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Accelerator did not have the habit of using his phone for entertainment. If it wasn’t so Last Order could regularly check in on him while he was in England, the new phone he bought would have served the same function as a watch. However, the phone in question — which was normally dormant like a well-made timepiece — began to ring at an unexpected time today.
The screen displayed a caller number that was made long due to the addition of an international area code. Accelerator did not record names in his contacts, but this number — even though he rarely dialled it — was distinctly familiar.
“Accelerator? Where’re you now? You’re still in England right?”
“…I am.”
“The Queen is hosting a celebratory dinner party at Windsor Castle this evening. You should come too.”
“What does it have to do with me?”
“Don’t say that! Do you want Mr Kamijou to personally come and pick you up?”
The slightly distorted audio that emanated from his phone suddenly grew clearer. Accelerator, who was having a late breakfast on the outside seating of a certain restaurant, did not have time to respond before a right hand clasped down on his shoulder.
There is only one person brave enough to so carelessly touch the strongest esper of Academy City. The pointy-haired high school boy looped around to sit opposite of Accelerator, scanning the table full of lavish breakfast.
Perhaps due to the vast quantity and variety, the food were not piled onto one dish, but instead gorgeously arranged into plates of sausages, bacons, sunny-side up eggs, mushrooms, baked beans on toast, hash browns, and of course coffee. There was also the unexpected appearance of a garden salad, much like the appearance of Kamijou Touma himself.
“Didn’t expect you to eat so much despite being so slim.”
The truth is, due to an unpleasant experience previously, Accelerator sent Qliphah Puzzle 545 to inspect all of London’s restaurants — big and small — before she finally discovered this one diner that did not participate in darker dealings. They have since chosen this place for all their meals. Kamijou Touma was not aware of the existence of Qliphah Puzzle 545, so he mistakenly assumed that Accelerator ordered the table full of food for himself.
Upon noticing the new customer, a waiter immediately brought another set of cutlery.
Accelerator did not pay attention to the uninvited freeloader, he lifted his cup to sip the light brown liquid within.
Compared to the canned black coffee he is used to, the pour-over here is too acidic, so Accelerator ordered latte instead ever since his first visit.
“You are even drinking two cups of coffee?” Kamijou Touma took the other cup without asking, tasting it slightly before tossing in a few cubes of sugars set aside for tea-drinkers.
Accelerator continued to be unresponsive. Instead, he gathered food from each dish into his own plate.
Upon seeing Accelerator take a portion of the salad, Kamijou Touma exclaimed in surprise, “unbelievable — even you started eating grass after coming to England! By the way, I heard they will prepare Japanese food for the dinner party.”
“I already said it has nothing to do with me. I won’t be going.” Accelerator repeated his clear rejection.
Kamijou Touma poked the empty plate in front of him with his fork, coughed a little, and cleared his throat.
“It has everything to do with you. Even though we split up in England, and I am unsure what you ended up doing, I felt it clearly — someone gave us a hand when we were in a pinch. I understand that you don’t want to attend Aleister’s funeral, but you should come to the dinner party. Nobody deserves to be there more than you.”
Seeing no change in Accelerator’s expression, Kamijou Touma added, “and there is too little of us. Having the Number One there to represent Academy City would look a lot better.”
He dropped the fork in his right hand and abruptly reached forward to grab Accelerator’s left hand.
“Personally, I really wish you’d come…”
Being interrupted midway, Accelerator had no choice but to stop eating. He attempted to reacquire the control of his hand, but Kamijou Touma’s firm grasp made that impossible. He felt Kamijou Touma casually caress the inside of his wrist with his thumb.
Imagine Breaker really is his natural enemy, Accelerator was able to confirm it yet again. Even in the past where he had absolute liberty to his ability, any fight with Kamijou Touma would become a purely physical spar. Accelerator, who is disadvantaged in a fist fight, had no chance of winning.
Unless he maintained enough distance from the very start.
Kamijou Touma did not release Accelerator’s hand, instead, he pulled his chair along with him to move closer.
“This is not just an invitation from the Queen, it is also a personal invitation from me.”
The atmosphere behind them threatened to shift.
“Since we are such old friends.”
“?”
Underneath the table, Accelerator’s right hand gestured slightly towards the back.
“I haven’t had a chance to confirm with you, but that has to be you right? One summer — six, seven years ago — you were the kid in all white I played with at the park near the station.”
He didn’t expect Kamijou Touma to suddenly bring up something he used to be so perplexed by — something he had gradually forgotten.
“I probably looked too typical for you to remember me. Back in those days nobody hung out with me because they were afraid of catching my misfortune. I only saw you a handful of times, but I remember it clearly.”
Kamijou Touma held up Accelerator’s left hand and brought it in front of his eyes.
“Every time I grabbed your hand, you’d have shock written all over your face.”
At that very instant, Accelerator had shock written all over his face, too.
Especially because Kamijou Touma’s other hand had found itself on Accelerator’s waist. The scalding existence of that hand made itself known through Accelerator’s thick winter jacket. Kamijou Touma moved his head closer, and the distance between them shrank so much that they could feel the warmth of each other’s breath.
His field of vision would have been completely obscured in the next moment.
A phone stuck out between the tips of their noses.
Having spent several days with Aleister, of course Kamijou Touma knew what the phone in Accelerator’s hand signifies.
“Do you want a taste of grilled meat?” Said Accelerator as he nimbly typed away on the phone that only recently became his.
Imagine Breaker can negate all supernatural phenomenon, but it is useless against physical attacks.
In front of weapons of science, the Kamijou Touma who possesses Imagine Breaker is just a human made of flesh and blood.
“Ah, my phone is almost dead. I’m going back to charge it.” Said Kamijou Touma, leaving as swiftly as he appeared.
“Did this brat eat something questionable or is his brain attached to his uniform? It is as though he left his braincells behind when he changed clothes.” Said Qliphah Puzzle 545 as she poked out from beneath the table, grabbing the edge of the table with her hands.
“Hmph, you didn’t notice that was a fake?” Accelerator scrubbed his left hand with a disinfectant wipe.
“Huh?? But his aura…was the exact same as the real deal?” Qliphah Puzzle 545 tilted her head, “since master noticed right away, why didn’t master expose him?”
“……………………………”
“Could it be that, since he had the exact same face as the real deal, master couldn’t bring himself to- Pfft! Ouch! AHHH ————————— !!!”
After some theatrical playfighting, the master-and-servant duo finally settled down. Their breakfast was delayed to almost lunchtime due to the unexpected visitor.
A large bird of prey fell from the sky and landed on Accelerator’s shoulder.
“As expected from the kingdom of magic!” Qliphah Puzzle 545 cried excitedly as her master unravelled the piece of paper attached to the raptor’s leg. “Such a shame it is not an owl??”
The edge of Accelerator’s lips curled up slightly as he scanned the unravelled letter.
The curious little demon extended her neck as she swept her tail back and forth.
“Master, what does it say?”
Accelerator folded the piece of paper carefully and tucked it into the inner pocket of his jacket. He downed the rest of his coffee.
“The invitation I have been waiting for.”