Yes - he was never the type to despair because of the disparity in power.
The real despair in this world is seeing something become extinct and then developing the mentality that "there is no way I can surpass him".
Only when this kind of psychological distraction appeared did he, Accelerator, fail completely.
But ah -- but!!!
Compared to those weaknesses and absurdities, the emotion swirling in the boy's heart at this moment is a burning torrent.
It is a raging beast.
It is the awareness of seeing a giant dragon with its head bowed and looking down, yet still standing proudly like a brave man.
"I'm sure you would think so, Kamijou Touma…"
Chanting softly the name that had changed his destiny so many times, Academy City's strongest esper lowered his eyes. His gaze, which had not been honed by fear but had become even sharper, pushed through layer after layer of the spreading fog and went straight to the figure in front of him who was chatting with the silver-haired nun.
The excited expression and the surging emotions can be felt even from a distance by the protagonist in the edited footage.
He...was not frightened by the sight either.
In other words, he seemed more motivated to win and wanted to save the world.
At this moment, the video is still moving forward.
At this moment, leaders from all over the world who are rushing to gather in the hope of finding a strategy to counter the demon god still don't know.
In the upcoming screen——
They appear one by one...
As the sound from the TV rang out, Kamijou Touma's head became dizzy.
What do these sentences mean?
I totally don't understand.
According to Levinia Birdway, in order to launch a general attack on the base of the troublemakers, many forces such as the English Puritan Church, the Roman Orthodox Church, the United States of America, and France formed a coalition and waited for the opportunity to come. Since the real sea graveyard is determined to be in Tokyo Bay, Japan, they may have already fought with the demon god Othinus.
But how do we connect to this kind of news?
Kamijou stared blankly at the TV news, which seemed even more far away from reality than a war in a faraway country.
Even though it all seemed like a bad joke, he could smell something burning.
Moreover, this is a strange single-family house with damaged roof and walls.
Kamijou turned his stiff neck and turned his gaze from the broken dormitory wall to the night street.
Although there was an orange glow outside, it was definitely not a night scene.
Large swathes of streets were without power.
The things burning in front of us are huge flames spread to burn humans.
"…"
The broadcast screen cut to another place.
It seemed to be a press conference, with a lot of flashes shining on the person standing in the center.
U.S. President Robert Cartrell puffed out his chest and said:
"I will not elaborate on this. After all, everyone knows that there is no room for discussion. The Japanese government not only approved Kamijou Touma's hiding and staying, but also concealed this fact for a long time. This is a complete insult to the people who hope for the stability and peace of the international community beyond the framework of the country."
"What…is going on…?"
Even though it was impossible for him not to have heard it, Kamijou couldn't help but mutter to himself.
A familiar face was making a statement with an expression I had never seen before.
"This action has caused a lot of trouble for everyone in Japan, especially those who actually live in the city. Although there is no doubt about this, we will never stop until we clearly and surely confirm that Kamijou Touma is dead. Those who advocate pacifism should also know this. For the sake of true peace, we must eradicate that demon in our generation, at this moment!"
Strangely, the voice of the simultaneous interpreter was extremely bland compared to the president's expression and tone, as if he was reading out a list of people to be shot next.
"Even though everyone has polarized opinions about this matter right now, historians a hundred years from now will surely applaud us. If we don't catch Kamijou Touma here and let him hide in a corner of the vast world again, there will only be ruins and corpses left a hundred years from now! At this moment, we will follow the kindness of the people on Earth and definitely get rid of him!"
Thunderous applause broke out.
Kamijou couldn't keep up with the sight of the world going wild over the president's speech. He suspected that if a label like that was put on, even if it said "Eggs are only 98 yen a box, limited to one per person," it would bring tears to these guys' eyes.
He already has.
I don't know where to start.
Although this was like being on a sinking ship, and anyone could see at a glance that the holes in the bottom of the ship had to be patched up immediately, there were too many holes. There was no time to even think about "blocking them one by one in order", and all he could do was stare helplessly at the scene of destruction.
at last.
Kamijou deliberately ignored the "essence" and forcibly overturned the premise in an attempt to calm himself down.
(Is this part of the intelligence war…? For example, they want to deceive the "troublemakers" and lure them to a certain place. If not, there is no reason to spread such false information…)
Just as he was thinking this.
"Oh."
Suddenly.
New voices slid into the dormitory with collapsed walls.
Shocked, Kamijou turned around and saw a girl leaning against the wall with her arms folded.
A witch-like hat and cape, a leather garment that restrains the body, and an eyepatch that covers one eye. These are the things that symbolize the character's appearance.
No. Is it really okay to classify her as a "person"?
"Demon God…Othinus…!"
"The world is very excited."
The girl standing in the realm of "God" was playing with the TV remote control in her hand, switching channels at will. This action seemed to be killing time after dinner, but the images that appeared on the screen one after another were so shocking that people's hearts almost stopped.
In one of the programs, an important figure in Russian Orthodox Church preached to the audience in front of a solemn cathedral.
"...Please pray for this day. Although God respects the free will of mankind, he will not condone mistakes. Mistakes must be corrected. Mistakes - the existence named Kamijou Touma, who took advantage of the freedom given by God to mankind, is a thing similar to mud. God is testing our self-purification ability."
In other programs, the Queen of England sat in the reception room of the palace and talked with people from the TV station.
"Although this is an extremely special case, since it is a fight for honor, we will naturally respond. Having said that, it is quite rare to be so evil these days. Recently, even the mafia and gang members have advocated doing good deeds. It is an honor to be able to serve as the dragon-slaying hero in storybooks and fairy tales in such an era."
"Has the engine heater finally stopped? The whole world is boiling. After all, it can be felt now that this carnival will not stop until Kamijou Touma's head is found in the rubble. But I am surprised that no one has used nuclear weapons in such a desperate situation. Perhaps this is also to confirm the death."
"…What did you do?"
Kamijou spoke while trying to move his trembling lips.
The voice then turned into shouting.
"What on earth have you done to them? Normally, they wouldn't turn their attention away from you!"
"Hey, hey, hey, do you suspect that I threatened those guys to put you on the wanted list? Those guys would never agree to such an unreasonable request. They would definitely refuse on the spot and die miserably in my hands. You are very clear about this, right?"
"…"
"To be honest, the 'continuity of the world' is no longer relevant. The world has already ended once. Alas... I made sure you saw it with your own eyes, are you saying you forgot? This is not a dream that will end sooner or later, nor is it a worthless illusion. This is the world as it is now, arranged by a god like me. You can escape, but if you don't deal with that thing called 'reality', there will only be one outcome."
The demon god leaning against the wall shrugged and said.
"If you continue like this, you will definitely die."
Zika! A blinding light shone in from outside.
Looks like a powerful flashlight.
Kamijou looked around the ruined dormitory again, feeling a little dazed, and found that Othinus had disappeared without a trace.
Instead, there were several rude voices coming from outside.
"Hey, I did hear the TV. And it wasn't the Iseg (a digital TV service in Japan that is received by mobile phones and other mobile devices) used in emergencies. In order to make the battery last longer, that kind of thing should be set so that the volume cannot be turned up."
"But the power is out in this area. I guess we can't use large TVs or anything like that, right?"
"It means there is another way. Maybe someone is hiding here. Let's go and check it out. If it's 'that guy', it will be big news."
Kamijou broke out in a cold sweat.
Although this dilapidated dormitory was probably on the second floor, even if I stayed here, I could still hear the sound of someone breaking into the room. And it wasn't something like "turning the doorknob with a rattling sound" or "kicking the door open" that anyone could have guessed.
Glass.
The man smashed the glass without hesitation, and the sharp sound pierced Kamijou's eardrums.
"...!"
Common sense cannot be applied to the other party.
However, is this limited to the "crazy group" that broke into other people's homes at this moment?
The fact that the streets were burning was already unusual.
By the way, where is the original owner of this room? Is the penguin doll owner who abandoned this dilapidated dormitory still safe?
Everything will have to wait until we get through this safely.
Even if people were crazy and the times were crazy, Kamijou didn't think he could communicate well with someone who would break the glass of someone else's house and get in. Besides, he didn't know what the devil Othinus had done, and even the people on TV looked weird. Although he didn't know who the person was, it probably wouldn't be a good thing to run into him in a place like this.
He switched his thinking mode.
Adapt to the situation in order to survive.
(…If the house is small, there will only be one staircase. If you walk out along the path normally, you will most likely run into them on the way. Escaping by the shortest and fastest route will have the opposite effect. Even if you want to escape, you have to survive this first. This is the only way.)
Kamijou instinctively looked at the door of the dilapidated dormitory. Since this was inside the house, there was no lock or anything like that. Although he could use the chairs and other objects in the house to block the door, it would only backfire. The guy who broke in would surely check every room, so in this case, there was no need to think about what he would think when he saw a door that was blocked unnaturally.
(Hide under the bed? Or in the closet? That won't work either. The safer the place, the easier it is to search first. If you want to think the other way around, you have to pick a place that's only a hair's breadth away. For example, behind a door, which is almost as close to suicide as a place can get. This kind of place will be beyond their predictable range, and they can hide in a psychological blind spot.)
There was a clattering sound from the other side of the thin floor.
Kamijou exhaled slowly, trying to suppress his overwhelming nervousness.
(The exit is the door... and the collapsed wall?)
He approached the wall carefully, trying to avoid making any noise. It was not so much a big hole as the entire wall was gone. It seemed that there was a metal balcony connecting several rooms... But the balcony, like the outer wall, had moved away from its original position along with the pillars. On the wasteland that should have been a courtyard, the remains of the balcony could be seen, reduced to iron filings.
There was dirt below. Although I wouldn't die if I jumped down from the second floor, the debris of the wall and balcony would be a hindrance. If I twisted my foot when I landed, the guy wandering around in the house would probably catch up with me.
(The remains of the curtains should work as a rope. Once you've avoided those guys, go down to the courtyard from the balcony while they're searching the second floor. As long as they don't have crossbows or guns, you should be able to pass this level.)
Kamijou, who had only outlined the plan, leaned against the wall to hide behind the open door.
(Anyone will do. Be it Index or Misaka... We need to meet up with someone who should know what happened...)
That was his original plan.
But that's too naive.
Kamijou realized something was wrong because the footsteps coming from the first floor were different from what he expected and they never went up to the second floor.
At the same time, he smelled a burning smell.
Although the smell was already faintly detectable, this time the concentration was clearly different.
When he heard the sound of something popping, Kamijou finally realized that danger was imminent.
(Those guys! They didn't come in to search, they came in to light a fire and force the people out…!)
Predictions are meaningless.
This behavior is spreading around the world as a matter of course.
If you stay here any longer, you will be roasted. If you rush out coughing, you will be arrested immediately.
There is no such thing as a "proper solution".
To survive.
To understand why it became like this.
We have no choice but to resort to more unreasonable methods.
./.....
There is no doubt that the world is changing as the montage continues.
It seems that the situation has changed from saving the world to fighting terrorism and five-star manhunt.
And the most terrifying thing is——To put it bluntly, there is no roof here at all.
The side of the four walls facing the street has completely collapsed.
A burning smell filled the room, which was littered with rubble.
Judging from the twinkling stars in the sky above, it should be night, but the scenery on the other side of the collapsed wall is strangely bright. There is a faint orange glow on the other side of the horizon, as if the sun is about to set.
(What on earth was that "pitch-black world" just now? Was it a dream...???)
There's no way to be sure.
No confidence at all.
Even the situation of "sleeping in a damaged house" does not feel real. If Kamijou is asked which one is a dream, "what happened before" or "himself in this place", he cannot answer.
(Speaking of which, exactly, is this place? Where is the "Troublemaker"? Where is the "Sea Cemetery"? This doesn't seem to be an Academy City with a bunch of student dormitories. Could it be somewhere in the 23rd District...?)
The possibility he could think of was that he had a conflict with the demon god Othinus in the "cemetery at sea" in Tokyo Bay and lost consciousness as a result.
Although I have no memory, the current situation does not allow me to expect any results.
Index, Misaka Mikoto, Reisa, and Perdway. These companions who went to the "cemetery at sea" together probably helped the unconscious Kamijou to retreat somewhere. If so, the person who brought Kamijou here should be nearby. Instead of running around, it would be better to stay here and wait for someone to meet up.
...Is it okay to think this way?
Beads of sweat appeared on Kamijou's face, making him feel uncomfortable.
There was no way he could have come to this residential area from Tokyo Bay alone. There was no reason for a hostile "troublemaker" to leave Kamijou lying unconscious. There was no point in someone who had nothing to do with Kamijou suddenly intervening... In that case, it would be most natural to treat it as an arrangement by a fellow traveler. There was no room for doubt.
Having said that.
However, Kamijou strongly rejected the idea of thinking in such a simple way.
It's like setting up a tent where there are rusty unexploded bombs and then telling him it's safe and he can rest well.
It's as if I missed something that I absolutely couldn't miss...
Chirp! A sound similar to noise was heard.
I don't know if someone nearby failed to cook, but there was a strange burnt smell in the house. In the dim space, a white light was faintly emerging from the side.
Kamijou turned his head and saw a light source cut into a square.
It's an LCD TV.
For some reason it seemed to power on on its own.
The screen seemed to be showing TV news.
A Japanese female anchor who seemed to be sent overseas was reporting on the war situation in a distant country. The night streets that I looked over her shoulder in a suit jacket were completely blacked out, and there was no night view at all. In this case, the outlines of the buildings were vaguely visible because fierce orange flames were erupting everywhere.
"...wrong."
Kamijou muttered to himself at this moment.
He realized the "true identity" of the image, just as if he had discovered an optical trap that would have a different meaning if the image was turned upside down.
"No, this is! This is not right…!"
A disgusting feeling rushed from the tips of his fingers to deep inside his body, making him shudder.
The female anchor's voice finally reached Kamijou's ears.
"In the Japanese capital of Tokyo, the multinational coalition's comprehensive invasion operation continues in order to wipe out Kamijou Touma who is lurking in the city. Although intelligence indicates that 70% of the 23 districts in the city have been reduced to rubble, some people are worried that this large-scale destruction operation will cause Kamijou Touma to disappear..."
As soon as the words fell, the audience's expressions changed suddenly.
The scene progresses, and Kamijou Touma's expression also changes.
The trick used by this demon named Othinus this time is...
She...changed cause and effect.
This move is so vicious and terrifying.
In the Land of Light, which is tens of millions of years away from the Earth, when Hibino Mirai witnessed this scene, her own experience instantly flashed back to her mind.
The tactics used by this demon named Othinus...are vaguely similar to those used by the Mephilas people at that time.
Chapter 190. The impact of world destruction
Is this considered a double goal?
The destruction of a world.
Another world is rising.
Real touch, real intelligence, real world.
It was just like a joke, without any momentum, reason or anything else.
It is different from the calmness of those powerful people who can easily explode.
This is a conversation that can be called a magnificent scene.
For ordinary audiences who previously felt that there was still room for maneuver, this was a blow that completely dashed their hopes.
After this meal, everything was hushed.
While Frieza and other calmer spectators were able to calmly analyze the dynamics of the Demon God's actions.
Those ordinary people who could not be considered as the top powerful ones in the heavens and planes were all astonished to accept this fact.
This was not an illusion, nor was it a virtual image created at random by Othinus in order to defeat Kamijou Touma's mind.
Rather - a complete renovation.
This side... is also a new world!!
There is no need to elaborate on the evaluations and opinions of all the heavens and worlds. What needs to be discussed carefully and focused on is obviously the native land called the Toaru Majutsu no Index plane.
In an instant, the whole world was in chaos, and the social order seemed to have completely collapsed at this moment.
At the moment when the idea that the devil could destroy the world was completely verified, all human beings in the world fell into different degrees of emotions.
Society is a microcosm, and therefore, these inflated emotions, accompanied by the influence and interference of the emotions of people around us, will only become increasingly intensified and uncontrollable.
You can knead the world and change the world at will.
In just a few minutes.
Asia, Europe, America.
Various regions gradually fell.
The uneasiness about the devil, the panic about society, and the distrust of everything have plunged everyone into an abyss that is out of control and keeps pushing them further.
The current president of the United States, the leader of Russia, the queen of England, and rulers from all over the world have all received corresponding intelligence information and listened to the uneasy and fearful requests of the people from all walks of life.
However--
At a loss.
"In front of this power that can change the world at any time and even reshape our hearts... the so-called crystallization and power of the human masses are nothing but ridiculous toys... We have no strategy or means to deal with it. We can only try to delay the arrival of this day as much as possible."
No one would have thought that the leader of the United States, the center of the world, would say this at an emergency meeting in the White House, while keeping his eyes fixed on Kamijou Touma who was still fighting on the front line in the clip.
Leaders in Russia and other regions were in even greater panic.
Even England, which is home to many magical societies, is in chaos at the moment.
"Okay, I understand. I'll leave it to you to take care of these things. I will also try my best to gather all the magic associations and the like to discuss this difficult situation that may arise one day."
At the headquarters of the British Puritan Church, Bishop Laura Stewart listened with great interest to the reminders that came from her ears.
As the de facto nominal leader of Puritanism, as a leader among magicians in Britain and even the world, and even as an individual herself, she would not be willing to see the world fall into the manipulation of a demon god.
However, after these calls were over, Laura Stewart reluctantly put away her communication equipment.
At this quiet moment, her face was calm and indifferent. She just stared at the scene in the clip like a puppet, muttering softly: "It really caused a big commotion... This demon god is really an embarrassing guy."
Unlike most of the guys who fear the Demon God, she... is a little different, although she knows very well that she can't deal with this invincible existence.
However - there should still be a way to stop it when there's a chance to guard against it before it becomes invincible... I hope it won't really come to this.
This is the case even when watching the live broadcast clips.
Not to mention the audience at the scene.
The fear of facing despair, the confusion after seeing the truth, and the horror after thinking about it.
The rings are tightly linked together, as if even the soul can be completely frozen.
Those who feel the gap most directly are not those who are weaker in strength, but the top powerhouses in various fields.
For example...a master in the field of magic, or the strongest superpower in the world who has the best chance of reaching level 6.
"I thought it was just a trick at first, but from the real touch... Tsk, have these monsters called demons really reached such an unimaginable level?"
The Fire on the Right stared at the scene in a daze.
Looking at this unattainable yet enviable scene.
Even though he was possessed by divine power.
Neither had ever witnessed anything like this.
The Bible once said.
God has seven days to reshape, change, and enrich the world.
However, no classical book related to the metaphysics of gods has ever mentioned the ability to overthrow the world in an instant.
But now——
The demon in front of him, who claimed to be perfect, had completely subverted magic, abandoned the secular world, and subverted everything.
In the eyes of such a strong person, this world is just a grain of sand held in her palm, a plaything with no value whatsoever.
Maybe when she is in a better mood, she is willing to give this world some life and time, but... once the gods are angry, the world will be reshaped!
She proved her own worth by overthrowing the world twice, which also proved how worthy of ridicule the self that Right Fire had always been proud of was.
In this world, there is actually a power that is more mysterious and greater than the divine power he possesses.
"Can you imagine? This ability, this bastard..."
A low, trembling sound with unclear emotions came out from deep in his throat, and the white devil who was once known as the strongest in Academy City and stood at the top of the entire scientific community stared at the screen with an almost grim face.
This kind of greatness.
This kind of courage.
This completely breaks the realm of science.
This is no longer the "magic" that was previously called the principle of equivalent exchange.
Is this the realm of God?
Accelerator, who had always been arrogant and unruly, suddenly felt a cold temperature rushing out from behind him.
This kind of coldness was something that he, who was the number one in Academy City and once considered himself the strongest, could not understand.
If I had to describe it, it's like a god descending to the earth.
In fact,
The perfect Othinus, who has already reached the level of a demon god through magic, is such a being.
But in the blink of an eye, she changed the world.
Just because of the ridicule and scorn, she tore it down and rebuilt it.
It is obvious that——
This world has become a toy in her hands.
Although he is a superpower, Accelerator is a believer in the scientific theory that nothing is impossible in this world.
At this moment, witnessing this scene that completely violates common sense of physics and reaches a divine level, the thing that suddenly arises in my heart... is it despair?
The young man lowered his head in silence, a feeling of unwillingness rising from the depths of his throat along with his breathing.
Rather than being lulled by these extremely unusual tricks of this demon god...when he raised his head again.
In addition to the gloom and silence in his eyes, there was also a feeling of irritability and anger.