"If you don't commit suicide, how can you uphold your grand ideals?"
"Even if you do kill yourselves, how many people do you intend to take with you?"
"A cycle, back and forth—do you plan to kill all espers?"
These questions strike directly at the heart of the matter, challenging these adolescent boys and girls to reflect on themselves.
Questions they could not possibly answer.
Really, would they kill themselves?
Would they choose to end their lives if one of them ascended to Level 5?
"Probably not."
The leader of Deadlock, dressed in all red, spoke calmly.
He wasn't agitated, nor was he doubting or interrogating himself like the others.
He was composed, calm.
"I've thought about this myself. Even if it happened to me, I wouldn't kill myself or wait for others to kill me."
"But,"
He stepped forward, shifting his left leg backward slightly, leaning forward in a sprinter's starting pose.
"Deadlock has never been a noble organization. No one here is truly righteous."
"What happens next is for later—right now, we just need to focus on our goal."
"Roar—roar—"
The sound of machines roared harshly.
"If you still agree with me, charge! Though he's one of us, his mind undoubtedly has been invaded by nearby espers."
"Roar—roar—"
More mechanical roars sounded from thirty different locations around them.
Deadlock members, male and female, brandishing jackhammers, encircled them once more.
Those whose resolve had wavered at Haramura's words regained composure at their leader's.
The formation tightened.
"Roar—roar—"
"Charge!"
"You keep calm too. If you let someone like this shake your belief, I'll start doubting Level 5's worth."
"Bang bang bang—"
Dozens of muzzle flashes erupted around Haramura Makoto, sparks colliding midair.
Bullets sliced through the air, firing rapidly in all directions.
"Pouch!"
Sounds of bullets piercing flesh rang out.
"Pouch! Pouch! Pouch!"
One bullet after another tore through Deadlock members leaping through the air.
As blood splattered brilliantly, members fell like birds shot mid-flight, crashing to the ground.
The wind howled past—so strong it was hard to open eyes.
Yes, they were flying through the air.
Same posture. He held her slim waist; this time she returned the embrace, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Isn't it stupid? To be doubted by a bunch of useless, jealous losers who can only vent their frustration by blaming a fourteen-year-old girl for their inadequacies."
Haramura Makoto burst through their encirclement, landing on a railing by the lake with Shokuhou Misaki.
Nearby, blood stained the ground red.
Truthfully, without the corpses, this scene was almost beautiful.
Under the dim moonlight, blossoms of blood opened before her eyes, staining the earth with a haunting, indescribable beauty.
"But…"
She already controlled this man subconsciously and didn't want him to do more for her in this situation.
"But what?"
Haramura Makoto cut her off roughly.
"Your power is limited to the mind. You can't access mechanical memories, right?"
"If so, go back and investigate my past more thoroughly yourself."
"I don't know about others, but I'm certain of myself. Even before I met you, if I encountered the same kind of situation, I would have helped as much as I could."
Was he influenced by the girl beside him?
At least Haramura Makoto thought not—he knew he acted according to his own will.
"Is—is that so…"
Shokuhou Misaki was at a loss for words, her voice unconsciously becoming hoarse.
At that moment,
The rusted gears in the girl's heart, idle for many years, began turning again.
"Yes, and this situation isn't nearly as dangerous for me as it is."
"My speed is about 200 km/h—much slower than a bullet. What's dangerous for you, an esper, is nothing to me."
As more Deadlock members rushed at them, bullets and flashing lights exploded around Haramura once again.
Espers were strong, no doubt.
But one undeniable fact was that espers that lacked combat training were physically fragile.
No battle experience. Poor body reflexes.
The best example was the first Level 5 in the original story—Accelerator.
His power was so overwhelming he had never bothered to train his body.
When his power failed, his combat skills were less than an ordinary person's.
How about Haramura Makoto?
Though no natural talent for power development, as the saying goes,
"When God closes a door, he opens a window."
His strength from childhood far exceeded peers.
More scientifically: his muscle density was ten times that of an average person.
That was why he could use grappling hooks like Spider-Man to move quickly between buildings,
And dodge bullets from handguns and rifles within ten meters.
So this powerless armored gang, equipped to confound even a power wielder like Misaki, was no match for Haramura Makoto.
Or rather, facing a hail of ten heavy machine guns before had been more dangerous.
"He's truly as dangerous as rumors say."
"But here's another thing: unlike other powerless gangs, Deadlock actually has Level 5 espers."
Water molecules evaporated and the temperature soared rapidly.
A brilliant flash like a red lotus in bloom accented the red knight armor in the explosion-filled space.
—Pouch!