She doesn't. [Accelerator's response is coming immediately, sounding almost angry. As much as he tries to avoid talking about it most of the time, right now he's being as blunt as possible, not bothering to sugarcoat any of it.] I had killed over ten thousand of the Sisters at this point. I was over halfway through the experiment. If #10 032 had come and told me she was scared and that she didn't want to die -
[He pauses, and shakes his head.]
... I still tried to kill her, even though she's probably the first one who would have refused to die if she had been given the chance to say anything. Just asking me to stop wasn't enough at that point.
[He looks thoroughly disgusted with himself, and he feels it. Like his insides are all rotten. He throws his dream self a disdainful glare.]
That's what I'm thinking right then.
[“…Fuckin’ hell,” he cursed, closing his eyes and turning his head toward the ceiling.
That was all he had to say.
He could whitewash it all he wanted—he was by no means a good person. He just had to think over what happened at the switchyard. The Sister saved by that Level 0 would have refused to die for the experiment, but Accelerator tried to kill her anyway. He couldn’t deny that. Nobody could.
There was nothing from Last Order. He wondered what sort of face she was making right now. His eyes remained closed, still closed, still closed…and he realized something was off.
No matter how long he waited, Last Order didn’t say anything.
The moment he opened his eyes in doubt, he heard a dull sound. Last Order had collapsed onto the table in front of them. Not on her food or anything, but her spoon was stuck between her forehead and the table.
He could tell at a glance it wasn’t just because she was sleepy or tired. The strength in her body seemed like it was all gone. Her muted breath sounded to his ears like the panting of a stray dog. It was as though she’d come down with a fever.
“Hey?”
“Ahaha…,” laughed Last Order in a voice that sounded exhausted. “Well, Misaka wanted to get in contact with the scientists before Misaka got to this point, says Misaka as Misaka forces a dizzy smile.”
“...”
“Misaka’s serial number is 20001, the last one, says Misaka as Misaka explains to you. Misaka’s body is still in an incomplete state, so Misaka really shouldn’t have been let out of the incubator, says Misaka as Misaka sighs.”
“…”
“But somehow, some way, Misaka is using every trick in the book to get through it, so Misaka thinks she is okay, says Misaka as Misaka thinks that. Misaka wonders why?” she said in an extremely unhurried tone, seeming to be on the verge of fainting.
It almost looked like if she lost consciousness like this, she wouldn’t ever open her eyes again.
“Hey!”
“…Hm? What, what, what is it? says Misaka as Misaka questions you.”
There were three seconds before she gave her response.
She just kept smiling.
She started to sweat profusely like she was sick, but she was still smiling at him.
Accelerator’s face began to lose its expression, his emotion steadily draining away.
Despite their encounter, it wasn’t as if he could do anything. He had the strongest power in Academy City, but that’s all it was. He couldn’t protect anyone with it. Even if someone begged him for help, all he could do with his power was shut himself in, alone, trembling miserably, in what amounted to a nuclear shelter. He couldn’t protect. He couldn’t save. He’d always survive alone at the end. He could only watch as everything around him was destroyed. Just like when his room was ravaged. Just like how this girl was now collapsed before him.
“...”
Accelerator stood up from his seat without a word. Last Order looked at him without moving.
“Huh? Where are you going? says Misaka as Misaka wants to know. We still have food left.”
“Yeah, I think I lost my appetite.”
“Okay…Misaka wanted to thank them for the food, though, says Misaka as Misaka sighs.”
“Yeah? That’s too bad.”
Accelerator grabbed the bill, his expression cold as ice, and walked toward the register.
no subject
[He pauses, and shakes his head.]
... I still tried to kill her, even though she's probably the first one who would have refused to die if she had been given the chance to say anything. Just asking me to stop wasn't enough at that point.
[He looks thoroughly disgusted with himself, and he feels it. Like his insides are all rotten. He throws his dream self a disdainful glare.]
That's what I'm thinking right then.
[“…Fuckin’ hell,” he cursed, closing his eyes and turning his head toward the ceiling.
That was all he had to say.
He could whitewash it all he wanted—he was by no means a good person. He just had to think over what happened at the switchyard. The Sister saved by that Level 0 would have refused to die for the experiment, but Accelerator tried to kill her anyway. He couldn’t deny that. Nobody could.
There was nothing from Last Order. He wondered what sort of face she was making right now. His eyes remained closed, still closed, still closed…and he realized something was off.
No matter how long he waited, Last Order didn’t say anything.
The moment he opened his eyes in doubt, he heard a dull sound. Last Order had collapsed onto the table in front of them. Not on her food or anything, but her spoon was stuck between her forehead and the table.
He could tell at a glance it wasn’t just because she was sleepy or tired. The strength in her body seemed like it was all gone. Her muted breath sounded to his ears like the panting of a stray dog. It was as though she’d come down with a fever.
“Hey?”
“Ahaha…,” laughed Last Order in a voice that sounded exhausted. “Well, Misaka wanted to get in contact with the scientists before Misaka got to this point, says Misaka as Misaka forces a dizzy smile.”
“...”
“Misaka’s serial number is 20001, the last one, says Misaka as Misaka explains to you. Misaka’s body is still in an incomplete state, so Misaka really shouldn’t have been let out of the incubator, says Misaka as Misaka sighs.”
“…”
“But somehow, some way, Misaka is using every trick in the book to get through it, so Misaka thinks she is okay, says Misaka as Misaka thinks that. Misaka wonders why?” she said in an extremely unhurried tone, seeming to be on the verge of fainting.
It almost looked like if she lost consciousness like this, she wouldn’t ever open her eyes again.
“Hey!”
“…Hm? What, what, what is it? says Misaka as Misaka questions you.”
There were three seconds before she gave her response.
She just kept smiling.
She started to sweat profusely like she was sick, but she was still smiling at him.
Accelerator’s face began to lose its expression, his emotion steadily draining away.
Despite their encounter, it wasn’t as if he could do anything. He had the strongest power in Academy City, but that’s all it was. He couldn’t protect anyone with it. Even if someone begged him for help, all he could do with his power was shut himself in, alone, trembling miserably, in what amounted to a nuclear shelter. He couldn’t protect. He couldn’t save. He’d always survive alone at the end. He could only watch as everything around him was destroyed. Just like when his room was ravaged. Just like how this girl was now collapsed before him.
“...”
Accelerator stood up from his seat without a word. Last Order looked at him without moving.
“Huh? Where are you going? says Misaka as Misaka wants to know. We still have food left.”
“Yeah, I think I lost my appetite.”
“Okay…Misaka wanted to thank them for the food, though, says Misaka as Misaka sighs.”
“Yeah? That’s too bad.”
Accelerator grabbed the bill, his expression cold as ice, and walked toward the register.
Leaving Last Order behind.]