Punched, beaten, and crushed by Kihara, Accelerator's body slid across the
floor.
He wasn't in any condition to fight right now. And because of his brain injury,
he couldn't stand on his own two feet to begin with. The way he'd fought until
now—half falling into Kihara to prevent him from moving—would be rendered
useless if Kihara took caution and kept his distance.
"Ah-ha-ha-gya-ha-ha-ah-ha-ha-ha!!"
Kihara's laughing continued, seeming to burst out of his throat. He certainly
wasn't wearing the face of someone who'd just had skin torn off his head.
Kihara grabbed Accelerator's collar, dragged him up from the floor, smashed
his back into the office desk, and then threw a punch to boot. Accelerator heard
bad groans from his skull, and his face drew back in a pained grimace. The
strength left his fingers thanks to the brain-rattling attack.
But if there was one thing he still had, it was consciousness.
That, and that alone, would never waver.
" "
He began to hear a girl's smooth melody.
With his speech functions gone, Accelerator could hear only her voice. He
didn't know what she was saying. But there was emotion in her singing. It made
him feel, beyond the barrier of language, her compassion toward Last Order.
What meaning lay in her voice was anyone's guess. Maybe she was just
holding Last Order's hand, trying to ease her pain.
But that was a grand salvation in and of itself.
Last Order never had anyone do that for her.
"Ooooooooaaaaaahhhh!!"
With a scream, Kihara lashed out with a much heavier punch. Accelerator slid
over the desk, scattering everything on it, and dropped to the filthy floor.
Intense pain struck him in several places, almost too much to want to stand
again.
But Accelerator smirked.
The nun's velvety song continued.
Her song was like standing in warm light. Her voice could have been produced
only by a person who was from the same world Last Order belonged in.
Accelerator simply listened, his mind bereft of calculation, to that voice he
could never create on his own.
Last Order wasn't meant to be passed back and forth among shitheads like
Amata Kihara or Accelerator. The proper thing for a resident of the world of
light was to be saved by the warmth of those from that same world.
But…
What did that matter?
Why did Accelerator have to feel inferior about that? Why did he have to
decide that darkness like him should never touch such a dazzling radiance?
Could only just people perform just acts? Could only good people do good
things? Yes, he saw, that was correct. It only made sense.
However…
Why did that "sense" have to be that way in the first place?
Accelerator wanted to save Last Order. From the clutches of unreasonable
violence and abuse, he wanted to save her.
What was wrong with thinking like that?
Light, darkness—did it matter where you stood? He didn't want to protect her
because she was part of the world of light. No matter what world she was in, he
would feel moved to protect her with his own hands.
The distinction between worlds—it didn't mean anything.
Was there a problem with a bad person reaching out to a good person?
Would anyone complain about someone dark protecting the world of light?
After all this time, Academy City's strongest villain had always acted with ego
and arrogance…
Why should he have to stay faithful to his past behavior at this point?
"…"
Bang! Accelerator, from his sitting position, reached out for the office desk.
There was a grinding sound as he slowly stood up.
He'd reached his conclusion.
Have pride, even if evil. Rescue the light, even while treading the path of
darkness. Feel no shame because your road is different from others. Become so
dark you could be proud.
Abandon all former rules.
Reset your ideas of what is and isn't possible.
Make a list of the conditions in front of you and demolish those walls.
"Ki…hara…"
From his mouth, without any ability to speak, dribbled words.
His feet creaked and groaned as he slowly used them to support himself.
"Kiiihaaaaaaraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
At that moment, Accelerator used his feet that by all rights couldn't move and
began to run.
Straight for his mortal enemy, Amata Kihara.
Even if he had to fight against all the truth in the world, be hurt, and lose
everything.
He would protect this one illusion.