruiko pulled down her hat and smiled softly. "If it's from you, it'll taste even better."
"Then… it's a deal!"
The moment the words left her mouth, Misaka Mikoto and Saten Ruiko shot forward, splitting left and right.
"They're coming! They're coming!"
"Open fire! Open fire!"
Panic-filled shouts came through the walkie-talkies.
Ratatatat.
Dark orange energy bullets poured out, forming a web of overlapping fire aimed at Mikoto and Ruiko.
The squad moved quickly and without hesitation. But it didn't matter—they were wasting their efforts.
Misaka Mikoto's electricity easily shattered the energy bullets. And Ruiko's Shunpo made her move like a ghost. Before the bullets even got near her, she had already vanished from their sight.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
One muffled crash after another. One after another, the soldiers in battle gear dropped to the ground.
Two minutes.
It only took two minutes for this elite high-tech unit to be completely wiped out.
"That's it?" Mikoto looked around at the people knocked out all over the place and brushed back her messy bangs. "That was pretty easy."
"If only it really were that easy." Ruiko shook her head and looked toward a shadowy corner. "You've been watching all this time. Still not coming out?"
Whoosh.
As soon as the words were spoken, a blast of black dark matter suddenly shot toward her.
Almost like she expected it, Ruiko reached behind her, grabbed the small sword on her back, and swung it in a wide slash. With a loud "bang," the dark matter energy was sliced clean in half and crashed to the ground.
"Oh?" A surprised voice came from the shadows, and a figure in a dark red casual suit slowly appeared. "You actually managed to cut that? Impressive."
"Who the hell are you?" Misaka Mikoto frowned, eyes full of caution.
"Kakine Teitoku?" At that moment, Mugino Shizuri and the others came running out of the lab. When they saw who it was, shock showed on their faces. "Why are you here?"
"Oh, it's the Fourth Ranked," Kakine gave her a sideways glance and said calmly, "You should already know why I'm here, shouldn't you?"
Mugino froze, frowning. "Orders from the top?"
"Bingo." Kakine grinned, his smile sly like a fox. "Looks like the big shots think you're useless. Otherwise, they wouldn't have sent me to take over your mission."
Damn it, this bastard!
Mugino was furious at the insult, but couldn't find anything to say back. Worse yet, she knew she wasn't strong enough to beat him.
"Take over her mission?" Ruiko suddenly spoke, her tone amused. "So you're saying the higher-ups trust you that much? I don't think so. If they really trusted you… why would they send the Number One too?"
"Number One?" Kakine's eyes widened, full of disbelief. "No way!"
Saten Ruiko ignored him and locked her eyes on the dark alley to the right.
Tap, tap.
Footsteps echoed with a steady rhythm. A white-haired figure slowly walked out.
"Interesting, very interesting. I blocked my signal completely, and you still sensed me?"
Thin, pale, and sickly-looking, Accelerator walked with his hands in his pockets. His red eyes stared straight at Saten Ruiko. "Power not from Academy City, huh? I guess that guy wasn't lying for once."
The "guy" he referred to was the scientist Kikyou-sensei, who had given him the mission.
Accelerator took the job because he thought this unknown power might help improve his analysis and calculation skills.
It's really him?
Mugino trembled slightly and instinctively took two steps back.
No exaggeration—this white-haired bastard was the biggest nightmare she'd ever faced in Academy City. Ever since their encounter half a year ago, she'd kept her distance from him.
To her, Accelerator was a total monster. His power couldn't be countered, and he always acted like rules meant nothing.
"Accelerator, go to hell!" Unlike Mugino, who was frozen with fear, Misaka Mikoto flew into a rage the moment she saw him, completely losing her cool.
Bzzzzt!
A crackling surge of electricity sounded out of nowhere. A blue arc of lightning shot forward like a spear, aiming straight for Accelerator.
Pop.
The lightning slammed into him… but disappeared instantly, like it had been swallowed.
"Oh, it's you."
Accelerator turned his gaze to Mikoto, the corner of his mouth twitching. "What were those dolls called again? Never mind, doesn't matter. Weaklings like you never interested me." As he spoke, he also gave a glance at Kakine and Mugino.
Bastard!
Mikoto clenched her teeth, sparks of electricity crackling all over her body. She wanted nothing more than to drag him down with her.
And it wasn't just her—both Kakine and Mugino looked a little sour too. They knew very well Accelerator's insult wasn't only aimed at Mikoto—it included them too.
"What, pissed off?" Accelerator grinned, his tone full of arrogance. "Go ahead. If you're that mad, come at me together. I don't mind."