Editing Toaru Majutsu no Index:Biohacker Chapter5 (section)

===Part 18===

Grass crunched below Mitsuari Ayu’s feet.

She walked unsteadily along the steep, tree-covered slope. She must have tripped a few times because her uniform was stained with mud.

“…”

Her hands were also stained.

But those dark red stains would be due to the special mobile device she had taken from Matsuo Ryuusuke.

Its owner was no more. He had been beyond saving, so he had simply laughed and stared at nothing in particular until he ceased to function.

She had no destination in mind.

There were people on this mountain who would come to save her.

But.

“How can I ever look them in the eye?”

She had come to realize something here.

Everything worked out for the better when she was not around. She did not harm people because she was entirely incompetent. Nor did she affect her surroundings because she was too powerful. No one had said it out loud, but the answer had suddenly stabbed into the back of her mind like unwanted divine revelation.

This was not about being competent or incompetent.

She was merely semi-competent.

No matter what she did, she could never become a Level 5. But at the same time, she could never shake that feeling of being so close – just a step away. She had never been able to tell when to give up and stop trying.

This was the result.

It had dragged her down.

If not for her, L.S.S. might have given up on the Beginning Child in their possession. If not for her, none of this would have happened. She was under no obligation to defend the person who had sent assassins after her, but if not for her, Matsuo Ryuusuke might have never taken that final step.

What could have remained an idle fantasy had become more than that.

So who was really to blame here?

“Ha.”

She was not amused and she was not happy, yet some odd laughter spilled from her lips.

“Ah ha ha ha.”

Her skinny arms drooped and she nearly dropped the special mobile device.

But it was not over yet.

The familiar voices coming from the footage on the screen pierced into her heart.

“What should we do about the Beginning Child? She appears to be unconscious for now.”

“She isn’t a bad person. I doubt this will happen again if she has a chance to cool her head and take a look at her surroundings.”

“That sounds awfully optimistic to me.”

“You’re taking their side, Senpai? Once you start saying you can never know for sure what someone’s thinking, you can never be sure of anyone anymore. You’d be acting just like L.S.S.!! Sticking an antenna in her head and spraying her with an invisible chemical mist won’t calm her down. Anyone would freak out if you did that to them!”

“Hear me out,” cut in Kumokawa’s voice.

Mitsuari felt a great weight bearing down on her heart before the girl said anything.

“There is one way of knowing for sure, isn’t there? Matsuo Ryuusuke resorted to kidnapping to acquire it since L.S.S. couldn’t do it on their own.”

“?”

“Actually altering her mind isn’t necessary. As long as we have some insurance at the ready, we can all accept this. And you know who would work best in that role, don’t you?”

“Oh, I get it.”

No.

Don’t say it.

Don’t-

“That’s right! Mitsuari’s Mental Stinger!!”

It felt like having her heart shattered.

Kamijou Touma meant no harm. His words contained only the pure and innocent hope of someone relying on a friend.

But that was the problem.

Mitsuari Ayu did not entirely lack power and she did not have too much power.

She was stuck in the middle.

Forever trapped in between.

She was like a bucket with a hole in the bottom. The bucket was so close to running over, but no matter how much water you poured in, it would never cross the rim. She had just enough power to inspire hope and expectations. Just enough to feel like it would be a waste to give up and stop trying.

But she would fail in the end.

She would fail no matter how hard she tried, so why did they have to turn those hopes and expectations her way?

“No.”

The stolen mobile device slipped from her fingers and rolled down the slope.

Would it be them next?

Would she have to see that look of disappointment from them too?

“Please noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!”

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