Kinuhata had not expected that.
Blocking a close-range strike with his eyes closed went completely against the intelligence she'd been given. Misaka Mikoto wasn't known for physical strength, yet her clone had just stopped a nitrogen-boosted punch head-on.
"Frenda!" Kinuhata shouted as she disengaged.
Frenda didn't hesitate. She slammed the detonator.
The explosives she'd scattered around Rowan went off in a chain of concussive blasts. Smoke and debris swallowed the dock.
When the dust cleared, Rowan was still standing.
Iron sand had folded inward at the moment of detonation, forming a dense magnetic shell around him. Not a scratch.
"Enough," Rowan said evenly. "We're done here."
He opened his eyes.
With a flick of both hands, the iron sand tore itself apart into countless needle-thin spikes, launching forward like a metallic storm.
Kinuhata immediately jumped in front of Frenda, nitrogen armor blooming around them. The needles struck and ricocheted, unable to break through the dense barrier.
"Then let's finish it," Kinuhata snapped.
She compressed nitrogen into her arms, grabbed a nearby shipping container, and hurled it like a battering ram. At the same time, Frenda tossed out several tracking explosives, each curving through the air from different angles toward Rowan.
Rowan smiled faintly.
They were fighting him like they'd fight Misaka.
That was a mistake.
The iron needles embedded in the ground behind them suddenly reversed direction. Under Rowan's magnetic control, they shot upward and pierced straight through Kinuhata's and Frenda's limbs before either could react.
Both screamed and collapsed.
The container and explosives froze midair.
Then they flew back.
Only Mugino's sudden intervention saved them. Green light flashed as her Meltdown tore through the air, vaporizing metal, bombs, and needles alike.
"So you're not completely useless," Mugino said, rising to her feet. "Fine. I'll play."
"Works for me," Rowan replied.
Iron needles formed again in front of him. Electricity gathered at his fingertip. He snapped his finger.
The needle launched forward at supersonic speed, driven by electromagnetic force.
"A railgun?" Mugino scoffed, raising a circular green shield. "Even the original can't touch me with that."
The projectile vanished into her barrier.
"Maybe," Rowan said. "But mine doesn't fly straight."
The needle curved.
It bent around the shield mid-flight and screamed toward her side.
Mugino's eyes widened. She barely managed to erect a second barrier in time, deflecting the shot by inches.
Before she could breathe, a second curved railgun followed.
Then a third.
Iron needles closed in from all directions.
"Unbelievable!" Mugino snarled. "A Level Four clone pushing me back?!"
She detonated her power in a full release. Green orbs erupted around her, erasing every incoming attack in a violent sweep. Then she counterattacked—
And found nothing.
Rowan was gone.
"Invisible," Mugino hissed, instantly understanding. "Takitsubo!"
Takitsubo's eyes focused. "There. Behind you."
A green beam fired immediately.
Rowan dropped invisibility and slipped aside, finally confirming Takitsubo's ability. Tracking.
"Alright," he said calmly. "I was hoping to keep this simple."
Electricity surged around his body. His muscles tightened as current ran through every nerve and fiber, amplifying his strength beyond human limits.
He vanished.
In less than a heartbeat, he reappeared behind Mugino.
A sharp chop struck the base of her neck.
She collapsed instantly.
The lightning faded. Rowan exhaled slowly.
"Enhancing the body with electricity is still rough," he muttered. "Needs practice."
He glanced at the fallen members of ITEM, then at the dark water beyond the dock.
"Good thing I don't have to rely on fists," he added quietly. "That would be embarrassing for a mage."