"Huh!"
The notification that echoed in his mind made Arata abruptly halt his foot, which had been about to stomp down on Accelerator. A trace of confusion flashed through his eyes.
A chest binder? Accelerator?
He looked at Accelerator, who had rolled across the ground and was temporarily unconscious, and an intrigued expression slowly appeared on his face.
A chest binder is something girls use to bind their breasts flat. For example, certain female researchers in Academy City disguise themselves this way.
Arata stepped forward, crouched down, and brushed aside the messy white hair covering Accelerator's eyes. Beneath it were delicate brows and a smooth, high forehead. With those sharp features, this face was unexpectedly refined.
"Hiss… Accelerator… no, Suzushina Yuriko? Hmm. That is not quite right either. That name only started circulating after someone joked about it. Either way, this person is actually a girl."
Arata's gaze shifted downward with a strange look. There was almost no visible curve at all. It was so flat that it would not even reach an A cup. If she truly used a chest binder, that would explain it.
No wonder she slaughtered the Misaka Sisters without the slightest hesitation. If she were female, the psychological barrier between genders simply would not exist.
"Three star cards can yield spatial type relic grade items. Two star cards can yield items worth ten times more. Do not miss this opportunity."
Arata stroked his chin and decisively extended his hand toward Accelerator. He truly felt nothing in particular toward someone like Suzushina Yuriko, whose figure was practically nonexistent.
The moment his fingertip touched Accelerator's skin, it was violently repelled by an overwhelming force. The backlash nearly dislocated his finger.
"Hiss!"
Arata immediately withdrew, shook his hand, and retreated several meters, staring at Accelerator with vigilance.
Had she regained consciousness so quickly? No. The ability suppression window had simply ended, and her subconscious vector reflection had automatically reactivated.
Accelerator's fingers twitched faintly. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she gasped for air. Her crimson eyes suddenly snapped open.
"Ha… ha… ha…"
She clutched her abdomen with both hands. The unprecedented pain stimulated her nerves so intensely that even breathing felt difficult.
"Ugh… cough… cough…"
Dry retching caused saliva to drip from the corner of her mouth.
The moon above blurred in her vision. Why am I lying on the ground? What just happened?
Why does my stomach hurt so much?
Accelerator's expression twisted. She pushed herself up with one hand. The person she had clearly touched, who should have been lying in a pool of blood, stood before her completely unharmed.
Yet she was the one on the ground.
What happened? I was hit? Impossible. If I was not hit, why does it hurt like this?
"How is this possible?!" Accelerator roared furiously, her entire body trembling.
No one had ever managed to injure her. Even if struck by a missile, she should have remained untouched under vector reflection.
Yet now, the strongest Level 5 had been struck. Struck cleanly by someone who had shown no prior sign of power.
"Nothing is impossible. I told you already. One punch is enough to knock you down, Suzushina Yuriko."
Arata watched her slowly stand up, his eyes half lidded. Even if Accelerator were female, he would not hold back in the middle of a battle.
"Heh… hehehe…"
Accelerator rose to her feet. A deeply unsettling smile spread across her face, her voice carrying an almost demonic undertone.
"Interesting. Truly interesting. I see now. Because I was too focused on tearing apart those disgusting rumors, I concentrated all vector calculations on my hands and subconsciously reduced my passive reflection. A mistake. A complete mistake. Damn it… hahaha… this is perfect."
"It has been a long time since something this interesting has happened."
Her smile gradually twisted into something feral. Her red eyes burned with madness.
The impossible had occurred. As the strongest Level 5, she carried the pride of crushing every other Level 5. Yet she had been slammed to the ground and nearly trampled.
And it was this trash who dared walk up to her and provoke her.
"That is amazing, you bastard."
Accelerator pushed her calculation ability to the limit. Every reflex was fully activated as she lunged forward like a madwoman.
As long as she touched him, she could manipulate every vector in his body. Reverse blood flow. Amplify bioelectric signals. Tear him apart from within.
"I promised to beat you properly. I will not show mercy just because you are a woman."
Arata's voice was firm as he clenched his fist.
He activated Ability Erasure. A faint red glow flickered in his pupils. With a subtle internal click, Accelerator's vector manipulation was forcibly shut down once again. Even she could not perceive the interruption in that instant.
He seized her wrist mid charge. His other fist tightened, instinctively aiming toward her face.
The moment her wrist was caught, Accelerator's pupils shrank sharply.
A fist filled her vision.
It stopped just before her face.
"It is not good to hit a girl in the face."
The words brushed past her ears. In the next instant, a tremendous force struck her chest.
Her body was hurled backward, smashing violently into the wall.
"Ugh… cough!"
The impact triggered another surge of pain. She dropped to one knee, covering her mouth as stomach acid spilled out.
"Ugh… cough… cough…"
Her internal organs felt as though they were vibrating out of place. The pain coursed through her entire body. She was on the verge of vomiting up the coffee she had drunk earlier.
Arata walked toward her step by step, looking down at Accelerator, who had been reduced to this state by a single punch combined with precise telekinetic manipulation.
Accelerator looked up. Her pupils trembled as confusion and killing intent surged together.
"What exactly is happening?!"
She had been sent flying again. This time, her full body reflection had been active. Even if launched backward, the attacker's arm should have shattered under reversed force.
Yet that bastard stood there completely unharmed.
While she knelt on the ground like a fool, roaring like a defeated villain.
Damn it. Despicable. Trash.
Accelerator staggered to her feet, her face contorted with fury. She stomped violently against the ground, attempting to manipulate environmental vectors to crush him from a distance.
The next second, horror flashed across her face.
Her ability had failed again.
Impossible.
Before she could process the anomaly, she saw Arata charging straight toward her with clenched fists.
Instinctive fear surged through her body. She tried to retreat, but there was a wall behind her.
Her pupils shrank violently.
A sharp pain exploded in her abdomen once more.
Her stomach churned.
"Vomit…"
Stomach acid spilled from her mouth as her body convulsed from the blow.
...
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