August 31, 8:13 PM
"...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 reflection. 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. 20001 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 reflection 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 realized 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.