One-way traffic

Completely alter Sugitani's cognition and memories, turning him into someone on Accelerator's side, and then have him infiltrate the Shio-an side, only to betray them when they actually fight.

Although it may not have any real useful effect, it's one step at a time, and for Accelerator, it can be described as an unprecedented experience.

Of course, no one but him could possibly understand all of this.

In Shiogishi's view, Sugitani had simply betrayed them.

After completing the mission, Sugitani stood aside like a wooden statue, while Accelerator slowly walked up to Shiogishi.

"Alright, let's talk about some interesting things."

He looked directly at Chao'an, an inscrutable smile on the monster's face.

"Don't be so scared, I won't make things difficult for you. I'll just give you a discount."

"Is it...money?"

"wrong."

The first one in Academy City raised his index finger.

"I will peel off half of your skin, and if you are still alive after that, I will let you go."

Chao An's eyes widened, his face completely exploding with shock and terror.

"Of course, I can also give you the most direct way to resolve this."

Besides that, Accelerator had something even more crucial to ask him.

"As long as you provide information about the 'Dragon'."

Both Kaihara Mitsuki and Kihara Ayaki turned their gazes toward Shiogishi.

This is the final moment; if I don't speak up, I'll suffer a fate worse than death.

"... "

There is no room left for me to choose.

After gritting his teeth and having no choice but to say such a thing, Chao'an finally looked at Yifang Tongxing.

If nothing unexpected happens, this is the decisive moment.

Then, the anomaly occurred.

"…ah?"

The first person to realize this was Accelerator himself.

He felt a pressure in his chest.

It wasn't a feeling that came from any ability or being simply intimidated by someone's aura, but rather a feeling he had experienced before.

Yes.

He only experiences this kind of pressure when he encounters a power system that is completely unfamiliar to him.

Accelerator looked up and felt his reflexes activate immediately, as if they were blocking something, but he didn't know what it was.

When I came to my senses, the situation had changed dramatically.

First, Kihara Awaki, Sugitani, and Shiogishi himself all collapsed to the ground.

The only people who remained standing still and retained their self-awareness were Accelerator and Mitsuki Kaihara.

"Oh? There are other people who are still awake."

Then another person appeared before them.

Accelerator looked up and saw two new figures emerging from the door he had come out of earlier.

"Now that things have come to this point, I have no interest in pretending anymore."

They were a man and a woman... however, their skin color was different from that of ordinary people.

It was neither yellow nor white, but its skin didn't look like that of a black person either; rather, it was a peculiar brown.

"Are you reinforcements from Chao'an?"

"If that's how you see us, then I'm truly sorry."

However, the first to react was not One Side.

Instead, it was Mitsuki Kaihara standing behind him.

"...Could it be?!"

He couldn't help but widen his eyes.

After confirming the person in front of him several times, Kaihara Mitsuki finally spoke, his voice trembling.

"Tikpatto...Tokitri?"

Mitsuki Kaihara couldn't help but widen his eyes, staring at the two people in front of him in disbelief.

Accelerator narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling that he roughly understood the current situation.

"Is he a magic user...?"

"Wow, you're from Academy City and you know about magic? Impressive. I rarely see someone like you."

The tall, brown-skinned man is Tikpato, while the short, brown-skinned woman on the side is Tokitri.

These two were actually from the same organization as Kaihara Mitsuki, and were Aztec magicians.

If they show up here, it probably means one thing.

"His purpose is basically the same as that of Soqite; he's only here for you."

That's it.

Tikpato wore a contented smile, and something materialized in his hand.

“That’s right, I came here to eliminate you, an Aztec mage.”

Om-! !

A dazzling light exploded in front of the two of them.

“Wu——?!”

The moment the white light appeared, the first thing the two felt was a pain that seemed to penetrate their brains, with Kaihara Mitsuki experiencing it the most intensely.

However, as a magician, Kaihara Mitsuki barely withstood the impact thanks to his mental strength, while Accelerator was surrounded by pure karmic fire. His scythe, which directly controlled mental power, transformed into actual power around him, helping him withstand the attack.

Only at this moment did they see that something resembling a book was floating around Tikpato.

"It's...the original text?!"

"So it seems you've already seen that guy, Soqite, right? And it seems you also possess the original text?"

"Original text..." Accelerator recalled the girl who had been his enemy during the battle against the Dark Side.

Her name seems to be Sokite. After that, Kaihara Mitsuki sent her to the hospital in the 7th District, but before that, she brought out something that even Accelerator found difficult to handle.

That must be something called the original text.

"...cannot directly look at the original text."

As if on high alert, Kaihara Mitsuki quickly said to Accelerator.

"You're not a magician. If you see the original text, you'll suffer an even more severe mental shock than I did, so don't look at it!"

"Tsk, I know without you saying it."

Accelerator's reflection couldn't resist the effects of that thing. If he looked directly at it without relying on Nathos's power to counteract it, Accelerator would probably be crippled in an instant.

"That's great, Aizali. You've finally found a trustworthy companion in Academy City?"

The two stood together, and Kaihara Mitsuki's gaze toward Tikpatto was dangerous.

The fact that the other party would bring out the original text at this time means that harmonious communication is no longer possible, and he must be planning to kill me.

With that thought in mind, Kaihara Mitsuki grasped the obsidian dagger in his hand without hesitation.

"Humph."

However, Tikpato didn't care.

He casually raised his hand, and then, a white stream of light exploded.

"What? Get out of the way!"

Mitsuki Kaihara shouted loudly, but Accelerator had already noticed this beforehand.

A burst of brilliance.

Under Accelerator's gaze, the pure white light swept across everything around him in an instant.

Rumble, rumble—!!!

The wall, strong enough to withstand the impact and temperature of an atomic bomb, was pierced through in an instant.

"Seriously, don't dodge! If you do this, you'll get involved with those mercenaries on the other side of the river."

Tikpato flicked his fingers, acting as if nothing had happened.

"The power of the original is very strong. Originally, this strike could directly hit celestial bodies in the universe... However, it didn't achieve that just now. Does this mean that the rabbit bones used as material were not of high quality?"

Rabbit bones...?

Just as Accelerator was pondering this point, Mitsuki Kaihara noticed something.

Until now, the girl named Tokitelli had not made any move.

No, it's not that she doesn't intend to do that.

Rather, it's that she couldn't do that.

"…Hello."

Kaihara Mitsuki stared wide-eyed as he spoke, enunciating each word clearly.

"What did you do to Tokitri?"

Even Accelerator noticed this.

Tokitri's expression was blank; she stood frozen in place, as if convulsing, and—

Her right index finger slumped down like dough.

"What did you do to Tokitri?! You bastard—!!"

"Rabbit bone, don't you understand? Do I have to explain it to you word by word?"

Even a layman like Accelerator had a vague idea of ​​a certain possibility.

"Could it be a bone—?"

"That's right. Even though you're from Academy City, you have a pretty keen eye for our magic."

Tikpato sneered.

"What do you think it would take to achieve the power to directly strike a celestial body? It's rabbit bones. I used Tokitri's bones as magical materials to create that attack just now."

"But you don't need to worry about her safety. The place where the bones were has now been filled with the same amount of obsidian, so there's no need to worry about her internal organs falling out because the bones are gone."

"She's perfectly healthy."

Can't believe it.

Half of a person's bone is forcibly removed, and then obsidian is used to fill the original bone location.

What kind of pain would occur if this procedure were performed without any anesthesia?

Even for one-way street vendors, it's hard to imagine.

"...Tik, Pato."

Kaihara Mitsuki, no—

The Aztec magician, Azari, mercilessly tore his own face apart with his hands.

Its true nature was revealed.

"Tikpato—!!!!"

As a symbol echoing Azar's wrath, the original texts hidden within him were activated.