"If you won't kill yourselves, then how can you dress up your cause as noble?
And even if you really did kill yourself — how many people would you have to kill before it ends?
A cycle, over and over again… Are you planning to wipe out every single esper?"
A chain of questions — each striking straight at the heart of the matter.
Questions sharp enough to make any adolescent boy or girl stop and reflect.
Questions they simply could not answer.
Because… could they really commit suicide?
If they themselves grew into Level 5s one day, would they truly take their own lives for the sake of others?
"Most likely not," said the Deadlock leader in crimson.
He wasn't riled, nor did he start doubting himself like some of the other members.
No — he was calm.
Composed.
"I've thought about your question before. And even if it happened to me, I'll admit — I wouldn't kill myself. Nor would I wait for someone else to kill me. But—!"
He bent his knees, left leg shifting slightly back, body leaning forward — almost like a sprinter on the starting line.
"Deadlock has never been some righteous, selfless organization. The people gathered here have never been paragons of virtue. What comes later will come later. Right now, all we need is to keep our goal in mind."
Vrrrm—!
The roar of machinery split the air.
"If you still agree with me, then move! He may be one of our kind, but his mind has clearly been tainted by the esper beside him."
Vrrrm—!
More mechanical growls erupted from all around.
From thirty different points, male and female Deadlock members hefting powered pile-drivers closed in once more, tightening the encirclement.
Those who had wavered at Makoto's words now steadied themselves under their leader's orders, reorganizing into formation.
Vrrrm—!
"Go! And you—pull yourself together. If words from someone like him can shake you, I might start doubting whether Level 5s are worth the hype."
Bang! Bang! Bang—!
Dozens of flashes erupted around Makoto.
Sparks crisscrossed in the air as bullets ripped through the night, spraying outward in a storm.
Splurt!
The wet sound of lead tearing through flesh rang out.
Splurt! Splurt! Splurt!
One after another, the rounds punched clean through Deadlock members as they leapt in midair.
And in that instant when crimson blossoms bloomed in the moonlight, they dropped from the sky like birds struck down, one by one, crashing into the earth.
The wind howled in their ears — a gale so fierce it was hard to keep one's eyes open.
Because right now, they were racing through the air.
Just as before, his arm was locked firmly around her waist. Only this time, she instinctively wrapped her arms around his in return.
"How stupid — doubting yourself because of a pack of pathetic fools who can't handle their own jealousy, who can only blame their inadequacy on a fourteen-year-old girl."
Makoto blasted out of the encirclement with Misaki in his grasp, landing on the railing by the lakeshore.
Not far away, the ground was stained with blood.
If there had been no bodies, the scene might have been beautiful.
Under the hazy moonlight, blossoms of blood bloomed before Misaki's eyes, staining the ground — a beauty that defied words.
"But…"
Even if she might be unconsciously controlling this man… she no longer wanted him to risk himself for her like this.
"No buts!"
Makoto cut her off roughly.
"Your ability is purely mental. You can't tamper with mechanical records, right? In that case, go back and dig into my past more thoroughly yourself. I can't speak for others, but I can say this for certain — even before I met you, if I'd run into the same kind of situation, I'd have helped within my means just the same."
Had she influenced his thinking?
Makoto didn't believe so. He knew he was acting entirely of his own will.
"I… Is that so…"
For someone like Shokuhou Misaki, to be lost for words was almost unthinkable. Yet now her voice had grown hoarse without her realizing it.
And at that moment…
Deep in her heart, the long-rusted gears — the ones that had stopped turning years ago — began to move again.
"Yeah. And this? This hardly counts as dangerous for me. Top speed's around 200 km/h — slower than a bullet. What's dangerous for an esper like you doesn't even come close for me."
As the Deadlock members charged again, Makoto's body lit up once more with simultaneous flashes and gunfire.
Espers were undeniably strong. That much was certain.
But there was no denying one thing: without combat training, most espers' bodies were fragile.
No battle experience, slow physical reflexes.
The best example? That Number One from the original story — Accelerator.
His ability was so overwhelmingly powerful that he never bothered to train his body.
Once his power was neutralized, his fighting ability dropped below that of an ordinary person.
And Makoto?
Sure, he lacked talent for ability development — but as the saying goes, when God closes one door, He opens another.
From childhood, his physical strength had far exceeded his peers'.
Scientifically speaking, his muscle density was ten times that of an average human.
So yes — grappling hooks to swing between skyscrapers like Spider-Man? Check.
Reflexes sharp enough to dodge handgun and even rifle fire within ten meters? Check.
For him, these "anti-Mental Out" suits that could give Misaki such trouble were hardly an obstacle.
Frankly, he'd faced denser danger before — like standing in the crossfire of ten heavy machine guns.
"You really are as dangerous as the rumors say," the Deadlock leader muttered.
"But let me tell you one more thing. Unlike other powerless armed groups, Deadlock isn't made up solely of powerless people."
Moisture in the air began to evaporate, the temperature spiking rapidly.
"We have our own espers, too."
Brilliant flames bloomed like crimson lotus petals. In that inferno of exploding heat, the leader's red knight's armor blazed all the brighter.