"Controlling iron sand like that… was yesterday's runaway clone, or the original?"
Accelerator's expression shifted the instant Misaka Mikoto sliced a shipping container clean in half. His instincts screamed at him that this opponent was different.
The iron sand dispersed, transforming into a storm of vibrating metallic particles that closed in on him from every direction. At the same time, Mikoto flicked a coin into the air and launched it forward at triple the speed of sound, her most refined railgun shot.
"Does it matter whether I'm the original or a clone?" she demanded. "You've killed thousands of people. Don't you think that's cruel?"
"You're not a clone," Accelerator replied flatly. With a wave of his hand, he stripped the energy from the iron sand and activated his reflection field, stopping the railgun round dead in its tracks. Once he was certain of her identity, something in him loosened. "And don't call it cruelty. I just erased disposable products."
"They're alive!" Mikoto shot back. "They feel pain!"
She didn't hesitate. She already knew his abilities. Shocked that her strongest attack failed, yes—but not paralyzed.
"Then come forth," she said, voice hardening. "Thunder Titan."
Electromagnetic force exploded outward. Iron sand and debris tore free from the ground, assembling into a towering figure of crackling metal and lightning over a hundred meters tall. Electricity raged within it, friction turning motion into violent arcs of power.
"Even mountains fall to this," Mikoto declared, standing atop the giant's head with Misaka 9982 held close. "Face judgment."
Accelerator covered his face and burst into laughter.
"Judgment? Perfect. This experiment's been boring me anyway," he said, slowly lifting into the air. "If I beat the original, maybe I can skip a few thousand steps."
He spread his arms wide. "Show me."
Mikoto unleashed everything.
The Thunder Titan's arm became a colossal railgun, hurling compressed iron sand and electricity in a devastating blast that dwarfed anything she'd used before.
Hidden nearby, Rowan Mercer—Misaka 9981—couldn't help but be impressed.
"She didn't have that move in the data," he thought. "She developed it herself."
The attack slammed into Accelerator head-on.
And stopped.
The two forces locked in place, energy shrieking as they fought for dominance. Mikoto gritted her teeth. Accelerator's defense was even stronger than she'd imagined.
At the same time, a van screeched to a halt on the bridge overlooking the dock. Four girls stepped out.
"So that's the Railgun," the tall woman with brown hair scoffed. "Looks flashy. That's all."
She was Mugino Shizuri, a fellow Level Five esper known as Meltdown. Being ranked below Mikoto had never sat well with her.
"She doesn't even compare to our queen," the blonde girl beside her giggled.
Another girl, hood pulled low, shook her head. "She's fighting Accelerator. Don't underestimate her."
"Focus," Mugino snapped. "Our target is clone 9981. Takitsubo, is that the injured one she's holding?"
Takitsubo closed her eyes briefly, then pointed past Accelerator. "No. That's 9982. 9981 is cloaked. I'm detecting another force field… there."
At that moment, Mikoto's power finally dipped. The Thunder Titan collapsed into sparks. Accelerator relaxed, preparing to mock her.
That was when Rowan appeared.
"Disembody."
The spell slipped past Accelerator's reflection like a whisper through glass. His face softened into an empty, blissful smile.
"Drop your defense," Rowan commanded, forcing him down to the ground.
Accelerator complied.
"Bind."
Iron sand surged in, condensing into razor-thin wires that pierced through his body and pinned him in place, threading past vital organs with terrifying precision.
Accelerator's eyes cleared.
Mind control never lasted long on someone like him. Rowan hadn't expected it to.
"Don't try using your power," Rowan said calmly. "Those wires are wrapped around places you really don't want disturbed."
Blood spilled from Accelerator's mouth as he stared up at him.
"You're not the original," he said hoarsely. "You're a clone too."
"That's right," Rowan replied. "Misaka 9981. The one you almost killed last night."
He glanced back at Mikoto. "You okay?"
"Low on power," she admitted weakly. "I'll recover by morning."
Accelerator trembled.
Not from pain.
From realization.
"That means…" His voice cracked as he stared at Rowan's very human expression. "If you're like this… then the others…"
The thought finished itself.
And for the first time, Accelerator was truly afraid.