"Ugh... why did I agree to fight you in the first place..." Luo Yifang stood on the riverbank with both hands in his pockets, looking utterly helpless.
"Hmph, if you're scared, just say so." Excitement gleamed in Misaka Mikoto's eyes as blue arcs of electricity crackled from the ends of her hair. "Let me see what you're really capable of."
Before Misaka Mikoto had even finished speaking, she hurled a blue Lightning Spear at Luo Yifang. He did not even dodge, allowing the electric light to swallow him whole. But Misaka Mikoto did not think he would be taken down so easily. After all, he had taken one of her Railguns head-on the other day without a scratch. When the light faded, Luo Yifang stood exactly where he had been, completely unharmed. He took one step forward, kicking up a violent gust that scattered the dust raised by Misaka Mikoto's lightning strike.
"Come on, give it everything you've got. Otherwise, you won't get another chance." Luo Yifang wore a smile as he slowly walked toward Misaka Mikoto. It did not feel like a battle at all; he looked as leisurely as if he were taking a stroll.
"Damn it... what exactly is his ability?" Misaka Mikoto used electric shocks to try to slow Luo Yifang's advance while thinking over his power. "Electricity is useless... then let's try the Railgun again!"
Without another thought, Misaka Mikoto pulled another arcade token from her pocket and pinched it between her fingers. The orange electromagnetic cannon blasted into Luo Yifang once more, but just like before, aside from the dirt and gravel flung away by the shockwave, Luo Yifang did not even pause. He shrugged. "Is that all?"
This guy really needed a beating. Misaka Mikoto gritted her teeth and half-clenched her right hand. Blue currents extended from her fingers and connected to the ground. Amid the hiss of electricity, countless tiny grains of black iron sand were drawn together by the magnetic force generated by the current, condensing into a black short blade. Misaka Mikoto swung it and declared fiercely, "Watch out. If this thing cuts you, you're going to bleed!"
"Oh?" To be honest, Luo Yifang rather admired how Misaka Mikoto applied her esper ability. At the very least, using electricity to control magnetism was far more complex than simple electric shocks. Seeing Misaka Mikoto charge at him with the short blade, he naturally understood what she intended. As a Level 5 Electromaster, Misaka Mikoto could use electric currents to stimulate her cells, increasing their activity and thereby enhancing her close-combat ability. She probably wanted to find an opening in close-quarters combat, which most espers were not good at.
Misaka Mikoto had great combat talent, Luo Yifang acknowledged that much. Unfortunately, she had fought too few opponents of the same level. She could easily crush delinquents, but against Accelerator, she would be the one crushed. Her only evenly matched opponent was probably that hot-tempered Aunt Mugino, Number 4. And Luo Yifang now could crush the original Accelerator!
Would ending this right away be a little too much? After a brief consideration, Luo Yifang decided to test himself against Misaka Mikoto in close combat first. When it came to hand-to-hand fighting, Luo Yifang was no novice. As Accelerator, he could indeed only use his ability for destruction, but Luo Yifang himself was a master proficient in all kinds of fighting techniques! His body might have been crippled, but his brain could perfectly simulate countless combat scenarios. With the aid of a few devices, Luo Yifang had often passed the time this way in his previous life, because only then did he feel as though his hands and feet were whole.
With a side-step, Luo Yifang evaded Misaka Mikoto's downward slash and closed in. He brought the fingers of his right hand together like a blade and lightly struck the wrist holding her weapon. Pain caused the magnetic field under Misaka Mikoto's control to break off momentarily, and the iron sand scattered into the air. Sensing trouble, she hurriedly accelerated away from Luo Yifang. Her pupils shrank slightly. Was he even better than her at close combat? This guy was practically a monster! Misaka Mikoto had not gone all out, but she believed Luo Yifang had not either.
"Still want to continue?" Luo Yifang smiled, but to Misaka Mikoto, that smile looked incredibly punchable.
"Don't... look down on me!"
The dazzling electric light suddenly flared. Luo Yifang narrowed his eyes slightly and noticed that, under the pull of the magnetic field, the surrounding iron sand was gathering again. This time, however, it was more agile, transforming into a rapidly vibrating long whip that tore through the air toward him. Luo Yifang raised his right hand and waved it, directly disrupting the magnetic field. The iron sand immediately lost its force, reverting to scattered grains that fell to the ground.
The magnetic field had been disrupted?! A flash of understanding crossed Misaka Mikoto's mind. She seemed to know what Luo Yifang's ability was now, but immense powerlessness immediately washed over her. Her guess was simply too terrifying—could an ability like this, once it reached Level 5, really be defeated? Fortunately, the thought only flickered through her mind. Misaka Mikoto pulled herself together. Even if... even if she could not win, she absolutely would not surrender.
A trace of determination appeared in her eyes. Misaka Mikoto became an elf of lightning, her entire body wrapped in violently surging electric light as she rushed toward Luo Yifang. Luo Yifang raised an eyebrow slightly. He had not expected Misaka Mikoto to attack like this, but... it was all over.
The pitch-black night sky was illuminated by flashing blue lightning. Then, the streetlights along the road abruptly lost power. Immediately afterward, with the two of them at the center, the power supply to the surrounding blocks was completely cut off, and every lit window went dark. Luo Yifang looked at Misaka Mikoto, who had thrown herself into his arms, and his mouth twitched. "So, what exactly are you doing?"
Misaka Mikoto seemed to realize that her current posture was inappropriate as well. She abruptly shoved Luo Yifang in the chest and sprang away from him, her face slightly red as she shouted, "Ha! You jerk, that kind of cheating ability! Couldn't you have told me earlier?!"
"Sorry for not telling you," Luo Yifang said speechlessly. "You were the one who challenged me first, and you were also the one who said you'd figure out my ability yourself."
"Shut up, shut up!" Misaka Mikoto vigorously shook her little head. The arcs dancing across her body showed just how unsettled she was. "Manipulating physical quantities and all that! How did you even get an insane ability like that to Level 5?"
"Uh, sorry, but let me correct you," Luo Yifang said very seriously. "I was born a Level 5."
Misaka Mikoto gave an adorable "Hmph," crossing her arms over her chest while the index finger of one hand repeatedly tapped her arm. She completely ignored Luo Yifang's bragging. Even the lightning she had guided down at close range had failed to break through his defenses. This guy was unbelievably, despairingly powerful. Fortunately, he still seemed to have normal morals, and that made Misaka Mikoto feel slightly relieved.
"Are you Number 2 or Number 1?" Misaka Mikoto felt that Luo Yifang was probably Number 1, but she still could not quite accept that the gap between them was so enormous.
"If I said I was Number 2, would you be disappointed?" Luo Yifang smiled as he watched Misaka Mikoto's expression fall. "All right, all right, I'll tell you the truth. I am Number 1."
"I knew it. Number 1 really is a freak..." Misaka Mikoto looked at Luo Yifang with a complicated expression.
"But I won't be for much longer."
"Huh?"
Before you continue