Date Acceleration

Release the Black Dogs

December 15, 8 PM.

Winter is coming.

It started to snow as Japan's snow season typically begins in mid-to-late December. Snowflakes splattered the empty city as the start of the snow season was met with silence and despair. Diabolus AF was defeated. In the midst of the harsh season that has begun, a new and darker foe has emerged.

A demonic force entered the arena.

A star could be seen leaving the sky by a careful viewer. Just one, maybe two, for a moment. After that, it returns as if nothing had occurred. Followed by another somewhere else.

From a seemingly empty point in space, a brief disturbance in the electromagnetic spectrum appears, and a few shapes slow down their movements to rest on the roof of a random building.

The shapes are, in fact, human figures, if only someone were to be on that roof and be alive long enough to take a closer look.

One of the new arrivals raises an arm and gestures toward a spot farther from the building's edge.

One of the newcomers starts moving an arm, pointing at a location further away from the edge of the building. The other figures followed the silent order and stealthily took their positions.

One of the shadowy forms pulls out a small cylinder and lets it drop into the dark abyss below the roof. The other two crouch a few meters away and start assembling long tubes. The other pair stood nearby, waiting. Finally, one faint light: A small tablet displaying a view of the city. The three remaining figures in black were dispersed around the roof, waiting for something, or rather someone.

"Let the orgy begin." One of the figures spoke enthusiastically and quietly.

◈

A brilliant, flickering light appeared in a pitch-black area.

"Owe! Waaaa Misaka whines, as Misaka tries to hide the fact that Misaka is scared and alone. So, Misaka can be there for a special someone."

Cutely whining, the girl showed her terror and sorrow in the dark, empty space.

She was about ten with chestnut colored hair and eyes, one unusual strand of hair known as an ahoge, and was wearing a blue-spotted dress with a white coat and sandals.

She then started to make her way into the distance, likely in search of light.

Unaware that there were shadowy figures nearby followed by clicking sounds.

◈

Accelerator was walking through the city trying to find the mysterious BLACKOUT device mentioned in the documents. He got some clues about the whereabouts of Kihara and, by extension, his new plaything, but he still needed the exact location.

A strange sound is heard in his ears. "Shhhhhhh!"

Multiple rounds hit his barrier out of nowhere. While his reflection could easily protect him from any conventional rounds, it wasn't just any round that was launched at him. The ammunition the unknown foes were using was specifically tailored to penetrate this invisible shield. At a very specific point in space, the small explosive charges inside the rounds were detonated, sending metal fragments in all directions, most importantly away from the white-haired boy. Then the vector manipulation kicks in and the metallic debris changes the direction of their movement. Unfortunately for the boy, the ability was not as smart as he would have liked it to be. With the activation of the reflecting barrier, the shrapnel going away in a split second turned around.

"Aghhhh," Accelerator screamed in pain due to the shrapnel hitting his body.

It was fortunate the attack wasn't fatal, and Accelerator was making some progress understanding this world's concepts, as he soon determined he could still move.