sits inside a 15 km explosion (mostly)

An instant later, “something” fell into the Danish countryside.
A crater 15 kilometers across was created around the impact point.
It was as if a sword had fallen from the heavens and split apart he earth.
Who would have realized it was nothing more than a giant mass of H2O, aka water.
The word “intense” did not do its speed and pressure justice. An overwhelming explosion
of steam occurred directly above the impact point and a circular shockwave covered
everything. This was no different from spraying a hose at a line of ants on the ground, but
this was actually happening. A massive wall of dust gave the shockwave visual form and
it knocked over the conifer trees at four or five times the speed of sound. The wall of liquid
and steam had transformed into a ferocious wall of heat. The thick layer of snow melted
in an instant and the exposed ground was heated to orange.
As all this happened, Kamijou Touma and Othinus dove into a cave that had been half
buried in snow. It was the place she had earlier pointed out as a good spot for hunting
bears.
The straight line attack from the heavens lasted for several seconds.
The shockwave swept across the surface, so they somehow survived within the cave.
But the heat assaulted that underground area. Despite the narrow cave entrance, the heat
still made its way inside. The air dried in no time and stabbing pain raced through
Kamijou’s eyes. He started to cry out in surprise, but Othinus covered his mouth with her
palm so he would not breathe in the scorching air.
About half a minute later, the rumbling continued, but the two of them turned toward the
cave exit. Kamijou hesitantly breathed in through his nose, but it did not burn his lungs.
The temperature outside was negative fifteen degrees, so the heat had been cooled off
quickly.
He headed for the cave exit with Othinus and looked outside.
The scenery had completely changed.
“What…is this?”
He did not find a silver world of thick snow or a brown world of exposed dirt.
He saw glass.
The surface of the fifteen kilometer crater was completely covered in translucent glass.
Glass and porcelain were normally made of silicon, so it could be made by harshly heating
sand or dirt. Even if it made sense from a rational standpoint, the scenery still looked like
a completely different world.
He felt he had wandered into an uncivilized planet filled with silicon life forms from an
old SF novel.
There may have been a good reason for that.
Simply put, it was a powerful bomb using nothing but pure water.
Its military use by aiming it at the earth had been an excuse to get funding out of the
higher ups who were unlikely to pay for a project that could only be used for developing
other planets.
However, the boy was not looking at the glassy alternate world.
He was looking up because his mind was fixated on that which had caused the intense
impact.
So much dust filled his vision that it felt like looking through a sandstorm. He felt as if the
sun was suddenly producing much less light.
But he still saw what resembled a giant tree towering up toward the heavens. He had the
unrealistic idea that he had wandered into the monochrome footage occasionally seen in
documentaries. That was how far-removed this scene was from a high school boy’s normal
life.
The true identity of that mythical tree was a mushroom cloud.
He had not simply been thrown into the cloud of dust. He had been enveloped by that
unique weather phenomenon that was still expanding.
“……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………”
He stared blankly at the scene before his eyes.
Turning the ground to glass was another well-known phenomenon associated with
nuclear explosions.
As he stood there, someone tapped on his shoulder from behind.
“Don’t worry.”
It was Othinus.
“Mushroom clouds can be created by more than just nukes. Any explosion with enough
force can do it. Large fuel-air bombs or thermobaric bombs should be able to pull it off,
so…”
“No,” muttered Kamijou. “Only Academy City would be able to do this. And if they’re
going this all-out, it’ll never end this easily! Mass-produced military clones, AIM thought
entities, supersonic bombers, powered suits, cyborgs, and Rensa. I haven’t seen
everything, but the glimpses I have seen are enough to know they’ll go farther than this if
they’re serious!!”
The word “enemy” filled his mind.
Academy City had fired something from the sky or – more likely – from space.
But had they done so in order to directly crush him and Othinus? Had they made all those
preparations for firepower that could be escaped on foot?
If not…
“Get back, Othinus.”
“What are-…”
“This is only just beginning!!”
His shout was immediately followed by a violent gust of wind that destroyed the mythical
tree of a mushroom cloud in an instant. But this pressure did not come from outside. The
giant tree was ripped apart from the inside, from the blast site.
Othinus narrowed her eye at the scene before her.
Academy City was a collection of all sorts of science and technology, and Kamijou recalled
the primary example: esper development.
In that case, what was Academy City’s most powerful and reliable weapon?
The answer stood directly in front of them.
Academy City’s #1 Level 5, Accelerator.
That true monster who could control all vectors stood in the blast site.
***
A mass of metal resembling of five meter rugby ball was buried at the center of the glass
world. It had been fired at the tail end of the massive pillar of water and the huge steam
explosion had cushioned its fall and allowed it to land without a parachute. Even so, it
was unimaginable how much technology was needed to let it retain its shape and protect
its contents with that much of an impact.

- New Testament Volume 10 Chapter 9 Part 4