Date Acceleration II (Complete)

Chapter 3

Seated upon a chair, Accelerator allowed his hand to rest wearily on the table before him, his expression one of palpable boredom within the subdued ambiance of the dimly lit room. The lamp's focused beam painted his form with stark shadows that danced playfully across his features.

In front of him, Ellen Mathers stood, a portrait of exasperation, her formal suit doing little to disguise the tightly controlled irritation that radiated from her demeanor.

"What did you do?" Ellen's inquiry was laced with the strain of clenched teeth, her anger a restrained force that still managed to pervade the room. Her gaze bore into Accelerator, who met her intensity with a mixture of disdainful ennui and underlying annoyance.

"Okay, first," Accelerator began, the cadence of his words underscored by a weariness that mirrored his posture. His impatience was palpable, a fervent attempt to bring this conversation to an end. 

"I was minding my own business."

"Liar," Mathers retorted, her patience slipping, the edges of her controlled anger fraying as she slammed her hand onto the table in a gesture of frustrated emphasis.

"I waaassss!" Accelerator's response was tinged with genuine surprise and confusion. His brow furrowed; his irritation momentarily replaced by a sense of disbelief as he found himself caught in a situation where his honesty was questioned.

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The echoes of the battle faded; the aftermath unveiled a landscape of chaos around Accelerator. Frustration rose within him, mingling with the residual tension from the encounter with Kurumi.

 "God-fucking-dammit," he muttered under his breath. The clash with Kurumi had left him not only physically drained but mentally exhausted too. His mind had been a storm of calculations and power usage.

 he muttered under his breath, a raw exhalation of his exasperation. The confrontation with Kurumi had exacted a toll beyond the physical; the mental strain was undeniable. His mind had been an intricate web of calculations and power management, each step used to make sure his opponent didn't get the upper hand. His weariness was palpable, as if the very air around him held the weight of his mental exertions. The surge of power through his veins was a memory now, leaving behind a sense of emptiness and fatigue.

He found himself leaning on Artemisia for support. His mental reserves had been depleted in the process of formulating the intricate calculations needed to face Kurumi head-on. The adjustments to his brain, the flood of new sensory input – they left him grappling with a disorienting mix of exhilaration and fatigue.

Clinging to Artemisia's body for stability, his hands encircling her frame, Accelerator felt a curious solace that he couldn't quite explain, let alone admit. The sensation was baffling, almost comforting, as though her presence grounded him amidst the tumult of his own mind. Yet, it was a sentiment he'd likely scoff at if someone were to point it out.

With each passing second, the contact with her skin seemed to provoke subtle shifts within him, like dormant emotions returning with a vengeance. The turmoil in his mind mirrored the debris-strewn scene of the destroyed facility before him – chaotic and in need of taming.

In a peculiar way, clinging Artemisia felt akin to hugging a plush pillow. Each second passed as he felt her skin made certain changes in his body.

It was as if something returned with a vengeance.

Artemisia's voice cut through the internal maelstrom; her concern unwavering. 

"You really ought to cease pushing yourself to such extremes," Artemisia advised, helping Accelerator descend from the rooftop to the ground after her mechanical wings lowered them down.