Academy City
As he walked down the familiar, sterile streets of the Seventh School District, Accelerator found himself preoccupied with the mystery of his own evolving power.
A pair of pitch-black wings occasionally flickered into existence behind his back, a phenomenon that defied every analytical calculation he had attempted during his time in Morioh.
'What the hell is this thing supposed to be?'
Ever since he had participated in that war and been humbled by that brat's strange, reality-shattering punches, he had discovered that extreme emotional fluctuations could trigger this surge of power.
He had intended to use this strength against the Rider in the final conflict.
But he hadn't even had the chance to manifest it before he was annihilated in a single instant.
Even after his resurrection, these "Black Wings" remained erratic and unpredictable.
Sometimes they would manifest even when his emotions were completely stable, appearing of their own accord without any clear command.
But one thing was absolutely clear to him. This power wasn't a "Psychic Ability," at least not in any sense that Academy City defined the term.
Now that he was back in his own world, the phenomenon seemed to have settled somewhat, with no further instances of an uncontrollable "Berserk" state.
"Tch..."
Leaning on his cane, he reflexively touched the electrode controller around his neck before continuing his walk.
The city was exactly as he had left it.
Technologically, it was vastly more advanced than that seaside town, but to be honest, he would have preferred if that little brat could have lived there instead.
This place was filled with too much "Darkness."
Until he reached a state where he was truly "The Strongest" in every sense of the word, there was no guaranteed safety for anyone he cared about.
The experiences of the past few days had changed him.
He realized that he could no longer afford to rely exclusively on his [Reflection].
There was always going to be some freak who could find a bizarre method to punch through his defenses.
From now on, he had to be more cautious.
"I see. So this is your world?"
A tall, familiar figure appeared behind him. Accelerator glanced back at the face he had come to know all too well.
It was fortunate that he had walked to a deserted park. If such a massive, imposing man had suddenly manifested in a crowded area, it would have surely caused a disturbance.
Knowing that he would be visiting today, Accelerator had gone to the trouble of sending Last Order away for the afternoon.
While he knew such a move wouldn't escape the notice of the man who controlled Academy City from the shadows, he felt it was a necessary precaution.
Unfortunately, even now, Accelerator still didn't fully grasp the nature of the entity known as Aleister Crowley.
Jotaro had arrived alone. Rohan had apparently stayed behind to experience the so-called "VR Gaming" of the other world.
Jotaro had taken advantage of the opening to make this trip.
"Hmph. Don't expect me to be polite just because you're a guest."
Unlike Yuuki's anxious hospitality, Accelerator remained characteristically blunt.
***
The Seventh School District - The Without-Window Building
"Oh? It seems we have a guest unlike any I have ever encountered."
"A friend of Accelerator's, perhaps?"
The man who sat at the absolute pinnacle of Academy City's hierarchy watched the scene unfold from his inverted position.
Aleister Crowley.
Through the vast network of [Underline] nanodevices scattered throughout the city, he was capable of monitoring every square inch of his domain.
Consequently, the moment the tall stranger had appeared, his image had been captured and analyzed.
Initially, Aleister hadn't been particularly concerned. This world was already populated by individuals with strange abilities and powerful magicians. One more wasn't necessarily a cause for alarm.
But the footage he was seeing now was forcing him to reconsider his evaluation.
In the secret facility where the "Remains" of the ten thousand murdered clones were stored, an impossible "Miracle" was occurring.
The clones who had been discarded after the experiments were being restored.
It was as if reality itself were being rewritten. Even Aleister found himself suddenly struggling with memories that shouldn't exist.
After a long silence, he began to filter through his vast database of occult knowledge, whispering a single word.
"[Magic God]...?"
***
"Yare yare daze. The weight of your sins is truly heavy."
Jotaro looked at the crowd of "Misaka Sisters" who stood before him, their eyes blank and devoid of light. He had a rough idea of what this man had put them through.
But he could also see that Accelerator had recognized his errors and was attempting to make amends.
Even if they were technically clones, as long as they existed in this world, they had a fundamental right to live.
"I have [Overwritten] the fact of their deaths."
"I've even altered the perceptions of those involved to normalize their presence. It ends here."
Jotaro looked at Accelerator, who seemed genuinely moved by the sight of the restored girls.
"If things are as you say, then the responsibility of protecting and supporting them still rests firmly on your shoulders."
"Yeah... I suppose this is what people call a 'Trial'."
Accelerator knew that he would likely be dragged into countless more conspiracies and conflicts because of this.
But he was prepared to defend them, even if it cost him his life.
"By the way... this is a gift for you from Yuuki."
"Hah? What the hell is this?"
Jotaro tossed a small disk toward him. Accelerator caught it and looked at it with a look of confusion.
"She said you were physically too fragile. She suggested you use this to get some proper exercise."
"Dammit... give me a break. Who the hell does she think she is?"
Despite his words of annoyance, Accelerator didn't reject the "Obnoxious" kindness.
The small disk dissolved into his palm, and the intricate details of an original sword technique began to flow into his mind.
[Mother's Rosario].
He understood the name of the skill and the sheer amount of effort Yuuki had poured into its creation.
'She really was a stubborn brat.'
To have fought against such a devastating illness every day while still maintaining such a fierce hope for life... it was a level of willpower he had to admire.
"I've received her gift."
"As for everything else... I have no further requests."
Leaning on his cane, Accelerator began to walk away. The restored sisters began to follow him in a silent, orderly column, forming a massive river of silver-haired girls.
Jotaro watched them go, but his attention was soon drawn toward a nearby warehouse.
A massive presence was stirring within the space.
'Good grief... this world really isn't as simple as it looks.'
He finally understood why "God" had given him those specific warnings.
'Under normal rules, the number of wishes granted would be determined by the number of winners.'
'But... seeing that interesting possibility and the fact that you won despite being a non-participant... I'll grant you two wishes as a reward.'
'Consider carefully how you use them. Your choices will dictate the path of your future actions.'
It hadn't been an empty statement. The "God" had known that Jotaro's future would involve events of significant scale.
Consequently, Jotaro had made two wishes to Shenron.
The first was the ability to freely traverse between worlds.
While [Star Platinum: The World Over Heaven] could technically achieve this through [Overwrite], the lack of specific "Coordinates" made it imprecise.
To ensure he could accurately reach the worlds of his companions, he had requested a specialized "Navigation" ability from the dragon.
And the second...
"You aren't a mere fragment..."
"You have manifested in this world in your true form?"
"How interesting you are."
A figure clad in pure white appeared.
To Jotaro, the entity looked less like a human and more like some conceptual interpretation of an "Angel."
"I cannot sense the overwhelming power characteristic of a [Magic God] coming from you..."
"And yet, that ability to alter reality... it follows the fundamental rules of a [Magic God]'s power."
"How exactly did you achieve this?"
The white figure's face was impossible to see, and its voice was devoid of any human emotion or desire.
It seemed to be observing Jotaro with a cold, intellectual curiosity.
By all accounts, this world shouldn't have been able to sustain a [Magic God]. To descend into this reality, such a being would normally have to divide its infinite power into infinitesimal fragments, layering them until they became something the world could accommodate.
But this man didn't possess that sense of fragmented vastness.
He felt like... a human who was simply exceptionally strong.
A normal human... wielding the power of a [Magic God]?
But in the next moment, the entity seemed to realize something. It began to focus its gaze.
Mental strength.
Yes, this man's willpower was abnormal.
His soul was a raging torrent that never seemed to tire. The entity had never encountered a human with such a unique spiritual signature.
"It looks like that guy still has a long road ahead of him."
"Protecting all those clones in a world filled with monsters like this... it's not going to be easy."
A experimental attack was already flying toward him. Jotaro stood with his hands in his pockets, letting out a quiet sigh.
A spear made of pure light vanished before it could reach him.
'Imagine Breaker?'
No... the attack had simply been "Erased" by the man's presence.
"Hmph... I figured there would be a conflict."
"While [Star Platinum: The World Over Heaven] is powerful, the original's limitations would leave it at a fatal disadvantage against the [Magic Gods] of this world."
High above the world, the "God" in the black robe stood watching, blocking the path of several other entities that were beginning to stir.
"That's why I gave you that second wish."
"So that you would have the means to 'Protect' yourself against these monsters."
The figure's lips curled into a faint smirk.
"Are you finished throwing your tantrum?"
Jotaro asked, his voice steady despite the entities' pressure. He was now wearing his iconic black school uniform.
"If you're done... then get lost!"
With those words, spoken as if the entity were nothing more than a minor nuisance, the white figure dissolved into nothingness.
A moment later, Jotaro's own form vanished from the spot as if he had never been there.
The restrictions and bonds placed on the world were lifted.
'The power of a Shenron is determined by the divine power of its creator.'
'The Shenron I created possesses a level of power that makes the Super Dragon Balls look like children's toys.'
'And the [Star Platinum: The World Over Heaven] empowered by that second wish... it can trigger [Overwrite] without needing distance or physical contact.'
'Forget about resisting it...'
'Even against those [Magic Gods]...'
'It is more than enough.'
***
Aleister Crowley sat in silence, his brow furrowed in a rare display of emotion.
The situation had developed into something he hadn't anticipated.
He was now certain of it. The man he had just seen was a [Magic God].
Furthermore, he was a [Magic God] who could act freely within the world without causing it to collapse under his weight.
By definition, such beings were incredibly dangerous variables.
But the man's previous actions... they suggested an agenda that Aleister couldn't easily decipher.
"Accelerator..."
He turned his gaze toward the thin figure who was still busy arranging the sisters. His plans for the future would have to undergo some significant adjustments.
***
"Tch... seriously."
"You fall down once and cause me all this trouble."
Accelerator walked beneath the shadow of a bridge, carrying a bag of groceries. He muttered to himself, thinking about the demanding nature of Last Order.
VROOOOM!
The roar of an engine suddenly echoed through the concrete space. A vehicle came careening toward him, chỉ to collide with his [Reflection] barrier. The car warped and tumbled across the pavement, coming to a halt nearby.
"Hah?"
The blatant attempt at a hit-and-run only served to irritate him.
"I figured someone was going to make a move eventually..."
"After all, if ten thousand experimental subjects suddenly reappear, it'd be strange if nobody came to ask questions, wouldn't it?"
He didn't even look toward the men scrambling out of the wreckage with firearms.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The bullets were reflexively bounced back toward their source.
SPLAT!
He watched the resulting carnage with a cold, indifferent gaze.
"Dammit. I forgot to turn this thing on."
"Well, whatever. The ones who saw it are all dead anyway."
He reflexively reached for the choker around his neck.
Before he could take another step, another vehicle rounded the corner, and a man he recognized as a "Familiar Face" stepped out.
"I knew I'd have to step in and handle this myself..."
The man's arrogant attitude was a far cry from the cowardice Accelerator remembered.
Amata Kihara.
The researcher who had originally been in charge of developing his ability.
The man was wearing a strange glove-like device on his hand, and he was charging straight toward Accelerator with a look of predatory confidence.
"Hmm?"
Accelerator paused for a brief second. Was this man really planning to deliver a straightforward punch to his face?
His [Reflection] wasn't exactly a decoration.
'Hmph. Arrogant as always. But...'
Kihara smirked as he saw Accelerator standing perfectly still.
SWISH!
"!?"
But the punch that should have been a guaranteed hit found nothing but air. Kihara stared in shock as he realized he had missed his target.
He looked over at Accelerator, who had simply sidestepped the blow. He was momentarily stunned.
How could this brat react so quickly?
"Oh... I see. You have a way to counter my ability, don't you?"
"It's unfortunate for you. I recently went on a bit of a bizarre adventure that taught me to be much more alert."
"I don't know how you're managing to bypass my barrier... but... just die already."
Accelerator glanced at the arm that had passed through his reflection. He was about to use a kinetic shock to blast the man away, but he noticed Kihara reflexively stepping back. The wind pressure he had generated vanished instantly.
"Heh... too bad. Your ability isn't going to work on me."
Despite missing his first strike, Kihara didn't seem discouraged. He let out a cold snort.
"Oh? Is that right?"
Accelerator responded with a total lack of emotion. He watched the man attempt to close the distance again, but this time, he dropped into a stance that Kihara had never seen before.
"Actually..."
"I've been wanting to test out that little brat's sword technique."
Kihara felt an instinctive wave of dread as he heard those words.
In the next instant, Accelerator surged forward with incredible speed. Using his cane as a substitute for a blade, he unleashed a devastating barrage of strikes.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!!!
CRASH!
Kihara was sent flying back into the side of the car, his body practically embedding itself into the metal frame. Blood poured from his wounds as he stared at Accelerator with wide, disbelieving eyes.
That was... a sword stance.
Accelerator... when did this brat stop relying on his psychic powers and start learning how to fight with a blade?
"Tch... it's not working well."
"The physical requirements are too high, and this cane isn't exactly a proper weapon. If I'd had a real sword, I would have sliced you into eleven pieces by now."
Accelerator coughed a few times, looking down at his cane with a look of dissatisfaction before tossing it aside.
"!"
At that moment, Kihara noticed something truly terrifying.
"Your...!!"
He realized that the electrode switch on Accelerator's choker was clearly in the OFF position.
If it was off... then how had he been able to use his abilities just now?
Wasn't this brat supposed to have lost his ability to calculate and communicate without that device? He was supposed to be completely dependent on it to maintain his power...
But why...?
"Quiet down. You're annoying me."
"By the way... what do you think about using these things as swords?"
Accelerator looked at him with an expression of cold boredom. He clearly wasn't in the mood to explain his situation. Instead, he pointed toward the "Black Wings" that were beginning to extend from his back.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"
The situation was spiraling far beyond anything Kihara had imagined. He was starting to panic.
"Yeah. You're right. I don't really need a sword, do I? Using these things will be much more effective."
"And I don't even have to move my body..."
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]