Strongest Esper

The clash between Asphalt and Jason had escalated into a deadly dance of shadows and light, each strike more ferocious than the last. Asphalt's shadowy form, a swirling mass of darkness, surged forward like a living storm, colliding with Jason's brilliant beams of light. Each impact sent shockwaves through the room, shaking the very foundation beneath them. The shadows twisted and coiled, wrapping around the light, smothering it, until the once radiant beams were swallowed whole by the encroaching darkness.

Jason grunted as he staggered back, the force of the shadows pushing him to the brink. But even as he pulled away, he found himself met by a crushing blow—Asphalt's knee drove into his back with bone-cracking force. The impact sent a jolt of pain through Jason's spine, but he wasn't given time to recover. He attempted a desperate counterattack, throwing an elbow behind him, aiming to catch Asphalt off guard. But instead of meeting solid flesh, his arm passed through nothing but cold, empty air. Asphalt's body, now a mist-like shadow, flowed around him like smoke, intangible and unstoppable.

"I TOLD YOU," Asphalt's voice reverberated through the room, a dark, echoing boom that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once. The sound wasn't just external—it was inside Jason's very being, vibrating through his bones, rattling his soul. "YOU CAN'T BEAT ME."

Before Jason could react, the shadows began to seep into him, invading his body like a creeping poison. It was as though Asphalt was infiltrating every fiber of his being, wrapping around his organs, constricting his lungs, making it impossible to breathe. The air was ripped from his lungs as the darkness filled him, choking the life out of him. Panic surged through Jason's mind as he struggled against the encroaching shadows, every instinct screaming at him to fight, to survive.

But just when it seemed like the darkness would consume him entirely, something within Jason snapped. With a primal roar, a brilliant light burst forth from within him, a blinding explosion of energy that radiated outwards in all directions. The light was so intense that it seemed to burn away the very shadows that had infiltrated him, forcing Asphalt to retreat. The shadowy figure let out a grunt as he was expelled from Jason's body, the force of the light nearly disintegrating his form.

Asphalt reformed a few feet away, his liquid-like body wavering as he tried to solidify. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"ASPHALT!" The voice was filled with desperation and fear, and it echoed through the chamber like a plea. Velvet burst into the room, her eyes wide with panic as she frantically searched for her mentor. The oppressive aura of magic and the thick scent of blood in the air hit her like a wall, but she pushed forward, following the trail of mana that led her to Asphalt.

But before she could even fully comprehend the scene before her, a dark blur shot past her, faster than she could react. The sound of it whooshing by was followed by a sickening thud, the kind that makes your stomach drop. Time seemed to slow as Velvet's breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn't want to turn around, didn't want to face what she knew she'd find. But her body moved on its own, slowly, hesitantly turning to face the source of the sound.

Her eyes locked onto the fallen figure of her mentor—Asphalt, lying in a crumpled heap on the ground. Blood pooled beneath him, dark and thick, seeping into the cracks of the floor. But what made her heart nearly stop was the sight of his right arm—or rather, the absence of it. His arm had been severed completely, torn from his body in a single, brutal instant. The wound was ragged, the flesh torn as if it had been ripped away by some monstrous force. Blood poured from the gaping wound, staining the once proud figure of Asphalt with a gruesome, horrifying red.

Velvet's mind was a storm of emotions, a whirlwind of disbelief and rage that threatened to consume her. She stared down at Asphalt, her mentor, the one who had always seemed larger than life, now reduced to a broken, bleeding figure on the cold, hard floor. The sight was something her mind refused to accept. Asphalt had faced death countless times, and each time, he had risen again, stronger, with that infuriating smirk that told her everything would be alright. She waited, holding her breath, her heart pounding in her chest as she willed him to move, to get up, to prove that this wasn't the end.

But he didn't. He lay there, still and silent, his blood pooling around him, staining the ground with the finality of his defeat. The realization began to settle in her mind like a heavy weight, pressing down on her, suffocating her with the unbearable truth.

Behind her, a presence began to grow, creeping up on her like a shadow. She could feel it, a cold, malevolent energy that sent a chill down her spine. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to turn around. She was still waiting, still hoping that Asphalt would rise one last time, to laugh in the face of death as he always had. But hope was a fragile thing, and it was slowly slipping away from her grasp.

A voice cut through the silence, strange and distorted, as if the very air around her was warping to carry its sound. "Such a shame," it said, a mocking tone laced with dark amusement. "I was hoping he would have lasted a bit longer than that… but I suppose that is to be expected for one his age." The voice was unnerving, glitching in and out as though it came from every direction at once, yet she knew it was coming from behind her. And she knew who it belonged to.

"Or perhaps," the voice continued, its sinister edge deepening, "maybe even a part of me was hopeful he would have lasted longer… It would have made the experience all the more pleasurable."

Those words, dripping with sadistic delight, ignited a fire within Velvet. Something inside her snapped, the grief and fear giving way to a burning, uncontrollable rage. She whirled around, her face contorted in a snarl of pure hatred, her voice a primal scream, "DIE! YOU SON OF A BITCH!!"

With a furious burst of energy, she unleashed a shadow spike, dark and deadly, aimed directly at the source of the voice. But as the spike hurtled forward, she saw nothing but empty space where her target should have been. Her eyes widened in shock, her breath catching in her throat as she tried to comprehend what had just happened. 'Huh!?' Her mind raced, 'Where did he go?'

A cold, mocking laugh echoed around her. "You're as impatient as he was," the voice taunted, and before she could react, a force struck her with the speed and power of a lightning bolt. She didn't even see it coming. One moment, she was standing, seething with rage, and the next, she was lying flat on her back.

Dazed and disoriented, it took her a moment to realize what had happened. She tried to move, but a sharp, searing pain shot through her body, making her cry out. Her left arm… She glanced down and felt a wave of nausea as she saw it twisted at an unnatural angle, the bones protruding through the skin, her flesh bruised and torn. The sight made her stomach churn, but before the pain could fully register, she felt a surge of anger so intense that it drowned out everything else.

"Terribly sorry," the voice called out again, its tone dripping with false politeness. "I didn't mean to harm you too badly. I'm a bit new at using this, so do excuse my carelessness."

Velvet's blood boiled at the words, her vision blurring with rage and pain. Her mind was a mess of conflicting thoughts, but one thing was crystal clear—she was facing an enemy who was toying with her, who saw her suffering as nothing more than entertainment. The realization filled her with a kind of fury she had never known before, a hatred so deep and consuming that it eclipsed all reason.

Velvet's chest heaved with anger, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she spat out the words, "FUCK YOU!" Her voice was raw with emotion, each syllable vibrating with the fury and hatred she felt for the twisted figure standing before her. "EVERYONE KNOWS ASPHALT IS A GREATER MAN THAN YOU COULD EVER HOPE TO BE!" The disgust in her eyes was palpable, burning with a fierce intensity as she glared at the abomination before her.

The room seemed to grow colder, the air thick with a menacing energy as the sound of footsteps echoed ominously through the chamber. Each step was deliberate, slow, as if savoring the moment, relishing in the power he held over her. Velvet's heart pounded in her chest, the sound almost deafening in her ears as Jason finally emerged from the shadows, his twisted form becoming fully visible under the dim light.

Her eyes widened in shock and horror as she took in the grotesque sight of him. His face—a once human face—had been horrifically distorted, the skin stretched back so far it seemed on the verge of tearing itself from his skull. Parts of his jawbone and eye socket were exposed, the flesh around them peeled away to reveal the stark, white bone underneath. It was a nightmarish visage, a gruesome mockery of what a man should be.

But it was his eyes that sent a chill down her spine. Pitch black, save for the blood-red pupils that glowed with a malevolent light, and veins of the same crimson hue that snaked through the whites of his eyes, spidering out to creep across the skin surrounding them. They were the eyes of something far beyond human, something that had descended into the depths of madness and clawed its way back with nothing left but hate.

Strange, organic tubes sprouted from his back, writhing like serpents. They were connected to nothing, yet pulsed as though they were alive, feeding off some unseen force, perhaps the very essence of the man he once was. His body, if it could still be called that, was an abomination—a grotesque fusion of flesh and something far darker, something that twisted and corrupted everything it touched.

"Yes…" Jason spoke, his voice distorted, the tone laced with a somber resonance that sent shivers down Velvet's spine. "Asphalt was a great man…" He paused, his eyes locking onto hers, the black orbs gleaming with something unholy. "But I… am no man." The words echoed around the room, filling the space with an eerie sense of finality.

He looked down at her, his face contorting into a deranged smile, the skin pulling back even further, threatening to tear completely. The expression was one of pure insanity, a chilling blend of joy and malice, as though he was reveling in his own monstrosity.

"I… AM A GOD!"

Jason's voice reverberated through the chamber, the sheer power behind his words sending a wave of cold dread washing over Velvet. The proclamation hung heavy in the air, a twisted declaration that seemed to warp the very atmosphere around them. The flickering lights of the room dimmed as if the shadows themselves were retreating from the horror before them, pulling back to escape the presence of something so utterly wrong.

Velvet's heart pounded in her chest, each beat echoing in her ears, drowning out all other sounds. She felt like she was drowning in his malevolent energy, his deranged smile searing itself into her mind. The monstrous figure before her loomed large, his form a grotesque mockery of humanity, and for a brief, terrifying moment, she felt the crushing weight of despair settle in her chest.

Then, cutting through the suffocating atmosphere like a blade through darkness, came a voice she knew all too well.

"Alright… I'll admit," the familiar voice drawled, almost lazily, with a tone so casual and carefree that it seemed absurd in the face of the horrors around them, "that's the first time I've ever heard anyone call themselves god…"

Velvet's eyes widened, tears welling up as hope surged within her. The voice was like a lifeline, pulling her back from the edge of despair. She turned her head, her breath hitching as she saw him step out from the shadows, appearing almost as if he had been there the entire time.

Accelerator strolled into the room, his hands in his pockets, his posture relaxed, almost as if he were taking a leisurely walk rather than confronting a monstrous abomination. His expression was one of complete disinterest, a stark contrast to the twisted excitement on Jason's face. The corners of his mouth twitched into a smirk as he looked at Jason, his eyes gleaming with that familiar, cocky glint that Velvet had come to rely on.

"Especially from a weak-ass loser like you," he finished, his voice dripping with disdain.

Velvet stared at Gorgon, her breath hitching as the reality of his words began to settle in. The mere mention of "Deep Blood" had sent a shiver down her spine, but now that she was hearing it from the lips of someone who was directly involved with Jason's twisted ambitions, it felt even more horrifying.

Gorgon was tightly bound, his body immobilized by the manifested magical binds and sigils that Velvet had meticulously attached to him. The mana-restraining charms glowed faintly, pulsing with a rhythmic energy that kept him locked in place. Even though he was restrained, the hatred in his eyes was palpable, as if he was willing his very soul to break free and strike at them.

Velvet's shock was evident in her voice, her words barely more than a whisper. "That's… insane!"

Accelerator, standing beside her, remained silent, his gaze unwavering as he stared down at Gorgon. The calmness in his demeanor was unsettling, like a storm brewing beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to unleash its fury.

Gorgon's lips curled into a sneer, his eyes narrowing in contempt. "It's revolutionary," he spat, his voice laced with venom. "The likes of which you narrow-minded fools are too weak and cowardly to pursue."

Velvet repeated the words Gorgon had spoken, as if saying them aloud would help her grasp their significance. "Deep Blood is not a quirk nor is it an MQ," she murmured, her mind racing to piece together the implications, "but a lost clan technique of the Yamato family?"

The name Yamato echoed in the room, and Accelerator's eyes flicked toward Velvet, a glimmer of recognition in his gaze. "Yamato… aren't they the ones who started Project Index?" he asked, his tone thoughtful.

Velvet nodded, still trying to wrap her head around the enormity of what they had just uncovered. "Yes… They were an old family of magicians who were wiped out eons ago. Even outside of Project Index, they were well known for a variety of great spells and magical techniques. But since it was so long ago, nobody has a full list of what was lost after their decimation."

"And Deep Blood is one of their great techniques," Accelerator muttered, his voice carrying the weight of the revelation. His eyes bore into Gorgon, seeking confirmation. "Jason… immortality isn't his end game, is it?"

Gorgon's reaction was immediate. His teeth ground together in anger, his hatred for Accelerator nearly tangible in the air between them. But despite his seething rage, there was something else there—a glimmer of fear. Accelerator's gaze was cold and unforgiving, and the power he wielded was undeniable. Gorgon knew he was cornered.

"Answer," Accelerator demanded, his tone low and dangerous, leaving no room for defiance.

A bead of sweat trickled down Gorgon's temple as he finally spoke, his voice shaky with a mix of fear and defiance. "Deep Blood can do a lot more than just give magicians a power boost," he admitted grudgingly. "The initial creation of the technique was about creating a perfect symbiotic relationship between two vessels. Their objective was to see how far a magician could be pushed before they went into overdrive and broke".

Velvet and Accelerator exchanged a look, both of them processing the gravity of what Gorgon had just revealed.

Gorgon continued, though it seemed to cost him every ounce of pride he had left. "If two vessels possessing Deep Blood were to build an emotional connection, then a subconscious link can manifest, giving the more active vessel a stable, continuous dosage of mana. It would also keep them from developing an addiction to blood… or losing control of their sanity."

The room fell into a heavy silence, the weight of Gorgon's words pressing down on them like a suffocating blanket. Velvet felt a knot forming in her stomach, the pieces of the puzzle slowly falling into place. "How can Jason have the technique Deep Blood?" she wondered aloud, her voice barely audible.

Accelerator's response was immediate, his realization clear in his voice. "He doesn't," he said, his tone firm. "At least, he didn't… but the kid's father did."

The implications of his words hit Velvet like a freight train. "What—no! That's… that-"

"It makes sense," Accelerator cut her off, his voice tinged with a cold certainty. "How he did it may be unclear, but it's the obvious explanation."

Velvet's mind raced, trying to comprehend the full scope of what Accelerator was saying. If Jason had somehow inherited or stolen the Deep Blood technique from Yuki's father… if he had access to that kind of power, then his plans were far more sinister and dangerous than they had ever imagined.

Accelerator's gaze hardened as he turned back to Gorgon, his voice deadly calm. "The girl… where is she?"

Gorgon's eyes widened, panic flashing across his face for the first time. He clenched his jaw, refusing to answer, but the fear in his eyes betrayed him.

"The girl," Accelerator repeated, his voice like ice. "Where. Is. She?"

Gorgon struggled against the restraints, but it was futile. The magic held him firmly in place, preventing any escape. Sweat poured down his face as he tried to think of a way out, but the realization that he was trapped, cornered by the very people he had underestimated, was sinking in.

Velvet watched, her heart pounding in her chest, as Gorgon's resolve began to crumble. The reality of the situation was clear—if they didn't find the girl, if they didn't stop Jason, then whatever monstrous plan he was hatching could come to fruition. And that was something they couldn't afford to let happen.

"Tell us where she is," Velvet urged, her voice steady but with an underlying urgency. "We don't have time for this, Gorgon. If you want any chance of walking out of here alive, you'll tell us where she is."

Gorgon's breath hitched, his eyes darting between Velvet and Accelerator. The pressure was mounting, the walls closing in around him. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he cracked.

"She… she's in the facility," Gorgon stammered, his voice trembling with fear. "In the lower levels, below the main labs. But you'll never reach her in time—Jason's already… he's already started!"

Accelerator's nonchalant attitude as he addressed Jason was unnerving. The room was thick with tension, the air almost crackling with the power radiating from both men. Jason's indifference in the face of his fallen opponents contrasted sharply with Velvet's barely-contained anguish as she knelt beside Asphalt's bloodied form. The scene was a stark reminder of how close they had come to losing everything.

"Guess Asphalt managed to keep you stalled long enough till we got here," Accelerator remarked, his voice calm and almost casual, as if the chaos around them were nothing more than a minor inconvenience. He glanced down at Asphalt, his expression softening just slightly. "That was good work, old man."

Velvet's eyes were wet with unshed tears, her heart twisting as she looked at her mentor's prone form, noticing the tightened cloth around his stump. Asphalt had sacrificed so much, had given everything to buy them the time they needed. The sight of him so still, so lifeless, was almost too much for her to bear. She swallowed hard, her hands trembling as she tried to keep her emotions in check.

Jason, meanwhile, observed the exchange with a look of detached interest, as if he were watching a mildly amusing play unfold. The twisted features of his face made the expression even more grotesque, the exposed bone and sinew adding to the nightmarish quality of his appearance. He seemed almost bored by the situation, as though he couldn't fathom that these people could possibly pose a threat to him in his current state.

Accelerator's gaze shifted to Velvet, assessing her condition with a critical eye. She was bruised and battered, her left arm still twisted at an unnatural angle, but the fire in her eyes was unmistakable. She was hurting, yes, but she wasn't broken. Not yet.

"You look rough," Accelerator said, his tone blunt but not unkind. "Think you're too roughed up to get to the kid?"

For a moment, Velvet didn't respond, her mind still reeling from everything that had happened. But then his words sank in, and she realized what he was asking of her. This wasn't the time to be weak, to give in to the pain. Asphalt had given everything so that they could finish this fight, and she owed it to him to see it through. She owed it to herself.

With a determined glint in her eyes, Velvet forced herself to her feet, gritting her teeth against the pain that shot through her body. Her legs wobbled slightly, but she steadied herself, her resolve hardening. She couldn't afford to falter now.

"Good," Accelerator said, satisfaction evident in his voice as he turned his attention back to Jason. The casual, almost bored demeanor he had displayed earlier vanished, replaced by a cold, murderous intent that seemed to darken the entire room. "I'll take care of this son of a bitch."

Jason's response was immediate. He let out a bark of laughter, the sound echoing off the walls, before it grew into a full, booming laugh. The arrogance in his eyes was clear—he truly believed he was untouchable, invincible in his current form. "You think you stand a chance against me?" he sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "I admit you're strong, boy, and your quirk is impressively unique… but you stand no chance against me as I am now—"

"Oi," Accelerator cut him off, his voice sharp and laced with venom. His icy glare bore into Jason, the weight of his murderous intent pressing down on everyone in the room. "You gonna keep bitching? Or you gonna fight, charming?" He smirked, the expression cold and mocking. "Well… not so charming anymore, are ya?"

The atmosphere grew even tenser, if that were possible. The air was thick with anticipation, as if the entire room were holding its breath, waiting for the clash that was sure to come. The only sound was the faint hum of energy crackling around Jason, his power so intense it seemed to warp the very air around him.

Without warning, a shockwave reverberated through the room, the force of it so powerful that the ground beneath Velvet's feet trembled. Jason's eyes flashed with anger as he conjured a spear of light, the weapon forming in an instant, its brilliant glow nearly blinding. In a blur of motion, faster than the eye could track, he hurled the spear straight at Accelerator, the weapon tearing through the air with deadly precision.

But Accelerator was ready. The spear of light slammed into his vector shield, the barrier rippling with the impact before deflecting the attack with a deafening crack. The spear ricocheted off the shield, its trajectory altered as it shot toward a piece of equipment on the far side of the room. The machinery didn't stand a chance—the moment the spear made contact, it vaporized in an explosion of light and heat, leaving nothing but a smoldering crater in its place.

Jason's grin grew wider as he floated above Accelerator, his twisted face illuminated by the eerie glow emanating from his body. His voice was filled with manic glee as he taunted the younger man. "Your power truly is an enigma," Jason marveled, his eyes gleaming with a deranged curiosity. "Care to share?"

Accelerator's response was immediate and devoid of humor. "You first."

Jason chuckled, a low, unsettling sound that echoed through the ruined room. His body was a blur of light and shadow, shifting between forms that defied the laws of physics, as if he were no longer bound by the constraints of reality itself. Each movement he made was accompanied by a ripple of energy that distorted the air around him, making it nearly impossible for Accelerator to pin him down.

Velvet forced herself to move, her legs burning with each step as she ran through the dimly lit corridors of the facility. Her mind was a whirlwind of fear and determination, the pain in her broken arm a constant reminder of the cost they had already paid in this battle. But she couldn't stop. Asphalt's sacrifice weighed heavily on her heart, urging her forward with every breath she took. She had to find Yuki. She had to stop Jason before it was too late.

The facility was a labyrinth of steel and concrete, its cold, sterile walls stretching endlessly in every direction. The sound of her footsteps echoed in the empty halls, a stark contrast to the chaos that raged behind her. But Velvet didn't have time to think about that. She couldn't afford to hesitate. Jason's plans were already in motion, and the clock was ticking down to an unknown, terrifying conclusion.

As she pushed through the pain and fatigue, Velvet's mind raced. She knew that Yuki was the key to whatever twisted scheme Jason had concocted, but the details eluded her. All she knew was that she couldn't let him succeed. The stakes were too high. Lives hung in the balance—innocent lives that would be lost if Jason got what he wanted.

Accelerator was growing increasingly frustrated. Jason's attacks were relentless, beams of searing light cutting through the air with deadly precision. Accelerator dodged and weaved, his body moving faster than the eye could follow, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't land a single hit. Every time he thought he had Jason in his sights, the man would phase out of reach, his body dissolving into pure light before reforming somewhere else.

Accelerator's mind was racing, trying to calculate Jason's movements, but something was off. Jason wasn't just transforming into light; there was something more to it, something beyond the realm of science that Accelerator couldn't quantify. "What the fuck?" Accelerator muttered under his breath, frustration mounting as he narrowly avoided another blast of light. 'I can't calculate whatever it is he's doing to his body! He's not just transmuting himself into an incorporeal form of light… but something else… he's turning into something else… magic?'

The thought sent a chill down Accelerator's spine. He was a master of vectors, able to control and manipulate the very forces of nature, but magic was something else entirely. It operated on principles that defied the logic he relied on, and that made Jason unpredictable—dangerous in a way that few others could be.

Desperate to shift the momentum, Accelerator slammed his foot into the ground, the force of the impact shattering the concrete beneath him. Large blocks of torn-up metal and debris shot into the air, hurtling toward Jason with incredible speed. But Jason only smirked, his form shifting fluidly as he dodged each piece of debris or let it pass harmlessly through his incorporeal body.

"I'm afraid it's going to take a lot more than that to take me down," Jason taunted, his voice reverberating through the room like a sinister echo. The strange canisters embedded in his back made unsettling noises as they pulsated, their contents a mystery. Accelerator's eyes narrowed as he watched the glow surrounding Jason intensify, the light growing brighter and more concentrated. Whatever those canisters were doing, it was amplifying Jason's power, making him even more dangerous. But that also gave Accelerator an idea—a risky, desperate idea.

Velvet finally reached the heart of the facility. Her breath hitched as she entered a large chamber, her eyes immediately drawn to the sight before her. There, suspended in the center of the room, was Yuki—unconscious and floating in a large containment canister filled with a strange, glowing liquid. The sight of the young girl, so small and vulnerable, filled Velvet with a renewed sense of urgency.

"Yuki!" Velvet gasped, rushing forward despite the pain coursing through her body. The canister was enormous, its surface smooth and impenetrable, with a series of tubes and wires connected to it, all feeding into the glowing liquid that surrounded Yuki. Velvet's heart pounded in her chest as she frantically searched for a way to free the girl, her mind racing with questions and fears.