Chapter 3: A Certain Misaka's Final Signal. Part 2

August 31, 8:12pm 45 seconds

The two of them were only about 4m away from each other. The bullet couldn't possibly miss.

"Ugh!?"

Right now, Accelerator was concentrating all his power on Last Order's brain signal, so he didn't even have time to 'redirect'. If he decided to multitask in his 'redirecting', he wouldn't be able to accurately manipulate the electrical signals that were as fine as the microbits in an electron microscope image, and Last Order's brain would be wrecked.

There were only 7,001 process codes left.

There were only 9 windows.

The assignment wasn't complete, and time gradually started to slow down.

Amai definitely didn't understand what Accelerator was doing now. But to Amai, the fact that this monster called Accelerator was touching Last Order, who mustn't die was enough to make him panic.

"Don't...you stop me!"

Bubbles foamed out of Amai Ao's mouth, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Right now, he seemed to be unable to tell that it was stupid to aim a gun at Accelerator.

But right now, Accelerator didn't have enough power to 'redirect'. In this situation, he was unable to do anything.

Once that little bullet was fired, it would take Accelerator's life away.

Get that hand away from Last Order's head! His basic instincts were telling him. Restart the 'redirection'! It continued to tell him. It was true that he would definitely be saved. Not even a nuclear missile could scratch him, let alone a pistol.

August 31, 8:12pm 58 seconds

However, he was still unable to take his hand away from Last Order's head.

It was impossible.

There were only 102 processes and one warning window left.

"Don't...sto—GYAAHH!!" Amai Ao screamed, trembling as he held the pistol aimed at Accelerator.

There was no way for him to dodge it.

Accelerator could only remain stunned as he stared at the finger placed on the trigger.

The clear and crisp sound of the gun firing rang out.

Before the sound reached his ears, a strong hammer-like impact hit Accelerator's forehead. The strong force that his head took caused him to arch backwards. His neck let out a terrifying sound. His body was unable to withstand the impact as it floated into the air.

But he still didn't let go.

Nor would he ever let go.

"Error: Break code No.000,001 to No. 357,081 superintendent codes are terminated due to incorrect processing. Serial no. 20,001 will restart as per normal."

With the last electronic sound, the last warning window disappeared. Hearing the familiar talking sound of that girl, Accelerator understood that he managed to overwrite the dangerous process with that hand of his.

His hand was gradually losing strength. The body that was forced upwards by the power of the bullet impact slowly left the warm girl.

While in mid air, Accelerator stretched his hand out.

But his fingers were unable to touch the girl.

No matter how much he prayed, he wouldn't be able to fulfill any wish.

No matter how much he desperately tried to look, all of it would slip between his fingers.

(Really, to think that up till now, my thinking was still so naive--)

His vision got blurry due to the speed, but there was no chance of recovering before it turned black. He landed hard on the ground as if he had just fell into Hell. His blurry consciousness started to erode, and his thoughts started to spiral into darkness.

(--I actually thought that I could start anew if I just saved someone...)

August 31, 8:13pm

"...Did I get him? Why? Ha, haha, why...why am I still alive?"

Amai Ao was holding onto the semi-automatic pistol that was giving off white smoke, and sank into a daze.

The bullet hit the center of Accelerator's forehead, and he flew back by 1m, his head facing up as he landed on the ground. His forehead was cracked apart and fresh blood oozed out.

For some reason, Accelerator hadn't used the 'redirection'. If so, since his head was hit by the military grade 9mm bullet, he couldn't possibly have survived. Also, what Amai had used wasn't any ordinary bullet, but an experimental type from Academy City.

An impact bullet.

This unique bullet was able to use the air resistance on the bullet through the unique 'groove' on the bullet and create a 'shockwave gun'. The 'gun' would follow the bullet from behind and strike it. Creating a 'groove' on the bullet would increase the damage of the bullet by 5 to 10 times. The 'groove' that was created on the lead bullet would melt due to the air resistance. Even if the bullet head was taken by the enemy, they wouldn't be able to understand the trick behind it. It could be said to be killing two birds with one stone. It was the unique bullet they were enthusiastically studying to take on espers if they revolted.

The wound on Accelerator's head was caused by 2 consecutive impacts, once from the bullet and once from the air gun.

"He should be dead now. Ah! Last Order! My virus!"

Amai Ao looked away from the corpse collapsed on the road and turned to look at the girl that had lost consciousness in the passenger seat. It would be over if the virus hadn't activated. He would be the hunted target of both Academy City and the opposing force.

The girl lay weakly in the chair, her lips unable to move.

Her small mouth started to speak,

"Error: Break code No.000,001 to No. 357,081 superintendent codes are terminated due to incorrect processing. Serial no. 20,001 will restart as per normal."

Amai felt as though all the water in his body spurt out as sweat.

If the virus had activated, Last Order's heart should have automatically stopped and she should have died after she sent out the command to 'use weapons and esper abilities to kill all the humans that got in contact with you' to all the 10,000 Sisters. This was to prevent others from retracting the order.

But Last Order was still alive.

The virus hadn't activated. Amai Ao was clear about what that meant.

Though he knew it, he was still unable to accept it.

2 steps, 3 steps, Amai staggered backwards.

"Ha,ah,haha, uha...ha, AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Amai Ao cried out in despair, raising the pistol at the person who made his own life a living hell.

The girl who was asleep in the passenger seat.

Amai pointed the pistol at her slightly beating chest as his finger was placed on her chest. Once this finger pulled back slightly, the unique bullet impact head would break that petite body into pieces. He didn't care where he would fire or how many bullets would he shoot, he just wanted to use up all the bullets. Thus, he squeezed the trigger.

The explosion of the pistol could be heard.

But the bullet didn't pierce through the girl.

"--Do you think I'll let you do that? You damned bastard!?"

The corpse climbed up again.

Fresh blood continued to pour out from the wound on his forehead. The boy reached his hand out and blocked the barrel of Amai's pistol. The bullet that had been 'redirected' accurately flew back into the pistol, causing it to explode from within. The hand that was holding onto the pistol was wrecked.

(Damn it! Wasn't he hit by the special bullet? Why is he still alive?)

The 'impact bullet head' was a modern weapon that used the special grooves carved onto the bullet and air resistance, creating a shockwave gun. Nobody that got hit directly in the head by that bullet would be able to survive.

But Amai made a mistake.

As this unique bullet converted the air resistance into a shockwave gun, the bullet speed would be burned by the air resistance, so the bullet would move forward like an open parachute.

The shockwave that was created followed the bullet, but it would be slightly slower. Though it was just a marginal error of 0.4 seconds, Accelerator had managed to finish the final treatment on Last Order and restart his 'redirection' at the last second.

Although the bullet with depleted speed managed to hit Accelerator on the head, he had blocked the remaining fatal impact.

But Amai Ao didn't know about that. The scene in front of him was like a nightmare.

Amai's remaining working hand, the left one, pulled out another pistol. However, he had never trained to hold a pistol with the weaker left hand, let alone shoot with it. He couldn't even prevent the weight of the pistol from causing him to tremble. Besides, Accelerator was a monster who had still managed to stand up even with a bullet in his head, so it was normal for his left hand to be trembling.

Accelerator was standing in front of Amai Ao.

He seemed to be protecting the delicate Last Order behind him, not caring about the blood that flowed down his forehead, not caring about his trembling legs, not caring that his eyes couldn't see the target clearly.

He just glared at Amai's gun.

Seeing Accelerator like this, the researcher in a white lab coat laughed.

Knowing that he was at a disadvantage, he still laughed as he gave up hope.

"Ha! What are you know? Can someone like you actually change something?"

"...I know. It's really stupid for scum like me to save others. I'm too naïve that even I think that it's funny."

If he saved others, he might be saved.

At first glance, it was a noble idea, but basically, it was just a thought that was thought just for himself. Those that used others' lives for their own benefit couldn't be called kind people. Such people had no right to be saved.

Basically, this world was full of people that were a lost cause. The naïve yet unkind Yoshikawa Kikyou, the man who had shot at the people who protected him without hesitation, Amai Ao, and the person who insisted that human life was precious after killing 10,000 people, Accelerator.

The people who lived on this corrupted world still wanted to ask for help from others, and that was unforgivable. Those who tried to save others were the dumber lot in the world.

Accelerator understood this clearly.

It was because he was a person of this world that he could understand it.

"However,"

He said this as if he was trying to deny everything.

"This kid here is innocent."

Accelerator smiled.

Fresh blood continued to gush out of the wound on his forehead, but he still smiled and said

"Even if we're the worst scum, trash that has no right to ask others for help--"

Some of the blood seeped into Accelerator's left eye.

His vision was becoming red.

Even so, he exerted all his strength into his legs that could buckle at any moment.

"But that's still no reason not to save this brat, right? DOES IT MEAN THAT WE CAN TRAMPLE ON WHAT THIS BRAT HAS JUST BECAUSE WE'RE SCUM!?"

His vision bloodied, Accelerator shouted.

He knew that it was hypocritical of himself, and how thick-skinned it was. Every word he had said could be used right back at him.

But he still shouted.

Did it mean that those without the right to save shouldn't save others?

Should the hand of a girl that was extended out be scoffed away?

What did the girl do?

What did she do to be rejected just like that?

"Damn it, isn't...that simple?"

He muttered, seemingly to himself.

Last Order had to be saved. Unlike Accelerator and Amai, she still had a chance to be saved.

It didn't matter who saved her.

That wasn't the problem. Someone had to give a helping hand to her, no matter who it was, or she would really die. It was just that simple.

Accelerator could roughly understand it. He could roughly understand the Level 0's feelings when he had gone in to stop that 'experiment'. No reason, no aim, he just stepped up to save the injured Sisters. On first glance, that person seemed to be a natural hero, one who lived in a world different from him, but this wasn't the case.

There was no such thing as a lead character in this world, there weren't those heroes who were conveniently available for use. Nobody could get help by shutting their mouths, and they may not get help even if they asked for it.

But if one didn't want to lose something important, not because of such a laughable reason that 'nobody helped even after we waited for so long', that person had to be the hero.

No matter how forced that was, how overconfident and how shameless he was,

He had to use his own hands to protect the things most precious to him.

The world was merciless; there weren't naturally born heroes.

So the bystanders had to step up,

And put up a performance worthy of a hero.

"THAT'S RIGHT, I KILLED OVER 10,000 OF THE SISTERS, BUT THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT I SHOULD JUST LEAVE THE REMAINING 10,000 TO DIE. I KNOW THAT THESE WORDS ARE HYPOCRITICAL, I KNOW THAT I HAVE NO RIGHT TO SAY SUCH WORDS, BUT NO MATTER HOW MUCH OF A SCUMBAG WE ARE, NO MATTER HOW MANY EXCUSES WE PUT FORWARD, THOSE CAN'T BE THE REASONS TO KILL THIS BRAT!!!"

Accelerator's legs buckled.

The blood continued to ooze out of his wound.

But he couldn't collapse now.

Definitely not.

"...Gy...AAHHH!!"

Accelerator crouched his body down and jumped at the speed of a bullet at Amai. It seemed like Accelerator had an overwhelming advantage, but the one in danger was himself. He definitely couldn't let the battle drag on. If he didn't end it in one hit, Accelerator would lose consciousness. And also, even though he knew that he had to settle it quickly, he didn't have enough power to use stronger attacks. It couldn't be helped; Accelerator could only choose the simplest way of attack, and that was to close in to the shortest distance.

Amai seemed to know this, as he decided to only defend and not attack. Facing Accelerator, who jumped forward at the speed of a cannon, he knew that he would be caught if he backtracked. With this in mind, he jumped sideways. At that moment, the devil's claw glided past where he had been.

Accelerator turned his eyes to the left.

No, he tried to move over, but his legs buckled and lost balance. Accelerator tried to stand firm, but his legs weren't obeying. The pain of the wound on his forehead suddenly got worse, and the next moment, he lost all sense of pain. He heard the sound of collapsing, and at that moment, he realised that he was on the ground.

The horizontal world of vision showed a girl's figure. The girl that he had tried so hard to protect.

He seemed to be thinking about something, but his consciousness was swallowed by the vast darkness.

August 31, 8:38pm

For quite some time, Amai Ao couldn't believe that he was still alive.

He stared at Accelerator, who had been collapsed on the street for a long time, before stretching his hand out to wipe the sweat off his forehead.

(I'm, still alive...haha, I actually survived...)

He laughed weakly, and then prodded the collapsed Accelerator's head with his finger.

(...There's no 'redirection'. Though it's really inappropriate to kill this monster personally, if I let him stand up again, I won't be able to escape next time.)

Amai Ao aimed the pistol at Accelerator's head.

BAM! The crisp gunshot sound could be heard. The killing sound didn't sound much different from a pop being pulled.

"..."

Amai Ao frowned.

The gunshot hadn't come from his pistol.

Amai felt a sizzling hot feeling from his waist that seemed like someone had opened a hole and poured molten lead into it. He could only turn around slowly, because he was unable to do anything else.

Slightly further away was a used antique car. It was so old that one may have questioned the owner's taste as it opened. A woman in a white lab coat got out. The woman was holding onto a pistol that was not much different from a toy, as it could only hold 2 bullets.

The pistol in the woman's hand was smoking.

"Yoshikawa...Kikyou."

Amai squeezed out his voice with all his strength. The lab coat wearing woman didn't respond.

August 31 8:53pm.

Amai collapsed onto the ground.

He shook his head to recover his vision that was flickering out all of a sudden, before finally recovering. It seemed like he had passed out, but Amai didn't know how long he had been passed out for, a few seconds, a few minutes or many minutes.

A woman in a white lab coat was standing in front of him.

Yoshikawa Kikyou.

Her back was facing Amai as her antique car's luggage compartment was open. She seemed to be operating on some machine. There was a device in the car that Amai was extremely familiar with. It was an incubator.

(Ugh...)

Amai twisted his trembling neck and turned to look at his own car. Last Order, who had been in the passenger seat, was long gone. It seemed like she had been placed in the cylindrical incubator, but his view was blocked by Yoshikawa who was working, so Amai couldn't tell.

He tried to stand up, but his body couldn't follow what he wanted. He tried raising the Italian military pistol with a trembling hand.

At that moment, Yoshikawa turned around.

The work seemed to be over as she closed the luggage compartment up, and aimed her pistol at Amai. Yoshikawa seemed to be smiling, as she raised her pistol and slowly walked towards Amai.

"I'm sorry, it seems like I'm too naive. Not kind, but naive. I didn't have the guts to shoot at your vitals, but I didn't dare to let you escape. I ended up increasing your pain. Perhaps this naive method was the most cruel choice."

"How did you, find me here...?"

"The GPS function of the mobile phone. It's quite the old technology, isn't it? Haven't you realised it? That child's phone is still on the line."

Yoshikawa stared at Accelerator with a motherly look and said,

"I could roughly hear what happened around here through the phone. But at least there's no commotion 'outside'."

Amai's hand was trembling even more. The numbness spread to his fingers as if he had buried his hand in snow for a long time. The finger that was on the trigger continued to tremble, and the metal parts of the pistol could be heard rattling against each other lightly.

"Ah, don't worry about that child. I know of a doctor who's really good. Though that doctor looks like a frog and doesn't look to be really amazing, but he has the nickname 'Heaven Canceller', and I believe that he can cure that child."

The sound of an ambulance from afar was becoming closer. Maybe she had called for an ambulance before she shot, and even designated the hospital.

Yoshikawa looked at the pistol that could fire at anytime, not stopping as she walked forward.

It seemed like she practically ignored her own safety.

She had come there to protect these children. Ever since the 'experiment' had failed, everyone wanted to push the responsibility to others, but she seemed to have forgotten about protecting herself. Facing the pistol that could fire at anytime, she didn't feel fear at all. She had only one goal, and that was to return the children that were involved in the 'experiment' to the world they should be in.

Was it really just being naive? Couldn't this be considered kindness?"

"...Why?"

Amai squeezed his voice out,

"I don't understand. This isn't like you. You can't possibly do this. You always measure up the probability of chance and risks. Is the chance presented by this act enough to topple that balance in your heart?"

"If I have to answer, I'll say that I hate to use this method of thought. I don't want to see myself succeed like this. But ever since I was little, I've had a wish. Even if it's just once, I just wanted to do something really kind and not just naive."

Yoshikawa Kikyou gave a lonely smile as she walked forward.

Both of them were less than 3m apart from each other.

"Actually, I never wanted to be a researcher."

Yoshikawa added on, mocking herself,

"Unbelievable, isn't it?"

Hearing this, Amai Ao was extremely surprised, for he knew that Yoshikawa was really talented.

"I wanted to be a school teacher. But I didn't want to have that kind of inflexible position of being a lecturer or a professor. I wanted to remember every single student's face, and for every student to come to me if they had any problems. I wanted to run around for a student, not asking for any favours in return. To always smile and act strong, yet cry out loud during a graduation ceremony and get ridiculed by my students. I just wanted to be a kind teacher. Of course, I understand that someone naive yet unkind like me has no right to teach others anything, so I've already given up on that."

Yoshikawa smiled.

Both of them were only 1m away. At that moment, Yoshikawa knelt on one leg. She wanted to make herself reach Amai's level, who was sitting down on the ground, making sure that their eyes were at the same height, as if she was talking to a child.

"However, I thought, I won't be able to give it up completely. Just once, I want to do something really kind, and not just naive. Like a teacher, I want to run about for a child."

Yoshikawa said firmly,

"That's simply it."

Both of their pistols were pressed at each other's chest.

Actually, she knew that Accelerator was unable to return to the ordinary world. The fact that he had killed 10,000 Sisters remained, and that may not have been all there was to it. Although he had tremendous power, the wielder of that power had an unstable heart. If he was not careful, he could end up causing much more damage to humanity.

But Yoshikawa Kikyou still earnestly prayed.

The strongest esper whose real name no one remembered bet his own life to save a girl, and was even willing to take a bullet to the head. The boy knew that he wouldn't be able to live together with that girl, knowing that that girl who was living under the sunlight wouldn't have any reason to be with him, but he never gave up. No matter what, the boy wouldn't give the girl up. Until the end, the boy chose the kind option, and not to protect himself.

He knew that it was too late, but the boy had finally realised that he could have a choice.

The boy understood the significance of protecting others with his own hands.

Yoshikawa wanted to protect that kindness in the boy's heart.

Yoshikawa was unable to accept that the results of that kind action would be such a cruel ending.

"It's over, Amai Ao."

The two people put their fingers on the triggers of the pistols that were pressed onto each other's chest.

"You should be afraid of dying alone. If you want to drag someone down, bring me along. No matter what, I won't allow you to do anything to those children. This is my once in a lifetime request of kindness."

"Humph."

Amai chuckled.

Since Academy City and the opposing force wouldn't accept him, he had no hope for the future.

"It seems like 'kindness' doesn't fit you."

He happily muttered. The force of their fingers were exerted on the triggers.

"Right now, you can be called 'strong'."

The two shots hit each other's chest.

The bullets pierced through their bodies and flew out from Amai and Yoshikawa's backs.

August 31 8:57pm.

END