NOVEL NEXT Chapter 21: chapter 21
Kamijou Touma could breath the salty air of ocean as he relaxed in front of the dark waters disturbed only by small waves on the surface.
Or so he would like to say, but...
He knew that the real reason for why he was on this beach was anything but relaxing. At least not for him.
Well, for now, there were certain pleasant distractions...
"Stop staring you moron" Kaibi fumed at him, but the action of crossing her arms underneath her chest did not do any favours for Touma. In fact, Kaibi's quip was rather half hearted, as she paraded in her swimsuit rather openly without a care in the world.
The girl was wearing two-piece of panties and bra of pinkish hue, held together by crimson strings. The cups and edges of panties were also adorned by small white frills. It had classy look to it, which was a given considering who was wearing it.
"Kai onee-chan took forever to dress up. And they say I am the one who is indecisive. You know why she did, onii-chan? Because she wanted you to love- mmmhmph?!"
"My adorable and very talkative little sister seems to enjoy herself today..." Kaibi muffled Amazora's chirpy commentary by putting a hand over her lips and instead looking at her sibling from toes to her hair." Amazora... What. Is. THIS?!"
Yes. There were certain pleasurable distractions, but as for others, they could surely get the poor boy in jail if someone misunderstood the situation.
'This' Kaibi was referring to was Amazora's swimsuit. Or rather, what was supposed to be a swimsuit, but was in fact only collection of strings connecting very small parts of material covering her still developing chest and areas below her waist. At least the latter one was wider and, like Kaibi's, had frills. It was definitely something certain individuals, such as Shirai Kuroko, would approve, but this was by no means a swimsuit an 11 year old was supposed to wear.
"Amazora... where did you get that... thing?!" Kaibi spat out in disdain, looking at the revealing suit.
"In the swimsuit shop. Onii-chan helped me pick it up."
Kaibi instantaneously turned around with a dangerous gleam in her eyes and Kamijou almost fell back as he was hit with the power of "Gokusai Kaibi's Ultra Disgust Glare®"
"Huh, hitting a new low, are we? You say 'onee-san this, onee-san that' but deep down there you are still a disgusting, minor-seeking-"
"Wait, wait, let's take a break! My onee-san love is an unwavering light in the darkness of my misfortunate existence. There is no way I would give it up!"
"Then how do you explain this?!"
"I had no idea this is what she took! Amazora, I motioned 'too much skin!'. Too much!"
"I thought onii-chan gestured 'too little, too little!'"
"Why on earth would I show that when the ratio of skin to a fabric was clearly screwed?!"
"I thought onii-chan finally recognized my womanly charm"
"Womanly... wait, is this one of those psychoanalytic things senpai told me about? That no matter if I said yes or no, you would interpret it either us confirmation or denial?!"
"Wait a second... you 'watched'? Don't tell me you were so scared to go into woman shopping section that you gave her a hand messages? You two are such idiots!"
"Well, I didn't manage to see what Amazora got at the end because there was an incident involving racks falling over, sprinkler malfunction, and 5 girls getting stripped naked..."
"I see no causality between those facts, but if you were involved, there probably was one. You two are such a pain. Maybe you two shouldn't spend time together..."
"Eh? No way!" Touma and Amazora both shouted.
"I like spending time with onii-chan!"
"I have to watch over her so she won't do anything dangerous"
"Now, now" Rikuri's voice came behind them" this quarrelling is bad for your health. Amazora, I prepared a spare suit for you."
"Eeeh? No fair..."
"As for you, boy, I have a certain task for you..."
(MINUTES LATER)
Amazora and Kaibi were absolutely crushed.
Although the former could easily charm her way through the cuteness of sibling dynamic, and the latter had much allure and elegance in her own right, they were outclassed in this environment.
In genuine purity, Amazora would prevail. In day to day life, Kaibi could have certain advantage.
But the beach was undisputedly the kingdom of Gokusai Rikuri.
She was stretched on the sunbed, wearing the shimmering violet swimsuit with golden linings. The material was semi-see-through, and while it didn't explicitly showed anything, it also didn't leave much to imagination.
And you would bet that there was a lot to look at.
The suit was not a traditional one piece, as it showed a lot of Rikuri's belly while covering the sides of her body. It also exposed a lot of her alluring hips. As for the bra, it exposed her huge chest just enough for it to be safe. With small, curtain-like additions to the shimmering suit, Rikuri bore the look of an exotic belly dancer.
In addition to the suit, she sported a large, beige-to-white beach hat, white sandals, and sunglasses. And right now she was...
"Ooooooh... that's the... waaaaah... that's the place... yes, get it right theeeeeeeere~"
The older girl was making the sounds so erotic that Kaibi actually had to rub her eyes to see if she was seeing what she was looking at in a right way.
Kamijou Touma was putting a sunscreen on Gokusai Rikuri. It was just and only that.
But the experience apparently had deep and somewhat sensual side to it.
"Rikuri-san... could you please don't..."
"Ooooooh..."
It was one thing that Rikuri was rather sensitive, but was Kamijou really that good in massages? Come to think of it, Touma already gave Rikuri a massage once. Kaibi felt a bitter taste looking at slightly flushed pair in front of her.
"Onii-chan and onee-chan sure are having fun..." Amazora muttered, doing something before Kaibi's back.
"Nee-san, you are going to give him a heatstroke and you are even not in the sun"
"But what can I do, Kaibi-chan? Those hands of his are simply divine. I feel more present in my body than ever before as his hands are exploring it."
"We are... still talking about putting on a protective cream, right?" Touma asked weakly, as her tried to calm his racing heart if every way possible.
The distraction arrived in the form of Amazora who, entirely covered in cream, jumped into the air and onto Touma.
"Allow Amazora to cream you up!"
"Wait, I am still in my clothes! If we both fall into a sand, it will stick to us. Stop! Fukou da!"
After a few more minutes, the new voices, followed by their respective owners, entered the scene.
"Surely, you have fun, aren't you?"
"Senpai!"
Kumokawa Seria presented a class on her own. She too was in revealing and exotic swimsuit, which punctuated her model-class body. Like Rikuri, she had a beach hat, accompanied with a silver necklace that went well with her glossy, raven hair.
Maidono Hoshimi wore swimsuit that emphasized her most attractive attributes: perfectly shaped, hourglass-like waist, and belly, as well as long legs. Although her attire was simple, the bright colours of red, and also the fact that at stuck close to the body, definitely drew attention to her and all the right places.
The last person was currently hiding behind Maidono's back.
"A-Are you sure that in this époque two part swimsuits are all right?"
"Yes, yes, more than okay. Hasacchi, don't be afraid, and show him all the charm that you got" Maidono said, pushing the embarrassed Hasako up front.
Contrary to her friend, the swimsuit of the Beginning Child was in gentle, pastel blue, accompanied by silver ribbons. The darker edges of indigo clashed with the girls lithe skin and looked marvellous against her long dark hair, kept in usual branched ponytail.
Kankyougami Hasako was visibly fidgeting under the gaze of Kamijou Touma.
"D-Don't look at me, K-Kamijou-san! I-I am not used to looking so... indecently exposed..."
"Indecently? But you look super cute" Touma nodded in confidence, causing the miko girl to blush and hide her face in her hands.
"Heh, reminds me of that time with the photo..." Maidono teased on.
"Please stop! That was so embarrassing!" both girl and boy cried out
(FLASHBACK)
During one of Hasako's sleepovers, Touma noticed her staring at a black and white photo. Looking beyond her shoulder, he could not help but shout.
"Wow? What a beautiful lady!"
The people on the photo were man and woman, with man wearing simple, yet elegant clothing, with short hair being cut shortly and meticulously. He carried a small book underneath his arm. Meanwhile, the woman that caught Kamijou's attention was dressed in traditional japanese attire, with her long hair styled in a complicated and masterful coiffure. With fan in her hand, she looked as if she was a reincarnation of some Japanese deity, like Amaterasu, or at least noble lady from Heian period. She had a gentle face, even if a bit haughty on this particular photo, and eyes adorned with long eyelashes.
"Kamijou-san... she is..."
"Damn, why wasn't I born decades sooner? She looks like she would totally fit dorm manager archetype"
"W-Well, her husband was a school principal, b-but the thing is... that woman is supposedly my mother..."
"Huh?! Wait, supposedly?"
"Well, I don't remember much of them... although sometimes parts of my memories come back... I asked Kumokawa-san, and this is only bit that she managed to salvage... well, it was 70 years since that time, so they are dead now. But this photo is still precious to me"
"R-Right, I am sorry... erm, my condolences then..."
"It's alright..."
They sat in silence, until someone loomed over them from behind.
"Sad things being said... you were just totally imagining how Hasako will look like when aging process catches on, right?"
"N-No! I-I wasn't...Hasako-san, don't blush like this! Is one big misunderstanding!"
(END OF FLASHBACK)
"Kouhai, she comes from the times when rather thick and modest one-pieces dominated the scene. Give her time" Kumokawa commented, getting her towel on the sand.
She then addressed everyone gathered.
"Before we all experience the goal of our journey here, you have 2 hours to enjoy yourselves. Do what you wish with it."
And so, everyone get to their own devices. Rikuri stayed laying down to sunbath, Amazora decided to built a big sandcastle, and Kaibi went to swim. Maidono was also approaching the water eagerly, dragging rather hesitant Hasako along.
"Come on, it will be fun. Don't tell me you can't swim"
"I can, but the water surely is cold...no, I am not going in!"
"Don't tell me you will act like this during our later-"
"This and that are two different things!"
"Fine. I promise that you will not be dragged to water."
Hasako relaxed, only for her friend to grin and flick her index finger, causing a stream of ocean water to drench the first esper, eliciting a cute 'eep!' from her.
"Maidono-san! How could you?!"
"I didn't promise anything about water coming to you. You didn't move from the spot, like promised. Oi, Amazora-chan. Want to do something cool? Let's put aunt Hasako in the water!"
"Oki-doki, sensei!"
"Hwah?!"
Meanwhile, Kumokawa Seria decided to do small jog alongside the shore. Apparently, the beautiful senpai had a certain routine to follow and it happened to be right temperature. It was not too hot, but also warm enough for people to feel comfortable.
Deciding to distance himself before the image of Kumokawa's hair swishing back and forth her slightly sweaty skin awakened something within him (when it came to that girl, it was already a bit too late for that), Kamijou decided to buy (not from his own cash, fortunately) something for everyone to snack on from the vending machines.
And also, to pick up Othinus.
The small goddess said she will have a meeting with someone and he will take her to the beach. Touma had no idea who could that be, but he guessed it was a past acquaintance of Othinus. Which left Magic Gods, which Othinus was not really eager to meet alone, or...
"Kamijou-chaaaaan!"
Blond, long hair.
Sparkling, blue eyes.
And swimsuit which looked more like wrestler's outfit than anything else.
"THOOOOOOR?!"
"Human! This maniac fought 3 times before we got here! I thought I will die" Othinus jumped one shoulder to another, and grabbed to Kamijou's neck as if she wanted to permanently attach herself there.
"Thor, what are you doing here?"
"Little bird told me that some pretty epic fight will be going on. There is no chance that I will miss something like this"
"How did you even find out?"
"Tsk, tsk. I have my secrets"
Touma looked back to beach.
Yes. The real reason they were given pass to go outside Academy City was not to have fun. That was merely a side experience.
The real reason was a friendly battle between Maidono Hoshimi and Kankyougami Hasako.
On request of Academy City's oldest esper, Accelerator, Board Chairman of the City, allowed for the battle to take place, under the conditions that it will take place outside of the city, in remote area, and be supervised by third party.
And thus, Kamijou, being responsible for Maidono, and Kumokawa, being responsible for Hasako, packed their things and travelled to the remote beach in southeast Japan. Although there was human infrastructure here, the fighting girls, their supervisors, Gokusai sisters (who tagged along with Touma as spectators and judges, so to speak), as well as outside party of Thor apparently, were the only people there.
Touma was still recovering from Kyozetsu incident but he doubted that this would be peaceful episode for him to rest.
After all, if Maidono and Hasako were to clash, there would really be no safe place to seek refuge. He could only count on their control of their abilities.
Thor put small ring on his finger and disappeared
"Don't freak out, Kamijou-chan. I will not interfere in someone else's battle without good reason. With this charm on, others will not perceive me. Except for you two that is. If you keep Imagine Breaker away, it will work flawlessly"
Othinus had her own thoughts. She came not only to be with her Understander, but because she was genuinely interested in witnessing this fight. She was particularly intrigued by Beginning Child.
'The first specimen of that human, at the early stages of calibrating his thelema to bring forth what they now call the esper powers... if I am not mistaken, the display of power should be on another level'
Kamijou sighed and headed back to the shore.
The time was drawing near.
(HALF AN HOUR LATER)
Kamijou found himself standing in the ankle-level water together with Kumokawa Seria.
On their right there was Maidono Hoshimi. On their left, Kankyougami Hasako. Both dressed up in special body suits for this very occasion.
"As you may be aware, Maidono-san challenged Begin... excuse me, Hasako-san, to the duel" Kumokawa began" It has no ill will behind it, and it is a test of their conviction, of reasons they only disclosed between themselves. The Board Chairman decided that it may be a good test of their abilities and so called 'usefulness'. However, given how powerful are the abilities that those two possess, the duel will take place here. In the longitude axis, you are allowed to fight in the limits of this mountain range..."
She pointed at the middle-sized mountains, about 3 to 4 kilometers from the shore.
"... To 5 kilometers within the ocean. In the latitude axis, you are allowed to fight 3 kilometers north, to the edge of cliffs, and 4 kilometers south, to the bamboo forest. There are no restrictions of vertical battleground, although it is advised not to disturb planet's core or go skyward higher than 6 kilometers. There are no human settlements in this area, and it has relatively small quantity of fauna in this time of year. The area was carefully searched and claimed safe for this battle. Kouhai, please take it from here"
Touma came forward, adressing both battling girls
"Maidono-san, Hasako-san, while I am a bit worried, I wish you the best of luck. As for some basic rules: you can use your power however you wish in the area Kumokawa-senpai just described. However, there are some exceptions. First of all, we will do our best to stay put, but please try not to kill us. My Imagine Breaker can only do so much and I don't want to overuse it since... well, things happened.
It is a friendly fight, but I still have to say it: no killing, no direct inflicting of lasting harm. You fight till one of you surrenders or is incapable to fight anymore. As for the latter, we will have to see for ourselves and if you don't move for more than minute or two, than you are deemed out. As for the latter... Rikuri-san, will you please do it?"
The oldest girl came forward and placed an electronic chip-like device of upper parts of both fighters' necks.
"Rikuri-san will use this technology to determine your mental state and submission. Those machines will be able to determine if you are willing to surrender."
"How is that possible?" Kaibi asked her sister" what if they don't really feel like giving up, and it's not conscious-"
"It will pick up on those small details. This is the newest model, acute on such small details in neural wavelength. The will of conscious surrender has a distinctive pattern. That's Academy City's technology for you, upgraded by yours truly! Those things are highly resistant to extreme temperatures and conditions. You can either think or speak your will to surrender and I will be notified on my own device. Then Kaibi-san will send a signal to end the fight." Rikuri tapped at her small computer.
"There is no set time limit of this fight." Kumokawa said, slowly stepping out of the water. "I guess the limit is your stamina. We will be here all the time if you need something. But once the battle starts, there will be no breaks. It either ends or goes on"
"That seems like everything. Well... what can I say..." Touma got lost a little, but then confidently exclaimed" Whatever the outcome, you are both winners in my eyes already"
Both girls looked at him and sighed.
"Honestly, that's cute of you, but it makes me want to duel even more" Maidono smiled to the confused boy.
"Eh?!"
"Kamijou-sama needs to better understand the heart of the maiden"
"Eh?! You too Hasako-san?!"
"Kouhai, stop your flirting and let's go!"
"Human, stop your flirting and let's go!"
"Is everyone ganging up on me here?!"
Everyone other than Maidono and Hasako retreated to the top of the top of the beach, about 50 meters from the shore. Kumokawa ordered a medium-sized, safe-like shelter immune to extreme conditions for them to hide in if it came to worst.
Maidono looked at Hasako
"So, that's it. Better to show our hearts and resolve. Oh, and I hope you don't mind, but against a legendary esper like yourself, I will use my full power"
"But of course. Come at me with all you've got. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a two sided fight... I am very glad that I can clash my power with yours" Although it was said in lighthearted tone, Hasako's eyes remained cold and focused.
"Ready..." Kumokawa shouted through the megaphone.
"No hard feelings. No matter who wins, our shared love will make it through"
"Set..."
"Indeed. Let's show him all we've got"
"Start! Battle commences now!"
Maidono jumped back and with a scream, the part of the sea rose up to swallow Hasako.
But the other girl only raised an eyebrow.
The entire ocean, up to the horizon, swirled around as the environment was altered to simulate a flood, its tides changing directions and forming a cold wall about to hit Maidono.
However, just before she was swallowed, Maidono made a cutting motion with both hands clasped together, followed by separation of her index fingers.
The ocean itself split in two at the distance of one kilometer, as the lone girl supported roaring masses of water with just the power of her mind. But she wasn't done.
Both opponents screamed.
The tremors spread through the area as the sea floor itself rose high, parts of it tilting and crashing with each other. With the sudden jump, Maidono zoomed forward towards the rising depths, clashing arms with her friend. Hasako tumbled down, but got back up just in time to block another hit.
The pressure and power blew the dozens of cubic meters of ocean away, leaving only the shallow water on the elevated surface, as two AIM fields clashed with each other.
"Oi..." Thor whispered to Kamijou" can you recap their abilities for me? I don't really know them, and it would give me some context..."
The ground below the fighters was covered with cracks. Telekinesis users emitted pressure, and the amount Maidono was giving out looked as if gravity increased fivefold.
"Well, Maidono-san wields telekinesis, and is the strongest esper of that type in Academy City, she is also able to fly for 15 minutes without rest. She can manipulate objects using her index fingers, with her upper limit 100 000 tons of mass. She is also not limited to solid objects"
The girls separated, with the sea becoming liquid again, and reaching to their knees. Maidono suddenly jumped forward in the immense burst of speed.
"She can repel air itself to make herself faster, vibrate objects to cause earthquakes or change their state of matter, manipulate air currents, trap people in the water... but she can't use her power on living beings or things in their direct vicinity, like clothes."
The telekinesis user shot into the air and send a powerful gust of wind into Hasako, smashing her into the ground.
However, Beginning Child remained calm, as the sea around her began to boil.
In an instant, the world changed. The sea clashed with sea of lava that rushed towards Maidono, who flew higher to avoid the scorching hell
"Hasako has one of the most powerful esper abilities in history. She can alter environment in certain radius to suit the needs of the carrier of certain DNA, at least that's what Kumokawa-senpai said. Apparently, her AIM field has inhuman flexibility and the raw power of it is monstrous"
Maidono parried and swirled against countless magma jets. She then caused the magma to rotate around her, and shot it at her opponents after landing on the mass of earth floating on the hot ocean. Hasako jumped to evade and suddenly...
The lava turned into sand, as the sun shone brighter. The sandstorm howled and swirled around, covering vast area, including the spectators. However, Maidono had it countered, as she began to move her hands around her, with air starting to rotate alongside the motion.
"She is using her power to create a tornado?"
The telekinetic tornado sucked all the sand up. And in the next moment, with the bobcut girl's quick gestures, the sand shaped into drill like structures and shot forward towards the Beginning Child.
Hasako however, did not waver. Her ability could produce limitless quantities of the elements of particular environment. The new waves of sand rose up, protecting the girl.
"Amazing..." Kaibi whispered.
It looked as if the desert was fighting itself, with mighty dunes trying to devour the fighters.
"What do you think, senpai?"
"About the chances of each side? Well, Maidono-san has great stamina and her physical factors are far greater than those of Hasako-san. She may be one of the most promising espers of her generation, I also doubt that she showed us all her tricks. But the power of Beginning Child is more than most of the espers can fathom."
"But... she is not attacking at all!"
"Environment Control is not an offensive power. In the way, it can be described as neutral"
"Huh?"
"This power does not produce anything to directly affect the other person. It changes the environment around them, and that, possibly and indirectly, harms or benefits someone. Do you understand now? This power is like nature itself. Hasako-san does not have to do much, she just needs to choose environment suitable or not suitable to her opponent, depending on her own desires"
As Kumokawa explained that, Othinus had her own thoughts.
'The power that does not influence other's directly, but rather changes the world around you... although definitely dimmed down and simplified, it is similar in concept to the manipulation of the Laws of the World. It is not an accident that this is the first power that came around because of Aleister's machination. The idea of shaping the world, in this case world of nature, to one's true will is as thelemic as it can get. And it is so powerful because it is the closest to the original source of wisdom Crowley based on. Fascinating... this girl would make a fine magician if she was not already an esper.'
Othinus of course already had her Understander and that was more than in enough for someone like her. But she could not deny the next thought that came into her mind
'She is someone to behold. And from what I've heard, she is lost and alone in the world and era she doesn't know. So lost that her memories get messed up. That is, until my human came. Although there are vast differences, why does that sound so much like... me?"
It looked like goddess of war found peculiar understanding with Beginning Child.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield...
The sand exploded and Maidono shot to the sky, blasting Hasako with hundreds drill shaped earth projectiles. Propelled with great speed, few managed to tore through Hasako's defence and gave her cuts on arms and legs.
But Maidono could not rest, far from it.
Environment changed again, with hundreds of geysers erupting from the ground and sending Maidono to the ground. Although she managed to slow her fall, she landed on...
A sludge, the pink, sticky emulsion. Maidono screamed, trying to move, as her adversary approached. The footprints of Hasako melted the ground, as she roared once again. The ocean trembled, as the water boiled once again, lava appearing from the elevated seafloor.
Only know Touma realized something. The changes in environments were not only fluid.
They were...
"She learned how to summon two environments at once?" Thor exclaimed with glee" She leveled up for this battle alone?! That's true greatness!"
Touma found it terrifying that Hasako walked next to lava completely unbothered. The waves of molten foliage flowed by her sides as if they were regular rivers.
"Don't... underestimate me!" Maidono screamed, pointing upward while still immobilized.
The floating piece of ground broke and Maidono shot up on the swirling column of oceanic water, kept in height and rotation thanks to her power.
She raised up her hands, and the water in the ocean responded to her. It shot backwards, forming enormous wave, at least 20 meters high.
Hasako responded in turn. With her call, the entire world turned into red, volcanic area. The wave of magma, as high as Maidono's wall of water, rose up, gleaming in dark red and black.
With frantic gazes and screams on their lips, two girls extended the palms forward, and the enormous waves clashed with each other.
"Shit! Close the door!" Kumokawa screamed.
The only thing they saw before the special mobile safehouse was closed was a flash of light.
As the water and magma clashed, the earth trembled and strained, as two powers fought over the control over tectonic plate. Later, it was said to be the most powerful quake in that region for many decades.
When the observers finally opened the door, what they first saw was the clouds of steam as dense as fog and when they finally cleared out...
Rikuri stifled a scream. Kumokawa looked at the sight in front of her, paling slightly. The invisible Thor leaned forward with excited. Even Othinus looked shocked.
"What... the hell..." Touma whispered.
The entire coastline in the area of the shore was changed. The earthquake actually shifted the line of the water, and what was in front of it, on hundreds of meters of ocean, completely evaporated. There was a new structure: steaming hill shooting upwards like a thick column, marking the place where magma and water clashed with each other.
"Where are they?" asked Kaibi, searching the area.
"I see her! I see Hasako onee-chan" Amazora shouted, looking through binoculars.
In the west, a lone silhouette was smashed against the cliff. The girl woke up to loud sound of something sounding like a crashing rocks.
Hasako cringed, slowly freeing herself. If she didn't activate sandstorm environment around her, she would probably break all of her bones.
"Oh my... seems like I really did underestimate her..." she muttered as the small stream of blood flew down her head and cheek.
When they attacked each other with waves, Maidono used her ability to create countless spears of water and send them towards Hasako. But as she defended herself, it turned out it was merely a distraction.
'She condensed the air, 'detonated' it, and sent me flying at high speed. But to come so close to magma... even if she can shield herself from it hitting her, she is not immune to its temperature like me. What a crazy foe I have to face! And to top it off, it's my friend"
She turned the environment around her to geyser-like and used it as a propulsion to jump dozens of meters forward, back onto solidified battlefield with small traces of boiling water.
Just as she did it, another silhouette emerged from the fog-like steam.
"Your attack did a number on me, you know. It's been a while since I've been hurt that badly"
Not only Maidono conducted an attack. Before hers connected, Hasako used concentrated, small-radius geyser blast around her own palm.
And thus, as they connected, both attacks sent them flying in opposite directions.
When Maidono finally came into view, Hasako's eyes widened.
The telekinesis user was burned on right side of her body. It was not a burn that would leave a mark, especially given the level of technology of Academy City and skills of Heaven Canceller, but it was widespread and definitely hurt a lot during movement.
She noticed the concerned look of Beginning Child and grinned widely
"That? Nah, still not good enough of a reason to throw the towel. And it looks like I managed to deal some damage to you as well"
Indeed, although not heavily looking, Hasako had cuts on her body, with her suit slightly torn. Maidono managed to cut part of her hair, as the branched ponytail appeared noticeably shorter than before.
"I have to say... of course, I didn't know you all that long actually... but you've grown"
"Same to you. And as your feelings for him, I hope we will continue to grow as people"
"So, do you wish to carry on?"
"I still have strength within me"
Blood dripped from Maidono's nose and mouth. Hasako was sure that she didn't see it just a moment before.
She tensed as Maidono revealed her finger, pointed skyward, and hidden by this point. Hasako mistakenly assumed that the hand was broken, but that was not the case.
"I am happy. Otherwise, straining myself to haul it up here from the point where I landed would be a great waste."
And as she said that, she lowered her finger.
Hasako looked around. She did not see anything around. Where was the thing Maidono was controlling?
She glanced and scanned the horizon. She had the feeling that something was missing. Something obvious and in plain slight...
Suddenly, Hasako shivered as, even through the clouds, it got noticeably darker.
She quickly used her ability to alter the environment into flower fields, clearing the steam in the process. And as she looked up...
"Oh. My. God." Kaibi fell onto her knees.
Up to that point, she did not really know full power of girl known as Maidono Hoshimi. That comical and witty ex-dark sider with a chopstick complex. But she did not realize.
How much this girl sacrifice to gain the finest telekinesis ever created.
"This is..." even Thor found himself speechless" Damn..."
"Is this even esper power anymore?"
"It is. But to think that someone like this was in the city..." Kumokawa muttered.
Touma stared in the same way as Hasako, dozens of meters away.
Didn't they hear a strange crashing sound? Wasn't there something missing from the landscape?
It was obviously clear, yet their minds did not register it at all.
Something descended through the air. It was still high, but it parted the clouds with each sheer enormity.
"When I was a little girl, I loved throwing and skipping stones. And as I my power grew, I could throw bigger... and bigger... and bigger ones. As for this, it was on the edge of the battlefield... so I used it"
Walls of hard rock, with visible paths leading to the peaks. The tips still covered with snow in their monumental glory.
The sound heard earlier wasn't crushing. It was uprooting. Because the mountain range in the distance lacked part of it.
As if the heaven itself was falling down, upper half of the mountain was heading towards the shocked Hasako. It was not the full massive, only the top and middle part, but nevertheless, it was enormous. It cast the shadow over the entire part of the ocean that two girls were fighting earlier.
"I had to go beyond my limits and probably injured myself on the inside. But I did it! I want to see you deal with it, the oldest of espers!"
The mountaintop fell. Everyone looked so small beyond it's might and triumphant Maidono realized that.
"Senpai, we have to stop this!" Touma screamed, but was stopped
"What do you want to do, charge at half million tons of rocks with a fist? She literally threw half of the mountain at the battlefield. I am sure that Maidono-san can stop it. Besides... her opponent is one of the most powerful espers of all times. I am sure she can save the situation."
And as on most occasions, the cunning senpai was not wrong.
Hasako exhaled before speaking in a loud voice, that carried on the wind.
"Most impressive. But do not think that such thing shall stop me. To challenge me is to challenge nature itself. And with it, I shall crush even strongest mountains."
Her glass sample necklace clattered as she stretched out her slender arm towards the gigantic falling mountaintop and uttered one word
"Grow"
The humidity in the air changed drastically. And with it, something occurred in the bare earth.
What happened next was so majestic and beautiful that the observers barely found words. If Maidono's attack was pure destruction, then Hasako's counterattack was pure creation of life.
The ground sprouted all forms of green. They grew and grew and grew. And they didn't stop. Alongside grass and vines, there were trees. First the size of the apple tree, then pine, then even bigger. Each branch and trunk of green plants got bigger and thicker. The air itself changed and filled with all sorts of aromas as the forest grew in matter of seconds. And the plants kept multiplying.
Soon, there were as large and thick as sequoias. Then, twice, thrice, and five times as mighty.
Silhouettes of Maidono and Hasako became tiny dots at the base of the biggest trees on the planet. The trees, hundreds of them, with each looking like a half of mountain itself. And finally...
The mountain and treetops collided.
The shaking threw everyone to the ground. The mountain and trees creaked and strained. But...
"They... endured it..."
Meanwhile, Maidono was completely covered in vines, screaming in anguish.
Kankyougami Hasako changed the environment around them to that of a tropical rainforest. In matter of one minute, she was able to grant life with enough strength and in enough quantity to stop a falling mountain.
(10 MINUTES LATER)
The lower parts of the rainforest blocked light. Thus, two parties jumping from one branch to the other had to rely on instinct and follow enemy's trail based on the sound.
Maidono suddenly found herself blocking various attacks. Even after cutting away the vines, this environment was hard for prolonged fighting. The humidity made it hard to breath and there were countless obstructions on her way.
She had no way to control the plants themselves. But...
With a sudden motion of her arm, the entire section of the forest was cut in half.
There was more to telekinesis than moving things around.
By using motion of compressed air, Maidono could easily create what those watching anime swordsmen in action would instantly recognize as 'flying slashes'.
As she pursued Hasako, she realized she was on a lost position.
This forest was Beginning Child's domain. She moved gracefully between trees when Maidono had to struggle.
Every action they did was to threaten the opponent into surrender.
In truth, Maidono found herself terrified with just how universal was the power of Beginning Child. It was eerily morbid and Hasako bombarded her with the changes to the common battleground and was not giving her any chances to adapt.
In one moment, the ground became the bottomless swamp.
In the next, sea of gastric acid.
Then, the sea or the fields.
The pace of those changes and their fluidity were on another level
She did so, changing only part of the rainforest, so alternation would make Maidono fly or run between drastically different environments in matter of minutes. It was designed to wear out her body.
Maidono could not deny that it was effective. And so, she had to act quickly.
She reached upwards, feeling the mountain she threw earlier.
It broke and on Maidono's command thousand small rocks bombarded the plants.
Hearing the faraway scream, Maidono knew the attack was successful.
And to top it off...
Few minutes later, the side of the enormous forest was blasted away.
What Maidono used was something that both Kamijou Touma and Misaka Mikoto would instantly recognize. It wouldn't bring any good memories whatsoever but it was a devastating and effective tactic.
Maidono, using her power to condense the air, created an enormous sphere of plasma and used it on the forest.
It was burning and falling down.
Hasako bit her lip.
"Those were alive! Don't use fire against them without apology!"
Suddenly, it all got swept away by flood. The waters rose up, covering disappearing forests and beaches.
Maidono hovered above it, panting heavily.
Both girls already bore injuries of this grand battle.
The final act was about to commence.
With a roar, Hasako jumped high into air and grabbed Maidono, surprising her. With surprising amount of force, she dragged the girl into the water below them.
Maidono motioned forward and just when she was about to attack with spears of water...
The entire section of the ocean, far into horizon, frozen solid.
Maidono was now encased in ice, reaching out her hand, with only her face sticking out.
Hasako, covered partially in hoarfrost, exhaled deeply, with white cloud leaving her lips.
She stood in the winter landscape and snow falling down without any problem with the cold.
"It's over, my friend"
The other's with doors slightly opened, watched with bated breaths.
Maidono trembled and not only because she was almost frozen solid. She looked into the stone cold eyes of her friend.
Hasako's eyes were always hard to describe when it came to their hue. It shifted like kaleidoscope, just like her environments. One could see the flash of magma red, of sea indigo, of rainforest green, of desert yellow, of icy blue, of flower violet. But it didn't end there.
Hasako's personality was completely different in battle than it was in regular life. It was dominating, relentless, and not allowing exceptions.
There was a theory that esper powers were linked with their user's personalities.
In a way, Kankyougami Hasako was like the nature herself.
Nature did not make exceptions. It didn't take sides. It was a force of pure power that simply pushed forward. It was bigger than any living thing. But nature was also nurturing, allowing growth, development, and life itself. Anyone who knew Hasako long enough would agree that she was one of the sweetest, most gentle girls on the face of the planet.
And this is what made the raw, unstoppable force of a person standing before Maidono so terrifying.
The bobcut girl was so scared that she almost pissed herself.
However...
"If that stupid idiot that I fell in love with did not quit here while battling you... then I would never be able to look myself in the eyes if I didn't try further!"
A sound of shaking permeated the battlefield. It sounded just like a heartbeat. It got louder and louder. And as the ice cracked...
Maidono Hoshimi emerged, stifling the cry of her skin, now also bearing frostbite in addition to heat burn.
"No, you won't escape!" Hasako cried out in return.
In the next moment, Maidono found herself choking.
It was high altitude environment, with few to no life-giving oxygen.
"I will just keep lowering oxygen level around you. You won't be able to breathe, let alone calculate! Give up!"
Maidono fell to her knees. It was true, with no oxygen she would not be able to do anything.
However, she was the specialist in bringing things to her.
She weakly raised her fingers up to the sky... and made the gesture of tearing something down.
With an earsplitting BOOM Hasako was slammed to the ground and Maidono gasped loudly, before succumbing to the loud coughing fit.
"Is your reach that big?" Beginning Child mumbled, trying to get to her feet "Did you forcibly reached to the upper atmosphere and displaced the air without oxygen with oxygenated one?!"
Hasako was too stunned and the other girl utilized it immediately.
She repelled the air, accelerating so fast that she left trace of steam and melting ice before her.
She hit Hasako, and continue to do so, creating afterimage like effect.
"She..." Kumokawa examined the situation alongside other spectators"...she is creating telekinetic vibrations fast enough to make heat haze. She is controlling the melting of the ice and uses difference of temperatures to create visual illusions"
The ambush worked, and with so many afterimages, Hasako had no idea which to attack. And with the blows she was receiving, calculation became almost impossible.
Finally, the remaining ice underneath cave in and the girl fell into the water.
Maidono floated away, before settling on one of the few solid pieces of land on the water.
As Hasako fell down into the depth, she felt tiredness taking toll on her. She was never very strong in hand to hand combat nor was she good in enduring hits from opponents.
She felt weak.
But...
'This cannot be my resolve. For my dream to be with Kamijou-san, to find Ayu-san... I will overcome myself!'
The water exploded and Maidono was repelled hundreds of meters backwards with the sheer force of the roar that accompanied Hasako's return. She was thrown beyond the cliffs and into the open ocean.
When level 4 came to her senses moments later, she noticed that something changed in the air. She was looking towards the direction of the shore, but she could feel something behind her back. Something ominous and rising in power.
Back at the coastline, Hasako rose her hands.
Little known fact about her was that, alongside calculations, the girl known as Beginning Child had certain dramatic flair to herself. Before changing the nature, she often spoke to the environment itself, especially if it was a change on a massive scale, like the one she was conducting now.
Above all else, she valued the shinto teachings of all things having a soul. And although she was given power to alter the nature of some of those souls, she would remained honourable in doing so.
In the next moment, everyone hiding away heard Hasako's voice, which, just like her ability roar, was booming and carried on the wind onto both ocean and land:
'Awaken, cruel sea
May your waters stir
Answer my call,
Set your skies ablaze
With the flash of lightning
And strike down foes
Who lay before you'
Yes, like Othinus said, Hasako would probably be a wonderful magician.
As she raised her aching hands, the world became darker. Far away, Maidono finally turned back, and paled immediately.
She saw many storms in her life.
But those storm clouds were enormous.
Hasako stood alone, as the cluster of clouds gathered on her call.
It was as black as night and as menacing as death itself.
It stretched for kilometres, both horizontally and vertically, reaching the upper atmosphere.
In the same time, the wind blew harder and waves kept rising. And they didn't seem like they would stop any time soon. The dozens lightning strikes danced between the clouds.
Hasako used lightning environment in conjunction with the sea environment.
And just like that, she created the storm. One of the biggest in japanese history at that.
What happened next could only be described as hell on earth.
Waves rose higher than 50 meters and kept crashing against each other. They were so huge that it looked as if the heaven and earth itself were fighting. The wind howled with such force that clouds changed shapes in matter of seconds. Lightning strike in almost every free place it could find. And on the small scrap of land, Kankyougami Hasako was standing alone, full of beauty but also emanating terror, as if she was the goddess of the ocean, incarnated in her wrath.
Yes, the storm was the embodiment of ocean's fury. Yet, thanks to Hasako's control, none of it reached the shore. Yet, even kilometer away, everyone could feel the wind, the flashes of lightning, the trembling of earth, and deafening roar of waves.
Touma suddenly felt Othinus shaking by her side
"Haf gengr hríðum..." she whispered, and it was one of the few times Touma noticed her genuinely afraid.
"Othinus?" he asked worryingly.
But it didn't stop there. What followed from the lips of the goddess was a strange language that Kamijou had no knowledge of:
Haf gengr hríðum
við himin sjalfan,
líðr lǫnd yfir,
en loft bilar;
þaðan koma snjóvar
ok snarir vindar;
þá er í ráði,
at rǫgn of þrjóti.
"Othinus, what are you-"
"She was reminded. As an incarnation of Norse God, it is particularly close to her..." Thor answered, looking at the apocalyptic battlefield with unusually serious gaze" She was reminded of doom of gods, sung about in legends. Haf gengr hríðum means "Storm Driven Sea". It is a fragment of a poem in Old Norse, treating about the end of the world. When translated, it means something like this:
The sea, storm-driven,
Seeks heaven itself,
O'er the earth it flows,
the air grows sterile;
Then follow the snows,
and the furious winds
For the gods are doomed,
and the end is death.
It really felt like the end of the world. Rikuri hugged her sisters and Touma instinctively put hand on her shoulder to comfort her. He was wondering if Othinus was seeing the same scene as they did, given her divine memories.
It was clear that Hasako was still holding back, and majorly so. If she didn't... the entire island could be destroyed.
No, maybe even... the world as they knew it.
Amongst the roaring, tsunami-size waves reaching for the sky, furious, cold wind, and lightning splitting the heavens, Maidono Hoshimi flew for her dear life. But no matter how much she ascended, the air pushed her down. The wind made her lose orientation of up and down, as she fought to stay focused while being blasted through the storm clouds and drenched by both rain and seawater.
That was far beyond her. She had the humility to admit so. She felt herself completely terrified once again.
She had less than 2 minutes left of fly time. If she dropped down to this hell, she would die.
But, there was one thing left to try.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"
She roared, mirroring Hasako's own cry, and the ocean was tore open with telekinetic force, with walls of water as tall as skyscrapers on both sides, and furious storm above.
Maidono felt her arms straining beyond anything she ever imagined.
But now, she had a straight path towards where Hasako was.
She shot towards her rival, avoiding the lightning and with hand outstretched, in desperate attempt.
Hasako also dashed forward. The world shifted, but this time the attack felt like everything in one. Sand, Wind, Sea, Ice, Magma, Acid, and every other element the girl had at her disposal combined for this one attack, just like Maidono Hoshimi put all her telekinetic pressure forward.
There was a flash of light as the sound disappeared. The ocean moved away, forests on the shore were levelled. The mountains and depths of the earth strained as they shifted once again.
And finally...
FINALLY...
The sky and sea calmed down.
The glass necklace around Kankyougami Hasako's neck shattered entirely.
And Maidono Hoshimi lifelessly dropped to the ground, completely passing out.
Hasako could barely stand, but remained conscious, looking at her rival.
"This whole time, she knew she could not defeat my power, so she went for its source. Away from the shore, without my samples, I am not able to alter environments. She rendered me defenceless."
She took a step back, but found herself tripping on a small rock. With no strength to alter her position, she fell into the water and began to sink.
'I... am so tired. Can't move... oh, so pathetic of an ending...'
(LATER)
Hasako awoke on a stretcher.
"Oh... Kamijou-san..."
"Don't speak, you worried me a lot, you two idiots."
"How..."
"Thor... my friend... pulled you out of the water. He said 'no way in hell I am going to let them die after such great fight. I expect to clash with them in the future'. He then rotated the... well, never mind, let's just say he reacted faster than any of us. Rikuri's device registered Maidono passing out and in this moment, Kumokawa-senpai called for help. They were on the standby anyway, since we knew you will probably be in a bad shape. But man..."
"Thank you... were you watching?"
"Yes. And I honestly feared for you both"
"That's... so nice of you" she smiled gently as the boy hugged her. "I am so happy... to be with you again..."
"Excuse me, we must take her now..." Kamijou had to step back as Hasako was transported alongside still unconscious Maidono, to the helicopter.
"We will see each other soon!"
"Yeah!"
(FEW DAYS LATER)
When admitted to hospital, Maidono Hoshimi was both burned and frostbit. She also dislocated both of her arms in final attack, and had few of her muscles strained, in addition to internal bleeding.
Meanwhile, Kankyougami Hasako was bruised and cut in numerous places, with her hair either cut or slightly burnt. Some parts of her body went violet from hard hits, and part of her face swollen, making it hard for her to see.
However, Heaven Canceller once again lived up to his name and promise.
'Bring them alive and I will cure them with no trace of injury'
And there was, in fact, no trace. The girls looked exactly like before.
They even regained all the energy, as indicated by the discussion that took place in the hospital room.
"Hasacchi is the winner! She was the last one standing!" Maidono exclaimed, pulling Touma to her side, as he sat on the chair between two beds.
"No, Maidono-san is the winner! She took away my power and she would finish this... I know she should claim victory! " Hasako objected.
"Can't we just call it a draw?" Kaibi sighed, looking at girl's sitting on beds and pulling
Both girls didn't seem to be satisfied with that.
"We call for a rematch!"
"Absolutely not, you idiots!"
(ELSEWHERE)
"So what do you think, Aleister?" Noukan asked a lady with a long blond hair.
"Honestly, I did not expect struggle of such magnitude. The finishing touch was especially magnificent. It reminded me a little bit of english weather... pity it affected the landscape though. Oh well, those two promised to restore everything they destroyed. With the power of my first esper, that is not impossible"
"Those children are indeed powerful. But what lies beyond them may be the true test of power worthy to be called a good romance"
(ELSEWHERE)
The girl locked up in her room in a faraway country stared at the photo of a single boy. She smiled.
She and her friends were soon to go on a mission. Meanwhile, she still had her own task to accomplish.
The task that involved this particular boy. The task she was bent on achieving while staking her pride as a woman.
The rosy lips of the girl smiled as she licked them not breaking her gaze on the photo. Said lips then stretched in mischievous grin.
"So, will your walls finally break down this time... I can't wait to see your face when I conduct my surprise! Then, you will finally be conquered to our cause and become one with me. Be ready to forget any and all other girls, cause we are coming!"