When all students were supposed to be back from school, the trains and busses in Academy City stopped.
"Damn it!!"
So Kamijou had no choice but to run down the dark streets. He started seriously thinking about getting a scooter license as he intently ran towards the Dangai University database center.
At the same time, he practically yelled into the cell phone pressed to his ear.
"Misaka-san. You said they have weapons, right? They're probably a Skill-Out group. If it was a group of normal espers, they would rely only on their powers!"
"I've never heard of this Skill-Out."
"Basically, they're an armed gang. Think of them as a group of delinquents with dangerous weapons!"
He could finally see the silhouette of the facility.
As he ran, Kamijou realized that the flames he had originally seen were gone. Just as Misuzu had told him, the database center's automatic firefighting system was functioning.
"Why are those delinquents targeting me?"
"I don't know!"
Kamijou thought it might have something to do with Mikoto…but then he realized something.
"Misaka-san, have you called your daughter?"
"Eh?"
"She's one of the only seven Level 5s in Academy City! She'd be a lot more help than Anti-Skill! If you haven't called her yet, you-…"
"Wait!!" Misuzu interrupted him with more force than she'd spoken with up to that point. "I won't call Mikoto-chan! I don't care if she would be helpful here. If I got her wrapped up in my own problem, I could never look her in the eye again!!"
Normally, Kamijou would have felt that that was just an optimistic view.
It sounded like the kind of argument one would give while reading the newspaper.
But Misuzu's life was actually being targeted.
And yet she still immediately refused to have Mikoto brought into the picture.
"…Understood."
Kamijou clenched his phone as he ran.
"In that case, I'll go. You're hiding in the 'Substitute Processor Storage Room', right!?"
"Eh? Wait…I didn't ask you to-…!!"
(That's enough out of you,) Kamijou thought.
He was right in front of the database center.
The facility was adjacent to Dangai University, but the database center was about two sizes bigger than the university itself. He could hear sporadic gunshots and sounds of destruction coming from within the domed silhouette. Perhaps due to the initial explosion, there were a number of people gathered looking on. And yet there was almost no Anti-Skill presence. They may have feared a sniper, because they were calling for backup while hiding behind their vehicle. But there must have been some kind of trouble, because there was an argument going on between the Anti-Skill members.
Kamijou ran past them and towards the facility.
The Anti-Skill members called for him to stop, but he paid them no heed.
(I've fought members of Skill-Out a few times in back alleys, but…)
One stroke of good luck in this bad situation was that the search inside the building left Skill-Out's focus on the outside lacking. This meant he wasn't going to get shot at while heading through the plaza that had no cover.
(Basically, I've only ever run away or hidden around a corner and counterattacked. This may be the first time I've gone in on the attack like this!!)
He entered through the main entrance that had had all its glass broken out and complained to himself about how much the situation sucked.