Editing Toaru Majutsu no Index:MvM Chapter1 (section)

===Part 5===

Rotors roaring, the Six Wings unmanned attack helicopters once more targeted Shokuhou.

Shokuhou was the Queen who could force any human to serve her, but Mikoto had the obedience of the citywide network and all the machines connected to it.

“Did you think a flesh-and-blood body could win in a war between humans and AI, you caveman!?”

“Do you know how absurd that sounds in a city of espers, Misaka-saaan!?”

Shoe soles repeatedly scraped against the asphalt.

As bad as the pull rates were, this was Academy City, the city of espers. If she took control of people by the dozen, she would find a high-level esper or two among them. She only needed an esper with control over telekinesis, air, fire, gravity, or anything else that could alter the course of a shell or missile and bring down the attack helicopters taking sharp paths through the sky.

The blonde girl found her answer: stop fearing failure and whale her way to a legendary pull. She would make this happen!!

“Where do you even think you can go? This is a city. I have an endless supply of ‘weapons’ here☆ You might as well have stuck your head in the hornet’s nest in your attempt to fight the hornets. Did you really think you would find any survival ability there!?”

Shokuhou grinned.

A professor-looking old man (walking a silver mechanical dog) suddenly grabbed her blonde hair as he walked by.

“What!?”

She frantically swung her remote around to brainwash the ultra-aggressive geezer into motionlessness. A closer look showed her he was a dark side monster and the dog was controlled by a gloomy shut-in. But it didn’t end there. Men, women, boys, and girls were charging toward her from all sides, even if it meant climbing over guardrails or hopping down from pedestrian bridges. She couldn’t aim her remote at all of them, so she had to give a vocal command to the “pawns” around her.

“Stop those charging people!! What is going on here!?”

A drum-shaped security robot gave her the answer.

“89.8% match for Shokuhou Misaki, wanted in all districts. Please stop here and wait for Anti-Skill to arrive. Leaving without permission will be deemed interfering with Anti-Skill business.”

“Wait, do I have a price on my head!?”

“Did you think you were the only one who could control people?”

Mikoto grinned with sparks flying form her fingertips.

The demon had more to say.

“You’re worth 6 million yen☆ Human greed is a scary thing. By altering an Anti-Skill station’s security map using the security robots around here, I can create as many new hunting quests as I want. And I can provide the necessary security camera evidence with AI-made deepfakes. Or would you prefer I faked a video of you doing a lewd dance in the nude!?”

“Misaka-san, you are literally the worst sometimes.”

Quietly pissed, Shokuhou Misaki used her phone instead of her remote.

After the distorted sound of something slicing through the air, a Six Wings helicopter turned to target Mikoto instead.

“Hey!?”

“This is what happens when I brainwashed the crucial commanders and air traffic controllers ''in advance''☆ Heh heh heh. Did you think you were the only one who could control machines?”

“Are you saying this had nothing to do with our fight!? You’ve been brainwashing innocent people just in case!?”

With a roar of machinegun fire, Mikoto rushed into the alley between two buildings to escape the destructive downpour.

Machine and human.

The #3 and #5 had now taken over each other’s advantage. If they lost the fight to control each other’s specialties, they would be attacked from all sides.

Alone in the alley, battle freak Mikoto gave a belligerent smile.

“I see. Now this battle’s gotten more unpredictable, Shokuhou.”

“Hi, Uiharu-saaan. I’m so glad to see you here. I need you to lend me your hacking ability☆”

“Now she’s going after my friends again!? With a big smile on her face too!!!”

…If only she wasn’t a curvy temptress who was drawn to other people’s possessions.

Mikoto used a Railgun to shoot down the Six Wings targeting her and moved further into the alley. She wasn’t sure what would happen in a direct hacker battle against Uiharu. She doubted she would lose when it came to pure strength, but if Uiharu used contacts and loopholes Mikoto wasn’t aware of to hijack machines without Mikoto noticing, a supposedly friendly machine could end up backstabbing her.

Which meant…

“Either I give up on using machines, or – as much as I hate the idea – I put Uiharu-san to sleep for now.”

This didn’t just apply to Uiharu.

Brainwashing ten thousand Level 0s wouldn’t accomplish much for Shokuhou. She needed the individuals with irregular power or skills. Capturing a single Level 4 or Level 5 would have real strategic value. Because the seven Level 5s were each a formidable fighting force on their own. And when brainwashed, they wouldn’t consider the consequences, so the safeties put in place by the adults might not work.

So that was what Mikoto had to ensure didn’t happen. In the worst case, Shokuhou could brainwash the other 5 and send them all after Mikoto.

But only if she sat around and let Shokuhou brainwash them.

“Where are the other Level 5s? If I can get to them first and explain the situation, they might join my side. And if they refuse, maybe I should just kill them for being so stupid.”

“You really turn into a bloodthirsty elite warrior when you’re backed into a corner. Is it because your thought ability turns inwards?”

The voice came from above.

Mikoto shot a Railgun through a nearby concrete wall and rolled indoors right as Hokaze dropped down with the force of a lightning bolt.

That girl was limited to close quarters combat, but even Mikoto would be in trouble if she got close and grabbed her.

Shokuhou gloated while being princess carried.

“Your magnetic jumps won’t get you very far inside this cramped building. Which means we’ll catch you before you can get away☆ I assume I don’t need to explain what happens to you once you’re grappling with my Hokaze. She can bench press more than a ton, FYI.”

“…”

“Now, Hokaze-san, grab Misaka-san, tear her limb from limb, and throw away the piec- ow ow ow ow ow!? Hoka- wait, Hokaze-san? Stop, stop, why are you trying to fold up my spine!? I don’t remember installing you with anything as advanced as treachery ability!!!”

She had ordered Hokaze to “grab” Mikoto while being princess carried by Hokaze, but apparently she had failed to predict how that would turn out. It was a lot like shouting for a crane to destroy a building while she was holding onto the wrecking ball. And it was 100% her own fault because she had brainwashed Hokaze to never question her orders.

(She really is stupid, but she did pass Tokiwadai’s entrance exam, didn’t she? Don’t tell me she brainwashed the examiner and grader and then turned in a blank answer sheet.)

Mikoto ran off and quickly vacated the multi-tenant building.