"A passing hero?"
Accelerator's voice rang out again, only this time it no longer carried the same hoarse tone, full of mockery and coldness.
Although he was muttering to himself in confirmation, a subtle hint of surprise and suspicion crept into his voice instead.
But perhaps precisely because such feelings so rarely appeared, Accelerator now seemed a little more human than usual.
"So you're just an idiot who doesn't know what's going on..."
The frenzy on his face also faded a little.
Anyone who had come into contact with this city's truth would never expect a hero to appear.
To bear that title required not only shining courage and an unyielding will, but also the power to disregard every shackle.
"So, are you here to stop a villain like me?"
Seeing that things were getting interesting, Accelerator stopped advancing and watched Roland with interest.
He planned to wait until this fellow made some feeble, childish declaration like Mikoto Misaka, then crush him with absolute power and laugh down at him.
When that happened, this self-proclaimed hero would look...
"Not necessarily."
Roland blinked.
"Huh?"
The smile on Accelerator's face froze at once, his expression shifting slightly to reveal a cruel chill.
"Don't look so surprised. Didn't I say right from the start that I'm a hero for fun?"
Roland shrugged and answered calmly.
"Although I'm the genuine article, each situation still needs to be handled on its own merits. I need to ask the person involved before deciding whether to intervene. Could I trouble you to wait a minute or two?"
After making that declaration, Roland turned around, seemingly unconcerned about the enemy before him.
And just as he had expected, the white-haired boy remained motionless, probably because he had never anticipated this development.
Thus, under Accelerator's murderous gaze, which felt