The term White Alligator could be dug up on the level of an absurd rumor, but the accuracy of information on that mysterious unit would decline rapidly once one attempted to find out what exactly it was.
The first thing to come to one’s mind upon hearing the name would be the white alligators said to live in sewers.
One theory said it was an experiment forcibly training children based on the stories of those alligators having undergone a mutation in response to their harsh environment.
Another theory said it was a unit that mainly used the sewers for surrept.i.tious movements.
A third theory said it was using the sewers as a metaphor for the “darkness” that would draw in and devour the unprepared.
Yet another theory said it had started as a powers development program created to destroy the restrictions set by a certain list whispered of in secret among researchers, but had developed into a business model that ma.s.s produced stable Level 4s to be used against Level 5s.
Each of those theories had a certain level of credibility and yet had enough conjectures added in to make absolute confidence impossible. The very existence of White Alligator seemed like nothing more than an unsure rumor spreading among the children.
Presently, only one thing was certain.
The ident.i.ty of White Alligator was unclear, but those such as her definitely existed.
Academy City was wrapped in the darkness of night. That description was only appropriate for that highly populated city filled with artificial light because it was referring to the industrial District 17. No unnecessary decorative lights were present and only the bare minimum of streetlights were present. The countless lights in the automated factories created the characteristic scene of an industrial area at night, but the darkness was still greater.
“This is the place,” said Misaka Mikoto. “According to the urban legend Saten-san picked up on, a refrigerated storage facility that already used ma.s.sive amounts of electricity is being used to hide the power usage of the life support device that is controlled by a special amperage. And this is the only refrigerated facility that’s actual power consumption is off some from its spec sheet but still has stable usage.”
In the darkness of the night, a pale light lit up Mikoto’s face. It came from the screen of a PDA. Even as the display continued to scroll automatically, she put the device back in her skirt pocket.
“&h.e.l.lip;‘The Whereabouts of Saitou Souta’, hm?,” said another girl standing next to Mikoto. The girl had brown hair and wore the summer uniform of Nagatenjouki Academy, one of the most prestigious schools in Academy City. She was a Level 4 with a power known as Military Oil. She was a former elite of the dark side whose history as a member of White Alligator had made sure she had dealt with plenty of dirty jobs.
She was Aizono Mio.
She had undergone first aid, but she still had fresh wounds. However, they both understood that they did not have time to carry out any more thorough treatments.
“What were you looking at that PDA for?”
“I was checking on something. I’m waiting for the results of some a.n.a.lysis.” It was then Mikoto’s turn to check with the other girl on something. “Listen up. Saitou-sensei is being held in here in a comatose state. Once we rescue him, you will turn yourself in to Anti-Skill as you promised. If you try to run away, I will not hesitate to fire this time.”
“I know, I know. More importantly, I have no time. Even now, Anti-Skill and Judgment are doing their best to track me down. Even a generous estimate gives me only this night. If you slow me down even slightly, I will leave you behind and finish this on my own.”
“Okay.” Mikoto punched her lightly clenched right fist into her left palm. “Then let’s get started. Let’s tie up all the loose ends.”
Despite what Mikoto had said, they did not charge straight into the refrigerated storage facility. This was due to a comment made by Aizono Mio.
“This facility is likely a trap.”
“Whose trap?”
“Someone who doesn’t want anyone coming after Saitou-sensei. For one thing, I can’t believe that a rumor about his location would so conveniently pop up right when everything else was finished. I can only imagine that someone purposefully spread the rumor.”
“Do you think this someone knows who we are?”
“I doubt there are many other people that Saitou Souta would work as bait for.”
“Then what is our enemy planning to do? I doubt this person is going to think normal firepower is going to be much help against a Level 5 and a Level 4 working together.”
“True, true. If it was me, I know what I would do. I’d set nerve gas to be triggered the instant we stepped into the refrigerated storage facility. Once it was obvious our minds were too muddled to activate our powers, I would then immediately blow the building to smithereens with a bomb. Kaboom!!”
As usual, the change in her tone of voice sent a s.h.i.+ver down Mikoto’s spine.
“I’ve been wondering. Why does your tone of voice always change at times like this?”
Aizono Mio cleared her throat and said, “That’s just the way I am. I am automatically set to be interested in that type of thing.”
“And I don’t like how you talk down to me.”
“If you say a word more, I’ll turn you into a chunk of wax.” Aizono then changed the direction she was headed. “Anyway, entering the facility isn’t going to help, so let’s check the surroundings. If this was done according to the standard, we should find a vehicle.”
“Why?”
“Explosions are a bit noticeable. They’ll have had an escape vehicle prepared before setting up the explosives. They will! It’ll be at a point distant enough to not get wrapped up in any counterattacks from their target but close enough to immediately pick up their comrades and escape.”
“I told you not to talk down to me.”
“Shut up about that or I’ll dissolve your bra and panties and give you an oil ma.s.sage.”
Feeling a strange chill, Mikoto fell silent. She only then realized that she was in danger of being left nude in the Floating Garden Observatory of the twin towers.
After circling around the refrigerated storage facility, they spotted a 4-door car oddly parked on the street. Aizono approached the driver’s side and&h.e.l.lip;
With no forewarning, the 4-door family car was suddenly sliced in two.
The shape of Aizono’s hand had changed. More accurately, the black oil wrapped around her arm had formed the silhouette of a sword. Her clothes had also changed at some point. She now wore a special dress that was both a liquid and a solid.
“Yessss☆ Thanks for your hard work, you brave maid. Now, could you tell me where the hideout is? Where were you told to bring your companions in this piece of junk?”
“Wait&h.e.l.lip;W-wh-what are you&h.e.l.lip;!?”
The driver frantically pulled a handgun out of the dashboard.
However, he then noticed that something was wrong.
He felt a sticky feeling on his palm like he had picked up chocolate left in the car during the summer. Before he could even frown in confusion, the feeling slipped off of his hand. It took him a few more seconds to realize the handgun made of layered plastic that was harder than a hammer had melted.
“Hurry. Up. And. Tell. Me.”
“E-ee!? No. I’ll never talk!”
“Sigh. So you’re so far down on the chain of command that you don’t even understand how outmatched you are here.”
A sound like a rope being bent was heard. The next thing the driver knew, gasoline flowing from severed pipes surrounded his body, covering even his face.
“I suppose a nice oil ma.s.sage would get the message across a little better. Have you ever wanted to be burned at the hands of a high school girl? Hmm. It’s a bit dark and hard to see. I think I’ll borrow that lighter of yours.”
“Burn!? A-are you an idiot!? I really will burn!”
“Now, it’s time for the bride and groom’s candle service!!”
Mikoto realized Aizono might actually do it, so she cut in.
“W-wait a second!! The wires were severed when you cut the car in two and this will be no joke if that’s ignited by the lighter!!”
“Ahh!! You idiot! Don’t come toward me while sending sparks everywhere like that!!”
“Eh?”
“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!”
With a great explosive noise, the turkey that was the star of the party was served up.
Aizono immediately slid backwards along the ground as if pushed by the orange explosion while Mikoto used magnetism to jump back as far as she could.
The experienced former elite’s face had gone slightly pale.
“I-I can’t believe you. Roasting a completely defenseless underling for a gag is an off the charts level of cruelty. &h.e.l.lip;Can I call you mistress?”
“No, please don’t!! Also, this wasn’t my fault! The explosion came from the trunk. A detonation signal was sent an instant ahead of time!!” Mikoto shouted back indignantly.
At Mikoto’s feet, the relatively strong driver who normally would have declared his victory over the hards.h.i.+ps of life was lying in a daze like a girl who had been knocked over and licked all over by her undisciplined pet dog.
Just before the explosion, Mikoto had used iron sand to absorb and isolate the gasoline surrounding the driver’s body, and had then used magnetism to operate his seatbelt buckle and pull him toward her.
“Nnyah?” Aizono tilted her head to the side in confusion before the younger girl. “So that explosion was planned ahead of time?”
“Yes. If they finished us off in the facility, that would have been that. But they also put a bomb in the trunk if it wasn’t enough. This double trap makes it seem more like they’re only trying to buy time rather than seriously trying to defeat us.”
“But what is the person behind this trying to do with the extra time?”
Mikoto and Aizono looked over toward the rescued driver. As the large man sat on the ground, he had tears in his eyes.
“N-nooooooooooooo!! I’ll talk. I’ll tell you anything, just don’t hurt meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! I don’t wanna buuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrnnnnn!!”
“Mistress, it seems you’ve awakened the maiden within this tough guy.”
“I told you it wasn’t my fault! If you give even one more unnecessary comment, I’ll surround your body in a low frequency h.e.l.l!!”
Apparently, those gathered to be members of White Alligator had all been girls in their early teens. Supposedly, this was based on a theory that things like high sensitivity, the durability girls had in order to withstand the pain of childbirth, and the unstable mentality of early p.u.b.erty would be optimal for that special type of powers development. However, none of this is known for sure either.
The fact that this selection of members for White Alligator was made for purely logical reasons rather than for vulgar desires may have saved those girls from a worse fate.
However, these logical reasons led to their powers development being carried out such that their bodies were worn down and built back up, so their actual fate could hardly be said to be a good one.
The members making up White Alligator were all Level 4. This perfect equality was too much to be a mere coincidence, so it clearly must have been planned.
If White Alligator really was a project meant to ma.s.s produce Level 4s as a stable source of strength, then the cruelty of those in control of the project came into view.
The members making up White Alligator all had one thing in common.
And this thing in common could not merely be explained by the fact that they were developed in a special project.