One-way traffic

As Takibayashi spoke, he unceremoniously picked up a rice ball from the dishes Hatsune Miku had prepared, along with some other delicious-looking dishes.

"It's so delicious! Hatsune Miku was absolutely right, her cooking skills are truly as good as a master chef's!"

Accelerator scoffed and tossed his cane onto the sofa.

“Mr. Takibayashi is right.”

Hatsune Miku, standing to one side, put her hands together, speaking like a high school girl waitress in a maid café.

"If you don't replenish your energy, it might cause danger later. It's especially important to pay attention to a balanced diet in this post-apocalyptic world, Mr. Accelerator."

"...You don't need to meddle."

Accelerator closed his eyes nonchalantly and picked up a rice ball and fried chicken directly from the dish.

...It tastes good. I must say, she truly lives up to her reputation as a pampered young lady who prefers staying at home.

Seeing the first person quietly enjoying their dish, Hatsune Miku showed a delighted expression.

Although it's supposed to be a post-apocalyptic world, this feeling... seems to have a unique charm.

——————————————————————————————————————

The three of them finished breakfast quickly.

Since it was impossible to prepare any other dishes on the spot at noon, Accelerator simply chose simple canned food as his backup rations.

Of course, he also brought a few power banks, which are perfect for use as portable power sources.

That's true, but how exactly do we find our destination?

After the three left the original villa, Takibayashi raised this question.

"Although we're looking for a gun shop, do they really exist in a city like this? And even if they do, how are we supposed to find them?"

This is indeed a problem.

Even though Accelerator had patrolled the city at supersonic speeds beforehand, he still couldn't find a decent gun shop. After all, is it really possible for a place like this to have a shop that sells guns?

But Accelerator didn't say anything.

He simply walked forward step by step along the road in front of him, holding his pistol in his hand and keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings.

"Just come with me."

"Uh...okay, okay."

Although the two people behind him seemed somewhat confused, they ultimately chose to trust One of them and proceed.

As the top-ranked member of Academy City, he wouldn't act blindly without a plan.

They walked for about ten minutes, encountering several zombies wandering the streets along the way.

Instead of using his pistol to deal with them, Accelerator tried to hide the two of them in the shadows and slipped past them.

However, there is something strange.

Accelerator didn't seem to be looking for a gun shop from the beginning; his attention seemed to be focused on other things.

"Hey... Hatsune Miku, have you noticed something strange?"

"Hmm? Mr. Takibayashi, what's wrong?"

The two people following behind the first person suddenly started talking to each other in secret.

Hatsune Miku noticed a strange expression on Takibayashi's face.

"Well, it seems like Yifang doesn't even have any intention of looking for a gun shop."

"Eh?"

Hatsune Miku was slightly taken aback.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I noticed that from the beginning, it seemed that he wasn't aiming his observation at the direction of the house... but was always observing those guys."

A closer look will reveal it.

The number one esper in Academy City wasn't observing the house at all; instead, he was constantly scanning something else.

He kept observing the zombies on the street.

After hiding the two of them in a secluded spot, Accelerator began to constantly survey the zombie situation. Sometimes the zombies were in shops, sometimes they were on the streets, and sometimes he would even observe their tracks and footprints for a full minute before leaving.

This is what Takibayashi simply doesn't understand.

"To be honest, I'm increasingly suspicious that either he's looking for a gun shop or he's planning something else?"

If there were no gun shops in this city, wouldn't everything Accelerator did have been in vain?

If this were to actually happen, someone with the most brilliant mind in Academy City shouldn't be unaware of it. So why is he still engaging in such behavior?

The answer will be revealed soon.

At a certain moment, the first one came to a complete stop.

"You two, step back."

"Eh?"

The two were slightly taken aback, but they soon realized that they had stopped in front of a shop.

This is a shop that looks very ordinary.

Although the signboard has been completely lost, it is clear that this was originally a small to medium-sized business shop.

But there's no doubt this place isn't a gun shop.

"Why would you choose a place like this? This is clearly not a gun shop, is it?"

no answer.

Without hesitation, the first person in Academy City pressed the button on his neck and then stomped his foot on the ground.

Boom!

With a force that wasn't too exaggerated, the ability to manipulate vectors tore the entire building apart, causing the two to instinctively raise their hands to shield themselves.

"Wait a minute, what's going on now..."

Takibayashi's words remained unspoken.

That building has been completely destroyed by Accelerator.

However, beneath the ruins of the building, there is a very conspicuous area that resembles a hidden door.

What is that?

Bang! The first person raised his cane and thrust it directly into the hidden door, lifting the huge iron door to reveal a stairwell leading directly underground.

He turned off the electrodes on his neck.

"Think back carefully about those zombies from earlier."

Takibayashi and Hatsune Miku were slightly taken aback.

So far, has Accelerator only been meticulously observing the zombies' movements? No, he must have been observing other things as well.

"It's about appearance."

The first one held a pistol to his neck and laughed contemptuously.

“Those who live in the shadows can never hide certain things about themselves. I can tell these things at a glance. Even if they are dead, the traces of the shadowy side of society left on their clothes and bodies will never change. As long as you grasp this point and follow these zombies, you can find the place where these zombies gather the most. In other words, they basically gathered here when they were alive, and they will basically linger here after they die.”

"Then, once we find these guys who belonged to the dark side of society, like gangsters, we will naturally be able to find their hideouts."

As he spoke, he walked down the stairs.

Takibayashi and Hatsune Miku quickly followed him to the bottom of the stairs, and were immediately stunned by the sight before them.

It was an iron gate, like the kind of gate found in prisons.

Having no other means of support, Accelerator simply slammed his cane heavily on the lock and successfully opened it, then kicked the door open in one go.

right here.

Looking around, you can see that almost everything that can't be exposed on the surface of society is displayed here.

Medicines, shady props, all sorts of street sports cars, and cold weapons.

And most importantly, guns.

"...How did you manage to do all this?"

Takibayashi couldn't imagine all of this. In his view, Accelerator was just doing things that he thought were meaningless. Was this really possible?

"Do you know why?"

The number one in Academy City simply gave a dismissive shrug.

"Because I've seen too much of this shitty, dark world."

Upon careful consideration, Takibayashi finally remembered what Accelerator's true identity was.

While being the number one esper in Academy City, this white-haired, red-eyed monster is also a member of the Dark Side.

He had already experienced countless dark sides of Academy City. He knew Academy City, which was a million times more terrifying than the dark side of the outside world, so how could he not see the darkness of an ordinary society?

"But how can you be so sure that these things definitely exist in this city? If this is just your guess—"

Before Takibayashi could finish speaking, the first person had already taken something out of his pocket and shown it to him.

That's canned food.

All the text on the cans was in English.

“I noticed from the beginning that this shitty city is all in English, not just on the cans, but also on the restaurant and bank signs. You can hardly see any Japanese, Chinese or other languages.”

This alone is enough to confirm it.

"This city is very likely located in North America or Eurasia. If so, it's inevitable that such a disgusting dark side would appear."

This involves some legal issues.

In any case, Takibayashi did know a little bit about it, such as the most famous thing: what kind of jurisdiction the United States has over firearms.

Based on this alone, Accelerator was able to confirm all the intelligence.

Is it really possible?

It's possible, but perhaps only this white-haired, red-eyed guy in front of me could do it.

After all, he was someone who had seen even the darkest depths of Academy City.

In other words, the real evil party.

"The lingering traces between evil factions can be easily found even after they've died, so it's not a big deal."

The first person sat down nonchalantly to one side and looked at the two of them.

"Go ahead, you all go and pick up your own weapons. I'll guard the gate for now."

This is the strength of the number one team.

It's not just their physical strength that's terrifying; their logical reasoning and mental abilities are also terrifying.

Takibayashi blinked, and only then did he slightly recover his senses.

"As expected, a top student is a top student..."

Only Hatsune Miku was intently watching Accelerator.

To be honest, all Takibayashi could understand was the power of Accelerator.

But Hatsune Miku is different.

In her view, there were other problems as well.

—How does Accelerator manage to know so much information and intelligence about the dark side of society?

Of course, it's because he has personally experienced it and lives in such an environment at all times.

Perhaps his entire past life was inextricably linked to darkness.

He has thoroughly understood the dark side of society, which is why he has been able to achieve such a level.

Hatsune Miku froze on the spot, lost in thought.