"You don't really think you're the 'Strongest' just because of a number, do you?"
Yuuya looked down at the girl pinned beneath him.
"Academy City's rankings are based on Research Value and utility to the Chairman's plan, not just raw power. If we're talking about unexplainable strength, even the #7, Sogiita Gunha, might have more potential than you."
He looked up at the night sky, scanning the darkness where the satellites were hiding.
"Besides... I wasn't the one who stopped you. I came because I couldn't stand watching it anymore."
"Do you really believe the Misaka Sisters are dolls without souls?"
SLAP!
Yuuya slapped Accelerator across the face. Hard.
It wasn't a punch to injure. It was a slap to humiliate. To wake her up.
"Despicable..."
Accelerator's red eyes flashed with madness. Her cheek burned. If her calculation ability hadn't been negated, she would have reversed his blood flow instantly.
"They have self-awareness!" Yuuya shouted.
"From birth, they are like newborn babies. Blank slates. You just need to feed them the 'Common Sense' that they are guinea pigs, and they accept it."
"They walked into the slaughterhouse because they were taught it was their purpose! And you... you bastard... you didn't even think about that! You just killed 10,000 of them!"
Yuuya squinted, his eyes cold.
"Although you were fooled by the researchers, it was still your decision to pull the trigger."
"Even if I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't be lenient. But I can't kill you. You are a cornerstone of Aleister's Main Plan. If I kill you now, Aleister and I go to war."
"Shut up..."
Accelerator's voice trembled.
"Stop talking to yourself... You talk like you know everything... You'll never understand..."
Her heart cracked.
Aleister... The Chairman... The Level 6 Shift... It was all a lie. A cover story.
She was just a cog in a machine designed to mass-produce dead bodies.
In an instant, endless darkness enveloped her. The fragile string holding her sanity together snapped.
The entire world was filled with malice. There was nowhere for her to go.
All I wanted... was a quiet life. A life where no one would challenge me. A life where I wouldn't hurt anyone ever again.
I thought... if I became Level 6... I could reach the World of Light.
Why...?
"Hehe... Hehehe... AHAHAAHA!"
Accelerator began to laugh. A broken, jagged sound. A laugh of pure self-destruction.
"Is it too dark for you?" Yuuya sighed, watching her break. "Heh. After killing 10,000 girls, I won't let you off the hook with just insanity. Unforgivable mistakes await your atonement."
"Atonement?" Accelerator sneered, tears pricking her eyes. "What a joke! Get out of here, you scoundrel! Just kill me!"
"Oh? I've made myself perfectly clear."
Yuuya raised his fist again.
"I'm telling you this so you won't disobey. There aren't enough Misaka Sisters yet. If you refuse to participate, the Board will just find another Level 5. They'll use Kakine Teitoku or Mugino Shizuri."
"The killing won't stop just because you quit. It will only stop if you control the game. Do you understand?"
"Aleister calculated your human nature flawlessly. He knew you'd be too weak to refuse."
Yuuya stood up. He offered her a hand. Not to help her up, but as an invitation.
"Telling me all this, huh?"
Accelerator slowly pushed herself up from the ground. She ignored her torn shirt, the dirt on her face, and the wires hanging from her neck.
"You think I'll do as you please? What do you want me to do? Cry? Despair? Let you lowlifes laugh at me?"
She stood on shaky legs, swaying slightly.
"Heh. Shouldn't the correct answer be to laugh?"
Accelerator's lips curled into a smile filled with depravity and madness.
"Academy City... the Researchers... they all think they can use me as a guinea pig?"
"Even a guinea pig bites when it's cornered. So... what are you?"
She looked at Yuuya.
"Phew~" Yuuya chuckled. "But unfortunately, I'm not one of those 'High-Ups.' I'm the guy opposing them."
"Anyway, you're no different from the bastards drinking red wine in the Windowless Building," Accelerator spat. "All this talk is just to use me. I should thank you for clarifying that everyone is trash."
"Saying I'm 'using' you is a bit harsh. Let's call it... redirection."
Yuuya smiled.
"Join me. My organization, HARMONY, is dedicated to eradicating the darkness of Academy City. I will give you what you desire."
"Join the Dark Side to destroy the Dark Side?"
Accelerator laughed dryly.
"Heh... As expected. You're after my power. A new unit?"
"You only have one chance, Yuriko."
Yuuya's voice dropped.
"Will you join me in defying fate? Or will you be passively trapped in Aleister's plan, used as a tool until you are completely ruined?"
Accelerator looked at his hand.
"You beat me into submission, broke my worldview, and now you offer me a job?"
"That's a really good use of the Carrot and the Stick. No wonder you're just as much of a bastard as Aleister."
Yuuya's smile remained unchanged.
He knew she would accept.
She had no choice. Even if it was a trap, it was the only path that led away from the slaughter. She longed for the Light, even if she had to walk through Hell to get there.
Accelerator didn't take his hand.
Instead, she shoved her hands into her pockets, her red eyes filled with a dangerous glint.
"Fine."
"I'll join your little club."
"I want to see just how many conspiracies this city has waiting for me."
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