A running track somewhere in Academy City, September 21, midday.
"I don't wanna keep running..."
An exasperated Touma barely catches up with Shulk, his shirt and hair soaked in sweat.
"We still have about five laps left." Shulk looks to his side, as Touma tries his hardest to match Shulk's pace.
"Hey, man, I didn't expect to run under forty-degree weather..!"
"Forty degrees Fahrenheit is pretty cold. Are you sure you're okay?"
"YOU...KNOW I MEANT...CELCIUS!" Touma gasps between words. "Now...isn't the time...for jokes!"
"You're just gonna have to steel yourself. If you don't keep up, we lose to Tokiwadai."
"At this point..." Touma looks ahead of himself to see an energized Misaka, dashing around the track. "...Tokiwadai can stay a champ if they want."
Out of nowhere, a blast of energy explodes at Touma's feet.
"Eep!" he squeals, leaping forward. His exhausted jog turns to a fear-driven dash, while Shulk simply speeds up. The pair of runners turn to see a group of Tokiwadai girls standing over the boys' fallen comrades.
Touma looks around the track.
"Crap..! Are we the last ones up?"
"It looks like it." Shulk chuckles. "When they said endurance...I don't think we expected this."
Another blast nearly trips Touma.
"I HARDLY THINK OF THIS AS A JOKE!"
As the explosions follow behind, Touma flails around the track.
He darts left and right, but keeps madly running forward.
"I don't think I'm gonna make it, Shulk!"
Shulk looks to Touma.
"I will...be a distraction," Touma bawls. He stops in his tracks. "You go and win this thing for us!"
The Tokiwadai girls continue their chase but abruptly stop as Touma rapidly turns around and embraces his end. While Shulk runs away without losing a single breath, Touma is blasted to the heavens.
"MY DAMNED LUUUUccckk..."
Elsewhere on the track, Misaka sees Touma flying away.
Godspeed...she prays silently.
Right behind Misaka, Shulk runs in.
"How're you feeling now, Mikoto?"
Shulk jogs at Misaka's side, both reasonably fast.
The two pass over the finish line. Four laps left.
"Pretty good. I'm feeling energized and alive."
"Then I've got myself some competition!"
Shulk begins dashing forward.
Misaka smirks. "Oh no, you don't!"
Electricity surrounds Misaka as she follows close behind.
"You're pretty fast!" Misaka compliments. "How'd you train for stuff like this?"
The two pass the finish line again. Three laps left.
"I was always running back home. I could ask you the same! You caught up quick."
"I use electricity to stimulate the muscles and make myself stronger! It's an old trick I learned from a friend!" Misaka zooms ahead. "And I'll use it to beat you!"
YOU ARE READING
A Certain Divine Visionary
General FictionAcademy City of Science and Technology. A city containing about 2.3 million citizens with 80% of that population consisting of students, and home to two rival forces: Science and Magic. The conflict between Science and Magic has always been prominen...
