When the ambulance stopped at the juvenile hall in District 10, Accelerator, Tsuchimikado Motoharu, Unabara Mitsuki, and Musujime Awaki got out of the back door.
They couldn't see the inside of the facility from there because it was surrounded by a wall almost 15 meters high. However, they could smell an unhealthy smelling smoke from where they stood.
"…!!"
Musujime was grinding her teeth and started to head in through the already-destroyed gate, but Accelerator frowned while leaning on his modern cane.
"Something isn't right."
"So you noticed it too," said Tsuchimikado slowly as he pulled a military handgun from his pocket. "There's no noise. If Block and the guards are fighting, we should be hearing some gunshots."
The four of them passed through the gate that doubled as an inspection point and came to a traffic circle for the vehicles that shuttled prisoners around. When he stepped onto the 20 meter across area of flat asphalt, Accelerator felt a slight pain in his temple.
"...So that's the AIM jammer."
He looked up and saw a number of thin wires stretched out between the almost 15 meter walls covering the entire facility. They must have been emitting a special electromagnetic wave.
It was most likely set up so it would diffusely reflect an esper's AIM diffusion field causing the esper to interfere with his own power. Accelerator had never heard of Anti-Skill being equipped with it, so it must need a large amount of electricity and processing power and thus could only be used in a limited area.
(It doesn't seem to be hindering my ability to walk, but I should avoid switching over to esper mode.)
Even so, Accelerator thought he would still be able to use his power in the facility. He just didn't want to use it if he didn't have to in order to avoid having it go out of control. It was possible he would end up getting wrapped up in his own power.
(They're using a lot of other devices, too. Are they purposefully trying to make this difficult?)
If he knew what kind of equipment they were using, he might have been able to find a way to overcome it, but he interrupted his thoughts there. He had realized where his uncomfortable feeling about the juvenile hall was coming from.
The bodies.
They most likely belonged to the mercenaries Block had invited in from outside. Close to 50 large men were collapsed with blood spreading out from them. Some had been shot in the temple with a handgun, some were missing their heads from being shot at point-blank range with a shotgun, and some had had their throats slit by a knife. They had been killed in all sorts of different ways, but there was one common factor.
"They all lost their lives to their own weapons…" commented Tsuchimikado.
"Was it suicide…? No, this was-…" muttered Unabara.
And then…
"Found you," said a voice behind them.
Accelerator spun around and saw a girl blocking the destroyed gate. The short girl was wearing a red sailor uniform that must have been some school's uniform. But there was an odd light in her eyes. It wasn't just the look of a killer.
"I assume you're one of the fuckers from Block."
"No, I'm from Member. I just used them; I had no interest in joining them." Responded the girl carelessly.
She had most likely attacked the mercenaries who were collapsed around the area. That would mean she had defeated almost 50 mercenaries without receiving a single scratch, but she made no attempt to claim the act as her own. She seemed to truly have no interest in the mercenaries or in Block.
(Member again…!?)
Accelerator had run into someone from Member back at District 23, but they didn't seem to be moving as allies of Block. In fact, he had no idea what they were after or which organizations they saw as their enemies. But it didn't really matter because he would deal with anyone who made themselves his enemy the same way.
However, there was one person who reacted upon seeing her.
"…It couldn't be. Are you…?"
It was Unabara Mitsuki, an agent whose real name and face were unknown.
"So you're finally going to ask who I am, are you, Etzali?"
She looked at Unabara Mitsuki and called him a completely different name.
Or maybe that was his real name.
Unabara was so shocked he couldn't move and the girl wiped her face with a hand. Her face disappeared. Her Asian looks were gone and she now stood there with dark skin and finely chiseled features.
"I need to thank Block. Esper powers are halved here, so I don't have to worry so much about your companions getting in the way."
After seeing that face and hearing that voice, Unabara's expression distorted.
"Xochitl, why are you here? I thought you didn't have a spell that could do this. And you were supposed to be in a position in the 'organization' that kept you away from any dirty work!!"
"There is only one reason," said the brown girl called Xochitl as her expression remained unchanged. "I abandoned everything to come take you out because you went over to Academy City's side, you damn traitor!"
"So that's it," muttered Tsuchimikado as he turned his gaze towards Unabara.
Unabara spoke quietly.
"…I'll hold her back here. You three go on ahead."
He sounded like he was squeezing his words out of his throat.
"Her name is Xochitl. She's an Aztec magician who belonged to the same 'organization' as I did before coming here."
The girl called Xochitl's expression remained unchanged after hearing Unabara's words.
"I'm only here for Etzali. I don't care if you go off, but I wonder if they'll let you."
Gunshots rang out.
Accelerator and Tsuchimikado hid behind a vehicle for shuttling prisoners that was parked in the traffic circle. As they did, they heard a large number of footsteps coming out from one of the buildings.
"So Block's mercenaries were waiting to see what would happen… Do we really have to deal with them?"
Tsuchimikado asked Xochitl that, but she ignored him. Xochitl truly did only want to get rid of anyone who was in her way, so she really had no interest in Block or the mercenaries.
However, as they were held up by the mercenaries, Block would be getting further and further into the facility. And they were here in order to take Musujime Awaki's comrades hostage.
"Tch," Accelerator clicked his tongue.
"God damn it. You go on ahead."
"But you…"
"I can't walk without my cane. I can't use my powers carelessly and we can't count on your Move Point. It makes sense for the slowest person to stay back to hold them off," Accelerator said quickly. "Tsuchimikado, you provide support for Musujime. We have no idea how many people from Block are in there. We need to plan on there being a large group in there you have to fight."
He didn't bother to give instructions to Unabara.
Accelerator would intercept the mercenaries coming out of the building, Unabara would take care of Xochitl from Member, and Tsuchimikado and Musujime would rescue the people in the special cells.
The four members of Group kept their separate objectives in mind, met each other's gaze, and nodded.
"Let's go!!"
The four of them started their various tasks.