Kapitel 4: Chapter 4: Assassin
Accelerator looked at the large wooden door of the rundown house with a frown. Satella stepped forward and knocked on the door loudly. He heard some shuffling from beyond the door along with muffled voices and the mention of a 'client'. The rapid approach of muffled footsteps came to a stop at the other end of the door, and a large latch seemed to be pulled as the door swung open.
"Wha!?" Wide red eyes met stern lilac pupils.
"I've finally found you, it seems," Satella stated, looking extremely unhappy. "And now there's nowhere to run." The short thief backtracked as Satella stepped through the doorway, and Accelerator stopped at the doorway, leaning against it. His eyes took note of the abnormally large man further back in the house.
"Gah! You're way too stubborn, lady!" The thief cried. "Just let it go already!"
"That is not something I can do," Satella said, with a drop in temperature, causing icicles to form around her. "Please return what you have stolen from me; this need not turn violent."
The thief started to look nervous, as did the giant. They exchanged glances, the thief's one of determination but the giant's the opposite.
"Come on, Rom, if we-" He shook his head, interrupting.
"Were it anyone else, then I wouldn't have hesitated, but this young girl ain't no ordinary magic user. I'm sorry, Felt," the old giant stated, his gaze full of caution.
"Huh!? You're getting cold feet now!? When she's the one threatening us!?" Rom said.
"You there, girl," he started addressing Satella. "You're an elf, aren't you?" Satella seemed to frown at the question.
"Not exactly, I'm a half-elf," she corrected, though her tone was low with a hint of annoyance present. Accelerator watched as Felt's eyes widened in horror.
"Hold up, silver hair and a half-elf. You're-"
"It is but an accidental resemblance!" Satella could not help but shout out. "One I find quite annoying."
Rom could just heave a sigh at this turn of events, but there was nothing to be done. He knew that for sure, even if he and Felt were to team up, they'd be overwhelmed with magic. He looked at the silver-haired girl, knowing a strong opponent when he saw one. But Rom was more worried about the other person in the room, with hair as white as snow. That frail build and androgynous features, the word 'weak' came up first when looking at the boy. It did not help that he was still young, about the same age as Felt.
But still, those unnerving blood-red eyes that should not have belonged to a child. As someone who has fought in a war before, he knew that look. The look of a killer, a monster. Why a child was a killer, he did not know. But still, this was a child nonetheless, which is why his eyes widened. The boy leisurely leaned against the doorway, oblivious to the danger behind. A shadow crept up behind him, ready to strike.
"Oi, kid behind you!" His words were directed at the boy, but Satella could not help but turn her head towards Accelerator. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of a figure looking to skewer Accelerator.
"Puck!" An odd noise rang out, like steel colliding with metal. A magic circle materialized behind Accelerator, defending him, not that he needed it. The mysterious person raised a brow as Accelerator lazily moved away from the doorway and deeper into the room.
"Whoa! Too close for comfort!" Puck exclaimed, gazing at Accelerator. "Guess you owe me one, huh?" Accelerator merely ignored the spirit as the mystery attacker spoke.
"Oooh, a spirit? You are a spirit, yes?" An elaborate, revealing black dress with long luscious black hair that framed a beautiful face, the assassin gave a striking smile. Disturbing as it may have been, it held the power to swoon most men. She licked her lush, full red lips. "I have to say I've never gutted a spirit. It will be quite the feat to kill you along with everyone else here."
"Hey! What the hell are you talking about!?" Felt exclaimed. "Killing us, that wasn't part of the deal."
"Oh, but it is now," the assassin smoothly stated. "See, the deal we made simply is not possible right now. It has become null now, you see?" She raised her crude bladed weapon. "Everyone here will die." A smile spread across her face as she scanned the faces of all present in the room.
"But that-" Felt was immediately interrupted as the woman pointed her blade at her.
"Come now, it is your fault. If you were not but a useless rat, this kind of situation could have been avoided," she coldly stated with the same savage smile. "A bloodbath is the only option now." Felt bit down on her words, her eyes fell to the ground in shame. Satella glanced at Felt, with a frown she stepped forward.
"What this girl did was wrong, there's no doubt about that," she glared at the assassin. "But I shan't let you belittle her; you've no right. Furthermore, I won't allow anyone here to die." She stated with determination. Puck looked at her with nothing short of pride, shaking his head in admiration.
The woman looked at her with a tilt of the head, then gave a humorless chuckle.
"That simply isn't possible," she stated. "Your words were cute, but I shall show you how meaningless they are." She grinned and tensed her body, as did Satella, while Puck prepared for battle.
"Are you the one responsible?" The tension that rose seemed to subside momentarily as the innocent question was asked. Confused eyes latched onto the form of Accelerator, who stepped forward, coming to a halt in front of Satella and Puck.
"Uuh, Accelerator, what are you doing?" The spirit questioned.
"Accelerator, please fall back; it's dangerous!" Satella exclaimed, but she was just ignored.
"Are you the one responsible for this time bullshit?" Accelerator asked the woman, for the first time since attacking, she looked confused.
"I am sorry, but I haven't a clue what you are talking about," she stated as her eyes trailed over his body, studying it. "So, young man, please step back; I'll gut your bowels in a moment." Accelerator clicked his tongue.
"Yeah, suppose it wouldn't be that simple." Accelerator glanced at the woman. "Though it is about that time, I guess. This whole thing has been a pain." Accelerator cracked his neck. "Oi, silver-head." Satella blinked at the nickname.
"S-silver-head!?" She exclaimed.
"What's the law on killing?" Accelerator flexed his fingers, the woman's eyes narrowed at the boy.
"The law on killing?" She questioned.
"Oi, what the hell are you even talking about, skinny!?" Felt could not help but exclaim. "You ain't seriously thinking of fighting, right!?"
"Self-defense is allowed, and this woman here might even fetch you a bounty," Rom answered. As weak as this child looked, Rom had something else besides sight to help him assess someone, and that was pure instincts. "I'm still pissed at what this bitch said to Felt, however, I know when I'm outmatched. So kill this bitch, yeah?" He got a confused gaze from the aforementioned girl.
"Good, great," Accelerator grinned. "Well, hag, seems you get to be my guinea pig. See, there's a few things I wanna test out."
"My, my, I have been mistaken," a blush crept up to her cheeks as her smile widened. "Those eyes! That smile! I can see now, you're like me, aren't you, boy?"
"Doesn't matter," Accelerator placed a hand on his neck, cracking.
"This may be fun, yet," she spoke, the spirit, Satella, Rom, and Felt. They were all forgotten in place of this boy. It was odd. She could not gauge his strength, yet one fact remained; she had seen that grin before, as well as those eyes. "I am Elsa, the bowl hunter. I look forward to cuttin-"
Accelerator initiated his assault. Time seemed to warp; the world slowed to a crawl. He wasn't interested in brute force here, not just yet. He meticulously manipulated the vectors around him, focusing on a specific zone directly in front. With pinpoint precision, he amplified the forward momentum of air molecules by a factor of a thousand, while also altering the vector of kinetic energy beneath his feet. The effect was instantaneous.
A deafening boom, a sonic punch shattering the stagnant air, ripped through the chamber. Accelerator, propelled by this self-made sonic boom, rocketed forward. His body blurred, a streak against the debris-strewn floor. Elsa's eyes widened, but even so, his attack was all but telegraphed. And she was one who was honing her reflexes. As the thunderous shockwave echoed, she whipped her body sideways, avoiding a punch she had noted. But the true danger wasn't the punch itself. As Accelerator flew past, a subtle shift in the vectors around his fist created a localized zone of intensified pressure. This wasn't a punch; it was a compressed pressure cannon disguised as a casual swipe. The air around his fist slammed into Elsa with the force of a truck.
The woman, caught completely off guard, let out a surprised gasp as the invisible wall of force slammed into her chest. The impact was brutal. Her body, flung like a discarded ragdoll, slammed through a section of the already-crumbling wall. Bricks exploded outwards in a shower of dust and debris, leaving a gaping hole that spewed sunlight. Elsa found herself sprawled in the squalid alleyway of a medieval slum, the harsh sunlight momentarily blinding her. A gasp escaped her lips, a mixture of pain and exhilaration. A crimson stain bloomed on her side, but a wild grin split her face.
"Not bad," she rasped, her voice laced with excitement. She pushed herself up, leaning on the broken wall fragment. A few meters away, Accelerator seemingly materialized from the dust cloud, floating a couple of inches off the ground before landing. "What strength, tell me, boy, are you a knight perchance?"
"It doesn't matter what I am," he drawled, "you'll be a corpse soon." He got but a smile in return. Elsa charged forward, becoming a blur. Propelled by seemingly inhuman speed, she darted towards him, weaving a path that was more a series of jagged zigzags. This wasn't a direct attack; it was an attempt to disrupt his focus. As she neared, she swung her dagger in a vicious arc, aiming for his head.
But as her blade neared him, an odd noise rang out, like the chimes of a bell. The dagger, striking an invisible barrier with a sickening clang, shattered instantly. The force of the blow, amplified by his ability, ripped back up Elsa's arm. Bones twisted at unnatural angles, a scream tearing from her throat. With lightning reflexes, Elsa threw her body backward, landing in a crouch. Her broken arm hung limply at her side, contorted at an impossible angle.
Accelerator watched impassively as it began to mend itself within seconds, the bones snapping back into place with a soft crackle. A cruel smile stretched across Elsa's face as she retrieved another dagger from a hidden area on her thigh.
"My, my, it seems you do not know how to treat a lady," she mused. Elsa's body became a blur once more as she all but disappeared with her speed, using the ruins of the surrounding shacks as her playground. She leaped from rooftop to crumbling wall, her movements unpredictable, her aim to create blind spots for Accelerator. But the boy remained at the center.
("I can already tell what this hag is thinking.") Leisurely, he pocketed his hands. ("He has a barrier protecting him, so he must have a blind spot. Or maybe I can attack him fast enough to where he cannot react.") He cackled.
Suddenly, as Elsa launched herself from the top of a precariously perched roof, an invisible force slammed into her back. The impact sent her tumbling head over heels, landing with a bone-jarring thud. A daze clouded her vision as she struggled to pick herself up. This wasn't the result of a physical attack. Accelerator had merely amplified the air vectors, turning it into a weapon that struck her unseen. Pain radiated from every inch of her body, but Elsa refused to yield. Just as she started to push herself up, a force slammed down on her back, pinning her to the ground. Looking down, she saw Accelerator's foot, seemingly hovering a couple of inches above her. It wasn't his weight that held her down; it was a manipulation of gravity. He'd increased her center of mass, essentially pushing her deeper into the small crater her body had created.
"Giving up already?" Accelerator's voice dripped with condescension. Elsa gritted her teeth, a low growl escaping her lips.
"This ability... y-you're an Archbishop," she growled out, her playful attitude seeming long gone now, only replaced by anger. Accelerator did not care; leisurely, he cleaned his ear out with his pinky.
"Archbishop? Well, I ain't no religious geezer." He applied more pressure on her back until he heard a satisfying crack; she withheld a groan of pain as Accelerator looked at her in boredom. "Man, you talked a big game, but you're just another small fry, aren't you?" She merely glared on. "Tch, weakling." Accelerator raised his leg high before slamming it on the back of her head; a crack resounded through the entire area as Elsa's eyes rolled to the back of her head. ("For regenerators like you, blunt trauma won't cut it, but I've tweaked your brain's bio-electricity somewhat; you'll be out for hours.") He contemplated killing her but remembered the old giant's words of a bounty.
"Might be a good way to make some cash, I guess." But still, this didn't count as a battle really. ("But I had the chance to test out what I wanted; controlling the wind vectors seems effective. Unlike most vectors, I don't have to go the extra mile to make contact with it; wind is a good source. Though even when using Chaos Theory, the calculations are delicate, and one slip up and the air disperses.") For now, maybe he would refine his calculations for manipulating the wind.
"Most impressive." He perked up at the sudden voice and approaching footsteps. Turning to the source, he spotted a rather tall young man, bright red hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in a white uniform signifying he might have belonged to some organization or group. And what stood out most was the large blade at his hip, its handle and scabbard were intricate in design.
"When that young girl had come running yelling for help, I had expected the worst," he came to a stop in front of Accelerator. "But it seems all has been resolved before I even arrived."
"And you are?"
"Ah, sorry. I am Reinhard Van Astrea, a knight." He introduced. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance...."
"Accelerator."
"A fine name." He stated, his tone sincere as he glanced at the unconscious form of Elsa. "And even finer work."
"Do I get money for this?" Reinhard blinked in surprise.
"This chick said she was named Elsa the bowl hunter or something," the man's eyes widened, his eyes scanned her face and attire as well as her dropped weapon. "Her clothing and features, as well as that peculiar dagger, indeed there is no doubt." Reinhard gave him an impressed smile. "This is nothing short of impressive work, Accelerator; the bowl hunter is no trifling opponent."
"That so?" Accelerator stated disinterestedly.
"Worry not; I'll make sure you'll receive your reward as well as credit," the knight stated with a smile. "I will apprehend the bowl hunter and join you in a moment. For now, you should return; Lady Emilia seemed extremely worried."
"Emilia? Who's that?" Accelerator questioned.
"Oh? I thought the two of you were acquainted; apologies, my mistake." Accelerator's eyes twitched; this guy was too nice. "Lady Emilia is the one with silver eyes and lilac eyes."
"I see, well, I'll leave this trash to you." Accelerator turned and pocketed his hands as he walked off. ("The sun is setting, and I'm still in this point of time. Seems that brat may be a trigger; tch, does this mean I have to stick close to her till I find the bastard who's responsible for this crap.") Accelerator frowned as he felt a tug at his heart. He ignored it as he approached the large run-down building; he caught sight of the large old giant as well as the thief Felt, who looked exhausted. He also spotted Satella, no Emilia but no Puck. He leisurely approached the group until Emilia spotted him, and then he blinked, and she all but bolted his way. She reached him in an instant, her eyes laced with something, worry?
"Please do not ever do that again!" She exclaimed.
"Huh?"
"Fighting alone like that was reckless; do you not care for your own safety? You could have been hurt, you know?" She chastised.
"Not likely; that chick was a weakling. Not a chance in hell I'd lose." He scoffed at the notion, yet her stern gaze would not relent.
"Even so, you put yourself in harm's way without a second thought." Emilia heaved a deep sigh. "It was most idiotic, but even so, you were of help. Puck would not have been able to stay manifested for long. And I am not sure how I would have handled such an adversary." She admitted.
("You'd have died, so would that old man and the thieving brat.") But he had changed that; it had just occurred to him. He saved the lives of these people; to him, that very notion was absurd. In doing so, the monster that was the first-ranked was abandoned, but was it truly that easy? Accelerator looked back at Emilia; she smiled as ever, a bright one, reminiscent of some ethereal angel.
"And I am sorry for having deceived you; my real name is Emilia." She reintroduced herself. "And thank you, Accelerator, for all of your help."
Once more, he received gratitude. He wondered, had he ever received such gratitude before a simple thanks? No, he tried to recall, but no such memory came forth. He had never been thanked before.
"Tch."
"Uhm, you two done flirting?" The sudden voice of Felt made Emilia jolt. Upon registering her words, her cheeks turned a tinge of red.
"W-we are not flirting!" She quickly denied, receiving an unconvinced glance.
"Well, it is good to see everyone relatively uninjured," the familiar voice of Reinhard traveled through as he came to a stop by the group. "Apologies for the delay, but the bowl hunter is now in captivity," he turned to Accelerator. "And should you seek to claim the bowl hunter's bounty, simply go to any knight station. Your appearance and name have been made known, so it will probably not be long until your name travels further."
("Great, attention, just what I wanted.") The esper drawled with an unamused look. Meanwhile, Reinhard turned to Emilia.
"And how do you fare, Lady Emilia?"
"I am fine, Ser Reinhard, though it is mainly due to Accelerator. I shudder to think what could have transpired were he not there," she admitted. Reinhard nodded.
"Indeed, the bowl hunter is not someone to be underestimated. Even the most trained knights would find themselves hard-pressed to defeat her," Reinhard stated.
"And this guy beat her," Felt cast a dry gaze at Accelerator.
"No one asked you a thing, brat."
"Brat!? I'm fifteen and almost sixteen!" She argued. "And you don't look all that older!" That might have been because he was not. She seemed to want to argue further, but Emilia cleared her throat. Felt turned to her, confused for a moment, but then it hit her. "Oh, right!" She dug into her pockets before pulling something out—an insignia with an intricate pattern adorning it, though it gave a subtle but noticeable glow. Accelerator noted how Reinhard's eyes widened.
"Sorry 'bout all of this, I guess," she stated with a sheepish chuckle.
"You are forgiven, but please be more mindful in the future," Emilia lightly chastised with a smile. With the insignia in hand, she turned to Accelerator. "Apologies, but I do not have a lot of coin on my person to reimburse you for all of your help. But I have been meaning to ask, you are a foreigner, correct?"
"That's...right."
"Do you have anywhere to go?" She immediately asked.
"Not really, shouldn't be a problem. I'll just find some bench to crash on-"
"Then would you like to come home with me?" She blurted out, immediately noting how that sounded.
"Haha! Seems the youngins are more forward nowadays!" Rom exclaimed with a hearty laugh.
"Hmm, he's skinny, but he's kinda hot. So good on you, I guess?" Felt gave a thumbs up.
"I-it's not like that!" Emilia tried to quickly deny, even Reinhard could not help but give a chuckle.
("How weird.") The esper could not help but think.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein