Curly-haired Guy: He's nuts. This bastard is way too full of himself! I can't take it anymore. I'm gonna punch him!
Scarlet Lotus Fairy: Calm down, you don't have enough points.
Doujin Artist: That's exactly why he dares talk like that. If he had enough points, he'd be the one embarrassed.
Curly-haired Guy: Hah? What's that supposed to mean? I, Sakata Gintoki, a real man, could totally beat up some androgynous freak! Don't look down on me!
Amegakure Village's Angel: "Androgynous freak"? What kind of way is that to describe someone?
Curly-haired Guy: Accelerator's gender hasn't been clear from the start, right? Can't tell if it's a guy or girl, so "androgynous" fits.
Doujin Artist: …Actually, that kinda makes sense?
"Pfft!"
Watching the comments fly past the screen, Saten Ruiko couldn't help but laugh. In this tense standoff, her laugh stood out so much that everyone turned to look at her.
"What are you laughing at?" Accelerator asked with a frown.
"Oh, nothing. Just thought of something funny." Saten Ruiko looked at him with a strange expression, her eyes scanning him up and down like they could see right through him.
Honestly, just from looks alone, you really couldn't tell the real gender of this white-haired kid. Calling them androgynous actually kind of fits.
Accelerator didn't like the way she was staring at him like some kind of lab animal. His face twisted with irritation. "If that's how it is, then let me make you even *happier*!" He raised his right foot and lightly tapped the ground.
Boom.
The ground within tens of meters around him shattered and floated into the air, turning into countless chunks of rock.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh.
With a casual wave of his arm, all those rocks shot out like bullets from a cannon, raining down on everyone nearby.
That's right, he wasn't just targeting Ruiko. He made sure *everyone* got a taste.
Boom boom boom.
A deafening explosion rang out as a huge cloud of dust filled the air.
"Cough cough… damn it." Mugino Shizuri staggered out of the dust, looking angry. "That psycho really is different from normal people."
Her pretty face was covered in dirt, and there was a red bump on her forehead—she got hit by a flying rock she didn't manage to dodge.
"What now? Looks like we can't even join the fight at this point," said Frenda, who was next to her.
Frenda had stayed completely behind Mugino just now, using her small size to hide, so she came out without a scratch.
Mugino stared into the dusty area ahead and said in a low voice, "Let's back off for now and look for a chance to move."
Honestly, she knew full well that retreating was the smart move here. With Accelerator showing up, their mission was basically impossible now.
But when she thought about that girl who had caught her interest, she still didn't choose to leave.
"Hehehe, not bad at all." A creepy laugh echoed as Accelerator stared ahead with red eyes. "Even in that mess, you still managed to dodge with someone else in tow."
As he spoke, the dust began to clear.
Ruiko appeared, holding Misaka Mikoto in her arms. The cap that was on her head had fallen off, revealing her young, fair face.
Ignoring Accelerator, Saten Ruiko looked down at Mikoto. "You okay?"
"I-I'm fine." Mikoto's cheeks turned a little red. She realized she was being carried like a princess in Ruiko's arms. It felt super weird. "Put me down, okay?"
Thud.
As her feet touched the ground, Mikoto noticed Ruiko's hand was badly bruised. It must've been from protecting her. For some reason, her eyes started to water.
This whole scene was being watched by everyone in the livestream.
Amegakure Village's Angel: Is she crying?
Shark-Faced Guy: Maybe she was really moved?
Curly-haired Guy: This… this is totally like being won over, right? Misaka's totally been won over by Ruiko-chan, hasn't she?
Doujin Artist: Amazing, Ruiko-chan! Wait, no, we can't just call her Ruiko-chan anymore! From now on, we call her Lord Tears! Lord Tears is the best!
Reading the messages in the stream, Saten Ruiko's mouth twitched hard. She quickly typed back: Cut it out already! "Lord Tears" sounds way too weird! And what do you mean by "won over"?! Mikoto and I are just friends, okay?
This is an Actor: "Just friends"… might be *your* view. But it's not just Misaka Mikoto—even Mugino Shizuri seems interested in our dear Lord Tears. Otherwise, she would've left already.
Doujin Artist: Whoa, not just the third-ranked one? She even got the fourth-ranked too? And don't forget, she's got that little puppy Uiharu back home. Lord Tears is a natural-born legend!
Scarlet Lotus Fairy: Lord Tears' charm is just unstoppable.
Curly-haired Guy: Lord Tears, please take me with you!
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: Anzen-san, all of you…
She regretted everything. Why did she even start this livestream? This wasn't a stream—it was public humiliation!
Amegakure Village's Angel: Don't worry about us. Focus on the battlefield in front of you.
Like hell I can ignore you guys!
Ruiko cursed in her head but still looked calm on the outside.
Whoosh.
A sharp sound cut through the air behind her. Ruiko twisted her body just in time, dodging a dark spear-like thing that stabbed into the ground right next to her face.
"Tch. You even dodged that?" Kakine Teitoku clicked his tongue, floating in midair. "Would've been better if you just let me take you out. It'd hurt less."
"Trash. Who gave you permission to touch *my* prey?" Accelerator stared at him, his expression ice cold.
"Don't act like you're the only one who matters, Accelerator," Kakine Teitoku said calmly, not backing down at all. "The higher-ups didn't say you had to be the one to finish the job. Let's just see who gets it done first."
He didn't want to fight Accelerator, but he wasn't really afraid of him either. If it came to a fight, maybe he'd lose—but he was pretty sure he could get away.
"A target, huh? You two really think you've got me all figured out?" Saten Ruiko took a breath and lifted her chin. "In the end, you're just the strongest inside this city's bubble. You have no idea how small your world really is."