Black.
“You know, there’s something I’d wanted to say directly to the man himself if I ever had the chance of meeting him. Well, to be honest, it completely slipped my mind until literally just now, but I remembered when I saw your face. So I’ll just say it now without reservation.”
Saying this, Kuroyoru, with cup still in hand, shut her eyes once.
Then, she opened them.
She told him.
“…Don’t ever fucking think that every person in the world wants to get chummy.”
It happened immediately afterward.
Booom!! With the sound of an explosion, the table was cloven cleanly in two.
Accelerator lightly swung his head to the side.
The cup close to his lips was cut apart just like the table, its liquid contents floating in the air.
Although he was the strongest esper in Academy City, a weakness existed in that he could not utilise his ability without switching on the choker-style electrode switch on his neck. He cannot respond in time to prompt actions.
That was why he dodged once.
However, there was no need to dodge twice.
Just as his empty hand went to the switch at the nape of his neck, the cheap-looking red tea splashed onto his upper body, and was completely repelled. There were no burn marks on Accelerator’s skin. The ‘attack’ released by Kuroyoru which followed met the same fate.
In other words, reflection.
Kuroyoru stood up with great force, as though trying to throw her chair back, and twisted her body with all her might, barely avoiding her own attack. The cup in her hand was cut apart. She dropped the cup handle which remained, and grabbed the vinyl dolphin doll.
Though the red tea, the table, and the opposite seats were all gone, Accelerator continued to sit by himself on his chair.
“…That speech, no, operation pattern…”
“Oooh, did’ja notice? Guess it’s pretty damn obvious. Me being strengthened by a stitched-on part of your calculation patterns and all.”
“The ‘Dark May Project’, huh.”
Accelerator laughed scornfully.
It was one of the inhumane projects that operated in the dark places of Academy City. By analysing the thought patterns of the strongest Level-5 of Academy City and forcibly inserting parts of it into others, the plan attempted to rapidly raise ability levels by reversing the personality’s equilibrium.
“A little bitch who just got a part forced into her, and me, the actual Number One. Are you so stupid that you have to act it out just to see who’s stronger?”
“Keep talking, kid.”
“This is the trigger.”
Accelerator lightly tapped his index finger on the chair’s armrest.
“I stand up, and you die. You gonna let me do it?”
“True, my chances of winning are low if we just beat on each other face-to-face. That’s why you’re being ‘postponed’.”
However, Kuroyoru added,
“…The victory condition of my current battle isn’t one of a face-to-face punch-out.”
” – ”
“Y’know, just because your power’s cut out for breaking things, that doesn’t mean it’s cut out for protecting, right? Just, like, ME – !!”
Shouting, Kuroyoru, carrying the vinyl dolphin doll under one arm, swung her empty hand to the side.
Toward the crowd which had gathered at a distance to watch the sudden disturbance.
At the same time, Accelerator flipped up off the chair.
The attack was similar to the wind.
Accelerator, cutting in between Kuroyoru and the crowd, immediately blew away the attack that was similar to a spear or an arrow.
“That was the trigger.”
The words pierced into her heart like a bullet.
“You just pulled it. Accept your fate.”
Quality ★ Mistranslations 