Volume 8, Epilogue: Every Single Day. One_Place,One_Scene.
The next morning, Kamijou Touma requested leave for a few hours from school and came to a certain hospital. But this time, he was really not injured, so he came to the hospital not for treatment, but to visit Shirai Kuroko.
However, he was just standing down there blankly. He was standing at a recreational room not far away from the hospital rooms, which also functioned as a smoking area. There was even a vending machine beside the wall. There was a bright red hand imprint on his face. This was because when he had walked into her hospital room, Shirai had been changing her clothes.
After being chased out of the hospital room, Kamijou guessed that it might take some time for girls to change clothes, so he decided to bring an angry Index to visit Misaka Imouto, who was in the same hospital.
Misaka Imouto had already changed rooms. The amount of activity that she had done seemed to have caused a huge amount of damage to her health, especially since she had not recovered properly. Right now, Misaka Imouto was floating in an oval cylinder filled completely with transparent liquid. It was impossible to see this sort of hardened glass container that had sci-fi characteristics in an ordinary hospital.
Though Misaka Imouto was inside the container, she was still conscious. On seeing Kamijou, she nodded her head expressionlessly. However, Misaka Imouto was not wearing anything except for eight white electrodes. Thus, a raging Index bit the back of Kamijou’s head viciously. (Though Misaka Imouto herself didn’t mind at all.)
How tragic was this bite attack? In this hospital room, there was a pet cage (this cage was specially designed such that animal fur and germs couldn’t enter). Even the black cat in the cage had its animal instincts awakened on seeing this, completely terrified, jumping around as if there was an earthquake. This morning, Kamijou was really unlucky.
In other words...
Twice, Kamijou and Index had left the hospital rooms as if they were fleeing from a disaster, back to this recreational area.
“...Such misfortune. A normally unlucky Kamijou-san seems to be entering an ‘unlucky mayhem’ (change in probability)! I won’t be surprised even if I’m to meet misfortune nine times consecutively, damn it!!”
Touching the wall, Kamijou gave a tired expression as he stood up, his hand holding a paper bag. There was a ‘black honeydew’ fruit jelly inside that was worth 1,400 yen (So expensive, yet it’s not any bigger). He was wary that Index might bite and tear off the paper bag anytime, but felt that no matter how gluttonous Index was, she wouldn’t lay hands on gifts that were meant for patients. However, he was still unable to relax.
However, to Index, the lottery wheel of the vending machine (Note: Japan’s vending machines have lottery functions) seemed much more interesting than the fruit jelly. She noticed the machine and said,
“What’s that ‘Tree Diagram’ and ‘Remnant’? I don’t really understand. I only know that Touma said such a cool line “Then, I’ll go and finish off the other half,” and didn’t do anything after that...”
“Ugh...I followed the predicted route that Shirai give me, saw that all the windows of the buildings were shattered, and what looked like broken pieces of a luggage bag were scattered all over the place, including what’s inside. There was even a devastated girl hanging up at the roof...seems like some mysterious person helped out.”
“Touma, Touma. I hardly get the chance to say this to you...you big eater!!”
“HEY! I knew you’d call me that, damn it!! Who’s the guy who stole my credit and left so silently!! Is he trying to act cool!!?”
“...That’s right, for someone like Touma, one is too many.”
“NOOO!!” the voice echoed throughout the morning hospital.
“So noisy, who’s the idiot who’s making such a ruckus outside?”
The noise that passed through the wall made Accelerator frown. Though the voice seemed familiar, maybe he was just worrying too much, Accelerator wondered. This single bed room wasn’t wide, but besides the bed, there didn’t seem to be anything. Accelerator lay on the bed, covering himself with the blanket again. Though his hair was growing extremely fast, and his wounds were healing abnormally fast, and he could even jump and play around, one had to remember that he was a critically injured patient. If it was an ordinary person, they probably wouldn’t even be able to stand up. A rectangular table was horizontally placed above the patient’s bed like an overhead bridge. The table was meant for the patient to have his meals. However, there was a seemingly ten-year-old girl lying on the table, shaking her legs about. This girl used to be covered in a towel, but right now, she was wearing a light blue cutie dress from some children’s fashion brand. It was one of the clothes that the lady in sports attire had given her.
“‘I heard from Yomikawa that her job last night was to go ‘outside’ and destroy an external organisation called the ‘Science Association’’Asociacion de cienia’, says Misaka as Misaka reports all the information that she heard from the Misaka Network. ‘That network had interacted with Amai Ao before, so they’re rather familiar with the ‘Tree Diagram’’, says Misaka as Misaka describes with this sudden feeling.”
“That so...”
“‘Yomikawa came back with black rings around her eyes; seems like she didn’t sleep at all’, says Misaka as Misaka is sympathizing her regarding the age shown by her skin. ‘...Eh? Why do you look so dead, completely different from usual?’, asks Misaka as Misaka is really curious.”
“...I came back early in the morning. Now, I just want to sleep; tell me what you want to say later.”
“‘Ah—! It’ll be bad once you start sleeping!!’, says Misaka as Misaka changes into Misaka Alarm clock mode!! ‘It’s daytime! It’s two hours till noon!’, says Misaka as Misaka kicks while she fawns, trying to re-motivate your mind that is about to sleep!”
“...”
This brat, did she experience something bad while I was sleeping? Accelerator suspiciously considered as he pulled the blanket and covered his ears. Though he just needed to use the electrodes and let the Misaka Network handle the calculations for him to use his powers, the Misaka Network would normally be in charge of the bare minimum redirection of handling language, calculation and reflecting ultraviolet rays. Besides, he couldn’t just waste the battery power so carelessly.
“Damn it, I really envy this kid. I was under the condition that my brain’s about to blow, worked so hard to leave the hospital, and came back in the morning. This brat can lie about in the air-con room and enjoy the benefits...! SOB REMOVBING MY SPEECH STOIT!!”
Halfway through talking, Accelerator was suddenly unable to speak coherently, and started to roar and rage.
Actually, the Misaka Network had stopped the calculations for Accelerator’s speech ability.
Accelerator wanted to say “Don’t just remove my speech ability”.
“‘Misaka doesn’t want to help do the calculations for those who don’t listen’, says Misaka as Misaka tries to protest in a cutesy manner—wa, WAHH! ‘WHY ARE YOU WRAPPING MISAKA’S BODY IN A BLANKET!?’, SAYS MISAKA AS MISAKA SUDDENLY STARTS TO WORRY ABOUT HER PERSONAL SAFETY!!”
On the other hand, in the other single bed room.
“Come on, come on! COMEONCOMEONCOMEONCOMEON!! ONEE-SAMA!! The wonderful moment for you to cut the apple into a rabbit has finally come! OH HOHOHOHOHO...!!”
“YOU’RE REALLY NOISY! KUROKO! WHY WERE YOU ON THE BRINK OF DEATH YESTERDAY, ONLY TO BE UP AND JUMPING...Wait a sec! You’re still tired, but through some form of willpower, you wanted to get off the bed, right? OI, STOP IT, KUROKO!! YOU’LL REALLY LOSE YOUR LIFE!!!”
Covered in wounds, Shirai Kuroko smiled as she tried to leap on her beloved Onee-sama. Misaka Mikoto desperately forced her back onto the bed and covered her with the blanket.
“Ahh...being pushed back onto the bed like this, this feeling...it’s...it’s worth it to fight against the enemy so close up! The world looks so bright now!!”
“Don’t you know what it means to ‘rest quietly’?”
“If you want Kuroko to rest well, then give Kuroko an apple rabbit! That mister who came over probably likes girls who are more domesticated. Right?”
“...Rea...really? Kuroko, you think so?”
“I’m just saying it randomly; why must Onee-sama be so serious about it? Don’t tell me that that guy who came in when I was changing clothes is really the one Onee-sama likes? That...that damn—!?”
To be able to jump about like this even after she had been severely injured, Mikoto was really amazed at Kuroko’s vitality. During that clothes changing moment, Mikoto had helped Kuroko, who was unable to move well, give a slap to a certain boy (with a suitable amount of electricity in the blow as well), and now she seemed rather remorseful about it. The news that Musujime Awaki got retained at her Kirigaoka Girls’ Academy didn’t concern her as well.
Suddenly, the conversation was interrupted.
Both of them remained silent.
The intense atmosphere was starting to cool.
They wanted to open up their closed mouths, but it was taking more effort than what they had expected.
Mikoto understood the reason.
Her kouhai had gotten injured, many parts of her body had been stabbed through.
In the end, Mikoto still got other people involved in her personal affair.
Besides the SISTERs and that boy, there was the extremely naïve kouhai.
“I can understand...”
Shirai, who was on the bed, suddenly spoke up, interrupting Mikoto’s thoughts.
Stunned, Mikoto looked up. Shirai continued,
“I can understand that where Onee-sama stood was her battlefield. But with this ongoing chaos, I don’t understand what’s going on. Especially at the last moment, the situation when you all came over, it’s so ridiculous that it made me not think about it and not pursue the matter further.”
Shirai carried a small smile as she relaxed her entire body.
“The current me now is unable to stand on the same place as Onee-sama. I tried to catch up, only to end up here.”
“Kuroko...”
Mikoto revealed a painful expression.
But this expression was quickly covered by other expressions. Mikoto knew how to hide her emotions. However, because of this, she was even more fragile. Shirai understood this very clearly.
“Onee-sama, if you feel that you need to take responsibility for getting me involved in this, you’re wrong.”
“Eh?”
“My incompetence is my own responsibility, isn’t that obvious? What has this got to do with Onee-sama? Please don’t look down on me. I still know how to be responsible. If Onee-sama is to be responsible for me, my dignity would be gone.”
Shirai Kuroko calmly said,
“Thus, Onee-sama, smile. Look at this kouhai of yours who came back safety despite ruining the situation, give a thumbs up and laugh. With these happy memories as food, I can be re-motivated again.”
After that, Shirai added on in her heart,
(However, what I said only lasts for now. I, Shirai Kuroko, don’t intend to stay at the same spot. So, Onee-sama, please wait for me. With a goal, Kuroko’s speed will be extremely fast!)
Shirai understood how comfortable this place was, so she decided to go back to the battlefield.
In order not to let the girl in front of her realise this, she didn’t say anything.
Just like that, Shirai Kuroko understood the limitations of her ability.
Just like that, Shirai Kuroko saw that world that she couldn’t touch.
But because of this, she wouldn’t give up, and would continue to pursue on.
She was not aiming to climb higher.
She just wanted to protect this sky now.
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