Railgun Online. Book 2, Fairy's Light

Blades and Rage.

Kazuto knew at that moment.. that the direct shot would kill him.. that Meltdowner beam, was going to rip him apart, and leave nothing behind, destroying him at a molecular level..

But the beam didn't reach him.. it stopped 3 inches from his chest, smoking against a black sword blade with glowing blue edges... The sword was shaped like a katana.. with a high tech looking black hilt, with no guard.. and it was being held by Azume, who had slipped it out of her sleeve somehow.

" A high powered Dark Fiber Model 7 Arclight Sword." said Mugino, raising an eyebrow. "I thought Academy City stopped production of it because nobody had the time to train people to fight with swords.."

"True.. while holding the blade does stimulate muscles, cells, and reflexes." said Azume. "This weapon still requires skill to use.. much more skill then it would take to learn how to use firearms. Therefore.. the idea was scrapped.. however some of my agency managed to recover a few... The Dark Fiber is immune to matter decomposition by energy or acid."

"Bringing such a weapon to fight me?" said Mugino, laughing. "Oh you BETTER have some sort of skill with that thing!!"

"Kirigaya, run.. I'll hold her off." said Azume.

"You? Hold THAT off?" said Kazuto. "Are you trying to get yourself killed."

"I will escape just fi-" Azume began.. but suddenly a Meltdowner beam blasted at her.. and Kazuto pulled her out of the way a second too late as the blast grazed her arm.. tearing through her sleeve and making a smoking scar.

"YAAAAARRRGGHH!!!" Azume cried out in pain, dropping both her gun and the sword. The sword's glowing blue plasma edges dimmed and turned off.

"Whoops, can't hear you over your own idiocy." said Mugino.

"I forgot... that my skill with a blade isn't too good either.." Azume muttered.

"No wonder you didn't join us fighting the 75th floor boss." Kazuto muttered. "You knew you'd slow us down.."

"Now.." said Mugino. "If you don't mind.. I think I'll get to killing you now!!"

More Meltdowner beams fired out again.. however... at the last moment, a figure jumped out in front of the beams and held out her hands to the blasts, emiting a strong electrical current, causing the photon beams to bend and redirect themselves away from Kazuto and the injured Azume, hitting the street instead.

"NOW WHAT!?" Mugino growled.

"Me." Mikoto said.. her eyes flashing with rage as electrical sparks ran down her body. "Been a while hasn't it? Mugino."

"Railgun!!!" Mugino smiled and laughed. "Oh... I've been waiting ages for a rematch!! To prove who really should be ranked above the other!!"

"ZAMMM!!!" Mikoto flicked a finger, and a powerful bolt of lightning blasted out at Mugino.

Mugino held out some Meltdowner spheres in front of herself and redirected the lightning so that it arced over her and exploded into the street behind.

"You forget, that I can redirect your power too!"

Mikoto scowled. "And last time we fought, I was weakened from destroying labs without rest.. this fight is going to be much different!!"

Suddenly, from seemingly out of nowhere, giant waves of black iron sand, pulled from the ground by electromagnetism, all vibrating at high speeds, converged on Mugino from all sides, like a giant black flood.

"What!?" Mugino said. "Since when did you-"

The flood of black sand exploded into her, throwing up rubble from the street in the process, and letting off electrical sparks.