Countless beams of light rained down in a frenzied bombardment, shredding the monster's body layer by layer.
Yet this creature's regenerative ability surpassed even the destructive speed of Meltdowner's rays.
After that blinding storm of white light, the humanoid monster reverted to its meteorite form, with only a few cells still clinging to its surface.
But even this tiny amount of tissue remained something Meltdowner couldn't handle.
Frenda reached under her skirt and pulled out a dozen fish-shaped homing missiles. A dense curtain of fire engulfed the area where the meteorite lay, but it was still no use.
'Every single cell needs to be wiped out in an instant, or this is just a waste of time and energy.'
This wasn't Mugino Shizuri's first encounter with this monster. She was confident she could blast it to bits, but she lacked the precision for the delicate surgical work of scouring away every last cell. That was why she couldn't finish off this meteorite for good.
Under these conditions, only one method came to Mugino's mind: use Meltdowner to continuously heat the meteorite. This would prevent cell regeneration while gradually raising the temperature to destroy the remaining tissue.
"Frenda, go grab Kiyama Harumi. This monster is definitely connected to her," Mikoto ordered immediately.
This creature never appeared without Kiyama Harumi involved, so she was clearly central to the problem.
Just as Frenda was about to head upstairs, a dazzling arc of electricity slammed down from the sky, scorching a black mark into the ground.
"Misaka Mikoto?"
A flicker of anger crossed Mugino's face as she turned and saw Railgun standing atop the building's wall.
"Where are Uiharu and the others? Where have you taken them?" Crackling electricity sparked around Misaka-senpai. The air itself grew distorted and dry from the immense current.
"Mugino, looks like we've got more trouble," Frenda said, shrinking back slightly and hiding behind Mugino.
Before Frenda could finish speaking, several ceramic bombs suddenly detonated near Misaka-senpai. The blast force sent shrapnel flying straight toward her face.
"How did it go?"
Frenda peeked out to look, only to see a shimmering electromagnetic barrier—like an illusory wall—appear around Misaka-senpai. It instantly blocked the onslaught of ceramic fragments, which then clattered to the ground like rain.
"No effect?" Frenda was stunned. Electromasters shouldn't be able to block non-conductive materials like ceramic.
"Frenda, she's no ordinary opponent. Throw your common sense out the window."
Mugino's gaze grew serious as she watched the uninvited guest.
She wasn't overly concerned about Misaka Mikoto—in terms of pure combat power, she had the advantage. The problem was that the meteor monster was already reforming, and it didn't seem hostile toward Misaka, which meant more pressure for her.
If this turned into a major disturbance, nearby Anti-Skill officers and other troublesome individuals would start swarming in.
It was obvious someone was controlling this monster. Even though she'd already incapacitated Kiyama Harumi and left her unconscious...
'Did I still not take enough precautions?' Mugino thought with frustration.
"This thing... wasn't it destroyed by me?"
Misaka-senpai was also shocked. She was certain she'd seen this fully restored humanoid monster somewhere before. Though it didn't seem hostile toward her, she remained wary and guarded.
"Why did you kidnap Haruue and the others? Where are they?" Misaka-senpai demanded angrily, quietly pulling a few game coins from her pocket.
"Such an annoying brat. Looks like I'll have to teach you a lesson this time." Mugino tossed her hair back, a fierce expression spreading across her face.
The light of the Railgun lit up the sky. Its immense kinetic energy generated unimaginable heat as it tore through the air, scorching the surrounding atmosphere.
At the same time, dozens of Meltdowner orbs materialized behind Mugino and shot forward, violently colliding with the Railgun's projectile. The clash formed a starkly contrasted pillar of heterochromatic light.
Misaka-senpai's light pillar lasted only a few seconds before crumbling away. The Railgun wasn't designed for sustained damage, while Meltdowner—though less accurate—overwhelmed with relentless volume and continuous fire.
Sparks of electricity danced at Misaka-senpai's feet. Using magnetism, she launched herself from the ground, executing a full 360-degree flip to evade the dense barrage of Meltdowner rays.
The moment she landed, a series of doll explosions erupted around her.
As the blasts tore through the area, the ground nearby twisted and churned, releasing a surge of iron sand that swarmed around Misaka-senpai like a suit of armor.
Meanwhile, more iron sand condensed underground into whip-like tendrils that shot up from the ground, attempting to ensnare Mugino by surprise.
At the same time, Kiyama Harumi directed the monster to attack. Dozens of tentacles sprouted and madly stretched out, surrounding Mugino and Frenda from all angles.
"Don't you dare look down on me."
Mugino smirked coldly as the white points of light behind her multiplied, until her back was densely covered with the glowing orbs of Meltdowner.
It was like the land had been scoured by artillery. After a single volley, the ground in front of the research institute was torn to shreds, without a single safe spot left to stand.
Panting slightly, Misaka-senpai took cover behind her iron sand shield. The center of the sand barrier had been burned through, but the gap flickered with a blue-white light, completely filled with concentrated electrical currents.
As for the humanoid monster, it had already begun respawning.
Not long after this battle erupted, a certain Tokiwadai girl who happened to be passing by—a perennial fan of floating mid-air and happily hanging upside-down from ledges like a bat—was struggling to focus her camera.
Thanks to her ability to manipulate gravity, her skirt was the legendary anti-gravity type, completely unaffected by her inverted posture.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Item, although Saiai Kinuhata's driving skills were decent, she didn't seem accustomed to handling a vehicle as large as a bus, and her driving was rather bumpy as a result.
Having just swerved to avoid an oncoming car, Saiai let out a heavy sigh of relief. That was way too close.
Faint sobbing could be heard inside the bus. Haruue and Uiharu were comforting the kidnapped group like a pair of older sisters. Banri's condition was stable too; she stayed quietly by Haruue's side.
"Misaka will be here soon. Shirai and Natsume are on their way too. They're the pride of Academy City—Level 4s and Level 5s. They'll definitely rescue us," Uiharu whispered, trying to reassure the others.
She worriedly checked her phone. The battery was almost dead.
"The tracking signal vanished?" Sonoko Natsume spread her wings, holding a phone in her hand as she rushed toward Uiharu's last known location. But after a moment, the signal from Uiharu's phone disappeared entirely.
She froze mid-air, completely at a loss for what to do.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.