For the first time since her powers awakened, Suzushina Yuriko actively used her full calculation capacity to control a macroscopic vector.
This power came from the rotational kinetic energy of the planet beneath her feet. It was the most massive, relentless force on Earth.
Centered entirely on her feet, the stadium's foundation began to crack radially. Each fissure extended outward like a spiderweb, causing the massive, bird's-nest-shaped structure to violently reverberate.
The stadium's steel skeleton twisted and groaned under the altered physical laws. Massive chunks of concrete crumbled from the upper tiers. Fragments of stone and jagged steel rebar rained down like a torrential downpour.
RUMBLE—!
As far as the eye could see, the towering stands began to collapse inward, starting from the compromised foundation. It was as if a pair of giant, invisible hands were pushing the stadium down like a house of cards.
"AHHHHHH!"
"Help!"
"Monster!"
"Spare me! I'll never do it again!"
"HELP!"
Intense cries for salvation and terrified screams rang out, entirely drowned out by the deafening roar of thousands of tons of concrete collapsing.
"Has this girl gone mad?!"
Standing on the crumbling roof, Sogiita Gunha's expression instantly changed. His eyes hardened. A powerful, incomprehensible aura erupted from his body as he clenched his fists and leaped directly into the falling debris.
"Super! Invincible! Great! Billions of Changes! SUPER AMAZING PUNCH!"
With a single, roaring punch from the Number Seven, a localized hurricane-force gale exceeding Level 12 swept upward into the sky. The sheer atmospheric pressure generated by his fist forcibly caught the falling concrete blocks and steel bars, blowing them back up into the air like inverted rain.
The catastrophic, crushing debris vanished in an instant, blown out of the stadium entirely.
The panicked crowd on the ground was left speechless, staring up in a daze as if they had just witnessed two impossible natural disasters cancel each other out.
THUD.
Gunha landed, stomping a large crater into the ruined ground. He turned to the stunned crowd, flashing a bright, passionate smile, giving them a thumbs-up.
"Are you all alright?!"
"N-No... it's nothing..." a conscious Esper stammered blankly.
"It's good that you're alright! Leave the rest to me! You guys should hurry up and evacuate! Although it takes a lot of Guts to challenge someone stronger than yourself... you can't survive without the corresponding Guts to back it up!" Gunha declared, crossing his arms proudly.
"Thank you... thank you..."
Many of the conscious Espers bowed in gratitude before scrambling out of the ruined arena. Some even carried their unconscious comrades on their backs. Although they were arrogant challengers, they weren't entirely heartless villains.
Snap.
Takahashi Yuuya materialized beside Yuriko, holding a high-end digital video camera. He looked at the horrific scene around them, snapped his fingers, and instantly teleported the remaining unconscious and injured students a kilometer away to safety.
"Wow—that's impressive! You actually moved so many people at once!" Gunha said in surprise, watching the bodies vanish. "Are you the guy who just became a Level 5 today?"
Yuuya shrugged, lowering his camera. He hadn't expected to attract the attention of the Number Seven.
He then turned his gaze toward the dust cloud, watching Kakine Teitoku casually walk over.
"Hehe~ I really didn't expect this," Yuuya said cheerfully, looking between the two new arrivals. "Today we have a genuine Level 5 party. Should we open a bottle of red wine to celebrate?"
"Spatial control. You're Takahashi Yuuya," Kakine said, his eyes somewhat gloomy. His dark, frivolous personality had been forged by years in the Dark Side. "You're the one who chased Anti-Skill away, right? And that voice on the broadcast... that was you. You're quite arrogant for a rookie."
"Guilty as charged," Yuuya smiled. "But I'm curious. It's one thing for the meathead over there to show up... but why is Kakine Teitoku, the Number Two, making a public appearance here?"
With his hands in his pockets and a fake, plastic smile on his face, Kakine spoke arrogantly.
"I have my own reasons for being here. But I'm actually curious about you. Why did you hide your Level 5 status until today? Do you have some unspeakable secret you're trying to protect?"
Yuuya half-closed his eyes, smiling without saying a word.
"Heh... is that so?" Yuriko's voice cut through the tension.
Her lips curled into a world-weary, sinister smile.
"I managed to catch two big fish today. So, you're here to challenge my position as the Strongest? Can I assume that?"
Even the lowest-ranking scoundrels wanted to be the Strongest, so it made sense that the other Level 5s cared obsessively about their rankings. Although fighting between Level 5s was officially forbidden, this chaotic riot provided the perfect cover. They didn't start the incident, so they could easily pin the collateral damage on her.
"Haha. I actually have to thank you, Accelerator, for giving me this opportunity," Kakine said, his gaze locking onto Yuriko with cold, murderous intent. "As long as I defeat you here... or better yet, kill you directly... I get what I want."
"Why?" Yuriko's red eyes flashed with madness. "I haven't done anything to offend you. Why do you want the title of the Strongest so badly? You're willing to kill me just for a ranking?"
She had done nothing but try to survive. Even if her life was a miserable, blood-soaked nightmare, she was content as long as she could just breathe. But now, these bastards wanted to take even that insignificant existence away from her?
"Heh. I have no personal grudge against you. I don't even particularly want to fight you," Kakine sneered.
"However, your very existence is an obstacle to me. You have no idea how much people envy the power and privilege you possess. In order to gain the right to negotiate directly with Aleister, I must defeat you and prove that my ability is the superior one."
"What kind of pathetic reason is that?" Yuriko's face darkened.
"You still don't know, do you?" Kakine laughed mockingly. Three pairs of blazing white Dark Matter wings sprouted from his back, casting an angelic, terrifying glow over the ruins.
"Aleister is carrying out multiple massive projects simultaneously. And you... you are the protagonist. You are the Main Plan."
Kakine's voice dripped with venom.
"And I... the Number Two... am merely your Spare. I am nothing but a backup battery in case you break. I've made it clear enough now. You should understand why there has to be a winner between us today."
"..."
Yuriko froze. Her eyes widened.
"So that's how it is... so that's how it is," she whispered, her voice trembling.
"The Plan... The Plan... Hehehe... HAHAHAHA!"
Yuriko covered her face with her hand, her shoulders shaking as she let out a broken, maniacal laugh. Her red eyes were completely consumed by madness and murderous intent.
"You're like this! That scumbag Yuuya is like this! Those damned researchers are like this!"
She glared at Kakine, the air around her warping as her vectors screamed for blood.
"Just because I inexplicably became the 'Protagonist' of Aleister's sick game... all of you keep coming to provoke me?!"
Kakine's white wings flared as he floated into the air.
"There's no point in talking anymore. Let's see how the Main Plan performs."
Kakine smiled ruthlessly.
"The winner will be decided today."
.....
.....
.....
Support me and read advance chapters on patreon.com/ImmortalDaoWriter